Future of Oak & Iron: What Firelock Games Has Planned for 2023

The dispatch mail ship has docked and we have news from the frontlines! Keep reading for exciting news for the Oak & Iron miniatures game about the release of a wave of new content in 2023. Firelock Games has been hard at work bringing new ships, crew, and rules to the game, expanding the already rich world of naval warfare in the 17th century. With new ships on the horizon and updates to rules pending, there is no shortage of reasons for fans to be excited about what’s to come. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just starting, there’s something in store for everyone. So, grab your crew and hoist the sails, because we’re about to take a voyage exploring what’s coming soon in the world of Oak & Iron.

So… What Updates are Coming to Oak & Iron in 2023?

Miniatures Style Related Updates for Oak & Iron

• New minis will be switching over to use SiOCast for the production process. This allows for greater detail in the casting process resulting in higher-quality minis.
• Existing minis will continue to use the existing process. They may switch over in a year or so once all the new releases are complete and other projects for Blood & Plunder are wrapping up.
• The new minis will be 100% solid grey plastic, not the two-tone style of brown hulls and white sails.
  • Grey is cheaper and more readily available, preventing stocking delays on production materials.
  • Feedback has shown that the brown and white resonate more like toys than hobby minis.
  • Most people that play Oak & Iron as a wargame, rather than a beer & pretzels type board game, paint their minis so the color doesn’t matter anyway.
• The miniature bases will remain the same clear acrylic plastic.
• The main masts and mizzen sails for the new ships will be slightly thicker than the current sails to prevent warping and add strength to them. Mike says the difference isn’t enough to be concerned.
• The bow sprit sails are a bit problematic in the casting process for SiOCast. Instead, Frielock will be using a 3D resin printer with a high resolution to avoid layer lines in printing these bits.

New Miniatures Planned for Oak & Iron

Mike said there are 10 ships in the queue for the game. There are 6 confirmed ships and 4 hull styles still unrevealed. We did a full article on those ships along with some preview images of the new 3rd rate. You can check those out in our article for News & Miniatures Coming Soon for Oak & Iron in 2023.

Confirmed Ships Coming to Oak & Iron

This is a list of the miniatures queued up to release in 2023:

• English 3rd Rate Ship of the Line
• A Full Sized Galleon
• Urca
• Merchantman
• 5th Rate Galley Frigate
• “Light” 4th Rate

Rumored Ships Coming to Oak & Iron

These are completely unconfirmed and no minis have been spotted outside of Firelock Games. However, there have been mentions of them among the community on Facebook and Discord.

• Bermuda Sloops – A faster version of the current sloop with a topsail. This would be a great crossover reference to Blood & Plunder.
• Ketch – small and maneuverable fishing and working ships. They were precursors to schooners.
• Xebecs – Trading ships with large Lanteen sails, common among Barbary pirates
• Indiaman – a mid-range cargo ship that is often outfitted for war. One of the most famous is Delicia, the flagship of Woodes Rogers.

Oak & Iron Miniatures Package Contents and Pricing Info

• Existing boxed sets will continue to production as is. Demand for the core set continues to remain high among retailers and distributors. Despite continued inflation in the US, there was no announcement of changes to pricing.
• All new ships will release as single-ship products. This will include a single ship, base, and punch card of tokens.
• Each new ship will have 2 different ship stat Cards. One for the “generic” ship type and one unique named ship of that type. These named ships will be similar to the Revenge and Queen Anne’s Revenge released in the Blackbeard’s Revenge Boxed Set.
• The 3rd Rate English Ship of the line will come with the named ship HMS Anne. A 70-gun ship built in 1677, she fought in the War of English Succession from 1688 to 1697. The only ship lost in the Battle of Beachy Head, she took severe damage and ran aground. To avoid capture by the French, she was burned by the English.
• The new miniatures are likely to be a flat $18 per ship mini.

Rules Related updates for Oak & Iron

• The version 1.02 rules are REALLY close to release. Mike expects them to come out in March 2023. They include several errata changes and improvements to gameplay.
• There are new rules coming for smaller-scale ship duels. Many battles in the Caribbean were not large fleet actions, but rather one on one or minor skirmishes of no more than a half dozen ships. New rules that allow for more intricate dueling rather than line-ahead cannon barrages are in the works.
• On the flip side, there will be a streamlined version of the rules you can use with new players or for larger games involving massive fleet actions that allow for faster play.
• Campaign Rules were made available in June of 2020, but they are getting some updates and expansion later this year.
• New content to allow interaction and crossover between Blood & Plunder and Oak & Iron is coming soon™.

Timeline for the New Oak & Iron Releases in 2023

• The v. 1.02 rules are on schedule to release in March.
• The English 3rd Rate Ship of the Line should hopefully release in late March or Early April. The packaging is queued up and just waiting for the final production stages of the minis!
• Starting in late May or June, the goal is to try to release 1 new Oak & Iron ship per month through the rest of the year.
• The full-sized Galleon is likely to be the 2nd mini to be released, hopefully by July or August.

New Products and Expansions Coming to Oak & Iron

• A new “Volume 2” card deck similar to the Oak & Iron Expansion Deck Vol 1 is in the works. No release date has been set, but I wouldn’t look for them before the last quarter of the year.
• A new boxed set and rules for Fortifications are in the works. The current plan is to release these with cardboard punchouts similar to the islands, rocks, and shoals.
• 2 New Factions are in the works. This will add a new set of faction-related initiative cards and multiple new admirals to the game. Based on follow-up questions to MIke, we have exclusive info on the two factions:
  • Portuguese – After years of war and oppression by Spain, Portugal finally gains independence in 1640. They quickly expand their colonial trade empire stretching from Brazil to India. Though small, its navy was well-equipped with advanced ships, artillery, and skilled sailors, making it a force to be reckoned with. Their tacticians were the first to develop the line ahead combat formation in the early 1500s. Lacking the wealth to field as many large ships of other nations that also favored the use of galleys and using the wind gauge to outmaneuver their opponents. So their combat style may be a unique blend of range, wind focused tactics and maneuverability.
  • Danes – In the 17th century, the Danes (Denmark-Norway) had a significant naval power that dominated the Baltic Sea. Its navy was small but had advanced warships, and it was a formidable force in the region. The Danish navy played a crucial role in the Thirty Years’ War, and it was instrumental in protecting the country’s trade routes and territorial waters. Despite its strength, Denmark’s naval power declined in the latter half of the century due to economic and political instability, and it was eventually surpassed by other European powers. Historically they often used large numbers of smaller gunboats to overwhelm large ships with swarm tactics. Their navy was filled with trained soldiers making them good at small-arms engagements as well.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while things haven’t been moving as quickly as fans may have liked, hopefully, the logjam of the Blood & Plunder Raise the Black kickstarter is about to clear and a flood of new content is coming to the game. The Firelock Games crew continues to impress me with their dedication to enhancing the Oak & Iron game experience but still maintaining a high standard of excellence. They could rush the release of minis, but they have taken the time to make sure the quality is up to par with their standards. The goal of continually balancing gameplay and avoiding breaking older content with new releases is something they value and have always excelled at doing.

With each new addition, players will have more options to customize their fleets and tactics, leading to even more dynamic and engaging gameplay. I for one can’t wait to see what Firelock has in store for the future of Oak & Iron, and we’re sure that fans of the game will be just as excited. So, gather your crew and set sail for adventure with the latest releases for Oak & Iron!

Additional Content Suggestions

• If you’ve not already read it, we have exclusive sneak peek photos of the new English 3rd Rate in our News & Miniatures Coming Soon for Oak & Iron in 2023!
• New to the game? Check out our review of the Oak & Iron core rules to learn more about it.