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 Spaceship
Miniatures & Rules
by Tony Watson
From
Space Gamer Magazine issue 21 - Jan-Feb 1979
 Wargaming has traditionally been split into two broad
categories: the familiar board game with (usually) a map and
cardboard counters, and miniatures, gaming which utilizes
miniature castings of metal or plastic and is played without
benefit of hexgrid, on any large, flat area.
It has
only been recently that Science- Fiction gaming has become
popular enough to warrant its own, specialized lines of
miniatures. The general rise in popularity of the SF gaming
genre has led, in just the last few years, to a
proliferation of miniatures lines dealing with the subject.
While both tactical surface combat (ala STARSHIP TROOPERS)
and ship to ship fighting now have representative pieces
available, the scope of this article allows me to deal only
with the latter.
Spaceship
miniatures offer considerable interest because unlike
tactical infantry figures which are restricted for a number
of reasons, (the foremost most being anatomical
considerations), more artistic license is allowed. Some of
the designs presently offered are quite impressive,
both in general design and individual detail.
 Coupled with the increase in ship
models available are the rules to go with them. In some
cases, the rules are designed to be used with a certain line
of models, while others are more general and can be adopted
for any models.
 Some rules deal
with science fiction sources familiar to us such as TV's
Star Trek. Gamescience's STARFLEET BATTLE MANUAL is the
culmination of a number of years' work in the minia- tures
field by its designer, Lou Zocchi. It is a third generation
game, using and building on the system first pioneered in
THE STAR TREK BATTLE MANUAL and later, refined in ALIEN
SPACE. The first game was sold without any license from
Paramount, a situation the production company quickly
remedied by threatening to sue if any more copies were sold.
(This, incidently, made the game something of a collector's
item.) Not long after, Zocchi came out with ALIEN SPACE, an
expanded game using the same basic system as the ill- fated
STAR TREK game. Then, in 1976, the final rules offering
appeared, with a return to the Star Trek theme, but this
time with Paramount's blessing.
As far as the
rules system goes, the STARFLEET BATTLE MANUAL carries on
the traditions of the first games. Each ship has a record
sheet covered in plastic and to be written on with a grease
pencil. Per-turn power
allocations from the engines are distributed between
shields, phasers (or other weapons in the case of ALIEN
SPACE), torpedoes, sensing, life support and movement. The
STAR TREK game allows for shields in dif- ferent quadrants
to be set at different power levels. Combat is handled
uniquely, in that each ship has a square, 3"x3" cardstock
template with a to 360 compass described around it, and a
five foot length of string fixed to the center. The firing
player calls out a degree heading and stretches the string
out along it; if it crosses an opposing ship there is a hit
and phaser power is compared to shields to determine damage.
The game rules are good, and give an accurate feel for
the Star Trek setting. There is enough detail in the rules
that each player can have an enjoyable game captaining one
or two ships. More players can easily be fitted in by using
multi-commanders per side.
Miniatures are available only
for the STARFLEET game. They are of plastic and about two
inches long. Detail is minor, but then the ships in the
series were rather smooth hulled. Each comes with pylon for
mounting. Pieces in the set are four types of Federation
craft: scout, destroyer, dreadnought and cru- sier, a
Klingon battle-crusier, Romulan Bird of Prey and a Tholian.
Models range in price from $2 to $3. It should be noted
however, that the templates mentioned above are the only
thing essential to the play of the game; one could easily
forgo the ship models if he wished, though they do add
considerable visual appeal.
Also based on Star Trek
(but not coming right out and saying it) is Wee Warriors'
THE EMBATTLED TREK. Like the Gamescience rules, cardstock
ships are included, being incredibly baroque in design. The
rules are fairly simple, only three pages long, and once
again depend on energy allocation among various ship
systems.
Two companies offer complete miniatures systems (ship
models and coordinated rules sets.) The oldest is McEwan
Miniatures with their STARWAR 2250 ships and rules.
 The
rules are one of the more extensive, being 44 pages long and
containing both tactical and strategic rules as well as an
outline on merging the game with McEwan's successful line of
ground troops, STARGUARD. The strategic rules allow for
exploration, variable planet types, indigenous populations,
and the creation of outposts and colonies.
The
tactical rules are well thought out, though parts come
across somewhat murkier than one would like. There are
status charts for each ship class (you need to make copies
before playing). These form the basis for play. Ships move
by vector, in three dimensions. Combat is by a varied array
of weapons: lasers, torpedoes, Anti-Matter Projectors, and
splinter head missiles (something of a tactical MIRV).
Defensive system include screens and anti-torpedo rockets.
All of the weapons differ from one another in significant
ways, but their individual rules are not so complex as to
make play tedious. Damage is figured in structure points
which accumulate towards the final destruction of the craft.
A large amount of special damage results knock out turrets,
launchers and other individual systems.
The McEwan
line of ships is intended specifically for these rules. It
includes, at present, sixteen types of ships (not all of
which are covered in the rules, implying an expansion kit.
The models are in lead, and the designs are fairly
traditional. The Federation (Earth) craft are all
needle-nosed and delta winged. The hulls are streamlined and
details, such as laser blisters and vision ports, are all
that are present. This makes painting and prepa- ration time
fairly short. Another advan- tage of this line is their
relative inexpensiveness: ships are priced from 50 cents to
$1, most being 75 cents.
 Superior
Models also offers a coordinated set of rules/pieces, under
the heading STARFLEET WARS. The rules come boxed, along with
a destroyer model from each of the five races in the game.
This reviewer is not particularly fond of this packaging
tactic since it ups the price of the rules package
considerably, and essentially forces the buyer to purchase
models he may not want. The rules are simple, fast and
clean. Ships have offensive and defensive factors which they
may power from their power quota. Firing is conducted by
rolling percentage dice (provided) on a chart, matrixing
speed and distance. Damage is taken only in terms of power
units. The advanced rules add a little more variety. Special
rules are included for fighters, both in intercept and
attack roles, a close-in defense system against fighters,
(actually just a percentage roll to destroy attacking
fighters), boarding!?), an energy damping field,
invisibility shields, and particle weapons. The latter
pierces opposing shields and have the ability to inflict
some rather inconsequential special damage.
The
Superior line of starships includes ships of five races
(Human, Avarian, Entomalian, Aquarian, Carnivoran) and each
race has a representative Dreadnought, attack carrier,
battlecruiser, cruiser, and destroyer as well as a fighter.
The models have a lot of detail (bordering on the garish)
and are bristling with turrets, sensor modules and a variety
of other odds and ends whose purposes we can only guess at.
My major criticism of the ship designs is, for some reason,
the designer felt it neccessary that the ships in some way
resemble the race that built them. Hence, Carnivoran ships
have a cat-like appearance, and the Aquarians look like
turtles. Only the Terran ships don't look this way, and
they, well I'm surprised the Star Wars Corporation hasn't
sued over the resemblence to their "Imperial Stardestroyer"!
The ship pieces are fairly large and expensive, the large
ships running upwards of $4.
Taken as a whole, the
Superior line is something of a dissappointment. The ships
are not, at least in my opinion very appealing. They are
high priced, and the rules have a sort of thrown together
feeling.
Valiant Miniatures offers one of the oldest
(if not the oldest) lines of lead spaceships available. The
ships are very detailed with fuel lines, weapons, and other
equipment visible. In direct contrast to the McEwan ships,
these are obviously not intended to land on surfaces, with
their protruding guns and round command modules. Only the
smaller craft appear capable of planet fall.
This
line is divided into humans (the ubiquitous Federation
again) and aliens. The alien ships are truly bizarre
looking, though similar enough in general design to mesh
with the Earth vessels. Various heavy ships are available (1
or 2 per package at $3.50): Heavy cruisers, battlecruisers,
escorts and destroyers. Smaller craft (4-15 per package)
include scouts, interceptors, assault ships, and three kinds
of fighters. Valiant also has available fleet supply ships
and hyperspace submarines (?). More ships are planned. One
nice touch, these ships are made to fit on stands Valiant
provides (in separate packages), and thus look much better
on the gaming table.
No rules are specified for
these ships. The designers offer a few suggestions in the
instruction/brochure included in each package, and the gamer
interested can check out any of the rules reviewed later in
this article that are not intended for any particular
miniatures line.
A similar case exists with the
"Space Squadrons 2998" from Grenadier, the most recent of
the space fleet lines to appear. The Grenadier castings come
in blister packs for $3.50. Each pack contains one
battleship or two cruisers (one heavy, one light) or eight
fighters, for either the (you guessed it) Earth Federation
or Alien Invasion Fleet. In addition there are three packs
representing the Auxiliary Belt Fleet, two being cruiser
types and the latter being fighters. A fourth group is the
Tech-World fleet consisting entirely of support ships
(minelayers, refuelers, etc). The Grenadier line is unique
in that it is only one to feature a spacestation,
"Battlestation Armageddon" is built by buying various kits
(such as platforms or installations and accessories) and
fitting them together as the gamer sees fit. Unfortunately,
the result (if the photograph in the catalog is any
indication), is a daddylonglegs with laser mounts.
On the whole, the Grenadier line is a nice compromise
between the simplicity and economical price of the McEwan
line and the detail and expense of the Valiant. The castings
are of high quality and nice detail. Some of the ships, such
as the Aurora class Attack Cruiser are real beauties.
A final line to be reviewed is that offered by Minifigs.
This is a rather scattered collection of ten ships spread
over four races. The line has been out for a number of years
and no additions have been made, so one can conjecture that
Minifigs is not pushing the SF aspect much.
 The
nice thing about this group is the price. The catalog I have
(about a year old) lists prices ranging from 25-60cents per
ship, comparing very favorably to any of the lines listed
above. The castings though, are small, and at least to my
sense of esthetics, kind of weird looking. Minifigs also
offers a fair range of infantry coordinating with the
spaceship races, but the same brand of "originality" of
design seems to extend to these as well.
If you are
looking for a set of rules to go with those miniatures that
don't have a coordinating rules volume, or are unhappy with
those that do, the following three are some of the best.
GALACTIC WAR by Tabletop games features some nice,
introductory level rules that are easily adaptable to any
model series. Ships have beginning levels of energy to be
expended on movement, weapons and shield. The fuel level is
finite though, and falls rapidly. A unique four-phase system
(requiring written orders) allows for some second guessing.
Because ships may not have screens up in the same phase as
they fire, firing ships are not very vulnerable. Once
torpedoes and lasers get through the screen there is a table
to roll on to determine what is hit. Three classes of ships,
with varying energy levels, and rear and forward firing
laser guns and torpedo tubes are included. Some nice
cardstock ships, printed in color are included.
A
more sophisticated effort can be found in STAR COMMAND.
These rules provide an outline for a strategic game and some
interesting historical background and psuedo-scientific
material, along with some good solid tactical rules. Four
classes of ships are listed for both the Terrans and aliens,
though they vary slightly for each side. Weapons include
beams, lasers, and seeker missiles; defense is by screens.
As in most rules, per turn energy to the various systems is
the core of the system. One fairly clever idea is that the
ships are allowed to carry a given number of weapons; type
is left up to the player. The variety of weapons, each using
a different CRT and a little adaptation would make these
rules suitable for any model series the gamer might use.
 A
final rules booklet, STELLAR WARS, makes a massive attempt
to be the rules for all model lines. Forsaking any
particular "historical" or technical framework, these rules
list a myriad of offensive, defensive, and propulsion
systems all given values in the game and assigned a certain
point cost for building. The broadbase of systems available
would allow castings from any and all of the above model
lines to fight side by side. Towards the end of the book is
a compilation of ship pieces available by various
manufacturers and a guide to intergrating them into a
campaign. A good effort, but a little cluttered.
To
a much greater degree than boardgaming, miniatures require
time. A boardgame can be broken out, the rules read, and
play started in a single afternoon. Miniatures are a totally
different case. There is considerable preparation involved
before play can even begin. Painting requires some skill,
but more important is patience. Casting can be given a
hurry-up-and-let's play paint job taking twenty minutes or
so, or the gamer can opt for a showcase effort, with every
line perfect and every detail taken care of. The gamer
working with spaceships is more fortunate than those working
with figures, since he can get away with less detail on the
ships. Still each model must be cleaned, flash removed,
primer applied, and finally, painted. Stands and other play
aids might also need to be constructed.
Another
major consideration is money. Unlike boardgames, which, for
the most part, only require a one time outlay of $10-$15,
building a decent size fleet for two opposing sides can be
fairly expensive. With the vast majority of the model lines
mentioned here, this could run upwards of $35-$50 for just
moderate forces. Most miniatures players make a very large
initial purchase and add on as funds allow. Another way to
get around this is to play in groups, with certain players
providing the ships for one side. Tools must also be taken
into account, as the models can't be prepared without items
such as X-acto blades, a good set of brushes, and of course,
paint.
A final element is space. Miniatures require
at least a 4' x 4' area— many rules will require more room
unless you alter the distances used. You need to have plenty
of room to maneuver, for a good game. Usually a good size
table or tile floor will do.
These last few points
are not meant to scare anyone away from miniatures, only to
inform them of the large investment in time and money
required. Indeed, acquiring and painting your models is
often more fun than playing with them!
Miniatures
can be an interesting asset to any SF gamer's array of
boardgames. Playing times tend to be shorter than most
boardgames and miniatures battles are much more colorful
than those pushing cardboard counter around on a hexgrid. It
is hoped that this brief survey has served to help those
gamers interested in this facet of the hobby
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