Serpents of the Seas

About this board game

Serpents of the Seas is a naval combat game for 1–4 players, with play lasting about 150 minutes. The second volume in the Flying Colors series, it focuses on frigate actions and the rise of the American Navy.

Instead of the larger engagements between ships of the line featured in Flying Colors, this volume covers smaller vessels. Its sixteen battles span the American Revolutionary era and the War of 1812, ranging from tiny gunboats carrying one or two cannon to 5th Rate frigates with fewer than 50 guns.

The game also includes three dozen Ship Duels, featuring one or two vessels on each side. These scenarios include famous matchups such as Constitution, known as “Old Ironsides,” against Java and Guerriere.

To make these one-on-one and small-scale engagements more challenging, Serpents of the Seas introduces an initiative system based on activation cards. A card may give a player a jump on an opponent, but using it can limit flexibility. Cards may also be played as events that add extra shipboard flavor.

• Sixteen battles from the American Revolutionary era and the War of 1812
• Three dozen Ship Duels involving one or two vessels per side
• Activation cards for initiative and event effects
• Rules and mechanics compatible with the original Flying Colors game
• Five to ten minutes per turn, with individual ships represented at a 100-meter-per-hex scale

The new systems can be selected a la carte, allowing them to be used with the original game. The box includes three full-color maps, two countersheets, player aids, 55 initiative cards, a rule book, a play book, and a 10-sided die.