Trireme: Tactical Game of Ancient Naval Warfare 494 BC-370 AD

About this board game

Trireme: Tactical Game of Ancient Naval Warfare 494 BC-370 AD is a two-player game of ancient naval combat, designed for a 90-minute play time. Players command individual ships, maneuvering across a hexagonal sea board to sink or capture opposing vessels.

The game offers 15 games in one, including fleet and ship-to-ship formats with varying levels of complexity. The accessible fleet game uses a fast movement system for quick action, while the advanced ship games add simultaneous movement and more detailed rules.

• Eleven scenarios covering historical and fictional engagements
• Historical battles including Salamis and Actium
• Optional rules for tides, currents, and the corvus boarding ramp
• A point system for designing custom battles

Each ship has movement points that reflect its historical speed. Players move their ships across hexes, then resolve combat when vessels move adjacent to one another. A distinctive die-roll combat system rewards the player with greater tactical skill, while the rules support both fleet-level play and detailed ship actions.

Scenarios span the period from 494 BC through 370 AD and include pirate raids as well as battles involving Veneti and Saxon ships. Background synopses and designer’s notes explain the historical significance behind the engagements.

The Avalon Hill edition includes eight mapboards, a 40-page rules booklet, a log sheet pad, a game tables card, four countersheets, more than 225 different ships, and numerous playing aids. Trireme is built to offer historically accurate ancient naval warfare without sacrificing playability, with the fleet game introduced after reading only four pages of the manual.