This game is not for the faint-hearted. It requires many sailors and many resources and much time. However, when pulled off well, can be absolutely epic. This is a game you can make into a theme, and is especially good if you have your group all day and can play multiple times. In particular, this is a great holiday program activity.
The aim of the game is to be the empire that defeats all empires. Divide sailors into 4 empires, I like to go ancient and name them Egypt, Rome, Greece, and Persia, but you can also go for countries if that’s not for you. Each quarter of the playing area has a buoy with 5 flags attached to it. Once play starts, it is like Capture the Flag with more flags and more teams. Each team has to try to steal flags from other countries without losing theirs.
When a team loses all of its flags, that signals the end of the first round. Everyone gathers and play stops. At this point, the team with the most flags merges with the team that has lost all of its flags. Now the other two teams can decide whether they merge or play the next round individually. Once this is decided, teams go back to their corner (or in the merged team’s case to their half) and play resumes on the whistle. Now you have one bigger empire fighting against two smaller empires.
The next round ends when another team loses all of its flags. This team gets absorbed again by the team that has the most flags. However, the referee has the choice to merge it with the team that has the most flags stolen from that team. For example, if Greece and Rome have merged and are now Rome, and Persia loses all of its flags, but it’s actually Egypt that has all of Persia’s flags even though Rome has the most flags, the ref might decide that Egypt deserves to absorb Persia.
Once that is decided, everyone goes back to their side and play resumes on the whistle. The game goes until one team has all the flags and is declared the winner.
Things to note:
- Just like capture the flag, each team has a watergun
- If you get hit by the watergun and you have a flag, you must give the flag back as well as doing a 360
- You can only be hit with a watergun if you are on someone else’s territory
- All racing rules apply
Materials needed:
- 13 buoys
- 20 flags
- At least 12 sailors (and 2 coaches)
- 4 waterguns