- BGG rank
- BGG #20,987
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Alien Space Battle Manual
- 2–8 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 1973
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,539
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Star Fleet Battle Manual
1977
Rules assistance for Star Fleet Battle Manual
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–8 players
- 45–90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.4/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Star Fleet Battle Manual
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Star Fleet Battle Manual is a board game released in 1977 for 2–8 players, 45–90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Lou Zocchi, Michael Scott Kurtick, and Michael Reitz and its main mechanics are Simultaneous Action Selection, Measurement Movement, and Movement Template.
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About the game
Star Fleet Battle Manual (SFBM) is a Tactical level Space Combat miniatures wargame for two or more players with spaceships familiar to fans of Star Trek (the original series). SFBM is easily confused with the much better-known and much more complex "Star Fleet Battles" boardgame. Although the theme is the same, and some of the mechanics are quite similar, crawling around on the floor, and spatial skills for estimating firing angles, make SFBM unlike Star Fleet Battles. A playing area of perhaps 8 feet square is the minimum requirement, 12 feet square (or more) is better, with a bare floor or very short carpet. Two or more players plop down their starships on the floor. Everyone plots their moves simultaneously, allocating limited engine energy to some combination of movement, shields and weapons. Moves are executed simultaneously. Weapons have varying arcs of fire, and shield strength is independent on the four sides of the ship, so clever move plotting is critical to victory. After movement, there is simultaneous combat. Shooting is the unusual element of the mechanics. Each starship has a compass card, with a silhouette in the middle. The player must estimate the exact correct angle to fire at, stretch out a string from the center of their card, and hope that their chosen angle intersects the silhouette of the chosen opponent. Damage is logged in points against different capabilities of the starship, allowing for the damaged or crippled ships familiar from the Star Trek TV episodes and films. Different weapons and angles of fire allow for unique abilities for different races and starships. The game was originally published in 1972 as Star Trek Battle Manual (this used the Star Trek name without having properly licensed it, and therefore was not sold for long). The closely related Alien Space Battle Manual came out in 1973, offering a completely different set of alien races and somewhat different hit/damage rules, but allowing for interplay between the two different games.
Publishers
- Gamescience
Questions and answers
Star Fleet Battle Manual supports 2–8 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 Star Fleet Battle Manual is 45–90 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 Star Fleet Battle Manual 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.
Star Fleet Battle Manual 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.
Star Fleet Battle Manual belongs to these categories: Wargame, Movies / TV / Radio theme, and Miniatures. Its main mechanics are Simultaneous Action Selection, Measurement Movement, and Movement Template. 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 Star Fleet Battle Manual are: Lou Zocchi, Michael Scott Kurtick, and Michael Reitz. 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 Star Fleet Battle Manual 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.