
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,055
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Necromunda
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 1995

1990
Rules assistance for Advanced Space Crusade
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Advanced Space Crusade is a board game released in 1990 for 2 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Jervis Johnson and Simon Forrest and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Tile Placement, and Modular Board.
This game basically recreates small-unit actions during the war between the Imperium and the Tyranids' Hive Fleet Kraken. One player moves squads of Space Marine Scouts inside the guts of a Tyranid Hiveship, and the other defends the bioship by placing "blips" which can be Tyranid warriors and other monstrosities. The game is designed to be played as a campaign, although suggestions for playing one-off games are included. The game comes with three Space Marine Scout squads and six Tyranid Warriors. It has rules for including several miniatures from the old WH40K Space Marine and Tyranid range. (Rules were also published in White Dwarf for using an Imperial Guard or Ork force instead of Space Marines). The game mechanics are very simple: Space Marines move and fire and then the Tyranids move and fire. The map is built gradually by the Tyranid player from a complete layout he keeps secret as the Space Marines explore the ship. The space marines explore the bioship in search of its vital organs, hoping to survive the waves of aliens as they head deeper inside.
Advanced Space Crusade supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Advanced Space Crusade is 45 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Advanced Space Crusade for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Advanced Space Crusade has a complexity rating of 2.7 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Advanced Space Crusade belongs to these categories: Fighting, Adventure, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Tile Placement, and Modular Board. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Advanced Space Crusade are: Jervis Johnson and Simon Forrest. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Advanced Space Crusade as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.