Among the Stars: Expanding the Alliance
Among the Stars: Expanding the Alliance Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1. Components
Cards
- 46 Special Location Cards
- 12 Infestation Conflict Cards
- 12 Relocation Conflict Cards
- 6 Objective Cards
- 4 Ludons Ambassador Cards
- 4 Revuarz Ambassador Cards
- 6 Alliance Inspection Cards
- 1 Vak Main Reactor Card
- 2 Main Reactor Cards
- 5 Power Reactor Cards
- 10 Bureau Cards
Tiles
- 1 Debos Alien Race Tile
- 1 Nyxtos Alien Race Tile
- 1 Ludons Alien Race Tile
Tokens
- 6 Infestation Tokens
- 5 Nyxtos Tokens
- 5 Ludons Tokens
- 2 Player Markers
- 1 10-Credit Token
- 1 5-Credit Token
Cubes
- 8 Energy Cubes
2. Special Locations
There are 23 different Special Locations included in this expansion, each of them in 2 copies. You can shuffle them with the rest of the Special Locations and use them in your games as normal.
Some notes on a few of them:
Spiel Essen Promos
There were 2 Special Location cards made as promos to be given at the Spiel fair in Essen, Germany. In 2012 the Ambassadorial Shuttle was given and in 2013 the Section Seal. This expansion includes 2 copies of each card.
Ambassadorial Shuttle: When you play the Ambassadorial Shuttle you must build it in another player's Station - you can't build it on your own. You pay the cost as normal and you get the 2 VP listed on the card. From that point on though, the location becomes part of another player's Station, who is not allowed to build another location adjacent to it.
Section Seal: If Section Seal separates your Station in more than 2 parts, it still applies. However, you only count locations in the smallest part.
Dual Type Locations
Ten of the included locations have 2 location types, something which is clearly indicated by their frame. Each of those locations is considered to be of both types at all times. So, if another card's ability counts all the locations of a specific type, a dual type location that has that type should count as normal.
Some of them have abilities that look for adjacent cards with specific location types (Hotel, Galactic Court, Alien Museum, Ship Repair Facility, Holding Cells). Keep in mind that these cards count locations, not types. So, if for example you put a Hotel next to another Hotel, the bonus it will provide will still be 1 VP, not 2.
3. New Objectives
This expansion includes 6 New Objectives (Multi-Purpose, Energy Efficient, Fully Operational, No Delays, Reach for the Stars, Something for Everyone). Shuffle them with the rest of the Objectives and use them in your games as normal.
4. New Conflict Sets
Two new Conflict sets are included in this expansion, "Infestation" and "Relocation". Each of them consists of 12 cards with the same name and offers a new way to add more direct confrontation in your games. To use them, follow the instructions in the manual on playing the Aggressive mode, replacing the Dispute Conflict Cards with the ones from the set you want to use (either Infestation or Relocation).
Some additional notes on each of the 2 sets:
Infestation: When playing with this Conflict set, each player must also put an Infestation token on his Main Reactor at the beginning of the 2nd year. Whenever a location has an Infestation token on it you may not build locations adjacent to it. Moreover, at the end of the game you get -3 VP for every Infestation token on your Station.
Relocation: You may not remove a Power Reactor or a Bureau from a Station. Moreover you may not remove a location from a Station if that causes the Station to break in 2 parts. If the owning player pays you to prevent the relocation, you do not have to pay the card's building cost.
5. 5-6 Player Rules
This expansion provides material for 2 more players, to allow for up to 6 players to play in the same game. Keep in mind however that both Among the Stars and Among the Stars: The Ambassadors are required in order to do so.
The components that allow the game to be played with 5 or 6 players are:
- 2 New Main Reactors (Orange & Purple)
- 10 Bureaus (5 for each additional player)
- 5 Power Reactors
- 8 Energy Cubes
- 2 Player Markers (Orange & Purple)
When playing with 5 or 6 players follow all the normal rules of the game with the following differences:
Game Setup
Location Deck: Choose 20 different Basic Locations if playing with 5 players and 24 if playing with 6. Add all 4 copies of each Location. Then draw 8 Special Location Cards per player, without looking at them, and add them to the Basic Locations (40 in a 5-player game and 48 in a 6-player game). All these cards (the Basic and the Special Location Cards) form the Location Deck that will be used during the game.
Ambassadors: When playing with Ambassadors have 4 of them available (instead of 3) for players to invite.
Conflicts: Instead of adding the Conflicts at the beginning of the 2nd year, add them at the beginning of the 3rd year. In a 5-player game add 10 of the 12 cards (randomly chosen) and in a 6-player game all 12.
6. Alliance Inspection
The Alliance, in an effort to control the progress of the Space Stations, dispatches inspectors to all the Stations under construction. The players must follow their directives or face the consequences.
The Alliance Inspection is a mini expansion of 6 cards that can be added in a normal game of Among the Stars. At the beginning of each year shuffle the Inspection cards and secretly deal one to each player. At the end of each year, the players reveal their cards and VPs are awarded or subtracted depending on their Stations' composition.
If a player has more locations of the type shown on his Inspection card than any other player (or is tied for the most) he gets 3 VP. If a player has fewer locations of that type than any other player (or is tied for the fewest) he loses 2 VP.
Transcriber note: the location type shown on each of the 6 Inspection cards is printed on the cards themselves as an icon and is not given in the rulebook text, so it is not listed here.
Note: The 6th Inspection card checks for locations with delayed abilities, not location types.
7. Revuarz Ambassador Cards
These are 4 Ambassador Cards that were created for fun and are meant to be played in more casual games. To use them simply add them as normal to their respective decks according to their back.
When playing in public places, Rahdo's ability only counts people passing within 2 meters (6 feet) behind him.
Transcriber note: the rulebook lists 4 Ludons Ambassador Cards in its components but prints no separate rules text for them; the rules above cover only the Revuarz cards.
8. New Alien Races
Three new races have joined the Alliance and you can now help them build their Stations.
Ludons
Ludons are a dying race. Their DNA is collapsing and in a few hundred years they may be nothing more than a memory. The Ludo System was very close to the location of the Intergalactic War's final battle and as a result they were the biggest victims of the Purge. The weapons with which the Harbingers attacked them were of immense power resulting in the almost complete annihilation of their planets. It is still unknown if this was an attempt to wipe out the Ludon race, or if they were just collateral damage of the Great War. The question remains while the Ludon civilization fades away.
Nyxtos
Unlike with most races, the reputation of Nyxtos created major conflicts among the founders of the Alliance. Whether they should be accepted or not, was a matter of extensive debate since Nyxtos did not have much to offer to the Alliance. During the Intergalactic War they were known as excellent saboteurs and double agents. They are a race of mercenaries that work for the highest bidder. Nonetheless their request to join the Alliance was accepted and Nyxtos have been given a chance to prove themselves as worthy allies.
Debos
Debos consider themselves superior to the other races and very close to perfection. They have a natural talent in optimizing everything they get involved with, but it comes with a strong ego. They tried imposing their own ideas to the Alliance, even before they were accepted as members and this was why initially many of the founders declined their request to join. In the end, after long negotiations with Alliance representatives, Debos were accepted as members but not without signing treaties first that forced them to acknowledge the importance of all the other members and to treat them as equals.