Mars Needs Mechanics Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• The Objective
• Components
• Set Up
• The Rules
  • Playing a Turn
  • Primary Action: Purchasing or Passing
    • Purchasing a component
    • Passing
  • Optional Actions: Building and Breaking Down Mechanisms
    • Building a mechanism
    • Breaking down a mechanism
  • Round Ends
    • 1. Adjust Values
    • 2. Sell Sets
    • 3. Restock
    • 4. Pass the First Player Marker
• Competition Ends
• Choosing Mechanisms
• Tips from the Designer
• Turn Summary
  • Playing a Turn
  • Round Ends

The Objective

The British Royal Academy of Space Exploration has put together a competition that it feels embodies the spirit of this momentous opportunity. In order to be victorious, contestants will need to earn the most cogs by competition's end.

Components

• Game Board
• Value Markers (7)
• Component Tokens (7)
• Scrap Metal Cards (8)
• First Player Marker
• Component Cards (56)
• Cogs (50): 1 value (20), 5 value (10), 10 value (20)
• Player Markers (12)
• Mechanism Blueprints (10)

Mechanism Card Anatomy: Mechanism Name, Card Art, Ability Text, Component Cost.

Set Up

Once all contestants have arrived, the contest may begin. The Academy has deemed it appropriate for each contestant to begin the contest with a minimal number of materials they will find necessary to compete. Follow the instructions below to give each contestant their due and the competition can then commence.

1. Each contestant receives two Scrap Metal cards. Additional Scrap Metal will not be used and should be returned to the box.
2. Give 30 cogs to each contestant and place the remaining supply next to the board. These cogs will be used during the competition as currency. A contestant's cogs are public information and as such may be seen by all.
3. Place the mechanisms that contestants will be able to build during the competition next to the board. See Choosing Mechanisms when selecting your mechanisms. If this is your first contest, use the Starter Mechanisms (X-Ray Goggles, Difference Engine, Rocket Booster, Aether Drive).
4. Randomly place the 7 Component Tokens on the 7 spaces of the Order Line that have numbers.
5. Place the Value Markers on their corresponding rows on the board, each on a value of 5.
6. Shuffle the Components Deck and hand out three Component cards to each contestant. These cards may be viewed by their owners, but are to be kept secret during the contest. Place the rest of the deck face down next to the board.
7. Draw 8 Components from the top of the Component Deck and place them face up in a line. These cards represent the components the Academy has made available during the first round. From here on out, this line of cards will be know as "the market."
8. The First Player Marker is given to the contestant with the best English accent.

And now, the competition begins!

The Rules

In an effort to simulate the sort of resourcefulness and even keel necessary to be part of such a grand mission, the Academy has formulated a set of rules which it believes will provide adequate grounds for ingenious scheming. From such scheming, the cream will rise to the top and a crew member will be selected. These rules are binding and are as follows:

The competition is held in rounds. During the round, players will take turns, with play passing to the left. On a player's turn, they will either purchase a component from the market or pass. Sometimes, players will also choose to build mechanisms on their turn. A round ends when either all of the components in the market are purchased or when all players consecutively pass. See the last page of the rulebook for a turn and round summary. See below for the details.

Playing a Turn

On your turn, you must take a Primary Action and may take Optional Actions. See below.

• Primary Action (must be taken): either Purchase a component, or Pass.
• Optional Actions (may be taken): build one mechanism and/or break down one mechanism you built on a previous turn.

Primary Action: Purchasing or Passing

As your required Primary Action, you may either purchase 1 component from the market, OR you may pass.

Purchasing a component

Select a component card from the market and pay its current value in cogs. Then place the card into your hand. You may not go into debt or borrow cogs from other contestants in order to pay for a component. Immediately after purchasing the component, you must move its corresponding Component Token to the front of the Order Line. Note: If the token for the component you purchased is already at the front of the line, it does not move.

Passing

Announce that you are passing, which means you will not be purchasing a component this turn. You may still take Optional Actions. When it is your turn again, you may resume play normally, purchasing a component or passing again as you like.

Optional Actions: Building and Breaking Down Mechanisms

As Optional Actions, you may build one mechanism and/or break down a mechanism you have built prior.

Building a mechanism

Announce which mechanism you are building and lay the required components from your hand on the table face up in front of you. The mechanism is now built and is functional. When you build a mechanism, place one of your players token on top of it to remind other players what you have built. Only mechanisms made available during Set Up may be built (see Set Up).

Breaking down a mechanism

Announce that you are breaking down a mechanism. Then return its components to your hand. That mechanism is now broken down and ceases to function.

The following rules apply to building and breaking down mechanisms:

• You may build a mechanism once on a turn.
• You may break down a mechanism once on a turn.
• More than one player can have the same mechanism built at the same time.
• You may build and/or break down a mechanism at any point during your turn.
• You may not build and break down the same mechanism on the same turn.
• You can only have one mechanism built at a time unless otherwise noted on a mechanism card.
• You can build and break down mechanisms only on your turn during a round, never between rounds.
• Scrap cannot be used as a substitute for other components when building a mechanism.

Round Ends

A round ends when either of these two conditions are met:

• All component cards in the market are purchased. The active player finishes his turn.
• All contestants consecutively pass. Remaining components stay in the market to begin the next round.

Once a round has ended, the Academy adjusts the values of components. Contestants are also given the opportunity to sell sets of components for cogs. Take the following steps:

1. Adjust Values

Decrease the value of the last three components in the Order Line by 1 cog. Increase the value of the first three components in the Order Line by 1 cog. This means that one cog, the fourth in the Order Line, will not change in value. As you adjust each component's value, slide the corresponding Component Token back, maintaining the order of the tokens.

Exception for Final Price Adjustments: For the final price adjustments after the last round of the game, components can only increase in value if they were bought during the last round. The three components at the back of the line will decrease in value as normal.

2. Sell Sets

Starting with the First Player for the round and continuing in play order, contestants may sell any number of sets of components for their combined value. A set is defined as 3 or more of a component type. For example, if Edward sells a set of 4 Aether Tube cards, each with a value of 6 cogs, he receives 24 cogs.

A single Scrap Metal card may be used to replace 1 other card in a set, but Scrap Metal cards always have a value of zero. For example, if Natalie sells a set of 2 Wire cards with a value of 4 and 1 Scrap Metal card, she will receive 8 cogs.

A few notes: You may use both of your scrap as part of the same set. Sold component cards are discarded from the game, creating a discard pile. Players may not look through the discard pile.

3. Restock

Component cards are added to the market from the Component Deck until there are 8 cards total or until the Component deck runs out. A new round is played while there is at least one Component card in the deck to be placed in the market. If there are no cards in the deck, the competition ends (see Competition Ends).

4. Pass the First Player Marker

The contestant with the First Player Marker passes it to his left. A new round begins.

Competition Ends

The competition ends when either of the following occurs:

• There are no Component cards left in the deck when you begin to restock the market OR
• No contestants purchase components from the market for two consecutive rounds.

Note: In either case, make sure to adjust prices and sell sets after the last round.

At the end of the competition, the contestant with the most cogs is victorious. Any unsold components remaining in a contestant's hand or mechanisms still assembled on the table are worthless (unless otherwise stated on a mechanism). If there is a tie, the contestant with the fewest remaining components in hand wins. If there is still a tie, the contestant closest to the first player of the last round (in a clockwise fashion) is the winner.

Choosing Mechanisms

Mars Needs Mechanics features an expanding library of mechanisms to provide plenty of replay value. First time players and those fairly new to the game are recommended to play with the Starter Mechanisms: X-Ray Goggles, Aether Drive, Rocket Booster, and Difference Engine. This combination of mechanisms provides a well-rounded experience that's great for getting to know the ins and outs of the game.

Experienced players are urged to mix in other mechanisms with the Starter Mechanisms, explore different combinations, and even draft mechanisms for continued replay value. It is recommended to limit the number of available mechanisms during play to four or five, but feel free to try out other frequencies as well. Also, experienced players should try out the Automaton card in addition to whatever other mechanisms are in play.

Tips from the Designer

Mars Needs Mechanics is about timing. Make sure to pay attention to the components that come out each round in order to know when to sell yours. Sometimes it's worth holding onto a component for awhile if there are a few more in the deck.

Also related to timing, if you want a component to go up in value you will want to buy it late in the round when it is less likely to be passed in the Order Line. Components that are purchased early typically go down in value, though not always.

Passing can be very powerful, but don't forget that if all players pass consecutively it ends the round. It can sneak up on you!

Don't forget to break down your Mechanisms before the end of the round if you plan on selling their parts because you can't break them down between rounds.

I know the Scrap can be helpful, but don't get too excited and sell them both too early. You only get two and they can be very helpful in a jam late in the game.

And last but not least, don't build the Automaton too early! It will most likely leave your hand empty with very few ways to earn cogs, and it can't be broken down once it is built. Remember to wait and try the Automaton after you have a few plays under your belt.

Turn Summary

Playing a Turn

On your turn, you must take a Primary Action and may take Optional Actions.

• Primary Action (must be taken): either Purchase a component, or Pass.
• Optional Actions (may be taken): build one mechanism and/or break down one mechanism you built on a previous turn.

Round Ends

A round ends when either of these two conditions are met:

• All component cards in the market are purchased. The active player finishes his turn.
• All contestants consecutively pass. Remaining components stay in the market to begin the next round.

Once a round has ended, take the following steps:

1. Adjust Values: Decrease the value of the last three components in the Order Line by 1 cog. Increase the value of the first three components in the Order Line by 1 cog. This means that one cog, the fourth in the Order Line, will not change in value.
2. Sell Sets: Contestants may sell any number of sets of components for their combined value. A set is defined as 3 or more of a component type. Scrap may be substituted for any component card, but has a value of zero.
3. Restock: Component cards are added to the market until there are 8 cards total or until the Component deck runs out.
4. Pass the First Player Marker: The contestant with the First Player Marker passes it to his left. A new round begins.