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- BGG #8,372
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- 6.9
Great War at Sea: The Mediterranean
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Rules assistance for Second Great War at Sea: Sword of the Sea
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30–360 min
- 12+
Rules assistant for Second Great War at Sea: Sword of the Sea
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Second Great War at Sea: Sword of the Sea is an expansion for Second World War at Sea: Horn of Africa released in 2023 for 2–4 players, 30–360 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Michael Bennighof.
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About the game
The Second Great War at Sea alternative-history story arc looks at naval campaigns in a world where the First Great War ended in late 1916, allowing the great empires to survive for another generation and clash again in 1940. Sword of the Sea brings the naval action to the Red Sea, Gulf and Aden and Persian Gulf as the Ottoman Turkish fleet and its German allies face the Imperial Persian Fleet with Indian (!) and Italian support. You get 180 new silky smooth, die-cut playing pieces: 100 of them double-sized “long” pieces depicting major warships and the remaining 80 normal-sized square ones representing small warships, transports, aircraft and some markers needed for play. Ships and aircraft bring the Ottoman Turkish and Imperial Persian navies that never existed to your game table. Sword of the Sea includes 33 new scenarios telling the story of this alternative Second Great War in Middle Eastern waters. Sword of the Sea is not a complete game and is not playable by itself; you’ll need Horn of Africa (and only Horn of Africa). The Second Great War at Sea is an exercise in world-building never seen in wargame publishing; our Second Great War background book tells the full story of this history that never happened. —description from the publisher
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Avalanche Press Ltd.
Questions and answers
Second Great War at Sea: Sword of the Sea 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 Second Great War at Sea: Sword of the Sea is 30–360 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 Second Great War at Sea: Sword of the Sea 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.
Second Great War at Sea: Sword of the Sea belongs to these categories: Wargame, Nautical, and Expansion for Base-game. Categories describe the theme, setting and style of a game rather than its rules. Filter the catalogue by the same category to find similar games when you enjoyed Second Great War at Sea: Sword of the Sea and want something comparable for your next game night.
The credited designers of Second Great War at Sea: Sword of the Sea are: Michael Bennighof. 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 Second Great War at Sea: Sword of the Sea as an expansion for Second World War at Sea: Horn of Africa. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Second World War at Sea: Horn of Africa to use it. Check that your edition of Second World War at Sea: Horn of Africa is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.