Blue Water Navy: The War at Sea

About this board game

Blue Water Navy: The War at Sea is a two-player Cold War naval wargame set in June 1983, with scenarios lasting 1–3 hours and campaign games taking 8–16 hours. It covers the war at sea, in the air, along the coast, and in low-earth orbit.

The map stretches from the Kola Peninsula and the Mediterranean across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States and Cuba. NATO must deliver vital convoys, reinforce Norway and Denmark, protect its allies, and confront Soviet naval aviation and submarine forces. Meanwhile, the Red Banner Northern Fleet seeks to destroy those convoys and clear the way for a Soviet advance across Western Europe.

Detection is the heart of the game. Task Forces can only be attacked after they are detected, creating a tense search for targets within striking range. Land air bases are always vulnerable, while Soviet submarines rely on support from other forces to detect enemy units effectively.

• Card-driven play, with cards providing movement points or triggering events
• Reaction cards that enable spoiling events such as Raid Aborts and Friendly Fire
• Politburo approval represented through a Soviet stability mechanism
• First Strike Points that can enable chemical or nuclear weapons
• Spies, technological theft, satellites, B-52s, special forces, and Soviet spy trawlers

Players command forces ranging from Soviet Tu-22 Backfire bomber formations to multiple US carrier groups. NATO may attempt to attack the Soviet nuclear deterrent, while Soviet forces can shelter Typhoon SSBNs beneath the Arctic ice or in the White Sea.

Released in 2019, Blue Water Navy includes two maps, four countersheets, two 55-card decks, player aids, dice, and a rules and scenario booklet.