Forbidden Stars

2015 · Bluffing

Forbidden Stars

Factions mobilize fleets and contest a fractured cluster of star systems for scattered objective tokens. Players command one of four asymmetric forces, each with distinct units and capabilities, and compete to secure faction-specific objectives placed around the board. Gameplay runs in repeating three-phase rounds. In the planning phase players secretly place order tokens on system tiles. In the operations phase those orders are resolved to dominate (extract planetary resources), strategize (buy upgrade cards), deploy (construct buildings and field units), or advance (move and attack). The refresh phase collects income, moves dangerous Warp Storms via event cards, and heals damaged units. Initial setup has players build the cluster tile-by-tile and place starting forces and objectives, creating tactical and positional choices that reward both short-term bluffing and longer-term military planning.

Players
2–4 best 3
Playing time
120–180 min
Age
14+
Complexity
3.8 / 5
7.7 on LudoyaScience FictionFightingModular BoardDeck, Bag, and Pool BuildingDice Rolling

On Ludoya's tables

Full stats in Ludoya
173
Plays logged
206
Players
4h 8m
Average play
66
In collections
21
On wishlists
1
Pre-ordered

7.7/10

from 41 Ludoya reviews

  • BWizard8.3

    [c] (15x) GAMING EXPERIENCE: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (5x) DEPTH / WEIGHT: ★★★★★★★★★☆ (5x) LUCK: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (10x) REPLAYABILITY: ★★★★★★★★★★ (6x) MECHANICS: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (6x) PLAYER INTERACTION: ★★★★★★★★★★ (3x) SCALABILITY (PLAYER COUNT): ★★★★★★★★☆☆ (2x) LENGTH: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (2x) CLARITY OF RULES: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ (6x) COMPONENT QUALITY: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ [/c] I expect my rating will be a little (?) higher, after we play more with this game!!! :thumbsdown: ...but need more time to bring this to the table... :thumbsup: I have a fully translated (rulebooks, cards, teamsheets...) version with all the extra fractions (IG, tyranid, tau, necron).

  • Balleflass8.0

    FFG 63.5x88mm sleeves.

  • Terumo9.0

    NEV

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Rules questions

Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.

Can I place more than one order on the same system during the Planning Phase?

Yes — multiple order tokens may be placed on the same system and form a stack (the most recently placed token is on top); during the Operations Phase players resolve the top token of a stack when chosen (pages 5–6).

Do routed units still count for movement or combat?

No — routed units are placed on their side and cannot move, trigger combat card abilities, or contribute dice or morale; they are stood back up (rallied) during the Refresh Phase (page 7).

How far can my ships and ground units move with an Advance, and is there a limit per area?

With an Advance Order you may move ships within the active system and one adjacent system (ships can move to any void in the active system), and ground units along connected paths within the active and one adjacent system; each area has a unit capacity (voids 3, worlds as shown by skull icons) and any units exceeding capacity after resolving an order must be destroyed (page 10).

If I attack with both ships and ground in a contested area, do they fight together or separately?

They fight together: combat is resolved for the contested area and all unrouted units contribute their dice, morale, and abilities to the same combat (attacker vs. defender) following the combat steps (page 12).

Do I need to have a unit or structure in the system to resolve a Strategize order or buy upgrades?

Yes — to resolve a Strategize Order you must have a unit or structure in the active system in order to look through and purchase order and/or combat upgrades (page 10).

Can units move through Warp Storms or are Warp Storms permanent obstacles?

Units cannot move through Warp Storms; Warp Storm tokens block movement and are moved during the Refresh Phase according to event card instructions (page 7).

Opens Ludoya's rules assistant, which reads this game's rulebook.

Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.