Space Civilization Power Struggle Game
Avalon Hill (1979, $15.00)
Designed by Future Pastimes
Players: 2-6 players
Playing Time: 2 hours and up
Period: Science Fiction
Scale: Strategic

Turn: not stated
Map: areas, scale not stated
Unit: armies and leaders

Components:

22”x28” mounted map board; 212 die-cut playing pieces; 2 battle wheels (each consisting of upper and lower disc with plastic center pin); 54 cards; 6 player shields; player aid pad; 8 page rulebook; 2 plastic mapboard clips.

Card Manifest:

21 Spice cards and 33 Treachery cards.

Counter Manifest:

120 small circular counters (20 of each color); 30 large circular counters (5 of each color); 60 white square counters; storm marker; rectangular “Kwisatz/Haderach +2” counter.

Avalon Hill says:

“Among the countless planets inhabiting the galaxies of the universe, there exists a small and inconspicuous bit of rock and sand known to its inhabitants as Dune. It boasts practically no vegetation and so little water that a man exposed on its surface would dehydrate in minutes. Its scarred terrain is swept by wind storms of super-hurricane velocity and inhabited by giant sandworms often a quarter mile in length who devour anything that moves in the open.

Dune is the battleground in a power struggle among the worlds’ most powerful factions. It, alone, is the source of melange, a spice which prevents aging and confers prescient abilities to its consumer, essential to deep space navigation upon which civilization depends for its continued existence. Whoever controls Dune and its spice, has the power to rule the universe.”

The reviewers say:

“Only about four pages of rules (plus copious player notes) make for an easy-to-learn game which nevertheless gives an intricate and apparently well-balanced struggle as the many special advantages of the characters even out over the campaign. I recommend playing with at least four players, preferably all six ... A ‘must’ if you are familiar with the trilogy, but enjoyably colourful in any case.” Nicholas Palmer in The Best of Board Wargaming (Hippocrene Books, 1980).

“[B]oth a fine game and at the same time faithful to its namesake ... Each faction is different, possessing varying powers and abilities which lead to a broad array of strategies, especially when one considers how the various sides intermesh in play. Not only is Dune a good game, it does an amazingly accurate job conveying the feel and air of Dune the novel. I suspect this game will become very popular, as it is fast, easy and fun.” Tony Watson in The Space Gamer 26.

“Treachery, storms and the fearsome shai-hulud (gigantic sandworms) enliven affairs. Dune is a nice little game, but nothing special.” Eric Goldberg, Ares 1.

Comments:

Dune is a game of diplomacy and abstracted conflict set on the alien world described in the novels of Frank Herbert. The game was created by the designers of Cosmic Encounter. Like CE, Dune has attracted a group of devoted players who still play it regularly today.

In 1984, AH released two expansion modules for the game - The Duel and Spice Harvest. Before the Hasbro buyout, both of these expansions were still available new in the shrink from AH for only $5 each.

Jeux Descartes published a French edition of the game in the 90’s. The components closely resemble the originals. The Descartes edition, along with an English translation of the rules, is currently available from online retailers for around $40. Best of all, this edition includes the components and rules from the two expansions. Considering that some bidders are willing to pay this much or more for the individual expansions, the Descartes edition is the best bet for someone just looking for a copy to play.

Collector’s Notes:

Avalon Hill published two editions of Dune. The earlier edition shows an attacking sand worm on the cover. When the Dune theatrical film was released, the game was issued with a new cover depicting the character portrayed by actor/musician Sting. These two editions are commonly referred to as the sandworm cover and the Sting cover. Boone lists low/high/average prices of 5/71/36.21 at auction and 10/ 58/27.73 for sale.

Collectors should be aware that some of the counters used in the Descartes edition are very similar to the originals. Therefore, a close inspection may be in order before paying a premium for excellent condition components. Some obvious differences between the Descartes and sandworm cover editions: The AH leader discs have black and white portraits, Descartes uses color portraits. The AH storm marker is sand colored, the Descartes marker has more of an orange tint. The AH “Kwisatz” counter has green text, the Descartes counter has black text. The Descartes edition has more white counters (112). Finally, the circular army counters are very close in both editions. The only material distinction I noted was that the green counters in the AH edition are more of a lime color and the Descartes counters were a darker shade of green.

Other novel sci-fi games:

John Carter, Warlord of Mars (SPI) and Starship Troopers (AH).