Sails Of Glory

[Nefaro]

After watching Marco's video review of Sails Of Glory, I decided to order this beast.  It has more detail in the optional advanced rules than I originally expected and I think that's what sold me (aside from the superb components).  I also ordered a couple SOL add-on packs.

Also... I've been debating whether to pick up the new Blue Max despite it only having a handful of aircraft types.  One even being listed as Rickenbacker's "Nieuport 24" (a later mod of the Nieuport 17) when he actually flew a completely different model, the Nieuport 28.  >:(

Nevertheless, I'm a bit familiar with the style of game system and the components in this one probably makes it easier to play without the extra bookkeeping of old. 

Which reminds me.. I still need to finish painting the buttload of Cold War jet minis I have for Check Your Six: Jet Age.  :-\  That's quite a time investment.

[Barthheart]

Played Sails of Glory this past Feb. at Game On! in Seattle. Fun game but more involved than Wings of Glory (nee War) even in the basic game level. The ship models are superb. Plays well but can be slow with lots of players. We had 5 per side.

[Nefaro]

Played Sails of Glory this past Feb. at Game On! in Seattle. Fun game but more involved than Wings of Glory (nee War) even in the basic game level. The ship models are superb. Plays well but can be slow with lots of players. We had 5 per side.

I shouldn't be surprised at the pace.  Fortunately ( in this case) I'll probably never have more than 3 or 4 players, and possibly less.  I'm sure they recommend using at least two ships per side.  So a 4-ship game will probably be the ideal minimum, right? 

I don't think there are any dedicated wargaming groups in my neighborhood so it will just be small friends & family games.

[Barthheart]

Four ships would be a small battle, if they were smaller ship it should work well and not take long.

With four players I'd use 2 ships per player, one large and one small. That would let each side form a nice battle line.

[Cyrano]

I have sunk hundreds of dollars into the ships...how to resist scale model ships, after all...

I observe only these things:

1.  Too many bits for the trouble.  At Origins, a lady showed me her system by which she replaced all the ship record mats, the ship cards that fit into them, and the counters with a simple wipe-off "dashboard" display.  When intelligent players have had to work around your parts design you have, in a measure, failed.

2.  Perhaps it's just the narrow rectangle on which most games are played -- the mat they sell is lovely, but, well, narrow -- but it feels awfully counter-intuitive to form line in this game.  Weird giving the importance of forming line.

3.  The movement is painfully fiddly.  Having to place your maneuver card under the ship and then move the ship along the card is, to me, far more difficult than it should be.  It has also created disputes about whether a ship was "really" where the player said it was when he moved it...this in a game that measures distances (and collisions) in very small increments.

I do like the ships, though...

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

[Barthheart]

For your 3rd part, this was also "complained" about in Wings of War. But if the players can get their collective panties unbunched and just think of the small errors in movement as part of the game, everything works out fine. Real life movement is not exact, especially in a sailing ship or the canvas covered death traps they flew in WWI. If you have players that insist on playing to the micrometer locations of their ships then maybe the game is just not for them and they should go back to hex and counter games.

In the game we played at Game On that was one guys recommendation about whether he'd play again... if they brought out new maps that had hexes to regulate movement and ranges!?!  I suggested that minis games might not be the best fit for him and received a scrunched up face in return....  :(

[Cyrano]

That's funny...

While there will certainly be no face-scrunching, I've taken to using my Sails of Glory ships on my over-sized hex map and playing "Close Action"...but I like miniatures games...honestly I do...

I would also observe that, despite my profligate behavior, I could never afford the Trafalgar set I've built with the plastic ships from "Pirates of the Spanish Main" and its derivatives.  The system doesn't handle large actions well, anyway.

Now, when they get around to releasing the Victory, that's another matter entirely.

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

[Nefaro]

While there will certainly be no face-scrunching, I've taken to using my Sails of Glory ships on my over-sized hex map and playing "Close Action"...but I like miniatures games...honestly I do...

Of note:  I have an old and unused copy of Close Action and a large cloth map with 1.5" hexes.  I can also get some dual use out of it.  >:D

[Cyrano]

So, by way of confession, my son and I participated in the 53-man (yeah, no women) record breaker at Gen Con last week. It was a great group of guys who didn't mind a six-year old (albeit a relatively competent one) at the table.

The boy's record?  One ship sunk, none lost.

We came away with a $15 gift coupon and an half-price Sails of Glory mat.

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

[TheCommandTent]

So, by way of confession, my son and I participated in the 53-man (yeah, no women) record breaker at Gen Con last week. It was a great group of guys who didn't mind a six-year old (albeit a relatively competent one) at the table.

The boy's record?  One ship sunk, none lost.

We came away with a $15 gift coupon and an half-price Sails of Glory mat.

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

That sounds like alot of fun and it was great your son was able to play.  Any pictures of the event??

[Cyrano]

The best photo of the whole thing is up at the Ares' site.  It was tricky fitting that many people around even the very long set of tables that they had.  The folks at one of the two far ends were jammed together and, in one turn, I believe five of them sank nigh-simultaneously.

I've only got a few photographs, two of which are attached.  The first is of my son with his participation certificate (another nice gift from the folks at Ares).  The other is of his ship (on the right) preparing to turn and tear apart the other vessel...captained as it was by an all together nice fellow.

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)

[Nefaro]

Wow.  That's quite a big game!  8)

[bboyer66]

Been thinking of getting Sails of Glory. My only concern being that I heard the ships act more like fighter planes and less like ships. Anyone have any opinions on this?

Also any opinions on GMT games Flying Colors.

Whats your favorite Age of Sail boardgame?

[Nefaro]

Been thinking of getting Sails of Glory. My only concern being that I heard the ships act more like fighter planes and less like ships. Anyone have any opinions on this?

That's probably just a comparison to the previous dogfighting games that uses the same base mechanics (Wings of Glory, etc).  They all  use the same card system to make turns, so it's easy to compare the two systems since they use the same movement mechanic.  The delineated movement on the Sails of Glory cards are generally smaller than the aircraft games, however.  So I expect the ships don't speed around and maneuver quite as quickly each turn.

Also any opinions on GMT games Flying Colors.

Whats your favorite Age of Sail boardgame?

I've not played Flying Colors.  But I have the old Close Action from Clash of Arms that people also love. 

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3553/close-action


Note that I've seen more than one person say that using all the Sails of Glory advanced rules very much reminds them of the old Wooden Ships, Iron Men.  So there is more to the SoG ruleset than you may imagine.   I was surprised at the size of the manual and all the advanced stuff.  Didn't expect it to be as detailed as that, being a minis game.

The only setback to sticking with SoG is that you'll be tied to the limited ship types available for purchase.  I believe flying colors has various ships down to large frigates and Close Action has down to Brigs IIRC (even though those don't stand a chance in direct confrontation with the Liners).  So you can get more variety in the hex & counter games.  The trade-off is that SoG has a range of rules difficulties to choose from, so you can tailor it's depth to the crowd.  Also looks quite nice, of course.

[bboyer66]

Been thinking of getting Sails of Glory. My only concern being that I heard the ships act more like fighter planes and less like ships. Anyone have any opinions on this?

That's probably just a comparison to the previous dogfighting games that uses the same base mechanics (Wings of Glory, etc).  They all  use the same card system to make turns, so it's easy to compare the two systems since they use the same movement mechanic.  The delineated movement on the Sails of Glory cards are generally smaller than the aircraft games, however.  So I expect the ships don't speed around and maneuver quite as quickly each turn.

Also any opinions on GMT games Flying Colors.

Whats your favorite Age of Sail boardgame?

I've not played Flying Colors.  But I have the old Close Action from Clash of Arms that people also love. 

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3553/close-action


Note that I've seen more than one person say that using all the Sails of Glory advanced rules very much reminds them of the old Wooden Ships, Iron Men.  So there is more to the SoG ruleset than you may imagine.   I was surprised at the size of the manual and all the advanced stuff.  Didn't expect it to be as detailed as that, being a minis game.

The only setback to sticking with SoG is that you'll be tied to the limited ship types available for purchase.  I believe flying colors has various ships down to large frigates and Close Action has down to Brigs IIRC (even though those don't stand a chance in direct confrontation with the Liners).  So you can get more variety in the hex & counter games.  The trade-off is that SoG has a range of rules difficulties to choose from, so you can tailor it's depth to the crowd.  Also looks quite nice, of course.

Great feedback. Thanks!!