
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,554
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Star Fleet Battles
- 2 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 4.2/5
- 1979

Rules assistance for Federation & Empire: ISC War
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Federation & Empire: ISC War is an expansion for Federation & Empire released in 2011 for 2–9 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Stephen V. Cole and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Hexagon Grid.
This expansion adds the ISC, the Interstellar Stellar Concordium to the Federation and Empire game system. Anticipated for 25 years, ISC War adds the complete order of battle for the ISC forces. New rules include ISC Echelon formations, PPD ships, Tactical Reserves, and ISC Rapid Base Deployment. Scenarios include: Gathering Winds, the ISC consolidate their outer provinces during the first 9 turns of the general war, amid Romulan and Gorn interference. Driving Winds, the ISC launches their pacification of the galaxy at the end of the General War with rapid deployment of their pacification stations. They must hold the various neutral zone areas between the major powers to protect them from each other. This scenario is divided into various "cordons" similar to the sectorized scenarios in other products. There are also scenario notes for using the ISC during the general war, and in a full scale war against the Gorns and Romulans.
Federation & Empire: ISC War supports 2–9 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 Federation & Empire: ISC War is 240 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 Federation & Empire: ISC War 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.
Federation & Empire: ISC War belongs to these categories: Wargame, Science Fiction, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling 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 Federation & Empire: ISC War are: Stephen V. Cole. 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 Federation & Empire: ISC War as an expansion for Federation & Empire. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Federation & Empire to use it. Check that your edition of Federation & Empire is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.