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The Rising Sun: Command at Sea Volume I
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Harpoon: Captain's Edition
1990
Rules assistance for Harpoon: Captain's Edition
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.4/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Harpoon: Captain's Edition
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Harpoon: Captain's Edition is a board game released in 1990 for 2–4 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Larry Bond and its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid and Simulation.
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About the game
A simpler version of the original Harpoon, the famous naval battle simulation game, designed for beginner players. The box says: "Start Playing in 30 Minutes"! You navigate your task forces on a 18x21 hexagonal grid, set between Greenland, Iceland and UK, the GIUK gap, either as a NATO or Soviet Admiral. Your Task Forces consits of surface ships, submarines, patrol aircraft and tactical fast jet aircraft, represented by data cards, and task force counters on the map. You utilize radar, sonar and visual search to detect your enemy task forces. You utilize naval gunfire, surface-to-surface missiles, and air-to-surface missiles to defeat them, using die-rolls and data cards. The game is easy to learn. It is a wargame, but the heavily themed weapon aspects are abstracted to a very basic level, without loosing it's high technology appeal. After 30 minutes study of the rules you should be able to set up the first scenario, where you have one task force each, an Arleigh Burke class destroyer against a Sovremennyy class destroyer. Part of The Harpoon Series
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Game Designers' Workshop (GDW Games)
Questions and answers
Harpoon: Captain's Edition supports 2–4 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 Harpoon: Captain's Edition is 90 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 Harpoon: Captain's Edition 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.
Harpoon: Captain's Edition has a complexity rating of 2.4 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.
Harpoon: Captain's Edition belongs to these categories: Wargame, Nautical, and Modern Warfare. Its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid and Simulation. 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 Harpoon: Captain's Edition are: Larry Bond. 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 Harpoon: Captain's Edition 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.