Battleships Strategy Guide

Each player draws two 10x10 grids on their piece of paper. The one on the left is where they will place their craft, and the one on the right is where they will use to keep track of their opponents craft.

Not to mention those shots that miss!

The grids should be numbered down the sides from 0 to 9 (or 1 to 10), and the columns numbered from A to J. These give rise to the basic co-ordinate system of the game.

The final piece of preparation is for players to place their craft on the grid. They have the following at their disposal:

• Aircraft Carrier (5 units long)


• Battleship (4 units long)


• Frigate (3 units long)


• Submarine (3 units long)


• Minesweeper (2 units long)

Once both players have set up their craft, they take it in turns to call out co-ordinates, using the row and column numbers.

These are the 'shots'. The player whose turn it isn't checks to see if the co-ordinates have 'hit' one of their craft.

If not, it's their turn to call out a shot.

If they do get hit, they must inform their opponent, who can directly call out another shot. They continue until they 'miss'.

Shots fired should be recorded on the right hand grid, to keep track. Hits must be logged by the unfortunate opponent.

There's one final rule, which some people claim, for the manual game at least, is optional. It is traditional, when a boat is sunk, for the hapless owner to inform their opponent of it's sinking...

Rule #1 - Don't Place Craft Along Edges

Placing your craft along an edge reduces the number of squares that your opponent needs to visit in determining the orientation of your craft.

If your Aircraft Carrier is placed from A2 to A7, and your opponent scores a lucky hit with A5, then they only need to test three squares to check in which direction the craft is oriented - A6 (hit), B5 (miss) and A4 (hit).

Rule #2 - Place Craft Along Edges

Okay, so it's a good idea to place just one craft along an edge. Opponents will tend to go for squares in the middle, and so if one of you has placed one craft at the edge, they may well end up with an advantage!

Rule #3 - Don't Let 'em Touch!

The craft should not touch.

If they do actually touch, then it will give your opponent an advantage, as they will usually follow up shots that hit something with others in the same area.

Check back often for more Placement Strategy hints!

Strategy #1 - Diagonal Lines

Starting from one edge, fire shots in a diagonal line, skipping every other square. When you get to the other edge of the board, do the same along one of the opposite diagonals.

This one comes from my brother-in-law (thanks, Jon). It maximizes the probability of detecting a craft in a relatively short space of time.

Strategy #2 - Cell Skipping

We often talk about 'skipping' cells - but remember, you will maximize your chances by keeping track of the ships sunk. For example, if the 5-unit craft is still out there, then you can afford to skip every 3 or 4 cells, but if all you're looking for is the sub, then reduce the skip count!

Strategy #3 - Note Down Misses!

I know it sounds obvious, but be sure to note down the empty squares. I'm always surprised to see that people don't bother because they assume that by following a strategy they'll not hit the same empty square twice.

It's not worth the risk -- just one double-hit can cost you the game!

Check back often for more Seeking Strategy hints!

Strategy #1 - The NSEW Strategy

When scoring the first hit on a craft, probe by fire to the North, South, East and West.

It seems obvious, but it is surprising how often players neglect the simpler strategies in Battleships! Also note that the diagonals are not worth probing, because craft can only be placed along the horizontal and vertical.

Check back often for more Destruction Strategy hints!