In Battleship, two players secretly place a fleet of five ships on their own grid, then take turns calling out one shot at a time, such as “D-4”. Your opponent says “hit” or “miss”, and on a hit they also name the ship. Sink all five of the other player’s ships first and you win. A hit does not give you another shot: your turn ends after every shot.
This guide follows Hasbro’s official rulebook for the classic game (A3264). It covers the ships and their sizes, how to place them, how a turn works, what happens when you hit or sink a ship, and the Salvo variation for experienced players.
- Players: 2, ages 7 and up
- Each fleet: 5 ships (carrier, battleship, destroyer, submarine, patrol boat)
- Each turn: one shot, then your turn ends, hit or miss
- Pegs: red for hits, white for misses
- To win: sink all five of your opponent’s ships first
The five ships in Battleship
| Ship | Size (holes) |
|---|---|
| Carrier | 5 |
| Battleship | 4 |
| Destroyer | 3 |
| Submarine | 3 |
| Patrol boat | 2 |
| Total | 17 |
How to set up Battleship
- Sit facing each other with the lids of your battle cases raised, so neither of you can see the other’s grids.
- Share the red and white pegs equally.
- Secretly place your five ships on your ocean grid (the lower grid). Fit each ship’s two pegs into the holes.
Placement rules: place each ship horizontally or vertically, never diagonally, and don’t let any part of a ship overlap the letters or numbers on the edge of the grid.
How to play Battleship
Decide who goes first, then take turns. On your turn:
- Call a shot. Pick a spot on your target grid (the upper grid) and call it out by letter and number, for example “D-4”.
- Hear the result. Your opponent must tell you “hit” or “miss”. On a hit, they also say which ship you hit.
- Mark it. On a hit, put a red peg in that spot on your target grid, and your opponent puts a red peg in their ship. On a miss, put a white peg on your target grid so you don’t call it again.
- Your turn ends. After you record the hit or miss, it’s your opponent’s turn.
What happens when you hit a ship?
Your opponent tells you which ship you hit, and both of you mark it with a red peg. You don’t get an extra shot for a hit in the official rules; your turn ends as usual. Your opponent doesn’t need to mark your misses on their own ocean grid.
Sinking ships and winning
A ship is sunk once every hole in it has a red peg, and its owner must announce which ship was sunk. The first player to sink all five of the other player’s ships wins. Because the fleet takes up 17 holes, you need 17 hits in total to win.
The Salvo game
Hasbro’s rulebook includes a faster variation for experienced players. The rules are the same, except:
- You get as many shots per turn as you have ships still afloat, so you start with five shots a turn.
- Fire them one at a time; your opponent says “hit” or “miss” for each.
- Each time one of your ships is sunk, you lose one shot from your next salvo.
- For a harder game, don’t announce which ships are hit.
Simple Battleship strategy tips
- Hunt in a checkerboard pattern. The smallest ship is 2 holes long, so every ship covers at least one square of a checkerboard pattern. Firing at every other square finds ships with fewer shots.
- After a hit, try the four neighbours. A ship runs straight up and down or side to side, never diagonally, so its next hole is above, below, left or right of the hit.
- Use the ship names. Because your opponent must say which ship you hit, you know how long it is and how many more hits it needs.
- Vary your placement. Don’t always line ships up along the edges or in the same spots each game.
More classic two-player games: the official Connect 4 rules, Guess Who rules and how to read chess notation.
Frequently asked questions
Do you get another turn if you hit a ship in Battleship?
No. In the official rules you take one shot per turn, and your turn ends after you record the hit or miss.
How many ships are in Battleship?
Five per player: a carrier (5 holes), battleship (4), destroyer (3), submarine (3) and patrol boat (2).
Can you place ships diagonally in Battleship?
No. Ships must be placed horizontally or vertically, never diagonally.
Do you have to say which ship was hit?
Yes, in the standard game. You also announce when a ship is sunk. In the harder Salvo version, you can agree not to say which ship was hit.
How many hits does it take to win Battleship?
17. That is the total number of holes across all five ships.
What is Salvo in Battleship?
A variation where you fire one shot for each of your ships still afloat, starting with five shots a turn and losing one shot each time one of your ships sinks.
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