Aristeia!: Prime Time
Aristeia!: Prime Time Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Preparation of the Play Area
- Introductory Rules
- DeathMatch - Run 'N Shoot! (Tutorial)
- Basic Rules
- DeathMatch - Ballroom Dancing (Tutorial)
- Rules
- Preparations
- Running Order
- Round
- Bench
- Infirmary
- Tactics
- Frags
- Disengage
- States
- Objectives Deck
- Special Spaces
- Running Projectiles
- Additional Rules
- Scenarios
Introduction
Welcome to Aristeia!, the most bloody and thrilling spectacle in the entire Human Sphere! This tutorial will teach you and your fellow players how to play multiplayer matches in Aristeia! Prime Time - step by step.
Preparation of the Play Area
This is how to set up the game elements for any Aristeia! Prime Time match:
- 1 HexaDome
- 1 Running Order and 1 Round Counter marker
- 1 Prime Time marker
- 39 Special Space markers
- 8 Running Projectile markers
- 14 State tokens
- 20 Value tokens
- 48 Objective cards
- 4 Control Panels and 8 Action Points and Movement Points markers
- 20 Tactics
Introductory Rules
Here we will explain the basic concepts you need to know in order to play the tutorial scenarios. We will complete them as you advance through this guide. If you want to jump directly to the rules of Aristeia! Prime Time, you may skip to page 6, but we recommend you to do so only if you already know how to play Aristeia!.
Playing a Match of Aristeia! Prime Time
Matches are played in a number of Rounds that are specified by the scenario. In each Round, during the Turn Phase, players have one activation for each of their Characters.
Prime Time
The player with the Prime Time marker (hereinafter referred simply as "Prime Time") is the first to choose in certain phases of the match, as well as having the last word in the case of a conflict between simultaneous Effects of different players (even if Prime Time is not involved). Unless the Scenario specifies otherwise, at the end of each of the first 3 Rounds, Prime Time will hand over the marker to the player to their left. At the end of Round 4 and all successive Rounds, Prime Time will be handed over to the player with the least Victory Points.
Game Round
From the left to the right and starting with Prime Time, each player will activate their Character, performing any of the Actions available on their Character card.
Actions and Action Points
At the beginning of their Activation, the Active Character gains a pool of as many Action Points as their Energy Attribute. You will use these Action Points to perform the Character's Actions.
Control Panel
Each player has a Control Panel through which they may control the Action Point and Movement Point reserve of their Character when they are activated.
1. Actions
The active Character may use their Action Points to perform any of the Actions described in their Character card. Actions can be identified on the Character cards by the green background of their title.
The Action anatomy is shown on the example card (Misdirection) in the printed rulebook, and is explained as follows:
- Action Name.
- Action Points Cost. As long as the Character pays the cost, they may repeat the same Action as many times as they want.
- Roll. Indicates how many dice to roll.
- Effects. Effects marked with the automatic icon (») are required to be applied every time the Action is performed. Effects that begin with the conditional icon (→) are only applied if at least one Success (★) is obtained in the Roll and if the player wishes to apply them.
- Range. If the Action shows a Range, it means that it is mandatory to declare the Action on a Target that is within that Range. That Target will receive the Effects of the Action.
2. Move
All Characters have access to this Action, even if it doesn't appear on their Character cards.
The automatic icon (») indicates that this Effect happens automatically whenever you perform this Action. By performing Move, the Character gains as many Movement Points as their Speed Attribute. Each Movement Point may be spent to move onto an adjacent Free Space. You can spend Movement Points and Action Points in any order you choose.
Characters may not move on to an Occupied Space or on to a Blocked Space.
Space Status
- Spaces with a Character or Obstacle on them are Occupied Spaces.
- The Spaces printed black on the HexaDome are Blocked Spaces.
- All other Spaces are Free Spaces.
3. Attacks
Attacks are a type of Action indicated by a red title in the Character card.
To resolve an Attack, make a Face to Face Roll, named Combat Roll. The Attacker uses the dice specified by their Attack, and the Defender uses the dice pictured in their Defense Attribute.
Any Success rolled during a Combat Roll, unless it is canceled out by an enemy Block or spent to activate a Switch, inflicts one point of Damage to the Enemy.
Range
Range is the most commonplace requirement for any Action your Characters might want to perform. There are two values to any Range. The first value is the Minimum Range, the shortest allowed distance, measured in spaces, to the Target. The second value is the Maximum Range, the longest allowed distance to the Target.
To verify you're within Range, count the number of spaces between your Character and their Target, following the shortest route. A Character's space is at Range 0, adjacent spaces are at Range 1, and so on.
- Range marked with a black hexagon: This Range requires the Target to be within Line of Sight.
- Range marked with a red hexagon: Actions with their Range in red do not require Line of Sight to the Target, only to meet the requirement of distance measured in spaces.
Line of Sight
Line of Sight determines what a Character in the HexaDome can "see" at any given time.
A Character has Line of Sight to a Target if you can draw an unobstructed straight line from one vertex of their space to, at least, two vertices of the Target's space. This line is obstructed by spaces Occupied by another Character or Blocked by terrain. Spaces Occupied by an Obstacle don't block Line of Sight.
- Important! This imaginary line is also considered obstructed if it crosses two or more vertices of the same Blocked or Occupied space.
There are three possible Line of Sight conditions:
- Clear Line of Sight: You can draw unobstructed straight lines from one of the vertices of your space to every vertex of the Target's space.
- Limited Line of Sight: You can draw unobstructed straight lines from one of the vertices of your space to at least two vertices of the Target's space, but not to all.
- Blocked Line of Sight: You can draw unobstructed straight lines from one of the vertices of your space to at most one vertex of the Target's space.
Characters may only declare Actions whose Range requires Line of Sight against a Target to which they have Limited or Clear Line of Sight.
- Remember: Actions with their Range in red do not require Line of Sight to the Target, only to meet the requirement of distance measured in spaces. If that is the case, they may be declared even when the Target has a Blocked Line of Sight.
Rolls
In Aristeia!, you use special dice showing a series of symbols to decide the outcome of your actions. Each symbol has a different in-game meaning:
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Success (★): Each of these represents one success in your roll. In an Attack, each success inflicts one Damage to the Target.
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Block (shield): In a Face to Face Roll (that is, one in which both players roll dice simultaneously), each of these symbols cancels out one of the opponent's Successes (★).
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Critical Success (gold star): This is a Critical Success, and cannot be canceled out by a Block.
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Critical Block (gold shield): This Critical Block cancels out an entire die from the opponent's Roll, even if it's showing a Critical Success.
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Special (!): This symbol has no impact on the roll, but might be useful for activating a Switch like the other symbols.
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Important! Whatever the type of roll, players cannot roll more than three dice of the same color at once.
There are two types of rolls in Aristeia!: Simple and Face to Face. Only one player rolls dice for a Simple Roll, but both players roll against each other in a Face to Face Roll.
If you roll a Critical Block in a Face to Face Roll and want to use it to cancel out one of your opponent's dice, you must do so before activating any Switches.
Simple Roll Example
Parvati performs her MediKit Action to heal a teammate. She must pass a Simple Roll by rolling at least one Success on her orange and yellow dice. She throws the dice and they show Success, Success, Special, so she heals successfully her Target of 1 Damage.
Face to Face Roll Example
Major Lunah uses her Called Shot to perform an Attack on Miyamoto Mushashi. Major Lunah rolls her red and orange dice and adds a Success to the result as if it had been rolled on a third die.
All in all, she rolls Critical Success, Success, Success, Success, Special.
Her target, Miyamoto Mushashi, defends himself by rolling a green die and a blue die for a result of Critical Block, Block, Success, Special.
Mushashi can use his Critical Block to Nullify one of Major Lunah's dice, so he uses it and takes away the orange die. Then, he uses his Block to Nullify one of Major Lunah's remaining Successes. Major Lunah's final result is Critical Success, and Mushashi's is Success and Special.
Switches
Activating Switches allows you to spend some of the symbols you rolled to obtain some extra Switch Effects in return.
The Switch is shown on the Action with its Cost (a Special, the exclamation mark, in the example) and its Effect (Displace the Target).
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You can only activate Switches immediately after making a roll.
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Important! Switch Effects always apply before the Effects of the Action that called for the roll.
Whatever symbols you spend to activate Switches will not be available for the resolution of the roll. That means if you spend one Success to activate a Switch, you will not be able to count that success for the Effect of your Action. Similarly, if you spent one Block to activate a Switch, you will not be able to use it to cancel out one of your opponent's Successes.
Switch Effects apply immediately when you pay their cost. Specifically, they apply before the Effect of the Action that prompted the roll.
During a Face to Face Roll, the player controlling the active Character, the one who performed the Action that prompted the roll, gets to choose which player may activate their Switches first.
If you spend a Critical Success to pay the cost of a Switch, it counts as two Successes. Likewise, a Critical Block counts as two Blocks for the purposes of activating a Switch.
Switches listed inside the text of an Action can only be activated during a Roll for that specific Action.
Conversely, Switches listed under a Character's Attributes and before their Actions are called General Switches and may be activated during any Roll made by that Character.
Switch Example
8-Ball rolled two Blocks and a Special on his Eat my Fa Jing Attack. Without any Success, he cannot deal any Damage, but he may spend his Special to activate his Switch, thus Displacing his Target.
Switch Order Example
Miyamoto performs his Ken no Sen Attack against Major Lunah, so he rolls a red die, an orange die and a blue die for a result of Success, Success, Block, Block, Special, Special. She defends herself by rolling a green die and a blue die for a result of Block, Block, Block, Special, Special.
If Miyamoto decides Major Lunah will be the first to activate Switches, she could spend two Specials to Nullify one of Miyamoto's Blocks.
On the other hand, if he decides to go first, he may spend each of his Blocks to add one more Success to his Roll. This way, when it's Major Lunah's turn to activate her Switches, her two Specials will be useless without any Block to Nullify in Miyamoto's Roll.
Switches and Criticals Example
Maximus performs a Jotum's Shield Attack on Miyamoto Mushashi, so he rolls a red die, a blue die and a black die against Mushashi's Defense, which is a green die and a blue die.
Maximus rolls Success, Success, Block, Block, Special, Special, and Mushashi rolls Critical Block, Block, Success, Special.
Mushashi must decide whether to use his Critical Block now to cancel one die of Maximus' Roll or to keep it to play his Switch.
Maximus is the one who decides which of them will play their Switch first, so it may happen that:
- Miyamoto cancels the red die, so Maximus will not be able to play his Switch. Even if Miyamoto plays his Switch afterwards, both his Successes will be cancelled in the resolution by Maximus' two Blocks.
- Miyamoto keeps his Critical Block to be able to use it with his Switch and turning it into two Blocks and those into two Successes. If he does so, Maximus will play his Switch first, spending his two Specials and Displacing the samurai. Since he is not in Contact, Miyamoto cannot play his Switch to add more Success to his Roll. Miyamoto would only cancel one of Maximus' Successes, while Maximus will Cancel Miyamoto's Success, with the result of 1 Damage being inflicted on Miyamoto.
States
Some Effects may impose certain States on targets. Each State has been assigned its own token, which you can use to mark the affected Characters.
State tokens have two different sides: a red one and a blue one.
When a State is imposed on a Character, place that State's token red-side up on that Character's card.
At the end of a Character's Activation, remove all blue tokens from that Character's card, and then flip all red State tokens so they are blue-side up.
States may have different effects depending on which side their token is currently showing; these effects apply the moment the token is placed or flipped.
A Character cannot be under the influence of two or more instances of the same State. If a Character would have a State imposed on them that they already have a token for, remove the existing token before adding the new one, red-side up.
There's a list of all States and their effects on the back of the "Reference Guide".
Bench
When a Character receives as many Damage tokens as their Hit Points Attribute, they must be immediately removed from the HexaDome and placed on the Bench.
Then, the player will discard all the Damage and State tokens that their Character had accrued. Also, the Character receives the -2 Energy State.
DeathMatch - Run 'N Shoot! (Tutorial)
To learn how to play Aristeia! Prime Time, we will begin with a basic scenario, DeathMatch. The game will evolve as we add and explain the basic rules. With this in mind, we will ignore many of the game elements, and insert them slowly and only as needed.
Preparations
To play the first version of DeathMatch, do the following: Place down the HexaDome and then, place the panel with the Running Order and the Prime Time marker next to it; provide each player with a Control Panel and make the dice available to them.
Pick the following Characters from the Basic Box: Wild Bill, Miyamoto Mushashi, Major Lunah, and Parvati. Choose the first player to pick a Character randomly (for example, all players roll 3 orange dice, and choose the one who obtained more Successes). After the first player, all others pick one Character clockwise. Each player receives their corresponding Miniature and Character card.
Prime Time
The last player to pick a Character receives the Prime Time marker.
HexaDome
To play this scenario, set up the HexaDome as shown in this diagram (see the printed rulebook, page 4).
Deployment
From left to right, and starting with Prime Time, each player deploys their Character in the central space of one of the Deployment Zones except for the Central Deployment Zone.
Objectives
At the end of each Round, check whether any player has scored any Objectives. Award them the appropriate Victory Points if they have accomplished the following:
- Having their Character in the Central Deployment Zone (1 Victory Point).
- Having earned at least 1 Frag (1 Victory Point).
End-Game Conditions
The game ends at the end of the third Round, or when one of the players has scored five or more Victory Points at the end of a Round.
The winner is the player with the most Victory Points.
In case of a tie, the winner is the player who collected the most Frag tokens.
Basic Rules
Automatic Skills
In addition to Actions, some Character cards include Automatic Skills, indicated by their orange title. Automatic Skills' Effects are always active, even during an Enemy's Activation, or when the Character is in the Bench.
Example card, Marksmanship (Automatic Skill): Nullify your Targets' Cover.
Cover
In those Attacks in which the Target is more than one space away from the Attacker, both Characters may benefit from Cover to improve their Rolls.
For a Character to be considered in Cover, they must be in Contact with a Blocked or Occupied Space that partially blocks the Enemy Character's Line of Sight.
Characters under Cover may add one black die to their Combat Rolls.
In the example on the printed page, Wild Bill declares an Attack against hEXx3r. Both Wild Bill and hEXx3r benefit from Cover for their Combat Rolls, so Wild Bill rolls a red die, two orange dice, a Success and a black die, and hEXx3r rolls a blue die, a yellow die and a black die.
Obstacles
Spaces Occupied by an Obstacle don't block Line of Sight, but may grant Cover to adjacent Characters. Actions, Attacks and Tactics can Target Obstacles unless otherwise stated.
Disengage
In order to leave a space adjacent to an enemy using a Movement, the Active Character must win a Face to Face Roll using their Agility versus the enemy's Brawn. To pass that Face to Face Roll, the Active Character must have at least one Success after the opponent has used up all their Blocks. If the Active Character fails, they cannot Disengage and must stay on their original space and lose all remaining Movement Points.
If an enemy Character attempts to Disengage from a space adjacent to two or more of your Characters, choose one of them to contest the Disengagement. Your chosen Character gains a black die bonus to their Brawn for each other ally adjacent to the Active Character, up to a maximum of three black dice.
Parvati tries to Disengage from Mushashi in order to enter the Scoring Zone. Since her Agility is an orange die, she rolls that die and gets a Success. Miyamoto Mushashi's Brawn is a blue die and an orange die, and he rolls a Block. Mushashi spends his Block to nullify Parvati's only Success, so she won't be able to Disengage and must remain where she was. Furthermore, she loses all Movement Points she had left.
In case that two or more adjacent Enemies belong to different Teams, do as follows:
- Only one of the Enemies will make the Brawn Roll. The choice may be settled between the Characters engaging the Character. If they fail to agree, Prime Time will choose which Enemy will face the Character with their Brawn.
- Enemies in Contact that do not face with their Brawn may add one Block if they wish (the choice is up to each player).
Displacements
Some Characters have the ability to Displace themselves or others, usually by means of an Action or a Tactic. Displacements, unlike Movements, don't trigger Disengage Rolls when the Character vacates a space adjacent to an Enemy. All other restrictions on Movement apply to Displacements: only adjacent Free Spaces are valid destinations.
Placing
When you're prompted to Place a Character, you simply take that Character's model and put it on the designated space, disregarding the usual restrictions to Movement and Displacement.
Teams
In Aristeia! Prime Time, each player controls a Team of 2 Characters. Once you have deployed all the necessary game elements to play a scenario, it is time to create your Teams. Follow these steps:
- Take the Initiative cards of the available Characters and place them next to the board, in reach to all players. There must be 2 Characters per player.
- The first Player to choose a Character will be determined randomly: Each Player rolls 3 orange dice, and the one who obtains the most Successes will receive the Prime Time marker and choose first. If there is a tie, only the players whose results are the same will repeat the roll until determining who will be the first player.
- Prime Time chooses a Character, drawing their Initiative card and their four Tactics. Every other Player does the same clockwise (from left to right from Prime Time). The last Player to choose their first Character is also the first to choose their second Character. The other Players pick their second Character counter-clockwise. Thus, Prime Time is the first and last to pick their Characters.
Tactics
Each player has their own deck of Tactic cards. You can play your Tactics to gain an edge over your opponent when you need it most.
The timing section of the card says when you can play that Tactic.
Tactics must be discarded after applying their effects, forming a discard pile.
You draw a Tactic every time an Enemy goes to the Bench, and at the end of every Round. You can have as many Tactics in your hand as you want, there is no maximum hand size.
The printed Tactic card shows its Title, Timing, Effect, Character name and Collection Icon & Number.
Building the Tactics Deck
Once the Teams have been created, players build their Tactics Deck. To build the deck, players take the four Tactic cards for each of their Characters and then shuffle them with their ten Standard Tactics cards (numbered #009 to #018), to obtain a total of eighteen Tactics.
- Starting Hand. Before continuing, players must build their decks, shuffle them thoroughly and draw an initial Hand of four Tactics.
- Mulligan. Once per match, immediately after drawing the initial Hand, players that are unhappy with the Tactics they have drawn may return the entire Hand to their deck, reshuffle it and draw another four Tactics.
Game Rounds
Standard matches are usually played in 5 Rounds, but in this tutorial we have shortened it to 3 in order to play quicker matches. Each Round is composed of a series of phases that must be played in order.
Below are the details of each of the phases that make a Round:
1. Planning Phase
This is the first phase of the Round, in which players place their Character's Initiative cards in their Running Orders' free spaces in whatever order they wish as well as hidden to the other players.
Prime Time will be the first to place one of their Initiative cards in one of the Running Orders. The rest of the players will place their first Initiative card clockwise. The last player will place both their Initiative cards at the same time and once they are done, the rest of the players will place their remaining Initiative card counter-clockwise. Prime Time is therefore the first and last to place their cards.
The positions in the Running Orders set the order in which the Characters will activate during the Round. During the first turn, the Characters in the number "1" position will activate; during the second turn, the next Characters will do the same (number "2" positions); and so on until all of the Characters have been activated.
2. Turns Phase
During this phase, players activate their Characters by performing the following steps:
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Initiative. Prime Time flips the Initiative cards that need to be shown according to their position in the Running Order. For example: during Turn 1, flip the cards in the "1" position of both Running Orders. During Turn 2, both cards in the "2" position, and so on.
The shown Character's Initiative values are compared: The player controlling the Character with the highest Initiative, or Prime Time, in case of a tie, decides in which order they will be activated (if both Characters belong to the same player, the player decides, not Prime Time).
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Activations. In the order determined during the Initiative step, both Characters activate in turn.
3. Objectives Phase
The Objectives Phase sequence goes like this:
- Check Objectives. Each Scenario has a list of Objectives that give Victory Points. During this step, check whether any of the players achieved any Objectives this Round, and give them the appropriate Victory Points if they did.
- Check End-Game. During this step, check whether the end-game conditions for the current Scenario are met. If they are, the game ends. If they aren't, proceed to the next step.
- Hand over the Prime Time Marker. Prime Time will hand over the Prime Time marker to the player to their left at the end of the first 3 Rounds. At the end of Round 4, the Prime Time marker will be handed over to the player with the least Victory Points (solve ties as previously indicated).
4. Recovery Phase
Follow these steps:
- Terminate Effects. All Effects that last "until the end of the Round" end at this point.
- Draw Tactics. Each player draws one Tactic from their Tactics deck.
- Players who earned at least one Victory Point during this Round, draw one extra Tactic.
- Players who earned at least one Frag during this Round, draw one extra Tactic.
After the Recovery phase ends, a new Round begins, going back to the Planning Phase.
DeathMatch - Ballroom Dancing (Tutorial)
Preparations
To play this version of DeathMatch, do the following: deploy the HexaDome, place the panel with the Running Order and the Prime Time marker next to it; provide each player with a Control Panel and make the dice available to them.
Follow the steps from the "Teams" section using the Characters from the Basic Box.
Follow the steps from the "Tactics Deck Building".
Prime Time
The first player to pick a Character receives the Prime Time marker (see "Teams" section).
Deployment
Prime Time decides which player deploys one of their Characters first. All other players do the same clockwise. The last player to deploy their first Character is also the first one to deploy their second Character. All other players deploy their second Character counter-clockwise. In this way, the player chosen by Prime Time is the first and the last to deploy their Characters.
Players may deploy their Characters in any space within a Deployment Zone that is not the Central Deployment Zone. Players must deploy both their Characters in the same Deployment Zone.
Objectives
At the end of each Round, check whether any of the players have achieved any Objectives. Award them the appropriate Victory Points if they have accomplished any of the following:
- For having at least one Character in the Central Deployment Zone (1 Victory Point).
- For having earned at least 1 Frag (1 Victory Point).
End-Game Conditions
The game ends at the end of the third Round, or when one of the players has scored five or more Victory Points at the end of a Round.
The winner is the player with the most Victory Points.
In case of a tie, the winner is the player who collected more Frag tokens.
Rules
Aristeia! Prime Time is based on the Basic Rules of Aristeia! that are published in the basic box. Therefore, we recommend that you begin by following the tutorial on the "How to Play" booklet of the Basic Box and play a match against an opponent. This experience, along with the Reference Guide, will help you understand the rules and modifications that Aristeia! Prime Time adds to the Basic Box.
The rules within this manual prevail over those described in the Basic Rules. In time, this text may require modifications and clarifications, or new rules and scenarios that will be published in the future. To check the latest version, please visit: https://www.aristeiathegame.com/downloads
Prime Time
The player with the Prime Time marker (or simply Prime Time) is the first to choose in certain phases of the match. Likewise, that player will have the last word when there is a conflict between simultaneous Effects from different players (even if that player is not involved).
Preparations
Every Aristeia! Prime Time match begins with a series of preparations with the following steps:
1. Preparation of the Game Elements
Place the panel with the Running Orders next to the board and make the dice, the State tokens, Frag tokens, Victory Point tokens, and the Prime Time marker available for all players. Next, provide each player with a Control Panel, a Movement Point marker, and an Action Points marker.
2. Scenario Choice
In Aristeia! Prime Time, not only do the scenarios determine how to win the match, but also all the special conditions players will have to bear in mind when building their Teams.
3. HexaDome Configuration
Follow the steps indicated in the "Preparation" section of the chosen scenario. They will provide specific instructions on how to lay out the game elements on the HexaDome.
4. Team Creation
Take the Initiative cards of the Basic Box's Characters and place them next to the board, available for all players. You may use the Characters from the Aristeia! expansions (see "Expansions and Characters", page 10). There must be 2 Characters per player.
The first player to choose a Character will be determined randomly: Each player rolls 3 orange dice, and the one who obtains the most Successes will receive the Prime Time marker and choose first. In case of a draw, only the players whose results are the same will repeat the roll until establishing a single first player.
Prime Time chooses a Character, drawing their Initiative card and their four Tactics. Every other player does the same clockwise (from left to right from Prime Time). The last player to choose their first Character is also the first to choose their second Character. The other players pick their second Character counter-clockwise (from right to left from Prime Time). Thus, Prime Time is the first and last to pick their Characters.
5. Team Presentation
After choosing a Team, every player shows the Character cards they have selected, including each of the Character's four Tactics. It is important that every player understands the Actions, Automatic Skills, and Tactics of all the Characters they are going to play before beginning the match. Character cards must remain in plain sight during the entirety of the match, in case any of the players wishes to consult them.
6. Tactics Deck Building
Each player builds their own Tactics Deck, taking the four Tactic cards of each of their Characters and shuffling them with their ten General Tactics (numbered #009 to #018), to obtain a total of eighteen Tactics.
- Starting Hand and Mulligan. Applied as printed under Building the Tactics Deck in the Introductory Rules above.
7. Artifact Deployment
- Special Spaces. If the scenario requires the use of Special Spaces, deploy them now following the rules described in the "Special Spaces" section, on page 8.
- Running Projectiles. If the scenario requires the use of Running Projectiles, deploy them now, following the rules described in "Running Projectiles", on page 9.
8. Team Deployment
The scenario will indicate where to deploy the Characters on the HexaDome before beginning the match. Prime Time deploys one of their Characters first. The rest of the players do the same clockwise. The last player to deploy their first Character is also the first to deploy their second Character. The rest of the players deploy their second Character counter-clockwise. Thus, Prime Time is the first and last to deploy a Character.
Once this step is done, you may begin playing the first Round of the game!
Running Order
In Aristeia! Prime Time, the game is played with two Running Orders printed on a panel that is placed next to the board. On each side of this panel there is a Running Order configuration with a different amount of positions. Place the panel showing the Running Orders it has, each having as many positions as the number of players.
Round
The match is played in a series of Rounds, and each Round consists in as many Turns as there are players. Each Turn, activate the two Characters whose Initiative cards occupy the positions of that Turn in both Running Orders.
The first Round begins after finishing the Preparations.
1. Planning Phase
In this first phase of the Round, players must place their Character's Initiative cards in the Running Orders' free positions.
Prime Time will be the first to place one of their Initiative cards in one of the Running Orders. The rest of the players will place their first Initiative card clockwise. The last player will place both their Initiative cards at the same time and once they are done, the rest of the players will place their remaining Initiative card counter-clockwise. Prime Time is therefore the first and last to place their cards.
The positions in the Running Orders set the order in which the Characters will activate during the Round. During the first turn, the Characters in the number "1" position will activate; during the second turn, the next Characters will do the same (number "2" positions); and so on until all Characters have been activated.
2. Turn Phase
During this phase, players activate their Characters by performing the following steps:
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Initiative. Prime Time flips the Initiative cards that need to be shown according to their position in the Running Order. For example: during Turn 1, flip the cards in position "1" of both Running Orders. During Turn 2, both cards in position "2", and so on.
The shown Character's Initiative values are compared: The player controlling the Character with the highest Initiative (or Prime Time, in case of a tie) will decide in which order they will be activated (if both Characters belong to the same player, they themself will decide).
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Activations. Following the order established on the previous step, both Characters are activated in succession.
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Running Projectiles. If the scenario uses Running Projectiles, activate them now, following the rules described in "Running Projectiles", on page 9.
3. Objectives Phase
The sequence of the Objectives Phase is the following:
- Objectives Check. Each scenario has a list of Objectives required to obtain Victory Points. In this step, players must check if they have managed to achieve one of the Objectives during this Round, adding the corresponding Victory Points.
- End of Match Check. During this step, it is checked whether or not the conditions of the scenario to end the match and declare a winner are met. If they are met, the match immediately ends. If they are not, proceed to the next step.
- Hand over the Prime Time Marker. Prime Time will hand over the Prime Time marker to the player to their left at the end of the first 3 Rounds. At the end of Round 4, the Prime Time marker will be handed over to the player with the least Victory Points. If more than one player is tied with the least amount of Victory Points, select the player with the least amount of Frags. If there is still a tie, decide at random; for example: each one rolls 3 orange dice and select the one who obtains the most Successes.
4. Recovery Phase
Follow these steps:
- End of Effects. Every Effect whose duration indicates "until the end of the Round" ends now.
- Draw Tactic. Each player draws one Tactic from their Tactics deck.
- Players who earned at least one Victory Point during this Round, draw one extra Tactic.
- Players who earned at least one Frag during this Round, draw one extra Tactic.
After the Recovery phase, a new Round begins, going back to the Planning Phase.
Bench
When a Character has received as many or more Damage tokens as indicated in their Wounds Attribute, their player must immediately place the figure in one of their Control Panel's Bench spaces. Then, the player will remove all tokens (States, Damage, Markers, etc.) from their Character card and impose them the -2 Energy State.
Infirmary
The Infirmary is not used in Aristeia! Prime Time.
Tactics
Standard Tactics
Standard Tactics 009, 010, 011, 012, 013, and 014 of the Basic box may be played to add dice to the Roll of any other player. This means that players may support each other. The limit on the amount of orange, blue, and yellow dice must be respected at all times.
No!
The "No!" Tactic may be used at any moment to cancel the effects of any Tactic used by another player, regardless of whether or not its Effects target a Character of the player that is playing the Tactic.
Frags
Whenever a player inflicts an Enemy with enough Damage to send them to the Bench, that player gains one Frag token. Some of the following requirements must be met:
- The player inflicted the Damage during the Resolution of a Combat Roll.
- The player performed or applied the Effects of an Action or Automatic Skill that inflicted the Damage (for example: Suppressive Fire, Moon Cycle).
- The player played a Tactic whose Effects inflicted the Damage (for example: Valkyrie's Cry).
- The player imposed a State on the Enemy (Poisoned or Burning) that inflicted the Damage during the States Phase.
Disengage
Any time that a Character means to move in order to leave a space that is in Contact with an Enemy Character, they will have to overcome a Disengage Face to Face Roll (see "Disengage" in the Reference Guide).
In case that two or more of the Enemies belong to different teams, proceed as follows:
- Only one of the Enemies will make the Brawn Roll. Prime Time will choose which Enemy will face the Character with their Brawn.
- Enemies in Contact that do not face their Brawn may willingly add one black die (the decision is in each of the involved players' hands).
States
Burning
Targets affected by this State receive a random amount of Damage when they flip the token to show its blue side.
When a player shows the blue side of one or more Burning tokens, the player rolls one orange die for each one:
- For each Success: the Character suffers 1 Damage.
- For each Special: the Character receives a new Burning token.
- Once the Effects of a Burning token are applied after showing its blue side, the token must be immediately removed.
- Unlike the other States, the Objectives may receive more than one Burning State token at the same time.
- This throw of the dice is not performed by any Character, so it is not a Roll. Therefore, the amount of dice used cannot be modified by Tactics, no Switches may be performed, and the three-dice-per-colour limit does not apply.
Stunned
Targets affected by this State must Cancel one Success from all their Rolls before the Switches.
Focused
Targets affected by this State may eliminate it before performing a Roll to add one yellow die.
Poisoned
Targets affected by this State receive 1 Damage when they flip the token to show its blue side.
- Once the Effects of a Poisoned token are applied after showing its blue side, the token must be immediately removed.
- Unlike the other States, the Objectives may receive more than one Poisoned State token at the same time.
Objectives Deck
Some scenarios may require the use of the Objectives Deck to offer players with different challenges. The Objectives Deck is comprised of all the Objective cards present in Aristeia! Prime Time, unless the scenario itself specifies otherwise.
Objective Cards
The Objective cards have the following format:
- Victory Points it grants.
- Requirements to claim Victory Points.
- Objective card color.
Objective cards are grouped in colors and describe their requirements through icons, whose meaning is detailed below:
Inflict Damage (Red Color)
When to claim: When its requirements are met.
- The player's Character forces an Enemy Character to go to the Bench (or the Infirmary).
- The player's Character forces the Enemy Character (or one of them, in case of a tie) with the highest value of the Attribute indicated by their Team (Wounds or Initiative) to go to the Bench (or the Infirmary).
- The player's Character forces the Enemy Character (or one of them, in case of a tie) with the lowest value of the Attribute indicated by their Team (Wounds or Initiative) to go to the Bench (or the Infirmary).
The player's Character forces an Enemy Character to go to the Bench (or the Infirmary) due to one of the following situations:
- The Character inflicted Damage during the Resolution of a Combat Roll.
- The Character performed or applied the Effects of an Action or Automatic Skill that inflicted Damage (for example: Suppressive Fire, Moon Cycle).
- The Character played a Tactic whose Effects inflicted Damage (for example: Valkyrie's Cry).
- The Character imposed a State (Poisoned or Burning) that inflicted Damage to an Enemy during the States Phase (in case that several Characters impose one of these States on the same Character, it must be resolved as explained in "Frags and States", on page 10).
Impose States (Orange Color)
When to claim: When its requirements are met.
- The player's Character imposes a State to a Character that already has a different State. It is understood that an imposed State is represented by its token showing the side with the red border.
- The player's Character imposes a State to a Character that already has a different State. If one of the States imposed on the Target Character is the one indicated on the underside (in this case, Blinded), this card grants 1 additional Victory Point.
- The player's Character imposes a State to a Character that has two different States already. If one of the Target Character's States is the one indicated on the underside (in this case, Poisoned), this card grants 1 additional Victory Point.
Being the active Character is not a requirement to be able to claim this kind of cards, the Character may have imposed the State by, for example, activating a Switch during a Defense Roll (being the Defender) or a Disengage Roll (being the Character that attempts to engage with their rival's Brawn).
- Note: Being imposed with a State does not necessarily mean to be under its Effects.
Control (Blue Color)
When to claim: At the end of the Round, during the Objectives Phase (Objectives Check step).
- The player controls the indicated Deployment Zone (in this case, the #1).
- The player controls at least one of the two indicated Deployment Zones. This card grants 1 Victory Point for each Deployment Zone controlled.
- The player controls the Central Deployment Zone and any other Deployment Zone.
- The player controls more Deployment Zones than any of their rivals (the player must control at least one). This card cannot be claimed if there is a tie.
Controlling a Deployment Zone
At the end of a Round, a player controls a Zone when they have more Characters within it than any of their opponents have. For example: At the end of Round 2, Mark has 2 Characters, Anna 1 Character, Carla has 1, and Tony has none. Since Mark is the one with the most Characters, he controls Zone 1. If another player had also 2 Characters, Zone 1 would be under no one's control.
- Important: Characters cannot return to the Bench, nor can they be deployed in a Deployment Zone shown in an available Objective card.
Last One in Victory Points (Green Color)
When to claim: At the end of the Round, during the Objectives Phase (Objectives Check step).
Only the player with the least Victory Points may claim this card (and only if that player is the only player with the least Victory Points). By doing so, they take 1 Victory Point from the Character with the most Victory Points (or one of them in case there is a tie).
Claiming Objective Cards
The Objective cards must be claimed one by one. The requirements do not need to correspond to a single Character; for example: the same Character may be the one with the least Hit Points and Initiative in their Team, which means that sending that Character to the Bench meets the requirements of two different Objective cards. Or both Characters of a Team might have the same Initiative, which means that sending one or the other to the Bench is indistinct regarding the requirements of the same Objective card.
Players cannot claim more than one Objective card at the same time.
The Objective card's color is determined at the time it can be claimed:
- Red and Orange. These cards are claimed when their requirements are met. A new Objective card must be drawn immediately after finishing the active Character's Activation.
- Blue and Green. These cards are claimed at the end of the Round, during the Objectives Phase (Objectives Check step).
- Blue. In order, beginning with the first Objective card, check which players meet the requirements to claim them (it is possible that several players may claim the same Objective card. For example: if the Objective card grants 1 Victory Point for controlling Zone 1 or Zone 4, it is possible that Mark controls Zone 1 and Anna controls Zone 4, gaining 1 Victory Point each). Each player adds the Victory Points granted by a card before checking the next.
- Green. Only the player with the least Victory Points may claim this card. In case several players are tied with the least amount of Victory Points, none may claim it.
- At the end of the checking, players draw as many Objective cards as they require to have 4 available cards once again.
The Victory Points of an Objective card are added when they are claimed.
Preparation and Objectives Deck Use
To use the Objectives Deck, do as follows:
- Shuffle all Objective cards to build the Objectives Deck and place it face down next to the HexaDome.
- Before deploying, draw the first 4 cards and place them face up in line, in the order they were drawn. Each Objective card grants the player that meets its requirements a certain amount of Victory Points.
- Each card may be claimed at a moment that is determined by its color.
- Objective cards are grouped in 4 colors: red, orange, blue, and green. No more than 2 cards of the same color may be available at the same time. If there are 2 cards of the same color already when drawing an Objective card, discard the drawn card and draw a new one.
- Discarded Objective cards build a discard deck that players may check at any moment.
- At the end of the End of Match Check step, during the Objectives Phase, Prime Time may discard any amount of Objective cards. Prime Time draws as many Objective cards as they require to have 4 available cards once again.
- If the Deck is depleted when attempting to draw a card, shuffle the Objective cards in the discard deck and build a new Objective Deck.
Special Spaces
Artifacts are often used during Aristeia! Prime Time matches to keep up the expectations and the rating levels. They may be hidden anywhere in the HexaDome and there are several, often lethal, types.
Characteristics
- The Special Space markers are elements that do not occupy the Space in which they are, nor do they block Line of Sight.
- The Special Space markers are not Objectives.
- A Space cannot have two Special Space markers.
- If a Character advances, is Placed, or Displaced into a Space with a Special Space marker, do as follows:
- Flip the marker if it shows its reverse side.
- If its Effects are on a green background, the Character may decide whether to apply them or not.
- If its Effects are on a red background, they are resolved immediately.
- Special Spaces are not removed from the HexaDome unless it is specified so by the rules of the scenario, so its Effects are always active.
Scenarios with Special Spaces
To add Special Spaces to a scenario, gather all the Special Space markers, shuffle them and stack them face down (do not include markers with the Wildcard symbol unless the scenario has specific rules for their use).
Before initiating the Deployment step during the Preparation of the match, a total of 9 Special Spaces will be placed. In turns, clockwise and starting with Prime Time, each player will draw one marker from the stack, check it secretly, and then place it on the HexaDome in any Free Space that does not belong to a Deployment Zone and that is not adjacent to another Special Space marker.
Depending on the number of players, the following rules must be applied:
- In three player matches, each player will be allowed to check the first two markers they draw. Each player will deploy their third marker unaware of its content, "blindly".
- In four player matches, when all players are done placing two markers, Prime Time will draw the ninth marker and place it "blindly", without checking it.
Effects
The Special Space markers have the following Effects:
- Impose the Immobilized State to the Character. (red background)
- Impose the Stunned State to the Character. (red background)
- Impose the -2 Speed State to the Character. (red background)
- Inflict the indicated amount of Damage to the Character. (red background)
- Roll three black dice. For each Block you obtain, impose the Poisoned State to the Character. (red background)
- Roll three black dice. For each Block you obtain, impose the Burning State to the Character. (red background)
- The Character may receive the Focused State. (yellow background)
- The Character may Displace. (green background)
- The Character may Displace as much as two times. (green background)
- The Character may remove as much as 2 Damage from their Character card. (green background)
- The Character may remove any amount of Damage from their Character card. (green background)
- Portal. The Character may Place themself in any Free Space of the Deployment Zone represented by its number (the "A!" represents the Central Deployment Zone). (green background)
- Wildcard Marker. These markers must not be played unless the scenario specifies so. The rules of the scenario will detail the Effect associated to this marker. (grey background)
Running Projectiles
The renowned MadTraps and CrazyKoalas are Running Projectiles. They are some truly popular weapons among the Human Sphere's military and police forces due to their ability to throw themselves onto their targets and then explode or immobilize them. They were recently adapted to be included in Aristeia! Prime Time matches to provide the public with yet another entertaining element, since they can now watch the combat subjectively from the cameras installed on these artifacts.
Characteristics of the Running Projectiles
Running Projectiles are Obstacles, therefore:
- Spaces with Running Projectiles are considered as Occupied, so moving or Displacing through them is not allowed, and they allow to gain Cover.
- Spaces with Running Projectiles do not block Line of Sight.
- Running Projectiles have a Defense of one blue die and Hit Points 1.
- Running Projectiles may be the Target of Actions, Attacks, and Tactics, unless otherwise specified.
- Running Projectiles cannot receive nor be affected by States.
- Players do not gain Frag tokens for destroying Running Projectiles.
Scenarios with Running Projectiles
Running Projectiles may be added to any scenario by following these rules:
- Build a deck with the Running Projectile markers by shuffling CrazyKoalas and MadTraps and place it (with the Effects of the Running Projectiles face down) next to the HexaDome.
- Next, Prime Time will take the first Running Projectile from the deck and proceed to deploy it in a Free Space that does not belong to any Deployment Zone and that is neither adjacent to a Deployment Zone nor located in Range 1-2 to any Character. If these requirements cannot be met, the Projectile is not deployed and it is discarded as if it had been activated.
- The rest of the players will repeat the previous step from left to right until every player has deployed one Running Projectile on the HexaDome.
- Running Projectiles cannot be deployed in contact to each other.
- If a Character advances, is Placed or Displaced in a Space in Contact to a Running Projectile, flip the marker and automatically apply its Effects against the Character. Then, remove the Running Projectile marker from the HexaDome and place it at the bottom of the Running Projectile markers deck.
- At the end of the Turns Phase of each Round, after finishing the Activation of all Characters, all Running Projectiles that are deployed on the HexaDome are activated. Starting with Prime Time, each player from left to right will perform the Activation of a Running Projectile until they are all activated once.
- Once all of the Running Projectile's activations have been resolved, check that there are as many Running Projectiles as players on the HexaDome. If the number of Running Projectiles is less than the number of players, each player, starting with Prime Time and from left to right, deploys one Running Projectile until having one Running Projectile per player on the HexaDome.
Activation of the Running Projectiles
- During their Activation, the Running Projectile may Displace up to 3 times, being unable to go through the same Space twice, including the Space from which it began its Activation.
- Once the player that activates the Running Projectile decides that it will not Displace anymore, check if there are Targets in Range 1-2 from it. If there is at least one Target in Range, the player must choose one of them, flip the Running Projectile marker, and apply its Effects against the chosen Target. Then, remove the Running Projectile marker from the HexaDome and place it at the bottom of the Running Projectile markers deck.
- If there are no Targets in Range, the player may Displace the Running Projectile as much as two more times, in which case the Running Projectile will not be able to finish its Activation in Contact with any Character.
Crazy Koalas
Crazy Koalas may inflict 3 Damage or 2 Damage.
MadTraps
MadTraps may impose the Immobilized or -2 Speed State.
Additional Rules
Whether you are a seasoned player or you have just played your first matches, the following rules may be of interest in order to customize your matches.
Objective Cards (Additional Rule)
You may add the Objective cards to any scenario as hidden objective to increase the thrill of the game and to decrease the length of each match. At any moment, each player will have 2 Objective cards that will grant a variable number of Victory Points when their requirements are met.
To add this game mode, do as follows once you created the Teams and before advancing to step "5. Team Presentation":
- Shuffle all Objective cards face down and deal 3 cards to each player. The procedure to create the initial couple of Objective cards is this:
- Each player keeps one of the cards they have received and places it face down next to their Control Panel.
- When all players are done choosing one Objective card, each player hands over one of the remaining cards to the player to their left and the other to the player to their right.
- After the previous step, all players have received 2 new Objective cards. Each player examines them and chooses one of these cards, placing it face down on top of the one picked first, next to their Control Panel.
- When all players are done choosing their second Objective card, gather all the cards that were not selected and shuffle them face down, thus creating an Objective Deck. Place the Objective deck next to the HexaDome, in reach of all players.
Claiming Objective Cards (Additional Rule)
Every player may claim their Objective cards whenever they see fit, as long as the card's requirements are met. Once the card is claimed, and the corresponding Victory Points are added, the player draws one card from the Objective deck.
Players may discard an Objective card at the end of the Round to draw a new one.
Underdog
Seasoned Aristeia! players will probably miss using the Underdog marker. You just need to replace the Prime Time marker for the Underdog marker and apply the following rules:
- Underdog. Whenever the rules make reference to "Prime Time", replace it for "Underdog".
- Remember: The player with the Underdog marker is the first to choose in certain phases of the match. Likewise, that player will have the last word when there is a conflict between simultaneous Effects from different players (even if that player is not involved).
- Team Creation. Once all Teams have been created, the player with the lowest combined Initiatives receives the Underdog marker. In case two or more players are tied, choose the Underdog randomly (for example: each one rolls 3 orange dice and selects the one who obtains the most Successes becomes the Underdog).
- Objectives Phase. Hand over the Underdog marker: At the end of each Round, the player with the least Victory Points receives the Underdog marker. In case there is a tie among several players, choose the one who does not have it. If there is still a tie, choose the player with the least Frags. If the tie persists, the Underdog marker will be raffled randomly among the tied players.
Remove States
To speed up matches in which there are many States and prevent players from being left without options during their Character's Activations, apply the following rule:
At the beginning of their Character's Preparations Phase, a player may remove one State token from their Character card in exchange for imposing them with the -2 Energy State and discarding one Tactic from their hand. They cannot do this if the Character has the -2 Energy State already or if they do not have any more Tactics in their hand.
No!
To give every player a chance to overcome a situation that would turn the scenario extremely difficult, the following rule may be applied:
Before shuffling the Tactics deck, each player retrieves their "No!" card. When all players have their initial deck (once the Mulligan step was resolved), they will add this Tactic to their hand.
Frags and States
When there are Characters that impose the Poisoned or Burning States in different Teams, it is important to distinguish which State has each one imposed, since when a Character suffers Damage from them and is forced to go to the Bench, only one of them will score the Frag (and therefore their player). We recommend to separate the State tokens in some way to be able to distinguish its source.
- If the State or States that inflict the Damage come from the Character themself (for example: Hammerhead imposes the Poisoned State on himself), then Prime Time will decide which player earns the Frag.
- If the State or States that inflict the Damage come from Characters of the same rival Team, the player controlling that Team earns the Frag.
- If two or more Characters imposed any of the Damage-inflicting States, then the Frag is earned by the Character that imposed more State (Poisoned or Burning) tokens. In case there is a tie, Prime Time will decide who earns the Frag.
3 Player Matches
- Prime Time. At the end of Round 3, the Prime Time marker is handed over to the player that is to the left of the current Prime Time.
Running Order (Additional Rule)
It may happen that in 3 player matches both Initiative cards of the same player occupy the same position in both Running Orders (for example: both Initiative cards occupy position 2 of said Running Orders). To prevent that situation from being exploited at the expense of the enjoyment, the following rule is proposed:
No one, excepting Prime Time, may place both their Initiative cards in the same position in both Running Orders.
Expansions and Characters
If you have the Aristeia! expansions already, we recommend you add new Characters to Aristeia! Prime Time so you are not reduced to the same combinations. All you have to do is to create a group of Characters so there are two Characters per player (6 to 8). You may do so between every player, raffling it, and so on. We would propose our Draft system:
Draft
For the Draft system, build a deck with the Initiative cards of every available Character. Pick one of the players at random. The chosen player takes the deck and secretly picks one card, placing it face down in front of them. They then hand over the deck to the player to their left, who repeats the same operation. The deck will keep circulating among the players until everyone has selected two Initiative cards. At that moment, the deck is discarded and all the selected cards are flipped. That will be the group of Characters that will be part of the Teams.
Advanced Tactics Decks
It is recommended that this rule is applied if there is consensus about it among the players: players in possession of a copy of the advanced Tactic decks may replace their Standard Tactics with the Sterling Forge deck or the TComm deck. Players must announce the deck that they will use at the beginning of the "Tactics Deck Building" step, during the preparation of the match.
Sterling Forge
Standard Tactics 009, 011, 012, 013, 016, and 017 may be played to add dice to the Roll of any other player (the limit on the number of orange, blue, and yellow dice must be respected at all times). In case of being used in this way, only the die is added, the other Effects are not applied.
TComm
Standard Tactics 009, 011, 012, 013, 016, and 018 may be played to add dice to the Roll of any other player (the limit on the number of orange, blue, and yellow dice must be respected at all times). In case of being used in this way, only the die is added, the other Effects are not applied.
Scenarios
Crossover Assault
HexaDome
To play this scenario, set up the HexaDome as shown in the printed diagram.
Deployment
Players may deploy their Characters in any space within a Deployment Zone that is not a Scoring Zone.
Scoring Zones
Prior to the beginning of the Deployment Phase, Prime Time must choose four Deployment Zones from the ones that are numbered (other than the Central Zone). The two remaining Deployment Zones will act as Scoring Zones. The Central Zone never begins being a Scoring Zone.
At the start of each subsequent Round, before the Planning Phase, Prime Time chooses that Round's Scoring Zone, and then the player with the least Victory Points (other than Prime Time) chooses the second Scoring Zone (they cannot be the same). If several players are tied with the least Victory Points, choose the one with the least Frags. If the tie persists, choose randomly.
Only Deployment Zones without Characters in them may be chosen as new Scoring Zones. If all Deployment Zones are occupied, Prime Time will choose one, placing the Character within them in any Free Space in contact with said Scoring Zone. The next player to choose the second Scoring Zone must follow the same criteria (obviously, they cannot choose the Scoring Zone designated by Prime Time).
Deployment from Bench
Characters may return from the Bench using any Deployment Zone except the current Scoring Zones.
Objectives
During the Objectives Phase of each Round, check whether any player has achieved any Objectives. Award them the appropriate Victory Points if they have accomplished the following:
- Having only one of your team's Characters inside one of the Scoring Zones (2 Victory Points).
- Having both of your team's Characters inside the Scoring Zones (3 Victory Points).
End-Game Conditions
The game ends at the end of the fifth Round, or when one of the players has scored eight or more Victory Points at the end of a Round.
The winner is the player with the most Victory Points.
In case of a tie, the winner is the player who collected more Frag tokens.
Wanted
HexaDome
To play this scenario, set up the HexaDome as shown in the printed diagram.
Deployment
Players may deploy their Characters in any space within a Deployment Zone that is not the Scoring Zone.
Scoring Zones
For the duration of the first Round, the Central Zone is the Scoring Zone.
At the start of each subsequent Round, before the Planning Phase, Prime Time chooses that Round's Scoring Zone, but only if at least one player has scored Victory Points in the previous Round. If no player scored, the Scoring Zone stays in the same place for one more Round.
Only an adjacent Deployment Zone without Characters in it may be chosen as new Scoring Zone. If all adjacent Deployment Zones are occupied, Prime Time will choose one, placing the Character within them in any Free Space in contact with said Scoring Zone.
For example, Deployment Zones adjacent to Deployment Zone #6 are Deployment Zone #1, Deployment Zone #5, and the Central Deployment Zone. All Deployment Zones are adjacent to the Central Zone.
Deployment from Bench
Characters may return from the Bench using any Deployment Zone except the current Scoring Zone.
Objectives
During the Objectives Phase of each Round, check whether any player has achieved any Objectives. Award them the appropriate Victory Points if they have accomplished the following:
- For each of your team's Characters inside the Scoring Zone (1 Victory Point).
Additional Scoring
Sending an Enemy Character to the Bench grants a variable number of Victory Points and, in some cases, the possibility of drawing 1 Tactic:
| Character | Bench reward |
|---|---|
| Maximus | 2 VP |
| 8-Ball | 2 VP |
| Major Lunah | 3 VP |
| Wild Bill | 3 VP + Tactic |
| Miyamoto | 3 VP + Tactic |
| Gata | 1 VP + Tactic |
| hEXx3r | 1 VP |
| Parvati | 2 VP |
| Valkyrie | 3 VP |
| Sr. Massacre | 3 VP |
| Laxmee | 1 VP + Tactic |
| Hannibal | 2 VP + Tactic |
At the beginning of the match, at the end of the "Team Presentation" step, use the Value tokens to assign each Character the value shown in the table (place them next to the Character card).
End-Game Conditions
The game ends at the end of the fifth Round, or when one of the players has scored eight or more Victory Points at the end of a Round.
The winner is the player with the most Victory Points.
In case of a tie, the winner is the player who collected more Frag tokens.
Short Distance
HexaDome
To play this scenario, set up the HexaDome as shown in the printed diagram.
Deployment
Prime Time selects the two Ziggurats whose Scoring Spaces will give Victory Points during the first Round.
Players may deploy their Characters in any space within a Deployment Zone that is not the Central Zone.
Ziggurats
Ziggurats are holograms which do not block Movement or Line of Sight, and do not grant Cover. Scoring Spaces are the three Spaces outside the Ziggurat that are adjacent to two Spaces of the selected Ziggurat.
Scoring Spaces
At the start of each subsequent Round, before the Planning Phase, Prime Time chooses that Round's new couple of Ziggurats, but only if at least one player has scored Victory Points in the previous Round. If neither player scored, the Scoring Ziggurat couple remains fixed for one more Round.
Prime Time cannot choose again any of the chosen Ziggurats for the current Round. Only Ziggurats with no Characters in any of their Scoring Spaces may be chosen. Should all Ziggurats have one or more Characters in them, Prime Time will choose two new Ziggurats, and then place all of the Characters that were in their Scoring Spaces on Free Spaces of the Central Deployment Zone.
Deployment from Bench
Characters may return from the Bench using any Deployment Zone except the Central Zone.
Objectives
During the Objectives Phase of each Round, check whether any player has achieved any Objectives. Award them the appropriate Victory Points if they have accomplished the following:
- For each Character in a Scoring Space (1 Victory Point).
- For having 2 Characters in Scoring Spaces of two different Ziggurats (1 Victory Point).
End-Game Conditions
The game ends at the end of the fifth Round, or when one of the players has scored eight or more Victory Points at the end of a Round.
The winner is the player with the most Victory Points.
In case of a tie, the winner is the player who collected more Frag tokens.
Crow Accumulator
HexaDome
To play this scenario, set up the HexaDome as shown in the printed diagram.
Deployment
Players may deploy their Characters in any space within a Deployment Zone that is not a Scoring Zone.
Scoring Zones
At the beginning of the Deployment phase, Prime Time chooses the Scoring Zones. These are the options:
- 1 and 4
- 2 and 5
- 3 and 6
The Central Deployment Zone is also a Scoring Zone. Place a counter representing the CROW Accumulator in its Central space.
The Scoring Zones chosen by Prime Time allow to score by delivering CROW Substance points.
Deployment from Bench
Characters may return from the Bench using any Deployment Zone except the Scoring Zone.
CROW Accumulator
The CROW Accumulator is a system that generates CROW Substance, a bluish energy flame that can be stored in small capsules. The CROW Accumulator has the following properties:
- It is an Obstacle.
- It cannot be Placed or Displaced.
- It cannot suffer Damage.
Characters may draw energy from the Accumulator by performing one of the following Actions that must Target the Accumulator:
- Double Capsule (Cost 2; Range 1-1, a red Range hex, so no Line of Sight is needed). You obtain 2 CROW Substance points.
- Single Capsule (Cost 2; Range 2-3, a black Range hex, so Line of Sight is needed). You obtain 1 CROW Substance point.
Place one counter on the Character card for each CROW Substance point.
Characters cannot accumulate more than 2 CROW Substance points on their Character card. When a Character is moved to the Bench, they immediately lose all their CROW Substance points.
Objectives
At the end of each Round, the player adds the number of CROW Substance points that their Characters have. If the result is equal to or higher than the current Round number, the player gains 1 Victory Point.
For example, at the end of Round 3, the player gains 1 Victory Point if their Characters' combined CROW Substance points is 3 or more.
Additional Scoring
Deliver the CROW Substance. When a Character holding CROW Substances finishes their Activation in any Space in a Scoring Zone, they deliver the CROW Substances they have (remove the counters from their Character card).
Players gain 1 Victory Point for each CROW Substance point they deliver.
End-Game Conditions
The game ends at the end of the fifth Round, or when one of the players has scored eight or more Victory Points at the end of a Round.
The winner is the player with the most Victory Points.
In case of a tie, the winner is the player who collected more Frag tokens.
- Gaia cannot play "Tectonic Shake" in this scenario.
Common Goals
HexaDome
To play this scenario, set up the HexaDome as shown in the printed diagram.
Deployment
Players may deploy their Characters in any space within a Deployment Zone.
Objectives Deck
This scenario uses the Objectives Deck (see "Objectives Deck" in the Aristeia! Prime Time Rulebook).
Deployment from Bench
Characters may return from the Bench using any Deployment Zone except the ones that are the requirement of an available Objective card.
Objectives
Victory Points are obtained by claiming the Objective cards (see "Objectives Deck" in the Aristeia! Prime Time Rulebook).
End-Game Conditions
The game ends at the end of the fifth Round, or when one of the players has scored eight or more Victory Points at the end of a Round.
The winner is the player with the most Victory Points.
In case of a tie, the winner is the player who collected more Frag tokens.