How a match works
Every captain deploys a fleet of five ships on a hidden grid. You can place them yourself, rotating each ship as you go, or press Auto Deploy. Then press Ready Armada. When everyone is ready, the battle begins and captains take turns firing.
You see two grids. The left one is your Friendly Waters: your own fleet, plus every hit and miss from every opponent. The right one is the Hostile Waters of whoever you are targeting. A row of tabs across the top lists each opponent still afloat, and you can switch targets at any time, even in the middle of a chain of shots.
On your turn
- Pick an opponent from the tabs, pick a weapon, and aim at a square on their grid.
- Your ships are hidden from the other captains. Everyone sees a ship only once it is sunk.
- You can only fire at squares you have not already tried against that opponent.
- Need to bow out? The flag button forfeits your fleet.
When a fleet goes down
- A captain whose five ships are all sunk is eliminated and spectates the rest of the round.
- The round ends the moment only one fleet is left. That captain wins the round.
- Eliminated captains are back with a brand-new fleet when the next round starts.
Firing rules
The host chooses one of two rules before the tournament starts, and it applies to everyone. With Chain Fire, scoring a hit earns you another shot. With Strict 1-Shot, turns alternate and you fire exactly once, hit or miss.
Fleets and weapons
The host picks one theme for the whole match. The Military Navy sails modern steel warships: carrier, battleship, cruiser, submarine and destroyer. The Pirate Fleet sails wooden ships: frigate, brig, sloop, longboat and rowboat. The theme changes the look, the sound and the names of the weapons, not the rules.
| What it does | Military Navy | Pirate Fleet |
|---|---|---|
| Standard shot at one square (always available) | Standard shot | Standard shot |
| 3x3 blast | Naval Mine | Powder Keg |
| Sweeps a full row | Torpedo | Harpoon |
| Scans a 3x3 area for hulls | Sonar Ping | Whirlpool |
Special weapons are limited. You get more of them, and new kinds, as the rounds go on.
Up to four rounds, each on a harder sea
A tournament always starts at Round 1 and works upward. Every round gives everyone a fresh fleet, the same starting arsenal, and a bigger challenge. A tournament of two rounds plays the first two seas, and so on, so only the full four-round tournament reaches the Grand Armada Trench.
| Round | Sea | Grid | Every captain starts with |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cadet Waters | 10x10 | Standard shots only |
| 2 | Black Powder Bay | 10x10 | 1 mine or powder keg |
| 3 | Stormy Atolls | 12x12 | 2 mines or powder kegs, 1 sonar ping or whirlpool |
| 4 | Grand Armada Trench | 12x12 | 2 mines or powder kegs, 1 torpedo or harpoon, 1 sonar ping or whirlpool |
Who wins the tournament
After each round you see the standings, ranked by rounds won and then by total points. You earn points in battle, and winning a round earns a bonus. When the last round ends, the captain with the most round wins is the tournament champion. If that is tied, total points break the tie, and if the points are level too, the champions share the title.
Screenshots
Start a tournament
- Open the game and press Play now.
- Press Invite and send the link to one to three friends.
- Each friend opens the link and accepts. They appear in the lobby as they join.
- The host chooses a fleet theme, a firing rule and the number of rounds, then commences the tournament. These choices lock for everyone once it begins.
- Everyone deploys a fleet and presses Ready Armada. Combat starts when all captains are ready.
Questions
Can I play without friends?
Not in the Tournament Edition, which needs at least two people. The solo game plays against a computer admiral.
Do I need to play the solo game first?
No, but it is a gentle way to learn the grids, the weapons and the deployment screen before a match with other people.
Does it work on phones and tablets?
Yes. The game has a layout for phones and tablets as well as desktop browsers, and everyone plays from their own device.
What happens when my fleet is sunk?
You spectate until the round ends, then join the next round with a new fleet.
Can the host change the settings during a tournament?
No. The theme, the firing rule and the number of rounds lock in once the tournament commences.