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Rules assistance for Gunboat Diplomacy
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 90 min
- 12+
Rules assistant for Gunboat Diplomacy
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Gunboat Diplomacy is an expansion for The Sword and the Flame released in 1999 90 minutes per game and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Patrick Wilson and Bob Duncan and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling.
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About the game
From the Second Edition Introduction With the publication of this booklet, the Colonial War Games "Trinity" of The Sword and the Flame, The Sword and the Flame: The Sun Never Sets. and Gunboat Diplomacy is now complete. From the Introduction Originally developed by Mr. Bob Duncan in 1991 and demonstrated by him at various conventions around the country, Gunboat Diplomacy is a charming combination of wargame simplicity and, atmosphere, and utility. Mr. Duncan generously provided his game gratis to players while happily engaged in building his own model gunboats and conducting games we can only envy--or emulate. The original rules were designed for battles between 25mm gunboats, mostly scratchbuilt. Specific rules for determining the full game details such as crew size, turning capacities, speed, when to make "Special Hit" checks, etc., have been added to the original rules. Gunboat Diplomacy is a game played with ship models, either commercially produced or scratchbuilt by the players themselves. The game has been specifically designed to link with The Sword and the Flame: The Sun Never Sets and/or The Sword and the Flame. However, this is a "stand alone" wargame system requiring only the rules and components included or described in order to play.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- (Web published)
- And That's The Way It Was...
Questions and answers
The listed playing time for Gunboat Diplomacy is 90 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 Gunboat Diplomacy 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.
Gunboat Diplomacy belongs to these categories: Wargame, Miniatures, and Nautical. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling. 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 Gunboat Diplomacy are: Patrick Wilson and Bob Duncan. 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 Gunboat Diplomacy as an expansion for The Sword and the Flame. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need The Sword and the Flame to use it. Check that your edition of The Sword and the Flame is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.