Starfighter Command is a pending trademark of R. B. Chandler and the Galactic Enterprise

Copyright: 2001, Revision 2015 R. B. Chandler

 War in Space - The Rules

Starfighter Command’s game of war in space, Space War, was inspired in part by Star Trek. My brother had a Star Trek game for his computer. This may seem a bit uneventful, but this is way back before anyone ever heard the term, much less had a personal computer. It was hard to use and very primitive at the time; you had to print and physically go through numerous printouts. I told my brother I would play the game when I could see what was happening.

This has become more than just a game. It is part of the story we are telling online, and with the books we sell on Amazon. ... Who knew the future had a way of killing two billion of us.

Now, we invite you to enjoy the game, Space War, a game of war in space. The object of the game is to destroy your opponent’s space station. During the game, you will deal with many of the logistics of war in space. You have damaged ships to repair, stars to avoid, and black holes that will provide instant transportation to anywhere in space. Only one problem, you have to stay alive long enough to get there…

Space War Rules

Objective: to destroy your opponent's space station.

Playing Pieces: 1 space station and 8 fighter spacecraft per player

To Start: determine who will be the blue player and will be the red player. The blue player will move first, and the red player chooses the side on which he or she will start. Begin the game by placing all the playing pieces on starting row A and B with the green side up. The space stations are placed anywhere on start row B, and all other spacecraft on start row A.

Movement of Playing Pieces: Space Stations may move two or fewer squares in any direction horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Damaged space stations continue to move and shoot the same as undamaged space stations.

Only undamaged spaceships may move up to 4 squares in any direction horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Movement of damaged ships will be discussed later. Each player may move just one or all of his or her spacecraft on their turn. Each player must move at least one spaceship, fighters or space station, during their turn.

Stars: no spacecraft may at any time passed through or land on a star. If this should happen, the spacecraft is removed from the board. To date, no spacecraft has ever survived an attempt to land on the surface of a star. They all melted before reaching the surface.

Black Holes: no spacecraft may pass through a black hole. If a spacecraft lands on a black hole, it must move to any other black hole anywhere in the game, but it must move. Spacecraft cannot leave a black hole on the same turn in which it landed on a black hole, the player must wait until his or her next turned to leave the black hole. The spacecraft must leave the black hole on the next turn. If you go in, you have to come out in any kind of space gateway system. It’s just how it is.

Weapons: each spacecraft has one laser cannon and one force field.  A space station has two laser cannons and two force fields.

Firing Weapons: all laser cannons have a range of four squares in any direction horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. All operating laser cannons can fire once each turn. You may fire the laser cannon of each undamaged ship as you move that ship, or wait until the end of your turn and fire all your laser canons at once. Spacecraft cannot fire out of, into, or through black holes and stars.

Shooting Spacecraft: to destroy a spaceship it must receive two direct hits by laser fire to be destroyed. A space station must receive three direct hits by laser fire within two turns. The turn on which it was hit and the next turn on which it can receive fire. Space stations are self-repairing if they can make it through a repair cycle.

Damaged Spacecraft: a spacecraft that is hit with less than the number of hits needed to destroy it is only damage (having been saved by its force field). Damaged ships are indicated by turning the playing piece over so the red side is facing up. The movement of damaged spacecraft is not the same as undamaged spacecraft. Damaged spacecraft can only move 3 squares any direction horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Damaged spacecraft cannot fire their laser canon as it is one of the things damaged. Damaged space stations continue to move and shoot the same as undamaged space stations.

Repairing Spacecraft (Repair Cycle): to repair damaged spaceships, you must return your damaged ships to the space station. You can only repair 4 ships at a time. A repair cycle is your turn in which you parked your ships in the repair position horizontal or vertically, and your opponents turn in which he can still destroy your spaceships even if they are parked next to your space station. On your next turn, your ships are good to go and will take two more hits to be destroyed. Spacecraft that become damaged while next to the space station must still wait through a repair cycle to be repaired.

A damage space station can make self-repairs regardless the damage (more than one hit) if they can make it through a repair cycle. Damaged space stations can still fire and move as undamaged space stations. If a damaged space station can make repairs, it will take another three hits to destroy the space station.

Another Method of Destroying Spacecraft: no two spaceships may occupy the same space at the same time this is called a collision, and both ships are destroyed. It does not matter of one of the spaceships is damage, both are destroyed. Nor does it matter if you are in a black hole; two ships may not occupy the same space. A spaceship colliding with a space station destroys that spaceship and counts as one hit on the space station. Space stations cannot collide with each other. It is recommended that you use maximum range when firing your laser canons prevent damaged ships from going kamikaze on you and colliding with your fighter craft or space stations.

End Game: in the event, only space stations are left, it is a tie - only if you can get your opponent to give up and start over.

We have a 3D version that we continue to refine as we continue to add actual elements of war in space to improve the logistical aspect of the game. We hope to be able to offer the 3D version of the game to the public shortly. - Starfighter Command

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