2038: Tycoons of the Asteroid Belt Expansion Set Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Adding the New Corporations
  • On-Site Refining
  • Mining Robotics
• 3. Variant Start Packet
• Stock Repurchases by Corporations (Optional Rule)
• Rules Clarifications
• Private Company (Variant Start Pack) and Corporation Summary
• Certificate Limit and Variant Starting Money
• Private Company Cards (Variant Start Pack)
• Expansion Ship and Certificate Markings

Components

A complete 2038 Expansion Set includes:

• 2 Corporation mats
• 31 Share, Spaceship and Co. Certificates
• 92 counters (plus 2 optional hexes)
• 2-page rules sheet

1. Introduction

This 2038 Expansion Set introduces two new Corporations, which can simply be added to the existing game, and a Variant Start Packet which can also be used with them. 48 additional ore counters, one rule change and several rules clarifications (based on customer questions since 2038 was published) are also supplied.

2. Adding the New Corporations

To add the new Corporations, On-Site Refining and Mining Robotics, to the full game (but not the Short Game), treat them as group "C" Corporations (available when RCC and OPC become available) and modify setup as follows:

• Add one Phase III, one Phase V and three Phase VI spaceships.
• Use the following procedure to place the bases for these Corporations. Both of these bases start the game in play. Randomly draw two asteroid tiles and place them as shown. Put the On-Site Refining START base on the BASE section and the +10 / RARE counter on the REFUEL SLOT of the tile located near Drill Hound's starting hex. Place the Mining Robotics START base on the BASE section and the NO BONUS counter on the REFUEL SLOT of the tile located near Ice Finder's starting hex. (Or use the pre-printed OSR & MR base hexes provided in this print & play kit.)

The Certificate Limit is increased (see chart). Mars Mining gains 2 more Claims.

Upgrading to Phase VI spaceships may only occur after two of the Phase V ships have been purchased (not one). All other rules remain the same.

Refueling Stations may not be placed at either of these two starting bases. On-Site Refining's and Mining Robotics' claim costs are exceptions to rules 7.43 and 7.45. On-Site Refining extracts ore with a higher yield per volume. This is reflected in its $10 bonus per claim and higher costs. Its parent company uses these techniques to profitably further refine Rare ore before shipping it; thus, its +$10 / RARE home base delivery bonus. Mining Robotics uses intelligent robots to a greater degree than the other companies, allowing it to develop mines cheaper and faster than its competitors. This is reflected in its $40 claim cost, even if it develops two claims in a single turn.

On-Site Refining

• +$10 / all delivered Claims.
• Claims cost +$20; those bought from Independent COs cost $80, $20 of which is paid to the bank.
• Places its 1st claim / round and buys claims for $80; 2nd for $120.

Bases	Refueling Stations	Claims
1	1	6
$50	$50	$80 / $120

Spaceships: May own 4 spaceships in Phases I-II; 3 in Phases III-V; and 2 in Phase VI.

Mining Robotics

• Both the first and second claim placed in a round each cost $40.

Bases	Refueling Stations	Claims
2	2	14
$50	$50	$40 / $40

Spaceships: May own 4 spaceships in Phases I-II; 3 in Phases III-V; and 2 in Phase VI.

3. Variant Start Packet

Setup. Substitute the certificates provided with this expansion for the six Private Company certificates (COs #0 and #7-11). (Note that Private COs #7-9 no longer come with a TSI share apiece.) Add the two Corporations, spaceships and two extra Mars Mining Claims as described above, plus add:

• $300 to the total start money divided by the number of players (see chart).
• Two more Phase I spaceships.

Play proceeds normally with the exceptions noted above and the following:

• TSI's par price is no longer predetermined (either $100 or $67 varying with the Full or Short game) but is set by the TSI President as soon as Private Co. #10, the Space Transportation Co., is purchased. TSI is still always a Public Corporation.

  Note that after all Private and Independent Companies have been purchased, TSI will not operate until three more TSI shares have been bought.

• Use the optional rule Stock Repurchases by Corporations (see the next section).

  Note that the wording at right has been slightly revised for clarity and is now official.

• Once all twelve Private and Independent Companies have been purchased, all Corporations (except the Asteroid League) are available to be launched. Ignore the "A", "B" and "C" Corporation grouping.

  Growth Corporations may still not be launched during Phase I.

Comments: The total base cost of the "start packet" has been reduced from $1430 to $1075. With the extra $300, this leaves $1025 to be spend on bidding items up and launching Corporations, which often results in two Corporations being launched.

Due to the Probe, Private Co. #10, the Space Exploration Co., offers a decent return in Phase 1, even if TSI isn't launched immediately. However, once Phase II begins – and the Probe becomes obsolete – its return is much less favorable. Ensuring that TSI operates by then, by having 50% of its shares sold, is important to its owner.

Stock Repurchases by Corporations (Optional Rule)

Modify the following rules:

• 5.3 All shares in the Growth Corporation share box (only) are bought at the higher of that Corporation's par or current stock value, placing the amount paid into that Corporation's treasury.
• 7.2 A Corporation receives paid (or partially paid) earnings only for stock shares in the Growth Corporation box or Asteroid League trade-in box. It does not receive earnings for any shares in the Stock Market.
• 7.4 A Corporation (even a Public one) may, before and/or after step 2 of the operating sequence and using only its own funds, buy one or more of its shares from the Stock Market at the current stock price, placing them in the Growth Corporation box.

Rules Clarifications

Change: Once the Asteroid League forms (but has not yet acquired a spaceship), the Asteroid Export Company's certificate no longer counts towards its owner's certificate limit (but the newly received Asteroid League President's share does).

Previously, the Asteroid League's formation would occasionally result in a player exceeding the certificate limit (particularly in the Short Game) and having to sell a share just prior to losing the Asteroid Export Co.'s certificate in the next Operating Round.

Clarification: The initial auction is part of the first stock round (and as many stock rounds as it takes for all Private and Independent Companies to be sold). If all players pass before the initial auction is finished, that stock round is over and two operating rounds then occur before resuming the initial auction in the second stock round (and so on). Once all twelve Companies have been sold, the initial auction is over but that stock round continues until all players consecutively pass.

Clarification: A Growth Corporation does not receive $134 from the bank when launched; it instead receives the treasury amount (if any) of the Independent from which it was formed. It receives additional capital only as its 10% shares are purchased from the Growth Box.

Clarification: Ore bonuses due to bases ("per ore delivered") and Independents, Pilots and Corporations ("per ore delivery") operate in exactly the same manner despite their slightly different wordings (i.e. each and every ore pickup of the indicated type delivered by an Independent/Pilot/Corporation receives any listed ore bonus even when several of the same type of ore are being delivered together).

Clarification: A Corporation buying a mandatory spaceship which can afford, of the current phase ships, a (cheaper) SCOUT may not use its President's personal funds to buy a (more expensive) TUG. However, a Corporation which cannot afford either of the two ship types currently available (and therefore must use its President's personal funds) may choose to buy the more expensive TUG, even if doing so results in its President having to sell (possibly additional) shares of stock.

Clarification: Refueling stations are placed after bases in the Corporation operating sequence. Thus, a refueling station will not extend a Corporation's range for placing a base in the round that the refueling station is placed. An exception is the refueling station placed by exercising Company #8's special property. Since special properties are exercised before bases are placed, this refueling station will extend a Corporation's range for placing a base later in that same round. This is an intended feature of Company #8's special property (just as #7's free base placement ignores range and #9's free claim is in addition to any other claims placed that round by its owning Corporation).

Clarification: Upgrading a spaceship to a Phase VI ship is a purchase. Thus, upgrading a Phase III spaceship immediately advances the game to Phase VI (removing all other Phase III spaceships from the game).

Private Company (Variant Start Pack) and Corporation Summary

#	Private Co.	Bid	Income	Shares	Sell to Corp?	Notes
0	Planetary Imports	$35	$10	—	yes	—
7	Tunnel Systems	$20	$5	—	yes	Corp. may place 1 free Base on any explored and unclaimed tile.
8	Vacuum Associates	$40	$10	—	yes	Corp may place 1 free Refueling Station within range.
9	Robot Smelters

Gp	Corporation	Delivery Bonus	Bases	Refuel	Claims	Notes
–	Trans-Space, Inc.	—	1	3	10	Receives Probe as one of its four initially allowed spaceships.
A	Resources Unlimited	—	1	1	12	Places its first claim each round for free (second one costs $100).
B	Lunar Enterprises	$10 / Nickel	1	2	9	—
B	Mars Mining Associates

Certificate Limit and Variant Starting Money

Certificate Limit / Variant Starting Money

# of Players	Full Game w/ 10 Corps.	Expansion & Variant	Money
3	22	27	$700
4	16	20	525
5	13	16	420
6	11	13	350

Spaceships: May own 4 spaceships in Phases I-II; 3 in Phases III-V; and 2 in Phase VI.

Private Company Cards (Variant Start Pack)

The printed text on the expansion's Private Company certificates is as follows. Each certificate shows its bid and income; the card-face graphics (the company number and phase markings) are not reproduced here.

• Planetary Imports (Private Co. #0): bid $35, income $10. Variant certificate. No special property is printed.
• Tunnel Systems (Private Co. #7): bid $20, income $5. If owned by a Corporation, may place 1 free Base on any explored and unclaimed tile.
• Vacuum Associates (Private Co. #8): bid $40, income $10. If owned by a Corporation, may place 1 free Refueling Station within range.
• Robot Smelters, Inc. (Private Co. #9): bid $60, income $15. If owned by a Corporation, may place 1 free Claim within range.
• Space Exploration Co. (Private Co. #10): bid $160, income $20. Buyer receives TSI President's certificate and flies Probe if TSI isn't active. May not be bought by a Corporation. Remove from game after TSI buys a ship.
• Asteroid Export Co. (Private Co. #11): bid $160, income $30. Forms Asteroid League, receiving its President's certificate. May not be bought by a Corporation. Remove from game after AL acquires a spaceship.

Expansion Ship and Certificate Markings

The expansion's ship and certificate faces carry the following printed legends: "Variant Only", "Expansion & Variant", "Obsolete: Phase III", "Obsolete: Phase VI", "Permanent", and "$700 upgrade to Phase VI ship". The printed share and ship figures (for example "3/2 $100", "9/7 $950") are graphic and are not interpreted here; read them from the physical components.