finds bases at the dollar store!From Chris Nicole Games
PDF – Pay What You Want
A tabletop wargame for battles with miniature spaceships.
Written by Phil Brough and Malcolm Booth as Starfleet Studies. Both were members of Sheffield Wargame Society. The third edition was published in 1983.
This edition was derived from a scan of the third edition, then polished up for the 21st Century by Chris Nicole with the cooperation of Malcolm Booth.
The ship design system is relatively simple. You select weapons, defenses, drives and other systems up to an agreed points total. Each item adds one mass and one hull box to your ship. The more equipment your ship has, the bigger it is and the more drives you need to move or turn it. The seven (and a half) different races have various advantages and special systems. It is a challenge to make the most of your fleet and minimize its disadvantages.
Turn sequence and movement are straightforward. There are no written orders required, ships align their shields, then move in sequence, alternating between players moving one ship or squadron at a time. When all ships have moved, attacks are carried out, once again alternating between players.
The combat system may look complex at first, but it is easy to pick up. Beam weapons always hit, but the damage they do is reduced by range, target mass, tactical factors, and the target's shields. Missiles have a chance of hitting (or missing) and may be stopped by point defense. If they hit, they do one or two points of damage. Each point of damage takes out a hull box or ship system. Hit location is random, it is possible to disable a ship with one hit if a vital system such as the reactor, bridge or drive is struck.
There are rules for morale, fighters, tractor beams, boarding actions by space marines, and the effects of gravity around planets, as well as various special weapons.