BATTLESHIP CAPTAIN 4th Ed. 2026
BATTLESHIP CAPTAIN, 4th Ed. is Minden's tactical naval rules system that simulates surface naval battles occurring from 1890-1945, the golden age of the battleship. The system emphasizes historicity and playability. Using any of the popular scales--such as 1/2400, 1/3000, or 1/6000--players can simulate is Minden's tactical naval rules system that simulates surface naval battles occurring from 1890-1945, the golden age of the modern battleship. Ships are rated individually and authentically represented.
The rules come published as a full-color, 136-page book, and contains everything you need to play--save for a pair of two six-sided dice, measuring tapes, and sufficient floor or table space. The core instructions common to the entire 1890-1945 period provide the basic game system that are generally applicable to all eras. Specific rules are provided for each of the three distinct eras represented--the Pre-Dreadnought, Dreadnought, and World War II eras--to give added detail and characteristics unique to that period, whether that be gun range, sailing formations, torpedo effectiveness, or any number of other factors. Optional rules cover a myriad of topics, such as weather, merchants, mines, shore bombardment, command control considerations, ammunition expenditure, and more, which add layers of realism to the game without sacrificing playability. You can recreate large or small naval battles -- historical or hypothetical -- on your tabletop or floor, for each of the three historical eras represented.
What's New: The 4th edition has been expanded to include:
--Larger book size and and full-color presentation, with standard, advanced, and optional rules for all three eras, with 35 scenarios
--212 1/3000 scale ship counters (double the number of the previous edition)
--Ratings for 375 major ship classes, and over 60 smaller classes
--Small (but noteworthy) additions (such as slightly enhanced Narrative Damage Tables, Experimental Small Caliber Combat Rules, revised and updated ratings for many Pre-Dreadnought ships, World War I British monitors, and extended notes concerning game system rationales)
--Available in PDF format for the first time
BATTLESHIP CAPTAIN, 4th Ed. is a complete miniatures gaming system. The book (9" x 6" format) is illustrated, and contains standard and optional rules, all game tables, thirty-five scenarios, individual ship ratings (over 375 comprehensively rated major warship classes (and 60 small ship classes) from over 20 nations, 1890-1945), Designer's Notes, system rationales, a handy index, and detailed examples of play. You may play the game using your own miniature ships, or you can create your own, using the 212 1/3000 scale facsimiles provided within the book's pages. Ship types include battleship, pre-dreadnought battleship, coastal battleship, battlecruiser, armored cruiser, heavy cruiser, light cruiser, protected cruiser, destroyer, destroyer escort, frigate, corvette, monitor, merchant, and armed merchant cruiser. (See Ship Key, below, to see what the counters look like, and how ships are rated.)
This is a major new release for Battleship Captain, the first in ten years. The game retains the classic BC system but with enough new material and additions to make it a must buy for those who enjoyed the 3rd ed. as well as naval gamers hew to the system but wanting a game that emphasizes playability as well as authenticity.
The game system has been designed to be authentic in feel, yet easy to play. A full set of over 1,500 warship facsimile counters are available separately, in the BATTLESHIP CAPTAIN WARSHIP COUNTERS, 1890-1945 (2026 ed.) book. Both are available directly from Minden, or via Amazon around the world. Watch for special combo pricing when ordering books-PDFs-both volumes at once.
Battleship Captain 4th ed. sample pages
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Battleship Captain Warship Counters, 1890-1945 (2026 ed.) sample pages
Latest volumes in the Battleship Captain Game Series
In preparation
Battleship Captain World War I Warships book. Contains World War I warship counters from various nations, plus some new scenarios. All in 1/3000 scale. Includes the pre-dreadnoughts that also fought in the Great War... approx. 375 counters in all. For WWI enthusiasts, and BC completists.
BATTLESHIP CAPTAIN WARSHIP COUNTERS, 1890-1945, 2026 Edition is a 110-page black & white book (8.5" x 11" format) containing all 30 Battleship Captain counter sheets, for use with Battleship Captain 4th ed. The facsimile ships are fully rated, and rendered at approx. 1/4000 scale. Instructions are included so that you can scan and convert to any of the popular scales. Essentially, you will decide which ships you want to create, then scan and print them on cardstock before cutting the counters apart. All told, over 1,500 ship counters are included, in the three eras covered by the game system.
Pre-Dreadnought era counter sheets (#1-10, 27), Dreadnought era counter sheets (#11-16, 28, 30), and World War II counter sheets (#17-22, 25, 28, 29). and three generic sheets (#23, 24, 26) are included. The reverse side of the page of each counter sheet has been intentionally left blank, to facilitate those who wish to photo pages. Also included are instructions on creating your own counters, and a Reference section, with detailed summary of all counters and ratings.
Ship ratings for the Dreadnought and WW2 eras are unchanged from the 3rd ed. of this book. The Pre-Dreadnought ratings, howver, have seen significant change, as ratings have been tweaked and reassessed according to contemporary scholarship. For those gamers who may prefer the 3rd ed. Pre-Dreadnought ratings, these have been included as well (sheets #1-10 from 3rd ed.), so that they may be used if desired, or simply for reference to see what has been modified.
Over 60 new ships have been included in this edition, including a sheet of WW1 British monitors (plus the many pre-dreadnoughts with new ratings). The ship ratings register has been expanded to 460 individual ship classes from over 20 national navies. The book serves not only Battleship Captain 4th ed., but may be used with the 3rd ed. rules as well, and also a good reference volume for students of the three eras.
BATTLESHIP CAPTAIN WARSHIP COUNTERS, 1890-1945 (2026 ed.) is available directly from Minden, or from Amazon worldwide. Overseas customers should note, in particular, the postage savings they may obtain by ordering in your home country via Amazon.
