Flying Colors - Deluxe Edition - Fleet Actions in the Age Of Sail GMT Games.
I would classify this as an impulse buy but there has always been a part of me that likes the idea and opportunity to be able to play a naval simulation game in what was the pinnacle and most interesting period of naval warfare history. I have already had prior experience with the old Avalon Hill treatment titled - ' Wooden Ships and Iron Men '. It is always a moot point to compare older games with newer ones but I think that comparisons are necessary and do not disrespect either, unless there are major flaws in concept and design execution. Both Wooden Ships and Flying Colors exhude a strong love of the period and naval gaming portrayal . Like many who played Wooden Ships - it was good and even exemplary for it's time. I remember not being a fan of the smaller hard mounted map boards - albeit functional. You could just about do the battle of Trafalgar 1805 but with little extra space for manouvre. The counters were functional but basic and did not have individually named ships and rather bare of detail. The manual record keeping could put some people off. The manouevre rules were a little bit simplistic and you always felt that it needed a bit of tweaking here and there.....and that is where Flying Colors comes along on the port side and blows , Wooden Ships out of the water. Again ; I will repeat that ,Wooden Ships is a lovely game , for it's time and I have seen that some people enjoy intermeshing both games to create their own intepretation of best gameplay function etc.
I will freely admit that I was a bit apprehensive about buyin Flying Colors on the basis that it might be a partial crock or I would not have enough interest In a Naval simulation treatment. I bought a new , sealed copy at a slightly discounted price. I had high expectations...........
At this point : I would like to point out that you should get the Deluxe Edition version , which includes the ' Ship of the Line ' Expansion set ( which apparently is a Third Printing ). I almost bought a second hand copy of the game without this - as it has the same box artwork cover and it is difficult to see the little writing on an Ebay buy, as the scurvy landlubber who was selling it- deliberately did not use a hover zoom function in the picture, so that you can see the small lettering writing which shows that it includes the expansion set - You have been warned !. ............not to make that mistake as you will get the 2nd Printing......cheaper ....Yes !.....I have learnt as a rule - that people who do this - have an ulterior motive beyond forgetting to do a hover zoom for close-up inspection.
So...... - my Flying Colors game arrives and straight off the bat - it is a heavy box - , ( always a good sign )'...The artwork on the front is great and the box is sturdy - you will not get side panel flaring for a long time to come. You get two ten sided dice, and one black counter tray. Three rules and scnariuos booklets. Nicely laid out with lots of color illustrations ;and examples of play. So far ; so good.......... We delve deeper and we come to the counter sheets. Seven of them in total.........The ships are double size, to fit over two hexes. You have British and French and Spanish and Portuguese and Dutch etc,............. really good counter quality and informational detail. There are a lot of counters - this is definitely a ' Monster Naval game '. If you did not have the Ship of the line expansion, you would only have 5 counter sheets. With 7 counter sheets ; you easily have the historical reach to replay any scenario or battle from the Seven Years War to the end of the Napoleonic Age; roughly 70 years... all in one box. Nice !...
Enhancement:
1. The ships ae individually named...... unlike Wooden Ships. .
2. You have Admirals and major leader portrait counters unlike Wooden Ships
3. Hefty rules and scenario booklets with added stuff.
Just looking at the info marker counters alone - you can easily see the difference and tweaking compared to Wooden Ships. You have counters for starboard and port fired simulation...visual on map track record in case you forget to fire something in the heat of battle. You have Ship on fire , Ship awash, Ship taken, Ship fouled, Ship adrift, hull and rigging hit counters, Ship at anchor, Ship grappled counters and if you have them on board ; marine hits etc. counters and others. Detail definitely there............
Apart from the large number of counters - it is a Monster Naval game, as it has four large soft map section sheets, ( ala SPI ). The Wooden ships mounted maps are no more and as I remember, their coloring was not that great - here you have a pleasant mid blue with lighter blue for shallows and because of the overall size - more feasibility to do justice to the Battle of Trafalgar 1805.......
You also get some nice player aid cards........... two different for both players and an interesting time turn track , weather card with wind direction......and of course ,the chunky individual ship hull and rigging hit sheets tables with small boxes to mark them off - the same as in Wooden Ships.
Solitaire playability is in the High category and complexity at mid level.
My initial apprehensin has gone away- this is a lovely stand alone game and apparently it has further expansion sets for other countries naval actions/fleets; although that is probably for the more Naval interest enthusiast..................... I am only borderline - when my interest is peaked. I don't have anything bad to say about this game- which is good...
" Slow drum roll ........and sharp whistle ,.......... GMT Game Designer boarding...." Aye, Aye Cap'n ! "....................I will give it a 9/10. I am very pleased to have bought it.......... " throw any whingey - whiners off the starboard bow .............for the sharks "..... " Aye,... Aye.... Cap'n " !.........
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