01. Move: set up your next decision.
Move takes you north, south, east, or west. You cannot enter islands or leave the map. Use it to approach an opponent, clear an island blocking your line of fire, or leave a location where you made a sound.
Before moving, consider what you want to do next turn. If you want to fire a torpedo, you might try to line up with a row or column containing a possible enemy position. Remember that your opponent can move too; a possible position is not a certainty.
02. Wait: staying put is a choice.
Wait advances the turn without changing your position. It can be useful when you want to hold your location and see what happens. Waiting alone does not provide a new sonar reading, though. Remaining in place is risky if your opponent has probably worked out where you are.
03. Sonar: gain a clue, give one away.
If the enemy is within detection range, sonar reports their direction, distance band, and sector. Islands do not block detection. “Not detected” means the enemy was not found within range, not that there is no opponent.
Using sonar also tells your opponent which sector you emitted the sound from. Before using it again, check whether the previous result already narrows the possibilities enough.
04. Torpedo: check direction and obstacles.
A torpedo travels north, south, east, or west. Hitting the enemy within range wins the match. An island stops it from reaching anything beyond it, and your own cell is not part of its path. A diagonal sonar reading does not let you fire a diagonal torpedo.
The sound of firing also reveals your sector. If you miss, consider whether you should stay in the position you fired from as part of your next decision.
Three questions after your first match
- How many turns old was the sonar reading?
- Was an island blocking the direction you fired in?
- Did you move after the last time you made a sound?
Looking at these questions, rather than only the result, helps you understand your decisions. No fixed sequence guarantees a win. Updating your hypothesis as your opponent acts is part of the appeal.