Cassiopeia Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Main Principles
  • Double-sided cards
  • Logistics
• Resources
  • Coins
  • Bots
  • Lenses
  • Cells
  • Capsules
  • Fund
• Specialists
  • Specialist card structure
• Planets
  • Planet card
• Space Objects
• The Game Round
  • Choosing a Specialist
  • Individual Turn Phases
  • Round End
• Game End
• Round Example
  • Choosing the Specialists
  • Resolving the Effects
• End of the Round
• Card Reference (Setup Illustration)

Components

56 cards:

• 35 Planet cards
• 9 Specialist cards
• 6 Space Object cards
• 1 Logistics card
• 5 Reference cards

98 resource tokens:

• 28 gold (coins)
• 20 bots
• 20 cells
• 20 lenses
• 10 capsules

5 player tokens

Setup

Before the first game: Carefully punch out all resource tokens from the punch sheets.

Each player gets their own deck of 7 Planet cards from one system (either Shedar, Caph, Ruchbah, Segin, or Achird) and a player token of a chosen color. Each Planet card is double-sided: the Planet on the orange side is called uninhabited, and the Planet on the blue side is considered inhabited. Each player shuffles their deck and places all cards with uninhabited side up in a row in front of them. All planets in each system are numbered from 1 to 7 (Shedar-1, Shedar-2, etc.), but they don't have to be placed in the player's row in numeric order.

For your first game, take 6 Specialist cards marked with the numbers I–VI. For your future games, you may use a total of 6–8 Specialist cards, and only the cards with the numbers I–IV are obligatory.

Flip several (for example, three) Specialist cards with another side facing up, then shuffle them and place the chosen Specialist cards in a row in the middle of the table. Put all unused Specialist cards back to the game box.

Depending on the chosen Specialists you will add different Space Object cards (satellites, bases, stations, and/or transport). If there is a Commander/Traffic Controller card in the Specialist row, add 1 station and 1 satellite card to the game. If there is an Intendant/Captain card in the Specialist row, pick the base and the transport cards. Place all Space Object cards below the Specialist row with any side up.

Place the Logistics card (Earth/Mars) over the Specialist row with the Earth side up. Place all resource tokens in a common reserve in the middle of the table.

The rulebook illustrates the setup for 3 players.

Main Principles

Double-sided cards

All cards in the game are double-sided. During the game, any card may be flipped over according to certain rules. In this case, another side of the card will become active.

Logistics

According to the interplanetary pact, the Human Federation periodically switches the main Logistics base from Earth to Mars (and vice versa). Each player's aim is to optimize the logistics to get more resources each time they ask for supplies.

There is a symbol of Earth on one side of each Planet card, and a symbol of Mars on another side. If most of the symbols on the player's planets match the current side of the Logistics card, the logistics is considered optimized.

If the player's logistics is optimized, they may resolve additional effects of Specialists and planets listed after the word "Logistics". If the player's logistics is not optimized, those effects are not available for the player.

It's important to keep your logistics optimized and terraform the planets in such a way so most of the symbols match the current Logistics card side.

Example: There are 4 planets with the Mars symbol and 3 planets with the Earth symbol in the red player's row, and the Logistics card is placed with the Mars side up. The logistics is optimized for them, and they will gain another lens from the Engineer.

Resources

There are 5 types of resources: coins, bots, lenses, cells, and capsules.

Coins

Monetary blockchain financial system is the basis of the mankind conquering the space. A monetary unit is called a coin. You may purchase other resources for a certain amount of coins.

Bots

Nanorobots, or just bots, are the microscopic group of robots controlled from the orbit. They are able to rebuild the planet structure from the core to the surface. Feeding on the resources of the planet, bots create oceans and continents. 1 bot may be purchased for 2 coins.

Lenses

Orbit lens shields, commonly referred to as lenses, use solar energy for changing the planet atmosphere. Lenses create greenhouse and glacial effects, dilute and saturate the air. 1 lens may be purchased for 3 coins.

Cells

Protozoan microorganism colonies are developed and grown in the genetic engineering laboratories. Protozoa are the single-celled microorganisms, so they are frequently called cells. Cells undergo directed mutations and form the primary biosphere, into which earth microorganisms are subsequently introduced. Soon the planet becomes suitable for plants and animals. 1 cell may be purchased for 4 coins.

Capsules

Mysterious artifacts of the ancient alien civilization were discovered by the mankind in distant space, and they are the key to learning more about the structure of the universe. They are carefully studied by scientists now.

Capsules may be purchased only if the effect of the chosen Specialist allows the player to do so. Capsules are always considered protected: they cannot be discarded after flipping the Logistics card and cannot be taken from the player by the opponents. Capsule is considered a joker: 1 capsule may be used as any other resource.

Fund

At the beginning of the game, each player has 7 points of fund, the same as the number of their uninhabited planets (there is a fund symbol for it on the uninhabited side). The more your planets are terraformed, the less fund points you have left (there is no fund symbol on the inhabited side of the Planet card).

It's allowed to perform different aggressive actions only against those opponents, whose fund is less than or equal to the aggressor's fund. There is a reminder of that on the cards with such actions available.

Specialists

There are 18 specialists on 9 cards, one on each side of a card. The Specialist cards are lined up into the Specialist row, and each player may use them during the game. Only the facing-up Specialists are available.

During the game, the Specialist cards may (and, eventually, will) be flipped over, but their position in the row must never be changed.

Note: the rulebook prints the full effect text of only some Specialists (in the structure illustration and the examples below). The effect text of the other Specialist cards is printed only on the physical cards, and is not reproduced here.

Specialist card structure

Each Specialist card shows a Name, a Number, a Main Effect and a Logistics Effect. The name of the Specialist on the back of the card is printed at the bottom.

Example card (Earthman, IV; the Martian is printed on the back):

• Main Effect: Supply base — Earth. Each opponent with more than 3 unprotected resources (capsules do not count) in total, discards them down to 3.
• Logistics Effect: Logistics: Gain a coin.

Planets

At the beginning of the game, the player gets 7 planets they are going to terraform. Their effects are inactive now. When the player terraforms the planet, they flip its card and place it with the inhabited side up on the same spot in the row. Since then, the player may resolve the effect of the terraformed side of the planet.

The terraforming cost is indicated in the top-right corner of the card to the left of the one the player is about to terraform.

The cost is encircled: the terraforming cost of the leftmost planet in the row is indicated on the rightmost card of the row. If there is a Phobos/Lunar Base in the row, it doesn't affect the terraforming cost of the planets.

During the game, the order of the planets in the player's row must never be changed (the cards will be flipped over, but may never be swapped with one another). The only exception is while resolving the Transporter effect.

Planet card

• Uninhabited side (orange): shows the terraforming cost for the card to the right (3 resources), 1 point of fund, the inactive effect of the card, and the preferable logistics (Mars or Earth symbol).
• Inhabited side (blue): shows the increased terraforming cost for the card to the right, no point of fund, the active effect of the card, and the preferable logistics (Mars or Earth symbol).

Space Objects

The Space Object cards are used in the game only if there are specialists with numbers VIII and/or IX in the Specialist row. There is an effect on each side of the Space Object card, and only one of them (facing up) is active.

The Game Round

Choosing a Specialist

In the first round, the player who has most recently watched the stars goes first, and the turn is passed according to the initiative order (in the first round, it will be passed clockwise, but later the turn order will be changed).

In the next rounds, the turn order will be established according to the current players' initiative.

Starting from the first player and in the initiative order, each player chooses 1 Specialist and places their token on the chosen card. There may be only one player token at a time, so one Specialist cannot be picked twice during one round.

When everyone has chosen a Specialist, the new turn order is established. Each player takes their individual turn in the order of the player tokens in the row (from left to right) — that's the new initiative order.

Individual Turn Phases

During the turn, the player resolves their actions as follows:

1) Take all coins from the chosen Specialist card

If there are any coins on the chosen Specialist card, the player takes them all.

2) Purchase 1 resource or resolve the Specialist's effect

The player may either purchase:

1. 1 bot for 2 coins, or
2. 1 lens for 3 coins, or
3. 1 cell for 4 coins

OR

Resolve the effect of the chosen Specialist. If your Logistics is optimized, you may resolve the additional Logistics effect of the Specialist.

3) Terraform 1 planet after paying its cost

The player may terraform 1 uninhabited planet by paying the resources indicated on the card to the left of it.

Example: The player wants to terraform Salyut. They pay the price indicated on the card to the left (Tiangong): two lenses and one coin. The Engineering Complex of Salyut is active now!

4) Move your token

The player takes their token from the Specialist card and places it on the table beside that card.

During their turn, the player may also resolve the effects of their terraformed planets and their Space Objects. It's specified on each card when exactly the effect can be resolved.

Round End

After all players have taken their turns, the players prepare the Specialist row for the next round. At the end of the round:

1. Flip all the Specialist cards with the player tokens beside them (all the cards that have been used during this round)
2. Place 1 coin from the reserve on each unused Specialist card

In the next round, the players will choose the Specialists in the initiative order: the owner of the leftmost token will go first, the player with the token to the right will be the second, etc.

Game End

As soon as any of the players terraforms their seventh planet, the game ends immediately, and that player is declared the winner.

Round Example

It's the third round of the game for 3 players.

The Specialists in the row during this round are Programmer (I), Engineer (II), Geneticist (III), Martian (IV), Tax Officer (V), Intendant (VIII) and Commander (IX). Their printed effects are:

• Programmer (I): Gain a bot. Logistics: Gain another bot.
• Engineer (II): Each player gains a lens. Logistics: Gain another lens.
• Geneticist (III): Gain a cell. Logistics: Gain a coin.
• Martian (IV): Supply base — Mars. Each opponent with more than 3 unprotected resources (capsules do not count) in total, discards them down to 3. Logistics: Gain a coin.
• Tax Officer (V): Each opponent, whose fund is less than or equal to yours, loses a coin and 1 resource of their choice. Logistics: Take all lost coins and resources.
• Intendant (VIII): Take base with any side up. Logistics: Gain a coin.
• Commander (IX): Flip satellite. Either take station with the orange side up, or give it to any opponent with the violet side up. Logistics: Gain a coin.

Choosing the Specialists

According to the initiative, the red player chooses a Specialist first, then it's time for the blue player to choose one, and the yellow player chooses last.

The red player has terraformed one of their planets (Tsathoggua), and their logistics is not optimized anymore. They want to fix that, so they choose Martian. Considering that the logistics base will be changed, the blue player decides to choose Intendant to depend less on the logistics. But the yellow player is preoccupied because the logistics is very important for them, but they cannot do anything about it for now since they have 4 preferences for the logistics from the Earth and 3 from the Mars now. So the yellow player decides to choose Engineer, which is resolved before Martian.

Resolving the Effects

The turn order is changed now: yellow player is the first, the red player goes next, and the last one is the blue player.

The yellow player resolves the Alien Station effect and gains 1 capsule. They take 1 coin from the Engineer card, resolve the effect of the Trade Complex they purchased on Kirin last round, and gain another coin. They can't resolve any other planet effects because they aren't terraformed yet. The Engineer's effect is resolved then: each player gains a lens, and the yellow player gains an additional lens for the optimized logistics. They decide to terraform their planet and choose Gryphon. In order to terraform it, they pay the price indicated in the top-right corner of the card to the left — Halfling. They pay 2 lenses and 1 coin to the common reserve and flip the Gryphon planet over. They use the Banking Complex effect immediately by storing their single coin there (it can't be stolen now). At the end of their turn, the yellow player places their token beside the Engineer card.

At the beginning of the turn, the red player wants to resolve the Cruiser effect, but cannot, because there is nothing to take from the yellow player (the capsule can't be taken, and the coin is protected), and the fund of the blue player is higher. The red player takes 2 coins from the Martian card and resolves its effect: flips the Logistics card and places it with the Mars side up, and all other players must check how many unprotected resources they have and discard them down to 3. The blue player must discard 1 resource and decides to discard 1 lens. The red player gains 1 coin for the optimized logistics. And then they pay 1 cell and 2 coins for terraforming their planet Cthulhu. At the end of their turn, the red player places their token beside the Martian card. They have 1 lens and 1 coin left.

The blue player takes 1 coin from the Intendant card, takes the base card and places it with the Phobos side up to keep their logistics optimized, and gains 1 coin for it from the Intendant. The blue player terraforms Tiangong by paying 1 coin, 1 cell and 1 capsule (instead of another cell) for it and by flipping the card over. At the end of their turn, they place their token beside the Intendant card. They have 1 coin and 1 lens left.

End of the Round

All the used Specialist cards are flipped over, and all unused ones get a coin: the Engineer turns into the Installer, the Martian becomes the Earthman, the Intendant becomes the Captain. The Programmer, Geneticist, Tax Officer and Commander get 1 coin each.

Card Reference (Setup Illustration)

The setup illustration prints the effects of these Planet cards. Their terraforming costs are printed on the cards themselves and are not reproduced here.

Shedar system (uninhabited side effect):

• Shedar-3, Salyut (Engineering Complex): Logistics: When you gain a lens, gain another lens (once per round).
• Shedar-1, Vostok (Trade Complex): Logistics: When you gain a coin, gain another coin (once per round).
• Shedar-7, Hayabusa (Banking Complex): A storage space for 3 coins. They are protected from other cards' effects.
• Shedar-5, Tiangong (Port Complex): Logistics: After you terraform a planet, gain a coin.
• Shedar-2, Discovery (Factory Complex): Logistics: When you gain a bot, gain another bot (once per round).
• Shedar-6, Ariane (Storage Complex): A storage space for 2 resources (not for coins). They are protected from other cards' effects.
• Shedar-4, Enterprise (Scientific Complex): Logistics: When you gain a cell, gain another cell (once per round).

Ruchbah system:

• Ruchbah-1, Azathoth (Trade Complex): Logistics: When you gain a coin, gain another coin (once per round).
• Ruchbah-2, Yog-Sothoth (Factory Complex): Logistics: When you gain a bot, gain another bot (once per round).
• Ruchbah-3, Hastur (Engineering Complex): Logistics: When you gain a lens, gain another lens (once per round).
• Ruchbah-4, Cthulhu (Scientific Complex): Logistics: When you gain a cell, gain another cell (once per round).
• Ruchbah-5, Shub-Niggurath (Port Complex): After you terraform a planet, gain a coin.
• Ruchbah-6, Tsathoggua (Storage Complex): A storage space for 2 resources (not for coins). They are protected from other cards' effects.
• Ruchbah-7, Nyarlathotep (Banking Complex): A storage space for 3 coins. They are protected from other cards' effects.

Segin system:

• Segin-3, Pegasus (Engineering Complex): Logistics: When you gain a lens, gain another lens (once per round).
• Segin-7, Gryphon (Banking Complex): A storage space for 3 coins. They are protected from other cards' effects.
• Segin-4, Simurgh (Scientific Complex): Logistics: When you gain a cell, gain another cell (once per round).
• Segin-6, Firbolg (Storage Complex): A storage space for 2 resources (not for coins). They are protected from other cards' effects.
• Segin-1, Kirin (Trade Complex): Logistics: When you gain a coin, gain another coin (once per round).
• Segin-5, Halfling (Port Complex): Logistics: After you terraform a planet, gain a coin.
• Segin-2, Mermaid (Factory Complex): Logistics: When you gain a bot, gain another bot (once per round).