- BGG rating
- 8.3
Flying Colors: Beat to Quarters!
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,953
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Flying Colors
2003
Rules assistance for Flying Colors
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 240 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.0/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Flying Colors
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Flying Colors is a board game released in 2003 for 1–4 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Mike Nagel and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
Expansions
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,219
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Wooden Ships & Iron Men
- 2 players
- 60–300 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 1974
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,994
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Close Action: The Age of Fighting Sail Vol. 1
- 2–30 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 1997
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,980
- BGG rating
- 6.6
1776: The Game of the American Revolutionary War
- 2 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 1974
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,329
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Flat Top
- 2 players
- 360 min
- Complexity 4.2/5
- 1977
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,595
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Blackbeard
- 1–4 players
- 120–240 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 1991
- BGG rank
- BGG #226
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Memoir '44
- 2–4 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2004
- BGG rank
- BGG #601
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Advanced Squad Leader
- 2 players
- 120–480 min
- Complexity 4.7/5
- 1985
- BGG rank
- BGG #664
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Star Wars: Battle of Hoth
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,043
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Squad Leader
- 2 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 1977
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,423
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Ambush!
- 1 player
- 180–240 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 1983
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,917
- BGG rating
- 8.5
Company of Heroes
- 2–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,216
- BGG rating
- 7.7
The Great Battles of Alexander: Deluxe Edition
- 1–4 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 3.6/5
- 1995
About the game
Flying Colors recreates naval actions during the height of the Age of Sail, from small engagements to full battles involving dozens of ships in each fleet. Play is fast, furious, and does not require the pre-plotted movement found in many other naval games. Instead, a simple initiative and command system allows players to activate and maneuver their fleets in a realistic manner, indicating how older commanders adhered to rules of engagement where more forward thinking commanders, like Nelson, could retain control of their fleets after the first broadsides began to be exchanged. Rather than focusing on the abilities of individual ships, Flying Colors uses broad classes of vessel within each "rate" and concentrates the players minds on maintaining command of their fleets using a simple command system. This is not a strategic level game where one piece represents several ships. Flying Colors includes individually named ships rated for size, gunnery, boarding ability, and damage capacity. Also included are nearly four dozen individually named commanders, rated for their ability to control their formations as well as the impact of their presence within the fleet. The game system provides what naval enthusiasts will expect in a tactical Age of Sail game: broadsides, rakes, anchoring, wind effects, weather, shore batteries, and much more. All this is packed into a short, accessible rulebook. Included within the game are historical scenarios [...]. The battles range in size from small engagements playable on a single map through huge engagements like the Glorious First of June playable on three maps. Players are also free to create their own variants and "what-if" scenarios using point values for each ship. Most scenarios can be played within a few hours and two players can complete even the largest within a day. Several are also well suited to solitaire play. TIME SCALE : 5-10 minutes per turn MAP SCALE: 100 meters per hex UNIT SCALE: Individual Ships NUMBER OF PLAYERS: One to Four (from GMT website and BGG users)
Designers
Publishers
- GMT Games
- Relative Range
Questions and answers
Flying Colors supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Flying Colors is 240 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 Flying Colors 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.
Flying Colors has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Flying Colors belongs to these categories: Wargame, Napoleonic, and Nautical. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid. 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 Flying Colors are: Mike Nagel. 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 Flying Colors 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.