Although Fifth Frontier War shares the universe and history of the Travellerrole-playing game, it is a stand-alone board game with no elements of role-playing. In the Traveller universe, the Imperium and the Zhodani Consulate have been warring with each other for control of the Spinward Marches. The title of this game refers to the fifth confrontation between the two superpowers, a Zhodani offensive.
a 22" x 28" map depicting the Jewell, Regina, Lanth, and Vilis subsectors, and parts of four other subsectors, which invollve a total of 146 star systems. The map includes details of each star system
480 counters representing combat units
240 counters to record losses of ground troops and system defense boats
The game starts with invasion of the subsectors by the Zhodani forces. Sequence of play each following turn is subdivided into four phases.
Reinforcement
Movement
Combat
Plotting and Reorganization
Movement In the Traveller universe, there is no means of instantaneous communication, and information can only move as fast as the fastest ship. To simulate this lack of knowledge of the tactical situation, movement must be plotted several turns ahead — four turns for the Zhodani player, five turns for the Imperium player. The result is expressed as defense factors which have to be lost, either by reducing the strength of squadrons, or by eliminating squadrons.
Starship versus planetary System Defense Boats : The combat resolution against the SDBs uses a table that expresses losses as a percentage. Combat resolution against the attack starships is resolved using the same table and reduction system as starship versus starship.
Starship bombardement of planet: Losses of planetary ground troops are expressed as a percentage of total strength
Invasion of planet: Combat factors of opposing squadrons are compared to create an odds ratio. This ratio on the appropriate table resolves as losses expressed as a percentage of the squadron's combat factor.
Each side gains victory points by capturing worlds. Usually the number of victory points awarded is equal to the tech level of the world captured. The game ends either when one player accumulates a pre-determined number of victory points, or when both sides agree to an armistice.
Reception
In the December 1981 edition of The Space Gamer, William A. Barton gave a strong recommendation to the game, saying, "if you are interested in the outcome of events in the Traveller universe or you like a game that takes a lot of thought and a lot of playing time I can heartily recommend Fifth Frontier War." In the February-March 1982 edition of White Dwarf, John Roberts liked most of the game, but criticized the victory conditions, pointing out that a high tech world with low population gives the same number of victory points as a high tech world with high population, unbalancing the game in favour of the Zhodani player: "As a result, the vast invading fleets head straight for the low population, high tech level worlds, and steer clear of the important but highly defended high tech high population worlds. Hence the Zhodani achieve the victory conditions with ease by dominating only a small population." As a result, Roberts rated the game 8 out of 10 with the comment "an excellent game, but spoiled by those victory conditions." In the March 1982 edition of Dragon, Tony Watson called Fifth Frontier War "a grand strategic science fiction game." Watson found the game well-balanced but very complex, and thought the suggested game length of 4–6 hours was overly optimistic. He concluded, "Fifth Frontier War is a good game, but it may be a bit involved for some players. It certainly succeeds in its intention of simulating a large interstellar campaign. The game has detail and realism. If it plays something like a historical simulation, that’s because it essentially is one, considering the meticulously prepared background the game is drawn from." In the Winter 1983 edition of Ares, Greg Costikyan criticized the length of the game, which he estimated could take as long as 35 hours — far longer than the 4–6 hour estimate on the back cover of the box. Costikyan also thought the game was unblanced in favour of the Zhodani, who start with their entire fleet on the map, while the Imperium "enter in dribs and drabs." However, Costikyan called these problems "quibbles", and recommended the game, saying, "Fifth Frontier War is perhaps the most innovative and interesting science fiction game to have been published in the last year. Its strategic complexities are intriguing, it's fun to play and — a rarity — it is an excellent simulation of an SF situation. GDW shows again that they are without peer in the design of serious science fiction."
