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When Lions Sailed
2011
Rules assistance for When Lions Sailed
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 240 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.8/5
Rules assistant for When Lions Sailed
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
When Lions Sailed is a board game released in 2011 for 2–4 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Joseph Miranda and its main mechanics are Grid Movement.
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About the game
S&T issue 268, May-Jun 2011 When Lions Sailed (WLS), designed by Joseph Miranda, is an intermediate-complexity wargame of global naval conflict in the 17th century. That era saw the beginning of a naval technology revolution that set the pace for Western expansion over the next two centuries. The game can be played by two, three or four, each representing a different nation: Netherlands, England, Spain and France. Each game turn represents one year. Each operations phase represents several weeks of campaigning, depending on the overall tempo of operations at any given time. Each ship unit represents six to 12 vessels. Each regiment represents about 1,000 men. The game system is an evolution of the one used in our earlier games: 1066, Hannibal’s War, andFrederick’s War. Special rules cover such things as: initiative, revenue, negotiations, outfitting and reinforcements, fleet organization, fog of war, plunder, leaders, treasure fleets, founding colonies, pirates, ship ratings, gunnery, damage repair, forts, neutrality and belligerence, prize money, mercenaries, raking attack, line ahead tactics, marines, articles of war, company charters, honors of war, letters of marque, circumnavigation, the wind gauge, fire ships, admirals, and more. The turn sequence is as follows. 1) Initiative Determination Phase 2) Exchange Phase 3) Negotiations Phase 4) Outfitting Phase 5) Operations Phases a) Movement Segment b) Naval Combat Segment c) Land Combat segment d) Plunder Segment e) Treasure Fleet Segment 6) Revenue Phase 7) Sudden Death Victory Check Phase 8) End of Turn Phase
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Decision Games (I)
Questions and answers
When Lions Sailed supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for When Lions Sailed is 240 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists When Lions Sailed for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
When Lions Sailed has a complexity rating of 2.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
When Lions Sailed belongs to these categories: Wargame, Nautical, and Pike and Shot. Its main mechanics are Grid Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of When Lions Sailed are: Joseph Miranda. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists When Lions Sailed as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.