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C.V.: A Game of the Battle of Midway
- 2–4 players
- 300–1200 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 1979
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,161
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Fire When Ready
1982
Rules assistance for Fire When Ready
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 30–120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.2/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Fire When Ready
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Fire When Ready is a board game released in 1982 for 1–4 players, 30–120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Michael Barnhart and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Simultaneous Action Selection, and Grid Movement.
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About the game
MicroHistory #5 in the Metagaming MicroHistory series. From the 1870's until 1906 was the age of pre-dreadnought battle wagons. The USA, Britain, France and other great powers began to build large navies of advanced ironclads. Fire When Ready explores this neglected era, allowing players to assemble fleets of battle wagons, cruisers, destroyers and torpedo boats. From back of the box: You Command in an Age of Valor... Naval battles have always been a bloodbath. Brave men desparately fight their proud ships amidst shell-fire and death. Before air-craft carriers, before Battleships, before Dreadnoughts there was an age of iron and coal and steam, of guns and men and death as sailors learned the new future of iron ships at sea. Fire When Ready puts you in command of those ships. From Manila to Tsushima you command in a playable, fast-paced recreation. Fire When Ready has two player, solitaire, and multi-palyer scenarios with basic and advanced rules. Scenarios cover Britain vs. France, Germans vs. Dewey, the Chinese vs. Japanese Battle of the Yalu, U.S. vs. Spain at Santiago, and Russia vs. Japan at Tsushima. Components: Rules, Map, Ship Counters
Questions and answers
Fire When Ready supports 1–4 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 Fire When Ready is 30–120 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 Fire When Ready for ages 12 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.
Fire When Ready has a complexity rating of 2.2 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.
Fire When Ready belongs to these categories: Wargame, Nautical, and Post-Napoleonic. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Simultaneous Action Selection, and Grid Movement. 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 Fire When Ready are: Michael Barnhart. 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 Fire When Ready 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.