The Last Command

The Last Command Rulebook

Table of Contents

2 Ship Mats: 1 Federation Remnant, 1 Sunder
16 Malfunction Cards: 10 Console Overload, 3 Secondary Explosion, 2 Power Failure, 1 Vented Compartment
10 Trackers: 1 Large and 4 Small Red Trackers; 1 Large and 4 Small Blue Trackers
2 Sets of Starting Cards:
- 6 Sunder: 1 Cadet Killion, 1 Cadet Malkesh, 1 Cadet Petra, 1 Siege Cannon, 1 Quick-ship, 1 Quantum Reactor
- 6 Federation: 1 Cadet Fitz, 1 Cadet Korr, 1 Cadet Keado, 1 Basic Laser, 1 Nuclear Reactor, 1 Trade Rocket
- Asymmetrical Starting System Cards: these have the same name as the above System cards, but have a slightly different Faction Symbol.
54 System Cards:
- 18 Engineering: 1 Armored Mech, 1 Fabricators, 1 Holodeck, 2 Naquadah Reactor, 1 Quantum Artifact, 1 Ablative Hull, 2 Repair Bot, 1 Repair Drones, 2 Shield Drone, 2 Ship's A.I., 1 Sonic Showers, 1 Super Computer, 2 Teleporter
- 18 Comms: 1 Dexeer Chrysalis, 1 Dexeer Symbiote, 2 Fleet Frigate, 1 Fleet Mineship, 2 Fleet Support, 2 Keshran Corsair, 1 Keshran Edict, 1 Pirate Rex, 1 Rutari Salve, 1 Scrizzian Blade, 2 Scrizzian Claw, 1 Scrizzian Maul, 2 Shuttle Bay
- 18 Tactical: 2 Chain Vulcan, 2 Charge Laser, 1 Cloaked Mines, 2 Guardian Crystal, 1 Hydra Missile A, 1 Hydra Missile B, 1 Hyperkinetic Dart, 1 Point Defense, 1 Ion Cannon, 1 Railgun, 1 Scythe Beam, 2 Tri Laser, 2 Zero Point Laser
30 Crew Cards:
- 10 Tactical Crew: 3 Ensigns, 1 Colonel, 3 Lieutenants, 2 Lt. Commanders, 1 Commander

Objective

The Last Command is a dual deckbuilding game about 2 starship Captains locked in an epic, broadsides battle. The goal is to upgrade your ship and crew, while also damaging your opponent until their ship is destroyed (Hull Integrity reduced to 0).

The surviving player is the winner, bringing glory and hope to their people! If the surviving player Faction is:

The Federation Remnant: The Federation lives to see another day, ultimately fighting off the Sunder. Historians say you and your command were the catalyst that led to victory!
The Sunder: Your people sweep through the Federation, crushing all opposition. You wield your command like a sword, and none can stand against you. In short order, the Federation is but a memory.

Setup

Each player should start by choosing one of the two Ship Mats and placing it in front of them.

Place the largest tracker cube on the "20" space of your Hull Integrity Tracker (this is your ship's starting "health"). Next, place a tracker on the "1" space on each System's Power Gauge. Choose a player to go first. That player places a tracker on the "5" space of the Credit Supply Tracker, while the second player places one on the "6" space.

Note: Each ship belongs to a different faction, either the Federation Remnant or the Sunder. Find the 3 System cards and 3 Crew cards that have symbols matching your faction in the upper left corners (be sure not to use the Asymmetrical Starting cards for your first game, see Asymmetrical Starting Cards). Shuffle each card type individually, placing them face down on the Ship Mat spaces reserved for System and Crew cards to make 2 respective decks.

Next, prepare the Market Area:

System cards: Shuffle each type of System card (Tactical, Comms and Engineering) into its respective deck, and place each deck face down near the play area. Flip over the top 2 cards from each System card deck, placing them face up adjacent to it.
Crew cards: Shuffle each set of individual Crew types (Tacticians, Engineers and Comms Experts) and place each deck face up near the play area.
Malfunctions: Shuffle the Malfunction deck (16 cards), placing it face up near the play area.

Each player now Draws 3 total cards (these may be drawn 1 at a time and come from either of their decks, but it is usually best to start with at least 2 Crew cards).

Play now begins with the first player.

Note: Standard play for The Last Command uses a symmetrical set of starting cards. If you wish to play an asymmetrical game, see the special setup rules under Asymmetrical Starting Cards.

Gameplay

Players alternate taking turns with the goal of upgrading their ship and eventually destroying their opponent's ship. Each turn has 4 Phases:

Card Phase: Play all cards from your hand.
Market Phase: Make any number of Market purchases.
System Bonus Phase: Earn System card Bonus Abilities.
Draw Phase: End your turn by Drawing 3 cards.

1. Card Phase

During your Card Phase you may play cards in any order from your hand, keeping in mind that most System cards have a Power cost that must be paid when played (see "System Cards" below). Cards with an asterisk (*) next to their Power cost have additional requirements to be played. These requirements can be found in the Card Ability area of the card.

If ever you cannot play a card (or choose not to), you may Discard it to gain 2 Credits. There cannot be any cards left in your hand by the end of the Card Phase.

Playing Cards

There are 2 main types of cards in The Last Command: System and Crew. You may play either type from your hand in any order, as long as some basic requirements are met (discussed below). All Abilities on a card may be triggered in any order you wish. All Abilities on cards must be used, unless the card suggests otherwise.

System Cards

To play a System card from your hand, place it on your Ship Mat in the System it belongs to, paying any Power cost (shown on the card's upper right corner) from that System's Power Gauge. Then perform the card's main Ability, which is located in the center of the card.

If the card does not specify otherwise, you may perform any elements of its Ability in any order you wish.

System cards can be played on top of other System cards already present in the System. There is no limit to the number of System cards that can be played in a System, but ONLY the topmost card in each System can be used to earn System Bonuses (see System Bonus Phase). Note that some System card Abilities have enhanced effects when covering other cards in their System.

Anatomy of a System card: Credit cost to purchase from the Market; Power cost; System type (Tactical = red card, Comms = blue card, Engineering = green card); Card Ability; System Bonuses.

Note: If Crew possessing the Crew Expertise shown on the bottom of a System card are present during the System Bonus Phase, you will earn these Bonuses (see "System Bonus Phase").

All System cards remain in play until you attempt to Draw a new System card from an exhausted System deck. At this point, all System cards in play and in your System discard are shuffled together to create a new System deck.

Crew Cards

To play a Crew card from your hand, place it under one of the 3 Systems (below the "Stationed Crew" banner). Then perform the card's Ability. Crew played this way are now considered in the above System.

Crew Card Abilities almost always provide Power to the System they are played in, as well as other various effects. These effects can be performed in any order you wish.

Anatomy of a Crew card: Credit cost to recruit from the Market; Crew Expertise; Card Ability.

Crew come in one of 3 Expertise types. Crew of any Expertise type can be played in any System (so long as you do not exceed the 3 Crew per System limit).

Note: If Crew possessing the Crew Expertise shown on the bottom of a System card are present (in the same System) during the System Bonus Phase, you will earn these Bonuses. For this reason, do not cover the Expertise icons of crew that are in play.

Crew cards remain in play until you attempt to Draw a new Crew card from an exhausted Crew deck. At this point, all Crew cards in play and in your Crew discard are shuffled together to create a new Crew deck.

In the rare circumstance you have 9 Crew in play (3 in each System), you MAY choose to move ALL 9 Crew to your discard. This rule exists to make sure it is always possible to play Crew cards.

If a Crew card has an ongoing effect it is best practice to play them in such a way that their Abilities stay uncovered.

Resolving Card Abilities

Damage - When an Ability grants Damage, immediately Damage the opposing player's ship by having them move their Hull Integrity tracker down the indicated amount.
Hull Repair - When an Ability grants Repair, immediately Repair your ship by moving your ship's Hull Integrity tracker up the indicated amount. Your maximum Hull Integrity is 20 and cannot be exceeded.
Credits - When an Ability grants Credits, immediately move your Credit tracker up the indicated amount of spaces. The maximum amount of Credits you can hold is 10. These Credits are not spent until the Market Phase, unless a card Ability specifically directs otherwise. Unspent Credits carry over from turn to turn.
Power - When an Ability grants Power, immediately move the specified (or chosen) System's Power Gauge tracker up the indicated amount. The maximum amount of Power a System can hold is 8. Crew cards can always provide Power to the System they are played in, while some System cards (like your starting Engineering cards) allow you to choose the System that receives the Power. Unconsumed System Power carries over from turn to turn.
- Note that the red battery icon, typically found in the upper right corner of System cards, indicates the amount of Power that must be spent from the System the card is played into. If the System does not have the amount of Power needed, then the System card cannot be played but may be Discarded. Whenever you choose to Discard a card without playing it, earn 2 Credits.
Malfunctions - When an Ability grants a Malfunction, immediately add the top Malfunction card to one of your opponent's discards. Whenever a Malfunction is drawn by a player, follow the directions on the Malfunction card in order (see "Card Clarifications"). If you cannot deal a Malfunction because the Malfunction supply has been depleted, then the Malfunction Ability has no effect.
Malfunction Repair - When an Ability grants a Malfunction Repair, you may immediately remove a Malfunction from one of your discard piles and place it face-up back onto the top of the Malfunction deck. If there are no Malfunctions in either discard pile, this Ability has no effect.

There are many cards that specify a unique Ability. Follow the card's instructions to the best of your ability. For clarifications on specific cards and general card terms, see the Glossary.

Example: The active player is playing a System card from their hand. Since the card being played (Nuclear Reactor) is an Engineering System card, they play the card in Engineering. The upper right corner of the card indicates that it has a Power cost of "0" to play, so no Power needs to be spent from the Engineering System Power Gauge. The card's Ability ("Gain 3 Power to any System") now activates, and the active player chooses to apply the 3 Power it provides to Engineering. The player would only gain the Abilities on the bottom line of the card during their System Bonus Phase IF they had an Engineer in play in Engineering.

2. Market Phase

During the Market Phase you may spend as many Credits from your supply as you wish to purchase new face up System cards. You may also spend Credits to recruit (purchase) new Crewmembers (Crew cards) to your ship.

To make a purchase, simply pay the Credit cost shown in the upper left corner of the card by reducing your ship's Credit Supply Tracker by the indicated Credit cost amount.

All purchased cards are immediately added to their respective discard piles (i.e. System cards go to your System discard pile, while Crew cards go to your Crew discard pile).

Purchased Crew are automatically replaced by the next card in their deck, as those cards are face up. Upon purchasing a System card, immediately replace it in the Market with the next card in that System's Market deck. In the rare circumstance there are no cards left in a deck, cards of this type can no longer be earned.

At any time during this phase, you may pay 2 Credits to refresh (replace) a single SET of Market cards. Market cards for a single System (like the 2 available Engineering System cards) constitute a set, while all 3 available Crew cards are a set. Replaced cards are added to the bottom of their respective decks.

3. System Bonus Phase

During the System Bonus Phase, Bonuses can be earned for the top card in each of your 3 different Systems (System Bonus Abilities can only be triggered once per System, per turn). If a System card is moved during this phase, do not gain any Bonuses on revealed System cards. If an Ability lets you move a Crew card during this phase, you may use the moved Crewmember to trigger Bonuses in more than one System.

Example: During the System Bonus Phase, the player would deal 1 Damage and Draw an additional card (during their upcoming Draw Phase) because they have Crew with Expertise matching two of the Bonuses printed on the topmost card in Engineering (the Teleporter). They would not, however, earn any Bonuses for the Scrizzian Claw card that was played in Comms, as the Expertise required does not match the Expertise of the in-System Crewman.

Check the System Bonus area on each card. If you have Crew with matching Expertise in the System, then the Bonus must be earned (but is typically only earned once per Expertise type; see the exceptions below).

Note: Some cards offer more than 1 Bonus, usually when Crew cards of various types are present in the System. All Bonuses can be claimed in any order you wish. Unless otherwise specified, a specific Expertise Bonus on a System card can only be earned once per round.

Whenever a System Bonus grants a card Draw, Draw an additional card during the upcoming Draw Phase.

Occasionally a single System card will have a stacked set of Crew Expertise icons. These cards have unique interactions with Crew present in their System. The card Ability will clearly describe how to proceed.

4. Draw Phase

During the Draw Phase, you Draw 3 cards (or more if you earned additional card Draws in the System Bonus Phase). Cards are Drawn one at a time and may be from either the System or Crew deck. Once you have Drawn the appropriate number of cards your turn is over and play proceeds to the other player.

Resolve any Malfunctions as they are Drawn, following the directions on each Malfunction card. Note that some Malfunctions may grant you a card Draw, while others do not (see Card Clarifications).

Note: If ever you want to Draw a card from a deck that is empty, immediately Discard all cards of that type that are in play to your discard, shuffle the entire discard pile to make a new deck, and Draw a card.

Winning and Losing

When a player's Hull Integrity Tracker reaches the "0" space, their ship has been destroyed, with all hands.

The surviving player is the winner, bringing glory and hope to their people!

Glossary

Factions

The Federation Remnant and The Sunder: when these Faction icons appear in the upper left corner of a card or on a Ship Mat, they indicate the Faction they belong to. Each player starts with 1 Ship Mat, 3 System cards, and 3 Crew cards, all belonging to a single Faction.

System Types

Engineering (green card), Comms (blue card), Tactical (red card).

These icons appear on Ship Mats to indicate where System cards of a matching type can be played. System cards have color themed borders matching each other, as well as System icons which can be found in the middle right of each System card. A System card can only be played in its matching System, and any Power cost must be paid from the same System, unless directed otherwise.

Crew Types

Engineer, Comms Expert, Tactician.

These icons appear on Crew cards to indicate what Expertise the Crewmember possesses. They also appear on the bottom of System cards in the System Bonus area. During the System Bonus Phase, Crewmembers that provide the Expertise shown on System cards will earn you Bonus Abilities. Crewmembers (Crew cards) of any Expertise type can be played into any System.

Game Terms

SCRAP: When this term appears, it means that the indicated card is "Scrapped" (removed from the current game).
In-System: An "in-System" card has already been played in a specific System. This applies to System cards as well as Crew cards played in a System.
In-Play: An "in-play" card is any card you have played into a System. Cards that are Scrapped, Discarded, or in a player's hand or deck are not "in-play" cards.
Covered: A "covered" card is any System card that has been covered by another. Covered System cards are considered "in-play" until discarded.
Uncovered: An "uncovered" System card is one that is in play and also the topmost card in its System. If ever this card is covered (by another system card) then its Abilities cease.

Card Clarifications

Ship's A.I. - Once this card is played, you may immediately play another System card from your hand with no Power cost. If you cannot, you must choose the card's other Ability. Solo Mode: Choose the Ability you believe is in the best interest of the A.I. player.
Super Computer - The card you move to your hand may be played with Power from any System. This means a Comms card (or a card from another System) may be played with Power from Tactical, or with Power from all 3 Systems if you wish. Solo Mode: Move the card with the highest (playable) Power cost to the hand of the A.I. player.
Quantum Artifact - Your options are one of the top cards from any deck type in the Market. This can be a System card or even a card from one of the face up Crew card decks. You may not Draw 2 cards from the same deck type. Solo Mode: Move 2 cards from the A.I. Market deck to their hand.
Keshran Corsair - As stated, this card essentially becomes another uncovered, in-play System card from either ship. The card being copied may be from any System, even if it is not a Comms System card. The Corsair will continue to duplicate the copied card until either card is no longer in play, at which time it returns to normal. Solo Mode: Copy the card with the highest Power cost.
Cloaked Mines - The standard 3 card Draw at the end of an opponent's turn does not trigger this card's "uncovered" Ability. The System Bonus Ability on this card would always deal 1 Damage to your opponent when triggered (as they are Drawing a card because of an Ability). If the card your opponent Draws is a Malfunction they would immediately take 1 additional Damage.
Fleet Frigate, Holodeck, Ion Cannon & Dexeer Symbiote - All of these cards allow you to move in-play Crew cards (on your ship) from one stated System to another (see cards for specifics). The Crew card is only moved and is not played (does not gain their Abilities back). These movements are intended to help you get positive System Bonuses, avoid negative ones, or free up space for new Crew cards to move into other Systems.

For more information on "WHILE IN PLAY" card modifiers, see "Game Terms".

Malfunctions

Console Overload & Power Failure - Both of these Malfunctions: (1) trigger their topmost Ability, (2) allow you to Draw a replacement card, and (3) are returned to the discard for the same deck they were drawn from.
Secondary Explosion - This Malfunction: (1) deals 2 Damage to your ship, (2) allows you to Draw a replacement card, and (3) is returned to the top of the Malfunction deck.
Vented Compartment - This Malfunction: (1) counts as your card Draw, (2) is then returned to the top of the Malfunction deck.

Gameplay Variants

Asymmetrical Starting Cards

Asymmetrical Play: To play an Asymmetrical game, remove the 6 standard Starting System cards to the box (3 Federation Remnant, 3 Sunder), then replace them with the 6 Asymmetrical Starting System cards. There are 3 Asymmetrical System cards for each faction, each set having a unique symbol in the top left corner. Once the original Starting System cards have been replaced, follow regular setup rules.

Fog of War

Build your own starting hands, draw cards blind, or do a little bit of both! You can also agree to start with more than the standard 3 cards per set. The only rule is that you agree before the game begins.

Solo Mode

Setup

Set up using normal rules, then make the following adjustments to the A.I. player's Mat and cards: start them with 3 Power in each System, 6 Credits, and 20 Hull Integrity.

Take the following card quantities from decks in the Market area (without looking at them if possible): 5 Tactical cards, 4 Comms cards, 3 Engineering cards, and 2 Crew cards of each Expertise type. Shuffle these 18 cards together to create one deck. This is the A.I. player's Market deck. Choose a difficulty level: Easy (1 card), Medium (2 cards), Hard (3 cards), Insane (4 cards) and move the indicated number of cards from the top of their Market deck to their discard.

Shuffle their Starting System and Crew cards together to create one mixed deck (the A.I. player also Discards all cards into one discard pile), then place this deck in the middle of the Card Draw area on the Ship Mat. This combined deck is their Player deck. Without looking, Draw their starting hand of 4 cards and set them face down.

Gameplay

Solo Mode begins with the player's turn first.

The following rules describe how to generally automate the A.I. player's gameplay, but they do not cover every scenario. As a general rule, when faced with making a decision for them, make the one that is in their best interest.

On the A.I. player's turn, flip over their card hand and take the following steps:

Play any System cards that can be played - If there is not enough Power to play a System card, play a Crew card in the System that can provide enough Power (prioritize Crew with an Expertise matching any System Bonus Abilities on the System card). If there's nothing you can do to play a System card (or the card Ability is not beneficial), Discard it and add 2 Credits to their Credit Supply Tracker.
Play Crew cards into ship Systems - Whenever the A.I. player plays a Starting Crew card with an "OR" Ability, they always choose to gain the Power (nothing else). Crew are always played using the following hierarchy:
- A. Systems with no Power
- B. Systems containing a System card with an unpaired System Bonus Ability
- C. The System with the lowest Power
- D. A System matching their color/type (Engineers in Engineering, etc.)
The A.I. player will never play a Crew card into a System with full Power (unless you deem the System Bonus Ability worth it).
Make Market purchases - For every 3 Credits on the A.I. player's Credit Supply Tracker, Draw cards from their special Market deck and add them to their combined discard pile. Each card taken this way costs them 3 Credits from their Credit Tracker. These cards are considered "purchased" when applying Abilities.
Claim System Bonus Abilities - This is done following the same rules as standard play. For help with specific Solo Abilities, see the Solo Mode Ability Guide or "Card Clarifications".
Draw Cards - The A.I. player has a standard Draw of 4 cards. Draw the A.I. player's cards without looking at them and set them aside. Malfunctions are resolved at the beginning of their next turn. Play now moves back to the human player.

Solo Mode Ability Guide

Whenever you play a card, apply as many of its Abilities as you can using normal game rules and playing to the A.I. player's best interests. The guide below is meant to help you quickly decide what to do on cards that require a decision to be made.

Power: Power from System Card Abilities is always sent to the System with the least Power (unless the Ability can be used to play another System card).
"Taking in-play/discarded": If a card Ability mentions taking an "in-play" or "discarded" card then the A.I. player will take the card with the highest Credit cost from their play area (Starting cards are considered 0 cost).
Scrap: If a card Ability says to Scrap a card, then start by Scrapping the card with the lowest Credit cost. (Starting cards are considered 0 cost.)
Taking Market cards: Every time a card Ability says to take a Market card, Draw a card from the A.I. player's special Market deck, placing it in the area indicated on the played card.
Discarding: If you force the A.I. player to Discard a card, reveal their hand and Discard the card with the lowest Credit cost. (Starting cards are considered 0 cost.) If an Ability mentions Discarding an opponent's in-play card(s), start by Discarding your card with the highest Credit cost.
Some card Abilities (like Boarding Party or Repair Teams) benefit from Crew being played first. Do what you think is in the A.I. player's best interests.
Malfunctions: When the A.I. player deals a Malfunction, place it in your discard pile with the FEWEST cards (in the case of a tie place it in the System discard pile). When the A.I. player deals a Malfunction to the top of one of your decks, place it on the deck with the MOST cards (in the case of a tie place it on the System deck).

If a certain card has you stuck on what to do, check "Card Clarifications" for Solo Mode specific rules. If still stuck, make a choice that is in the best interests of the A.I. player.

After your first game, experiment with different combinations of cards or even choose the ones you wish for the A.I. player to play with.