- BGG rank
- BGG #1,423
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Ambush!
- 1 player
- 180–240 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 1983
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,329
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Flat Top
1977
Rules assistance for Flat Top
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 360 min
- 12+
- Complexity 4.2/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Flat Top
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Flat Top is a board game released in 1977 for 2 players, 360 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by S. Craig Taylor and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Variable Set-up, and Grid Movement.
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About the game
Flat Top is a board wargame of high complexity that covers the battles of the Solomon Seas between the United States and Japan in 1942. It is very well researched and covers all aspects of naval and air combat as it existed in 1942. The system depicts weather, air searches, air combat, surface combat, carrier operations, submarines, air bases, supplies, and much more. The game requires intense planning and searching since movement is covert and the map is huge. The units are individual ships and submarines with each air point representing three aircraft. Hexes are twenty miles, and each turn represents one hour. The game includes thirteen hundred counters, 4 maps to create a 44" x 28" map of the South Pacific, four Allied/Japanese operations cards, three player aid cards and two log sheets. First edition Battle Line has two counter card sheets containing 800 counters.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- The Avalon Hill Game Co
- Battleline
Questions and answers
Flat Top supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Flat Top is 360 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Flat Top for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Flat Top has a complexity rating of 4.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Flat Top belongs to these categories: Wargame, Nautical, and World War II. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Variable Set-up, and Grid Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Flat Top are: S. Craig Taylor. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Flat Top as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.