Star Trek: Ascendancy – Ferengi Alliance
Star Trek: Ascendancy – Ferengi Alliance Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Contents
This set includes everything you need to add the Ferengi to your games of Star Trek: Ascendancy. The set includes:
- 10 New Exploration Cards
- 10 New Systems Discs, including Ferenginar
- 30 Ferengi Starships with 3 Fleet Markers & Cards
- 10 Ferengi Control Nodes
- 15 Ferengi Advancements
- 3 Ferengi Trade Agreements
- Ferengi Turn Summary Card
- Ferengi Command Console with 2 Sliders
- 19 Resource Nodes
- 76 Tokens & 27 Space Lanes
Adding the Ferengi to Your Game
To integrate the Ferengi into your games of Star Trek: Ascendancy, shuffle the 10 new Exploration Cards into your Exploration Deck and add the 9 System Discs into the mix of System Discs.
Editor's note: the booklet says "the 9 System Discs" without naming them. The set contains 10 new System Discs, one of which is Ferenginar, the Ferengi Home System. This is read as the nine discs other than Ferenginar, as in the Breen expansion. The printed wording is kept above as printed.
Adding the Ferengi to your game increases the number of possible players by 1. Each additional player adds about an hour to the game's duration.
The Ferengi player begins with the standard amount of game components: 3 of each Resource, 3 Ships, and one of each Resource Node on their Home System, Ferenginar.
Ferengi Starting Advancement
The Ferengi's starting Advancement is the Ferengi Commerce Authority, a Business card. Its printed text reads:
During Resource Generation, gain 1 Production for each rival Controlled System with Ferengi Ships in Orbit.
The Ferengi's starting Advancement generates extra Production, based on how many rivals' Systems the Ferengi have managed to get Ships in orbit of. The more Systems the Ferengi are able to negotiate themselves into, the more trade profit they receive!
Ferengi Command Console
Like the three factions included in the core set, the Ferengi have a unique Command Console with two Special Rules that apply to the Ferengi.
Only Latinum Lasts
Profit is what really matters! Ferengi may purchase Culture Tokens for 5 Production - and many Ferengi Advancements increase the amount of Production the Ferengi Generate.
In their single minded pursuit of profit, Ferengi are happy to demolish native paradises and despoil ancient ruins: Ferengi may always build Production Nodes on a System, regardless of the System's normal Resource Node Capacity. They can't exceed the normal number of nodes.
For example, if a System could normally hold two Research and one Culture Node, the Ferengi could fill the System with up to three Production Nodes.
The Command Console box for this rule reads: "During your Build Phase, the Ferengi may buy Culture for 5 Production each. The Ferengi may build Production Nodes on any available spot regardless of Capacity type."
Profit Over Profundity
The Ferengi penchant for profit means they don't spend a lot of time building up great cultural institutions - Ferengi may not ever build Culture Nodes. Their starting Culture Node on Ferenginar may be their only one, unless they take Control of more via Invasion or Hegemony.
However, other species find the Ferengi extremely off-putting, making Hegemony difficult. Ferengi don't add their Ascendancy when making Hegemony attempts. They can still attempt Hegemony, but it is much more difficult without the addition of their current Ascendancy.
The Command Console box for this rule reads: "The Ferengi may never build Culture Nodes. Ferengi never add their Ascendancy level to Hegemony attempts."
Illustration in the booklet: the Fetid Surface of Ferenginar.
Ferengi Espionage
The Ferengi Espionage Advancements Exhaust certain types of cards. Unlike other Espionage cards, the Ferengi may use theirs multiple times per turn, as long as they can pay the Production cost.
Card: Rule of Acquisition #168, "Whisper Your Way to Success" (Espionage). Printed text: "On your turn, you may pay 1 Production to Exhaust any Trade Agreement. You may do this multiple times on your turn."
Exhausted Cards
When a card is Exhausted, it is temporarily out of the game until it is Refreshed in the Recharge Stage at the end of the turn. Exhausted cards can not be used in any way: Exhausted Advancements don't increase the Warp distance of your Ships, Exhausted Trade Agreements may not be revoked, discarded, traded, etc.
Ferengi Trade Agreements
Ferengi Trade Agreements work differently than other players' agreements. Rather than producing a specific number of Resources, rivals who hold a Ferengi Trade Agreement receive a number of Production equal to the number of their Systems that are Occupied by Ferengi Ships.
In turn, the Ferengi's starting Advancement has a similar rule: it Generates a number of Production for the Ferengi equal to the number of other players' Systems in which they have Ships. Profits for Everyone!
Card: Ferengi Trade Agreement. Printed text: "During Resource Generation, take 1 Production for each System you Control with Ferengi in Orbit."
Example from the booklet: The Ferengi have Ships in orbit of 3 Federation Systems. If they hold a Ferengi Trade Agreement, the Federation will receive 3 Production. The Ferengi will receive 3 Production from their Starting Advancement, regardless of Trade Status.
Ferengi Fleets
Card: Franchise Establishment Flotilla (Fleet, 3). Printed text:
While moving, you may remove Ships from this Fleet and place them in any Systems the Fleet moves through.
If this Fleet drops below 3 Ships while moving, it disbands after moving.
Exploration Cards: Allies
The Ferengi introduce a new type of Exploration Cards: Allies. When you draw an Ally card, you've discovered a faction or person who may be open to establishing an agreement.
Each Ally Card has a Diplomacy Number in a green icon in the upper right corner. In order to claim the Ally, you have to pass a Diplomacy Test.
Diplomacy Tests
To make a Diplomacy Test, roll a die and add your Ascendancy. If the total is higher than the Ally's Diplomacy Number, you've passed the test and can claim the Ally Card.
If you pass the Diplomacy Test, set the Ally Card in front of you. Ally cards either count as Trade Agreements or have a Special Rule you can use.
If you fail the Diplomacy Test, place the Ally Card on the bottom of the Exploration Deck - not in the discard pile. Don't reshuffle, just place the Ally on the bottom of the Exploration Deck.
Writ of Accountability
The Writ of Accountability is a new Crisis Card that goes back into the Exploration Deck after it is resolved, instead of going into the discard pile. After resolving the Writ, do not shuffle the discard pile back into the deck; only shuffle the Writ of Accountability back into the Exploration deck. Doing so will also shuffle any unclaimed Ally cards that are on the bottom of the deck.
Card text (Crisis, Diplomacy 6): "Roll a Diplomacy [6] Test: if you succeed, this card has no effect. If you fail, return or discard all Trade Agreements you hold. Succeed or fail, shuffle this card into the remaining deck instead of discarding it."
Both the Crisis Cards require a Diplomacy Test when drawn, as shown in the upper right hand corner of the cards.
Editor's note: the booklet says "both the Crisis Cards" but describes only the Writ of Accountability. The other Crisis Card is not described in this booklet and is not transcribed here.
New Phenomenons
This expansion includes two Phenomenon, both of which have special rules. Each disc's rules state how Ships are affected. These special rules are in addition to all normal rules for Phenomenons.
- Mutara Nebula: "Ships in this Phenomenon may not use their Shields."
- Black Hole: The rule text on this disc is partly covered by the Mutara Nebula disc in the printed booklet. The legible words are "...in this Phenomenon may ... Warp." The full wording could not be read from the booklet and is not reconstructed here. Consult the physical disc.