What does 'parity' mean in Battleship?

Parity refers to treating the grid like a checkerboard and only firing at squares of one color during the hunt phase. Because every ship is at least two squares long, each ship must always cover at least one square of each color, so you only need to check half the grid to guarantee finding every ship.

What is the difference between hunt mode and target mode?

Hunt mode is the phase where you fire exploratory shots across the grid looking for a ship. Target mode begins once you score a hit — you then fire at adjacent squares to determine the ship's orientation and sink it. After sinking, you return to hunt mode.

What does 'salvo' mean in Battleship?

In the Salvo variant, each player fires multiple shots per turn — typically one shot per surviving ship. So at the start of the game you fire five shots per turn, and as ships are sunk, the number decreases. In standard Battleship you fire only one shot per turn.

What is a 'density map' in Battleship strategy?

A density map (or heat map) is a grid showing the number of possible ship placements that pass through each square, given what you already know about hits and misses. Squares with higher density values are more likely to contain a ship, so you should target them first.

Battleship Glossary — Terms & Definitions

A complete reference of every term and phrase you'll encounter while playing Battleship.

March 11, 2026 3 min read

Whether you are a first-time player reading the rules or an experienced strategist studying advanced guides, having a clear vocabulary helps. This glossary covers standard gameplay terms, strategy jargon, and variant-specific language.

Grid & Board Terms

Term	Definition
Ocean grid	The 10×10 grid where you place your own ships. Also called the “primary grid” or “home grid.”
Target grid	The 10×10 grid where you track shots fired at your opponent. Also called the “tracking grid.”
Coordinate	A cell reference combining a column letter and row number, such as B-7. Used to call shots.
Column	A vertical line on the grid, labeled A through J in the standard 10×10 layout.
Row	A horizontal line on the grid, numbered 1 through 10.
Cell / Square	A single space on the grid, identified by one coordinate.

Ship Names

Term	Definition
Carrier	The largest ship in a standard fleet, occupying 5 squares.
Battleship	A 4-square ship and the game’s namesake.
Cruiser	A 3-square ship. Sometimes called “Cruiser” or “Destroyer” depending on the edition.
Submarine	A 3-square ship. In some editions, the Submarine has special abilities.
Destroyer	The smallest ship in a standard fleet, occupying 2 squares.
Fleet	The complete set of five ships each player places on their ocean grid.

Gameplay Terms

Term	Definition
Shot	An attack on a single coordinate. In standard rules, each player fires one shot per turn.
Hit	A shot that lands on a square occupied by an opponent’s ship.
Miss	A shot that lands on an empty square.
Sunk	A ship whose every square has been hit. The defender must announce sinkings.
Turn	One player’s opportunity to fire a shot (or multiple shots in Salvo).
Peg	The small plastic marker inserted into a grid hole — red for hits, white for misses.
Call	The act of announcing a coordinate during your turn.

Strategy Terms

Term	Definition
Hunt mode	The phase of the game where you fire exploratory shots searching for ships.
Target mode	The phase following a hit, where you fire at adjacent squares to find and sink the ship.
Parity	A search technique using a checkerboard pattern to reduce the required search space by half.
Density map / Heat map	A probability grid showing how many possible ship placements overlap each square.
Cluster	A group of adjacent open squares where a ship could potentially fit.
Sweep	Firing in a systematic line or pattern across the grid during hunt mode.
Reversal	After following a hit line and missing, turning around to fire in the opposite direction.
Elimination	Ruling out squares where no ship can possibly fit, based on known hits and misses.
Spacing	The distance between hunt-mode shots, often adjusted based on the smallest unsunk ship.

Placement Terms

Term	Definition
Orientation	The direction a ship is placed — horizontal or vertical.
Edge placement	Positioning a ship along a border row or column of the grid.
Center placement	Positioning a ship in the middle region of the grid.
Overlap	Illegal placement where two ships share the same square.
Clustering	Placing multiple ships close together, increasing risk if one is found.

Variant & Special Terms

Term	Definition
Salvo	A variant where each player fires one shot per surviving ship each turn.
Commanders Battleship	A variant adding special power cards such as air strikes or radar scans.
Super weapon	An enhanced attack available in some electronic or variant editions.
Radar scan	A special ability that reveals whether any ship exists in a defined area.
Air strike	A special ability that attacks multiple squares at once, usually in a line or cross pattern.
Fog of war	The hidden-information aspect of the game, where neither player can see the other’s grid.

Abbreviations

Abbreviation	Meaning
CV	Carrier (from naval designation)
BB	Battleship
CA	Cruiser
SS	Submarine
DD	Destroyer
H	Hit
M	Miss

Using This Glossary

You do not need to memorize every term before playing. Start with a game or two, and when you encounter an unfamiliar word in a strategy guide, come back here to look it up. Over time, these terms will become second nature and help you communicate clearly about the game — whether you are discussing strategies with friends or reading advanced analysis.

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