Port Arthur (2020)

About this game

Refight the 1905 Russo-Japanese war at sea in Port Arthur, a vibrant and fast moving two player naval strategy game. Play as Japan and attempt to amphibiously land your armies in Manchuria and bloody the nose of the Imperial Russian Navy. Or play as Russia, far from home, battling to prevent Japanese landings until reinforcements can arrive. Game play is quick and tense as you use your naval forces to mount sorties against the enemy and gain dominance of the naval zones that surround Japan. Each turn is rich in tough decision making. Success in combat hinges on how much risk you are prepared to take, based on the variable speed and gunnery skills of the ships involved. Port Arthur is the second game on the Combat Rations series, following on from the extremely popular 300: Earth & Fire. Like all Combat Rations games it is quick playing, easy to learn, with a small footprint and high quality art and components. Will history repeat itself, with the Japanese sending the Russian Baltic Fleet to the bottom of the ocean? Or will the Russians avert disaster and win the day? You decide.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Strictly 2 players — no more, no fewer.
• Rules load. At 2.1/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 12 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.