Captain Sonar FAQ
68 questions players ask · Updated Nov 9, 2026 · Full rulebook
Turn order and movement
- In turn-by-turn mode, can the Captain activate a system before moving?
- Can the Captain activate two systems in a row without moving in between?
- Can the Captain make a normal move and then activate Silence in the same turn?
- Can a team pass its turn or refuse to move?
- Can a submarine leave the map and reappear on the other side?
- Can a submarine cross or touch its own previous route?
- Is a movement order binding once the Captain has announced it?
- Can the Captain issue a new order before the First Mate and Engineer have finished their marks?
- Must the Captain say "Heading" before the direction?
- What happens if both submarines are on the same space?
- Can the Captain still move when every gauge on the First Mate's sheet is full?
- Can a torpedo be fired in any direction, including back along my own route?
Engineer, breakdowns and damage
- What happens when a whole direction panel of the Engineer's sheet fills up?
- If one mark both completes a panel and triggers a self-repair, does the submarine take damage?
- What if a mark completes a panel and also fills the last radiation symbol?
- Can the Engineer mark a breakdown in the central circuits or the reactor?
- How are breakdowns outside the central circuits repaired?
- Does surfacing repair damage to the submarine?
- What happens if the Captain or First Mate orders a system that is broken down?
- Can the Engineer wait before crossing a symbol and choose later?
Surfacing
- What happens when a team surfaces in turn-by-turn play?
- Can the Radio Operator keep marking the enemy route while his team is surfaced?
- Can a surfaced submarine be hit by torpedoes and mines?
- In real time, can a system be activated immediately after diving back down?
- Must a surfaced team stop repairing when the enemy calls Stop?
- Who checks the surfacing drawing, and what if the enemy engineer ignores it?
Activating systems
- Who activates Drone and Sonar, the Captain or the First Mate?
- Must the First Mate announce when a gauge is full?
- Can a system be fired in the same turn it is fully charged?
- In turn-by-turn play, can the other captain activate a system during my turn?
- What is the penalty when the Captain calls Stop but cannot activate the system?
- Can a teammate other than the Captain call Stop?
- If the enemy calls Stop after I announced a move, does my move still happen?
Torpedoes and mines
- Does detonating a mine count as a system activation?
- Does detonating a mine need a full gauge or working weapon systems?
- If a torpedo lands exactly on a mine, does the mine explode?
- Does a torpedo landing next to a mine set it off, and does damage add up?
- Can torpedoes pass over islands?
- Where can a mine be dropped?
- Can several of my mines be on the map at once?
- Can a submarine suffer both a torpedo and a mine hit at once?
- Do I take damage from my own torpedo or mine?
Silence, Sonar and Drone
- Can Silence change direction partway through?
- Can Silence move zero spaces, and what do the First Mate and Engineer mark?
- How many marks does Silence make on the First Mate's and Engineer's sheets?
- When Sonar is activated, how must the two clues be given?
- Can the true and false Sonar clues be incompatible with each other?
- How does Drone work and how many sectors are there?
Stop calls and real-time play
Teams and setup
- Can Captain Sonar be played with two players?
- Can four players play real time?
- How should roles be combined in a six-player game?
- When one person has several roles, how do they mark gauges?
- How do you split seven players, and can ten play?
- Must players sit in the diagram's seating order?
- Can the game end in a draw?
- Does the Foxtrot map have special rules?
Captain Sonar: Operation DragonExpansion
- How are Operation Dragon expert cards used?
- Can Matt Deepnew copy a system my submarine does not have?
- Can Admiral Al Philips activate an Upgrade One system without filling its gauge?
- What does the Robert Frago expert card do?
- Can players draw more than one expert card at setup?
- In Armada mode, do you announce where you drop a mine?
- Can the Operation Dragon campaign be played cooperatively?
- Can Operation Dragon be played turn-by-turn?