Star Wars Villainous: Scum and Villainy
Star Wars Villainous: Scum and Villainy Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Overview
Each player takes the role of a Star Wars Villain and pursues a unique dark Objective. On your turn, move your mover to a location on your Sector to perform the actions available there. Try to achieve your Objective before your opponents to win the game!
Objective
The game ends as soon as a player achieves their Villain's Objective; that player is declared the winner. Refer to your Villain Guide for tips and to learn how to achieve your own Objective.
Components
3 Sectors (game boards) — the components list on page 2 misprints this as "5 Sectors"; the back cover and the illustration both give 3.
- Cad Bane — Objective: You must collect 5 Target tokens. Locations: Coruscant, Black Stall Station, The Box, Bora Vio, Deep Space.
- Seventh Sister — Objective: You must permanently remove 3 Rebels. Locations: Inquisitorius Fortress, Bilzen, Garel City, Malachor, Deep Space.
- Boba Fett — Objective: You must complete 4 Bounties. Locations: Corellia, Executor Bridge, Cloud City Dining Room, Jabba's Palace, Deep Space.
3 Villain movers: Cad Bane, Boba Fett, Seventh Sister.
3 sets of 30 Villain cards
3 Villain Guides
3 sets of 15 Fate cards
3 Reference Cards
Tokens and markers: 25 Credit tokens, 25 Ambition tokens, 15 Strength tokens, 10 Target markers.
Setup
As indicated in their respective guides, some Villains require a special setup.
- Each player chooses a Villain and takes the corresponding components: their Sector (game board), their mover, their Villain and Fate cards, their Villain Guide, any specific tokens, markers and tiles, as well as a Reference Card. Return the components of the unused Villains to the box.
- Place your Sector in front of you. It shows your Villain's portrait and their Objective (on the left), 4 different locations, and a Deep Space area (the play area for Vehicles, to the right of your board). Place your mover on the portrait.
- Shuffle your Villain cards and form a face-down deck to the left of your board. Leave room below it for the discard pile.
- Shuffle your Fate cards and form a face-down deck to the right of your board, accessible to your opponents. Leave room below it for the discard pile.
- Keep the supply of Credit, Ambition and Strength tokens within reach of all players.
- Draw 4 Villain cards: this is your hand. You may look at them secretly. Refer to your Villain Guide for valuable advice on your cards and to work out the best strategy.
- The last player to have used the Force... or the oldest player goes first. At the start of the game, the 1st player begins with no Credit token. The 2nd player receives 1 Credit token. The 3rd and 4th players receive 2.
- Each player reads the Objective paragraph of their Villain Guide out loud, so that everyone is aware of it. One side of the Reference Card summarizes each Villain's Objective.
Setup for Each Player
Each player's play area contains: their mover, their Fate deck (with room for the Fate discard pile), their Villain deck (with room for the Villain discard pile), their Sector (game board), their starting hand of cards, their Reference Card, and their Villain Guide.
Overview
Each Villain has a specific Villain deck designed to help them achieve their own Objective. You will have to make choices during the game to get around the obstacles (Fate) that stand between you and your Objective. While you make your decisions and try to manipulate events in your favor, your opponents will be doing the same. Never lose sight of their progress, so that you can put a spanner in their works when necessary. To win, you must be the first to achieve your Objective; that must therefore remain your priority.
Sector (Game Board)
Your board represents your Villain's Sector. Every card played there, both Villain and Fate, belongs to that Sector. You play your Villain cards to the lower part of your Sector, and your Fate cards are played by your opponents to the upper part.
Note: The cards in your hand, your decks and your discard piles are not part of your Sector.
Locations
Your Sector contains 4 locations, in addition to Deep Space, where you may move your mover (for example: Cad Bane's Sector contains Coruscant, Black Stall Station, The Box and Bora Vio).
Actions
The symbols on each location indicate the actions you may perform if you move your mover there. (See Actions Overview, page 7.)
Mover
Your Villain is represented by a mover. On your turn, you must move it to another location in your Sector.
Objective
Each of you has a different Objective to win the game.
Villain Deck
Draw your cards here to achieve your Objective.
Villain Cards
You play your Villain cards to the lower part of your Sector. These cards do not block your actions. (See Playing Cards, page 11.)
Reference Card
One side of the Reference Card summarizes each Villain's Objective. It lets you check whether an opponent is close to winning. The other side reminds you of the different possible actions and their symbols.
Credit, Ambition and Strength Tokens
Star Wars Villainous contains 3 main types of token: Credit, Ambition and Strength. When you gain them, you may store them wherever you like near your Sector (see Collect Credits, page 7; Play / Activate an Ambition Card, page 7; Strength, page 11). The number of these tokens is considered unlimited. In the rare case where the supply is empty, use other tokens or coins to make up the difference.
Fate Deck
When your opponents use a "Fate" action against you, they play cards from this deck to the upper part of your Sector, to slow you down.
Fate Cards
By playing cards from the Fate deck, your opponents can place Heroes and Items in the upper part of your Sector. These cards cover part of the actions available at the location where they are played, preventing you from performing them (see Blocked Actions, page 6). The Fate deck also contains Effect, Vehicle and Condition cards (see Fate, page 15).
Deep Space
It is in this area (the right-most one on your Sector) that Vehicle cards are played. They too are placed in the upper or lower part of your Sector, depending on whether they are Hero Vehicles or Ally Vehicles. (See Vehicles, page 16.)
Villain Guide
Read your guide carefully before the game begins. It contains all the details about your Objective and your specific cards, as well as the potential obstacles (particularly the Heroes) that may slow your progress. Keep your Villain Guide within reach so you can consult it at any time.
On Your Turn
On your turn, perform the following steps in the order shown:
1. Gain 1 Ambition Token
At the start of your turn, take 1 Ambition token from the Chamber. Some cards and actions let you gain more during the game. (See Play / Activate an Ambition Card, page 7.)
2. Move Your Mover
Move your mover to another location in your Sector. Your mover may not stay in the same place.
3. Perform Actions
The symbols on each location indicate the actions you may perform there when you move to it. You may perform the action of each visible symbol only once. Actions are not mandatory and may be performed in any order. (See Actions Overview, page 7.)
Blocked Actions
During the game, Fate cards cover part of the actions of the locations where they are played: those actions are then blocked. You may no longer perform the actions covered by Fate cards until those cards have been moved, vanquished or discarded. As soon as an action becomes visible again, it immediately becomes available: you may therefore perform it if your mover is at that location and it is still your turn to play.
4. Draw Cards
At the end of your turn, draw Villain cards until you have 4 in hand again (or until you have reached your allowed card limit). If your Villain deck is exhausted, shuffle your discard pile to form your new deck, then continue drawing.
It is now the next player's turn to play.
YOU MAY DRAW NEW CARDS ONLY AT THE END OF YOUR TURN, EVEN IF YOU BEGIN IT WITH FEWER THAN 4 CARDS IN HAND.
End of the Game
As soon as a player has achieved their Objective, the game stops immediately and that player wins.
Actions Overview
Because each board is different, some actions may not be available to all players.
Some cards can affect the rules specific to an action. When in doubt, the text of the cards always takes priority over the rule. If one card lets you do something while another restricts your action, apply the effect of the card imposing the restriction.
The location you move your mover to determines which actions you may perform this turn. Note that the effects of those actions may apply to any location in your Sector. For example: if you perform a "Vanquish" action at one location, you may vanquish a Hero at any location in your Sector where an Ally is also present.
Collect Credits
Credits are the currency of the Star Wars universe. Take as many Credit tokens from the supply as the number shown on the symbol. Credit tokens let you pay for cards and activate abilities.
Example: A "2" symbol = Take 2 Credit tokens.
Play / Activate an Ambition Card
Credits do not buy everything. Your Villain's personality also shows through their power, their strength, their leadership or their inherent luck, all grouped under the term Ambition. You may use your Ambition tokens to play cards or to activate Ambition abilities.
Playing Cards with an Ambition Cost
Some cards cost Ambition tokens instead of Credit tokens. This cost is shown in the lower-left corner of the illustration. You may play only one Ambition card per "Play an Ambition Card" action. Pay its cost by returning the required number of Ambition tokens to the Chamber. If you do not have enough Ambition tokens to pay for a card, you cannot play it. Even if a card costs 0, you must still use a "Play an Ambition Card" action to play it.
Example: Pay the cost (2 Ambition tokens) to play this card.
Activating an Ambition Ability
Some cards require you to pay Ambition tokens to use their ability, as with an "Activate an Ability" action. (See Activated Abilities, page 9.) Each time you wish to use a card's Ambition ability, you must perform a "Activate an Ambition Card" action.
Some cards have an Ambition ability in addition to other abilities. You must still use an "Activate an Ambition Card" action to use that Ambition ability.
Example: Pay 1 Ambition token to activate this card's ability. (Ambition ability cost: 1.)
Play a Credits Card
Return the correct number of Credit tokens to the Chamber to play a card from your hand. You may play only 1 card from your hand per "Play a Credits Card" symbol available at the location where your mover is. The number of Credit tokens to spend is shown in the upper-left corner of the card. If you do not have enough Credit tokens to pay for a card, you cannot play it. Even if a card costs 0, you must still perform a "Play a Credits Card" action to play it.
Item and Ally cards may be played to any location in your Sector. Place these cards in the lower part of your board, at the location of your choice. Vehicles are played in Deep Space.
Note: You may not use the "Play a Credits Card" action to play an Ambition card. (See Play / Activate an Ambition Card, page 7.)
Example: Pay the cost (3 Credit tokens) to play this Ally at the location of your choice.
Move / Maneuver
The "Move" action lets you move a card already in play from one location to another in your Sector. Only cards in the lower part of your Sector are concerned. Your ability to move cards may well be the key to achieving your Objective. An Item attached to an Ally must always be moved with it, never on its own.
"Moving" a card is not the same as "playing" a card. If a card's ability triggers when it (or another card) is played, that is not the case if you merely move it to another location.
The "Maneuver" action concerns Vehicles. See Vehicles, page 16, for more details on how to maneuver these cards.
Example: Move an Ally from one location to any other location.
Discard Cards
Discard as many cards from your hand as you wish, face up, onto your Villain discard pile. This is the only way to get rid of useless cards and to try to draw important cards back into your hand quickly.
Do not forget: when you discard cards, do not draw immediately. You can only refill your hand to 4 cards at the end of your turn!
Activate an Ability
Choose a card in your Sector that has an activation symbol. Pay any activation cost, then use the card's ability.
Activated Abilities
Some cards have abilities that can only be used when you activate them. They are recognizable by the activation symbol, which indicates that the card's effect is not permanent. Each time you wish to use that card's ability, you must perform the "Activate an Ability" action and pay any activation cost in Credit tokens.
Example: Pay 1 Credit to activate this card's ability. (Activated ability cost: 1.)
Vanquish
The "Vanquish" action lets you remove one Hero at any location in your Sector with the help of one or more Allies already present at that same location.
The total Strength of your Allies must be greater than or equal to that of the Hero to be vanquished. You may use as many Allies as you wish and add their Strengths together. Strength is shown in the lower-left corner of the card. (See Strength, page 11.) The Strength of Heroes and Allies may be modified by other cards in your Sector or by Strength tokens.
The vanquished Hero is sent to the Fate discard pile and the Allies used are sent to the Villain discard pile.
The "Vanquish" action also lets you remove Vehicle Fate cards (also called Hero Vehicles) with the help of your own Vehicles (Ally Vehicles). Vehicles have no Strength: to vanquish a Hero Vehicle, you must engage it with an Ally Vehicle before using a "Vanquish" action, and thus discard both Vehicles. (See Discarding and Vanquishing Vehicles, page 17.)
Example: You have 3 Allies at the location where a Hero of Strength 5 is. Two Allies are enough to reach a Strength of 5 (4 + 1); you therefore do not need to use the third Ally to vanquish the Hero. Discard the vanquished Hero and the two Allies used onto their respective piles. The third Ally stays where it is.
Fate
Use the "Fate" action to play Fate cards against an opponent in order to slow their progress. Choose an opponent and reveal the first two Fate cards of their deck. Choose one of them and play it immediately. Discard the other. (See Card Actions, page 18.)
It is up to you to decide how best to use the Fate cards and to judge which card seems the most interesting among those drawn.
If none of the cards you revealed can be played or has any effect, you must still choose one and play it without applying its effect, then discard it. You do not draw new ones. The Force really was on your opponent's side!
You may play a Hero card at any location in your opponent's Sector, except on a Vehicle. Place the Hero in the upper part of the Sector, so as to hide the actions at the top. A covered action is no longer available to the opponent until the Hero is vanquished or moved. If you play a Hero Vehicle, place it in Deep Space. If there is already an Ally Vehicle there, play it directly engaged against that Vehicle. (See Vehicles, page 16.)
Some Villain cards may let you play Fate cards against yourself. In that case, choose the location where you play that card, and its ability applies as if it had been played by an opponent. Heroes, Items and Vehicles from your Fate deck also block your actions if you play them in your own Sector.
If your opponent's Fate deck is exhausted, they shuffle their discard pile to form a new Fate deck.
Instead of drawing to play a Fate card, you may use a "Fate" action to engage a Hero Vehicle against an Ally Vehicle. If you choose this option, you do not draw, and therefore do not play, any Fate cards. (See Maneuvering Vehicles, page 17.)
Example: You reveal 2 Fate cards from an opponent's deck and choose to play a Hero. Discard the other revealed card. Play the Hero at the location of your choice in your opponent's Sector, thus covering the two Action symbols above that location.
Playing Cards
Each player has two distinct sets of cards: Villain cards (colored backs) and Fate cards (white backs). You play the Villain cards from your hand to the lower part of your Sector. Your Fate cards are played by your opponents to the upper part of your Sector, thereby blocking your actions. Vehicles are played at the far right of your Sector, in Deep Space.
All visible cards that are not in a discard pile are considered to be in play, and their effects apply for as long as they remain there. The effects of cards played in your Sector concern only you. This includes your Allies, Vehicles, Items and all your Fate cards.
The number of Villain or Fate cards that can be placed at a location is unlimited. It is best to offset them slightly so that you can always identify them.
Some cards let you draw new Villain cards and add them to your hand. There is no limit to the number of cards you may have in hand. If you have fewer than 4 at the end of your turn, refill your hand. If you have more cards in hand than the limit allowed for drawing, keep them all and do not draw new cards.
Strength
The Strength of Heroes and Allies is shown in the lower-left corner of their card.
Strength of an Ally or a Hero Reduced to 0
If an Ally's Strength is reduced to 0 by another card's ability, it stays at the location where it is. An Ally with 0 Strength may continue to use its ability or to take part in a "Vanquish" action. An Ally with 0 Strength that takes part in a "Vanquish" action is always discarded.
If a Hero's Strength is reduced to 0, it stays in place and continues to block the actions of the location where it is. It may continue to use its ability. You may use the "Vanquish" action against a Hero with 0 Strength to discard it, but in that case the Ally used during that action will not be discarded.
Strength Tokens
Any +1 / -1 Strength token placed on an Ally or a Hero modifies its Strength permanently for as long as that token remains on it.
Gaining and Losing Strength
Some cards increase or decrease the Strength of other cards for as long as those cards are in play. You may use Strength tokens or a substitute to indicate this temporary modification, but do not forget to remove them or to change their number if the conditions change!
Example: The Mandalorian's Strength increases by 2 if he is at the same location as Grogu. If either of these Heroes moves, the Mandalorian loses that extra Strength. He gets it back if he finds himself at the same location as Grogu again.
Villain Cards
Some Villains have cards with a specific type, detailed in their Villain Guide.
Note: If you cannot follow a card's instructions, you cannot play it. However, if a card says "may" or "playable", the effect that follows is optional. In that case, you may play the card, then choose whether or not to trigger that optional effect.
Allies
They represent your acolytes. To play an Ally, pay its cost (in Credit or Ambition tokens), then place that Ally at one of the 4 locations of your choice, in the lower part of your Sector. You may not play an Ally on a Vehicle (only your mover can be there).
As soon as Allies are at a location, you may use them to vanquish a Hero at the same location, by using the "Vanquish" action. Each Ally has a Strength (shown in the lower-left corner), which may vary depending on the other cards in the Sector and through Strength tokens. In addition, most Allies have a special ability that has effects on other cards or actions. It is up to you to decide whether you prefer to use each Ally to vanquish a Hero or to keep it in your Sector for its ability or to achieve your Objective.
Items
They have abilities that affect other cards and actions. To be able to play an Item from your hand, pay its cost (in Credit or Ambition tokens), then place the Item at the location of your choice, in the lower part of your Sector. If an Item states that it must be attached to an Ally, place it under an Ally at any location in your Sector. If there is no Ally in your Sector, you cannot play that Item.
Only Items that do not need to be attached may be moved on their own.
If an Ally to which an Item has been attached is moved to another location, or if it is discarded, all its Items are moved or discarded as well. The number of Items that can be attached to an Ally is unlimited.
No Item appears in this expansion. The Item shown is from Star Wars Villainous: Power of the Dark Side.
Effects
They have abilities that can be used only once. To be able to play an Effect, pay its cost (in Credit or Ambition tokens), apply the card's effect, then discard it face up onto the corresponding pile.
Conditions
These are special cards that you may play only during an opponent's turn. You may not play them by using the "Play a Credits Card" or "Play an Ambition Card" action. If you have such a card in hand and the condition is met during an opponent's turn, you may play it immediately. Follow the card's text before discarding it. The number of Condition cards playable at the same moment is unlimited.
Once that condition has been dealt with, the opponent continues their turn.
Important: You do not draw a new card! You must therefore wait until the end of your own turn to refill your hand to 4 cards.
Vehicles
The Vehicles in your Villain card set are called Ally Vehicles (those in the Fate set are Hero Vehicles). You may play them only in the Deep Space of your Sector. Pay their cost (in Credit or Ambition tokens), then play them. Ally Vehicles add a new location to your Sector, to which you may move your mover. A Vehicle offers new available actions that you may use, as well as an ability that triggers when your mover moves there. When you move onto a Vehicle, use its ability immediately before performing any action at that location. You may not play an Ally on a Vehicle. The choice and use of actions follow the same rules as at the other locations (see Actions Overview, page 7).
Bounties
Some Villains have Bounty cards to achieve their Objective. How these cards work and how they are used is detailed in those Villains' Guides.
Bounty cards are part of your Villain cards, but they may only be played by attaching them to Contact cards. Once attached to a Contact, you may carry out the Progress requirements printed on the Bounty in order to complete it. A Bounty card cannot be moved to be attached to another Contact.
Contacts
Contact cards are a specific card type present in the Villain card sets of the Villains whose Objective is based on Bounty cards. You must first play a Contact card before you can play a Bounty card. Contact cards are played to any location, like Allies, whereas Bounty cards must be played by attaching them to a Contact already in play.
Each Contact states the maximum number of Bounties that may be attached to it. Once a Bounty is completed, you may attach another one to the same Contact, as long as that limit is respected. There is therefore no limit to the number of Bounties in play, only the limits of the Contacts. The Contact card also states the Reward granted once all the Progress requirements of a Bounty are met.
Each Bounty card contains the following information:
- Hunt (X): When a Bounty is in play, you may pay the cost shown at the start of the card to perform the corresponding action. You may pay this cost at any time during your turn and on any turn, without having to use an action. The Hunt represents the search phase of your Bounty Hunter.
- Progress: These are the conditions or actions you must meet to complete the Bounty. You may carry them out in the order of your choice. When you fulfill one of a Bounty's Progress requirements, place any token on it to mark your progress.
- Reward: The Reward applies when the Bounty is complete, that is, when you have fulfilled all the Progress requirements printed on it. The Reward depends on the Contact the Bounty is attached to: refer to the Contact card to know its effects.
Applying the completed-Bounty effects indicated by the Contact card is a free action that triggers automatically when you fulfill the last Progress requirement of a Bounty. Do not discard the Bounty card; keep it near your portrait instead. Each Bounty can therefore be completed only once per game. If your Objective depends on the number of Bounties completed, this also shows your progress.
Managing Several Bounties
A Villain may have several Bounties in progress at the same time: all that matters to the Contacts is that the job gets done! It is not unusual for several Bounties to share a common requirement. As a result, having several Bounties is a good strategy for the Bounty Hunter, because fulfilling a requirement common to several Bounties lets him advance — and therefore place a token — on each of them!
Fate Cards
A Villain's Fate card set is built so as to slow their progress toward their Objective. If none of the cards you revealed can be played or has any effect, you must still choose one and play it without applying its effect, then discard it. You do not draw new ones. The Force really was on your opponent's side!
Heroes
They represent the Heroes who come to thwart your Villain's evil plans. When you play a Hero at an opponent's Sector, place it at the location of your choice, in the upper part of their Sector, so as to cover — and therefore block — the actions of that location. You may not play a Hero on a Vehicle.
Heroes limit your opponents' options by covering useful actions on their board. A covered action is no longer available to the opponent until all the Heroes at that location have been vanquished or moved.
Each Hero has a Strength (shown in the lower-left corner), which may vary depending on the other cards in the Sector and through Strength tokens. In addition, most Heroes have an ability that complicates your opponents' task and that triggers when they come into play.
If several Heroes are at the same location and the one covering the action symbols is vanquished or moved, another Hero of your choice at that location takes its place and covers those symbols.
Items and Effects
These card types are also present in the Fate deck. They have no cost but must sometimes meet certain conditions to be played.
Conditions
Each Fate card set includes a Condition card that can be discarded only under certain conditions. To play a Condition card, place it under the mover of the Villain targeted by the "Fate" action. As long as the Condition is in play, its ability is active.
Each turn, the Condition is moved with the mover. Discard the Condition as soon as the conditions mentioned on the card are met. Discarding a Condition is a free action, unless stated otherwise on the card.
A Condition does not block any actions.
Vehicles
The Vehicles in the Fate card sets are called Hero Vehicles. They are played in the Deep Space of your Sector. You may not play a Hero on a Vehicle. See Vehicles, page 16, for more details on how Ally and Hero Vehicles interact.
Vehicles
Vehicles appear in both decks: Hero Vehicles in the Fate deck; Ally Vehicles in the Villain deck. No card may be played on a Vehicle, unless the card specifies otherwise.
Ally Vehicles
To play an Ally Vehicle, pay its cost (in Credit or Ambition tokens). All Ally Vehicles are played in the lower part of the Deep Space of your Sector.
An Ally Vehicle forms a new location to which you may move your mover. This new location has action symbols you may perform and an ability that triggers as soon as your mover moves there. Follow the ability shown on the Vehicle before performing any other action. You may then perform the actions according to the usual rules (see Actions Overview, page 7). When you play an Ally Vehicle, you may choose to engage it with a Hero Vehicle already present (see Hero Vehicles and Engagement, below).
Although Vehicles are considered part of your Sector, they are not adjacent to each other, nor to any other location. They are distinct, isolated locations.
Hero Vehicles and Engagement
The Fate deck also contains Vehicles. Your opponents play these Vehicles in the Deep Space of your Sector. If there is already an unengaged Ally Vehicle there, the Hero Vehicle must be played on that Ally Vehicle: these Vehicles are now engaged. The actions of the Ally Vehicle are now blocked. Unless stated otherwise, you may still move your mover onto an engaged Vehicle to use its ability. Likewise, engagement does not cancel the Hero Vehicle's ability.
Note: A Vehicle may only be engaged with one single other Vehicle.
Heroes Controlling Deep Space
If no Ally Vehicle is in play, an opponent may still play a Hero Vehicle in the Deep Space. Each unengaged Hero Vehicle in your Sector reduces your hand-card limit by 1. At the end of your turn, you will draw one card fewer than normally allowed. For example: if there is one unengaged Hero Vehicle in your Sector, the hand limit for drawing is reduced to 3. If there are two, that limit falls to 2 cards.
Discarding and Vanquishing Vehicles
You may use a "Vanquish" action to discard an engaged Hero Vehicle. Your Ally Vehicle is also discarded. Both Vehicles (and any cards attached to them) are discarded onto their respective piles. If your mover is on an Ally Vehicle, you may not discard that Vehicle, nor vanquish or discard the Hero Vehicle engaged against it.
You may not use a "Vanquish" action against an unengaged Hero Vehicle. However, some cards may be used specifically against Vehicles, allowing you to discard or to have effects on unengaged Vehicles.
Maneuvering Vehicles
You may use a "Maneuver" action to disengage one of your Ally Vehicles. Separate them so that the Hero Vehicle no longer covers the Ally Vehicle's actions. According to the rule on controlling Deep Space, each unengaged Hero Vehicle reduces your hand-card limit by 1. So, if by disengaging from a Hero Vehicle the Ally Vehicle's actions become available again, do not forget that in exchange your hand-card limit will be reduced.
You may also use a "Maneuver" action on an Ally Vehicle to engage it against a Hero Vehicle.
Likewise, instead of drawing and playing Fate cards, an opponent may use a "Fate" action to force an Ally Vehicle to engage with a Hero Vehicle. If they choose this option, they do not draw and therefore do not play a Fate card.
Card Actions
Play / Place a Card
Some cards let you "play" a card directly to your Sector, either from your Villain or Fate decks or from your discard piles, as if you had played them from your hand. You must then pay its cost (unless stated otherwise on the card). That card's ability then triggers, even if it is to your disadvantage.
If you must "place" a card, ignore any effect it has when it comes into play.
When a card is played, it is the player who plays it who decides where to play it and how to use its ability.
Free
The ability of some cards lets you perform an action or play a card for free. This means that you do not need to pay any cost (in Credit or Ambition tokens), nor to use an action symbol to play the card or perform the action. You must, however, apply its ability as far as possible.
Find
If a card tells you to "find" a card or a specific card type, take that card, then follow the new instructions given by the card asking you to find it. Start by checking whether the card you are looking for is already at a location in your Sector or in your hand. If it is not there, look for it in the corresponding discard pile. If it is not there either, look for it in the deck, then reshuffle the deck.
If you must "play" or "place" that card in your Sector, you may put it back at any location, including the one it was originally at, as long as you follow the instructions of the card asking you to find it.
Defeat
To "defeat" a Hero, Ally or Vehicle means to remove it from your Sector and discard it onto the corresponding pile. You may defeat a card either through the "Vanquish" action or by playing a specific card. If a card's ability lets you defeat a Hero directly, you do not need to use the "Vanquish" action.
Swap
A card with a swap ability means that you may exchange it for another. It states whether you must "find", "reveal" or "look" to locate the other card. Once found, exchange the original card for the new one. The original card states what you must do with these two cards. Follow the usual rules when you play this new card.
Choose
If a card tells you to "choose" a card, it will also tell you where to take it from. You may choose any card as long as it meets the criteria mentioned in the ability of the original card.
Reveal
If a card tells you to "reveal" cards, turn them over so that all players can see them. If those cards are in your hand, show them to your opponents, then put them back in your hand. If you must reveal cards from your Fate or Villain decks, turn them over one by one so that everyone can see them.
When you have finished revealing cards from a deck to retrieve the required card, place the other revealed cards in the corresponding discard pile. Then reshuffle your discard pile and your deck to form a new one. If you must reveal cards from an exhausted deck, shuffle the corresponding discard pile to form a new deck.
Remove
If a card tells you to remove a particular card or a specific card type from your Sector, discard it onto the appropriate pile. Unless stated otherwise, a card is always removed from your Sector. No ability may be triggered to prevent a card from being removed.
Look
If a card tells you to "look at" cards, in either of your decks, look at them secretly without showing them to the others. If you must look at cards from an exhausted deck, shuffle the corresponding discard pile to form a new deck.
Maneuver and Move
Move and Maneuver are actions that may be chosen at a location with a "Move / Maneuver" symbol. Cards that refer to them must use that action. If a card's ability lets it be moved by using other actions, events or game effects, you do not need to use a "Move / Maneuver" action to do so.
Credits
Star Wars Villainous: Scum and Villainy (French edition: Vermine & Trahison) — Design and development by: Mike Mulvihill. Original Villainous game system: Prospero Hall.
Art Direction: Jake Breish. Graphic Design: Chris Buckley. Writing: Anna Daines.
Illustration: Marko Manev, Wesley Gardner, Jan-Wah Li, Phoebe Herrington.
Playtesting: Colin Burks, Zachary Gaiski, Joshua Green, Micah Green, Schuyler Hooten, Alexander Hruska-Johnson, Sean Jonte, Kendall and Stacy Lewis, Andrew Maine, Rich Mulvihill, Garrett Partch, Alex Ricketts, Tom Ségur, Federico Seregni and Michael Vincent.
French translation: Éric Bouret, Laëtitia Barbé, Florian Pastor, Jean-Baptiste Ramassamy.
© & ™ LucasFilm Ltd. Instructions: © 2023 Ravensburger North America, Inc. All rights reserved.