Wooden Ships and Iron Men

Wooden Ships and Iron Men is a naval board wargame simulating combat in the Age of Sail. Battleline Publications published it in 1974, and Avalon Hill revised and republished it the following year. The title comes from a remark attributed to the Austrian admiral Wilhelm von Tegetthoff about the Battle of Lissa. It is a two-player game covering fights between single ships and larger fleet actions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The 1975 edition offers 23 scenarios, including the Saintes, the Nile and Trafalgar, plays on a hex-grid ocean map with die-cut counters, and uses log sheets to plot movement, boarding parties and damage. Rules are split into a Basic game and an Advanced game with optional additions covering towing, fallen masts, running aground and sinking ships. Damage comes from cannon fire or boarding, and victory points compare captured and destroyed vessels.