
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,936
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Fear God & Dread Nought
- 2–3 players
- 360 min
- Complexity 4.3/5
- 2001

Expansion for Command at Sea: 4th Edition – War at Sea 1926-1955
2017
Rules assistance for Rising Sun: The First Half of the Pacific War (Third Edition)
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Rising Sun: The First Half of the Pacific War (Third Edition) is an expansion for Command at Sea: 4th Edition – War at Sea 1926-1955 released in 2017 for 2–8 players and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Larry Bond, Ed Kettler, and Chris Carlson and its main mechanics are Simulation.
Rising Sun provides scenarios for the Admiralty Trilogy’s WW II tactical naval game system, Command at Sea. Starting with Pearl Harbor, it covers the fierce surface, submarine, and air combats of the first half of the Pacific War, with detailed orders of battle, and historical accounts. The original edition of Rising Sun was the first supplement published for Command at Sea, in 1994. Over the past twenty-plus years, new scholarship and access to previously unavailable sources (not to mention the designers’ own greater understanding) has allowed us to produce this vastly improved edition. In addition to classic set-piece battles like Pearl Harbor or the midget submarine attack on Sydney, Australia, major campaigns like Coral Sea and Midway are presented as a series of linked scenarios, with possible variations and historical might-have-beens. Background information is provided to help the players place the battles in context. Noted historian Jon Parshall, co-author of Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway, graciously wrote the foreword for this edition. His work, along with other researchers and authors, has helped us greatly in understanding Midway and the other battles published here. —description from the publisher
Rising Sun: The First Half of the Pacific War (Third Edition) supports 2–8 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 catalogue lists Rising Sun: The First Half of the Pacific War (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.
Rising Sun: The First Half of the Pacific War (Third Edition) has a complexity rating of 3.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Rising Sun: The First Half of the Pacific War (Third Edition) belongs to these categories: Wargame, Miniatures, and Nautical. Its main mechanics are 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 Rising Sun: The First Half of the Pacific War (Third Edition) are: Larry Bond, Ed Kettler, and Chris Carlson. 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 Rising Sun: The First Half of the Pacific War (Third Edition) as an expansion for Command at Sea: 4th Edition – War at Sea 1926-1955. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Command at Sea: 4th Edition – War at Sea 1926-1955 to use it. Check that your edition of Command at Sea: 4th Edition – War at Sea 1926-1955 is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.