Star Trek: The Card Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object of the Game
• Getting Started
• The Cards
• Card Breakdown
• Set-Up
• Playing the Game
  • 1. The Discard Phase
  • 2. The Draw Phase
  • 3. The Crew Phase
  • 4. The Episode Phase
    • a. The Mission Segment
    • b. The Landing Party Segment
    • c. The Initial XC Segment
    • d. The Initial Challenge Segment
    • e. The Resolve Challenge Segment
    • f. The Plot Segment
    • g. The Second Challenge Segment
    • h. The Resolve Challenge Segment
• Resolving Actions
  • Summary of Actions
• Awarding XC
• The Episodes
• Abandoning the Episode
• Wilds and Permanent Wilds
• Crew Abilities
• Effect Cards
• Of Special Note
• Victory

Object of the Game

STAR TREK: The Card Game allows you to control the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. You can recreate actual episodes or build all-new episodes as you navigate the galaxy to gain experience. But experience isn't easy to come by -- you must command ships, battle antagonistic Klingons, Androids and Romulans, be tempted by seductresses and argue with pig-faced aliens with an attitude. Use the best of your abilities to get your episodes completed. Hail the victor who receives the first 25 points of experience!

Getting Started

STAR TREK: The Card Game is designed as a two-player game with a multi-player option. These rules are for two players.

For best results, read the rules fully with your deck close at hand for reference before playing the game for the first time.

What You Need: Each player needs a deck of game cards. This may consist of the cards found in a starter deck box or players may create their own customized decks from cards found in booster packs. STAR TREK: The Card Game is a collectable card game: the cards in a player's deck represent only a selection of all the cards available. Your deck might not be identical to your opponent's. While STAR TREK: The Card Game is playable right out of the starter deck box, you might want to modify or "tune" your deck with particular cards from other decks or from booster packs.

In addition to the decks, each player needs about thirty experience counters. Pennies, dried beans, candies, or small glass beads are all suitable for use as counters.

The Cards

There are six types of cards that are used in STAR TREK: The Card Game. Go through your deck, select a sample of each and place it in front of you. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with each one.

Crew Cards: These cards represent the Crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise and the Enterprise herself. Crew cards are used to form Landing Parties, defeat Challenge cards, and are awarded Experience Counters (XC) when Episodes are completed. There are two types of Crew Cards: Core Crew (James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, and the Enterprise) and Crew (other personnel from the U.S.S Enterprise).

Episode Cards: These cards represent the adventures of the Starship Enterprise. There are three types of Episode cards (Mission, Plot, and Discovery). Episode cards are played on your turn to possibly earn XC for the Landing Party.

Challenge Cards: These cards represent the opponents, obstacles, and problems which the Landing Party must overcome in order to complete the Episode. You play Challenge cards during your opponent's turn in an attempt to prevent him from completing his Episode.

Effect Cards: These cards represent either occurrences (such as phaser blasts) or equipment (such as medikits). Effect cards can be used by either crew or challenges to alter the outcome of an Action.

Wild Cards: These cards represent the various circumstances, situations, and Starfleet procedures that, when played, may alter or create an immediate situation in the game.

Permanent Wild Cards: These cards represent the various ships, planets and cosmic phenomena in the STAR TREK universe. Like Wild cards, Permanent Wild cards may alter or create an immediate situation in the game. However, Permanent Wild Cards have the ability to remain in play from turn to turn.

Card Breakdown

The following is a breakdown of the various components and terminology found on the cards. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with these terms.

Type: The card Type can be found in the upper left-hand corner of each card. The Type indicates the category to which a particular card belongs (See "The Cards," pg. 2).

Name: The card Name is located in the upper left-hand corner of each card. The Name identifies the character, role, or situation of that particular card in the STAR TREK universe; for example, Mr. Spock, Gorn Captain, or Red Alert!

Ratings: All Crew and Challenge cards have three Ratings located on the left side of the card, beneath the Type. For the Crew, the Ratings represent the proficiency of the Crew in those particular areas. For Challenges, the Ratings represent the problem which the Crew must overcome.

The Ratings are:

• Combat (Phaser icon): This Rating represents fighting ability, including a knowledge of tactics as well as physical prowess, for both Challenge and Crew cards.
• Humanity (Delta Shield icon): This Rating represents the compassion, understanding, and empathy of a Crew member, and the challenge to those ideals by the Challenge cards.
• Logic (Hand icon): This Rating represents the Crew's wisdom and analytical skill and the Challenge's ability to mystify, perplex, or trick the Crew.

Abilities: All Crew cards have at least one Ability, located beneath the Ratings. Abilities are special skills or talents belonging to that particular crew member. For a complete list of all the Abilities and how they function, see "Crew Abilities," page 34.

Attributes: Certain cards have words in color highlights. These are Attributes and define or describe something about a Crew or Challenge. These cards may either affect or be affected by the play of other cards that refer to that specific Attribute. For example, a Mission card which increases all Klingon ratings by +1 would affect all cards marked with the Klingon Attribute in play during a single Episode. The list of Attributes includes:

ANDROID, CAPTAIN, COMPUTER, GODLIKE, KLINGON, ROMULAN, SCIENTIST, TELEPATHIC, VULCAN

Actions: All Challenge cards have Actions located in the upper left corner, just beneath the word Challenge. Actions are the means by which the Challenge tries to overcome a particular Crew. Actions are based upon one of the three Ratings. Actions have a variety of targets and a variety of results, which are summarized on the Information card (See Resolving Actions, page 20).

Cost: Some of the more powerful Challenge cards and Permanent Wild cards have a cost of one or more XC to bring them into play.

Story Text: Episode cards have a brief synopsis of part of an original STAR TREK show. As cards are played in various combinations, the Story Text from each card creates or recreates a STAR TREK story.

Special Text: This varies from card to card and indicates special rules, results, and conditions involved when the card is played.

Episode Reward: All Episode cards list a number of XC (i.e. +3 XC) located at the bottom of the card. This reward is the amount of XC the Current Player receives if the Episode is completed. Plot and Discovery cards may increase (or occasionally decrease) the number of XC from the Episode Reward. The XC received at the end of an Episode can never be less than zero.

Enterprise Symbol: Certain cards have the Enterprise symbol in the upper right hand corner. When that card is put into play, the Enterprise is automatically part of the Landing Party. The Enterprise has a number of special rules (See "The Enterprise" on pg. 36).

Icon: Every card in the deck has an Icon in the lower left-hand corner. These Icons are used to resolve Actions. (See "Resolving Actions" on pg. 20.)

Set-Up

Before starting the game, set aside a pile of Experience Counters (XC) for use as the Ship's Stores. Next, three XC are placed in front of each player. This is called the Power Base. The Power Base is where XC are kept before they are assigned to cards.

Separate the eight Core cards from each deck. The Core cards consist of the four Core Crew cards (Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the U.S.S Enterprise), the three Default Episode cards, and an Information card. Unlike the majority of cards, which have a gold back, the Core Crew and Default Episode cards have a silver back. The Information card has text printed on both sides.

Place one set of the four Core Crew cards (Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the Enterprise) in the center of the table horizontally, so that they can be easily read by both players. Only one set of the four are needed to play. Remove the other set from the playing area. The four Core Crew cards represent your initial Bridge Crew.

Next, take one XC from the Ship's Stores for each player in the game and place it on the Enterprise Core Crew card. For a two-player game this would be two XC.

Place your Default Episode cards and your Information card in front of you. Both players will need a set of Default Episodes, and an Information card. These will be used from time-to-time throughout the game.

Place your deck to the side. This is the Draw Pile. As cards are used, they are placed into a pile next to your Draw Pile. This pile is called the Discard Pile. Cards that are removed from play throughout the game will be placed in the Out-of-Play Pile.

Determine who will go first by a mutually agreeable means. That player is the Current Player. The Current Player's opponent is referred to as the Challenging Player. Both players should then draw seven cards from their Draw Pile. Set-up is now complete.

(The printed Set-Up pages 9-11 include a layout diagram showing the Draw Pile, Discard Pile, Bridge Crew, Neutralized Crew, Current Player's and Challenging Player's Complements, Power Bases, Permanent Wild, Landing Party, and Mission, Plot, Challenge and Discovery positions. The diagram is not reproduced here.)

Playing the Game

After setting up, choosing who will be the Current Player, and who will be the Challenging Player, and drawing cards, you will be ready to play the game.

Sequence of Play. The step-by-step sequence of play is divided into six Phases, and a number of smaller Segments. The Phases and Segments of play are as follows:

1. Discard Phase
2. Draw Phase
3. Crew Phase
4. Episode Phase
   • a. Mission Segment
   • b. Landing Party Segment
   • c. Initial XC Segment
   • d. Initial Challenge Segment
   • e. Resolve Challenge Segment
   • f. Plot Segment
   • g. Additional Challenge Segment
   • h. Resolve Challenge Segment
   • i. Repeat Segment, if applicable
   • j. Discovery Segment
5. Resolution Phase
   • a. Challenger XC Segment
   • b. Final Resolve Challenge Segment
   • c. Final XC Segment
6. Change Player Phase

A detailed description of what takes place during each Phase and Segment follows:

1. The Discard Phase

During this Phase of the game, the Current Player may discard any number of cards from his Hand and may even discard his entire Hand. After deciding what to Discard, the cards are placed in the Discard Pile and the Current Player moves on to the Draw Phase. The Challenging Player does not have the opportunity to Discard during this Phase.

2. The Draw Phase

During the Draw Phase, the Current Player selects cards from his Draw Pile. The Current Player should always Draw up to his full Hand size. Unless modified by other cards during the game, a full Hand is seven cards. Thus, if the Current Player had three cards in his Hand after the Discard Phase, he would then Draw four during the Draw Phase, giving him a total of seven cards. Likewise, if the Current Player had only one card in his Hand after the Discard Phase, he would then Draw six cards during the Draw Phase, giving him a total of seven cards.

3. The Crew Phase

During the Crew Phase, the Current Player may take one Crew card of his choice from his Hand, and add it to his Complement. A player's Complement consists of all the Crew cards that only he controls. The Current Player may not have more than one of each Crew member in play at any given time. If the Current Player decides to play a Crew card that is already part of his opponent's Complement, then that Crew becomes a member of the Bridge Crew (See "Joining the Bridge" on pg. 37).

Playing a Crew card is optional. The Current Player may choose not to play a Crew card either because it is not advantageous for him to do so at this time, or because he simply does not have a Crew card to play. If the Current Player does wish to play a Crew card, and has more than one Crew card in his Hand, he must choose one and keep the others in his Hand. Only one Crew card may be played during this Phase.

The Challenging Player may not play Crew cards during this Phase.

4. The Episode Phase

The Episode Phase is broken down into ten short segments, and is the most active part of the game.

a. The Mission Segment

During the Mission Segment, the Current Player must play a Mission Card from his Hand, or use the Default Mission card (See "The Episodes" on pg. 30). The Current Player always has the choice of which Mission card he wishes to play, unless he does not have a Mission card. If the Current Player does not have a Mission card, he must play his Default Mission card, from his set of Default Episode cards (See "Set-Up" on pg. 8). If the Current Player plays the Default Mission card, the Challenging Player may play a Mission card from his Hand on top of the Default Mission card; otherwise, the Challenging Player may not play a Mission card during this Segment.

b. The Landing Party Segment

After playing a Mission card, the Current Player must choose a Landing Party. The Current Player may choose the Landing Party from among the current Bridge Crew (the Core Crew and any other Crew cards that are horizontal in the center of the game table), and from his Complement (Crew cards that have been played, and are currently on the Current Player's side of the game table.) The Current Player may not choose Crew cards from the Challenging Player's Complement as members of his own Landing Party. Unless modified by other cards during the game, the Current Player may have only up to five Crew (Bridge Crew or Complement) in the Landing Party. The Challenging Player does not choose a Landing Party at this time.

c. The Initial XC Segment

During the Initial XC Segment, the Current Player may assign XC from his Power Base to the members of the Landing Party (See "Awarding XC" on pg. 25). Each member of the Landing Party may receive only one XC at this time. Bridge Crew and Crew in the Current Player's Complement that are not members of the Landing Party and Crew in the Challenging Player's Complement may not receive any XC. The Current Player is not required to assign any XC at this time if he does not wish to; however, he may only keep one XC in his Power Base. Any of the Current Player's XC that are not assigned, minus the one allowed to remain in the Power Base, must be returned to the Ship's Stores (See "Power Base" on pg. 28). The Challenging Player does not assign any XC at this time.

d. The Initial Challenge Segment

During the Initial Challenge Segment, the Challenging Player may play a Challenge card on the Current Player's Mission card. The Challenging Player may choose not to play a Challenge card either because it is not advantageous for him to do so at this time, or because he simply does not have a Challenge card to play. If the Challenging Player wants to play a Challenge card and has more than one Challenge card in his Hand, he must choose one to play and keep the others in his Hand. Only one Challenge card may be played during this Segment. Some Challenge cards have a cost listed on the card (See "Cost" on pg. 5). This is the Cost in XC that you must spend to bring this card into play. The payment is made from your Power Base back to the Ship's Stores, and need only be made once. In addition, Challenge cards are unique unless otherwise noted on the card. Only one of each particular Challenge card may be played per Episode. The Current Player does not play any Challenges during this time.

e. The Resolve Challenge Segment

During this Segment, if the Challenging Player used a Challenge card, then the Challenging Player decides which Action that Challenge card will use. In many cases, the Challenge card only has one Action available. The Current Player and the Challenging Player then consult the Information card to determine the Ratings, Target, and possible Results of the Challenge (See "Resolving Actions" on pg. 20). If the Current Player wins or ties, the Challenge card is discarded, and the Current Player moves on to the next Segment. If the Challenging Player wins, the Challenge card remains in play, and the Current Player moves on to the next Segment.

f. The Plot Segment

During the Plot Segment, the Current Player may play a Plot Card from either his Hand, or the Default Plot card (See "The Episodes" on pg. 30). The Current Player always has the choice of which Plot card he wishes to play, unless he does not have a Plot card. If the Current Player does not have a Plot card he must play his Default Plot card, from his set of Default Episode cards (See "Set-Up" on pg. 8). If the Current Player plays the Default Plot card, the Challenging Player may play a Plot card from his Hand on top of the Default Plot card; otherwise, the Challenging Player may not play a Plot card during this Segment.

g. The Second Challenge Segment

During the Second Challenge Segment, the Challenging Player may play a Challenge card on the Current Player's Plot card. The Challenging Player may choose not to play a Challenge card either because it is not advantageous for him to do so at this time, or because he simply does not have a Challenge card to play. If the Challenging Player does want to play a Challenge card, and has more then one Challenge card in his Hand, he must choose one and keep the others in his Hand. Only one Challenge card may be played during this Segment. Some Challenge cards have a cost listed on the card. This is the Cost in XC which you must spend to bring this card into play. The payment is made from your Power Base to the Ship's Stores, and need only be made once. Remember, Challenge cards are unique unless otherwise noted on the card. Only one of each specific Challenge card may be played per Episode. The Current Player does not play any Challenges during this time.

h. The Resolve Challenge Segment

During this Segment, all Challenge cards are resolved in the order in which they appeared. Therefore, if there are any Challenge cards remaining on the Mission, the Challenging Player decides which Action that Challenge card will use. The Challenge card played on the Mission card is resolved just as it was during the first Resolve Challenge Segment (See "Resolving Actions" on pg. 20). After the Challenge card that was played against the Mission card is resolved, or if there was no Challenge card remaining on the Mission card, the Challenging Player should then decide which Action the Challenge card that was played against the Plot will use. Remember, in many cases the Challenge card has only one Action available. The Current Player and the Challenging Player then consult the Information card to determine the Ratings, Target, and possible Results of this Challenge (See "Resolving Actions" on pg. 20). As usual, if the Current Player wins or ties, the Challenge card is discarded, and the Current Player moves on to the next Segment. If the Challenging Player wins, the Challenge card remains in play, and the Current Player moves on to the next Segment.

i. Repeat Segment

This Segment is optional. If the Current Player desires, he may play an additional Plot card or the Default Plot card (See "The Episodes" on pg. 30). The Current Player may not play a Plot card that has already been played in the current Episode. In other words, only one of each specific Plot card may be played per Episode. The Current Player may not play more than one Default Plot card per Episode. After each Plot card played by the Current Player, the Challenging Player may also play a Challenge card. After each Challenge card played by the Challenging Player, all Challenges should be resolved (See "Resolving Actions" on pg. 20). The Current Player may repeat Segments f, g, and h, as often as he wishes, provided that he has Plot cards. If the Current Player does not have a Plot card to play, he must move on to Segment j. If at any time, the Current Player plays the Default Plot card, the Challenging Player may play a Plot card from his Hand on top of the Default Plot card; otherwise, the Challenging Player may not play a Plot card during this Segment.

j. The Discovery Segment

During the Discovery Segment, the Current Player may play either a Discovery Card from his Hand or the Default Discovery card (See "The Episodes" on pg. 30). The Current Player always has the choice of which Discovery card he wishes to play, unless he does not have a Discovery card. If the Current Player does not have a Discovery card, he must play his Default Discovery card, from his set of Default Episode cards (See "Set-Up" on pg. 8). The Challenging Player may not play a Challenge card on the Discovery card. Upon playing the Discovery card, the Episode has ended and both players should move on to the Resolution Phase. If the Current Player uses the Default Discovery card, the Challenging Player may play a Discovery card from his Hand on top of the Default Discovery card; otherwise, the Challenging Player may not play a Discovery card during this Segment.

5. The Resolution Phase

The Resolution Phase is broken down into three short Segments, and determines the amount of XC that each player will receive for the Episode.

a. Challenger XC Segment

During the Challenger XC Segment, the Challenging Player is awarded XC. The Challenging Player immediately gains one XC for each Challenge and Episode card he played which are still present on the game table when the Current Player plays the Discovery card. In addition, if the Challenging Player has a Challenge card with a Cost (see "Challenge cards" on pg. 27) remaining on the game table when the Discovery card is played, he is refunded that cost. All of these XC are taken from the Ship's Stores and placed in his Power Base.

b. The Final Resolve Challenge Segment

During this Segment, all Challenge cards still on the game table must be resolved (See "Resolving Actions" on pg. 20) in the order in which they were played, until one of the following occurs:

• All Challenge cards are defeated by the Current Player.
• The Current Player abandons the Episode. (See "Abandoning the Episode" on pg. 31).
• All of the Landing Party are Killed, Neutralized, or Converted (See "Consequences" on pg. 23).

c. The Final XC Segment

Only when there are no Challenge cards left on the game table is the Episode considered complete. The Current Player gains XC as indicated by the Episode Reward on the Mission, Plot, and Discovery cards he played during the Episode (See "The Episode Reward" on pg. 25). The Current Player also gains any bonus XC that might be generated by certain cards in play during the Episode. For example, having a specific Crew card survive the Episode might grant the Current Player a Bonus XC (See "The Episode Reward" on pg. 25). Any cards that enable the Current Player to have Bonus XC will say so on the card itself. In addition, if the Current Player manages to play Mission, Plot, and Discovery cards all from the same Episode (in essence, recreating an actual STAR TREK episode), he is awarded an Episode Bonus (See "Episode Bonus" on pg. 26). This bonus does not apply to the three Default cards.

After the Current Player determines the amount of XC that he should receive for completing the Episode, he should take the required amount from the Ship's Stores and add it to his Power Base. The Current Player may distribute the XC among the surviving members of the Landing Party, place them on any Permanent Wilds that might be in play, or leave them in his Power Base (See "Awarding XC To Cards" on pg. 28).

6. The Change Player Phase

The Change Player Phase takes place after the Current Player has decided where to distribute his XC. During the Change Player Phase, the following occurs:

• All Bridge Crew and Crew cards in the Current Player's Complement that were Neutralized or Converted are no longer Neutralized or Converted, and are returned to the Current Players control.
• The Current Player's Default Episode cards are collected, and placed to the side for later use.
• Mission, Plot, and Discovery cards are discarded into the Discard Pile of the player that used the card.
• Challenge cards are discarded into the Discard pile of the Challenging Player.
• Bridge Crew cards that were in the Landing Party are returned to their horizontal position at the center of the table, and other Crew cards from the Current Players Complement that were in the Landing Party are reunited with the rest of the Current Player's Complement.

If, after the above is completed, the Current Player has twenty-five or more XC distributed between Bridge Crew and Crew in his Complement he wins the game, even if the Challenging Player also has twenty-five, or more. In other words, you can only win the game when you are the Current Player (See "Victory" on pg. 39).

If the Current Player has not won the game, the Current Player and the Challenging Player switch sides (figuratively, not literally). The Current Player becomes the Challenging Player, and the Challenging Player becomes the Current Player. The new Current Player then begins the process again with Phase 1, The Discard Phase, mentioned on page 12.

Resolving Actions

The Challenge and the Action. To Resolve an Action, the Challenging Player must first decide which Action the Challenge card will use. Each Challenge card lists one or more available Actions, indicating the way it affects the Crew on the Landing Party. The Challenge may attempt to CAPTURE an opponent, OUTWIT or BEFUDDLE them, TEMPT them with power or other rewards, or use other Actions against the Crew. Where a Challenge lists multiple available Actions, the Challenging player may choose which Action will be used during that Phase. If the Challenge card uses one Action in one Phase, the Challenge card may use a different Action, if available, in the next Phase.

The Summary of Actions is provided below, and also on the Information card included in the starter deck.

Summary of Actions

Action Name	Rating	Target Restrictions	Result
Ambush	Combat	Choice of Challenging Player	Icon Flip
Argue	Logic	Lowest Logic score	Convert
Attack	Combat	Choice of Current Player	Icon Flip
Befuddle	Logic	Choice of Challenging Player	Neutralize
Capture	Combat	Choice of Challenging Player	Neutralize
Command	Humanity	Lowest Logic score	Convert

Facing the Challenge. After the Challenging Player decides which Action the Challenge card will use, consult the chart above or the Information card included with the Starter Deck. The chart indicates which Rating will resolve the Action, who the target of the action should be, and what the result of the Action will be, if successful.

For example, if the Challenging Player plays a Challenge card with the Mind Control Action, he should consult either the above chart or the Information card to learn that Mind Control is resolved using the Logic Rating. In addition, the chart shows that the target of the Mind Control Action is the choice of the Challenging Player; meaning that the Challenging Player gets to decide which member of the Landing Party he will attempt to Mind Control. Unless modified by other cards during the game, the target of the Action must always be a member of the Landing Party, regardless of who chooses that target.

In the event that the target of the action is predetermined, and is not chosen by either the Current Player or the Challenging Player (for example, the Crew with the Lowest Logic); and there is a tie, then the tie is resolved by the Challenging Player.

For example, if Chekov and Sulu (who both have a logic rating of 4) were the only two members of the Landing Party, and the Landing Party was faced with a Challenge card using the Argue Action, (which targets the Crew with the lowest Logic score) then the Challenging Player would get to choose either Sulu or Chekov to be the target of the Action.

The Icon Draw. All Actions are resolved by making an Icon Draw. After the Rating for an Action has been determined, and after the target has been chosen, make an Icon Draw. The Current Player draws the number of cards indicated by the appropriate Rating on the Landing Party member's Crew card; the Challenging Player draws the number of cards indicated by the appropriate Rating on the Challenge Card. These cards are not added to either players Hand, and should be drawn face up so that both players may see all of the cards. It is important to note that the Crew card must attempt to defeat the Challenge card. Current Player wins ties.

For example, if the Gorn Captain were to Challenge the Landing Party, we would see that the only Action the Gorn may take is to Attack (because Attack is the only Action listed on the Gorn Captain Challenge card). After consulting the chart, we learn that Attack is a Combat Action, the target of which, is the choice of the Current Player. The Current Player would most likely choose a formidable combatant, like Capt. James T. Kirk who has a Combat Rating of 7, to face the Gorn. The Gorn has a Combat rating of 5. At this point, each player would draw a number of cards equal to the Combat Rating for their respective warriors. The Current Player would draw seven cards from his Draw Pile because Capt. Kirk's Combat Rating is 7. The Challenging Player would draw five cards from his Draw Pile because the Gorn Captain has a Combat Rating of 5.

Resolution. After both players have drawn the required amount of cards from their Draw Pile, each should count the number of icons for the particular Rating that was drawn. Icons, for the purpose of determining the winner of an Icon Draw, are located in the lower left-hand corner of a card. When making an Icon Draw, the Card Type, Name, and all other information is irrelevant. The only thing important is the Icon in the lower left-hand corner. The player who has the greater number of the required Icons wins the Challenge.

For example, if Capt. Kirk draws seven cards and only manages to get one Phaser Icon (Phasers are the Combat icon, see Ratings on pg. 4), while the Gorn Captain draws only five cards but gets three Phaser Icons, the Gorn Captain would win the Challenge. However, if Capt. Kirk were to draw seven cards and get three or more Phaser Icons, against the Gorn's same three Phaser Icons, Capt. Kirk would win the Challenge.

Consequences. After the Action has been resolved, it's time to ascertain the results of the Challenge. If the Current Player is the winner, defeating the Challenge card, then the Challenge card is discarded. However if the Challenging Player is the winner, and a Crew Card in the Landing Party has been defeated by a Challenge card, the players should consult the chart to determine the result of the Action. Actions have three possible results:

• Neutralize: The target Crew is either wounded, captured, or badly confused and is therefore removed from the Landing Party. Neutralized Crew cannot be used for the remainder of the Episode. If all members of the Landing Party are Neutralized, then the Episode is involuntarily abandoned (See "Abandoning the Episode" on pg. 31). If only some of the Landing Party or a particular Crew is Neutralized, but the Episode is successful, then that Crew may still receive XC during the Resolution Phase, but may not receive the maximum number allowed as if they had not been Neutralized (See "Awarding XC" on pg. 25).
• Convert: The target Crew has been lured to the attacker's side. That Crew is no longer considered part of the Landing Party, and cannot take part in any additional actions. If the Challenging Player has Converted at least one member of the Landing Party and Neutralized or Killed the rest of the Landing Party, or if the entire Landing Party has been Converted, then the Episode is involuntarily abandoned. If the Episode is involuntarily abandoned this way, the Challenging Player gains the XC for the Episode cards still on the table, as if it were a successful Episode for the opponent's side (See "Awarding XC" on pg. 25), while the Current Player receives none. If only some of the Landing Party or a particular Crew is Converted but the Episode is successful, then the rest of the Landing Party may still receive XC during the Resolution Phase, but the Converted Crew may not receive any XC. (See "Awarding XC" on pg. 25).
• Icon Flip: The target Crew is in grave danger, and could be killed. This result forces an Icon Flip for the target of the action. When called to make an Icon Flip, the player who controls the target Crew flips over a single card from the top of his or her Draw Pile.

If the flip reveals a Combat Icon (Phaser) in the lower left-hand corner, that Crew is Killed. A Crew card which has been Killed is immediately removed from the game; however, an identical Crew card may be introduced later. All XC on the target Crew are returned to the Ship's Stores.

If the flip reveals a Humanity Icon (Delta Shield) in the lower left-hand corner, the Crew is Neutralized (See "Neutralize" on pg. 24). A Neutralized Crew is no longer a member of the Landing Party and cannot use his Abilities or Ratings for the remainder of that Episode.

If the flip reveals a Logic icon (Vulcan Hand) in the lower left hand corner, the Crew is unaffected, and remains in the Landing Party with all Abilities and Ratings.

If the entire Landing Party is killed, the Episode is involuntarily abandoned (See "Abandoning the Episode" on pg. 31). No XC are awarded to the Current Player; however, the Challenging Player may receive XC for Challenge cards, as well as for any Episode cards that he played on the Current Player's Default Episode cards.

Awarding XC

Earning XC. There are a number of ways that players can earn Experience Counters (XC). When you are the Current Player, XC are earned by completing Episodes (See "The Final XC Segment" on pg. 19). When you are the Challenging Player, XCs are earned by having Challenge cards and Episode cards in play at the time the Current Player plays his Discovery card (See "The Challenger XC Segment" on pg. 18). In addition, the Challenging Player can earn XC when the Current Player uses Abilities from the Landing Party (See "Crew Abilities" on pg. 34, and "Using Abilities" on pg. 35).

The Episode Reward. When you are the Current Player and you successfully complete an Episode, you need to determine the Episode Reward. The Episode Reward is determined as follows:

• Take the Episode Reward for the Mission card. (The Episode Reward is listed in XC on the bottom of the Mission card.)
• Add or subtract the Episode Reward modifiers from the Plot and Discovery cards. [The Episode Reward modifiers are listed in plus (+) or minus (-) XC on the bottom of the Plot and Discovery cards.]
• Add or subtract other Episode Reward modifiers from Wild cards, Crew cards, or Challenge cards, as applicable. [All modifiers are listed in plus (+) or minus (-) XC on the bottom of the respective cards.]

The Episode Bonus. If the Current Player manages to play Mission, Plot, and Discovery cards all from the same Episode (in essence, recreating an actual STAR TREK episode), he is awarded an Episode Bonus (See "The Final XC Segment" on pg. 19). The Episode Bonus is calculated as follows:

• All Episode Reward modifiers that cause a loss of XC are ignored for purposes of determining XC for that Episode.
• You receive one additional Experience Counter for every Plot card in the Episode.

Here are some other important things to consider about the Episode Bonus:

• Playing any Default Episode cards voids the Episode Bonus, even if all other cards are from the same episode.
• Each Episode bonus may be received only once per game. In other words, no further benefits may be gained from that particular Episode during that particular game. (If you have used one "Errand of Mercy" set of Mission, Plot and Discovery cards, you cannot gain the same benefit for playing a second "Errand of Mercy" set of Mission, Plot and Discovery cards, although they may still be used.)

Challenge Cards and XC. When you are the Challenging Player and you have Challenge cards in play at the time the Current Player plays the Discovery card, you are awarded XC (See "The Challenger XC Segment" on pg. 18). XC are awarded for Challenge cards as follows:

• Each Challenge card still in play is worth one XC.
• Each Challenge card still in play that has a Cost (See "Cost" on pg. 5) is worth an additional amount equal to the Cost.

Episode Cards on the Default Episodes. When you are the Challenging Player and you have played an Episode card on top of the Current Player's Default Episode cards, you are awarded XC (See "The Challenger XC Segment" on pg. 18). XC awarded to the Challenging Player for Episode cards are as follows:

• A Mission card played on the Current Player's Default Mission Card is worth one XC.
• A Plot card played on the Current Player's Default Plot Card is worth one XC.
• A Discovery card played on the Current Player's Default Discovery Card is worth one XC.

It is important to remember that the Episode Reward and Episode Reward modifiers are still considered when determining the Current Player's Episode Reward during the Final XC Segment (See "The Final XC Segment" on pg. 19, and "The Episode Reward" on pg. 25).

Crew Abilities and XC. When you are the Challenging Player, you are awarded XC when the Current Player spends XC from Crew in the Landing Party (See "Crew Abilities" on pg. 34). XC awarded to the Challenging Player when the Current Player uses Abilities are as follows:

• The Challenging Player earns all XC used for Abilities directly from the Current Player's Crew as those Abilities are used.

The Power Base. The Power Base is a collection of XC for use by a Player to achieve various effects. Each Player has his own Power Base. All XC earned by either player go into that Player's Power Base (See "Set-Up" on pg. 8). All XC awarded to the Bridge Crew, the Complement, and Permanent Wild Cards must come from the Power Base. At the end of the Initial XC Segment, the Current Player's Power Base Purges (See "The Initial XC Segment" on pg. 14). It is important to remember that when the Power Base is Purged, all but one XC must be returned to the Ship's Stores. In other words, only one XC may remain in the Power Base after the Power Base is Purged.

Awarding XC to Cards. XC may only be assigned to cards when you are the Current Player, and then at only two distinct Segments of two distinct Phases (See "The Initial XC Segment" on pg. 14, and "The Final XC Segment" on pg. 19). XC are awarded as follows:

• During the Initial XC Segment, the Current Player may award one XC from his Power Base to each member of the Bridge Crew or each Crew in his Complement that he assigns to join the Landing Party. No XC may be awarded to Crew that are not in the Landing Party at this time.
• During the Initial XC Segment, the Current Player may award one XC from his Power Base to the U.S.S. Enterprise, regardless of whether the Enterprise is a member of the Landing Party.
• During the Final XC Segment, the Current Player may award any amount of XC from his Power Base to the surviving members of the Landing Party, up to the maximum number of XC allowed per Crew card (See "Maximum XC" on pg. 29). Only Crew that were not Killed, Converted, or Neutralized are considered to have survived the Episode (see "Consequences" on pg. 23).
• During the Final XC Segment, the Current Player may only award one XC from his Power Base to any member of the Landing Party that was Neutralized (See "Neutralize" on pg. 24). Members of the Landing Party that were Killed or Converted may not receive any XC at this time.
• During the Final XC Segment, the Current Player may award any amount of XC from his Power Base to any Permanent Wild cards that he might have in play, up to the maximum number of XC allowed per Permanent Wild (See "Permanent Wilds" on pg. 33/34, and "Maximum XC" below).

Maximum XC. The Maximum amount of XC allowed per card depends on the game and type of card.

• All Core Crew and Crew cards may have a maximum of five XC per card.
• All Permanent Wilds may have a maximum of five XC per card.
• There is no maximum amount of XC a player may have in his Power Base; however, the Power Base always Purges at the end of the Initial XC Segment (See "Power Base" on pg. 28, and "Initial XC Segment" on page 14).
• There is no maximum amount of XC that the Ship's Stores may have.

STAR TREK: The Card Game takes about an hour to play. Players wanting a shorter game can reduce the number of XC required to win, but if they do so, they should also reduce the maximum number of XC that can be placed on any Core Crew or Crew card.

Number of XC to Win	Maximum XC per card
25	5
20	4
15	3

The Episodes

An Episode card represents a portion of a story from an original STAR TREK episode. The three types of Episode Cards are Mission cards, Plot cards, and Discovery cards (See "Episode Cards" on pg. 6 and 7). Episode cards are linked together during play to create all new adventures for the Enterprise and her Crew, and to generate XC for the Current Player (See "The Episode Phase" on pg. 13).

Special Text on the Episodes. Some Mission, Plot, and Discovery cards contain Special Text (See "Special Text" on pg. 5). This Special Text might offer an Episode Reward modifier (See "Episode Reward" on pg. 25, and "Episode Bonus" on pg. 26), force the Current Player to make an Icon Flip (See "Icon Flip" on pg. 24), or have some other effect on the Landing Party, Challenge cards, or other game conditions. Neither Player may control the Special Text of a Mission, Plot, or Discovery card. This Special Text is always in effect unless other game cards in play change or negate it. Special Text appearing on one particular Episode card affects game play for the duration of that entire Episode.

Abandoning the Episode

The Current Player must always play a Mission card during the Mission Segment of the Episode Phase (See "Episode Phase" on pg. 13 and "Mission Segment" on pg. 14). The Challenging Player always has a chance to respond to that Mission card by playing a Challenge card (See "The Initial Challenge Segment" on pg. 15). The Current Player may voluntarily abandon an Episode at any time after the Mission card is played and after the Challenging Player has had the opportunity to respond. When an Episode is abandoned, the following occurs:

• The Challenging Player receives XC for any Challenge cards and Episode cards that he had played just as if the Episode had been completed (See "The Challenger XC Segment" on pg. 18).
• All Bridge Crew and Crew cards in the Current Player's Complement that were Neutralized or Converted are no longer Neutralized or Converted, and are returned to the Current Player's control.
• The Current Player's Default Episode cards are collected, and placed to the side for later use.
• Mission, and Plot cards are discarded into the Discard Pile of the player that played the cards.
• All Challenge cards are returned to the Challenging Player and immediately discarded.
• Bridge Crew cards that were in the Landing Party are returned to their horizontal position at the center of the table, and other Crew cards from the Current Player's Complement that were in the Landing Party are reunited with the rest of the Current Player's Complement.
• The Current Player receives no XC for an abandoned Episode.

Certain cards state that an Episode cannot be abandoned voluntarily. In this case, the Current Player cannot abandon that Episode unless a card forcing the Episode to be abandoned is played, a card that allows Episodes to be abandoned is played, or the card that caused the current situation is negated.

Certain cards or situations may force the Current Player to Involuntarily Abandon the Episode. If the Episode must be abandoned involuntarily, then the same rules apply as if the Current Player had voluntarily abandoned the Episode; however, the Current Player does not have a choice. In such cases, the Current Player must abandon the Episode.

Wilds and Permanent Wilds

Wild cards and Permanent Wild cards can affect Abilities, Actions, or Episodes. They can affect a particular Attribute, a particular member of the Crew, or certain situations faced by the Crew. They can even enable the Current Player or the Challenging Player to perform Actions, and to alter or create situations in the game.

Playing Wild and Permanent Wild Cards. Wild cards and Permanent Wild cards can be played at any time except during an Icon Draw (See "Icon Draw" on pg. 22). The use of a Wild card or Permanent Wild card is based on its instructions. Only one of each particular Wild may be played during a Player's turn.

For example, if the Current Player plays the Wild card "Red Alert!" during the Episode Phase of his turn; then neither the Current Player nor the Challenging Player may play the Wild card "Red Alert!" until after the Change Player Phase. After the Change Player Phase, when the Current Player becomes the Challenging Player and the Challenging Player becomes the Current Player, either player may play "Red Alert!" again.

Similarly, only one of each particular Permanent Wild card may be played per player's turn, and since Permanent Wild cards have the ability to remain in play, only one of each particular Permanent Wild card may be in play at a time.

For example, if the Challenging Player has the Permanent Wild card "Shuttlecraft Galileo" in play, then neither the Current Player or the Challenging Player may play an additional "Shuttlecraft Galileo" until the one currently in play has been discarded (See "XC On Permanent Wilds" below).

Using Wild and Permanent Wild Card Abilities. The player of a Wild card cannot choose when its effect on the game takes place. A Wild Card affects the game immediately upon being played. However, a player does have a certain degree of control over the game effects of a Permanent Wild card. A Permanent Wild card you control can be used whether you are the Current Player or the Challenging Player; however, each ability can be used only once, and then only during the Episode Phase. After each Change Player Phase, all of the abilities of the Permanent Wild card may be used again.

For example, if the Challenging Player has the Permanent Wild card "Shuttlecraft Galileo" in play and has awarded at least one XC to it during the previous Final XC Segment (when he was the Current Player), he may use each of the abilities listed on the Permanent Wild card once at any time during the Episode Phase, provided the card has enough XC to use those abilities. He does not have to use any of the abilities if he chooses not to. After the Change Player Phase, when the Challenging Player becomes the Current Player, he may use each of the abilities of the Permanent Wild card again, but only during the Episode Phase and only if he has the required amount of XC.

XC On Permanent Wilds. Permanent Wild cards may receive XC during the Final XC Segment of the Resolution Phase. It is important to note that these XC do not count towards winning the game, but are used to perform the particular Abilities of that Permanent Wild card.

Each Permanent Wild card may carry 5 XC, unless otherwise stated (See "Maximum XC" on pg. 29). If you are the Current Player, and a Permanent Wild card you control has no XC on it at the end of the Final XC Segment (See "The Final XC Segment" on page 19), then that Permanent Wild card is removed from the game. Also, if a Permanent Wild is required to lose an XC and has none, it is removed from the game.

Crew Abilities

Each Crew card has one or more Abilities. The effects of an Ability may be explained on the card. Some Abilities are inherent, meaning that the player using the Ability need not spend any XC in order to use that Ability. Other Abilities require the expenditure of one or more XC to use that Ability (See "Using Crew Abilities" on pg. 35). Crew may have like or similar Abilities. The common Abilities and their uses are as follows:

• ENGINEERING - Pay 1 XC from a Crew card with the ENGINEERING Ability to prevent the loss of 1 XC from the U.S.S. Enterprise or from any Permanent Wild card.
• MEDICAL - Pay 1 XC from a Crew card with the MEDICAL Ability to reduce the effect of an Icon Flip from Kill to Neutralize, or from Neutralize to no effect (See "Icon Flip" on pg. 24).
• NAVIGATION - Pay 1 XC from a Crew card with the NAVIGATION Ability to search through your Draw Pile to find a Plot or Discovery card. Show that card to your opponent, and add that card to your Hand. Reshuffle the Draw Pile.
• HELM - Pay 1 XC from a Crew card with the HELM Ability to draw two cards, up to your hand's full size.
• SECURITY - Crew cards with the SECURITY Ability may be discarded to prevent the death of another Crew card in the Landing Party. The original Crew card is unaffected and the Crew card with the SECURITY Ability is discarded instead. Any XC on the Crew card with the SECURITY are lost and returned to the Ship's Stores.
• REWARD - Crew cards with the REWARD Ability may increase the number of XC gained from a particular Episode or situation. Only Crew cards currently in play or Neutralized may increase the number of XC gained. A Crew card that is Killed, Converted, otherwise discarded or removed from the game may not increase the number of XC gained. The XC gained are added to the Power Base.

Using Crew Abilities. There are a few specific rules as to who can use Abilities, and when. The rules for using Crew Abilities are as follows:

• Crew card Abilities can only be used by the Current Player.
• The Current Player can use any of the Abilities listed on Crew cards in the Landing Party, but may not use Abilities from the Bridge Crew or Crew cards from the Current Players Complement that are not members of the Landing Party.
• Crew cards may only use their Abilities during the Episode Phase (See "The Episode Phase" on pg. 13).
• When a Crew card uses an Ability that causes it to spend XC, the Current Player must immediately take the required amount of XC from that Crew card and put them in the Challenging Player's Power Base.
• A Crew card cannot use an Ability that requires spending an XC if that Crew card does not have an XC.
• Each Crew card may only use each Ability listed on that card that requires the spending of one or more XC once per Episode Phase. Abilities that do not require the spending of any XC may be used as often as the Current Player wishes, but only during the Episode Phase.
• If a Crew card has an Ability that effects other Crew cards, that Crew card may not use that Ability on itself.
• A Crew card may not use any of its Abilities if it is Neutralized, Converted, or Killed (See "Consequence" on page 23).

Effect Cards

Effect cards are played only during an Icon Draw when an Action is being resolved (See "Resolving Actions" on pg. 20, and "The Icon Draw" on pg. 22). Effect cards are never used during an Icon Flip (See "Icon Flip" on pg. 24), nor at any other time during play. Any number of Effect cards may be played by either player during a single Action. Effect cards may be played before, during, or immediately after an Icon Draw to affect that Action.

Effect cards add to, modify, or manipulate the total number of particular Icons drawn (See "Icon Draw" on pg. 22).

For example, the Challenging Player is using a Challenge card with the Capture Action to attempt to capture Captain Kirk. The Combat Rating of the Challenge card is two, and Captain Kirk's Combat Rating is seven. The Challenging Player draws two cards and happens to get two Combat Icons. The Current Player draws seven cards and happens to get three Combat Icons. If the Challenge were to end here, Captain Kirk would win because three Combat Icons beats two Combat Icons (See "Resolving Actions" on pg. 20). However, if the Challenging Player plays a "Phaser Blast" Effect card, which adds +2 Combat Icons, his total Combat Icons for this Challenge would change from two to four. The Challenging Player now has four Combat icons to Kirk's three, and Kirk loses the Challenge.

Of Special Note

The Enterprise. The Enterprise is a special Crew card, requiring special consideration.

The Enterprise is considered part of the Bridge Crew and placed in the center of the table at the start of the game. It begins the game with 1 XC for each player in the game (See "Set-Up" on pg. 8).

The Enterprise cannot be assigned to Landing Parties unless indicated by other cards in play. Certain Episode, Wild and Challenge cards have the Enterprise symbol on them. Playing one of these cards makes the Enterprise a member of the Landing Party. As such, the Enterprise may now be the target of Challenge cards. It may be affected by Combat Actions, Logic Actions, and Humanity Actions.

If the Enterprise is forced to make an Icon Flip (See "Icon Flip" on pg. 24), the symbols have different meanings.

• A Combat icon results in the loss of one XC from the ship.
• A Humanity icon results in the Enterprise being Neutralized (See "Neutralized" on pg. 24).
• A Logic icon result has no effect.

The Enterprise may be given 1 XC during the Initial XC Segment of the Episode Phase, regardless of whether or not it is in the Landing Party. Like all Crew cards, the maximum number of XC that the Enterprise's may have is 5 (See "Maximum XC" on pg. 29).

If the Enterprise is destroyed, the Current Player loses the game. The Enterprise is destroyed if it has no XC on it and is required to lose an XC. It is important to know that a Crew card with the Engineer Ability may prevent the loss of even this final XC by using his Ability (See "Crew Abilities" on pg. 34).

Joining the Bridge. Crew cards are unique in that the addition of a Crew card to your Complement (See "The Crew Phase" on pg. 13) that is already a member of your opponent's Complement will result in that Crew card joining the Bridge Crew. When this is done, the Current Player's Crew card is removed from the game, and the Challenging Player's identical Crew card joins the Bridge Crew. This means, the Challenging Player's Crew card is turned horizontal and moved into the center of the game table along with the Core Crew. For the remainder of the game, or until that particular Crew card is killed, the newly appointed Bridge Crew is available to both players just as any of the other Bridge Crew. Crew cards from the Challenging Player's Complement that are turned into Bridge Crew lose half of their XC (rounded down) immediately upon joining the Bridge Crew. An identical Crew card may not be introduced into either player's Complement until he has been removed from the Bridge Crew.

For example, the Challenging Player has Sulu as a member of his own Complement, and his Sulu Crew card has two XC on it. During the Crew Phase, the Current Player plays his own Sulu Crew card. The Current Player's Sulu is removed from the game, and the Challenging Player's Sulu is moved to the center to join the Bridge Crew. The Sulu Crew card loses one of its two XC. Either player now has access to Sulu, but only when either is the Current Player. Any XC removed from a Crew card when it joins the Bridge Crew are placed in the Bank.

Deck Building. As you play STAR TREK: The Card Game you determine which cards are in your deck, removing cards that you feel are less advantageous to you and adding those that you believe will give you an edge over your opponents. There are only two rules to consider when building your own deck.

• The minimum deck size is 50 cards. The maximum size is unlimited.
• There may be no more than four of any particular card in the deck.

The Draw Pile. During the Discard Phase (See "The Discard Phase" on pg. 12) you may discard any number of cards from your hand. During the Draw Phase (See "The Draw Phase" on pg. 13) you may draw up to your full hand size (usually seven cards). In addition, certain other cards and abilities may allow you to draw additional cards. There are a number of other special rules to consider about the Draw Pile:

• If you are required to draw cards and there are No Cards in your Draw Pile, you may reshuffle your Discard Pile and draw the required number of cards from the top.
• If you are required to draw a specific number of cards and there are fewer cards left in your Draw Pile than the number you need, you must draw (and play with) only the available cards. The next time you are required to draw cards, reshuffle the Discard Pile and draw from it.
• Certain cards and Abilities allow you to search through your deck for a particular card. Whenever you do so, you must show that card to your opponent before putting it into your hand or into play.

You then must reshuffle your Draw Pile.

Victory

Winning the Game. You can only win the game when you are the Current Player. The Current Player must have twenty-five or more XC distributed between Bridge Crew and Crew in his Complement to win the game. It is very important to note that XC on Bridge Crew are shared between all players.

For example, say there are 5 XC on the Captain Kirk Core Crew card and no XC on any other Bridge Crew. The Current Player has 3 XC on Sulu (a Crew in his Complement), and the Challenging Player has 1 XC on Scotty (a Crew in his Complement). The Current Player's score would be eight (because 5 plus 3 equals 8) and the Challenging Players score would be six (because 5 plus 1 equals 6).

If, during the Change Player Phase, you ever have 25 or more XC on all of the Crew you control (Bridge Crew and Complement) and, as the Current Player, you have just successfully completed an Episode, you win the game (See "Change Player Phase" on page 19).

If you abandon or fail to complete the Episode, you must maintain 25 or more XC on Crew that you control, and complete an Episode on your next turn in order to win.