View Full Version : Which is your favorite age-of-sail traditional war-game?
By traditional, I mean hex-based maps and cardboard chit-style pieces.
You can choose multiple selections.
Jack Aubrey
02-23-2013, 04:36
wooden ships, of course.
David Manley
02-23-2013, 06:08
I would have said WSIM up until a few years ago when I went on to CA. Similar games (CA was initially designed to fix the errors in WSIM, after all) and both a lot of fun. I still play WSIM, I just find CA a more satisfying experience now.
I must admit that I am impressed with the development in game mechanics and component aesthetics from the WS&IM era to the more contemporary games such as Flying Colors. Before I became aware of the newer games, I bought many AH and SPI games that I used to own on ebay. Though I still enjoy the older games, the newer ones are edging them out. However, I will never stop playing Third Reich; sometimes lines have to be drawn.
HMS Lydia
03-08-2013, 10:20
Wooden Ships and Iron Men back in the early 80's. Haven't play age of sail naval since. Lots of Napoleonics, but land only.
Wooden Ships and Iron Men back in the early 80's. Haven't play age of sail naval since. Lots of Napoleonics, but land only.
Minis or traditional hex and chit? I enjoyed Wellington's Victory and AH's Waterloo back in distant times. Picked up Wellington's Victory again not too long ago on ebay.
HMS Lydia
03-08-2013, 10:45
Minis or traditional hex and chit? I enjoyed Wellington's Victory and AH's Waterloo back in distant times. Picked up Wellington's Victory again not too long ago on ebay.
Traditional cardboard counter and hex. Back in the 80's we played Harpoon and Modern Micro-Armor with mini's and Mustangs and Messerschmitts with 1/72 scale models, ah yes Star Fleet Battles. Other than that, didn't get into Napoleonics, ACW, WWII Naval until way later (90's).
PirateBlake
03-08-2013, 13:06
I voted other because having tried several rules, I keep going back to Heart of Oak miniatures rules. Dont know why, they just to me feel right?? How can something feel right if you never have experienced it. So maybe I just like playing them, yeah thats it, I like playing them :-)
Now I cant wait to play these Sails of Glory, looking very forward to it being released now that the KS is in full swing!
Berthier
03-08-2013, 17:11
I have a soft spot for Frigate (elegant simplicity and a bit of nostalgia), Wooden Ships and Iron Men (great map design and scenario set) and Flying Colours (nicely developed set of rules including command with large scenario set and terrifict production values)
Andy Blozinski
03-08-2013, 19:54
I run a home brew that is a mesh of two systems. The movement system is pretty much the "Heart of Oak" rules. The Combat system is mostly "Signal Close Action". I converted it to a D10 and then added a few elements of Heart of Oak to it. All the rules in 12 point font with section breaks in larger font fits on 4 pages. Each player gets a two page hand-out that has the sail setting/wind direction diagrams on one page and all the charts they could need on the second page.
Only played age of sail games when organised by other people, no idea what the rules where though.
Comte de Brueys
03-12-2013, 07:52
At the moment only sea battles in the games Empire - Total War & Napoleon - Total War.;)
I have never owned or played any other age of sail game, so I'll have nothing to compare SoG to, but from what has been revealled, SoG looks like a very easy yet detailed, fast moving game. I owned the original Axis and Allies "Victory in the Pacific" board game as a teen, and the rulebook alone was a discouragemant let alone the time it took to first set up the game, then to play it through.
It was WS&IM using 1/1200 ships and inches and degrees instead of hexes.
Now it's flying colors.
Capn Duff
10-20-2013, 06:29
Yup WS&IM for me, one of the best, in my opinion, sea games
I have
Wooden Ships and Iron Men for me too!
Other than WS&IM the only other naval wargame that I played was AH's WW2 Midway. I loved the suspend of trying to find your opponent's carriers and launching a fatal strike before the same thing happened to you.
Kenji, if you have the opportunity, I encourage you to try the Flying Colors series - not as a replacement to WS&IM, but as a complementary game. One nice thing about it is that GMT is still producing expansions, and hopefully will continue doing so. One is due out any time now.
Kenji, if you have the opportunity, I encourage you to try the Flying Colors series - not as a replacement to WS&IM, but as a complementary game. One nice thing about it is that GMT is still producing expansions, and hopefully will continue doing so. One is due out any time now.
They're adding Russian, Swede and Turkish navies this November:beer::happy::beer:
PS I hope Ares follows suit.
Diamondback
09-15-2014, 20:53
Wizkids Pirates! :)
My condolences... I too used to play it, it started out really cool and then devolved to Powergame Munchkinry--and if you didn't attend every Con and win every tourney to snag the LE's and Exclusives you were up the creek with no paddle in any format other than Sealed.
Axis & Allies War at Sea had its Munchkin Hell moments too, but it was a game that had many good points too and died a premature death.
My condolences... I too used to play it, it started out really cool and then devolved to Powergame Munchkinry--and if you didn't attend every Con and win every tourney to snag the LE's and Exclusives you were up the creek with no paddle in any format other than Sealed.
Axis & Allies War at Sea had its Munchkin Hell moments too, but it was a game that had many good points too and died a premature death.
This is why I am *VIOLENTLY* opposed to any policy which allows "Real World" advantages beyond "being a better player" to come to the gaming table -- the inevitable result is "power decks" and "Mr. Suitcase".
Diamondback
09-18-2014, 17:53
HEY! I WAS Mr. Suitcase for WAS... but everything was available from boosters, and even the Organized Play prizes when WOTC was doing that only differed from drawn-from-booster in having special paint jobs.
Besides, my Duffel Bag Armada let me loan ships to people who'd forgotten their own...
Man O'War, by Simulations Canada.
Instead of WS&IM, I'd be inclined to play Ship of the Line (Juggernaut, 1976-81) with SoG ships, on a square grid.
Broadsword56
03-18-2015, 07:46
Frigate, by SPI
Fighting Sail, by SPI
Also would be interested to get Serpents of the Seas, the smaller scale standalone game in the Flying Colors series, by GMT.
I also have and love Tokyo Express, by Victory Games -- while it's a WWII solitaire game, it's AI system is amazing and inspired a lot of what I'm designing into my solitaire Great Lakes game, A Glorious Chance.
You're also designing a Great Lakes game? I'd love to compare notes some time....
John Paul
03-19-2015, 21:03
I always enjoyed Close Action, but after picking up Flying Colors they have taken over the Number One position, at least till something else comes along!!
What I like about Flying Colors is, it gives me an excuse to buy many SOG ships.:beer:
Just snagged a copy, as well as 1805. Couldn't find the Flying Colors expansion, or Serpents of the Seas; I'm especially interested in the latter. We'll see how 1805 stacks up as a SoG campaign system....
Amazon has one listed under GMT Serpents of the Seas, but they want $65 for it.:beer:
I voted other but as it is 40 years since I played I cant remember the name except that it was a "Table Top Games" home produced rule book.
Bligh.
Mycenius
03-23-2015, 01:59
By traditional, I mean hex-based maps and cardboard chit-style pieces.
That's hardly what I'd deem traditional...! :shock: :wink: That's a BOARDgame not a WARgame...! Can't be a wargame without miniatures! :wink: :beer:
That's hardly what I'd deem traditional...! :shock: :wink: That's a BOARDgame not a WARgame...! Can't be a wargame without miniatures! :wink: :beer:
Deem it or not, the only difference is one is cardboard as a rule and the other is plastic, metal, wood etc. Both are war games.:drinks:
Example: WS&IM chits can be replaced by ships. Hexes can be replaced by angles and inches. Same game.
I run a home brew that is a mesh of two systems. The movement system is pretty much the "Heart of Oak" rules. The Combat system is mostly "Signal Close Action". I converted it to a D10 and then added a few elements of Heart of Oak to it. All the rules in 12 point font with section breaks in larger font fits on 4 pages. Each player gets a two page hand-out that has the sail setting/wind direction diagrams on one page and all the charts they could need on the second page.
I would love to get a copy if possible!
Firstly the niceties. :hatsoff: Welcome to the Anchorage J. Then a bit of info for you. Unfortunately Andy has not posted since 2016 so you may have trouble contacting him. You might try a PM just in case he is still picking up.
Rob.
InjunJ03
11-12-2021, 08:07
I would love to get a copy if possible!
First off to jump on this thread 5 years later.
The Flying Colors deluxe edition that GMT released this year is superb. Its built purely for manageable fleet actions, and allows players to genuinely enjoy something like Trafalgar without getting bogged down with book keeping.
To respond to you specifically Zythe. I posted in another subforum here about Post Captain. The designers have played it all. Heart of Oak, WSIM, Close Action, Fighting Sails, and much more. They also reference a rich biography of source material. It is bar none the best wargame ive played, regardless of genre or setting. Incredible historical fidelity, laser focus on good seamanship, easy to manage book keeping. Its focused on small or single ship actions, and is a surprisingly easy system to learn, and just flows once you get started. I find it more realistic then WSIM and Close Action, while somehow also being significantly less complicated.
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