What is Grid sizes?
The grid size sets how much water the fleets hide in. Next to the standard 10×10 grid you can choose a quick 8×8 grid or the larger 12×12 and 15×15 grids in the table setup. Both players always use grids of the same size.
The fleet does not shrink or grow with the grid: the classic five ships, or the ten ships of the Russian fleet, fit on every size, and ships still may not touch. On 8×8 the 17 cells of the classic fleet cover more than a quarter of the water, so shots find ships quickly and games are short. On 15×15 the same fleet covers less than a tenth of 225 cells, so the hunt takes much longer, and searching in a pattern pays off more than ever.
Rule changes
| Rule | Standard Naval Battle | Grid sizes |
|---|---|---|
| Grid | Standard Naval Battle10×10, 100 cells per player. | Grid sizes8×8 (64 cells), 12×12 (144) or 15×15 (225), chosen in the table setup. |
| Fleet | Standard Naval BattleThe classic five ships, 17 cells, which may not touch. | Grid sizesThe same fleet on every size; the Russian fleet fits every size too. |
| Coordinates | Standard Naval BattleColumns A to J, rows 1 to 10. | Grid sizesColumns from A to H on 8×8, to L on 12×12 and to O on 15×15, with rows numbered to match. |
| Mines | Standard Naval BattleOne mine per player when mines are on. | Grid sizesOne on 8×8, two on 12×12 and three on 15×15 when mines are on. |
| Other options | Standard Naval BattleThe classic fleet, one shot per turn and no mines. | Grid sizesEvery grid size works with both fleets, Salvo, shoot again on a hit and mines. |
History
As a pencil-and-paper game, the naval guessing game has never been tied to one grid. The 10×10 field is the usual size both in the printed editions sold since the 1930s and in the Russian notebook game, but players draw whatever fits their paper: Russian descriptions of the game mention a 15×15 field for a fleet with a five-cell ship, and 16×16 or 18×18 fields that use a whole notebook page.
Computer and handheld adaptations have used other sizes as well, among them an 8×12 grid on a home console, an 8×8 grid on a handheld one and a 7×7 grid in a later handheld collection of classic games.