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Battleship (Paper Logic)
Battleship began as a pencil-and-paper game in the early 20th century before Milton Bradley turned it into the famous plastic board game in 1967. Two players secretly place a fleet of ships on grids and fire shots by calling out coordinates, trying to be the first to sink every enemy vessel.
Battleship (Paper Logic) Rules
Each player uses two labeled grids, usually 10×10 with columns A–J and rows 1–10. On one grid you secretly mark your fleet — typically a Carrier (5 cells), Battleship (4), Cruiser and Submarine (3 each), and Destroyer (2) — placed horizontally or vertically without overlapping.
On your turn you call a single coordinate, such as B7, to fire at your opponent's hidden grid. They announce hit or miss, and you mark the result on your tracking grid; a hit means part of a ship occupies that cell.
When all the cells of a ship are hit, its owner announces that the ship is sunk. The first player to sink every ship in the opponent's fleet wins the game.
Battleship (Paper Logic) Strategy & Tips
Hunt with a parity pattern
Since the smallest ship covers two cells, you only need to fire at every other square in a checkerboard pattern to guarantee finding every ship. This roughly halves the shots needed during the search phase.
Switch to target mode on a hit
After a hit, fire at the four orthogonally adjacent cells to find the ship's direction. Once two hits line up, keep firing along that line until the ship is sunk.
Place ships off the edges and apart
Opponents often sweep the center and corners. Spreading your ships out and avoiding clustering means one lucky hit won't reveal a neighbor, prolonging your fleet's survival.
Track probability density
Late in the game, mentally count how many ways each remaining ship could still fit. Fire at the cells where the most possible ship placements overlap to maximize your odds.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is the Battleship grid?
The standard grid is 10×10, with columns labeled A through J and rows numbered 1 through 10. Each player keeps one grid for their fleet and one to track shots.
How many ships does each player have?
The classic fleet has five ships: a Carrier of 5 cells, a Battleship of 4, a Cruiser of 3, a Submarine of 3, and a Destroyer of 2, for 17 cells total.
Can ships be placed diagonally or touching?
Ships are placed only horizontally or vertically and may not overlap. House rules vary on whether ships may touch, so agree before you start.
Is Battleship a game of pure luck?
There is luck in the early guesses, but parity firing patterns, smart targeting after a hit, and probability tracking give a skilled player a real edge.