Titan Strike!

Titan Strike!, subtitled "Battle for the Moon of Saturn," is a science fiction

Description

Titan Strike! is a two-player game that simulates the battle for valuable solar fissionables mined on Titan. Each player controls either the European Economic Community or the Hegemony of Eastern Asia.^[1]

The game offers several scenarios. Turns are divided into phases: Electronic Warfare, Sky Combat, Skydive, Anti-sky, Ranged Combat, Land Movement, and Close Combat. Whichever player gains the most victory points by the end of the scenario is the winner.^[2]

Publication history

As soon as Titan Strike! was released in early 1979, it sold very well, and appeared on SPI's Top Ten Bestsellers list for over a year.[6]

Reception

In the March 1980 edition of Dragon, Van Norton admired the simplicity of the rules, and found the board of Titan Strike! to be "impressive. It is easy to use and has five types of terrain... clear, dry, sea, ammonia sea, mesa, and mesa cavern. All terrains have an effect on combat and movement." One of the problems with the game was the provided charts, which Norton found to be confusing. "But don't let that stop you from buying this interesting 'pocket game.' It is fun, and can be played in an hour."^[2]

In the October 1980 issue of Fantastic, game designer Greg Costikyan wrote "Despite some interesting electronic counter-measure rules, Titan Strike! is little more than a modern land-combat game transported into space; disappointing."^[7]

In the November 1980 issue of The Space Gamer (Issue No. 33), Patrick Reyes found that "Titan Strike makes for a fast-paced and exciting game of tactical warfare in an alien environment. The novice player might have a little trouble with Titan Strike [...] but I think the intermediate gamer will find it an interesting change of pace."^[1]

References