'Locust' Mastercraft Corvette
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| 'Locust' Mastercraft Corvette A Level 24, 26-gun Medium Scout
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| Information based on version 1.18.62.0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
An improved version of the 'Locust' Corvette with more and heavier guns, faster gun reload, more crew, more armor, more cargo capacity, better defenses and better tracking.
History
The 'Locust' Model is based on the Frigate 'Berlin'. The Berlin was one of the first "charter ships" that the organizers of the Brandenburg Navy put at the disposal of Prince Frederick William -- who started Brandenburg on its transformation into Prussia -- and the ship was, in those days, called a frigate. Built in 1674 at the Zeeland dockyards, she had a length of only 80 feet, a width of 22 feet, and an armament of 16 guns, and so was too small to be classified as what we now think of as an 18th-century frigate.
The Berlin was, however, highly successful in her day. With her crew of between 70 - 100 men, the Berlin, commanded by the Dutch Captain C. Reers, performed remarkable service between 1675 and 1680: an attack on the Swedish fortress of Karlsburg; the pursuit and overpowering of the French corsair frigate La Royale de Dunquerque; the capture of the Swedish ships Leoparden, Diederik, and Maria in the Baltic Sea; the defeat of another Swedish ship, Enhorn; escort duty to protect the transit of the Brandenburg Army from Peenemunde to the Rugen islands; and then the momentous capture of the 50-gun Spanish vessel Carolus 2nd. For a 16-gun ship to capture a 50-gun ship was unheard of at that time, and is an amazing feat in any era. The Berlin proved the worth of her design and the merits of her crew again and again.
Strategy and Use
A strong hunting ship that is a cross between a warship and a scout. She has a solid mixture of speed, maneuverability, firepower and defense.
A workhorse for the navy, it is often treated as a mini-frigate when using real frigates is impossible, unwise, or impractical. The 'Locust' packs sixteen guns onto its small but sturdy gundeck, making it a fierce opponent in long-range battles. Its sail plan is extensive, carrying topgallants on its fore and main, and though it pays for this complexity with the crew required to sail it, the result is the admirable sailing qualities of the ship-rig on a vessel small enough to still be quick and maneuverable.
Tactics
Though ferocious for its size, the 'Locust' should understand its limitations. It's not a frigate, however much it acts like one, and will be at a severe and obvious disadvantage when in combat with larger warships. This is only natural, however, and should not be taken as a slight of the Locust's abilities.
Corvettes are in the enviable position of being able to escape from those vessels they cannot defeat. They are more than a match for similarly sized vessels, and they have almost all the maneuverability and draft advantages of the agile sloops and schooners. It does not, however, have a fore-and-aft rig, and should be aware of this difference. Though the Locust will be faster running downwind than a similar fore-and-aft vessel, it cannot sail nearly as close to the wind, and should assiduously avoid situations where escape from a fore-and-aft rigger is to windward.
In fact, xebecs are probably the vessels that Master and Commanders should be most concerned with. The xebec, despite its larger size, is equally fast and nimble, and its comparable armament demands vigilance. Though larger, the xebec's hull is more fragile, and Corvettes would do well to keep the engagement at cannon-ranges, preventing their sleek opponents from closing to boarding range where their large crew capacity could come to bear.
Arch-rival aside, the Locust is a fierce and capable light warship, able to capture and sink both smaller warships and larger merchantmen. Its solid construction allows it to stand up and support larger comrades in attack and defense, and its shallow draft and excellent sailing qualities give it the ability to both ambush and flee. In all respects it is a fine vessel, and is the perfect stepping stone for any Master and Commander working to make Captain.
Variants
Other variants of the Locust:
Comparable Ships
The Locust has many relatives. As a ship-rigged vessel, it is directly related to its galleon ancestors. The older 16-gun design bears a strong family resemblance, though it has lost the characteristic exposed stern balcony. Those who think they would enjoy commanding a Corvette but would like to focus on trading should seek out a small galleon.
In its size, armament, and temperament, it is akin to the xebec, though the Locust is ship-rigged and far more robust in construction, while the xebec bears a distinctive three-masted lateen rig. Though the Locust is a far more versatile warship than the xebec, the xebec's shallower draft and fore-and-aft rig may appeal to some captains.
Finally, the raison d'etre of the ship-sloop is shared by its larger cousin, the frigate. In almost all ways, the Corvette is simply a smaller variant of the strong and glamorous frigate. Master and Commanders hoping to make Captain will find frigates to be very familiar vessels after a tour of duty on a sloop-of-war, and though they are a bit deeper and less maneuverable, frigates are, of course, larger and more heavily armed.
Distinguishing Characteristics
- A full ship-rig: square sails on all three masts, with topgallants on its fore and main, and a lateen mizzen.
- Relatively high stern, compared to more modern designs.
- High walls around the topdeck provide more protection for the crew than most modern ships.
- A very impressive broadside weight for its size and draft.
Sources
See BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SOURCES at the FLS Shipguide
