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Federation & Empire

Federation & Empire

Amarillo Design Bureau, Inc. · 1986
2–8300–3000 min12+ yrs4.4/5 complexity6.5 BGG#8.257 BGG1,3 KCouplesStrategy
short answer

How do you play Federation & Empire?

This sprawling empire game is set in the Star Fleet Universe. Players command one or more races in a variety of scenarios as they replay the "historical" situations in the galactic politics of the future.

To find the best price for Federation & Empire, howtoplay.ro compares deals from Romanian shops every day.

Federation & Empire box art
official art · Amarillo Design Bureau, Inc.

This sprawling empire game is set in the Star Fleet Universe. Players command one or more races in a variety of scenarios as they replay the "historical" situations in the galactic politics of the future.

It is the base set for the Federation and Empire series of products.

The Star Fleet Universe series is based on the game Star Fleet Battles, and Federation & Empire is a strategic game based in that background. Federation & Empire is a stand alone game, and Star Fleet Battles is not required or needed to play this game.

The two games are closely related, and Star Fleet Battles can be used to resolve some or all of the tactical battles of Federation & Empire, and Federation & Empire can be used as a campaign system for Star Fleet Battles.

The original version came out in 1986, and was published by Task Force Games. This was followed in 1993 with the "Deluxe" version, which replaced the original release. "Deluxe" was indicated on the front of the box to indicate it was the new version. The Deluxe version included a revised rule book, more counter sheets, and other player aids such as the battle board and player folio.

The "Deluxe" version had three expansions:

Federation & Empire: Carrier War
Federation & Empire: F & E Module 1 – Special Operations
Federation & Empire: F & E Module 2 – Marine Assault

In 2000, another revision of the rules was completed, and the F&E 2K (as it is called) version stood for a decade.

In 2010 the countersheets were entirely redone (with a larger number of counters per sheet) and the rulebook was once again revised to incorporate the last 10 years of errata and rulings, allowing a better integration with the expansions that were released during this period.

Expanded by:

Federation & Empire: Advanced Operations
Federation & Empire: Combined Operations (combined and replaced Federation & Empire: F & E Module 1 – Special Operations and Federation & Empire: F & E Module 2 – Marine Assault)
Federation & Empire: Fighter Operations (replaced Federation & Empire: Carrier War)
Federation & Empire: Planetary Operations
Federation & Empire: Strategic Operations
Federation & Empire: ISC War
Federation & Empire: Minor Empires

Since 2010 ADB has created, in both print and pdf form, Compendium I, II and III. The first two covered the F&E sections in Captains Log’s 21-40. All material for the base game from these is in the 2010 rule book however material for the expansions Advanced, Combined, Planetary and Strategic Operations are in the first two Compendiums’. Compendium III has Captains Log’s 41-50 which were all printed post 2010 rules.

Fighter Operations is now updated to the 2010 standard. All relevant items from the first two Compendiums' is included.

game anatomy
Complexity4.4 / 5
BGG rating6.5 / 10
Vibe
CouplesStrategy
Language dependence
Extensive text — heavy translation needed
Play time
300–3000 min
Players
2–8
Recommended age
12+ yrs
BGG rank
#8.257
from Trișache · verified

Frequently asked questions

Q1How much does Federation & Empire cost?
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Q2Where can I buy Federation & Empire cheapest?
Check the Prices tab — howtoplay.ro aggregates offers from 7+ Romanian board-game stores and tracks price history.
Q3How do you play Federation & Empire?
Federation & Empire is a science fiction game, for 2–8 players, taking ~300–3000 minutes, featuring dice rolling. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about Federation & Empire — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q4How many players does Federation & Empire support?
Federation & Empire is played by 2–8 players.
Q5How long does a game of Federation & Empire take?
A game of Federation & Empire takes about 300–3000 minutes. (The first game doesn't count. It never counts.)
Q6What age is Federation & Empire for?
Federation & Empire is recommended from age 12.
Q7How complex is Federation & Empire?
Federation & Empire has a BoardGameGeek complexity of 4.4 out of 5.
Mechanics & categories

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