Starcraft: The Board Game

If you simply can’t get enough Starcraft 2, but are sick of sitting at your computer, how about giving Starcraft: The Board Game a try?

Ratings: (9 customer reviews)

Price: $89.95 $63.82 (You save $26.13)

Starcraft: The Board Game allows players to take their love of Starcraft to a new level and play in a more personal way, with the use of 180 plastic figures, a card based combat system, and a modular board.

Is The Board Game Any Good, Though?

One of the biggest assets that any board game based on a video game property can have is the property itself, right? So, the Starcraft board game does a great job of knowing its strengths and incorporating them into the game itself. For instance, you can use techniques in the board game that are based on real-life Starcraft (and Starcraft 2) tactics, such as Zergling rushes, using Protoss shields to stop invasions, or using cloaked units.

Starcraft The Board Game Back Detail

The game was met with a decent amount of critical acclaim upon its release, as it won awards for its art work, as well as becoming the 2007 Origins Awards winner for Board Game of the Year. While the board game itself may not require you to think and counter as fast as the PC game is, the game can be complex and a little intimidating at first. Why is that? Because of the 180 figures, tokens for orders, bases, workers, transports, buildings, modules, and more, as well as a total of 330 cards for resources, combat, technology and events.

Fortunately, the rulebook actually does a good job of explaining the basics (as well as some advanced gameplay) needed to enjoy the Starcraft board game. However, the rulebook does struggle at times when it comes to providing pertinent information, which can make your first couple of games take longer than necessary.

Starcraft Board Game

Length is a bit of an issue with the Starcraft board game, too, as a full game can easily take three to four hours. If you enjoy an epic board game battle and you have like-minded friends, this is no big deal, but if you are trying to entice your friends into giving this a try out of the blue, you may have an uphill battle due to the relative inaccessibility of the game and the length of play required.

One criticism that some players have levied on the board game is that it strays from the concepts of the video game in some areas.

For instance, it has players battle over multiple planets as part of a war, rather than focusing on battle taking place on one planet, like the PC games do. However, this and other relatively small deviances from the PC games were simply necessary to adapt the experience to a board game, and doesn’t ruin the “fun factor” at all.

The game is probably a bit more fun if you know some basic tips, too. Here are some ways that you can start off on the right foot with the Starcraft board game, rather than bumbling about aimlessly and getting frustrated:

Buy workers right away!
Do not forget to build transports. Many people make this mistake and end up paying the price for it.
Resource and point zones are very important. If you don’t start with resource zones, make obtaining them a priority. Also, point zones are necessary because if you can get three points each turn, you could actually win within five turns.
Always research early into your turn. This way, you will have cards in your hand if someone should attack you.

Overall, Starcraft: The Board Game is a fun, strategic board game and a great collector’s addition to the Starcraft universe. While initially, it can be complex to learn and time-consuming, however if you are already a big fan of the Starcraft series and enjoy a good hardcore game of deep strategy, give Starcraft: The Board Game a shot.

Product Features

StarCraft: The Board Game is a game for 2-6 players, ages 12 and up, playable in 3-4 hours
Starcraft: The Board Game includes:

Starcraft Board Game Cards

1 Rulebook

1 First Player Token

1 Conquest Point Track

6 Conquest Point Markers

6 Faction Sheets

6 Reference Sheets

12 Starting Planet Tokens

12 Planet Tiles

12 Z-Axis Navigation Routes

15 Normal Navigation Routes

20 Depletion Tokens

26 Resource Cards

36 Base Tokens

38 Module Tokens

40 Buildng Tokens

42 Transport Tokens

54 Order Tokens

70 Event Cards

90 Worker Tokens

108 Combat Cards

126 Technology Cards

180 Plastic Miniatures

Customer’s Testimonial and Review on Starcraft: The Board Game

This game was made specifically for the hardcore strategy board game player and for those familiar with Starcraft. If you fall into those two categories, then this is a must for you! If you’re a hardcore board game player who likes a game with plenty of strategy, then pick this game up. If you’re simply a Starcraft fan, I can’t guarantee that you’ll like this game since the game has a very steep learning curve. The rule book is over 40 pages long!

To sum up the game, just like the computer game, there are three races and each race has two factions, allowing a maximum of six players per game. Most of the action takes place by giving orders and executing them, each player taking turns to do so. Battles are resolved using cards and each player has their own deck for their own race/faction. Cards also represent resources and events throughout the game. Plastic figures represent each individual unit, all from the computer game, and they are of extremely high quality, although they are fragile and some can break easily if mishandled, especially the air units.

The game is rather quick to setup, at most 30 minutes if all players cooperate in the setup, but the length of the game depends on the number of players. Two players can finish a game in under two hours, but six players can be playing up to five hours or more. In general and as previously stated, this game is ideal for the hardcore strategy board game player and for those familiar with Starcraft. Even if you don’t know about Starcraft, if you’re a hardcore board game player you’ll enjoy this game.

By M. M. Nicodemos