
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,148
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Zulus on the Ramparts!: The Battle of Rorke's Drift – Second Edition
- 1 player
- 25 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2009

2016
Rules assistance for Ceres: Operation Stolen Base
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

For 1 player
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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ceres: Operation Stolen Base is a board game released in 2016 for 1 player and 60 minutes per game. It was designed by Joseph Miranda and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Point to Point Movement.
Ceres: Operation Stolen Base is a Sci-Fi Solitaire board-wargame depicting the actions of an elite Rebel task force attempting to seize the largest source of water in the Solar System shortly after the outbreak of the Free Mars Revolution. Your task force must defeat the Earth Federation ships in the area and seize the primary surface base. The opposition forces are controlled by the game system using a deck of cards whereby a card is drawn after the player moves a task force, which may result in a new opposing force being placed where the task force just moved and forcing combat to occur. Some locations are more likely to have larger opposition forces to appear than others and although initial opposition forces will be relatively small, resistance will increase as their alert level increases. Players begin the game with a number of assembly points with which they can use to custom-build their fleet, including adding special weapon pods to ships to provide benefits such as drone defenses and cyber warfare abilities to keep enemy alert levels lower. If your fleet includes an assembly ship, you can even repair and alter your fleet even after your attack on Ceres begins. Four increasingly difficult missions must be completed to win the campaign game. Along the way, additional ships arrive and pods are constructed to increase strength and technological capabilities. A unique card system counts down the time remaining and provides challenges and opportunities at every orbit. In this game the player takes command of a Rebel task force attempting to complete missions critical to securing the Ceres water base. Your success will ensure Mars and other colonies have a major source of water for survival and the Earth Federation will be forced to haul water up the deep and costly gravity well from Earth. This game is set in the Free Mars universe and is a prequel to the Free Mars boxed game. Game Contents: • 11 x 17” map • 40 die-cut counters • 18 mini cards • Scenario Instructions • Four page rule booklet
Ceres: Operation Stolen Base supports 1 player 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 Ceres: Operation Stolen Base is 60 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.
Ceres: Operation Stolen Base has a complexity rating of 2.3 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.
Ceres: Operation Stolen Base belongs to these categories: Wargame and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Point to Point Movement. 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 Ceres: Operation Stolen Base are: Joseph Miranda. 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 Ceres: Operation Stolen Base 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.