
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,797
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Heroscape Master Set: Battle for the Underdark
- 2 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2010

2011
Rules assistance for Battleship Galaxies
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.
Battleship Galaxies is a board game released in 2011 for 2–4 players, 70 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Craig Van Ness, Jerry Hawthorne, Colby Dauch, and Dustin DePenning and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Area Movement, and Dice Rolling.
Battleship Galaxies is a space combat miniatures game that is a distant cousin to the original Battleship game. The two opposing forces represented in the game, the human Intergalactic Space Navy and the alien Wretcheridians, are represented by 20 starship miniatures. There are figures for several different ship types and each has an individual reference card that defines the characteristics (e.g., weapons, movement, shields) of that ship. The game is scenario driven and each scenario defines the goal of the game as well as the initial setup of the starfield hex board. Each turn, players have a certain number of energy points that can be spent to perform actions such as movement or firing. Combat is resolved by rolling special dice: a 10-sided die with letters and an eight-sided die with numbers. The resulting letter-number combination is compared to the target ship’s reference card to determine the result. Hits on a ship are indicated by placing colored pegs in the figure’s base.
Battleship Galaxies supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Battleship Galaxies is 70 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 Battleship Galaxies for ages 13 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.
Battleship Galaxies has a complexity rating of 2.4 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.
Battleship Galaxies belongs to these categories: Wargame, Miniatures, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Area Movement, and Dice Rolling. 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 Battleship Galaxies are: Craig Van Ness, Jerry Hawthorne, Colby Dauch, and Dustin DePenning. 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 Battleship Galaxies 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.