Wooden Ships and Iron Men
Encyclopedia
Wooden Ships and Iron Men is a naval board wargame
in which the players simulate combat by sailing ship
s of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The game was originally published by Battleline Publications
in 1974 and republished by Avalon Hill
in 1975, and is known as the definitive simulation of the period.
The game is played on a hex board with rectangular cardboard counters representing ships and long enough to cover two hexes, which represents the ship's orientation. Players write down their planned moves at the beginning of each turn, then move simultaneously (possibly entangling their ships if they are close to each other), fire their broadsides if any ships are within range, and attempt to board ships that are adjacent.
The rules are not especially complicated, but as The Complete Book of Wargames puts it, "two turns of this game speak volumes about the significance of wind direction for sailing ships-of-the-line," and, "Purely for the feel of being there, this game is unsurpassed."
WS&IM
was later published as a computer wargame, winning the Origins Award
for Best Military or Strategy Computer Game of 1996.
Wooden Ships and Iron Men is no longer being produced but Hasbro
, which purchased Avalon Hill, has released the game as a free online promotional item.
Close Action
(1997) or GMT Games
' Flying Colors (2005).
Board wargame
A board wargame is a wargame with a set playing surface or board, as opposed to being played on a computer, or in a more free-form playing area as in miniatures games. The hobby around this type of game got its start in 1954 with the publication of Tactics, and saw its greatest popularity in the...
in which the players simulate combat by sailing ship
Sailing ship
The term sailing ship is now used to refer to any large wind-powered vessel. In technical terms, a ship was a sailing vessel with a specific rig of at least three masts, square rigged on all of them, making the sailing adjective redundant. In popular usage "ship" became associated with all large...
s of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The game was originally published by Battleline Publications
Battleline Publications
Battleline Publications was a board wargame company founded by Steven Peek in 1973. Output was relatively low at first, with each game being funded by sales of the one before, but their games were generally well-respected. Several were re-published by Avalon Hill, and their second game, Wooden...
in 1974 and republished by Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
in 1975, and is known as the definitive simulation of the period.
The game is played on a hex board with rectangular cardboard counters representing ships and long enough to cover two hexes, which represents the ship's orientation. Players write down their planned moves at the beginning of each turn, then move simultaneously (possibly entangling their ships if they are close to each other), fire their broadsides if any ships are within range, and attempt to board ships that are adjacent.
The rules are not especially complicated, but as The Complete Book of Wargames puts it, "two turns of this game speak volumes about the significance of wind direction for sailing ships-of-the-line," and, "Purely for the feel of being there, this game is unsurpassed."
WS&IM
Wooden Ships and Iron Men (video game)
Wooden Ships and Iron Men is a computer game developed by Avalon Hill in 1987 for the Commodore 64.-Gameplay:This game is based on the naval board wargame, Wooden Ships and Iron Men...
was later published as a computer wargame, winning the Origins Award
Origins Award
The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so the 1979 awards were given at the 1980 Origins.The Origins Award is commonly...
for Best Military or Strategy Computer Game of 1996.
Wooden Ships and Iron Men is no longer being produced but Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
, which purchased Avalon Hill, has released the game as a free online promotional item.
Criticism
Critics have maintained that the simplicity of the rules often creates ahistorical strategies and results, which conflicts with the "definitive" claim made by some. The complaints arise primarily because most battles end up with ships entangled and battles being resolved by boarding parties fighting until one ship's crew is eliminated. Such situations rarely occurred in history during this period. Other problems occurred due to "gamey" tactics which invalidate Nelson's strategies and prevent replication of historical tactics from working. However, the legacy and popularity of WS&IM has spawned descendants based on the original which have strived to correct most of these perceived design flaws. Examples of the game's updated descendants include Clash of Arms'sClash of Arms
Clash of Arms Games is a wargaming company best known for a high level of graphics quality and moderately to highly complex games, often focusing on the Napoleonic era, but with offerings in most eras of military history...
Close Action
Close Action
Close Action is a naval board wargame published by Clash of Arms in 1997 and designed by Mark A. Campbell. The game replicates naval warfare of the 18th and early 19th centuries. The game was inspired by and shares superficial similarities to the Avalon Hill game Wooden Ships and Iron Men...
(1997) or GMT Games
GMT Games
GMT Games, probably the most prolific of the wargame companies in the 1990s and 2000s, was founded in 1990. The current management and creative team includes Tony Curtis, Rodger MacGowan, Mark Simonitch, and Andy Lewis...
' Flying Colors (2005).
External links
- You Play It This site has developed an online version of this game.
- http://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/7090001.PDF Downloadable PDF of second edition (1981) rules.( it is missing page 7)