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Steel Wolves: Germany's Submarine Campaign Against British & Allied Shipping – Vol 1 1939-43
2010
Rules assistance for Steel Wolves: Germany's Submarine Campaign Against British & Allied Shipping – Vol 1 1939-43
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1 player
- 60–9000 min
- 12+
- Complexity 4.0/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Steel Wolves: Germany's Submarine Campaign Against British & Allied Shipping – Vol 1 1939-43
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Steel Wolves: Germany's Submarine Campaign Against British & Allied Shipping – Vol 1 1939-43 is a board game released in 2010 for 1 player, 60–9000 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Stephen C. Jackson and Brien J. Miller and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Point to Point Movement, and Secret Unit Deployment.
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About the game
(from Compass Games website:) Steel Wolves is a solitaire simulation of the German submarine war against British and Allied shipping, the follow-on title to the award winning Silent War. Volume I covers the period from the start of the War in 1939 to the early months of 1943. You serve as BdU, Befehlshaber der U-Boote; the Supreme Commander of Uboats, Kriegsmarine. Your mission is to deploy your forces with maximum effect to destroy British and Allied shipping, while limiting your own submarine losses. Featured scenarios cover actions ranging from famous short single sub patrols, through short campaigns, ending with the full campaign covering 1939 to 1943. The game map breaks the Atlantic, Mediterranean, South Atlantic, and Western Indian Oceans into historical Operations Areas through which subs patrol in search of shipping. Special rules feature historical events such as the invasion of Norway and Torch; b-dienst, ULTRA, and the intelligence war; torpedo improvements, German wolfpack tactics, Super-Skippers, large vs. small U-boat philosophy, appeals to Berlin for resources, and many others. Every German sub deployed between 1939 and 1943 (as well as some what-if classes) is represented with its very own counter, each meticulously and accurately drawn and shown from their side in full-color. Players familiar with Silent War will find Steel Wolves takes the system to new depths, while those trying it for the first time will be able to quickly get into action!
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Spielworxx
- Compass Games
Questions and answers
Steel Wolves: Germany's Submarine Campaign Against British & Allied Shipping – Vol 1 1939-43 supports 1 player 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 Steel Wolves: Germany's Submarine Campaign Against British & Allied Shipping – Vol 1 1939-43 is 60–9000 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 Steel Wolves: Germany's Submarine Campaign Against British & Allied Shipping – Vol 1 1939-43 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.
Steel Wolves: Germany's Submarine Campaign Against British & Allied Shipping – Vol 1 1939-43 has a complexity rating of 4.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy 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.
Steel Wolves: Germany's Submarine Campaign Against British & Allied Shipping – Vol 1 1939-43 belongs to these categories: Wargame, Nautical, and World War II. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Point to Point Movement, and Secret Unit Deployment. 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 Steel Wolves: Germany's Submarine Campaign Against British & Allied Shipping – Vol 1 1939-43 are: Stephen C. Jackson and Brien J. Miller. 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 Steel Wolves: Germany's Submarine Campaign Against British & Allied Shipping – Vol 1 1939-43 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.