
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,317
- BGG rating
- 7.0
The Napoleonic Wars
- 2–5 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2002

1997
Rules assistance for Atlantic Storm
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Atlantic Storm is a board game released in 1997 for 2–6 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Ben Knight and Don Greenwood and its main mechanics are Trick-taking.
In this unique take on the trick-taking genre, cards represent the units that attacked or defended Allied convoys in the North Atlantic throughout World War II. For each trick, the lead player selects a convoy that traversed either the Arctic or the Atlantic in a given year (1940-1943), then declares whether the battle will be fought in the air, on the surface of the ocean, or under the sea. He follows that up by playing a unit, either German or Allied, that was available in the chosen year and could fight in the chosen environment, and the other players subsequently either pass or play a unit (of either nationality) that meets the same conditions. When all players have made their selections, dice (sometimes) are rolled and totals are compared to determine whether the Germans or the Allies won. The player who contributed the most to the winning team gets to decide how the convoy and the opposing enemy ships, which are all worth victory points and possibly an increased hand size, are to be distributed amongst the players who were on the winning side. After twenty convoys have been fought over in this manner, the player with the most victory points' worth of convoys and captured ships wins the game! Re-implemented by: Pacific Typhoon
Atlantic Storm supports 2–6 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 Atlantic Storm is 60 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 Atlantic Storm for ages 10 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.
Atlantic Storm has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light 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.
Atlantic Storm belongs to these categories: Card Game, Wargame, and Nautical. Its main mechanics are Trick-taking. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Atlantic Storm are: Ben Knight and Don Greenwood. 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 Atlantic Storm as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.