Print n Play - Deconstruction

Space Dogfight

Goal of the Game:

     Nothing to do with Michael Vick. The goal of Space Dogfight is to either eliminate the enemy fleet or have the most points once each player has moved their whole fleet into the enemy base. 

Core Mechanic:

     Spend action counters to move your ships and attack enemy ships.

Space of the Game:

     The game is played on an eight by ten grid board. The grid board provides a two-dimensional space that is discrete with clear boundaries. It only matters that a grid space is being occupied, not the exact placement inside each grid.

Objects, Attributes, and States: 

Spaceship Counters - 

     There are four different types of spaceship counters. Each has its own set of attributes designated by the Spaceship Table. The attributes each ship has are movement, attack, defense, and points. For the sake of brevity I will assign each ship a letter (A,B,C,D). There are the same amount of each ship type, colored in red and blue for each side, that each player may choose from when customizing their fleet (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=2). The ships can only move forward and sideways any amount of spaces up to its designated movement number.  For example, ship A has a movement number of three. If chosen to move, ship A can move forward or sideways one, two, or three grid spaces (B=2, C=3, D=3).  

     For a ship to attack, the attacking player must be adjacent (not diagonal) to the defending ship and role a six-sided die and role a number that is less than or equal to the attacking ship's attack number to get a potential hit on the defending ship. If I wanted to attack with ship A and I was positioned to do so I would have to roll a three or less to get a potential hit(B=4, C=3, D=4). If the attacker has one or more friendly ships adjacent to the defending ship the attack number is raised by one for this attack only.

     If a potential hit occurs, the defending ship must role the die to see if it will dodge the attack or be hit and taken out of the game. Ship A has a defense number of one. So if ship A is being attacked you must roll a one to dodge the attack and survive since the lowest number on a six-sided die is one (B=1, C=3, D=4).

     Each ship has a number of points it is worth. When customizing your fleet in the beginning of the game you must construct a fleet with a total worth of eighty points. If the game ends by each player moving its fleet to the enemy base the player with the most amount of points, based on which and how many of each ship are in the enemy base, wins. Ship A is worth ten points (B=15, C=20, D=25).

Action Counters - 

     There are four different types of action counters: AP, Defense, Move Asteroid, and Blank. Each player may have up to five action counters in their hand at a time. All action counters that are not being held by a player are kept in a cup waiting to be drawn randomly. Each turn a player can choose to discard their held action counters. If they don't choose to attack or move the player may randomly draw up to three action counters, as long as they do not exceed their five in-hand limit.

     AP counters are spent on movement and combat. Once they are spent they are placed back in the cup. If a player decides to move a ship they must spend one AP counter. If the decide to attack they must spend two AP counters. If a defending ship survives an attack, the attacking player may decide to immediately attack again for the cost of one AP counter.  They may move or attack any number of times in a turn as long as they have AP counters to spend.

     There are two different Defense counters.  There is a +1 and +2 defense counter. If a player is defending against an attack and they have a defense counter in their hand they may choose to use the counter to up their designated defense number by the appropriate number. If ship A has a starting defense number and the player decides to use its +2 defense counter, ship A has a defense number of 3 for the current attack. After the attack the defense counter is discarded and the original defense number is restored to that particular ship A.

     If a player draws a Move Asteroid counter it must be played immediately.  An asteroid on the board will be randomly selected by a roll of the die. Another die roll will then randomly determine which direction the asteroid will move. The asteroid may move any direction except diagonally and may not move into a space with another asteroid.  If the asteroid is moved into the same space a spaceship is occupying, that space ship is eliminated from the board and the rest of the game.  The Move Asteroid counter is discarded back into the cup after it is drawn and the asteroid is moved.

Asteroid Counters - 

     There are three asteroid counters that are placed randomly in three out of six spots on the map depending on a die roll. The asteroid counters occupy one grid space and are only moved, randomly, when a player draws the Move Asteroid counter.

Blank Counters - 

     Blank Counters may be used for any action counter.

Operative Actions:

     Customize and place fleet

     Move a spaceship counter

     Draw/ discard action counters

     Roll die

Resultant Actions:

     There are many options when customizing and placing your fleet at the beginning of each game.  You can choose to have a lot of weak pawn-like ships, a couple of strong ships, and everything in between.  Formulating a strategy and building your fleet around that strategy will result in many different types of games.

     Depending on which counters are drawn and discarded, a player will choose to move or attack.  Each player can move their ships strategically to influence the other player in many ways.  Using ships and the placement of asteroids players can position themselves to block, defend, attack, create paths, lure and corner enemies.

     You can strategically hold onto or discard action counters. For instance, you could hold onto a defense counter to increase your odds of winning a decisive battle.

     Rolling the die provides a balanced chance mechanic into the game. The die rolls can determine the outcome of a battle or wreak havoc on ships via asteroids.

Skills Players Learn: 

     Players will learn mostly mental and social skills. Players will learn mental skills by forming strategies when building their fleet and implementing those strategies on the battlefield.  Players will also have to outwit their opponents strategies.  Weighing options about movement, combat, drawing and discarding counters, chance of asteroid hits will develop mental skills.  Players will have to try and read their opponents strategies and try to figure out what counters they have which will help develop social skills.

Most of the rules were explained in my deconstruct. Here's some clarity on some important parts of the game. Space Dogfight is a two-player turn based game.  Separate the red and blue spaceships by color and give the players on set each.  Each player will then secretly customize a fleet equaling 80 points, placing unused spaceships face down off the board (they will not be used the rest of the game). Place the asteroids. Alternate placing fleets, ship by ship, in appropriate starting zones. The sequence of play consists of two actions: [1] Discard action counters, then either [2a] Draw Action counters or [2b] Spend AP counters. Alternate turns until goal is reached.
For a more straightforward, streamlined version of the rules visit Space Dogfight's website.