Rules Of Exodus: Edge Of Extinction

Transcript

Rules of Play We thought it was over. We were there when the hovercrafts where shot down, when hundreds of thousands of lives were being set ablaze with every growl of weapon batteries, to be then extinguished abruptly, as another hovercraft exploded in a ball of flame or crashed against the ground. We were not the ones to fire, we opposed the ruling made by others, but we were the only ones, and the rest of mankind could think of only one thing: their own survival. After nuclear warheads fell and our world changed before our very eyes, when we first realized that our planet will no longer be able to sustain us, we thought it was all over. But then we gathered the ships that would carry what was left of humanity into the black, to Proxima Centauri, where we were hopng to find a new home. And yet, after a conflict that should have finally taught us a harsh lesson, we were still none the wiser. For when it became obvious that we cannot all escape our dying world, an atrocity was committed, and one likes of which the world had never seen before. [the story continues on page 6] 1 Table of Contents 2......[General Considerations] 2......[Game Components] 2......[Introduction] 3......[Game setup] 3......Expansio setup options 3......[Playing the Game] •Cards 4........III. Action Stage 4........Actions 4........IV. Fire WMD Stage 8........V. Conquest Stage 4........Additional Rules for the Conquest Stage 4........Player Combat 5........Centaurian Resistance Combat 3........I. Upkeep Stage 3........II. Council Stage 3........Receiving Combat cards 5......[Other Rules & Clarifications] 6......[The story] 6......[Credits] x15 New Centaurian Resistance Cards x15 Political Cards [General Considerations] Exodus: Edge of Extinction is an expansion for Exodus: Proxima Centauri and it requires a copy of the base game. If this is your first time playing Exodus: Proxima Centauri, we strongly recommend that you play using the basic game rules and components only. If at any time a rule from the Edge of Extinction expansion contradicts any rules from the Exodus: Proxima Centauri base game rulebook, the expansion takes precedence. x25 x44 [Game Components] Combat Cards Centaurian Resistance Combat Cards •Player setup - 6 colors •New planetary and ship upgrades x1 War Cruiser Battle Carrier x1 Fighter Third Ship Markers x12 x1 Space Defense Systems (SDS) x4 x4 Advanced Space Defense Systems (ASDS) Clone Factories x1 Dark Raider A unique set of 6 Action Cards Plastic Space Ships x3 x4 Hyperspace Drives EMP Cannons x9 x4 Spaceports T-Modules x5 Dark Energy Shields x4 Advanced T-Modules Research Markers [Introduction] Faction Board If it is your first time playing Exodus: Proxima Centauri with the Edge of Extinction expansion, carefully punch out all of the new components. Add the wooden Population Cubes to the respective pools and check the expansion Technology/Ship Boards to see which of the new tokens will be used with which color. Each faction in the Exodus: Edge of Extinction expansion is color coded. That means, that red is associated with the Han-Xia Dynasty, blue is associated with the Antarctic Dominion etc. Player Aid x6 Population Cubes 2 Please note that the new Action Cards are also Faction Specific. Be sure to provide all players with the proper Action Cards during setup. [Game setup] [Playing the Game] Follow the Exdodus: Proxima Centauri base game setup with the following exceptions: Updated Turn Structure • Start by choosing or randomly assigning Factions to players. You may also use the bidding method found in the Variants sections of these rules. • After assigning Factions, each player takes the Faction Board Expansion belonging to their Faction, as well as all Population Cubes and ships (both plastic and cardboard) in the color assigned to that Faction. • Place the new Faction Board Expansions next to base game Player Boards. • Place the new plastic ships with their markers on the ship spaces on the Faction Boards. Place the remaining plastic ships on Player Boards normally. • After building the map, placing the Resource Counters and the starting ships and population, each player places 1 additional Battle Carrier in their Home hex. This means that each player starts the game with a total of 2 Battle Carriers, 1 Dark Raider and 3 Population cubes in their Home hex. • Each player additionally places 1 Population Cube of their color and 1 Dark Raider in any one (same) hex adjacent to their Home hex. • If you find that the order of placement may influence your decisions, randomize player order by dealing the Turn Order cards and placing the additional Dark Raider and Population Cubes in reverse player order. • Replace the Exodus: Proxima Centauri Action Cards with the new Exodus: Edge of Extinction expansion Action cards. • Shuffle together the Political Cards from the base game and the expansion. Repeat the procedure for the Centaurian Resistance cards. • Shuffle together all Combat Cards to create a face down deck. Repeat the procedure for the Centaurian Resistance Combat cards. The following turn structure mirrors that of the Exodus: Proxima Centauri base game with notable exceptions and additions whenever new technologies or abilities might change the game structure. I. Upkeep Stage •Reset Market (same as base game) •Increase Population: •+2 Population Cubes on your Home Hex. •+1 Population Cube on any of the planets with a Clone Factory. •Repair Ships •Remove 1 damage from each ship belonging to all players with the Basic Repairs technology (same as base game). •Remove 3 damage from each ship belonging to the player with the Advanced Repairs technology. Please note that the abilities of Basic Repairs and Advanced Repairs are applied separately. •Receive CP Income and pay tax for Axinium (Red) and Phasium (Green) gained (same as base game). Example: Anna starts the Repair Ships segment of the Upkeep Stage with 3 damaged ships: a Dark Raider with 3 damage tokens, a Battle Carrier with 2 damage tokens and a War Cruiser with 4 damage tokens. Anna has researched both Basic and Advanced Repairs, so she removes up to 4 (1+3) damage tokens from each of her ships. Now her fleet is fully repaired. II. Council Stage •Remove any Resolutions from the game (same as base game). •Vote for political decision •Apply the effects of the Corrupt Politics technology. •Apply the effects of the Visionary Politics technology. •Select Bonus Action (same as base game). •Elections for Chancellor and the order of play •Players bid the same way as in the base game, with the following modifications: •The highest bidder chooses any one turn order card. •The next highest bidder chooses any of the still available turn order cards. •Follow this procedure until each player has received a turn order card. •Receive combat cards (see below) Receiving Combat Cards Depending on the number of players and the turn order cards, players draw combat cards according to the table below. Each player has a Combat Card hand size of 6 cards. This limit is enforced all the time, as soon as a player has more than 6 cards in their hand they must immediately discard down to 6 cards. Expansion setup options For a shorter or a longer game with modified starting conditions, choose one of the options below: Expansion Medium Length Game • This setup option allows for a more rapid development, allows the players to gain more technologies during game and to start better equipped to handle the Centaurian Resistance. When choosing this setup option, play for a total of 5 turns. • Each player may spend up to 19 CP before the game starts to research exactly 5 technologies. No discounts apply, any unused CP is lost (not added to a player’s starting pool), and no technologies with a value higher than 13 CP may be researched at this stage. • Starting resources for each player are detailed on their Faction Player Aid. 2 Players 1st 1 This setup option allows for a more balanced, deeper experience, with enough time to develop different technologies and ample opportunities to fight over dominance in the galaxy. When choosing this option, play for a total of 6 turns. • Each player may spend up to 12 CP before the game starts to research exactly 3 technologies. No discounts apply, any unused CP is lost (not added to a player’s starting pool), and no technologies with a value higher than 13 CP may be researched at this stage. • Starting resources for each player are detailed on their Faction Player Aid. 3 Players 1st 1 2nd 2 4 Players 3rd 2 1st 1 5 Players 1st 1 Expansion Long Game • 2nd 1 3 2nd 1 3rd 2 2nd 1 3rd 2 4th 2 6 Players 4th 2 5th 3 1st 1 2nd 1 3rd 2 4th 2 5th 3 6th 3 III. Action Stage •In reverse turn order, each player moves any of their ships with a Fusion Drive (a 2 movement drive) up to 1 hex. No significant changes have been introduced to the structure of the Action Stage. However, Factions use Faction Specific Action Cards detailed on the Player Aid of their Faction. Also, please note that some of the Action Cards are one time use only – they are removed from the game after they were played and they cannot be brought back into the game by any means. •In reverse turn order, each player moves any of their ships with a Antimatter Drive (a 3 movement drive) up to 1 hex. •In reverse turn order, each player moves any of their ships with a Hyperspace Drive (an unlimited movement drive) to any hex on the board. IV. Fire WMD Stage Example: During the Ship Movement segment of the Conquest Stage, Jan has a fleet of three ships: a Dark Raider with a Hyperspace Drive (unlimited movement), a Fighter with an Antimatter Drive (3 Movement) and a War Cruiser with a Fusion Drive (2 movement). During the first step of Movement, Jan moves his War Cruiser to an adjacent space. He decides not to move his Fighter. During the second step Jan moves both his Fighter and his War Cruiser to adjacent hexes. During the third step, Jan moves only his Fighter. His War Cruiser cannot move any more, as it is outfitted with a Fusion Drive that does not allow for movement during this step of the Movement segment. Finally, during the fourth step Jan moves his Dark Raider to a hex four spaces away. This is possible due to the Dark Raider being outfitted with a Hyperspace Drive, capable of unlimited movement. Exodus: Edge of Extinction introduces two significant changes to the WMD Stage: •Home planets can now be targeted by WMD with the exception of Graviton Rockets. •Some technologies and upgrades affect distance checks and damage rolls as follows: •Distance checks may be influenced by: Radar and Target Scanners. •Damage rolls may be influenced by: Strategic Bombers, Space Defense Systems (SDS) and Advanced Space Defense Systems (ASDS), as well as Interceptors. V. Conquest Stage Ship Blocking As in the base game, each turn 2 Conquest Stages are played consecutively. The Exodus: Edge of Extinction expansion introduces the following modification to the Conquest Stage structure: When using the Reverse Turn Order or the Drive Power Movement, whenever ships belonging to more than one player end up on the same hex during any of the Movement steps, some of them might be prohibited from moving in subsequent steps. As a rule, only the fastest ships can move out of a hex. Any number of ships tied as the fastest may leave the hex. •Mount population (same as base game). •Perform Ship Movement (see below). •Move Population Cubes using Civilian Ships technology (same as base game). Example: Anna and Jan both have ships in the same hex during the Movement segment of the Conquest Stage. Anna has a Dark Raider outfitted with an Antimatter Drive (3 movement), and Jan has 2 Fighters outfitted with Fusion Drives (2 movement). During the second step of the segment Jan (who is the second player, with Anna being the first) cannot move any of his Fighters, as they are blocked by Anna’s faster Dark Raider. Later during the same segment Anna moves her Dark Raider out. Jan’s Fighters will only be able to move out during the next Conquest Stage. •Detection: •Players with Cloaking technology may uncloak their ships (same as base game), •Players with Radar technology may force players with Cloaking technology to uncloak their ships (same as base game). •Players with Advanced Cloaking technology may uncloak their ships. Please note that the Radar technology is insufficient to force players with Advanced Cloaking to uncloak. •If this is the last Conquest Stage of the turn of the game, all ships uncloak regardless of any technologies, upgrades or special abilities. Player Combat •Player Combat (please see Player Combat section on this page). Whenever ships belonging to more than one player end their movement on the same hex, the partaking players need to resolve a combat between them. If during the same Player Combat segment there is more than one hex where combat needs to be resolved, the Chancellor decides the order of resolving the conflict hexes. Due to an introduction of Combat Cards and new technologies, combat in Exodus: Edge of Extinction is resolved following the below structure: •Centaurian Resistance Combat (see below). •Deploy population: •Players roll a descend check for each Population Cube they are deploying on a planet with moons (same as base game), •Players with the Landing Maneuver technology do not have to perform the descend check (same as base game), •Players may use the Commando technology, •Players may use the Expert Research technology. 1. Start of Combat Step: During this step, a player with the Advanced Tactics technology may sacrifice one of their Dark Raiders in the combat hex. Please refer to the Advanced Tactics technology description for further details. Additional rules for the Conquest Stage 2. Play Combat Cards Step: In reverse turn order each player may place 1 Combat Card face down in front of them. It is not mandatory to play a Combat Card. This section of the rulebook deals with the updated Movement and Combat rules, as well as with Upgrade limitations and general rules regarding new technologies. 3. Resolve Combat Cards Step: Movement Systems Players reveal their Combat Cards and resolve their effect in the order indicated on the cards. If two or more Combat Cards cards have the same order number, their effect are resolved in turn order. Similarly to the base game, the Exodus: Edge of Extinction expansion provides players with two different options for movement: the Simultaneous Movement that uses the movement tokens from the base game, and the Reverse Turn Order Movement. The expansion also introduces a third type of Movement: Drive Power Movement. We strongly recommend using the third option for all Exodus: Edge of Extinction games. Combat Cards only affect the players, spaceships, Population, etc present and taking part in the ongoing combat. Unless a Combat Cards specifically refers to a game element outside the current combat, no game element outside the current combat is affected. Reverse Turn Order Movement Players move their ships in Reverse Turn Orders. One by one, players move all their ships a number of hexes away. Each ship with a Nuclear Drive may be moved up to 1 hex away, each ships with a Fusion drive up to 2 hexes away and any ship with an Antigravity Drive up to 3 hexes away. Ships with a Hyperspace Drive may be moved anywhere on the hex board after every other player (regardless of the turn order) have moved all their other ships. Combat Card Name Combat Card timing Drive Power Combat Card requirements, description and effects. The Drive Power Movement works similarly to the Reverse Turn Order Movement. However, instead of players moving all their ships in reverse turn order, the ships are moved using both player order and the quality of their drives. To perform a Drive Power Movement, follow the steps below: Combat Card order (lowest order to be resolved first) •In reverse turn order, each player moves any of their ships up to 1 hex. 4 The effects of any Combat Card last until the end of the current Combat Round unless specifically stated otherwise on the Combat Card. Upgrade Limits 4. Roll Combat Dice Step: Each player rolls their combat dice, depending on the weapons their ships are outfitted with, with every 5 and 6 generating a hit. Remember that Combat Cards and technologies (like EMP Cannons or Quantum Scanner) may modify the scores needed to generate hits. Exodus: Edge of Extinction comes with new technologies that allow for placing Upgrade tokens (Planetary Upgrades) on hexes. Players should refer to their Player Aids to find out the exact details of how specific Upgrades work. All Upgrades are subject to specific limits: 5. Assign Hits Step: •Only 1 Space Defense System (SDS) or Advanced Space Defense System(ASDS) is allowed on a single hex. In reverse turn order each player assigns damage generated by their dice roll to opponent ships. Remember that Combat Cards and technologies (like Basic Tactics or Fringe Tactics) may influence how hits may be assigned. •Only 1 Clone Factory is allowed on any single hex, with the exception of the Home hex of the Clone Factory owner, which may not contain a Clone Factory belonging to that player. 6. Ship Damage Step: •Only 1 Space Port is allowed on a single hex, with the exception of the Home hex of the Space Port owner, which may not contain a Space Port belonging to that player. All hits assigned to ships becomes damage simultaneously. If there are more damage tokens on a ship than its shield value, that ship is immediately destroyed and removed back to the owner’s stock. Remember that some Combat Cards may cancel some hits or allow players to convert a single hit into more damage. If at any point players must decide how they resolve such effects, they do so in reverse player order. Planetary Upgrades are limited to the number of components provided in the game box. Ship Upgrades are considered unlimited with the exception of EMP Cannons, Dark Energy Shields, T-Modules and Advanced T-Modules which are limited to the number of components provided in the game box. 7. Discard Combat Cards Step: Any Planetary Upgrade is controlled and yields effects for the player controlling that planet, which may be a different player than the on who has bought the Upgrade. A player is considered in control of a planet if that player has the most Population cubes on that planet and is not tied with any other player. In case of a tie for the most Population, no player is considered in control and therefore any Planetary Upgrades do not provide benefits for any player. Place all used Combat Cards from the current Combat Round in the discard pile. Start a new combat round and repeat points 2-6 until the combat hex contains ships belonging to one player or no player ships whatsoever. 8. Victory Point Step: There is a limit of 1 T-Module or Advanced T-Module per ship type. The single player with at least one ship still present in the combat hex scores points for all enemy ships destroyed during combat, according to Victory Point values printed on Player Boards. Any Upgrades gained due to an effect of a card or any purchased Upgrades require players to have researched the technology allowing access to that Upgrade, unless the card specifically states otherwise. 9. End of Combat Step: A player may never gain a Ship Upgrade which is not depicted on their player or faction board! During this step, any player with the Advanced Research technology may copy and immediately research any one technology (of value no greater than 9) already discovered by any of their opponents, regardless of combat outcome. Remember, that a player is never allowed to copy a technology they would not be able to mark on their Player Board or Technology / Ship Expansion Board for any reason. Cubes usage and limitations The cubes in Exodus: Proxima Centauri and Exodus: Edge of Extinction serve multiple purpose and their number of cubes is limited (30 in the base game and 36 in the expansion). Making the best use of the cubes is part of the game strategy, however every player must abide by the following rules: Centaurian Resistance Combat The Centaurian Resistance Combat is played out according to the base game rules with one exception: at the beginning of the first combat round the player acting as the Resistance draws 2 Centaurian Resistance Combat Cards and chooses one of them to play in the first round of combat, discarding the other one. •3 cubes must be used as resources markers on the player board. •1 cube must be used for the VP track. The use of additional cubes on the VP track is optional and players may use other means to keep track of VP in excess of 20. •Any cubes used to mark researched technologies may never be removed from the board unless a technology specifically allows it. [Other rules & Clarifications] •During the Upkeep stage, gaining Population is not optional. Contradicting effects and precedence •Player may not choose to remove Population from planets to replenish their spare cubes stack. If at any time a rule from the Edge of Extinction expansion contradicts any rules from the Exodus: Proxima Centauri base game rulebook, the expansion takes precedence. •Players do not have to reserve cubes for using the Market, however using the Market requires cubes. Without spare cubes, a player may end in a situation where they cannot use the Market even if there are still available spaces. Any Political Card, Action Card, Combat Card, technology or faction special ability effect that contradicts the rules of the game and/or the expansion takes precedence over the rules. One time use cards Any Political Card, Action Card or Combat Card that disallows specific use of a technology or ability, or cancels another effect takes precedence. Some cards in the Edge of Extinction expansion have the text “Once per game” printed on them. Such cards may be used only once throughout the whole game. After such cards are brought into play (an Action card is played, or a Combat Card used) and used, the must be removed from the game as soon as their effect ceases to affect the game. No in game ability can bring such a card back into the game. Technology Limits A player may only gain access to the technologies present on their player board and faction board. Decks and discard piles A technology may be learned either through a Research Action or Reaction, or as an effect of a card (Political, Combat, etc) or another technology. For every deck of cards (Combat Cards, Centaurian Resistance, etc) leave space aside for a corresponding discard pile. Every card which is not specifically removed from the game but has ceased to have in game effects will either return to a player’s hand (e.g. Action cards) or it will be placed in a discard pile. For example: Every time a player is allowed to learn a technology due to such an effect, that player may only learn technologies printed on their player board or faction board. Even if an effect states that “a player may research a technology of their choice”, the choice is still limited to technologies depicted on that player’s Faction Board and Player Board. •Any Centaurian Resistance cards which were not awarded to players as a reward (after a successful combat against the Centaurian Resistance) are placed in the corresponding discard piles. Any technology effects are not cumulative and the better effect applies, unless the description of a technology specifically states otherwise (e.g. Advanced Repairs). For example, a player who has researched both Expert Banking and Advanced Banking will only apply the effects of Expert Banking. •Used Combat Cards are placed in their discard pile as soon as a combat round ends (remember, every combat card only affects one round of combat). Every time a player must discard Combat cards from their hand (e.g. due to hand size limit), discarded cards are placed in the Combat Card discard pile. 5 As soon as a deck of cards is empty, shuffle its corresponding discard pile and create a new deck of cards. Rearranging Ship Upgrades [The story] Players are allowed to rearrange Ship Upgrades on their ship blueprints any time during the course of each turn with the following exceptions: But then as we left Earth, carrying in our hearts the horrifying images of a heinous crime, humanity’s final act of unspeakable cruelty, we hoped that we could start everything all over again. And as time went by, knowing how long a journey awaits us, we started believing that with new generations born and bred far away from our old conflicts, all of what made us destroy our world and our lives would be gone. And that from that moment on the inglorious chapter of human history would remain forever closed. •during Conquest Stages; as soon as a Conquest stage has begun (players have started loading Population on ships) no Ship Upgrades may be moved •outside a Conquest Stage if such movement of Ship Upgrades would lead to the destruction of any ships. Players are not allowed to voluntarily cause their ships to be destroyed by repositioning Shields. And as time went by, we allowed ourselves to thing that it was all over. It was not, for petty squabbling made us fire upon each other again, and although we were not the aggressors, our ships had to defend those who were on them. And after half of the fleet was gone, we sued for peace once again, before mankind was wiped off from the face of the universe. A few strategy tips What we achieved was not peace but a fragile ceasefire, one that would allow us to reach our destination without adding battle damage to the pressure time applied to our vessels. And although for a moment it seemed that we would not have to fight again, we dared not hope that it was finally over. Each faction has its unique abilities and technologies which bring specific strengths and weaknesses. Overall, the factions are fairly balanced, but some still have their advantages. We learned then that humanity would not reach lasting peace, as long as there would still be those who think first and foremost of their particular gain, and those who would see mankind weak and divided under an ever changing leadership. And even before we were saved by the Centaurians, we had already known that one day we would have to find one strong leader, who would usher a new age – one of peace and prosperity for all who really wish it to be true. Sirius Theocracy •focused on politics and controlling the meta-game •requires an in depth knowledge of the base game and the expansion, especially the political cards , difficulty: •strength: Our benefactors recognized our ideals and we became their favored children, who would receive the greatest gifts of their technology and who would have the discipline, the skill and the talent to properly use our new knowledge and build upon what was gifted to us, boldly embracing our future and the future of all mankind. Arctic Dominion •focused on trade, the Dominion will literally buy its way to victory •selecting your starting technologies cleverly and using the faction’s abilities from early game are almost a must for winning the game •strength: , difficulty: Yet, when we settled a new home we were ready once again to let past be past, to live and let live, taking only what was necessary for each man to survive. And again, for a short time of peace, of settling new lands and gazing into the future with a hope of a better life, we believed war would not knock on our doors. Han-Xia Dynasty •versatile faction, specialized on blitz attacks on its opponents •strike weaker enemies in space combat, create combos with your abilities and gather VP early in the game , difficulty: •strength: Once again, we thought it was over. We were proven wrong, as after the Centaurians had left, we had to go to war once more. We brushed against those who would call themselves our brothers, and yet wanted nothing but to take what was rightfully ours. But we did not bring all our weapons to bare, we did not use the potential that laid dormant within us. We did not make use of what made us more fit to lead humanity. Titan Diarchy •focused on technologies, the Diarchy has limited interaction with its enemies •a clever research strategy makes your path to victory quite straightforward •strength: , difficulty: The long journey from Old Earth took its toll but also gifted us with skills and abilities no other humans have access to. While the weaker and the corrupted were only diminished by their lives aboard the escape ships, we embraced our new fate and developed new strengths. And now we are ready to use them. Solaris Confederation •masters of strategic warfare, the Confederation uses WMD to size down their enemies •focus on controlling the majority of the planets and keeping your opponents at distance •strength: , difficulty: Many a time we thought that mistakes of the past would not return to haunt us. Many a time we hoped for a life free of strife and the tyranny of those, who would seek to profit from our suffering. But now we know that the dark time is not yet over. But we will now face it fearlessly, we will fight our brothers one last time, for a final conflict approaches – one that will bring us all to the edge of extinction. And only after it ends, after we destroy our enemies and gift our allies lasting peace, will humanity finally be safe. We will be done with our inglorious past once and for all. Blackwater •always combat ready, Blackwater crushes their enemies in space combat, no matter how large their fleets are •equips your ships with heavy cannons and strong shields and take on the toughest of your enemies; let no one hide or survive •strength: , difficulty: And then – only then – it will all be over. [Archived excerpt from a personal file of one the faction leaders. The exact identity of the leader remains unknown.] [Credits] Game design: Andrei Novac Game development: Agnieszka Kopera, Błażej Kubacki Graphic artists Odysseas Stamoglou, Eugen Demeterca, Agnieszka Kopera, David J. Coffey, Maria Marin, George Necula Publisher NSKN Games Rule book development Andrei Novac, Błażej Kubacki Play testing Nathan Hoel, Jamie Azzoparde, Dave McWalter, Graham Nash, Justyna Kubacka, Stefano Carluccio, Christophe Montoya, Stefano Carluccio, Marco Scala, Marco Balduzzi, Luca Balduzzi, Enrico Degli Angeli, Luca Bortolussi, Florin Neacsu, Radu Epure, Adam Bociek and many other great people who we kindly thank. 6 Sirius Theocracy The Lord has always provided, the Lord has brought us from the malice and destruction of Old Earth, and the Lord will bring us into a better future and this new world of His, before our lost Eden is once more restored to us. And when we return, we will rule it in His name. The roots of what is known today as the Sirius Theocracy stem from the southern part of the former United States of America and northern territories of Mexico. Bound together by a mutual belief in a higher power watching over them, the Sirians believe that their destiny life both with Gaia, their new world, and Earth, were they are planning to return to rebuild and restore its former glory. Although the Sirius Theocracy is unified by an idea of a benevolent deity being their creator and protector, perceiving them as simple minded religious fanatics would be a grave mistake. Members of the Sirius Theocracy are known as true masters of politics: they are cunning and deceptive, often hiding their true agendas behind an image of zealots driven solely by religious beliefs. The immutability often associated with any societies bound by religious belief has never stopped the Sirians from committing to scientific research, allowing them to not only be the first to master human cloning, but to spearhead any new research in this field and become the only faction able to construct cloning factories not only on their home planet, but also on any world they decide to incorporate. The leaders of Sirius Theocracy know that their power lies in their ability to exert political influence, so they are more eager to choose diplomatic solutions over open warfare. However, they do not shy away from armed conflicts when peaceful options are exhausted or when openly provoked. Although not as skillful in combat as in politics, they are still a formidable force one should never disregard. Special Ability UPGRADES Sirius Theocracy may use Population from any planet to pay the costs of Reactions. 4 Fringe Politics At the end of the game, you gain 3 VP for each law on the table. 1 STARTING Resources Medium Length Game 9 2 1 1 Long Game 7 1 2 TURN Structure Reset market Increase Population (Expert Cloning, Clone Factory) Repair ships (Basic Repairs, Advanced Repairs) Receive income and pay tax (Advanced Politics) Get CP income (CP Refinery) Get Axinium income (Axinium Refinery) Get Phasium income (Phasium Refinery) II. Council Stage • • • • • Remove Resolutions Political decision (Corrupt Politics, Visionary Politics) Bonus Action decision Elections (Corrupt Politics) Combat Cards drafting ACTION CARDS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. You may pay a total of 4 CP ( ) less with this Research Action if you hold the Chancellor title. / Trade. Gain 1 Axinium ( ) extra with your Banking Action. / Research. If you only buy 1/2 SDS as upgrades with this Action, do not pay their cost. / Banking. Place 2 less resources when using this Mining Action. / You may pay a total of 2 Phasium ( ) less with this Buy Upgrades Reaction. You may pay a total of 2 Axinium ( ) less with this Build Ships Action. / Place 2 less resources with this Mining Reaction. Skip your Action. / You may build no more than 2 ships with this Build Ships Reaction. Do not pay their cost. • • Distance checks (Radar, Target Scanner) Damage rolls (SDS, Advanced SDS, Interceptors, Strategic Bombers) V. Conquest Stage (x2) • • • • • • • Mount Population Perform Ship Movement Move Population (Civilian Ships) Detection (Cloaking, Advanced Cloaking, Radar) Player combat Centaurian Resistance combat (Quantum Reflection) Deploy Population (Landing Maneuver, Commando, Expert Research) Tachyon Scanner During the first round of any combat, you may re-roll any or all combat dice. You must accept the results of the re-roll. Visionary Politics At the end of the Political decision step of the Council Stage, you may draw 2 Political cards. Keep one and place the other one on the top or bottom of the Political cards deck. If the card you kept is a Law or a Resolution put it in play, otherwise apply its effect only for yourself. As an Upgrade you may build Space Defense Systems on planets you control. An SDS offers protection to that planet from incoming Rockets. For any incoming Rocket roll a die. A results of 4, 5 or 6 cancels the effects of that Rocket. Play 1st Action Play 1st Reaction (Expert Politics) Play 2nd Action (Basic Politics) Play 2nd Reaction (Expert Politics) Play 3rd Action (Master Politics) Play Bonus Action IV. Fire WMD Stage As an Upgrade you may build Clone Factories on planets you control. There can be only one Clone Factory on a planet. During the Increase Population step of the Upkeep Stage, each Clone Factory provides one population on that planet to the player controlling that planet. Space Defense Systems (SDS) III. Action Stage • • • • • • Every turn, at the end of the Elections Step of the Council Stage, you gain half of the number of VP depicted on your Turn Order card (round up). Clone Factories 0 I. Upkeep Stage • • • • • • • Technologies Space Combat Combat Round Structure 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Start of Combat Step (Advanced Tactics) Play Combat Cards Step Resolve Combat Cards Step Roll combat dice Step (Tachyon Scanners) Assign Hits Step (Basic Tactics, Fringe Tactics) Ship Damage Step Discard Combat Cards Step Advanced T-Modules As an Upgrade you may buy Advanced T-Modules. Any T-Module can be placed on spaceship blueprints instead of a cannon. Each T-Module may transport 2 Population. Corrupt Politics After players reveal their bids during the Political Decision Step and/ or the Elections Step of the Council Stage, you may add or remove one CP from you bid. Arctic Dominion Some see space as a dark, cold and unwelcoming place. In the ancient times seas were similarly perceived, but even then our ancestors braved the freezing blackness, acknowledging the dangers, but also seeing the possibilities it offered. They were warriors and traders; we are businessmen. If there is a price on something, and if it is the right price, we can deliver. And as far as we know, there is a price on everything. On Earth the Arctic Dominion grew where all else would either freeze, or have the right mind to leave. The cold and unwelcoming place of the northern part of North America and the territories north of Siberia, though rich with natural resources, forged the shrewdness and mettle of the people living there. With time it became clear that the common focus on turning a profit became more unifying than any particular nationalities and beliefs, becoming a deciding factor in the origin of Arctic Dominion. There is and has always been only one guiding force behind Arctic Dominion: money. Leaders of the faction believe that although Old Earth might be merely a legendary home world with a legacy many hope to fall into oblivion, there are still lessons that should never be forgotten. And for the Dominion, those lessons allow them to flourish and profit where others struggle for survival. Members of the Arctic Dominion are descendants of Earth’s miners, traders and bankers, today unified mostly by a mutual desire to build the wealth and power of their organization. A long tradition of trading with yesterday’s enemies and tomorrow’s allies makes them a group of business negotiators, with a level of skill unmatched by any other. Their economic potential allows them to also remain a challenging wartime opponent. It is not unknown for the Arctic Dominion to profit from their conflicts by auctioning off carefully obtained POV’s that are the key figures for other factions. Although concentrated on their own power, the Arctic Dominion managed to maintain the closest relations with the Centaurians, learning as much as possible from humanity’s benefactors and supplementing civil science research with a focus on Centaurian technologies that allow them to maximize the gains even from fighting off indigenous resistance. Special Ability UPGRADES With every Trade Action and Reaction you may perform up to 8 exchanges in a Medium Length Game and 7 exchanges in a Long Game. Master Trading 1 STARTING Resources Medium Length Game 11 2 2 Long Game 9 1 TURN Structure Reset market Increase Population (Expert Cloning, Clone Factory) Repair ships (Basic Repairs, Advanced Repairs) Receive income and pay tax (Advanced Politics) Get CP income (CP Refinery) Get Axinium income (Axinium Refinery) Get Phasium income (Phasium Refinery) II. Council Stage • • • • • Remove Resolutions Political decision (Corrupt Politics, Visionary Politics) Bonus Action decision Elections (Corrupt Politics) Combat Cards drafting ACTION CARDS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Trade. / Trade. You may pay a total of 1 Phasium ( ) less with this Buy Upgrades Action / Trade. This Banking Action provides additionally 1 Axinium ( ) and 1 Phasium ( ). / Mining. You may pay a total of 4 CP ( ) less with this Research Action. / You may build no more than 2 ships with this Build Ships Reaction. You may pay a total of 2 Axinium ( ) less with this Build Ships Action. / You may not perform a Reaction. Trade. / You may pay a total of 2 Phasium ( ) less with this Buy Upgrades Reaction. Distance checks (Radar, Target Scanner) Damage rolls (SDS, Advanced SDS, Interceptors, Strategic Bombers) V. Conquest Stage (x2) • • • • • • • Mount Population Perform Ship Movement Move Population (Civilian Ships) Detection (Cloaking, Advanced Cloaking, Radar) Player combat Centaurian Resistance combat (Quantum Reflection) Deploy Population (Landing Maneuver, Commando, Expert Research) Expert Trading With any Trade action or reaction you may use the left most space of the market, even if this space is occupied by a marker belonging to a player. You no longer use cubes at the market. Expert Mining You may add up to 12 resources when executing a Mining Action or Reaction. When you research Expert Mining, you may (but do not have to) remove your technology marker from Advanced Mining. Gain 12 CP ( ) when you perform a Banking Action or Reaction. When you research Expert Banking, you may (but do not have to) remove your technology marker from Advanced Banking. Play 1st Action Play 1st Reaction (Expert Politics) Play 2nd Action (Basic Politics) Play 2nd Reaction (Expert Politics) Play 3rd Action (Master Politics) Play Bonus Action Space Combat IV. Fire WMD Stage • • You gain both the Victory Points and the other benefits from the Centaurian Resistance cards gained upon defeating the Centaurian Resistance. Add VP immediately and keep the cards. Discard them only when you use their benefit. Do not score them at game end. Expert Banking III. Action Stage • • • • • • With any Trade action or reaction you may exchange CP ( ) for Victory Points. The exchange rate is 10 CP ( ) for 1 VP. You may gain this way a maximum of 5 VP per action. This does not count towards the total number of exchanges you may perform. Quantum Reflection 1 I. Upkeep Stage • • • • • • • Technologies Combat Round Structure 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Start of Combat Step (Advanced Tactics) Play Combat Cards Step Resolve Combat Cards Step Roll combat dice Step (Tachyon Scanners) Assign Hits Step (Basic Tactics, Fringe Tactics) Ship Damage Step Discard Combat Cards Step Space Defense Systems (SDS) As an Upgrade you may build Space Defense Systems on planets you control. An SDS offers protection to that planet from incoming Rockets. For any incoming Rocket roll a die. A results of 4, 5 or 6 cancels the effects of that Rocket. Escape Pods You may immediately deploy the population from a ship destroyed in combat on the planet in the same hex. This does not apply if the battle takes place in the High Council hex or if there is no planet in that hex. Han-Xia Dynasty When others were leaving Earth in panic, escaping the cruel fate of a dead world, we were ready. We had the best and brightest of us chosen to become our future. We did not escape into the far blackness of space. We went as conquerors. We have a history longer than many other nations of the world. We stood the test of time when others faded. We flourished when others merely survived. As our fleets dominate the void of space, so will we dominate all those who try to oppose us. And who are you to judge our ways? The Han-Xia Dynasty originated in greater China, which probably explains why this specific faction seems more closely tied to its nationality than any other. Centred around effectiveness and unrelenting exploitation of its seemingly endless human potential, the Han-Xia adapted to the new world with astonishing speed, assimilating and modifying Centaurian technology faster than any other survivor group. Although the Centaurians welcomed humanity and peace and did a lot to impose their pacifistic doctrines upon their new protégés, the Han-Xia Dynasty knew from the start that humanity will need a single leader – a leader forged in the rapidly dying flame of an exploding enemy fleet. With that in mind, the Dynasty introduced a cruel but frighteningly effective training regime for their pilots, quickly building a force of specialists able to best any opponents in space combat. However, the war for domination requires not only strength, but also speed, and the Han-Xia’s ships are quickly becoming a legend, for the Dynasty is the only faction controlling the technology of faster than light travel – and this but one of many technologies the Han-Xia scientists were able to not only learn to use, but also modify heavily so that it would serve the Dynasty’s purpose. The Han-Xia Dynasty works with the fearsome effectiveness of a human hive, able to react to change with incredible speed and to respond violently to even the slightest of provocations. Some believe that it is because of its leaders inborn cruelty. Others, better schooled in the ways of Han-Xia know that the truth is far more terrifying. The Dynasty is here to rule, its purpose is clear, and it will not shy away from achieving its goal in the most effective way possible, even if the effectiveness means resorting to lethal brutality or cold genocide. Special Ability UPGRADES When building no more than 1 Ship per Spaceport with a Build Ships action or reaction, you may take any 1 Combat Card from the discard pile or draw 2 Combat Cards from the deck. 4 1 STARTING Resources Medium Length Game 9 2 2 1 Long Game 7 1 2 TURN Structure Reset market Increase Population (Expert Cloning, Clone Factory) Repair ships (Basic Repairs, Advanced Repairs) Receive income and pay tax (Advanced Politics) Get CP income (CP Refinery) Get Axinium income (Axinium Refinery) Get Phasium income (Phasium Refinery) II. Council Stage • • • • • Remove Resolutions Political decision (Corrupt Politics, Visionary Politics) Bonus Action decision Elections (Corrupt Politics) Combat Cards drafting 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Distance checks (Radar, Target Scanner) Damage rolls (SDS, Advanced SDS, Interceptors, Strategic Bombers) V. Conquest Stage (x2) • • • • • • • Mount Population Perform Ship Movement Move Population (Civilian Ships) Detection (Cloaking, Advanced Cloaking, Radar) Player combat Centaurian Resistance combat (Quantum Reflection) Deploy Population (Landing Maneuver, Commando, Expert Research) During space combat, you may decide how to assign the hits scored against your ships. You may perform no more than 6 exchanges with this Trade Action. / Research. You may receive 1 Hyperspace Drive for free (if you have the prerequisite Technology) with this Buy Upgrades Action but only if you buy no other Upgrade tokens. / Mining. This Banking Action provides additionally 1 Phasium ( ). / Buy Upgrades. You may pay a total of 3 CP ( ) less with this Research Action. / Banking. You may pay a total of 5 Axinium ( ) less with this Build Ships Action. / You may not perform a Reaction. You may pay a total of 3 Axinium ( ) less with this Build Ships Action. / Trade. Expert Maneuver During space combat, between combat rounds, you may choose to retreat with all your remaining space ships into an adjacent hex with no uncloaked enemy spaceships. The winner of the combat is awarded 1 VP for each ship which has left combat this way. No other VP are scored for retreating ships. CP Alloy The costs of all your ships are reduced by 1 CP ( ). Advanced Tactics Before the first round of a combat, you may destroy one of your Dark Raiders. Deal damage to enemy ships equal to the total shield strength of that Dark Raider plus 1. No one is awarded VP for the destruction of that Dark Raider. Play 1st Action Play 1st Reaction (Expert Politics) Play 2nd Action (Basic Politics) Play 2nd Reaction (Expert Politics) Play 3rd Action (Master Politics) Play Bonus Action Space Combat IV. Fire WMD Stage • • You may buy and place Hyperspace drives on your ships. A Hyperspace drive allows your ships to move any number of hexes away. It also allows engaging the Centaurian Resistance before the player vs. player combat. ACTION CARDS III. Action Stage • • • • • • Hyperspace Drive Fringe Tactics 1 I. Upkeep Stage • • • • • • • Technologies Combat Round Structure 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Start of Combat Step (Advanced Tactics) Play Combat Cards Step Resolve Combat Cards Step Roll combat dice Step (Tachyon Scanners) Assign Hits Step (Basic Tactics, Fringe Tactics) Ship Damage Step Discard Combat Cards Step Advanced Repairs During the Upkeep Stage of every turn, remove 3 damage tokens from each one of your ships. The effects of Basic and Advanced Repairs are cumulative. Spaceports You may build Spaceports on the planets you control. A Spaceport allows building of spaceships in the orbit of that planet. Titan Diarchy We know what war is, we have seen scars left on our lands time and time again. We were taught that the future lies not with the strength of arms, but with humanity’s true achievements: scientific discoveries. Over time we have learned to excel in what everyone needs to build a better life. And we will share our knowledge with those able to aid us in further research, to build a better future for all mankind. Although many survivor factions claim to be the most technologically advanced, the members of the Titan Diarchy are the true masters of research and the leaders of innovation. With the skills and traditions of the scientific and academic Europe of the Old Earth, the Diarchy is able to use its specialized workforce with utmost effectiveness and precision, becoming the only faction able to come up with a few groundbreaking discoveries in the time it takes others to make a single breakthrough. The technological lesson is, however, not the only one the Titan Diarchy decided to never forget. The 20th and 21st century wars left Europe destroyed and rebuilt time and time again, which taught the Diarchy that even though fighting on home territory comes with some advantages, the losses usually outweigh the benefits. This approach has seeped into the Diarchy’s attitude towards armed conflicts. Although the leaders of this scientific faction will always choose peaceful coexistence, they will not run from combat when war is inevitable. In fact, the Diarchy will be the first survivor faction to aggressively attack an opponent, trying to ensure any conflicts play out as far from their own borders as possible. The main goal of Titan Diarchy is not an all out war. Its members knows how to fight, but it is science they truly excel at. A strong belief that developing new technologies will allow all humanity to live in peace means that the faction’s leaders will always seek a peaceful resolution to any possible conflicts, trying to negotiate and share their technology for the greater good of mankind – and for a profit that will put them in a position of true power in the futuristic technological utopia they are hoping to build. Special Ability UPGRADES Once per game, after having researched all techs in one color (column), remove all cubes from that color and place the corresponding Research Marker to indicate researched technologies. Return the cubes to your supply. Fringe Science 1 STARTING Resources Medium Length Game 9 2 2 Long Game 7 1 You may research 2 Technologies with one Research action or reaction. No discounts apply for the second Technology. TURN Structure Reset market Increase Population (Expert Cloning, Clone Factory) Repair ships (Basic Repairs, Advanced Repairs) Receive income and pay tax (Advanced Politics) Get CP income (CP Refinery) Get Axinium income (Axinium Refinery) Get Phasium income (Phasium Refinery) II. Council Stage • • • • • ACTION CARDS Remove Resolutions Political decision (Corrupt Politics, Visionary Politics) Bonus Action decision Elections (Corrupt Politics) Combat Cards drafting 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. You may pay a total of 2 CP ( ) less with this Research Action. / Trade. Research. / You may place up to 2 additional resources with this Mining Reaction. Research. / You may pay a total of 1 Phasium ( ) less with this Buy Upgrades Reaction. You may pay a total of 2 CP ( ) less with this Research Action. / Banking. You may pay a total of 3 CP ( ) less with this Research Action. / You may build no more than 2 Ships with this Build Ships Reaction. Research. / Buy Upgrades and draw 1 combat card. Distance checks (Radar, Target Scanner) Damage rolls (SDS, Advanced SDS, Interceptors, Strategic Bombers) V. Conquest Stage (x2) • • • • • • • Mount Population Perform Ship Movement Move Population (Civilian Ships) Detection (Cloaking, Advanced Cloaking, Radar) Player combat Centaurian Resistance combat (Quantum Reflection) Deploy Population (Landing Maneuver, Commando, Expert Research) At the end of the game, sum up the nominal cost of every technology you have researched. You score 1 VP for each 10 CP ( ) of this sum. Axinium Alloy The costs of all your ships are reduced by 1 Axinium ( ). Once per turn, after you deploy Population on a planet, you may copy one technology from a player whose population is already on that planet. You do not have to pay any cost. That technology must have a nominal cost of 15 CP or less. Play 1st Action Play 1st Reaction (Expert Politics) Play 2nd Action (Basic Politics) Play 2nd Reaction (Expert Politics) Play 3rd Action (Master Politics) Play Bonus Action Space Combat IV. Fire WMD Stage • • Technological Singularity Expert Research III. Action Stage • • • • • • At the end of the game, every player scores 1 VP for each technology they have researched. Master Research 1 I. Upkeep Stage • • • • • • • Technologies Combat Round Structure 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Start of Combat Step (Advanced Tactics) Play Combat Cards Step Resolve Combat Cards Step Roll combat dice Step (Tachyon Scanners) Assign Hits Step (Basic Tactics, Fringe Tactics) Ship Damage Step Discard Combat Cards Step Space Defense Systems (SDS) As an Upgrade you may build Space Defense Systems on planets you control. An SDS offers protection to that planet from incoming Rockets. For any incoming Rocket roll a die. A results of 4, 5 or 6 cancels the effects of that Rocket. Advanced Research Once per turn, during combat against another player, you may copy one technology from that player. You do not have to pay any cost. That technology must have a nominal cost of 9 CP or less. SOLARIS Confederation If the years since we left Earth has taught us something, it’s that we just want to exist. Without poverty, without threat, without revolutionists and warlords telling us what to do. We are happy with the status quo – or we would be, if others weren’t so unhappy with it. We don’t want a war, but if we are to face opponents who think they are stronger than us, then so be it. They will be in for a surprise. Solaris Confederation originates from what was known back on Old Earth as Latin America – a place filled with wonder, but also with social inequalities and injustice. From corporations eagerly exploiting the people and the lands, to power hungry local leaders, the faction’s ancestors rarely had had an easy life with the rest of the world. That is probably why the Confederation now just wants to exist in peace and be left to its own devices. Many other survivor factions boast their reputed technology lead, the might of their fleets or the superiority of their way of life. In comparison, the Solaris Confederation does next to nothing in terms of flexing their political muscle or displaying their military might, believing that when the imminent conflict finally comes, there may still be hope that the warring factions will leave the Confederation alone. Rapid technology development is not the main goal of the Confederation – or at least does not seem to be. A very cautious observer might notice, however, that research was a discreet focus of this particular faction. There are even those few who, after repeatedly provoking the Confederation, lived to tell the tale. And it is a horrifying tale of whole fleets silently materializing in the emptiness of the void to strike with surgical precision and wreak unspeakable havoc before disappearing once again, without a single ship lost. Survival and a relatively comfortable existence are the current goals for the Confederation’s leaders. Simply put, they want to live their own life and are perfectly content with letting other survivor factions do the same, going so far as to easily forgive minor infractions that would set others off – and buying time to mount a sudden, unstoppable and crippling counteroffensive. That is also why they fight most their battles on their own territory, and with ages of guerrilla warfare experience behind their belts, the members of the Confederation will usually only defend their homes, and do this effectively enough to put all else to shame. Special Ability UPGRADES If any of the planets you control become a target of a WMD, draw 1 Combat card, regardless of the outcome of any WMD rolls. You may draw a maximum of 2 combat cards per turn with this ability. When you fire a WMD gain 1 CP ( ). 7 2 1 2 Technologies Dark Energy Shield You may buy and place Dark Energy Shields on your ships. A Dark Energy Shield can withstand a total of 4 damage STARTING Resources Medium Length Game 14 2 3 Long Game 9 1 Advanced Cloaking 2 TURN Structure I. Upkeep Stage • • • • • • • Reset market Increase Population (Expert Cloning, Clone Factory) Repair ships (Basic Repairs, Advanced Repairs) Receive income and pay tax (Advanced Politics) Get CP income (CP Refinery) Get Axinium income (Axinium Refinery) Get Phasium income (Phasium Refinery) II. Council Stage • • • • • Remove Resolutions Political decision (Corrupt Politics, Visionary Politics) Bonus Action decision Elections (Corrupt Politics) Combat Cards drafting ACTION CARDS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. You may pay a total of 2 CP ( ) less with this Research Action if you hold the Vice-Chancellor title. / Trade. This Banking Action provides additionally 1 Axinium ( )./ Research. You may receive 1 Dark Energy Shield for free (if you have the prerequisite Technology) with this Buy Upgrades Action but only if you buy no other Upgrade tokens. / Banking. Mining and draw 1 combat card. / You may pay a total of 1 Phasium ( ) less with this Buy Upgrades Action. You may pay a total of 1 Axinium ( ) less with this Build Ships Action. / Mining. Draw 4 combat cards. / Build Ships. Distance checks (Radar, Target Scanner) Damage rolls (SDS, Advanced SDS, Interceptors, Strategic Bombers) V. Conquest Stage (x2) • • • • • • • Mount Population Perform Ship Movement Move Population (Civilian Ships) Detection (Cloaking, Advanced Cloaking, Radar) Player combat Centaurian Resistance combat (Quantum Reflection) Deploy Population (Landing Maneuver, Commando, Expert Research) As an Upgrade you may build ASDS on planets you control. An ASDS offers protection to that planet and all the planets in the surrounding hexes from incoming Rockets. For any incoming Rocket roll a die. A results of 4, 5 or 6 cancels the effects of that Rocket. Commandos Every time you deploy Population on a planet where there is enemy population, you roll 1 die for each Population you deploy. For each result of 5 or 6, destroy one enemy population. This does not apply to population deployed using Escape Pods. When you fire WMD, add 1 to all you damage die rolls when you have at least a ship in the orbit (same hex) of the targeted planet, even if that ship is cloaked. Play 1st Action Play 1st Reaction (Expert Politics) Play 2nd Action (Basic Politics) Play 2nd Reaction (Expert Politics) Play 3rd Action (Master Politics) Play Bonus Action Space Combat IV. Fire WMD Stage • • Advanced Space Defense Systems (ASDS) Strategic Bombers III. Action Stage • • • • • • Your ships are invisible to all the other players, even if they have researched the Radar technology. This ability is lost before the last Conquest stage of the game. Combat Round Structure 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Start of Combat Step (Advanced Tactics) Play Combat Cards Step Resolve Combat Cards Step Roll combat dice Step (Tachyon Scanners) Assign Hits Step (Basic Tactics, Fringe Tactics) Ship Damage Step Discard Combat Cards Step Escape Pods You may immediately deploy the population from a ship destroyed in combat on the planet in the same hex. This does not apply if the battle takes place in the High Council hex or if there is no planet in that hex. Target Scanner When you fire any WMD, add 2 to all you distance checks. Blackwater Precision and reliability – these are the concepts that made us into what we are today. But make no mistake, although we draw from the past, we are the future of mankind, whatever others might want you to believe. In the old days we were able to adapt, displaying power in all kinds of conflicts and proving that we will always exist and remain in a prestigious position of power and influence. Now comes the time when we take the gloves off, and swap our obscure influences for open and total domination. Blackwater is more of a corporation than a political faction, changing and adapting with time, but still holding on to what made it economically strong before leaving Old Earth. Although much had to change in the faction’s structure, the basic ideas remained immutable, serving as obvious proof that some of humanity’s flaws prove to be an infinite resource to be properly exploited. Built around a vast economical power, Blackwater believes itself to be the true heir of humanity: a faction stemming from an organization that had existed on the top of the world’s food chain for decades before the Exodus. Now, through intensive development of space weapons, Blackwater is gathering strength to strike at its enemies with the cold precision and the dauntlessness that had forged its name in the old days. Blackwater is a goal oriented faction – perhaps even the single most objective-focused one in this new world – and the goal is to make the final transition from an almost all powerful organization to a truly omnipotent one. After all, the laws and regulations that had curbed the corporation time and time again back on Earth no longer apply, with almost no obstacles standing in the way of total domination. Everything Blackwater does is means to an end, with no humanitarian laws putting a damper on what the faction’s specialists are able to achieve. And soon, very soon in fact, all those who want to win will find out they are playing a game not only invented but also arbitrated by one of the opponents. The opponent that is invading their borders, destroying their fleets and holding their assets, before their own aggression can finally be stopped. Special Ability UPGRADES Once per turn, after any of your ships takes part in any combat, take from the discard pile any 1 Combat card. 7 Technologies Quantum Scanner During space combat, you also score hits on every die roll with a value of “4”, not only of “5” and “6”. STARTING Resources Medium Length Game 9 2 2 2 Long Game 7 1 Phasium Alloy 2 1 TURN Structure I. Upkeep Stage • • • • • • • Reset market Increase Population (Expert Cloning, Clone Factory) Repair ships (Basic Repairs, Advanced Repairs) Receive income and pay tax (Advanced Politics) Get CP income (CP Refinery) Get Axinium income (Axinium Refinery) Get Phasium income (Phasium Refinery) II. Council Stage • • • • • Remove Resolutions Political decision (Corrupt Politics, Visionary Politics) Bonus Action decision Elections (Corrupt Politics) Combat Cards drafting ACTION CARDS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. You may pay a total of 3 CP ( ) less with this Research Action. / Trade. This Banking Action provides additionally 2 Axinium ( ). / Research. You may receive 1 EMP Cannon for free (if you have the prerequisite Technology) with this Buy Upgrades Action, but only if you buy no other Upgrade tokens. / You may not perform a Reaction. Mining and draw 1 combat card. / You may pay a total of 3 CP ( ) less with this Build Ships Action. You may pay 2 Axinium ( ) less with this Build Ships Action. / You may not perform a Reaction. Draw 3 combat cards. Discard any number of combat cards and draw the same number of combat cards to replace them. / Buy Upgrades. III. Action Stage • • • • • • Distance checks (Radar, Target Scanner) Damage rolls (SDS, Advanced SDS, Interceptors, Strategic Bombers) V. Conquest Stage (x2) • • • • • • • Mount Population Perform Ship Movement Move Population (Civilian Ships) Detection (Cloaking, Advanced Cloaking, Radar) Player combat Centaurian Resistance combat (Quantum Reflection) Deploy Population (Landing Maneuver, Commando, Expert Research) Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Cannon You may buy and place EMP Cannons on your ships. In the first round of combat an EMP Cannon deals 1 damage to each enemy ship. In subsequent combat rounds, an EMP Cannon allows rolling 2 dice. Interceptors Your ships may intercept WMD. For each ship you have in a hex which is either the launch point or the target of a WMD, roll 1 die. On a result of 5 or 6, cancel the effect of that WMD. You may use the same ship against each WMD. Basic Tactics During the first round of any combat, you may reassign the first 2 hits assigned to your ships. Play 1st Action Play 1st Reaction (Expert Politics) Play 2nd Action (Basic Politics) Play 2nd Reaction (Expert Politics) Play 3rd Action (Master Politics) Play Bonus Action Space Combat IV. Fire WMD Stage • • The costs of all your shields and drives are reduced by 1 Phasium ( ). Combat Round Structure 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Start of Combat Step (Advanced Tactics) Play Combat Cards Step Resolve Combat Cards Step Roll combat dice Step (Tachyon Scanners) Assign Hits Step (Basic Tactics, Fringe Tactics) Ship Damage Step Discard Combat Cards Step Advanced Research Once per turn, during combat against another player, you may copy one technology from that player. You do not have to pay any cost. That technology must have a printed cost of 9 CP ( ) or less. T-Modules As an Upgrade you may buy T-Modules. Any T-Module can be placed on spaceship blueprints instead of a cannon. Each T-Module may transport 2 Population.