Fractured Sky: Awakening Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Payloads
  • Overview
  • Gameplay
    • Obtaining Payloads
    • Using Payloads
    • End of Round
  • Setup
• Flagships
  • Overview
  • New Turn Order Track
  • Drafting Phase
    • Round Start Drafting
    • Undrafted Flagships
  • Gameplay
    • Placing Flagships
    • End of Round
  • Setup
  • Flagship Powers
• Guardians
  • Overview
  • Setup
  • Gameplay
    • Moving Guardians
    • Guardian Powers
  • Guardian Powers
  • Round Cleanup
• Bounties
  • Overview
  • Setup
  • Gameplay
    • Completing Bounties
    • Rewards
    • Tie-Breaking
    • Claiming
  • Bounty Cards
• Combining Awakening Expansions
  • Setup
  • Turn Order
  • End of Round Sequence
  • Expansion Crossover Clarifications
• 2 Player & Solo Mode Details
  • Payload Expansion (2 player only)
  • Flagship Expansion
  • Guardian Expansion
  • Bounties Expansion

Payloads

Components to use: 14 Payload Tokens, 1 Setup Card. Players: 2-5.

Overview

Payloads add a new reward option to each region, allowing players to greatly increase airship troop power beyond the normal 10-power limit.

Gameplay

Obtaining Payloads

When taking a reward in a region, you may optionally take the available payload token instead of the highest available reward. This shifts your reward down to the next player. All taken payload tokens go in front of your personal play area face down after you look at its value. The amount of payload tokens each player owns is public information.

For example:

• If you would receive a starfall but take the payload, the next player receives the starfall.
• This adds one more reward to each region.

Example: 1st, Blue chooses the payload token instead of the starfall reward. 2nd, Red takes the starfall (highest available). 3rd, Yellow receives 1 gold and 1 wood.

Using Payloads

When using payload tokens:

• Place a troop power token on top of any number of your payload tokens (even a 0-value troop power token).
• Add the total power of all payload tokens to your airship's power when revealed.
• Payload token power does not count toward the 10-power limit.
• Payload tokens remain hidden until the airship troop power token is revealed.

For example:

• An airship with 8 troop power and +4 and +3 payload token reveals with a total power of 15.

End of Round

After all rewards are distributed, refill any regions without payload tokens from the supply. If the supply of payload tokens is empty, do not refill any regions. If some remain, but there aren't enough tokens to refill all empty regions, the player first on the turn order track chooses which regions get the tokens.

Each payload token is only used once per game.

Setup

1. Shuffle all payload tokens.
2. Place 1 payload token face down in every region on the board.
3. Keep remaining tokens face down next to the board.

Green decides where to place remaining payload tokens.

Flagships

Components to use: 5 Double Sided Flagship Boards, 5 Flagship Miniatures, 12 Gold Tokens, 1 Double Sided Turn Order Board, 1 Setup Card, 5 Power Reference Cards. Players: 1-5.

Overview

Flagships provide players with a special airship each round that has a unique power, replacing 1 of their standard airships. The flagship's power applies to the region where it's placed.

New Turn Order Track

Using this new track changes 2 things:

1. It shows the reverse turn order drafting of flagships.
2. It removes the gold reward for picking last in turn order.

Drafting Phase

Round Start Drafting

At the start of each round, players draft flagships in reverse turn order:

1. The last player on the turn order track chooses first.
2. Continue up the turn order until each player has selected 1 flagship.
3. Players take the board and miniature and place them in front of their play area.

Undrafted Flagships

If there are fewer than 5 players, some flagships remain undrafted. When playing solo, skip the undrafted flagship step.

Place 1 gold token on each remaining flagship board. These gold tokens can accumulate over multiple rounds, and any player who drafts that flagship in a later round immediately receives all accumulated gold tokens as bonus resources. Gold tokens are returned to the general supply after use.

Gameplay

Placing Flagships

During the round, you place 2 of your standard airships plus 1 flagship (3 airships total) in any order.

When using your flagship, place a troop power token under it as you do with standard airships.

The flagship's special power (shown on its board) affects the region where you place it. Powers vary by flagship and can provide tactical advantages. Flagships count as airships for all other game purposes.

End of Round

At the end of the round, return all flagship boards and miniatures to the center of the table. Starting the next round, repeat the drafting process in the new reverse turn order after the public starfall is revealed. You may draft the same or a different flagship each round, and your drafting position changes based on turn order.

This process repeats for all 5 rounds.

Setup

1. Place all 5 flagship boards in the center of the table next to the main board and randomize which side (A or B) each board shows (mix and match for variety).
2. Place each flagship miniature on its matching board.
3. Cover up the old turn order area on the main board with the new turn order board. Use the base game rules for turn order setup.
4. Each player returns 1 of their airships to the box, leaving them with only 2 of their standard airships.

Flagship Powers

Grimroot

• A: Strategic Redeployment. Immediately before revealing troop power and hidden starfalls, you may move this airship to another region.
• B: Secret Mercenaries. Your markets connected to this region give +1 troop power to this airship. This is in addition to their normal market ability.

Voidmaw

• A: Smoke Screen. All other airships in this region carrying a 10 troop power token receive -3 troop power.
• B: Veiled Armaments. If this airship is carrying a 2 troop power token, it receives +3 troop power.

Leviathan

• A: Salvaged Materials. Your buildings placed next to this region cost 1 fewer resource.
• B: Scavenged Hulls. Your skimmers placed in this region cost 1 fewer resource.

Nautilorn

• A: Pincer Strike. Your other airships in this region receive +3 troop power.
• B: Dread Aura. Other airships in this region have -1 troop power. This would include any of your additional airships placed here.

Skyborne

• A: Fleet Support. Your skimmers in this region receive +1 troop power in addition to their base 1 troop power.
• B: Fortified Stronghold. Your fortresses connected to this region give +1 troop power to this airship in addition to their base +1 troop power.

Flagship abilities (such as Voidmaw's abilities) can modify troop power of airships positively or negatively. When checking a player's 10-power limit, ignore any bonus power from flagships and only count the printed values of troop power tokens.

Guardians

Components to use: 6 Guardian Cards, 6 Guardian Miniatures, 1 Setup Card, 5 Power Reference Cards. Players: 1-5.

Overview

Guardians give special effects to the regions in which they reside. These powerful entities move across the board during each round, controlled by player actions, and grant unique abilities to the region they end up in.

Setup

1. Shuffle all 6 guardian cards.
2. Reveal the top 2 guardian cards and place them in a row next to the main board.
3. Keep the remaining 4 cards in a face down deck next to them.
4. Shuffle the public starfall deck as normal.
5. Flip the top 2 cards of the public starfall deck and place 1 next to each revealed guardian card. These cards show the starting location for each guardian this round.
6. Place each revealed guardian miniature in the explore slot of its matching region. Other Guardians remain off the board nearby.
7. Then reveal the public starfall as normal.

Gameplay

Moving Guardians

The first player to place an airship in a region containing an unmoved guardian triggers that guardian's movement:

1. Place your airship in the explore slot (displacing the guardian).
2. The guardian miniature must move to any other region on the board that does not contain another guardian. Place it anywhere in that region except the explore slot.
3. Do not draw a hidden starfall card (you moved the guardian instead).

Once moved, a guardian cannot be moved again for the rest of the round.

Guardian Powers

The guardian's special ability (shown on its card) applies to the region where it ends up after being moved. This effect lasts for the remainder of the round.

If no one places an airship in a guardian's region it is not moved. It will have no effect this round.

Guardian abilities (such as Reefhorn's abilities) can modify the troop power of airships. When checking a player's 10-power limit, ignore any bonus power from guardians and only count the printed values of troop power tokens.

Guardian Powers

• Cinderwing. In this guardian's region, do not award starfall rewards. Starfalls that drop here will stay here until next round.
• Cragjaw. In this guardian's region, building effects are doubled. This includes all markets and fortresses that are connected to this region.
• Mythtusk. In this guardian's region, swap the reward tier for 1st and 2nd most troop power. You must have at least 1 troop power to be eligible for a reward tier. If you are the only player with troop power in the region, gain any 1 reward tier.
• Thornspine. In this guardian's region, troop power limits are ignored. For example: if you place a 10 airship in the region Thornspine ends in, you still have 10 troop power left to place amongst your other 2 airships.
• Cloudseer. When Cloudseer is in play, add a starfall (or Rift starfall) to its card. In this guardian's region, highest troop power wins that starfall, in addition to any other reward. A player must be present in the region to win the starfall.
• Reefhorn. In this guardian's region, airships with a 0 troop power token (ignoring payloads) gain +3 troop power.

Guardian abilities are region effects: the example images in the rulebook show Cinderwing (Do Not Award Starfalls), Cragjaw (Yellow Gains 4 Troop Power), Mythtusk (Red Gains The Starfall), Thornspine (Green's troop power limit in Dreadful Desert is ignored), Cloudseer (Blue Gains 2 Starfalls) and Reefhorn (Yellow's Airship Gains +3 Troop Power).

Round Cleanup

1. Discard the rightmost guardian card (and its matching miniature).
2. Move the remaining guardian card to the right position.
3. Reveal a new guardian card and place it in the left position.

Each guardian (except the first and last one) remains in play for 2 consecutive rounds before being discarded.

Repeat the round start process, then continue play:

• Shuffle all public starfall cards.
• Reveal 2 public starfall cards, 1 for each guardian.
• Place guardians in their starting locations according to those cards.

Bounties

Components to use: 22 Bounty Cards, 1 Setup Card. Players: 2-5.

Overview

Bounties replace the base game's objective cards with public race-to-complete bounties. Players compete to be the first to accomplish visible goals for starfall rewards, with resources available for subsequent completions.

Setup

1. Leave the objective cards from the base game in the box.
2. Shuffle the new bounties deck.
3. Place 1 bounty card face up on each of the 5 slots on the objective tray. These 5 public bounties remain available throughout the game.
4. If playing with the Rift micro-expansion, place one Rift starfall below each bounty card on top of the star icon.

Gameplay

Completing Bounties

Bounties are scored at the end of the main phase of each round, immediately after everyone has revealed their airships but before distributing regional rewards. They are evaluated in order from left to right.

Rewards

• The first player to complete a bounty gains a starfall.
• Any other player who completes that same bounty gains the resource reward shown on the card instead.

Some bounties have a different condition for the others. For Lone Legion, if any players have 14 or more total troop power once all airships are revealed they are eligible to gain a starfall (first) or 2 gold and 1 wood (others). For Manic Miner, if any players have 8 or more iron once all airships are revealed they are eligible to gain a starfall (first) or 3 gold (others).

Tie-Breaking

If 2 or more players complete the same bounty simultaneously and are the first to do so, the player who has accomplished more of the bounty's requirement receives the starfall. For example, if a bounty requires "4+ Markets built," a player with 5 Markets beats a player with 4 Markets.

If players are still tied (both have the same amount), the turn order track breaks the tie. The player earliest in turn order receives the starfall; others receive the resource reward.

Claiming

When you complete a bounty, place a player token next to the card to mark your claim. If a token is already present, you receive the resource reward instead of the starfall.

Each bounty card may be claimed by each player only once.

Because bounties are claimed from left to right, gaining a resource reward from one bounty may allow you to immediately qualify for a reward on a bounty further to the right.

For example:

1. Blue has 6 iron and 4 gold.
2. The Greedy Gatherer bounty requires 6 of any 2 resources in order to be claimed.
3. Luckily, Blue claims Lone Legion and gains the resource reward of 2 gold and 1 wood, bringing their total resources to 6 iron, 6 gold, and 1 wood.
4. Since Blue acquired 6 of any 2 resources (iron and gold) before the Greedy Gatherer bounty is scored, they may claim it as well. In this case, no other players have claimed Greedy Gatherer yet, so Blue gains a starfall.

Bounty Cards

• Ardent Architect. Have 7+ buildings built.
• Audacious Attempt. Win a starfall in a region using only your skimmers.
• Distinct Dominion. Have 4+ buildings that only connect to 2 regions.
• Fortified Frontier. Have 4+ buildings that only connect to 2 regions.
• Fortress Ferver. Have 4+ fortresses built.
• Grand Gambit. Have all of your airships in the same region.
• Greedy Gatherer. Have 6+ of any 2 resources.
• Heedless Hoarder. Scout 3+ times without taking a resource.
• Hidden Hermit. Be uncontested in 3+ regions.
• Lofty Loader. Gain 6+ resources from one region.
• Lone Legion. Have 14+ total troop power in a single region.
• Lumber Lord. Have 8+ wood in your supply.
• Manic Miner. Have 8+ iron in your supply.
• Master Merchant. Have 4+ markets built.

Combining Awakening Expansions

All four expansions can be played together or in any combination. When combining expansions, follow these guidelines:

Setup

Complete setup steps for each expansion you're using.

Turn Order

If playing with Flagship expansion, use the new turn order board.

End of Round Sequence

1. Reveal all airships.
2. Check and score bounties.
3. Tally troop power and distribute regional rewards:
   • Payloads, guardians, and flagships may impact totals.
   • Payloads are an alternative reward choice, if present.
   • Guardians may impact reward distribution.
4. Follow the base game's round cleanup along with expansion components:
   • Guardians: reveal the new guardian after discarding the rightmost guardian and reveal public starfall starting positions for each.
   • Payloads: add new payloads to each region not containing a payload.
   • Flagships: return all flagship boards and miniatures.
5. Draft flagships.

We recommend always playing with bounties and payload tokens, and then adding in either flagships or guardians.

Expansion Crossover Clarifications

• Grimroot's Strategic Redeployment ability triggers before bounties are calculated.
• Cragjaw triggers before Grimroot's Secret Mercenaries and Skyborne's Fortified Stronghold abilities.
• Modifiers from payloads, guardians, and flagships happen at the same time.

For example: an airship with a 0-token that is carrying 1 or more payloads with it will still get the +3 benefit from Reefhorn's guardian power (airships with 0 troop power gain +3 troop power).

2 Player & Solo Mode Details

If you are playing with 2 players or solo, read these details after reviewing each expansion's rules.

Payload Expansion (2 player only)

• AI will not collect payloads as a reward.
• Players will still be able to gain payload tokens and use them.

Flagship Expansion

• AIs will not use flagships, but they can be affected by players' flagships placed in the same region as their airships, like Voidmaw's Smoke Screen or Nautilorn's Dread Aura.
• Do not use the new turn order tile. The resource for taking last place still applies to the AI's market card.
• Do not add gold resources to unused flagships while playing solo.

Guardian Expansion

• AI do not factor in the presence of a guardian into the AI advantage rule for deciding where to place ships and buildings.
• When the AI must displace a guardian from a region, flip over the top card of the public starfall deck and move the guardian to that region.
• AI Market cards are affected by the Cragjaw guardian, gaining an additional resource for each market connected to that region if they have an airship present there.
• The AI player will always use their highest value number on troop reveal if they are in the region with the guardian Thornspine. If another AI airship of the same color is also in a region with a starfall, it will also be rotated to its highest value in addition to the one in the Thornspine region.
• Once Cloudseer has been moved, place a starfall in its region so the AI will treat it as a viable target in addition to other rewards.

Bounties Expansion

• Do not use bounty cards when playing solo.