Oak & Iron - Naval Battles in the Age of Piracy Review

[admin]

OK, if you are still hunkered down in pandemic mode, copious amounts of alcohol are likely part of your essential food group, especially when the ankle biters are with you 24/7.

http://www.wargamer.com/reviews/oak-and ... ock-games/

[Newtzilla]

What are your thoughts comparing it to Sails of Glory. I read through the rules and some items seemed streamlined, but also limiting. The biggest thing that didn't seem obvious was how the movement compared between large and small ships.

[hmgs1@hotmail.com]

Actually, can't help you much there as I have never played the game nor does it ring a bell per all the conventions I attend or social media groups I'm on. I just downloaded the rules, but I have yet to peruse them.

I will say that one immediate turn-off for me personally is that it covers - yet, again - the Napoleonic period. Ever since I saw the Dutch movie The Admiral, I've been hooked on de Ruyter.

Regards, Colonel Bill

[DeRuyter66]

I have painted my Core box ships and am now working on the Men of War box. The 4th rate does indeed have all the baroque 17th century decorations to paint. The photo of Julian's (Model J Ship) models commissioned by Mike Tunez show what can be done with the models (granted he scratch built mast parts). Someday I'll have some extra cash and permission from the admiral to buy one of those works of art!!

I can't wait to play live games, maybe at Historicon, fingers crossed. I will say that I planned to do the small buccaneer type ships but now I may be getting more ships of the line.

[FreeFragUK]

After reading the review and feedback this looks as though it's probably one of the better games on the market to represent the age of sail, however, after looking further into I can't in good conscious find myself investing in Oak & Iron (OI from here on).

The cost of the game along with the cost of additional ships results in a game that simply prices itself out of the market. Now please bear in mind that I am a UK resident which will inevitably impact my view of this but to use Black Seas (BS from here on) as an easy comparison the core set for BS is ??50 straight from Warlord Games but can be found for ??40 - ??45 from your FLGS. In contrast to this the core set for OI averages in at ??65 with significantly worse availability.

These prices don't even take into consideration the actual contents of the starter sets or the cost of adding to these. The point at which you start expanding upon the core sets is where the disparity grows exponentially with the content to expense ratio favouring BS significantly.

While I would love to look into pursuing OI, as it appears to be the superior game and system, it simply isn't worth the cost. I sincerely hope that it develops a strong following but this is one game which I cannot see gaining traction in the UK.

I guess my search for an Age of Sail game continues.