Dune: The Dice Game
Dune: The Dice Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Components
- Setup
- The Map
- Objective
- Rounds
- Dice Slots
- Use, Destroy, and Gain Dice
- Roll the Dice Step
- Alliance Step
- Kanly Step
- Turn Order Step
- Recruit Troops and Leaders Step
- Ship Troops Step
- Move Troops Step
- Combat
- Fortify Step
- Sandstorm Step
- End of a Round Step
- Game End
- The Landsraad
- Factions
- Faction Board Overview
Components
Included in the PDF, with mostly minimal assembly needed, are:
- 6 Faction boards
- 1 Map board
- 26 tokens / markers: 6 Fortification / Stronghold, 12 Loyalty, 6 Turn Order, 1 Round, 1 Sandstorm
- 12 cards: 6 Alliance, 1 Sandstorm, 1 Turn Order, 1 Landsraad, 2 Protection, 1 Round Overview
You will need additionally:
- 6 regular six-sided dice per player.
- In matching colours for each of the 3 Factions Bene Gesserit, Spacing Guild, and Harkonnen: 12 Troop cubes and 1 Leader cylinder
- In matching colours for the Atreides Faction: 12 Troop cubes and 2 Leader cylinders
- In matching colours for the Corrino Faction: 16 Troop cubes, and 1 Leader cylinder
- In matching colours for the Fremen Faction: 10 Troop cubes and 1 Leader cylinder
- something to be used as a screen for each player
This game is component-limited. In other words, a player may only conduct an action if the component exists for them to do so.
Setup
- Place the map board on the table.
- Place the two Protection cards in a place accessible to all players. When playing with 4 or 5 players, use only one of the cards and remove the second one from the game.
- Flip the Landsraad card to its A side.
- Starting with a random player and going clockwise, every player chooses a Faction and takes the appropriate Faction board, Alliance card and all cubes and cylinders of the same colour, placing the latter next to their Faction board, in their personal supply. The Bene Gesserit Faction may only be chosen in games with 5 or more players.
- In Faction Setup order, marked under Setup on each Faction board, place the Turn Order markers of all Factions taking part underneath the Turn Order track printed onto the board.
- Remove all Loyalty tokens of non-player Factions from the game and shuffle the rest face-down as the common supply.
- In Faction Setup order, each player now performs their setup as explained on their Faction board. Also refer to "Factions" at the end of this rule book.
- If the Bene Gesserit does not take part in the game, deal one face-down Loyalty token from the supply to each player.
- If the Spacing Guild does not take part in the game, place the Sandstorm marker on Region Jacurutu.
- Give all unclaimed cards (depending on which Factions take part these may be the Landsraad card, a Protection card, the Turn Order card, and the Sandstorm card) to the player last in Turn Order.
- Place the Round Marker on the "1" on the Round Track.
- Give each player 3 dice. Place 3 dice per player into the common supply.
The Map
The map is divided into 12 Regions, as shown in the simplified illustration above.
The Polar Sink, in the middle, is a neutral Region: No combat is allowed here, no player ever controls it, no Fortifications may be placed here.
There are five strategic Regions on the map, highlighted above. They are named Carthag, Sietch Tabr, Habbanaya Sietch, Tuek's Sietch, and Jacurutu. Controlling most of them is the object of the game.
All other Regions are non-strategic Regions and do not affect directly who wins.
There are three city Regions, Carthag, Arrakeen, and Sietch Tabr, marked with a circle. All nine other Regions count as desert Regions. This distinction is only of importance for the Fremen Shai-Hulud ability.
Troops are placed in Regions and moved between adjacent Regions. Two Regions count as adjacent if they share a border.
The Sandstorm marker moves between Regions, and shows which Region is currently affected by the Sandstorm. It never enters the Polar Sink or the two outer Regions Broken Land and Outer Plain.
Objective
The object is to be in sole control of three of the five strategic Regions (Sietch Tabr, Carthag, Tuek's Sietch, Jacurutu, and Habbanya Sietch) at the end of a round, or, for a 2-player alliance, to be in combined control of four of these Regions.
Rounds
The game is played over up to 6 rounds, and each round consists of the following steps; In the first step of each round, all players simultaneously lay the foundations to what and how they will be able to accomplish during the rest of this round. In the remaining steps, these plans are resolved, crossed, and brought to fruition.
Unless noted otherwise, the players take each step in Turn Order. Turn Order is set by the player holding the Turn Order card. The Turn Order step and the Sandstorm step are only taken by the player holding the matching card.
- Roll the Dice
- Alliances
- Kanly
- Set Turn Order
- Recruit
- Ship
- Move
- Combat
- Fortify
- Sandstorm
- End of round
Dice Slots
The dice-sized squares on your Faction board are called dice slots. You may place one die on each slot.
On a slot showing one or more numbers, you may only place a die showing one of these numbers. On a slot with a question mark, you may place a die showing any number. Some slots are grouped into two or three slots; you do not have to place dice on these in any particular order.
On a slot showing a Faction symbol, you may place one die, showing any number. You may not place any dice onto slots belonging to Factions not taking part in your game. Dice on Faction slots are used to Ally with or to direct Kanly attacks against the corresponding Faction.
Re-Assign Slots
You may take the die in this slot at any time during one of your turns, flip it to show the number of your choice, and place it onto an allowed empty slot of your choice on your Faction board. You may use this die in the corresponding step of the current round as if you placed it there during the Roll the Dice step.
Bonus-Die Slots
Whenever a die is removed from a slot marked with this symbol, for whichever reason, gain 1 die.
Use, Destroy, and Gain Dice
Any time you "use" a die (usually for an action or ability), remove it from the slot you placed it on and place it next to your Faction board, in your "personal supply", to mark it as used.
Sometimes, you are instructed to "destroy" a die: take a die from a slot on your Faction board or your personal supply and place it into the common supply. If you are instructed to "gain a die", take one from the common supply and place it into your personal supply.
Roll the Dice Step
This step is taken by all players simultaneously.
If, at the beginning of a round, you have less than 3 dice in total, gain dice until you have three. If you have more than 6 dice, destroy the excess.
All players put up their screens (or hands or arms or whatever you chose to use), pick up all dice from their personal supply, and roll them in secrecy. There are no re-rolls allowed, what you roll is what you get. Obviously, you may not change die faces.
Then, still behind their screens, all players place the dice they have rolled onto slots on their Faction board.
During this whole step, you are encouraged to actively seek out possible allies. You will most probably not have rolled the things you want to do most, and being in an alliance can help you there. Note, however, that these rules do not bind any player to any of their promises...
Once all players are done, take down your screens and reveal to the other players where you have placed your dice. Then, proceed to the next step.
Alliance Step
In Turn Order, players may propose Alliances to other players. An Alliance lasts for the rest of the round. It allows you to have Troops in the same Region as your Ally without triggering Combat, gives you an Alliance ability, and has various other effects.
If you and an other player each have placed a die onto the other's Faction slot on your Faction boards, no matter which number those dice show, you may propose an Alliance to this player, if they are not yet in an other Alliance this round. You may negotiate any conditions. Note again, however, that these rules do not bind any player to any of their promises.
You may decline an Alliance proposed to you, and propose that same Alliance again when it is your turn, assuming neither you nor the other player entered a different Alliance in between.
If you and another player agree to enter an Alliance, first exchange your Alliance cards. This card marks your Alliance and grants an additional ability, see below.
Next, take the die you have placed onto each other's Alliance slot and re-assign it: flip it to show the number of your choice, and place it on any allowed empty slot of your choice on your Faction board.
Each round, you may only be allied with one single other player. When the round ends, the Alliance ends as well, though you may try to refresh the Alliance in the following round.
If, at the end of this step, you have dice left on Faction slots, these dice will be used as target dice in the next step, Kanly.
Alliance Abilities
If you enter an Alliance, you and your ally will exchange Alliance cards. For the rest of this round, you may use each other's special alliance ability, noted on this card. You may still also use your own alliance ability yourself, as noted on your Faction board. At the end of the round, return the Alliance card, ending the Alliance.
Kanly Step
In Turn Order, each player takes their Kanly step. During your Kanly step, you may resolve any dice remaining on Faction slots on your Faction board, in any order you prefer. Each of these actions is optional, you may also leave dice on Faction slots.
Each die on a Faction slots is "targeted" at that Faction. It allows to attack that Faction with the action set by the number shown on the die. The chart in the Kanly area on your Faction board lists which number denotes which action. Actions listed with a question mark may be used with any number.
A few actions allow you to "steal" cards from other players. You may only do that if the targeted player has the card you want to steal at the point of time you use this action. Simply take the card and place it in front of you. Cards may be stolen multiple times (by different players) in the same round.
Every player has access to the Plot and Assassinate action, and to actions allowing to steal various cards. Your Faction board may allow other, Faction-specific Kanly actions. Consult the Faction Appendix for further details.
Plot
Steal a Protection card from the targeted player. You may hold both Protection cards. Protection cards represent access to shields, intel, and official appeals under the Great Convention. They protect your Troops from Assassination attempts and your non-Protection cards from being stolen.
Assassinate
Remove one of the targeted player's Troops of your choice from anywhere on the board and return it to the owner's supply. You may not remove Troops from the Region with the Sandstorm. You may not remove a Troop belonging to a player currently holding a Protection card. You may not remove a Leader.
Steal Cards
You may not steal the Sandstorm, Turn Order, or Landsraad card from a player currently holding a Protection card.
Steal the Sandstorm card from the player currently holding it. Later in the round, during the step "Sandstorm", the Sandstorm card will allow you to decide where the Sandstorm moves.
Steal the Turn Order card from the player currently holding it. In the next step of the round, the Turn Order card will allow you to decide Turn Order.
Steal the Landsraad card from the player currently holding it. If you hold this card at the end of round 6 and no other player has won, you win.
Turn Order Step
The player holding the Turn Order card decides on the new Turn Order by placing the Turn Order tokens in the order of their choice on the Turn Order track. Until next round's Turn Order step, this Turn Order will remain unchanged.
Recruit Troops and Leaders Step
In Turn Order, each player takes their Recruit step. You may take this step simultaneously, if no player objects.
During your Recruit step, you recruit new Troops and Leaders from your supply to your Faction board. The number of Troops you may recruit is noted on your Faction board. There is a base number of Troops you may recruit each round, regardless of dice you placed on Recruit slots. Each die you placed on a Recruit slot allows you to recruit a number of additional Troops as noted on that slot. Take the resulting total number of your Troops from your personal supply or the map and place them onto your Faction board.
Instead of a Troop, you may recruit a Leader. Take one Leader from your supply and place it on your Faction board. Leaders are never placed on the map and remain on your Faction board until used in combat. Leaders may not be targeted with Assassinate.
Ship Troops Step
In Turn Order, each player takes their Ship step. During your Ship step, you ship your Troops to the surface of the planet. You may ship two Troops each Round, regardless of if you placed a die on a Ship slot. If you placed a die on a Ship slot, you may ship two or three additional Troops as noted on your Faction board.
Take each Troop you ship from your Faction board and place it in the Polar Sink Region or any Region you control. If you have at least a single Troop present in any given Region, you control that Region. Each Troop is shipped separately and may be shipped to any viable Region. You may not ship to the Region currently affected by the Sandstorm.
If your Ally consents, you may also ship Troops to Regions you do not control, but they do.
Any Troops you have on your Faction Mat at the end of this step remain there until next round's Ship Troops step.
Move Troops Step
In Turn Order, each player takes their Move step. During your Move step, you move your Troops on the planet, either once or twice. You may always take one move, regardless of if you placed a die in the Move slot. If you placed a die in the Move slot, you may take a second move after completely finishing your first move.
For each move, pick one of the 12 Regions on the map. This is your target Region for this move. You may move any number of your Troops from adjacent Regions into your target Region at no cost. Two Regions count as adjacent if they share a border. In your second move, you may move Troops you already moved in your first move in the same turn.
Troops in the Region currently affected by the Sandstorm may not move at all, and you may not move Troops into the Region affected by the Sandstorm.
Combat
In Turn Order, each player takes their Combat step. During your Combat step, if you have Troops in Regions together with Troops from other Factions not allied to you, combat occurs in all of these Regions, in any order you decide. You count as the attacker.
There is never combat in the Polar Sink Region. This is a safe zone and multiple Factions may have Troops here. There is never combat in the Region currently affected by the Sandstorm.
In each combat, first Fortifications allow to remove Troops, then all players present in the contested Region secretly decide how many of their Troops to send to Combat. Next, Combat dice are rolled and kill Troops, then Traitors may change sides. Finally, whoever has most Troops left in the Combat wins, and all fighting and losing Troops are removed.
Fortifications & Strongholds
If the contested Region contains a Fortification, the player controlling the Fortification may first remove a single Troop from the Region. If the contested Region contains a Stronghold, the player controlling it may first remove two Troops from the Region. You may remove Troops belonging to your Ally. You may not remove Leaders. Removed Troops are returned to their owner's supply.
Send Troops & Leaders to Combat
Take all Troops belonging to your Faction from the contested Region and hide them under the table. If you have a Leader on your Faction board, also take and hide it.
If you have an Ally and they have a Leader on their Faction board, they take and hide it. If they also have Troops in the contested Region, they take and hide them. All other players with Troops present in the contested Region count as defenders. They take and hide their Troops and Leaders in the same way. Players that are allied to defenders but do not have own Troops present in the contested Region still hide their Leaders.
A Troop controlling a Fortification or Stronghold will automatically participate in the combat and is left on the Fortification or Stronghold for now. It counts as "in the combat" for all purposes.
All players participating in this combat now secretly decide how many of their hidden Troops and Leaders they will send into combat. Take those Troops and Leaders into your closed fist and hold them in front of you to show that you are ready. Keep remaining Troops and Leaders hidden under the table. Once all players are ready, open your hands to reveal what you sent into combat.
Combat Dice
Now, at the same time, all players that sent any Troops or Leaders into this combat roll all dice they placed on Combat dice slots on their Faction boards. Check the Combat dice chart on your Faction board to find out what each result means. "Kill 1" results allow you to remove any 1 Troop sent to combat, "Kill 2" results allow you to remove any 2 Troops (also from different Factions) sent to combat. Resolve Combat dice simultaneously. Place all Combat dice that did kill any Troops into your personal supply, and return the remaining ones to their slots on the Faction board, you may use them again for other Combats in the same round.
Traitors!!
In Turn Order, each player may now reveal one or more of their Loyalty tokens, if they show the Faction symbol of a Troop fighting for an opponent. Convert the targeted Troop. You may defend against each such attack by revealing a Loyalty token showing your own Faction symbol. In that case, the Troop does not turn traitor and is not converted. Loyalty tokens may target any opponent's Troops. All revealed Loyalty tokens are immediately shuffled back into the face-down supply.
To convert a Troop, discard it to its owner's supply and replace it with a Troop from your own supply. If there are no Troops left in your supply, the targeted Troop is killed instead.
You may convert Troops that already changed sides. You may not convert Leaders. You may not convert Troops not sent into combat. You may convert a Troop in a Fortification or Stronghold.
Combat Result
Now count the Troops fighting for each side, attacker and defender. Leaders counts as multiple Troops, your Faction board tells you as how many ("strength" of the Leader). The side with more Troops wins. In case of a tie, the defender side wins.
All Troops and Leaders sent into combat are discarded to their owner's supplies. All Leaders not sent into combat are returned to their owner's Faction boards. All Troops of the losing side not sent into combat are discarded to the supply as well. All remaining Troops of the winning side are returned to the Region. If none such Troops exist, the Region remains empty. Note that in case the defenders win, the Troops remaining in the Region are not necessarily Allies or even on good terms.
A winning Troop in a Fortification or Stronghold is not discarded, but remains on the token, even though it counted as "in Combat".
Fortifications & Strongholds (Ownership)
There may only be a single Fortification or Stronghold token in each Region. It is always in the control of a single player present in the same Region. To mark ownership, one of this player's Troops in this Region is placed onto the Fortification or Stronghold token.
If, at any point of time, Troops share a Region with an uncontrolled Fortification, the first player in Turn Order with Troops in this Region takes control of the Fortification. This may happen for example after combat, and during movement.
During your turn, you may voluntarily remove your Troops from the token. During your turn, you may transfer ownership of such token to a consenting other player with Troops present in the same Region, by switching your controlling Troop for one of that player.
Controlling a Fortification helps in combat (see above) and protects from the Sandstorm (see further below). Fortifications and Strongholds enter play with the Fortify action, below. Fortifications may never be placed in the Polar Sink Region.
Fortify Step
In Turn Order, each player takes their Fortify step.
During your Fortify step, you may fortify Regions you currently control. You control a Region if you have at least a single Troop present there. You can not control the Polar Sink Region.
The number of Regions you may fortify is noted on your Faction board and depends on if you placed a die on your Fortify slot. Most Factions may not fortify any Regions unless they placed a die on their Fortify slot.
To fortify a Region without Stronghold or Fortification, place a Fortification token from the supply in the Region, and place one of your Troops from that Region on it. To fortify a Region with a Fortification, flip the Fortification to its Stronghold side. If there is already a Stronghold, you may not fortify that Region further.
You may only fortify Regions that you control. You may only flip a Fortification to its Stronghold side if you control that Fortification, or if your Ally does and consents. If you flip a Fortification to its Stronghold side, the same Troop as before remains controlling it. If the supply is empty, you may not place further Fortification tokens.
Sandstorm Step
If you have the Sandstorm control card, you now must move the Sandstorm. Move the Sandstorm marker into one adjacent Region.
You may never move the Sandstorm into one of the two outer Regions (Broken Land and Outer Plain) or the neutral Region Polar Sink.
Example: The Sandstorm token currently rests in Carthag. You may either move it to Sietch Tabr, Arrakeen, Minor Erg, or Great Flat. You may not move it to Polar Sink, or any non-adjacent Region.
The Sandstorm kills 2 Troops of each Faction present the Region it moves to. Return the killed Troops to their owner's supplies.
All Troops of a Faction controlling a Fortification or Stronghold token in the affected Region are protected from the Sandstorm. None of them die. The player controlling the token may allow allied Troops to take advantage of their Fortification's or Stronghold's protective ability.
The Region affected by the Sandstorm is effectively in total stasis until the Sandstorm leaves again. Troops cannot Ship to, Move to, Move out etc. in a Region affected by the Sandstorm. Troops in that Region may not be targeted with Assassins. No Combat happens in that Region. However, players with Troops present in this Region still control it for purposes of winning the game, see below.
End of a Round Step
First, check for Game End, below.
Then return all Alliance cards to their owners.
Move all dice remaining on your Faction board to your personal supply. Remember to gain a die if you remove a die from a bonus die slot. In this step, you move any dice at all, draw a single Loyalty token from the supply. If multiple players may do so, draw tokens in Turn Order. If no tokens are left when it is your turn, you do not get to draw one.
If you now have more than a single Loyalty token, look at them, decide which one to keep, and shuffle the rest back into the face down supply. Note that this is the only time you check the number of Loyalty tokens in your possession and discard down to one.
Advance the round marker to the next number and start a new round.
Game End
If, at the end of a round, a player is in sole control of at least three of the five strategic Regions, that player immediately wins.
If, at the end of a round, an Alliance of two players has combined control of at least four of the five strategic Regions, both allied players win together. It is not necessary for the Alliance to share control of any of these Regions. None of the two may share any strategic Region with a third player. If a solo victory is possible, no allied victory may be declared.
A player that has at least a single Troop present in any given Region controls that Region. A player has sole control of a Region if no other player has control of the same Region.
If no player has won at the end of round 6, the player holding the Landsraad card at that point of time wins.
In the case of a solo victory: If the Bene Gesserit picked the winning Faction during Setup, they win together with that player, similar to an allied victory. This may affect the Landsraad victory, as described above. Note that while this victory is shared, the evil witches probably win a bit more in some underhand way. Who is to tell.
The Landsraad
This card represents the support you are trying to secure in the Landsraad. The High Council will intervene in case the struggle for Dune threatens to become a risk to the uninterrupted Spice supply to the rest of the galaxy.
Holding that card by the end of round 6 wins you the game, in case no other player wins by military means.
If you hold this card, you may place a die on its dice slot during the Roll the Dice step, to make stealing it less attractive. This die is returned to your supply at the end of the round or in case another player steals the card.
To steal this card from another player, you must additionally destroy a die from your Faction mat if the player holding the card has placed a die on the dice slot on the card. Starting with round 4, you must additionally destroy a (possibly second) die from your Faction mat irrespective of if the player has placed a die on the dice slot. If you can not or do not want to destroy the necessary dice from your Faction mat, you may not steal this card.
Honour — After the Alliance step, draw 1 Loyalty token. Do this at the end of the Alliance step, before the Kanly step. In case of an Alliance, the Atreides player draws first.
Loyal — You may keep two Loyalty tokens. During the End of the Round step, discard down to two Loyalty tokens instead of one.
Factions
Each Faction has a set of abilities which supersede any rules mentioned above.
Alliance Abilities
Each Faction has one Alliance ability (marked with the "Alliance ability" symbol below, on the Faction boards, and on the Alliance cards) that may be used by themselves, as all other abilities, but also by their current Ally. Remember that each Alliance ends at the end of the round.
Setup occurs in the order the Factions are listed on the next pages. Setup instructions will tell you where to place Troops and Leaders, and which tokens or cards to take. Place all remaining Troops and Leaders into your personal supply.
Atreides
Setup: Both Leaders on your Faction board, 2 Troops on 1 non-strategic Region of your choice.
Leader: Leto & Duncan, strength 3 (+2)
Notes: You can never have the Turn Order card and set Turn Order. There is only one Atreides Loyalty token instead of two. You may only gain a single bonus die each round for removing your right combat die from its slot. If you remove it from its slot to roll it, do not kill Troops with it, and return it to the slot afterwards, this does not count as "removing it" for the purpose of gaining a bonus die.
Duncan Idaho — In combat, you may use one or both your Leaders. If you use one, it has a strength of 3. If you use both at the same time, they have a combined strength of 5. Only discard Leader tokens you used in a combat. You may recruit a second Leader token.
Harkonnen
Setup: 2 Troops and 1 Fortification token on 1 empty non-strategic Region of your choice. Remember that Fortification tokens may not be placed in the Polar Sink Region.
Leader: Baron Vladimir, strength 4
Note: You can never have the Sandstorm card and move the Sandstorm.
Target Ability - Piter De Vries: Convert one Troop of the targeted player anywhere on the map. You may not target any Troop under the Sandstorm. You may target a Troop belonging to a player holding a Protection card.
Spies — You always lose 1 Troop less to Fortifications and Strongholds. If a player targets you with their Stronghold twice in the same Combat, you lose a single Troop. You never lose Troops to Fortifications.
Fremen
Setup: Leader on your Faction board, distribute 2 Troops on empty non-strategic Regions, take all Protection cards. You may place both Troops in the same Region. You start the game holding both Protection cards (only one in a four- or five player game).
Leader: Liet Kynes, strength 3
Note: You can never have the Landsraad card or win by holding it. The Landsraad just does not care about you.
It is very easy for you to claim the Sandstorm card. This represents how your long experience results in an almost intuitive knowledge for where it will move next rather than an increased control over a meteorological phenomenon.
Desert Warriors — Your Troops have a strength of 2 and are not killed by the Storm.
In combat, your Troops have the same strength as 2 regular Troops. They count as regular Troops for all other purposes. For example, converting a Fremen Troop to a Harkonnen Troop would mean you remove 1 Fremen Troop cube and replace it with 1 Harkonnen Troop cube, and vice versa. Killing 2 Fremen Troops would remove 2 Fremen Troop cubes (with a total strength of 4).
If the Sandstorm enters a Region where you have Troops present, this does never kill any of your Troops. All other rules regarding the Sandstorm remain unaffected.
Shai-Hulud — At the start of a combat in a desert Region, remove 1 Troop from this combat. All Regions except the three city Regions Carthag, Arrakeen, and Sietch Tabr (all three marked with a circle) count as desert Regions.
This happens immediately after Fortifications take effect. You may remove Ally's Troops. This is not the same as Assassinate, and Protection cards do not protect against it. You or your Ally must have Troops present in the contested Region to use this ability.
In a combat where you and your Ally both have Troops present, only you may use this ability.
Corrino
Setup: 3 Troops on your Faction board. Take the Landsraad card.
Leader: Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, strength 2
Notes: You can never have the Sandstorm card and move the Sandstorm. You have no Bonus die slot, but instead gain one die per round through your Reserves of the CHOAM ability. You have the most deadly Combat dice, representing your well trained Sardaukar Troops.
Target Ability - Imperial Decree: Move 1 unused die from any slot on the targeted player's Faction board to any different available and allowed slot on their Faction board.
Needed Elsewhere: At the start of each round, discard your Leader to your supply. You may regularly recruit it later in that round, but if you do not use it, you will have to discard it at the start of next round.
Reserves of the CHOAM — At the end of the Alliance step, gain 1 die from the common supply, roll it and assign it to any allowed and available slot on your Faction board. When you use this die, return it to your personal supply as usual, not back to the common supply.
Spacing Guild
Setup: Leader and 3 Troops on your Faction board. Take the Sandstorm card and place the Sandstorm marker in an empty Region. Remember that the Sandstorm never enters the Polar Sink or the two outer Regions Broken Land and Outer Plain.
Leader: Edric, strength 2
Notes: You can never have the Turn Order card and set Turn Order. There are three instead of two Spacing Guild Loyalty tokens.
It is very easy for you to claim the Landsraad card. This represents the considerable weight your invaluable services to the Imperium bear in political debates among the Houses.
Target Ability - Shipping Authority: If the targeted player placed a die on their shipping slot, you may destroy that die.
Evacuate — You may place any Troops that are killed in Combat on their owner's Faction Mat. This includes any Troops that are removed to any player's personal supply during the whole Combat step, not just during your own turn. You may not evacuate Troops that die outside of Combat (Kanly, etc.). You may evacuate your own as well as other player's Troops.
Bene Gesserit
Setup: Leader on your Faction board, 3 Troops on Polar Sink. Take the Turn Order card. Set up Loyalty tokens, see below, "Culminating Plans".
Leader: Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, strength 3
Notes: You can never have the Landsraad card or win by holding it. Politicking in the open is just not your way.
It is very easy for you to claim the Turn Order card. This represents your general influence on key figures in all other Factions, either directly through truthsayers, concubines, and acolytes, or by more subtle long-term strategems.
Target Ability - The Voice: Use this target ability at the start of the Alliance step, before any regular Alliances are formed, but after all players have revealed their Faction boards. You may force an Alliance with any one targeted player. Simply announce that you are in an Alliance with any them your Alliance card. They have to give you their Alliance card. Put the die you used for The Voice into your supply. If the targeted player has locked any die into your Faction slot, they now have to put it into their supply as well.
You may of course also enter regular Alliances following the regular Alliance rules. Note however, that once you have declined to use your ability, and the first player begins their regular turn in the Alliance step, you may not decide to use it all the same, in case your potential Ally later decides against an Alliance with you.
All other limitations ruling Alliances and Ally's consent stay in effect.
Imprinting — You may destroy 1 of the unused die on your Faction board to convert any 1 Troop on the map board. You may use this ability during any of your turns in any step, except the Combat step.
Culminating plans — During Setup, pick a Faction which to win together with.
Before the game, during your setup, first secretly pick a Faction using the Loyalty tokens. Look at all Loyalty tokens from the common supply, secretly pick one and place it face down next to your Faction board.
This Loyalty token is effectively removed from the game; It stays next to your Faction board until revealed at game end and may not be used in any other way. You look at it. You may not pick a Faction that is not in play. If you picked the Faction winning through the Landsraad card, you still share the victory. If an Alliance of two other Factions shares the victory, you never share the victory even if you picked one of those two Factions.
Second, distribute starting Loyalty tokens: Shuffle the remaining Loyalty tokens face down. Draw one for each player. Look at all tokens you have drawn and give one face down to each player including yourself. Shuffle the now remaining tokens face down as the common supply.
Faction Board Overview
Keep your Sandstorm, Landsraad, Turn Order and Protection cards in this area, visible for all players.
The header of your Faction board shows your crest and colour, and the strength of your Leader. Store your recruited but unshipped Troops on it.
Place dice on the Ally slots to Ally with or target a player.
The Kanly area lists the effects of the numbers showing on target dice during the Kanly step.
Place dice on the Recruit, Ship, and Move slots to increase the number of Troops you may Recruit, Ship, and Move.
When you remove a die from a spot with the bonus-die symbol, immediately gain a die.
You may place a die showing any number on a slot with a question mark.
You may move the die from a re-assign slot onto any other slot, turning it to show that slot's number.
Dice on the Combat slots are rolled during Combat, and Kill opposing Troops on the results listed.
The Setup area shows your Setup order number and Setup information. Your Alliance ability is also noted on your Faction board.