Warp-Lancer Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Content
• Card Anatomy
  • Warp-Lancer Ship
  • Quadrant
  • Pilot
  • Cargo Cards
  • Beacon Cards - Ship
  • Beacon Cards - Event
  • Condition Cards
  • Hazard Cards
  • Loot Cards - System
  • Loot Cards - Augment
  • Loot Cards - Weapon
  • Enemy's Shield & Hull
• Setup
• Gameplay
• Crystal
• Getting Crystals
• Reassign Crystals
• Loot and Installing Systems, Augments and Weapons
• Core Systems
• The Explore Die
• Modifiers
• How to Resolve Beacon Cards
  • Events
  • Stores Events
• Ship/Boss
  • Battle Setup
  • Fight
• The Final Battle
• Half Run
• Tips
• Battle Turn Reminder
• Icons Reference

Content

• 16 x Beacon cards
• 32 x Loot cards
• 5 x Condition cards
• 5 x Hazard cards
• 2 x double-sided Quadrant cards
• 2 x Boss cards
• 2 x double-sided Warp-Lancer ship cards
• 1 x double-sided Pirate Fighter/A.I Scout card
• 4 x Cargo cards (Shield & Hull, Missile, Shards, Cargo Hold)
• 2 x Enemy Shield & Hull cards
• 5 x Pilot cards
• 1 x Help card
• 25 x Green Crystal cubes
• 5 x Red Hull cubes
• 5 x Black Hull Limit cubes
• 8 x Blue Cargo/Shield/Sector cubes
• 6 x dice

Card Anatomy

Warp-Lancer Ship

• Ship's Name.
• Frame Limit: Hull point limit, how many systems, augments and weapons your ship can be equipped with.
• Launch Load-out: Starting systems and weapons.
• Starting Cargo Hold: How many Shards, Missiles, Warps, Crews and Crystals are in your Cargo Hold on launch.

Quadrant

• Quadrant's Name.
• Sector number: Move to a different sector when the last Beacon card is resolved.
• Final Fight Sector: Your final battle.
• Starting Sector.
• Sector Modification: Some sectors have an ongoing hazard to add to each Beacon card.

Pilot

• Pilot's Name.
• Special ability: Bonus you get for the entire run.
• Starting bonus: Bonus at the start of the game.

Cargo Cards

• Cargo Name/type.
• Cube track: How much of a resource you have.

Beacon Cards - Ship

• Ship's Name.
• Hull: Enemy's total hull at the start of battle.
• To hit: Result required to hit the ship with each attack die.
• Special ability: Marked with a warning symbol (⚠), some ships come with bonuses or encounter options.
• Sector: Ship encountered at the current Sector number.
• Condition: Conditions to get at the start of battle.
• Weapons: How the ship attacks.
• Shield: Shield generates up to that value at the start of your turn.
• Reward: What you get after a victory.

Beacon Cards - Event

• Event's Name.
• Explore: Roll 1d6 to determine what the consequence of the Event is.
• Cost with reward: You can choose to pay the cost to get the reward or skip the event without the reward.
• Cost without reward: You have to "pay" the cost.

Condition Cards

• Condition Name.
• Condition Icon.
• Explore Timing: Roll for most conditions at the end of your turn and removed at the end of combat. Cloaking is rolled at the beginning of your turn. Fire gets one last roll at the end of combat.
• Explore consequences: What happens following your Condition explore roll.

Hazard Cards

• Hazard Name.
• Explore Timing: Roll for hazards at the end of your turn. Some hazards are removed at the end of combat, others are present throughout a sector.
• Explore consequences: What happens following your Hazard explore roll.

Loot Cards - System

• Cost: In Stores, buy at full price or sell for half rounded down.
• System's Name.
• System's level: Assign a number of Crystals to a system to activate the desired bonus.
• Activated bonus: Bonus the system provides.

Loot Cards - Augment

• Cost: In Stores, buy at full price or sell for half rounded down.
• Augment's Name.
• Augment's associated system: An augment can be added to a specific system to get a new ability. A system can only have one augment at a time.
• Augment's ability: Bonus ability you get by installing the augment.

Loot Cards - Weapon

• Cost: In Stores, buy at full price or sell for half rounded down.
• Weapon's Name.
• Weapon's damage type: Attack type can be Laser, Missile or Beam.
• Attack Dice number: The number of dice you throw during a single attack from this weapon.
• Damage per hit: Amount of damage per hit.
• Crystal requirement: Amount of Crystals required to activate the weapon.

Enemy's Shield & Hull

• Hull track: How many hits an enemy can take before being removed.
• Shield track: How many Shields an enemy has. It is up to its full value each turn.

NOTICE: The warning symbol (⚠) on certain cards serves as a reminder or notice to pay attention.

Setup

1. Choose your starting ship and search the Loot cards for its Launch Load-out systems and weapons. Mark its Launch Load-out on the Cargo cards with blue cubes: Shards, Missile, Warps and Crew. Put the indicated number of Crystals in your Hold by placing as many green cubes in the Reserve. Put the leftover green cubes aside for future purchases. Put a red cube to mark the ship's hull limit and fill the number over the max with black cubes. Your ship cannot repair past its hull limit. Place a Blue Cube on the 0 Shield space. Your Ship, its Systems, Weapons and Cargo form the Ship Row on the bottom of the play area.
2. You may choose a single pilot and add its starting bonus to your Launch Load-out. Put the pilot in the Ship Row.
3. Shuffle the remaining Loot cards and create a facedown Loot deck. Leave space for a loot discard pile.
4. Shuffle the 16 Beacon cards and form a facedown Beacon Deck. The Loot deck and Beacon Deck form the Encounter Row.
5. Choose a random Quadrant and place a marker on the leftmost sector. Return the other Quadrant card to the box.
6. Form separate piles with the Hazards, Conditions and the double-sided "Pirate Fighter/A.I. Scout" ship card. With the Quadrant card, this forms the Static Row. Place the Boss cards aside until the Final Battle.
7. Assign Crystals from your Reserve to your ship's systems and weapons by placing green cubes on them. The level of each system is determined by the number of Crystals assigned to it. You cannot assign more Crystals to a system or weapon than its capacity. Weapons can only be used if the required number of Crystals is assigned to them and if the Weapon Control system has at least one Crystal assigned to it.

• Suggested starting Crystal assignment with The Anvil: 1x Weapon Control, 1x Engine, 2x Sensors, 1x Basic Launcher, 3x Rapid Fire Laser.

If at any time your Hull or Crew falls to zero, you lose the game.

Gameplay

With your ship and resources prepared, it's time to enter the vast expanse of space and confront the dangerous Devot threat. Good luck, Warp-Lancer. The fate of the Federation rests in your hands.

1. Draw a Beacon card and place it face-up in the Direct Beacon space. Then, draw another Beacon card and place it face-down in the Distant Beacon space. If you have at least 1 Warp in your hold, you may choose to skip the Direct Beacon and warp directly to the Distant Beacon. To do so, spend 1 Warp and place the Direct Beacon card in the Beacon Discard pile. Then, flip the Distant Beacon card face-up. If you choose to remain in the Direct Beacon, discard the Distant Beacon card without looking at it.
2. Resolve the Beacon card, then discard it face-down in the Beacon Discard pile.
3. Upkeep your ship: Transform Shards into Crystals, equip systems and weapons, reassign Crystals to system and weapons (see next page for details).
4. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 until all 16 Beacon cards are in the discard pile.
5. Shuffle the Beacon cards and reform the Beacon deck. Spend 1 Warp and choose the next connected sector.
6. Go through each sector until you get to the Final Fight and defeat the boss.

If you have 0 Warp at step 5, you must fight the sector 3 Pirate Fighter (it's hull is also as if it was on sector 3). If you choose to Bribe the Pirate Fighter, you will receive 1 Warp.

Crystal

Crystals are the energy you need to power your ship's systems and weapons. They are represented by green cubes. When you place one or more Crystals on a system, it goes online, and you gain the benefits associated with the number of Crystals assigned to that system.

Weapons need a fixed amount of Crystals to attack. An online weapon does not have to attack on your turn. Weapons cannot attack if the Weapon Control system is offline, even if they themselves are online.

Getting Crystals

You can convert five Shards into one Crystal. You can do so as many times as you want, but only during your ship's upkeep. You cannot convert Crystals into Shards.

When a system becomes offline due to a Condition or Hazard, put its Crystals in the Crystal Reserve on the Cargo Hold card. Crystals in the reserve become available during the next opportunity to reassign Crystals.

Reassign Crystals

After your attack in battle or during your ship's upkeep, you can reassign Crystals to different systems and weapons. Take any number of Crystals (green cubes) you have available and distribute them to systems and weapons as you see fit.

You cannot reassign Crystals at the start of an event, immediately after a Beacon card is revealed, or before the end of your turn in a battle. You can only reassign Crystals after an attack or during the Ship's Upkeep.

Loot and Installing Systems, Augments and Weapons

You can acquire loot as a battle reward, event result, or purchase it from a store. Place loot in your Cargo Hold (outside of the Ship row). You can only change your load-out during the Ship's Upkeep phase.

• Weapon: You cannot have more weapons installed than your ship's frame limit allows.
• System: You cannot have more systems installed than your ship's frame limit allows.
• Augment: You cannot have more augments installed than your ship's frame limit allows. An augment is added to a specific system. A system can have one augment assigned to it.

Core Systems

Engine and Sensors are core systems on your ship and cannot be sold or uninstalled. They still count as systems for ship's Frame limit.

The Explore Die

Events, stores, conditions and hazards will ask you to roll the Explore Die. The result of an explore die will determine the consequences of situation. Events and stores Explore Die need to be rolled when you choose the Beacon. Conditions and Hazards Explore Die need to be rolled at the end of your turn. The Cloaking Condition Explore Die is rolled at the start of your turn.

Modifiers

Some abilities allow you to add or subtract from a die result. A result may be higher than 6 only on attack rolls and cannot be lower than 1.

How to Resolve Beacon Cards

Events

1. Roll the Explore Die and follow the result after available modifiers. An Event roll cannot be lower than 1 and higher than 6.
   • If there's a cost and a reward, you can pay the full cost in order to get the reward.
   • If there's only a cost, you must pay the cost fully.
   • If you Fight, put the double-sided Pirate Fighter/A.I Scout card on the appropriate side in play and begin a Ship battle against it.
2. Upkeep your ship:
   • You may transform Shards into Crystals,
   • Equip Systems, Augments and Weapons,
   • Reassign Crystals to Systems and Weapons.
3. Discard the Beacon.

Stores Events

1. Roll the Explore Die and follow the result after available modifiers. An Event roll cannot be lower than 1 and higher than 6.
2. Draw the indicated number of cards from the loot deck to create the store.
3. The following actions can be done in any order.
   • You can optionally perform the bonus action at the bottom of the active store section.
   • You can buy items from the store with your Shards. The cost is indicated next to the card's name.
   • You can buy Missile ammo, Warps and Repairs as indicated at the top of the store card.
   • You can sell Systems, Augments and Weapons from your ship, each for half its value rounded down.
   • You can sell pairs of Missile ammo for 1 Shard. Warp and Crew cannot be sold.
4. Upkeep your ship:
   • You may transform Shards into Crystals,
   • Equip Systems, Augments and Weapons,
   • Reassign Crystals to Systems and Weapons.
5. Discard the Beacon.

Ship/Boss

Battle Setup

1. Fight the ship associated with the sector number you are currently exploring. If the enemy has a Bribe cost, you can pay it to discard the enemy without gaining the reward. You cannot pay the bribe after the fight began.
2. Get the battle Conditions and Hazards indicated on the Ship card and your current sector.
3. Add the base Hull and the sector number you are currently exploring. Place a red cube on that number on the Hull track of the Enemy's Shield and Hull card.
4. Generate the enemy's shield by placing a blue cube on that number on the Shield track of the Enemy's Shield and Hull card.

Fight

Your Turn:

1. Generate the enemy's shield up to its shield value.
2. Check for Cloaking Conditions.
3. Weapons attack: Roll each of your active weapons one at a time. Roll dice equal to the number indicated on the Attack box of the Weapon. Each die is a Hit if it equals or surpasses the "To Hit" difficulty of a ship. Treat each die separately to check for a hit. Add modifiers to each die. Before modifiers, a roll of 1 is always a miss, and a roll of 6 is always a hit, regardless of the difficulty.
   • Laser Weapon hits reduce the enemy shields by 1. If the enemy shields are at 0, Laser Weapon deals 1 damage per hit.
   • Launcher Weapon ignores enemy shields. The damage done per hit is specific to each Launcher. For each Attack die rolled by a Launcher, reduce your Missile Ammo by 1. You cannot use a Launcher Weapon if you have 0 Missile Ammo. If a Launcher has more than 1 Attack Die available, choose how many dice you roll up to that number.
   • Beam Weapon automatically hits the enemy but is blocked by their shields. If the enemy shields are at 1 or more, the Beam Weapon deals 0 damage and does not reduce shields.
4. If the Enemy hull equals 0 or less, go to the End Battle phase.
5. Reassign Crystals to Systems and Weapons.
6. Generate your shield.
7. Check for End of turn Conditions & Hazards.
8. Go to the Enemy's turn.

Enemy's turn:

1. Enemy's Weapons attack. Roll the number of dice indicated beside each attack type. The "To Hit" difficulty for the enemy depends on your Engine System and/or other modifiers.
   • Laser Weapon reduces your shields by 1 for each hit and deals 1 damage per hit if your shields are at 0.
   • Launcher Weapon ignores your shield and deals 1 damage per hit.
   • Beam Weapon deals the number indicated in damage. It automatically hits but is blocked if your shields are at 1 or more.
2. Option to flee: If your engine is online and you have at least 1 Warp, you can spend 1 Warp to go to the End battle but skip the reward and the Upkeep.
3. Go to Your turn.

End battle:

1. Remove Conditions and Hazards (roll one more time for each Fire Condition).
2. Get the enemy's reward.
3. Upkeep your ship:
   • You may transform Shards into Crystals,
   • Equip Systems, Augments and Weapons,
   • Reassign Crystals to Systems and Weapons.
4. Discard the Beacon.

The Final Battle

You reach the Federation Headquarters. A Federation ship repairs every hull damage on your ship and gives you 10 missiles. You can Upkeep your ship.

Set up the Final Battle by placing the two Boss cards side by side, Prime face up. Each Boss card is a separate ship with its own Conditions and Shield and Hull card.

On your turn, you can use each of your weapons to target any one Boss card. You cannot split the dice of one weapon between Boss cards. When you destroy a Prime face, turn the card over to its wrecked face. Treat it as a new ship with new conditions. When you destroy a wrecked face, discard the card.

On its turn, the boss attacks in order (#1, then #2). You cannot flee the final battle.

If you destroy both wrecked faces before your hull or crew falls to zero, you win the game.

Half Run

You can do a Half-run by playing a regular game up to the end of sector 3. Go directly to the Final Fight sector instead of going to sector 4, Repair your ship, receive 10 missile and Fight the Boss by using only Prime Faces. When you destroy the Prime Face, remove the card instead of flipping it.

Tips

• You mainly attack first during an enemy encounter. Defensive systems may be powered after your first attack.
• Converting Crystals during the first few sectors will help you, but store's loot might help you more.
• The possibility of loot is often worth the risk.

Battle Turn Reminder

Battle Setup:

1. Get the battle Conditions and Hazards.
2. Mark the enemy's hull and shield.

Your Turn:

1. Generate enemy shields up to its value,
2. Check for Cloaking condition,
3. Weapons attack,
4. If the Enemy is destroyed, go to the End Battle,
5. Reassign Crystals to Systems and Weapons,
6. Generate your shields,
7. Check for End of turn Conditions & Hazards,
8. Go to the Enemy's turn.

Enemy's turn:

1. Enemy's Weapons attack,
2. Option to flee,
3. Go to Your turn.

End battle:

1. Remove Conditions and Hazards (roll one more time for each Fire Condition),
2. Get the enemy's reward,
3. Upkeep your ship:
   • You may transform Shards into Crystals,
   • Equip Systems, Augments and Weapons,
   • Reassign Crystals to Systems and Weapons,
4. Discard the Beacon.

Icons Reference

• CRYSTAL: Is needed to power systems and weapons.
• SHARD: Money to buy weapons, systems, missiles, etc.
• WARP: Needed to progress to the next sector, fleeing, or choosing the Distant Beacon.
• CREW: When you lose your last crew member, you lose the game.
• LOOT: Draw from the loot deck. You don't need to spend Shards when loot is gained as a reward.
• SHIELD: Blocks Laser and Beam Weapons. For each laser hit, reduce the active shields by 1.
• LASER WEAPON: Laser hit shields before hull. For enemy ships, roll as many dice as the number before the Laser symbol.
• MISSILE WEAPON or ammo: Each time you attack, spend 1 Missile ammo. Can't attack if you don't have ammo. For enemy ships, roll as many dice as the number before the Missile symbol. Missile attacks ignore shields and hit the hull directly.
• BEAM WEAPON: Hit automatically but don't reduce shields. Ineffective if shields are at 1 or more.
• Condition icons: See condition cards.