Battleships

How to play Battleships

1. Pick a fleet: Navy, Space Armada, Pirate Fleet, Sky Squadron or Dhow Fleet. Every fleet follows the same classic rules.
2. Place your five pieces (lengths 5, 4, 3, 3 and 2) on the 10 by 10 grid. Drag to move, tap to rotate, or shuffle.
3. Take turns firing at the enemy grid. Hits, misses and sunk ships are announced.
4. Sink the whole enemy fleet to win the battle and face a smarter admiral. Lose your fleet and the campaign ends.

Tips for a higher score

• Hunt on a checkerboard pattern: the smallest ship is two long, so you never need to fire at neighbouring cells to find it.
• After a hit, probe the four neighbours, then follow the line until the ship sinks.
• Spread your own ships out and avoid the edges a clever admiral checks first.
• Accuracy and quick wins earn big bonuses, so think before you fire.

FAQ

Can I play Battleships online for free?

Yes. MetaDuels Battleships is free in any browser with no download, against a ladder of AI admirals that get smarter every battle.

Do the fleet themes change the rules?

No. Navy, Space Armada, Pirate Fleet, Sky Squadron and Dhow Fleet only change the look and the ship names. Every fleet has the same five pieces of lengths 5, 4, 3, 3 and 2.

How smart is the computer opponent?

The first admiral fires at random. Later admirals hunt around hits, search in a checkerboard pattern and finally use probability targeting, so each battle is harder than the last.