Exploration Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• General Setup
• Player Setup
• Spaceship Fleet Selection
  • Abilities
  • Attributes
• Gameplay Overview
  • Preparation phase
  • Flight phase
  • End of the game
• Detailed Rules
  • General Concepts
  • Preparation Phase
    • Playing Actions From Technology Deck
    • Playing Development Card
    • Deploying the Spaceship
    • Building Modules
    • Select the Spaceship You Will Control in Flight Phase
    • Using Maneuver Cards
  • Flight Phase
    • Velocity Move
    • Interactions
• All Spaceships Movement
• End Game Scoring
  • Area Control
  • Token Conversion
• Other Rules
  • Missions
  • Flight Direction on Cross Spaces
• Lagrangian Point L1
• Spaceship Station
• Icons Description
  • Maneuver Cards
  • Development Cards
• Hazard Cards
• Primary Missions
• Secondary Missions

Components

• Main board (double sided for 8 and 13 turns game)
• Maneuver dice (1 dice)
• Spaceport boards (5 factions)
• Exploration hexes (9 hexes)
• Spaceship cards (40 cards)
• Hazard cards (16 cards)
• Development cards (18 cards)
• Maneuver cards (11 cards)
• Primary mission cards (14 cards)
• Secondary mission cards (28 cards)
• Spaceship miniatures (40 miniatures, 10 types)
• Plastic cubes (60 cubes in 5 colors)
• Flight stands (20 stands in 5 colors)
• Tokens

General Setup

1. Main board. One side of the board is for 8 turns and another for 13. Choose the length of the game you prefer, then place the Main board in the center of the play area.
2. Outer Space. Keep free space, as the map will expand in these directions.
3. Primary and Secondary Mission cards. Shuffle the primary and secondary mission cards into two decks and place them next to the main board.
4. Maneuver cards. Shuffle the maneuver cards. Choose 5 cards and place them face-up next to the board to form the maneuver cards row. Return the remaining cards to the box, as they will not be used in this game.
5. Outer Space tiles. Shuffle the outer space tiles into a pile and place them face down next to the main board.
6. Hazard cards. Shuffle the hazard cards into a deck and place it next to the main board.
7. Development cards. Shuffle the development cards into a deck and place it next to the main board.
8. Turn counter. Place a blank black token on the hourglass icon to track the turn number.
9. Supply. Place all Resources, module tokens, maneuver dice, near the main board in place accessible to all players.

After you have finished the general setup, go to the players setup.

Player Setup

A. Spaceport selection. Each player selects a spaceport.

B. Tokens. Each player takes:

1. All plastic cubes in their spaceship board color.
2. 4 flight stands in their spaceship color.

C. Command point track. Place 1 color cube on the command icon in the command track on spaceport.

D. Starting bonuses. Each player gains their starting bonuses as defined by the Spaceport board.

• Kourou: Gain 10 credits and randomly draw 1 primary mission card.
• Baikonur: Gain 10 credits and 2 command points.
• Cape Canaveral: Gain 12 credits and randomly draw 1 development card.
• Wostochny: Gain 12 credits and 1 module of your choice. Place the selected token on the spaceship board. Use it to build the spaceship.
• Xichang: Gain 12 credits and randomly draw 1 development card.

E. Missions. Draw 2 primary and 3 secondary mission cards. Keep your hand of mission cards private throughout the game.

F. Domination point counter. Place color cubes on "0" on the domination point counter.

Spaceship Fleet Selection

Spaceships. Shuffle all cards and divide them on 4 equal decks (10 cards per deck). Give the first deck to the First player, who selects 1 spaceship board, take it and pass remaining cards to another player. After all players select 1 card, discard remaining cards. Repeat the procedure using the second deck, but this time start from the last player. After spaceship selection, all players should have 4 spaceship boards.

Important: Each player can choose only one type of spaceship!

Abilities

Each ship type has a unique Ability that overrides general rules.

• Shield. You can choose to lose energy instead of resistance.
• Laser beam. +1 Resistance Damage to each attack.
• Money maker. After launch into space, gain 2 Credits per round at the beginning of the preparation phase.
• Bomber. Once per round discard one selected module from the spaceship on adjacent space.
• Transporter. More cargo slots compared to other spaceship types.
• Conqueror. Drop a module to a domination space controlled by another player and take control of it instead.
• Super maneuver. Higher maneuverability attribute compared to other spaceship types.
• Recover. Restores 1 resistance to a friendly spaceship within range. Spaceship range rules are described in the attack section.
• Destroyer. Once per round deal 2 damage to the spaceship on adjacent space.
• Ultra-fast. No Launch Penalty. After moving to orbiting space, you can control this spaceship according to the rules for selected spaceships.

Attributes

Attributes are parameters of a ship, corresponding to its performance in space.

• Resistance represents a spaceship's health. When a spaceship takes damage, remove the token from the card. If a spaceship receives damage and has no more resistance tokens, the spaceship and all its modules are destroyed. Discard the spaceship miniature from the map and modules from the spaceship card.
• Energy. To track the current energy state of the spaceship, move the token left (increase energy) or right (decrease energy). When a spaceship loses all energy, you cannot control it until the energy is recovered.
• Maneuverability represents the success rate for domination module drops (page 10) and passing by objects (page 10).
• Velocity represents the maximum number of spaces the spaceship can move in one turn.
• Cargo slots determine the maximum number of modules that a spaceship can carry (adding modules is described on page 9).

Gameplay Overview

In Exploration, each player takes control of the spaceport and attempts to dominate near Earth space by developing technology, exploring and claiming territories, producing resources, completing missions, and deploying spaceship fleets.

Preparation phase

During each round, players take turns in the following order:

1. Xichang

2. Wostochny

3. Baikonur

4. Kourou

5. Cape Canaveral

6. Play action from technology deck. Select 1 action from the action deck on the spaceport board, placing the plastic cube on the corresponding slot.

7. Select the spaceship you will control in the flight phase. Every turn you can select 1 spaceship you will control. Additionally you can spend 1 command to control 1 more spaceship. Mark selected the spaceship by placing a plastic cube on the selected card.

Optionally, you can play supportive actions to boost your turn performance.

• Play development card. Play 1 development card from your player area.
• Deploy the spaceship. Place the miniature on the launch pad icon on the map. Then add the modules to your spaceship board.
• Use a maneuver card. Apply the maneuver card effect to the selected spaceship.

After all players end the preparation phase proceed to the Flight phase.

Flight phase

Selected spaceships. Define the order of flight. First are the spaceships with the highest velocity. If two or more players have a spaceship with the same velocity, then the spaceship with highest maneuverability goes first. During each turn you can do the following actions, each of them cost 1 energy and you can freely mix or/and repeat them within a round. The only limitation is the spaceship's energy.

• Velocity move – Move selected spaceship by any number of spaces from 1 to the actual value of velocity attribute. Resolve related interactions.
• Direction change – Place the direction token on the spaceship board to mark that spaceship will fly in the opposite direction to your spaceport.
• Attack – Can be performed only, if your spaceship has a turret module.
• Module Drop

All spaceships in space. All spaceships on the map move by 1 space, without losing energy.

All spaceships on the launch pad. Simultaneously move the miniatures to orbiting space.

After all spaceships end their turns, proceed to the next round starting again from the Preparation phase.

End of the game

The game ends when the last round is over. The winner is the player who collected the most Domination points.

Detailed Rules

General Concepts

• Gain – take items from general resources and keep it in your player area.
• Recover – increase the value sliding the item on the corresponding track.
• Add – place item on the card and remove it after 1 full round of game.
• Build – place the token on the card.
• Drop – remove the item from the card, and place it on the map.

Preparation Phase

Playing Actions From Technology Deck

Technology deck contains the actions available for players in Preparation Phase. Actions are divided in levels indicated by Lv-1, Lv-2, Lv-3. Playing the action from the proper Lv, unlocks the possibility to meet the requirement for deploying corresponding spaceship or play development card. You can play 1 action per round, placing the plastic cube on the corresponding slot.

Technology Lv-1 actions

• +6 Credits: Gain 6 Credits.
• +1 Command point: Gain 1 Command point.

Technology Lv-2 actions

• +1 Energy: Recover 1 Energy to each spaceship, you will control in the next flight phase.
• +1 Maneuverability: Add 1 Maneuverability to each spaceship, which you will control in the next flight phase. Place maneuverability token next to the spaceship card.
• +1 Resistance: Recover 1 Resistance to each spaceship, you will control in the next flight phase.
• +3 Velocity: Add 3 Velocity points to each spaceship, which you will control in the next flight phase. Place Velocity tokens next to the spaceship board.

Technology Lv-3 actions

• Secondary Mission card: Randomly draw 1 Secondary Mission card.
• Development card: Randomly draw 1 Development card.
• +3 Domination points: Immediately Score 3 domination points.

Playing Development Card

During the game, you will gain development cards. Keep them in your Player Area. In the Preparation phase you can play 1 card, but only when you can afford to pay the credit cost 1 and play the action from required LV 2. Right after you play a development card, you get the profits 3. Some of them are one-time, while others last for the rest of the game. (All effects were described on pages 13.)

Deploying the Spaceship

Select the spaceship you want to deploy from the cards you have in your player area. To deploy the spaceship, you must meet the requirements: Play proper action Lv 1, pay credit cost 2. Additionally the Launch pad on the map must be free.

The card now represents the ship's status. Place resistance tokens on the card's icon spaces 3. Place 1 energy token on the leftmost icon on the inside track (outlined icons) 4.

To complete deployment, place the miniature on a color stand and then on the spaceport launch pad on the map 5.

Launch pad icon is the start point for the player's spaceships. The same icon is located on the main board.

Then build the modules on your spaceship card.

Building Modules

To build the module place the module token on free cargo slot 7 on spaceship card. Each module takes up one cargo slot.

• Attribute modules. Increase the spaceship's attribute by 1.
• Domination modules. Each module type has a dedicated dominance space 1 and maneuverability required to successfully drop the module 2.

The module table on this page lists, for each module icon, its credit cost, the maneuverability required to drop it, and the dominance space marker it goes to:

Module (icon)	Credit cost	Maneuverability required	Dominance space marker
Antenna / radar	1	1	black
Satellite	4	2	small (L1..L5)
Rover	3	3	grey
Train	5	5	dark red
Parachute	6	5	tan
Lander crane	4	4	bronze

Attribute module costs, each 1 credit: Resistance (red icon), Energy (green icon), Maneuverability (pink icon), Velocity (orange icon). Turret module costs, each 1 credit: Energy turret (antenna dish icon), Laser turret (blocky laser icon).

All information about the modules can be found on the help cards.

After dropping modules, earn Domination Points. For details go to Scoring section.

• Energy Turret. Allows the spaceship to perform Attack, which reduces the Energy of the enemy spaceship by 1 per energy turret. This module cost 1 credit.
• Laser Turret. Allows the spaceship to perform Attack, which reduces the Resistance of the enemy spaceship by 1 per laser turret.
• Trap module. Can be dropped on any space. The number indicates the counter to the explosion. You can choose a trap with any number. For details go to Interactions and Passing by Trap section.

Select the Spaceship You Will Control in Flight Phase

Every turn you can select 1 spaceship you will control. Optionally, you can issue each 1 command to control each 1 additional spaceship. Mark selected the spaceship by placing a plastic cube on the selected card.

To issue a command, move a color cube on spacport board.

Using Maneuver Cards

You can use the effect from 1 maneuver card of your choice to boost performance of the selected spaceship. To use the effect from the card, pay the credit cost, then add the effects to the selected spaceship. The same maneuver card can be used by more than one player in the same flight phase round. (All effects were described on page 13.)

Flight Phase

Velocity Move

Move selected spaceship by any number of spaces from 1 to the actual value of velocity attribute, according to the direction indicated by the orbit icon on the spaceport board.

Movement restrictions. Spaceship cannot:

1. End move on the space occupied by another spaceship or GNSS.
2. End move on the orbiting space of the enemy spaceport.
3. End move on domination spaces.

Interactions

• Orbiting Space adjacent to your launch pad. In this location, you can add modules to your spaceship during the preparation phase.
• Credit Space. Each time your spaceship ends its move in this space, gain 5 Credits.
• Command Space. Each time your spaceship ends its move in this space, gain 1 command point.
• Hazard Space. Each time your spaceship ends its move on this space, draw 1 hazard card from the deck and immediately resolve its effects. You can ignore the effect spending command point in the number indicated on the card. After resolving the card's effect, discard it. (All cards were described on page 13.)
• Flying off the map. There are two spaces at the edge of the map. When the spaceship goes off the board, it enters Outer Space. Reveal the random hex tile and place it off the board in contact with the last space, creating a new flight trajectory available to all spaceships. From now on, spaceships can move only by one hex tile per round regardless of velocity attribute value. Resolve all effects from the hex tile. To gain the rewards spaceship must survive all effects.
• Trap. Every time a spaceship passes by trap, decrease its count by one. From 3 to 2, from 2 to 1. If trap count reaches zero, the trap explodes and the spaceship is destroyed. Regardless of trap count, Trap explodes, if a spaceship ends its turn on the space with trap.

Passing by spaceships and GNSS. Do the maneuver check. If the result is higher than the spaceship's maneuverability, you can pass it by. In case of the result lower or equal, pass an object but lose 1 energy.

GNSS maneuverability is equal to 1.

• Maneuver Check. Roll the Maneuver die. Add 1 maneuverability for every maneuver symbol from the dice.
• Domination space. If your spaceship is on the space connected by an arrow with domination space, you can drop the module.

Direction Change

Place the direction token on the spaceship board to mark that the spaceship will fly in the opposite direction to your spaceport.

Attacking

Attack is an action available for all spaceships having a laser or energy turret module. Each attack cost 1 energy.

Range is equal to the current energy level of the spaceship ex: 5 energy = 5 spaces in any direction, but on the same Orbit.

The map has 5 Orbits: Low Earth Orbit 1, Transfer Orbit 2, Outer Space Orbit 3, Moon Orbit 4, Mars orbit 5.

There are two types of damage: Energy and Resistance. Attack damage is summed, also if the spaceship has both laser and energy turrets.

Attacking Spaceships

• For each 1 damage dealt, you gain 1 command.
• For each 1 spaceship destroyed, you gain 1 Frag token, worth Domination points at the end of the game.

Important: You can attack your own spaceships, gaining applicable command and frag points!

Attacking Dropped Modules

All dropped modules can be destroyed after receiving 1 damage. Once destroyed, discard the color cube. The player who destroys the color cube receives 1 command point for 1 damage dealt, but doesn't gain frag, as it is only given for destroying spaceships.

Module Drop

Domination module drop. Do the maneuver check. The result must be higher than the maneuverability required by domination space. In case of failure, spend 1 energy and keep the module token on the spaceship card. In case of success, place your color cube on the domination space to mark that you control this area. Keep the module token in your player area. Gain Credits and Domination points, as described on the reward table and player aid card.

Reward table (each row: module icon, domination points gained, credits gained, maneuverability required):

Module (icon)	Domination points	Credits	Maneuverability required
Antenna / radar	1	1	1
Satellite	4	4	2
Rover	3	6	3
Train	5	10	5

You can drop 1 module in one action.

GNSS & TRAP module drop at the beginning or at the end of your move. To do it, place the token under your spaceship miniature. For GNSS, place a color cube and gain credits and domination points, after you move the spaceship.

All Spaceships Movement

All spaceships on the map move by 1 space, without losing energy. Spaceships move simultaneously, starting from the ones with the highest maneuverability. First are all spaceships with 6 maneuverability, then all with 5 maneuverability etc.

Movement restrictions are applicable. If there is a risk of violating them, then the spaceship doesn't move and loses 1 energy.

After moving, each spaceship resolves related interactions.

Spaceships having "0" energy doesn't move.

End Game Scoring

Throughout the game, you will score every time, when an icon appears. After you score an advance in the scoring track, move your color cube. After game ends, players add up their points gained from:

Area Control

Count all the cubes in the drop spaces in each area. Check the value of the points corresponding to the number of cubes in the Area Control Tables and add the appropriate number of points to the Domination point track.

Maximum area control reward for GNSS is 15 domination points for control 5 spaces.

Comet has 2 spaces, where you can drop any type of Dominaton [sic] module.

Comet area control table (number of cubes = domination points): 1 cube = 5 domination points; 2 cubes = 12 domination points.

Token Conversion

Check the Reward table on the main board. Exchange the remaining resources: Credits, Command, Frag tokens according to the table and add the appropriate number of points to the Domination point track.

Other Rules

Missions

Keep all mission cards in the player area, hidden from other players. Once you fulfill the mission objective, reveal the card and get the reward. You can do it anytime during your turn. Keep completed mission cards revealed in your player area.

Flight Direction on Cross Spaces

Spaceship can move to the cross space from both flight directions. Upon exiting cross space, note whether the movement requires a change in direction of flight. On transfer orbit the Flight direction is defined relative to Earth.

Lagrangian Point L1

It is also considered as a cross space. It can be passed by, according to passing by spaceship and GNSS rules. L1 maneuverability is equal to 2 (according to drop requirement).

Important: No ship can end its turn at L1 space!

Spaceship Station

The space station can be unlocked by purchasing a development card. The player who buys it chooses the location of the space station marker on the map. The space station will remain there for the rest of the game. From now on, all players can use it to add modules (paying its cost) to their spaceships located on this space.

Icons Description

Maneuver Cards

• Build any chosen module. Pay module cost.
• Recover 2 energy losing 5 velocity this turn.
• Add 2 maneuverability to a spaceship during module drop on Mars or the Moon.
• Spaceship can move one more time this turn.
• Add 2 maneuverability losing 6 velocity this turn.
• Add 1 maneuverability.
• Build any chosen module to free cargo slot. Pay module cost.

Development Cards

• Gaining Technology point allows you to select 1 more action from the action deck this turn.
• Gain 2 Command points and 2 Victory points.
• Maneuver cards cost 1 less credit for card owner. Gain 1 Technology point.
• Development cards cost 1 less credit for card owner. Gain 1 Technology point.
• Settle the Sapceship [sic] station on a chosen space.
• All modules cost 1 less credit for card owner. Gain 1 Technology point.
• Domination modules cost 1 less credit for card owner. Gain 1 Technology point.
• Spaceship deployment cost 1 less credit for card owner. Gain 1 Technology point.
• Gain 12 Credits.

Hazard Cards

• All spaceships permanently lose 1 energy.
• Remove one module on your choice.
• Spaceship loses 1 resistance permanently.
• Take one secondary mission card.
• All spaceships lose 1 maneuverability next round.
• Keep this card in your player area. From now on, you will pay 1 credit at the beginning of every turn.
• Spaceship loses 1 maneuverability in the next round.
• Put a restriction token on a chosen space on Mars. It is not available as Domination point till the end of the game.
• Take a restriction token. You will not receive credits from any action in the next turn.
• Take a restriction token. Your spaceship will skip its next turn.
• Drop traps: 7, 12 and 17 spaces in front of your spaceship. Trap counts: 2 at 7 spaces, 3 at 12 spaces, 3 at 17 spaces.
• Drop traps: 3, 7 and 13 spaces behind your spaceship. Trap counts: 2 at 3 spaces, 3 at 7 spaces, 1 at 13 spaces.

Primary Missions

• Collect 8 Command points to get 6 DP.
• Have all 4 spaceship in space to get 5 DP.
• Drop the most Habitat modules to get 11 DP.
• Collect 3 frags tokens to get 9 DP.
• Collect 50 Credits to get 7 DP.
• Drop 3 Telescopes to get 9 DP.
• Complete 4 secondary missions to get 5 DP.
• Reveal (by any player) 8 Outer Space hexes to get 10 DP.
• Drop 5 GNSS modules to get 8 DP.
• Drop the most Rover modules to get 9 DP.
• Collect 5 Development cards to get 9 DP.

Secondary Missions

• Collect 20 credits to get 8 Credits.
• Draw 1 hazard card to get 4 Credits.
• Drop the module on Moon to get 10 Credits.
• Build Turret module to get 5 Credits.
• Control L3 point to get 12 Credits.
• Drop the module on Mars to get 10 Credits.
• Collect 10 VP to get 12 Credits.
• Drop 1 habitat module to get 10 Credits.
• Play 3rd level of Action to get 10 Credits.
• If any trap counter is 2, get 8 Credits.
• Collect 1 frag to get 6 Credits.