Beta Colony Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Components
• Setup
• Gameplay
  • Roll Dice
  • Perform Actions
    • Moving
    • Activate Location
    • Dock for Fuel
  • Round End
• Game End
• Actions and Locations
  • Moons: Gan De, Jyo & Nebra
  • Manufactory
    • Build Pods
  • The Ridback
  • Azophi Nexus
• Colony Tracks
• Colony Bonuses
• Colonization Pod Bonuses
• HUD (Player Mat)
• Artifacts
• Fuel Markers
• Cycle Tiles
• Cultural Achievements

Overview

In Beta Colony, you play as one of five Directors working to create prosperous colonies. If you earn the most Confidence Points (CP), you will be elected as the first leader of Victus. Players will collect the needed building materials to produce and erect colonization pods - Defense Stations, Science and Tech Towers, Living Quarters, Agriculture Pods, and Water Treatment Centers - on the varied terrain of Victus.

Each round, the start player rolls their set of four dice. All other players duplicate that roll with their own dice. Players take two actions each round, one action at a time in turn order, with each action using two dice. Players will use one die to move and one die to activate the location to which they moved. Die color and value affect how the locations are used. Players will build colonization pods at each of three colonies to gain the confidence of the settlers and lead them to glory!

Components

• A "Victus" Game Board
• Round Marker
• Start Player Marker
• Player Mats
• Player Markers
• Cycle Tiles
• Cultural Achievements
• Cultural Achievement Tiles
• Colonization Pod Tiles
• Player Dice
• Player Spaceships
• Artifacts
• Fuel
• Material
• Player Crew

Setup

1. Place the game board - Victus - in the center of the play area.
2. Place fuel, artifacts, and materials in separate piles near the game board.
3. Shuffle and place all pods in a face-down pile near Manufactory. Reveal four columns of two as shown.
4. Shuffle and place the four cultural achievement buildings in a face-up stack near Azoph. Place the cultural achievement statues in a face-up row. Place all the cultural achievement tiles near the board.
5. Randomly select one of the three first cycle tiles and place it face up on the board as shown. Repeat with the second and third cycle tiles. Remove unused cycle tiles from the game.
6. Place the round marker on the top space in the first cycle.
7. Randomly select a start player and give them the start player marker.
8. Players select a personal HUD (player mat) in reverse turn order. The last player selects one, then passes the remaining HUDs counterclockwise. That player selects one, and so on, until all players have selected a HUD. Remove unused HUDs from the game. Note: Each HUD has two unique powers.
9. Players take: ship, four player markers, fifteen crew, one fuel, set of four dice (black, blue, red, green) and two randomly selected materials.
10. Players place one player marker next to each colony track and on the CP track.
11. In reverse turn order, each player places their ship on a different location around Victus.

Gameplay

Beta Colony is played over three cycles with three rounds in each cycle. Each round:

Roll Dice. Start player rolls their four dice. All other players duplicate the roll values with their own dice.

Perform Actions. In turn order, all players will perform two actions, one at a time, with each action using two dice.

Round End. The start player marker is passed clockwise and the round marker is advanced one space. At the beginning of rounds 1, 4, and 7, the bonus on the cycle tile activates. At the end of rounds 3, 6, and 9 the goal on the cycle tile is scored. (See Cycle Tiles.)

Roll Dice

The start player rolls their entire set of four dice. All other players change their dice to duplicate that roll, i.e., change the faces on their dice to match.

For example, if the start player rolls the dice shown in the image above, each other player must set their dice to match. Blue = 1, Red = 3, Green = 2, Black = 6.

Perform Actions

All players will use their dice to perform TWO actions. All four dice are used each round. Actions are performed using TWO dice per action as follows:

Move. Select one of your available dice and move your ship a number of locations clockwise around Victus equal to the value of the chosen die. Players will always move to one of the seven locations in orbit.

Activate Location. Once you have completed moving, select an unused die and perform the action at that location. Locations may provide bonuses for using certain die colors and/or values when activating.

Moving

Players MUST always move prior to activating a location. Note: Players may occupy the same location.

Example: A player chooses to move using the black die "6". They move their ship six spaces clockwise from Manufactory to Nebra. They then select a remaining die to perform the action at Nebra.

Continuing the example above, the player selects the blue die "1" and performs the action at Nebra. They would now have green die "2" and red die "3" available for their second action when it is their turn again.

Activate Location

Once a player has completed moving, they select an unused die and perform the action at that location.

Once a player has completed an action, they move the two used dice to the "spent dice" area on their player mat. The next player in clockwise order completes one action and so on until all players have completed TWO actions. Players will always use each of their four dice once during a round. When activating a location, players MUST perform the action if able.

Dock for Fuel

Players may choose to dock at their current location and take one fuel. When docking for fuel, they do not move and no action is taken at the location. Players select two dice, move them to spent dice, and take a fuel.

Round End

After all players have performed two actions, the player with the start marker gives it to the player on their left. Move the round marker down one space. At the beginning of rounds 1, 4, and 7, the bonus on the cycle tile activates. At the ends of rounds 3, 6, and 9, resolve the "Goal" portion of the face-up cycle tile. (See Cycle Tiles.)

Game End

Game End occurs at the end of round 9.

Final score is the combination of Confidence Points (CP) earned during the game (colony tracks, pod bonuses, cycle tiles, action bonuses) and end-game CP from cultural achievements, artifacts, and colony majority.

Score cultural achievements, remaining artifacts, and colony majority:

• Artifacts: 1 CP each.
• Cultural Achievements: The listed CP on the Cultural Achievements that each player completed.
• Colony Majority: Each colony is evaluated and scored separately. To score colony majority, compare how many crew each player has in a colony to that of the player with the fewest crew in that colony. Each player then scores points according to that difference as follows:

Difference	CP
1	1 CP
2	3 CP
3	6 CP
4	10 CP
5+	15 CP

The player with the most total Confidence Points wins! In case of a tie, the tied player that placed the most crew on Victus is the winner. If still tied, players begrudgingly enjoy their shared victory.

Example: In Xian, blue player has four crew, white has two crew, and purple has six crew. White has the least crew and scores 0 CP. Blue has two more crew than white (4-2) and scores 3 CP. Purple has four more crew than white (6-2) and scores 10 CP.

Actions and Locations

The locations in orbit around Victus provide players with the resources needed to complete the colonization of Victus.

Moons: Gan De, Jyo & Nebra

Collection teams and mining facilities have been set up on each of the three moons of Victus to accumulate and produce the materials that are used to prepare and build the pods.

Gan De. Gan De is rich in steel (yellow) and local organics (green).

• When players use a die with value 1-4, they receive one material cube of their choice, either steel or organics.
• When players use a die with value 5-6, they receive two material cubes of their choice, any combination of steel and/or organics.

Bonus: If a player uses their green die to activate Gan De, they earn 1 CP and show this by moving their player marker 1 space on the CP track.

Jyo. Jyo has the chemical element palladium (red) and an edible fruit for food (pink).

• When players use a die with value 1-4, they receive one material cube of their choice, either palladium or food.
• When players use a die with value 5-6, they receive two material cubes of their choice, any combination of palladium and/or food.

Bonus: If a player uses their blue die to activate Jyo, they earn 1 CP and show this by moving their player marker 1 space on the CP track.

Nebra. Nebra, mostly water, is the primary local source of polymer (orange) and water (blue).

• When players use a die with value 1-4, they receive one material cube of their choice, either polymer or water.
• When players use a die with value 5-6, they receive two material cubes of their choice, any combination of polymer and/or water.

Bonus: If a player uses their red die to activate Nebra, they earn 1 CP and show this by moving their player marker 1 space on the CP track.

Each player may never store more than 10 total materials at any time.

Manufactory

Build colonization pods to expand the colonies on Victus.

The Manufactories allow players to select a pod and build it in a colony. Players select a pod based on the die value they chose to activate when at either Manufactory.

• If the player activates with a die value 1-2, they can only select a pod in the column labeled 1-2.
• If the player activates with a die value 3-4, they can only select a pod in the column labeled 3-4.
• If the player activates with a die value of 5, they can only select a pod in the column labeled 5.
• If the player activates with a die value of 6, they can only select a pod in the column labeled 6.

Taking a pod requires players to spend one material cube matching the pod color that is being purchased. I.e., a science and tech tower (red) costs a palladium (red), a water treatment center (blue) costs a water (blue).

After a pod is selected, it is immediately built in a colony on Victus and the empty Manufactory spot is refreshed.

Build Pods

After a pod is taken, the player must build in an open space in any colony.

The material required to build a pod is determined by the color of the space on which the pod is being built. To build a pod, players spend the material matching the chosen space's color.

After a colonization pod is built, the active player:

• Places a crew from their supply on the newly built pod.
• Adjusts the adjacent colony track. (See Colony Tracks.)
• Immediately takes the pod bonus shown on the tile. (See Colonization Pod Bonuses.)

Example: After taking a science & tech tower (red pod) and spending a palladium (red), it now must be built on Victus. Building it on the yellow space would require a steel (yellow). Or if it is built on the green space it would require an organics (green). A crew is then placed on the pod.

Restrictions for constructing a pod. A collection (contiguous group) of pods of the same type (color) may never be larger than THREE tiles, i.e., no more than three tiles of the same color can be in a group at any time.

The Ridback

Get Fuel

The Ridback allows players to get fuel to continue the mission.

• If the player activates with a die value 1-2, they take one fuel.
• If the player activates with a die value of 3-4, they take two fuel.
• If the player activates with a die value of 5-6, they take three fuel.

Azophi Nexus

Take any one material and one fuel OR build a cultural achievement

The Azophi Nexus allows players to take any one material of their choice and a fuel OR build a cultural achievement.

Take any one material and one fuel. If the player activates with a die value 1-6, they take one fuel and one material of any color.

OR build a cultural achievement. If the player activates with a die value 1-6, they select an available cultural achievement and pay the cost listed on it. The top cultural achievement in the building pile and all four statues are available to be built. (See Cultural Achievements.)

The player must then build on any open space in any colony. To build the cultural achievement tile, after paying its cost, players spend a material cube matching the chosen space's color.

After building a cultural achievement, the active player:

• Places a crew from their supply on the newly built achievement.
• Places the matching cultural achievement next to their player mat. CP is scored at game end.
• Immediately takes the bonus listed on the cultural achievement tile, if any.

Bonus: If a player uses their black die to activate the Azophi Nexus, they earn 1 CP and show this by moving their player marker 1 space on the CP track.

Colony Tracks

Every time a player builds a pod in a colony, players will gain influence in that colony for improving it. The player adjusts the adjacent colony track by moving the markers accordingly. This influence earns players bonuses and Confidence Points.

The colony tracks have bonuses for players as they progress toward completing each colony. (See Colony Bonuses.)

Each time a pod is built, the player who built it receives the influence (inf) listed on the pod (0, 1, 2, or 3). Additionally, the player receives 1 inf for each existing pod of the same color in a group(s) to which it is added and 1 inf if the new pod is built adjacent to a colony center.

Example: Blue Player builds a blue pod on the yellow space as shown. The pod has two influence so she receives 2 inf. In addition, she would receive 3 additional inf: 1 inf for each of the previously built blue pods in the contiguous chain of like tiles (a collection) and 1 inf for being adjacent to a colony center. Blue was on the first space from a prior build and now moves up 5 inf to the sixth space on the track and immediately receives a material, 2 fuel and 3 CP.

Player markers begin the game off the track, not on it.

Colony Bonuses

Each time a player progresses on any of the colony tracks, they may take a bonus. The player takes a bonus when a player's colony track marker lands on or passes a space that has a bonus shown. Players take bonuses immediately and multiple bonuses can be received on the same turn.

Each colony track has different bonuses and players must progress up each track separately to receive them.

Bonuses:

• Receive the listed CP and adjust the score track immediately.
• Take any 1 or 2 material cubes from supply.
• Take one artifact from supply.
• Take two fuel from supply.
• Place a crew on any other pod (even another player's).
• Take any one face-up pod without paying the cost and build it for free.
• Take a Cultural Achievement from the Azophi Nexus without paying the cost and build it for free.

The five colonization pod colors and their locations: Yellow (Defense Station), Red (Science and Tech Tower), Pink (Living Quarters), Green (Agriculture Pod), Blue (Water Treatment Center).

Colonization Pod Bonuses

Players take pod bonuses immediately whenever a pod is built in a colony. The bonus is shown on the pod:

• After placing this pod, that player advances 2 CP on the score track.
• After placing this pod, that player takes an artifact from supply.
• After placing this pod, that player takes two fuel from supply.
• After placing this pod, that player must place two crew on the pod instead of just one.
• After placing this pod, no crew is placed on this pod. (Players still take influence.)

HUD (Player Mat)

The player mat stores materials, artifacts, fuel, and player dice. The player mat also shows each player their two unique powers to use throughout the game.

Artifacts

Artifacts can be spent as any color material, i.e., they act as a wild material. They are also used to build Cultural Achievements. Players may use as many artifacts on a turn as needed. At game end, unused artifacts are worth 1 CP each.

Fuel Markers

Fuel is used to modify die values. One fuel grants +/-1 to a die value, e.g. a "4" roll can be treated as a "3" or a "5" using one fuel. A "6" can be changed to a "4" or "8" using two fuel. Players may use as many fuel per die and turn as they are able, but may not modify a die to "0" or a negative value. Players may use fuel on any action or movement.

Cycle Tiles

There are separate cycle tiles for the first, second, and third cycles (three tiles per cycle). Each tile has a goal for the cycle and a bonus that applies during that cycle.

The cycle bonus is activated at the beginning of each cycle (rounds 1, 4, 7). The goal is scored at the end of each cycle (rounds 3, 6, 9). Players earn the listed CP and advance their scoring markers on the CP track if they meet the requirements of the bonus.

Cycle One covers Rounds 1-3, Cycle Two covers Rounds 4-6, and Cycle Three covers Rounds 7-9.

Cultural Achievements

There are two types of cultural achievements: buildings and statues. Players purchase them at the Azophi Nexus.

Players build buildings by paying the materials shown on the tile plus the cost of the space on which it is built (five total materials). Only the topmost building in the stack is available to be built.

Players build statues by paying three artifacts plus the cost of the space where the player builds it. All Statues are available to be built at the start of the game.

When a player builds a cultural achievement, the player takes any listed bonus immediately. CP is scored at game end. Players may NOT build adjacent to a colony center and are NEVER part of a collection of pods. Each player may build no more than TWO cultural achievements during the game.