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Rules assistance for Second World War at Sea: Spice Islands
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–2 players
- 30 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.0/5
Rules assistant for Second World War at Sea: Spice Islands
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Second World War at Sea: Spice Islands is an expansion for Second World War at Sea: Eastern Fleet released in 2009 for 1–2 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Michael Bennighof and Doug McNair.
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About the game
From the Avalanche Press website: In the 17th century, the Dutch built powerful fleets to protect their overseas trade, particularly the riches flowing from the Spice Islands — the region that would become known as the Dutch East Indies and eventually Indonesia. In 1880, the discovery of oil in the archipelago made them once again a potential source of enormous wealth. But as oil became the underpinning of 20th century economies, the Netherlands this time failed to build the naval strength necessary to guard the islands from predatory enemies. Conservative economists clung to the gold standard in the 1930s, dooming the Dutch economy to a prolonged Depression. By the time the Navy began to see increased funding, it was much too late to change the outcome of the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies. In the 1930s, Dutch shipyards stood at the leading edge of naval technology: Dutch submarines first deployed the schnorkel breathing device, for example, and Dutch warships boasted the sophisticated Hazemeyer fire control system that would be enthusiastically copied by the Royal Navy and others. The Netherlands had the means to create a large and modern fleet, and the oil wealth of Borneo and Sumatra provided the motive. But by seeing deficits as a more lethal enemy than the Axis, the government doomed both the home country and the colonies to defeat and occupation. Spice Islands is a Second World War at Sea supplement exploring the alternate history possibilities had the Netherlands built the necessary naval and air forces to defend the East Indies and its oil: ships and planes within its financial and industrial capability. The supplement includes ten scenarios, or separate game situations, based on battles that might have been waged by the Royal Netherlands Navy against the Japanese. The pieces represent modernized versions of the dreadnought battleships planned but not completed, and some of those planned or discussed but never built. This module is not playable by itself, but requires ownership of Strike South to play most of the scenarios and Midway to enjoy all of them." Spice Islands was originally sold exclusively via pdf download. Starting in 2011, it was made available as a printed and spiral-bound booklet with die-cut counters. There are 210 counters, 70 long "ship" units, and 140 smaller ship, aircraft and fleet / base units.
Designers
Publishers
- (Web published)
- Avalanche Press Ltd.
Questions and answers
Second World War at Sea: Spice Islands supports 1–2 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 Second World War at Sea: Spice Islands is 30 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 Second World War at Sea: Spice Islands 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.
Second World War at Sea: Spice Islands 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.
Second World War at Sea: Spice Islands belongs to these categories: Wargame, Nautical, and World War II. Categories describe the theme, setting and style of a game rather than its rules. Filter the catalogue by the same category to find similar games when you enjoyed Second World War at Sea: Spice Islands and want something comparable for your next game night.
The credited designers of Second World War at Sea: Spice Islands are: Michael Bennighof and Doug McNair. 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 Second World War at Sea: Spice Islands as an expansion for Second World War at Sea: Eastern Fleet. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Second World War at Sea: Eastern Fleet to use it. Check that your edition of Second World War at Sea: Eastern Fleet is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.