Black Smoke and Sails – Naval and Coastal Combat During the American Civil War
Black Smoke and Sails is a historical naval miniature wargame. The game transitions players away from traditional Age of Sail wooden tall ships and into the transitional Black Powder and Steam era of the mid-to-late 19th century.
Game Overview
Setting & Era: Focuses on mid-19th-century naval warfare, heavily featuring famous American Civil War ironclads and steamships like the USS Kearsarge and CSS Alabama.
Scale: The game uses a large 1/450 scale for its ship models.
Table Requirements: Due to the generous size of the 1/450 scale models, it requires a sizable gaming table to allow proper room for maneuvering and fleet tactics.
Gameplay & Mechanics
While standard “Age of Sail” wargames rely purely on wind direction, Black Smoke and Sails introduces mechanics that account for early steam propulsion—hence the “Black Smoke” in the title. Players must balance the tactical advantages of windward sailing with the raw, directional power of coal-fired steam engines.
