Star Fleet Battles

Star Fleet Battles (or SFB) is a game created by the Amarillo Design Bureau and published by the now-defunct Task Force Games beginning in . Amarillo Design Bureau now publishes the game independently. The principal designer is Stephen V. Cole, an engineer and former US Army military intelligence officer. It has undergone heavy revision and expansion since it was originally released and is the oldest and most thoroughly tested Star Trek-based game in existence. 
While this is a Star Trek product officially licensed by Paramount Pictures, it is granted only a partial license, and as such cannot mention specifics of canon Trek in the games, save for basic information. This game does not use the name Star Trek in its title, but incorporates the design of the heavy cruiser and the uniforms, weapons, aliens, and some of the terminology of the era. Part of this license allows the game to depict information from the Star Fleet Technical Manual by Franz Joseph (such as the dreadnought and tug) and also information from (including the Klingon projected stasis field and Larry Niven's rarely-seen Kzinti. It should be noted that the SFU Kzinti are very distinct from those of Larry Niven's works). This game's license forbids the release of characters, aliens, ships, or situations taken from any of the or the era series (, , , etc.). However, Amarillo Design Bureau has continually added their own ships and races to the game system, referring to their continuity as the Star Fleet Universe.
While Star Fleet Battles is a tactical-level game, Amarillo Design Bureau also published a strategic-level game based on the same "universe" entitled Federation & Empire in which is similar to a game entitled , also published by Task Force Games. The focus of the game involves the eighteen-year long General War fought between the "Coalition" (the Klingon, Romulan, and Lyran Empires) and the "Alliance" (the Federation, Kzinti, Hydrans, and Gorn with the Tholians as co-belligerents). Expansions and updates published in and have greatly enhanced the game and further expansions are still forthcoming to involve races and time periods outside of the General War. A role-playing game has also been created entitled which focuses on small, specially-trained and equipped "Prime Teams", who are sent on exceptionally dangerous missions. Also, a card-based combat game known as Star Fleet Battle Force and a new tactical combat game, Federation Commander are also produced by the company.
Because of the game's extensive revisions and high-degree of playability, much of the material from the Star Fleet Battles universe was incorporated into video games by Interplay, such as Star Trek: Starfleet Command and Star Trek: Klingon Academy. These games were licensed by Paramount and therefore were allowed to feature situations during the Star Trek movie era. Amarillo Design Bureau's partial license has prohibited them from producing computer games based on their own material and previously published board games, however this has been disputed in the past and is still being contested by legal means. 
== Books ==
=== Pocket Edition ===
* #1004 Pocket Game #4 (1979)
=== Designer's Edition ===
* #5001 Designer's Edition (1979)
* #---- Expansion #1 1st edition (1980)
* #1015 Expansion #1 2nd edition (1980)
* #1022 Expansion #2 (1982)
* #1025 Expansion #3 (1982)
=== Commander's Edition ===
* #5001 Commander's Edition - Volume I 1st edition (1983)
* #5001 Commander's Edition - Volume I 2nd edition (1983)
* #5008 Commander's Edition - Volume II (1984)
* #5009 Commander's Edition - Volume III (1985)
* #3003 Supplement #1. Fighters & Shuttles (1983)
* #3013 Supplement #2. X-Ships (1985)
* #3019 Supplement #3. Fast Patrol Ships (1985)
* #3005 Commander's SSD Book #1 1st edition (1983)
* #3005 Commander's SSD Book #1 2nd edition (1985)
* #3006 Commander's SSD Book #2 1st edition (1983)
* #3006 Commander's SSD Book #2 2nd edition (1985)
* #3007 Commander's SSD Book #3 1st edition (1983)
* #3007 Commander's SSD Book #3 2nd edition (1986)
* #3009 Commander's SSD Book #4 (1984)
* #3016 Commander's SSD Book #5 (1985)
* #3018 Commander's SSD Book #6 (1985)
* #3020 Commander's SSD Book #7 (1986)
* #3021 Commander's SSD Book #8 (1986)
* #3023 Commander's SSD Book #9 (1987)
* #3014 Reinforcements (1984)
* #3024 Reinforcements #2 (1987)
* #3015 Commander's Rulebook Update I (1984)
* #3032 Commander's Rulebook Update II (1988)
* #---- Commander's Rulebook Volume I (1983)
* #3011 Commander's Rulebook Volume II (1984)
* #---- Commander's Rulebook Volume III (1984)
* #3000 Introduction to Star Fleet Battles (1986)
* #3025 Tactics Manual 1st edition (1987)
* #3030 Captain's Module A: Battlecards! (1988)
* #3031 Captain's Module B: Terrain Maps (1988)
=== Captain's Edition ===
* #5555 Captain's Edition - Basic Set pre-edition (1990)
* #5501 Captain's Edition - Basic Set 1st edition (1990)
* #5501 Captain's Edition - Basic Set 2nd edition (1999)
* #5502 Captain's Edition - Advanced Missions 1st edition (1990)
* #5502 Captain's Edition - Advanced Missions 2nd edition (1999)
;Modules
* #5625 A+: Captain's Yeoman (2003)
* #5601 C1: New Worlds I 1st edition (1991)
* #5601 C1: New Worlds I 2nd edition (1999)
* #5601 C1: New Worlds I 3rd edition (PDF, 2016)
* #5602 C2: New Worlds II 1st edition (1991)
* #5602 C2: New Worlds II 2nd edition (1999)
* #5602 C2: New Worlds II 3rd edition (PDF, 2016)
* #5603 C3: New Worlds III (1993)
* #5635 C3A: Andromedan Threat File (2011)
* #5616 C4: Fleet Training Centers (1995)
* #5618 C5: Magellanic Cloud (2006)
* #5636 C6: Lost Empires (2013)
* #3551 D1: Veterans Master Ship Chart (1991) 							
* #3552 D2: Tournament Tactics (1992)
* #3553 D3: Booms & Saucers (1993)
* #7102 E2: The Triangulum Galaxy (2001)
* #7103 E3: Borak Star League (2011)
* #7104 E4: The Peladine (2011)
* #7105 E5: North Polar Republic (2020)
* #5614 F1: The Jindarians (1994)
* #5629 F2: The Vudar Enclave (2005)
* #---- G1: Master Annex File (1996)
* #---- G2: Master Annex File (2004)
* #5423 G3: Master Annex File (2009)
* #5424 G3A: Supplementary Annexes (2009)
* #4501 H1: Megahex! (2007)
* #5604 J: Fighters (1991)
* #5619 J2: Advanced Fighters (2002)
* #5605 K: Fast Patrol Ships (1991)
* #5615 M: Star Fleet Marines (1995)
* #3501 P1 (preview, 1991)
* #3502 P2: X-Ships (preview, 1991)
* #3503 P3: Scenario - 1 (preview, 1991)
* #3504 P4: Marines! (preview, 1992)
* #3505 P5: Lyran Democratic Republic (preview, 1992)
* #5751 P6: The Galactic Smorgasbord (preview, 1995)
* #5606 R1: Bases & Auxiliaries 1st edition (1992)
* #5606 R1: Bases & Auxiliaries 2nd edition (PDF, 2023)
* #5607 R2: Federation, Kzinti, Orion, Andro (1992)
* #5608 R3: Klingon, Hydran, Lyran, Wyn (1992)
* #5609 R4: Romulan, ISC, Gorn, Tholian (1992)
* #5638 R4J: Shadow of the Eagle - Rulebook (PDF, 2021)
* #5637 R4T: The Tholian Will - Rulebook (PDF, 2021)
* #5610 R5: Battleships! (1992)
* #5617 R6: The Fast Warships 1st edition (1995)
* #5617 R6: The Fast Warships 2nd edition (PDF, 2023)
* #5621 R7: Dreadnoughts at War (1999)
* #5627 R8: System Defense Command (2004)
* #5628 R9: The Ships That Never Were (2004)
* #5626 R10: The New Cruisers (2003)
* #5630 R11: Support Ships (2007)
* #5633 R12: Unusual Ships (2010)
* #7107 R107: The Nicozian Concordance (2012)
* #3500 Tournament Book 1991 (1991)
* #5611 T: Tournament Book (1993)
* #5622 T: Tournament Battles 1st edition (2000)
* #5622 T: Tournament Battles 2nd edition (2012)
* #5624 TR: Tournament Reference (2007)
* #5704 S1: Scenario Book #1 (1992)
* #5707 S2: Scenario Book #2 (1994)
* #---- W: Space Battle Maps (2001)
* #5612 X1: The X-ships (1994)
* #5631 X1R: X-Ship Reinforcements (2008)
* #5623 Y1: The Early Years (2000)
* #5632 Y2: The Early Years II (2008)
* #5634 Y3: The Early Years III (2010)
* #5425 YG3: Early Years Annexes (2016)
* #5661 Ω1: The Omega Sector (1999)
* #5662 Ω2: Omega Reinforcements (2000)
* #5663 Ω3: The Omega Wars (2000)
* #5664 Ω4: The Omega Rebellion (2002)
* #5665 Ω5: Omega Flotillas (2008)
* #3100 Cadet Training Manual 1st edition (1992)
* #5620 Cadet Training Handbook 2nd edition (1996)
* #5556 Captain's SSD Pack (1991)
* #5715 Campaign Designer's Handbook (1996)
* #5310 Deluxe Space Battle Maps (2005)
* #5716 Galactic Conquest: A Star Fleet Universe Campaign Engine version 4C (2009)
* #5716 Galactic Conquest: A Star Fleet Universe Campaign Engine version 5C (2014)
* #---- Omega Sector Master Rulebook 1st edition (2007)
* #5670 Omega Sector Master Rulebook 2nd edition (2011)
* #5703 Tactics Manual 2nd edition (1992)
* #5703 Tactics Manual 3rd edition (2000)
* #5412 Silver Anniversary Master Rulebook 1st edition (2004)
* #5412 Silver Anniversary Master Rulebook 2nd edition (2012)
* #5432 Federation Master Starship Book (2014)
* #5433 Klingon Master Starship Book (2015)
* #5434 Romulan Master Starship Book (2016)
* #5435 Kzinti Master Starship Book (2018)
* #5436 Gorn Master Starship Book (2019)
* #5437 Tholian Master Starship Book (2020)
* #5439 Hydran Master Starship Book (2014)
* #5441 Lyran Master Starship Book (2017)
* #5444 LDR Master Starship Book (2017)
=== Standalone games ===
:These standalone games could also be used as a campaign game for Star Fleet Battles :
* (1981)
* Federation & Empire (1986, 1993, 2000, 2010)
=== Magazines ===
* #3004 Captain's Log #1 (1983)
* #3008 Captain's Log #2 (1983)
* #3010 Captain's Log #3 (1984)
* #3012 Captain's Log #4 (1986)
* #3026 Captain's Log #5 - Day of the Eagle! (1987)
* #3027 Captain's Log #6 - B-10 Briefing (1988)
* #3028 Captain's Log #7 - What Price Victory? (1989)
* #5701 Captain's Log #8 - Cease Fire Collapse! (1990)
* #5702 Captain's Log #9 - Fighters Inbound! (1991)
* #5705 Captain's Log #10 - Special Tactics Issue! (1992)
* #5706 Captain's Log #11 - Origins of the General War! (1993)
* #5708 Captain's Log #12 - Preview: Early Years (1993)
* #5709 Captain's Log #13 - The Best of Nexus (1993)
* #5710 Captain's Log #14 - Betrayal at Oxvind V (1994)
* #5711 Captain's Log #15 - Too Close to the Flame (1994)
* #5712 Captain's Log #16 - A Sense of Obligation (1994)
* #5713 Captain's Log #17 - A Brief History of the General War (1995)
* #5714 Captain's Log #18 - A New Start (1999)
* #5719 Captain's Log #19 - From Another Point of View (1999)
* #5720 Captain's Log #20 - The Eye of the Storm (2000)
* #5721 Captain's Log #21 - The Art of Duty (2000)
* #5722 Captain's Log #22 - Fire Fight (2001)
* #5723 Captain's Log #23 - First Blood (2001)
* #5724 Captain's Log #24 - Flashpoint (2002)
* #5725 Captain's Log #25 - Return of the Hood (2002)
* #5726 Captain's Log #26 - Combat Rescue! (2003)
* #5727 Captain's Log #27 - Battle for Rimworld (2003)
* #5728 Captain's Log #28 - Wings of Terror (2004)
* #5729 Captain's Log #29 - A Mission of Vital Importance (2004)
* #5730 Captain's Log #30 - Threads of War (2004)
* #5731 Captain's Log #31 - Shield of the Federation (2005)
* #5732 Captain's Log #32 - Introducing... Federation Commander (2006)
* #5733 Captain's Log #33 - Return of the Juggernaut (2006)
* #5734 Captain's Log #34 - For the Good of the Empire (2006)
* #5735 Captain's Log #35 - Duty, Honor, Empire (2007)
* #5736 Captain's Log #36 - Web of Deceit (2008)
* #5737 Captain's Log #37 - The Magnificent Panzers (2008)
* #5738 Captain's Log #38 - Doomward and the Vortex (2008)
* #5739 Captain's Log #39 - Burden of Duty Debt of Revenge (2009)
* #5740 Captain's Log #40 - The Nature of the Beast (2009)
* #5741 Captain's Log #41 - Igneous: Glass Colonies (2010)
* #5742 Captain's Log #42 - Wings over Arcturia (2010)
* #5743 Captain's Log #43 - A Measure of Fear (2011)
* #5744 Captain's Log #44 - A Call to Arms (2011)
* #5745 Captain's Log #45 - Race to Confrontation (2012)
* #5746 Captain's Log #46 - For Duty, All Things (2013)
* #5747 Captain's Log #47 - Into the Eagle's Nest (2013)
* #5748 Captain's Log #48 - The Battle with Tribbles (2014)
* #5749 Captain's Log #49 - A Brief History of the Andromedan War (2014)
* #5750 Captain's Log #50 - Day of the Dragon (2015)
* #5751 Captain's Log #51 - Night Hounds (2016)
* #5752 Captain's Log #52 - Escape from Xylad (2017)
* #5753 Captain's Log #53 - Practice to Deceive (2019)
* #5754 Captain's Log #54 - The Return of the Darwin (2020)
* #3601 Stellar Shadow Journal #1 (2001)
== See also ==
* Star Trek starship miniatures
* Star Trek model kits
== External link ==
* 
de:Star Fleet Battles
Category:Games