Master of Orion: The Board Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
  • Civilization Board
  • Golden Rules
  • Tutorial Mode
  • Card Anatomy
• General Game Flow
• Basic Terms
  • First Player
  • Player's Cards
  • System
  • Working Card
  • Discarding Cards
• Resources, Loyalty, and Victory Points
  • Gaining and Spending Resources
  • Loyalty
  • Victory Points
• Phase 1: Start of Round
  • Gaining Resources
  • Determining Mobilization Level and Gaining Actions
  • "At the Start of the Round" Effects
• Phase 2: Actions
  • Cubes on Cards
  • Build
  • Exploit
  • Explore
  • Activate
  • Attack
  • Trade
  • Propaganda
  • Deal
• Phase 3: End of Round
  • Check for End of Game
  • Discard Down to Five
  • Return Cubes to Reserve
  • Pass the First Player Token
• End of Game and Victory
  • End of Game
  • Victory
• Other Rules
  • Running Out of Cards in the Deck
  • Exchange
  • Effect Timing
• Tips for Beginners
• Race, Advisor, and Building Clarifications
  • Races
  • Advisors
  • Buildings
• The Races of the Galaxy
  • Humans — If You Want Peace, Prepare for War
  • Alkari — One People Under the Shadow of the Gods
  • Meklars — Unity of Mind and Machine
  • Psilons — Common Sense Above All
  • Bulrathi — Protecting the Meek, Crushing the Weak
  • Darloks — We Act From the Shadows
  • Mrrshan — There Is No Honor Higher Than Death in Battle

Components

• 1 Scoring and Round board
• 6 double-sided civilization boards (Humans on one side, another race on the other)
• 1 First Player token
• 10 "−1 Loyalty/−3 Loyalty" tokens
• 4 "+50/+100 Points" tokens
• 1 Round token
• 60 wooden cubes in four colors (15 of each color)
• 90 Building cards
• 8 Advisor cards

Setup

Each player takes all the wooden cubes of one color. Then each player chooses a race and takes that race's board, placing it in front of them.

Civilization Board

Each civilization board is made up of the following parts:

• Race symbol
• Attack marker area
• Loyalty counter
• Available actions cube area
• Race name
• Race property
• Food counter
• List of possible actions
• Fleet counter
• Production counter
• Mobilization effects (including the number of available actions)

Each player places one of their cubes on each of the three resource counters (Food, Fleet, and Production), on the circled starting spaces. Different races start with different amounts of starting resources. Another cube is placed by the player on the top space of the Loyalty counter.

Then players place the round token on the first space of the round counter and place one of their cubes on the zero space of the score counter (on the board). The remaining cubes of their color are placed next to their boards (these cubes form the player's reserve).

Shuffle the advisor cards, randomly choose five of them, and lay them face up in the middle of the table; put the rest of the advisors back in the box (they won't be needed in this game).

The player who was most recently in space gets the First Player token. If no such player exists, give the token to whoever last played the Master of Orion computer game.

Shuffle the building deck and place it face down in the middle of the table. Each player, starting with the first player, draws 5 cards from the deck into their hand. Then each player, starting with the first player, may discard any number of cards from their hand once and draw the same number from the deck.

Golden Rules

If a card's text contradicts the basic rules or the text on a board, the card's text takes priority.

If the text on a board contradicts the basic rules, the text on the board takes priority.

Tutorial Mode

If you are playing Master of Orion for the first time, we recommend all players choose the Human race. We also recommend not using advisors in your first game.

Card Anatomy

Every building card shows the following parts:

• Card color and a color symbol (for players who don't distinguish colors)
• Card name
• Resources granted by the card
• Building cost
• Effect timing keyword
• Action cube slot
• Game effect
• Victory points
• Exploit effect

General Game Flow

The game lasts a maximum of 8 rounds. A round consists of three phases, played in order:

1. Start of Round
   • Gain resources
   • Determine mobilization level and gain actions
   • "At the start of the round" effects
2. Actions
3. End of Round
   • Check for end of game
   • Discard down to five cards
   • Return cubes to reserve
   • Pass the First Player token

Basic Terms

First Player

All game actions begin being played out by whoever holds the First Player token. At the end of the round, the First Player token passes to the left.

Player's Cards

Your cards are all the cards lying in front of you on the table — that is, the buildings you have built, as well as the advisor you have hired. Other cards, including the cards in your hand, do not count as your cards.

System

The buildings you build are grouped into systems. You may have no more than 4 systems, and each system may contain no more than 5 cards. Cards in a system are stacked with a slight downward offset, so that the top edges of the lower cards (showing their color and the resources they grant) peek out from under the upper ones. Players may look at the cards in their own and others' systems at any time. At the start of the game no one has any systems, but as soon as you build your first building, it becomes the first card in your first system. After that, you may choose whether to start a new system with the next card you build or continue building in a system you already have (see the description of the Build action).

Working Card

The top card in each system is considered the working card. You may only apply the effects of your own working cards. However, at the end of the game, the effects of all cards that say "at the end of the game" trigger, even non-working ones. A hired advisor is also considered a working card (even though it is not a building).

Discarding Cards

Discarded cards go to the top of the discard pile, which lies next to the deck. If you discard several cards at once (for example, when hiring an advisor), you decide the order in which the cards go to the discard pile. Cards in the discard pile lie face up. Any player may look through them at any time without changing the order of the cards in the pile.

Resources, Loyalty, and Victory Points

Gaining and Spending Resources

When you gain a resource, move the cube on the corresponding counter to the right (toward nine) by as many spaces as the number of resource units you gained. You cannot have more than 9 units of any resource; anything you gain beyond this limit is lost. When you spend a resource, move the cube on the corresponding counter to the left (toward zero) by as many spaces as the number of resource units you spent. You cannot have fewer than 0 units of any resource; if you don't have enough resources to pay for a building or an effect, you cannot build that card or apply that effect.

You gain resources from four main sources: at the start of the round from your cards, through the Exploit action, through card effects, and by exchanging through Trade. Resources are spent on building structures, paying for their effects, attacking opponents, and trading.

Loyalty

Your civilization's loyalty (your loyalty) shows how strongly your race supports its leader — that is, you. The loyalty level is marked by a cube on the counter on the left side of your board. Loyalty decreases at a high mobilization level, when attacked by an opponent, and from card effects. Loyalty increases at a low mobilization level, through Propaganda, and from card effects. A change in loyalty is indicated by the loyalty symbol, preceded by an up arrow (increase) or down arrow (decrease). The number after the loyalty symbol shows by how much it changes (if there is no number, it changes by one space). Loyalty cannot exceed 10, but it can drop below −3. In the latter case, mark your civilization's actual loyalty using the "−1/−3 Loyalty" tokens.

If your civilization's loyalty is below 6, you cannot build or activate certain cards — usually important buildings that let you gain a lot of victory points.

At the end of the game your loyalty is added to your victory points. In addition, if a player ends a round with zero or negative loyalty, the game ends.

Victory Points

When you gain victory points during the game (through attacks or card effects), mark them by moving your cube on the victory points counter on the board. Some effects allow you to spend victory points — in that case you move your cube closer to the start of the victory points counter. If you have 0 victory points, you cannot spend them. If you have 50 or more points, mark your total using the "+50/+100 Points" tokens.

Phase 1: Start of Round

Gaining Resources

Each player gains the resources shown at the top of their cards. These gains are marked by moving cubes on the resource counters. You cannot have more resources than there are spaces on the counter.

Determining Mobilization Level and Gaining Actions

The mobilization level is determined after gaining resources, but before applying "at the start of the round" effects. This level shows how many actions your civilization will perform this round, and also grants certain additional bonuses or penalties. The mobilization level can be high, medium, or low.

To determine it, look at which zone your rightmost cube is in on your resource counters. These counters are divided into three zones: left (0 to 3 resources), middle (4 to 6), and right (7 to 9).

• High mobilization level: if at least one of your resource cubes is in the right zone (you have 7 or more units of some resource), take 5 cubes from your reserve and decrease your civilization's loyalty by 1, moving the cube on the loyalty counter.
• Medium mobilization level: if you have no cubes in the right zone, but at least one is in the middle zone, take 4 cubes from your reserve.
• Low mobilization level: if all your resource cubes are in the left zone, take 3 cubes from your reserve, draw 1 card from the top of the deck, and increase your civilization's loyalty by 1.

Place the cubes you took on your board, in the available actions area. These cubes are considered your actions.

Some races' mobilization effects differ from those described above. These special traits are noted on the race board.

"At the Start of the Round" Effects

Each player, starting with the first player and proceeding clockwise, applies all "at the start of the round" effects from their working cards and board. If you have several such effects, you may apply them in any order you choose.

Phase 2: Actions

In this phase, players, starting with the first player, perform their actions for as long as they have action cubes. Players take actions in turn order. First the first player performs one action, then the player sitting to their left performs one action, and so on, until all players have spent all their action cubes. You may not refuse to take an action on your turn, or spend fewer than all of your available cubes.

In your turn you may spend a cube on one of the following actions:

• Build — build a building card from your hand;
• Exploit — discard one card from your hand and gain resources or cards for it;
• Explore — draw two cards from the top of the deck;
• Activate — activate a card;
• Attack — attack another player;
• Trade — perform one resource exchange;
• Propaganda — increase your civilization's loyalty;
• Deal — hire an advisor.

You choose for yourself the order and which actions you will perform. The same action can be repeated as many times as you like, as long as you have action cubes available (and if there are no other restrictions, e.g., due to an occupied slot).

Reminder: after each of your actions, you pass the turn to the player on your left.

Cubes on Cards

Many game effects, such as Activation, require placing a cube on a card. Cubes are placed in special slots on cards, marked with the letter A or R. Each slot can hold only one cube. If a card's effect requires placing a cube on it, and the required slot is already occupied, you cannot apply that effect. A cube on a card does not affect other effects.

The letter A in a slot indicates that a cube is placed on that card upon its activation (usually this is the action cube spent to activate it). The letter R indicates that a cube is placed on that card from the reserve after performing another action (usually an attack).

To perform an action, you must spend one of your available action cubes. The cube is placed in the corresponding zone of the board or on an activated card, in the slot marked A.

Build

To build a card means to lay it on the table in front of you in one of your systems. Pay the card's cost (accounting for any possible discounts) and either place it in any of your systems (as the top card of the stack), or start a new system with this card, if you are able to.

You may build a card even if you already have an identical card built.

Some cards cannot be built if your civilization's loyalty is below 6.

If you place a card on top of a card that has a cube on it, that cube is returned to the reserve.

Some effects give you a discount on building. The discount is specified in resource units (for example, "build a card in this system with a discount of 2 resources"). You decide for yourself which resources to save. All discounts are added together.

For example, you have the advisor Alluvia ("You build cards in this system with a discount of 1 resource") and the card "Colonizer Ship" ("Build a card from your hand in this system with a discount of 2 resources"). The total discount is 3 resources.

You build a "Planetary Stock Exchange," which costs 4 Food and 1 Production. The discount lets you reduce this cost by a total of 3 units of any resources: either down to 2 Food, or down to 1 Food and 1 Production. You cannot apply the discount to resources that are not part of the cost (in this case, Fleet), and you cannot reduce the cost of any resource below zero.

Note: some effects let you build cards from your hand without spending a separate action. If you build a card through such an effect, you must still pay its full cost (accounting for any possible discounts).

Exploit

Discard one card from your hand and apply the effect shown in the lower-left corner of that card (usually this is gaining resources). The exploit effect of a card depends on its color:

• gain 3 Food, if the card is blue;
• gain 2 Fleet, if the card is red;
• gain 1 Production, if the card is yellow;
• draw 4 cards from the top of the deck (discard one of them and keep three in hand), if the discarded card is gray.

Note: if you discard a card for a different reason, the exploit effect does not apply.

Explore

Draw 2 cards from the top of the deck into your hand. If the deck runs out of cards, take all the cards from the discard pile except the top one, shuffle them, and place them face down in place of the deck.

Activate

You may activate one of your working cards to apply its game effect. All cards that can be activated are marked with the keyword "Activation" and a slot with the letter A. When activating a card, you place an action cube in the A slot on that card, then apply the effect stated in its text. You cannot activate a card if its A slot already has a cube on it. You cannot activate a card that is not a working card. Some cards cannot be activated if your civilization's loyalty is below 6.

Some cards may have an additional cost to apply their effect. This cost is enclosed in a frame, with an arrow pointing to the effect's text. In that case, you must first pay the additional cost before applying the effect. For example, to apply the effect of "Population Support Services," you must first pay 2 Food.

Note: some effects let you activate cards without spending a separate action. All other rules still apply: you may only activate working cards whose A slots do not have a cube on them.

Attack

You may declare an attack on another player and place your action cube as an attack marker in the corresponding area on the attacked player's board. The marker helps you remember whom you have attacked and whom you have not. You may attack each opponent a certain number of times per round.

• In a four-player game, each player may attack each opponent only once. Thus, at most one cube of each color may lie in the attack marker area.
• In a three-player game, each player may attack each opponent no more than twice. Thus, at most two cubes of each color may lie in the attack marker area.
• In a two-player game, each player may attack their opponent up to three times. Thus, up to three of the opponent's cubes may lie in the attack marker area.

You may only attack an opponent if they have no more Fleet than you (in other words, you have more Fleet or the same amount), and if you have enough Fleet to pay for the attack (usually this is 2 Fleet, but cards may change the cost of an attack). Bonuses from card effects that trigger on attacking and on defending are also taken into account.

Note: the advisor Vail the Whisperer gives you 2 phantom Fleet when attacking. You cannot use this Fleet to pay for the attack; it is only counted when comparing your Fleet to your opponent's Fleet.

After an attack, the attacked player's civilization loyalty drops by 1, and the attacking player gains 2 points (moving their cube on the scoring board). Many cards grant additional effects from attacking.

Trade

Perform one resource exchange at the rate shown on your board. Resources may be exchanged in either direction, but only once and strictly in the stated amount. For example, you may exchange 3 Food for 1 Production or 2 Fleet, but not 6 Food for 4 Fleet. If this would bring your resources above 9, the excess resources are lost.

Propaganda

Once per round you may increase your civilization's loyalty by 3. Place your action cube in the slot in the corresponding zone of your board. You may perform this action even if your loyalty is already 10.

Deal

This action lets you hire an advisor. Discard 3 cards from your hand, take any advisor from the middle of the table, and place it in front of you. This is now your advisor. You may have no more than one advisor. If you take a new advisor, the old one returns to the table.

Note: the advisor Alluvia cannot be returned or replaced.

Phase 3: End of Round

Check for End of Game

The game ends if at least one of the following conditions is met:

1. The 8th round has ended.
2. At least one player's loyalty is 0 or less.
3. At least one player has 5 cards in every system.

In most cases, the game ends at the conclusion of the eighth round. The other two end-of-game conditions occur much more rarely, but should not be forgotten.

Discard Down to Five

All players discard cards from their hand down to five.

Return Cubes to Reserve

All players return the cubes from their cards and boards to their reserve (don't forget to return your attack markers from other players' boards).

Pass the First Player Token

The First Player token passes to the next player clockwise. This player now becomes the first player, and all actions are played out starting from them. The round marker advances to the next space on the counter.

End of Game and Victory

End of Game

If at least one of the end-of-game conditions is met at the end of a round, the game ends immediately, and the players proceed to scoring.

Victory

Each player totals their victory points. To the points you scored during the game (the value your cube is on, on the score counter), add your current loyalty and the sum of the points on all the buildings in your systems. If a card shows a question mark instead of a point value, this means the value of that card depends on the conditions written on it. All cards in all systems count, whether they are working cards or not.

Important! All players participate in scoring regardless of loyalty. Although negative loyalty reduces your total score, even a player with loyalty below zero has a chance to win.

The player with the highest total score is declared the winner. In case of a tie, the contender with the higher loyalty wins. If there is still a tie, the tied contenders total up their resources. Whoever has the higher sum wins. If this is still not enough to determine a winner, the game is declared a draw.

Other Rules

Running Out of Cards in the Deck

Take all the cards from the discard pile except the top one. Shuffle them and place them next to the discard pile, face down — this is the new deck.

Exchange

An exchange is marked with a double-headed arrow. This symbol shows that the resources enclosed in the frame can be exchanged at the stated rate in either direction (but only once per activation). For example, by activating "Spaceport," a player can exchange 3 Food and 3 Fleet for 2 Production, or vice versa, Production for Food and Fleet.

Effect Timing

Effects described in card text can trigger at different points in time. The card text always states, using a keyword, when a particular effect triggers.

• Activation: on your turn you may place your action cube in the A slot on this card and apply its effect, taking into account all discounts and additional conditions.
• After Attack: the effect triggers after paying for an attack on an opponent (once after each of your attacks, unless otherwise restricted). Note that your "After Attack" cards trigger only after you have attacked, not after you have been attacked.
• After Building: the effect triggers immediately after this building is built (and cannot be used afterward).
• Always: the effect is active at all times while this card is a working card.
• At the Start of the Round: the effect triggers at the start of the round, after determining the mobilization level.
• At the End of the Game: the effect triggers at the end of the game, during final scoring. This usually applies to cards that have a question mark in their "victory points" field.

When a card's effect triggers, it is applied as fully as possible. If the effect's text contains the word "May," you have the right not to apply the part of the effect to which it refers.

An image of a white cube means that you gain one more action. Take a cube from your reserve and add it to your available actions.

An image of a crossed-out card means that you must discard a card from your hand.

Important: if several effects must trigger during your action at the same time (for example, due to activating several cards at once), you decide for yourself in which order to apply these effects.

Remember that during the game you may only apply the effects of working cards (those lying on top in their systems). Race properties on the board apply the same way as on working cards. Boards are not considered cards.

If you discard a cube during the game, return it to your reserve.

If resources in an effect's text are listed separated by a slash, this means you choose between several options. For example, activating the advisor Victoria gives you either 2 Food, 2 Fleet, or 2 Production, but not all at once.

Tips for Beginners

In Master of Orion you can achieve victory in different ways, but the first two or three rounds should in any case be devoted to developing your civilization. Study your race's property and the effects of the cards you draw, choose a suitable advisor, and decide which victory strategy you will pursue. Build several buildings that let you carry out your chosen strategy. For example, if you want to actively attack your opponents, you need a steady growth in Fleet and cards that grant additional benefits after an attack. If you throw yourself into space battles without a proper economic base, your momentum will quickly run out, and more far-sighted opponents will have no trouble leaving you behind.

Food, Fleet, and Production have different value, which is roughly reflected in the exchange rate on the board. Food is the easiest way to reach a high mobilization level, which lets you perform more actions per round. A high Fleet level is worth maintaining if one of the players (especially you) is pursuing a military strategy. Production is worth spending only on buildings that are especially important to your victory.

The most important resources are your available actions and the cards in your hand. Don't miss the chance to gain extra actions or to do something without spending an action. Try not to be left without cards in hand — it's the most universal resource, one you can use in many ways: build, exploit, discard to hire an advisor, and so on. Exploiting a gray card is a good way to refill your hand, letting you choose the cards you need most.

Don't be afraid of losing loyalty, especially if in exchange you gain something more valuable (actions or points). Remember that you can raise it with Propaganda. However, don't forget that loyalty below 6 will close off access to some useful cards. Even if you don't need such cards, try to keep your loyalty at 5 or higher by the end of the action phase — otherwise an opponent may be able to end the game at a moment convenient for them, by driving your loyalty into the negative.

A card's color not only indicates its exploit effect, but also matters in how it interacts with other cards. Note that the deck does not have an equal number of cards of each color: 26 blue, 22 red, 22 yellow, and 20 gray.

Race, Advisor, and Building Clarifications

Races

Alkari. You cannot use your race's property if you have 0 victory points.

Bulrathi. The race's property applies only during the mobilization-level determination step. For example, if you must lower your loyalty in the action phase due to a card effect, you do so even if you have resource cubes in the right zone.

Darloks. If, after your opponents have discarded cards, fewer than three cards ended up in the discard pile, you choose from whichever cards are there.

Mrrshan. You gain an extra Fleet only if you performed the Exploit action noted on your board.

Advisors

Alluvia. With this advisor you may have five systems. The additional system that begins with Alluvia does not have to be your fifth system numerically. The additional system may hold 4 cards, not counting Alluvia. Alluvia's effect applies even if she is covered by other cards.

Vail the Whisperer. With this advisor you may attack an opponent who has 1 or 2 more Fleet than you, but you must pay for the attack with your actual Fleet. For example, if you have 1 Fleet, you cannot attack, since you don't have enough Fleet to pay for the attack.

Harrava. If a cube is placed in an R slot by another card's effect (for example, a Battleship), it is not discarded at the end of the round; instead, at the start of the next round it is added to your available actions.

Buildings

Automated Laboratory. If you cover your only working yellow card with Automated Laboratory, that card is no longer considered a working card, and you do not gain an extra action cube.

Holographic Simulator. You discard a cube from among your available action cubes. If you have no cubes left, you cannot apply the card's effect (but you may still build it). You also have the right to decline to apply this card's effect and not discard a cube.

Civilian Ship. If you build a card with an "After Building" effect using this card's effect (even another Civilian Ship), first resolve the new card's effect, then continue resolving Civilian Ship's effect. This way you can build up to five buildings with a single action: two Civilian Ships, one blue card, and two other cards of any kind — if you have enough resources, of course.

Advanced Data Center. Having chosen a card from the discard pile, return the remaining cards to the discard pile in the same order they were in. If there are no cards in the discard pile, this card's effect does not apply (but you may still build it).

Planetary Stock Exchange. You cannot apply this card's effect if you have 0 victory points.

Planetary Supercomputer. When applying its effect, this card also counts.

Soil Enrichment Facility. When applying its effect, this card also counts.

Fighter Base. When applying its effect, this card also counts.

Landing Craft. Cubes are discarded from cards that end up under other cards. You may choose to move a working card in a system from among a single card, but the game situation of that opponent does not change.

Death Star. This card's effect triggers once after each of your attacks.

Battleship. If your opponent has no cards with A or R slots, or all such slots are already occupied by cubes, their game situation does not change.

Ground Batteries. This card affects all opponents. If you have two such cards (and both are working), an opponent must spend 2 more Fleet to attack you (4 Fleet total).

Population Support Services. You may activate this card even if your civilization's loyalty is 10. Activating this card does not count as performing the Propaganda action.

Titan. The advisor Alluvia is considered a separate system, even if there are no other cards in that system.

High Orbital Locator. You choose for yourself which cards to activate and in what order. The advisor may also be activated.

Star Fortress. This card's effect triggers once after each of your opponent's attacks on you.

Tax Office. You discard a cube from among your available action cubes. If you have no cubes left, you cannot apply the card's effect (but you may still build it). If you built this card as the first card in a system, or on top of a gray card, you gain no resources. You also have the right to decline to apply this card's effect and not discard a cube.

Utilitron. When applying its effect, this card also counts.

Dome of Pleasures. You may build this card even if your civilization's loyalty is 10. This card's effect does not count as performing the Propaganda action.

Communications Satellite. You may rearrange the order of cards, including in the system where you built the Communications Satellite. You rearrange the cards however you see fit.

Spy Training Camp. If your opponent has no advisor, or has Alluvia, their game situation does not change.

Frigate. This card's effect triggers once after each of your attacks.

Destroyer. If your opponent has fewer than two cards in hand, they must choose to lower their loyalty.

The Races of the Galaxy

As more and more sentient races make contact with one another, the need arises for a new way to peacefully resolve pressing disputes. For this purpose, a Galactic Council is created, where one day a leader may emerge who unites the galaxy under a single banner and prevents bloody wars.

Humans — If You Want Peace, Prepare for War

Humanity dreamed of the stars for many centuries. Unfortunately, desire alone is not enough to reach the distant, cold lights shining in the darkness of space. What was needed was the combined effort of the entire race, and that was hard to achieve because of age-old conflicts. By the time humanity finally came to its senses, Earth's resources were nearly exhausted, and the planet was close to ruin. Humans tried to save their world, but nothing brought the results they needed. And just when all hope seemed to have faded, humans made first contact with the Bulrathi. These noble aliens, who had survived a similar catastrophe, shared with the people of Earth the remnants of the technology that had helped stabilize their own home planet.

Having entered the galactic political arena, humans strive to earn the respect of other races, but are hindered by the imperfections of the democratic system of the Human Republic. The President does everything possible to protect their people, establishing diplomatic relations with other civilizations. However, when necessary, humans are quite capable of taking up arms to fight back and hold their ground.

Alkari — One People Under the Shadow of the Gods

The wars on cloud-wreathed Altair fell silent long ago, and the children of the Sky God, Skree-Aka, united into a single Flock, now flourish under the rule of the Lord of the Skies. But the Forefather of all Alkari did not give them wings without reason: they are called to guard the heavens, and the stars await them.

Religion permeates every aspect of Alkari life, and their fervor is often mistaken for fanaticism. Moreover, despite their originally peaceful nature, they are proud and warlike. In their drive to become the greatest warriors of the galaxy and earn the favor of the Sky God, the Alkari start conflicts with other races over the most seemingly trivial of reasons. Their resources run thin, and their forces are stretched impossibly across many fronts. But despite this, one can say with confidence that the Alkari will fight to the death.

Meklars — Unity of Mind and Machine

Creations that rose up against their creators. Living metal, guided by cold calculation and logic. Machines whose goals are self-preservation and development. Long ago, the Meklars were created to help their organic masters: they were meant to perform the dirty and dangerous work for the organics, carry out complex calculations, and simply improve overall quality of life. But having surpassed their creators, the machines imprisoned them in the Net, turning the organics into a kind of processor. Total annihilation of their creators was never even considered, since the Meklars feared triggering a self-destruct mechanism that might well be hidden in the original code.

Since then, the rest of the organic life on the planet Meklon has been forced to shelter high in the mountains, driven out by the sprawling expansion of the machine cities. The Meklars built a complex infrastructure to keep their empire running. What, one might ask, could they possibly fear within their high-tech bastion? It turns out that even machines can feel fear, or something like it: the loss of power or memory would mean the end of their race and the rule of the Net Switchboard. To prevent this and keep themselves safe, the Meklars search the galaxy for a source of infinite energy.

Psilons — Common Sense Above All

Peaceful and highly intelligent, the Psilons are, perhaps, the finest scientists in the galaxy. What they value most is new knowledge, and education and research are an inseparable part of their lives. Such priorities, carried through their entire evolution, are clearly reflected in their appearance: they are physically weak and delegate physical labor to robots.

Focused on research, the Psilons prefer not to be distracted by the conflicts raging across the galaxy. They keep their distance from other civilizations and maintain a fleet of advanced ships strictly for defensive purposes. Their social skills also leave something to be desired: Psilons are exceptionally polite and calm, but utterly unable to express emotion and fail to grasp the finer points of relationships. That said, communication with others (as well as allocating funding for research) is handled by the Psilons' Quantum Curator, which allows the rest of them to focus on the pursuit of knowledge.

Bulrathi — Protecting the Meek, Crushing the Weak

Many thousands of years ago the Bulrathi managed to save their planet. In truth, it was they themselves who had driven it to that dire state. Only thanks to a handful of scientists were technologies developed to carry out the first terraforming process in the modern galaxy. The planet was saved. The death and rebirth of their home world left its mark on Bulrathi beliefs, making them defenders of nature.

The nature of the bear-like inhabitants of Ursa is deeply contradictory: they are both noble protectors and merciless killers. Perhaps the most vivid representative of this people is the Emperor — a ruthless conqueror with pure intentions. The Bulrathi, with their zealous desire to protect the environment, could help other races in this regard, if not for their aggression and hot temper.

Darloks — We Act From the Shadows

The Darloks of the planet Nazin are not called hypocrites for nothing: everyone has heard of their treachery and secretiveness. Darloks will never enter open conflict, preferring instead to drive a knife into your back at just the right moment. And the most terrifying part is that the blow may come from your so-called close friend, who has been hiding their true nature behind yet another mask.

Darlok history is shrouded in myth and legend, but a grain of truth can still be found among them. Many thousands of years ago, the first space travelers landed on the Darloks' home planet to found a colony. These humanoids were the first whose appearance the shape-shifting Darloks copied. Horrified, the colonists hastily abandoned Nazin, leaving behind their infrastructure and technology. This "gift" gave the Darlok civilization its first push forward.

Stealth is their forte. Thanks to their ability to change their appearance, spies of the Darlok Lodge travel freely through the dark corners of the galaxy, stealing technology and information from its other inhabitants. The dictatorship of the Concealer has so far proven an effective form of government, and the only thing the shape-shifters need fear is the loss of their own identity. After all, the main thing is not to lose yourself in the game…

Mrrshan — There Is No Honor Higher Than Death in Battle

Elegant, rebellious, and independent, the Mrrshan consider themselves predators, and everyone else prey — no matter how large. The Pride must hunt, and Mrrshan often enter battle purely for the intoxicating thrill of it. This love of the hunt has, more than once, nearly destroyed their race back on their home world of Fierasse. At first the cause was massive, bloodthirsty predators, and later the Mrrshan themselves, who came close to tearing each other apart in civil war. Now the Pride is led by a royal family and an Empress, whose will is absolute.

The laws of this race cannot be called strict or despotic, despite their feudal structure and militarism. The Mrrshan value freedom, be it personal, religious, or creative. Speaking of Mrrshan creativity, it's worth mentioning this race's unique fusion of militarism and beauty. These humanoids, known for their impeccable sense of style, are also superb weaponsmiths. They have created no shortage of works of art and build elegant structures, and the products of their culture often command steep prices. The Mrrshan are captivated by the beauty of the stars and the galaxy, which did much to drive them out into space in the first place.