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Aim of the game

Gain the most influence (victory points) by colonizing and conquering planets, trading goods, researching (building) and using "Technology" cards effectively.

• Planets typically score between two (2) and five (5) influence a piece.
• Goods (and sometimes fighters) score typically one influence a piece and are renewable.
• Researched technologies scores two (2) or five (5) for intermediate and advanced cards.

Gameplay

At the start of the game and the end of your turn, you are dealt a hand of cards from your deck. You customize your deck as you go. During other player's turn you may either follow their role and perform the actions using cards in your hand or dissent giving you an additional card to use later. On your turn you may perform an action and a role.

If at any time you get the message you have yet to do something, you probably have a passive ability that you may use at the time. Review your cards in front of you to ensure you are getting the most of your turn

Action phase

On your turn, you may first take an Action. This is done by selecting a single card from your hand. Only the Action listed on the card is performed and other players may not follow.

Role phase

After your action, you then take a Role. You always may select any role, and this will usually give you a card from the role stacks which is added to your deck. When you play a role, its strength can be further boosted by also playing the cards in your hand.

Once this is done, every other player may either follow your role or dissent in which case they are dealt one card from their deck into their hand.

Cleanup phase

After you have played a role, you must discard your hand down to your current card limit (starts at 5) or less. Additional cards you will discard have an outline on them. You will then draw new cards from your deck up to your card limit.

Game end

The game ends after the turn that follows the depletion of a number of role card stacks (1 stack for 2-3 player game, 2 stacks for 4-5 player game), or when the influence token supply is exhausted.

There is an extended 3 player variant which ends when 2 role stacks (which start smaller) are depleted.

The winner is the player with the most influence, in the case of a tie count the total fighters + resources of each player. If this is still a tie an extra round is played.

Actions

Survey

Draw 2 cards from your deck to your hand.

Warfare

Collect 1 fighter token or attack 1 planet (use as many fighters as the planet fighter cost to flip it over).

Colonize

1. Place the Colonize card on a planet or
2. Settle one (1) planet see section under Roles for more details

Produce/Trade

Once you have flipped planets over you may produce/trade on them. Only planets with a resource slot can produce goods.

Add one resource token to an upturned planet of your choice or trade in one reslurce token from a planet and receive an influence token in return.

Research

Remove up to 2 cards from your hand.

Roles

When you play a role you may also play cards with that symbol to give more strength to that role.

When you choose a role you also get the leader bonus. The following players just play the normal role.

Roles as leader

Note that the leader will also get a card from the role stacks which is played on that turn so they gain an additional symbol for the role of their choice. For example they only need 2 basic research cards in their hand to buy a 3-cost technology card.

Survey

Look at one planet card per survey symbol played. Choose one planet that will be added face-down to your empire.

Warfare

Collect one fighter per warfare symbol played or Attack one planet (in the same way as when done as an action).

Colonize

1. Settle one (1) planet. To settle a planet you must have the minimum amount of colonies minus the total planets/technologies you have with a Colonize power/symbol i.e. Your surveyed world requires four colonies to settle. You have already colonized a world with colonize symbol and also have the Fertile Ground technology. You need only have two colonies on the surveyed world in order to settle it. or
2. Select and place as many Colonize cards (these represent colonies) on a planet (or planets). These cards will not return to your deck until the world is colonized or conquered. Note: if there are no Colonize in the Role deck you do not gain the +1 for selecting the role.

Produce/Trade

Choose either Produce or Trade.

Produce - Add one resource token per production symbol played onto empty resource slots on your planets. If the Produce/Trade resource stack is depleted get one extra resource token.

Trade - Remove one resource token per production symbol in resource slots on your planets and get that many influence tokens in return. If the Produce/Trade resource stack is depleted remove one extra resource token.

Research

Buy a technology card with Research at minus one cost. You must meet the world prerequisites and have enough research symbols to afford the cost of the technology which is either three, five or seven (3, 5 or 7). When the Research stack is depleted you still get the reduced cost of one research symbol.

• The starting technologies (1 world) give an enhanced action or may act as either symbols.
• The intermediate technologies (2 matching type worlds) are worth two (2) influence. and tend to give an improved ability or power to your hand. Those that have an action associated must be played during the Action phase to get their benefit.
• The advanced technologies (3 matching type worlds) tend to give significant game altering rules and are also worth five (5) influence.

Intermediate and Advanced Technologies are double-sided so once one side is taken the other side becomes unavailable

Roles for following players

Survey

Look at one planet card per survey symbol played minus one (so you need at least 2 survey symbols to make it worth following a survey role). Choose one planet that will be added face-down to your empire.

Warfare

Collect one fighter per warfare symbol played.

Colonize

Place as many colonize cards as played on a planet.

Produce/Trade

You must follow the leaders choice of either Produce or Trade.

Produce - Add one resource token per production symbol played onto empty resource slots on your planets.

Trade - Remove one resource token per production symbol in resource slots on your planets and get that many influence tokens in return.

Research

Buy a technology card. You must have enough research symbols to afford the cost of the technology (3, 5 or 7).

Planet cards

Planet cards have a cost in colonies or warfare. You can turn the planet over by paying either of these costs'

Once a planet is turned over, it may have resource slots(s) which allow you to produce on and trade from it. It may also have bonus symbols on it that are added to your symbol count when playing the role for that symbol. Some planets have a +1 game effect which increases your hand limit by 1 card.

Technology cards

Technology cards have a cost which is paid with research symbols and require a certain amount settled worlds of the same type.

Some technology have an action which are played during the Action Phase these cards also have symbols and can also be used during the Role Phase. When used as an action they only provide the ability not the symbols listed on the card.

Some technologies are permanent and are added to your empire's abilities. If it provides symbols those add during the appropriate Role Phase similar to planets.