The Warp
The Warp Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Component overview
- Alien race cards
- Player boards
- Warp guardian cards
- Supply boards
- Archive cards
- Mission cards
- Reward cards
- 6 Player screens
- Board zones: Central zone, Connect zone, Player zones
- Energy cubes
- Gold cubes
- Marker cubes
- Exiled tokens
- Exiled modifiers
- Command centers
- Gold mines
- Energy plants
- Trade posts
- Troops
- Laser cannons
- Sentry towers
- Assault ships
- Multiplier tokens
- Worm hole token
- Attack dice
- Defense dice
- Mission points
- Ability tokens
Game objective
The Warp is a 4X (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) board game for 1 to 4 players (6 players with the expansion) set on a forsaken planet. You will choose 2 of the 16 unique alien races to lead your colony along the chosen path(s): progress, conquest or prosperity. You might even try to gain control over the secret warp gate and find out who was behind this catastrophe. By performing missions, you will gain mission points and the player with the most mission points at the end of the game wins. Along the way you will need to manage your resources, conquer unstable wastelands and face rival colonies and exiled races with shifting allegiances.
End of the game
The players will take turns in clockwise order until a player reaches 9 mission points. This announcement triggers the end game and the game will continue for a final 3 full rounds (1-4 players) or 2 rounds (5-6 players), ending with the player that triggered the end game. The player with the highest total number of mission points at the end of these rounds wins the game. In case of a tie the game is won by the player with the most achieved missions. If both the total number of mission points and the number of achieved missions are equal, then victory is shared.
A Player's Turn
A player's turn consists of 3 phases in the following order:
- I. Income phase:
- a. Extract: receive resources OR troop(s)
- b. Consult: discard and draw cards
- II. Action phase: perform a single action
- III. End phase: move troops, reveal new areas and replenish missions.
When a player's turn is completed play passes to the next player in clockwise order.
I. Income phase
a. Extract
At the start of the income phase the active player Extracts and must choose one of the following:
- Receive resources (gold and energy)
- Receive troop(s)
The amount of resources or troops the player receives depends on the progress on their personal Player board. So let's first take a detailed look at the player board.
The player board keeps track of a player's progress in 4 different fields: Command, Energy, Gold and Trade. Each track is tied to a specific building type and by performing Builds and Upgrades of that type, players will advance on that track:
- Building and upgrading Command centers advances the Command track.
- Building and upgrading Energy plants advances the Energy track.
- Building and upgrading Gold mines advances the Gold track.
- Building and upgrading Trade posts advances the Trade track.
By advancing on the tracks, players will increase their Extract phase income, unlock special bonuses and achieve certain missions. Each of the 4 tracks consists of 12 positions and a marker is used to track the progress on each track. The position on a track is equal to the number of buildings of that type the player controls on the board, multiplied by their upgrade level. If for example a player controls 3 Energy plants on the board and the energy plant level is 2, their energy track position will be 6 (3 multiplied by 2 is 6).
Choosing resources
When a player chooses to receive resources during the Extract phase, they receive Energy and Gold. To know the exact amount they will receive, they will check their position on the Energy track and the Gold track. Their position on the Energy track, and the amount of energy they will receive, depends on the number of Energy plants they control, multiplied by the upgrade level of their Energy plants. Their position on the Gold track, and the number of gold cubes they receive, depends on the number of Gold mines they control, multiplied by the upgrade level of their Gold mines.
Example: it's the blue player's turn and during the Extract phase he chooses to receive resources. He first checks the player board for his position on the Energy and Gold tracks. On the Energy track he is on position 3, giving him 2 energy. On the Gold track he is on position 2, giving him 1 gold. All received resources are taken from the general supply and put on his personal supply board. The reason he is positioned on position 3 of the Energy track is because he owns a total of 3 energy plants on areas he controls and his Energy plants are at level 1 on his Player board. So 3 energy plants multiplied by an upgrade level of 1 results in a position 3 (3 x 1 = 3) on the Energy track. As he owns 1 gold mine on areas he controls and his Gold mine upgrade level is at level 2, he is on position 2 of the Gold track (1 x 2 = 2).
Choosing troops
The allowed troop income is determined by a player's progress on the Command track. Their position on this track equals the number of built Command Centers multiplied by the Command Center upgrade level. The received troops during the income phase may be placed:
- On the board on any area(s) they control. An area is considered under control when it holds at least one of their troops. When receiving multiple troops, the player may spread them over multiple areas under control. Each area in the game can only hold a maximum of 4 troops.
- In the player's troop reserve on their supply board. Any troops already in their reserve at the start of their income phase may be placed on the playboard during that income phase.
- Any combination of both options.
Example: It's the green player's turn and during the Extract phase she chooses to receive troops. She controls 3 Command centers on the board and the Command centers upgrade level is on level 2. So on the Command track she is positioned on position 6 (3 x 2 = 6). This position gives her an income of 3 troops. She chooses to place a troop on each of her two areas and places the third troop in her personal supply on her supply board.
Note: In the unlikely event that the general supply runs out of Gold or Energy, find a suitable replacement. Players can still obtain gold and energy when the general supply is depleted. This is not the case for Troops. If all troops of a color are placed on the board or in supply, that player cannot place additional troops.
Track income tiers
Each of the four tracks pays out in the same tiers:
| Track position | Income |
|---|---|
| 1 - 2 | 1 (troop / energy / gold / 1x trade) |
| 3 - 5 | 2 (troops / energy / gold / 2x trade) |
| 6 - 7 | 3 (troops / energy / gold / 3x trade) |
| 8 - 12 | 3, plus the track bonus |
Track bonuses
As the players advance on the 4 different tracks on the player board, they can unlock powerful track bonuses. Each track has a different bonus. When a player reaches position 8 or up on the track, they gain the specific track bonus. It's important to note that the highest unlocked income tier remains active. For instance, when a player gains the Command track bonus, they will still receive 3 troops when choosing troops during the extract phase.
Command track
- Draw an extra Archive card when drawing cards during the Consult phase.
- Reduce the total resource cost of Combat cards by 1 gold and 1 energy.
Energy track
- Double the total discard value of discarded cards during the Consult phase.
- You may reroll up to 2 of your dice during combat.
Gold track
- Take an extra Reward card when winning any combat.
- You may flip one of your dice to the opposing side during combat (for instance change a 2 into a 5).
Trade track
- Double your resource income (gold and energy) during the Extract phase.
- Add 1 to all your die roll values during combat.
The first player to reach position 12 on a specific track places the marker on the mission point position at the end of that Track. Markers placed on a mission point position are considered locked and can no longer be moved during the rest of the game. That player may also immediately claim the specific track mission card and receives 3 mission points.
Note: at the start of the game you start on the position 1 of every track because each Player colony area contains a Command Center, Energy Plant, Gold mine and Trade Post of level 1 (1 x 1 = 1). To reach the end of a specific track (position 12) the player needs 4 builds of that type with an upgrade level of 3 (4 x 3 = 12).
b. Consult
After Extracting the active player will Consult the Archives. When consulting the active player performs the following steps:
- Discard up to 3 Archive cards (Optional)
- Draw 2 Archive cards
When discarding cards during the Consult step, the active player can discard up to 3 Archive cards. The player reveals the card(s) they want to discard and places these cards face-up on the discard pile next to the Archive Deck. They may take resources (gold and/or energy) equal to the total discard value of the discarded cards from the general supply and place it onto their reserve on the Supply board. The discard value is marked in the lower left corner of each card. Discarding Archive cards is optional and is not a requirement for drawing cards.
After the optional discarding, the player draws 2 Archive cards. The player may choose to draw them from the facedown Archive deck or from the 4 open Archive cards, in any combination. If open face-up cards were taken, these are replenished from the Archive deck at the end of the Consult step. If at any point the 4 open Archive cards are all of the same type (Build - Upgrade - Combat), shuffle the discard pile and all open Archive cards into the facedown Archive deck and reveal 4 new open cards.
The maximum Archive card hand size is 8. Players cannot draw cards while they hold 8 Archive cards in hand.
Note: if at any time during the game a player may draw an Archive card, the player may choose to take this card from the facedown Archive deck or from the open Archive card line-up in any combination.
Example: At the start of his consult phase the red player chooses to discard 3 archive cards. He selects and reveals the 3 cards: a build, an upgrade and a combat card (Maneuver). These cards are placed face up in the discard pile and he adds the total discard value (2 gold, 2 energy) to his personal Supply board. The red player then draws 1 card from the open Archive cards lineup, and 1 from the facedown Archive deck and adds both to his hand.
Note: Only during the Consult step do players receive the discard value. If any effect forces a player to discard a card during the game, they do not receive the discard value.
II. Action phase
The active player chooses one action from the following:
- a. Develop
- b. Terrashift
- c. Attack
a. Develop
When a player chooses the Develop action, that player must play 1 Archive card of the Action type from their hand. The Archive deck contains 2 general types of cards:
- Action cards, marked by a yellow background,
- Combat Cards, marked by a blue background.
This card type is also marked in the bottom right corner of the card. Only action cards can be played during the Develop phase and there are 2 types of Action cards:
- Build cards: place a building miniature (Command Center, Gold Mine, ...) on any area you control on the board with the following restrictions:
- An area may not hold more than 1 building of the same type.
- Gold Mines must be built on areas containing gold.
- Energy Plants must be built on areas containing energy.
- Upgrade cards: level up the chosen type on the player board. This increases the value of each building of that type on the player track.
Note: Each player also starts the game with 1 Start card. This action card can be used as a build or an upgrade card.
An Action card shows the action type at the top, up to 3 options each with their own resource cost, and the card type plus discard value at the bottom.
When choosing to Develop, the active player reveals a single Action card from their hand, shows the chosen option and pays the required resource cost lowered by 1 resource of their choice. These paid resources are placed in the general supply. The played Action card is placed face up in the discard pile next to the Archive deck. Only 1 option of the played Action card can be chosen.
If the player played a Build card and the selected option is a type linked to a track on the Player board (Command centers, Energy plants, Gold mines and Trade posts) the player advances the track marker on that track.
If the player played an Upgrade card, the player adjusts the Upgrade level of that type on the Player board. If the upgraded type is linked to a track on the Player board, the track marker is advanced on that track.
Example: In her action phase the purple player chooses to Develop and thus play an Action card. She reveals a Build card and chooses the first option, the Energy Plant. She pays the required resource cost, reduced by 1 resource of her choice, and ends up paying 2 gold. She places an Energy Plant miniature on an area she controls (containing energy) and adjusts the Energy track marker. The used card is placed face up in the discard pile.
Follow
After the active player used the Develop action, all other players may choose to follow this action and also play a single Action card from their hand (upgrade or build). When they decide to follow, they play any Action card from their hand, choose an option and pay the full required resource cost. All other players may perform this simultaneously. If, due to this develop action, a mission is simultaneously achieved by multiple players, priority is given to the currently active player and then passes in clockwise order. As a bonus the active player receives 1 gold or 1 energy (the active player may choose) for every other player that decides to follow, with a maximum of 3 resources. The active player takes these resources from the general supply and adds them to their personal supply. There is no limit to the number of players that can follow this action.
Note: Following players are not restricted by the action type of the card played by the active player. This means a following player may play a Build card when the active player played an Upgrade card (and vice versa).
Build and Upgrade types
| Name | Effect | Cards | Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Command center | Advances the Command track. | Build, Upgrade | none |
| Energy plant | Advances the Energy track. | Build, Upgrade | Areas containing energy |
| Gold mine | Advances the Gold track. | Build, Upgrade | Areas containing gold |
| Trade post | Advances the Trade track. Whenever built perform a Mission card switch. | Build, Upgrade | none |
| Laser cannon | Pay energy to destroy troops from a distance. | Build | none |
| Sentry tower | +1 value bonus on all combat die rolls. Area cannot be targeted by a Laser Cannon or attacked by an Assault Ship. | Build | none |
| Assault ship | Increases the attack range by 1. Increases line of sight by 1. Separate combat multiplier. | Build, Upgrade | none |
Trade post
By building and upgrading Trade Posts, players will advance on the Trade track. The position on the Trade track is determined by the number of built Trade posts, multiplied by the Trade post upgrade level on the player board. Advancing on the Trade track increases the number of allowed trades (see Trading).
When building a Trade post the player may perform a Mission card switch. The player may discard a private mission card, draw 2 missions of a mission deck of your choice and keep 1. Both the discarded and non-chosen mission cards are put on the bottom of the mission deck.
Laser cannon
Each Laser cannon a player controls can be activated once by that player during their own turn (any phase except during combat). The player pays either 1 energy or 2 energy and chooses a visible target area within a radius of 2 areas. An area is considered visible if it contains player troops or a face-up exiled token. The player then rolls one die for every paid energy. For each 4, 5 or 6 die value on the rolled dice, destroy a troop on the targeted area. If the targeted area contained an exile troop token and not all troops were destroyed, place an exiled modifier for each destroyed troop. The Laser cannon activation requires no action. The Laser cannon cannot target:
- The Warp Gate
- Player Colony areas
- Areas containing a Sentry tower
The Laser cannon is an expensive building but it offers an excellent mid- to late game solution to weaken defenses, deter potential aggressive players and expand without using the attack action.
Sentry tower
When a player attacks from an area or defends an area holding a Sentry Tower, they receive a +1 die value bonus on all rolled combat dice during combat. As noted in the combat section, the dice values cannot exceed the value 6 unless an ability or card effect specifically states otherwise. An area containing a Sentry tower cannot be targeted by a Laser Cannon or attacked by an Assault ship.
The Sentry tower is a versatile and cheap building that grants more defensive securities and a combat power bonus when attacking from the specific area.
Assault Ship
When an area from which an attack action is initiated contains an Assault ship, the controlling player may choose to attack any area within a 2-area radius. This means not only adjacent areas can be attacked. The Assault ship moves along with the attacking troop(s) to the targeted area. During combat, the attacking combat multiplier solely depends on the upgrade level of the Assault ship and the area combat multiplier of the attacking area is ignored. By upgrading the Assault ship on the player board, the combat multiplier is increased up to 4. When defending an area containing an Assault ship, the Assault ship has no influence on the combat multiplier.
The Assault Ship also increases the line of sight by 1. So upon placement and during the reveal phase, you may flip all exiled race tokens to the visible side on all areas in a 2-radius range. Assault ships may be moved during the end phase when moving together with at least 1 troop. In that case, it can be moved to any area controlled by the same player within a range of 2 areas. An Assault ship can be moved during the movement phase if moved along with at least 1 troop. The Assault ship offers a player scouting advantages, increased attack options and extra mobility.
Example: During an action phase the blue player plays an action card and builds an Assault ship. He places the Assault ship on the area adjacent to his colony. Upon placement of the assault ship he may reveal exiled troops on all areas within a 2-radius range. On his next turn he picks the attack action. He selects the area containing the Assault ship and using this, he can attack any area within a 2-radius range. He targets the multiplier 1 area containing 2 exiled troops. He places the 3 attacking troops and the assault ship onto the area. Combat proceeds as normal but, since the assault ship was used, the attack combat multiplier depends solely on the assault ship level. In this particular case the assault ship is upgraded to level 2 and thus has a combat multiplier of 3. If the attack is successful, the attacking troops and the assault ship conquer the territory. If the defenders win, the attackers lose 1 troop and return, along with the assault ship, to the area from which the attack originated.
b. Terrashift
The active player chooses any two areas on the board except for:
- Areas controlled by other players.
- The Warp gate.
The player can thus select areas they control, areas with exiled tokens and empty areas. On one of the chosen areas the area's combat multiplier is increased by 1, on the other area the multiplier is decreased by 1. The terrashift action is free and requires no cost.
The area combat multiplier indicates the height of an area. Higher areas provide significant advantages during combat, as will become obvious in the Attack action section. The maximum multiplier of any area in the game, except for the Warp Gate, is 4. Some card effects can however temporarily increase the combat multiplier above 4. The minimum multiplier of any area in the game is 1.
After the active player uses the Terrashift action, all other players may simultaneously choose to follow and alter the area combat multiplier of a single area by 1 (so increase OR decrease). They may choose any target area except for areas controlled by other players, the Warp Gate, or areas that were already targeted by the terrashift action this turn. In case multiple players want to alter the same area, priority is given to the player left of the active player and passing in clockwise order. Following this action requires no cost but the active player may draw an Archive card for each player following (limited to a maximum of 3 cards).
Example: the blue player selects the terrashift action during his action phase. He alters the multiplier of two areas of his choice, in this case his colony and the top left adjacent area. He may increase the multiplier by 1 on one area, which he performs on his colony area, and lower one multiplier by 1, which he executes on the top left area. The terrashift action is followed by 2 other players so the blue player may draw 2 Archive cards.
c. Attack
Whenever the attack action is chosen, the combat phase starts. Combat consists of the following steps:
- Select Target
- Play Combat Card(s)
- Bribe
- Reveal Combat Card(s)
- Dice roll
- Resolve
1. Select target
The active player announces:
- One area they control from which the attack will start.
- The targeted adjacent area. Areas containing a Worm hole token are also considered to be adjacent to each other. Colony areas can never be the target of an attack.
- The number of attacking troops. The player moves the attacking troops onto the targeted area. At least 1 troop must remain in the area from which the attack originated. Because of the troop limit on each area (4), the maximum number of initially attacking troops is thus 3 (4 - 1 = 3). Certain combat cards, such as Reinforce, can increase the total number of attacking troops to maximum 4 by adding extra forces on the attacked area.
2. Play combat cards
- Attack card: First the attacking player announces if they want to play a single Combat card. If so, the attacking player places one combat card from their hand face down (unrevealed) on the table in front of them. At this point no decision is made what option (on the combat card) will be activated.
- Defend card:
- If the targeted area is controlled by another player, only the defending player can, if they want, play a single combat card from their hand and place it face down (unrevealed) on the table in front of them.
- If the targeted area is controlled by an Exiled race (any area with an Exiled troop token), other players will have the opportunity to play 1 Combat card in support of the exiled race. This opportunity is first given to the opponent to the left of the attacker and then passed clockwise until a single Combat card is played. As soon as 1 Combat card is played in support, no other Combat cards can be played. When playing a card in support of the Exiled race, all combat effects are applied to the exiled race during this combat. If all opponents decline, no card is played. Players are free to communicate at any point during this process.
Some combat cards have special conditions or effects that are marked by the '!' symbol. It's important to read this text first to see if the card can be played and if the card will have any effect during combat. During this whole phase players can only play cards of the combat type.
Example: the blue player is the active player and chooses the attack action. He declares the attacking area, the number of attacking troops and the target: an area controlled by an exiled race. He decides to play a Combat card and thus places it face down in front of him. Starting with the player to his left and then clockwise, other players can decide to play a combat card in support of the exiled race. The red and then the orange player decline but the green player decides to play a combat card in support of the exiled. Since the green player played a combat card no other player may play another card.
3. Bribe
The attacking player may offer the defending or supporting player a bribe to discard the chosen played card. This bribe can consist of any number and any combination of:
- Gold, Energy and/or Troops present in the personal supply.
- Archive cards in hand (which may even be named specifically).
- Reward cards present in the personal supply.
The attacking player announces the offered bribe and the other defending/supporting player can only accept or decline. If the player declines, they may offer a single counter offer. Once again there can be no negotiation, the counter offer can only be accepted or declined.
- If either offer is accepted, the combat card played by the defending/supporting player is placed face up in the discard pile and it has no effect during this combat. The attacking player pays the bribe to the defending/supporting player and the reveal phase starts.
- If declined, the combat card played by the defending or supporting player remains in play and the reveal phase starts.
4. Reveal
All players with a facedown combat card simultaneously reveal the facedown Combat card, the chosen option and the paid resource cost. To achieve this simultaneous reveal, players take the resources for the chosen option in hand and reveal those resources while flipping the combat card faceup. The effect of the played cards is applied during combat. If a player has chosen to play a combat card and was not bribed, they are obliged to play the card and pay for one of the options on the card. If the lowest option on the chosen card cannot be paid, the player must discard the card and reveal all resources in their supply.
5. Dice Rolling
The attacking player rolls a red attack die for each attacking troop. The sum of all dice (including any bonuses from Combat cards, Alien race cards and/or track bonuses) is then multiplied by the area combat multiplier of the attacking area to determine the total attack combat power.
The defending player rolls a black defense die for each defending troop. The number of troops of an exiled race is always displayed by the number of visible weapons on the exiled race tokens. When the defending area is controlled by an exiled race, the player who supports the exiled race by playing a card may perform all defensive dice rolls. If no supporting cards were played, the player to the left of the attacker performs all defensive dice rolls. The sum of all defensive dice thrown is then multiplied by the area combat multiplier of the defending area to determine the total defense combat power.
No die roll value can exceed 6, even with applied bonuses from cards and other sources. It is only possible to exceed 6 when an effect specifically states that the maximum die value is higher.
Example: the purple player is defending an area with 2 troops. She plays an Enforce Combat Card with the +1 to all dice roll values effect. She rolls 2 combat dice and rolls a 3 and a 6. With the +1 to all dice value bonus, the dice values become a 4 and a 6.
When both the attacking and defending player have combat bonuses (such as dice rerolling, dice flipping, etc.) they are resolved one by one, alternating between the attacker (first) and the defender. A player with multiple combat bonuses from Combat cards, Alien race cards and/or track bonuses, may choose the order in which they are executed.
6. Resolution
- Attack combat power < Defense combat power: the attack is unsuccessful. The attacking troops retreat to the area of origin but suffer 1 troop loss in the process. This troop is returned to the general supply. The defending player receives a Reward card. If a Combat card was played in support of an Exiled race, the supporting player receives an additional Reward card.
- Attack combat power = Defense combat power: Both sides lose 1 troop. In case the defending area was controlled by an exiled race, place an Exile modifier on the area to mark there is now 1 less troop on the area. If the defending side has any remaining troops, the defense is successful, the attacker retreats and the defender may draw a Reward card. If a Combat card was played in support of an Exiled race, the supporting player receives an additional Reward card. If no defensive troops remain and the attacker has remaining attacking troops, the attacker conquers the area and draws a Reward card.
- Attack combat power > Defense combat power: The attack is successful and all defensive troops are destroyed. All buildings in the conquered area fall into the possession of the attacking player. All Command Center, Gold Mine, Energy Plants and Trade post miniatures are replaced by the same miniatures of the new controller's color. In this case the progress Tracks on the Player boards are adjusted. The attacking player may draw a Reward card from the Reward card deck and place it on their Supply board.
Note: In the unlikely case that no troops remain on the defending area after combat, no Reward cards are drawn. Any building miniatures on the area remain on the area but do not count for Track progression. Only areas with troops are considered under control of a player or exiled race.
Example: The blue player chooses to attack the adjacent space controlled by the yellow exiled race with 3 troops (= 3 attacking dice) and moves them into the target area. He chooses not to play a combat card. The green player decides to play a combat card in support of the exiled race. The attempt by the blue player to bribe the green player fails and she plays a Reinforce card, adding 1 troop to the defending exiled race. This is marked by the exile modifier. So for this combat she will roll 2 defensive dice. The attacking player rolls a 4, a 3 and a 2. The sum of these rolls is 9. This is multiplied by the area multiplier of the attacking area. So in this case 9 is multiplied by 2 for total attack power of 18 (9 x 2). The defending green player rolls a 4 and a 5. The sum of these 2 dice (4 + 5 = 9) is then multiplied by the area combat multiplier of the defending area, which is 4, so the total defense power is 36. Since the defense power is higher than the attack power the green player successfully defends the exiled race. The blue player must retreat his troops to the area of origin and loses 1 troop in the process. The green player draws a Reward card for winning the combat and an additional Reward card for successfully supporting an Exiled race.
Reward Cards
When a Reward card is obtained (by winning a combat), the player draws the top reward card from the reward card deck and places it on their Supply board. Here they can store a maximum of 4 Reward cards. At any point during their own turn, except during combat, a player may spend reward cards in 1 of 2 possible ways:
- To gain the reward card effect on the reward card (draw extra cards, perform a certain build, obtain extra resources, etc.). See the symbol overview for detailed information on all card effects.
- As a part of the reward cost of an alien race Reward ability. Each alien race reward ability requires a certain number of Reward cards.
Trading
Once during their own turn and during any phase, players may trade gold for energy and vice versa at a 1:1 ratio. The amount is however limited to the number indicated on the Trade track on the Player board. Trading does not require an action. The resources are traded with the general supply, not between players. Advancing on the Trade track increases the number of resources a player may trade during their turn.
Example: the green player has advanced to the number 6 position on the Trade track. Thus during her turn, she may trade up to 3 resources (3 gold for 3 energy, or 3 energy for 3 gold) with the supply.
III. End phase
The End phase consists of 3 steps that are resolved in the following order:
- Troop movement
- Reveal exiled troops
- Replenish mission cards
a. Troop movement
The active player may perform up to 2 troop movements. When moving a troop, it can be moved from any controlled area to any other controlled area as long as the following rules are followed:
- The destination area must be interconnected to the origin area by other areas the same player controls.
- No area can ever hold more than 4 troops of a single player.
- Each controlled area must still hold at least 1 troop.
- When an area contains no more player or exiled troops (for instance after destroying them with a Laser cannon), and that area is adjacent to an area they already control, the player can move into that area to claim it. That player does however not receive a reward card, which can only be obtained by winning a combat.
Example: During his End phase the blue player performs 2 troop movements. He moves 1 troop to his colony area and 1 troop to the left area. This is legal because 1 troop remains in the area and it does not exceed the number of maximum troops (4) in the targeted areas.
b. Reveal exiled troops
If an active player conquered an area during their turn, then during this phase all exiled troops on adjacent areas are revealed. Turn all facedown exile tokens adjacent to player-controlled areas faceup.
c. Replenish Mission Cards
See 'Completing Missions'.
Completing Missions
The Warp features 66 mission cards that grant one or more mission points upon completion. There are 4 different types of mission cards that can be completed during the game:
- Pioneering Missions: open and mostly long-term missions that feature in every play. These missions are never replenished when completed.
- Progress Missions: missions involving builds and upgrades.
- Prosperity Missions: missions concerning all types of supply and cards.
- Conquest Missions: missions concerning combat and area control.
Except for the Pioneering Missions, which are always placed open and face-up on the table, these missions appear in 2 locations during the game:
- Private: 3 secret missions that each player chose at the beginning of the game out of a total of 6 random mission cards (2x Conquest cards, 2x Prosperity cards, 2x Progress).
- Open: 3 random mission cards that are placed face-up on the table next to the corresponding mission decks (conquest - prosperity - progress).
Players can claim a Mission card by showing the other players they fulfilled the mission conditions. If a mission card has multiple conditions needed to fulfill the mission (for example performing a build and controlling 3 energy plants), the order in which they are achieved does not matter as long as they are achieved in the same turn. If at any point both players simultaneously fulfill all necessary objectives to claim a mission card or any other reward, priority is given to the active player, and then passed down clockwise.
The specific number of Mission points a player receives by completing a mission is displayed in the top right corner of each mission card. After the mission is claimed, it is then placed face down in front of the player (not behind the player screen), stacked by mission type. Missions can be claimed at any point during the game and is not restricted to a player's own turn. There is no limit to the number of missions that can be achieved during a turn.
At the end of each player's turn, first the private and then the open mission cards are replenished.
The Private mission cards of the active player can be replenished to a maximum of 3 cards by paying a gold or energy cube for each replenished card. The active player may draw these cards from any of the 3 mission decks (Conquest, Prosperity or Progress) but cannot hold more than 2 from a single type. These new mission cards remain unrevealed to the other players.
If Open mission cards have been claimed, replenish them by taking the top card from the corresponding mission deck and putting it face up on the table. The replenishment of private and open missions is always the last phase of a turn and newly replenished missions can never be claimed during the same turn.
Next to the mission replenishment phase, Mission cards can also be discarded and replenished by building Trade Posts or using a Reward card with the mission switch symbol.
Alien race cards
The Warp features 16 asymmetrical alien races that can be featured in a different role in every game you play.
a. Player Race
Player races are alien races that have taken control of one of the remaining colonies on the planet. During setup, each player drafts two of these alien races to lead their colony. These alien races possess 2 unique abilities:
- Active Ability: A triggered or permanent ability the controlling player may use.
- Reward Ability: At any time during your turn, you may pay the Reward cost to immediately gain all the Reward ability effect(s) once. The Reward cost is paid by discarding Reward cards equal to the number of badges in the Reward cost symbol. Some reward effects feature a permanent bonus, in which case a marker is placed in the bottom right corner. The Reward cards used to activate the reward ability are discarded and placed in the Reward discard pile next to the Reward card deck.
b. Exiled race
Exiled races are alien races that were banished from the colonies for suspected involvement in the revolutions or in the secret experiments that lead to the cataclysm on the planet. Every game the two banished alien races are randomly determined during setup. The two exiled races control all areas on the board that are not controlled by players.
Each Exiled race has a unique Exiled ability that influences the gameplay. Some abilities only trigger when the specific Exiled race is attacked or conquered. That is why every exiled race is tied to an exiled color to distinguish which of the two exiled races controls which areas on the board. Other exiled races have a permanent effect on the game.
c. Warp gate guardian
See The Warp Gate.
The Warp Gate
An alternative way to gain Mission points is to capture the Warp Gate, the area at the center of the board. To gain control of this area, players must first defeat the Warp Guardian defending it. The Warp Guardian is the alien race that has been conducting secret experiments on this ancient Warp Gate. An attack on the Warp Gate is subjected to the same rules as a normal combat situation with the following exceptions:
- The number of defense dice and area combat multiplier are marked on the Warp Guardian card.
- The attacking player may play up to 2 combat cards (supporting/defending cards maximum is still 1).
- Apply all Warp Guardian abilities during combat. A warp guardian can have up to 3 random abilities. The abilities are determined by the Ability tokens in the ability slots.
- The area multiplier cannot be changed by the Terrashift action.
- The Warp Guardian cannot be targeted by a Laser Cannon.
When a player conquers the warp gate, they immediately gain the Conquer Mission points. The conquering player may only place troops equal or lower than the dice number of the defeated Warp Guardian onto the Warp gate area. If for example the Warp Guardian had 2 dice and an area combat multiplier of 5, the conquering player may place up to 2 troops on the Warp Gate and the multiplier of this area remains 5.
If a player remains in control of the Warp Gate area, they will gain the Turn mission points at the start of their turn. Other players may attack the Warp Gate when a player is in control of it. The attacking player may play up to 2 combat cards. The player controlling the warp gate will still benefit from the warp guardian abilities when defending it. When successful, the attacking player gains control of The Warp. They do not gain any conquer mission points and the troop limit remains. When the game ends, the player in control of the Warp Gate gains the End mission points.
Some Warp Gate Guardians will grant you Conquer, Turn or End mission points based on the number of already completed Mission cards. This is marked with the following symbols:
- Mission points per completed Conquest mission
- Mission points per completed Prosperity mission
- Mission points per completed Progress mission
- Mission points per completed Pioneering mission
When multiple Mission cards are present in the symbol, you gain the displayed mission points for each set of completed mission cards. For example, you gain a mission point for each 2 Conquest missions you completed.
To keep track of all the gained mission points, players receive the Mission point tokens from the general supply.
Symbol Overview
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Energy | Energy resource |
| Gold | Gold resource |
| Archive card | An Archive card |
| Draw X Archive cards | Draw the shown number of Archive cards |
| Discard X Archive cards | Discard the shown number of Archive cards from your hand |
| Steal | Steal a random Archive card from an opponent's hand |
| Action card | Action card (Build or Upgrade) |
| Play Action card | Play an Action card from your hand |
| Combat card | A Combat card |
| Reward Card | A Reward card |
| Reward ability cost | Reward ability cost |
| Combat multiplier | Combat multiplier |
| Terrashift | Terrashift |
| Track | A player board track |
| Troop | A troop |
| Add a troop | Add a troop |
| Remove a troop | Remove a troop |
| Move a troop | Move a troop |
| Convert a troop | Remove one troop from the enemy on the targeted area and add one troop to your troops on the same area |
| Combat die | A combat die |
| Extra die | Roll one additional Combat die |
| Reroll | Reroll up to one Combat die |
| Flip | Flip a Combat die to its opposing side |
| +1 dice | Add 1 to all dice roll values |
| Multiply | Multiply a Combat die |
| Area | An area |
| Area x4 | Area with a Combat area multiplier of 4 |
| Area resources | Area containing Energy and Gold |
| Exiled race tokens | Exiled race tokens |
| Exile modifier (+1) | Exile modifier, adds a troop |
| Exile modifier (-1) | Exile modifier, removes a troop |
| Trade | Trade |
| Build |
General tips
- Try to use the strengths and abilities of your alien races in planning your way to victory. They will grant you vital extra resources, cards or combat power.
- Focus on some track(s) to obtain extra resources, troops or the right track bonus early in the game. Advancing on all different tracks will grant you very little income and no bonuses.
- Discarding archive cards may limit your choices but will grant you a vital boost in resources.
- Expand. Controlling more areas will grant you more options later in the game.
- Follow other players. Performing actions in other player's turns will buy you valuable time. Performing actions others will follow can generate extra income or cards.
- Use your Reward cards wisely. Saving for a powerful alien Reward ability might be worth it.
- Don't forget the trade option. Trade posts grant you extra trades or switching a mission card.
- Keep your eye on the missions and the Warp Guardian. Which ones are the other players aiming for and which can you plan for in the short or long run?
- Cluster your troops in time when going on the offensive and plan your attacks. Low areas are easy to conquer but very hard to attack from or defend.
- Bribing can be a good way to assure your combat advantage. Getting bribed might generate extra resources.
Team mode
It's also possible to play The Warp in team mode. In this mode you will co-operate with a teammate to defeat your common foes. The following set-ups are possible:
- 4 players: 2 vs 2
- 6 players: 2 vs 2 vs 2
Team mode offers you the chance to discuss your individual strategy and draft your alien races and missions together during setup:
- Each team receives 5 alien race cards and each player picks 2 to keep.
- Each team receives 9 mission cards and each player picks 3 to keep (maximum 2 of a single type).
The following rule changes apply for a team game:
- The mission points objective and all gathered mission points are shared. All achieved missions are placed in 2 separate piles next to each other. When one team achieves 13 or more mission points together, it triggers the start of the endgame (3 full rounds for 4 players, 2 full rounds for 6 players).
- The team with the highest number of mission points at the end of the game wins.
- Teammates may not sit next to each other during the game.
- Each team is entitled to a single 3-minute timeout. During the timeout you may show your action, reward and mission cards to teammates.
- All card effects that target an opposing player do not apply to teammates.
- You may not attack teammates.
- If the attacking player did not play a combat card, teammates may choose to play a single combat card in support of the attacking player (with a maximum of 1 total support card).
- When attacking the warp guardian, teammates may play a single combat card in support of the attacking player. The total amount of attacking combat cards still remains 2.
For a 6-player game it is advised to play the game in team mode. All of the above rules apply but during the income phase of your teammate, a player can choose between receiving 1 troop OR 1 of each resource from the general supply.
Short Rules Overview
Game objective
The player with the most mission points wins the game. When a player obtains 9 mission points, endgame is triggered (2-4 players: 3 rounds, 5-6 players: 2 rounds), ending with the player who triggered the endgame.
Turn overview
I. Income Phase
- a. Extract - Choose one: Receive troop(s) OR receive resources.
- b. Consult the Archives: First discard up to 3 Archive cards (optional), then draw 2 Archive cards. The maximum hand size of 8 Archive cards can never be exceeded.
II. Action Phase - Choose one action:
- a. Develop: Play an Action card (build or upgrade) and lower its cost by 1. Follow: Other players can also play 1 action card. The active player may take a resource from the general supply for each following player (maximum 3 resources).
- b. Terrashift: alter the multiplier of 2 areas (once +1 and once -1). Follow: Other players may change the multiplier of 1 area. The active player may draw an archive card (max 3) for each following player.
- c. Attack: see Combat overview.
III. End Phase
- a. Move up to 2 troops.
- b. Reveal exiled race troops (all exiled tokens adjacent to player areas must be turned faceup).
- c. Replenish private missions of the current player (1 resource cost per card) and all public missions.
Combat overview
- Announce target: Declare origin area, target area and number of attacking troops (leave at least 1 troop behind and a troop limit of 4 troops per area).
- Combat cards: First the attacker may play a facedown combat card, then the defender or supporter.
- Bribe: The attacker may offer a bribe to the defender/supporter to discard the played combat card. The involved player may accept or decline. One counter proposal may be made.
- Reveal cards: Involved players simultaneously reveal card(s), the chosen option and paid resource cost.
- Roll dice: Both the attacker and defender roll a die for each attacking/defending troop. Then calculate the total combat power (dice sum x area multiplier).
- Resolve: Move attacking troops or apply losses. The winner of combat receives a reward card. If the exiled race won, the supporting player receives an additional reward card.