- BGG rating
- 7.1
Harpoon: Battles of the Third World War – Modern Naval Warfare Scenarios
- 2 players
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 1987
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,107
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Harpoon (Third Edition)
1987
Rules assistance for Harpoon (Third Edition)
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 180 min
- 12+
- Complexity 4.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Harpoon (Third Edition)
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Harpoon (Third Edition) is a board game released in 1987 for 2 players, 180 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Larry Bond and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Variable Set-up, and Secret Unit Deployment.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Harpoon: Ship Forms – Ship Data Sheets and Scenarios
- 2 players
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 1988
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Harpoon: Sub Forms – Submarine Data Sheets
- 2 players
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 1989
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Harpoon: ASW Forms – Antisubmarine Warfare Data Sheets and Scenarios
- 2 players
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 1990
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Harpoon: Data Annex
- 2 players
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 1990
- BGG rating
- 7.7
South Atlantic War: Battle for the Falklands – Scenarios for the 1982 South Atlantic Campaign
- 2 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 1991
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Harpoon: Troubled Waters – Data Sheets and Scenarios for Middle East Operations
- 2–8 players
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 1992
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Harpoon Naval Review 1994
- 2–3 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 1994
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,329
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Flat Top
- 2 players
- 360 min
- Complexity 4.2/5
- 1977
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,492
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Harpoon 4: Modern Tactical Naval Warfare
- 2–8 players
- 150 min
- Complexity 4.4/5
- 1997
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,713
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Submarine
- 1–6 players
- 60–180 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 1976
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,962
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Bismarck (Second Edition)
- 2 players
- 150–240 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 1978
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,058
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Midway
- 2 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 1964
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,431
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Bismarck
- 2 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 1962
- BGG rank
- BGG #7,615
- BGG rating
- 8.6
Infinity N4: Core Rules
- 2 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 4.2/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,339
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Bolt Action
- 2–6 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,968
- BGG rating
- 7.3
De Bellis Antiquitatis: Quick Play Wargame Rules with Army Lists for Ancient and Medieval Battles
- 2–6 players
- 60–300 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 1990
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,246
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Warmaster
- 2–4 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2000
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,142
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Dragon Rampant: Fantasy Wargaming Rules
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,228
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Lion Rampant: Medieval Wargaming Rules
- 2 players
- 60–240 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2014
About the game
Harpoon simulates modern naval warfare. Its rules tell how ships and aircraft move, detect enemy contacts, and attack them. Weapons inflict realistic effects, and proper naval tactics produce accurate and believable results. The die-cut counters included in the game make it possible to take this game home and start playing. Tom Clancy's books Hunt for Red October and Red Storm Rising used Harpoon as a source. (The game was not based on the books.) To quote from the Author's Note in Red Storm Rising "(Harpoon)...served as a primary source for The Hunt for Red October" and "... a macro-wargame or campaign game which, using the" Harpoon system, would fight out a new Battle of the North Atlantic. I thought this was fascinating and we began talking about building a book around the idea...'. Larry Bond is given co-copyright to Red Storm Rising.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Hobby Japan
- Game Designers' Workshop (GDW Games)
Questions and answers
Harpoon (Third Edition) supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Harpoon (Third Edition) is 180 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 (Third Edition) 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.
Harpoon (Third Edition) has a complexity rating of 4.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy 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 (Third Edition) belongs to these categories: Wargame, Miniatures, and Nautical. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Variable Set-up, and Secret Unit Deployment. 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 (Third 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 (Third 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.