You Sunk My....Carrier?

 Sorry this week's post is a little late! What can I say? Some weeks are just busier than others. 

Anyway, today we have a game that I think I got as an "add on" to another game I bought on eBay. In other words, I think I was buying Battleboard (which I've already written about) and this game was included as a package deal. 

I didn't know about this game as a kid, but it was certainly worthy of my attention. The game is Carrier Strike, by our old friends at Milton Bradly. I'm pretty sure that it was a follow up to Chopper Strike, which was released the year before. It was released in 1977, which would have made me about 14 or 15. Still, even a "cool" (in his own mind) teenager would have found this game fun and challenging. 

Let's take a look, shall we?

My box seems to have a rough case of WBS (wet basement syndrome). However, it only affects the cover art, and the rest of the box and contents are fine.

The bottom of the box offers a quick run down of what the point is to the game. 

Upon opening the box, you see a double fold board. Since the box is already pretty big, you know this board is going to be really big! In fact, it folds out to a 26.5" by 27" "ocean."

Here are all the bits and pieces, and there are quite a few of them. Luckily my game is complete!

The detailing on the pieces is nice, and more than one reviewer that I read commented on them.

Here we have a mock setup. The yellow carriers start from the yellow side and the red from the red side. You can place the carriers anywhere on your side.

A close up of a "loaded" yellow carrier...

...and a red one. Four planes are stored on top and six torpedos are stored below deck. The planes have a slot where they can carry a torpedo.

Attacks are aided by these templates that show when you are close enough to attack. These help because the hexagonal spaces are sometimes hard to judge.

So, let's take a look at the rules, shall we? For a game that packs as much strategy and skill into gameplay, the rules are fairly easy. It should be noted that more "serious" military simulation games (such as Avalon Hill games) use some of these same ideas, not to mention the style of gameboard.

As you can see by the instructions, this game is all about difficult choices. Do you move the carriers or the planes? Is my pilot good enough to engage in a dogfight? Do you split your roll between the planes or go all in on one? Are you at a good enough angle to launch your torpedo? Heck, even "If I launch my torpedo, am I going to accidently hit my own ship?" 

All in all, Carrier Strike is a fun game that's easy to play, but difficult to master! People that had it as a kid rave about it being one of the all time classics. I'm glad I got it as a "thrown in" game, since I knew nothing about this gem!

Until next time, keep searching for treasure!