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SKY GALLEONS OF MARS is a game of aerial combat set in the world of SPACE: 1889. In this world, the civilizations of Mars and their Earth colonists (Britain, Germany, Russia, etc.) maintain their power with fleets of flying ships. Several scenarios depict the various conflicts that result, between Martians and colonists, merchants and pirates, "Civilized" Martians and Beastmen, and so on. The types of airships range from metal gunboats to wooden screw galleys to kites that sail on the Martian winds. The attractive maps represent the Martian hillside and a canal city.

The system is a basic one- think STAR FLEET BATTLES without power allocation, shield points, transporter combat, etc. Each ship has a fixed movement allowance, except for kites, which move differently depending on whether they're facing upwind or downwind. The weapons are standard Victorian navy cannons, and Martian guns of similar power. There are advanced rules for boarding parties, floating mines, and so on, but the game builds up its complexity gradually through its consecutive scenarios. Even at its most complex, the system is still fairly intuitive. One keeps track of altitude with counters for "Very High", "High", "Medium", etc. As a ship takes hits to its hull, its maximum altitude goes down. Run out of hull hits and your maximum altitude is "Ground". I think that speaks for itself. Hits can also take out guns, crew members, start fires, jam rudders and lifters, and do other kinds of damage. Armor is also accounted for, as are collisions and ramming.

How does it play? Fairly well. All damage can be kept track of using the ship diagrams, and the slim rulebook makes vital tables easy to find. It's a fun beer-and-pretzels game, and even the basic opening scenario- three identical pirate ships fighting over their loot over a flat plain- can be played over and over again. Of course, this has the same awesome setting as the RPG, and these grand atmospheric battles between flying ships conjure up more vivid images than the average wargame.

In short, the game combines the imaginative grandeur of the SPACE: 1889 setting with a solid set of combat rules, making for a great time. The cool plastic ships help too.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Sky Galleons of Mars
Author: Frank Chadwick Category: Board Game Company/Publisher: GDW Line: Space: 1889 Cost: 30.00 Page count: n/a Playtest Review by Evan Waters on 04/18/00. Genre tags: Science_fiction Historical	SKY GALLEONS OF MARS is a game of aerial combat set in the world of SPACE: 1889. In this world, the civilizations of Mars and their Earth colonists (Britain, Germany, Russia, etc.) maintain their power with fleets of flying ships. Several scenarios depict the various conflicts that result, between Martians and colonists, merchants and pirates, "Civilized" Martians and Beastmen, and so on. The types of airships range from metal gunboats to wooden screw galleys to kites that sail on the Martian winds. The attractive maps represent the Martian hillside and a canal city. The system is a basic one- think STAR FLEET BATTLES without power allocation, shield points, transporter combat, etc. Each ship has a fixed movement allowance, except for kites, which move differently depending on whether they're facing upwind or downwind. The weapons are standard Victorian navy cannons, and Martian guns of similar power. There are advanced rules for boarding parties, floating mines, and so on, but the game builds up its complexity gradually through its consecutive scenarios. Even at its most complex, the system is still fairly intuitive. One keeps track of altitude with counters for "Very High", "High", "Medium", etc. As a ship takes hits to its hull, its maximum altitude goes down. Run out of hull hits and your maximum altitude is "Ground". I think that speaks for itself. Hits can also take out guns, crew members, start fires, jam rudders and lifters, and do other kinds of damage. Armor is also accounted for, as are collisions and ramming. How does it play? Fairly well. All damage can be kept track of using the ship diagrams, and the slim rulebook makes vital tables easy to find. It's a fun beer-and-pretzels game, and even the basic opening scenario- three identical pirate ships fighting over their loot over a flat plain- can be played over and over again. Of course, this has the same awesome setting as the RPG, and these grand atmospheric battles between flying ships conjure up more vivid images than the average wargame. In short, the game combines the imaginative grandeur of the SPACE: 1889 setting with a solid set of combat rules, making for a great time. The cool plastic ships help too. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Sky Galleons of Mars