
- BGG rank
- BGG #8,769
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Victoria Cross: The Battle of Rorke's Drift
- 2 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2004

2016
Rules assistance for Holdfast: Atlantic 1939-45
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.
Holdfast: Atlantic 1939-45 is a board game released in 2016 for 2 players, 60–150 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Grant Wylie and Mike Wylie and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Area Majority / Influence.
HoldFast Atlantic recreates the ship battles contesting control of the Atlantic Ocean during World War II. The navies of Britain and the United States are challenged to keep sea lanes open for its convoys. German U-Boats prowl these waters and German and Italian battleships and cruisers threaten the sea supply lines of the Allies. The great Axis warships Bismarck, Tirpitz and others contest Britain's best while the United States fleet adds its might to the fight as the war progresses. As the Axis player can you cut the sea lanes that supply Great Britain and Russia to win the war? Or as the Allied player, can you overcome the U-Boat menace and Axis naval and air forces to control the Atlantic.
Holdfast: Atlantic 1939-45 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 Holdfast: Atlantic 1939-45 is 60–150 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 Holdfast: Atlantic 1939-45 for ages 13 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.
Holdfast: Atlantic 1939-45 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.
Holdfast: Atlantic 1939-45 belongs to these categories: Wargame, Nautical, and World War II. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Area Majority / Influence. 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 Holdfast: Atlantic 1939-45 are: Grant Wylie and Mike Wylie. 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 Holdfast: Atlantic 1939-45 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.