Cysmic
Cysmic Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Objective & Winning the Game
- Game Modes & Expansions
- Component List
- A Guided Tour of the Main Components
- Main Setup (Competitive Mode)
- Player Setup (Competitive Mode)
- Turn Basics: A Visual Guide
- How to Play
- Units
- Recruit, Field Promote, & Upgrade
- Influence, Habitats, and Control Flags
- Understanding the Planet
- Cysmograph: Tremors, Fractures, & Collapses
- Movement
- Combat
- Cyber Attack
- Resources
- Construction Board
- Constructing Modules
- Launching Your Colony Ship
- Alternate Endings
- Espionage Expansion (for Competitive Mode)
- Euro-Mode
- Solo Mode
- Overview
- Autopponent Components
- Solo Mode Setup
- Solo Mode How to Play
- Subroutine Cards (Autopponent's answer to Discovery Cards and Relic Cards)
- Turn Adjustments — Autopponent Colony Ship Completed
- Combat with the Autopponent
- Example Solo Combat Scenario
- Autopponent Launch
- Autopponent Humanity Check
- Autopponent Priorities
- Cooperative Mode
- Objective
- Victory Conditions
- Failure Conditions
- Standard Components
- Co-op Mode Components
- Main Setup
- Player Setup
- Important Differences from Competitive Mode
- Game Concepts
- Command Card Actions
- Bonus Actions
- Lorium
- Recruiting
- Countdown Board
- Cysmograph Board (Tremors, Fractures, Collapses)
- Colony Ship Modules / Construction
- Launching
- Gameplay Overview
- How to Play
- Cysmic Battle Chess
- Command Card Reference
- Bonus Action Reference
- Glossary
- Clarifications
- Back Cover Reference
Objective & Winning the Game
There are no victory points in Cysmic. The first player to successfully Launch their completed Colony Ship is the winner.
To win, you must have a completed Colony Ship with all 6 Modules fully constructed, Evacuate all of your Units to your Reserve, and be able to Launch at the end of your turn. If some of your Units are still on the planet or captured by opponents, you may choose to roll the Humanity Die to see if your conscience will allow you to leave those Units behind. Doing so has consequences in future games of Cysmic.
How Do You Complete the Objective?
- Use your Soldiers and Powermechs to attack and capture enemy Units. Return them back to their Factions for the Blueprints required to build your Colony Ship.
- Use Miners and Harvesters to mine Lorium crystals and search for Discoveries across the planet surface. Use the Lorium to build Colony Ship Modules and Upgrade Troops to Vehicles.
- Use Speakers to gain Influence over populated areas to increase your Lorium storage and Recruit more Troops.
- Use your Colony Ship to construct Modules and Evacuate your Units so you can be the first one to Launch.
What Obstacles Stand Between You and the Objective?
Human Vs. Human. Players will be fighting each other for Resources and taking each other's Units as prisoners. You will use these Captured Units as leverage to gain Colony Ship Module Blueprints from your opponents. Be prepared to go on the offense. Defensive measures and passive tactics will typically end in doom.
Human vs. Nature. As the planet destabilizes, the landscape constantly collapses around you throughout the game. The longer you play, the more accelerated the planet's instability becomes. Try to avoid terrain collapses and Fracture events to save your Units and your colonists from falling into the abyss.
Game Modes & Expansions
Competitive Mode is the main design and thematic experience for the game. This is the recommended way to learn the game and understand the other game modes. Add the Planetary Events Mini-Expansion of 12 new Discovery Cards to experience random events in Competitive Mode. Add the set of extreme Molten Core Cards to Competitive Mode for more intense gameplay.
The Espionage Expansion is an essential addition to Competitive Mode. It was designed from the ground up to be played as part of the main Cysmic experience but was modularized to simplify early games.
Euro-Mode is an alternate game style that allows players to obtain Colony Ship Module Blueprints by performing Missions in lieu of only attacking players. This mode was developed to be a Cysmic experience with reduced confrontation and a more Eurogame-y feel.
Solo Mode introduces an AI player known as the Autopponent. Players experience Cysmic in a 1v1 game against the Autopponent in a Competitive Mode experience. This mode may also be used to playtest Factions and strategies before playing Competitive Mode against human players.
Cooperative Mode is a completely different Cysmic experience targeting family game nights and casual gamers. Players work together to construct their Colony Ship and save as many of the Colonists as possible before the planet collapses.
Cysmic Battle Chess is a 1v1 Chess variant using the miniatures of Cysmic as stand-ins for standard chess pieces. When taking an opponent's piece, a battle ensues, and possibly a Fracture! There's no Check or Checkmate. Destroy the enemy Colony Ship (King) or move yours to the opposite side of the board.
Game Mode Icons
- Espionage: Add components with this icon when playing with the Espionage Expansion.
- Euro: Use only components with this icon when playing Euro-Mode.
- Solo: Use only components with this icon when playing Solo Mode.
- Molten Core: Remove components with this icon for a more balanced and fair game.
- Planetary Events: Add these cards to Competitive Mode to add random events.
Whatever the audience or mode, Cysmic always finds a way to the table!
Component List
Competitive Mode Components
- Planet Game Board (x1), front/back
- Planet Game Board Edges (x6), front/back
- Terrain Hex Tiles (x127), front/back
- Fracture Bag (x1)
- Fracture Tokens (x42), front/back
- Tremor Tokens (x8)
- Combat Markers (x20)
- First Player Token (Launch Button) (x1)
- Lorium Crystal Tokens (x60)
- Relic Tokens (x30)
- Mountain Miniatures (x18) [3 per terrain type]
- D12 Yellow Support Combat Dice (x6)
- D12 Red Military Combat Dice (x8)
- D6 Blue Attacker Strike Dice (x2)
- D6 Green Defender Strike Dice (x2)
- D6 Humanity Die (x1)
- Habitats: Value 1 - Camp (x18), Value 2 - Outpost (x12), Value 3 - Settlement (x6), Value 5 - Colony City (x1)
- Colony Ship Individual Components: Crew Bridge Module, Control Systems Module, Colonist Quarters Module, Power Core Module, Fuel Cells Module, Warp Drive Module [2 per player]
- Harvester (x12) (Resource Vehicle) [2 per player]
- Miner (x36) (Resource Troop) [6 per player]
- Soldier (x60) (Combat Troop) [10 per player]
- Speaker (x30) (Influence Troop) [5 per player]
- Powermech (x12) (Combat Vehicle) [2 per player]
- Control Flag (x42) [7 per player]
- Construction Boards (x6), front/back [1 per player]
- Colony Ship Completed (x6) [1 per player]
- Launcher (x1)
- Modules (x6)
- Command Boards (x6) [1 per player], front - Competitive Mode/Euro-Mode
- Command Cards, front/back (x60) [10 per player]
- Relic Cards, front/back (x54)
- Competitive Mode Player Aid, front/back (x6) [1 per player]
- Faction Cards (x27), front - Setup/Art/Lore, back - Faction Abilities
- Blueprint Tokens (x36) [6 per player]
- Discovery Cards, front/back (x99)
- Planetary Event Cards, front/back (x12)
- Echoes of Humanity Scoresheet (x1)
Euro-Mode Components
- Mission Accomplished Cubes (x36) [6 in each player color]
- Influence Cube (x6) [1 per player]
- Mission Cards, front/back (x24)
- Mission Board, front/back (x1)
Espionage Expansion Components
- Cysmograph Board, front/back (x1)
- Command Boards (x6) [1 per player], back - Competitive Mode with Espionage Expansion
- Espionage Command Cards, front/back (x6) [1 per player]
- Espionage Cards, front/back (x30)
Cooperative Mode Components
- Cooperative Mode Countdown Board, front/back (x1)
- Orange Control Flags (x5)
- Yellow Control Flags (x11)
- Rescued Colonists Cube (x1)
- Endangered Colonists Cube (x1)
- Collapsed Spaces Cube (x1)
- Cooperative Mode Command Cards (x36) [6 per player]
- Cooperative Mode Player Aid, front/back (x6) [1 per player]
Solo Mode Components
- Solo Mode Command Board, front/back (x1)
- Solo Mode Player Aid, front/back (x1)
- Solo Mode Strike Cards, front/back (x26)
- Solo Mode Subroutine Cards, front/back (x26)
- Solo Mode Autopponent Command Cards, front/back (x6)
A Guided Tour of the Main Components
Entering the World of Cysmic
Kepler-62e was meant to be humanity's second chance. What remains now is a crumbling world, fractured by instability and desperation. Every piece of this game represents something real within that story: the people, the machines, the colonies, and the planet itself. By understanding these components in their thematic context, you'll step into the universe of Cysmic fully equipped to command your Faction and fight for survival.
Factions
You are the leader of a Faction, represented by your Faction Card. This card tells the story of your people, your starting advantages, and your unique Abilities. Factions once worked together under the World Council, but now they compete for the Blueprints needed to escape. Each leader's ambition and approach defines how their people act on the collapsing planet. Each Faction Ability is highly thematic and was developed under the premise of how this leader might be the first to Launch.
Units: The People and Machines of Survival
Your Units are the lifeblood of your Faction, representing both Troops and Vehicles in the form of miniatures:
- Soldiers & Powermechs — Combat Units who capture rival Units to be used as leverage for Blueprints. Soldiers (Combat Troop) [10 per player] upgrade to Powermechs (Combat Vehicle) [2 per player].
- Miners & Harvesters — Resource Units who extract Lorium, the crystals needed to pay for construction. Miners (Resource Troop) [6 per player] upgrade to Harvesters (Resource Vehicle) [2 per player].
- Speakers — Influence Troops who sway public opinion, planting Control Flags on Habitats. [5 per player]
- Colony Ship — Your Mobile Base, your salvation, and your only hope for escape. [1 per player]
Every miniature is more than a playing piece—it's a decision point, a risk, and part of your story.
Command Cards & Command Board
Your Command Cards are the orders you issue each turn. They control how your Units act—recruiting, upgrading, battling, or negotiating. Played above your Command Board, they also unlock Bonus Actions, extra maneuvers that may tilt the balance in your favor. Think of this board as your tactical command center, where military orders, political moves, and engineering directives flow out to shape the battlefield.
Habitats & Influence
Across Kepler-62e, the last human communities live in fragile Habitats—from small camps to the sprawling Colony City. Controlling them with your Speakers raises your Influence, a measure of how much of the population believes in your leadership. Influence grants you the capacity to Recruit more Units and store more Lorium, tying the loyalty of the people directly to your ability to survive.
Resources: Power In Every Form
Every Resource is scarce. Every exchange is survival by compromise.
- Lorium — a rare mineral mined from the planet's surface, essential for Upgrading Troops and constructing Colony Ship Modules.
- Captured Units — prisoners of war, bargained back to their Factions in exchange for missing Blueprints.
- Discovery Cards & Relic Cards — hidden technologies and ancient artifacts that bend the rules of survival.
- Habitat Control — the political benefits of holding entire communities under your banner.
Blueprints & Modules
Your Colony Ship is incomplete when the game begins. To finish it, you must build all six Modules by gaining the missing Blueprints scattered among your rivals. Defeating Units in Combat and taking them prisoner is the primary way to gain Blueprints from other Factions. Trade those Captured Units for Blueprints and then you gain the knowledge to Construct that Module. Each Module is a vital system: Crew Bridge, Control Systems, Colonist Quarters, Power Core, Fuel Cells, and the Warp Drive. As they are built, you edge closer to Launching. When the planet collapses, only a completed Colony Ship offers hope.
The Planet & Cysmograph
The board itself is Kepler-62e, pieced together from 127 hex tiles. Each space is fragile, subject to Collapse as the Cysmograph measures instability and Fracture Tokens are drawn. What once looked like a thriving colony becomes a battlefield balanced on fault lines. The world itself is your greatest enemy—forcing every Faction to act quickly, or risk being swallowed by the planet.
Construction Board: The Heart of Your Faction
Every Faction leader needs to view their empire at a glance, and in Cysmic that view is provided by your Construction Board. This single component ties together your political strength, engineering progress, construction projects, prisoner population, available Resources, and unique advantages.
- Captured Units Holding Area: On the left edge of the board are six cutout areas for Captured Units. These are your Faction's Holding Cells, the total number of enemy Units you can hold at any given moment. Capturing rival Units is the best way to secure their Blueprints, so your Holding Capacity is both a tactical limit and a thematic reminder.
- Blueprints & Modules: The left side of the board records the status of your Modules. Each time you acquire a missing Blueprint and construct a Module, you mark your progress toward escape. From the Crew Bridge to the Warp Drive, the board tells the story of your Colony Ship's rise to greatness.
- Influence Track: The right side of the board measures your Planetary Influence, your sway over the remaining population. As you control more Habitats, your Influence rises, allowing you to recruit more Units and store more Lorium. Lose the people's trust, and your capacity dwindles.
- Lorium Crystal Storage: Lorium crystals mined from the planet are stored here. Your Planetary Influence determines how many you can hold. Push beyond your limit, and surplus Lorium is lost.
- Relic Slots: On the right edge of the board are two slots to hold Relic Cards, the ancient artifacts or technologies that grant lasting abilities. By slotting them here, your Faction integrates alien powers into its strategy, providing the ability to turn the tide of the game.
The Construction Board is more than just a dashboard—it's the living record of your Faction's struggle. As Fractures deepen across Kepler-62e, this board reflects your rise or fall: whether you inspire enough Influence to lead, mine enough Lorium to build, or uncover enough Relics to change your fate.
Bringing It All Together
Every component of Cysmic is part of the same desperate story: leaders vying for influence, machines mining the last bit of fuel, soldiers clashing over prisoners, and colonies struggling to survive as the ground splits beneath them. When you play, you're not just moving tokens—you're making the same impossible choices your Faction's leader faces: who to trust, who to sacrifice, and how to escape before the end.
By knowing what these pieces represent and how they interconnect, the game mechanics will make more sense. The universe is already collapsing. Your task is simple: lead your people to the stars!
Main Setup (Competitive Mode)
- Unfold the Planet Game Board in the center of the table with the hexes side face up.
- Place the 6 Planet Game Board Edge pieces on top of the Planet Game Board, connected together, each covering the same art as printed on the board.
- Place the Colony City hex tile in the center space of the Planet Game Board.
- Separate the remaining 126 terrain hex tiles into 6 stacks of 21 hex tiles based on the terrain types printed on their backs: Wetlands, Tundra, Savannah, Rocky, Forest, and Desert. a. Shuffle each stack of 21 hex tiles facedown. b. Per stack, randomly place 6 hex tiles face up in each of the 6 edge spaces that match the terrain type on the planet edges. c. Moving inward, randomly place 5 more hex tiles against the prior hex tiles. Continue placing 1 less hex tile in each row until you place the final hex tile against the Colony City hex tile. d. Perform this same process for all 6 terrain types around the board until all 126 hex tiles have been placed face up on every space.
- Place the 18 Mountain miniatures: Each terrain type has a dominant terrain color. Find the 3 matching mountains sharing that same terrain color and place them on the 3 Mountain hex tiles in that terrain type. Repeat this for all 6 terrain types.
- Place the 37 Habitat miniatures: The value and type of each Habitat can be identified by its height as well as the number of pipes on the structure. Example: The shortest building with 1 pipe is the Camp with a value of 1. Each terrain type has 3 Camps, 2 Outposts, and 1 Settlement. a. 3 Camp Habitats are placed on the three Camp spaces in each terrain type. b. 2 Outpost Habitats are placed on the two Outpost spaces in each terrain type. c. 1 Settlement Habitat is placed on the Settlement space in each terrain type. d. 1 Colony City Habitat is placed on the Colony City space in the center of the planet board.
- Place the Cysmograph Board against the edge of the Planet Game Board for easy reach. Place one Tremor Token on each numbered space higher than the current player count. Then stack the remaining Tremor Tokens together on the current player count. Example: In a 4-player game, place one Tremor Token on the 6 space, one Tremor Token on the 5 space, and the 6 remaining tokens in a single stack on the 4 space.
- Place all 42 Fracture Tokens inside the Fracture Bag and place the bag near the Cysmograph Board.
- Place the following within reach of all players: a. Discovery Cards: Shuffle all 111 Discovery Cards to form the face down Discovery Deck. For your first game, you may remove the 40 cards with the Molten Core symbol, but it is recommended to play with them to get the true feel of Cysmic. This includes the 12 Planetary Event Discovery Cards. Remove the 6 cards with the Espionage symbol unless using the Espionage Expansion. See Game Modes & Expansions, page 05. b. Relic Cards: Shuffle all 54 Relic Cards to form the face down Relic Deck. For your first game, you may remove the 6 cards with the Molten Core symbol but it is recommended to play with them. Remove the 1 card with the Espionage symbol unless playing with the Espionage Expansion. c. The supply of Relic Tokens. d. The supply of Lorium Tokens. e. The supply of Combat Markers. f. The supply of Support Combat Dice, Military Combat Dice, Attacker Strike Dice, Defender Strike Dice, Humanity Die.
Player Setup (Competitive Mode)
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Give each player the following components:
- 1 Command Board (Competitive/Euro-Mode side)
- 1 Construction Board
- 10 Command Cards (remove the Espionage Negotiate card)
- 6 Blueprint Tokens (1 of each color)
- 1 Orange Influence Cube
- 1 Competitive Player Aid
Each player selects a player color for the following miniatures:
- 1 Colony Ship Launcher Unit
- 6 Colony Ship Modules
- 10 Soldier Units
- 6 Miner Units
- 5 Speaker Units
- 2 Powermech Units
- 2 Harvester Units
- 7 Control Flags
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Place the Command Board in front of the player face up with this icon in the upper right corner.
Designer's Note: Players should leave room above their Command Board to place Command Cards along the top of the board during play.
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Place the Construction Board near the Command Board. a. Place the orange Influence Cube on the 1 space at the bottom of the Influence Track. b. Place the Blueprint Tokens with the Missing side face up in each slot matching their name and color. (You should see the Red X symbol facing up.)
- Each token should be placed on the right side of the slot (covering the green Module Activated icon).
- Flip the token matching your player color to its Acquired side.
- Flip tokens matching player colors NOT IN PLAY to their Acquired side.
When set up correctly, each player should see a Red X symbol on each Blueprint Token whose color matches each of the opposing player colors in the game.
Example: In a 4-player game, blue, grey, yellow, and purple are in play. All players should have their own color Blueprint along with the orange and green Blueprints showing the Acquired side.
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Place the Player Aid, Command Cards, and plastic miniatures in your play area.
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Players select their Faction: a. Return Faction Cards with the Espionage symbol in the upper right corner to the box. b. Return Faction Cards requiring a minimum player count higher than the current number of players to the box. c. From those remaining, give each player 3 Faction Cards. Each player selects one Faction to play and returns the other two to the box.
Designer's Note: For your first game, you may ignore Faction Abilities depending on your comfort level. Once familiar, you may use the Abilities on the back. Be mindful of the Faction Difficulty.
d. Once all players have selected their Faction, each player follows the unique setup listed on the front of their Faction Card:
- Starting Influence: Set your orange Influence Cube to the value indicated.
Faction Card Anatomy
- Faction Name
- Minimum Player Count
- Leader Name
- Faction Difficulty
- Starting Influence
- Leader Backstory
- Faction Abilities
- Game Mode Icon
- Starting Resources
- Starting Units (Speakers, Miners, Soldiers)
Variant Setup
For a longer, more interactive game at smaller player counts:
In a 3-player game, each player may start with their own color Blueprint Token and one additional Blueprint Token with their Acquired sides up.
In a 2-player game, each player may start with their own color Blueprint Token and one (or two) additional Blueprint Tokens with their Acquired sides up.
Each player obtains each Blueprint from their opponents using normal methods but will need to gain a Blueprint from each opponent more than once.
Turn Basics: A Visual Guide
Designer's Note: This chapter presents a graphical representation of a sample player turn. Much of this information is repeated in the next chapter in more detail.
Each player has the same set of 10 Command Cards. At the start of the game, all 10 Command Cards are in your hand. The majority of your turns in Cysmic will consist of these three steps:
- Burn a Command Card
- Play a Command Card
- Perform a Bonus Action
Your Command Board displays five Command Columns, numbered 001 to 005. Over five turns, players will focus on a different Command Column each turn, starting with 001 (on the left) and progressing to 005 (on the right). On your first turn of the game, Command Column 001 will be current. The same Command Column is current for all players during a round.
1. Burn a Command Card
On your turn, you must select one Command Card from your hand and place it face down in the current Command Column. Place it in the Command Card Slot above your Command Board. This is your Burned Command Card.
2. Play a Command Card
Then, you must select one Command Card from your hand and place it face up on top of the Command Card you just Burned. This is your Played Command Card. You always place your Burned and Played Command Cards in the same Column, with your Played card on top of your Burned card.
Designer's Note: Over five turns, as you Burn and Play Command Cards, you will have fewer Command Cards left in your hand to choose from. The Burned and Played Command Cards will not be available for future turns once they are placed in a Command Card Slot. Planning ahead is essential.
Command Cards present a list of Actions identified by the gear icon. You may perform one Action from each Section on your Played Command Card, top to bottom. Performing the Actions on your Played card is called resolving your Command Card.
There are two types of Command Cards: Tactic and Unit. Your four Tactic Command Cards are each focused around a single purpose (Recruit, Upgrade, Battle, and Negotiate). Your six Unit Command Cards each name a different Unit Type (Soldiers, Miners, Speakers, Powermechs, Harvesters, Colony Ship) and let you issue commands to all of your Units of that type at once.
At the very bottom, you will see three icons of different colors. These are your Bonus Action Icons. These icons determine your choice of Bonus Actions this turn.
3. Perform a Bonus Action
Your Command Board contains a grid of actions available to you throughout the game. There are 29 unique actions on your Command Board, referred to as Bonus Actions. There are 6 Bonus Action options in a Column. Each Column has 5 uniquely-colored Bonus Actions and one Section with a Grey Icon containing 4 Bonus Actions that are repeated in all 5 Columns. The Bonus Actions become gradually more powerful from left to right across the board.
You may perform one Bonus Action from the current Column. The icon of the Bonus Action you perform must match one of the Bonus Action Icons on the bottom of your Played Command Card. Every Command Card includes the Grey Bonus Action Icon. If you select the Grey Bonus Action, you must choose only one of the four options to perform.
Example: It is the player's third turn, and they Played their Harvesters Command Card in the current Column (003), placing it on top of the card they Burned. This Command Card has the Red, Blue, and Grey Bonus Action Icons on the bottom of the card. The player may perform the Red, Blue, or Grey Bonus Action in Column 003. If they select the Grey Bonus Action, they must choose only one of the four Grey options to perform.
In the example above, the player has taken their third turn. They have Burned a Command Card face down and Played a Command Card face up each turn. This means they have Burned and Played 6 of their 10 Command Cards. Next turn, they will have 4 Command Cards in their hand to choose from. On their fifth and final turn this cycle, they will have only 2 Command Cards remaining, one of which must be Burned and the other Played.
Reclaim a Command Card (by Discarding a Relic Card)
During a game, you will gain Resources known as Relic Cards. At the start of each of your turns, you may discard one of your Relic Cards to Reclaim one of your Burned or Played Command Cards. Return this card to your hand. You may Burn or Play this card now or on any subsequent turn. This is an often-overlooked option available to all players at the start of their turns. Example: At the beginning of turn 4, the player could discard a Relic Card and Reclaim any one of their 6 Burned or Played Command Cards.
Turns, Rounds, and Cycles
- A player's turn is when they perform all of their Actions. The player currently taking their turn is the active player.
- A round consists of each player performing one turn.
- A cycle consists of five rounds. Players take five turns during a single cycle.
At the end of a cycle, all players do a Reset: they return all their Burned and Played Command Cards to their hands. Then a new cycle begins. Turns, rounds, and cycles continue until one player successfully Launches their Colony Ship.
Designer's Note: A typical game lasts around 6-8 rounds (less than 2 cycles) for low player counts (1-3 players), and as many as 9-13 rounds (2-3 cycles) for high player counts (4-6 players).
First Player Marker/First Player
At the start of each cycle, the player with the First Player Marker becomes the First Player. The same player remains First Player for all five rounds of the cycle even if they no longer possess the First Player Marker. The current First Player is always known based on the placement of Command Cards in the current Column. Note: because games don't usually last longer than three cycles, the First Player might only change once or twice during the game. The First Player Marker could be crucial to claim at the right time, so you can act before your opponents as the game nears its conclusion.
How to Play
Each round, the First Player takes the first turn, followed by the other players in clockwise order. On your turn, perform the following steps in this order:
- Reclaim a Command Card (optional)
- Burn a Command Card
- Play a Command Card
- Perform Command Card Actions
- Perform a Bonus Action
- Launch (requires completed Colony Ship)
- All Players Discard Surplus Resources
1. Reclaim a Command Card
At the start of your turn, you may discard one of your active or inactive Relic Cards to return one of your Burned or Played Command Cards to your hand. You may Burn or Play that card on this turn, or on any subsequent turn. You cannot discard more than one Relic Card during this step. If you already have 10 Command Cards in your hand, skip this step.
2. Burn a Command Card
You must select one Command Card from your hand and place it face down in the current Command Column. It has no effect (i.e., you do not perform any of its Actions). You cannot show your Burned cards to any opponent. You may look at your own Burned cards at any time.
3. Play a Command Card
You must select one Command Card from your hand and place it face up on top of the Command Card you just Burned. You always place both your Burned and Played Command Cards in the same Column.
4. Perform Command Card Actions
A Command Card is divided into Sections, each of which contains one or more Actions. Each Action is marked with its own gear icon. In general, you may perform one Action from each Section on your Played Command Card, in order from top to bottom.
Some Actions have a Tremor icon next to them. When you (or one of your Units) perform the Action, you must also perform a Tremor, which may cause a Fracture. See Cysmograph, page 24. Example: As shown on the Harvesters Command Card, there are 2 Sections and 3 Command Card Actions, one of which has a Tremor icon. There are also 3 Bonus Action Icons on the bottom of the card.
Your Tactic Command Cards (Recruit, Upgrade, Battle, and Negotiate) are your political and engineering maneuvers, while your Unit Command Cards (Soldiers, Miners, Speakers, Powermechs, Harvesters, Colony Ship) are how you directly control your Units on the planet. In fact, the Actions on Unit Command Cards are usually referred to as being performed by your Units (rather than by you).
To resolve a Tactic Command Card:
- Start with the first (topmost) Section, and proceed downward.
- You may perform one Action from each Section.
- You may choose to not perform any or all of the Actions, skipping the Action with no effect.
To resolve a Unit Command Card:
- Start with the first (topmost) Section, and proceed downward.
- Each of your Unlocked Units of the card's type may perform one Action from each Section.
- If there is only one Action in a Section, each Unit may perform that Action, one at a time, in any order you choose.
- If there are two Actions in a Section, each Unit may perform one of those Actions. Each Unit may perform either Action, regardless of which one the others performed.
- Each Unit performing an Action with a Tremor icon triggers a separate Tremor.
- Units may choose to not perform any of the Actions in a Section, skipping the Section with no effect.
- All of your Unlocked Units of the card's type must perform - or decline to perform - an Action from the current Section before you can proceed to the next Section.
For more about each of the Command Card Actions, see Command Card Reference, page 54.
Command Card Anatomy
- Name
- Type (Tactic or Unit)
- Unit Attributes
- Unit Ability Icons
- Sections
- Section Divider
- Command Card Actions
- Tremor Icon
- Bonus Action Icons
Command Board Anatomy
- Command Column
- Command Card Slot
- Bonus Action Column
- Command Card Reference
- Launch Action
- Game Mode Icon
5. Perform a Bonus Action
After resolving your Played Command Card, you may perform one Bonus Action from the current Command Column. The icon of the Bonus Action you choose to perform must match one of the Bonus Action Icons on the bottom of your Played Command Card. If you select the Grey Bonus Action, you must choose only one of the four options to perform.
For more about each of the Bonus Actions, see Bonus Action Reference, page 56.
6. Launch
At the end of your turn, if your Colony Ship is completed - you have constructed all 6 of its Modules - you may attempt to Launch:
- If none of your Units are being left behind, the Launch automatically succeeds, and you win!
- If any of your Units are being left behind, you may roll the Humanity Die (a conscience check in 6-sided form) to attempt to Launch.
- If you succeed, the Launch is successful, and you win!
- Otherwise, you may try again on future turns. Concentrate on Evacuating your Units, if you can.
See Launching Your Colony Ship, page 36.
7. All Players Discard Surplus Resources
All Resource limits (e.g., hand size, storage capacity) are considered to be infinite during any player's turn, but at the end of each player's turn, all players must discard any Resources they cannot store or hold:
- Reduce your Discovery Cards down to your hand limit of 5.
- Reduce your Relic Cards down to your total limit of 5 (2 of those at most can be Active).
- Reduce your Lorium down to your storage capacity.
- Reduce your Captured Units down to your Holding Capacity.
Designer's Note: Take note that ALL players discard at the end of EACH turn. All players can be affected both positively and negatively during any turn in the game. Because of this, you may need to discard your surplus Resources at the end of an opponent's turn if you lose Influence, gain cards, gain Lorium, or gain Captured Units that you cannot hold.
Reset
The current cycle ends when 5 rounds are over, meaning every player has had 5 turns. At this time, all players must do a Reset: pick up all of your Burned and Played Command Cards and return them to your hand. Each player now has all 10 of their Command Cards in their hand again. When the Reset finishes, a new cycle begins.
First Player Marker
Possession of the First Player Marker does not change unless another player deliberately seizes it (via the Initiate action on the Negotiate Command Card, the dedicated Green Bonus Action, or another game effect). When the First Player Marker changes hands, its new owner immediately places it in front of them. Although it may change owners several times during a cycle, the only time the First Player Marker is evaluated is at the start of a new cycle.
At the start of each cycle, the player who possesses the First Player Marker becomes the First Player. The same player remains First Player for all five rounds of the cycle even if they no longer possess the First Player Marker.
Designer's Note: The First Player Marker is the super cool clicky Launch Button. Don't wear it out!
Units
All the miniatures in your player color on the Planet Game Board (except Control Flags) are your Units. These include Combat Units and Non-Combat Units.
Units are categorized as follows:
Troops
- Speaker (Influence Troop)
- Miner (Resource Troop)
- Soldier (Combat Troop)
Vehicles
- Harvester (Resource Vehicle)
- Powermech (Combat Vehicle)
Mobile Base
- Colony Ship (Mobile Base)
Your Colony Ship is a Mobile Base, not a Troop or Vehicle. It cannot be destroyed. It is treated as a Unit for movement but is immune to effects that specify Troops or Vehicles. It always occupies a space alone and cannot share its space with other Units or Tokens. The space it occupies loses all terrain features including Habitats, TUNLs, Lorium, etc.
Unit Roles
- Soldiers/Powermechs: Initiate Combat, capture enemy Units.
- Miners/Harvesters: Collect Lorium and Discovery Cards.
- Speakers: Gain control of Habitats, change roles of other Troops.
- Colony Ship: Your base of operations; complete its Modules to Launch and win.
Your Units may be in one of three locations: On the Planet Board, Captured by Opponents, or in your Reserve. Your Reserve is where your Units are kept until they are called upon, on the table in your player area. Thematically, Units in your Reserve are inside your Colony Ship or your Controlled Habitats, waiting for orders.
You control your Units through Command Cards. Each Unit Command Card Activates all Unlocked Units of the card's type on the planet board. Resolve the card's Actions one at a time for each Activated Unit. Locked Units cannot be Activated. Bonus Actions and other game effects may also Activate an individual Unit. If instructed to "Activate an Unlocked Unit," perform all Actions from its Command Card with that Unit, even if you have not Played the card.
Unit Attributes
Every Unit Type (Soldiers, Miners, Speakers, Powermechs, Harvesters, Colony Ship) has a set of four Attributes (Cost, Movement, Health, Combat). The values of these Attributes vary between the Unit Types, and are displayed at the top of each Unit Command Card and in the Reference Area on the bottom of your Command Board. Every individual Unit has the Attribute values of its Unit Type.
- Cost: If the Unit Type is a Troop, the cost to Recruit a Unit of that Type is an amount of Influence. If the Unit Type is a Vehicle, the cost to Upgrade a Troop Unit to that Vehicle Unit is paid in Lorium. See Recruit & Deploy and Upgrade, page 20.
- Movement: The maximum number of spaces you can move a Unit of this Type during one Move action. You can Move a Unit any number of spaces up to and including their Movement value, including zero spaces. See Movement, page 26.
- Health: The value that must be met or exceeded by a Combat Die result to defeat a Unit of this Type. If there are two numbers (e.g., 6+4) both must be met or exceeded by two different Combat Die results in the same Strike to defeat the Unit. See Combat, page 28.
- Combat: There are two types of Combat Dice: Military (red) and Support (yellow). The number of red and yellow icons indicate the amount and type of Combat Dice a Unit of this Type contributes to your Battle Dice. See Combat, page 28.
Unit Abilities
In addition to their Attributes, each Unit Type has an inherent Ability that lets them do something extraordinary. It is possible for Units to gain an additional Ability via various game effects. A Unit cannot gain an Ability it already has.
- Engage Ability: Combat Units (Soldiers and Powermechs) may enter a space containing enemy Units to initiate a Combat. This is your only means of initiating Combat. See Combat, page 28; Movement, page 26; Recruit & Deploy, page 20.
- Shield Ability: Speakers can reduce damage against themselves or friendly Units in Combat. See Combat, page 28.
- Early Warning Ability: Miners, Harvesters, and Colony Ships can avoid being destroyed by escaping from a Collapsing space. This Ability is disabled for Locked Units. See Cysmograph, page 24; Early Warning Ability, page 25.
Locked & Unlocked Units
Units can exist in two states: Locked and Unlocked.
When a Unit with the Engage Ability enters a space with an enemy Unit, a Combat is initiated in that space. All of the Units in that space are now Locked in Combat, referred to in game terms as just Locked. When other Units, with or without the Engage Ability, enter a space with an existing Combat, those Units will also become Locked. See Combat, page 28.
- Locked Units cannot perform any Actions such as Move or any other Actions on their Command Cards.
- Effects that instruct you to "Activate an Unlocked Unit" cannot target a Locked Unit.
- Locked Units cannot use Early Warning.
A Locked Unit returns to an Unlocked state when there are no enemy Units present in its space. All Units NOT in Combat are Unlocked. Colony Ships are always Unlocked.
Activate & Reactivate
Activate a Unit
Game effects other than Unit Command Cards may instruct you to Activate a Unit. Perform the same steps as if you played that Unit's Command Card.
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Choose an Unlocked Unit that meets the effect's requirements.
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Perform one Action from each section (top to bottom), using only that Unit, as if you had played that Unit's Command Card.
Designer's Note: You typically will not need to reference the Command Card for that unit after a couple of turns as the tasks each unit performs will become extremely obvious.
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You may skip Actions as normal.
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If the Action has a Tremor icon, performing the Action will trigger a Tremor as normal.
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Locked Units cannot be Activated.
Reactivate a Command Card
Some game effects instruct you to Reactivate a Command Card. Refer to a Command Card that has already been played prior to this action above your Command Board.
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Choose a Played Command Card in one of your Command Card Slots that meets the effect's requirements.
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Perform one Action from each Section (top to bottom), on that Card, as if you had just played that Command Card.
Designer's Note: Be mindful that there are Unit Command Cards and Tactic Command Cards.
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You may skip Actions as normal.
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If the Action has a Tremor icon, performing the Action will trigger a Tremor as normal.
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Reminder: If Reactivating a Command Card, Locked Units cannot be Activated.
Recruit, Field Promote, & Upgrade
These actions allow you to bring new Units to the planet, change their type, or improve them. They are each tied to specific Command Cards but can also be enacted through Bonus Actions and various game effects.
Recruit & Deploy (Recruit Command Card, other game effects)
The Recruit action is the main way to bring many new Troops to the planet at once.
To Recruit:
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Choose Troops: Select one or more Troops (Soldier, Miner, Speaker) from your Reserve with a total Cost equal to or less than your current Influence. The Influence cost for each Troop is at the top of their Command Card and in the reference section at the bottom of the Command Board.
- In the unlikely event your Influence is at the top of the track (21+), you may ignore Influence Cost and Recruit any number of Troops.
- If there are no Troops in your Reserve, you cannot Recruit.
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Deploy Them: All recruited Troops must be immediately Deployed into one or more of your Deploy Locations. Your Deploy Locations are:
- Any space with a Habitat you control.
- Any space granted by a game effect.
- Any space adjacent to your Colony Ship (including via Global Movement Arrows).
Deployment Clarifications:
- Cannot Deploy into impassable spaces (Lake, Mountain, Abyss).
- Cannot Deploy into a space containing a Colony Ship.
- Cannot exceed Space Capacity. See Space Capacity, page 23.
- May Deploy a Unit with Engage into a Deploy Location containing Unlocked enemy Units (immediately initiates a Combat).
- May Deploy a Unit with or without Engage into a Deploy Location with an existing Combat involving friendly Units (Deployed Unit becomes Locked).
- You may split your Troops among multiple Deploy Locations.
- If the Deploy Location contains a Relic Token, immediately pick it up. See Collecting Relic Tokens, page 27.
Field Promote (Speakers Command Card, other game effects)
Field Promote is an action taken to change the role of a Troop on the Planet Game Board. Think of this as cross-training for your deployed Troops. This action allows you to swap one of your Troops for another type in the same space. To Field Promote:
- Select one Unlocked Troop (Soldier, Miner, Speaker) on the planet.
- Replace it with a Troop of a different type from your Reserve.
- Return the replaced Troop to your Reserve.
Field Promote Restrictions:
- Only one Troop can be Field Promoted each time the action is performed. (Remember, EACH Activated Speaker may perform this action.)
- You must have the replacement Troop available in your Reserve.
- Your Influence and the Unit's Cost are ignored.
- Locked Units cannot be Field Promoted (unless allowed by a specific game effect).
Upgrade (Upgrade Command Card, other game effects)
The Upgrade action lets you improve your Troops into Vehicles. The Lorium Cost for each Vehicle is listed at the top of its Command Card and at the bottom of your Command Board.
- Soldier → Powermech (pay Powermech's Lorium Cost)
- Miner → Harvester (pay Harvester's Lorium Cost)
To Upgrade:
- Select an Unlocked Soldier or Miner on the planet.
- Pay the required Lorium to Upgrade that Troop. a. You must be able to pay the Vehicle's Lorium Cost. b. If the Troop is not in one of your Deploy Locations, you must pay one additional Lorium to "bring the Vehicle to them by Dropship." c. Total cost is the Vehicle Lorium Cost and the Dropship Cost if needed.
- Replace the Troop with the corresponding Vehicle from your Reserve.
- Return the replaced Troop to your Reserve.
Upgrade Restrictions:
- You must have the replacement Vehicle available in your Reserve.
- You must pay the full Lorium cost.
- The Upgrade cannot exceed Space Capacity. See Space Capacity, page 23.
- Locked Units cannot be Upgraded (unless allowed by a specific game effect).
Influence, Habitats, and Control Flags
Influence represents population's support of your Faction leader. It is tracked with your Influence Cube on the Influence Track of your Construction Board. At the start of the game, your Influence Cube is placed according to your Starting Influence (shown on your Faction Card). Starting the game with control of any Habitats increases your Influence by moving your cube even further up the track.
What Influence Does
Influence is never spent. It is a dynamic value that determines two things:
- Recruiting Troops: The maximum number of Troops you can Recruit at once. See Recruit, page 20.
- Lorium Storage: The maximum amount of Lorium you can hold. See Lorium Crystals, page 32.
In the unlikely event you reach 21 or more Influence, your Influence becomes unlimited (∞) during that time. You may Recruit any number of Troops and store any amount of Lorium. If you later drop below 21, move your cube downward again.
Note: The orange lines crossing the Influence Track do not affect the cube's position; they mark Lorium storage thresholds. When the cube increases above an orange line, it opens up the next Lorium Storage Section. If the cube falls below an orange line, it closes the Lorium Storage Section above it.
The first storage section can hold 5 Lorium. When your Influence reaches a value of 7, your Influence Cube crosses the second threshold which opens up an additional 3 spaces. When your Influence reaches a value of 11, your Influence Cube crosses the third threshold which opens up an additional 2 spaces. And so on.
Habitats
Habitats are population centers on the surface of Kepler-62e. They come in four types, each worth a different amount of Influence:
- Camp: 1 Influence
- Outpost: 2 Influence
- Settlement: 3 Influence
- Colony City: 5 Influence
Gaining & Losing Habitats
Only one Faction may control a Habitat at a time. Neutral Habitats are uncontrolled.
When you gain control of a Habitat:
- Place one of your Control Flags on the Habitat and move your Influence Cube up the Influence track by its value.
When you lose control of a Habitat:
- Remove your Control Flag and move your Influence cube down the track by its value.
If you take a Habitat from another Faction:
- They immediately lose control of it and both players must adjust their Influence accordingly.
Your Influence can never fall below the Starting Influence on your Faction Card.
Control Flags
Each Faction has 7 Control Flags and may control at most 7 Habitats. If you would gain an 8th, you must remove your choice of one of your existing Flags from another Habitat and place it on the new one, adjusting Influence accordingly.
Control of a Habitat is considered a Resource. Habitat Control may only be spent or traded when an Action or effect explicitly allows the exchange of Resources. See Habitat Control, page 33.
Keeping Track
Your current Influence is always equal to your Starting Influence plus the total value of the Habitats you control. Always keep your Influence Cube up to date. If your Influence drops and your Lorium storage limit decreases, you may be forced to discard excess Lorium at the end of the active turn. See All Players Discard Surplus Resources, page 17.
Understanding the Planet
Planet Game Board
The Planet Game Board represents the fracturing surface of Kepler-62e. Although the board is a flat circle, gameplay takes place on a spherical planet. There is no true "edge". Units can always continue moving across the surface following the Global Movement Arrows. See Global Movement, page 26.
During setup, the board is assembled into two layers:
- Bottom Layer: Hexagonal spaces printed on the board itself.
- Top Layer: 127 hex tiles, each covering a hexagonal space.
At the center lies Colony City, surrounded by six rings of hex tiles. These rings are important when resolving Fractures, as they are used to determine which hex tiles Collapse.
Edge Pieces
Edge Pieces form a continuous border around the board. They serve only as reference, showing the wedge-shaped location of each Landscape Terrain type and displaying the Global Movement Arrows for spherical movement. Edge Pieces are never part of the planet surface, cannot be occupied by Units, and are not affected by Collapsing spaces.
Spaces
Both hex tiles (top layer) and hexagonal spaces (bottom layer) are called spaces.
- Units on the Planet Game Board are always in a space.
- Movement between spaces ignores whether the spaces are on the top or bottom layer.
- A space may contain Units and/or a Habitat miniature, a Relic Token, or a Mountain miniature.
Top Layer: Landscape Terrain
Each top-layer space has both a terrain type and a feature:
- Terrain Types: Desert, Forest, Rocky, Savannah, Tundra, Wetlands.
- Features: Camp, Outpost, Settlement, Explorable, Lorium, TUNL, Lake, and Mountain. (Exception: Colony City has no terrain type; its feature is simply "Colony City.")
Function of Features:
- Camp, Outpost, Settlement, Colony City → Locations for Habitats.
- Explorable, Lorium → Resource gathering by Miners/Harvesters.
- TUNL → Units may move between TUNL spaces.
- Lake, Mountain → Impassable.
- Bottom Layer: Devastated → Reveals Relic Tokens.
- Bottom Layer: Abyss → Impassable.
Bottom Layer: Core Terrain
When a Collapse removes a hex tile, the bottom layer is revealed.
- Abyss: Impassable, like Lakes and Mountains.
- Devastated: Empty terrain. Units may enter and move through Devastated spaces, but these spaces do not yield Lorium or Discovery Cards. When a Devastated space is first revealed, take a Relic Token from the supply and place it on the space. See Collapse, page 25.
Space Capacity
Each space may contain up to 3 Troops in any combination (Speaker / Soldier / Miner), or up to 2 Troops and 1 Vehicle (Powermech / Harvester) in any combination, belonging to a single Faction.
If a Combat is initiated in a space, no more than two opposing Factions may have Units in that space. Each Faction in the space must observe Space Capacity. This means the space may contain up to 3 Units total per Faction in the Combat, with no more than 1 Vehicle per Faction.
Space Capacity Must Be Observed At All Times. Space Capacity is physically reinforced by the footprint of each Unit miniature. Three Troops will easily fit in one half of a hex tile. A Vehicle's footprint is equal in size to one edge of a hex tile. Each Troop footprint is designed to fit on each side of a Vehicle footprint, creating a combined footprint covering half a hex tile. During Combat, when two opponents have each reached their maximum Space Capacity, the total of 6 Units fit entirely within the Space without spilling over into other spaces.
Lake, Mountain, and Abyss spaces are impassable. They cannot contain Units at any time.
Space Capacity for a Colony Ship is itself alone. A Colony Ship is a massive Unit and occupies an entire space. It cannot ever share its space with any other Unit, miniature, or token. When it enters a space, everything else in the space is destroyed.
Cysmograph: Tremors, Fractures, & Collapses
The planet Kepler-62e is unstable and crumbling. Throughout the game, players will trigger Tremors which advance a countdown to massive, irreversible Fractures. A Fracture is when a number of hex tiles Collapse on the Planet Game Board—removing terrain, destroying units, and reshaping the planet.
Cysmograph Board
The Cysmograph Board represents the planet's instability. It features a track of numbered positions (6 down to 2) along with 2 empty positions and a Fracture Zone position.
During game setup, each number higher than your player count is covered with a single Tremor Token. The remaining Tremor Tokens are placed in a stack on the position matching your player count.
During play, Tremors move this stack to the right along the track. When the stack reaches the Fracture Zone, a Fracture occurs. Over time, additional Tremor Tokens are permanently added to the track, causing Fractures to happen more frequently.
Example: The diagram shows the starting configuration for a 4-player game. Place one Tremor Token on each position higher than the current player count. All other tokens are stacked together on the position equal to the player count.
Tremor
A Tremor is triggered by:
- Command Card Actions with a Tremor icon. See Perform Command Card Actions, page 16.
- Strike Die results during Combat. See Combat, page 28.
- Some Discovery Cards. See Discovery Cards, page 32.
Resolving a Tremor: Advance the Tremor Token stack one position following the arrows on the Cysmograph Track. The arrows alternate up and down as the stack moves right toward the Fracture Zone. If the stack reaches the Fracture Zone, resolve a Fracture.
Reminder: A Tremor icon next to a Command Card Action is always triggered EACH time the action is performed. If a game effect instructs you to "Advance the Cysmograph one position," treat this exactly like a Tremor.
Example: The diagram shows the movement path of the stack of Tremor Tokens. Five Tremors would lead to the stack moving onto the Fracture Zone position.
Fracture
A Fracture usually occurs when the Tremor Token stack reaches the Fracture Zone on the Cysmograph, though some game effects may cause one directly. The player who triggered the Fracture always draws the Fracture Token.
Fracture Tokens. There are 42 tokens in the Fracture Bag:
- 36 Landscape Tokens. One side shows a terrain type (Desert, Forest, Rocky, Tundra, Savannah, Wetlands). The other shows a row of collapsing spaces (distance from the center).
- 6 Special Tokens (same image on both sides):
- False Alarm (x2): Nothing happens. Just reset the Cysmograph.
- Devastated (x1): Destroy everything including Relic Tokens on all Devastated spaces as if they are Collapsing (no hex tiles to remove). Unlocked Units with Early Warning may escape to non-Devastated spaces.
- Pull 2 More Tokens (x2): Discard this token and draw two more, resolving one at a time.
- Colony City (x1): Collapse the central Colony City space.
Resolving a Fracture
- Draw one Fracture Token from the Fracture Bag and inspect both sides.
- If it is a Landscape Token, Collapse all indicated spaces in any order. Collapsing spaces are considered to be simultaneous. For each Collapsing space, follow the instructions under the Collapse section below.
- If it is a Special Token, resolve its effect immediately.
- Discard the Fracture Token and return it to the game box.
- Reset the Cysmograph: Take one Tremor Token from the stack and place it on the leftmost empty position of the Cysmograph, then move the stack to the next leftmost empty position. This accelerates future Fractures.
- Reminder: Place a Relic Token from the supply on each newly-revealed Devastated space.
Cysmograph Reset:
- The top token is removed from the stack and placed on the leftmost empty position.
- Then the remaining stack is moved to the next leftmost empty position.
Example: The Fracture Token shows Savannah on one side and ring 5 on the other. The player finds the Savannah terrain on the Planet Game Board. The planet is divided into 6 rings each radiating from Colony City at the center. The ring value is inherently the same as the number of spaces affected in a Collapse. For example, in a ring 1 Collapse, 1 hex tile adjacent to Colony City will be removed. In the diagram, ring 5 is affected in the Savannah terrain; 5 hex tiles are removed. The grey player has a Miner in this space with two Soldiers. The Miner has Early Warning and brings both Soldiers with them. All three Units must escape together. They are surrounded by a Collapsing space, a Lake, two Mountains, a Forest space, and a Savannah space with a single Soldier. Since they cannot escape to Lakes, Mountains, or Collapsing spaces, and they cannot exceed Space Capacity with the single grey Soldier, they have one space to escape to. The Speaker does not have the Early Warning Ability and cannot be saved. Even though this grey Miner has Early Warning, they are currently Locked in Combat so their Early Warning Ability is disabled and both Units will perish. The Colony Ship always has Early Warning and has multiple movement choices but they cannot escape to Mountain spaces or Collapsing spaces. They may even crush the orange Soldier by moving into their space. This is a Collapsing Mountain space. The grey player has moved their Units and removed the hex tiles revealing the core terrain below. When Devastated spaces are revealed, populate each of those spaces with a Relic Token from the supply.
Collapse
Spaces usually Collapse during a Fracture, but may also Collapse via game effects (such as the Colony Ship's Stabilize action). When a card or effect instructs you to "Collapse a space," resolve it using the steps below (without drawing a Fracture Token or moving the Tremor Token stack). Only spaces with hex tiles can Collapse.
Resolving a Collapse:
- Escape: Unlocked Units with Early Warning may attempt escape. Colony Ships always escape. See Early Warning below.
- Destruction: Destroy everything remaining in the space. Return destroyed Units to the owners' Reserves.
- Removal: Remove the hex tile and any features (Habitat, Mountain, etc.) and place them in the game box.
- Relic Tokens: If the Collapse reveals a Devastated space, place a Relic Token from the supply in the space. See Collecting Relic Tokens, page 27.
Early Warning Ability
Some Units may avoid destruction during a Collapse by escaping to an adjacent space. Miners, Harvesters, and Colony Ships always have Early Warning. Other Units may gain it through game effects or Faction Abilities.
Unlocked Only:
- Early Warning works only if the Unit is Unlocked. Locked Units cannot use Early Warning.
- Colony Ships are always Unlocked.
Escape Rules:
- The destination space must be: adjacent, not collapsing at the same time, not impassable (Lake, Mountain, Abyss), and not contain a Colony Ship.
- Enemy Units block escape, unless the escaping Unit is a Colony Ship.
- Space Capacity must be respected. See Space Capacity, page 23.
- Escaping Units may bring along any/all friendly Units from the same space, but all must escape to the same space.
- If no valid destination space exists, the Unit cannot escape and is destroyed by the Collapse.
- Colony Ships always escape. They move to an adjacent passable space and destroy everything in that space.
- If entering a space with a Relic Token, an escaping Unit may pick it up. See Collecting Relic Tokens, page 27.
Movement
Units traverse the Planet Game Board typically using the Move action on their Unit Command Card but may move by other game effects. The maximum number of spaces a Unit can Move in a single action is equal to its Movement Attribute. A Unit may Move from 0 up to this limit. See Units, page 18.
Hex tiles and hexagonal spaces underneath them are called spaces. Two spaces are adjacent if at least one of the following is true:
- their sides touch
- they are Edge spaces with matching Global Movement Arrows
- they are TUNL spaces
Adjacency ignores which layer of the board the spaces are on.
In general, a Unit may Move into, and end its movement in, any adjacent space, but the following restrictions and special cases apply.
General Restrictions
- Impassable Terrain: No Unit may Move into or through Lake, Mountain, or Abyss spaces.
- Space Capacity: A Unit cannot end its Move in a space if doing so would exceed Space Capacity. It may pass through temporarily. See Space Capacity, page 23.
- Enemy Units: A Unit cannot Move through a space containing enemy Units.
Colony Ship Movement
- A Colony Ship cannot Move into Lakes, Mountains, or Abyss spaces.
- A Colony Ship cannot Move into a space containing another Colony Ship.
- A Colony Ship may use Global Movement Arrows but cannot use TUNLs.
- When a Colony Ship enters a space, it destroys everything in that space including all terrain features (Habitats, TUNLs, etc).
Note: In the unlikely event a Colony Ship must Move but has no legal adjacent destination, it must Move to the nearest legal space, ignoring illegal spaces along the way.
Troop & Vehicle Movement
Colony Ships
- Troops/Vehicles may Move through a space with their own Colony Ship but cannot end their Move there. Exception: Units will end their Move on the Colony Ship space during the Evacuate Action. See Evacuate, page 36.
- Troops/Vehicles cannot Move into or through a space containing an enemy Colony Ship.
Friendly Units
- Troops/Vehicles may Move through a space that is at Space Capacity with friendly Unlocked Units, but may not end their Move there.
- Troops/Vehicles may Move into a Combat space already containing friendly Units, provided Space Capacity allows. Entering Units become Locked in Combat. See Combat, page 28.
Enemy Units
- Units with the Engage Ability may Move into a space with Unlocked enemy Troops or Vehicles. This initiates a Combat. All Units in the space become Locked. See Combat, page 28.
- Units without the Engage Ability cannot Move into or through a space containing only enemy Units.
- Once two opposing Factions are present in the same space, no other Faction may enter or pass through that space.
Locked Units
- A Unit Locked in Combat cannot Move. Locked Units cannot perform Actions from their Unit Command Card, and they lose their Early Warning Ability. See Locked & Unlocked Units, page 19.
- Units become Unlocked when no enemy Units remain in their space. Colony Ships are always Unlocked.
Global Movement
The Planet Game Board represents a sphere. Each Edge space is marked with a Global Movement Arrow. Edge spaces are adjacent to all other Edge spaces with the same arrow pattern and color.
- Units may Move directly between Edge spaces with matching Global Movement Arrows.
- Global Movement Arrows remain functional even if their original Edge space Collapses.
Designer's Note: Think of the game board as a globe where movement "wraps around." This means all players are equally close to one another. Many times Global Movement presents opportunities that make enemies much closer than they may appear.
T.U.N.L. (Tactical Underground Network Lattice)
- All TUNL spaces are adjacent to each other.
- A TUNL space functions as a normal space to stop on or Move through if not using its TUNL feature.
- A Unit ending its Move in a TUNL space occupies that space normally and is never "in the TUNL".
- TUNL spaces still obey Space Capacity.
- Only Troops and Vehicles may use TUNLs.
- Colony Ships cannot use TUNLs.
Collecting Relic Tokens
If a Troop or Vehicle enters a Devastated space containing a Relic Token (by Move, Deploy, or Place), it may pick up the token.
- If this occurs during a Move, the Unit does not need to stop in the space and may continue Moving.
- Each Unit can collect only one Relic Token per Move action.
- Units using Jumpjet Move cannot pick up Relic Tokens they pass over.
- Colony Ships cannot collect Relic Tokens; if a Colony Ship enters a space with a Relic Token, the token is destroyed and removed from the board.
When collected, return the Relic Token to the supply (players should never have Relic Tokens in their play area). Then draw two Relic Cards, keep one, and discard the other. See Relic Cards, page 33.
Jumpjet Movement
Powermechs inherently have Jumpjets; other Units may gain them via a game effect. Jumpjets allow Units to ignore all obstacles while Moving (enemy Units, Combat Spaces, Lakes, Mountains, Abyss).
- Units performing Jumpjet Move must end its Move in a legal space.
- Units with Engage performing Jumpjet Move may initiate a Combat by landing in a space containing Unlocked enemy Units.
- Units performing Jumpjet Move may use Global Movement Arrows but cannot use TUNLs.
- Units performing Jumpjet Move cannot pick up Relic Tokens in spaces they pass over.
Engage Ability
- Units with Engage may Move into or be Deployed into spaces with Unlocked enemy Troops/Vehicles, initiating a Combat.
- Soldiers and Powermechs inherently have Engage. See Combat, page 28.
Adjacency is more than just a matter of movement...it plays a critical role in tactical decision-making. In Cysmic, adjacency can impact a wide range of choices beyond simply where a Unit can Move, such as: Evacuation, Early Warning, and Fleeing, among many other abilities and mechanics.
Combat
Combat is a skirmish between Units from two Factions. Any space containing Units from two different Factions is a Combat Space. Each Combat is separate and always involves exactly two Factions (no third party can join). Its main purpose is to capture enemy Units, though it may serve other tactical purposes. Typically, once you have the Blueprint from an opponent, you no longer have any need to engage in Combat with them.
Only Troops and Vehicles participate in Combat. Colony Ships are never involved. All Units in a Combat Space are involved—none can "sit out." Units in a Combat Space are Locked. See Locked & Unlocked Units, page 19.
Important Concept: Combat occurs in two distinct steps:
- Initiating a Combat
- Resolving a Combat
Initiating a Combat
A Combat is initiated when a Unit with the Engage Ability (Soldiers or Powermechs) enters a non-Combat space containing enemy Units. This usually happens via a Move or Recruit/Deploy action, but can also be triggered by game effects.
The player whose Unit initiated the Combat is the Attacker; the other player is the Defender.
The Attacker places a Combat Marker from the supply into their initiating Unit's back cavity, a feature only on Soldier and Powermech miniatures. This reinforces which Units can Initiate a Combat.
The Combat Marker signifies:
- This space is now a Combat Space.
- All Units in this space are Locked. Locked Units cannot Move, perform Actions, or use Early Warning.
- The side with the marker is the Attacker (important later for Strike Dice).
- The Combat must be resolved when either the Attacker or Defender plays their Battle Command Card.
- Units (with or without Engage) from either Faction in the Combat may join the Combat by entering the space, respecting Space Capacity. See Space Capacity, page 23.
A Combat Marker is only needed once per Combat; additional markers are unnecessary. The supply of Combat Markers is considered unlimited (substitute if needed).
Resolving a Combat
A Combat is resolved later, often several turns after initiation. This usually occurs when a player plays their Battle Command Card (which forces them to resolve all their Combats), or through a Bonus Action or game effect that resolves a single Combat.
Combat resolution consists of alternating Strikes—attack rolls—until one side is eliminated or Flees. Since Strikes are not simultaneous, First Strike (who attacks first) is extremely important.
Steps to Resolve a Combat
1. Select a Combat to Resolve
- If resolving via Battle Command Card, you must resolve all your Combats, one at a time, in any order.
- If resolving via a Bonus Action or effect, only one Combat is resolved.
2. Determine First Strike
- The player who triggered resolution (Battle Command Card, Bonus Action, or other game effect) gains First Strike.
- Certain cards or abilities may steal First Strike.
- IMPORTANT: Attacker/Defender status does NOT determine First Strike.
3. Strike or Flee
- The player with First Strike decides to Strike or Flee.
- If unable to defeat the opponent (e.g., one Soldier vs. a Powermech), they must Flee per Step 3b.
3a. Strike
A Strike represents one player's attack. The player with First Strike attacks first unless they choose to Flee. The striking player performs the following steps:
- Collect Battle Dice
- If the striking player is the Attacker, they gain the blue Strike Die.
- If the striking player is the Defender, they gain the green Strike Die.
- The striking player gathers yellow Combat Dice and red Combat Dice equal to the Combat Attributes of their Units in the Combat.
- Roll Dice
- Roll all Battle Dice.
- Apply any rerolls immediately (from abilities or cards).
- Apply Strike Die Result
- Reroll: reroll one Combat Die of the depicted color.
- Value Modifier: add the depicted modifier to a Combat Die.
- Tremor: trigger a Tremor. If the Tremor results in a Fracture, resolve it immediately.
- Apply Shields
- The non-striking player may decrease Combat Die values by –1 per Unit with Shield (Speakers have Shield).
- Each Shield must be applied to a different Die. Each Combat Die cannot be affected by more than one Shield.
- Play Discovery Cards as Combat Die Modifiers
- The striking player may play 1 Discovery Card as a Combat Die Modifier on each Combat Die. Then the non-striking player may do the same, modifying any Combat Die regardless of whether it has been modified yet or not. This continues alternating back and forth between players. When the non-striking player passes, no more Discovery Cards may be played by either player. Modified values may exceed the values printed on the Dice.
- Assign Hits
- The striking player assigns Combat Dice to enemy Units using their modified values.
- Troops are defeated by one Die that equals or exceeds their Health value.
- Vehicles are defeated by two Dice that equal or exceed their two Health values on a single Strike.
- Excess values or Dice do not carry over between Strikes.
- Capture or Destroy Defeated Units
- Defeated Units are Captured and placed in the striking player's Holding Area.
- Some effects destroy Units instead—return these to their owner's Reserve.
- End of Strike
- If Units from only one Faction remain in the space, Combat ends.
- Otherwise, the other player must now choose STRIKE or FLEE (return to step 3).
3b. Flee
Instead of Striking, a player may retreat all of their Units together into an adjacent space that does not contain enemy Units. Follow these steps to Flee:
- Select an adjacent space without enemy Units and also is not impassable (Lake, Mountain, Abyss).
- Opponent may perform a FINAL STRIKE against fleeing Units. A Final Strike only occurs when attacking Fleeing Units.
- The striking Units roll only Combat Dice based on their Combat Attribute, with no modifiers.
- The striking player rolls their Strike Die and the Units' Combat Dice, then applies the results to the fleeing Units.
- No modifiers of any kind may be applied, including Faction Abilities, Relic Cards, Discovery Cards, or other effects.
- Defeated Units are captured. Surviving Units move into the destination space.
- If entering a Devastated space with a Relic Token, the fleeing Units may pick it up. See Collecting Relic Tokens, page 27.
If no valid destination space exists, Units cannot Flee and must Strike. If they must Flee but cannot, all of the Units are defeated.
4. End of Combat
Combat ends when only one side remains in the space, either through Strikes or Fleeing. At this time:
- Return the Combat Marker to the supply.
- All remaining Units become Unlocked.
- If resolving via Battle Command Card and other Combats remain, select another Combat to resolve (return to step 1).
Example Combat Scenario
Step 1. The orange player initiates a Combat by moving into a space with the blue player. The orange player places a Combat Marker in one of their Soldier Units. No other Factions may join this Combat.
Step 2. The blue player Plays their Soldiers Command Card and Moves a Soldier into the space as a reinforcement. The orange player Plays their Powermech Command Card and Moves their Powermech into the same space. No other Units may enter this space due to Space Capacity.
Step 3. The blue player is the first player of the two Factions involved in this Combat to play their Battle Command Card. Because they played the Battle Command Card, they will have First Strike. The blue player has other Combats on the Planet Game Board but decides to resolve this Combat first. When faced with the choice to Strike or Flee, they choose to Strike.
Step 4. The blue player gathers their Battle Dice. Since their Units do not possess a Combat Marker, they are the Defender. They gain the Green Defender Strike Die. Then they gain 1 Red Military Combat Die for the Soldier, 1 Yellow Support Combat Die for the Speaker, and 3 more Yellow Support Combat Dice for the Harvester. The player rolls the dice and gets the following results.
Step 5. The blue player must resolve the Strike Die immediately. In this case they advance the Cysmograph one position forward. The orange player does not have any Shields since they have no Speakers present in the Combat. The players may now play Discovery Cards to modify the Combat Dice.
Step 6. The blue player is attempting to defeat two Soldiers, each with a Health of 4, and a Powermech that requires both a 6 and a 4 together to defeat. The blue player may play up to 5 Discovery Cards, one to modify each of their 5 Combat Dice. They only have 3 cards but all have positive modifiers. They decide to play a +1 on the 5 and a +2 on the 4. This gives them current values of 6, 6, 3, 2, and 2.
Step 7. The orange player may play up to 5 Discovery Cards, one to modify each of their opponent's 5 Combat Dice. They have 4 cards but only 2 of them have negative modifiers. They decide to play a -2 on the 5 and a -1 on the 4. This gives the blue player current values of 4, 5, 3, 2, and 2.
Step 8. The blue player has one Discovery Card left with a positive modifier. They decide to play it to add a +1 to the 4. This gives the blue player current values of 4, 6, 3, 2, and 2. The orange player chooses to not play any more cards and passes. The blue player may not play any more cards. This means the values have been finalized and can now be applied however the blue player sees fit.
Step 9. The blue player has only two hits while the others are misses. They could apply both hits to the Powermech and defeat it. Or they could apply one hit to each Soldier and defeat both. They choose to defeat the Powermech since it would roll more Dice on the next Strike. They take the orange Powermech miniature and place it in their Holding Area. They could place it in any empty Holding Cell, but in this case, they place it in the Holding Cell next to the orange Blueprint Slot as a reminder they will use this Unit to gain the orange Blueprint from the orange player in the future.
Step 10. It is now the orange player's turn to Strike or Flee. They choose to Strike. They possess the Combat Marker so they gain the Attacker Strike Die. If they had gained First Strike by playing the Battle Command Card first, they would have gathered Combat Dice for the Powermech and the two Soldiers (a total of 6 Red Military Combat Dice). However, the Powermech has been defeated in the blue player's first Strike. The orange player gathers a Military Combat Die for each Soldier left in the fight. The player rolls and gets the following results. They have to resolve the Strike Die first so they pair it up with the 4. This gives them current values of 5 and 3. The blue player has a Speaker in the fight. The blue player may apply the Shield from the Speaker to either value. If they apply it to the 5, then that leaves the orange player with a 4 and a 3. They would not be able to defeat the Harvester which requires a 5 and a 3, but they could still defeat both the Soldier which requires a 4, and the Speaker which requires a 3. If they instead apply the -1 to the 3, that leaves the orange player with a 5 and a 2. This would allow them to only defeat EITHER the Soldier or the Speaker.
Step 11. The orange player chooses to not play any Discovery Cards. The blue player has none left to play. The current values leave the orange player with a single hit of 5. They use it to defeat the blue Soldier. They capture it and place it in an empty Holding Cell (in this case, purple).
Step 12. It is the blue player's turn to Strike or Flee. They choose to Strike. They continue with the Defender Strike Die. After losing their Soldier, they now only roll 4 Support Combat Dice (3 for the Harvester, 1 for the Speaker). They roll all of their Battle Dice and get the following results. The Strike Die shows an ability to reroll one of their Yellow Combat Dice. They choose to reroll the 1. After rerolling, they get the final results of 4, 2, 4, and 2.
Step 13. Neither player plays any Discovery Cards. The results stand. Each result of 4 defeats one Soldier. The blue player defeats the two orange Soldiers. They place the Soldiers into their Holding Area. The orange player has no remaining Units in the Combat. The Combat ends. Since the orange player was the Attacker, there is no need to remove a Combat Marker as it was removed when the Unit was captured. The blue player captured the orange Powermech and two orange Soldiers. The orange player captured one blue Soldier. On a future action, the blue player can trade either the Vehicle or the two Troops for the orange Blueprint.
Cyber Attack
Combat is the main method to gain Blueprints, but there is a less confrontational (and more difficult) method: hacking an opponent's Colony Ship to steal their Blueprint. This is called a Cyber Attack. A Cyber Attack can only gain the Blueprint matching the color of the targeted player. Unlike trading Captured Units, a Cyber Attack can fail.
You can perform a Cyber Attack when you:
- Play the Negotiate Command Card,
- Use the Cyber Attack Red Bonus Action, or
- Perform certain game effects.
Requirements:
- Only Troops and Vehicles can Cyber Attack.
- The Unit must be Unlocked and adjacent to an enemy Colony Ship.
- Each Faction's Blueprint has a Cyber Attack Target Value, shown on your Command Board in the Blueprint Slot that corresponds to that Faction's color (e.g., Crew Bridge=1, Warp Drive=6).
Procedure
- Choose one Unlocked Troop or Vehicle adjacent to an enemy Colony Ship whose Blueprint you do not yet possess.
- Find the Cyber Attack Target Value of the Blueprint matching the enemy Faction's player color.
- Roll the Unit's Combat Die or Dice (according to its Combat Attribute). Do not roll a Strike Die.
- Starting with the Cyber Attacker, both players may play Discovery Cards to modify a single Combat Die at a time, alternating back and forth (exactly as during a Strike in Combat).
- If multiple Dice were rolled, each player may modify each Die involved in the Cyber Attack. The defending player aims to prevent any of them from matching the Target Value.
- Once the player being Cyber Attacked passes, no more Discovery Cards may be played.
- If at least one Combat Die equals the Target Value, the Cyber Attack succeeds.
Results
- Success: You gain that Faction's Blueprint. Flip that Faction's Blueprint Token to its Acquired side.
- Failure: The same Unit cannot attempt more than one Cyber Attack during the same Action but they may try again on a future turn.
Cyber Attack Example: The orange player plays the Negotiate Command Card to attempt to Cyber Attack the grey player. This allows them up to 3 Cyber Attack attempts with 3 different Units. They have 3 Units adjacent to the grey player's Colony Ship but only 2 are Unlocked so they will be able to make 2 attempts. The Cyber Attack Target Value for the grey Blueprint is 2.
Step 1. The orange player first attempts with their Unlocked Soldier. They roll a single Red Combat Die and get a 4. They only have a +2 or a -3 on Discovery Cards in their hand. Neither would be able to change the 4 to a 2. They fail the first attempt.
Step 2. Next they attempt with the Powermech. Since the Powermech rolls 4 Military Combat Dice, they have four chances to get a value of 2. They roll the dice and get the following results. One Die has a value of 2 and lands a success.
Step 3. The orange player does not play any Discovery Cards. The grey player decides to play a +1 on the 2 increasing it to 3. The orange player plays the -3 on the 5 reducing it to a 2.
Step 4. The grey player passes on playing any more cards. The 2 (5 with a -3) is a success and the orange player gains the grey Blueprint. They flip the grey Blueprint Token face up on their Construction Board.
Resources
In Cysmic, the following are Resources:
- Lorium Crystals
- Discovery Cards
- Relic Cards
- Captured Units
- Habitat Control
Resources may be traded or spent when rules allow. If a rule specifies a Resource type (e.g., "Pay 2 Lorium"), only that type may be used.
Not Resources: Blueprints, constructed Modules, the Units belonging to you, and Espionage Cards. These cannot be traded or spent. All Resource limits and storage capacities are considered to be infinite for all players during any player's turn but all players must discard their own excess Resources at the end of each turn.
Lorium Crystals
Lorium is a native gemstone of Kepler-62e, represented by Lorium Tokens. Each token equals one Lorium. The Lorium supply is considered to be infinite. If the supply runs out, use substitutes for missing tokens.
- Gaining Lorium: Most often through Miner or Harvester actions. Taken from the supply.
- Spending Lorium: Required to construct Colony Ship Modules and Vehicles. Returned to the supply.
Storage
- Place tokens on the Lorium Track of your Construction Board, filling it from the bottom up.
- Remove spent Lorium from the top down.
- At the end of each player's turn, discard Lorium above your storage limit.
- Your Influence determines storage capacity: the first orange line above your Influence Cube marks your maximum Lorium storage capacity. Example: At 7 Influence, your storage can hold up to 8 Lorium.
- Losing Influence and moving into a lower storage section will also lower Lorium storage capacity.
Discovery Cards
Discovery Cards represent tactics, tricks, and advantages. Players can play a Discovery Card for one of its three options: Combat Die Modifier, Card Ability, or Rewards. Once it is played for one option, discard the card face up beside the deck.
Gaining Discovery Cards. Gained primarily through Miner and Harvester actions, though other effects may grant them. Draw the top card of the Discovery Deck when gained. If the deck is empty, reshuffle the discard pile into a new deck.
Combat Die Modifier
- Discovery Cards may be played to modify one Die during Combat or Cyber Attacks.
Card Ability. Discovery Cards may be played to use their Ability:
- Action (Grey): May be played during your Play a Discovery Card Grey Bonus Action.
- Reaction (Green): Action text: May be played immediately when its condition is met (even during another player's turn).
Rewards
- Discovery Cards may be played to gain their Rewards during your Play a Discovery Card Grey Bonus Action.
- Icons on the bottom of the card indicate the Rewards (see Discovery Card Rewards below).
Limits
- At the end of each turn, you can hold up to 5 Discovery Cards. Discard extras.
Game Mode Icons. Icons on each Discovery Card show which game modes they are compatible with.
- Espionage: Add components with this icon when playing with the Espionage Expansion.
- Euro: Use only the components with this icon when playing Euro-Mode.
- Solo: Use only the components with this icon when playing Solo Mode.
- Molten Core: Remove components with this icon for a more balanced and fair game.
Discovery Card Rewards
- "AND": Take both rewards.
- "OR": Take the reward on one of the two sides.
- Bonus Actions: Perform one Bonus Action in ANY Column matching the printed Bonus Action Icon(s).
- Items: Gain the quantity of shown Lorium, Relic Cards, or Discovery Cards.
- Habitats: Take control of ANY neutral or enemy-controlled Habitat matching the depicted value.
- Units: Deploy the Unit(s) shown at no cost to one or more of your Deploy Locations.
Planetary Events Mini-Expansion: A New Type of Discovery Card
Compatible with: Competitive Mode (only)
The Planetary Events Mini-Expansion is 12 new Discovery Cards that trigger global events. They are marked with the Planetary Events icon.
To include them: During game setup, after players have gathered their Starting Resources, shuffle the 12 Planetary Event Cards into the Discovery Deck.
To play them: When you gain a Discovery Card, if you draw a Planetary Event card, immediately reveal and resolve it. You make any choices required. Then discard it and draw a replacement Discovery Card.
Relic Cards
Relic Cards provide persistent abilities that enhance your Faction. If the deck is empty, reshuffle the discard pile into a new deck.
Gaining Relics
- When picking up a Relic Token, draw two Relic Cards, keep one, and discard the other. See Collecting Relic Tokens, page 27.
- When a game effect instructs you to gain a Relic Card, draw two cards, keep one, and discard the other.
Activating Relics
- You may Activate a Relic Card from your hand at any time during your turn. You may also immediately Activate a Relic Card upon gaining it, even on another player's turn.
- To Activate a Relic Card, place it face up into an available Relic Slot on the right edge of your Construction Board. If both slots are full, you may discard one of your Active Relic Cards to make way for the new one.
- Relic Cards in slots are Active. Their effects cannot be voluntarily switched off.
- Relic Cards in your hand are Inactive.
Relic Card Anatomy
- Game Mode Icons
- Relic Type
- Relic Name
- Relic Ability Icons
- Relic Ability
Relic Card Limits
Each player may possess a maximum of 5 Relic Cards at the end of each turn. Discard extras.
- Active Relics: maximum of 2.
- Total Relics (Active + Inactive): maximum of 5.
Captured Units
Captured Units are enemy Units you have defeated in Combat or obtained through a game effect.
Capturing Units. When you defeat an opponent's Troop or Vehicle in Combat (or by effects), place it in one of your Holding Cells without a Constructed Module on the left edge of your Construction Board.
Capacity
- 6 Holding Cells total.
- Each Cell holds either up to 2 Troops or exactly 1 Vehicle.
- Holding Cells next to constructed Modules close permanently.
Trading Captured Units
- Exchange 2 Troops or 1 Vehicle to their owner for the opponent's Blueprint.
- Traded Units return to their owner's Reserve.
Other Effects
- Rescued Units return to their owner's Reserve.
- Stolen Units are transferred to the new captor's Holding Area.
Overflow & Discards
- During any turn, your Holding Capacity is considered to be infinite.
- At the end of each turn, return your choice of surplus Units back to their owners' Reserve.
- If all of your Holding Cells are closed, you must discard all Captured Units at the end of each turn.
Designer's Note: Miniatures slot physically into Holding Cells—2 Troops side-by-side, or 1 Vehicle facing away from the board.
Habitat Control
Gaining control of Habitats increases Influence and counts as a Resource. Your control over a single Habitat counts as one Resource regardless of its Influence value. Habitat control may be traded or spent only when an Action or game effect allows Resources to be traded or spent.
Trading Habitat Control
- Both players agree which Habitat is exchanged.
- Update Control Flags and Influence immediately.
Paying Resources with Habitat Control
- Choose any Habitat you control; no negotiation is required.
- Remove your Control Flag and update Influence immediately.
- Losing Influence from Habitat loss may decrease Lorium storage capacity. See Lorium Crystals, page 32.
Construction Board
The Construction Board is where you manage your Faction's core resources (other than Discovery Cards). It tracks:
- Planetary Influence
- Lorium Storage
- Relic Card Slots
- Captured Unit Storage
- Blueprint Tokens
Planetary Influence Track
At game start, your Influence Cube is placed at the starting value shown on your Faction Card. Influence is not a currency. It cannot be spent or saved. It only increases or decreases when you gain or lose control of a Habitat.
Influence determines:
- Lorium Storage Capacity. See Lorium Crystals, page 32.
- Recruitment Power. See Recruit & Deploy, page 20.
Higher Influence = greater Lorium capacity and stronger recruitment.
Lorium Storage Track
Your Influence level defines how much Lorium you can store.
- When gaining Lorium, place tokens starting from the bottom-most empty space on your Lorium Track.
- Your Influence determines your storage capacity: the first orange line above your Influence Cube marks your maximum Lorium storage capacity.
If your Influence is at 21+, you may store any amount of Lorium. If your Influence decreases and your capacity drops, you must discard surplus Lorium at the end of that turn.
Relic Card Slots
To Activate a Relic Card, place it face up into an available Relic Card Slot on the right edge of your Construction Board. If no slots are available, you may replace an Active Relic Card. The replaced Relic Card is discarded. See Relic Cards, page 33.
Captured Unit Capacity
Each Blueprint Slot on your Construction Board also serves as a temporary Holding Cell for captured enemy Units until its corresponding Module is constructed.
Holding Capacity per Cell
- Each Holding Cell has 2 spaces: either 2 Troops (1 per space) or 1 Vehicle (uses both spaces).
- This is reinforced by the printed diagram and the cutouts on the left edge of the board: you may physically slot miniatures into the orientation shown.
- You may rearrange your Captured Units between your Holding Cells at any time.
- Captured Units of any color may be stored in any open Holding Cell.
Blueprint Tokens
At game start, your Blueprint Tokens are in their 6 matching Blueprint Slots. Some tokens show the Acquired side. Others show the Missing side. You must possess all 6 Blueprints to fully construct your Colony Ship. You may gain the Missing Blueprints in any order.
Blueprints may be gained by:
- Return Captured Units
- Return 2 captured Troops or 1 captured Vehicle to a Faction for their color Blueprint.
- The Units must belong to that Faction.
- You can only gain the Blueprint matching the color of the targeted player.
- Returning Captured Units back to their owner for a Blueprint cannot be refused.
- Trading one Faction's Units to another Faction may be done during Resource Trading or via other game effects.
- Cyber Attack
- Hack an enemy Colony Ship's database to steal a Blueprint. See Cyber Attack, page 31.
- Each Blueprint has a Cyber Attack Target Value shown in the middle of its Blueprint Slot.
When you gain a Blueprint, flip its token to the Acquired side. You now know how to construct that Module.
2/3 Player Variant: In a 2 or 3-player game, each player may start with their own color Blueprint and one (or two) more alternate Blueprint(s) face up. If you are playing a variation where a player can gain more than one Blueprint from a single Faction:
- Each time you trade Captured Units with that Faction, you may choose only one of those Blueprints.
- Each time you Cyber Attack that Faction, you gain only one Blueprint that matches ANY of your Combat Die Results.
Constructing Modules
You must construct all 6 Modules of your Colony Ship before you can attempt to Launch. A Module can only be constructed if:
- You possess its corresponding Blueprint (Its Blueprint Token is showing the Acquired side).
- You can pay its Construction Cost.
Construction Cost
The Construction Cost of each Module is shown at the bottom of its Blueprint Slot. It has two parts:
- Lorium cost – Paid using Lorium Tokens from your Lorium Storage.
- Influence cost – Paid by Recalling Unlocked Troops from the planet surface, whose combined Cost equals (or, if necessary, exceeds) the Influence cost.
Recall Troops: Locate one or more of your Unlocked Troops anywhere on the planet and place them in your Reserve.
Troop Recall Rules
- You may only Recall as many Troops as necessary to reach the cost.
- If you can pay the Influence cost exactly, you must.
- If exact payment is not possible, you may exceed the cost, but by as little as possible.
- Only Troops may be Recalled; Vehicles cannot pay for Module construction.
- Recalled Troops are placed into your Reserve.
Example: The Manual Construction cost for a Module is 4 Lorium and Unlocked Troops whose cost totals at least 3 Influence. The player may Recall (3 Soldiers) or (1 Soldier + 1 Speaker) or (1 Miner). The section in blue reminds players to ignore Influence costs when using Robotic Construction and only pay the Lorium cost.
Example: If the Module's Influence cost is 2, and you only have an Unlocked Soldier (1) and an Unlocked Miner (3), you must Recall the Miner and overpay the cost. However, if you have two Unlocked Soldiers (1+1) and an Unlocked Speaker (2), you may Recall either the two Soldiers or the Speaker to pay the Influence cost of 2.
Methods of Construction
Modules whose Blueprints you possess are called Blueprinted Modules. Rules and cards may refer to this term. You can construct your Modules in any order you like. There are two ways to construct a Blueprinted Module:
Manual Construction
Performed when you take the Manually Construct One Module Grey Bonus Action, or via various game effects.
- Spend the required Lorium and Recall Troops to meet the Influence cost.
- Unless otherwise stated, you may construct only one Module per action.
Robotic Construction
Performed when you take the Robotic Construction action from your Colony Ship Command Card or via other effects.
- Spend the required Lorium only (ignore the Influence cost).
- Unless otherwise stated, you may construct as many Modules as you can afford.
Module Placement
When you construct a Module:
-
Slide its Blueprint Token to the left side of its Blueprint Slot, revealing the green Module Activated icon (and covering the Holding Capacity icon, which closes a Holding Cell. See Captured Unit Capacity, page 34.
Note: When Holding Cells close due to Module construction, you may be forced to discard surplus Captured Units at the end of your turn. See All Players Discard Surplus Resources, page 17.
-
Place the Module miniature into its slot on your Launcher.
When all 6 Modules have been constructed, you may attempt to Launch your Colony Ship. See Launching Your Colony Ship, page 36.
Launching Your Colony Ship
There are no victory points in Cysmic. The only way to win is to Launch your completed Colony Ship off the collapsing planet before any other players. The first player to successfully Launch, wins! But how many of your people are you willing to leave behind?
At the end of your turn, if the following conditions are met, you may attempt to Launch:
- Your Colony Ship must have all 6 Modules constructed.
- Your Colony Ship must NOT be on a Devastated space.
Evacuate
Your Colony Ship Command Card includes an Evacuate action. This Action allows you to retrieve your Unlocked Units from the planet surface in preparation for Launch. You can only perform Evacuate when you have a completed Colony Ship.
- Move each of your Unlocked Units, one at a time, toward your Colony Ship using their normal Movement rules.
- Your Units may enter the Colony Ship space. Return each Unit that enters the space to your Reserve as if they have boarded the Ship.
- IMPORTANT: Your Locked Units and those held captive by an opponent cannot be Evacuated. Locked Units must be Unlocked to Move for Evacuation. Captured Units must be returned or rescued first.
Timing your Evacuation action is crucial to a successful Launch.
Launch
- Automatic Success: If all of your Troops and Vehicles are already in your Reserve, your Launch succeeds automatically.
- Otherwise: You may attempt a Humanity Die roll (to determine if you can force yourself to leave some of your people behind).
The Humanity Die
If you attempt to Launch while any of your Units are still stranded:
- Count the number of your Troops and Vehicles that are not in your Reserve (on the planet or captured).
- Roll the Humanity Die (a 6-sided die).
The six faces of the Humanity Die read, in ascending order: You cannot leave any Units behind. Leave up to 1 Unit behind. Leave up to 2 Units behind. Leave up to 3 Units behind. Leave up to 4 Units behind. Leave any number of Units behind.
Success: If your roll is equal to or higher than the number of stranded Units, your conscience relents—you Launch successfully.
Fail: If your roll is less than the number of stranded Units, you hesitate to push the button. You cannot Launch this turn. Play continues, and you may attempt again at the end of your next turn.
End of the Game
The moment a player successfully Launches, the game ends immediately. Unless using a variant: see Alternate Endings, page 37.
Optional: Echoes of Humanity
"Every decision leaves a trace. Even silence echoes."
If a player Launches while leaving Units behind, their choice has consequences in a future game. Use the Echoes of Humanity scoresheet:
Record the following:
- Player Name (Inhumane Player)
- Date of the Game (Date of Tragedy)
- Faction Played (Sullied Faction)
- Quantity and Type of Units Abandoned (Lost Souls of each type)
In that player's next game, remove the listed Units from their Reserve during game setup. Return them to the box—they are unavailable this game.
After the penalty is served, Win or Lose, check the Debt is Paid box. In future sessions, that player's full starting set of Units is restored.
Designer's Note: This optional component provides a balancing mechanism for groups where one player frequently dominates. By applying a handicap to that player in a subsequent session, the Scoresheet encourages a more balanced competition while fostering continuity between games. However, its use is optional and may be disregarded at the group's discretion.
Alternate Endings
Game groups often consist of diverse player personalities. One person may feel ecstatic about a game's finale, while another might find the same result unsatisfying—especially if it's left to chance.
Cysmic is designed to deliver a dramatic, cinematic ending with the Humanity Die, which has tested positively in over a thousand playtests. However, for groups seeking more strategic or deterministic conclusions, more akin to a Eurogame, the following variant endings offer compelling alternatives.
Counters to the Humanity Die
If You Build It, You Will Leave (No Evacuation, No Humanity Die)
The first player to complete their Colony Ship immediately wins. No evacuation is required. No Humanity Die is rolled. When a player constructs their last Module on their turn, they launch at the end of that turn and the game ends immediately. This variant may introduce an unexpectedly abrupt ending but may also entice players to quickly solve the Colony Ship Construction puzzle.
Guilty Conscience (Evacuation Required, No Humanity Die)
To win, a player must complete their Colony Ship and evacuate all of their Units (returning them to their Reserve). Once achieved, that player Launches and wins immediately—no Humanity Die is ever rolled. This variant can extend game length but introduces deeper tactical planning around Recruiting and Movement. To shorten playtime, players may agree beforehand to ignore Captured Units and only require Evacuation of all the player's Units from the board.
Counters to Turn Order Determining the Winner
Simultaneous Endings (Trigger-Based, May Result in Multiple Winners)
When any player Launches (via the base game or a variant), each other player takes one final turn in order. Some players may get more total turns than others. If multiple players successfully Launch during these final turns, they are all considered to have Launched simultaneously and share victory. The game ends after all remaining players have taken their final turn.
Equality for All (Equal Turns, May Result in Multiple Winners)
When any player Launches (via the base game or variant), all other players finish the current round, ensuring everyone takes the same number of turns. Any additional players who Launch during their final turn also win. All successful Launches are considered simultaneous, and the game ends once each player has completed their final turn.
Espionage Expansion (for Competitive Mode)
The Espionage Expansion is a core part of Cysmic's original design for the Competitive experience. It introduces no new mechanics, only increased depth and player interaction through an additional deck of cards. It was separated into a modular component to help players learn the game more smoothly in early sessions. It is recommended to introduce it after your first full playthrough. The Espionage Expansion is compatible with the Competitive Mode only. It is also fully compatible with Molten Core Cards and the Planetary Events Mini-Expansion. The Espionage Expansion is not compatible with Euro-Mode, Solo Mode, or Co-Op Mode.
Note: Espionage Cards will provoke cooperative group reactions and temporary alliances. Opponents can work together to remove powerful Sabotage effects by gaining new Espionage Cards to replace the offender's card.
Setup Changes (for Competitive Mode)
Main Setup:
- Shuffle the Espionage Deck and place it face down near the Planet Game Board.
- Shuffle Discovery Cards with the Espionage icon (center top) into the Discovery Deck.
- Shuffle Relic Cards with the Espionage icon (center top) into the Relic Deck.
- Include Faction Cards with the Espionage icon (upper right) in the draft/selection pool.
Player Setup: 5. Flip the Command Board in front of the player to the Espionage side with this icon in the upper right corner. 6. Each player replaces their Negotiate Command Card with the Espionage Negotiate Command Card displaying the Espionage Icon (upper right). Return the original card to the box.
Espionage Cards
Espionage Cards offer game-breaking rewards and hidden powers sending ripples across the entire planet. Players typically gain Espionage Cards through the Negotiate Command Card or a Bonus Action.
Each Card Has Two Options:
Each Option states whether it resolves immediately ("Immediately: Then Discard") or persists as an ongoing effect ("While this option is in play").
- Sabotage: Inflicts a penalty on all opponents.
- Exploit: Grants a benefit to the owner.
Activation Limits
To prevent chaos, only a limited number of Espionage Cards may be active at once across all players:
- 1 active card in 2–3 player games
- 2 active cards in 4–5 player games
- 3 active cards in 6-player games
Regardless of player count, a single player may only have one Espionage Card active at any one time.
How to Play Espionage Cards
When you gain an Espionage Card, do the following:
- Check capacity. If you already have an Espionage Card, you must discard it. If you do not have an active Espionage Card but the limit of active cards is reached, you must choose any existing Espionage Card in play to discard from its owner.
- Draw the top card from the Espionage Deck. Read aloud both Sabotage and Exploit Options.
- Choose one Option to activate. Announce to all players which Option will be active. If the Option is an immediate effect, perform the action and then discard the card. Otherwise perform step 4.
- Slide the card under your Command Board, showing only the chosen Option. The Sabotage Option faces your opponents (it affects everyone else). The Exploit Option faces you (it only affects you).
Euro-Mode
"Make Missions, Not War!"
Euro-Mode offers a more strategic, less aggressive experience for players who enjoy puzzly action efficiency over direct conflict.
It adds a Mission Board, Mission Cards, and deck markets, while focusing less on the need for Combat to gain Blueprints. This mode uses Competitive Mode rules with a few changes. This mode is not recommended for use with the Planetary Events Mini-Expansion or Molten Core components, and is not compatible with the Espionage Expansion.
Purpose
- Focus more on combos and efficiency and less on Combat.
- Gain Blueprints by completing Missions. (Captured Units are a last resort.)
- Ideal for teaching new players or for players who prefer low-conflict games.
Setup Changes
Main Setup:
- Discovery Deck: Use only Discovery Cards with the Euro icon. Remove all others. Draw 5 cards and place them face up in a row next to the Discovery Deck to form the Discovery Market.
- Relic Deck: Use only Relic Cards with the Euro icon. Remove all others. Draw 3 cards and place them face up in a row next to the Relic Deck to form the Relic Market.
- Place the Mission Board in view of all players.
- Shuffle the 24 Mission Cards. Place 1 card in each Mission Slot on both sides of the 6 Blueprints printed on the board. Return the 12 unused cards to the game box.
Player Setup: 5. All Faction Cards are available for player selection as normal, but Combat-focused Factions may struggle in this mode. Choose wisely. 6. Give each player 6 Mission Accomplished Cubes in their player color. 7. Flip all Blueprint Tokens to their Missing side. All players start the game with no known Blueprints.
Blueprint Mission System
Each Mission Card describes a Mission you may complete on your turn. Each Blueprint on the Mission board is flanked by two Mission Cards. When you complete one of the two Missions, you may Claim it by placing one of your Mission Accomplished Cubes in the recessed space next to the card and gain the Blueprint. Claiming a Mission may trigger a Tremor.
Mission Completion:
- Multiple players may claim the same Mission. You cannot claim a Mission if you already have its associated Blueprint.
- You may complete (and claim) multiple Missions in one turn. A single action or requirement may be used to satisfy more than one Mission in the same turn.
- You are not obligated to claim a Mission when you complete it. You may wait to meet its conditions again on a later turn.
- You can only claim a Mission on the same turn in which you meet its conditions. You cannot claim a Mission during the current turn based on conditions met on a prior turn.
When you claim a Mission you have completed this turn, do the following:
- Place one of your Mission Accomplished Cubes in the recessed area next to the Mission Card you completed.
- If there is a Tremor icon in the recessed area, advance the Cysmograph one position.
- Flip the corresponding Blueprint Token on your Construction Board to its Acquired side.
Warning: Gaining your color Blueprint too early may expose you to attacks. Time this moment carefully.
Gameplay Changes
State of Conflict:
1. Limited Engagement - Temporary Immunity
All players start the game with the following changes from Competitive Mode:
- Opponents' Units cannot initiate Combat with your Units and you cannot initiate Combat with theirs.
- You are immune to all harmful game effects originating from your opponents (their Faction Abilities, Discovery Cards, Relic Cards, Command Card Actions, Bonus Actions, Cyber Attacks).
- Your Units may Move through spaces with enemy Units, but they cannot end their movement there.
Note: Your opponents can always take the First Player Marker from you (you are not immune to this). Note: When you Move your Colony Ship, it destroys everything in its destination space, as normal. You may deliberately Move it onto enemy Units.
2. Weapons Free - Return to Conflict
When you gain your own color Blueprint from the Mission Board, the following happens:
- You interact with your opponents, and they interact with you, using standard Competitive Mode rules. This includes Combat, movement, and harmful game effects.
- Your Blueprint is now available for your opponents to gain through normal methods.
Discovery Card Market: When you gain one or more Discovery Cards, you may select them from the market and/or draw them from the deck. Then replenish the market, if necessary, so there are 5 Discovery Cards to select from. If the deck ever runs out, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.
Relic Card Market: When you gain a Relic Card, you may select one from the market or draw one from the deck. (Do not draw two and keep one as in Competitive Mode.) Then replenish the market, if necessary, so there are 3 Relic Cards to select from. If the deck ever runs out, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.
Solo Mode
"Revenge of the Autopponent!"
Solo Mode allows you to experience Competitive Mode in a 1v1 setting against an automated foe known as the Autopponent, designed to simulate the intensity, strategy, and unpredictability of a human opponent. With Solo Mode, you can test strategies, learn the game's nuances, or simply try to beat the fiendishly difficult Autopponent! Solo Mode is based on Competitive Mode rules, but is not compatible with the Planetary Events Mini-Expansion nor the Espionage Expansion.
Overview
- Players: 1 Human Player vs. 1 Autopponent
- First Player: The Human Player always starts the game as First Player.
- Objective: Race against the Autopponent to be the first to complete and successfully Launch your Colony Ship.
Autopponent Components
- 2 Autopponent Faction Cards (ICOR, SAGE): Pick one to use each game; provides setup information and challenging Faction Abilities that can be included for increased difficulty.
- 6 Autopponent Command Cards: The Autopponent draws and resolves one Command Card each turn to perform Actions and determine its Bonus Action(s).
- 26 Strike Cards: The Autopponent draws Strike Cards instead of rolling Battle Dice or the Humanity Die. If the Strike Deck ever runs out, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.
- 26 Subroutine Cards: The Autopponent draws and resolves a Subroutine Card either as a Bonus Action or when it picks up a Relic Token. If the Subroutine Deck ever runs out, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.
Solo Mode Setup
Main Setup
Set up as per Competitive Mode, with the following changes and additions:
- Discovery Deck: Use only Discovery Cards with the Solo icon. Remove all others.
- Relic Deck: Use only Relic Cards with the Solo icon. Remove all others.
Player Setup
Give the Human Player the usual components, except: 3. Solo Command Board (instead of the Competitive/Espionage board) with the Solo icon in the upper right corner. 4. Solo Player Aid (instead of the Competitive Player Aid) with the Solo icon in the upper right corner. 5. Faction Cards: Choose your Faction from the Faction Cards with both 2+ Minimum Player Count and not marked with an Espionage icon. Experienced players may choose from Faction Cards with recommended player counts above 2+, however, the Faction Abilities may be reduced in effectiveness at lower player counts. 6. First Player Marker: The Human Player always starts the game as First Player. The Autopponent may have opportunities to become First Player in future cycles.
Autopponent Setup
Provide a play area for the Autopponent resembling this layout:
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Give the Autopponent the following components:
- 6 Autopponent Command Cards
- 1 Construction Board
- 6 Blueprint Tokens (1 of each color)
- 1 Orange Influence Cube
- Miniatures: Choose a player color for the Autopponent and give it the usual set of miniatures as per Competitive Mode.
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Select Autopponent Faction. Select 1 of the 2 Autopponent Faction Cards, and return the other to the game box.
Designer's Note: It is recommended that you play your first Solo game without using the Faction Abilities of the Autopponent.
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Collect Starting Influence, Resources, and Units, as per the setup information on the front of the Faction Card, exactly as in Competitive Mode.
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Place the Autopponent's Colony Ship Launcher and Starting Units, as follows:
- Select the terrain type to the right or left of the one chosen by the Human Player.
- Place the Autopponent's Colony Ship Launcher in one of the 6 inner spaces within that terrain.
- Place the Autopponent's Starting Units in spaces adjacent to the Colony Ship, in the following order: 2 Soldier → Speaker → Miner → Soldier → Soldier → Miner → Repeat. Starting with a space closest to the edge of the board, place one Unit per space, moving clockwise around the Ship until all Units are placed. You cannot place Units in Lake or Mountain spaces, and you cannot exceed Space Capacity.
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Shuffle the 6 Autopponent Command Cards into a deck, and place it face down (Bonus Action side facing up), leaving room above the deck for a Command Card Stack.
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Shuffle all 26 Strike Cards to form a face down deck. Leave room for a discard pile.
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Shuffle all 26 Subroutine Cards to form a face down deck. Leave room for a discard pile.
Difficulty Settings
- Blueprint Tokens Setup: On both Construction Boards, place all 6 Blueprint Tokens in the Blueprint slots, Acquired (data schematic) side up, on the right side of the slot.
- On the Human Player's Construction Board, flip the Blueprint Token matching the Autopponent's player color to its Missing (red X) side. (The Human Player is only missing one Blueprint.)
- On the Autopponent's Construction Board, flip the Blueprint Token matching the Human Player's player color to its Missing (red X) side. (The Autopponent is only missing one Blueprint.)
- Choose a Difficulty Level. Setup the following on the Autopponent's Construction Board:
- Hard: Normal setup, as described above. The Autopponent is only missing the Human's player color Blueprint.
- Medium: Flip one additional random Blueprint token not matching the Autopponent's player color.
- Easy: Flip two additional random Blueprint tokens not matching the Autopponent's player color.
- If you are playing Medium or Easy, then the Autopponent must gain more than one Blueprint from you. Each time it trades Captured Units with you, it only gains one of those Blueprints, starting from the bottom up.
Designer's Note: The Difficulty Level of Solo Mode is determined by how many Blueprints the Autopponent is missing at the start of the game (more is easier — Hard=1, Medium=2, Easy=3). It is recommended that you start on Hard, as this simulates normal one-versus-one gameplay, but you may reduce the Difficulty Level if needed. The Autopponent is tough to beat!
Solo Variation: For a longer and more challenging game, try this variation. The Human Player and the Autopponent are each missing three Blueprints at the start of the game. The Human Player sets three Blueprint Tokens to their Missing (red X) side: the Autopponent's player color, as normal, and two others (but not their own player color). The Autopponent sets the opposite three Blueprint Tokens to their Missing (red X) side (including the Human Player's player color). You and the Autopponent must each acquire all three missing Blueprints from the other. When trading Captured Units, each set gains one of those Blueprints. Each time you Cyber Attack, you gain only one Blueprint that matches ANY of your Combat Die Results.
Solo Mode How to Play
Taking Turns
Human Player Turn: Each Human Player turn is played exactly as in Competitive Mode, except you cannot perform the Resource Trading action (Negotiate Command Card).
Autopponent Turn
On each Autopponent turn, do the following:
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Draw an Autopponent Command Card from its deck. Place it face up, positioned above the deck, on top of any previously played Command Cards, staggered so all prior Bonus Action Icons remain visible. This creates the Command Card Stack.
Important: When drawing a Command Card, if its Bonus Action Icon is already present in the Stack, return it to the bottom of the deck, and draw the next card instead.
Designer's Note: The Speakers and Battle Command Cards each have an orange Bonus Action Icon. Only one of these two cards will be resolved each cycle. The other will be the last card remaining in the deck during the last (fifth) turn of the cycle.
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Perform the Actions on the Command Card in order from top to bottom, as normal. Each Action must be performed, if possible. If an Action has a Tremor icon, trigger a separate Tremor per Unit performing that Action, as normal. Any Action that cannot be performed is skipped. If no Actions can be performed, proceed to the Bonus Action(s).
- If the card has two sections (e.g., Upgrade/Recruit), attempt to perform only the top section first and skip the bottom section.
- If not possible, then try to perform only the bottom section.
- If not possible, do not perform any Actions on the card.
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Perform Bonus Action(s). After resolving its Command Card, the Autopponent performs the Bonus Action whose icon matches the Bonus Action Icon on the topmost Command Card on the Stack (i.e., the card it just resolved). It then performs additional Bonus Actions, one per Bonus Action Icon visible in the Stack, from top to bottom. The Bonus Action options are listed on the back of the Command Card currently on the top of the deck. This means that, as the cycle progresses, the Autopponent performs more Bonus Actions each turn, and on the fifth turn in a cycle, the Autopponent will perform every Bonus Action listed on the back of the one card remaining in the deck.
- On each Bonus Action list, a Tremor icon is associated with two of the Bonus Actions. After either is performed, immediately resolve a Tremor. If both are performed, you will resolve two separate Tremors.
- Each eligible Bonus Action must be performed, if possible. If the Autopponent cannot perform a Bonus Action, then skip it with no effect (including no Tremor).
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Both Players Must Discard Surplus Resources (as per Competitive Mode Rules). Reminder: The Autopponent never possesses Discovery Cards or Relic Cards.
Reset
During a Reset, at the end of the 5th round of a cycle, reshuffle all 6 Autopponent Command Cards to form a new deck. The Human Player also reclaims their Burned and Played Command Cards, as normal.
Subroutine Cards (Autopponent's answer to Discovery Cards and Relic Cards)
Subroutine Cards have three actions available to the Autopponent.
- Subroutine 001 (top)
- Subroutine 002 (middle)
- Subroutine 003 (bottom)
When the Autopponent performs the Draw and resolve one Subroutine Card Bonus Action, or when an Autopponent Unit picks up a Relic Token, draw the top card from the Subroutine Deck. Attempt to perform one action starting with Subroutine 001 then proceeding down. The action must be able to be performed in its entirety to be eligible.
- If Subroutine 001 cannot be performed, attempt Subroutine 002.
- If Subroutine 002 cannot be performed, attempt Subroutine 003.
- If none are possible, do nothing. Discard the card.
If the Subroutine performed has a Tremor icon, then trigger a Tremor immediately after the Subroutine is finished. If the Tremor results in a Fracture, resolve it immediately. If no Subroutines were performed, there is no Tremor.
Turn Adjustments — Autopponent Colony Ship Completed
When the Autopponent completes its Colony Ship, it starts to ignore actions that it no longer considers relevant. Launching is its only goal.
Command Cards
- When the Autopponent begins its turn with a completed Colony Ship, only perform a Command Card if it has the Launching icon in the upper right. If there is no Launching icon, skip all actions on the card and proceed to the Bonus Actions.
- Only perform the Bonus Actions if the Bonus Actions list contains the Launching icon in the upper right.
- If neither the Command Card nor the Bonus Actions list contains a Launching icon, skip all Actions. Proceed to Launch.
Subroutine Cards
- After the Autopponent completes its Colony Ship, when it draws a Subroutine Card, the only Subroutine it attempts to perform is Subroutine 003. Subroutines 001 and 002 are ignored.
Combat with the Autopponent
Resolving a Combat in Solo Mode is inevitable. There are a few important differences from Competitive Mode:
- The Autopponent always has FIRST STRIKE. You cannot steal it.
- Strikes are conducted in pairs, with the Autopponent always Striking first, you second.
- Instead of rolling dice, the Autopponent draws Strike Cards that are used in both Strikes, then discarded.
- Autopponent Units do not have Shield.
- Human Units with Shield apply it during the Human Strike, not the Autopponent Strike.
- The Autopponent never Flees from a Combat being resolved.
Strike Deck
Instead of rolling dice, the Autopponent will rely on a deck of cards called the Strike Deck. These cards will determine hits during an Autopponent Strike and Combat Die Modifiers during the following Human Strike.
The player will flip over:
- 1 Strike Card per Autopponent Troop in the Combat.
- 3 Strike Cards per Autopponent Vehicle in the Combat.
Example: When the Autopponent meets the Space Capacity limit in a Combat, the player may flip over up to 5 Strike Cards at once.
- Two Strike Cards with matching Vehicle images will defeat the matching Vehicle. If two or more cards match, Human chooses which two to use.
- One Strike Card may defeat one Troop if not used to defeat a Vehicle.
Each Strike Card targets Units based on images on the card. This is referred to as the Targeting Hierarchy: (Powermech → Harvester → Soldier → Speaker → Miner)
The two example cards show matching Powermech Vehicle images. These two cards would target a Powermech first if present. If a Powermech is present, the cards would not target any more Units. If no Powermech is present, then:
- The first card will target a Miner. If no Miner is present, then the card does not cause a hit.
- The second card will target a Soldier first. If no Soldier is present, then it will target a Speaker. If no Speaker is present, then it will target a Miner.
Combat With the Autopponent (continued)
To resolve a Combat, perform the following steps:
1. Autopponent Strike a. Draw Strike Cards: 1 Strike Card per Autopponent Troop and 3 Strike Cards per Autopponent Vehicle in the Combat. b. Apply Strike Cards: Apply Strike Cards according to the following Targeting Priority: - If 2 or more Strike Cards contain matching Vehicle images, and that Vehicle exists among the Human Units, that Vehicle becomes the target of two of those cards. All other cards will target Troops, as follows: - Follow the Targeting Hierarchy to target Human Troops based on the images on the cards. (Soldier → Speaker → Miner) - Matching Units are defeated. - Each Strike Card can only target a single Unit. Once applied, do not discard the cards. They will be used again during the Human Strike. c. Capture Units: All defeated Human Units are captured by the Autopponent. Place them in its Holding Area. - If no Human Units remain in the space, the Combat is over. Discard all Strike Cards.
2. Human Chooses: Strike or Flee
You may choose to Strike or Flee. If your Units cannot defeat the Autopponent Units, you must Flee.
2a. Human Strike
A Human Strike is resolved as per Competitive Mode rules, unless stated otherwise here. a. Gather and roll Battle Dice. b. Apply Strike Die result. c. Autopponent applies Combat Die Modifiers from the Strike Cards drawn during the Autopponent Strike: Apply the largest negative Combat Die Modifier to the Combat Die with the highest value. Place the Die on the card. Repeat the step above until all Dice have been placed on cards, if possible. Each Strike Card can only be applied once in this way, and each Combat Die can only be affected by one Strike Card. Excess cards are ignored. d. Human applies their Shields: (Note: different than Competitive Mode) If any Human Units have Shield, you may apply each Shield to one Strike Card, which cancels its Combat Die Modifier. Each Shield must be applied to a different card. Excess Shields are ignored. e. Play Discovery Cards: You may play 1 Discovery Card per Combat Die, adjusting its value by the card's Combat Die Modifier. Each Die can only be affected by one Discovery Card. f. Assign Hits to Autopponent Units: You capture all defeated Autopponent Units. Place them in your Holding Area. If no Autopponent Units remain in the space, the Combat is over. Discard all cards.
2b. Human Flee
All Human Units in the Combat Space must Flee together. a. Select an adjacent space without enemy Units into which the Human Units may Flee together, observing Space Capacity. If there is no space into which the Units can Flee, they are immediately defeated and captured. b. Autopponent performs a FINAL STRIKE: - Discard the existing Strike Cards from the Autopponent Strike. - Draw 1 Strike Card per Autopponent Unit (Troop or Vehicle) in the Combat. - Apply the Strike Cards to the Human Units, as described above. - Any defeated Human Units are captured by the Autopponent. c. Surviving Human Units move into the destination space. d. The Combat is over. Discard all Strike Cards.
3. If both sides still have Units present, discard all Strike Cards and start a new pair of Strikes. Continue until only one side has Units remaining in the space.
Cyber Attack versus the Autopponent
Resolving a Cyber Attack in Solo Mode is almost the same as in Competitive Mode, with the following differences:
- Before you play any Discovery Cards, draw one Strike Card from the deck per Combat Die your Unit rolled. Apply each Strike Card to one Die, exactly as in Combat (see above).
- You may then play up to one Discovery Card per Die (each Die can only be assigned to one card).
- As normal, if at least one Combat Die equals the Target Value, the Cyber Attack succeeds.
Note: The Autopponent never Cyber Attacks.
Relic Tokens
- Whenever an Autopponent Troop or Vehicle enters a space containing a Relic Token, it immediately collects the token (return it to the supply), draws and resolves a Subroutine Card, and then continues the Action it was performing.
- When Moving, an Autopponent Unit will alter its path to collect a Relic Token if it can still follow its normal Movement priorities. An Autopponent Unit can collect only one Relic Token per Move action. Relic Token collection is not considered during any other Action.
Example Solo Combat Scenario
The Autopponent is the Orange player. The human player is the Blue player.
Step 1. The player flips over 5 Strike Cards: 1 for the Soldier, 1 for the Miner, and 3 for the Powermech.
Step 2. The cards show 3 Vehicle images: 1 Harvester image and 2 matching Powermech images. The blue player does not have a Powermech present in the Combat so those images miss. The blue player does have a Harvester Vehicle present but only one Harvester image is visible so the Vehicle is not affected. Since no Vehicle was defeated, each card will now target a Troop instead. The first card (left to right) may defeat a Miner. There is no Miner present so that card is considered a miss. The next card may target a Speaker first. A Speaker is present so that Unit is targeted. The next card may target a Soldier first. There is a Soldier present so that Unit is targeted. There are no more Troops to target so the last two cards are ignored. The Autopponent captures the Speaker and the Soldier.
Step 3a. The blue player performs a Strike. They are the Defender in the Combat so they gather the Green Defender Strike Die and 3 Yellow Support Combat Dice for the Harvester Unit. They roll the Dice and add the Strike Die to the Combat Die value of 4.
Step 3b. The blue player must now apply the negative Combat Die Modifiers from the Strike Cards starting with the highest negative value and applying it to the highest Combat Die value and repeating until all Combat Dice have a Strike Card applied. Now the player plays two Discovery Cards. The final values are: 5-2+1=4, 3-2+2=3, and 2-1=1. The 4 defeats the orange Soldier and the 3 defeats the orange Miner.
Round 2, Step 1. The player flips over 3 Strike Cards for the Powermech. Two of the cards show 4 Vehicle images: 2 matching Harvester images and 2 matching Powermech images. There is no Powermech present but the blue player has a Harvester present in the Combat so those images target the Harvester. Since no other Units are present, the Autopponent defeats the Harvester and captures it. The blue player has no Units left in the space so the Combat ends.
Autopponent Launch
When the Autopponent ends its turn with a completed Colony Ship (including the end of the turn in which it was completed), the Autopponent always attempts to Launch:
- If all Autopponent Troops and Vehicles are in its Reserve, the Launch is automatically successful! The Autopponent wins! The Human Player loses.
- Otherwise, the Autopponent will conduct a Humanity Check to see if it can Launch this turn.
Autopponent Humanity Check
Even a super intelligence can have a conscience.
The Autopponent does not roll the Humanity Die. Instead, follow these steps:
- Count the number of Autopponent Troops and Vehicles on the planet and captured by the Human Player. This number is the Humanity Value.
- Draw the top card from the Strike Deck. a. If the number in the upper left corner of the card is equal to or greater than the Humanity Value, the Launch is successful! The Autopponent wins! The Human Player loses. b. If the number in the upper left corner of the card is less than the Humanity Value, the Launch fails! The Autopponent did not Launch this time, but will try again at the end of its next turn. Discard the Strike Card. Play passes to the Human Player.
Autopponent Priorities
When the Autopponent performs any action, follow the Priority Order listed in the action itself or below. The first item in a Priority Order is most important, the last item is least important. Priority Orders always repeat if needed. Any time there is an unclear choice, it is always Player Choice.
General Rule of Destruction: Anytime the Autopponent can capture, destroy, or negatively affect the Human, it will perform the most negative result for the Human Player.
General Rule of Survival: Anytime the Autopponent must destroy or negatively affect its own units, it will perform the least negative result for itself.
Targeting Hierarchy (Strongest Units First): Powermech → Harvester → Soldiers → Speakers → Miners
- Rescuing Captured Autopponent Units
- Downgrade Human Vehicle
- Capture Human Units
Reverse Targeting Hierarchy (Weakest Units First): Miners → Speakers → Soldiers → Harvester → Powermech
- Trade Captured Human Units for Blueprint
- Destroy Autopponent Units
Flee Combat (Subroutine Action): Follow standard Competitive Mode rules for Flee destination space, then: Most Autopponent Units → Empty
Early Warning - Miners/Harvesters: Follow standard Competitive Mode rules for escape destination space, then: Most Autopponent Units → Empty
Early Warning - Colony Ship: Most Human Units → Empty Space → Fewest Autopponent Units → Weakest Autopponent Units
Collapse/Detonate: Most Human Units → Strongest Human Units → Fewest Autopponent Units → Weakest Autopponent Units
Recruiting Troops. Recruit troops based on their influence value in this sequence and continue looping until maximum Influence has been met: Soldier → Speaker → Miner → Soldier → Soldier → Miner → Repeat. Skip a Troop if it is not in the Reserve, or there is not enough Influence "left," and continue with the next Troop in the sequence.
Deploying Troops. Place one troop per space in the following sequence, skipping spaces currently meeting Space Capacity:
- Deploy Troops in the same order they were Recruited.
- Spaces adjacent to the Colony Ship, starting with the space closest to the edge of the planet and moving clockwise.
- Then, Autopponent-Controlled Habitats, from highest to lowest Influence.
- If a valid placement space includes an existing combat, place as normal in the sequence.
- If a valid placement space contains enemy Units, replace the current Unit in sequence with a recruited Soldier. When placing the Soldier, it becomes the Attacker. If no Soldiers are waiting to be deployed, skip placement in the space and continue.
- Repeat this sequence until all Units are deployed or remaining spaces contain no valid placement conditions.
- If an Autopponent action Deploys a Unit without Recruiting it, use the above Deploy Procedure with that Unit.
Upgrading Troops.
- The Autopponent only performs Standard Upgrades (never Dropship Upgrades).
- Upgrade Troops in the following sequence and continue looping until Lorium is depleted, the Reserve has no more Vehicles, or there are no more eligible Troops: Unlocked Miner → Locked/Unlocked Soldier → Repeat.
- Upgrade one eligible Troop per space in the following sequence, skipping spaces that already contain an Autopponent Vehicle:
- Spaces adjacent to the Colony Ship, starting with the space closest to the edge of the planet board and moving clockwise.
- Then, Autopponent-controlled Habitats, from highest to lowest Influence value.
- If an Autopponent action Upgrades an individual Troop, use the above Upgrade Procedure to select and Upgrade it.
Constructing Modules (Robotic Construction): The Autopponent can only construct a Module if it possesses the corresponding Blueprint. Its construction method is always Robotic Construction (not Manual Construction), and only pays the Module's Lorium cost. It always prioritizes constructing the most expensive Module it can afford.
- Construct Module: Must Have Blueprint → Most Expensive → Available Lorium
Cooperative Mode
"Countdown: Save the Colonists!"
Cooperative (Co-op) Mode, also called Countdown: Save the Colonists!, is designed for casual players and family game nights. Players cooperate to rescue Colonists and Launch their Colony Ship before the planet explodes. Co-op Mode requires some familiarity with Competitive Mode rules. It is a standalone experience, not compatible with any expansion or other Game Modes.
Objective
Work together to rescue as many Colonists as possible, complete the Colony Ship, evacuate all Units, and Launch, before the planet destroys itself.
Victory Conditions
When no Colonists or Units remain on the planet, and the Colony Ship is completed, then all players can Launch and Win!
Failure Conditions
The mission immediately fails if the Collapsed Spaces Marker (red cube) passes the Endangered Colonists Marker (green cube) on the Countdown Track.
Standard Components
- 1 Planet Game Board with 127 hexes
- 36 Habitat Buildings (Do not use Colony City)
- 18 Mountains
- 60 Lorium Crystals
- 1 Cysmograph Board
- 8 Tremor Tokens
- 6 Blueprint Tokens (1 of each color)
- 1 Fracture Bag
- 42 Fracture Tokens
Co-op Mode Components
- Countdown Board
- Rescued Colonists Marker (Yellow Cube)
- Endangered Colonists Marker (Green Cube)
- Collapsed Spaces Marker (Red Cube)
- Co-Op Command Cards (6 per player)
- Co-Op Player Aids (1 per player)
- Control Flags: 18 Yellow, 12 Orange, 6 Grey
- 1 Set of Grey Unit Miniatures: 10 Soldiers/5 Speakers/6 Miners/2 Harvesters/2 Powermechs, 1 Colony Ship Launcher/6 Colony Ship Modules
Main Setup
Refer to page 10 and follow Competitive Mode's setup steps 1-8. Then continue with the following steps:
9. Set Up Countdown Board
Place the Countdown Board near the player who most likes to keep track of numbers. Leave room to its right for Colony Flags (Lost Colonists) and hex tiles (Collapsed Spaces) to be collected.
a. Place each of the 6 Blueprint Tokens in its matching Blueprint Slot, positioned on the right side (covering the green Module Activated symbol). Flip each Blueprint Token to its Acquired (data schematic) side. (In Co-op Mode, the players already possess all 6 Blueprints.)
b. Place the cubes on the board, in the following spaces on the Countdown Track:
- Yellow Cube (Rescued Colonists) = 00
- Green Cube (Endangered Colonists) = 60
- Red Cube (Collapsed Spaces) desired Difficulty Level:
- 80 = All is Lost (hardest difficulty)
- 90 = Hard
- 100 = Medium
- 110 = Easy
- 120 = All is Won (easiest difficulty)
10. Place Control Flags on Each Habitat:
- 1 Grey Control Flag on each Settlement (6 total)
- 1 Orange Control Flag on each Outpost (12 total)
- 1 Yellow Control Flag on each Camp (18 total)
- the Colony Ship Launcher in Colony City (center space).
11. Place all Units, and the 6 Modules, near the Countdown Board. They are in the Reserve.
Player Setup
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Each player takes one set of 6 Co-Op Command Cards. (There are no Command Boards or Construction Boards in Co-Op Mode.)
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Each player spends up to 10 Influence to purchase Units from the Reserve. The Units do not belong to any player, but rather to the entire group. The group may discuss how to collectively spend their individual Influence but players cannot share their Influence to cover Unit costs.
Unit Costs: Soldier = 1 / Speaker = 2 / Miner = 3 / Harvester = 4 / Powermech = 8
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As a group, players place purchased Units in any space adjacent to the Colony Ship (but not in Lakes or Mountains) and/or in any Settlement space (a Habitat with a Grey Control Flag). A space can contain a maximum of 3 Troops, or 2 Troops and 1 Vehicle. See Space Capacity, page 23.
Important Differences from Competitive Mode
- One set of Units is shared (and controlled) by all the players.
- Units may use Global Movement Arrows and TUNL spaces but Colonists cannot.
- Every Command Card is a Unit Command Card.
- No Combat or Captured Units. Units are never Locked.
- Habitats are not controlled by players. Control Flags represent Colonists to be rescued.
- All 6 Blueprints are already Acquired.
- No Faction Cards, Discovery Cards, Relic Cards, or Relic Tokens.
- Lorium is not stored on a Construction Board, but in spaces on the Planet Game Board.
- You can only place a new Troop on the planet when you rescue a Colonist.
- Upgrading a Miner or Soldier may occur anywhere on the planet without any penalty for not being in a Deploy Location.
- Only the Colony Ship has Early Warning. Miners and Harvesters do not.
- You can only construct Modules via Robotic Construction on the Colony Ship Command Card.
- You may "Evacuate" (We Are Leaving Bonus Action) even if the Colony Ship is not completed.
- No Humanity Die (all Units must be Evacuated to Launch).
Game Concepts
Colonists
Colonists are represented by Control Flags. They have different values, and Shelter in different Habitats, as follows:
- Grey Control Flag = 3, shelters in Settlements
- Orange Control Flag = 2, shelters in Outposts
- Yellow Control Flag = 1, shelters in Camps
Despite having different values, each Control Flag is referred to as "a" Colonist. There are 36 Colonists to rescue (total value: 60). It is almost impossible to rescue them all.
While on the planet, each Colonist is one of the following:
- Sheltered – its Control Flag is on top of a Habitat (the Colonist is afraid to exit their Habitat and must be convinced to leave)
- Calm - its Control Flag is upright on the planet surface (the Colonist is acting rationally and heading toward safety)
- Panicked - its Control Flag is tipped on its side on the planet surface (the Colonist is blindly running in the wrong direction)
Colonists no longer on the planet are either rescued (safely on board your Colony Ship) or lost (destroyed by a Collapsing space).
A space can contain any number of Colonists in addition to Units. A Colonist can only Shelter in its preferred Habitat as per its color (see above). All Colonists start the game Sheltered. Speakers can Convince Colonists to leave their Habitat, turning Sheltered Colonists into Calm Colonists. Calm Colonists become Panicked when an adjacent space Collapses. Soldiers can Calm all Panicked Colonists in their space. Powermechs can carry Colonists to another space.
Colonist Movement
Colonists can Move 1 space (during the Colonist Phase). They cannot enter impassable spaces (Lake, Mountain, Abyss) and they cannot use TUNLs or Global Movement Arrows. A Colonist can Move into the Colony Ship's space, whereupon it is immediately rescued. Sheltered Colonists do not Move.
Command Card Actions
Speakers:
- Convince Colonists: When a Speaker Convinces a Sheltered Colonist to exit their Habitat, remove its Control Flag and place it on the planet surface in the space. It is now Calm.
- Field Promote: Each Speaker may change one Troop to another Troop type anywhere on the planet.
Miners:
- Mine: Miners produce 1 Lorium on a Lorium space. Place the token in its space (max 3).
- Harvester Upgrade: You may Upgrade one or two Miners. Cost 1 Lorium each. Space Capacity must be observed.
Harvesters:
- Harvest: Harvesters produce 3 Lorium on a Lorium space. Place the tokens in its space (max 3). Perform a separate Tremor for each Harvester that Harvests.
- Fracture Redirect: This Action does not take effect until the Planet Phase. This Action cannot be used outside the Planet Phase. See Redirect Fracture, page 52.
Soldiers:
- Calm Colonists: When a Soldier Calms Panicked Colonists, stand their Control Flags upright in the space. They are now Calm. Soldiers cannot convince Sheltered Colonists to exit their Habitat, only Speakers can do that.
- Powermech Upgrade: You may Upgrade one or two Soldiers. Cost 3 Lorium each. Space Capacity must be observed.
Powermechs:
- Move, Jumpjet Move: Each Powermech may perform one or the other (or neither), not both. Perform a separate Tremor for each Powermech that Jumpjet Moves, after it lands.
- Transport Colonists: When a Powermech Transports Calm Colonists, they remain Calm in the destination space. Perform a separate Tremor for each Powermech that Jumpjet Moves, after it lands.
Colony Ship:
- Stabilize: This Action is MANDATORY when this card is Played. Collapse the Colony Ship's space, Move it 1 space, and then perform a Tremor.
- Move: The Colony Ship may Move 1 more space.
- Robotic Construction: Construct Modules in any order by spending the required Lorium. Module costs are listed on the Countdown Board.
Bonus Actions
- Run: Immediately interrupt the Player Phase to perform a complete extra Colonist Phase, then continue with the Player Phase. This gives the Colonists an extra turn of movement.
- False Alarm: When a player chooses this Bonus Action, THAT PLAYER does not perform a Tremor during the Planet Phase.
- We Are Leaving: Choose this Bonus Action to get Units off the planet surface. Select a Unit type (Soldier, Miner, Speaker, Powermech, Harvester). Each Unit of that type performs its Move action toward the Colony Ship. Any Unit that enters its space is Evacuated: place that Unit in the Reserve. A Powermech may Jumpjet Move (then perform a Tremor), but cannot Transport Colonists. You may perform this Bonus Action even if the Colony Ship is not completed.
- Reactivate: You immediately resolve your Played Command Card again. You do not perform another Bonus Action. You can only Reactivate the Command Card you played this turn.
Lorium
- Miners may produce 1 Lorium, and Harvesters may produce 3 Lorium, from a Lorium space.
- When Lorium is produced, the tokens are taken from the supply and placed in the producing space on the Planet Game Board. Each Lorium space may hold up to 3 Lorium Tokens. Excess Lorium is immediately lost. Note: Lorium is not tracked on Construction Boards in Co-Op Mode.
- Lorium is used for Vehicle Upgrades and constructing Colony Ship Modules.
- Lorium may be spent from anywhere on the planet. Any player may spend Lorium (it is owned by all players).
Recruiting
The only way to place new Troops on the planet is to rescue Colonists. Colonists are rescued when they Move onto the Colony Ship during the Colonist Phase. Rescued Colonists may be conscripted into service to help the cause.
- Each rescued Colonist allows one Troop to be Recruited from the Reserve, as follows:
- Grey Colonist → Miner
- Orange Colonist → Speaker
- Yellow Colonist → Soldier
- Players must have Played the associated Command Card during that turn to be able to Recruit any Troops of that type. Example: If a Grey Colonist is rescued but no player Played the Miners Command Card, then no Miner can be Recruited.
- One Played Command Card allows any number of Units of that type to be Recruited (one per rescued Colonist).
- Deploy the Recruited Troop in a space adjacent to the Colony Ship.
- If a Troop is not Recruited at the moment a Colonist is rescued, the opportunity is lost. Players cannot Recruit again until another Colonist is rescued.
Countdown Board
- Yellow Cube (Rescued Colonists Marker): This cube keeps track of the total value of all the Rescued Colonists. Each time a Colonist is rescued, advance the cube a number of spaces equal to the value of the saved Colonist. The cube starts on 00 and its value always increases.
- Green Cube (Endangered Colonists Marker): This cube keeps track of the total value of all the Colonists that have not been lost to a Collapse. Each time a Colonist is lost to a Collapsed space, retreat the cube a number of spaces equal to the value of the lost Colonist. It starts on 60 and its value always decreases. Note: 60 is the total value of the 36 Colonists.
- Red Cube (Collapsed Spaces Marker): This cube tracks how many spaces can Collapse before the planet explodes. It acts as a dynamic timer indicating how close the players are to failure. For each space that Collapses, retreat the cube one space. Its value always decreases.
The yellow cube advances to meet the green cube. When they meet, there are no Colonists left on the planet surface as they have all been rescued or lost. Neither cube moves again. At the same time, the red cube is always chasing the green cube – they move the same direction along the track.
The moment the red cube PASSES the green cube on the track, the planet EXPLODES and the players immediately LOSE!
It is important to keep the cubes up to date. If they are ever bumped out of position, it is easy to recalculate where they should be on the track:
- For the Yellow Cube, refer to the Colonists (Control Flags) collected in the Colonist Boarding Area on the board.
- For the Green Cube, refer to the Colonists (Control Flags) collected in the Lost Colonists area to the right of the board.
- For the Red Cube, refer to the hex tiles collected in the Collapsed Spaces area to the right of the board, and recall the Difficulty Level at which the red cube started the game.
Cysmograph Board (Tremors, Fractures, Collapses)
The Cysmograph Board, Tremors, Fractures, and Collapses are the same as in Competitive Mode, with a few important differences to be aware of:
- Most Tremors (and, therefore, Fractures) occur during the Planet Phase, but they may also occur during the Player Phase when players perform Actions on their Command Cards.
- Only the Colony Ship has Early Warning. Miners and Harvesters do not.
- When a space Collapses, in addition to the standard rules, add the following steps:
- Any Lorium stored in the Collapsing space is destroyed. Return tokens to the supply.
- Any Colonist in the Collapsing space is lost. Do the following for each lost Colonist:
- Place its Control Flag in the Lost Colonists area, to the right of the Countdown Board.
- Retreat the Endangered Colonists Marker (green cube) a number of spaces equal to the Lost Colonist's value.
- All Calm Colonists in spaces adjacent to the Collapsing space become Panicked. Tip each affected Colonist's Control Flag onto its side. Sheltered Colonists and Colonists who were already Panicked are not affected. Do not use Global Movement Arrows or TUNLs when considering adjacency for this purpose.
- Do not return the removed hex tile to the game box. Instead:
- Place the removed hex tile in the Collapsed Spaces area, to the right of the Countdown Board.
- Retreat the Collapsed Spaces Marker (red cube) once. Reminder: If several spaces Collapse at one time, retreat the red cube once per space.
- If the red cube PASSES the green cube, the planet EXPLODES and the players immediately LOSE!
For more about the Cysmograph, see page 24.
Colony Ship Modules / Construction
- Performing the Robotic Construction action on the Colony Ship Command Card is the only way to construct Modules.
- Constructing a Colony Ship Module requires Lorium.
- Each Module's Lorium cost is listed in its Blueprint Slot on the Countdown Board.
- When a Module is constructed, slide its corresponding Blueprint Token to the left in its slot, exposing the green Module Activated symbol.
- Modules can be constructed in any order.
- All 6 Modules must be constructed before the Colony Ship can Launch.
Launching
Launching the Colony Ship is the final victory condition to win the game. A successful Launch can only happen if:
- All Colonists have been rescued (or, sadly, lost).
- All Units have been evacuated off the planet surface.
- All Colony Ship Modules have been constructed.
Gameplay Overview
Gameplay consists of four phases: Player Phase, Colonist Phase, Planet Phase, and Launch Phase.
- Player Phase: Each player performs Actions to guide Colonists, gain Lorium, and build their Colony Ship. Although each player ultimately makes their own decisions, the players must work together to win the game.
- Colonist Phase: The Colonists move toward the Colony Ship (if they are Calm) or away from the Colony Ship (if they are Panicked).
- Planet Phase: Each player performs a Tremor, which may result in multiple Fractures, each of which causes spaces to Collapse, hastening the end of the game.
- Launch Phase: If there are no Colonists or Units on the planet surface, and all 6 Modules have been constructed, the players Launch their Colony Ship and win the game! Otherwise, play continues with a new Player Phase.
During the game, players track their progress on the Countdown Board, moving a cube each time they rescue a Colonist, or a Colonist is lost, or a space Collapses.
How to Play
Player Phase:
If players have no Command Cards in their hands, reclaim all Burned and Played Command Cards. Otherwise, there are two steps in this phase: Preparation and Player Turns.
Preparation (simultaneous):
- Players openly discuss strategy and which cards they each should Burn and Play.
- Each player Burns one of their Command Cards, placing it face down in front of them.
- Each player Plays one of their Command Cards, placing it face up, partially on top of their Burned card, leaving its list of Bonus Actions exposed.
Players may Burn and/or Play the same Command Card as other players.
Player Turns (one at a time):
Each player takes one turn, in any order (chosen by the group). On your turn, do the following, in order:
- Perform one Action from each Section on your Played Command Card, from top to bottom. For most Actions, each Unit of the card's type may perform the Action. If it has a Tremor icon, each Unit performing the Action triggers a separate Tremor.
- Perform one of the Bonus Actions whose icon matches one of the Bonus Action Icons on the bottom of your Played Command Card. Your Bonus Action options are taken from the back of your Burned Command Card.
Colonist Phase:
During this phase, all of the Calm Colonists Move toward the Colony Ship and all of the Panicked Colonists Move away from the Colony Ship. Note: It is best if one player manipulates all of the Colonists to prevent errors in movement.
- Select one terrain type (Desert, Forest, Rocky, Savannah, Tundra, Wetlands) as your starting location for moving Colonists. Move all Colonists within this terrain before proceeding to the next one. (If needed, activate Colony City last.) It is recommended to place the Launch Button next to the chosen terrain to mark it as the starting location.
- Move each Calm or Panicked Colonist starting on the space on Ring 1 and moving outward to Ring 6 until all Calm and Panicked Colonists in the chosen terrain have Moved once. If a Colonist Moves into the next terrain clockwise, the players will Move that Colonist again when activating the next terrain. Sheltered Colonists do not Move.
- Proceed clockwise to the next terrain and repeat until all Calm and Panicked Colonists have Moved.
Moving a Calm Colonist: a. Move Calm Colonists one space toward the Colony Ship. If there are multiple paths, it is player's choice. b. When a Calm Colonist Moves into the Colony Ship's space, it is rescued! Do the following: i. Remove its Control Flag from the Planet Game Board and place it in the Colonist Boarding Area on the Countdown Board, in the area designated for its color. ii. Advance the Rescued Colonists Marker (yellow cube) a number of spaces equal to the Colonist's value. iii. Optional: Players may Recruit one new Troop from the Reserve. - When a Yellow Colonist is saved, the group may recruit one Soldier if a Soldiers Command Card has been Played. - When an Orange Colonist is saved, the group may recruit one Speaker if a Speakers Command Card has been Played. - When a Grey Colonist is saved, the group may recruit one Miner if a Miners Command Card has been Played.
Moving a Panicked Colonist: (Panicked Colonists only move at most, once, for a given terrain type.) a. If a Panicked Colonist is in an Edge space, it will not Move. b. If a Panicked Colonist is in a space with an empty Habitat of its type, place it on the Habitat. It is now Sheltered and will not Move. c. Otherwise, Move a Panicked Colonist one space away from the Colony Ship toward the planet edge. If it is able to Move into a space with an empty Habitat of its type, it must do so. Immediately place it on the Habitat. It is now Sheltered.
Example: The players have chosen to activate the Savannah terrain first. Ring 1: The Calm Grey Colonist Moves first and reaches the Colony Ship. Ring 2: The Yellow Colonist is Sheltered and cannot Move. The Calm Orange Colonist Moves to the Forest terrain. It will Move again when the players activate the Forest terrain next in clockwise order. Ring 3: The Calm Yellow Colonist Moves forward one space. The Panicked Orange Colonist Moves away from the Colony Ship. Ring 4: There are no Colonists. Ring 5: The Yellow Colonist is Sheltered and cannot Move. Ring 6: There are no Colonists. Proceed to the Forest terrain working from Ring 1 to Ring 6. Repeat this for all terrains in clockwise order.
Planet Phase:
Nominate a starting player. Each player, in clockwise order, must perform one Tremor. If a player chose the False Alarm Bonus Action on their turn, skip that player (they do not perform a Tremor). If a Tremor causes a Fracture, resolve it before proceeding to the next player.
Redirect Fracture: If a Harvesters Command Card has been Played, its Redirect Fracture Action allows any player who draws a Fracture Token to return it to the bag and draw again. The player may do this once per Harvester on the planet. If multiple Harvesters Command Cards were played, the effect stacks. For example, if two of the cards were Played, and two Harvesters are on the planet, any player may redraw up to four times! If the Harvesters survive, the next player who draws a Fracture Token may also redraw up to four times. However, when a Fracture Token is drawn that Collapses a space containing a Harvester, no redraw is allowed. That Fracture Token must be resolved (even if the other Harvester is safe).
Note: most Tremors, and therefore most Fractures, occur during the Planet Phase. This is the phase in which the players are most likely to lose the game.
Launch Phase:
Check to see if the players can Launch the Colony Ship:
If there are no Colonists on the planet (they are all rescued or lost), and there are no Units on the planet (they are all in the Reserve), and the Colony Ship is completed (all 6 Modules have been constructed) and it is NOT on a Devastated space, then LAUNCH! The players WIN!
Otherwise, start a new Player Phase.
Cysmic Battle Chess
Cysmic Battle Chess is a Chess Variant played on the back side of the Planet Game Board using the Unit miniatures of Cysmic as stand-ins for standard Chess pieces. There is no check or checkmate. Units move under standard Chess movement rules. However, when attempting to capture an opponent's Unit, instead of immediately taking it, a Battle takes place!
The game is for 2 players and lasts 20 minutes.
Objective
Players win immediately when either condition is met:
- Defeat your opponent's Colony Ship in Battle
- Reach the opposite side of the board with your Colony Ship
Setup
- Each player selects a player color and places their Units on the board in the labeled spaces, and 1 Control Flag in their color in the marked location to the player's right side of the board. 1 King (Colony Ship), 1 Queen (Powermech), 2 Rooks (Harvesters), 2 Bishops (Speakers), 2 Knights (Miners), 8 Pawns (Soldiers)
- Remove Planetary Event cards and shuffle the remaining Discovery Cards. Place the deck in the marked space on the board.
- Each player draws 3 Discovery Cards into their hand.
- The player with the lightest player color is the first player.
Summarized Chess Rules
Piece Movement:
- King/Colony Ship: 1 square any direction.
- Queen/Powermech: any number of squares in straight line (row, column, diagonal).
- Rook/Harvester: any number of squares in row/column.
- Bishop/Speaker: any number of squares diagonally.
- Knight/Miner: L-shape (2+1), jumps pieces.
- Pawn/Soldier: forward 1 (optionally 2 from start); capture diagonally forward 1.
Special Chess Moves:
- Castling: King and rook move together if neither has moved, no pieces between.
- En passant: A pawn capturing a pawn that just advanced 2 squares, as if it had moved 1.
- Promotion: A pawn reaching the opposite back rank becomes queen, rook, bishop, or knight (player's choice).
Additional Cysmic Battle Chess Rules
Remember, there is no CHECK or CHECKMATE. Protect your Colony Ship at all costs.
When a player moves a Unit into a space with an enemy Unit, resolve a Battle.
- The Attacker places their Control Flag in the origin space of their attacking Unit as a marker.
- The Attacker moves their attacking Unit into the same space as an enemy Unit.
- Resolve a Battle.
Resolving a Battle
Battle is simultaneous.
- The Attacker rolls a single Red Combat Die along with the Blue Strike Die. The Defender rolls a single Yellow Combat Die along with the Green Strike Die.
- The Attacker MAY choose to play a single Discovery Card (using only its Combat Die Modifier) to add to their Die value or reduce the opponent's Die value. The Defender MAY then do the same. Continue alternating playing Discovery Cards until both players pass.
- The winner of the Battle is the player with the highest total. Defenders win ties.
- If the Attacker wins, they take the opponent's Unit as per normal Chess rules and place it into their prison area. The Defender draws a Discovery card into their hand. The Control Flag is placed back in its holding location.
- If the Defender wins, the Attacker returns their attacking Unit to the space with their Control Flag and draws a Discovery Card into their hand. The Control Flag is placed back in its holding location.
- If both players roll a TREMOR symbol on their Strike Dice -AND- the Battle is taking place on a red Abyss space, then BOTH UNITS ARE DEFEATED. Each player takes the opposing Unit into their prison, and each player draws a Discovery Card. The Control Flag is placed back in its holding location.
Command Card Reference
Speakers (Influence Troop)
Play to increase Influence, boosting Recruiting power and Lorium storage.
- Persuade: For each Speaker in a space with a Habitat, place your Control Flag and increase Influence by that Habitat's value.
- Field Promote: Convert Unlocked Troops into other Troop types (must have the Troop types in your Reserve). Speakers do not have to be in the same space as the target Unit; new Speakers do not activate this turn.
Tip: Deploy Soldiers, then promote them into Miners to save Influence during the Recruit action.
Miners (Resource Troop) / Harvesters (Resource Vehicle)
Play to generate Lorium and Discovery Cards.
- Mine/Explore & Harvest/Scavenge: Gain varying amounts of Lorium and Discovery Cards based on location. Lorium is the core Resource used for Upgrading Troops and constructing Colony Ship Modules. Discovery Cards provide three ways to be used: Combat Die Modifiers, powerful Abilities, or Rewards. Multiple Resource Units may exist in the same space, all generating Resources, but must still respect Space Capacity. Perform a Tremor for EACH Harvester EACH time they perform the Harvest action.
Tip: Upgrading Miners into Harvesters is always a profitable action. Upgrade in early turns to generate large amounts of Lorium and Discovery Cards before other players.
Soldiers (Combat Troop) / Powermechs (Combat Vehicle)
Play to initiate Combat and capture enemy Units. Captured Units can be traded for Blueprints—your path to victory.
- Move/Jumpjet: If ending in a space with an enemy Unit, Combat is initiated (not resolved). Locking enemy Units in Combat with a single Soldier can cost an opponent precious actions to resolve the Combat to Unlock their Units—and that's only if they win. Perform a Tremor for EACH Powermech EACH time they perform the Jumpjet Move action.
- Neutralize: Each Unlocked Soldier in a space with an enemy-controlled Habitat may remove the Control Flag (but does not claim it).
Tip: Use Powermech Jumpjets to land next to an enemy Colony Ship. Rolling 4 Combat Dice provides a good chance of a successful Cyber Attack.
Colony Ship (Mobile Base)
Play to build Modules, evacuate Units, or even crush nearby enemies under your massive tracks.
- Stabilize: This action is MANDATORY when you play the Colony Ship Command Card. Move to an adjacent space and collapse the original. Destroy all Units/Habitats/tokens in the new space. Perform a Tremor after completing Stabilize.
- Move: Move into an adjacent space, destroying everything in the destination. No Tremor.
- Robotic Construction: Construct any number of Modules you can afford, with no Influence cost. Save up Lorium to maximize the efficiency of this action and build as much as possible.
- Evacuate: If your Colony Ship is complete, move Units to your Colony Ship space to prepare for Launch. When a Unit enters the space, place it in your Reserve. This is the only place in the entire game where Evacuate exists. Keep that in mind when playing the card.
Tip: Use the Blue Bonus Action in Command Column 001 to perform Robotic Construction or Evacuate without needing to play the Colony Ship Command Card.
Recruit
Play to bring new Units onto the board. Recruit and Deploy are two parts of the same action. This is why there is no gear icon next to Deploy.
- Recruit: Take Troops from your Reserve totaling equal to or less than your current Influence value. It's best to collect all the Units you want to Recruit before Deploying any of them to the Planet Game Board in case you change your mind and forget which ones you placed already.
- Deploy: Once you made a final decision on which Troops to Recruit, place them in spaces with your controlled Habitats or spaces adjacent to your Colony Ship. Deploying Troops with Engage into spaces with enemies initiates a Combat. Your Units become the Attackers. Troops with or without Engage may Deploy into your existing Combats in valid Deploy locations. Be sure to respect Space Capacity.
- Motivate: Activate one of the Deployed Troops as if you played the Command Card for that Unit Type.
Tip: Play Recruit in one of the first three Command Columns to be able to Recruit again the same cycle by using the Reactivate Tactic Card Bonus Action in Command Column 004.
Upgrade
Play to transform Troops into Vehicles. Upgrade as many as you can afford and as much as Space Capacity will allow.
- Standard Upgrade: Replace Unlocked Troops with their Vehicle equivalents at Deploy Locations. Pay Lorium to the supply based on the Vehicle cost. Use careful planning to avoid trying to Upgrade a Troop in a space that already contains a Vehicle.
- Dropship Upgrade: Upgrade an Unlocked Troop anywhere on the Planet Game Board for 1 additional Lorium per Vehicle. Perform a Tremor for EACH Vehicle placed on the board using this action.
- Startup: Activate one of the Upgraded Vehicles as if you played the Command Card for that Unit Type. Don't forget to perform Tremors based on the Vehicle Activation (Powermech performing a Jumpjet Move or Harvester performing a Harvest).
Tip: Play Recruit and Upgrade on consecutive turns to quickly Upgrade recently deployed Troops in your Deploy Locations to avoid Dropship Upgrade costs.
Battle
Play to resolve Combats with First Strike, giving you a strong advantage. See Combat, page 28.
Playing the Battle Command Card is a press-your-luck game of chicken with other players. Playing it too early leaves you open for other players to initiate and resolve Combats on turns when you can't easily react. Playing it too late leaves you vulnerable to First Strikes that are hugely impactful.
Tip: Play Recruit to Deploy all of your Soldiers. Then Play your Soldiers Command Card to start as many Combats as possible. Then Play Battle as your next Command Card to resolve all of the Combats before other players can react. You may not win them all but you may capture enough enemy Units to make it worthwhile.
Negotiate
Play to gain Blueprints by trading Captured Units back to their owners. Other actions allow you to become First Player, gain an Espionage Card, Cyber Attack, and trade Resources.
- Initiative: Take the First Player Marker for next cycle. This is extremely important for the late half of the game.
- Infiltrate: Gain an Espionage Card if playing with the Espionage Expansion.
- Cyber Attack: Avoid the hassle of Combat and trading Captured Units when you can just get the Blueprint direct from the source.
- Resource Trading: Exchange Lorium, Relic Cards, Discovery Cards, Habitat Control, and Captured Units. (No Blueprints, Modules, or your own Units.) Make deals to Trade your Captured Units from Factions whose Blueprint you already have.
- Gain Blueprints: Save up Captured Units from multiple Factions to exchange them for their Faction's Blueprint as many times as you can using this one action for the best efficiency. This saves precious actions over using the Grey Bonus Action which allows only one exchange.
Tip: Remember to Cyber Attack with Vehicles to increase your chances at success.
Bonus Action Reference
Most Bonus Actions are self-explanatory but there are some nuanced actions that may require a more detailed explanation.
Competitive Mode/Euro-Mode Command Board
Grey Bonus Actions
- Play a Discovery Card: Perform the action text in the middle of an Action Discovery Card OR gain the Rewards depicted on the bottom of an Action or Reaction Discovery Card. If you choose a Reward that is a Bonus Action Icon, you are effectively using a Grey Bonus Action to perform a Bonus Action of another color anywhere on the Command Board.
- Gain a Discovery Card: Draw one Discovery Card from the top of the deck.
- Gain a Blueprint by trading Captured Units to an opponent: You can only gain ONE Blueprint. Opponents cannot refuse this trade. (This Bonus Action is less efficient than the Gain Blueprints action on the Negotiate Command Card.)
- Pay Lorium and Recall Troops to Manually Construct a Module: You can only construct ONE Module. (This Bonus Action is less efficient than the Robotic Construction action on the Colony Ship Command Card.)
Command Column 001
- Resolve one of your Combats. Gain First Strike.: Although less efficient than the Battle Command Card, you can use this Bonus Action to avoid playing that card when you only have a single Combat to resolve.
- Perform an Action of a Unit Command Card in your hand: Select one of your Unit Command Cards still in your hand and choose one Action on it. All of your Unlocked Units of that type may perform the selected Action (e.g., all your Unlocked Soldiers may Move, all your Unlocked Harvesters may Harvest if possible). If the Action has an associated Tremor Icon, each Unit performing the Action triggers a separate Tremor.
- Gain 2 Discovery Cards: Draw and keep 2 Discovery Cards from the top of the deck.
- Deploy 1 Troop of any type: Select one Troop from your Reserve, ignoring its Influence cost, and Deploy it.
- Gain 2 Lorium: Place 2 Lorium Tokens from the supply on your Lorium Storage Track.
Command Column 002
- Destroy one enemy Troop in one of your Combats: Remove the Troop you select from the Combat and place it in its owner's Reserve. Unlike the Red Bonus Action in Column 3, you do not capture the Troop.
- Flee a Combat without being fired upon: All of your Units in one of your Combats Flee (opponent does not get a Final Strike).
- Deploy 2 Troops of any types: Select one or two Troops from your Reserve, ignoring their Influence cost, and Deploy them.
- Rescue one of your captured Troops from an opponent: Return one of your captured Troops (NOT a Vehicle) to your Reserve.
- Store 3 Lorium in an empty Relic Slot. These cannot be lost: Transfer up to 3 Lorium from your track to an empty Relic Slot. If neither are empty, you may discard an active Relic Card. These tokens are immune to all game effects that may cause a player to lose Lorium. They may be freely spent, or moved back to your track, but cannot be replenished except by performing this Bonus Action again on a future turn. They do not count towards your storage limit.
Command Column 003
- Capture one enemy Troop in one of your Combats: Remove the Troop you select from the Combat and place it in your Holding Area. This is one of the most useful Bonus Actions on the board, and one of the most overlooked.
- Perform an Action of a previously played Unit Command Card: Players may perform any action from a face up Unit Command Card in their play area. This works the same way as the Blue Bonus Action in Command Column 001.
- Field Promote one of your Locked or Unlocked Troops: This is most useful when you turn a Miner or Speaker already Locked in Combat into a Soldier, perhaps turning the tide on what an opponent thought might be an easy win. Or, you could Field Promote an Unlocked Unit instead of playing the Speakers Command Card. (Speakers are not needed to perform this action.)
- Move 3 of your Unlocked Units: Perform a normal Move action with up to 3 different Units. The ideal use for this Bonus Action is to initiate Combats without playing the Soldiers or Powermechs Command Card. Alternatively, gather multiple Units in a single space for Resource gathering, or bring Units closer to your Colony Ship to prepare for evacuation.
- Gain a Relic Card: Draw two Relic Cards from the top of the deck. Keep one. You may immediately activate it if desired.
Command Column 004
- Perform a Cyber Attack: You can only attempt ONE Cyber Attack. (This Bonus Action is less efficient than the Cyber Attack action on the Negotiate Command Card, which allows up to 3 attempts.)
- Reactivate a previously played Tactic Command Card. No Bonus: This is one of the most powerful Bonus Actions on the board. It effectively allows you to take a second turn by completely re-playing any one of your face up Tactic Command Cards except the card you played this turn. Do not perform any Bonus Actions under the card you select. Note: this Bonus Action refers to TACTIC Command Cards, not UNIT Command Cards.
- Pay one Resource to gain control of Colony City: Giving up control of a Camp to take control of Colony City is a net gain of 4 Influence. This is also an effective way to make use of a Captured Unit serving no purpose. Note: You do not pay the Resource to the current controller of Colony City.
- Steal a captured enemy Troop from an opponent: Take one enemy Troop from an opponent's Holding Area and put it in your Holding Area. You cannot take one of your own Troops. Note: Take a TROOP, not a VEHICLE.
- Destroy an Active Relic: Is there an opponent making good use of a powerful Relic Card? Make that player discard it!
Command Column 005
- Resolve ANY combat. Attacker gains First Strike. No Captures: This is one of the most evil Bonus Actions in the game. You may select any Combat on the planet and immediately force the two players to resolve it. You do NOT need to be one of the combatants. Worse yet, all defeated Units are destroyed instead of captured.
- Reactivate a previously played Unit Command Card. No Bonus: This is one of the most powerful Bonus Actions on the board. It effectively allows you to take a second turn by completely re-playing any one of your face up Unit Command Cards except the card you played this turn. Do not perform any Bonus Actions under the card you select. Note: this Bonus Action refers to UNIT Command Cards, not TACTIC Command Cards.
- Pay to Upgrade one of your Locked or Unlocked Troops: You can only Upgrade ONE Troop. This Bonus Action is intended for Combats where you might be outnumbered or overwhelmed: turn one of your Soldiers into a Powermech! If the Troop is in one of your Deploy Locations, perform a Standard Upgrade (pay normal cost). Otherwise, perform a Dropship Upgrade (pay an extra Lorium and trigger a Tremor).
- Exchange one Resource for the First Player Marker: Take the First Player Marker from its current owner and give them one of your Resources (your choice). They cannot refuse this exchange.
- Gain Lorium from your Unlocked Miners and Harvesters: Each of your Unlocked Miners/Harvesters on a Lorium space may perform their Mine/Harvest action and your Unlocked Harvesters on an Explorable space may Scavenge, but you only gain Lorium (not Discovery Cards). Each Harvester that Harvests triggers a separate Tremor.
Espionage Expansion Command Board
There is only one unique Bonus Action specific to the Espionage Expansion Command Board.
- Gain an Espionage Card: If you already have an Espionage Card, you must discard it. If you don't, but the limit of active cards is reached, you must discard any one Espionage Card in play. Then draw the top Espionage Card from the deck and select one Option to Activate.
Solo Command Board
There are only 4 unique Bonus Actions specific to the Solo Command Board.
- Resolve one of your Combats: The Autopponent always has First Strike. Resolve the Combat per the Solo Mode combat rules.
- Draw the next Subroutine Card. Then return it or discard it: Draw the top card of the Subroutine Deck. You may return it to the top of the deck or discard it and hope the next card is not as bad.
- Draw the next Strike Card. Then return it or discard it: Draw the top card of the Strike Deck. You may return it to the top of the deck or discard it and hope the next card is not as bad.
- Draw the next Subroutine or Strike card. Then return it or discard it: Draw the top card of the Subroutine or Strike deck. You may return it to the top of the deck or discard it and hope the next card is not as bad.
Glossary
- Ability (Discovery Card): The Action or Reaction effect on a Discovery Card.
- Ability (Unit): Engage, Shield, and Early Warning are the three Unit Abilities.
- Action (Discovery Card): You may play a Discovery Card for its Action when you perform the Play a Discovery Card Grey Bonus Action.
- Activate (Relic Card): Placing a Relic Card in your Relic Slot (this makes it Active).
- Activate (Unit): When you play a Unit Command Card, you Activate each of your Unlocked Units of the card's type to perform the Actions on the card. Some game effects let you Activate a single Unit, which lets that Unit perform each Action on its Unit Command Card.
- Active (Espionage Card): An Espionage Card in your Espionage Card Slot is active (also called "in play").
- Active (Player): The player whose turn it is.
- Active (Relic Card): A Relic Card in one of your Relic Slots is Active. Relic Cards not in a Relic Slot are Inactive.
- ANY: Description of an action, Combat, token, or miniature that does not have to belong to the active player.
- Battle Dice: The group of dice made up of your Strike Die and your Combat Dice.
- Before Modifiers: After rolling your Battle Dice, but before any Shields, Combat Die Modifiers, or Faction Abilities are applied to your Combat Dice results.
- Blueprinted Module: A Module that you are allowed to construct because you possess its corresponding Blueprint.
- Bonus Action Icon: The icons at the bottom of your Command Cards.
- Bonus Action Options: The Bonus Actions available for you to perform this turn.
- Collapse: To destroy a space on the planet surface, either via a Fracture (which usually Collapses several spaces at once) or another game effect (which usually instructs you to select a single space to Collapse).
- Command Column (or Column): One of the five Columns on your Command Board.
- Combat Dice/Die: The Red (Military) and Yellow (Support) dice you roll when you Strike or Cyber Attack. A Unit's Combat Attribute determines its Combat Dice.
- Combat Die Modifier (Discovery Card): The number on the upper right corner of a Discovery Card. You may play a Discovery Card for its Combat Die Modifier during a Strike or during a Cyber Attack. It alters the value of a single Combat Die.
- Combat Space: A space in which two opposing Factions each have one or more Units (i.e., a Combat has been initiated). Units in a Combat Space are Locked.
Clarifications
Cascade of Chaos
Any time game effects can be combined with other game effects, the final outcome will be a result of all of those effects, compounded. This applies even when a player manipulates another player's components. If you think it could happen, you are probably right. Play out the scenario and include all possible interactions from players as they arise. Sit back and enjoy the chaos. Yes, it's that kind of game!
Order of Priority
If multiple game effects occur simultaneously or compete for precedence, resolve them in order:
- Espionage Card
- Reaction Discovery Card
- Action Discovery Card
- Relic Card
- Faction Ability
- Active Player
- Turn Order
Espionage Cards
- E08: +1 Lorium per Miner.
- E13: This does not apply to a Discovery Card played as a Reaction (or as a Combat Die Modifier).
- E27: +1 Lorium regardless of how many individual enemy Units perform the Action.
- E30: You do not need to be involved in the Combats.
- S01: Each of their Jumpjet Moves still triggers a Tremor, as normal.
- S11: The enemy Unit(s) each perform a Move action, but you control it. An enemy Powermech may Jumpjet Move (triggering a Tremor, as normal).
- S23: Does not require the presence of your Soldiers.
Discovery Cards
Actions
- Alien Cluster Bomb: Your Powermech may target its own space.
- Fierce Winds: The Troops may be Locked or Unlocked. They are all destroyed.
- Hostage Kidnapping: You cannot steal your own Troop. Place the stolen enemy Troop in your Holding Area.
- Long Jump: This cannot initiate a Combat.
- Manipulated: The enemy Soldier performs a Move action, but you control it. You must end its Move in a legal space that contains at least one Unit that does not belong to the Soldier's Faction.
- Override: The enemy Powermech performs a Move (or Jumpjet Move) action, but you control it. You must end its Movement in a legal space that contains at least one Unit that does not belong to the Powermech's Faction.
- Super Cross-Training: Does not require the presence of your Speakers.
- Ultimate Sacrifice: If you cannot give each opponent 1 Troop, you cannot construct the Module.
Reactions
- Aiming: You do not need to be involved in the Combat.
- Bonus Bonus: The additional Bonus Action may be the same as your first Bonus Action.
- Colorblind: For example, if your Played Command Card has Blue, Green, and Grey Bonus Action Icons, you may perform up to three Bonus Actions (instead of the usual one): one Blue, one Green, and one Grey. Additional Bonus Action Icons gained via game effects are also included.
- Dual Wield: This affects the first Strike you make in a Combat, even if your opponent has First Strike.
- Fire Everything: This affects the first Strike you make in a Combat, even if your opponent has First Strike.
- Heavy Metal: The effect applies to each Strike of the entire Combat, regardless of whether a Powermech is participating in the Strike.
- Life Flight: Cannot affect your Colony Ship (it cannot be Deployed).
- Sniper: You do not need to be involved in the Combat.
- Targeting: You do not need to be involved in the Combat.
- Veto Discovery: Cannot be used to veto a Discovery Card played as a Combat Die Modifier. Can be used to veto another Veto Discovery.
Relic Cards
- Deeper Exploration: One additional Discovery Card regardless of how many individual Miners Explore.
- Delayed Feedback: For example, you Played the Recruit card last turn, and the Upgrade card this turn: your Bonus Action can be Blue, Yellow, Green, Purple, or Grey. Next turn, after you play Harvesters, your Bonus Action can be Red, Blue, Yellow, or Grey. This has no effect on your first turn of a new cycle.
- Pre-Strike: The Red Combat Die result cannot be modified, nor can the Die be rerolled. Assign its result to defeat an enemy Troop, if possible. Then proceed to the First Strike (which may be yours).
- Sleight of Hand: You may perform your chosen Bonus Action and the "free" Play a Discovery Card Bonus Action in either order, but perform both after you resolve your Command Card. Your chosen Bonus Action may also be Play a Discovery Card.
Faction Cards
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Fractured Mind, Cognitive Overload: A Confused Troop remains inert in its space until it recovers. It still counts for Space Capacity. A Combat is initiated when a Combat Unit (from a different Faction) enters its space, as normal, and it can be assigned a hit, defeated, and captured in Combat (but cannot use Shield or contribute its Combat Dice). It is destroyed when its space Collapses (cannot use Early Warning). Because it is neither Locked nor Unlocked, most game effects cannot target it.
Recover: When an opponent Plays a Troop Unit Command Card, all of their Confused Troops of the card's type recover, and the recovered Troops can immediately be Activated to perform the Actions on the card. Similarly, when an opponent is required to Activate a single Troop via a game effect, all of their Confused Troops of that type recover. One of the recovered Troops can immediately be Activated by the game effect, if desired.
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Fur-Mageddon, Fetch Option 2: The Red Combat Die is added to every Strike of yours in the Combat; spend the hex tiles before First Strike. You can only do this during your turn.
-
Moving Mao Tons, Quakesurfing: Your Units do not have to Move to the same destination space. Your Powermech may Jumpjet Move but does not trigger a Tremor since it would have no effect in the middle of a Collapse.
-
Rhodes to Ruin, Cyberlink: You may Activate the extra Troop/Vehicle any time while resolving your Played Command Card but before you perform a Bonus Action.
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Rhodes to Ruin, Overclocking: You get the extra Lorium once per space, regardless of how many individual Miners Mine or Harvesters Harvest.
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The Ingram Corporation, Reverse Engineering: Each of your Speakers can only Reverse Engineer before or after its Move action.
-
The Tricksters, Celebrity Status: For example, you Burned the Recruit card and Played the Upgrade card this turn: your Bonus Action can be Blue, Yellow, Green, Purple, or Grey.
-
Those Behind the Wall, Now You See Me: The "decoy" Faction "inherits" First Strike and Attacker/Defender status from you. The Combat is immediately resolved, even though it no longer involves your Units.
Solo Mode
- Destroy one of the Human's Active Relic Cards (Bonus Action, Subroutine): If necessary, the Human Player chooses which of their Active Relic Cards to discard.
- Gain 2 Lorium; 1 from Human and up to 2 from Supply (Bonus Action): The Autopponent steals 1 Lorium from the Human, if possible. It then gains 1 or 2 Lorium from the supply, as needed to achieve a total gain of 2 Lorium.
- Steal 1/2/3 Lorium from the Human and gain 2/1/0 Lorium from the supply (Subroutine): This Subroutine cannot be performed if the Human does not have sufficient Lorium for the Autopponent to steal the specified amount.
Back Cover Reference
Game Flow: Cycles : Rounds : Turns
Cycle Start: (This is a structural concept, not an active gameplay phase.) A cycle consists of 5 rounds. The owner of the First Player Marker (Launch Button) becomes the First Player.
Round Start: (This is a structural concept, not an active gameplay phase.) Each player takes one turn in clockwise order starting with the First Player.
Turn Start: (This is the actual gameplay.) On your Turn, perform the following steps in order:
- Reclaim a Command Card (optional). You may return one Burned or Played Command Card to your hand by discarding a Relic Card.
- Burn a Command Card. Place one Command Card from your hand face down in the current Command Column.
- Play a Command Card. Place one Command Card from your hand face up on top of the card you just Burned.
- Perform Command Card Actions. Resolve Actions from top to bottom, including Tremor icons.
- Unit Command Card: Each Unlocked Unit of that type may perform one Action from each Section.
- Tactic Command Card: You may perform each Action once.
- Perform a Bonus Action. Perform a Bonus Action from the current Column matching one of the Bonus Action Icons on your Played Command Card.
- Launch (optional, requires completed Colony Ship).
A. If all of your Units are Evacuated to your Reserve, you successfully Launch. The Game Ends! YOU WIN!
B. If any of your Units are not Evacuated, you may roll the Humanity Die to attempt to Launch.
- A successful roll Launches your Colony Ship. The Game Ends! YOU WIN!
- A failure to Launch continues the game.
- All Players Discard Surplus Resources. A. Reduce Lorium down to current storage capacity. B. Reduce Discovery Cards down to hand limit (5). C. Reduce Relic Cards down to hand limit (5, includes up to 2 Active). D. Reduce Captured Units down to current Holding Capacity.
Turn End. Play passes to the next player in clockwise order.
Round End. The round ends when each player has taken one turn.
Cycle End. (A Reset is the only action that happens outside of a player's turn.) After 5 rounds, the cycle ends. Perform a Reset: Return all Command Cards to your hand.
Which Card Should I Play?
Units
Troops
- Soldiers: Start Combats
- Miners: Gain Lorium and Discovery Cards
- Speakers: Gain Influence • Change Troops
Vehicles
- Powermechs: Start Combats
- Harvesters: Gain Lorium and Discovery Cards
Mobile Base
- Colony Ship: Build Modules (Spend Lorium) • Evacuate Units
Tactics
- Recruit: Gain Troops (Based on Influence)
- Upgrade: Gain Vehicles (Spend Lorium)
- Battle: Gain Captured Units (Resolve Battles)
- Negotiate: Gain Blueprints (Trade Captured Units)