Deep State: Global Conspiracy
Deep State: Global Conspiracy Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Doctrine of Supremacy
- Brute Force
- Report: Infiltration into Corporations
- Secret Operations of the 21st Century
- Alliances of the Brute Force Module
- Fourth Estate Module (World Media)
- Trends
- Alliances of the Fourth Estate Module
- Reptilians Module
- Setup (Reptilians)
- Reptilians Project
- Reptilian Cards
- Alliances of the Reptilians Module
- Trend Card "UFO Hysteria"
- Solo Mode and Other Notes (page 19)
- Doctrine of Supremacy Projects in Solo Mode
- Brute Force Module in Solo Mode (page 20)
- Secret Operations in Solo Mode (page 20)
- World Media in Solo Mode (page 21)
- Trends in Solo Mode (pages 21–22)
Doctrine of Supremacy
Module contents: three World Domination projects, "Nuclear Threat," "World Corporations," and "World Bank."
Each Doctrine of Supremacy project replaces one of the projects in the base game:
| Base game project | Doctrine of Supremacy project that replaces it |
|---|---|
| "Comintern" | "Nuclear Threat" |
| "United Nations" | "World Corporations" |
| "Espionage" | "World Bank" |
Variants. You may add 1 of the Doctrine of Supremacy projects, 2 of them, or all 3. We recommend adding 1 or 2; that is enough to noticeably affect the game.
Doctrine of Supremacy projects use cards from the Control, Finance, or Science groups, and icons of agitators, peacekeepers, and spies.
On stages 2, 3, and 4, you are not required to send agents to the reserve when advancing. However, each World War in play adds a requirement to send 1 agent to the reserve, and reduces the number of required icons.
The Doctrine of Supremacy projects increase the importance of secondary objects and, as a consequence, of the alliances that let you obtain them.
Nuclear Threat
Nuclear Threat is a World Domination project. The project's card text (translated) reads: "The project involves creating a super-powerful army capable of ensuring military superiority through the use of the latest scientific and technical developments. An indispensable condition of such superiority is the possession of nuclear weapons, which keep opponents in fear. Taking part in this project simplifies capturing objects in the military and post-war periods, because your agents will always be on the side of the winners."
Permanent advantage (summary table printed with the project):
| Card | Effect |
|---|---|
| "Nuclear Race I" | 1 shadow agent for each World War card |
| "Nuclear Race II" | 2 shadow agents for each World War card |
| "Nuclear Race III" and further | 3 shadow agents for each World War card |
Rules:
While both World War cards are in the deck, the Nuclear Threat project does not give you shadow agents, but you can advance in it.
As soon as the first World War card enters the game, you receive 1/2/3 shadow agents if you take part in the project. The 1/2/3 figure is the per-card value of the Nuclear Race I/II/III entries in the table below (the printed rules give these values as 1/2/3 without further explanation). When the second World War card enters the game, the number of your shadow agents increases to 2/4/6 respectively. If both World War cards enter the game in the same round, you immediately have 2/4/6 shadow agents.
Example. You are on stage 2 of Nuclear Threat. You receive 2 shadow agents as soon as the first World War card opens. As soon as the second World War card enters the game, you have 4 shadow agents instead.
The shadow agents you receive from the Nuclear Threat project remain with you after the World War card is discarded.
Nuclear Threat allows you to receive a maximum total of 6 shadow agents (not 12, since the Comintern project does not allow more than 3 shadow agents).
Note. Nuclear Threat differs from the other projects in its unpredictability, and that is what makes it unique. You do not know when the World War cards will be revealed. Is it worth advancing in Nuclear Threat in advance and committing forces to the fight for Science cards? You cannot know this beforehand. Are you ready to take the risk?
See the description of shadow agents on page 10 of the base rules.
World Corporations
The World Corporations project gives you two types of advantage.
Immediate advantage. As soon as your coordinator enters the project or moves to its next stage, immediately return any number of agents from the object cards you have captured to your active pool.
It is usually reasonable to return all of your agents, but there are situations where it is better to return only some of them.
Final advantage. At the end of the game, during final scoring, you receive 2/4/6 influence points for each project in which you have a coordinator, including World Corporations.
Example. If your coordinator is on stage 2 of the World Corporations project, and two more of your coordinators are in two other projects (regardless of their stages), you receive 12 influence points at the end of the game.
The project card text (translated) reads: "The project involves concluding international agreements on close cooperation between national governments, followed by the abolition of borders and tariffs and the adoption of common taxes and laws. In case of success, a small group of leaders will be able to dominate on the world stage. The project increases your influence in other world projects and allows you to return agents from captured objects more quickly."
Immediate advantage table (summary table printed with the project):
| Stage | Effect |
|---|---|
| Each project stage | Return all (or some) of your agents from object cards to the active pool |
Final advantage table (summary table printed with the project):
| Card | Effect |
|---|---|
| "Globalization I" | 2 influence points for each project in which you have a coordinator |
| "Globalization II" | 4 influence points for each project in which you have a coordinator |
| "Globalization III" and further | 6 influence points for each project in which you have a coordinator |
World Bank
The World Bank project (card text, translated): "The project involves creating mechanisms for managing the world financial system, followed by the usurpation of the political power of national governments under the threat of ruining their economic systems. Participation in the project opens access to unlimited credit and expands the possibilities for advancing agents into structures unavailable to opponents."
Permanent advantage (summary table printed with the project):
| Card | Effect |
|---|---|
| "Reserve Currency I" | All "Corporation" cards in the infiltration area count as available objects for you |
| "Reserve Currency II" | All support cards, "Inner Circle" cards, and power cards in the infiltration area count as available objects for you |
| "Reserve Currency III" and further | All cards in the infiltration area count as available objects for you |
Rules:
Normally only the first 3 objects in the infiltration area are available to you. However, thanks to taking part in the World Bank project, more cards become available for infiltration; it does not matter where in the infiltration area they are.
Intercept: if you have infiltrated agents on the 4th card or any card after it, an opponent may intercept that card only if it is also available to them, for example because they also take part in the World Bank project.
Brute Force
Module contents: the "Antiterror" World Domination project; the "Secret Operations of the 21st Century" mini-expansion (7 tokens); 3 alliance cards (marked with the abbreviation CM).
The Antiterror project works effectively together with the special operations from the base game. Secret operations, however, are opposite in principle: you either conduct the fight against terrorism or carry out covert terrorist operations. We recommend choosing which of the two forceful methods you prefer and moving in one direction, not both at once.
Variants. You may add the whole module at once, only the secret operations, or only the Antiterror project.
Secret operations count as special operations for ALL game effects and rules.
Setup (Brute Force)
Step 1. Alliances. You may add the cards "UN Counter-Terrorism Committee," "Interpol," and "OSCE" to the alliance deck. All 3 alliances combine well with the Antiterror project and with secret operations.
If you are playing without the Antiterror project and secret operations, we recommend removing these alliances from the game. Apart from their names, you can easily find them by the CM abbreviation on the cards.
Step 3. World Domination projects. You may add the Antiterror project as a fifth project. Restriction: this project cannot be used in the same game as the "World Media" project.
Step 4. Special operations. Divide the secret operation tokens into three stacks: "Blackout" (1 card), "Ecocide" (2 cards), and "Cyberattack" (4 cards). Place all three stacks on the table, face up, next to the special operation tokens from the base game.
Antiterror Project
"Antiterror" gives you advantages of two types.
Immediate advantage. As soon as your coordinator joins the Antiterror project or moves to its next stage, every other player must immediately send 1 agent from their active pool to the reserve if it is one of the first three stages of the project, or 2 agents if it is one of the last two stages. If a player must send 2 agents to the reserve and has only one, that player sends 1 agent.
Agents on cards are not in the active pool and are therefore not affected by Antiterror. Shadow agents cannot be sent to the reserve.
Permanent advantage. Each time you infiltrate at least 1 agent onto an object, or carry out an intercept, you may add 1/2/3 agents from your reserve to that object. Likewise, when you carry out any special operation, including a secret one, you may add 1/2/3 agents from your reserve. You may add fewer than 1/2/3 agents, or none at all.
The number of agents you need to infiltrate an object or to carry out a special operation is counted taking into account the agents you add (see "Report" on page 8).
- You must use at least 1 agent (token) from your active pool in order to use the Antiterror advantage.
- Shadow agents are used under the normal rules.
- Adding agents from the reserve through the Antiterror advantage is not recruiting, so you cannot take a professional card instead of adding agents.
- The Antiterror effect does not extend to advancing in projects or to capturing trend cards.
- The effects of the alliances "Club of Rome," "International Monetary Fund," and "Theosophical Society" will be active if you have infiltrated 4 agent tokens (or more) onto an object, counting the agents added thanks to Antiterror.
Advancing in the project. Starting from stage 2, you must discard cards to advance. On stage 2 you discard 1 card, on stage 3 you discard 2 cards, and on the last two stages you discard 3 cards each.
You may discard ANY cards from your play area except alliance cards. This includes object cards (including secondary ones) and special operation tokens (including secret operations).
- You may also discard trend cards and reptiloid cards.
- Discarded special operation tokens and trend cards are removed from the game (they have no discard pile).
- You discard cards from your play area, not from your hand, so you may NOT discard professional cards.
- You may NOT discard cards from the infiltration area, because they have not yet been captured.
- An object card to which an "Inner Circle" card is attached is discarded together with it, and counts as 2 discarded cards.
- If your agents were on a discarded card, they are sent to the reserve.
World Wars increase the number of agents you send to the reserve when advancing in Antiterror, but they do not reduce its requirements, as they do in many other projects.
Advancing in Antiterror is not a mandatory action in a situation where your other actions are unavailable to you.
Summary of the Antiterror advantages (summary table printed with the project):
| Card | Effect |
|---|---|
| Immediate advantage | |
| "Special Measures I," "Special Measures II," and "Special Measures III" | Each other player immediately sends 1 agent from their active pool to the reserve |
| "Military Position" and "Military Dictatorship" | Each other player immediately sends 2 agents from their active pool to the reserve |
| Permanent advantage | |
| "Special Measures I" | When you infiltrate agents onto an object or send them on a special operation, you may add 1 agent from the reserve to them |
| "Special Measures II" | When you infiltrate agents onto an object or send them on a special operation, you may add up to 2 agents from the reserve to them |
| "Special Measures III" and further | When you infiltrate agents onto an object or send them on a special operation, you may add up to 3 agents from the reserve to them |
Card text of the Antiterror project (translated): "Participation in this project expands your ability to recruit agents from people who have been taught to shoot without asking questions. The project uses the fear of the terrorist threat and the ordinary citizen's desire for stability and order, in order to step by step roll back democratic institutions and concentrate absolute power in the hands of anti-terrorist organizations."
Report: Infiltration into Corporations
Example (printed on page 8 of the rulebook). Your coordinator is on stage 2 of Antiterror. You have 5 agents in your active pool and 2 agents in your reserve, and you intend to capture "Corporations."
- The "Corporations" card requires 6 agents, which is more than you currently have in your active pool. However, you can carry out the infiltration thanks to your participation in Antiterror. You may send 4 agents from your active pool and add 2 agents from your reserve, which gives you the required 6 agents. In that case, 1 agent remains in your active pool and no agents remain in your reserve.
- Another option is to infiltrate all 5 agents from your active pool into "Corporations" and add 1 agent from the reserve (or add 2 agents at once, to reduce the risk of an intercept).
Secret Operations of the 21st Century
(Mini-expansion text, printed on page 8 of the rulebook.)
The 21st century opened a new chapter in the history of special operations. So-called secret operations may be carried out both by terrorist organizations and by secret services. In the latter case, the involvement of the services is kept in absolute secrecy, since the slightest suspicion can ruin the prestige of even a leading world power.
Sometimes it seems that secret operations have no visible goal other than chaos and destruction. In reality, they change the rules of the game when victory by the accepted rules is unattainable. The winner gets the ruins of the world, but they will be his ruins.
Secret operations are considered special operations in all respects and are carried out by exactly the same rules, with two exceptions:
-
Having decided to spend an action on a secret operation, you place its token in front of you and place on it as many agents (including shadow agents) as indicated at the bottom of the token. In addition, you must immediately discard as many cards as shown on the token. For example, to carry out a "Cyberattack," you must discard 2 cards. You may discard any cards except alliances and professionals (see the description of the Antiterror project). You may also discard special operation tokens.
-
You must have a "Cyberattack" token in order to carry out "Ecocide." You must have an "Ecocide" token in order to carry out "Blackout." No such requirement applies to "Cyberattack."
You may hold identical secret operation tokens. For example, by the end of the game you may have 1 "Cyberattack" and 2 "Ecocide" tokens, or 3 "Cyberattack" tokens.
- You cannot carry out a secret operation if you cannot discard enough cards and/or special operation tokens.
- If you have a "Cyberattack" but both "Ecocide" tokens have been carried out by other players, you cannot "skip a step" and carry out "Blackout."
- Likewise, if other players have taken all "Cyberattack" tokens, you cannot carry out "Ecocide." You may carry out "Ecocide" by discarding your single "Cyberattack" in accordance with its requirements; the same applies to "Blackout."
- Secret operations count as special operations for ALL game effects and rules.
Carrying out a secret operation is not a mandatory action in a situation where your other actions are unavailable to you (even if you have a Curator).
Secret Operations of the 21st Century: Token Table
| Token | Number of tokens | Description (translated from the card) |
|---|---|---|
| "Cyberattack" (cost 7) | 4 | In a world run by computers, the DELETE key and the COPY command are more effective than a military invasion. |
| "Ecocide" (cost 14) | 2 | A man-made catastrophe not only brings colossal damage but also provokes a crushing public outcry. |
| "Blackout" (cost 21) | 1 | Cities plunged into darkness by shut-down power plants become a bridgehead for marauders and a pretext for tightening the regime. |
Alliances of the Brute Force Module
UN Counter-Terrorism Committee
Alliance card, cost 3 (CM). Discard a Finance card (not a secondary object) and take a secondary object card of the Science or Control group.
Requirements: you must have 1 special operation token (secret operations count) and 2 Finance cards (counting secondary object cards).
Permanent effect: each time you discard Bank, Real Estate, or Valuables cards of the Finance group, you may (but are not required to) take a secondary object card of the Control or Science group. If there are no such cards left in the supply, nothing happens.
The effect of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee does not apply when you discard a secondary Finance object.
Interpol
Alliance card, cost 3 (CM). Discard a Control card (not a secondary object) and take a secondary object card of the Finance or Control group.
Requirements: 2 Control cards and 1 special operation token.
OSCE
Alliance card, cost 3 (CM). Discard a Science card (not a secondary object) and take a secondary object card of the Finance or Control group.
Requirements: 2 Science cards and 1 special operation token.
Note on the alliance texts: the printed rulebook gives the abbreviated card text for Interpol and OSCE. The wording above follows the card images and the rule summary on page 9; the image resolution is limited, so please check against the printed card if in doubt.
Fourth Estate Module (World Media)
Module contents: the "World Media" World Domination project; the "Trends" mini-expansion (6 cards); 3 alliance cards (marked with the abbreviation ЧВ, i.e. "Fourth Estate").
Trend cards interact indirectly with the World Media project, increasing its effectiveness through new ways of obtaining secondary object cards.
Variants. You may add the whole module at once, or the trends or the World Media project separately.
Setup (Fourth Estate)
Step 1. Alliances. You may add the cards "European Development Fund," "USIA," and "Wellcome Trust" to the alliance deck. These alliances interact with the trend cards.
If you decide to play without trends and the World Media project, remove these alliances from the game. Apart from their names, you can easily find them by the ЧВ abbreviation on the cards.
Step 3. World Domination projects. You may add the World Media project as a fifth project. Restriction: this project cannot be used in the same game as the Antiterror project.
Final step. Trends. Shuffle the trend cards and place the deck face up so that the top card is visible to all players. The cards in the deck may not be looked through.
World Media Project
"World Media" gives you advantages of two types.
Immediate advantage. As soon as your coordinator joins the project or moves to its next stage, immediately take any one object card of the Control, Science, or Finance group from the infiltration area. The card becomes yours. If any agents were on it, they return to that player's active pool. This is not an intercept, so the player does not receive an alliance card for it. If there are no suitable cards in the infiltration area, nothing happens (this advantage cannot be postponed).
Final advantage. At the end of the game, before the final influence scoring, choose one of your power cards. That card gives 1/2/3 more influence points. If you have no power cards, the advantage of World Media does not apply.
Advancing in the project. World Media is rightly considered one of the most effective projects in the game, but its requirements are high. To advance to stages 2 and 3 you must discard 1 previously concluded alliance, and the last two stages each require discarding 2 alliances.
You may discard only alliances that you concluded (not alliances from your hand).
World Wars increase the number of agents you send to the reserve when advancing in World Media, but they never reduce its requirements.
Advancing in World Media is not a mandatory action in a situation where your other actions are unavailable to you.
Summary of the World Media advantages (summary table printed with the project):
| Card | Effect |
|---|---|
| Immediate advantage | |
| Each stage of the project | Immediately take any one object card of the Control, Science, or Finance group from the infiltration area |
| Final advantage | |
| "Broadcasting I" | One of your power cards gives 1 more influence point at the end of the game |
| "Broadcasting II" | One of your power cards gives 2 more influence points at the end of the game |
| "Broadcasting III" and further | One of your power cards gives 3 more influence points at the end of the game |
Card text of the World Media project (translated): "The project involves using the media to impose the viewpoints you need on the ordinary citizen. Public trust in information that comes through the media allows reforms to be carried out painlessly and elections to be won, with subsequent control under the mask of democracy. Taking part in the project makes it possible to openly attract supporters and resources. The price, however, is breaking contacts with secret organizations."
Report: Prestigious Training (printed example, page 12). Your coordinator is on stage 2 of World Media. The time for scoring has come, and you choose your "Universities" card to use the final advantage of World Media. Now it gives you 3 influence points for each of your Science cards (instead of 1). However, the "Inner Circle" card is attached to "Universities," so the number rises from 3 to 4. The advantage of World Media applies to only 1 power card (not to all of your "Universities"). In this example, your "Universities" card yields 24 influence points.
Trends
Social and political currents, in simpler terms, trends usually arise in one of the leading countries and then spread across the world like an epidemic. Often behind a rising trend stand influential structures that prefer to remain in the shadows. Such currents are strong enough to change habitual patterns of action. They can help or harm your plans. A trend should be anticipated and your plans adjusted, and this must be done neither too late nor too early!
Trend Effects
At any moment only one trend is in effect: the one whose card is on top of the trend deck.
At the end of the alliances phase, move the top trend card to the bottom of the deck (without shuffling). The next trend is then revealed (since all cards in the deck lie face up).
A trend's effect is shown with symbols. The condition is shown to the left of the arrow; each time it is met, you may immediately carry out or receive what is shown to the right of the arrow.
Example. While the "Corruption" trend is in effect, you additionally take 1 secondary object card of the Science or Control group (your choice) from the general supply each time you receive an even-numbered Finance card (2nd, 4th, and so on). It does not matter whether you received a regular Finance card or a secondary object card of the Finance group. If there are no secondary Science or Control objects left in the general supply, nothing happens.
- A trend acts not only in the action and capture phases, but also in the alliances phase.
- In the heat of play it is easy to forget to move the top trend card to the bottom at the end of the alliances phase, so we recommend appointing a player to keep an eye on this.
Action: Capturing a Trend Card
Capturing a trend card is a new action that you may carry out on your turn. You may capture a trend card even when you have a Curator.
You may capture only the active trend, that is, the one whose card is on top of the deck. To capture it, you must send 10 agents from your active pool to the reserve (as shown on the trend card). However, you send 1 agent fewer for each of your cards of the group indicated on the trend card and for each symbol indicated on the trend card.
After capturing a trend card, place it in front of you. From that moment the card is yours. The captured trend stops acting, and the next one, revealed in the deck, comes into effect.
- Shadow agents may NOT be used to capture a trend.
- World Wars do not affect trends.
- Icons on the alliance cards you have concluded count normally when capturing a trend.
- All agents you send to capture a trend go to the reserve immediately (as when advancing in projects).
- If you have 10 or more of the required cards and/or symbols, you may capture a trend without sending agents to the reserve. This still counts as the action.
- A captured trend no longer affects the game; it simply brings you 10 influence points at the end of the game.
- If the players have captured all 6 trend cards, the trends no longer affect the course of the game.
Trend card key (printed on the trend card):
- The name of the trend and the influence points it brings you at the end of the game if you capture it; each trend brings 10 influence points. In other words, you have subdued the forces that stood behind its development.
- The effect of the trend on the game.
- Capturing a trend always requires sending 10 agents to the reserve minus the number of cards and symbols shown at the bottom of the card.
Report: Suppressing Corruption (printed example, page 13). You have 3 Finance cards and 2 Peacekeeper symbols. Capturing the "Corruption" trend requires you to send 5 agents from your active pool to the reserve instead of 10 (10 − 3 − 2 = 5).
Trend Table
Each trend card has an effect and a capture requirement:
| Trend | Effect | Capture (agents to send, minus the listed items) |
|---|---|---|
| "Growth of the Public Sector" | Each time you receive an even Control card, you may take a secondary object card of the Finance or Science group | 10 minus the number of your Control cards and Agitator symbols |
| "Corruption" | Each time you receive an even Finance card, you may take a secondary object card of the Science or Control group | 10 minus the number of your Finance cards and Peacekeeper symbols |
| "Innovations" | Each time you receive an even Science card, you may take a secondary object card of the Finance or Control group | 10 minus the number of your Science cards and Spy symbols |
| "Hard Measures" | Each time you carry out an even special operation, you may immediately conclude one alliance from your hand without counting its requirements | 10 minus the number of your special operation cards and Spy symbols |
| "Nonconformism" | Each time you received an "Inner Circle" card OR attached it to another card, you may recruit from 1 to 3 agents (or take a professional card instead) | 10 minus the number of Peacekeeper symbols and alliances you have concluded |
| "Mass Riots" |
Alliances of the Fourth Estate Module
European Development Fund
Alliance card, cost 3 (ЧВ). Requirements: you must have at least 3 Finance cards, or a "Consultancy" card.
Final effect: at final scoring, each of your "Consultancy" cards gives 2 influence points for each of your trend cards. Attached "Inner Circle" cards do not affect this count.
Similar alliances: USIA, Wellcome Trust.
Wellcome Trust
Alliance card, cost 3 (ЧВ). Requirements: you must have at least 3 Science cards, or an "Intelligence Service" card.
Final effect: at final scoring, each of your "Intelligence Service" cards gives 2 influence points for each of your trend cards.
USIA
Alliance card, cost 3 (ЧВ). Requirements: you must have at least 3 Control cards, or a "Trade Union" card.
Final effect: at final scoring, each of your "Trade Union" cards gives 2 influence points for each of your trend cards.
Note: the card text for Wellcome Trust and USIA is taken from the small card images on page 14 of the printed rulebook; check against the printed card if in doubt.
Reptilians Module
Module contents: the "Reptilians" World Domination project; 18 reptilian cards; 3 alliance cards; 3 "Contactor" cards for the "Professionals" mini-expansion; and 1 trend card, "UFO Hysteria," for the "Fourth Estate" module. Cards marked with the letter P are the alliance cards, the "Contactor" cards, and the "UFO Hysteria" trend.
The Deep State base game is built on real conspiracy theories. The existence of reptilians is one of the best-known and at the same time most disputed theories. Many have heard of aliens from a distant planet, but few take them seriously. With the Reptilians module the game takes a step toward invented reality... though, when you think about it, who can be sure that reptilians are an invention?
Variants. The Reptilians module consists of the eponymous project and the reptilian cards, as well as the alliance cards. Unlike the other modules, these cards and the project may be used only together. The module is compatible with all other modules and expansions. We recommend adding the "Professionals" mini-expansion (in fact we recommend this always, but here it is doubly important). If you want to add the "UFO Hysteria" card, you need the "Trends" mini-expansion.
The Reptilians project replaces the Deep State project of the base game.
Setup (Reptilians)
Step 1. Alliances. You may add the cards "Area 51," "Babylon Brotherhood," and "Project Blue Book" to the alliance deck. All 3 alliances interact with the reptilian cards.
If you are playing without the Reptilians module, remove these alliances from the deck. Apart from their names, you can easily find them by the letter P on the cards.
Step 2. Objects. Take all reptilian cards without marks in the bottom right corner. Depending on the number of players, add to them the reptilian cards marked "3+" for a 3-player game, the cards marked "3+" and "4+" for a 4-player game, or all the cards for a 5-player game. Shuffle these cards into the object deck.
When laying out the infiltration area, each reptilian card is placed under a standard object card, so that the reptilian card is on top. Lay out the infiltration area in the usual way, but turn over one card at a time. Each time a reptilian card comes up, place it in the row as usual, and then place on top of it the first standard object card that comes up. Under one standard object card there can be only one reptilian card.
The illustration on page 16 shows the order in which the object cards were drawn from the deck when laying out the infiltration area in a 3-player game. Note the number 14 on the "Universities" card: before it, 2 more reptilian cards were drawn, but as they were surplus, they were shuffled back into the deck.
If the required number of standard object cards in the infiltration area is almost complete (for example, 7 of 8 cards in a 3-player game), and the last card taken was a reptilian card, and another reptilian card has come from the deck, set that card aside and take the next card. Continue in this way until a standard object card appears. At the end, shuffle the set-aside reptilian card or cards back into the object deck, exactly as the World War cards are shuffled into the deck during setup.
Step 3. World Domination projects. Replace the "Deep State" project of the base game with the "Reptilians" project.
"Professionals" (mini-expansion). Randomly draw 3 professional cards from the professionals deck, place them face up, and return them to the game box. Shuffle all 3 "Contactor" cards into the deck.
Trends ("Fourth Estate" module). If you decide to add the "UFO Hysteria" card to the game, randomly remove 1 trend card face up and return it to the game box. Shuffle the "UFO Hysteria" card into the trend deck.
Reptilians Project
Card text of the Reptilians project (translated): "The ambitions of the 'Committee' to become a secret world government are meaningless, since the lizard-like aliens from the planet Nibiru have never been closer to seizing power on Earth. Over centuries of secret coexistence with people, the reptilians have learned to take on human form, which allows them to replace the heads of states effectively with their own proxies, and all the major influential organizations of the world have long been under their control. Taking part in this project allows you to earn the favour of the reptilians and take a suitable place in the new world that will come as soon as the orbits of Nibiru and Earth draw close again."
Immediate advantage (summary table printed with the project):
| Card | Effect |
|---|---|
| "Seizure of Power I," "Seizure of Power II," and "Seizure of Power III" | Take 2 alliance cards from the top of the deck, then discard 1 alliance card of your choice from your hand |
| "Substitution of Leaders" and "Day of Nibiru" | Take 3 alliance cards from the top of the deck, then discard 1 alliance card of your choice from your hand |
Final advantage: at the end of the game you receive influence points according to the stage your coordinator is on. But to receive them, your cards must show at least as many special interest symbols as shown for that stage.
| Stage (card) | Influence points | Special interest symbols required (at least) | Alliances required to reach this stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Seizure of Power I" | 20 | 13 | — (stage 1) |
| "Seizure of Power II" | 20 | 11 | 2 |
| "Seizure of Power III" | 20 | 9 | 4 |
| "Substitution of Leaders" | 40 | 7 | 6 |
| "Day of Nibiru" | 60 | 7 | 8 |
Example (printed on page 17). If your coordinator is on stage 3 of the Reptilians project at final scoring, you receive 20 influence points if at that moment your cards show at least 9 special interest symbols.
Advancing in the project. Starting from stage 2, you must have concluded the required number of alliances (or more) to advance. For example, moving to stage 3 requires 4 concluded alliances. Alliance cards in your hand are not counted when you determine whether you can advance.
- The requirements of a project (any project, including Reptilians) are checked only at the moment your coordinator moves to the next stage. If you later have fewer alliances than the current stage requires, nothing happens.
- Special interest symbols are not needed to advance in the Reptilians project; they matter only for receiving influence points at the end of the game.
- World Wars increase the number of agents needed to advance in the Reptilians project, but never reduce its requirements, as in many other projects. World War cards do not affect the final scoring.
Reptilian Cards
The ability to take the form of specific people allows the reptilians to replace prominent politicians, security men, and even royalty (caption printed on page 18). The three kinds of reptilian card are: green cards for politicians, red cards for security forces, and purple cards for royalty.
Obtaining reptilian cards. When you capture a standard object card under which a reptilian card lay, you immediately receive both cards. Place the reptilian card separately in your play area. Agents are not placed on a reptilian card; they remain on the standard object card.
Using reptilian cards. At the start of your turn you may either:
- discard 2 identical reptilian cards (2 green politician cards, or 2 red security-force cards, or 2 purple royalty cards), or
- discard 3 different reptilian cards,
in order to conclude any alliance whose card you have in your hand, without fulfilling its requirements.
- You may do this only once per turn. In other words, you cannot discard 4 to 6 reptilian cards to join 2 or 3 alliances at once; that takes two or three turns.
- You may discard reptilian cards and conclude an alliance even when you have a Curator. This is not an action.
- Discarded reptilian cards go to the discard pile, as other object cards do.
- The professional card "Intermediary" allows you to take a reptilian card from the discard pile for 0 agents.
"Professionals" mini-expansion. If you play with the "Professionals" mini-expansion, you must choose one of two things: play a professional card, or discard reptilian cards and conclude an alliance. You may not do both in the same turn.
"Contactor" (professional card). Its phone numbers are registered nowhere. Discard 2, 3, or 4 of your reptilian cards to advance your coordinator to stage 2, 3, or 4 of a project, respectively. The card text (translated): "Advance in any project to stage 2, 3, or 4 from the previous stage by discarding 2, 3, or 4 reptilian cards, respectively."
- Your coordinator cannot skip stages. For example, if you discard 3 reptilian cards, your coordinator may move from stage 2 to stage 3 of a project, but not from stage 1 to stage 3.
- When your coordinator moves to the next stage through the effect of the "Contactor," you do not need to fulfil that stage's requirements (even if a World War card is in play). You do receive all the advantages of the new stage, including immediate ones.
Alliances of the Reptilians Module
Area 51 (alliance card, cost 4, marked P). Requirements: you must have 3 reptilian cards and no Agitator symbols. Immediate effect: move your coordinator from one project to another project in which you have no other coordinator. You may move the coordinator only to the same stage: from stage 1 to stage 1, from stage 2 to stage 2, or from stage 3 to stage 3.
- You do not need to fulfil the requirements of the stage to which you move the coordinator (even if a World War card is in play). You do receive all the advantages of the new stage, including immediate ones.
- You also immediately lose all the advantages that the project from which you took the coordinator gave you. For example, you lose the shadow agents from the Comintern or Nuclear Threat projects.
Babylon Brotherhood and Project "Blue Book" (alliance cards, marked P) are listed in the printed rulebook as similar alliances to Area 51 (the "Similar alliances" box on page 19). Their rules are printed on the small card images on page 19 at a resolution that does not allow a reliable transcription of every requirement icon, so their text is NOT reproduced here. Please check against the printed cards before relying on these two alliances.
Trend Card "UFO Hysteria"
(Fourth Estate module; marked P.)
Effect: each time you receive an even-numbered reptilian card, you may take a professional card and an alliance card.
Capture: 10 agents minus your reptilian cards and minus the total number of projects in which you have coordinators.
Solo Mode and Other Notes (page 19)
The solo mode of the base game Deep State is compatible with all modules and mini-expansions of Global Conspiracy. The solo mode was added in the 2nd edition of Deep State. The rules below describe the changes each module makes to it. Some projects and mini-expansions benefit you more, while others can give the solo opponent, Falcon ("Сокол"), a noticeable advantage. You will need to work this out in play.
With the expansions you can collect more influence points than in the base game. We recommend adding at least 20 points when you assess your effectiveness against the values on the "Influence Game" scale.
Doctrine of Supremacy Projects in Solo Mode
| Symbol | Linked Doctrine of Supremacy project |
|---|---|
| Hammer and sickle | "Nuclear Threat" (replaces "Comintern") |
| Blue star | "World Corporations" (replaces "United Nations") |
| Keyhole | "World Bank" (replaces "Espionage") |
The Doctrine of Supremacy projects replace the corresponding base-game projects for ALL effects applied by Falcon. The project order is applied by the normal rules.
Note: with some projects, Falcon becomes somewhat stronger.
Brute Force Module in Solo Mode (page 20)
Antiterror. Falcon takes part in the Antiterror project through secret operations, but this is optional: you may play as if Falcon ignores Antiterror entirely (and he always ignores it if you did not add secret operations to the game). This project is less advantageous for Falcon than, for example, World Media.
Falcon uses a recruiter token as the coordinator in the Antiterror project instead of an agent token.
Falcon joins the Antiterror project after he carries out the secret operation "Cyberattack," and advances to its subsequent stages when he first carries out "Ecocide" and "Blackout." Thus, taken together, the secret operations allow Falcon to join the Antiterror project and advance in it twice. When he carries out a second "Cyberattack" or a second "Ecocide," Falcon does not advance in Antiterror.
Starting from the high difficulty level, Falcon also advances in Antiterror when he receives an "Inner Circle" card, if his coordinator is already in the project.
- Immediate advantage: the rules are the same as in the normal game. Falcon sends 1 or 2 of his agents from the active pool to the reserve.
- Permanent advantage: the rules are the same, but Falcon adds agents from the reserve only when he lacks agents in the active pool.
Example (printed on page 20). Falcon has 3 agents in his active pool and 5 in the reserve, and he is about to infiltrate "Trade Unions" (minimum 3 agents). Falcon's coordinator is in his hands, so he wants to send 4 agent tokens to "Trade Unions." Falcon sends all 3 agents from his active pool and adds 1 agent from the reserve through Antiterror, so that 4 of his agents end up on the card.
Strategic note (printed on page 20): we do not recommend replacing "World Corporations" with the "United Nations" project in solo mode when the Antiterror project is in play. You may find that you cannot make full use of the advantages of Antiterror, while Falcon will not experience any difficulties.
Secret Operations in Solo Mode (page 20)
Falcon carries out secret operations following the rules below.
- First, Falcon checks whether he can carry out a special operation from the base game. If not, Falcon switches his attention to the secret operations.
- Falcon discards only secondary object cards, beginning with the Control, Finance, and Science cards, and, if he has none of these, continuing with power cards.
- When choosing among secondary object cards of Control, Finance, and Science, Falcon first discards those for which he does not have "Governments," "Stock Exchanges," and "Universities." Other variations of choice are at your discretion.
- Falcon does not carry out a secret operation if he does not have enough secondary object cards to discard.
- Falcon starts with a "Cyberattack," as you do. After that he tries to carry out an "Ecocide"; if that is impossible, another "Cyberattack"; and so on, following the normal rules of secret operations.
- Falcon uses secret agents and recalls agents by the same rules as you (including the advantages of the "United Nations").
Tip (printed on page 21): Falcon plays best against secret operations at maximum difficulty, because he gets many secondary objects. It is also recommended to choose a female alter ego for Falcon.
World Media in Solo Mode (page 21)
Falcon advances in the World Media project by capturing trends. This is optional: you may play as if Falcon ignores World Media entirely (he always ignores it if you did not add trends to the game). Falcon's advancement in World Media greatly increases his chances of winning.
- Falcon uses a recruiter token as his coordinator in World Media instead of an agent token.
- Falcon joins World Media and advances in it each time he captures a trend card. Starting from the high difficulty level, Falcon also advances in World Media when he receives an "Inner Circle" card, if his coordinator is already in the project.
- Immediate advantage: Falcon takes a Control, Finance, or Science card from the infiltration area, following the usual priorities (see "Action: infiltration on an object," page 7 of the base rules). Note that Falcon's priorities change when the reptilians are in the game.
- Permanent advantage: at the end of the game, Falcon chooses 1 of his power cards that gives him the most influence points, taking the World Media project into account.
Trends in Solo Mode (pages 21–22)
Falcon uses the advantages of trends in the same way as you, and he can capture them.
- The effect of a trend is activated for Falcon by the same rules as for you. For example, when he receives an even Control card while the "Corruption" trend is in effect, Falcon benefits from its effect.
- However, the effects of trends on Falcon differ slightly.
- Capturing a trend. Falcon captures trend cards at the same time as he could carry out special operations, and also in the last game round.
- Falcon first tries to carry out a special operation from the base game. If he cannot, he tries a secret operation (if they are in the game). Only if no special operation was carried out does Falcon try to capture a trend card.
Falcon. Effects of trends (printed table, page 22):
- "Growth of the Public Sector," "Corruption," and "Innovations": Falcon chooses a secondary object card as if he were choosing an object for infiltration, left to right by the symbols on the trend card. He first checks whether he has "Governments," "Stock Exchanges," and "Universities."
- "Hard Measures": Falcon takes the top alliance card from the deck and concludes it immediately.
- "Nonconformism": when Falcon receives an "Inner Circle" card, he recruits up to 3 agents (as you do). If he has no agents in the reserve, he instead returns up to 3 agents from his object cards. Falcon never attaches "Inner Circle" cards to other cards during the game.
- "Mass Riots": if Falcon does not have "Governments," "Stock Exchanges," and "Universities," he takes 1 alliance. Otherwise he chooses a secondary object card as if choosing an object for infiltration, left to right by the symbols on the trend card, first checking whether he has "Governments," "Stock Exchanges," and "Universities."
Falcon captures trends only during a World War or after playing the action card "Emissary." Falcon prefers to capture a trend if he can, and switches to special operations only if he cannot.
- In the last round, Falcon's priorities partly change: he tries to capture a trend card before a Control, Finance, or Science card.
- If a World War is in progress, Falcon tries to capture a trend card before he pays attention to special operations, and only at the end switches to Control, Finance, and Science cards. This applies also to the action card "Emissary."
- Falcon captures a trend by the same principle as you, but in his own manner. He first checks whether he has 5 or more of the symbols and cards specified in the trend's requirements. If so, he sends exactly 5 agents from his active pool to the reserve and captures the trend. If he has fewer than 5 agents, he does not capture the trend.
Note (printed on page 22): the "Nonconformism" trend is more advantageous for you, but it is easier for Falcon to capture, because he usually has many alliances concluded.
Reptilians in Solo Mode (page 22)
In solo mode the Reptilians module is a serious test of endurance for you, especially at high and maximum difficulty.
Unlike the Deep State project of the base game, Falcon can advance in the Reptilians project.
- Falcon uses a recruiter token as his coordinator in the Reptilians project instead of an agent token.
- If the game also includes the Antiterror or World Media project, use an agent token of an unused colour as Falcon's coordinator for the Reptilians project.
Note (printed on page 23): combining the Reptilians module with the Brute Force or Fourth Estate module is possible, but following all the rules is not simple. Each module contains its own set of rules for you and a number of changes for Falcon. We do not recommend this combination until you have learned these modules in separate games.
Advancing in the project (Falcon). Each time Falcon takes 2 identical reptilian cards (2 green politician cards, 2 red security-force cards, or 2 purple royalty cards), he joins the Reptilians project or advances in it to the next stage. Turn these cards 90 degrees to show that they were used for advancing (they are not discarded).
Starting from the high difficulty level, Falcon also advances in the Reptilians project when he receives an "Inner Circle" card, if his coordinator is already in the project.
- Immediate advantage: Falcon takes 1 alliance card on stages 1, 2, and 3, and 2 alliance cards on stages 4 and 5. (In this way Falcon gets as many alliances as you would after discarding one of the cards you took.)
- Final advantage: as with you, Falcon receives influence points according to the stage his coordinator has reached in the Reptilians project, if he has enough special interest symbols on his object cards.
Falcon: influence points from reptilian cards (printed table, page 23):
| Reptilian card | Influence points |
|---|---|
| Security man (red) | Each security man gives influence points for each alliance card with an immediate effect: 1 point on medium and high difficulty, 2 points on maximum difficulty. Security men also give points for the alliances "CIA," "KGB," and "Mossad" (with a permanent effect). |
| Politician (green) | Each politician gives influence points for each alliance card with a permanent effect: 1 point on medium and high difficulty, 2 points on maximum difficulty. Politicians do not give points for the alliances "CIA," "KGB," and "Mossad." |
| Royal figure (purple) | Each royal figure gives influence points for each alliance card with a final effect: 1 point on medium and high difficulty, 2 points on maximum difficulty. Royal figures also give points for the alliances "Anarchists," "Jesuits," and "Scientologists" (two-coloured alliances with two types of effect). |
Reptilian Cards in Solo Mode (page 24)
- At setup, shuffle the reptilian cards into the object deck as in a 3-player game: remove the reptilian cards marked "4+" and "5" and return them to the box.
- Object cards under which reptilian cards lie change Falcon's priorities.
- When Falcon chooses between 2 or more support cards (if they are available to him at the same time), he prefers the leftmost support card that has a reptilian card under it. The same applies when he chooses between 2 "Inner Circle" cards or 2 power cards.
- Falcon prefers the leftmost Control, Finance, or Science card that has a reptilian card under it. Only after that, following the normal rules, does he check whether he has "Governments," "Stock Exchanges," or "Universities." If he does not, he chooses the first Control, Science, or Finance card from the left.
- During a World War (and in games with trends, including the last round), Falcon prefers a Control, Finance, or Science card with a reptilian card under it, and only then checks whether he can carry out a special operation (or capture a trend).
- Unlike you, Falcon never discards reptilian cards during the game.
- At the end of the game, reptilian cards give Falcon influence points for the alliances he has concluded (see page 23).
Trend card "UFO Hysteria" (Falcon). Effect: Falcon takes and immediately plays an action card.
Professional card "Contactor" (Falcon). Falcon has no similar action card; he already has enough ways to advance in projects, including the Reptilians project.