Fleets of the Second Great War: Imperial Germany
- 1–2 players
- 2019
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Rules assistance for Second Great War at Sea: The Cruel Sea
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 30–240 min
- 12+
Rules assistant for Second Great War at Sea: The Cruel Sea
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Second Great War at Sea: The Cruel Sea is an expansion for Second World War at Sea: Arctic Convoy released in 2019 for 2 players, 30–240 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Michael Bennighof and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Secret Unit Deployment, and Hexagon Grid.
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About the game
Our Second Great War alternative history story arc posits a world in which Woodrow Wilson’s attempts to forge a compromise peace in late 1916 succeeded. Millions of lives were saved and vast destruction averted, while the great empires of Eastern Europe – Germany, Austria, Russia and Turkey – survived for another generation. But not all accepted this new world order, and in August 1940 war returned to Europe. The Cruel Sea is a truly massive expansion set for Second Great War at Sea. It features the ships, airships, helicopters and airplanes of Imperial Germany, Republican France and Imperial Russia. There are 740 brand-new die-cut (and silky-smooth) pieces: 380 double-sized "long" pieces and 360 square ones. The Cruel Sea is intended as the foundation of the Second Great War at Sea; other supplements, like Sword of the Sea, will draw on this set for playing pieces (which lets us put even more new toys in those sets rather than repeating the same pieces). There are also thirty new scenarios based on the battles waged during the first eight months of this war that never happened, in our popular story-arc format. This module is not playable by itself, but requires ownership of Bismarck and Arctic Convoy to enjoy all of the scenarios. Our Second Great War background book describes the alternative history behind these scenarios. -description from publisher's website
Designers
Publishers
- Avalanche Press Ltd.
Questions and answers
Second Great War at Sea: The Cruel Sea 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 Second Great War at Sea: The Cruel Sea is 30–240 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: The Cruel 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: The Cruel Sea belongs to these categories: Wargame, Nautical, and World War II. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Secret Unit Deployment, and Hexagon Grid. 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 Second Great War at Sea: The Cruel 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: The Cruel Sea as an expansion for Second World War at Sea: Arctic Convoy. 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: Arctic Convoy to use it. Check that your edition of Second World War at Sea: Arctic Convoy is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.