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The Battle of the River Plate

The Battle of the River Plate

(Self-Published) · 1971
1–230–90 min12+ yrs3.0/5 complexity7.0 BGG1Couples
short answer

How do you play The Battle of the River Plate?

The Battle of the River Plate is a Tactical level board-wargame of the December 13, 1939, engagement between the German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee and its British pursuers, the Ajax, Achilles, and Exeter.

To find the best price for The Battle of the River Plate, howtoplay.ro compares deals from Romanian shops every day.

The Battle of the River Plate box art
official art · (Self-Published)

The Battle of the River Plate is a Tactical level board-wargame of the December 13, 1939, engagement between the German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee and its British pursuers, the Ajax, Achilles, and Exeter. Components consist of a rules booklet, a Combat Card, four ship-armor diagram cards, plastic blocks labeled as the ships, and blocks in several colors use to designate hits.

The game is intended to be played on a hex board supplied by the owner. The rules specify use of an Avalon Hill Stalingrad board so that starting hexes can be specified in terms of Stalingrad locations. Pieces use both hexes and hexsides for movement to double the number of possible facing directions.

Movement is plotted and executed simultaneously. Rules cover gunfire, torpedoes, smokescreens, and ammunition supply. There is no time limit; play continues until the Graf Spee escapes or is sunk.

The stated purpose of the game is to "introduce the designers method of naval combat". One year later Bruce Moore published the better known game Early Pacific Battles.

game anatomy
Complexity3.0 / 5
BGG rating7.0 / 10
Vibe
Couples
Language dependence
Moderate text — a crib sheet helps
Play time
30–90 min
Players
1–2
Recommended age
12+ yrs
from Trișache · verified

Frequently asked questions

Q1How much does The Battle of the River Plate cost?
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Q2Where can I buy The Battle of the River Plate cheapest?
Check the Prices tab — howtoplay.ro aggregates offers from 7+ Romanian board-game stores and tracks price history.
Q3How do you play The Battle of the River Plate?
The Battle of the River Plate is a nautical game, for 1–2 players, taking ~30–90 minutes, featuring dice rolling. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about The Battle of the River Plate — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q4How many players does The Battle of the River Plate support?
The Battle of the River Plate is played by 1–2 players.
Q5How long does a game of The Battle of the River Plate take?
A game of The Battle of the River Plate takes about 30–90 minutes. (The first game doesn't count. It never counts.)
Q6What age is The Battle of the River Plate for?
The Battle of the River Plate is recommended from age 12.
Q7How complex is The Battle of the River Plate?
The Battle of the River Plate has a BoardGameGeek complexity of 3.0 out of 5.
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