Star Trek: Ascendancy – Cardassian Union
Star Trek: Ascendancy – Cardassian Union Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Contents
This set includes everything you need to add the Cardassians to your games of Star Trek: Ascendancy. The set includes:
- 10 New Exploration Cards
- 10 New Systems Discs, including Cardassia Prime
- 30 Cardassian Starships with 3 Fleet Markers & Cards
- 10 Cardassian Control Nodes
- 15 Cardassian Advancements
- 3 Cardassian Trade Agreements
- Cardassian Turn Summary Card
- Cardassian Command Console with 2 Sliders
- 19 Resource Nodes
- 76 Tokens & 27 Space Lanes
Adding Cardassians to Your Game
To integrate the Cardassians into your games of Star Trek: Ascendancy, shuffle the 10 new Exploration Cards into the Exploration Cards from the core set and add the 9 System Discs into the mix of System Discs from the core set.
Adding the Cardassians to your game increases the number of possible players by 1. The Cardassian player begins the game with the same starting number of Ships, Control Nodes, starting Resources, etc. Each additional player adds approximately an hour to the game's duration.
Command Console
Like the three factions included in the core set, the Cardassians have a unique Command Console with two Special Rules that apply to the Cardassians.
Annexation
The Cardassian are always looking for new opportunities to expand their borders. The Cardassians take a bonus Culture when they Successfully Invade a planet. If a Cardassian Invasion results in Total Annihilation, they do not take a Culture.
Occupation
Not everyone who labors under the Cardassian flag does so willingly. During Resource Generation, only systems occupied by Cardassian Ships Generate Production. Research and Culture are Generated normally.
Editor's note: the booklet's Occupation text says "Generate Production", as printed here. The sourcer reports that the July 2020 official base-rules update rewrote this rule to say Resources rather than Production. This transcription keeps the booklet's wording and does not resolve the difference.
Exploration Cards
The 10 new Exploration Cards include 6 Crises, 2 Discoveries and 2 Civilization Cards.
Five of the new Exploration Cards are "Confrontations," where a rival player places a new Starship, for free, in the same System with the Ship that Discovered the System. What happens after that is up to the two player involved in the Confrontation. Will it lead to peaceful trade relations? Or will it spark a hostile diplomatic incident?
Cardassian Confrontation (Crisis)
If you have a Cardassian rival, place a new Cardassian Ship in this System. If not, place a new Ship from the player to your right in this System.
Cardassian Armistice Accords (Crisis)
The player who draws the Armistice Accords card has stumbled into a border dispute that requires relinquishing Control of one of their Systems in exchange for Control of a Cardassian System. If the player who drew the Armistice Accords or the Cardassians only Controls their Home System, the Accords card is discarded with no effect. The two players can only exchange Systems if they both Control at least one System beyond their Home System.
Card text: If you have a Cardassian rival, you both choose one of your non-Home Systems and exchange Control Nodes. If not, exchange Systems with the player to your right.
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.
The Briar Patch
In Space Battles, only rolls of 6 Hit Ships in this Phenomenon.
The Badlands
[Rules text not fully legible in the source. The printed disc is partly covered by The Briar Patch disc. The visible fragments read "...not move through this..." and "...They must end their..." and "...re." The complete wording needs a clean copy of the disc.]
Cardassia Prime
The booklet illustrates Cardassia Prime (a System Disc) with a picture only. No rules text for it is printed in this booklet.
Cardassian Tactics
The Cardassians are experts at subterfuge and shadow diplomacy. Many of their Advancements allow them to manipulate other Civilizations and covertly deploy Ships and Fleets under their rivals' radar.
Cardassians' relentless drive to expand their territory by Invading new Systems is both their path to victory and their Achilles heel. Invading Systems may bring the Cardassians closer to victory but is likely to leave a bitter taste in rivals' mouths.
Invading Systems inhabited by Warp-Capable, Independent Civilizations is ideal for the Cardassians, since it doesn't make enemies but does produce extra Culture. Upgrading your weapons to make sure they can deal with the population's Shield Modifier is important to a Cardassian Invasion Strategy.
Espionage Card: The Obsidian Order
Card type printed on the card: Espionage (value 3 shown in the card's top corner).
On your turn, you may Exhaust this card to Exhaust another Player's Espionage Card. Your Systems' Hegemony Resistance is increased by 1.
Expansion Card: Annexation Protocols
Card type printed on the card: Expansion (value 4 shown in the card's top corner).
When Invading, you may Score one additional, automatic Hit, in addition to any Hits rolled in each round of Combat.
When you successfully Invade a Planet, Refresh two Commands.