Battleship is a simple game, but because you cannot see your opponent's pieces, winning can be difficult. Although some random firing is required to make your first hit, you can use a strategic method of firing as well to increase your chances of winning. You can also increase your chances of winning by placing ships in ways that are more likely to evade your opponent.
Steps
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Fire at the center of the board. Statistically, you are more likely to hit a ship if you aim for the center of the board, so start there. [1] X Research source- The four by four squares in the middle of the board are likely to contain a carrier ship or battleship.
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Use parity to up your chances. Imagine the board as a checkerboard, where half the squares are dark and half are light. Each ship covers at least two squares, meaning every ship must touch a dark square. Therefore, if you fire randomly at only even squares or only odd squares, you will minimize the number of turns you need to hit every ship. [2] X Research source- Once you have a hit, you will cease firing randomly and commence targeting the ship in question.
- To keep track of the light and dark squares, look at your own board and imagine that the diagonal line of squares from the top left corner to the bottom right corner is dark. Imagine the squares from the to right corner to the bottom left corner are light. You can count out from there to ensure each square you're targeting is the right color.
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Move away when you have two misses in the same segment. If you strike out twice when firing, try firing into a different segment of the board. The chances that you just missed a ship are lower than the chances that you missed by a wide margin. [3] X Research sourceEXPERT TIPBoard Game ExpertAshton Wu is a Board Game expert at Shelfside. After delving into the Yugioh tournament community while growing up, Ashton launched himself into the board gaming community in 2014 and went into reviewing board games as a career full-time in 2019. His YouTube channel Shelfside has over 35K subscribers and over 4 million views, assisted by written reviews on the Shelfside website and BoardGameGeek.com. He also consults with gaming companies to build high-quality gaming products. Ashton is a tournament commentator, board game playthrough director, and host of the Shelfside Podcast, where he talks about board games with his business partner, Daniel. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in addition to the Technology Management Certificate.Aim for the 4x4 center squares early in the game for a quicker path to victory. It's most effective to balance your fire between attacking the center and the edges during the game. This way, you can gather intel on the enemy ship's placement, increasing your chances of landing a hit and forcing your opponent to reveal their defenses.
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Reduce target area after you make a hit. After you make your first hit, you will need to reduce your target area to the spaces surrounding the space that was a hit. Since ships in Battleship range from 2-5 spaces long, it may take you several turns to sink the ship you have hit. [4] X Research source -
Fire around the area of your hit. Begin by striking above, below, or to one side of the space you have hit to discover and hit more of the ship. If one of your strikes is a miss, try the area on the opposite side of the space that was a hit. Keep striking until you have taken your opponent's battleship. You will know when you have taken your opponent's ship because players are required to announce when a ship has been sunk. [5] X Research source -
Repeat method to hit more of your opponent's ships. After you have sunk the first of your opponent's ships, you will need to resume firing randomly (or in the center of the board) to find another ship. Then repeat the process of firing around the hit space until you have sunk another ship. Playing the game this way will reduce the amount of turns that it takes to sink all of your opponent's battleships and it will also increase your chances of winning the game. [6] X Research source
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Space ships out so that they do not touch. If your battleships are touching, there is a chance that your opponent may sink two ships back to back. To reduce your opponent's chances of finding a second battleship after hitting one, some players suggest spacing your battleships out so that they do not touch. Try to keep one or two spaces between each of your battleships to reduce the chances of your opponent finding one of your battleships. -
Try placing ships so that they touch, but do not overlap. Even though having your battleships right next to each other is seen as a weakness by some players, other players see this as a potential strategy. By placing two ships so that they are touching, but not overlapping, you may be able to confuse your opponent about the type of ship they have just sunk. [7] X Research source- Keep in mind that placing ships close together can work in your favor, but it can also be a risky strategy since it may lead to your opponent discovering one or more of your other ships.
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Pay attention to your opponent's moves. If you play with the same opponent often, another way that you can improve your chances of winning is to place ships where your opponent seldom strikes. Keep a mental record of the spaces your opponent strikes most often and avoid these zones. [8] X Research source- For example, does your opponent tend to start their strikes on the right side of the board, to the center or in the lower left corner? Identify your opponent's most common strike areas and avoid placing your ships in these zones.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionIs it a good idea to place my smallest ship in isolation so it's harder to find it?Community AnswerYes. Try spreading all your ships out, not just the smallest one.
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QuestionIs it effective to move my ships from one area to another while I am playing the game?Community AnswerMoving your ships during the game is against the rules, so no, this wouldn't be effective.
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QuestionCan I stack ships on top of each other?Community AnswerNo, you cannot.
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Tips
- Vary your attacking strategy by changing the starting square each time. For example, start with A-3, then B-4, C-5, etc.Thanks
- Once you have found your opponents smallest ships expand the checkerboard pattern to shoot at locations where only a larger ship could be located. Don't shoot at a place only a two-hole ship would fit if they have no two-hole ships.Thanks
- People often aim for the center in Battleship. Try to avoid placing your ships here.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Use this trick only once: Put all the ships on the edges of the game board. Then, your enemy will have trouble guessing where your ships are.
- Try putting all of your ships on one half of the board. When I do this, my opponent always try to find a ship on the empty side.
- Try putting your ships around the perimeter of the board diagonally.
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References
- ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/05/08/how-to-win-any-popular-game-according-to-data-scientists/
- ↑ https://www.gamesver.com/how-to-win-at-battleship-tips-tricks-strategies-boost-your-win-rate/
- ↑ https://www.gamesver.com/how-to-win-at-battleship-tips-tricks-strategies-boost-your-win-rate/
- ↑ https://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/battleship.pdf
- ↑ https://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/battleship.pdf
- ↑ https://www.conceptispuzzles.com/index.aspx?uri=puzzle/battleships/techniques
- ↑ https://www.conceptispuzzles.com/index.aspx?uri=puzzle/battleships/techniques
- ↑ https://www.gamesver.com/how-to-win-at-battleship-tips-tricks-strategies-boost-your-win-rate//
About This Article
Article Summary
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To win at Battleship, try maximizing your hits by firing at the center of the board, since the four by four squares in the middle of the board are likely to contain a carrier ship or battleship! If you strike out twice when firing, move away from that area and try firing into a different segment of the board. Once you make a hit, reduce your target area and fire at the spaces surrounding the hit to sink your opponent's battleship! For tips on placing your own ships for minimal damage, read on!
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"This strategy guide improved my overall win/loss ratio against many different players, to the point where some players accuse me of cheating! Overall I must say, this guide was quite effective at assisting in blowing away the competition."
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"Battleship is a great game with some interesting strategies. When I started the game I didn't win a lot, but when I read this and looked at the tactics, I was much better. Thank you!"
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