''Introduction to Star Fleet Battles'' is a supplement published by

Task Force Games Task Force Games was a game company started in 1979 by Allen Eldridge and Stephen V. Cole. TFG published many games, most notably including both '' Star Fleet Battles'' (currently published by the original designers, Amarillo Design Bureau) an ...

in 1986 for the science fiction combat game ''

Star Fleet Battles ''Star Fleet Battles'' (SFB) is a Military tactics, tactical board wargame set in an offshoot of the ''Star Trek'' setting called the Star Fleet Universe. Originally created in 1979 by Stephen V. Cole, it has had four major editions. The current ...

'' that is inspired by the TV series ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...

''.

Description

''Introduction to Star Fleet Battles'' is an introductory version of the game intended to help players learn the ''

'' rules as they play. Through a series of six modules, new players ("cadets") are introduced first to maneuvering a small ship and firing weapons, and then to more complex systems. The cadet is then promoted to lieutenant and if the player can successfully negotiate the final module, "The Tholian Web", the player is deemed ready to participate in the full ''Star Fleet Battles'' game. The supplement includes a 48-page rulebook, nine starship diagrams, a hex map and 54 die-cut counters.

Publication history

Task Force Games published ''Star Fleet Battles'' in 1979, and reviewers quickly noted its extreme complexity. Seven years later, Task Force Games published ''Introduction to Star Fleet Battles'', written by the original game designer

Stephen V. Cole Stephen V. Cole is an Americans, American game designer and the CEO of Amarillo Design Bureau (also known as ADB or, incorrectly, Starfleet Games) which publishes ''Star Fleet Battles'', ''Federation and Empire'', ''Federation Commander'', ''Prim ...

, as a means of teaching new players the various layers of complexity, one layer at a time.

Reception

In the June–July 1986 edition of ''Adventurer'' (Issue 2), Stephen Dillon called this "A well planned introduction to ''SFB'' of benefit to new players and clubs wishing to taste the excitement of Star Fleet command. Introduction to SFB also serves as an excellent solo instruction module." In the November 1986 edition of ''

White Dwarf A white dwarf is a Compact star, stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very density, dense: in an Earth sized volume, it packs a mass that is comparable to the Sun. No nuclear fusion takes place i ...

'' (Issue #83), Phil Frances recommended this for new players, saying, "This product is a handy starter for those who didn't understand its fully-fledged big brother, or simply want to test the waters before splashing out on the system."

References

{{reflist Star Fleet Battles