Star Trek: Ascendancy
Star Trek: Ascendancy Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Game Components
- Game Set Up
- Game Area
- Winning the Game
- Key Game Terms
- Trade Agreements
- A Game Round
- Initiative Stage
- Execution Stage
- Building Phase
- Command Phase
- Movement
- Hazardous Systems
- Building the Galaxy
- Discovering Phenomenon
- Discovering Planetary Systems
- Exploration Cards
- Space Battles
- Planetary Invasion
- Cultural Hegemony
- Commission Fleets & Starbases
- Launch Projects
- Utilize Special Rules
- Recharge Stage
- Maintenance
- Optional Rules
- Sample First Turn
- Game Round Summary
- Credits
Game Components
System Discs
The game map is made up of round System Discs connected to other Systems via Space Lanes of different lengths. Each Planetary System has a different capacity to hold Resource Nodes, shown as colored tabs next to the planet. The Space Lane Die is used to determine a Lane's length.
Space Lanes
Warp Tokens indicate how far your Starship can travel at Warp and indicate where your Starships entered Warp.
Turn Order Cards
Each Game Round, players compete for the Initiative. Turn Order Cards indicate sequence of play.
Ascendancy Tokens
Ascendancy Tokens track how dominant each Civilization is. The first player to achieve 5 Ascendancy wins the game.
Command Consoles
Command Console Cards include each Civilization's Rules, track Weapon and Shield levels, and have a place to put each player's supply of tokens.
Plastic Sliders
(Used on the Command Console to track current Weapon Hit Roll and Shield Modifier.)
Advancement Cards
Advancement Cards detail a variety of cultural and technological achievements which can be completed. Each Civilization has a unique Advancement deck.
Fleet Cards & Markers
Fleet Cards hold groups of three or more Ships. Ships are placed on a Fleet card and then the Fleet Markers show the Fleet's position on the board.
Starships & Control Nodes
Each Civilization has their own Starships which explore the Galaxy, attack rivals and defend their Systems. Control Nodes are placed on a System's planet to mark which Civilization Controls the System.
Starbase Tokens
Starbases allow you to build Ships and Commission Fleets. Starbases also fight in Space Battles and make it more difficult for a rival to attempt Hegemony. Each Starbase you control also increases your Commands by 1.
Resource Nodes & Resource Tokens
Resource Nodes and Resource Tokens come in three types: Culture, Production, and Research.
Command Tokens
Command Tokens indicate how many orders you may issue on your turn.
Exploration Cards
As you explore the Galaxy, you'll encounter a wide variety of discoveries, crises and strange new civilizations. When you discover a new Planetary System, draw an Exploration Card to see what you've found.
Trade Agreement Cards
Each Civilization has three Trade Agreements they may give to the other players to represent peaceful commerce between their Civilizations. Each Trade Agreement you receive from another player increases your Production each turn.
Player Turn Cards
Player Turns are divided into Building and Command Phases. The two-sided Player Turn Cards list all the Building Costs on one side and all the Command Options on the other.
Game Set Up
Setting up a game of Star Trek: Ascendancy is straightforward. Each player starts with their Home System, a few Ships and some Resources. At the beginning of the game, no Civilization has made First Contact and the whole of the Galaxy is yet to be discovered.
Command Console & Components
Each player takes a Command Console for the Civilization they're playing. Command Consoles track Weapon and Shield Levels. Your Weapons start at a Hit Roll of 5+, your Shield Modifier starts at 0. The bottom of the Command Console has spaces for your Resource Token Reserves. Each Command Console also contains any Special Rules that apply to that Civilization.
Give each player all the components associated with their Civilization: Each player should have 30 Ships, 3 Fleet Markers, 3 Fleet Cards, 3 Starbase Tokens, 15 Advancement Cards, 10 Command Nodes and their Civilization's Player Turn Reference Card.
Starting Resources
Each player starts with 3 Production, 3 Research and 3 Culture Tokens.
Starting Ascendancy
Each player starts with one Ascendancy Token. Ascendancy Tokens should be placed so that all players can see how many each player currently has.
Command Tokens
Each player starts with 5 Command Tokens. Command Tokens should be placed face up where all the players can see them. Command Tokens are double sided. The "Exhausted" side indicates that the Command has been used this turn. Starbases you Control increase your Commands by 1. Completing an Advancement which pictures a Command Token also increases your Commands by 1. Any time you gain a Command, it starts play Exhausted and will be Refreshed at the end of the Game Round.
Advancement Decks
Each Civilization begins with one completed Advancement, marked "Starting Advancement" on the card. Place this Starting Advancement apart from your Advancement Deck then shuffle your Advancement Deck.
Over the course of the game, players will complete additional Advancements. Before an Advancement is complete, it is considered a Project. You may have a number of ongoing Projects equal to the number of Research Nodes you Control.
Each completed Advancement adds Special Rules to your Civilization and may increase the speed of your Starships. For full details on Speed and Movement, see page 11.
Home System
Each Player's Home System starts fully Developed with one of each Resource Node and one of their Control Nodes.
Starting Ships
Each player starts with 3 Ships on their Home System.
Suggested Player Layout
Projects are placed next to your Deck. Resource Tokens are placed on the Command Console, Command Tokens above. Each player has their own supply of 30 Ships, 10 Control Nodes and 3 Starbase Tokens. The Fleet Area displays which Fleets are Commissioned and how many Ships are in each Fleet. When you complete Projects, move them into your Advancement Area, with your Starting Advancement.
Depending on the size and shape of your game table, you may need to lay out your player area differently. Make sure your Advancement Area and Project Area are distinct from each other.
System Discs (Setup)
Separate the Interstellar Phenomenon System Discs from the Planetary System Discs. Next, set aside a stack of random Planetary System Discs equal to twice the number of players, i.e. 6 Planetary Systems for a three-player game. These are your starting Planetary Systems. Shuffle the remaining Planetary Systems with all the Phenomenons, then place the starting Planetary Systems on top, creating a stack of all the System Discs with the starting Planetary Systems on top.
- Separate out all the Phenomena from the System Discs.
- Make a stack of starting Planetary Systems, 2 per Player.
- Shuffle the Phenomenons into the remaining Planetary Systems.
- Put the 6 separate Planetary Systems on top of the big stack of Discs.
Rerolling Dice
Some Special Rules will allow you to reroll dice. You may only reroll any given die once per Special Rule. If you have different abilities which allow you to reroll dice, they could be combined to allow you to reroll a die more than once, but each rule can only be used once.
Example: A Romulan Battle Fleet of five Ships (which allows re-rolls of 1s in Space Battles) is in Combat with a rival. The Romulans have also completed their "Superior Targeting Array", which allows them to reroll a die in Combat.
In the Romulan's Attack, they roll 1,1,4,5,6. Using the Battle Fleet's special rule, they reroll both 1s and get a 1 and a 6. Even though they rolled another 1, they can't use the Battle Fleet's rule again to reroll the same die. The Romulans could use their Superior Targeting Array to reroll that die a second time.
Suggested Game Layout
Home Systems should be spaced equally apart, about 18" from each other, and about 5" from the edge of the table. Depending on what type of table you're playing on, distances between the Home Systems and table edges will vary. The important thing is for Home Systems to be about the same distance from each other and the table edge.
Game Area
Star Trek: Ascendancy uses an organic, growing map that can be played on any shape of table. Before the game begins, agree on what part of your game table is usable – can you build right out to the edge? Up to a certain distance from the edge?
Each player starts with their Home System, separate from the other Civilizations. As you play, you'll discover strange new worlds, explore interstellar phenomena and uncover unknown civilizations. The game board is made up of round System Discs connected to other Systems via Space Lanes of different lengths. When moving through the map, each System Disc counts as one Sector; Space Lanes contain between two and four Sectors.
A 3' x 3' area works well, with Home Systems placed such that each Home System is an equal distance from two other players and about 5 inches from the edge of the play area.
If you place your Home Systems closer together, you'll come into contact much faster, allowing earlier trading but creating more competition for new Systems. Placed farther apart, players will have more time to discover new worlds and develop their Civilizations before connecting with the other players' Systems.
Winning the Game
There are two different paths to winning the game. You can win the game by becoming the most ascendant civilization in the Galaxy or by militarily dominating your rivals.
Ascendancy Victory
At the end of a Game Round, a player who both Controls their Home System and has 5 Ascendancy Tokens wins the game. They have established their Cultural dominance over the Galaxy. Ascendancy Tokens may be purchased any time on your turn, with 5 Culture Tokens.
Supremacy Victory
At the end of a Game Round, if a single player Controls three Home Systems, one of which must be their own, that player has dominated the Galaxy and wins the game.
Tied Victories
At the end of a round, if two players have achieved Victory, through Ascendancy or Supremacy, the player who Controls the most Systems wins. If it's still a tie, both Civilizations have risen to greatness and the players share the victory.
Starfleet Ethics
Star Trek: Ascendancy is a competitive game, with every player trying to dominate, destroy and absorb their rivals. Don't pull out your bat'leth when someone invades your homeworld - it's all in the spirit of the game.
Similarly, if your Civilization is running roughshod over the Galaxy, try to maintain Picard-level aplomb as you become the Ascendant power in the Galaxy.
A Note on Game Length
Star Trek: Ascendancy is a big, Galaxy-spanning game that follows the arc of Civilizations. Be prepared: this is a long game. With experienced players, a game will take about an hour per player. Your first few games will be longer. Page 26 of this rulebook includes options for playing the game in less time.
Key Game Terms
The following is a reference of the important game terms which are used throughout the rulebook.
Adjacent: Sectors right next to each other are Adjacent. Space Combat usually, but not always, takes place between Adjacent Sectors.
Capacity: The potential of a System to hold Resource Nodes. Systems can hold between one and three Nodes.
Contest: You Contest a Sector when you and another player(s) have Ships in the Sector. A Sector containing more than two players' Ships is Contested.
Control: Control Nodes mark which player Controls a System. You may gain Control of a System through Colonization, Invasion or Hegemony. You Control a Starbase when you Control the System the Starbase is in.
Developed: A Planetary System is Developed when it contains one or more Nodes. A System with no Nodes is considered Undeveloped. Starbases are not Nodes.
Exhausted: Cards or Tokens that are face-down. Exhausted cards and tokens can not be used until they are Refreshed (flipped face-up).
First Contact: A Civilization is considered to have made First Contact once their Home System is connected to another player's Home System via Space Lanes and Systems.
Fleet: A group of Ships that moves and fights together. Any rules that apply to Ships also apply to Fleets.
Game Round: Star Trek: Ascendancy is played in a series of Rounds. Each Round consists of three Stages: Initiative, Execution and Recharge.
Home System: The System with which a player begins the game. You may build Ships and Commission Fleets in your own Home System, whether or not there is a Starbase there. This is not true of a rival's Home System, if you take Control of it.
Hostile: Rivals and their Ships are considered Hostile when you don't hold one of their Trade Agreements.
In Orbit: Any Ship present in a Planetary System is "in Orbit", whether or not the System contains other players' Ships.
Node: A Structure built on a Planet's surface. This includes Resource Nodes and Control Nodes. Starbases are not Nodes.
Occupy: You Occupy a Sector when you are the only player with Ships in that Sector.
Peace: You are at Peace with any rival whose Trade Agreement you hold and their Ships are considered Peaceful.
Project: An Advancement Card that is not yet completed. During each Player's Building Phase, they may add a Research Token to each of their Projects. Each Civilization has a unique deck of Advancement Cards containing a variety of technological and civil achievements.
Refresh: Flip an Exhausted (face-down) game piece face up.
Reroll: Some rules allow you to roll a die again. You may not use a rule to Reroll the same die multiple times. If you have multiple rules that allow you to Reroll dice, you may use different rules to reroll the same die multiple times, but only once per rule.
Reserves: The Resources you hold on your Command Console but have not yet spent.
Resources: Production, Research and Culture are Resources. Ships, Nodes, and Ascendancy Tokens are not Resources.
Sector: Any spot on the board in which a Ship can be placed. A System Disc counts as a single Sector, Space Lanes are divided into 2, 3, or 4 separate Sectors.
Structure: Each physical item built in a System is considered a Structure. Resource Nodes, Control Nodes and Starbases are all Structures.
Supply: The shared Resource Nodes and Tokens in the box that have not been built or earned by the players. The Supply is considered to be unlimited.
Trade Agreements
In Star Trek: Ascendancy, you can't directly give Resources to other players. What you can do is Establish Trade Agreements between your Civilizations, peacefully allowing commerce between otherwise hostile factions.
Each player starts with three of their own Trade Agreements. Trade Agreements only produce Resources when they're given to another player.
Establishing Trade Agreements
To give or receive a Trade Agreement, you must have a Ship or Control Node Adjacent to or in the same Sector as one of that rival's Ships or Control Nodes. You may do this at any time. Once you have given a rival a Trade Agreement, you may exchange it for one of your other Trade Agreement Cards regardless of Ships' positions.
You may only hold one Trade Agreement at a time from each rival. You are considered to be at Peace with any player whose Trade Agreement you currently hold. This allows you to ask permission to move through and into Sectors containing their Ships, see page 11 for details. Any rivals whose Trade Agreements you do not hold are considered Hostile.
Trade Profits
During the Recharge Stage, players take the Resources pictured on the Trade Agreements they have received.
Tip: Trade Agreements are a powerful source of Resources. The first players to make contact and begin trading will find themselves in an advantageous position.
Withdrawing Trade Agreements
Easily made, easily broken: you can revoke any of your Trade Agreements at any time, for any reason. However, to give back a rival's Trade Agreement you hold, you'll have to betray them.
Betrayal
If you Attack a player whose Trade Agreement you hold, you have broken the peace and must return their Trade Agreement. Once a Combat has begun, participants can't exchange Trade Agreements until the Combat is over.
A Game Round
Each Game Round consists of three Stages: Initiative, Execution and Recharge.
Initiative Stage
Players spend Resources to influence galactic politics and seize the Initiative this Game Round. The Player who spends the most Resources gets their pick of the Turn Order Cards for the upcoming Round. Players may only spend Resources if they have made First Contact.
Execution Stage
Players take their turns in the order decided by the Initiative Stage: building up their Civilization; Researching new Projects; Upgrading their Weapons and Shields and issuing Commands to their Starships. On their turn, Players may also spend 5 Culture to Ascend.
Recharge Stage
At the end of each Game Round there is a Recharge Stage. Each Recharge Stage consists of:
- Victory Check
- Generate Resources
- Refresh Cards & Tokens
- Add Warp Tokens to Ships at Warp
- Resupply Phenomenon with Research Tokens
After the Recharge Stage, another Game Round begins.
Initiative Stage
At the beginning of each Game Round, every player who has made First Contact has to decide how many Resources they are going to commit to seizing the Initiative in galactic politics. Players will then choose their Turn Order Cards in the order of how many Resources they've devoted. Any type of Resource may be spent to influence galactic politics. The Player who spends the most gets their pick of Turn Order Cards.
Players who have not made First Contact with another Civilization have no ability to influence other Civilizations and do not participate.
Note: For the first turn or two, when no one has made First Contact, no one is eligible to influence galactic politics so all Turn Order Cards will be passed out randomly.
Starting with the player who went first the previous Game Round, players who have made Contact may place a number of Resources on the Turn Order Card they used the previous turn. You may use any Resource: Production, Research or Culture. Players commit Resources in the Order of the Turn Order Cards they hold from the Previous turn.
When it's your turn, you may always choose to commit nothing. If you decide to commit Resources, you may not spend the same total number of Resources as any other player who has already gone.
Note: Star Trek: Ascendancy comes with Turn Order Cards marked 1 through 10. When playing a three player game, use cards 1, 2 and 3.
The additional Turn Order Cards can be used with the optional rules on page 26, or in games with more than three players.
Choosing Turn Order Cards
The player who spent the most gets to choose their Turn Order Card first. Players may choose whichever card they'd like, i.e. the player who chooses first doesn't have to choose the Turn Order 1 card. The remaining players who spent Resources choose their Turn Order Cards in descending order of how many Resources they Spent. All Resources committed are discarded and returned to the Supply.
Players who haven't made First Contact or who spent nothing choose their Turn Order Card randomly from the remaining cards. The Turn Order cards remains face-up throughout the Initiative Stage.
Example: John, Pete and Sally are all connected and eligible to participate. Pete went first the previous turn so he decides first and commits 2 Production. John went second the previous Round, so he goes second and commits 1 Research Token. Sally went third the previous Round so she decides last and commits 3 Resources total (2 Production and 1 Research).
Since Sally spent the most, she gets first pick of the Turn Order Cards, Pete chooses second and John gets the Turn Order Card that's left over.
Execution Stage
Starting with the player holding the "Turn Order 1" card, players take their Turns. Each Player's Turn consists of a Building Phase followed by a Command Phase.
Building Phase
At the start of each player's Turn is a Building Phase in which they spend Resources to develop their Civilization, Research Advancements and upgrade their Weapons and Shields. These may be done in any order.
Building Costs
- Starships: Build at Earth and at your Starbases. Cost: 1 Production.
- Production Node: Build on Production or Open Sites. Cost: 2 Production.
- Research Node: Build on Research or Open Sites. Cost: 2 Research, 1 Production.
- Culture Node: Build on Culture or Open Sites. Cost: 2 Culture, 1 Production.
- Colonize System: Build on Undeveloped Systems you Occupy. Cost: 1 Culture + a Starship.
Build Ships
Ships cost 1 Production each. You may Build Ships at any Starbase you Control and your Home System (assuming you still Control your homeworld). If you're Building 3 or more Ships in the same System, you may immediately group them into a Fleet, without spending a Command. For full details on Fleets, see page 22.
Note: Each player has a limited number of Ships and Control Nodes they can have on the table at a time. Future Expansions may add Ships and Control Nodes. Make sure all players have the same amounts.
Colonize a System
You may Colonize an Undeveloped Planetary System you Occupy by building a Control Node. A Sector is Undeveloped when it doesn't contain any Nodes.
Establishing a new Colony is a Resource intensive process; Starships are often used as the functional core of a new Colony. Colonizing a new Sector costs 1 Culture, plus a Starship in Orbit of the System being Colonized. To show that you've established a Colony in the System, place one of your Control Nodes on the Planet.
Build a Resource Node
Some planets are rich in natural resources, others contain sites rich in scientific research potential while others have the potential to support great cities and cultural touchstones.
Each System has a Capacity marked with colored tabs around the edge of the planet that shows how many of each type of Node may be built.
You may only Build Nodes in Systems you Control. To Build a Resource Node, spend the cost listed for that type of Node.
Sometimes a System will have "Open" Capacity, which means that it's a versatile enough System that you can choose what type of Node to build there. Later, Resource Nodes built on Open Sites can be replaced by paying the full cost of the new Node. Once built, you may not simply Destroy your Nodes.
Commit Research
In your Building Phase, you may also Commit Research to your Advancement Projects. The amount of Research required to finish the Project is listed in the upper left of each card.
You may add one Research Token to each Advancement Project per turn. Claiming Research from Phenomena can speed a Project's completion. For full details on claiming Research from a Phenomenon, see page 14.
Once you commit Research Tokens to a project, you can't move them around or take them back.
In the first Game Round, players won't have any Projects yet. In your Command Phase, you may use Commands to Launch New Projects. For full details on Launching new Projects, see page 23. The number of Research Nodes you control is the maximum number of Projects you may have in your Project Area. If, at any point in the game, you have more Projects than you Control Research Nodes, you must discard Projects until that's no longer the case.
Discarding Projects
Whenever a Project is Discarded, it goes to the bottom of its Advancement Deck and any Research Tokens on the Project are returned to the Supply.
Finishing Projects
When you Commit enough Research Tokens to finish a Project, it becomes a usable Advancement. Move it to your Advancement Area. If applicable, you may use the completed Advancement's Special Rules immediately. Unless a card states otherwise, you may only use an Advancement's rules on your turn.
Each Advancement has a Type listed on the right hand edge of the card. Some Advancements rules only effect certain types of Advancement. For example, the Romulans have an Advancement that allows them to Exhaust an "Espionage" card.
When you finish a Project, it's a good idea to let your rivals know what your new Advancement does. Advancements may sometimes be Exhausted. Exhausted Advancements may not be used in any way and will be Refreshed during the Recharge Stage at the end of the Game Round.
Warp Token Advancements
Some Advancements picture Warp Tokens in the lower right hand corner of the card. When completed, these Advancements increase the Warp Speed of your Ships, in addition to their Special Rules. For details on Warp Movement, see page 11.
Command Advancements
Some Advancements picture a Command Token. When you complete an Advancement which pictures a Command, the number of Commands you have immediately increases by one. This new Command starts Exhausted and will be refreshed in the following Recharge Stage.
There are some Romulan Advancements which picture a Culture Token. When a Romulan player completes these, the Romulans take a Culture Token.
Upgrading Weapons & Shields
In addition to committing Research Tokens to Projects, you may also spend Research to improve your Weapons and Shields. The cost to upgrade your Weapons and Shields is listed on your Command Console, directly across from your current Weapons and Shield Levels. Unlike Advancement Projects, upgrading your Weapons and Shields is a single, one-time cost, not something you commit Research to over time.
The cost to upgrade your Weapons or Shields is shown directly across from your current Weapons and Shields Level. Here, the Federation has a Hit Roll of 5+ and it would cost four Research to upgrade to a Hit Roll of 4+.
Building Special Rules
Some Advancements' Special Rules will allow you to do something extra during your Building Phase. These may be used at any time while you're building.
End of Building
After you complete your Building Phase, your Command Phase begins. Once you start your Command Phase, you may not spend Resources to Build unless a specific Special Rule allows you to do so. Ascending is the only exception: you may spend five Culture Tokens to take an Ascendancy Token at any time during your turn.
Command Phase
On your turn, after your Build Phase, there are a number of things you can issue a Command to do:
- Move Ships and Fleets
- Initiate Space Battle
- Invade a Planet
- Attempt Cultural Hegemony
- Commission a Fleet or Starbase
- Launch New Advancement Projects
- Activate Special Rules
When you issue a Command, Exhaust a Command Token to show it has been used. When you're done issuing Commands, your turn is over and the player with the next Turn Order Card takes their turn.
All Commands may be issued multiple times per turn, as long as you have Commands remaining.
Movement
Ships can Move at Impulse or Warp Speed. Each Movement Command moves 1 Ship or Fleet. You may issue more than one Movement Command to the same Ship on a single turn.
For example, you could use one Command to have a Ship Exit Warp, and then use a second Command to have that Ship move at Impulse Speed.
As you move your Ships into unexplored Space, you'll place new Space Lanes and Systems Discs on the board, building the galactic map as you play. Discovering and placing a new System always ends your Movement.
Impulse Movement
All Ships have a base Impulse Speed of 2. To move a Ship at Impulse, Exhaust a Command and move a Ship up to 2 Sectors. You may place new Space Lanes and Systems at Impulse. Discovering a new System always ends your move.
Entering Warp
To Enter Warp, Exhaust a Command and move a Ship or Fleet just off the System or Space Lane they are in and place a Warp Token next to the Ship, pointing to the Sector from which they Entered Warp.
Ships will accumulate additional Warp Tokens at the end of each Game Round or by spending additional Commands.
Ships at Warp don't count as being "in" the Sector from which they left. For all intents and purposes, Ships at Warp are not on the board until they Exit Warp.
Exiting Warp
To have a Ship at Warp Exit Warp, Exhaust a Command. When a Ship Exits Warp, it may move through a number of Systems equal to the Warp Tokens they've accumulated, plus the number of Warp Tokens pictured on your completed Advancements. If the Ship Entered Warp from a System, don't count the System in which it started.
With 4 Warp Tokens, the Klingon Ship may move up to four Systems.
You may choose to move through fewer Systems or Exit Warp early in a Space Lane. When you come out of Warp in a Space Lane, you may stop in any Sector of the Space Lane. After Exiting Warp, discard the Ship's Warp Tokens.
You may choose to enter a New System as part of your Warp Movement. Entering a New System always ends your Movement, even if you have Movement remaining.
Traveling at Warp
You may also use a Command to give another Warp Token to a Ship or Fleet who has already Entered Warp. Ships at Warp also receive additional Warp Tokens during the Recharge Stage.
Entering Rival Territory
As you're moving through space at Impulse or Warp, you may not enter or pass through a Sector you don't Control that contains Hostile rival Ships. You may ask for permission to enter or move through a Sector which contains rival's Ships with whom you are at Peace. They may agree or not, as they wish. If they don't agree, you must end your Movement. You may always move through Systems you Control, regardless of any rival presence.
Note: If a rival denies you access to their System, you can't reverse your course and take back the Movement used to get there. If you were traveling at Warp Speed, you must end your Movement in the Sector previous to theirs.
Hazardous Systems
Some Systems are marked with a Red Alert Warning. When your Ships end their Movement in a Hazardous System, they must Brave the Hazard and see if they survive.
Shields protect against Hazards. To Brave a Hazard, add the Ships' Shield Modifier to the System's Hazard Level. The player to your right then rolls a die for each Ship that ended their Movement in the Hazardous Sector. For each die roll that is equal to or higher than the Shield Modified Hazard Level, one Ship is destroyed.
For example, a Federation Ship ends its Movement in the Stellar Nursery, which is a Level 4 Hazard. The Federation has upgraded their Shields once, so has a Shield Modifier of 1. The Klingon Player to their right rolls a die. A roll of a 5 or a 6 will destroy the Federation Ship.
Space is big. If you don't stop in a Hazardous Sector, you don't have to make a Hazard roll; you were able to navigate around the dangerous System. If you Build Ships in a Hazardous Sector, you don't need to make a Hazard roll when you deploy them or when they leave. Ships only have to Brave a Hazard when they end a Movement there.
Building the Galaxy
As you Move through the Galaxy, you'll chart new Space Lanes and Systems and build a galactic map unique to your game. Every new map presents new challenges and opportunities.
Placing New Space Lanes
Each System Disc has a maximum number of Space Lanes that can connect to it, listed on the bottom of the System Disc. Once this many Space Lanes are connected, you may not make any new connections to that System.
As you're moving, you may choose to place and then travel in new Space Lanes, if the System you're leaving has unused Space Lane Connections. Roll the Space Lane Die to determine the length of the new Space Lane. You may place a new Space Lane on the map when moving at Impulse Speed or Exiting Warp.
Place the new Space Lane connected to the System you're leaving and move the Ship into the new Space Lane. The new Space Lane may be placed anywhere on the outside edge of the System, as long as there is room for it.
Abandoned Space Lanes
If a Space Lane contains no Ships and is only connected to one System, remove the Space Lane. For example, this can happen when a Ship enters a Space Lane but leaves before a System is placed at the other end or if a Ship in a disconnected Space Lane is destroyed. Ships at Warp do not count as being on the board: if all the Ships in an open-ended Space Lane are at Warp, remove the Space Lane and point the Ships' Warp Token at the connected System.
Placing New System Discs
When moving at Impulse or Exiting Warp, you may move beyond the unconnected end of an Space Lane and place a new System Disc.
To place a new System on the table, draw a new System Disc and place it face up on the table, connected to the Space Lane that contains your Ship. Move your Ship into the new System. Moving into a newly placed System always ends your Movement. New placed Systems may not touch or overlap existing Space Lanes or System Discs.
If the new System is Hazardous, you'll have to Brave the Hazard first. For details on Hazardous Systems, see page 12.
Placing New System Discs at Warp
When a Ship Exits Warp, it can travel through a number of Systems. As part of this Movement, the Ship can place new Space Lanes and Systems. Moving into a newly placed System always ends a Ship's Movement.
Fixed vs. Floating Systems
As you head into unexplored space, uncertainty abounds. The best course to reach one Star System isn't determined immediately upon discovering it. In Star Trek: Ascendancy, System Discs are usually not fixed in place on the board when they are first placed.
A System Disc is Fixed when it is connected to two other Systems. Fixed System Discs cannot be moved.
When a System Disc is only connected to one other System, it's "Floating". On your turn, you may swing any Floating System as long as it remains connected to the System to which it's connected. You may want to swing a Floating System to make room for a new System or to make a Connection between Systems.
When swinging a Floating System, you may not pick it up off the board, it can only swing around the single System to which it's connected. As soon as a System is connected to two other Systems, it is Fixed in place and can no longer be moved.
Destroyed Systems
Through cataclysm or conflict, a whole System may be destroyed. If there are any empty Space Lanes connected to the destroyed System, remove those as well.
Making Connections
When you're leaving a Floating System, you can also move another Floating System to try to make a connection between the two with a new Space Lane.
When you leave the Floating System, roll the Space Lane dice to see what length Space Lane you're placing. If that Space Lane is long enough to bridge the gap between the two Floating Systems, you can connect the two Systems with the new Space Lane and continue your Movement.
If the new Space Lane isn't long enough to make the connection you want and the Ship is moving at Warp, you can either stop in the new Space Lane or continue on to discover a new System at the end of the new Space Lane. If the Ship is attempting to make a Connection at Impulse and isn't able to, it can reverse course and use it's second sector of Movement to go back to the System where it started, abandoning the Lane.
Additional Map Rules
There are a few additional rules to keep in mind as you're playing and building your Galaxy:
- Space Lanes can not cross each other.
- System Discs can not touch each other.
- Home Systems are always considered Fixed in place.
- You may use a Space Lane to test if a connection is possible before committing to Moving.
- A System is only considered Floating if it is connected to a Fixed System.
Discovering Phenomenon
Not all Systems contain habitable planets; there is a wide variety of Interstellar Phenomena that deserve further study. Science is dangerous: Phenomena are Hazardous to study and explore.
When the System Disc you Discover is a Phenomenon, place one Research Token from the Supply on the Phenomenon.
As with Discovering any Hazardous System, all Ships in the System must Brave the Hazard. If at least one Ship survives, take the Research Token from the Phenomenon. You may place this Research on one of your Projects or in your Reserves. If all the Ships are destroyed, the Research Token remains on the Phenomenon. Do not draw an Exploration Card when you Discover a Phenomenon.
Further Study
During the Recharge Stage, a Research Token will be placed on each Phenomenon that doesn't already have one. The first player each Round to successfully Brave the Phenomenon's Hazard takes the Research Token. This Research Token may be placed on a Project or added to your Reserves.
Note: If one of your Ships starts your turn on a Phenomenon, you may spend a Command to Brave the Hazard without actually Moving.
Discovering Planetary Systems
Most Systems are Planetary Systems, containing potentially habitable worlds.
Planetary Systems feature the most prominent planet along with what type of Nodes can be built in the System.
If the System you Discover is a Hazardous Planetary System, all the Ships must Brave the Hazard.
If your Ships do not survive entry into a new Hazardous Planetary System, place an Exploration Card face down on the System. The first player to Brave the Hazard must resolve the card.
If any of your Ships do survive entry into a new Hazardous Planetary System or the Discovered System is not Hazardous, draw an Exploration Card and resolve the effects.
Do not draw an Exploration Card when you Discover a Phenomenon.
Exploration Cards
There are four types of Exploration Cards. Most Exploration Cards are resolved immediately. Some Remain in Play: set them face up on the System until they are resolved. Once the System is Colonized, discard the card.
Crisis
Crisis Cards present some sort of problem or difficulty. Some Crisis Card will force the Ships to Brave a Hazard.
Discovery
In additional to Crises, new worlds hold the promise of never before seen wonders, technological revelations and contact with new species.
Virgin Worlds
A number of the cards in the Exploration Deck are "Virgin" Worlds: planets which are perfectly suitable for habitation but devoid of sentient life that needs to be accommodated or conquered.
Civilization
Some Systems you'll Discover are already inhabited. These Independent Civilizations range from primitive, Pre-Warp societies up to fully Warp-Capable, advanced Cultures. When you draw a "Civilization" Exploration Card, the card will direct you to either place Production Tokens on the System, marking it as a Pre-Warp Civilization, or Warp Tokens, marking it as an Warp-Capable Civilization.
Pre-Warp Civilizations
Pre-Warp Civilizations have not yet achieved faster than light space travel. These worlds have not developed any technology or infrastructure that's usable by more advanced cultures.
The first player to Colonize Valakis VI will claim the bonus Production Tokens.
Pre-Warp Civilization cards will direct you to place a number of Resource Tokens on the System, representing the System's raw materials and a population ripe for exploitation. The first player to Colonize the System takes the Resource Tokens from the System.
Warp-Capable Civilizations
Each Warp-Capable Civilization card directs you to place a number of Warp Tokens on the System equal to the level of the Civilization, marking it as an Warp-Capable Civilization.
Each Warp-Capable Civilization card will also direct you to Develop a number of Nodes in the System. When developing the Resource Nodes of an Warp-Capable Civilization, develop any Production Capacity first, then Research Capacity, and finally any Culture Capacity, up to the number of Nodes the Card instructs you to develop.
Development Priority Order
Production, then Research, then Culture.
Independent Civilization Examples
The following are a couple examples of Discovering Warp-Capable, Independent Civilizations.
The Romulans discover a Level 2 Warp-Capable Civilization on Terra Nova, which has a Capacity for 1 Production, 1 Research and 1 Culture. The Civilization card directs you to develop 2 Nodes. The Production Capacity is developed first: one Production Node. Next the Research Capacity is developed: one Research Node.
The Federation player discovers a Level 3 Warp-Capable Civilization on Ardana. Ardana has 1 Production, 1 Research and 1 Open Capacity. It's possible to develop 2 Production Nodes, since Ardana has both a Production and an Open site. The Production Capacity is developed first, then a Research Node is placed as the third Node.
Taking Control of Warp-Capable Civilizations
Warp-Capable Civilizations have discovered sufficient technology and built up their planet's infrastructure such that Colonization is no longer an option. Taking Control of a System that's inhabited by an Warp-Capable Civilization is more difficult than simply Colonizing a System with a Pre-Warp Culture. Whenever there are Developed Structures on a planet, Hegemony or Invasion are your only options for taking Control.
Space Battles
You can Exhaust a Command to Initiate a Space Battle with rival Ships in a single Adjacent Sector, or in a single Sector in which you both have Ships. Each Space Battle consists of a number of Rounds of Combat in which both players roll to Score Hits, take Casualties, then decide whether to Retreat or keep fighting. The player who Initiates the Battle is the Attacker.
Battles in the Same Sector
Normally Space Battles take place between Adjacent Sectors, but can take place between rivals in the same Sector. For example, this can happen if two Civilizations had a Trade Agreement which was broken, a Cloaking Device was used or a player built Ships in a System Occupied by a rival.
Scoring Hits
Your current Weapons Level determines your "Hit Roll". To Score a Hit, you need to roll equal to or higher than your Hit Roll. Your opponent's Shield Modifier is added to your Hit Roll, making it more difficult to hit.
Both players roll a number of dice equal to the number of Ships they have involved in the Combat. All dice have a chance to Score a Hit and destroy a rival Ship.
The Klingon player has upgraded their Weapons twice, so now has a Hit Roll of 3+. The Romulans have upgraded their Shield once, so have a Shields Modifier of 1. The Klingons will need to roll 4s or better to Hit.
Above, a Fleet of 5 Klingon Ships have attacked the Romulans (as they do). The Klingons have upgraded their Weapons twice, so they need to roll 3 or better to Hit. The Romulans have upgraded their Shields once, giving them a Shield Modifier of 1, so the Klingons have a Hit Roll of 4+. The Klingons roll 5 dice: any rolls of 4, 5 or 6 score a Hit.
The Romulans haven't upgraded their Weapons nor have the Klingons upgraded their Shields, so the Romulans need a 5 or better to Score a Hit, since the Klingons Shield Modifier is 0 and the Romulan's Hit Roll is 5+.
Taking Casualties
Every Hit destroys a rival Ship. Both players Roll to Hit and then Take Casualties simultaneously. If there is a choice of where casualties are going to be taken, the player who inflicted the Hits chooses how to allocate the Hits.
For example, if you score 4 Hits against a rival who has 5 Ships in a Fleet and 2 Individual Ships, you may allocate all the Hits to the Fleet.
Starbase Support in Space Battles
Starbases provide support for your Ships in Space Battles. When you have Ships in Orbit of a System you Control with a Starbase, roll an additional die to Hit. Starbases cannot fight on their own.
Attacking From Multiple Sectors
If you have Ships in more than one Adjacent Sector, you may use a Command to have all the Ships in Adjacent Sectors join in the attack.
Retreating From Combat
After Taking Casualties, each player assesses the state of their Ships. Starting with the Attacker, players decide whether or not to Retreat.
Retreats are made at Impulse Speed. Retreats must be made through existing Space Lanes; you may not place new Space Lanes with a Retreat Move. When you Retreat, all your Ships must Move and end their Retreat in the same Sector.
Blocked Retreats
Ships unable to Move because rival Ships are blocking the Space Lanes may not Retreat.
Combat Continues
If none of the players involved choose to Retreat (or are unable to Retreat), another Round of Combat begins. Without Exhausting any additional Commands, continue to fight additional Rounds of Combat until either the Attacker or Defender Retreats or a player has no more Ships remaining.
First Strike
Some Advancements give Ships or Nodes "First Strike". In the first Round of a Combat, when your Ships have First Strike, your opponent must Take Casualties before rolling to Hit with their Ships. First Strike is only used in the initial Round of a Combat.
First Strike does not grant an extra Attack before Combat begins, it forces your opponent to Take Casualties before firing back, in the first Round of Combat. If both sides have First Strike, neither may use it.
For example, 6 Romulan Ships with First Strike attack 4 Federation Ships. The Romulans score 2 Hits, destroying 2 Federation Ships. The remaining 2 Federation Ships score a hit. In the second round of Combat, the remaining 5 Romulan Ships and 2 Federation Ships will roll to Hit and Take Casualties simultaneously, as normal.
Winning a Space Battle
The player who destroys all their rival's Ships or forces them into Retreat wins the Space Battle. The winning player may make a Tactical Maneuver with some, or all, of their Ships after the Space Battle is over. Tactical Maneuvers are a Move made at Impulse Speed and do not Exhaust a Command. All the winner's Ships which move must use existing Space Lanes and end up in the same Sector.
Battles with More Than Two Players
There will only ever be one Attacker, but it's possible for there to be more than one Defender. In Space Battles with more than two Defenders, the Attacker must decide how they are dividing their dice between the Defenders before Rolling to Hit. All the Defenders' Hits are directed to the Attacker.
The Defenders choose separately whether or not to Retreat after each Round of Combat. The Battle is over when all the Defenders are eliminated or routed, or the Attacker is eliminated or routed.
Planetary Invasion
When your Ships Occupy a Developed System you do not Control, you may use a Command to Invade the Planet. If there are any rival Ships in the System, you must Attack the Ships in a Space Battle first before Invading the System. If the Invasion is successful, you will take Control of the System.
Each Planetary Invasion consists of a number of Rounds of Combat in which both players roll to Score Hits, take Casualties, then decide whether to Surrender, Retreat or keep fighting.
Note: Invasions are a one-way affair: you may not use a Command to have your Nodes initiate an Attack against Ships Occupying their System.
Scoring Hits
The Attacker rolls a number of dice equal to the number of Ships they have in the System. The Defender rolls a number of dice equal to the number of Nodes they have built on the planet, including the Control Node. Every dice rolled has a chance to Score a Hit. Starbases do not fight in Planetary Invasions, only in Space Battles.
The Klingons have four Ships and roll four dice, one per Ship. The Federation rolls three dice, one per Structure on the Planet.
As in Space Battles, both players' current Weapons Levels determines their "Hit Roll". To Score a Hit, you need to roll equal to or higher than your Hit Roll. Each player adds their opponent's Shield Modifier to their Hit Roll, making it more difficult to Hit.
Taking Casualties
Every Hit scored by the Defender's Nodes destroys one of the Attacker's Ships.
In a Planetary Invasion, the goal of the Attacker is to take Control of the Planet, ideally with minimal damage done to the Planet's Infrastructure. Hits by the Attacker don't necessarily destroy Nodes. The number of Hits Scored by the Attacker determines the results of the Planetary Invasion.
Invasion Results
Depending on how many Hits the Attacker scores, there are a few possible results:
Successful Invasion
If the Attacker scores more Hits than the Defender has Nodes, the Attacker has invaded with overwhelming force and has taken Control of the System and won the Combat. Place the Attacker's Control Node on the System, replacing the existing Control Node if the planet was Controlled by a rival. The Attacker must still take any Casualties caused by the Defender.
For example, in the illustration to the left, the Klingons would need to hit with all four of their attacks to seize Control of the Federation System without destroying any of the Nodes on the planet.
Collateral Damage
If the Attacker scores fewer Hits than the Defender has Nodes, the Attacker must choose a number of Resource Nodes to destroy equal to the number of Hits Scored. The Control Node is not destroyed. Another Round of Combat is then fought, unless the Attacker chooses to Retreat or the Defender chooses to Surrender.
For Example, if the Klingons to the left only scored a Single Hit, they could choose to destroy either the Culture Node or the Research Node. If they scored two Hits, they would have to destroy both Resource Nodes, leaving only the Federation Control Node.
Total Annihilation
If the Attacker scores a number of Hits equal to the number of Nodes in the System, including the Control Node, the surface has been completely razed in the Invasion. Destroy all the Nodes on the planet, including the Control Node. The Invasion is over: the System will need to be Colonized anew in a future turn. Neither the Attacker or Defender has won the Combat.
Note: Even if all the Attacker's Ships are Destroyed, the Results of the Invasion are the same, i.e. all the Attacker's Ships could be destroyed and still have a Successful Invasion.
Repelled Invasions
If the Defender's Control Node survives and all the Attacker's Ships are destroyed, the Invasion is over and the Defender retains Control of the System.
After a Round of Combat, the Attacker may choose to Retreat, ending the Invasion. When Retreating, the Attacker may make an Impulse Speed Retreat Movement.
Surrender in Invasions
In Planetary Invasions, the Defender cannot Retreat but they may Surrender. The Defender may choose to Surrender immediately, even before the first Round of Combat. If the Defender Surrenders, the Attacker immediately gains Control of the Sector and the Invasion is over.
Combat Continues
If the Invasion was not Successful or Repelled, another Round of Combat begins. Without spending any additional Commands, continue to fight additional Rounds of Combat until either the Attacker Retreats, the Defender Surrenders or the Invasion is resolved.
Capturing Research Nodes
When you take Control of a rival's intact Research Node, the player whose Research Node was captured must choose one of their Active Projects and give it to you. Any Research on the card is discarded. If you capture more than one Research Node, they must give you a Project per Node captured. If the Research Node is destroyed, nothing is captured. If the Invaded player does not have any Active Projects, then no Project is seized. Place captured Projects in your Project Area.
Capturing Starbases
Starbases are too valuable to destroy. Once a Starbase is placed on a System it remains there for the rest of the game. When Control of a System changes hands, Control of the Starbase does too. When you take Control of a Starbase from a rival, take one of their Command Tokens. Place this token with your other Command Tokens, face down; it may not be used this turn. When a Starbase is captured, only the new owner's Special Rules which affect Starbases apply.
With a Total Annihilation result, the Defender has lost Control of the Starbase and loses a Command, but the Attacker does not Control it. The first player to take Control of an Uncontrolled Starbase gains a Command.
Invading Uncontrolled Systems
Some planets may be Developed but Uncontrolled. You may Invade Uncontrolled Planets normally. Uncontrolled Planets do not have a Control Node to fight. Uncontrolled Planets' Resource Nodes each add one dice, as normal. The player to the right of the Attacker rolls the uncontrolled System's Attacks. Warp-Capable Civilizations' Weapons Hit Rolls are modified by your Shield Modifier normally.
Civilization Tech Levels
Some "Civilization" Exploration Cards will direct you to place a number of Warp Tokens on the System, along with Developing Nodes on the System. The number of Warp Tokens corresponds to the Level of that Civilization. The higher the Level of the Civilization, the better their Weapons and Shields.
| Civilization Level | Weapons Hit Roll | Shields Modifier | Hegemony Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level One | 5+ | 1 | 1 |
| Level Two | 4+ | 2 | 2 |
| Level Three | 3+ | 3 | 3 |
When a player takes Control of a System with an Warp-Capable Civilization, discard the Warp Tokens.
Note: Rather than keeping the Civilization Card on the table, you can calculate the Independents' Hit Roll by subtracting the number of Tokens from 6. E.g., A Level Two Civilization is a 4+ to Hit (6-2=4). The number of Warp Tokens are equal to their Shield Modifier and is their base Hegemony Resistance. Their Hegemony Resistance is also increased by the number of Nodes on the System.
Cultural Hegemony
When your Ships Occupy a Developed Sector you don't Control, you may attempt to Culturally take over the System through Hegemony. How resistant a System is to Hegemony depends on how developed its infrastructure is and its culture's Ascendancy.
It normally requires spending at least two Culture Tokens to take Control of a System via Hegemony: one to make the attempt and another to take Control, if the attempt was successful.
The Hegemony Resistance of a System is equal to the number of Structures in the System plus the Ascendancy of the player who Controls it. Starbases and Nodes count as Structures and each add 1 to a System's Hegemony Resistance.
To attempt Cultural Hegemony, Exhaust a Command and spend a Culture. Next, roll a die and add your current Ascendancy. If the total is higher than the Hegemony Resistance of the System, you may pay an additional Culture Token to take Control of the System: place your Control Node on the System.
Example: The Romulans (at Ascendancy 2) Occupy a Klingon System. The System's 3 Nodes (2 Resource Nodes and the Control Node) and the Klingons Ascendancy of 1 gives the System a Hegemony Resistance of 4. The Romulans use a Command and spend a Culture to Attempt Hegemony. They roll a 3 and add their Ascendancy, getting a total of 5, overcoming the System's Resistance, so they spend another Culture and take Control!
Tip: You can alternately think of your Ascendancy as reducing a System's Resistance, i.e. above, the Romulan's Ascendancy of 2 reduces the Klingon Resistance from 5 to 3, so the Romulans need to roll higher than a 3 to take Control of the System.
Hegemony of Warp-Capable Civilizations
When you Discover a Level 1, 2 or 3 Warp-Capable Civilization, the Exploration Card will direct you to develop some of that System's Capacity and place a number of Warp Tokens on the System.
The Warp Tokens on an Independent, Warp-Capable System is added to the System's Hegemony Resistance. Independent Civilizations won't have Control Nodes; the Hegemony Resistance of the System is the number of Developed Resource Nodes plus the number of Warp Tokens on the System.
The Hegemony Resistance of Developed, uncontrolled Systems is equal to the number of Nodes plus the number of Warp Tokens on the System.
For example, the Romulans now are going to attempt Hegemony of a Level 3 Warp-Capable Civilization. The System has 3 Developed Nodes, plus the 3 Warp Tokens, giving the System a total Hegemony Resistance of 6. The Romulans will need to get a total of 7 on their Hegemony attempt: With an Ascendancy of 2, they'll need to roll a 5 or better to succeed.
You may not Hegemony Pre-Warp inhabited Systems, they must be Colonized during your Building Phase.
Note: Even if your Ascendancy is high enough relative to the System's Resistance that Hegemony is going to be automatically successful, you still need to pay a total of 2 Culture: 1 for the attempt and 1 to actually take Control.
Seizing Starbases and Research Nodes
As in a Planetary Invasion, when you take Control of a System that contains a Starbase you gain a Command. Likewise, if you take Control of a rival's System with a Research Node, you take one of their Projects. For details, see page 20.
Commission Fleets & Starbases
Starbases allow you to build Ships away from your Home System. Grouping Starships into a Fleet allows you to move much more efficiently and may benefit from Fleet special rules.
Commission a Starbase
Commissioning a Starbase is a major endeavor, not to be taken lightly. To Commission a Starbase, Exhaust a Command and place a Starbase Token next to a System you Control. There is no Resource cost to Commission a Starbase, but you may only place three of them over the course of the entire game. You may only Commission one Starbase per Ascendancy Level you've achieved. You may Control more than this, if you have taken Starbases from rivals. Once placed, Starbases are not moved, discarded or destroyed.
Each Starbase you Control increases your number of Commands by one. The additional Command starts Exhausted; you may not use it this turn.
Forming a Fleet
To group Ships into a Fleet, the Ships must be in your Home System or at one of your Starbases. Only these Systems have the facilities necessary to equip and retrofit Starships for specialized Fleet configurations. Exhaust a Command, take the Ships off the board and place them on one of your three Fleet Cards. Then place the appropriate Fleet Marker on the board, in the same System.
Fleet Type & Strength
Each Civilization has three different Fleet Cards, each of which is double sided. The different sides of Fleet Cards have different Special Rules and allow for different numbers of Ships. When you Commission a Fleet, you must choose which side you're using. To use a different side of a Fleet Card, you must Disband the Fleet and re-Commission it at your Home System or Starbase.
Number of Fleets
The number of Fleets you can form is limited by your Ascendancy. You cannot have more Fleets in play than you have Ascendancy Tokens. You may form them in any order, i.e. you may Commission your Fleet #3 when you only have 1 Ascendancy Token.
Adding & Removing Ships from Fleets
You may add or remove Ships from Fleets before or after a Movement Command. You cannot add or remove Ships from a Fleet mid-movement. You do not have to be in your Home System or at a Starbase to add or remove Ships from a Fleet.
Disbanding a Fleet
At any time on your turn, including your Building Phase, you may choose to Disband a Fleet by taking the Ships off the Fleet Card and putting them back on the board, in the same Sector. If a Fleet ever contains fewer than three Ships it is immediately Disbanded. It does not take a Command to Disband a Fleet.
Fleets in Space Battles
When rolling to Hit with both a Fleet and individual Ships, roll the dice for the Fleet separately if the Fleet has a Special Rule that affects their Attacks.
Launch Projects
On your turn, you may Exhaust a Command to draw two Cards from your Advancement Deck and add them to your Project Area. The number of Research Nodes you currently Control is the maximum number of Active Projects you may have.
The Romulans use a Command to Launch new Projects, drawing 2 new Cards. They Control 3 Research Nodes, so can have 3 Projects. With 2 current Projects, they need to discard one Active Project or one new Card.
You may Launch Projects even if doing so would put you over your maximum number of Projects. Any time you have more Projects in your Project Area than you Control Research Nodes, you must discard a number of Projects until you're back down to your maximum number of Projects allowed. You may discard Projects that were already in your Project Area or newly drawn Projects.
Place any discarded cards on the bottom of your Advancement deck and return any Research Tokens on the discarded Projects to the Supply. Do not shuffle your Advancement deck.
Note: You may sometimes take an Advancement Card from another player. If you discard an Advancement Card that came from another player's Advancement Deck, it goes back to the bottom of their deck.
Utilize Special Rules
Some Special Rules on Advancements or Command Consoles may require you to Exhaust a Command to use the Rule. Special Rules requiring the use of a Command may be used multiple times per turn. Unless they say otherwise, Special Rules may only be used on your turn.
Some cards' Special Rules will instruct you to "Exhaust" the card itself. To Exhaust a card, flip the card face down. Abilities that require you to Exhaust the card can only be used once per Game Round. Exhausted cards are Refreshed at the end of each Game Round, during the Recharge Stage.
Recharge Stage
At the end of each Game Round, there is a Recharge Stage in which players' Resource Nodes Generate Resources and some basic game maintenance takes place.
Victory Check
At the very beginning of the Recharge Stage, if anyone has achieved an Ascendancy or Supremacy Victory, they have won the game. For details on Winning the Game, see page 4.
Extermination
If a player has no Starships and Controls no Systems, their Civilization has been exterminated and that player is eliminated from the game.
Resource Generation
Each player takes a Resource for each Resource Node they Control. Each Node produces 1 Resource of its type: Production Nodes Generate Production, Research Nodes Generate Research and Culture Nodes Generate Culture. Some Advancements may also Generate Resources.
Trade Profits
Each Trade Agreement has a number of Resources pictured on it. During Resource Generation, players take the Resources pictured on the Trade Agreements they have received.
Tip: Letting the player who's in the lead continue to hold your Trade Agreements may allow them to widen their lead!
For example, the Klingon player currently holds a Federation 1 Production Agreement and a Romulan 2 Production Agreement. They still hold their own 3 Production Agreement. During Resource Generation, the Klingon player doesn't get anything from their own Trade Agreement (you can't trade with yourself) and gets a total of 3 Production from the rival Trade Agreements.
Remember, your Trade Agreements don't do you any good: only Trade Agreements from other players Generate Resources.
Exhausted Trade Agreements
Sometimes a Trade Agreement may become Exhausted. You do not receive any Resources from Exhausted Trade Agreements during Resource Generation. Exhausted Trade Agreements may not be revoked or exchanged until they are Refreshed during Maintenance.
Note: The Romulan's "Suspicious" Special Rule requires them to Exhaust all Trade Agreements when they receive one. This forces them to wait a turn until they benefit from the Agreement.
Resources from Advancements
Some Advancements generate Resources. These cards will not picture the Resources being generated, since they often vary from turn to turn. For example, in the "Orbital Laboratories" card, the Federation player gets a Research Token for each Starbase they control. When they Commission or take Control of a new Starbase, they'll receive more Research at during Resource Generation.
Maintenance
After all players have finished Generating Resources, there are a few things to do before starting the next Game Round.
Refresh Cards & Command Tokens
As part of Maintenance, Refresh all Cards and Command Tokens, so they're ready to be used again the following turn. Each player should have 5 Commands, plus one per Starbase, plus any additional Commands from Advancements.
Refresh Trade Agreements
Normally, Trade Agreements are face-up when you receive them and stay that way. However, they may sometimes become Exhausted. During Maintenance, Refresh any Exhausted Trade Agreements.
Add Warp Tokens to Ships at Warp
During Maintenance, add an additional Warp Token to any Ship currently traveling at Warp.
Tip: While you can spend Command Tokens during your turn to add Warp Tokens to Ships, if you are patient, you'll get them for free.
Add Research Tokens to Phenomena
During Maintenance, add a Research Token to any Phenomena that doesn't already have one. If a Phenomena already has a Research Token on it, don't add an additional token. The first player to Brave the Hazard each Game Round claims the Research from the Phenomenon.
Optional Rules
The following includes a variety of optional rules you may use to make the game more challenging, faster or just different. You may use any, all or none of these in your games. Feel free to make up your own variations and house rules too!
Accelerated Rules
The following optional rules make the game play a little faster. These can be useful if you're short on time.
Simultaneous First Turns
All players take their first turns simultaneously, building and spending their Commands at the same time. Players may not make Contact during this turn. If everyone agrees, you may also take your second turn simultaneously.
Extra Starting Resources
Each player starts with 8 Production, 6 Research and 4 Culture.
Starting Project
During the Game Set Up, each player starts with one Project in their Project Area. If you're a new player, draw the Project randomly. If you're more experienced, you can pick which Project you start with.
Starting Advancements
During the Game Set Up, each player starts with one completed Advancement. Players can either draw the Advancement randomly or look through their Advancement Deck and choose which Advancement they'd like.
Random Turn Order
Instead of devoting Resources to choosing Turn Order Cards in the Initiative Stage of each Game Round, pass the Turn Order Cards out randomly each turn.
Wild Culture
Culture Tokens may also be used as either Production or Research Tokens.
Easier Ascension
Ascendancy Tokens only cost 4 Culture Tokens instead of 5.
Advanced Rules
When all the players are experienced Captains with a few games under their belt, try some of these optional rules for an extra challenge.
Mystery Turn Order
Use twice as many Turn Order Cards as there are players. Each Game Round, shuffle the Turn Order Cards and set half of them aside. When it's each player's turn to choose a Turn Order Card, they don't reveal their choice to their rivals until it's their turn.
Random Galaxy
Instead of separating the Phenomenons in Set Up, shuffle all the System Discs together.
Unrestricted Trade Routes
Rather than asking for permission to travel through Sectors of rivals with whom you're at peace, you may freely move through rival Ships with which you're at peace. Trade Agreements may only be revoked on your Turn.
Humble Beginnings
Each player starts with no Resources and no Ascendancy.
Focused Research
When you use a Command to Launch a new Project, you may look through your Advancement Deck and choose one Project to Launch, instead of drawing 2 randomly.
Sample First Turn
On your first turn, you start with three Ships in your Home System, ready to explore the Galaxy. Here's what your first foray into the Galaxy might look like. In this example, Sally is playing as the Federation. The Special Rule "Random Galaxy" is being used, which shuffles the Phenomenons into the stack of System Discs in Set Up.
Building Phase
On Sally's first turn, she has 3 Production, 3 Research and 3 Culture. Since she hasn't Discovered any new Systems yet and Earth is fully Developed, there are not as many decisions to make as there will be in future turns.
Sally decides to spend 1 Production to build an additional Ship. This still leaves 2 Production in her Reserves, enough to build some Resource Nodes on her next turn, if she finds an Undeveloped System she could Colonize.
Command Phase
In her Command Phase, Sally has five Commands. For her first Command, Sally Exhausts a Command to Launch New Projects.
Sally draws two Advancement Cards. She can place one in her Project Area and must Discard the other, because she only Controls one Research Node.
One key early decision is whether or not to Commission a Starbase on Earth. On one hand, it would increase her Commands by 1, which is very useful. On the other hand, Sally can already build Ships on her Home System, so some of the utility of a Starbase is lost when it's on a Home System. For now, Sally waits to see what Systems she Discovers.
Second Command
With her second Command, she has a Ship Enter Warp. She moves one of her Ships off Earth and places a single Warp Token on the table, pointing back to Earth.
Third Command
With her third Command, she has the same Ship Exit Warp. With a single Warp Token, her Ship can Exit Warp up to 1 System away. Because there are no existing Space Lanes connected to Earth, she has to place a new Space Lane. Sally rolls the Space Lane Die and gets a 3. Her Ship travels to the end of the Space Lane, then she places a new System Disc at the end of the new Space Lane.
The new System is Murasaki 312, a Phenomenon. Her Ship now has to Brave the Hazard. John, the player to her right, rolls a single die for her Ship. He rolls a 4, below the Phenomenon's Level 5 Hazard, so her Ship is safe.
Because Sally's Ship survived the Hazard, she takes the Research Token and places it on "Starfleet Diplomatic Corps", committing it to her newly Launched Project. The Federation's "Explore Strange New Worlds" rule mean she gets to add a bonus Culture to her Reserves, because she Discovered a Phenomenon.
Fourth and Fifth Commands
With Sally's fourth and fifth Commands, she has a second Ship Enter Warp and then has it Exit Warp into another new System.
She again rolls the Space Lane Die, places a new Space Lane and then places a new System at the end of the new Space Lane. She finds a Planetary System that is not Hazardous, so Sally draws an Exploration Card.
The second System the Federation Discovers is a Planet inhabited by an Warp Capable Civilization.
With two Warp Tokens, the new System already has a Production and a Research Node built.
Delta IV has the two Research Sites and one Open Site. The Card directs Sally to develop 2 Nodes in Priority Order. Production comes first, so Sally places a Production Node on the Open Site. Research is next in Priority Build Order, so she places a Research Node as the second Node. If she's able to take Control of the System later, Sally may want to spend the resources to built a Culture Node on that Open Site instead.
The Federation's Special Rule means that Sally gets another bonus Culture for Discovering a Civilization! She now has 5 Culture, enough Culture that she could Ascend, but decides to wait and use the Culture to attempt Hegemony of Delta IV on her next turn. To successfully Hegemony a System, she'll need at least two Culture.
She has used her last Command, so her turn is over.
Strategy for Next Turn
Finding a Phenomenon and an inhabited System means that Sally isn't going to be able to build a Colony on her next turn. Developed Systems have to be taken with Invasion or Hegemony.
BUT - the Federation's Prime Directive prohibits them from Invading Systems, so Sally will have to Attempt to Hegemony the Delta IV System on her next turn if she wants to gain Control of it. With two already built Nodes, she definitely does!
Both the Resource Nodes and Research Tokens contribute to the System's Hegemony Resistance.
As shown above, with two Developed Nodes and two Warp Tokens, the Hegemony Resistance of the System is four. Sally has one Ascendancy and the Federation's starting Advancement gives her +1 to Hegemony Attempts. When she attempts Hegemony, she needs to surpass the System's Resistance. With +2 to the roll, she'll need to roll a 3 or better to take Control of the System.
On her next turn, she's planning on adding another Research to her Project during her Building Phase, then trying to Brave the Hazard in the Murasaki 312 Phenomenon. If that's successful, the Research Token from the Phenomenon will be enough to finish her first Project.
If all goes well, she'll have a second System under her Control and a second completed Advancement by the end of her next turn.
Game Round Summary
Initiative
- Starting with the player holding the first Turn Order Card, players spend Resources to influence galactic politics and seize the initiative this Game Round.
- The Player who spends the most Resources gets their pick of the Turn Order Cards for the upcoming Round.
- Players may only spend Resources if they have made First Contact.
Execution
Each Player takes a turn starting with their Building Phase and followed by their Command Phase. Building Costs and Command Options are found on each reference card.
Recharge
At the end each Game Round players Check for Victory, Generate Resources and do Maintenance to prepare for the next Game Round.
Check for Victory: Has any player achieved an Ascendancy or Supremacy Victory, while still Controlling their Home World?
Generate Resources: Players take Resources from Trade Agreements and Nodes they Control.
Maintenance: Add Warp Tokens to Ships at Warp, Research Tokens to Phenomenons and Refresh Exhausted Commands and Cards.
Credits
Design Director: John Kovaleski
Game Design: Sean Sweigart, Aaron Dill
Producers: Peter Simunovich, John-Paul Brisigotti
Graphic Design: Katie Dillon
3D Design: Charles Woods
Approvals Coordinator: Peter Przekop
Playtesters: James Abele, Jason Buyaki, Jason Delaney, Justin Evans, Patrick Gribble, Mark Honeycutt, Sally Honeycutt, Leonard Landrey, Stuart Lapwood, Jeff Lindsay, Greg Lockton, Greg Morris, Richard Roe, Phil Petry, Gabriel Rosauro, Rob Sadler, Steve Shipe, Conor Sipe, Benjamin Torell, Dean Webb, Lizzie Willick, Les Whittaker, William Yowell
Acknowledgments: John Van Citters, Marian Cordry, and Yasmin Elachi, Veronica Hart, Brian Lady, Keith Lowenadler
Special Thanks to all the Battlefront Staff who provided feedback and playtesting.