Twilight Imperium Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 1.0 Introduction
  • 1.1 Object of the Game
  • 1.2 Game Contents:
  • 1.3 Units & Planets
• 2.0 Beginning The Game
  • 2.1 Creating the Universe
  • 2.2 Starting Positions
  • 2.3 Before Starting
• 3.0 Game Counters
  • 3.1 Race Markers
  • 3.2 Credit Counters
  • 3.3 Spacedocks
  • 3.31 Military Blockade
  • 3.4 Planetary Defense Systems (P.D.S.)
  • 3.5 Ground Forces
  • 3.71 Transporting Units
  • 3.6 Fighters
  • 3.7 Carriers
  • 3.8 Cruisers
  • 3.9 Dreadnoughts
  • 3.91 Bombarding
• 4.0 The Turn Sequence
  • 4.1 The Progression Phase
    • 4.11 The Progression Chart
  • 4.2 The Market Phase
  • 4.3 The Political Phase
    • 4.31 Beginning the Political Phase
    • 4.32 Running the Political Phase
  • 4.4 Draw Action Cards
  • 4.5 Receive Credits
  • 4.6 Purchase Units
  • 4.7 Individual Turns
    • 4.71 Order of individual turns
    • 4.72 Movement Segment
    • 4.73 Space Battle Segment
    • 4.74 Invasion Combat Segment
  • 4.8 Collect Trade Income
  • 4.9 Technology Phase
  • 4.10 Place New Units
• 5.0 End Of Sequence
• 6.0 Questions
• Technology Progressions
  • Propulsion
  • Weapons
  • General
• Turn Sequence (Quick Reference)
• Unit Values (Quick Reference)
• Credits
• Expansion Note

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Object of the Game

To win TWILIGHT IMPERIUM, a player must advance her/his race on the galactic progression chart from Warlord to Imperium Rex. The first player to reach Imperium Rex immediately seizes control of the council and becomes the new emperor of the galaxy. In order to advance on the progression chart, players must qualify for a number of military, political, and economic benchmarks.

If one player manages to eliminate all other players before anyone reaches Imperium Rex, he/she automatically wins the game.

1.2 Game Contents:

In this package you should find:

• 41 Hexagon Map Board Pieces
• 76 Action Cards
• 20 Political Cards
• 6 Hexagon Homesystems
• 2 BORDERLANDS Hexagon Homesystems
• 6 Player Charts
• 1 Galactic Progression Chart
• 1 Price/Unit Data Chart
• 2 Diecut Sheets with game pieces (476 Units)
• 2 Dice
• One 16 Page Rulebook
• One 4 Page Background Booklet

1.3 Units & Planets

Combat Counters — each combat counter shows the unit type, the number of ships, and the race it belongs to.

Planets — each planet card shows the name of the planet, the number of resources it produces, and the number of influence it provides.

2.0 Beginning The Game

To begin playing TWILIGHT IMPERIUM, first determine the number of people that will be playing. Then place the six homesystem sections face down on the table. (The homesystems all have a thick red border.) Each player then selects a homesystem at random. After this, collect any unclaimed homesystems and remove them from the game. Each homesystem represents the starting point of one of the races in the game. Now that each player knows which race that he/she will play, pass out the military counters and the appropriate player reference sheets to the respective players.

(The above method is the quickest and fairest method of starting the game. As long as all the players agree, any method of selecting races is acceptable.)

2.1 Creating the Universe

TWILIGHT IMPERIUM uses a unique style of gameboard. As the first game in the Fantasy Flight HEXPLAY series, it utilizes loose hexagon pieces that fit together in a myriad of combinations, making each game unique and diverse. Even the races are distinct with different skills and special abilities. The basic TWILIGHT IMPERIUM game set also contains the homesystems for the Mentak Coalition and the Yssaril Tribes. Unless you have the expansion set BORDERLANDS, you will be unable to play these two races. If you do not own BORDERLANDS, remove these two homesystems before beginning the game. Look for BORDERLANDS at your local game store. Also, decide if you will be playing with both the Alpha and the Beta wormholes. (See 3.73 Movement/Wormholes.)

• After each player has selected a homeworld, place the planet Mecatol Rex in the middle of the table. Mecatol Rex was the seat of power in the old empire, and in TWILIGHT IMPERIUM, it always functions as the center of the galaxy.
• Shuffle all the starmap sections and deal them, face down, to each player. This deal might not come out evenly, but that will not affect the game.
• Now, each player rolls a die. The player with the lowest roll places his home system along one of the edges of Mecatol Rex and drags it about two feet away from Mecatol Rex. (See Diagram #1.) Then, the player with the next lowest roll does the same, followed by each player in the order that they rolled.
• After each player has his 'place' around the table, the player with the lowest roll places one of the starmap sections that was dealt to her/him somewhere next to Mecatol Rex, followed by player two who places her/his starmap section somewhere adjacent to Mecatol Rex. Likewise, the players, in turn, place their starsystem sections until the entire map is created. IMPORTANT: Players can not begin placing sections in ring 2 before ring 1 has been completed, nor can players begin placing sections in ring 3 before ring 2 has been completed. (See Diagram #2.) NOTE: If one players Homesystem has been completely surrounded by Asteroids and/or Supernova's, all the map pieces are shuffled, and the map-creation phase starts over.

(Diagram #1 shows the six homesystems dragged out roughly three feet from the central Mecatol Rex hex, one per player, positioned around the table in the corner appropriate to each player's seat. Diagram #2 shows the finished map: a central Mecatol Rex hex, surrounded by Ring #1, then Ring #2, then Ring #3 of starmap hexes, with the homesystems attached at the outer edge of Ring #3.)

• There are going to be extra starmap pieces left in some players' hands when ring 3 has been finished. Simply remove these pieces from the game.

TIP: When creating the galaxy, it is wiser to place wealthy systems closer to your own homesystem so that you might be the first to invade them and receive their additional income. Systems like Supernovas or Asteroid Fields can be used as an annoyance towards the other players, or as a barrier against an especially hostile neighbors. (The Sardak N'orr and the Barony of Letnev tend to be aggressive neighbors.)

2.2 Starting Positions

TWILIGHT IMPERIUM works best with 3, 4, or 6 players. It is possible to play a two-player game, but the players should then completely disregard the 'Political Phase'.

A 5 player game is the most difficult for a HEXPLAY game to accommodate. If you are playing a 5 player game, some players will be closer than others, and one player will have considerably less space. This creates a slightly unfair advantage for the players with more room. Therefore, in a 5 player game, two players will be considered Squeezed and one player will be considered Tight. A Tight player begins the game with 35 additional credits and the Squeezed player begins the game with 25 additional credits. Please see Diagram #3 to identify Tight and Squeezed players.

(Diagram #3 shows the recommended homesystem hex placements around the assembled map for 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 player games, marking which outer hexes in a 5-player game are the two 'Squeezed' positions and which is the single 'Tight' position.)

2.3 Before Starting

Before actually beginning gameplay, each race starts with a certain number of Credits, Tech advances, and Ground Forces.

• Each player begins the game with the number of Credits, starting resources, influence, and technology as indicated on her/his individual player charts. (The Sardakk N'orr player, for instance, begins the game with 50 Credits, Weapons Tech Level: 2, and has the starting resources and influence that his homesystem contains.)
• Each player places one Ground Force on every planet in their homesystem, and places one Spacedock on the homesystem planet with the highest number of resources. (In the case of a tie, place the Spacedock on the planet with greater influence.)
• Make sure that each player understands her/his race's skills (needed to play some action cards) including at least one special skill that can be utilized during gameplay. (The aggressive Sardak N'orr have skills in Warfare, and the special skill that gives Sardak N'orr units +1 in combat at all times.)

3.0 Game Counters

Following is a description of all the game counters and their game functions:

3.1 Race Markers

These markers are used by players to track their status on the Progression Chart and to track their technological advancement on the individual player charts. These counters are also exchanged to represent Trade Agreements.

3.2 Credit Counters

These generic counters are used as currency while playing TWILIGHT IMPERIUM. Before the game, all the credit counters are placed aside in a 'bank'. Whenever players earn or spend credits, they are taken from or returned to the bank.

3.3 Spacedocks

New Spacedocks can be placed on a friendly planet during the 'Place New Units' phase. A Spacedock signifies an advanced military building complex. In order to build any new units (other than Spacedocks) a Spacedock must be present on that particular planet or system. A Spacedock can only produce a number of units equal to the number of resources the planet with the Spacedock has. A planet can only hold one Spacedock.

• Each Spacedock can hold two Fighter units.
• Players can only maintain 5 Spacedocks at any given time.
• New spaceships are always placed, and always exist, only in space.
• Ground Forces are built on planets and can only be active on a planet but can be transported through space by the Carrier unit.

(Example: In a two-planet system, the Xxcha have built a Spacedock on a 3-2 planet. The Xxcha may now build up to 3 units a turn in this system. If the Xxcha had an additional Spacedock on the other planet (a 2-2 planet), the Xxcha would be able to build 5 units in that system per turn (2 for the 2-2 planet, and 3 for the 3-2 planet).)

3.31 Military Blockade

If an enemy unit occupies the space surrounding a Spacedock, that Spacedock cannot place any new units in space. If, during the 'Place New Units' phase, a player cannot place space units due to a sudden blockade, the new units are automatically destroyed. A Spacedock that has been blockaded can still produce Ground Forces and P.D.S.

Tip #1: If you own a Spacedock that is being blockaded, you might consider buying P.D.S. Their powerful barrage can soon become intolerable to a blockading fleet.

Tip #2: You can seriously impede a player's ability to progress if you blockade her/his Spacedocks early in the game. Similarly, you should protect your homesystem well in the beginning of the game, so as not to have your space unit production brought to a painful halt.

3.4 Planetary Defense Systems (P.D.S.)

The P.D.S. signify both defensive space-cannons and a planetary shield. A planet containing one or more P.D.S. can not be bombarded by Dreadnoughts. (Players with Weapons Tech level 5: Hylar 9X Bombing Device can bombard despite the presence of P.D.S.)

Furthermore, P.D.S. can perform the following functions:

• The moment an enemy fleet enters a system that contain one or more P.D.S., you may fire once with each P.D.S. unit in the system.

(Example: A hostile Sardakk N'orr fleet enters a system containing a single planet controlled by the Hacan. The Hacan player has three P.D.S. on that planet and may immediately fire three times at the incoming fleet. The Sardak N'orr have no defense against these volleys.)

• During your 'Space Battle Segment', you may fire once per P.D.S. unit at an enemy fleet in the same system.

(Example: The Sardak N'orr fleet now lies in the system containing the one planet with three P.D.S. controlled by the Hacan player. The Hacan Player may, during his 'Space Combat Segment', fire three times at the Sardakk fleet.)

• During an 'Invasion Combat Segment', each defensive P.D.S. unit may fire once at the enemy invading force.

(Example: During his next 'Invasion Combat Segment', the Sardakk player sends five Ground Forces from the fleet to invade the Hacan Planet. Before the invasion combat begins, the Hacan player fires once for each of his P.D.S. at the invading Ground Forces.)

• P.D.S. are transported from planet to planet by Carrier units.

3.5 Ground Forces

Ground Forces signify the ground troops of each player. The Ground Forces are an essential part of the impressive arsenal available to the TWILIGHT IMPERIUM players.

(Note: the Yssaril and Mentak homesystems are included in the Twilight Imperium basic game set. You will need the Borderlands expansion to get the counters and player sheets to play these two new races.)

• To control a planet, a player must at all times have at least one Ground Force on the planet. A player loses control of a planet immediately if he/she loses the last Ground Force on that planet. In this case, any Spacedocks or P.D.S. on that planet are immediately destroyed.
• Ground Forces, when produced, start on a planet with a Spacedock. Ground Forces are transported around the galaxy by Carrier units.
• During the 'Invasion Combat Segment', any Ground Forces onboard a Carrier unit in space may move to a friendly, hostile, or neutral planet in that same system. (See Section 4.74.)

(Diagram #4 shows a Sol Carrier carrying two Fighters loading two Ground Forces before its movement from the planet in system A. During Sol's movement phase, it moves from system A to system B. During the Invasion Combat Segment, the Carrier unloads the two Ground Forces on one of the planets in system B.)

• The P.D.S. do not work while onboard a Carrier.
• Ground Forces are helpless while being transported by a Carrier.

3.71 Transporting Units

A Carrier can pick up units from a friendly planet at any time during its 'Movement Segment', but it can only unload units during the 'Invasion Combat Segment', even if it is only unloading units on a friendly planet. Furthermore, during the 'Invasion Combat Segment', a Carrier can only unload units on one planet in a multi-planet system unless it has Propulsion Tech Level 3: Wexcon Invasion Barges. (See Diagram #4 for a typical Carrier transport.) Ground Forces do not have to unload from a Carrier at the end of the 'Movement Segment'. If a Carrier is destroyed, all units aboard are also destroyed.

3.6 Fighters

Fighter units are inexpensive, yet efficient. They are essential in protecting the larger capital ships in the players' starfleets.

• A Fighter can not move in space by itself. In fact, it can not even exist in space by itself, unless the player has Military Tech Level 3: Xlite Mass Drive.
• Spacedocks can hold two Fighter units, and Carriers can hold up to eight Fighter units. Fighters move by moving with the Carriers as the Carriers move. (The Carrier holds the Fighters in its interior hangar.)
• If a system holds more Fighters than allowed by Carriers and Spacedocks, the excess Fighters are immediately destroyed.

(Example: A system that contains one Spacedock and one Carrier can hold ten Fighter units if the Carrier is not transporting any Ground Forces or P.D.S. units. If the Carrier leaves the system, eight of those Fighters must follow the Carrier, because the Spacedock can only sustain two Fighters.)

3.7 Carriers

The Carrier unit may be the most significant unit in the spaceship arsenal. Without the Carrier unit, players would have no way to expand their empires by invading planets with Ground Forces, or to transport Fighters and P.D.S. around the galaxy.

A Carrier can hold a total of eight units. These units can be Ground Forces, Fighters, and/or P.D.S. Think of it as 8 cargo 'slots' in which the Carrier can house any combination of military barges, Fighter hangars, or P.D.S. containment compartments. For example, any one Carrier can hold 3 Fighters, 4 Ground Forces, and 1 P.D.S. unit.

3.8 Cruisers

The Cruiser is the simplest of the space units. It is, however, also one of the most effective. For a fair price, the Cruiser delivers an effective punch in combat, and Cruisers are most often the backbone of any race's starfleet.

The most attractive feature of the Cruiser unit is its speed. Because of their agility, Cruisers are effective for quickly blocking systems (see 4.72 Interdiction) and their speed combined with a well played Flank Speed action card can suddenly blockade an undefended enemy Spacedock, causing your opponent great grief.

3.9 Dreadnoughts

The Dreadnoughts are the immense sentinels of deep space, commonly functioning as impressive and destructive flagships. These costly ships are most often used as gigantic guns raining malady on the enemy under the cover of Fighters and Cruisers.

• In addition to their massive destructive power in battle, Dreadnoughts can also bombard Ground Forces. (They can never bombard P.D.S. or Spacedocks.)

3.91 Bombarding

• At the beginning of the 'Invasion Combat Segment', Dreadnoughts in the same system may bombard enemy Ground Forces. Each Dreadnought may only bombard once during one 'Invasion Combat Segment'.
• If a planet contains one or more P.D.S., Dreadnoughts cannot bombard, unless the bombarding player possesses Weapons Tech Level 5: Hylar Bombarding Device.
• Dreadnoughts can bombard enemy planets even if there is no actual invasion taking place.

(Example: The Sardakk N'orr player has just defeated a weak Sol force in space. Now the N'orr are ready to land three Ground Forces on the Sol planet which contains two Sol Ground Forces. Before the N'orr lands his Ground Forces, his two great Dreadnoughts bombard the planet. The N'orr player rolls two dice, a 3 and a 8. One hit. The Sol player removes one Ground Force. The N'orr then land three Ground Forces which now face only one Sol defender instead of two.)

4.0 The Turn Sequence

1. Progression Phase
2. Market Phase
3. Political Phase
4. Draw Action Cards
5. Receive Credits
6. Purchase Units
7. Individual Turns
   • Movement
   • Space Battle
   • Invasion Combat
8. Collect Trade Income
9. Technology Phase
10. Place New Units

Below, each phase is described in detail.

4.1 The Progression Phase

During this phase, all players look at the Progression Chart to determine if they qualify to advance into the next progression bracket. When the first player advances to the Imperium Rex category, that player has won and the game is over.

4.11 The Progression Chart

At the beginning of the game each player places a race marker under Warlord. Then, during the 'Progression Phase', players advance to Foundation if they control 4 planets outside their homesystem.

Foundation: When a player controls a total of four planets outside her/his homesystem, he/she may advance into this category.

Republic: When a player has total of 7 Tech advances (Example: Weapons Tech Level 3, General Tech Level 2, and Propulsion Tech Level 2), and 4 planets outside his homesystem (the Foundation requirements), he/she may advance into this category.

Empire: If the player has a total of 9 Tech advances and 25 resources and still qualifies for Foundation and Republic, he/she may advance into this category.

Imperium Rex: If the player has a total of 11 Tech advances and 30 influence and still qualifies for Foundation, Republic, and Empire, he/she may advance into this category and win the game.

• A player can never move backwards even if he/she fails to qualify for her/his current position. He/she can not move forward unless all previous requirements, as well as the next progression's requirements have been fulfilled.
• A player may only advance one category per 'Progression Phase'.
• If two players reach Imperium Rex on the same turn, the player with the highest influence wins the game.

To advance to Imperium Rex, a player must have an empire that encompasses at least:

• 4 Planets outside her/his homesystem
• 11 Tech advances
• 25 Resources &
• 30 Influence

It will prove difficult for a player to gather 30 influence points without controlling the central planet Mecatol Rex which alone has 9 influence. This makes the control of Mecatol Rex a critical element in TWILIGHT IMPERIUM.

4.2 The Market Phase

During the 'Market Phase', players may freely exchange action cards and credits with each other. During any other phase, players might promise money or cards to another player, but they can only fulfill their promises during the 'Market Phase'. (Beware, who can say if they will fulfill their promises.) No word is binding in TWILIGHT IMPERIUM.

• Players cannot exchange units, influence points, resource points, planetary control, technology, or progression.

IMPORTANT: Remember, players can only trade action cards or money during the 'Market Phase'. Even if you have a card that could be useful to an ally during a battle you can not give or trade it to her/him before the next 'Market Phase'.

4.3 The Political Phase

The 'Political Phase' is an integral part of TWILIGHT IMPERIUM. It represents the galactic council on central Mecatol Rex where the great races meet in a galactic assembly to decide upon matters great and small.

The political power of each race is equal to the number of influence that player has. When casting votes during the 'Political Phase', a player must cast all votes, he/she can not split votes or only allocate a certain number of votes.

4.31 Beginning the Political Phase

The 'Political Phase' is initiated by drawing a political card from the deck of pre-shuffled political cards. This card represents the political agenda for this session of council.

One player should read the agenda aloud, making it clear what type of vote is about to be cast. In TWILIGHT IMPERIUM, there are two types of voting processes:

1. Elect votes: When a political agenda asks the council to Elect something or someone, each player may choose who or what to elect. The subject with the highest number of votes is considered elected. Sometimes an Elect card will call for a subsequent vote to determine some factor about the elected entity. Simply follow the instructions on the cards.

2. For & Against votes: Most cards will ask the council to vote for or against a certain action or law. Simply follow the instructions on the card for the subsequent events given either a for or against vote.

• Certain political cards contain the word LAW. If this card is voted for, or enacted in another fashion, this card will now affect the rest of the game.

When a LAW is enacted, that political card is laid face up close to the political deck where all players can see it. The effects of this card are now constant.

(Example political card:)

Free Trade (LAW)

"Let the shields open, and let all races embrace trade, for trade is the wheel of wealth!"

For: During the 'Collect Trade Income' phase players receive an additional 5 credits for each Trade Agreement they have active.

Against: This card is discarded.

(Example: On the card above, players are asked to vote for or against improved trade relationships. If the council votes for the agenda, the card is not discarded and will affect Trade Agreements for the rest of game because the agenda is now a LAW.)

Even though the majority of the council might have accepted a certain law early in the game, the balance of power might have shifted. Therefore, certain laws might have become unpopular. If this happens, how can the council get rid of old laws?

In the political deck, there are two Revote cards. When a Revote card is drawn during the 'Political Phase', players are given the opportunity to elect an existing LAW and vote upon that LAW once more.

• If a Revote card is drawn, but there are no existing LAWS, the card is discarded and the 'Political Phase' is over.

4.32 Running the Political Phase

1. A card is drawn and the resolution is read aloud.

2. Players debate the agenda, trying to threaten, lure, or convince other players to vote their way.

3. Players vote. The player with the least influence votes first, followed by the player with the second least influence, etc. This will result in the player with the most influence voting last.

A player can not split or cast partial votes. Players can, however, choose to abstain from voting.

• If at any point during the game, the number of players is reduced to two (or in a two player game) the council is considered to have been dissolved, and no further 'Political Phases' will be held. (Discard all current LAWS.)

The 'Political Phase' is meant to be a fun, active phase, allowing players to forge alliances and use their political prowess to put their enemies in poor positions.

4.4 Draw Action Cards

During this phase, each player draws an action card. Action cards contain a number of various events and actions that affect the game.

Action cards can only be played at certain times during the game. (Written upon the card after PLAY: will be described exactly when a player is allowed to play that card.)

Special Rules:

• A player cannot play two identical action cards on the same entity on the same turn. (Example: a player cannot play two Flank Speed cards during one turn on the same fleet. He/she can, however, play a Flank Speed card on two different fleets the same turn.)
• A player can not hold more than 7 action cards. If a player holds 7 action cards, he/she is not allowed to draw a card during the 'Draw Action Cards' phase.
• A player can discard as many action cards as desired immediately before the 'Draw Action Card' phase.
• A player can trade, sell, or give action cards to other players during the 'Market Phase'.

Typical Action Card:

Skilled Retreat

A skilled admiral retreats your defending fleet. Immediately move it to an adjacent freindly or empty system. After retreating, the attacking player resumes her/his turn.

PLAY: Immediately before any round of the 'Space Battle Segment'

4.5 Receive Credits

During this phase, players receive a number of credits equal to the number of resources they control. (Add the number of resources on all planets that each individual player controls.) Remember that in order to control a planet, players must have at least one Ground Force on the planet.

After determining how many credits to receive, the players take these credits from the 'bank' and add them to their private stockpile of credits.

4.6 Purchase Units

After all players have received credits, each player has the option to purchase new units. Any credits spent on units are returned to the 'bank'. The units purchased in this phase are placed next to the player, and will be added to the game during the 'Place New Unit' phase.

IMPORTANT: When purchasing units, remember the restrictions on how many units you can place at a Spacedock. If you have bought units, but cannot place them on the board during the 'Place New Units' phase, the units are destroyed and you will have lost the credits used to build them.

4.7 Individual Turns

During the previous phases, players have acted simultaneously. During this phase, however, each player plays individually.

4.71 Order of individual turns

The sequence of 'Individual Turns' is decided in the following manner:

The player with the highest number of influence points decides if he/she want to take the first turn or wait. If he/she waits, the player with the next highest amount of influence can decide to take her/his turn or wait, etc. When a player has taken her/his turn, he/she is done for this phase. For the next individual turn, the remaining player with the most influence can decide whether to take her/his turn, wait, etc. Continue until all players have taken their individual turns.

4.72 Movement Segment

During the 'Movement Segment' of the 'Individual Turns' phase, the active player can move her/his units around the galaxy. Please see the back of this book for the movement allowances for each type of spaceship unit. A movement allowance of 1 means that a ship can move one hex (from one starsystem to another).

Interdiction: The moment a ship enters a system containing the spaceship(s) of another race it is considered interdicted and it must stop movement. Since no spacesystem may contain spaceships of two different races, a space battle must follow in the subsequent 'Space Battle Segment'.

• Spaceships can move through systems containing enemy controlled planets and Spacedocks with Fighter units.
• The definition of a Fleet is one or more spaceships in the same system before the beginning of the 'Movement Segment'.

IMPORTANT: Spaceships can never move through starsystems containing spaceships of another race -- even if that race is considered to be an ally. NOTE: Spaceships may move through starsystems containing only enemy Fighter units, but can not end their movement there without a battle.

Wormholes: There exists in space a phenomenon known as a 'wormhole': a black-hole anomaly with such incredible mass attraction that two different places in space exist at the same point.

In TWILIGHT IMPERIUM, players can use wormholes to traverse great distances of space in no time. Included in this set are the Alpha and Beta Wormholes. It costs one movement to enter a worm hole. After a ship enters a wormhole, simply place the ship in the system containing the other end of the wormhole. When players create the universe, it is sometimes possible that both ends of a wormhole will not be placed on the board. In this case, the wormhole has no function.

(Example: A Hacan Cruiser unit with a movement of 2 begins its turn in system X. It uses one movement to go to the adjacent system Y that contains the Alpha Wormhole. The Cruiser uses its second movement allowance to move through the wormhole, and ends its turn in the system containing the other Alpha wormhole.)

IMPORTANT: Before beginning a game of TWILIGHT IMPERIUM, players must decide if they want to include both the Alpha and the Beta wormholes. For tournament play only include the Alpha Wormhole. (Playing with both wormholes makes for a faster game of TWILIGHT IMPERIUM.)

Supernovas: These flaring balls of energy are absolutely impassible.

Asteroid Fields: These fields of stellar matter are impassible until players achieve Propulsion Tech Level 2: Antimass Deflector. In this case, players are allowed to move through asteroid fields, but never end their turn there. (Thus only ships with movement of 2 or higher can exercise this option.)

4.73 Space Battle Segment

During the 'Individual Turns' phase the active player begins her/his 'Space Battle Segment' immediately after he/she has completed her/his 'Movement Segment'. Space battles occur in any system containing the space units of the active player and those of another race.

Space battles are fought in the following manner:

1. The attacking player fires once with all ships and counts the number of hits he/she incurs.

2. The defending player fires with all units and counts the number of hits he/she incurs.

3. Both players remove a number of ships equal to the number of hits inflicted by their opponent. (Players get to choose their own casualties.)

4. The attacker now has the opportunity to stop the attack and withdraw.

5. The above process is repeated until one side is eliminated, or the attacker has withdrawn.

(See Diagram #5 for a full length example of space battle.)

What is a hit?

On the back of this booklet, you will find the combat value for each ship type. This number or greater must be rolled to score a hit. Notice that a Fighter has a combat value of 9. That mean that it scores a hit on a roll of 9 or 10 (marked by a 0) on a ten-sided die. The vastly more powerful Dreadnought with a combat value of 4 hits by rolling 4,5,6,7,8,9, or 10.

Removing Casualties

Since players remove their own casualties, and one hit kills any ship, it makes sense that players will remove their weakest/cheapest ships first. Fighter units are ideal for this type of 'gun-fodder'. Fighters can cover the capital ships while bringing mayhem to the enemies' fleet like stinging wasps.

Withdrawals

Every round the attacker has the option to withdraw from the attack. If he/she chooses to withdraw, the entire attacking force must withdraw together to the empty or friendly system that is closest to her/his homesystem.

(Diagram #5 — a full worked example of a space battle: Sol forces of one Dreadnought and one Carrier (carrying two Ground Forces and three Fighters) enter a Xxcha system defended by one Dreadnought and two Cruisers; the Xxcha player also has two Ground Forces defending the planet. During the 'Space Battle Segment', the Sol player rolls a 5 for his Dreadnought (1 hit); a 5, 3, and 10 for his Fighters (1 hit, 2 misses); and a 5 for his Carrier (1 miss). The Sol Player hits a total of 2 times. The Xxcha player rolls an 8 and 5 for his Cruisers (1 hit, 1 miss) and an 8 for his Dreadnought (1 hit). The Xxcha player hits a total of 2 times. The Sol player removes 2 Fighters, and the Xxcha removes his two Cruisers. The Sol player chooses not to withdraw his forces, and engages the Xxcha in another round of combat. The remaining Fighter rolls a 5 (a miss), his Carrier rolls a 7 (a miss), and finally his Dreadnought rolls a 6 (a hit). The Sol player scored 1 hit. The Xxcha rolls a die for his remaining Dreadnought and rolls a 6 (1 hit). The Sol player removes his last Fighter, and the Xxcha removes his Dreadnought -- his last remaining ship. With all the Xxcha forces destroyed, the Sol player is victorious in this space battle.)

Transported Units

Sometimes it is possible for a player to catch an enemy fleet in space with Carrier units transporting Ground Forces or P.D.S. While on a Carrier, these units can not defend or attack and are destroyed if the Carrier is destroyed.

4.74 Invasion Combat Segment

After the individual player has finished all her/his space battles, he/she immediately moves on to the 'Invasion Combat Segment'. An invasion involves moving friendly Ground Forces from a Carrier unit to a friendly, neutral, or enemy planet. In order to invade, players must have a Carrier containing Ground Forces in the system containing the planet being invaded.

Invasion Sequence:

1. Determine which and how many Ground Forces will land on the specific planet.

2. Each Dreadnought in the system may fire one shot bombarding the enemy Ground Forces on the planet being invaded. Dreadnoughts are allowed to bombard even if the active player is not landing any Ground Forces on the planet. (If the planet has one or more P.D.S., Dreadnoughts can not bombard unless the invading player has Weapons Tech Level 5: Hylar Bombing Device.)

3. Each defending P.D.S. unit fires once at the invading Ground Forces.

4. The remaining invading Ground Forces land on the planet and begin to fight defending Ground Forces. The invasion combat sequence is very similar to the space battle sequence except that the attacking units can not withdraw:

5. The attacking player rolls for invading Ground Forces.

6. The defending player rolls for defending Ground Forces.

7. Both players remove casualties.

8. The above sequence is repeated until only one players Ground Forces remain on the planet, or there are no Ground Forces left at all.

Effects of Invasion:

Neutral Planets: When a player invades a neutral planet, the player immediately adds the additional resources and influence points to her/his race's total. Enemy Planets: When a player conquers a planet from another player, all the enemy P.D.S. and Spacedocks are immediately destroyed. The conquering player immediately adds the additional resources and influence points to her/his race's total, and the player who lost the planet immediately deducts these points from her/his total. Friendly Planets: The player simply adds the landing Ground Forces to the force already on the planet's surface.

4.8 Collect Trade Income

Trade Agreement

Agree to trade with another player! In the 'Collect Trade Income' phase, both player receive one credit for each planet controlled by the trade partner. Either trade partner can cancel this agreement at any time.

Only one Trade Agreement can be active between two players at any given time.

Play: Immediately before your 'Movement Segment'

Some of the most rewarding cards in the action card deck are the Trade Agreements. In fact, almost 1 out of 7 action cards are Trade Agreements.

Playing a Trade Agreement means that the two races involved have agreed to trade. After being played, the card should be placed face-up where everybody can see the card, and the trade partners should place race markers on top of the card to signify between which players the Trade Agreement exists.

Trade Agreements are broken immediately if the two trading partners are engaged in either space battle or invasion combat with each other. Trade Agreements with the Hacan player are not broken if the Hacan are involved in combat with their trading partners.

Collecting Trade Income

During the 'Collect Trade Income' phase, the players receive a number of credits for each of their Trade Agreements. They receive one credit for each planet controlled by their trading partner.

(Example: The Letnev player owns 5 planets and has Trade Agreements with the Hacan (4 planets) and the Xxcha (3 planets). During the 'Collect Trade Income' phase the Letnev player collects 4 credits from the bank for his agreement with the Hacan, and 3 credits for his agreement with the Xxcha. The Xxcha and the Hacan both collect 5 credits for their agreement with the Letnev player since the Letnev player controls 5 planets.)

4.9 Technology Phase

During this phase, players may purchase technological advances in either their Propulsion, Weapons, or General areas of research (as indicated on the players charts). It costs 30 credits to gain one advance, except for the Jol-Nar whose special skill allows them to purchase new Tech advances for only 20 credits. Players may only gain one technological advance per turn.

Technology advances are a critical part of TWILIGHT IMPERIUM. Each player begins the game with different levels of technology. All players need to advance significantly in technology to gain military and economic advantages, and thereby win the game.

Using her/his race markers, each player must mark their current Tech Levels on their player charts. Players must be able to see other players' Tech Levels in order to determine how profitable and strong their opponents are (and how close they are to reaching the 11 Tech Levels needed to win the game).

Each technology advance improves a player's ability to win the game. On the back of this book is a table explaining the effects of each technological advance.

4.10 Place New Units

During this phase, players place the units bought in the 'Purchase New Units' phase. (Please note the rules governing the Spacedock unit.)

Land Units: Ground Forces & Planetary Defense Systems are placed directly on a planet containing a Spacedock and count towards the limit of that planet's production.

Space Units: Cruisers, Fighters, Dreadnoughts, and Carriers are placed directly in space and count toward the limit of any Spacedock in that system. (Space units are never considered to be on a planet.)

New Spacedocks: These units do not require a Spacedock presence to be created. They can be placed on any friendly planet not already containing a Spacedock. A Spacedock cannot produce new units on the turn that it was purchased.

(Example: The Letnev place a new Spacedock on Lort IX, a 3-0 planet, the Letnev cannot place any new units on this planet this turn. At the next 'Place New Units' phase, however, the Letnev can produce up to 3 new units with that Spacedock.)

Summary:

1. All new units, except for new Spacedocks, are produced by Spacedocks.

2. A player can only place new land units (Ground Forces and P.D.S.) on planets containing a Spacedock.

3. A player can only place new space units (Dreadnoughts, Carriers, Fighters, and Cruisers) in starsystems that contain one or more planets with a Spacedock.

4. Each Spacedock can only produce as many new units per turn as the number of resources on the planet. Each planet can only hold one Spacedock.

5. Players cannot have more than five Spacedocks at any one time.

5.0 End Of Sequence

After the 'Place New Units' phase, the turn sequence is over and players begin another sequence from the beginning, starting with the 'Progression Phase'.

6.0 Questions

If you have any questions about the rules for TWILIGHT IMPERIUM, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope with 'yes/no' questions to the following address:

Fantasy Flight Games TWILIGHT IMPERIUM Questions 1938 W. County Rd. C Roseville, MN 55113

Technology Progressions

(Reference table printed on the back cover of the rulebook.)

Propulsion

Level	Name	Effect
1	XRD Star Class Transporter	All your Carriers receive a +1 in movement.
2	Antimass Deflector	All your space-ships may move through Asteroid Fields, but may never end their turn in an Asteroid Field.
3	Wexcon Invasion Barges	During the 'Invasion Combat Segment', you are now allowed to invade two planets in the same system in the same turn.
4	Type IV Drive	All your ships move at +1 (in addition to other modifiers).
5	Talkin Deep-Space Evasion Computer	Your ships may now move through systems containing enemy spaceships.
6	Spatial Jump	Before your 'Movement Segment', you may dedicate one fleet to go anywhere in the galaxy. After the jump, remove half of the credit value of the fleet (round up).

Weapons

Level	Name	Effect
1	Fluxar Cargo Bays	Your Carriers are now allowed to carry 10 units.
2	Hylar V Assault Laser	Your Cruisers now fight at a +1.
3	Xlite Mass Drive	Your Fighters may now move independently at a movement of 1. A fleet containing only Fighters cannot interdict an enemy fleet.
4	Deep Space Cannon	During your 'Space Combat Segment' each of your P.D.S. may fire once at one enemy fleet in an adjacent system.
5	Hylar Bombing Device	Dreadnoughts receive a +1 while bombarding and may bombard even if the target planet contains defending P.D.S.
6	X-89 Bacterial Attack Form	A bombarding Dreadnought may choose to use this attack, destroying all enemy presence on the target planet. The X-89 bombarding player looses 5 permanent influence points per bombardment.

General

Level	Name	Effect
1	Industrial Efficiency	Your Spacedocks are now allowed to produce one extra unit per turn.
2	Micro-Technology	You receive 3 extra credits for each of your Trade Agreements during the 'Receive Trade Income' phase.
3	Sarween Tools	Each of your planets receives a +1 in resources.
4	Neural Motivator	You may draw an additional action card every turn.
5	Transit Diodes	During you 'Movement Segment', you may move up to three Ground Forces from any one of your planets to another.
6	Master of Production	You are now allowed to place your new units directly on the board during the 'Buy New Units' phase.

Turn Sequence (Quick Reference)

1. Progression Phase
2. Market Phase
3. Political Phase
4. Draw Action Cards
5. Receive Credits
6. Purchase Units
7. Individual Turns
   • Movement
   • Space Battles
   • Invasion Combat
8. Collect Trade Income
9. Technology Phase
10. Place New Units

Unit Values (Quick Reference)

Unit	Cost	Battle	Movement
Dreadnought	10	4	1
Carrier	10	9	1
Cruiser	6	8	2
Fighter	4	9	-
Ground Forces	4	8	-
P.D.S.	10	7	-
Spacedock	15	-	-

Credits

After Original Idea by: Christian T. Petersen Created & Designed by: Christian T. Petersen Additional Creative Input by: Morten Nyhus and Peter Mork All Art by: Bill Heagy Edited by: Peter Mork and Sarah J. Lueck Computer Color by: Gorilla Graphix Manufactured by: SVH, Holland, Michigan Produced and Owned by: Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc.

TWILIGHT IMPERIUM by Christian T. Petersen is a registered trademark owned by Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. This game, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without consent. © 1997 Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc.

Expansion Note

The rulebook booklet also included a promotional page for Borderlands, the first expansion set for TWILIGHT IMPERIUM, adding the Yssaril Tribes and the Mentak Coalition races (whose homesystems ship in the base game but require Borderlands' counters and player sheets to actually play), plus 16 additional Political Cards, 16 additional Action Cards, 2 player sheets, 238 new counters, and rules for Advanced Construction, Assassins, Capital Ships, Capitol Planets, Mines, and Declarations of War and Peace.