- BGG rating
- 6.7
War at Sea 2
- 2 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 1977
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,725
- BGG rating
- 6.6
War at Sea
1976
Rules assistance for War at Sea
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for War at Sea
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
War at Sea is a board game released in 1976 for 2 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by John Edwards and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Simulation.
Expansions
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- 1979
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About the game
War at Sea is a simple, strategic wargame covering the Battle of the Atlantic and naval warfare in the Mediterranean in WW2. The game divides the contested seas into 6 areas. Each turn the players move their ships from home ports to one or more of the areas. After all ships have been moved a battle occurs. After a number of rounds, until one side or the other retreats or loses all of his/her ships, the player with ships left takes control of the area and scores a number of "Points of Control (POC)". If German U-boats survive anti-submarine combat they may stay in the area, even if the area contains Allied ships, and prevent the Allies from controlling the area and scoring points for it. The Allied player has the additional challenge of escorting convoys across the Atlantic. Any that reach England score one POC. If one reaches Russia it scores a BIG three POCs. Avalon Hill
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- The Avalon Hill Game Co
Questions and answers
War at 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 War at Sea is 120 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 War at 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.
War at Sea has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
War at Sea belongs to these categories: Wargame, Nautical, and World War II. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and 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 War at Sea are: John Edwards. 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 War at Sea 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.