Overview

Battle-Sphere is a two-player science fiction combat board game published by Sten Productions in 1978. The game involves a group of rebel ships assaulting an Imperial Battle-Sphere that is stranded and defenseless without a necessary component. The Imperial player must deliver the missing component to reactivate the Battle-Sphere’s defenses, while the Rebel player attempts to destroy the Battle-Sphere before it becomes operational or destroy the ship carrying the component.

Components

• Game board depicting space around the Battle-Sphere
• Rebel ship counters
• Imperial ship and transport counters
• Battle-Sphere counter
• Component delivery marker
• Combat resolution charts
• Dice

Setup

Place the Battle-Sphere in the center of the map. The Imperial player places their fleet, including the transport carrying the missing component, at designated entry points. The Rebel player deploys their attack fleet at the opposite side. The Battle-Sphere begins in a defenseless state.

Turn Structure

Each game turn follows alternating player turns:

1. Rebel Movement Phase: Move rebel ships toward the Battle-Sphere.
2. Rebel Combat Phase: Rebel ships fire on Imperial ships or the Battle-Sphere.
3. Imperial Movement Phase: Move Imperial ships, including the component transport.
4. Imperial Combat Phase: Imperial ships defend and fire on rebels.
5. End Phase: Check if the component has been delivered; if so, activate the Battle-Sphere’s defenses. Check victory conditions.

Actions

• Movement: Ships move across the map according to their speed ratings. Maneuvering around the Battle-Sphere is key for both attack runs and delivery approaches.
• Combat: Ships fire weapons based on their attack values. Range and relative position affect accuracy. Hits cause damage or destruction.
• Component Delivery: The Imperial transport must reach the Battle-Sphere and dock with it to deliver the missing component. This activates the Battle-Sphere’s weapons.
• Battle-Sphere Activation: Once activated, the Battle-Sphere becomes a powerful weapons platform, greatly shifting the balance toward the Imperial player.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The Rebel player wins by destroying the Battle-Sphere before the component is delivered, or by destroying the transport ship carrying the component. The Imperial player wins by delivering the component and then using the activated Battle-Sphere to destroy or drive off the rebel fleet.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Race Against Time: The game is essentially a race. The Rebel player must destroy the Battle-Sphere before it powers up. Delay favors the Imperial player.
• Escort Tactics: The Imperial player must protect the transport while engaging rebel attackers, balancing escort duty with offensive action.
• Activated Battle-Sphere: Once operational, the Battle-Sphere’s weapons are extremely powerful, making Rebel victory nearly impossible after delivery.
• Transport Vulnerability: The component transport is a high-value, low-defense target. Its destruction ends Imperial hopes.

Player Reference

Side	Objective	Key Unit
Rebel	Destroy Battle-Sphere or transport	Attack fleet
Imperial	Deliver component, defend	Transport ship

Game Phase	Rebel	Imperial
Before Delivery	Attack freely	Protect transport
After Delivery	Retreat or die	Battle-Sphere dominates