Moon Base
Moon Base Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- Ring Module (Large Rings): Silver 8, Gold 8, Navy 8
- Ring Module (Small Rings): Silver 8, Gold 8, Navy 8
- Game Board × 1
- Settlement: Silver 6, Gold 6
- Resource Base: Silver 6, Gold 6
- Mobile Research Tower × 1
- Earth Marker × 1
- Construction Support × 6
Objective
There are 6 rounds in this game of Moon Base development. As the developers of the base, players place "ring modules" on craters to develop the base. Utilize the three colors of the ring modules effectively to make your color gain the upper hand. At the end of each round, players earn points by locating settlements and resource bases. Transfer the mobile research tower wisely and try to aim for the bonus points available at the end of the 6th round. The player with the higher point total at the end of the game is the winner!
Preparation
Pile up the Ring Modules (hereafter referred to as "large rings" and "small rings") as shown in the illustration and place them alongside the game board. It's best to shuffle the rings in the box and choose them without looking inside when you make the piles.
- Large Rings: 6 Rings × 4 Piles
- Small Rings: 6 Rings × 4 Piles
Decide the starting player in whatever way you like.
If you are playing second, decide which color (gold or silver) you will be playing for. When you do this, you may confirm the status of the piles of rings created earlier. Then, the same player places the mobile research tower (hereafter referred to as the "research tower") on an arbitrary large crater on the game board.
The navy rings do not belong to either of the players.
Each player takes 6 settlement pieces (the large hexagons) and 6 resource bases (small hexagons) of their own color to their side.
Place the earth marker in front of the starting player, and you are ready to begin the game.
Order of Play
There are phases 1 to 3 in a single round, and players compete in 6 rounds.
- Selection of ring modules
- Placement of ring modules
- Building a settlement or resource base
Pass the earth marker (switching the starting player of the round) × 6 Rounds
- Game End & Point Calculation
The Board at a Glance
- Crater — place the ring module here.
- Mobile Research Tower — the tower moves around throughout the game.
- Ring Modules — take 4 at the beginning of each round.
- Resource Base — 1 point per 1 built.
- Settlement — 2 points per 1 built.
- Ring Module Pile Sets — make the piles before you begin the game.
- Earth Marker — shows the starting player of the round. Moves to the other player when the round ends.
1. Selection of Ring Modules
To begin each round, players choose 2 large rings and 2 small rings from the piles and keep them in hand.
Starting player first chooses 2 large rings. Then the player going second chooses 2 large rings.
Next, the players choose 2 small rings from the piles in the same order as above and keep them in hand.
When you take the rings, you must take two overlapping rings from the top of the pile together. As long as you are taking two overlapping rings together, you can pick from any pile (even from the same pile your opponent has chosen right before you).
The 4 large and small rings you have chosen should be lined up on your side and visible to your opponent.
2. Placement of Ring Modules
From the starting player, pick 1 ring from the 4 rings in hand and place it on the moon. There are two ways to place your ring: placing it on a crater, or stacking it on top of two rings. You may choose whichever way you wish if the situation allows you to make the move. Repeat this action alternately with your opponent, using 4 rings each, 8 rings together.
A. Placing Your Ring on a Crater
When taking this action, the size of the ring and the crater must be the same.
- OK! — Large Ring on a large crater.
- OK! — Small Ring on a small crater.
- BAD! — Cannot place on a crater where the mobile tower is overlapping.
- BAD! — Size is not matching.
- BAD! — A ring already exists on the overlapping crater.
- OK! — You may use craters at the edge of the board.
When there are overlapping craters, whoever takes one of them quicker takes it and the ring occupies all overlapping craters. The craters cut off at the edge of the board can also be used to place rings.
When starting the game, the research tower is placed on an arbitrary large crater, and the players are not allowed to place their rings on this crater. If the tower moves out of the crater during the game, you may then use the crater to build your ring module.
B. Stacking Your Rings
You can stack either the large ring or the small ring over two rings if your ring has the same color as one of the two rings underneath. The two rings underneath can be of any size, and if they are on a equal height, at any level. You can stack up to any level!
When you place a large ring on top of two rings of differing colors, and if your ring has the third color among the three, your ring makes the "collabo ring." It triggers the transfer of the mobile research tower to this "collabo ring." You can place any of your large rings as a collabo ring. The mobile research tower moves around the game board each time a new collabo ring is created, throughout the game.
You may not place other rings on the collabo ring while the research tower is there.
In below cases, the ring will not qualify as a collabo ring:
- Small rings do not make a collabo ring.
- When the 2 below rings have the same color, you cannot place a ring with a different color.
Even if you can validly create a collabo ring, if the research tower falls down without good balance, put the research tower back to its original point and find a new location to place your ring.
Caution 1 — When you stack rings, there must be visible space between the ring underneath and the ring on top. If you see a space, you are free to place it at any position. (Valid if there is visible space; invalid if no space.)
Caution 2 — A ring cannot have 3 supporting rings underneath.
Caution 3 — You cannot place a ring in a way that it is inserted underneath already stacked rings. However, if there are more than 2 level difference and if it is not touching the above rings, you may place it in this way.
3. Building a Settlement or Resource Base
Once the players finish placing all their rings, build a "settlement" or "resource base" on the game board depending on how the ring modules have been placed.
A. Building a Settlement (Large Hexagon)
Confirm the status of the ring placement. If you find empty large rings of your color on the 2nd level or above with no rings stacked on top of them, place 1 settlement per ring that fulfills these conditions.
You cannot place a settlement on the 1st level. If there is a large ring with a research tower, you cannot place a settlement there, but once the tower moves to a new location in a later round, it becomes open again and available for settlement placement.
- Place a settlement on every open large ring that satisfies the conditions.
- You may place rings on top of rings with settlements.
If you cannot build the settlement with balance: When you are building your settlement but find it hard to balance it at the location, you may use the "construction support." You may not use the construction support for placement of rings.
B. Building a Resource Base (Small Hexagon)
If you could not build a settlement at the end of the round, place 1 resource base on one of the open craters (large or small). Craters which hold a resource base will no longer be available for a ring placement in later rounds.
You cannot have both a ring and a resource base on the same crater.
How to place a resource base on the crater: You may not build your resource base in a way that it bridges over two craters. You must clearly locate it on either of the two overlapping craters. You may place your ring on an empty crater with an overlapping crater that has a resource base on it. You may also place your resource base on a crater with an overlapping crater that has a ring.
Placing a ring above a resource base: You may not place your ring in a way that it physically touches the resource base; however, if it doesn't, you are free to place it right above.
Pass the Earth Marker to Begin Next Round
Each round has a new starting player. To distinguish between the players who is the starting player of the round, pass the earth marker to your opponent at the end of each round.
4. Game End & Point Calculation
Once you finish building in the 6th round, the game is over. Players calculate points, and whoever has the higher point total is the winner!
- For every settlement built × 2 points
- For every resource base built × 1 point
Bonus Points (depending on the game end situation):
- Longest connecting rings + 2 points
- Ring at the highest level + 2 points
- Ring with the research tower + 3 points
If the points are tied, the player going second in the 1st round wins.
If navy alone qualifies for the condition of any of the bonuses, neither of the players acquires the bonus. However, if you are tied for 1st place, you will receive the bonus point (same when gold and silver are tied).
You Lose Points for Rings Unplaced on the Board!
If you have any ring you cannot place on the game board during a round, pass the turn and keep the ring until the game is over. When you calculate points, it will count as 1 point minus.
Example Point Calculation (from the end of the 4th round)
Gold 10 Points
- Settlements: 2 Points × 3 = 6 Points
- Resource Base: 1 Point × 2 = 2 Points
- Highest Ring: (4th Level) 2 Points
Silver 11 Points
- Settlements: 2 Points × 2 = 4 Points
- Resource Base: 1 Point × 2 = 2 Points
- Longest Connecting Rings: 2 Points (7 Rings)
- Ring with Mobile Research Tower: 3 Points