WSM -WOODEN SHIPS & IRON MEN

1. TITLE: Wooden Ships & Iron Men
2. PUBLISHER: The Avalon Hill Game Company (TAHGC)
3. SCOPE: Naval Warfare During the Age of Sail
4. TAHGC CATALOG VERBAGE: Wooden Ships and Iron Men is a tactical simulation of naval warfare during the great age of sail. The game covers the period from 1776 to 1814 when the great square sail ships-of-the-line dominated the oceans and the speedy and durable American frigates gave world recognition to their young parent navy. The game is played by two or more players each commanding a ship, squadron, or whole fleet! Scenarios depict the famous naval engagements of the American and French Revolutions and the Napoleonic Wars. The game is also a kit from which other scenarios or any fictitious engagement may be designed.
5. GAME BOX VERBAGE:
6. YEAR PUBLISHED (EDITIONS): Originally a Battleline game. TAHGC edition published 1975; Computer (Windows) version issed by TAHGC in 1998 shortly before its demise.
7. CREDITS
   • Historical Research & Design: Craig Taylor
   • Game Development: Stephen Peek & Battleline Publications
   • Rules Development & Expansion: Mick Uhl
   • Artwork: W. Scott Moores, Don Greenwood, Thomas N. Shaw
   • Components Design: Mick Uhl
   • Playtesting: Wes Coates, Paul O;Neill, George Uhl, Ken Trapp, Joe Hummel adn members of Interest Group Baltimore
   • Cover Art: First Recognition of the Americna Flag by a Foreign Government, February 14, 1778. Oil on canvas by Edward Moran, Courtesy fo the U.S. Naval Academy Museum
   • Printing: Monarch Services
   • Typesetting: Colonial Composition
8. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2-10+; well suited for multiplayer action
9. WGA COMPLEXITY SCALE (1-10): 4
10. TYPICAL PLAYING TIME (HOURS): 1-5 hours depending on the number of ships involved.
11. MAP SCALE:
12. UNIT SCALE: Individual ships
13. TIME SCALE PER TURN:
14. NUMBER OF GAME TURNS: 20+
15. ARTICLE LISTING: Click here
16. GAME INVENTORY: ### unit counters; two 14" x 22" mounted mapboard; rulebook,q log pad, 1 die; 34 page rulebook which includes sample game, designer notes, ship 15 pages of scenarios (only 215 pages for basic and advanced game rules), charts for DYO scenarios for revolutoinary and napoeonic periods..
17. WBC & AVALONCON HISTORY: continuous event since Avaloncon 1991
18. PBEM TOOLS:
• No VASSAL module is yet available (on my list)
• The PBEM capabiliites of the TAHGC Windows WSM game are unexplored by myself. (I am Macintosh).
• SUN JAVA computer version was being playtested in 1995 by Kees Jan Koster (K.J.Koster@kpn.com) but was discontinued, status unknown. Kees' web site is still up.
19. PBEM OPPORTUNITES:
20. WARGAME ACADEMY COMMENTS: Excellent relatively simple game well suited for introducing new players. Simulitaneousl plottign and resolutoin makes it a bit tricky for remote play but i played several matches in the play by (postal) mail days
21. WARGAME ACADEMY GAME TOOLS: One game copy, Softcopy rulebook, word/text PBEM sheet, extensive article archives.