KickTraq

Sails of Glory Backers! Thanks  to your great support in spreading the word about the project, and to your generous pledges, we reached not one, but two new stretch goals. And they bring new rewards! With $ 250,000 pledged, we are able to offer, as... (Read More)

Our Kickstarter campaign offers, as stretch goal rewards and optional add-ons, several game accessories created in partnership with Aerodrome Accessories. Aerodrome Accessories is the licensee of the accessories for our Wings of Glory game. This... (Read More)

Sails of Glory Backers! On this last, glorious Sunday of the project, we achieved our "1000 backers" stretch goal! This means that our Mates will add to their rewards the Captain and Crew Ability Deck; our Lieutenants will receive a Game Mat; and our... (Read More)

Sails of Glory backers! The sun rises over Italy (Finally! the Spring has been really rainy this year, good only if you have to stay indoor to work!) and the $225,000 stretch goal has been achieved. This means that Ares and the Sails of Glory design... (Read More)

I played the basic game two weeks ago and loved it. The game was quick to learn (15 minutes or so) and really played fast. For non-wargamers or folks who don’t like games like Advanced Squad Leader (old school) that required a binder for rules – this was a great little sailing combat game. I like it because in just a couple of years, I can get my grandson to play with me. (Read More)

Good morning, Sails of Glory backers! The sun rises and a new stretch goal has been achieved - with 950 sailors and officers in our backer crew, our Mates (as well as the Lieutenants and Captains) will receive a second set of Smoke Clouds as a free... (Read More)

Sails of Glory Backers! Our friend Richard Bliss created a new video - more serious than the two previous ones, but with a LOT of information about how Sails of Glory plays, when using advanced rules. Featuring a fierce 15 minutes duel between two... (Read More)

Sails of Glory Backers! Many of you are already familiar with the Sails of Glory Anchorage, the forum created by our friend and fan Keith Upton as a gathering point for the Sails of Glory online community. Here's, from Keith's voice, how the idea of... (Read More)

Good Morning, Officers and Crew of HMS Sails of Glory! As we sail towards our goal of 1,000 backers (and we surpassed our 925 stretch goal, so our Lieutenants now get a second set of Smoke Clouds!), we sighted a Kraken in a Kickstarter project! This... (Read More)

There seems to be a bit of a rise in the number of tabletop skirmish titles available in recent years. Whether you prefer the science fiction flavours of Star Wars X-Wing or putting together little squads of orcs and dwarves in Dungeon Command, the amount of pre-painted figures and vessels hitting tabletops around the world has been on the up. One of the longest running is Ares Games’ Wings of Glory (previously known as Wings of War) which we’ve already looked at here on The Little Metal Dog Show… and now they’re taking the system back through time and onto the ocean blue with their new title, Sails of Glory. (Read More)

We chatted with Scott Pfeiffer of the Funding the Dream-Team, which helps people with Kickstarters manage, structure and promote their projects. We discuss their current Kickstarter, Sails of Glory by Ares Games, upcoming Kickstarter, Grant Rising, and strategies for promoting their games. (Read More)

Sails of Glory Backers! Another stretch goal achieved: our backers Captain level and up are now going to multiply their smoke clouds! Two sets of Smoke Clouds (each with two markers) are now offered as a free reward to the Captains (4 to Commodores,... (Read More)

For a long time, I've had this desire to get into a naval combat game. But mostly because I had an equally strong desire not to pay lots of money for miniatures that I would probably never paint, I never indulged this yearning. But then, I saw the Sails of Glory campaign on Kickstarter. And even better, I got an email from Ares Games asking if I'd like to try out a prototype. I have now done so, and thought I'd take a little time to explore my experience with it... (Read More)

Sails of Glory is Ares Games’ new line of miniature combat rules that cover the Age of Sail. This first set will feature ships from the Napoleonic wars and includes vessels from the mid- to late-1700s. This is a preview of a prototype set and does not necessarily reflect the rules and components that will be included in the final version of the game. Advanced and optional rules were not included in the prototype. (Read More)

Good morning, Sails of Glory Backers! With the announcement of the new Stretch Goals, yesterday we had a great day, our best ever since the opening week of the Kickstarter- With your continued support, we look forward to see a great final week. Some... (Read More)

Sails of Glory Backers! New stretch goals appear on the horizon - will these be the last ones? Many of you are asking for more ships, and we are at work on them. Wave 3 of the game is already at an advanced stage of prototyping. We are also at work... (Read More)

Sails of Glory Backers! It's time to unleash the press gangs again! We want a crew of 1000 to sail our project to its glorious destination. So we've prepared a few incentives for you to help us reaching that goal. Depending on the number of backers... (Read More)

Sails of Glory Backers! We're ready to set course on the final week of our Kickstarter. During the week-end, thanks to your support to the campaign, we've achieved two more stretch goals. The goal of 880 backers has been achieved, and this means that... (Read More)

Life at sea during the Age of Sail was incredibly harsh. Cut off from shore for months at a time, sailors faced brutal living conditions, rotting and horrible food, and cruel punishment. On top of that, disease, the ocean, and even fellow shipmates threw up daily challenges to simply staying alive. Still, it was a romantic time and one of great exploration and adventure. And now, it’s one that you can experience from the 'safety' of your gaming table. (Read More)

Sails of Glory backers! We struggled long and hard to find a better way to send to our International backers their rewards. We considered several approaches at the problem of getting the rewards safely delivered all over the World. However, the... (Read More)

Ares Games revealed plans for two new Kickstarter-funded projects at the recent GAMA Trade Show. The first game will be Sails of Glory. Based on Ares’ best-known title, Wings of Glory, this is an historical miniatures game set during the Napoleonic wars and featuring ship-to-ship combat. The game will include pre-assembled and pre-painted miniature sailing ships, ready for use out of the box. The starter set will include two British and two French vessels in 1/1000 scale. (Read More)

Sails of Glory backers! We are only one backer short to be able to offer, free of charge, the Terrain Pack #2, with forts and stretches of coast, to our Lieutenants. Another 51 backers and our Mates will also get this bonus reward... And more prizes... (Read More)

The great sailing ship cuts through the water like a wooden behemoth. Below deck, cannons are being cleaned and prepped as the officers above deck look to the horizon for signs of their adversary. At first, nothing but the blue upon endless blue of the ocean. Then…yes! There! Look to starboard! A black spot! For a moment, all is still as if the ship is holding its breath. “Prepare to engage the enemy, Mr. Smith”, the captain calmly states. Moments later, the ship bristles with guns ready for war. (Read More)

When I heard a few months ago that Ares Games was going to be doing a miniatures sailing combat game leveraging their Wings of Glory system I was pretty excited. First, I was a big player of Wooden Ships and Iron Men back in-the-day, and have been waiting for something a little faster to pick up and play. Second, my first non-fiction book, Cruise of the Sea Eagle, was about a turn-of-the-century German windjammer, The Seeadler, during WWI. I have played Fear God and Dread Nought and have written for a number of game systems over the years - BattleTech and Leviathans for example. (Read More)

Sails of Glory backers, a new stretch goal ahead! In partnership with our friends of Aerodrome Accessories, manufacturer of the official line of Wings of Glory accessories, we will offer at all backers from Mate level up, free of charge, two Smoke... (Read More)

Sails of Glory backers! In this glorious day, not one, but two stretch goals have been achieved, thanks to your support. At $ 175,000, we finally unlocked the goal of making all the ship cards and ship logs dual sided. Now, all the ships in the game... (Read More)

Sails of Glory backers! We're ready to take another step forward in our campaign. A new stretch goal is added to our project - the Terrain Pack #2, including Forts, Coastal Batteries, and additional coast elements. This is more than an additional set... (Read More)

Good morning Sails of Glory backers! The sky is grey and hazy here in the Sin City while we pack our luggage after the GAMA Trade Show. The show was a great success for Ares and especially for Sails of Glory. The game got a lot of attention and... (Read More)

Our second gameplay video, created by our friend Richard Bliss, is now online. Want to find out all about how combat works in the basic game? Here you go!  (Read More)

OK, sailing to GAMA would take a little longer than we can afford at this time of the year! So Ares will fly there instead... Pisa-Paris-LA-Las Vegas, for a total of 20 hours. Not as harsh as Colombo's journey... Starting next Tuesday, you can meet... (Read More)

Jeff and Richard are back for another round of The Game of Crowd Funding! Previous picks are discussed, new picks are chosen. Richard draws first blood. Note: We’ll be taking next week off. Keep funding those great projects! (Read More)

Sails of Glory Backers! Thanks to all the sailors, gunners, marines and officers of our crew, numbering more than 600! The sun shines bright, the wind blows in our sails, and the Terrain Pack #1 stretch goal has been achieved. We are now sailing... (Read More)

Ares Games is the publisher of the “WW1 Wings of Glory” and "WW2 Wings of Glory" aerial combat games, created by Andrea Angiolino and Pier Giorgio Paglia. After successfully publishing these two games in 2012, we're now ready to launch our next game and miniature line, Sails of Glory, and we've decided to fund this new project using Kickstarter. (Read More)

Captain Gambier smiled grimly as HMS Defence slid neatly into the space between Mucius and Tourville. She had withstood their broadsides coming in – a gritty thing – and now Defence was in position to rake both French vessels simultaneously, and from close range! Gambier had anticipated that he would not be in a position to fire his guns before he was up close, and had loaded both broadsides with deadly grapeshot. As the order to fire rang out, both sets of Defence ’s guns sent thousands of deadly balls crashing across the decks of the French ships. The French crews suffered terribly, and Gambier gave the order to reload as Defence passed through the gap and began to turn. (Read More)

Sails of Glory Backers!Another bright day for our Kickstarter! This morning, we surpassed the $ 125,000 mark, and we achieved a new stretch goal: The laser-cut wooden Combat Ruler. And thanks to the great support you're giving to our trip, the land... (Read More)

Sails of Glory Backers! Another day, and another stretch goal achieved, thanks to the great support you are giving us! The funding is now in excess of $ 110,000. This unlocks the wooden, laser-cut Attitude Indicator - and we are already on the way... (Read More)

Captain Richard Bowen felt HMS Terpsichore heel over hard as his orders to pack on sail were swiftly carried out by his crack crew. The sail his watch had spotted earlier was closing fast – it was a Spanish Frigate, about the same size and weight as Terpsichore, and it looked to be moving into a fighting position, with its hopes of running into Cartagena dwindling. As the Spaniard hove about, Bowen called “Give her one gun, and let’s see her intentions.” A single cannon shot rang out, and the ball skipped across the water in front of the Spanish Frigate Mahonessa. Seconds later, the Spaniard’s side erupted in flame and smoke as she emptied an entire broadside toward Terpsichore. “She let that one go a bit early, bear down and let’s give her a full dose!” cried Bowen, and he felt the ship angle toward the Spaniard, as he heard his Starboard guns run out to be fired. (Read More)

Captain James Gambier scowled across the water at the signal flags flying from Admiral Graves’ Royal Sovereign. Rather than Follow Ahead, the typical maneuver one expected to break the French line, Admiral Graves was signaling for the Squadron to Engage the Enemy – to turn and close with the ships closest to him – passing between them and racking both. This was a dangerous maneuver – all the British ships would be subject to the full weight of the French fleet’s broadsides as they closed. Gambier lower his glass and scowled even more deeply, and shouted the order – Engage the Enemy! HMS Defense heeled over, her sails snapped, and she darted forward to split Le Mucius and Le Tourville – it is a Glorious First of June, thought Gambier, as he saw the smoke and flames of the French broadside – I’ll be the first to crack their lines, or I’ll die trying! (Read More)

Contre-Amiral Jean Baptiste Peree peered through the smoke at the brave but savaged HMS Success. Peree’s Genereux had been escorting a convoy into the besieged city of Valletta in Malta when the Success appeared on the weather gauge and gave chase. Peree had sent his Frigate, Badine, ahead with the valuable transports while he turned to fight off the smaller Success. Now, Success was dismasted and taking on water, but Genereux had also taken damage, and from out of the smoke the sails of HMS Alexander, a British Ship of the Line, now appeared. Genereux crossed himself, and barked out his orders “Fire!” (Read More)