Overview

Alien Space Battle Manual is a tactical starship combat miniatures game designed by Lou Zocchi and published by Gamescience in 1973. Originally derived from the Star Trek Battle Manual (1972), it was redesigned with original alien ship designs after licensing issues. Each player selects one of eight different alien starships and engages in space combat. The game uses no board — ship miniatures or counters are placed on any flat surface, with physical distance measured for movement and combat. Each ship has a unique secret weapon unknown to the opponent until used.

Components

• 8 ship data charts (one per ship type)
• Weapon templates (for measuring firing arcs and ranges)
• Ship counters or miniatures
• Ruler or measuring tape
• Dice
• Rules booklet (8 pages)

Setup

1. Choose a flat surface (table or floor) as the play area.
2. Each player secretly selects one of the eight ship types.
3. Players review their ship’s data chart, noting movement capability, weapons, shields, and secret weapon.
4. Place ships at agreed-upon starting positions on the play surface.
5. Each player keeps their ship data chart hidden from the opponent.

Turn Structure

Each turn:

1. Movement Phase: Both players simultaneously plot their ship’s movement (direction and distance). Movement is revealed and executed simultaneously by physically moving the ship models/counters on the surface.
2. Combat Phase: Players check if any weapons are in range and arc using the weapon templates. Attacks are declared and resolved.
3. Damage Phase: Apply damage to hit locations on the ship data chart.

Actions

Movement

Ships move by measuring physical distance on the play surface. Each ship type has a maximum movement distance per turn. Ships may turn by pivoting at the start or during movement, with turning limits based on the ship type.

Combat

• Standard Weapons: Each ship has primary weapons with specific range and arc (measured physically with templates). Roll dice to determine hits.
• Secret Weapons: Each of the eight ships has a unique secret weapon (examples include the Blazer, Nytron Lance, Tentacle Beam, Magma Beam, Proton Torpedo, Javelin Torpedo, and the Gapper Zapper). A secret weapon is unknown to the opponent until first used, providing a surprise tactical advantage.

Damage

Hits are applied to specific ship systems. Damage can degrade movement, weapons, shields, and other systems. Accumulated damage may destroy the ship.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game is won by destroying the opponent’s ship or forcing them to withdraw. In multi-ship scenarios, victory may be determined by total ships destroyed or surviving.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• The game is played without a hex grid — all distances are measured physically, making it a miniatures-style game.
• Each ship’s secret weapon provides asymmetric gameplay; learning what each ship can do is part of the experience.
• The eight-page ruleset is intentionally compact, making the game accessible despite its tactical depth.
• Multiple ships per side can be used for larger battles.
• The game was designed for play with miniatures, though flat counters work as well.
• Originally published as the Star Trek Battle Manual (1972) before being rebranded to avoid trademark issues with Paramount.

Player Reference

Turn Flow: Simultaneous Movement (measure + move) → Combat (check range/arc with templates) → Damage

8 Ships: Each has unique stats and one secret weapon

Key Mechanic: Physical distance measurement — no hex grid, miniatures-style play

Design Note: One of the earliest tactical starship combat games, by Lou Zocchi (creator of the Zocchihedron/d100).