Disguise kit

[BilL.it]

Sorry for my english

 

It's a removable kit can disguise your ship in a trader ship.

 

With the kit installed the ship starts the battle with cannons drains

[Crankey]

A Ruse de Guerre

 

I suggested this as a 'roleplay' element that could have impact in battle some while back and believe it should be a costly 1 off use item(Per voyage) that disguises the ship in the OW but in battle reveals its true form.

 

A ship through the use of painted canves and rigging alterations could disguise itself either as a warship in the case of a merchant vessel, or as a merchant vessel in the case of a warship. Both trying to fool the enemy that they are a different class of ship.

[SteelSandwich]

Lets not start with this stuff...

A victory disguised as a traderslynx?...

[Subutai]

I like this idea. Ruses were definitely an aspect of the sea life during this time. 

 

Lets not start with this stuff...

A victory disguised as a traderslynx?...

 

Ideally it would be restricted to ships of similar size and class. A snow could disguise herself as a brig, or even a corvette, with a false mizzen. Ships of the line though probably could not disguise themselves as anything, saving perhaps, other ships of the line. There should also be a range where the ruse is discovered no matter what.

 

An East Indiaman is actually designed to look like a warship, that's the whole point. There is actually a very famous engagement in which East Indiamen successfully bluffed a French squadron into believing they were ships of the line, compelling them to withdraw; and another in which a French frigate struck her colors to a much weaker East Indiaman that had closed on her after a chase, again, believing the Indiaman to be a ship of the line. 

Edited September 26, 2015 by Subutai