Race for the Galaxy: Xeno Invasion Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Contents
• Adding Cards
• Invasion Game
  • Setup
  • Play
  • Invasion Step
  • Produce
  • Game End
• New Card Powers (by phase)
  • Upon Placement
  • I: Explore
  • III: Settle
  • IV: Consume
  • V: Produce
• Invasion Game Summary

Overview

Xeno Invasion adds new start worlds and game cards, action cards and VP chips for a fifth player, and a bonus Xeno Invasion game to Race for the Galaxy. This expansion forms a separate expansion arc. Use it with just the Race for the Galaxy base game, not with any other expansions.

For your first game, just add the new cards, read the rules for Xeno worlds, and begin play. In later plays, add the Invasion Game.

Contents

• 5 start world cards, numbered 5-9
• 46 game cards
• 9 action cards for a fifth player
• 5 Invasion Game summary cards
• 5 Produce: Repair action cards
• 40 Xeno invasion cards
• 5 admiral disks
• 1 Xeno repulse track sheet
• 12 1 VP chips
• 5 bunkers
• 2 repulse tiles
• 2 die-cut repulse track arrows
• 1 empire defeat tile
• 2 bonus tiles
• 14 damaged world/award chips
• 25 award chips: 20 @ 1; 5 @ 5

Carefully remove the VP chips and Invasion Game counters from their frames before play.

Adding Cards

Xeno Invasion can be played without the Invasion Game rules. Simply add the new start worlds and game cards to the base game. To do so, remove any cards from the first expansion arc, which have 1-3 gray marks in their lower left corners, or any Alien Artifacts cards, which have a single gold mark. This expansion's cards have a single red mark. Action cards and VP chips for a fifth player and a fifth preset hand are included.

Do not use the invasion cards, summary cards, the Produce: Repair cards, the repulse track sheet, or any counters, except the fifth player's VP chips.

Start World Setup (rule change, unless using the preset hands). Separate the start worlds by their blue (even) and red (odd) numbers into two groups. Shuffle each group separately. Deal two start worlds, one from each group, face down to each player. Shuffle any remaining start worlds with the game cards and then deal six cards to each player. Each player, after studying all eight cards, discards one of two start worlds and two of six game cards. Players then simultaneously reveal their selected start worlds and begin play.

Important (rule change). In this expansion, all Explore actions are mixed with hand. (Printed as "mix with hand" in the source.) To do an Explore, draw cards normally, add them to your hand, and then discard the appropriate number from any of your cards in hand.

Tip: many players find it useful to quietly state aloud how many cards they need to discard before adding their Explore draws to their hands.

Example: Ann has 5 cards in hand and 2 Explore Draw+1 powers in her tableau. When Joe calls Explore, Ann draws 4 cards. As she adds them to her hand, Ann reminds herself, "Discard 3." After the Explore, Ann will have 6 cards in hand.

Xeno Worlds. Eight worlds are XENO military worlds, with a blue "fill" inside their defense numbers and a [Xeno icon]. XENO military worlds can be conquered normally, but cannot be settled using Pay-for-Military powers, such as the Contact Specialist's power.

Military vs. Xeno. Some powers provide specific Military vs. XENO worlds. This applies only to Xeno military worlds (in the regular game) and can be combined with other Military.

Repair and Xeno Defense Powers. These apply only in the Invasion Game. Ignore them in the regular game.

Anti-Xeno Keyword. Two 6-cost developments refer to ANTI-XENO, a term which appears in some card titles.

Other Powers. Most new powers are variations on previous powers. Those that are not have text descriptions and are described starting on page 9.

This expansion adds two Pay-for-Military ([Pay-for-Military icon]) powers, similar to the Contact Specialist's power. Pay-for-Military powers do not combine with one another (but do combine with other discounts).

Scoring. For each 6-cost development, a given card can score in only one of its categories.

Two worlds, Corrosive Uplift World and Uplift Coalition, have VPs that vary, similar to 6-cost developments.

Important. Play this expansion a few times with just the new cards before reading the rules below and trying the Invasion Game.

Invasion Game

Introduction. In this game, players must contend with three successively stronger waves of Xeno invaders, who attack at the end of rounds. Players earn awards (worth VPs) by successfully defending their empires. If an empire fails to do so, the Xenos damage one of its worlds. If all empires fail to defend twice, they are defeated by the Xenos.

During Produce phases, players can contribute goods to aid the war effort (earning VPs) and can repair damaged worlds.

If players amass enough collective Military, they repulse the Xenos. Repulsing the Xenos or being defeated by them are new ways that the game can end.

At game end – if not defeated by the Xenos – the players who contributed the most, militarily and materially, against the Xenos receive 5 VP bonuses.

Setup

Set up the game normally, with these extra steps:

1. Give a Produce: Repair card, admiral disk, summary card, and bunker to each player. Remove unused items from the game. (Most players place their bunkers directly above their start worlds.)

2. Separate the 40 invasion cards into wave 1 (× 11), wave 2 (× 11), and wave 3 (× 17) groups, plus the Round 1 card. Shuffle each wave separately. Use all wave 3 cards. Use two wave 1 and two wave 2 cards per player. Stack (from the bottom) the wave 3, 2, and 1 cards, placing the Round 1 card face up on top of them to form the invasion deck. Remove unused wave 1 and wave 2 cards from the game.

   In the 2-Player Game for Experienced Players, use two wave 1 and two wave 2 cards (not four of each).

3. Use the appropriate repulse tile for the number of players. Put the repulse value arrow on the repulse track below the space matching the tile's value. Set the Military vs. Xenos arrow, empire defeat tile (0 side face up), and admiral disks near the repulse track.

4. Set the Greatest Admiral and Greatest Contributor bonus tiles and defense award chips nearby.

Play

Play proceeds normally except: an invasion step takes place on rounds 3+ after all phases; players can contribute goods and repair worlds during Produce phases; and a Settle phase automatically occurs in the first round of play.

If any players select Settle in the first round, only one Settle phase occurs (with those players receiving the normal Settle bonus draw after settling).

In the first two rounds, either flip over the Round 1 card (in round 1) or discard it (in round 2) from the game. Skip the invasion step.

This is true even in the 2-Player Game for Experienced Players.

Invasion Step

This occurs in rounds 3+ after players possibly discard (due to being over the hand limit) and before checking to see if the game ends.

1. Update Admiral Disks. In the first invasion step, place each player's admiral disk on the repulse track space corresponding to his current Military vs. Xenos (Military plus any specific Military vs. Xenos [specific Military vs. Xenos icon], ignoring Xeno Defense powers [Xeno Defense icon] and temporary military). Do this clockwise, starting with the player with the lowest numbered start world, stacking disks as needed.

   If a player's Military vs. Xenos is less than −2, place his disk to the left of the −2 track space.

   In this step in later rounds, shift these disks as needed to match each player's current Military vs. Xenos. Do this in the descending order of disks on the repulse track, going from top to bottom for any stacks. Place a shifted disk on top of any disks already in its new space.

   Exceptions: Shift multiple disks in one space going to the same new space as a group, maintaining their relative order. Do not adjust a disk if its owner's Military vs. Xenos hasn't changed.

2. Check Xeno Repulse. Mark the total Military vs. Xenos, across all players, with the Military vs. Xenos arrow on the repulse track (if positive). If it is greater than or equal to the current repulse value (marked by the other arrow), then the game ends by repulsing the Xenos. If not, continue the invasion step.

3a. Assign Invasion cards. Flip over as many invasion cards as players and examine them. Give each player a card. Assign them by invasion strengths, high to low, to the players in the descending order of their admiral disks.

If the invasion deck is exhausted, shuffle the discarded wave 3 invasion cards (only) to form a new invasion deck.

Military+X ([Military+X icon]) invasion strengths are considered higher than all single digit invasion strengths ([single-digit strength icon]) when assigning invasion cards.

After assigning cards, move the bottom disk in each stack to the top (so that players who remain tied next round will be assigned invasion cards in a different order).

3b. Resolve Invasions. Each player compares his card's invasion strength to his Military vs. Xenos value, plus any Defense vs. Xenos from Xeno defense powers. (These powers have no other effect.)

A player may, at this point, use Settle powers to add temporary Military, including temporary Military/Defense vs. Xenos, to this total. Powers used earlier in a Settle phase do not add to this total (unless used again). A player may also use his bunker's power by discarding 1 card from hand for +2 temporary Defense vs. Xenos. A Military+X strength is X greater than the player's Military, before adding any specific Military vs. Xenos, Defense vs. Xenos, or temporary Military.

If the invasion strength is greater than or equal to the player's total, then the Xenos damage one of his undamaged worlds (if possible). The player chooses which world is damaged and flips it face down, discards any good it has, and places a damage marker on it.

A damaged world counts towards a player's tableau size. Its powers and attributes cannot be used; it cannot hold a good; and, at game end, it scores 0 VPs (and does not count towards other cards' VPs).

(Some groups may prefer not to flip damaged worlds face down and use just the damage markers to indicate damaged worlds.)

If the invasion strength is less than his total, then the player gains 1 or 2 defense awards (not VP chips). Take the number shown on the repulse tile from 5-star (high) to 1-star (low), corresponding to the player's position in descending order on the repulse track (so that the player with the lowest Military vs. Xenos gains more if he successfully defends). Make change among defense award chips as needed.

If every player failed to defend against the invasion this round, flip the empire defeat tile over from 0 to 1. If all players fail to defend twice, the game ends (whether or not there were successful defenses in between these rounds).

Players then discard their invasion cards, ending the invasion step. Remove discarded wave 1 and wave 2 cards from the game. Put discarded wave 3 cards in a discard pile.

Produce

Contributing to the War Effort. At the start of a Produce phase, each player with goods (from settled worlds or prior Produce phases) may discard one or more of them. For each good discarded, reduce the current repulse value by 1 (but not below 0) and gain 1 VP chip.

Keep VP chips received for war contributions separate from Consume VP chips, by placing them either on or near players' bunker tiles (so that the Greatest Contributor award can be assigned at game end).

Play is intended to be simultaneous. If needed, use the standard timing rules so that the player with the lowest numbered start world does his entire Produce phase, including his contribution decision, before the next player clockwise, etc.

Repairing Worlds. At any time after the start of a Produce phase, players may repair damaged worlds. To repair a damaged world, either discard two cards from hand, discard a good, use a repair power, or use half of the Produce: Repair bonus. Flip the world face up and remove its damaged marker. Repairs may be combined with Produce powers in any order.

Example. Joe, with one card in hand, draws a card for the Rebel Underground and then discards two cards to repair Spice World. He produces its good which he discards to repair Alien Robotic Factory. Joe produces its good and then uses Diversified Economy to draw two cards.

Do not "automatically" place a good on a windfall world after repairing it. You may not produce goods multiple times on a world in a Produce phase (discarding its good in between to repair a world), even if it is a windfall world and you have multiple windfall production powers.

Neither a repair power nor the Produce: Repair bonus is needed to repair worlds; they are simply alternative ways of doing so.

2-Player Game for Experienced Players. A player who selects both the Produce and Produce: Repair actions receives both bonuses during Produce. Only one Produce phase occurs.

Game End

The invasion game can end either normally, by empire defeat (if all players fail to defend vs. invasions twice), or by players collectively equaling or exceeding the Xeno repulse value.

An invasion step still occurs on the final round (though if the players' total Military vs. Xenos equals or exceeds the current repulse value, no invasion cards will be drawn).

If the game did not end in empire defeat, then the players with the highest Military vs. Xenos and the most war contribution VP chips receive 5 VP bonuses, taking the Greatest Admiral and Greatest Contributor tiles.

Any players tied for these bonuses also receive 5 VPs. To mark this, give a 5 VP chip to each tied player who doesn't hold the appropriate tile. (These 5 VP chips do not count towards Galactic Renaissance.)

Players total their VPs normally, including all award chips and tiles. War contribution VP chips (but not defense awards or bonuses) do count towards Galactic Renaissance. Damaged worlds do not provide VPs nor count for any card's VPs.

New Card Powers (by phase)

Upon Placement

• Discard to Add Good. May discard 1 card from hand to add 1 Genes good ([Genes good icon]) to this world when placing it. This discard is done before receiving any cards from a Settle bonus or any Draw After powers for settling this world.

I: Explore

• Draw Extra for Rebel Worlds. Draw 1 more card to look at for each Rebel military world ([Rebel military world icon]) in the player's tableau.

III: Settle

• Specific Military. Contributes Military towards conquering Xeno military worlds ([Xeno military world icon]). In the Invasion Game, Military vs. Xenos is also used to defend vs. Xeno Invasions. (Shown as +1, +2, and +3 specific Military icons.)

• Temporary Military / Temporary Specific Military. May discard the indicated kind of good for +Military as shown until the end of this phase/invasion step. (Shown as discard-to-gain +1 and +2 icons, one for each specific Military kind.) May discard an Alien good for +3 Military vs. Xenos until the end of this phase/invasion step. (Shown as the +3 Military vs. Xenos icon.)

• Military / Specific Military. Respectively, +1 Military for each Genes world, Rebel military world, or IMPERIUM card in your tableau at the start of this phase/invasion step. (Shown as +1 icons for each of the three conditions.)

• +1 Military vs. Xenos for each non-military world ([non-military world icon]) in your tableau at the start of this phase/invasion step.

• Pay for Military ([Pay-for-Military icon]). May, as an action, place a military world as a non-military world ([non-military world icon]). The cost is its defense, with any discounts (including, for Uplift Terraforming, its -1 discount).

  Only one Pay-for-Military power may be used to settle a given world.

  Xeno military worlds ([Xeno military world icon]) may not be settled using Pay-for-Military powers (including the Contact Specialist's power).

• Xeno Defense (Invasion Game only). Contributes Defense vs. Xeno Invasions (only). (Shown as +1 and +2 Xeno Defense icons.)

IV: Consume

• "up to" Four Different Kinds. Discard up to 4 different kinds of goods (one good of each kind) to gain 1 VP apiece.

• Gain 1 VP. Gain 1 VP. This can be doubled with the Consume 2x bonus.

• Specific Kinds of Goods. Discard 1 Genes good ([Genes good icon]) and 1 good of the indicated kind to gain 3 VPs. (Shown as two 3-VP icons, one for each kind.)

• Specific Kinds of Goods. Discard 1 Genes good ([Genes good icon]) and 1 good of any kind to gain 2 VPs and 2 cards.

• Draw if Lucky (Updated Table). Number of cards at each cost/defense (with expansion):

  Card type	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
  Developments [diamond icon]

V: Produce

• Discard to Produce Windfall. May discard a card from hand to produce a good on a windfall world of the specified kind (that has no good).

• Discard to Produce Good. May discard a card from hand so that this world produces a good (it does not do so otherwise).

  A player may discard a card gained from Diversified Economy to produce this good, but cannot then gain a card from doing so (as one power cannot interrupt another power).

• Draw for Worlds. Draw 1 card for each Xeno military world ([Xeno military world icon]) in the player's tableau. Draw 1 card for every 2 military worlds ([military world icon]) in the player's tableau.

• Draw for Goods. Draw 1 card for every 2 goods that the player produced this phase.

• Repair a World (Invasion Game only). Flip a damaged world face up.

Invasion Game Summary

Invasion Game Summary (card).

• Setup: Shuffle each wave's (wave 1, wave 2, wave 3 [wave icons]) cards. Use 2 wave 1 and 2 wave 2 cards per player. Stack the wave 1, wave 2, and all wave 3 cards. Put the Round 1 invasion card on top.
• 2-Player Experienced Game: use only 2 wave 1 and 2 wave 2 cards, not 4 of each.
• Round 1: a Settle phase automatically occurs.
• Produce: At phase start, players may discard goods. Reduce the repulse value by 1 and gain 1 VP chip for each discard. During Produce, players may repair damaged worlds. For each repair, either discard 2 cards from hand or 1 good or use a repair power or half of the Produce: Repair bonus.

Invasion Step (card) – Rounds 3+, after any hand limit discards.

1. Update admiral disks, high to low.
2. Check Xeno repulse: If total Military vs. Xenos is ≥ repulse value, the game ends.
3. Otherwise, flip 1 invasion card per player:
   • Assign invasion strengths (M+X and single-digit) by disks, high to low, Military+X before single digit. Then, move the bottom admiral disk in each stack to the top.
   • If invasion strength ≥ Military vs. Xenos, including any Xeno Defense and temporary military, damage (flip over) 1 world.
   • Otherwise, player receives 1-2 defense award(s) as shown on repulse tile.
   • If all players lose, check empire defeat.

Xeno Invasion Strengths

Wave	Invasion strengths
Wave 1 (11 cards)	-1, -1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4
Wave 2 (11 cards)	0, 0, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Wave 3 (17 cards)	3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9, M+3, M+4, M+5

"M+X" invasion strengths equal the player's Military+X, before adding any specific Military vs. Xenos, Defense vs. Xenos, or temporary Military.

A player must exceed an invasion strength in order to successfully defend, as the invading Xenos are attacking. (Attackers win ties in Race for the Galaxy.)