Naval Battle in Archipelago

This game was made from Naval battle (2004) for which I wrote it is the best game in triangle family. It is best because it has many options for strategy and because it can easily turn over by descent on enemy shore.

Last year I tested this game. Then was only Basic version and it was simpler version of Naval battle. It was about torpedo boats fighting between islands. When they introduced helicopters and hovercraft game became much more interesting. In September I got the bigger board (expanded). It's now excellent game. System of hidden submarines is better that in Naval battle. I see combat planes are coming. I haven't tested that, but I'm looking forward to it. I'm happy ships will be of plastic. Can't wait to get my sample and I recommend everyone to get this game.

I can't wait fot the game to come out. I've previously played some of the games from this design studio and I was amazed! Simply amazed. Their games, that I've played, all had that fine line between war simulation and board game, that I like. Keeps me locked to table for months. Easy to teach, great fun to play. I have no doubt that Archipelago will be at least this much fun!

I played previous games from this Designer and also previous games from this series. They were good and easy to teach but hard to master. They all had one fault and that is complexity. They always looked like something made for broad audience and not for gamers and history enthusiasts. This one seems to have this all corrected and looks like a real simulation, yet keeping the simplicity and flexibility of the main system. Looks like a bulls eye. :D (at least for me) Finaly the game arrived! Unboxing you can see in the video. I managed to play only one game till now and it was an epic on the tiny scale. This is not a game it is a campaign setting. There is so many possibilities that you really feel like an admiral of a small country. Air, naval and land has to be managed but it is not a brain burn. The game just lost a notch because of the board pieces and preparation(I like fiddling with minis but for some might be the deterant ) , minor mistakes and inconsistencies and lack of campaign setting. But all of that is easy to fix (a bit of sticky tape, Q&A and a bit of brain gimnastics). All in all solid game system, ease of play, sea of possibilities, game creates a story and a discussion after play, tons of material. Amazing game apsolutne recommendation.

Easy game to learn. Brutal if you do not understand the missile/torpedo movement capabilities and your opponent does. The production quality on the deluxe expanded version is quite nice but I hate cutting out the ships markers. I prefer the markers over the minis due to the data on them.

Naval Battle in Archipelago is one of those board games that you want to have even if you do not know the rules because the graphic is well done. When the first impression pass and you start to learn the rules and play the game, you realize that it's not just the impression, you realize that the game you have in front of you is... I will use only two words GREAT GAME. I wait with impatience the next game of this publisher.

Micro version.

The two biggest complaints I have about this game is the rules are on the opposite side of the map so you can't refer to them when playing and the folded paper/cardstock doesn't lay flat which constantly shifts the light game pieces around.

Roll and move followed by roll and shoot.

There's not a lot to it but for the size you do get a good amount of stuff in the tiny box. 12 3D printed ships (2 styles and 2 colors), 16 each Torpedo and gun ammo chits, 12 small dashboard cards for the ships, stickers to put on the ships to identify them, two dice (stickers need to be applied to the faces), and a small fold out map board.

I had trouble with the stickers and only applied a few before deciding writing with an ultra fine sharpie might work better.