Flotilla

1940 · United Kingdom · J. Dring Ltd.

Theme: WWII Naval

About this game

This abstract naval game has a couple of interesting features. First, there are multiple maps (two for the standard game and three for the deluxe version). Each map has a triangular grid. The maps are laid on top of a cork board, and the playing pieces are mounted on pins that stick into that board. Second, combat is resolved with a 12-sided teetotum, which provides odds-based results. If two equal ships fight, the color of the letter is all that matters. If two different ships fight, the letter determines the winner. The teetotum has 6 Bs for Battleship, 4 Cs for Cruiser and 2 Ds for Destroyer. A battleship therefore has a 3:1 chance of beating a destroyer, 3:2 against a cruiser and even odds against another battleship.

Mechanism

Triangular grid movement

Rules

Each player starts with one battleship, three cruisers, five destroyers and one submarine. The submarine fights at even odds against any other ship. The submarine can move only one point, while the battleships and cruisers can move two and the destroyers three. In each turn, a player may use a maximum of 10 movement points, split amongst his ships as he sees fit within the limits of each ship type. Combat is triggered by moving onto an enemy ship's location. The losing ship is removed. In the advanced game, ships have numerical strengths and the highest value wins. Players may attack with multiple ships to gang up on a larger foe. The land areas are marked with ports having values of 10, 20 or 30. The winner is the first to capture 100 points worth of enemy ports.