Battlewagon

About this board game

Battlewagon is a tactical naval combat game for 2–6 players, with battles designed to play in about 60 minutes. Set at sea, it places players in command of one or more warships, with victory determined by the scenario being played.

The game uses a detailed scale for naval engagements: each hex represents 2,000 yards, while each turn covers 10 minutes. Ships move in impulses, and during each impulse they may fire one or more weapons, creating a flowing sequence of movement and attacks.

Combat combines dice-based hit determination with armor penetration rules. Penetration falls off as range increases, making distance an important factor when ships exchange fire. When a hit penetrates, the damage is assigned by rolling on a Damage Allocation Table, which can destroy random ship systems.

• Ship Systems Displays: Each ship has a dedicated display for tracking its systems and damage.
• Broad naval scope: Statistics cover major ship classes from Destroyers to Battleships.
• Historical range: The game includes ships from 1901 through World War II for several navies worldwide.
• Scenario-based victory: The conditions for winning depend on the scenario in play.

Battlewagon was first released as a Pocket Game in 1981. A Second Edition followed in 1984 as a Folio release, incorporating additional development work.

With its combination of impulse movement, weapon fire, range-sensitive armor penetration, and system-level damage, Battlewagon focuses on the tactical decisions of naval combat rather than a single abstract battle result.