Description

The one feature that contributes most to 2nd FLEET's attractiveness as a game of strategy is its excellent playability. The sub-systems work very well together, and play flows smoothly even in the Advanced Game. The optional Logistics rules are the worst impediment to playability, but even these manifest themselves only at the end of every third turn; experienced, well-organized players can cope with these
readily enough.

As with all "modem" wargames dealing with hypothetical conflict, 2nd FLEET shares the problem that it must amount to an "educated guess". There is no history against which its accuracy can be closely measured (the recent Gulf War notwithstanding). This situation is especially acute for naval games, as there has yet to be a conflict encompassing all the elements embraced by the FLEET series. For example, although guided missiles, airpower, submarines and surface vessels all took part in the Falklands War, there was no simultaneous use of all four elements of naval power in a coordinated manner by both sides in any single engagement. If 2nd FLEET must be an educated guess, however, then it is a very educated one. Another expert might argue with Joe Balkoski's systemic forecast of modem naval warfare, but until the awful day that the real world provides a real standard to judge by, 2nd FLEET's accuracy stands to be as good as that of any other game on the subject.

There are some areas in which players can afford to experiment with the rules, however. One lies in force deployment. The Readiness Level selected for the Advanced Game scenarios and subsequent die rolls for reinforcement can accelerate or decelerate the arrival of units, but the general pattern of disposition remains the same. As warships and air units can move faster than the political events leading to a superpower conflict, this pattern should not be viewed as rigidly unalterable.

—description from the publisher

The expansion provides variants focusing on deployment options for NATO and the Soviet Union.

—user summary