Vestige
Vestige Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Game Components
- Overview
- Brief Introductions to Core Concepts
- Explore the Map — Each Region Is an Action Space You Can Fight to Control
- Unlock Your Potential and Spread Your Influence
- Gain Attributes and Combine Them to Make More Powerful Ones
- Grow Your Network, Accessing New Abilities
- Gain Leverage and Uncover New Covert Ops Opportunities
- Watch for the Endgame and Vie for Attribute Mastery
- 5-Minute Setup
- Game Space Overview
- Dashboard & Blocks
- Attributes
- Game Summary
- Turns & Actions
- Main Actions: Activate
- Main Actions: Move (Mandatory)
- Main Actions: Visit or Rest
- Main Actions: Pickup or Complete a Job
- Main Actions: Tracking and Resetting
- Bonus Actions
- Network & Tableau
- Chop Bots
- Contacts
- Artifacts
- Bounties
- Augmentations
- Covert Ops
- Endgame Conditions, Ending the Game
- Nemesis Play
- Game Modes
- Base Game Map Regions
- Map Regions Module: Extra Regions
Game Components
- 2 Hexagonal Neoprene Mats
- 1 Map Mat
- 1 Attribute Alchemy Mat
- 1 Rulebook
- 1 Resin 4-Sided Outcome Die
- 2 Double-Sided Community Region Aides
- 6 Player Aides
- 4 Dual-Layer Dashboards
- 7 Mastery Tiles
- 1 Nemesis Neoprene Mat
- 151 Cards
- 12 Artifacts
- 12 Augmentations
- 12 Bounties
- 12 Chop Bots
- 9 Endgame Conditions
- 12 Lawmakers
- 12 Mercenaries
- 6 Setup
- 12 Smugglers
- 24 Covert Ops
- 14 Nemesis: Dunecrest
- 14 Nemesis: Happy
- 19 Map Region Tiles
- 1 Archives
- 1 The Black Dove
- 1 Black Market
- 1 Chop Shop
- 2 Garage
- 1 Generator
- 1 Jump Point
- 1 Lawmaker Ridge
- 1 Mercenary Camp
- 2 Oasis
- 1 The Obelisk
- 2 Observatory
- 1 Scrapyard
- 1 Smugglers' Lair
- 1 The Trench
- 1 The Underground
Swanky Edition
The following are unique to the Swanky Edition of the game:
159 Resin / Plastic Components
- 16 Black Blocks
- 16 Beige Blocks
- 16 Pink Blocks
- 21 Blue Blocks
- 21 Green Blocks
- 21 Purple Blocks
- 21 Orange Blocks
- 1 Blue Pawn
- 1 Green Pawn
- 1 Purple Pawn
- 1 Orange Pawn
- 1 Black Disc
- 1 Beige Disc
- 1 Pink Disc
- 5 Blue Discs
- 5 Green Discs
- 5 Purple Discs
- 5 Orange Discs
12 PVC Card Dividers
1 GameTrayz™ Storage System
Wretched Edition
The following are unique to the Wretched Edition of the game:
159 Wooden Components
- 16 Black Blocks
- 16 Beige Blocks
- 16 Pink Blocks
- 21 Blue Blocks
- 21 Green Blocks
- 21 Purple Blocks
- 21 Orange Blocks
- 1 Blue Pawn
- 1 Green Pawn
- 1 Purple Pawn
- 1 Orange Pawn
- 1 Black Disc
- 1 Beige Disc
- 1 Pink Disc
- 5 Blue Discs
- 5 Green Discs
- 5 Purple Discs
- 5 Orange Discs
Overview
These two pages give a broad introduction of concepts and mechanics. Absorb them lightly, just as a foundation!
Your Goal
Gain the most leverage (points).
You lead a network of contacts and chop bots, assigning them jobs to gain valuable augmentations, bounties, and artifacts, while also vying for control of the map's various regions, all in service of gaining leverage (p. 10).
Game Modes
Vestige can be played competitively, cooperatively, or solo. You can include one or more non-player nemesis opponents. These variations are covered after the main rules (p. 26).
Game Flow
Players take turns over a series of rounds. Each turn you perform a set of actions in whatever order you'd like, which let you do things like activating the effects of cards and region tiles.
Many of your actions will generate resources called attributes (p. 17) which represent the capabilities of your network of operatives. Basic attributes can be mixed, like colors, to create more powerful ones.
Using these attributes, the effects of the region tiles, and the abilities of your cards, you will build a tableau of cards (pp. 18-21) as well as competing for area control.
In doing all of this, you'll be gaining leverage (p. 10).
Game End
Over the course of the game, a series of endgame condition cards will be revealed. Each describes a possible set of game circumstances. As soon as 2 or more of these circumstances are met, the next round becomes the final round (p. 25).
Various bonuses are calculated, and the most leverage wins!
Brief Introductions to Core Concepts
Explore the Map — Each Region Is an Action Space You Can Fight to Control
You'll move your pawn around on the spaces between region tiles, and on your turn you may visit an adjacent tile to activate its effect: gaining resources, adding cards to your tableau, upgrading abilities, and so forth (pp. 12-13).
You also have the option to spend resources to seize control of region tiles. When other players visit regions you control, you gain leverage (p. 17).
Unlock Your Potential and Spread Your Influence
Most of what you do is tracked by your blocks, which flow from your dashboard into other spaces, where they become resources and markers and so forth.
At the start of the game, some of your blocks are locked in your potential, where they are unavailable to be used. Unlocking more blocks increases the influence you can bring to bear (p. 8).
Gain Attributes and Combine Them to Make More Powerful Ones
Actions, abilities, and effects allow you to gain attributes, one of the game's core resources. When you gain an attribute, you move an influence block from your dashboard to that attribute's hex on the alchemy mat, where it now represents that resource (p. 9).
Many effects provide primary attributes: ambition, cunning, and might. You can combine these to create secondary attributes: guile, intrigue, and ingenuity.
These secondary attributes unlock even more powerful actions and abilities.
Grow Your Network, Accessing New Abilities
You will assemble a tableau of cards: chop bots, contacts, artifacts, augmentations, and bounties. You will also, from time to time, come across secret covert op cards you can choose to pursue, if they serve your goals.
Each type of card unlocks different effects, abilities, opportunities, or leverage multipliers. Finding cards that cleverly amplify each other is the secret to out-leveraging your opponents (pp. 14-23).
Remember though, as your network expands, managing it requires more influence, so keep unlocking additional blocks from your potential.
Gain Leverage and Uncover New Covert Ops Opportunities
Everything you do centers around increasing your leverage, which is tracked around the edge of the map. As your leverage increases, your scoring disc will reach trigger points that reveal various cards, such as covert ops – secret opportunities to gain leverage in ways your opponents can't see. You never know what's going to be revealed and how it will change things (p. 24).
Watch for the Endgame and Vie for Attribute Mastery
Trigger points on the scoring track will reveal endgame condition cards. When the conditions on 2 or more of these cards are met, the next round becomes the final round. Every game unfolds differently, and initiating or avoiding the endgame is part of the strategy. Additional leverage is scored at the end for having the most cards of a given color, showing that you have mastered the associated attribute (p. 25).
5-Minute Setup
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Choose Colors. Each player chooses one of the available colors, placing the dashboard and tray of matching colored components in front of them. If playing with the neoprene player mats, each also takes a mat in their color. You should have 21 blocks, 5 discs, and 1 cylindrical network pawn, all in your color.
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Place Alchemy and Map Mats. Place the alchemy mat and the map mat in the center of the table with enough space between them for what you see in the setup shown to the right.
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Draw Setup Cards. Each player randomly draws 1 of the 6 setup cards, follows the instructions on it, then sets it aside.
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Place Card Stacks Around Alchemy Mat. If you've extended your collection with card packs, open those and combine their contents with the base content. Shuffle and stack the lawmakers, mercenaries, and smugglers cards face-down around the alchemy mat, next to the icons that match the backs of the cards. Do the same with bounties, artifacts, and augmentations. However, flip the top card of these 3 next to the stack, as shown.
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Build the Chop Bot Market. Shuffle the chop bots left unclaimed after step 2 into a face-down stack between the map and alchemy mats. Flip 3 of them face-up to form a market, as shown.
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Place Region and Mastery Tiles. Determine 19 region tiles to play with. You must include the 13 regions with a lock icon and any 6 others. Randomize these 19 tiles face-down on the map mat. Flip any tiles adjacent to pawns so they are face-up. Then, place the 7 small hexagonal mastery tiles face-down in their spots of the alchemy mat.
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Place Covert Ops Cards. Create 3 face-down stacks of covert ops cards at the magenta-colored trigger points around the map mat; the number of cards in each equals the number of human players. For example, in a 4-player game, place 4 cards in each stack (12 total cards). Then, each player draws 1 of the remaining covert ops cards, the details of which they keep secret.
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Place Endgame Condition Cards. Place 1 end-game condition card face down at each trigger point (note: the starting space on the track is not a trigger). You should now have cards next to each of the 5 triggers; the white points each have an endgame condition, the magenta points each have an endgame condition and covert ops.
Then, randomly reveal 1 of the remaining endgame condition cards. Place it face up in view of everyone with space beside it for more to come. If you are playing solo or as 1 cooperative team against any number of nemeses, do not reveal one (p. 28).
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Setup Nemeses (Optional). If you are playing with 1 or more nemeses, follow the instructions (p. 26).
Map Mat and Leverage Track
The map is comprised of randomized location tiles, each providing an effect. You move around, between these tiles, using your network pawn, which represents the rough location of your band of contacts and chop bots.
Around the edge is the leverage scoring track. Stacks of cards around the track wait to be triggered.
Dashboards and Tableaus
Your dashboard serves as home to your blocks which flow all around, becoming resources, markers of things, and so forth. The more blocks you have access to, the more you can do.
The base state of your blocks is influence, the center hex on your dashboard. To the right, your conviction, a sort of super influence. To the left, your potential – blocks in that hex are locked until you can upgrade them.
Game Space Overview
Alchemy Mat and Card Stacks
The alchemy board houses 6 hexes representing attributes. Think of these as resources. When your network gains attributes, you move your blocks onto these hexes. The 3 primary resources can be mixed in different combinations to make the 3 secondary resources. The resources are color-coded to aid in making combinations.
Surrounding this mat are 6 different card types you can gain, each lined up with the hex of the attribute they are associated with.
Nemesis Mat
Nemeses are non-human opponents that can be played against in any game mode. This mat tracks the unique effects that your chosen nemesis (or nemeses) bring(s) to the game, as well as their objectives, win conditions, and their current threat level, which dictates what type of actions they take on their turns.
Dashboard & Blocks
Laying a Foundation
Nearly everything in Vestige revolves around your blocks and attribute alchemy. So, before we go any further, let's establish some block basics.
Overview
Your dashboard tracks your movement speed (p. 12) and your completed actions each turn (p. 16).
It also serves as the home to your blocks. These blocks represent the force of your spirit and the impact of your will. You'll be placing them all over as you take actions.
Blocks Can Represent Different Things
You control 21 blocks in your color, 20 blocks and 1 speed counter. Unless some effect instructs otherwise, no one else touches your blocks and you don't touch theirs.
Through actions and card effects you will move your blocks throughout the game – around your dashboard, onto cards, onto mats, onto map tiles, and so on.
Using blocks:
- Actions and effects are going to move your blocks all over the place. Blocks remain in these placements until some other effect or action moves them. They do not automatically return to your dashboard at the end of a turn.
- Where a block is defines what it is.
Influence
- In their basic state, a block is an influence. Influence is the primary resource in the game and is the resource that blocks typically turn back into whenever they stop doing something else. You start the game with 8 influence (8 blocks in the influence hex).
Using influence:
- Any time an action or effect tells you to "place an influence" on a card or tile, take 1 of the blocks from your influence hex and place it onto that component.
- The context of the block placement will tell you what it then represents. On a hex on the alchemy mat it represents an attribute. On artifacts it represents charges, and so on.
Potential
- At the start of the game, 8 of your blocks are locked in potential. The more of yourself you unlock, the more you can accomplish. See "Upgrading & Downgrading" below.
Conviction
- Conviction is a potent, more concentrated version of influence. It represents your ability to overcome intensely difficult situations through willpower, focus and resolve.
Using conviction:
- Many effects or actions will call for you to "use" or "spend" a conviction. Unless otherwise directed, this means to move a block from your conviction hex back to the influence hex.
- Some actions and effects, such as claiming control of a region tile, involve you placing conviction out onto other components. These effects or actions will state this clearly.
Upgrading & Downgrading
Some effects will feature the upgrade power or downgrade power icons, or will instruct you to "upgrade" or "downgrade" a block:
- To upgrade: move a block from one hex on your dashboard into the hex to its right (potential to influence, or influence to conviction).
- To downgrade: move a block one hex to the left.
The rest action and visiting the Observatory tile are common methods for upgrading blocks in this way.
Returning Influence
Getting blocks back so you can spend them again is something you'll be looking for ways to do. When an ability or effect instructs you to "return influence," move that block back to your influence hex.
This should not be confused with...
Recovering Influence
It is smartest to return blocks through card and tile effects. However, in desperation, you can freely recover any of your blocks from wherever they are (other than potential) back to your influence hex (sometimes at a cost, p. 16). This is the last-ditch option if you need influence and have no better way to return some.
Attributes
Overview
Attributes are resources that work like specialized influence. Blocks move into the hexes on the alchemy mat to represent attributes, and you then "use" or "spend" those attributes on various actions.
Gaining & Using Attributes
- If you "gain" an attribute, move a block from your influence hex into that attribute hex.
- If you move a block from one attribute to another, you have "gained" the second attribute.
- When you "use" an attribute, move a block from that attribute hex back to your influence hex (unless otherwise instructed).
Example:
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When you visit the Black Market you gain 2 cunning. Move 2 influence from your influence hex to the cunning hex. You now have 2 cunning.
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Later, you visit the Smugglers' Lair, where you use 2 cunning as part of an effect. Move 2 blocks from cunning back to influence.
Note: When gaining attributes by activating a contact, chop bot, or visiting a region, you must gain those attributes in full. If the action grants you 2 attributes but you only have 1 block in your influence hex, you must first recover influence so that you can gain 2 attributes.
Converting Attributes 1 + 1 = 1
There are primary and secondary attributes. Primary attributes are easily gained by visiting regions and activating contacts. Secondary attributes are more rare, gained by combining primaries, similar to how colors mix (p. 17).
Ambition, Cunning, Might — Primary Attributes Guile, Ingenuity, Intrigue — Secondary Attributes Wild — Any
To convert attributes:
- You may convert 2 different primary attributes into 1 of the secondary attribute between them on the alchemy mat.
- Take 1 block from two primary hexes. Place 1 into the secondary hex between them and the other into your influence.
- This bonus action can be performed at any time, any number of times, but can never be reversed; secondary attributes cannot be split back into primary attributes.
Example: Green player moves 1 block from might (A) and 1 block from ambition (B) to convert them into 1 guile. 1 block moves into guile (C), and the other returns to that player's influence hex. (A+B=C)
Game Summary
Starting the Game
And So It Begins
With some basic understanding of blocks, influence, and attributes established, let's get into this.
Choose a starting player by whatever means makes sense to your group (e.g. the player starting on the lowest letter on the map). If you're playing solo, don't spend too much time with this step.
Knowing who the starting player is becomes relevant at the end of the game (and against nemesis characters), but otherwise has no significant impact.
Game Flow
Rounds of Turns
The starting player will take a turn, and from there play continues in rounds, clockwise around the table. Note: "clockwise" refers to where players are seated around the table, it does not refer to positioning of pawns on the map.
Leverage & Endgame Triggers
The objective of the game is to obtain the most leverage.
Leverage = points, which are tracked by moving your disc around the perimeter of the map mat.
When players' scoring discs reach key points around the leverage track, additional endgame condition cards are revealed. Which matters because...
Game End
One Final Round
As soon as 2 or more endgame conditions have been met (or 3 in a solo game), the next round becomes the final round. From this point forward, no additional endgame condition cards are revealed from trigger stacks. When that final round is complete, players resolve some endgame scoring and the winner is determined.
Turns & Actions
Your Turn
Simply speaking, on most turns you'll move around the map, use the effect of 1 region tile, and use the abilities of 1 of the characters in your tableau.
It gets more nuanced than that, but that's a good, simplified gist to set as a foundation.
More specifically: there are 4 main actions you can perform once per turn, which are tracked using the sliders on your dashboard, and a slew of little bonus actions that can be taken as often as you can afford them.
Main Actions - Brief Intro
On your turn you may take each of the 4 main actions once, in any order. The "move" action is mandatory every turn; everything else is optional.
A brief introduction to the 4 main actions:
- Activate (p. 11) — Place an influence on 1 of your contacts or chop bots to generate attributes and use their ability.
- Move (required) (p. 12) — Move your network pawn around the map on the triangular spaces between the region tiles.
- Visit or Rest (p. 13) — Use the effect of a region tile adjacent to your pawn, or skip that and upgrade a power.
- Pickup or Complete Jobs (pp. 14-15) — Begin the journey of gaining more advanced cards by taking them on as jobs, or complete such a journey by meeting the card's objectives and gaining it to your tableau.
Bonus Actions - Brief Intro
Bonus actions can be performed at any time, as often as you'd like, if you can afford them. Each function differently, and most of the time you won't even be conscious of "taking a bonus action." But, it's helpful to list them.
Don't worry about trying to memorize these, we'll cover them more (p. 16).
- Convert Attributes
- Surveil
- Recover Influence
- Gain Control of a Region
- Reroll the Outcome Die
- Temporarily Boost Your Speed
- Card-specific Bonus Actions (use an artifact, attach an augmentation, complete a covert op)
Let's take a closer look at all of these actions, starting with the main four...
Main Actions: Activate
Overview
Each turn you may "activate" one of your contacts or chop bots. Doing so will earn you attributes and grant you access to that character's ability or effect.
To activate:
- Place 1 block from the influence hex of your dashboard onto one of the contacts or chop bots in your network.
- Immediately gain the attributes they generate. Most contacts provide 2 attributes defined by the card, whereas most chop bots provide only 1 but of your choosing (more below).
- This character (contact or chop bot) is now active for the remainder of your turn. If you activated a contact, you now have access to their special ability for the turn's duration.
- NOTE: Chop bot abilities work differently: they are always active once you have 2 influence on them (see more pp. 18-19).
Example:
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To activate Dispatch, add 1 of your influence to her card. It will remain there until an effect moves it elsewhere. If you activate her again next turn she will then have 2 blocks on her. Influence builds up on contacts and chop bots and you'll need to find ways to retrieve it.
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Activating Dispatch adds 2 ambition to your network. Move 2 blocks from your influence to the ambition hex on the alchemy mat. (See more on p. 9).
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Dispatch is now "active." For the remainder of this turn you have access to the ability on her card.
Dispatch's ability allows you to complete artifact jobs at half price. So, if you were planning to finish a job excavating an artifact, you'd want to see that she's active when you complete the job. Most of this means nothing to you yet, but don't worry, that will change.
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Alternatively, had you activated the chop bot Bartholomew, you would have gained your choice of any 1 of the 3 attributes shown on their card.
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Chop bot abilities work differently than contact abilities. Once they have at least 2 influence on them, their ability is always active, even on turns you didn't activate their card. More on that in the chop bots section (pp. 18-19).
Main Actions: Move (Mandatory)
Overview
Of the four main actions, this is the only one you are required to perform every turn.
Your network's rough position on the map is represented by the cylindrical pawn in your color.
Each turn you will move your network around the map to access the effects of the various region tiles and to complete jobs and objectives that require adjacency to specific locations.
Movement Basics
To move:
- Move on the spaces between the hex tiles (see: diagram on the opposite page). Pawns are never placed onto region tiles.
- You must move at least 1 space each turn. Each time you move you cannot end your movement on the same space you began.
- You may move a number of spaces up to your "movement speed", which is tracked in the upper-left of your dashboard.
Typically you begin the game with a speed of 2.
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Effects throughout the game will upgrade your speed. When this happens, move the block to the right on the track equal to the amount your speed was upgraded, scoring the leverage indicated each time the block moves.
For example: if an effect reads "upgrade your speed by 2," the above orange player would move their block 2 spaces to the right, ending with a speed of 4. They would score the 3 and 4 leverage indicated in each of those spaces.
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Moving is a single action that cannot be "split" around other actions.
For example: you cannot move a portion of your movement speed, take a visit action, and then continue moving the remainder of your movement speed.
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You may move through spaces occupied by other players' pawns, but cannot end your movement on the same space as them.
Revealing Locations
During the first few rounds of the game, many of the map region tiles are face-down. You will reveal these locations as you move onto the spaces adjacent to them. This is a minor exception to the "movement cannot be split" rule.
To reveal region tiles:
- If you move into a space adjacent to 1 or more face-down region tiles, pause your movement and flip those tiles face up. You may then continue your movement if you wish.
Example:
X. In the example to the right, a player with a movement speed of 3 starts their movement on the space labeled X.
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Their movement brings them adjacent to a face-down tile. They pause their movement and flip it face up.
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They decide to continue their movement, pausing again adjacent to a face-down tile. They flip that tile.
Y. They decide to continue movement, ending their move on space Y...
- ...Flipping the face-down tile adjacent to that space.
Temporary Speed Boost
You may want (or need) to push beyond your current speed. Perhaps you are blocked (no empty movement spaces around you) and you don't have enough speed to get past them. Or maybe you need a little surge to accomplish your goals.
To push beyond your current speed:
- As a bonus action, temporarily gain 2 extra movement speed. This is not an additional move action, just increased speed.
- This act of desperation requires you to downgrade 1 power.
- You do not gain any leverage for this temporary speed increase. Do not move your speed counter.
- You may only perform this once per turn and the effect ends at the end of the turn.
- Remember, if you need more blocks, you may use the recover influence bonus action (p. 16).
Main Actions: Visit or Rest
Overview
On each of your turns you may visit a region tile adjacent to your pawn, activating that tile's action or effect.
Alternatively, you may rest, and upgrade a block. This is more of a fall-back plan and is typically best avoided.
Visit
To visit a region:
- Select a tile adjacent to your pawn.
- Fully resolve the effect of that tile.
- If you cannot afford the cost of an effect, you cannot visit that tile.
- Effects cannot be partially resolved – you must resolve the entire effect. You cannot visit a region without resolving its effect.
- Effects that feature an arrow icon between the cost and the outcome may only be resolved once per visit.
- Effects that feature a colon icon between the cost and the outcome may be resolved as many times as you can afford.
- You may take control of a region before or after you visit it (p. 17).
- If you visit a region controlled by another player (p. 17), the controlling player gains the leverage displayed on that region.
- You do not gain leverage for visiting regions you control.
Find a complete list of map regions (p. 30-31).
Example:
Z. In the diagram (upper right), the player in the space labeled Z is taking their visit action. They may visit one of the regions adjacent to them: the Garage, the Observatory, or the Black Market.
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If the player visits the Garage, they may use 3 might to upgrade their speed (more on using attributes on pp. 9, 14-15, 20-21). Because this action features an arrow icon, it may only be performed once per visit.
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Had they visited the Observatory instead, they could have performed that tile's effect as many times as they could afford to, because that effect features the colon symbol.
Rest
If you do not wish to visit, or cannot afford any of the effects on adjacent regions, you may rest.
To rest:
- Do not visit a region this turn; instead, upgrade 1 power on your dashboard (p. 8).
Main Actions: Pickup or Complete a Job
Overview
This is probably the only main action you won't perform every turn.
Some cards (like contacts and chop bots) are gained to your tableau through the effects on region tiles. Other, more advanced, cards can only be gained by doing jobs. This includes:
- Unearthing artifacts
- Developing augmentations
- Performing bounties
In thematic terms: you pickup a job from one location, assign the job to one of your contacts or chop bots, and then when they complete the job at another location you gain the artifact, augmentation, or bounty that job gives.
In rulesy terms: an artifact, augmentation, or bounty card will first enter your tableau as a "job" assigned to a contact or chop bot, rather than as its actual self. Only once you've completed its job requirements does the card turn from a job into its actual self and card type.
When you take the pickup or complete a job action, you choose one of those two actions to perform.
Completing Jobs "For Free"
If an effect says you may complete a job "for free," add that card to your tableau as if you just completed steps 1-3 in the example on the opposite page; gain the card's leverage and then do whatever that card type requires when you gain it.
Picking Up Jobs
Around the alchemy mat are various card stacks, including the 3 card types gained through jobs: artifacts, augmentations, and bounties.
To pickup a job:
- The top card of each card stack indicates where on the map you can currently find jobs of that type. For example, on the bottom left of this page, artifact jobs are currently available at the Black Market region tile. Your pawn on the map must be adjacent to the tile indicated on the stack.
- You must have a contact or chop bot who is not on another job, and who is capable of that job type, which is indicated by the symbols in the top right of their card.
- Take either the face-up card or draw the top card of the stack.
- If you take the face-up card, immediately replace it by flipping the top card of the stack into that place. The evolving stack changes where jobs of this type can be found.
- Tuck the job card under the top of the chosen contact or chop bot (as seen to the right).
- The different types of contacts each specialize in different types of jobs, determined by which card types are adjacent to them on the alchemy wheel (more on this on p. 21).
Example:
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You wish to unearth an artifact. The card on top of the artifact stack indicates that artifact jobs are currently available to be picked up at the Black Market, so you position your pawn adjacent to that tile on the map.
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You choose to take on the face-up job. You take that card and tuck it beneath a contact or chop bot who specializes in that type of job (see the diagram to the right). You could have chosen Veil or Bartholomew, as they both have the artifact symbol. You choose Veil.
You are now ready to pursue completion of this job and gain the Obelisk Heart Shard card to your tableau.
Completing Jobs
To complete a job, do the following in this order:
- Your pawn is adjacent to the location listed on the top of a job someone in your network is on.
- Roll and resolve the outcome die first, then pay the attribute cost. The die can change what the job costs, so the order matters.
- Untuck the card from beneath your contact or chop bot and add it to your tableau. (Artifacts, augmentations, and bounties each enter your tableau differently, see pp. 22-23).
- Gain any leverage the card rewards.
Example:
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The artifact job below must be completed at the Underground. Your pawn must be adjacent to that tile on the map.
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Roll the outcome die to see how the job went. The result is the upgrade symbol, so you upgrade 1 power (see chart to right).
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You use 2 intrigue by returning 2 of your blocks from the intrigue hex to the influence hex on your dashboard (p. 8).
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You gain 3 leverage.
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Job complete, you untuck the card from beneath Veil, and add it to your tableau. Because it's an artifact, you'd then add some influence to it, but more on that later.
Jobs can only be performed by characters who specialize in that job type. A character can only be on one job at a time.
Outcome Die Results
- UPGRADE: upgrade 1 block (p. 8). Critical information was gained and the network was strengthened.
- EFFICIENT: Reduce the cost of the job by 1 of its required attributes. The task was handled smoothly.
- STRAIN: Add 2 influence to the contact or chop bot. The job was arduous and the contact/chop bot requires extra influence to remain loyal.
- SEVER: Contact or chop bot lost. Shuffle it and any attached augmentations back into the stacks (don't lose the leverage). You still pay any attribute costs and complete the job. Something happened—no one has heard from this key part of your network.
Adjust Your Roll
As a bonus action, you may use 1 conviction to roll the outcome die again and choose between the results. More on p. 16.
Recovering Contacts with Jobs
If you recover influence from a contact or chop bot (not sever) with a job in progress, reassign the job to another eligible contact or chop bot in your tableau with no job currently assigned. If none are available, the job is lost and shuffled back into its stack.
If you recover influence from a contact, any attached augmentations are lost, as well as their leverage.
Main Actions: Tracking and Resetting
Tracking Actions
On the right side of your dashboard are sliders to help you keep track of which actions you've performed this turn.
- The sliders start your turn in the up position.
- When you take an action, slide the disc down to cover the name of the action you just took.
- At the end of your turn, slide the discs back to the up position.
Resetting Actions
When you deem it necessary, you may use conviction to reset actions and take them 1 additional time.
To reset an action:
- Use a conviction (return a block from your conviction to your influence).
- Slide 1 of your action sliders back up. That action is now available to be performed a second time.
- Each action may be reset only once per turn.
Some players find it helpful to track which actions they've already repeated by flipping the disc or placing the conviction they used to reset it into the slider. Just remember: this block is technically supposed to be in your influence hex, ready to be used, so don't forget you have it available. Move this block to influence when you reset your sliders at the end of your turn.
This action cannot be reset again this turn, per the rules of a thing blocking a thing.
Bonus Actions
Bonus Actions Overview
You may do any of the following as many times as you can afford them, whenever you want.
Surveil
When you draw cards, this bonus action lets you use conviction to draw additional cards to choose from.
To surveil:
- When you've drawn a card, use 1 conviction (slide a block from conviction to influence).
- Draw an additional 2 cards and add them to the cards drawn. In most cases this will turn drawing a single card into drawing 3.
- You may choose to take this action after you've already drawn.
- You may repeat this action, using another conviction to add an additional 2 cards to the draw, as many times as you can afford.
- Choose 1 of the drawn cards, shuffle the remainder back into the stack.
- Exception: You may not surveil cards from the trigger stacks.
Reroll the Outcome Die
Make your own luck with force of will.
To reroll the outcome die:
- Use 1 conviction (slide a block from conviction to influence).
- Roll the outcome die again.
- You may repeat this action, using a conviction to roll again, as many times as you can afford it.
- Choose from any of the rolled results.
Recover Influence
In a pinch, you may recover blocks back to your influence hex, but at a sacrifice. It's much better to find another way to return influence, such as visiting an Oasis region tile.
To recover influence:
- Move any of your blocks to your influence hex (except from your potential or your movement speed track).
- If you recover influence from a card in your tableau: those cards are abandoned and shuffled back into their stacks. You lose those cards' leverage values. Jobs in progress may be reassigned, if able.
- If you recover influence from a region you control, lose that region's leverage value.
Convert Attributes
You may freely convert 2 different primary attributes into 1 of the secondary attribute between them, with the extra block returning to influence. This is described more on p. 9.
Temporary Speed Boost
Downgrade a block to increase your speed by 2 for the remainder of the turn. More on p. 12.
Card-Related Actions
There are various card-related actions that can be resolved as bonus actions:
- Activate an artifact by removing a charge–return a block from an artifact to your influence to activate the artifact's effect (see: artifacts, p. 22).
- Attach or remove an augmentation on a contact (see: augmentations, p. 23).
- Resolve a covert op's objective – flip the covert op as indicated by the card's instructions (see: covert ops, p. 24).
Control Regions
Region tiles can be controlled, earning you leverage when taken over, more each time another player visits that region, and then more again as an endgame bonus if you manage to hold onto it.
Gaining Control of a Region
To take control of a region:
- You must visit the region before or after you gain control of it.
- Use 1 conviction, but rather than returning it to influence, place it on the region tile.
- Gain the leverage shown on the region tile.
- If the region is already controlled by another player, it costs 2 conviction. Your first conviction and their block are returned to their influence hexes, your second conviction is placed on the region tile.
Controlling Regions
While you control a region:
- Each time another player visits that region, you gain the leverage shown on the tile again.
- You do not gain leverage when you visit regions you control.
- At the end of the game, you gain the leverage total of all your controlled regions again.
Controlling Regions Fine Print
A few in-the-weeds notes, should they come up:
- You may take control of multiple regions on a turn, if an ability allows you to visit multiple regions, and you can afford it.
- You may not, by any means, gain control of the same region more than once in a single turn.
- You cannot kick someone out of a region but not also take control of it.
Gaining Control of a Region Example:
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Orange's pawn is adjacent to the Chop Shop that Green controls.
They pay 2 conviction (1 to kick Green out, the other to gain control).
Green's block returns to their influence hex.
1 of Orange's conviction returns to their influence hex (the one used to kick Green out).
1 of Orange's conviction is placed onto the Chop Shop to denote control.
Orange gains 2 leverage (this region's value).
Orange will now gain 2 leverage every time another player visits the Chop Shop, as well as an additional 2 during end game scoring, if they still control the region at that time.
Network & Tableau
Network Pawn
Your network is the rabble of contacts, chop bots, and other wasteland remnants you've pulled together. In other words: your cards.
This network is represented on the map by your cylindrical pawn. When you move this pawn around the map, you're moving your whole network into that area of the map.
Your Tableau
Your tableau is your personal space, comprised of your network (your cards) and your dashboard.
There is no prescribed way to lay out your cards in your tableau, and no mechanical difference between laying cards above or below your dashboard. Feel free to arrange your tableau in the way that makes the most sense to you. Below are a few examples. Next, we'll look at the card types.
Chop Bots
Overview
You start each game with a single chop bot (pp. 6-7). More can be gained at the Chop Shop region tile.
Their activation effect grants 1 of any of the primary attributes. This makes them an essential part of the early game when you are building out and diversifying your network.
Once they have enough blocks on them (typically 2), each bot also offers a passive ability that is always active, meaning they can play a very interesting part of a card-combo strategy in your network.
Activating Chop Bots
Chop bots are activated through the activate main action (p. 11). Chop bots must always be activated to gain their attributes, even if their passive ability has been activated with 2 influence.
When you activate a chop bot:
- Add an influence block to their card.
- Gain 1 primary attribute of your choice (ambition, cunning, or might).
Chop Bot Passive Abilities
Once a chop bot has 2 blocks on it, their passive ability is always active.
To power up a chop bot's passive ability:
- Arrange for 2 or more blocks to be on that bot. This will typically be done by activating them on multiple turns.
- If a chop bot has 2 or more blocks on it: their passive ability is active at all times, even if they have not been activated this turn.
- If ever a chop bot has fewer than 2 blocks on it, its passive ability is not active.
- Activating a chop bot does not activate their ability. It is either on or off, depending on how many blocks are on it.
Example:
A. On the opposite page you can see the passive abilities of 2 bots (highlighted as reference "A").
Because Bartholomew has 2 blocks on him, his passive ability is always active, even on turns when he hasn't been activated. If ever there are less than 2 blocks on him, the ability becomes inactive.
Constructing Chop Bots
Additional chop bots can be added to your network by visiting the Chop Shop region tile.
To gain a chop bot:
- Visit the Chop Shop region tile. It's effect is you use 1 conviction to take 1 of the 3 face-up bots or the face-down bot on top of the draw stack.
- Add the bot to your tableau and gain that card's leverage value.
- If you use surveil (p. 16) on your draw from the stack, add those cards to the 1 you drew, pick 1, and shuffle the rest back into the stack.
- If you take one of the face-up cards from the market, replace it by flipping the top card of the draw stack into the empty space.
Chop Bots and Jobs
Chop bots are capable of performing jobs.
B. Each bot typically can only perform one type of job, as indicated by the icon in the top right of their card.
For more on jobs, see pp. 14-15.
Contacts
Overview
Your contacts are the easiest way for you to gain primary attributes and use abilities.
They can be acquired at various region tiles (see opposite page).
There are three main types of contacts, each providing a different primary attribute and specializing in different job types, so it is typically wise to diversify early on.
Lawmakers — These contacts use political power and bureaucracy to control outcomes.
The primary attribute associated with lawmakers is ambition.
Lawmakers specialize in:
- Performing bounties
- Unearthing artifacts
Mercenaries — These contacts use brute strength and intimidation to control outcomes.
The primary attribute associated with mercenaries is might.
Mercenaries specialize in:
- Developing augmentations
- Performing bounties
Smugglers — These contacts use resource manipulation to control outcomes.
The primary attribute associated with smugglers is cunning.
Smugglers specialize in:
- Unearthing artifacts
- Developing augmentations
Activating Contacts
Contacts are activated through the activate main action (p. 11).
When you activate a contact:
- Add an influence block to their card.
- Gain the attributes shown on the lower half of the contact's card.
- The contact's special ability can now be used for the remainder of the turn.
Note: it is possible that contacts in future card packs may bend these conventions and defaults. The rules on these pages are useful for forming a baseline expectation.
Contacts and Jobs
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Contacts are capable of doing jobs (pp. 14-15). Each type of contact typically specializes in two types of jobs.
Those specializations tend to align with the two job types adjacent to them on the alchemy wheel (see diagram to right). Understanding this will help you know which types of contacts you need to pursue each type of job.
Acquiring Contacts
Contacts can be acquired at a variety of region tiles and may also be available through other card effects. Below are some of the most common ways of gaining contacts.
Acquire contacts at their headquarters:
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Visit Lawmaker Ridge, Mercenary Camp, or Smugglers' Lair.
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Use 2 of the attribute associated with that contact type.
Lawmakers cost 2 ambition. Mercenaries cost 2 might. Smugglers cost 2 cunning.
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Draw the top card from that contact type's stack.
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Add that card to your tableau and gain its leverage value.
Acquire contacts at The Underground:
- Visit the Underground.
- Use 1 conviction.
- Draw the top card from the draw stack of the contact type you have chosen.
- Add that contact to your tableau and gain its leverage value.
Artifacts
Overview
Artifacts are powerful technological relics from before the collapse. Each can hold a limited number of charges (influence blocks) that are consumed as a bonus action to activate the card's effect.
Unlike contacts or bots, there is nothing restricting how many artifacts you activate in a turn (if you can afford it), making them a powerful addition to your tableau.
Unearthing Artifacts
Artifacts are acquired by performing artifact jobs. See pp. 14-15 for more on jobs.
When you complete an artifact job (including gaining the card's leverage value):
- Place the artifact in your tableau and then place 1-3 influence (your choice) onto it from your influence hex. These are charges you will spend to activate this artifact's ability.
Example:
A. In the example below, Purple completes the Orbital Hope Mine artifact job according to the steps on pp. 14-15 summarized here:
- They use their complete a job action while their pawn is adjacent to the Garage.
- They roll the outcome die and resolve it.
- They use 2 intrigue.
- They gain 4 leverage.
Then, they place the card into their tableau.
B. They feel that this artifact's ability is going to come in handy at least 3 times over the course of the game, so they move the maximum of 3 blocks from their influence to the card. These are now charges that can be used once-per-turn to activate the artifact's ability.
Using Artifacts
To use an artifact:
- You may activate each of your artifacts once per turn, as bonus actions, by returning a block from the artifact you're activating to your influence hex. (The effect "Return 1 influence" on an artifact refers specifically to blocks on that card, not anywhere.)
- When you consume a charge, resolve the artifact's ability.
- Unless otherwise specified, you may only consume 1 charge off each artifact in your tableau per turn.
- When an artifact has no charges on it, you may add new charges to it by visiting the Generator region tile or through other methods you discover.
Example:
C. Purple removes 1 block from their Orbital Hope Mine and returns it to the influence hex on their dashboard, activating that card's effect, which allows them to place their network pawn on any unoccupied map space.
They do exactly that, and it feels amazing. Very tingly.
They now have 2 charges remaining for future turns.
If they wish to add additional charges to the artifact, they must do so by visiting the Generator or through some other means.
Bounties
Overview
Bounties see you removing individuals who have been… marked for removal. They do not provide leverage at the time you perform them, but deliver powerful endgame leverage boosts when you claim them and cash in.
These end-game leverage bonuses scale in unique ways, giving you strategies to lean into or a way to compound the value of what you're already doing.
Performing Bounties
Bounties are picked up as jobs. See pages 14-15 for more on jobs.
When you complete a bounty job:
- Place the bounty in your tableau.
- Take note of its endgame bonus effect so you can factor it into your strategy moving forward.
Claiming Bounties
As part of endgame scoring you total the leverage value of each of the completed bounties you have in your tableau (p. 25).
If, for any reason, you no longer possess a bounty that you completed, you may not claim it or its leverage value at game end.
Augmentations
Overview
Augmentations are technological modifications that are installed on your contacts, adding an additional effect to the attached contact's activation ability.
Developing Augmentations
Augmentations are created through augmentation jobs. See pages 14-15 for more on jobs.
When you complete an augmentation job (including gaining the card's leverage value):
- Tuck the augmentation beneath a contact in your network. (There is no limit to the number of augmentations a contact can have installed.)
- Augmentations may instead be placed standalone in your tableau, where they have no effect. Adding them to a contact may be done at any time as a bonus action.
- Augmentations can be removed from a contact as a bonus action while adjacent to the Chop Shop. Place them in your tableau (see previous step).
Using Augmentations
When you activate an augmented contact:
- The contact's activation ability and the augmentation ability may both be used that turn.
- If a contact has multiple augmentations, you must choose which one to activate this turn.
Covert Ops
Overview
Covert ops represent the established powers of the world pushing back against your increased standing. The primary function of a status quo is to defend itself, and you're mixing things up, so you need to go down.
As your leverage grows, you will trigger these optional opportunities to respond to the pushback by the powers-that-be. They don't have a cost to complete, just a set of circumstances that need to be arranged. Doing so will result in an increase in leverage or other reward.
Running Covert Ops
You start the game with 1 covert op available to you, and more present themselves when your scoring disc reaches key points on the leverage track.
Discovering additional covert ops:
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Immediately after your scoring disc reaches (or passes) one of the magenta trigger spaces on the leverage track, draw a covert op card from the stack associated with that trigger.
Note: reaching a trigger may result in you revealing other cards from the stack as well, but right now we're just looking at covert op cards.
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Covert op cards are personal; keep their information hidden until you have completed them and are instructed to flip them.
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Crossing the same trigger point again does not gain you additional covert ops cards.
To complete a covert op:
- Read the narrative, and note the objective and instruction.
- The instruction tells you when to flip the card. When the card flips, immediately resolve the reward section.
- The objectives typically involve you arranging a set of circumstances; cards and resources mentioned are often not spent, they just need to be present in some specific way.
- The objective is a condition for you to arrange either mid-game or by game end. A full read of the card will explain how that op works.
- The hidden-information aspect of covert ops means your opponents can never be quite sure how much secret leverage you're sitting on.
Example:
Your scoring disc hits a magenta trigger in the process of gaining some leverage. You finish gaining your leverage and then blindly draw 1 of the covert ops from the trigger's stack. Now, that covert op (and the one you started the game with) are both face-down in your tableau (peek at examples below on this page).
The combination of instruction, objective, and reward indicates how each covert op works.
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The instruction on this one indicates it is going to be flipped at game end. If, at that time, the conditions of the objective are met, you will get the reward during final scoring. It doesn't matter if you meet the objective mid-game, the reward sections only resolve when the cards flip, and this one flips at game end.
Narrative: Word reaches you about a bounty placed on your head. It's high time you visit the mercenary camp and see that this bounty is...unplaced.
Objective: At game end, control the Mercenary Camp region and have a speed of 5 or more.
Instruction: Flip this card face-up during final scoring.
Reward (resolves when the card flips): At game end, if this task is complete, gain leverage and increase your guile mastery by 1.
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This one flips any moment the objective is met, gaining you the reward at that time.
Narrative: Various regions have been compromised. Regain territorial dominance and secure it with robotic surveillance.
Objective: Be adjacent to 2 regions you control with a fully charged chop bot.
Instruction: When complete, flip this card face-up.
Reward (resolves when the card flips): Immediately gain the top face down chop-bot.
Endgame Conditions, Ending the Game
Endgame Conditions
Overview
When the requirements of 2 or more endgame condition cards have been met (3 in solo play), the next round becomes the final round. These cards are randomized and revealed over time, so you're never quite sure what's going to cause the endgame or how much time you have left. At the same time, whether or not the conditions are met is largely up to the players, so choosing when to trigger the end of the game is a strategic consideration.
Revealing Endgame Conditions
At the beginning of the game, 5 endgame condition cards are randomly seeded in the card piles at the 5 trigger points around the leverage track (see box below).
Revealing endgame conditions:
- When a player's scoring disc reaches or passes a trigger point, if the associated card stack has an endgame condition card in it, reveal it and place it in view of all players.
Completing endgame conditions:
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Up to 6 endgame condition cards will become active (5 if your mode doesn't start with one active, see pp. 6-7, 28-29).
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Each describes a possible game state (example above). If the situation described exists in the game and has been met or exceeded, then that endgame condition has been met. Flip that card face down to indicate it has been met. If the condition is met on the card when it is revealed, flip it face down immediately. It doesn't matter if circumstances in the game change, an endgame condition can't be unmet.
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When 2 or more endgame conditions have been met, the next round becomes the final round (players get an equal number of turns).
Note: It is possible for an endgame condition card to be revealed and its conditions are already met, immediately causing the next round to become the final round. Be ready.
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Once the final round has been triggered it cannot be un-triggered.
Ending the Game
Overview
When 2 or more endgame conditions are met, the next round becomes the final round. Note that when you flip an endgame card face-up, its condition could already be met! Once that final round is complete, resolve the following steps:
Step 1: Endgame Scoring
Each player:
- Flips any covert op cards they have and gains leverage for any endgame objectives met.
- Claims any completed bounties in their tableau, gaining their leverage values.
- Gains the leverage value of each region tile they control.
Step 2: Claim Mastery
In the center of the alchemy mat are seven mastery tokens (pictured above). These are claimed by the players with the most cards of each color at the end of the game. For example, if a player had the most purple cards (augmentations), they would claim the purple ingenuity tile, gaining 7 leverage. For players with mastery-enhancing effects, those players choose secretly, then reveal simultaneously. To claim mastery:
- If you have the most cards of a color, claim the tile of that color.
- If there is a tie, that tile goes unclaimed.
- Gain the leverage shown on each tile you claim.
- Notes: incomplete jobs do not count toward mastery; some card effects impact mastery.
The player with the most leverage wins. In the case of a tie, everyone loses. Winning means winning. Anything else is losing.
Leverage Track Triggers
There are five trigger points around the leverage track, represented by these two icons. Each has a small stack of cards associated with it.
Those stacks aren't traditional draw decks. They are just piles of card types that do things when the triggers are reached.
Whenever a human player's scoring disc reaches or passes either of these trigger icons, check to see if there are any cards in the stack that need to be resolved.
The contents of the stack will vary based on player count, nemesis play, and so forth.
Nemesis Play
Overview
A nemesis is a non-player opponent. You can play against up to 3 at a time. In addition to facilitating interesting solo and cooperative modes, nemeses also serve as a design playground where we can contort aspects of the game to discover interesting and challenging variations of the Vestige experience.
Each nemesis comes as a pack of cards that introduce that character's distinct behaviors and mechanics. Adjusting to those changes and stopping nemeses from achieving their objectives is a unique challenge to strategize around. Nemeses are experimental in nature and we recommend meeting them with that type of mindset, trying a variety of them and seeing which of their mechanical twists you enjoy most.
Nemesis Setup
As part of setup, also perform the following:
- After the map is set, flip all region tiles face up.
- Select up to 3 nemeses to play against.
- Place the nemesis mat in clear view. It may be helpful to position it to the right of the starting player to remind you where nemeses fall in turn order (they go after human players).
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Place the special powers and tactics cards of each nemesis at the top of their column, as seen to the left.
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For each nemesis, place the blocks that match the color of their column onto the space at the top of the column, and the associated scoring disc on the starting space of the leverage track.
- Distribute any threat cards evenly in the trigger stacks around the map, face down. Set extras aside.
- Shuffle any cards with backs matching existing card types into the appropriate stacks.
- Perform any steps indicated on the setup card.
- Familiarize yourself with the special powers of each chosen nemesis, and maybe 1 or 2 of their threat cards, just enough to understand how they integrate into the game.
Example Nemesis: Bone
Triggered Ability
Bone gains 1 leverage each time a human player gains control of a region.
At Game End...
Bone gains leverage equal to the number of regions he controls multiplied by his threat level.
When all other scoring is resolved, if Bone controls 9 or more regions – he automatically wins.
Threat Level: 0 — Bone gains 2 leverage.
Threat Level: 1 — Bone gains 2 leverage and 1 mercenary.
Threat Level: 2+ — Bone gains 1 leverage for each region Bone controls.
To remove this threat... (Threat: Syndicate Lord)
A player with both a Lawmaker and a Mercenary must pay 2 cunning while adjacent to the Smuggler's Lair Region.
Then, that player gains one of Bone's Smugglers. (Bone does not lose Leverage when losing a Contact.)
Discard this threat.
"I have ways to get my way. Now, stay outta my way!"
To remove this threat... (Threat: Man with the Plans)
Be adjacent to starting location "E" with an augmented lawmaker in your network.
You may then, as a bonus action, convert up to 2 blocks from your contacts and/or chop bots to ambition.
Discard this threat.
"Semantics?" "Schematics."
Running a Game with Nemeses
Each nemesis has a goal and abilities that help them achieve it. If, during endgame scoring, they have met their goal, they win and all players lose. They can also win the old-fashioned leverage way. To play with nemeses, play as normal, integrating the following:
- Leverage: Effects may grant a nemesis leverage. Advance their token on the leverage track. Unless otherwise directed, nemeses' scoring discs do not trigger stacks around the leverage track like human scoring discs do.
- Attributes: Effects may cause nemeses to gain or lose attributes. Do this to the extent possible using their blocks (ex: if they would lose 2 of an attribute, but only have 1, they just lose the 1).
- Tableau: Effects may gain a nemesis other cards (contacts, artifacts, and so forth). Draw these from the top of their stacks and place them beneath the nemesis' column. The column and cards beneath it form a nemesis' tableau. They gain leverage when they gain cards, but unless otherwise directed, they don't activate or resolve these cards.
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Triggered Ability: Resolve the triggered ability of each nemesis whenever its conditions are met.
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Nemesis Turn: Each round, after all players take their turn, each nemesis gets a turn in left-to-right order across the nemesis mat. Resolve threat abilities according to your chosen difficulty: Nuisance – Resolve the current threat level only. Menace – Resolve the current threat level and all threat levels below it (determined by the number of threat cards active in the nemesis' column).
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Threat: Whenever a human player's scoring disc reaches a trigger (p. 25), reveal any threat cards in the trigger's stack, resolve their "immediately" effects, and place them into their nemesis' column on the nemesis mat, increasing their threat level.
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Removing Threat: The objective on the threat card can be met to remove that threat.
- Nemeses Are "Players": Nemeses are considered "players" to a reasonable degree for the sake of card effects that impact other players (for area control, and so forth). This is true insofar as the effect is capable of being resolved; effects that would influence a player's pawn on the map, for example, cannot be resolved against a nemesis that doesn't use a pawn.
- Endgame: Nemeses perform endgame scoring just like a human player: gaining leverage for completed bounties and regions controlled, claiming mastery for cards in their tableau, etc.
- Unique Goal: If any nemesis has completed their "at game end" objective, they automatically win and all players lose. Otherwise, standard win-conditions apply: most leverage wins.
- Misc: There are variations to some of these rules depending on what mode you're playing (pp. 28-29).
Example (Nemesis: Bone), continued:
Each round, after all players have taken a turn, Bone takes one of the following actions based on his current threat level:
Threat Level: 0 — Bone gains 2 leverage.
Threat Level: 1 — Bone gains 2 leverage and 1 mercenary.
Threat Level: 2+ — Bone gains 1 leverage for each region Bone controls.
Immediately (Threat: Syndicate Lord)
Bone gains a Smuggler and control of the Smuggler's Lair Region.
To remove this threat...
A player with both a Lawmaker and a Mercenary must pay 2 cunning while adjacent to the Smuggler's Lair Region.
Then, that player gains one of Bone's Smugglers. (Bone does not lose Leverage when losing a Contact.)
Discard this threat.
"I have ways to get my way. Now, stay outta my way!"
Game Modes
Overview
The standard competitive mode outlined in this rulebook can be converted to other play modes with slight variations to the rules, as outlined in the following pages.
Note: even though nemeses count as "players" in relation to card effects and area control when the game is being played, the rulebook uses the word "players" to describe the humans at the table.
Team vs. Team
Setup & Gameplay
- Set up the game as normal, but do not reveal an endgame condition card at the start of the game.
- Split into teams: 2 teams of 2-3 players, or 3 teams of 2 players.
- If you play with any number of nemeses, they form an additional team; they behave normally during the game but combine their leverage at the end.
- Each team competes to earn the most combined leverage at game end. However, individual players and nemeses maintain their own scoring discs as normal.
- Teammates may discuss strategy, but maintain their own tableau, blocks, and pawn.
- No transferring of cards between teammates in this mode is allowed (co-op introduces this).
At the end of the game, resolve endgame scoring as normal, except:
- Before calculating mastery, each team combines their players' leverage into a single scoring disc on the track. This does not trigger any effects. Each team should now have a single disc on the track.
- Teams score mastery as a team, rather than as individuals; the team with the highest combined total of a card color claim mastery of that color.
- If playing with a nemesis team, player teams must have at least 2 cards of a color as well as more of that color to qualify for mastery of that color.
Victory Conditions
After endgame scoring has been completed, the team with the highest combined leverage wins.
If any individual nemesis has met their endgame objective, their team wins, regardless of leverage.
Solo
Setup & Gameplay
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Set up the game as normal but do not reveal an endgame condition card at the start of the game.
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Include at least 1 nemesis. If you play with multiple nemeses, they may play as individuals or you may have them form a team. As a team they will behave normally during the game but combine their leverage at the end.
(Playing against a team of nemeses will be much more difficult than playing against a handful of individual nemeses).
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Play a standard competitive game of Vestige against the nemeses you've included, competing to have more leverage than the nemeses at game end.
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Triggering the final round requires 3 endgame conditions be met, rather than the standard 2.
At the end of the game, resolve endgame scoring as normal, except:
- If the nemeses are a team, before calculating mastery combine their leverage into a single scoring disc on the track. This does not trigger any effects.
- If the nemeses are on a team, you must have at least 2 cards of a color and more of that color than all the nemeses combined to qualify for mastery in that color.
Victory Conditions
After endgame scoring has been completed, highest leverage wins.
If any individual nemesis has met their endgame objective, they or their team wins, regardless of leverage.
Cooperative
Setup & Basic Gameplay
- Set up the game as normal.
- Players are a team but maintain separate scoring discs, pawns, blocks, and tableaus.
- Include 1-3 nemeses. The nemeses form a team. They behave normally during the game but combine their leverage at the end.
- The nemeses' team is not afforded any of the team-related gameplay abilities (outlined below) that players get.
- The player team competes to earn more combined leverage than the nemeses' team at game end.
Gameplay: Shared Turns
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Players take a shared team turn during which they all take actions, one-at-a-time, in whatever order they choose.
For example: Green activates. Green moves. Blue activates. Orange moves. Blue moves.
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The person currently taking an action is the active player. Use this information as feels relevant when ruling on effects.
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"Once per turn" effects apply once per team turn, and remain active for the entirety of the team turn; rotate cards to track what's active if necessary.
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Once all players have taken all four of their main actions (and any bonus actions), their turn is considered complete – the nemeses then resolve their turns, and the round concludes.
Gameplay: Card Transfers
- Players maintain individual tableaus but may freely transfer cards between each other if the card(s) don't have any blocks on them, and the players' network pawns are adjacent.
- When a card is transferred, everything associated with it goes too: augmentations, jobs, and any other tucked cards remain with the card during transfer.
- Players do not lose or gain leverage when a card transfers between them.
- The transfer of cards does not trigger any effects.
Gameplay: Shared Card Effects
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Players may share the effects of cards. When activating a card, the active player may:
Keep the effect, or
Give it all to a consenting teammate, or
Split it (if the card has clearly distinct effects they may be split between players.)
Example of Shared Card Effects:
Purple activates a smuggler contact. They may:
Keep the effect: take the 2 cunning the smuggler provides and use the text ability themselves, or
Give it all to a consenting teammate: they grant the card's effects to orange player, who gains the 2 cunning, and can use the text ability for the duration of the turn, or
Split it: purple takes the 2 cunning, but lets orange use the text ability.
(If there is debate on whether effects are distinct enough to split, err on the side of taking creative liberty. In this fallen civilization, intelligence is rewarded.)
Gameplay: Endgame
Resolve endgame scoring as normal, except:
- Before calculating mastery, each team combines their players' leverage into a single scoring disc, resulting in 2 discs on the track. This does not trigger any effects.
- Teams score mastery as a team, rather than as individuals; the team with the highest combined total of a card color claims mastery of that color.
- The player team must have at least 2 cards of a color and more of that color than all the nemeses combined to qualify for mastery in that color.
Victory Conditions
After endgame scoring has been completed, the team with the highest combined leverage wins.
If any individual nemesis has met their endgame objective, their team wins, regardless of leverage.
Base Game Map Regions
The Archives — Gain 2 ambition. (Move 2 blocks from your influence hex into the ambition hex on the alchemy mat.)
The Black Dove — Downgrade 1 block: you may take an available job without being adjacent to its pickup location. Surveil is still allowed. Repeatable.
Black Market — Gain 2 cunning. (Move 2 blocks from your influence hex into the cunning hex on the alchemy mat.)
The Trench — No visit effect. Grants extra leverage to its controller.
Chop Shop — Use 1 conviction to gain a chop bot from the market or from the top of the stack. If you take from the market, flip the top card on stack into the empty market space.
Garage x2 — Use 3 might to increase your movement speed on the track on your dashboard. Gain the leverage shown on the space of the track you move your block into.
Generator — Add a total of up to 3 influence to your artifacts in any combination. Artifacts cannot hold more than 3 influence.
Scrapyard — Gain 2 might. (Move 2 blocks from your influence hex into the might hex on the alchemy mat.)
Jump Point — No visit effect. When you gain control of this region, it and another region physically swap their positions on the map. (You don't move with it.)
Lawmaker Ridge — Use 2 ambition to add a lawmaker to your network.
Mercenary Camp — Use 2 might to add a mercenary to your network.
Smugglers' Lair — Use 2 cunning to add a smuggler to your network.
Oasis x2 — Use 1 ambition to return up to 2 influence from your contacts or chop bots. Repeatable.
The Obelisk — Use any 2 attributes to gain any other 2 attributes.
Observatory x2 — Use 1 cunning to upgrade 1 block. Repeatable.
The Underground — Use 1 conviction to add 1 lawmaker, smuggler, or mercenary to your network.
Map Regions Module: Extra Regions
(Not included in base game – available separately)
The Bridge — When revealed, place the 3 white blocks here. This region's controller moves them to their influence hex and may use them anywhere in their tableau as if they were their own.
Floating Stones — No visit effect, other than for the controller. The controller of this region may complete a job by visiting here, rather than using the pickup or complete a job action. Limit 1 per visit.
The Rise — No visit effect. At game end, this region's controller gains 2 leverage for each of their completed covert op cards.
The Den — No visit effect. When revealed, place the black pawn (the Fox) on a space adjacent to this tile. On each of their turns, the controller of this region chooses either their network pawn or the Fox to be active during that turn, treating the other like it doesn't exist.
Refugee Camp — Draw 2 contacts from any stack, keep 1, shuffle the other back. Then shuffle 1 of your contacts (and any attached cards) into their stack(s). (Blocks on it return to influence, do not lose leverage.)
The White Raven — Shuffle a contact (and augmentations on it) back into their card stack(s). Gain the leverage of those cards. Any blocks on those cards return to influence. Unfinished jobs on them are shuffled back into their stack.
Deserted Factory — Gain a chop bot from the market or from the top of the stack. If you take from the market, flip the top card on the stack into market. Then shuffle 1 of your chop bots into the stack, transferring any blocks or cards attached to it to the new one.
The Ring — No visit effect. At game end, this region counts as 1 mastery of any type for its controller.
The Wound — Use any 2 attributes to upgrade 1 potential to conviction. If you have no potential, upgrade 2 influence to 2 conviction instead.
Contact Locations
Some players prefer a mode where locations with available contacts are hinted at before tiles are discovered, as opposed to the classic "fog of war" style.
The map regions module includes alternate versions of the 4 primary contact tiles, marked with contact icons on their backs for easy identification.