Sea-Fleet
From: Kolony Industries Co.
Reviewed by: Ron McClung
Sea-Fleet is a new Strategy Board Game from Kolony Industries Co.
When I first saw this game I thought Battleship! meets Checkers or Chess. As it turns out, I am not that far off. However, that is not necessarily a bad thing.
The game is made up of a board with an eleven by eleven checker board-style grid and game pieces that represent naval combat ships. Players move their playing pieces on the game board, attempting to take out the opponents ships by landing on them. Certain pieces move certain ways. Several of the grid squares are specifically marked as bonus squares which allow a player to take an extra move. There are three types of pieces – battleships, destroyers and submarines. There are 3 battleships, 5 destroyers, and 3 submarines. The object of the game is to be the first player to eliminate 8 of your opponent’s 11 playing pieces.
From the back cover:
“Command Your Own Fleet.”
There are two ways to play this game – low skill and high skill. They both have the same set up and same premise. However, the difference is in the piece movement. This review will speak to each way of playing separately.
Low Skill
In low skill, the player rolls a specially labeled 6-sided die that comes with the game to determine movement. On the die, there is one 1, two 3s, and 3 twos. However, a player is not limited to that specific roll of the die. The player can move up to the amount rolled. I found that although it does take a little skill out of the game, it does not take much out. It is still a challenge to figure out where to go and look ahead of the other player.
Playing low skill, I found the game to be very fast-paced. It may be because I truly stink at games like this, but I played the game with a friend in a matter of 20 minutes. At times, it felt like speed chess. It has a very interesting mechanic and strategy to it. Look-ahead is very challenging. In many cases, you can not envision all possible moves your opponent can make and much relies on the roll of the die. Only a little luck is involved. It is mostly all about setting up multiple attacks, getting battleships upfront along with your subs, and using your destroyers as a sneak attack. Using the bonus moves to your advantage is one key along with the special moves some of the pieces can make (like destroyers diagonal move).
Despite getting waxed at this game, I truly had fun playing it and I do not normally like these types of games. Getting the movement down was a trick, but after a few quick references to the rules, we got it down.
From the back cover:
“Navigate Your Ships to Control the High Seas.”
High Skill
High skill brings only a slightly new level of strategy to it because now all the movement for the pieces are fixed. When I say fixed, all the pieces have a maximum base movement, so a player can move up to that amount. All other rules apply. The fixed movement slows the game down a little, but in many cases you have to simply take risks and hope your opponent makes a mistake. Once the “killing” starts, it tends to domino. If you play aggressively, it is a slow build up to first blood and then it starts from there. Using your bonus moves and special moves are even more key in this. If you play conservatively, then the game can take while and the kills are slow to come.
In conclusion, this is not a bad game at all. The packaging and presentation is very professional. The game is contained in a standard long rectangular thin box, which in itself is a bonus because it immediately reduces the intimidation factor to most players, I feel. The art on the box cover is appropriate and attractive, and the game components are well made. I surprisingly liked this game for its originality, complexity in strategy and the over all intelligence of the game. I would recommend to my chess-playing friends who are looking for a new challenge.
For more details on Kolony Industries Co. and their new Strategy Board Game “Sea-Fleet” check them out at their website http://www.angelfire.com/biz/kolony/ and at all of your local game stores.
Sea-Fleet
From: Kolony Industries Co.
Type of Game: Strategy Board Game
Game Design by: Bill Strauss
Game Components Included: Board, 11 player pieces, dice
Retail Price: $ 22.00 (US)
Number of Players: 2
Player Ages: 8+
Play Time: Type Time per Game
Item Number: 15 to 30 minutes (low skill play)
Website: www.angelfire.com/biz/kolony/
Reviewed by: Ron McClung