Battle Beyond Space (2012) Board Game

Battle Beyond Space is a science fiction board game released in 2012 and designed by Jake Murray. The game is set in a distant future where different factions battle for control of the galaxy. Players take on the role of one of these factions and must use their strategic skills to outmaneuver their opponents and claim victory.

Game Components of Battle Beyond Space

Movement Decks: Each player has a deck of nine movement cards specific to their chosen race.

Fighter Squadrons: 18 fighters, divided into three squadrons of six ships each.

Capital Ships: Two large capital ships per player.

Asteroid Tokens: Placed on the board to block weapons fire and cause damage.

Sensor Probe Tokens: Six probes located at the center of the board, which players can collect for points.

Special Power Cards: One randomly chosen racial power card per player, offering unique abilities.

Ship Pieces and Tokens: Well-crafted tokens and ship pieces, though some may be difficult to distinguish or handle.

How To Setup Battle Beyond Space

To set up the game, each player chooses or is randomly assigned one of four alien races: The Dreckach, The Vonyan, The Valkyrie, or The Earthers. Players receive their movement deck, fighter squadrons, capital ships, and a special power card. The movement cards are shuffled, and the starting fleet is placed in a deploy zone on the board. Players can peek at the top card of their movement deck to decide their starting fleet placement. Asteroid tokens are placed on the board, and six sensor probe tokens are positioned around the central asteroid.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Turn Structure: Each turn is governed by the movement cards. Players move one squadron of fighters, fire with the squadron, and then turn the squadron. They also move and fire with one of their capital ships.

Movement and Firing: Fighters move as a unit, fire in a straight line, and can rotate. Capital ships can move and rotate more freely and fire within a 2-hex radius.

Collisions: Ships that collide with other ships or asteroids take damage.

Probe Collection: Players collect sensor probes for points and can score additional points for ending the game in the original probe spaces.

Scoring: Points are awarded for destroying enemy fighters (1 point each), capturing sensor probes (1 point each), occupying sensor probe starting spaces (2 points each), and destroying enemy capital ships (4 points each).

Player Experience

In Battle Beyond Space, the initial rounds are filled with strategic maneuvering and coordinated attacks. However, the game’s excitement often wanes as the rounds progress, leaving players with scattered and depleted squadrons. The limited control over movement and the reliance on card draws can make the endgame feel more about luck than strategy. Despite this, the game maintains a diceless, cause-and-effect system that ensures definite outcomes for actions, which can be appealing to players who prefer predictable gameplay.

Pros

Predictable Outcomes: No dice rolling means actions have clear consequences.

Strategic Initial Rounds: Players can coordinate their squadrons effectively early in the game.

Unique Racial Powers: Special power cards add a layer of strategy and surprise.

Well-Crafted Components: Attractive art and well-designed tokens and ship pieces.

Cons

Endgame Luck: The game’s excitement diminishes as rounds progress, with outcomes becoming more luck-based.

Limited Movement Control: Players have restricted control over ship movements, especially in the endgame.

Arbitrary Probes: The central probes feel arbitrary and lack thematic relevance.

Personal Thoughts on Battle Beyond Space

Battle Beyond Space is ideal for players who enjoy light war games with a space-opera theme and appreciate the clarity of diceless gameplay. While it excels in its initial strategic phases, the endgame can become less engaging. It is a good fit for those looking for a fast-paced, multi-player experience with unique racial abilities, but may not satisfy players seeking deep, complex strategy throughout the entire game.

We are supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no extra cost for you. Learn more.