War by Sail

War by Sail is a simple yet comprehensive age of sail wargame, aimed at small fleet actions of 3 to 30 ships per side, with a focus on historical accuracy and flavor.

Researched and playtested for 10 months, War by Sail includes detailed ship rosters for 20 different conflicts, spanning from 1563 to 1812. Generic units are also provided for the 1300 - 1550 period.

A Generic ship list is given for each period (such as "Third Rate", "Fourth Rate" etc.), as well as individual named ships (over 1,700 in total!), showing each ship's weaponry, size, maneuverability and suchlike. Get ready to learn how many Demi-Cannons and Culverins your favorite 17th century English ship had...

War by Sail emphasizes crew quality and morale, as well as real tactics of the periods, and carefully reflects changes in naval technology throughout the centuries.

Conflicts Covered:

Generic Ships – 1300 – 1550 Northern Seven Years' War – 1563 - 1570 Battle of Lepanto – 1571 Spanish Armada – 1588 First Anglo-Dutch War – 1652 - 1654 Second Anglo-Dutch War – 1665 – 1667 Third Anglo-Dutch War – 1672 - 1674 Second Northern War – 1655 - 1660 Scanian War – 1675 - 1679 Nine Years' War – 1688 - 1697 Great Northern War – 1700 - 1721 War of the Spanish Succession – 1701 - 1714 War of the Austrian Succession – 1740 - 1748 Seven Years' War – 1756 - 1763 American War of Independence – 1775 - 1783 Russo-Turkish War – 1787 - 1792 Russo-Swedish War – 1788 - 1790 French Revolutionary Wars – 1792 - 1802 Napoleonic Wars – 1803 - 1815 War of 1812 – 1812 - 1815 A game of War by Sail can last anywhere from an hour and a half to 2 or 3 hours, depending on the size of the battle. At the start of the turn all ships make a mandatory forward move based on their direction relative to the wind (SPILL SAIL! WE'RE ABOUT TO COLLIDE), after which individual ships activate, making turns, and attacks (providing their crew is on the ball enough...). Crew quality determines if a ship is able to activate and also the speed at which they reload.

—description from the designer