- BGG rating
- 8.0
Second World War at Sea: Ironbottom Sound
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #18,766
- BGG rating
- 8.7
Second World War at Sea: South Pacific
2023
Rules assistance for Second World War at Sea: South Pacific
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–2 players
- 30–180 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.5/5
Rules assistant for Second World War at Sea: South Pacific
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Second World War at Sea: South Pacific is a board game released in 2023 for 1–2 players, 30–180 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.
Expansions
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About the game
From the Avalanche Press website: The U.S. Navy began its counter-offensive against the Japanese in August 1942, with landings on the islands of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese struck back in turn, and fierce naval battles raged in “Ironbottom Sound” by night while aircraft carriers dueled by day. The Americans and their Australian allies steadily fought their way up the Solomons chain until the Japanese base at Rabaul was finally isolated in June 1943. South Pacific is a complete Second World War at Sea boxed game based on the Solomons Campaign of 1942 and 1943. It covers the naval battles of Guadalcanal, the carrier battles of the Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz, the battles of Vella Gulf, Empress Augusta Bay and Kolombangara, and much more. South Pacific includes over 1,000 silky-smooth, die-cut playing pieces representing the ships and aircraft of the United States, Japan and Australia that fought in the campaign. The 22x28-inch map includes all of the Solomon Islands plus the surrounding seas, and overlaps with the maps from our Strike South game on its western edge. Unique in the Second World War at Sea series, South Pacific includes not only the standard, generic Tactical Map but also a special Tactical Map showing “Ironbottom Sound” north of Guadalcanal, where so many Japanese and American ships and sailors would be lost. There are over 60 scenarios, organized in our popular “story arc” format that weaves the narrative of the campaign into the scenarios, allowing them to tell the story of this pivotal series of battles.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Avalanche Press Ltd.
Questions and answers
Second World War at Sea: South Pacific supports 1–2 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 World War at Sea: South Pacific is 30–180 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 Second World War at Sea: South Pacific 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 World War at Sea: South Pacific has a complexity rating of 2.5 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.
Second World War at Sea: South Pacific 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 World War at Sea: South Pacific 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 World War at Sea: South Pacific 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.