Beyond the Sun FAQ
122 questions players ask · Updated Nov 7, 2026 · Full rulebook
Setup and Components
- How and when are the Guild tile covers removed?
- Does the second printing of Beyond the Sun change the rules or have errata?
- How many Technology cards are there at each level?
- Why are there five system cards out in a three-player game?
- Do you use two action pawns per player in a 2-player game?
- Can all advanced faction boards be used in a two-player game?
- What are the four Start planets in System Deck A for?
Turn Structure and Actions
- Does the first player token pass around in Beyond the Sun?
- Can I repeat the same action, or stay on the same action space?
- Can several players share the bottom Basic Spacefaring action, and can I repeat it?
- Which Basic Spacefaring spaces cost an extra ore?
- Can I take an action if I can't pay all of it, or do just part of it?
- Can I take a jump-only action and jump zero spaces, or take Basic Spacefaring without building?
- Is the immediate bonus from researching a technology optional?
- What if I have no supply cubes or population and the action asks me to convert one?
- How do I recover if I have no population and no supply cubes?
- Can I use an exchange (such as paying ore for a technology) more than once in one action?
- How do "anytime" abilities work, and can they interrupt an action?
- When does a technology's "from now on" effect become active?
- Do I place my action pawn when using Advanced Genetics or Advanced Robotics?
- Are technology cards "revealed" during research visible to everyone?
- Can I just keep jumping ships back and forth for bonuses?
- Can I take the same Basic Spacefaring action twice in one turn?
Technology and Research
- Can colors of occupied technology slots block me from researching a Level IV tech?
- How do I choose the type of a new technology that has two possible prerequisite colors?
- With the Technology Tableau variant, do I declare which prerequisite type I'm drawing for first?
- Can I research a technology I've already researched to get its bonus again?
- When is a technology considered researched, before or after its event and immediate effect?
- Does the research action on a tech card need the slot to lie along a line from the action space?
- How do I get access to Level IV technologies, and what if I research one in a private slot?
- Does Mass Enlightenment give an immediate Level IV technology?
- When does a research cost discount (such as Teegarden Station) apply?
- How do I gain and use a private technology?
- Can other players copy, research or use my private technology?
- Does a private technology count as a researched technology for level requirements and triggers?
- What level does Planetary Scale Research research, and is it useless after four colonies?
Spaceships, Jumps and System Control
- Does tying the controller's power take control of a system?
- If my ships leave a system, do I keep control?
- Does an outpost disc add power or count as half a ship for control?
- How do orbital-defense outposts defend against an invader?
- When is system control evaluated during moves and upgrades?
- Can I jump a ship to Galactic HQ, upgrade it and jump it on in one jump?
- Do I get a system's gain-control bonus again when I regain control, or when I colonize it?
- Can I change the production type of an outpost disc, or place a second one by jumping?
- Where is a ship from a control bonus or a build effect placed?
- Do colonized systems count as controlled locations?
- What if I run out of production or control discs?
Colonizing Systems
- Can I colonize just because my ships meet the strength requirement?
- Do I need to control a system to colonize it, and do opponents' ships stop me?
- Can one colonize action colonize more than one system?
- Must I return all my ships when colonizing?
- What is the replacement disc on a colonized system for?
- How does Stealth Terraformers work, and can I colonize a system I don't control with it?
- How does the Dyson Sphere event system work with colonization?
Production and Automation
- What makes a player skip the Production phase?
- What is food demand, and does it limit population growth?
- What do the faded ore icons under the ore track mean?
- How can I automate a production disc?
- After Subatomic Fabrication, can I place an ore disc on a food-only planet?
- Do locked supply columns block population gained from a technology?
- Which cube counts as the "rightmost" supply cube?
Achievements
- How many achievements can I claim per turn, and can I wait?
- Does the Efficiency achievement need the whole production track cleared?
- What does the Strategist achievement count?
- How does the Warlord achievement count locations?
- Does a disc on Black Market Industries count for Prosperity?
- How does Giga-Corporations interact with achievement discs?
Game End and Scoring
- How many achievements end the game?
- How are Sol and Deep Space scored at the end?
- Do outpost discs on colonized systems score 1 VP each?
- What if the planet deck runs out?
- How does Mind/Machine Assimilation score?
- How does Parallel Universe Generator score?
- What is the most VP Giga-Corporations can give?
- How do TZ Arietis and Neo-Industrial Revolution score?
- How does Galactic HQ score at game end?
- How much do Tau Ceti and Android Independence score?
Specific Cards: Technologies
- What can Quantum Data Exchange copy?
- Can Modular Fleet build several ships in one action?
- How do Human Experiments' upgrades work?
- How does Wormhole Technology work?
- How does a tech converting 2 supply cubes work?
- What does Master Engineer do?
- How do Android Rights Movement and Android Destroyers work?
- Does Research Tariffs apply when I research via a colonization bonus?
- Can I take the Technocrats Guild action after all Level 1 techs are researched?
- Does Transdimensional AI's no-immediate-bonus clause apply at Level 1?
- Can Hyperdrive Boosters upgrade one ship twice?
- On Bio-Synaptic Network, do I gain the 2 ore whichever automation I pick?
- How does Manufacturing Orbitals count?
- Is the missing number on the Level 1 Terraforming card a typo?
- In Covert Arms Deal, do others also get the ship?
- How does Experimental Prototypes' re-roll work?
Specific Cards: Systems and Events
- Can Ross 154 let me stay on my space or skip research?
- Where do Wolf 359, Alpha Centauri and Groombridge 34 bonuses place things?
- How does Erratic Solar Activity charge ore?
- Does Luyten's Star stop passing ships?
- What does DX Cancri's +1 Jump apply to?
- How does 61 Cygni's ore-for-population trade work?
- Do Sol and Deep Space count as controlled places for Spacetime Anomaly Studies?
Factions and Advanced Boards
Beyond the Sun: Leaders of the New DawnExpansion
- Do the Leaders factions such as Space Privateers' Collective start with different resources, and how do its powers place ships?
- Do I have to use the Leaders expansion's replacement technology cards, and what changed?
- Can I use the expansion's new systems, events and techs without the leaders?
- Can the solo automa or the solo doom track be used in a multiplayer game?
- Can Leaders of the New Dawn components be used in solo mode?
- Can Quantum Data Exchange copy the Completionist leader's action?
- What does the control bonus on system card CD-69 2001 allow?
- How does Guerrilla Tactician's +1 power work?
- Can Subatomic Fabrication let Accelerated Growth Pods automate ore instead of food?
- How are Anarchist action cards discarded and reshuffled (Extreme Wealth Gap)?
- In solo, does the Anarchist get an action card when I research a Level II or III tech?
- How does the solo AI handle research, and does Technocratic Party Election let the pawn stay?
- Is the Android Hivemind prediction hidden?
- How does Parallel Universe Generator score in solo?
- Does Space Privateers' Collective need both production tracks at Level IV, and is A active from the start?
- Does Hyperlane Navigator override entry restrictions?
- How does Fleet Dispatcher's +2 jump work?
- For United Nations power B, is population used for ore or ore for population?