Wooden Ships and Iron Men is a naval board wargame in which the players simulate combat by sailing ships of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The game was originally published by Battleline Publications in 1974 and republished by Avalon Hill in 1975, and is known as the definitive simulation of the period. Navy is also:- shorthand for Navy Blue the nickname of the United States Naval Academy A navy is the branch of the armed forces of a nation that operates primarily on water. ... A board game is any game played with a premarked surface, with counters or pieces that are moved across the board. ... Wargaming can be one of number of ways of exploring the effects of warfare without actual combat. ... Traditional wooden cutter beating. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in war or strategic board games. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ...

The game is played on a hex board with rectangular cardboard counters representing ships and long enough to cover two hexes, which represents the ship's orientation. Players write down their planned moves at the beginning of each turn, then move simultaneously (possibly entangling their ships if they are close to each other), fire their broadsides if any ships are within range, and attempt to board ships that are adjacent. A hex board is a gameboard used in many strategic wargames in place of a regular board divided into squares. ...

The rules are not especially complicated, but as The Complete Book of Wargames puts it, "two turns of this game speak volumes about the significance of wind direction for sailing ships-of-the-line", and "Purely for the feel of being there, this game is unsurpassed".

WS&IM was later published as a computer wargame, winning the Origins Award for Best Military or Strategy Computer Game of 1996. Wargaming can be one of number of ways of exploring the effects of warfare without actual combat. ... The Origins Awards, presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design, are presented at the Origins International Game Expo for outstanding work in the game industry. ...