From Erik Arneson,
Your Guide to Board / Card Games.
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For 2 players

EQUIPMENT

• 1 Chess / Checkers board
• 2 pawns or checkers in different colors to represent PT boats. Red and Black are described in these rules.
• 1 Marker (penny, button, etc.) to mark Depth / Sounding Charge location.
• 2 Depth Charge Record Sheets (See: Diagram 1)

• 2 screens for each player to hide the Depth Charge Record Sheets
• 2 pens or pencils

BACKGROUND

It's time once more for naval exercises on Lake Ashtapada* to test what the new crewmen have learned about using sonar. They will be split into two teams, Red and Black, who will set three targets to represent mines for each other to find. The first team to find the other's mines wins the trophy; the other will be scrubbing toilets.

*Ashtapada is Sanskrit for an 8 x 8 board or any game played on it.

SETUP

Place the board on the table with the Black and Red players placing their PT boats in opposite corners as shown on the Record Sheets. Each player should get a Record Sheet, one of the PT boats, a screen and something to write with.

Each player should secretly mark the locations of 3 target mines with the letter M in the Sea of his or her color; Red players placing mines in the Red Sea and Black in the Black Sea. The shaded diagonal between the Seas is off-limits for mine placement. They should also place their PT boats as shown on the Record Sheets.

GAMEPLAY

The youngest player goes first with turns alternating thereafter. On a player's turn he or she must do exactly one of the following actions.

MOVE THE PT BOAT: Move your PT boat up to 3 spaces in a straight line along a row or column (never diagonally) as long as it is not through your opponent's PT boat. If you move over an opponent's mine, your ship is flagged as destroyed and you lose. You may freely move over or stop in the location of one of your own mines.

DROP A SOUNDING CHARGE: Designate one of the eight spaces immediately surrounding your PT boat, marking it for easy reference. Your opponent will report the ping times of each of his or her remaining mines. (See: Reporting.) Note the ping times on your Record Sheet for easy reference.

DROP A DEPTH CHARGE: Played just like a Sounding Charge, but due to its high volume, sonar is turned off so that equipment is not damaged. No ping report is made. If dropped on an opponent's mine, it is marked as destroyed. Because the exercise is about accuracy, you are allowed only one miss. A second failed attempt ends the game in your opponent's favor.

REPORTING

See: Diagram 2

When your opponent drops a Sounding Charge on his or her turn, you must report the ping times of your remaining mines.

See: Diagram 3

If a mine is directly in-line along any row, column or diagonal from the space where the Sounding Charge was dropped, then count the number of spaces to the mine, not including the space where the Sounding Charge was dropped.

See: Diagram 4

If a mine is not directly in-line from the space where the Sounding Charge was dropped, then count the number of spaces it takes to reach the column the mine is in, and then add the number of spaces it takes to reach the mine from that row.

See: Diagram 5

Mines are not reported if the Sounding Charge was dropped in the space occupied by the mine, nor if another enemy mine lies directly in-line between it and the Sounding Charge.

WINNING AND LOSING

There are three winning conditions. You win if:

• You locate and destroy all three of your opponent’s mines; or
• Your opponent moves onto or over one of your mines; or
• Your opponent misses blowing up one of your mines for the second time.

The winners get the coveted trophy, and the losers get a toilet brush.