
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,462
- BGG rating
- 6.8
Fifth Frontier War
- 2–4 players
- 240–360 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 1981

1979
Rules assistance for Belter: Mining the Asteroids, 2076
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Belter: Mining the Asteroids, 2076 is a board game released in 1979 for 2–5 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Frank Chadwick and Marc W. Miller and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
Economic SF wargame set in the asteroid belt in the year 2076. In the basic game, two, three, or four players control mining companies that mine asteroids for ore, gas, and highly dangerous shards of CT (contra-terrene matter -- a name for antimatter lifted from the Seetee novels of Jack Williamson). These commodities are traded for credits at the three major planetoid stations. Vicious fights can break out over control of particularly lucrative asteroids. The players have to agree on the winning conditions: The winner is either the first player to one million, ten million, or a hundred million credits, or the wealthiest player after a set timespan elapses. (The playing time is, accordingly, completely arbitrary; two hours is probably too short, but seems like a sane number.) In the advanced game, an additional player plays the Peace Keeping Force (PKF), whose role is ironically not to stop the fighting, but to suppress revolts and other conflicts just enough to keep prices of ore and gas low. The PKF player achieves partial victory if the price of either commodity is below 200 credits at the end of the game, or decisive victory if the prices of both commodities are below 200 credits. Includes: 480 counters
Belter: Mining the Asteroids, 2076 supports 2–5 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 Belter: Mining the Asteroids, 2076 is 120 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 Belter: Mining the Asteroids, 2076 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.
Belter: Mining the Asteroids, 2076 has a complexity rating of 3.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Belter: Mining the Asteroids, 2076 belongs to these categories: Economic, Wargame, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid. 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 Belter: Mining the Asteroids, 2076 are: Frank Chadwick and Marc W. Miller. 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 Belter: Mining the Asteroids, 2076 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.