Efemeris
Efemeris Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Box Contents
- Game Objective
- Game Modes
- Explanation of the Figures Used in Efemeris
- Duel Mode
- Detail of Actions Achievable by the Ships
- Article on the Planets of the Celestial Vault
- Free For All Mode
- Team Mode
- Expert Level
- Special Abilities of the Captains
- Explanation of the Crew Members
Box Contents
- Captain Cards: 12 (French captains 4, British captains 4, Spanish captains 4)
- Tiles: 27 (Central Tile 1, Planet Tiles 8, Celestial Paths Tiles 10, Expert Tiles 8)
- Planet Cards: 8
- Crew Cards: 36 (French Crew 12, British Crew 12, Spanish Crew 12)
- Player Boards: 6
- Summary Cards: 4
- Celestial Ships: 18 (galleons 6, Frigates 12)
- Spices Tokens: 40 (Star Pepper Seeds 20, Celestial Vanilla Flowers 20)
- Bonus Tokens: 24 (Stellar Winds 8, Warning Shot 8, New Cargo 8)
- Buildings Tokens: 42 (Conquered Planet 30, Fortress 12)
- Cotton Purse: 1
- Rules Booklet: 1
Game Objective
Mobilize your Armada to explore and conquer the heavens, and become the first Nation to dominate the celestial vault.
Explore and map the firmament by placing the tiles at each turn. Collect the Spices and conquer the unexplored Planets, or simply grab the ones from your opponent.
The game ends when a Nation manages to conquer 5 planets (Duel & Team mode, 4 in Free For All mode) or take possession of all the opponent's Planets.
Game Modes
Duel Mode (2 players)
More tactical, Duel mode allows each player to set up very different strategies where each mistake may be fatal.
- Each player chooses a Nation and the order of their 2 Captains.
- During the game, when a Captain's Galleon is destroyed, it may be replaced by the next Captain Galleon.
- If a player loses all his Captains, he continues to play but cannot rebuild a Galleon and therefore cannot use Crew cards.
Free For All Mode (3 players)
More jovial, Free For All mode allows you to play faster games since the player will better manage the ambitions of his opponents to win.
- Each player chooses a Nation and the order of their 2 Captains.
- During the game, when a Captain's Galleon is destroyed, it may be replaced by the next Captain Galleon.
- If a player loses all his Captains, he continues to play but cannot rebuild a Galleon and therefore cannot use Crew cards.
Team Mode (4 players)
Team mode allows you to play more recreational games where good collaboration between players will be crucial to win.
- Players form teams of 2, and each team chooses a Nation.
- Each player controls one of the Captains of their Nation, whose Galleon can only be rebuilt once in the game. If a player loses his Captain twice, he continues to play but can no longer rebuild a Galleon and therefore cannot use Crew cards.
- During the game, players of a same Nation can share up to 2 Resources per turn to coordinate their actions.
Expert Level
All previous modes available with stricter rules.
Explanation of the Figures Used in Efemeris
Figures of the Planets of the celestial vault: Demodamas, Hipparchus, Patrocles, Apollas, Posidonius, Hecateus of Miletus, Pytheas, Eratosthenes.
Figures of celestial paths: Rose of the winds (Central space), Space, Anchorage space, Singularity space, Shipwreck space, Factory space (Star Pepper seed), Factory space (Celestial Vanilla flower), Spices of Providence space.
Figures of Bonuses: Stellar Winds, Warning Shot, New Cargo.
Duel Mode
Starting Player Selection
Randomly select the player who will play first. He will be favored on the selection of his Nation and the draw of the tiles, but his opponent will receive more Spices at the beginning of the game.
If one of the two players is a novice, it is best that he starts the game.
Game Set-Up
I. Placement of the 2 Players
The 2 players face each other in the conquest of the heavens, and must therefore sit one in front of the other.
II. Place the Center of the Firmament
First, take the central tile and place it in the middle of the playing area. All the other tiles will be placed around this center, fitting 2 tiles away from it, as shown in the example (Fig. 1, a).
III. Place Resources & Bonuses
Separate and place the Spice tokens in two piles (Fig. 1, b) on the side of the playing area. Place the 24 Bonus tokens in their purse and mix them (Fig. 1, c).
IV. Build Your Armada
The 2 players will then have to choose their side and build their starting armada. To do that, the 2 players will perform each of the following actions one after the other (once the 2 players carried out an action, let's move on to the next action):
a. Select a Nation b. Choose the order of appearance of the Captains c. Select Crew members d. Select a mobilization Planet e. Collect the starting Spices
Once the previous actions have been completed, you are ready, the conquest of the heavens can begin!
Detail of the Actions for the Constitution of Your Armada
a. Select a Nation
Each player selects a Nation and receives the 4 Captain cards corresponding to its color:
- The French Seafarers, in Blue
- The British Strategists, in Red
- The Spanish Negociators, in Black
The players then take the player boards corresponding to the color of their Nation. On the right hand side, they place their "Buildings" tokens (Fig. 2, a: 5 "Planet" tokens and Fig. 2, b: 2 "Fortress" tokens).
b. Choose the Order of Appearance of the Captains
The 2 players grab the 4 Captain cards of their Nation, they choose 2 of them and replace the 2 others in the box. Then, they determine the order of appearance of Captains hiding it from their opponent. To do so, place the 2 Captain cards on top of each other, the first Captain to play is the one placed at the top.
Once the 2 players have chosen the order of appearance of their Captains, they place the pile of Captain cards on the player board in front of them (Fig. 3), face up. The first Captain of each Nation is unveiled.
- Recruiting the first Captain does not cost Spices.
- During the game, when a Captain's Galleon is destroyed, the player discards that Captain's card. The player can then build the next Captain's Galleon.
- It is not mandatory to rebuild a Galleon during the game, but you are then unable to play any corresponding Crew card.
- When the player has lost all his Captains, he no longer has Captain card and can't therefore neither use Crew member nor build a Galleon.
- It is possible to play and win the game without a Captain.
c. Select Crew Members
Crew members are very important in Efemeris, they are the ones who will allow you to set up your strategy without the knowledge of your opponent. They will allow you, for example, to conquer a Planet faster, to use the ability of your Captain or to attack enemy Ships.
- The 2 players take in hand the 12 Crew cards corresponding to the color of their Nation.
- Each player must select and keep 5 Crew cards that will allow them to perform additional actions during the Tactical phase of their turn. Same Crew member can be selected multiple times.
- The rest of the Crew cards are placed face down next to the player board (reserve).
Note: when a Crew member is used, the card is discarded in the reserve. You can recruit this Crew member later during the game.
For the first games, choose a card of each Crew members to ensure a wide range of actions during the game, for example with the French: Helmsman x1, Lady of the Night x1, Banker x1, Chief Mate x1, Gunner x1.
d. Select a Mobilization Planet
The starting player selects one Planet from the 8 Planet cards available, it will be the player's mobilization Planet. The player places his Planet card under his player board at the top left to let the information visible. Once selected, it is up to his opponent to choose his mobilization Planet.
Note: at the beginning of each turn, planets bring back to its owner one of the two Spices available in game (Star Pepper seed or Celestial Vanilla flower). So be wise in choosing your mobilization Planet.
Even if the Celestial Vanilla flowers are rarer, a planet that produces Star Pepper seeds allows a better start! For the first games, we advise you to choose the Planets Patrocles or Posidonius.
Once the 2 players have chosen a Planet, they recover the corresponding tiles to their Planet, and place them on the map as shown in the diagram (Player 1: North Direction; Player 2: South Direction).
Place a conquered Planet token of the color of your Nation on the space of your mobilization Planet to show that it belongs to you. Then shuffle the remaining tiles and form a pile face down, next to the playing area (Fig. 1, e). Place unused Planet cards face up next to the playing area (Fig. 1, f).
e. Collect the Starting Spices
Spices are the main resource of Efemeris, they are used as currency throughout the game. There are 2 types of Spices:
- The Star Pepper seeds (Piper Stellis)
- The Celestial Vanilla flowers (Vanilla Caelum)
The starting player receives 1 Star Pepper seed and 1 Celestial Vanilla flower which are his starting Spices. The second player receives 1 Star Pepper seed and 2 Celestial Vanilla flowers. Place the Spice tokens received on the left of your player board (Fig. 2, c).
Course of the Game
The players take turns. A turn consists of 4 phases, that a player will follow before letting his opponent begin his turn.
Overview of a Player's Turn
During his turn, the player must take the following 4 phases:
- I Exploration Phase: Add 2 tiles to the celestial vault
- II Collection Phase: Collect Spices and Bonus
- III Tactical Phase: Perform the actions of your Ships
- IV Construction Phase: Develop your Armada
I. Exploration Phase: Add 2 Tiles to the Celestial Vault
As long as there are tiles left, the player must draw two tiles from the face-down stack and place them on the map.
- The new tile must be placed with at least one edge adjacent and abutting one previously placed tile.
- It is possible to place it next to the tile of your choice, in the direction of your choice. You don't have to connect 2 celestial paths.
- Tiles can't be placed more than 2 tiles away from the central tile, as shown in the example (Fig. 1).
The player draws the 2 tiles and places them in the order of his choice.
II. Collection Phase: Collect Spices and Bonus
a. Spices
The player receives the Spices collected by his Planets and Ships:
- Each conquered planet allows you to collect 1 Spice token (the type of Spice produced is shown on the Planet card at the bottom left). It is not necessary for a Ship to be placed on the Planet for it to produce a Spice.
- Each Ship placed on a Factory space at the beginning of a turn allows you to collect 1 token of the Spice.
The maximum of Spices tokens per player is 5 Star Pepper seeds and 5 Celestial Vanilla flowers. If a player has already reached the maximum of tokens for a Spice, or reaches it during the Collection phase, he doesn't collect a new token from that Spice.
b. Bonus
Each Ship placed at the beginning of the turn on an Anchorage space allows the player to draw 1 Bonus token from the cotton purse.
- It is possible to keep Bonus tokens by placing them at the top right of your player board (Fig. 4, a).
- The maximum of Bonus tokens in reserve is 3. If a player reaches this maximum, or reaches it during the Collection phase, he can no longer draw new Bonus token.
- A player can't discard a Bonus token.
III. Tactical Phase: Perform the Actions of Your Ships
First of all, if Crew cards were played on the previous round, discard them face down with the other Crew cards in reserve.
The player can perform several actions in the order of his choice that will allow him to develop his influence on the celestial vault:
- Move your Ships
- Use a Crew member
- Use a Bonus
Detail of the Tactical Actions
Move Your Ships
At each turn, the player can move his Ships from space to space on the placed tiles of the celestial vault.
Movement of your Galleon. The Galleon can move 1 time per turn, up to 3 spaces. If the player moves his Galleon of 1 or 2 spaces, then performs another action, the remaining moves are lost.
Movement of your Frigates. Each Frigate in game can move 1 time per turn, up to 4 spaces. If the player moves his Frigate of 1, 2 or 3 spaces, then performs another action, the remaining moves are lost.
Use a Crew Member
Since their use does not cost resources, Crew members allow Galleons to perform additional actions. These are the ones that will allow you to attack an enemy Ship, or to use the ability of your Captain.
To use a Crew member, drop the Crew Card at the bottom of your player board. The Crew cards you used must be visible to the opponent and have to remain placed on your player board until the next Tactical phase.
The action of the Crew card only works on the Captain's Galleon and therefore cannot be applied to Frigates. Crew members cannot be used if the player does not have his Galleon in game.
It is possible to play several times the same Crew card on a Galleon during your turn. Crew members stay active for only one turn.
You can use a maximum of 3 Crew cards per turn.
Crew members can perform a range of different actions (see Explanation of Crew Members for more details).
Use a Bonus
The Bonuses will allow you to accelerate your expansion or to slow the opponent's progress. Collecting Bonuses is a good way to optimize moves in the empty areas of the skies.
- Stellar Winds: Move a Ship (Galleon or Frigate) from your armada from 1 to 3 spaces.
- Warning Shot: Move an enemy ship (Galleon or Frigate) from 1 space, whatever the distance with the enemy Ship.
- New Cargo: Collect 1 Spice of your choice for free and instantly.
Note: when a Bonus is used, it is discarded in the game box and is no longer playable during the game. If all 24 Bonus tokens are discarded, there is no more Bonus available until the end of the game.
It is forbidden to discard a Bonus token without using it.
IV. Construction Phase: Develop Your Armada
The player can use his collected Spices to develop his Armada:
- Recruit a Crew member
- Build a Frigate
- Build a Fortress
- Build a Captain's Galleon (if destroyed)
- Conquer a Planet
Detail of the Constructions
Recruit a Crew Member
A player can recruit new Crew members during the game. To do so, he must pay the required amount for their acquisition:
- Each Crew member cost is of 2 Star Pepper seeds.
- The player chooses the Crew member from the Crew cards of his Nation in reserve (among previously used cards).
- The player adds the new Crew card to his hand.
- Maximum of 8 Crew cards per player in hand.
Build a Frigate
Fast but not offensive, the Frigates are very useful to extend your control over the celestial vault, collect more Spices and safely conquer distant Planets.
- Each Frigate cost is of 2 Star Pepper seeds.
- The new Frigate starts on one of the Planet spaces controlled by the player. If a Ship is positioned on a Planet's space, it is not possible to place the Frigate on this Planet. If all the spaces of his Planets are occupied by a Ship, the player cannot build a new Frigate.
- The Frigate will only be able to move during the next Tactical phase.
- It is not possible to apply the effects of Crew members on Frigates, so Frigates cannot attack and destroy an enemy Ship or an enemy Fortress.
- The Frigate can conquer Planets, as well as collect Bonuses and Spices.
- Maximum of 2 Frigates per player per game.
Build a Fortress
Used to defend a Planet from the opponent's Armada, the Fortresses can make you earn the precious time that will allow you to win.
- Cost of 1 Star Pepper seed and 1 Celestial Vanilla flower.
- The Fortress is built on one of the Planet spaces controlled by the player. The player places his Fortress token on top of the conquered Planet token to fortify.
- Fortresses prevent the moves of enemy Ships on the Planet's space (the allied Ships can stop on it or cross it). Fortresses thus prevent the opponent from conquering the Planet.
- A Fortress can be destroyed by the attack of an opponent's Galleon. If a Ship is placed on the Fortress, it must first be destroyed before being able to reach the Fortress.
- It is not possible to place 2 Fortresses at the same time on the same Planet.
- Maximum of 2 Fortresses per player per game.
Build a Captain's Galleon (if destroyed)
When the player has lost his Captain's Galleon, he has the possibility to build the Galleon of the next Captain.
- Cost of 2 Celestial Vanilla flowers.
- The new Galleon must be placed on one of the Planet spaces controlled by the player.
- If a Ship is already placed on one of his Planets, it is not possible to position the new Galleon on this Planet. If all the player's Planets are occupied by a Ship, the new Galleon must begin on the Rose of the winds (central space).
- The Galleon will only be able to move during the next Tactical phase.
- If the player has lost all his Captains, he can no longer build Galleon.
- Without Galleon, the player cannot use Crew cards, however he still plays and can win the game.
Conquer a Planet
The conquest of the Planets is very strategic. In addition to getting closer to victory, they bring you valuable Spices every turn.
- The cost is specific to each Planet and is indicated on the Planet card (see Article on the Planets of the celestial vault).
- To conquer a Planet, one of the Ships (Galleon or Frigate) of the player must be placed on the space of the Planet to conquer.
- Then place a conquered Planet token of the color of your Nation on the space of the conquered Planet.
The first Nation that conquers 5 Planets immediately wins.
End of Turn
The player's turn is over. Turn of the next player can begin.
End of the Game
When a player conquers his 5th Planet with his Armada or the opposing player no longer has any Planets, the game stops. The player with 5 Planets wins the Celestial Supremacy.
Note: It is possible that the players are in a draw situation, especially when the players no longer have Ships, in which case both players must agree to stop the game without a winner. If one of the 2 players disagrees, the game continues.
Detail of Actions Achievable by the Ships
Ships Movements
A same Ship can only move once per turn. Galleons move up to 3 spaces and Frigates up to 4 spaces.
- Ships' movements must follow celestial paths.
- Ships move on the spaces. The spaces at each end of a tile are considered spaces, even if there is no tile facing them and it forms a semicircle.
- A Ship can move on a Planet's space defended by a Fortress of its Nation, but it cannot cross or be placed on a Planet space defended by an enemy Fortress.
- A Ship can move on a Factory space to collect the corresponding Spice on the next turn.
- A Ship can move on an Anchorage space to draw a Bonus token on the next turn.
- A Ship cannot cross or move on a Singularity space, as this has the effect of instantly destroying the Ship. However destroying your Ship on purpose this way is possible.
- A Ship cannot cross or move on a space occupied by another Ship, unless it is the Rose of the winds space (central space).
Use a Captain's Ability
To use the Captain's ability, it is necessary to play the corresponding Crew card:
- Drop the "Chief Mate" Crew card under your player board (see Use a Crew Member).
- Each Captain has a different ability (see Special Abilities of the Captains for more details).
Attack an Enemy Ship or Fortress (Only for Galleons)
To attack an enemy Ship or Fortress, it is necessary to play the Crew card "Gunner". If the Galleon is 1 space away from an opposing Ship, you can attack and destroy it. The destroyed Ship is removed from the celestial vault.
Note: Crew cards currently in use on the destroyed Galleon are immediately discarded, and the pending effects of those cards are canceled.
If the Galleon is 1 space away from an opposing Fortress, it can attack and destroy it. The Fortress token is removed from the celestial vault, and is discarded permanently.
The Rose of the winds space is a Neutral zone, a Ship cannot attack from this space. A Ship located on this space cannot be attacked.
The opposing player may rebuild the Galleon or Fortress on his next turn.
Conquer a Planet (During the Construction Phase)
If a Ship is on a Planet space and the player spends the required Spices, then the Ship conquers the Planet. The player then adds a conquered Planet token of the color of his Nation on the Planet space, and gets the corresponding Planet card.
Galleons like Frigates can conquer Planets. Each Planet has a different Spices cost (see Article on the Planets of the celestial vault, or the summary card for details).
Article on the Planets of the Celestial Vault
Detail of Planet Cards
Planet cards contain several indications that will allow you to optimize your choices during your conquest:
- The name of the Planet (Fig. 5, a)
- Its cost in Spices (Fig. 5, b)
- The type of Spice collected at each turn (Fig. 5, c)
- The representation of the tile with its access (Fig. 5, d)
At the beginning of the game, in order to optimize the choice of your mobilization Planet, it is necessary to pay attention to the accesses of the Planet and to the Anchorage space available nearby. Also pay attention to its cost of acquisition, an inexpensive Planet will be able to be conquered more easily by the opponent.
Note: more generally, a Planet with many accesses will be more expensive to conquer than an isolated Planet.
(The costs and production below are shown as icons in the printed table; they are rendered here as words. S = Star Pepper seed, V = Celestial Vanilla flower.)
| Planet | Cost | Production (each turn) |
|---|---|---|
| Demodamas | 3 Star Pepper seeds, 1 Celestial Vanilla flower | 1 Star Pepper seed |
| Patrocles | 4 Star Pepper seeds, 1 Celestial Vanilla flower | 1 Star Pepper seed |
| Posidonius | 2 Star Pepper seeds, 2 Celestial Vanilla flowers | 1 Star Pepper seed |
| Pytheas | 3 Star Pepper seeds | 1 Star Pepper seed |
| Hipparchus | 2 Star Pepper seeds, 2 Celestial Vanilla flowers | 1 Star Pepper seed |
| Apollas | 3 Celestial Vanilla flowers | 1 Celestial Vanilla flower |
| Hecateus of Miletus | 1 Star Pepper seed, 3 Celestial Vanilla flowers | 1 Celestial Vanilla flower |
| Eratosthenes |
Free For All Mode
In the Free For All mode, each player represents one of the 3 Nations, it is the first Nation that conquers 4 Planets who wins.
Starting Player Selection
Choose randomly the player who will play first. The game is played clockwise.
Game Set-Up
The set-up is similar to Duel mode. However, there are now 3 mobilization Planets which modifies the placement of the starting tiles:
- Player 1: North Direction
- Player 2: South-East Direction
- Player 3: South-West Direction
During the collection of the starting Spices, the distribution is carried out as indicated below:
- The starting player receives 1 Star Pepper seed and 1 Celestial Vanilla flower.
- The second player receives 1 Star Pepper seed and 2 Celestial Vanilla flowers.
- The third player receives 2 Star Pepper seeds and 2 Celestial Vanilla flowers.
Course of the Game
The course of the game and the turn of a Nation goes according to the rules of the Duel mode.
The 3 players each play their turn, clockwise:
- I The player located in the North
- II The player located in the South-East
- III The player located in the South-West
End of the Game
It is the first Nation that conquers 4 Planets who wins. When one of the players loses all his planets, he is eliminated from the game. All his Ships still in game are destroyed, his tokens discarded, and all his Spices are returned to the bank.
Note: it is possible that the players are in a draw situation, especially when the players no longer have Ships, in which case the players must agree to stop the game without a winner. If one of the players disagrees, the game continues.
Team Mode
Constitution of the Teams
In Team mode, each Nation is made up of 2 players, owning each a Captain. The 2 players play separately but they can trade up to 2 resources per Construction phase to coordinate their actions.
Game Set-Up
Placement of Players
The 2 Nations face each other in the conquest of the heavens. They must therefore place themselves facing each other. Players on the same team play side by side.
The set-up is similar to the Duel mode. Only the specificities of the Team mode are indicated below.
Constitution of the Armadas
a. Select a Nation
Players on the same team choose a Nation together. To differentiate your teammate's Ships and Tokens, one of the players uses the back of the player board and the corresponding color tokens.
b. Choose Your Captain
Unlike the Duel mode, in Team mode, each player selects 1 Captain to keep until the end of the game.
The players of each team will then select a Captain of their Nation face down. The Captains are revealed once all players have chosen their Captain.
c. Select the Mobilization Planets
Unlike the Duel mode, a Nation selects 2 mobilization Planets, 1 Planet per player. When placing the Planet tiles, only one of them must be adjacent to the center tile. The second Planet can be placed freely around the first, as shown in the diagram. The 2 players decide together on the placement order of the tiles.
d. Select Crew Members
Each player selects 3 Crew cards from the 12 cards of the Nation (for a total of 6 per team).
e. Collect the Starting Spices
Collecting the starting Spices is similar to Duel mode and applies to all players of each Nation:
- Each player on the starting team receives 1 Star Pepper seed and 1 Celestial Vanilla flower.
- Each player of the second Nation receives 1 Star Pepper seed and 2 Celestial Vanilla flowers.
Course of the Game
The 2 Nations take turns. Players of the same Nation perform the phases at the same time.
A turn is made up of the same 4 phases as the Duel mode, which course is similar. Only the specificities of the Team mode are indicated below.
Overview of a Nation's Turn
Exploration Phase
During the Exploration phase, each player from the same Nation draws a tile. The players decide together the order and position of the tiles to place. In case of disagreement, it is the player who drew the tile that decides its position.
Collection Phase
During the Collection phase, Spices and Bonuses are collected separately. Each player collects and manages their Spices and Bonuses as they please. The maximum Spices per player is 5 Star Pepper seeds and 5 Celestial Vanilla flowers, as well as 3 Bonus tokens in reserve.
Tactical Phase
Each player independently manages the actions of his fleet. However, both team members perform their actions at the same time during the turn.
Move Your Ships
At each turn, players of the same Nation can move their Ships, but only those under their Command.
Movement of the Galleons. Each Galleon of the Nation can move 1 time per turn, up to 3 spaces.
Movement of the Frigates. Each Frigate of the Nation can move 1 time per turn, up to 4 spaces.
Use a Crew Member
Players can only use their Crew cards for Galleon under their Command. They can only use 3 Crew cards per turn and it is forbidden to play a Crew card for the Galleon of your ally. Players cannot exchange Crew cards.
- Maximum of 6 Crew cards in hand per player.
Use a Bonus
Each player of the same Nation independently manages his collected Bonus tokens. It is forbidden to exchange or give a Bonus token to your ally. Just as it is not possible to use a Bonus to benefit your ally.
- Maximum of 3 Bonus tokens per player.
Construction Phase
During the Construction phase, players can perform the same actions as in Duel mode but with Team mode restrictions. Another action, specific to Team mode, allows players within the same Nation to share Spices.
Share Spices
Players can share up to 2 Spices per turn, regardless of the distance between their Ships.
To share a Spice, one of the players gives 1 Spice token to his ally. The split must not exceed 2 Spice tokens per turn for the same Nation.
Recruit a Crew Member
The recruitment of a new Crew member is identical to the Duel mode.
- Cost identical to Duel mode: 2 Star Pepper seeds.
- The new Crew card is added to the hand of the player who recruited it.
- Maximum of 6 Crew members per player.
Build a Frigate
Each player of the same Nation can add Frigates to his Armada. The Ships of 2 players are managed independently.
- Cost identical to Duel mode: 2 Star Pepper seeds.
- The Frigate starts on one of the Planets under the Command of the player who wishes to build it. If the player does not have a Planet or if they are all occupied by Ships, the Frigate cannot be built.
- Maximum of 2 Frigates per player.
- Maximum of 2 Frigates per Nation per game.
- It is forbidden to move the Frigate from your ally.
Build a Fortress
The players of a Nation independently manage Fortresses under their Command.
- Cost identical to Duel mode: 1 Star Pepper seed and 1 Celestial Vanilla flower.
- It is forbidden to place a Fortress on the Planet of your ally.
- Maximum of 2 Fortresses per player.
- Maximum of 2 Fortresses per Nation per game.
Build a Captain's Galleon (if destroyed)
The players of a Nation independently manage the Galleon of their Armada. Unlike the Duel mode, in Team mode when a Galleon is destroyed, the player can rebuild it, but he cannot change Captain.
- Cost identical to Duel mode: 2 Celestial Vanilla flowers.
- A player can only rebuild his Galleon once.
- It is forbidden to change Captain during the game.
Conquer a Planet
The players of a Nation must conquer the Planets independently. The Planet card is added to the hand of the player who conquered it as well as the Spices that will be produced by this Planet during the next turns.
End of the Game
When a Nation conquers its 5th Planet, or the opposing Nation no longer has a Planet, the game stops. Players of the same Nation owning 5 Planets win the Celestial Supremacy.
Note: players may be in a draw situation, especially when they no longer have Ships, in which case players must agree to stop the game without a winner. If one of the players disagrees, the game continues.
Expert Level
In Expert level, the confrontations take place in the best of 3 games (Best Of 3), which means that the first player to win 2 games wins (whether in Duel, Free For All or Team mode).
Add the Expert Tiles
When setting up, add and shuffle the expert tiles to the base tiles stack.
Note: the expert tiles are all marked by the seal of the eye of Providence.
There are 3 game map configurations for the expert tiles:
- 23 tiles: Add 4 expert tiles drawn randomly among the 8, and shuffle them with the rest of the tiles of the game (Fig. 6).
- 25 tiles: Add 6 expert tiles drawn randomly among the 8, and shuffle them with the rest of the tiles of the game (Fig. 7).
- 27 tiles: Add the 8 expert tiles, and shuffle them with the rest of the tiles of the game (Fig. 8).
The expert tiles enlarge the playing area and add new mechanics that will make exploration even more difficult.
- Spices of Providence: each Ship placed at the beginning of the turn on a Spices of Providence space allows to collect 2 tokens of the Spice per turn.
- Shipwreck space: each Ship placed at the beginning of the turn on a Shipwreck space can rescue 1 Crew member per turn. The Crew member is chosen by the player in his reserve, and may be used during the Tactical phase.
Game Set-Up
The Expert level offers longer games with unpredictable events. The set-up of the game goes according to the rules of the chosen game mode, only the points specified below will differ:
- Duel and Free For All mode: players select 3 Captains at the beginning of the game, instead of 2.
- Team mode: players can rebuild their Galleon up to 2 times instead of 1.
Course of a Game
The course of the game is identical to the game mode chosen. However, the Expert level requires players to be much more vigilant with their use of Crew members. When a Crew member is played, the card is permanently discarded and cannot be played any more during the game.
End of the Game
The winning conditions of the chosen game mode apply identically for an end of the Expert level game.
Special Abilities of the Captains
Abilities are indicated on Captains' cards. In order to understand the extent of the different abilities, they are detailed below.
Marine Royale Francaise
Mathurin Hubac - galleon: l'intrepide. Increase his Galleon's move by 2 for the current turn.
- It is not possible to use the ability if the Galleon has already moved in the current turn. It is therefore necessary to play the Crew card "Chief Mate" before moving the Ship.
- It is possible to use the skill several times before moving (maximum of 9 spaces).
- If the Ship is frozen, the ability does not allow to move.
Victorine de la Chesnaye - galleon: le mercure. Move instantly her Galleon to a Planet of her Command. This action does not count as a move:
- The ability can be used before or after the Galleon has been moved.
- The ability can be used even if the Galleon is frozen.
Cosme Castel d'Oleron - galleon: l'invincible. Protect all the Fortresses of his Command from enemy attacks for 1 round. Invincible to enemy attacks, all Fortresses under his Command cannot be destroyed regardless of the number of enemy attacks used until the next round.
- Team specificity: the ability does not apply to allied Fortresses.
Augustine Cassini - galleon: l'eole. Turn a tile already placed.
- If a Ship is positioned on a space at the end of the tile, it is not moved.
- It is not possible to turn a tile where a contestant Galleon is located.
British Royal Navy
Elizabeth Fairborne - galleon: HMS Revenge. Increase the attack range of her Galleon of 1 space for the next attack. The Galleon can then destroy an enemy Ship within 2 spaces of distance.
- The ability must be combined with a "Gunner" Crew card to be used.
- It is necessary to play the "Chief Mate" Crew card before attacking with the "Gunner" Crew card.
- It is possible to use the ability several times before attacking to reach a Ship at a longer distance (maximum of 3 spaces).
Cicely Blake - galleon: HMS Surprise. Prevent, during 1 round, the move of an enemy Ship which is located 3 spaces away or less. The opposing Ship will not be able to move, but can use Bonuses (including Stellar Winds) or Crew members.
- The frozen Ship will not be able to use its move on the next turn, all other actions or abilities are achievable.
- It is possible to freeze a Ship located on the Rose of the winds.
Peter Byng - galleon: HMS Charon. Permanently discard a Crew card from the opponent's hand. Draw randomly 1 Crew card from the opponent's hand, then place the card in the game box.
- The player unveils the Crew card before placing it in the game box. The opposing player will no longer be able to recruit this Crew card for the rest of the game.
Nathaniel Lancaster - galleon: HMS Furious. Allow 1 Frigate of his Command to attack with an attack range of 1 space.
- The ability must be combined with a "Gunner" Crew card to be used.
- Nathaniel's Galleon must be in game on the celestial vault to use his ability.
Armada Espanola
Anibal Pargo - galleon: aguila. Increase by 2 the number of Spices collected by his Galleon, during the next Collection phase.
- The Galleon must be positioned on a Factory space during the Collection phase for the Captain's ability to work.
- It is possible to use the ability several times to collect more Spices with his Galleon.
Catalina de Guzman - galleon: almanzora. Instantly build a Fortress for free on one of the Planets of her Command.
- Place the Fortress token on one of the Planet spaces in her Command.
- The ability cannot be used if the maximum of Fortresses has already been reached.
- Team specificity: it is not possible to place a Fortress on the space of a Planet under the Command of your ally.
Isabel da Silva - galleon: gran princesa de los cielos. Combined with a Stellar Winds Bonus, move an enemy Ship up to 3 spaces.
- The ability must be combined with a Stellar Winds Bonus to be used.
- The ability can be used even if the Isabel Galleon is frozen.
- Team specificity: you cannot move an allied Ship this way.
Sebastian de Aviles - galleon: corsero. Sell a Crew member to collect 1 Star Pepper seed and 1 Celestial Vanilla flower.
- The Captain immediately receives the Spices of his sale.
- The sold Crew card returns to the other remaining unused Crew cards in reserve.
Explanation of the Crew Members
The actions of Crew members are indicated on the cards. In order to understand their extent, they are detailed below.
Crew Members Common to All Nations
Banker. Exchange one of your Spice tokens for a different Spice token from the bank. In order to do this, discard 1 Star Pepper seed or Celestial Vanilla flower token, and recover in the bank 1 token corresponding to the second type of Spice.
Chief Mate. Use the Captain's ability. See the Special Abilities of the Captains chapter for more details.
Gunner. Destroy an enemy Ship or Fortress with an attack range of 1 space.
- It is not possible to attack from the Rose of the winds space.
- It is not possible to attack a Ship located on the Rose of the winds space.
- It is possible to play the "Gunner" Crew card several times in order to carry out several attacks.
Marine Royale Francaise
Helmsman. Move instantly the Galleon on the Rose of the winds. This action does not count as a move:
- The ability can be used before or after the Ship is moved.
- The ability can be used even if the Ship is frozen.
Lady of the Night. Bring in 2 Celestial Vanilla flowers when using her. Draw 2 Celestial Vanilla flowers at the bank, and place them on your player board. If you have reached the maximum of Celestial Vanilla flower tokens, you cannot add any more.
British Royal Navy
Surgeon. Protect the Galleon from enemy attacks, for 1 round. Invincible to enemy attacks, the Captain's Galleon cannot be destroyed regardless of the number of enemy attacks used until the next round.
- The ability cannot be cumulated.
- The ability does not protect from Singularities.
Shipwright. Build for free a Frigate during the next Construction phase. The ability cannot be used if the maximum of Frigate in game has already been reached.
Armada Espanola
Crewmaster. During the next Collection phase, increase by 1 the number of Bonus collected by the Galleon.
- The Galleon must be positioned on an Anchorage space during the Collection phase for the Crew card to work.
- It is possible to use the ability several times to collect more Bonuses with your Galleon.
Governor. Reduce by 1 the number of required Spices to conquer a Planet. During the Tactical phase, if the Galleon is placed on a Planet space, play the "Governor" card. During the Construction phase, you will be able to deduct the Spice of your choice from the cost of this Planet.