Iron and Oak

About this board game

Iron and Oak is a naval combat game for 1–2 players, featuring tactical American Civil War ship-to-ship battles with an approximate play time of 90 minutes.

Command Union and Confederate forces across 14 scenarios: 13 historical engagements and one hypothetical battle. Many scenarios can be played in an hour or less, with battles including Hampton Roads, Mobile Bay, Trent’s Reach, Wassaw Sound, the Alabama versus Kearsarge duel, and the saga of the Arkansas.

Each ship is modeled for its offensive power, defensive resilience, and maneuverability. Gunnery, ramming, spar torpedoes, crew size, draft, damage, and five distinct armored or wooden hit locations all contribute to the action. Forts bristling with guns and scenario-based optional rules add further challenges and alternate possibilities.

• 70 famous Union and Confederate ships, including Monitor, Virginia, Onondaga, Tennessee, Alabama, Kearsarge, and many more
• A 22″ x 34″ map using an area movement grid for movement and combat
• 50 Action Cards that support tactical choices without driving every decision
• A standalone campaign module with randomly generated brown-water battles

Use hot shot or incendiary shells, choose when to rapid fire, maneuver for a ram, or place a ship in danger of a torpedo field. You can also assign part of your crew as a repair party, or ignore the cards and rely on maneuvering and gunnery alone.

The campaign adds resource allocation, ship repairs and refits, and a 16-card Navy Yard deck that influences an unfolding series of battles. With uncertain campaign length and changing battle mixes, Iron and Oak lets players decide whether history repeats itself—or takes a new course.