War Patrol is a game of undersea warfare in the Pacific from December 1941 to August 1945. During those years, the U.S. Navy’s submarine force overcame fierce opposition from the Japanese Navy as well as a host of technical and operational problems to carry the war to the enemy’s merchant fleet. Operating alone or in small groups called “wolf packs,” U.S. submarines ultimately sank over half of all the Japanese merchants ships accounted for by the Allies during World War II and played a major part in forcing Japan’s surrender.

The men of the submarine force paid a heavy price for these accomplishments- 52 submarines were lost during the war, and submariners had the highest casualty rate of any branch of the Navy. Death could come slowly as enemy depth charges shook the hull apart and the submarine sank into its watery tomb, or it could be as fast as a crashing destroyer shell or a single mistake by any of the men aboard the boat. There were rarely any survivors off a sunk submarine, and those that did live could seldom expect anything better than captivity at the hands of the Japanese.

The men who commanded submarines were a unique breed. They had to be technically competent as well as personally courageous and able to balance caution of their boats’ fragility with enough aggressiveness to penetrate a convoy’s escorts and sink enemy ships. They had to know exactly what their boats could and could not do, and might have to go in an instant from solving an involved torpedo targeting problem to bracing an unsteady control room watch. They had to have the mind of a technician and the heart of a buccaneer. Submarine skippers tended to be younger than other ship commanders, and carried a glamorous reputation for daring that made the best of them legends throughout the Navy. All too often they paid for those legends with their lives.

War Patrol allows one to four players the chance to command their own submarines on a variety of missions in the war-torn Pacific Ocean. You will face some of the challenges these skippers faced, sweat through the bombings and depth chargings they endured, and- if you survive, and perhaps even if you don’t- the chance to write your own legend in the annals of the “Silent Service”.

Contents:

• Patrol Maps (Qty and Composition TBD)
• Submarine Status Boards (4)
• Common Status Board (1)
• Quick Reference Cards
• Contact Cards
• Damage Overlays
• Japanese Ship Counters
• General Tracking Counters
• Dice
• Rules and Scenarios Book

More information will be added as it is released.

Designer: Jeff Dougherty
Artwork: Mark von Martial

 

 

 

War Patrol Details

Additional detail coming soon.

 

 

We will be producing a full set of video tutorials to cover how to play War Patrol. Each tutorial will be linked from within the rules by QR codes for easy access from your smart devices.

We fully support our games.

 

 

Downloads will be added as we get closer to our planned kickstarter campaign for this game.

 

 

Links to External Reviews

We will post external review links once this game is released.

 

Gallery of War Patrol In Action

We will add images of the game (including prototype game) in action once available.

 

 

 

General Frequently Asked Questions

Below are frequently asked general questions about this game.

Q: When will this game be released?
A: We are working to launch a Kickstarter campaign for War Patrol in 2014. This will attempt to raise funding for the production costs associated with War Patrol.

Q: Where can I find out more?
A: War Patrol is currently under development. This site, our facebook page, and our newsletter are the best ways to stay up to date with the game's development progress.

Q: What is the level of difficulty of this game?
A: War Patrol is a medium-difficulty game. Once the basics are down, players can get into a quick battle fairly easily, working up to full War Patrols.

Q: Where can I purchase this game?
A: Once released, you'll be able to purchase this game In our online store directly (we ship worldwide) or through many US and international retailers. We have distributors in the USA, UK, Canada, France, and Germany. You can also help us out early by supporting our planned Kickstarter campaign for this game.