Fish ‘n’ ships
AHOY
Designer: Greg Loring-Albright | Publisher: Leder Games
On first inspection through the spyglass, Ahoy is Rooton-boats. It is, after all, an asymmetrical battle-driven title from Leder Games featuring fun, scrappy illustrations of anthropomorphic animals by Leder’s in-house artist Kyle Ferrin. But instead of cats, birds and mice fighting over a forest, players here take to the waves and ready their cannons in the form of pirate sea creatures. And that’s only where the differences start.
Anyone who’s played Cole Wehrle’s Root will know it is far more complex and challenging than it looks. In contrast, Greg Loring-Albright’s Ahoy turns out to be a far simpler and more accessible game. It has already been lauded for being a great entry-level asymmetrical experience, and with good reason.
When set up for four, two participants will be playing an areacontroller (as the domineering Bluefin Squadron or the slippery Mollusk [sic] Union), and the other two a pick-upand-deliver game (as the Smugglers, a pair of factions that differ only in their player colour). Everyone’s out to gain fame on the high seas as they battle and explore a deeply attractive modular tile-laid map, but while the Bluefin Squadron (sharks) and Mollusk Union (er, molluscs) achieve this through securing islands which yield points at each round’s end, the two Smugglers must ferry cargo from island to island, grabbing their points as they go.
However, everyone is very much playing the same game. A diceplacement game, to be precise, where actions are determined by rolls that can thankfully be mitigated with the spending of coins (one gold per pip raised or lowered). Furthermore, the value of regions increases with every successful Smuggler delivery, meaning the sharks and molluscs must always keep an eye on what the Smugglers are up to; meanwhile the Smugglers must be careful not to throw too much wealth their conquesting rivals’ way as a byproduct of their own achievements… Although, they can secretly pledge their gains to either the Squadron or the Union, depending on who they think will gain the upper fin come the final reckoning and, in so doing, potentially snatch a win from under their snouts/beaks.
While both Smugglers play the exact same way, there are significant play-style differences between the Bluefin Squadron and the Mollusk Union. The sharks are all about aggression and focused consolidation, leaving patrols in their flagship’s wake and establishing strongholds on the choicest locations. They also have one more action die than the other factions, allowing them to land an extra blow each round. The molluscs, meanwhile, find their strength in numbers, scattering squishy comrades across the map. They get a small deck of Plan cards, which give them the greatest tactical range, allowing for surprise moves and specialised extra ships.
It is a joyful, thrilling game to play, even if things can get a bit vicious from time to time. The rules are intuitive and a breeze to learn whichever faction you choose, while the game quickly reveals depths that belie its slim box, straightforward rules and cute graphics. Additionally, whether you resolve to master a particular faction or determine to flip between shark, smuggler and mollusc, Ahoy will certainly endure on your tabletop, more than earning its place there, again and again.
DAN JOLIN
WE SAY
A fantastic, easy-to-learn asymmetrical game with huge potential for broad appeal. Our only complaint is that you’re denied some of its charms with just two players, owing to the omission of the smugglers.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
◗4 Pocket guides
◗12 Region tiles
◗4 Player boards
◗4 Flagship figures
◗10 Patrol figures
◗3 Stronghold figures
◗
Cutter figure
◗ Gunship figure
◗17 Action dice
◗11 Wealth dice
◗2 Battle dice
◗30 Market cards
◗12 Plan cards
◗
First Player card
◗4 Aid cards
◗25 Damage tokens
◗20 Gold tokens
◗20 Comrade tokens
◗ Fame track
◗4 Fame markers
◗4 Pledge markers
◗4 Reward markers
TRY THIS IF YOU LIKED ROOT…
Think of it as Root’s simpler, more accessible, more watery cousin.