From the publisher’s rulebook

Who goes first in Battleship?

Hasbro English board game, item 080814674102

The rules leave it open: after both players position their fleets, you simply "decide who's going first," then take turns calling out coordinates.

Source & edition

Battleship — InstructionsHasbro · "Attack!" section, step 1 · Checked 2026-09-27
PDF page 1

All 10 Hasbro starting rules

Image: © Hasbro and any credited cover artist · Hasbro · Editorial fair use (Reduced first-page rulebook cover used to identify the cited game edition in an independent first-player-rule reference; it does not substitute for the rulebook or artwork.)

Rule details

This is the dual-drawer pegs-and-grid edition that also includes a Weapons Platform ship and a captured man to rescue, not an electronic or app-based version.

If there’s a tie

The rulebook doesn’t say.

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<blockquote class="whogoesfirst-rule" cite="https://whogoesfirst.fun/games/battleship-hasbro-en/">
  <p><strong>Who goes first in Battleship?</strong> The rules leave it open: after both players position their fleets, you simply &quot;decide who's going first,&quot; then take turns calling out coordinates.</p>
  <p>— <a href="https://whogoesfirst.fun/games/battleship-hasbro-en/">Official starting rule on Who Goes First?</a> (Hasbro English board game, item 080814674102)</p>
</blockquote>

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