Memory Alpha
Memory Alpha
Line 15: Line 15:
   
 
=== ''Federation Commander: Klingon Border'' ===
 
=== ''Federation Commander: Klingon Border'' ===
[[Image:FedCommandersWeb.jpg|thumb|Cover art for ''Federation Commander: Klingon Border'', featuring a Federation ''Kirov-''class Battle cruiser facing a Klingon C7 Heavy Battle cruiser]]
+
[[File:Federation Commander - Klingon Border cover.jpg|thumb|Cover art for ''Federation Commander: Klingon Border'', featuring a Federation ''Kirov-''class Battle cruiser facing a Klingon C7 Heavy Battle cruiser]]
 
This release contains a 48 page rulebook, reference play sheets, with color counters and corresponding ship diagrams for various ship classes in the Federation's United Star Fleet (including the fabled {{ShipClass|Constitution}} starship portrayed in ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' and the {{ShipClass|Federation}} [[Dreadnought (type)|Dreadnought]] seen in the ''[[Star Fleet Technical Manual]]'') and the Klingon Empire's Deep Space Fleet (including the famed [[Klingon starships#D7 class|D7]]-class battle cruisers, seen serving the Klingon and [[Romulan]] Empires in the Original Series) Two ship classes from the [[Kzinti Hegemony]], the [[Tholian]] Holdfast's famed Patrol Corvette – the vessel from {{e|The Tholian Web}}, an [[Orion]] pirate raider vessel, as well as a number of freighter craft, base stations, starbases and a space monster - the feared [[planet killer|Planet Killer]] – are also included.
 
This release contains a 48 page rulebook, reference play sheets, with color counters and corresponding ship diagrams for various ship classes in the Federation's United Star Fleet (including the fabled {{ShipClass|Constitution}} starship portrayed in ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' and the {{ShipClass|Federation}} [[Dreadnought (type)|Dreadnought]] seen in the ''[[Star Fleet Technical Manual]]'') and the Klingon Empire's Deep Space Fleet (including the famed [[Klingon starships#D7 class|D7]]-class battle cruisers, seen serving the Klingon and [[Romulan]] Empires in the Original Series) Two ship classes from the [[Kzinti Hegemony]], the [[Tholian]] Holdfast's famed Patrol Corvette – the vessel from {{e|The Tholian Web}}, an [[Orion]] pirate raider vessel, as well as a number of freighter craft, base stations, starbases and a space monster - the feared [[planet killer|Planet Killer]] – are also included.
   

Revision as of 16:17, 2 May 2009

Template:Realworld

File:Fchalfinchsample.jpg

Sample ½" counters

File:Fcmegahexsample.jpg

Sample 1" (Megahex) counters

File:FCKB Contents.jpg

Image of the contents of the Federation Commander: Klingon Border box set

File:Fctrialmaps.jpg

Image of the trial proof of the mounted maps for the game

Federation Commander is a tactical starship combat game system set in the alternate Star Fleet Universe, produced and developed by Amarillo Design Bureau (ADB). It is designed to represent combat between starships of various factions in the Star Fleet Universe, such as the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire. Unlike its sister publication, Star Fleet Battles, Federation Commander is not intended to be a very in-depth simulation of space combat in the 22nd-23rd centuries. Rather, it is aimed at providing a balance between tactical nuance and ease of playability, one which makes the game more accessible for newer gamers, or those with limited time constraints, than Star Fleet Battles.

A list of questions and answers concerning Federation Commander – and its differences from Star Fleet Battles – is available here.

A key means of facilitating this is the distinction between Squadron and Fleet scale combat. Each starship or base (or space monster!) has two ship diagrams, representing its weapon options, shields, number of shuttlecraft, available warp drive and impulse power, etc. The same starship (such as, say, a Federation battle cruiser) has one diagram in a more detailed Squadron scale – the kind of scale seen in Star Fleet Battles – and another, more simplified one in Fleet scale – a similar scale to the Cadet scale seen in SFB. Both scales use the same rule system, allowing gamers to play a fast-paced duel or starbase assault in Fleet scale, or a more detailed cruiser clash or squadron battle in the aptly-titled Squadron scale. Examples of each scale of starship can be seen at ADB's Federation Commander site in PDF format.

Initial and current releases

The initial releases for the Federation Commander game system were:

Federation Commander: Klingon Border

File:Federation Commander - Klingon Border cover.jpg

Cover art for Federation Commander: Klingon Border, featuring a Federation Kirov-class Battle cruiser facing a Klingon C7 Heavy Battle cruiser

This release contains a 48 page rulebook, reference play sheets, with color counters and corresponding ship diagrams for various ship classes in the Federation's United Star Fleet (including the fabled Template:ShipClass starship portrayed in Star Trek: The Original Series and the Template:ShipClass Dreadnought seen in the Star Fleet Technical Manual) and the Klingon Empire's Deep Space Fleet (including the famed D7-class battle cruisers, seen serving the Klingon and Romulan Empires in the Original Series) Two ship classes from the Kzinti Hegemony, the Tholian Holdfast's famed Patrol Corvette – the vessel from "The Tholian Web", an Orion pirate raider vessel, as well as a number of freighter craft, base stations, starbases and a space monster - the feared Planet Killer – are also included.

This module is currently available.

Federation Commander: Klingon Attack

File:Fcka.jpg

Cover art for Federation Commander: Klingon Attack, featuring a Federation New Jersey-class Battle cruiser against a Klingon D5 War Cruiser and D5W New Heavy Cruiser

This release includes 16 additional starships for the races from Klingon Border, as well as containing new game scenarios.

This module is currently available.

Federation Commander Booster Packs

This set of releases includes additional ship diagrams for the existing races, as well as new ship types for each race.

Booster Packs 1, 2 and 3 (from Klingon Border) and 4, 5 and 6 (from Klingon Attack) are currently available, as well as 7, 8, 9 (from Romulan Border), 10, 11 and 12 (from Romulan Attack), 13, 14 and 15 (from Tholian Attack), 16, 17 and 18 (from Battleships Attack) and 19 and 20 (from Distant Kingdoms).

Federation Commander First Missions Introductory Manual

This downloadable document includes introductory rules for Federation Commander: Klingon Border, as well as ship diagrams for a Federation CA and a Klingon D7. It is available at this link (in PDF format).

Federation Commander Booster Pack #0: Threat File and Intelligence Briefing

Of most note in the first batch of booster pack releases for those already acquainted with the Star Fleet Universe – as well as those interested in the other races on offer – is Booster Pack #0: Threat File and Intelligence Briefing. This pack includes trial rules for Romulan, Gorn, Hydran, Lyran, WYN and Interstellar Concordium starships, as well as for the unique weapon systems of each race.

This booster pack is currently available.

Federation Commander: Romulan Border

File:Federation commander, romulan border.jpg

Cover art for Federation Commander: Romulan Border, featuring a Federation Bismarck-class Battle cruiser facing a Romulan War Eagle

This release substitutes the Romulans and the Gorn for the Klingons and the Kzinti.

This module is currently available.

Federation Commander: Romulan Attack

File:Fcra.jpg

Cover art for Federation Commander: Romulan Attack, featuring a Federation Kearsarge-class New Light Cruiser engaged with a Romulan King Eagle Cruiser and SparrowHawk Light Cruiser

This release includes 16 extra starships for the races from Romulan Border, as well as containing additional game scenarios.

This module is currently available.

Federation Commander: Tholian Attack

File:Fcta.jpg

Cover art for Federation Commander: Tholian Attack, featuring a squadron of Tholian vessels engaging a force of Seltorian starships

This release fleshes out the Tholian forces and rules - such as for the famed Tholian web. The Seltorians, an insectoid race once slaves to the Tholians in their home galaxy, are also included in this release.

This module is currently available.

Federation Commander: Academy

File:FC-AcademyCover5in.jpg

Cover art for Federation Commander: Academy, featuring a Federation Constitution-class heavy cruiser and a Gorn battle cruiser against a Klingon D7 battle cruiser and a Romulan King Eagle

This release is intended as an introductory product, placed as an intermediate product between the First Missions pdf and the two 'border' box sets. It includes a copy of the rulebook from Klingon Border, the 1/2" counters and ship cards for four starships (The Federation CA, Klingon D7, Gorn BC and Romulan KE) and an unmounted paper map.

This module is currently available.

Federation Commander: Battleships Attack

File:Fcba.jpg

Cover art for Federation Commander: Battleships Attack, featuring a Federation Ares-class battleship against a Klingon B10 battleship

This release includes a number of battleships for the races included in the two Border boxes, as well as bases and other large craft.

This module is currently available.

Federation Commander: Briefing #1

File:Federation Commander - Briefing 1.jpg

Cover art for Federation Commander: Briefing #1, featuring a Kzinti Battlecruiser against a Klingon D7 Battlecruiser

This release includes various items such as a range of new scenarios, six new ships and a scenario designers' guide.

This module is currently available.

Federation Commander: Distant Kingdoms

File:Federation Commander - Distant Kingdoms.jpg

Cover art for Federation Commander: Distant Kingdoms, featuring Lyran, WYN and Hydran forces in combat

This release includes vessels from the Lyran Star Empire and the Hydran Kingdom, and also includes ships from the Lyran Democratic Republic and WYN Star Cluster.

This module is currently available.

Future releases

Future releases include:

Federation Commander: Orion Pirates

This release will include additional Orion Pirate vessels, as well as others.

This module will be released sometime in 2008.


Federation Commander: War and Peace

This release will include ships from the Interstellar Concordium, and may include a second race, such as the Andromedans. However, there is, as yet, no confirmation as to which, if any, second race is to be included.

This module will be released sometime in 2009.

Federation Commander: Borders of Madness

This release will include several ships in Fleet scale from Star Fleet Battles which will not be included in the main Federation Commander releases, such as scout vessels, commando starships and space control ships (dreadnoughts serving as home vessels for fighter craft and fast patrol craft).

Also, many rules which have been excluded from the main Federation Commander modules will be included for those who wish to use them. In contrast to the step-by-step release schedule for various races in the main line Federation Commander sets, each race seen in SFB which will have a representation in Borders of Madness will be included in the first module.

As this game is intended for an audience already familiar with SFB, this release will be primarily available from ADB's mail order site.

This module's release date is unknown.

Awaiting development

Other reserved titles, such as:

Federation Commander: Deep Space

as well as

Federation Commander: Next Frontier

These have not as yet been assigned to cover specific races or scenarios.

Miniatures

Also, a series of related miniature box sets is scheduled for release alongside each title release. Due for release alongside Klingon Border were Federation and Klingon fleet sets, as well as sets containing the other warships, freighters and bases seen in FC:KB. Since then, miniature boxes have been released matching each subsequent FC release.

External links

  • [1] - ADB's Federation Commander home page
  • [2] - ADB's more recent Federation Commander home page
  • [3] - The Federation Commander development threads on the legacy ADB boards
  • [4] - ADB's second, FC-oriented, message boards
  • [5] - ADB's mail order site