The Phoenix Syndicate
The Phoenix Syndicate Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 27 Galactic Tiles (hexes)
- 1 Guild Track
- 20 Agent markers in 5 player colors
- 30 Resource cubes for blue, yellow, and green goods
- 24 Resource cubes for red and purple goods
- 5 sets of 6 action cards in player colors
- 68 Contract cards
- Credit Chips, in denominations of 1, 3, 10
Game Set-up
Randomly (in any orientation) arrange the tiles into a hexagon with alternating sides of three and four hexes in length.
Place 1 credit marker on each of the 9 Colony tiles. Set out the Guild board and shuffle the contract deck. Then, create a pool of credit chips based on the number of players as indicated below. When the credit chips run out, the game will end at the conclusion of the round. Place the remaining credits in the box, out of the way.
- 2 Players - 40 Credits
- 3 Players - 45 Credits
- 4 Players - 50 Credits
- 5 Players - 55 Credits
Give each player 3 cubes in each of the 5 resource colors, and then the 20 agent markers and six action cards matching player color. Also deal two contract cards to each player (One will be chosen to be kept after initial agent placement). Choose a start player, in random fashion.
Initial Placement
Each player in turn order (clockwise from the start player) places one agent on a planet tile of his or her choice. If a credit chip was present, the player claims it. Next, again in turn order each player places a second agent on a planet tile adjacent to the tile with their first agent. Then, players select one of their starting contracts to keep and discard the other one. The chosen contract remains hidden in the player's hand.
Note that players may place agents on the same tile as other players. If the tile contains a credit chip (i.e. a Colony), only the first player to place an agent there claims the credit. Remember that the agents must be placed on adjacent tiles, but the type of route connecting the worlds does not matter -- deep space gaps are allowed. For starting placements, only planet tiles (Prime, Colony, Outpost, Reega, or Sabean Core) are permitted.
After all players have made their initial agent placements and chosen their starting contract, turn three contracts face up next to the contract deck and the face-down discard pile. This will form the contract area. Each player places their six action cards face up in front of them, and the game now begins!
Strategy Overview
The goal of the game is to get more credits than anyone else. You get credit chips by effectively completing contracts and infiltrating guilds. To do all this, you need to connect the galaxy by placing your agents on planets. Once there, agents can acquire resources from the locals, which you can use to connect to nearby planets. Contracts appear on the contract board, so you'll need to snatch up the ones that suit your network or are very lucrative. Of course everything you do requires a few bribes to happen. At the end of the game, you'll gain additional credits for guild planets you've infiltrated, completing the most contracts of a color, and completing the most varied set of color contracts.
Game Play
Beginning with the start player and continuing in turn order, each player takes his or her turn. On your turn, you will:
- Select an available (face-up) action card and perform the indicated action.
- Flip the action card face down and pay the associated bribe.
You may not select or perform an action that leaves you unable to pay the bribe, but you may use resources obtained from the action to pay the bribe. (In the extremely unlikely event that there are no actions you can legally take, all your action cards are turned face-up before your turn.)
When the last credit chip from the credit pool has been used, the game will end after the last player's turn, so each player will get an equal number of turns in the game. Players can still earn credit chips, which should be taken from the larger supply.
Main Game Concepts
Acquire is a method of obtaining resources from a planet tile where you have an agent. When you acquire resources from the chosen tile, you get 4 resources of that planet's color. You also get resources of the moon's color -- 2 resources if you are the only player with an agent there, but only 1 if other agents have arrived.
Exceptions: Reega always provides exactly 1 resources of each color regardless of how many agents are there. Sabean Core always provides 3 red and 3 purple resources. Asteroids never provide goods.
Connect means to place an agent on a tile adjacent to a tile that already has one of your agents. To make a connection, you must pay one matching resource for each symbol along the path from your existing agent to the new tile. Each deep space path require one resource of each type (five in total). So a connection between two deep space gaps costs 10 resources, two of each type. If you do not have the necessary type of resource, you may always spend any 3 resources instead of 1 resource of any type. (This conversion is always available, not just while connecting.)
Cash In a contract by revealing it from your hand. If you have an agent on at least one of the planets indicated, add it to your face up (cashed in) contracts. In addition, if you have an agent on two of the planets, you gain one credit; if you have agents on all three worlds gain three credits instead. If you have agents on none of the worlds, discard the contract.
Face up contracts may be worth additional credits at the end of the game. Contracts are only cashed in when an action tells you to do so or when you have four or more contracts in your hand (Cash In down to three), as well as at the end of the game (Cash In all remaining contracts in your hand).
Bribes are the cost of doing business and vary depending on the action you choose. After taking an action, you must pay the bribe cost in resources. The first resource is paid to a contract slot of your choice. Any additional bribe resources are returned to the supply. You may pay with any color(s) of resources, but you must be able to pay your bribe.
The bribe cost for the Contract action is special. It is equal to the number of currently face-up action cards (not including the Contract action).
Claim a contract card and all the resources associated that contract slot. Then deal a new contract to that slot.
Player Actions
The six action cards each player receives are Loot, Collect, Expand, Gamble, Scheme, and Contract.
Loot -- Connect to one planet (through any number of asteroids if necessary) and then acquire goods from that tile. Pay a bribe of 1 resource.
Collect -- Acquire resources from any one planet you have an agent at. Pay a bribe of 1 resource.
Expand -- Acquire resources from any one planet you have an agent at, then connect to any number of planets and/or asteroids. Pay a bribe of 3 resources.
Gamble -- Choose one: Draw the top contract of the deck and keep it. Reveal and discard two additional contracts from the contract deck. Gain a resource matching each of the discarded contract's color. OR Draw the top three contracts of the contract deck. Keep one, discard the rest.
If gambling causes you to get more than three contracts, you must immediately cash in a contract. Gamble has no bribe cost.
Scheme -- Cash In one contract, then acquire resources from one of the planets listed on the contract (even if you have no agent there), collecting the full two resources from the moon. You may also choose to join a guild by paying the indicated resources in the guild's color to the supply. Guild costs are indicated on the guild board. If you join a guild, place an agent there. Pay a bribe of 1 resource.
You may only join one guild each time you scheme, but you may join several guilds over the course of the game. However, you may join each guild only once.
Contract -- Claim the resources from a contract slot and take the associated contract into your hand. If you have more than three contracts, cash in contracts until you have three. Pay a bribe of one resource for each other unflipped action card you have. (So if Contract is your only unflipped action, your bribe is zero.). Then unflip all your action cards. Contract is the only way to reset your actions.
End of Game Scoring
When there is no more credits available to take, the players finish the round, so that each player receives an equal number of turns during the game. (Use additional credits from the box, if needed.) After the last player's turn once the credit pool is empty, the game ends and scoring happens. First, all players cash in all remaining contracts in their hands. Then credits are awarded for player's distribution of face-up contracts and guild connections.
Distribution credit is given for having the most contracts in a color and for having the most colors. For each of the five colors, the player(s) with the most face up contracts in that color get 3 credits. Player(s) with the second most gain 1 credit. In addition, player(s) with the most different colors of contracts gain 3 credits, while second place gains 1 credit. If multiple players get the first place award, no credits are given for second place. You must have at least one contract in a color to qualify for the second place award.
Players also earn credits for supporting their guilds. Guilds you belong to give you 1 credit for each planet of their color you have an agent at. Being five colors, all Guilds count Reega: it will be worth 1 credit for each guild you joined. Similarly, both the red and purple guilds each give 1 credit for Sabean Core.
Winning the Game: The player with the most credits wins. If there is a tie, use the number of agents at planets as a tiebreaker. The winner has become the new Phoenix Syndicate, ready to claim the profits and spoils of victory.
Rule Miscellanea, Reminders, and Clarifications
Contracts are discarded face down. If the contract deck ever runs out, reshuffle the discard pile. In the extremely unlikely event that you reshuffle the contract deck for the second time or all contracts are in play, the game ends at the end of the last players turn.
Game components are not meant to be limiting. If you ever run out of a type of token, use a placeholder.
Asteroids are not considered planets; they do not provide resources, are not on contracts, and agents may not begin the game on them. However, players must place an agent on an asteroid if using the asteroid tile's connection.
You may always turn in any three resources for one resource of your choice.
Ties are friendly -- if there is a tie for most, all tied players considered to have the most. In final scoring, a tie for first place means no second place points will be awarded.
Contract and Tile Distribution
There are 5 Primes, 9 Colonies, and 6 Outposts tiles in the game. Each contract consists of a Prime, a Colony, and an Outpost. Reega and Sabean Core is not on any contracts.
The color of the contract is always the same as the color of the Prime and the planets on the contract are always different colors. There are 14 Red, Yellow, Green, and Purple mission and 12 Blue contracts. Including Reega, there are 6 blue, 5 yellow and 5 green planets. Including both Reega and Sabean Core, there are 4 red and 4 purple planets.