SYNDICATE: An Interplanetary Conquest Board Game Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Part I: Components
  • Components
  • Resources
  • Base Cards and Base Tiles
  • Bonus Chips
  • Operation Cards
  • Syndicate Mats and Syndicate Cards
  • Game Board
  • Alert Level Track, Sovereign Cards and Dice
• Part II: Setup
  • Preparing the Game Board
  • Setting Up the Player Mats
• Part III: Game Play
  • Round Structure
  • Phase 1: Player Turns
  • Phase 2: Sovereign Card
  • Phase 3: Resource Collection
  • Complete Missions (requires an ACTION DIE)
  • Assault Other Players' Bases (requires an ACTION DIE)
  • Activate a Sleeper
  • Purchase a New Base or Fortify an Existing Base
  • Note on Having Enough Crew to Maintain Bases
  • Purchase a Tech Level Increase or an Assault Level Increase
  • Exchange Resources
• Part IV: Advanced Game Topics
  • The Sovereign Blockade
  • Tax
  • Trading with Players
  • Alternative Rules: Extended Turn Mechanism
  • Alternative Rules: 2-Player Variation (Phantom Player)
• Part V: NGATA Solo Campaign
  • Components
  • Set-Up
  • Winning and Losing
  • Travel
  • Refueling
  • Missions
  • Confrontations
  • Vaults
• Appendix

Part I: Components

Components

• 1 Rule Book
• 1 Game Board
• 10 Syndicate Mats
• 10 Syndicate Cards
• 78 Operation Cards (missions and sleepers)
• 16 Sovereign Cards
• 12 Advanced Tech Cards
• 18 Base Cards
• 10 six-sided Action Dice
• 3 six-sided Consequence Dice
• 1 twelve-sided Crackdown Die
• 90 Silver Resource Cubes
• 50 Gold Resource Cubes
• 40 Farsei Resource Crystals
• 18 Base Tiles
• 37 Bonus Chips
• 1 Alert Level Track
• 2 Round and Alert Track Markers
• 1 Sovereign Destroyer
• 75 Player Markers
• 1 Assault Ship
• 1 Starting Player Marker
• 5 Rule Summary Cards

Editor's note: the counts above follow the German 2021 complete rulebook. The English draft lists 60 Silver Resource Cubes, 40 Gold Resource Cubes and 50 Farsei Resource Crystals, and leaves the Operation Card, Sovereign Card and Bonus Chip counts blank. The English draft does not list the Starting Player Marker or the Rule Summary Cards at all. The silver, gold and farsei counts are the only figures where the draft and the German disagree.

Resources

There are 3 resources in SYNDICATE.

• A. SOVEREIGN CREDITS (or "CREDITS"): Used for almost everything.
• B. POLITICAL INFLUENCE (or "INFLUENCE"): Used for buying bases and bribing Sovereign officials.
• C. CREW: Used for bases and assaults.

Resources come in 3 denominations.

• A. Farsei crystals: 10 resources.
• B. Gold bars: 5 resources.
• C. Silver bars: 1 resource.

Base Cards and Base Tiles

Setting up permanent criminal bases is a key source of resource generation.

• A. The name of the base with its image on the game board. If the base has any special attribute, it will be listed here.
• B. The income generation per turn (collected during the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE). Some bases have CREW COST that players must pay each turn.
• C. The one time cost of purchasing a new base on an unoccupied territory. New bases are by default unfortified.
• D. The cost of fortifying an unfortified base. (Fortifications protect from player assaults and Sovereign crackdowns.)

Base tiles are placed on the game board in two states: an UNFORTIFIED BASE TILE (silver side up) and a FORTIFIED BASE TILE (gold side up).

Bonus Chips

BONUS CHIPS are randomized rewards for being the first to set up a base on a territory. The color of the BONUS CHIP corresponds to the 3 zones of Arcturus.

• EXO BONUS CHIP
• MIDDLE BONUS CHIP
• INNER BONUS CHIP

Operation Cards

There are 2 types of OPERATION CARDS: missions and sleepers.

Mission cards are another key source of resource generation and require players to roll an ACTION DIE to complete.

• A. Each mission occurs on a specific territory (in this case Goshen). Whether the territory is occupied (by you or another player) affects the mission difficulty.
• B. To play missions outside of the Exo Zone, the game must be above a specified round.
• C. Each mission has a unique story. The story doesn't affect the game play, but it might be fun to be read.
• D. To complete a mission and collect the reward, players must roll an ACTION DIE. Each mission specifies winning rolls based on the occupancy status of the relevant territory. White "x" dice indicate winning rolls if players do not pay ahead of time to increase their odds of success by "hiring extra hands". Grey "x" dice indicate the incremental winning rolls after hiring extra hands.
• E. Before attempting a mission, players may improve their odds of success by hiring extra hands at the cost specified here.
• F. If players successfully complete a mission, they collect the resources specified here from the bank.

Certain missions (Player vs. Player Robberies) allow players to steal CREDITS from other players.

• A. Robbery missions relate to specific zones. This robbery mission can only be completed against a competing player with a base in the MIDDLE zone.
• B. As with regular missions, to complete a robbery mission you must roll an ACTION DIE, and players may pay ahead of attempting the mission to improve their odds by hiring extra hands.
• C. If the robbing player is successful with their ACTION DIE roll, they roll again (with CONSEQUENCE DICE) to see how many CREDITS they steal from their victim. The number of reward dice is affected by whether or not the victim's base is fortified.

Sleepers are another type of OPERATION CARD. Sleepers are traps that are activated by a player on their turn, and played at any later point in the game (within the bounds specified on the card) to disrupt other players' strategies.

NOTE: Sleepers do not require an ACTION DIE to activate, but you may only have one active sleeper at one time. You may burn (into the OPERATION CARD discard pile) an existing active sleeper without playing it to make room for a new sleeper.

The individual mission, sleeper, sovereign and advanced tech card faces are printed on the cards themselves; the rulebook text does not reproduce them card by card.

Syndicate Mats and Syndicate Cards

All players have a unique syndicate, with different strengths, weaknesses and abilities. The SYNDICATE MATS summarize a syndicate's unique abilities and are where players keep track of resources.

• A. Syndicate starting bonuses are an important differentiating strength.
• B. The ACTION DIE track. Each round, players start with 2 "armed" ACTION DICE. When players take actions that require rolling an ACTION DIE (missions or assaults), players move the rolled die into the "used" box, indicating that ACTION DIE cannot be used again that round. ACTION DICE are reset during the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE.
• C. SOVEREIGN CREDIT box is where players keep resource cubes representing CREDITS. The top left of this box tells players how many CREDITS they begin the game with and the CREDITS racketeering income they receive each round (before collecting income from bases and other bonuses).
• D. POLITICAL INFLUENCE box, in which players keep resource cubes representing INFLUENCE. The bottom left of this box tells players how much INFLUENCE they begin the game with and the INFLUENCE racketeering income they receive each round (before collecting income from bases and other bonuses).
• E. CREW box, in which players keep resource cubes representing CREW. The bottom right of this box tells players how many CREW they begin the game with and the CREW racketeering income they receive each round (before collecting income from bases and other bonuses).
• F. Players may exchange resources for one another on their turns at the rates set out on the SYNDICATE MATS. (2 CREDITS for 1 CREW or 1 INFLUENCE, 3 CREW for 1 INFLUENCE, and 3 INFLUENCE for 1 CREW.) NOTE: No resources exchange into CREDITS.
• G. Assault level track, which allows players to keep track of their current assault level. The blue assault level box (in this case LEVEL 1) represents the starting assault level. (If no boxes are shaded blue, that player starts with LEVEL 0 assault ability.) Players may increase assault levels throughout the game.
• H. The tech level track allows players to keep track of their current tech level. The blue tech level box to the far left (in this case LEVEL 3) represents the starting tech level. At certain tech levels (6, 8 and 10), players receive bonuses. Players may increase tech levels throughout the game.

Editor's note: the German 2021 rulebook gives the tech level bonus levels as 5, 7 and 9 (Part II, step 4), where this draft gives 6, 8 and 10. The draft figures are printed here; the German figures are listed in Part II under Set up TECH LEVEL track.

Game Board

• A. Round track. While there may be as many as 8 rounds, most games will have fewer.
• B. Placeholder for playing cards. Place SOVEREIGN CARDS and OPERATION CARDS here face down. Place BASE CARDS, ADVANCED TECH and discarded OPERATION CARDS here face up.
• C. Base hex placeholder. After purchasing bases, players place a BASE TILE with their player marker in the placeholder.
• D. Certain bases have special attributes, which are identifiable by the icon in the top right of the territory name. These bases provide their owners special bonuses.

Special base	Effect
Military Installations	Generates weapons research, which increases the controlling player's assault level over time, and provides a temporary fortification effect (against player assaults only) to adjacent bases in the red beams.
Research Stations	Generates tech research, which increases the controlling player's tech level over time.
Mining Centers	Grants the controlling player additional resources.
Casino	Increases the controlling player's "luck" for missions. Players in control of the Casino can add +1 to any mission roll.

• E. Military Installations and Research Stations generate "research" once per turn. Research progress is represented by filling one of the territory-adjacent boxes with a player cube.
• F. The red beams indicate which bases are protected by Military Installations. Players must own the connected Military Installation to receive the fortification benefit. (A Military Installation does nothing against the might of the Sovereign during CRACKDOWNS.)
• G. There are two trade routes in Arcturus. Owning all bases in a trade route provides the owner bonus resource generation during the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE.
• H. The territories in Arcturus fall into 1 of 3 zones: the EXO zone, the MIDDLE zone, and the INNER zone. The cost and income generation of bases vary by zone. (See Part III, "Purchase a new base or fortify an existing base".)
• I. Players may purchase tech level and assault level increases on their turns. The price of such purchase fluctuates depending on a player's purchase frequency. The MARKET box keeps track of the price of future purchases.
• J. Players may receive AWARDS for being the first to complete certain feats. Players claim awards by placing a player cube in the respective AWARD box. At the end of the game, players add victory points from AWARDS to their CREDITS to calculate their final SYNDICATE SCORE.

Alert Level Track, Sovereign Cards and Dice

• ALERT LEVEL TRACK: Measures the Sovereign's agitation from crime in Arcturus.
• SOVEREIGN CARDS: The Sovereign's reaction to the rise of crime in Arcturus. These become more severe as the ALERT LEVEL rises.
• SOVEREIGN DESTROYER: Used in the advanced rules (see Part IV).
• ASSAULT SHIP: Used for assaults (see Part III).
• ADVANCED TECH CARDS: Grant special abilities to players who reach high tech levels.
• PLAYER MARKERS and ROUND / ALERT LEVEL MARKERS.
• ACTION DIE, CONSEQUENCE DIE and CRACKDOWN DIE.
• SYNDICATE CARDS: Used at the beginning of the game to draw players' syndicates.

Part II: Setup

Preparing the Game Board

1. GAME BOARD. Lay out GAME BOARD. Add a white marker in the round track on the "1" box.

2. ALERT LEVEL TRACK: Place Alert Level Track next to the game board, add a marker on the "1" box, and place the Sovereign Destroyer in the "Sovereign Blockade" box.

3. BONUS CHIPS: Separate the BONUS CHIPS by color (EXO, MIDDLE, INNER) and shuffle each of the 3 piles face-down separately. Place one face-down EXO BONUS CHIP in each of the 6 EXO corresponding hex placeholders, place one face-down MIDDLE BONUS CHIP in each of the 9 MIDDLE corresponding hex placeholders, and place one face-down INNER BONUS CHIP in each of the 3 INNER corresponding hex placeholders. Place remaining BONUS CHIPS back in the box.

4. SOVEREIGN CARDS deck: Remove BEGINNING OF THE END (★) card from the SOVEREIGN CARD deck, and shuffle remaining cards. Draw 2 SOVEREIGN CARDS face-down and shuffle together with the (face-down) BEGINNING OF THE END card. Draw 4 additional SOVEREIGN CARDS and place on top of the first 3 cards. Finally, draw one of the remaining SOVEREIGN CARDS and place face-down at the bottom of the SOVEREIGN CARD deck. Put remaining SOVEREIGN CARDS back in the box. The SOVEREIGN CARDS deck should now have 8 cards, with the BEGINNING OF THE END in either the 5th, 6th, or 7th position. Place the SOVEREIGN CARDS deck in the corresponding placeholder on the GAME BOARD.

5. OPERATION CARDS: Shuffle all OPERATION CARDS face-down in one deck. Deal 4 OPERATION CARDS to each player and place remaining OPERATION CARDS deck in the corresponding placeholder on the GAME BOARD.

6. ADVANCED TECH CARDS and BASE CARDS: Place the ADVANCED TECH CARDS deck and BASE CARDS deck in their corresponding placeholders on the game board.

Setting Up the Player Mats

1. Select PLAYER MAT matching selected syndicate: Each PLAYER MAT corresponds to one of the 10 syndicates, with the name of the syndicate in the top right of each player mat.

2. Take note of syndicate starting bonus: Most syndicates have a starting bonus, which is detailed under the syndicate name. Some bonuses relate to pre-game set-up (for instance Fidge & Co. starts the game with a fortified base on Koss), whereas other bonuses have ongoing effects. (Players with starting bases as their bonus DO NOT collect a BONUS CHIP for their starting base.)

3. Collect starting resources: Each player mat details the starting number of CREDITS, INFLUENCE and CREW for each player. Place the appropriate RESOURCE CUBES in each of the resource boxes.

   Example: Fidge & Co. starts with 3 CREDITS, 0 INFLUENCE and 2 CREW. Each round during the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE, this player will collect 3 CREDITS, 0 INFLUENCE and 3 CREW as racketeering income.

4. Set up TECH LEVEL track: Place a PLAYER MARKER on the furthest left TECH LEVEL (the "STARTING TECH LEVEL"). As players increase their TECH LEVEL throughout the game (either through BONUS CHIPS, special territories, or from market purchases), players slide the PLAYER MARKER to incrementally higher numbers on the TECH LEVEL track. Note: Each player receives special abilities or bonuses at TECH LEVEL 6, 8, and 10.

   Editor's note: the German 2021 rulebook places the tech bonuses at TECH LEVEL 5, 7 and 9 and marks the starting tech box in yellow. The draft's 6, 8 and 10 are printed above and in Part I; the German figures are the alternative reading to check against the printed player mats.

5. Set up ASSAULT LEVEL track: Players start the game with an ASSAULT LEVEL of 0, 1, or 2 depending on their syndicate. A player's starting level is represented by the ASSAULT LEVEL boxes shaded BLUE. Place PLAYER CUBES in each starting ASSAULT LEVEL boxes as well as the adjacent "ARMED" reinforcements boxes. Whenever an assault reinforcement is used, the corresponding PLAYER CUBE is moved from ARMED to USED. Each RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE, USED assault reinforcements are reset to ARMED. As players increase their ASSAULT LEVEL throughout the game (either through BONUS CHIPS, special territories, or from market purchases), players add PLAYER MARKERS to incrementally higher numbers on the ASSAULT LEVEL track (as well as adjacent ARMED reinforcement boxes).

Part III: Game Play

The goal of a game of SYNDICATE is simple: end the game with the highest amount of SOVEREIGN CREDITS + VICTORY POINTS, which together equal your SYNDICATE SCORE. Players generate most of their CREDITS from completing missions and owning bases. All other parts of the game relate to managing resources, enhancing players' capabilities, or setting traps for other players.

• The Goal: Highest SYNDICATE SCORE (CREDITS + VICTORY POINTS).
• The Main Gameplay: Completing Missions, Buying Bases, Accumulating Bases, Assaulting Bases.
• The Support: Managing Resources (selling unwanted OPERATION CARDS, exchanging resources for one another), Enhancing Capabilities (fortifying bases, playing BONUS CHIPS, buying TECH LEVEL or ASSAULT LEVEL improvements), Setting Traps (activating / playing sleeper cards).

Round Structure

A game of SYNDICATE is played over 6 to 8 rounds. Each round has the following three phases.

Phase 1: Player Turns

One at a time, starting with the player holding the First Player Marker, then moving clockwise until all players have completed their respective turns, players may do any of the following in any order. ALL ACTIONS MUST BE ANNOUNCED.

1. Complete missions. Missions are one of the key sources of resource generation throughout the game. Players roll an ACTION DIE to attempt missions, and collect resources if their rolls are successful. Some missions involve robbing other players. NOTE: COMPLETING MISSIONS DOES NOT RESULT IN OWNING BASES. MISSIONS ONLY GENERATE ONE-TIME RESOURCES.
2. Assault other players' bases. Assaults allow players to steal bases from other players. To assault a base, players announce a target base and roll an ACTION DIE with requisite crew. Assaults may be modified with reinforcements, which improve the odds of success.
3. Activate a sleeper. Sleepers are traps that players can activate on their turns and reveal at any time.
4. Purchase new bases or fortify existing bases. Bases are another key source of resource generation. Each base has a designated purchase cost (based on its zone) and a resource income / (expense). Players collect the designated resource income once per round during the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE, so long as they continue to own the base. Bases may be fortified for a cost, which makes it more difficult for players to assault or for the Sovereign to seize during a crackdown.
5. Purchase a tech level increase or an assault level increase. Each syndicate starts with a different tech and assault levels. Players may purchase additional tech and assault level increases on their turns.
6. Exchange resources. Players may convert 2 CREDITS into 1 CREW or 1 INFLUENCE, 3 INFLUENCE into 1 CREW, or 3 CREW into 1 INFLUENCE. Neither crew nor influence resources can be exchanged into credits. NOTE: exchange rates may only be used on a player's turn.
7. Sell unwanted OPERATION CARDS. OPERATION CARDS that players do not want may be "sold" in exchange for 1 of any resource.
8. Play BONUS CHIPS. Players receive BONUS CHIPS when purchasing the first base on a territory. Each bonus chip specifies a one-time reward for players, which can be collected at any time during that player's turn (including turns in later rounds).

On their turn, players may take as many actions as they like (or can afford). Once they are satisfied with their turn, players pass to the next (clockwise) player.

Editor's note: step 7 gives the sale price as 1 resource, which matches the German edition. The detailed "Sell unwanted OPERATION CARDS" entry later in this Part gives 2 of any resources, as printed in the draft. The draft is internally inconsistent here; both figures are printed.

Phase 2: Sovereign Card

Draw and resolve the top Sovereign card. The punishments of the SOVEREIGN CARD become more severe as the ALERT LEVEL increases. See Part IV, "Tax", for more detail on taxes.

After the SOVEREIGN CARD is drawn, but before resolving the card, players may pay INFLUENCE for a pardon and become immune from the effects of the SOVEREIGN CARD. The pardon cost depends on the number of bases held:

Bases owned	Pardon cost	Bases owned	Pardon cost	Bases owned	Pardon cost
No bases	3	4 bases	20	8 bases	40
1 base	5	5 bases	25	9 bases	45
2 bases	10	6 bases	30	10 bases	50
3 bases	15	7 bases	35	11 bases	55

Phase 3: Resource Collection

Once all players have resolved the effect of the SOVEREIGN CARD (or have paid INFLUENCE for a pardon), players collect resources and reset the board for the next round. The RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE should be completed as follows:

1. Collect 2 new OPERATION CARDS. Players also collect an additional OPERATION CARD for each unused (i.e. "armed") ACTION DIE they have (up to 2 additional OPERATION CARDS).
2. Reset ACTION DICE and assault reinforcement markers. Move any USED ACTION DICE and USED assault reinforcement markers back into the ARMED boxes.
3. Collect resources. All syndicates have a minimum income of CREDITS, INFLUENCE and CREW set out on their player mats (i.e. their "racketeering income"). Additionally, some syndicates provide bonuses based on various game conditions. Finally, players collect resources from each base they own (as well as from any territory or trade route bonus). NOTE: some bases have a CREW cost instead of an income. If a player does not have sufficient CREW to pay the mandated cost, they flip that base card over for the duration of the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE and subsequent PLAYER TURN PHASE. See "Note on having enough CREW to maintain bases" below for additional details.
4. Place research markers. Add player cubes to the designated spots on military installations and research stations.
5. Remove a player cube from the assault level and tech level market. Each player removes one of their player markers (if any are present) from the combined assault level and tech level market (effectively decreasing the price of purchasing another assault level or tech level increase the subsequent round). NOTE: if players have cubes in both the assault level market and tech level market, they may remove only 1 cube.
6. Increase round level marker.
7. Pass the FIRST PLAYER MARKER clockwise.

Once all players have completed the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE, the next round begins.

Complete Missions (requires an ACTION DIE)

Missions are one of the main sources of resource generation in a game of SYNDICATE. Missions are part of the OPERATION CARDS deck. Players draw new OPERATION CARDS each round during the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE.

Missions come in two varieties: (i) ordinary missions, in which successful players win resources from the bank, and (ii) player versus player robberies, in which players steal resources from other players.

To attempt a mission, players do the following:

1. Check whether it is possible to attempt the mission. To attempt a mission, players must have an unused ACTION DIE and the current round must be higher than or equal to the mission's round requirement. Additionally, Player vs. Player Robberies require the target of the robbery have a base in a specified zone.
2. Reveal and announce mission. Reveal the mission card to the other players. Announce any bonuses (from BONUS CHIPS, ADVANCED TECH CARDS or bonuses from bases that modify roll requirements) prior to rolling. Also, if attempting a mission in a territory controlled by another player, announce whether the mission will be COOPERATIVE or UNCOOPERATIVE. (COOPERATIVE missions require the player attempting the mission split the reward with the player who controls that territory, with odd numbers of resources rounding up in favor of the player attempting the mission. The player who controls the base does not need to consent to a mission being completed cooperatively.) If attempting a Player vs. Player Robbery mission, specify which base is the target of the robbery.
3. (Optional) Hire extra hands. Hiring extra hands is a mechanism by which players can pay to improve the odds of success on a mission. For instance, this mission on Goshen (with no player owning a base there) requires players roll a 4, 5 or 6 to win. By paying 1 CREDIT, 2 INFLUENCE and 2 CREW, players can now also win by rolling a 3.
4. Roll an ACTION DIE. Roll an ARMED (i.e. unused) ACTION DIE and announce whether the mission was successful or unsuccessful.
5. Resolve outcome.
   • a. If successful ordinary mission: collect reward resources specified on mission card from the bank.
   • b. If successful Player vs. Player Robbery mission: roll CONSEQUENCE DICE as dictated by mission card. Note: the number of CONSEQUENCE DICE rolled is affected by whether the target's base is FORTIFIED or UNFORTIFIED. Collect CREDITS equal to the sum of the CONSEQUENCE DICE rolled.
   • c. If unsuccessful: increase ALERT LEVEL by 1. If playing with ADVANCED RULES and ALERT LEVEL is at maximum level, place SOVEREIGN DESTROYER on territory of the unsuccessful mission. Refer to Part IV for more information on the SOVEREIGN DESTROYER.

Assault Other Players' Bases (requires an ACTION DIE)

Assaults are a mechanism by which one player can steal a base from another player. The probability of success of an assault is a function of how many assault reinforcements the assaulting player uses and whether or not the target base is fortified. To carry out an assault, players do the following:

1. Announce an assault. The assaulting player announces which base they are assaulting and whether they are improving their assault with any reinforcements.
2. Place ASSAULT SHIP next to target with appropriate CREW and reinforcements. The assaulting player places 5 of their CREW on the assault ship for an assault. If using reinforcements, the assaulting player adds 5 additional CREW and as many reinforcement markers as they have available (and want to use). Note: assault reinforcements may only be used once per round, and are reset to ARMED during the resource collection phase. Players may choose the number of reinforcements they want to use up to the number of unused reinforcements they have available.
3. Roll an ACTION DIE. A winning roll is a function of how many assault reinforcements the assaulting player uses AND whether or not the target base is fortified. (See the table of winning rolls below.) If assaulting player wins, remove incumbent player's PLAYER MARKER and replace it with the assaulting player's PLAYER MARKER on an UNFORTIFIED base. (Winners of assaults always inherit an UNFORTIFIED BASE.)
4. Discard CREW. Whether or not an assault is successful, the assaulting player discards all CREW used in the assault.
5. Increase ALERT LEVEL. Whether or not an assault is successful, the ALERT LEVEL increases by 1 (unless it is already at the maximum). Note: the destroyer does not move due to assaults; only failed missions.

Winning assault rolls by type

	Attack (no reinforcement)	With 1 reinforcement	With 2 reinforcements	With 3 reinforcements	With 4 reinforcements
CREW consumed	5	10	10	10	10
Winning roll against UNFORTIFIED base	6	5+	4+	3+	2+
Winning roll against FORTIFIED base	n/a	6	5+	4+	3+

Editor's note: the table is reproduced from the printed "Winning assault rolls by type" graphic in the German 2021 rulebook (page 15), which uses the same figures as the draft's table.

Activate a Sleeper

Sleepers, which are part of the OPERATION CARDS deck, are traps for other players that (once activated) can be played at any time during the game. To play a sleeper, players must first activate it on their turn by announcing the action and placing a sleeper face-down on the designated spot on their player mat.

When players are ready to play the sleeper, they flip over the activated card on their mat and announce the effects. After playing the sleeper, the card is discarded.

Players may only have one activated sleeper at once. On their turn, players may burn an activated sleeper (without playing it) and add a new sleeper card in its place. Burned sleeper cards are placed in the OPERATION CARDS discard pile. NOTE: Players can place an unwanted mission card in the sleeper placeholder as a decoy.

Purchase a New Base or Fortify an Existing Base

Bases are another key source of resource generation. Each base has a designated purchase cost (based on its zone) and a resource income / (expense). Players collect the designated resource income once per round during the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE, so long as they continue to own the base. Bases may be fortified for a cost, which makes it more difficult for players to assault or for the Sovereign to seize during a CRACKDOWN.

Zone	Cost to purchase base	Income (or cost) per turn	Cost to fortify base
EXO	8 Credits, 4 Influence	3 Credits, 3 Influence, 3 Crew	4 Credits, 6 Crew
MIDDLE	12 Credits, 6 Influence	6 Credits, 3 Influence, -3 Crew	6 Credits, 10 Crew
INNER	16 Credits, 8 Influence	9 Credits, 3 Influence, -6 Crew	8 Credits, 12 Crew

Editor's note: the zone table is transcribed from the printed "Base costs" graphic (draft page 16 and German page 16). The printed symbols are read as coin-stack = Credits, handshake = Influence and crew figure = Crew.

After purchasing a base, the purchasing player removes the corresponding BONUS TILE (if one is still present), places a BASE TILE on that territory with the silver side facing up, representing an UNFORTIFIED BASE, and places one of their PLAYER MARKERS on top of the BASE TILE. After a player fortifies a base, they flip the BASE TILE so the gold side is facing up, which represents a FORTIFIED BASE.

Note that bases in the MIDDLE and INNER zones have negative CREW income, so controlling players must pay the specified amount of crew each round. If the controlling players do not have enough crew to pay the required cost, players lose that base.

Certain bases have special attributes:

• MINING CENTERS – Mining centers provide the controlling player 1 or 2 extra resources of their choosing during the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE.

• MILITARY INSTALLATIONS – Military installations provide a temporary fortification effect (against player assaults only) to adjacent bases connected by red beams. A base protected by a military installation is treated as if it is fortified so long as the military installation and adjacent base is controlled by the same player. Given fortification is temporary, do not flip affected base tile to the FORTIFIED side to reflect military installation protection. (Instead, place a player cube in the corresponding fortification marker.) The fortification effect of a military installation does not apply to CRACKDOWNS.

  A military installation also generates weapons research, which increases the controlling player's assault level over time. After purchasing a military installation, each round during the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE, the controlling player adds a PLAYER MARKER in one of the respective research boxes adjacent to their base. When all research boxes are full, ON THEIR TURN, they remove the research markers and increase their ASSAULT LEVEL by 1. Research is only converted to an ASSAULT LEVEL increase on the relevant player's turn, not during the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE. If a base with some completed research is seized by another player in an assault, all research is cleared (i.e. research does not transfer in an assault).

  Research example (after purchasing Ceto): after purchase, the first RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE places 1 research marker; the second places 2; the third places 3; on the subsequent turn the owner collects a +1 ASSAULT LEVEL increase. Then the research tiles are cleared and the process starts again.

• RESEARCH STATIONS – Research stations generate tech research (in a similar mechanism to military installations), which increases the controlling player's TECH LEVEL over time. After purchasing a research station, each round during the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE, the controlling player adds a PLAYER MARKER in one of the respective research boxes adjacent to their base. When all research boxes are full, ON THEIR TURN, they remove the research markers and increase their TECH LEVEL by 1. Research is only converted to a TECH LEVEL increase on the relevant player's turn, not during the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE. If a base with some completed research is seized by another player in an assault, all research is cleared (i.e. research does not transfer in an assault).

Note on Having Enough Crew to Maintain Bases

Bases in the MIDDLE and INNER zones require players to pay 3 and 6 CREW each round during the resource collection phase. If players do not have enough CREW (after taking into consideration contemporaneous CREW income from other sources), players must flip that base card for the duration of the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE and subsequent PLAYER TURN PHASE, and cannot collect resources or bonuses from it. The base card should be flipped back up at the start of the next SOVEREIGN CARD PHASE.

NOTE: Players can use crew income from other bases and racketeering income to pay the crew cost, but players MAY NOT use the resource exchange rates during the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE, so it is important players plan ahead.

Purchase a Tech Level Increase or an Assault Level Increase

Players may also increase their ASSAULT LEVEL or TECH LEVEL by making a purchase on the BLACK MARKET. Prices for a TECH LEVEL or ASSAULT LEVEL increase are dynamic. The prices for TECH LEVEL or ASSAULT LEVEL increases are determined by the lowest available box in the BLACK MARKET. When a player purchases either a TECH LEVEL or ASSAULT LEVEL increase, they place one of their PLAYER MARKERS in the corresponding box. Next time that player wants to pay to increase that same ability, the cost increases.

In Figure 1 below, based on purchases through this point in time, it would cost the GREEN player 5 CREDITS to purchase a TECH LEVEL increase (i.e. the starting price for increasing that ability). By comparison, the RED player, who already has made a TECH LEVEL purchase and has a cube occupying the 5 CREDITS box would need to pay 10 CREDITS, and the BLUE player would need to pay 15 CREDITS.

In Figure 2 below, GREEN has decided to pay to increase their TECH LEVEL by 1 point and has paid 5 CREDITS. They now mark the corresponding TECH LEVEL box.

Once per round, during the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE, players may remove 1 of their PLAYER MARKERS from the BLACK MARKET (either from the TECH LEVEL market or the ASSAULT LEVEL market). In Figure 3, during the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE, RED removed a cube from the ASSAULT LEVEL market, BLUE removed a cube from the TECH LEVEL market, and GREEN removed a cube from the TECH LEVEL market as well.

Editor's note: the three black-market figures (before purchase, after purchase, after collection) are graphics in the draft and are not reproduced.

Exchange Resources

Players may exchange resources for one another on their turns at the rates set out on the SYNDICATE MATS. (2 CREDITS for 1 CREW or 1 INFLUENCE, 3 CREW for 1 INFLUENCE, and 3 INFLUENCE for 1 CREW.) NOTE: No resources exchange into CREDITS. Players may only use exchange rates on their turn.

Sell Unwanted OPERATION CARDS

Players may sell unwanted OPERATION CARDS for 2 of any resources. To sell an OPERATION CARD, players announce they are selling it, discard it in the OPERATION CARD discard pile, and collect 2 of any resources of their choice.

Editor's note: see the note under Phase 1, item 7. The German edition gives 1 resource.

Play Bonus Chips

Players collect BONUS CHIPS when they are the first player to purchase a base on a territory. BONUS CHIPS are not collected when taking a base through an assault or purchasing a base on a territory that previously had a base that was lost. Further, syndicates that start with bases do not collect a BONUS CHIP for their starting base.

BONUS CHIPS may be played at any point on a player's turn (and can be saved for use on subsequent turns). After playing, discard BONUS CHIPS back to the box or in a discard pile. There are no limits on the number of BONUS CHIPS players can use on a turn.

Part IV: Advanced Game Topics

This section outlines a few rule modifications for advanced game play.

Source note: the English draft's Part IV is an empty placeholder ("[ ]" in the contents, "[TBU]" in the body). The Sovereign Blockade, Tax and Trading rules below are the draft's own text, which appears in its pages 20 to 22 (the German edition uses the same headings). The alternative turn mechanism and the 2-player variation are not in the English draft; they are translated from the German complete rulebook (pages 21 to 22), and the German sentence on removing the destroyer is added to the Sovereign Blockade text on the same basis.

The Sovereign Blockade

When the ALERT LEVEL has reached its maximum (8 for a 4 to 5 player game, and 6 for a 2 to 3 player game), the Sovereign is hyperalert to all criminal activity in the system, and takes immediate action when it detects crime.

For most of the game, the SOVEREIGN DESTROYER sits off the game board, but when the ALERT LEVEL is at its maximum, the SOVEREIGN DESTROYER comes into play. If the ALERT LEVEL is maximized, and a player fails a mission, place the SOVEREIGN DESTROYER on that territory corresponding to the failed mission (whether or not there is a base there).

If the SOVEREIGN DESTROYER is placed on a player's base, that player must flip over their corresponding BASE CARD. While under a blockade, bases do not generate income or bonuses. For instance, if the SOVEREIGN DESTROYER is placed on Ceto, CETO no longer provides a fortification benefit to Ukemochi City. (The German edition also names Ätna as losing the fortification benefit from Ceto.) Additionally, if the SOVEREIGN DESTROYER is on a base during the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE, that base does not generate income.

At any point on their turn or during the SOVEREIGN CARD PHASE, players may pay 10 POLITICAL INFLUENCE to remove the SOVEREIGN DESTROYER from their base (in which case it is placed back on the ALERT TRACK until the next failed mission).

Note: the SOVEREIGN DESTROYER is placed on the territory corresponding to the territory of the failed mission, even if another player has a base there, so once the SOVEREIGN DESTROYER is in play, you can try to fail missions to disrupt other players.

From the German edition: if the ALERT LEVEL is reduced while the destroyer is on the game board, the ship is taken off the board.

Tax

The "Tax" SOVEREIGN CARD requires players pay CREDITS for each base they own. If players do not have enough CREDITS to pay the required tax, they must flip the base cards on which they cannot afford the tax.

Keep these base cards flipped for the duration of the RESOURCE COLLECTION PHASE and subsequent PLAYER TURN PHASE, and do not collect resources or bonuses from it. The base card should be flipped back up at the start of the next SOVEREIGN CARD PHASE.

Trading with Players

Players may trade with one another throughout the game during the PLAYER TURN PHASE only when it is not their turn. For instance, if it is the blue player's turn, the red, green and yellow players may trade with each other, but as soon as the red player passes their turn, green may no longer participate in trading until after their turn.

Anything can be traded, including future alliances; however there is no enforcement of agreements so players will need to trust other players.

Alternative Rules: Extended Turn Mechanism

From the German complete rulebook. Note: this alternative to the player turn phase increases player interaction but also lengthens the game. Neither the Sovereign Card Phase nor the Resource Collection Phase is affected by this alternative.

Instead of having only one turn per round, players may have several limited-action turns in each round of the player turn phase. Players may take only 1 or 2 of the 8 actions in each round. If a player takes no action before ending their turn, they may take no further actions until the end of the current player turn phase. As long as a player takes at least 1 of the 8 actions, they receive further turns in the current phase. When all players have passed without action, the player turn phase ends immediately and the Sovereign Card Phase begins.

The 8 actions may be played in any order and as often as the player chooses or their resources allow. However, all used ACTION DICE, used assault reinforcements or placed black-market markers may still not be reset until the Resource Collection Phase begins.

A player who has passed without action, and so may take no further turn actions in the current phase, may still take part in TRADING and other out-of-turn exploits, such as playing a sleeper card that has already been activated.

Alternative Rules: 2-Player Variation (Phantom Player)

From the German complete rulebook.

Two players may play with the regular rules described on the preceding pages. The following optional variant creates a "phantom" third player (the "PHANTOM PLAYER") to create more action in a head-to-head game.

Unless stated otherwise below, gameplay in this variant is the same as in a typical game. To set up and play this variation:

1. Choose a color and a spot for the PHANTOM PLAYER. The PHANTOM PLAYER should start directly counter-clockwise from the starting real player, so that the PHANTOM PLAYER is third in the first round (second in the second round, first to act in the third round, and so on).
2. Assign starting bases to the PHANTOM PLAYER. Shuffle the BASE CARD deck and draw 5 cards. These are the PHANTOM PLAYER's unfortified starting bases.
3. Take the PHANTOM PLAYER's actions. During the PHANTOM PLAYER's round, collect all BASE CARDS of the PHANTOM PLAYER and of both real players and shuffle them together. Draw 2 BASE CARDS.
   • a. IF a drawn BASE CARD belongs to the PHANTOM PLAYER and that base is unfortified, fortify that base now.
   • b. IF a drawn BASE CARD belongs to the PHANTOM PLAYER and that base is fortified, take no further action.
   • c. IF a drawn BASE CARD belongs to a real player, the PHANTOM PLAYER attacks that base. The strength of the attack is determined by the ALERT LEVEL:
     • Yellow alert level = 1-reinforcement attack by the PHANTOM PLAYER.
     • Orange alert level = 2-reinforcement attack by the PHANTOM PLAYER.
     • Red alert level = 3-reinforcement attack by the PHANTOM PLAYER.
4. Resolve the results and redistribute the cards. Once the actions for the 2 drawn BASE CARDS are resolved, return base cards to their rightful owners. If the PHANTOM PLAYER has won an attack, it now owns that base.

Further key rules

• Players may trade during the PHANTOM PLAYER's round (as if it were the round of a third real player).
• Do not set up a player mat for the PHANTOM PLAYER and do not track resource needs or collection for the PHANTOM PLAYER.
• The PHANTOM PLAYER may be attacked or robbed like any other player. (Collect resources from the bank if you successfully rob the PHANTOM PLAYER.)
• Apart from the attack and fortification actions discussed above, the PHANTOM PLAYER may not take any other actions.
• The PHANTOM PLAYER is immune to CRACKDOWNS.

Part V: NGATA Solo Campaign

Source note: Part V is transcribed from the publisher's English "NGATA Rule Book v08" (PDU Games, 11 pp.), a single-player add-on to the base game. It is not in the English draft. The German 2021 rulebook contains a longer NGATA section (pages 23 to 40, including vault story text) with some different set-up figures, noted below. Vault story text and the card-by-card contents of the vault and mission decks are not reproduced.

Welcome to the NGATA Solo Campaign, a single-player add-on to SYNDICATE: An Interplanetary Conquest Board Game. The following rules assume you are already familiar with multiplayer gameplay, outlined in the preceding sections. This solo rule book does not fully recap all of the rules that overlap with multiplayer gameplay.

[The campaign's opening story ("You are a trusted member of the NGATA Family...") is flavour text and is omitted here.]

Components

1. (NGATA) MISSION CARDS
2. (NGATA) VAULT CARDS
3. (NGATA) CONFRONTATION CARDS
4. (NGATA) ADVANCED TECH CARDS
5. (NGATA) DASHBOARD CARD
6. (NGATA) HYPERJUMP CARD
7. (NGATA) CORA & VAULT TILES
8. (NGATA) CONFRONTATION TILES

The German 2021 rulebook's list of new components gives 63 mission cards, 7 vault cards, 18 confrontation cards, 27 fuel cards, 4 advanced tech cards, 5 CORA and vault tiles and 15 confrontation tiles.

Set-Up

1. DETERMINE GAME LENGTH / DIFFICULTY. The NGATA Solo Campaign has two set-ups: SHORT GAME and LONG GAME, with the below vaults:

   Set-up	Difficulty	Time	Max alert level	Vaults
   #1	Medium	20 to 30 min	6	I: BOHR STATION; II: CETO; III: HONOS
   #2	Hard	30 to 50 min	8	I: KRONOS; II: GOSHEN; III: ETNA; IV: HONOS

   Additional variations are in the works.

   Cross-edition note: the German 2021 rulebook gives the set-up #1 time as 30 to 45 minutes and set-up #2 as 45 to 60 minutes, with the same vault locations and maximum alert levels.

2. PREPARE MISSION CARD DECKS. All MISSION CARDS are specific to either CORA or one of the vaults. Separate MISSION CARDS by the vault location specified on the back of the card. Discard MISSION CARD DECKS not relevant for your selected Set-up VARIATION. Shuffle each of the remaining MISSION CARD DECKS separately. If you are playing Set-up #1, you will have 3 separate MISSION CARD DECKS. If you are playing Set-up #2, you will have 4 decks. Place CORA MISSION DECK in the OPERATION CARD placeholder on the game board, and place remaining MISSION CARD DECKS adjacent to the board.

Winning and Losing

To win, you must unlock the final vault on Honos, which requires you to unlock all preceding vaults first. Each vault specifies a color combination of KEYS you will need to find (through completing missions or trading) and then deliver to the vault planet. While on the hunt for KEYS, you must maintain an ALERT LEVEL below 8. If the ALERT LEVEL reaches 8 at any time, you fail. An increase in the ALERT LEVEL can be triggered by confrontations with the Sovereign or other syndicates. There are a limited number of mission cards with KEYS. If you run out of mission cards and any vault is still locked, the game is over.

Travel

Unlike a multiplayer game of SYNDICATE, in the NGATA solo campaign you must travel from planet to planet, which comes with different limitations and costs.

Traveling within a zone. Arcturus is divided between three zones: the EXO zone, the MIDDLE zone, and the INNER zone, with planets, moons and stations color coded by zone. Traveling from any location to any other location within the same zone consumes ONE fuel and does not require rolling a CONSEQUENCE DIE. There is no limit on the amount of contraband in your cargo hold for intra-zone travel.

• Example 1: If you are on BLACKSTAR and want to travel to KOSS, you can move your ship simply by consuming ONE fuel.
• Example 2: If you are on BLACKSTAR and want to travel to GOSHEN, you must either travel through a trade route OR attempt a hyperjump (both detailed below).

Traveling through trade routes. There are two trade routes in Arcturus: the EXO-to-MIDDLE trade route (composed of KOSS, NEW VICTORIA, and VIMANA), and the MIDDLE-to-INNER trade route (composed of KAFKA, IO, and KEPLER). Traveling from any location within a trade route to any other location within THE SAME trade route consumes ONE fuel and does not require rolling a CONSEQUENCE DIE; however, you may only travel through a trade route with a maximum of TWO contraband in your cargo hold, unless your cargo hold has been modified by ADVANCED TECH. If you have more than two contraband and you want to travel from one zone to another, you must either abandon some contraband (which you cannot recover later) or you may attempt a hyperjump.

• Example: If you are on BLACKSTAR and want to travel to GOSHEN. First, you travel from BLACKSTAR to KOSS (consuming ONE fuel). Then, you travel from KOSS to VIMANA (consuming ONE fuel) so long as you have two or fewer contraband. Finally, you travel from VIMANA to GOSHEN. In total, this route has consumed THREE fuel.

Hyperjumping. If you are bold, you may attempt inter-zone travel by hyperjumping. Hyperjumping typically consumes less fuel than traveling from zone to zone through a trade route, and it does NOT have a restriction on the amount of contraband in your cargo hold, but it does require rolling a CONSEQUENCE DIE, which may result in punitive outcomes. Refer to the tables below for the fuel cost and CONSEQUENCE DIE requirements for different hyper jumps.

	Exo - Middle / Middle - Exo	Middle - Inner / Inner - Middle	Exo - Inner / Inner - Exo
Fuel consumption	2 fuel	2 fuel	3 fuel
Number of CONSEQUENCE DICE	1 roll	1 roll	2 rolls
Clean Jump (highest roll)	1 to 3	1 to 2	1 to 2
Draw a CONFRONTATION CARD (highest roll)	4 to 5	3 to 4	3 to 4
Sovereign Trap (highest roll): abandon all cargo and raise ALERT LEVEL by 1	6	5 to 6	5 to 6

Editor's note: the outcome ranges are read from the die-face icons printed on the hyperjump table (rulebook page 26), which is a graphic in the source. The ranges are the faces shown for each outcome; the text of the source does not state them.

Refueling

As you travel, you will remove player cubes from your FUEL DASHBOARD to indicate the consumption of fuel. At any time, you may refill your fuel tank by drawing a FUEL CARD from the FUEL DECK. Fuel tanks hold a maximum of 6 units of fuel, unless modified by ADVANCED TECH. No matter what your fuel level is when a FUEL CARD is drawn, your fuel tank is filled to max capacity. After drawing a FUEL CARD from the FUEL DECK, discard it.

NOTE: The FUEL DECK also includes cards that may trigger CONFRONTATION CARDS. If you are required to draw a CONFRONTATION CARD, you DO NOT refill your fuel, and you must resolve the encounter based on the instructions included on the card before taking any other actions, including drawing another card from the FUEL DECK.

Missions

To advance towards your final objective, you will need to complete different types of missions to find vault keys, accumulate resources, and unlock advanced tech and higher assault levels.

MISSION CARDS can always be drawn from CORA. Additionally, MISSION CARDS can be drawn from vaults after a vault is unlocked.

To draw a new MISSION CARD, your ship must be physically present on the source of the relevant mission card deck. For instance, if you're drawing a MISSION CARD from the BOHR STATION vault after unlocking it, your ship must be located on BOHR STATION.

Missions are completed on specific planets. To start a mission, you must be located on the planet specified by that MISSION CARD.

You may have a maximum of FOUR mission cards in your hand at once. You discard mission cards after attempting the missions (whether successfully or not). You may also discard a mission card from your hand without attempting it any time. Discarding a MISSION CARD does not provide any resource benefit (or consume any resources). All discarded mission cards are permanently lost.

Unless otherwise specified by the MISSION CARD, failing a mission does not raise the alert level.

Playing ordinary missions. Reward types: SOVEREIGN CREDITS and VAULT KEYS. Ordinary missions are single-shot missions that require traveling to a specific planet, moon, or space station and rolling a specified minimum with an ACTION DIE. Rewards and minimum success rolls vary by mission, but all ordinary missions allow you to Hire Extra Hands, which increases your probability of success. When you Hire Extra Hands, you can roll one or multiple extra ACTION DICE.

If you are successful in completing an ordinary mission, collect the reward and discard the MISSION CARD. If you fail an ordinary mission, do not collect a reward and discard the MISSION CARD, but do not increase the alert level, unless otherwise specified by the card.

You must decide whether or not to Hire Extra Hands prior to attempting a mission. If you elect to Hire Extra Hands, you must pay the required SOVEREIGN CREDITS prior to attempting the mission.

You may play an ordinary mission while in the middle of a special mission (see below).

Playing special missions. Special missions are a sub-category of MISSION CARDS that have elements over multiple locations across Arcturus, and may involve multiple stages and decision points. Special missions come in three varieties: courier missions, tech missions, and defense missions.

You may only have ONE active special mission at a time, which is placed face up on your player mat in the sleeper card placeholder. (While you have an active special mission, you may still attempt ordinary missions.)

Once a special mission is active and placed face up on your player mat, you may not return it to your hand. Either you complete the mission successfully, in which case you collect the reward and discard the MISSION CARD, or you fail the mission, in which case you discard the MISSION CARD and do not collect the reward.

In the NGATA solo campaign, FARSEI CRYSTALS are used to represent special contraband, and should not be used as a resource denomination. When discarding a special mission, also discard all FARSEI CRYSTALS brought into play for that mission card. FARSEI CRYSTALS from one special mission may not be used for a different mission.

To activate a special mission, you must travel to the designated starting location.

• Courier missions. Reward types: SOVEREIGN CREDITS and VAULT KEYS. Courier missions require you to smuggle contraband from one territory to one or multiple destinations. Courier mission rewards are sliding scales, meaning your rewards increase as you deliver more contraband to the specified destination(s). Courier missions may be abandoned and the MISSION CARD discarded at any time.
• Tech missions. Reward types: ADVANCED TECH. In the NGATA solo campaign, ADVANCED TECH is unlocked by completing tech missions, unlike the multiplayer version of SYNDICATE in which ADVANCED TECH is unlocked by reaching certain tech levels. Tech missions require collecting requisite contraband from across the star system and bringing them, undamaged, to the specific research center. Tech missions require all contraband to be collected and are failed if any required contraband is lost.
• Defense missions. Reward types: POLITICAL INFLUENCE and SOVEREIGN CREDITS. Defense missions are opportunities to help "innocent" Arcturians from marauder raids, earning you some POLITICAL INFLUENCE (and maybe even some SOVEREIGN CREDITS while you're at it). Defense missions require you to roll a minimum ACTION DIE to win the defense. Prior to attempting a defense, you may upgrade your defensibility by collecting Farsei Crystals from different planets prior to the assault.

Confrontations

As you traverse Arcturus, you will often be forced into confrontations with black market traders, the Sovereign, and other syndicates. You will be directed to draw from the CONFRONTATION DECK from time to time as you draw FUEL CARDS or attempt hyperjumps.

Each confrontation gives you a backstory and several options of how to resolve the confrontation. Confrontations must be resolved before taking further actions, including drawing FUEL CARDS and exchanging resources.

Fleeing confrontations. Certain confrontations give players an option to "FLEE" if players have enough fuel to attempt a hyperjump. When players flee a confrontation, they must place a CONFRONTATION TILE on the territory they've just fled. Do not discard the confrontation card if you flee. You may not return to that territory to complete missions or pick up contraband without first resolving the confrontation with a non-flee action.

If a CONFRONTATION TILE is placed on CORA, one of the vaults or a trader tile, you may not draw missions or attempt to unlock a vault from those territories until the confrontation is resolved and the CONFRONTATION TILE is removed.

Trader confrontation cards. Certain CONFRONTATION CARDS will give you an opportunity to trade between resources and contraband with a VIMANA or black market trader. Trader confrontations do not require immediate resolution. Trader confrontations become available for the rest of the game once they are drawn. If you draw a trader confrontation, place a trader tile on the corresponding territory where the confrontation occurred and place the trader confrontation card in front of you. You may return to any territory with a trader tile at any time, so long as it is not encumbered by another confrontation tile, and trade with any drawn trader in front of you even if that trader was drawn on a different planet.

Vaults

The NGATA campaign requires you to unlock a series of vaults before ultimately unlocking the FINAL vault on Honos. The number of vaults that must be unlocked is determined by the game difficulty and length (either 3 or 4 total vaults).

Each vault card will specify its:

1. Location. You must be located on the relevant territory to deliver keys or (after the vault is unlocked) draw missions from the unlocked vault.
2. Required keys to unlock. Keys are awarded from successful missions or may be acquired from traders. Keys may only be placed on the open key placeholders of the lowest-numbered locked vault. Once a key is placed in a key placeholder, it may neither be recovered, nor used for a different vault or trade.

After a vault is unlocked: (1) discard the keys used in the vault, (2) flip the vault card to the unlocked side and uncover the mission cards below it, and (3) flip the relevant vault tile from the locked side to the unlocked side.

Once a vault is unlocked, you may draw MISSION CARDS from that vault. As with drawing missions from CORA, your ship must be located on the same territory as the vault to draw a mission.

After unlocking a vault, read the story on the pages indicated by the vault card. The story text is not reproduced here. Do not read the stories before unlocking the vaults, to avoid spoilers.

Appendix

If any of the rules are unclear, the publisher has prepared corresponding video tutorials, which can be accessed by scanning QR codes printed in the rulebook. The QR codes are not reproduced here. The tutorial topics listed are: The Complete Tutorial, Set-Up, Game Play Overview, Bases, Assaults, Missions, Sleeper Cards, Other Actions, Sovereign Card Phase, Resource Collection Phase, Advanced Game Topics, The End Game, and 2-Player Game Variation.

Note: the tutorial index lists "The End Game", but neither the English draft nor the German edition contains an end-game section. The end of the game is described only by the round count (6 to 8 rounds, Part III), the goal of the highest SYNDICATE SCORE (CREDITS + VICTORY POINTS), and the note that AWARDS add victory points to CREDITS at the end of the game (Part I, Game Board item J). The draft's Credits section is not transcribed.