Meteor Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Contents
• Set Up
  • Set Up Reference
• How to Play
  • Timekeeper
  • Change Altitude Zones
  • Pass
  • No more Resource Cards
  • No Talking
  • Launch Sites
    • Energy Retrofit
    • Rocket Retrofit
  • Leftover Energy
  • Launching Rockets
  • Meteor Size
  • Overkill
  • Multiple Overkills
• Game End
• Variants
  • First Game
  • Advanced Game
  • Two-Player Variant
  • One-Player Variant
  • Designer Variants
  • Competitive Variant
• Card Glossary
  • Technology Cards
  • Meteor Cards
  • Boss Meteor Cards
  • Power Cards
  • Challenge Cards

Overview

Meteor is a real-time cooperation game. There are no turns; players play together as a team, winning together or losing together. Each game lasts five minutes or less.

Players build and launch Rockets to destroy Meteors, develop Technology to gain powerful advantages, and Retrofit unusable resources. Players win if they destroy all the Meteors, but lose if one or more Meteors impact the Earth.

Contents

• 5 One-Minute Sand Timers count down as the meteors descend toward Earth. The Meteors move to the next Altitude zone as the sand runs out in each timer.
• 5 Altitude Zone Cards measure the distance of the Meteors to Earth. Altitude Zone Five is farthest away and Altitude Zone One is closest. Meteors travel through Altitude Zone Five to Zone One for just one minute each, then impact and game over!
• 5 Launch Site Leader Cards are quick reference cards for each player. They show: three possible projects (Rocket, Technology, and Retrofit); only you may play the first card into your Launch Site; only one project in a Launch Site at a time; once cards are played into Launch Sites, they may be discarded, but not returned into players' hands; you may discard a Project to begin a different Project.
• 26 Standard Meteor Cards have numbers separated by a dash on the back of the card to show the Meteor's size range. The number on the front shows the Meteor's exact size. Some Meteors have icons on them which represent Meteor Traits and any special threats particular to that Meteor. (See Card Glossary pp. 2-3)
  • There are three sizes of Meteors: 12 Small Meteors (1-3 range), 12 Medium Meteors (3-5 range), one double-sided Meteor (exact size 6) and one double-sided Meteor (exact size 7).
• 10 Boss Meteor Cards are very difficult to defeat and are used only in the Advanced Game. (See Card Glossary pp. 4-5)
• 39 Energy Cards are used to build Technology and Rockets. There are four different kinds of Energy Cards: 15 Chemical (Red), 12 Fuel (Yellow), 7 Atomic (Green), and 5 Electrical (Blue).
• 6 Technology Cards display a picture of either a factory or a satellite. Icons represent the powerful advantages created once each Technology has been built. (See Technology Cards, Card Glossary p. 1.)
• 31 Rocket Cards inflict 1-5 points of damage when launched at a Meteor, as represented by the number on the top left of each card.
• Tip: The Energy Icon on the bottom of each Rocket and Technology Card shows the Energy required to build that Rocket and Technology.
• 13 Power Cards grant each player a unique, highly potent special ability, but are only used in the Advanced Game. (See Card Glossary pp. 6-7)

Set Up

1. Shuffle the 26 Standard Meteor Cards together to create the Meteor Deck.
2. Create a Meteor Field by placing the correct number of Meteor Cards face down, according to the Set-Up Chart below. The Meteors should not be stacked, but spread out in the middle of the play area so they can be seen by all players.
   • Optional: Players may choose to do a "Meteor Mulligan" only once by reshuffling all the Meteor Cards together and creating a new Meteor Field.
3. Stack the Altitude Zone Cards in descending order near the play area (5 on top, 1 on bottom).
4. Place all Sand Timers near the Altitude Zone Cards.
5. Give each player a Launch Site Leader Card to be placed directly in front of the player. This quick reference card represents each player's Launch Site.
6. Shuffle the Energy, Rocket, and Technology Cards together to create the Resource Deck. Deal each player's Resource Cards according to the Set-Up Chart below.

Set Up Reference

Players	Resource Cards (per player)	Meteor Cards
1	10	5
2	7	5
3	5	7
4	4	7
5	4	8

The play area consists of each player's Launch Site and Resource Cards, the Meteor Cards (Meteor Field), the Set Up Card, the Sand Timers, the Altitude Cards, and the Discard Pile.

How to Play

Timekeeper

Choose one player to be the Timekeeper, and be sure the Altitude Zone Cards and Sand Timers are within easy reach of that player. He/She performs Altitude Zone Changes and ensures one Sand Timer is always active during game play. At any time during play, the Timekeeper may pause the game for a "Timeout" by placing the active Sand Timer on its side, allowing time for rule and icon clarifications. To resume play, restore the Sand Timer to its previous position. When a Sand Timer runs out, the Timekeeper changes Altitude Zones by completing the following steps.

Change Altitude Zones

1. Remove the active Sand Timer from the game.
2. Remove the top Altitude Zone Card from the game.
3. Start a new Sand Timer for the new Altitude Zone.
4. Each player draws new Resource Cards according to number of players.

Players	Resource Cards per Zone Change
1	2
2	2
3	2
4	1
5	1

Pass

When a player decides he or she cannot do anything without acquiring more Resource Cards, the player says "Pass." If ALL players "Pass" at the same time, the Timekeeper Changes Altitude Zones as outlined above.

No more Resource Cards

If the Resource Deck runs out, it is not reshuffled and for the remainder of the game players cannot draw any more Resource Cards. Players can continue to play Resource Cards from their hands, but any effect that would let players draw Resource Cards is ignored.

No Talking

Until the Technology Card "Communications Satellite" has been built, players may not talk to one another, except to say "Pass," "Launch," or "Time Out." Gestures and non-language vocalizations are also allowed. Once the Communications Satellite is built, players may talk but may NOT show each other Resource Cards they hold in their hands, except as allowed in the Advanced Game by certain special ability cards.

Launch Sites

A single Launch Site can only accommodate one project at a time. A player may discard an unfinished project at any time to make space for a new project. Once a Resource Card is placed in a Launch Site, the Resource Card may not be moved to another player's Launch Site or put back into a player's hand. Players may place any Resource Card from their hands into any player's Launch Site, including their own. The player who controls the Launch Site must be the first player to place a card in his or her Launch Site. The first card may be of any type—you do not need to start with a Rocket.

Three types of projects can be built at a Launch Site: Technology, Retrofit, and Rocket.

1. Technology. Players complete a new Technology project when a Technology Card and the corresponding Energy Cards are combined in a Launch Site. Once the Technology has been built, discard the Energy Cards and place the completed Technology Card near the Meteor Field to remind all players of the advantage.
2. Retrofit. Players build a Retrofit project to transform Resources they cannot use into new Resources. Retrofits are completed when four Energy Cards or four Rocket Cards are played into a single play area, as described below. These four cards are immediately discarded and five new cards from the Resource Deck are drawn by the team as follows:
   • 5 player game: each player draws one Resource Card.
   • 3-4 player game: each player draws one Resource Card. The player that built the Retrofit draws the rest.
   • 2 player game: The player that built the Retrofit draws three Resource cards. The other player draws two Resource cards.

Energy Retrofit

To Retrofit Energy Cards, all four cards must be the same type of Energy, or all four must be different types of Energy. There are only five possible Energy Retrofit combinations: Four of a kind of Red, Yellow, Green, or Blue, or one of each of the four types of Energy. HINT: Remember Green & Blue are more scarce!

Rocket Retrofit

To Retrofit Rockets, all four Rocket Cards must do the SAME Damage, or all four must do a different Damage. There are ten possible Rocket Retrofit combinations: Four of a kind of 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 damage, or four of the five different combinations of Rockets:

Damage values of the four Rockets
1, 1, 1, 1
2, 2, 2, 2
3, 3, 3, 3
4, 4, 4, 4
5, 5, 5, 5
1, 2, 3, 4
1, 2, 3, 5
1, 2, 4, 5
1, 3, 4, 5
2, 3, 4, 5

3. Rocket. A Player builds a Rocket when a single Rocket and the matching Energy are in his or her Launch Site. If a Player has two Rockets in a Launch Site, that player is building a Retrofit, not a Rocket. After a Rocket has been built, the player that controls that Launch Site decides when the Rocket will be launched.

Leftover Energy

Players can never have leftover Energy in their Launch Sites after a Rocket or a Technology is built. For example, if a player wants to build a Rocket that requires one Fuel Energy (Yellow) but she already has a Fuel Energy (Yellow) and an Atomic Energy (Green) in her Launch Site, she cannot add the Rocket and launch it and have leftover Energy. She may discard all Energy Cards from her Launch Site and start a new project, or try for a Retrofit project.

Launching Rockets

A player launches a rocket by saying "Launch" and pushing the Rocket and Energy Cards towards the Meteor Field, selecting a Meteor to hit. Rockets always do the amount of damage indicated on the Rocket Card. Multiple Rockets may be launched by multiple players from different Launch Sites at the same time, and may target the same Meteor or different Meteors. Multiple Rockets targeting the same Meteor do the sum of those Rockets' damage. Since the most powerful Rocket inflicts 5 damage, multiple rockets must target simultaneously to destroy Meteors size 6 or larger. Rockets always hit and never miss.

Meteor Size

At the beginning of the game, Meteor Cards are placed face down so players only know each Meteor's size range. As each Meteor is struck by a Rocket for the first time, flip the Meteor Card over to reveal the exact size of the Meteor. Leave the Meteor Card face up for the remainder of the game.

There are three different ways a launched Rocket will interact with a Meteor:

1. If the Rocket Damage EQUALS the exact size of the Meteor, the Meteor is destroyed. Place the Rocket in the discard pile and remove the destroyed Meteor from the game.
2. If the damage is LESS than the exact size of the Meteor, the Rocket has no effect and is placed in the discard pile. The Meteor is unharmed and stays in the Meteor Field.
3. If the damage is GREATER than the exact size of the Meteor, the Meteor is destroyed, but an Overkill has occurred! Place the launched Rocket in the discard pile and remove the destroyed Meteor from the game.

Some Meteors carry unique Traits that may affect how a Rocket interacts with a Meteor. (See Card Glossary pp. 2-3)

Overkill

Overkill is an explosion caused by an overpowered Rocket that blasts the remaining Meteors one Altitude Zone closer to Earth. The Timekeeper changes Altitude Zones immediately. If an Overkill occurs in Altitude Zone 1, the remaining Meteors are blasted into Earth and the players lose the game. If the players Overkill the last remaining Meteor while in Altitude Zone 1, the players win the game because there are no remaining Meteors.

Multiple Overkills

Savvy players often work together to destroy more than one Meteor at the same time. If more than one Rocket creates an Overkill at once, then the remaining Meteors are still blasted forward only a single Altitude Zone. Overkill does not stack. If the players manage to destroy all remaining Meteors at the same time, they win the game, even if multiple Overkills resulted.

Game End

The game ends when one of the following happens:

1. One or more Meteors are in Altitude Zone 1 when the final Sand Timer runs out. The Meteor(s) smash into Earth and the players lose.
2. The players Overkill a Meteor in Altitude Zone 1, but it is not the last Meteor. The Meteors blast into Earth and the players lose.
3. The players destroy ALL the Meteors and save Earth!

Variants

First Game

When playing for the first time, it is recommended that the "No Talking Rule" be suspended and that all Meteors are played face up revealing the exact size of each Meteor. Being allowed to talk through the strategy, share information and see the exact size of the Meteors to prevent Overkills can be very helpful while learning the game.

Advanced Game

The advanced game is set up with three differences:

1. After creating the Meteor Field, players choose a single Meteor to remove from the Meteor Field and replace it with one of the Boss Meteors. Follow any additional rules and/or set up for that particular Boss Meteor as outlined on pages 4-5 of the Card Glossary.
2. Shuffle the Power Cards and give one to each player. (See Card Glossary pp. 6-7)
3. Shuffle the Challenge Cards and give one to each player. (See Card Glossary pp. 8-9)

If players win consistently with the Advanced Rules, they may play without Power Cards, but still include Challenge Cards. If players are struggling, they may play without Challenge Cards, but still include Power Cards.

Two-Player Variant

The two players share an additional Launch Site between them. Either player may place the first Resource Card into the shared Launch Site. Either player may launch a completed Rocket from the shared Launch Site.

One-Player Variant

In a solitaire game, the player has two Launch Sites. If playing a Solo advanced game, remove the following cards:

• Boss Meteor: "This one goes to 11"
• Power Cards: Communications Array, Secret Agent, Universal Aid
• Challenge Cards: Blue Shortage, Communications Blackout, Ideological Differences, Mistrusting, War Hawks, Weak Military

Designer Variants

Mike Young has created several scenarios to give players a thematic experience, found at: http://maydaygames.com/meteor.html

Competitive Variant

Players wishing to play against each other can find competitive rules at http://maydaygames.com/meteor.html

Card Glossary

Technology Cards

All Technology Cards may be discarded at any time to draw a new Resource Card.

• Rocket Plant: Players may discard any two Resource Cards DIRECTLY FROM THEIR HANDS for any Rocket Card in the discard pile. The game is not paused while players access the discard pile. Both cards must come from the same player. This Technology remains in play and can be used any number of times by any player.
• Energy Plant: Players may discard any two Resource Cards DIRECTLY FROM THEIR HANDS for any Energy Card in the discard pile. The game is not paused while players access the discard pile. Both cards must come from the same player. This Technology remains in play and can be used any number of times by any player.
• Mystery Plant: All players immediately draw one Resource Card. This Technology has a one-time use.
• Resource Plant: Each player draws an additional card when the Timekeeper changes Altitude Zones.
• Spy Satellite: ALL Meteor Cards in the Meteor Field are placed face up to reveal the exact size. If new Meteors enter play and the Spy Satellite has been built, new Meteors enter play face up, exact size revealed.
• Communication Satellite: All players may talk about anything, including what Resource Cards they have and what Resource Cards are needed. You still cannot show your Resource Cards to other players.

Meteor Cards

Meteor Traits: The Meteor Trait rules supersede any rules in this Rulebook. Meteor Traits have a matching icon. The back of a card shows its size range (1-3 for Small Meteors, 3-5 for Medium Meteors). All Meteor Traits are described below.

• Focused Meteor: Destroy a completed Technology when you destroy this Meteor. If the players have not built any Technology, this Meteor Trait has no effect. The player that launched the Rocket to destroy this Meteor determines which Technology Card is discarded.
• Hidden Meteor: This Meteor must be the last Meteor to be destroyed, though it may be destroyed in company with other Meteors. Example: There are two Meteors left, one with the Hidden Trait and one without a Trait. Two players launch at the same time and destroy both Meteors. No more Meteors, game over, players win.
• Chemical Sensitive Meteor (Red): This Meteor can only be destroyed by a Rocket that requires at least one Chemical Energy (Red). If launching multiple Rockets, only one of them needs to have a Chemical Energy (Red).
• Fuel Sensitive Meteor (Yellow): This Meteor can only be destroyed by a Rocket that requires at least one Fuel Energy (Yellow). If launching multiple Rockets, only one of them needs to have a Fuel Energy (Yellow).
• Atomic Sensitive Meteor (Green): This Meteor can only be destroyed by a Rocket that requires at least one Atomic Energy (Green). If launching multiple Rockets, only one of them needs to have an Atomic Energy (Green).
• Piñata Meteor: When this Meteor is destroyed, all players draw one Resource Card!
• Splitter Meteor: When this Meteor is destroyed, place an additional Small Meteor without any Meteor Traits in play from the Meteor deck. The new Meteor is placed face up, even if the players have not built the Spy Satellite.
• Solid Meteor: This Meteor requires two or more Rockets launched at the same time to destroy it.
• Radioactive Meteor: When the Radioactive Meteor is destroyed, destroy one additional Meteor with the exact size of 1, 2, or 3. This may be any face-up small meteor, any face-down small meteor since the size is 1-3, or this may be a face-up medium Meteor with the exact size of 3. Destroying the Radioactive Meteor causes Overkill unless it is destroyed in Altitude Zone 1. Players cannot destroy a Hidden Meteor with the Radioactive Meteor unless the Hidden Meteor is the last Meteor in the game. If you select a Small Meteor face down and it is the Hidden Meteor, it is not destroyed. Leave the Hidden Meteor face up and you may select a different Small Meteor. The Radioactive Meteor may be used to destroy Chemical Sensitive (Red), Fuel Sensitive (Yellow), and Atomic Sensitive (Green) Meteors.

Boss Meteor Cards

Some Boss Meteors add additional Meteors to the Meteor Field. Example: If it says, "Set Up: 3" in the Boss Meteor description, then add three additional Meteors to the Meteor Field during Set Up. Each Boss Meteor card shows its damage (size) and, on its back, the required number of additional meteors.

• "It Goes to Eleven!": This Meteor is huge. It requires 11 Damage!
• Explosive Meteor (Set Up: one additional Meteor): All players must discard a Resource Card from their hands when the Explosive Meteor is destroyed. If any player does not have a Resource Card, an Explosive Meteor does not affect that player.
• Fast Swarm (Set Up: one additional Meteor): The Fast Swarm Meteor converts the first two Meteors placed in the Meteor Field into Fast Meteors (See Pages 2-3 of Card Glossary). Partially overlap the two Fast Meteor markers over these two Meteors to show that they now have the Fast Meteor Trait.
• Meteor Flares (Set Up: two additional Meteors): No player can build Technology at any Launch Site while a Meteor Flares Card is in the Meteor Field. This may not be the first Meteor that is destroyed in the game.
• Hostile Meteor (Set Up: one additional Meteor): Players must discard a Resource Card from their hands to Launch a Rocket while the Hostile Meteor is in the Meteor Field.
• Large Splitter Meteor: After the Large Splitter Meteor is destroyed, add two Medium Meteors to the Meteor Field without any Meteor Traits in play from the Meteor deck. The new Meteors are placed face up even if the players have not built the Spy Satellite.
• Magnetic: Add one Small Meteor without a Meteor Trait to the Meteor Field each time the Timekeeper Changes Altitude Zones. The additional Small Meteors are placed face up even if the players have not built the Spy Satellite.
• Meteor Storm (Set Up: four additional Meteors): Each player draws an additional Resource Card during set up.
• Spectral Meteor (Set Up: two additional Meteors): To destroy the Spectral Meteor, Rockets must be launched with a combination of Chemical (Red), Fuel (Yellow), Atomic (Green), and Electrical (Blue) Energy.

Power Cards

Power Cards provide significant advantages to the holder. Some Power Cards may only be used once per game. After one-time use Power Cards are played, they are considered out of the game, and cannot be retrieved from the discard pile.

• Additional Launch Site: Gives this player an additional Launch Site.
• Communications Array: Add this Power Card to your hand. This is a Communications Satellite Technology Card with a different Energy requirement. (See Technology cards above.)
• Emergency Storehouse: Once during the game, you may discard all the Resource Cards in your hand. Then draw the same number of Resource Cards plus two. Example: Eliza uses her Power Card to discard three Resource Cards. Eliza removes the Emergency Storehouse Power Card from the game and draws five cards. If you have zero cards in your hand, you may use Emergency Storehouse to draw two cards.
• Industrious: Once during the game, you may place a Technology Card from your hand into play, without playing the Energy Cards required to build it.
• Lunar Harvest: You may draw a Resource Card whenever a Rocket that you launched contributes to the destruction of a Meteor.
• Mining Initiative: You may draw one additional Resource Card each time the Timekeeper Changes Altitude Zones.
• Orbital Telescope: Add this Power Card to your hand. This is similar to the Spy Satellite Technology Card with a different Energy cost. (See Technology Cards above.)
• Recycling Plant: Once per game, retrieve one Resource Card from the discard pile.
• Resourceful: Add this to your hand. Once during the game, use this Power Card as part of a Retrofit project.
• Rocket Booster: You may discard an Energy or Resource Card from your hand to give a Rocket plus one Damage when the Rocket is launched.

Challenge Cards

• Electrical Shortage (Blue): You cannot place Electrical Energy Cards (Blue) into your own Launch Site, including any Launch Sites you share. You may place Electrical Energy Cards (Blue) into other players' Launch Sites.
• Ideological Differences: Choose another player's Launch Site. Place this Handicap Card with the No Build icon next to that player's Launch Site as a reminder that you cannot place any Resource Cards into that player's Launch Site.
• Doomed!: Place a Small Meteor directly in front of your Launch Site. Only you are allowed to destroy this Meteor. No other players can place cards into your Launch Site to contribute to Rockets until you destroy this Meteor. This Meteor must be destroyed with all the other Meteors to win the game.
• Communications Blackout: You may not talk to other players, even if the Communications Satellite has been built.
• Mistrusting: You cannot launch a Rocket at the same time as any other player.
• Resource Shortage: You must discard a Resource Card from your hand in order to launch your first Rocket. After you have launched your first Rocket, remove Resource Shortage Handicap Card from the game.
• Short Start: Discard one Resource Card from your hand before the game begins. If it is a one or two-player game, discard two Resource Cards instead of one.
• Shortfall: You do not draw any Resource Cards when the Timekeeper Changes Altitude Zones the first time in this game.
• Technologically Backwards: You cannot build any Technology projects in the Launch Site you control. You may still discard Technology Cards to draw replacement Resource Cards.