PUZZLE TECHNIQUES

BATTLESHIP SOLITAIRE STRATEGY

Tips and solving techniques for Battleships puzzles. When you know our tips, then you can try your skills with our online Battleship puzzles.

Here are some solving methods:

Battleships is a logic puzzle based on the board game Battleship. The number of ship parts is given in each row and column. The intention is to find out how the ships are placed.

The fleet includes a battleship of four squares, two cruisers of three squares, three destroyers of two squares and four submarines of one square. The boats are placed horizontally or vertically and must not touch, even diagonally.

COMPLETING SHIP PARTS

We study the ship parts that are already present and see if we can supplement them. Sometimes it is possible to place the final part of the ship, then we can place shape to indicate that there must certainly be a ship part here, but that we cannot yet determine the exact shape.

PLACE WATER WHERE POSSIBLE

Look for number 0 in rows and columns. These rows or columns contain water everywhere. In our online version you can fill the entire row or column with water by clicking on the number 0.

Then try to place as much water as possible around the ship parts that are already present or where you know that ship parts must come.

If the number of ship parts has been reached for a row or a column, you may turn the rest of that row or column into water.

PLACE BATTLESHIP AND CRUISERS

The battleship consists of 4 cells and is the largest ship in the fleet. If you have already provided quite a few cells with water and / or ship parts using previous techniques, see if you can limit the location of the battleship and/or the two cruisers to a specific row or column.

There is not enough space in row 8 or column 8. Row 4 is the only option. We cannot exactly position the battleship yet, but we can indicate for a number of cell whether they become a part of the ship or have to be water.

THE REST ARE SHIP PARTS

If the number of a row or column corresponds to the number of open cells and ship parts that are in that row or column, than can go place a ship part in the remaining cells. Sometimes you can determine the exact shape.

In column 7 you have to place 4 ship parts and there are just 4 places left. In row 8 you can now complete the battleship.

WHAT HAS TO BE WATER

See if by placing a ship part somewhere you can create a situation where certain ships become unplaceable. Then you know that cell must be water.

In column 7 you cannot place a ship part on the 2nd row, so you cannot place a battleship anywhere. The same goes for row 3 of column 7. So these cells must contain water.

THE MAXIMUM SHIPS OF EACH TYPE

It is determined per type of boat how many must be present. This can help determine where a particular boat should be.

You already have 3 submarines (= 1 space large) and you need one more. So you cannot place 2 submarines in column 4 and a 2-space destroyer is the only option.