Tactical field manual · Rules version tactical-beta-1
How to Play WAKE TACTICS
Command a moving fleet in a free browser-based naval strategy duel. Both captains plan in secret, lock their commands, and watch the turn resolve at the same time. Read sonar, follow wakes, predict movement and strike the water where the enemy will be.
- 20 × 20
- battle grid
- 11
- ships per fleet
- 3 AP
- every turn
- No turn cap
- destroy the whole fleet
Mission format
The battle at a glance
Each captain deploys 11 ships from five classes on a 20 × 20 grid. Together they occupy 30 hull segments. Hulls may touch by a side or corner, but they cannot overlap or extend beyond the ocean edge.
A turn gives you 3 action points and space for up to 3 commands. Fire, move and turn each cost 1 AP; sonar costs 2 AP; pass costs 0. You can revise the queue until you press Ready. Ready locks the plan and cannot be undone. Resolution begins only after both captains are ready.
Fleet intelligence
Five ship classes, five movement profiles
Large ships carry more hull segments but move slowly and leave longer evidence. Small ships reposition faster; the one-cell Patrol Boat leaves no wake. Damage remains attached to the struck hull segment when a ship moves or turns.
| Class | Ships | Length | Base move | Wake |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrier | 1 | 5 cells | 1 cell | 2 turns |
| Battleship | 2 | 4 cells | 1 cell | 2 turns |
| Cruiser | 3 | 3 cells | 1 cell | 1 turn |
| Destroyer | 3 | 2 cells | 2 cells | 1 turn |
| Patrol Boat | 2 | 1 cell | 2 cells | None |
Maneuver and damage
Ships move; damage moves with them
Move sends a ship forward or backward along its current heading. Turn rotates it left or right around its anchor. Every intermediate position must remain on the grid and clear of another live ship or wreck. A blocked maneuver is not a shortcut through occupied water.
Hits damage individual segments. As damage accumulates, a ship can become crippled and lose speed, then become immobile before every segment is destroyed. A sunk hull becomes a visible wreck and continues to block movement. Because scars travel with the hull, you can track a damaged ship without the game revealing its current location for free.
Search and inference
Sonar finds presence; wakes reveal history
Sonar costs 2 AP and scans a 5 × 5 square centered on your chosen coordinate. It reports contacts by ship size category, not exact cells, identity, direction or remaining health. A clean scan is useful too: it eliminates an area after both fleets have moved.
Moving and turning can leave wakes on vacated cells. Carriers and Battleships leave evidence for two turns; Cruisers and Destroyers for one; Patrol Boats leave none. Wakes identify where an enemy ship was, not where it is now. Combine their pattern with sonar contacts and missed shots to predict the next position.
End state
Destroy the entire fleet to win
You win when every enemy ship is sunk and at least one of yours survives. The battle has no turn limit: it continues until a fleet is completely destroyed or a captain surrenders. Because both plans resolve together, both fleets can be destroyed in the same resolved turn; that result is a draw.
Common questions
WAKE TACTICS FAQ
Is WAKE TACTICS free, and do I need to download it?
WAKE TACTICS is free to play in a modern browser. There is no installer or download required: open the game, choose a mode and deploy your fleet.
Can I learn against the computer?
Yes. Solo training uses the same public rules and hidden-information limits as the player. The AI cannot see your fleet beyond the information created by shots, sonar contacts and wakes.
How do I play a private match with a friend?
Create a private operation and share its eight-character room code. Your friend enters that code in the browser to join the same match.
Can ships move after the battle starts?
Yes. Living ships can move forward or backward and can turn, subject to their class speed, damage state, the board edge and collision rules. Movement resolves before sonar and fire.
Can I play on a phone and a desktop?
Yes. The interface adapts to modern phone and desktop browsers, so you can command the same tactical rules on either screen size.
Briefing complete
Plan together. Resolve together. Adapt faster.
Take command in solo training, open matchmaking or a private operation with a friend.
Play WAKE TACTICS free