X-ODUS: Rise of the Corruption
X-ODUS: Rise of the Corruption Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Goal
- Game Components
- Setup of the Game
- Difficulty Settings
- Ship Mats Overview
- Key Concepts
- Dice Rolls
- Systems
- Allies
- Ship Modules
- Precursor Modules
- Explorations
- Precursor Signals
- Enemies
- Combat
- Avatars
- Game Phases
- 1. Action Phase
- 2. Corruption Phase
- End Phase
- Easy-to-Forget Rules
- Winning the Game
- Losing the Game
- Achievements
- Credits
- Round Summary
- Combat Summary
Goal
In X-ODUS, you play as captains of spaceShips brought together by a common mission: to recover the Precursor Keys, immensely powerful energy sources left behind by the Precursors. They are the only thing powerful enough to reactivate the seal on the Main Rift, thus preventing the Corruption from spreading to the entire galaxy.
In order to win the game, you need to:
- Discover all the systems containing a Precursor Signal.
- Explore them to reveal the corresponding Precursor Signal cards.
- Solve the cards to gather their Precursor Keys.
- Discover the location of the Main Rift.
- Activate all the Keys on the Main Rift.
- Defeat all the Avatars on the Main Rift (if any).
If the Corruption marker reaches the Rise of the Corruption, before you manage to seal the Main Rift, you immediatly lose the game.
Tips for your first game:
We recommend choosing the Warship, Battlecruiser, Drone Specialist and Explorer, as they form a balanced team. The first two can form Fleets to fight powerful Enemies while the Drone Specialist ensures their survivability and the Explorer travels ahead to reveal the board quickly.
You should read the Ships' descriptions on the back of the mat, as they give useful pointers on how to play and which roles you can specialize into.
During the setup, you will choose the two allies that will be in play during the game. Picking them has a strategic value, as you can choose allies whose skills will reinforce your strengths or offset your weaknesses.
Game Components
- 1 Main Rift Tile
- 31 System Tiles — 12 Allied (blue), 12 Enemy (orange), 7 Corrupt (red)
- 10 Exploration Markers
- 32 Exploration Cards
- 23 Scraps Markers
- 8 Pacified Markers
- 3 Wormhole Markers
- 3 Rift Markers
- 3 Avatar Movement Markers
- 18 Precursor Signal Cards
- 6 Ship Mats
- 4 XP Trackers
- 32 Ship Hull Markers
- 12 Ship Dice (4 Red, 4 Blue, 4 Yellow)
- 36 Augmentation Cards
- 6 Ship Standees
- 8 Energy Markers
- Ally Markers
- 8 Ally Cards
- 28 Ship Module Cards
- 12 Precursor Module Cards
- 20 Damage Cards
- 1 Battle Mat
- 16 Enemy Cards
- 8 Reference Cards
- 1 Corruption Mat
- 4 Action Markers
- 4 Precursor Key Markers
- 1 Corruption Tracker
- 1 Avatar Die
- 4 Avatar Standees
- 4 Avatar Cards
Setup of the Game
X-ODUS is about Fleet tactics and building synergies between the different Ships. A minimum of 3 Ships and a maximum of 4 is always recommended. The setup is mostly the same, and the differences will be explained below.
In the 3-Ships variant, the game will last the same amount of turns, but there will be one less Avatar on the board, most level 4 Enemies won't enter the game, and you'll have only 3 Precursor Keys to discover instead of 4.
Ship Mats
The following setup is indidvidual for each Ship:
- Choose a Ship mat and take its corresponding Augmentation cards.
- Place the level 1 Augmentation card on your mat face up, in the leftmost top slot, and set the rest aside.
- Take the number of Hull markers indicated on your Ship mat and place them white face up above it.
- Take your 2 Energy markers (Max and Level). Place the Max marker on the third slot (marked between
|) and the Level marker directly on its left. - Take your Action marker and place it on your mat.
- Take the Ship dice of the color indicated on your mat.
- Place an XP tracker in the leftmost XP slot of the mat.
- Take 1 Scrap marker.
Explorations, Modules & Allies
- Shuffle the Exploration, Ship Module, Precursor Module and Damage cards individually and place them next to each other.
- Choose 2 Ally cards, shuffle them and place them next to the Exploration cards.
- Set aside the Exploration, Scraps, Hull, Ally, Wormhole and Pacified markers.
Corruption and Avatars
- Place the Corruption tracker in the first slot of the Corruption mat, above "The X-ODUS begins".
- Set aside the 4 Avatar standees, the Avatar die, the 3 Avatar movement markers and the 3 Rift markers.
- Shuffle the 4 Avatar cards.
- Select 8 Precursor Signal cards according to your difficulty level (see Difficulty Setting), shuffle them, pick 4 at random and place them on the Corruption mat, face down.
- Add a Precursor Key marker on each one.
Enemies
- Shuffle the 4 levels of Enemy cards separately, then stack them in descending order (level 4 at the bottom, level 1 on top) to form the Enemy reserve.
- Draw the first 4 cards to form the Enemy deck (with level 1 Enemies) and place it near the Corruption mat.
- Set aside the Enemy reserve along with the Battle mat.
System Stack & Main Rift
4-Ship Setup
- Pick 6 out of the 7 Corrupt system tiles.*
- Place one of these tiles at the center of the table as the starting system and place the Ship standees on it.
- Shuffle together the 12 blue and 12 orange tiles, face down, and divide them in 6 equal stacks of 4 tiles.
- Shuffle the Main Rift tile into the first stack.
- Shuffle 1 random remaining red tile into each of the other 5 stacks.
- Pile the 6 stacks to form the system stack, with the one containing the Main Rift at the bottom.
*The 7th red tile will stay in reserve and only be used under certain conditions.
3-Ship Setup
Remove the following 5 systems marked with a white dot.
Follow each steps of the 4-Ships setup, but instead of forming 6 stacks of tiles, form only 5, with the Main Rift one still at the bottom of the pile. The remaining Corrupt system tile is placed at the center of the table as starting system, and the spare tile is set aside in the reserve.
Number of Players
The game can easily be enjoyed from 1 to 4 players, controlling one or more Ships. For a solo game, play with 3 or 4 Ships for the best experience.
Difficulty Settings
During the setup of the game, randomly select the 8 Precursor Signal cards according to the following difficulty settings. Difficulty also affects the amount of XP you lose when defeated, and various game rules.
First Jump
For your first game and a casual experience.
6 Hazardous, 1 Perilous, 1 Lethal.
- When defeated, you lose 1 XP (+ Augmentations).
- Start with 2 Scraps instead of 1.
Hyperspace Rush
Once you're familiar with the game and want a challenge.
2 Hazardous, 4 Perilous, 2 Lethal.
- When defeated, you lose 3 XP (+Augmentations).
Beyond the Rift
The way the game was meant to be played.
2 Hazardous, 2 Perilous, 4 Lethal.
- When defeated, you lose 5 XP (+Augmentations).
- The Avatars' abilities also trigger on Damage Rolls from disengagement and aggressive engagement.
The Corrupt Dimension
For those who like pain and being under pressure. Good luck!
1 Hazardous, 1 Perilous, 6 Lethal.
- When defeated, you are destroyed and don't come back into play.
- The Avatars' abilities also trigger on Damage Rolls from disengagement and aggressive engagement.
- A defeated Avatar is placed on the Corruption mat only 2 slots away from the Corruption marker (and not 3).
- Place a permanent Avatar in play.
- You start without any Scraps.
Ship Mats Overview
There are 6 unique Ships in X-ODUS, Rise of the Corruption, all equiped with powerful technology. They will evolve throughout the game, and grant you new abilities.
Read the Ships' descriptions on the back of the mat, as they give useful pointers on how to play and which roles you can specialize into.
- Action / Action tracker is the number of actions available to the Ship each turn. It varies for each Ship.
- Hull / Hull markers is the amount of damage a Ship can take before being defeated. It varies for each Ship.
- Dice are used to solve various situation in the game. The combination of the 2 dice varies for each Ship.
- Scrap / Scrap markers is the game currency. When the Ship gain Scraps, place them on the side of the mat.
- Energy / Energy tracker is used throughout the game to activate Modules.
- XP / XP tracker allows you to track your experience points (XP), and unlock new Augmentations, based on your Ship's unique condition B.
- Augmentations are powerful abilities, unique to each Ship. Each Ship starts the game with Level 1 Augmentation A already unlocked.
1. Action / Action Tracker
During your turn, your Ship can perform a number of actions, as indicated on the mat. Use the Action tracker on the right-hand side of the mat, to track them.
When you have no actions left, your turn is over. You can still, however, perform anything that doesn't require you to spend an action, such as Combat or using a Module.
IMPORTANT: A Ship (or Fleet) must use all its actions before another one can start playing.
2. Hull / Hull Marker
The Hull is the amount of damage a Ship can take before being defeated. Place the Hull markers indicated on your Ship mat when you set up the game, white face up. Each time the Ship loses Hull, flip the markers on their red side.
3. Ship Dice
Dice are used in Combat and throughout the game for solving various situations. There are three different dice in the game: Power (red), Skill (yellow) and Precision (blue).
Dice Symbols
Each die has three different symbols:
- A hit symbol represents a Hit.
- A lightning-bolt symbol represents a Skill.
- A circle symbol represents a Miss.
The three colored dice have varying odds of rolling the various symbols (except for the miss).
Dice Reserve
Unused dice form the reserve. It can be used throughout the game by Modules.
4. Scraps
Scraps are the game currency. Throughout the game, Ships will gain and spend Scraps in various situations.
5. Energy
Each Ship is equipped with Energy capacitors that allow to activate powerful Modules. There are two different Energy markers:
- The Max Energy represents how much energy you can spend each turn.
It can be upgraded by paying the Scrap cost indicated on the next visible slot of the Ship mat. When you do so, move the Max Energy marker, as well as the Energy Level marker, one slot to the right.
- The Energy Level changes anytime you spend or recover Energy. Move the marker on your Ship mat accordingly to keep track of your Energy Level.
Negative Energy
Some effects can make you lose Max Energy. You can never go below your initial level.
6. XP Tracker / Leveling Up
Each one of the six Ships is better suited to play a specific role, and becomes more powerful when doing so.
Every time your Ship performs the action B indicated on its mat, move your XP marker 1 slot to the right.
Whenever you reach a new level (marked as Augm X), immediately unlock the corresponding Augmentation. You won't be able to use it until the next action or attack.
Pick the corresponding Augmentation, choose a side and insert the card in its designated slot of the mat.
7. Augmentations
The Precursor energy field that altered your Ship grants you many powerful abilities in the form of self-evolving, highly specialized Modules, known as Augmentations.
Augmentations are dual-sided, and you have to pick one variant when you unlock the card. That side will then be in effect until the end of the game.
While Augmentations are Modules, they can't be salvaged or traded with other Ships.
Augmentation Slots
Augmentations 1, 3 and 5 (that require Energy) go on top of the mat, above the Energy tracker. Augmentations 2, 4, and 6 (Passive) go at the bottom of the mat, below the XP tracker.
Ship always starts the game with the Level 1 Augmentation card face up in the leftmost top slot.
IMPORTANT: Augmentations are Modules. Hence they follow the activation rules (see Modules).
Key Concepts
Fleets
During the Action phase, when 2 or more Ships are on the same system, they can choose to form a Fleet that will be active until the end of the turn.
Timing to Form a Fleet
Forming a Fleet doesn't cost an Action, and as such can be performed anytime during your turn, including between Detection and Combat.
Fleet Rules
- Ships in a Fleet must perform the same action on the same target.
- Each Ship's resources (Scraps, Modules, etc) are individual and cannot be shared.
- A Fleet always has the same number of actions as the Ship with the fewest remaining amount at any given time.
- A Fleet can add new Ships along the way, as long as they haven't played this turn, but their number of actions will be limited by that of the Fleet.
- When a Ship joins an existing Fleet, they start their turn. Effects that trigger at the beginning of the turn (Detection rolls, Modules activation...) must be resolved accordingly.
- You can't disband a Fleet before the End phase.
EXAMPLE: the Warship and Battlecruiser form a Fleet at the beginning of the turn and have 3 actions. They use 1 to Jump and the Explorer. If it joins them, instead of having its individual 4 actions, it will only have the 2 the Fleet has left.
TIPS: The game is almost impossible to win without some measure of cooperation. Don't hesitate to form Fleets often. They considerably increase your odds during Combat and Explorations, at the cost of a reduced number of actions each turn.
Creating efficient Fleets is key to your success.
Modules
The Modules refer to all the equipment that can be installed on your Ship. They grant a wide variety of new abilities and skills, as well as powerful boons. There are three type of Modules: Augmentations, Ship Modules and Precursor Modules.
Activation Condition
Modules have an activation condition (in the white box). It must be met before you can use the effect on the card, both in and out of Combat.
Passive cards grant a permanent effect. They can be activated whenever their condition is met.
Consumable cards are one-time only effects. They can be activated whenever their condition is met, but need to be discarded after use.
Energy cards require Energy. They can be activated whenever their condition is met, but you need to spend the required Energy.
IMPORTANT: activating a Module doesn't cost an Action.
Activation Rules
- You can choose not to activate a Module.
- Each Module can only be used once per attack or action.
- You can activate as many Modules as you want as long as their Energy cost and trigger conditions (such as paying Scraps) are met.
- You may choose to ignore the beneficial effects of a Module (such as ignore a Miss or reroll).
- Each die can only be rerolled once.
- You can't reroll or ignore a die if you used it to trigger another Module during this attack (such as a Skill modifier, or a Miss effect.)
- When several Modules apply at the same time, choose their activation order.
- Skill results act as dice modifier. When you trigger an Augmentation with a Skill effect, apply the corresponding effect (add Miss, recover Energy, etc.) to every one of your dice showing Skill at the same time. If an Augmentation requires 2 Skill results, you need 2 dice showing the symbol to trigger the effect.
Dice Rolls
Dice are used in Combat and throughout the game for solving various situations. There are 4 types of rolls you can encounter:
Detection Roll
When you perform a Detection Roll, roll both of your dice (unless specified by a Module). If you roll at least 1 Miss, you are detected and engaged with an Enemy.
IN A FLEET: All the Ships roll their dice together. If any one of them rolls at least 1 Miss, the entire Fleet is detected and engaged with an Enemy.
Skill Roll
When an action requires you to pass a Skill Roll, simply roll both of your dice. If you obtain at least the number of Skill or Hit results stated on the effect, it is successful.
IN A FLEET: All the Ships roll their dice together and add their results. they succeed or fail together.
Damage Roll
When a situation requires you to perform a Damage Roll, roll both of your dice. If you roll 1 Miss, lose 1 Hull. If you roll 2 Miss, lose 2 Hull and draw a Damage card.
Otherwise, the Damage Roll is successful.
IN A FLEET: Each Ship rolls its dice separately in order to determine its own damage.
Damage Card
Whenever both your dice show Miss during Combat or after a Damage Roll, it's a critical miss. You must Draw a Damage card. The effect of the card will apply right away and remain active until the end of the game, or until discarded.
Disregarding Damage Card
To discard a Damage card, you or another Ship can use a Maintenance action (see Ship Maintenance) and pay the cost indicated on the card in Scraps. Some Explorations, Modules and Allies also allow you to remove damage cards.
Attack Roll
Attack Rolls are used to resolve Combat (see Combat).
IN A FLEET: All Ships roll their dice individually in order to determine their own results.
Systems
Each hexagonal tile on the board is a revealed star system of the galaxy. They are connected by hyperspace lanes, represented by openings on the sides of the tiles (as opposed to the colored borders).
The color of the tile indicates the type of system (Allied, Enemy, or Corrupt) and the symbols indicate which events you can or have to resolve while in it.
Allied Systems
The Allied systems are safe havens for your Ships. The Cultists have not yet invaded them and, therefore, they don't trigger Combat. Avatars, however, can follow and attack you there.
Enemy Systems
These systems have fallen prey to the Corruption and its Cultist legions.
When you enter an Enemy system OR start your turn in one, you have to perform a Detection Roll unless the system is Pacified (see Pacify).
If you are detected, you must engage any Enemy (or Avatar) already there, OR if none are left, draw one Enemy card per Enemy symbol on the tile and engage them.
You can choose to ignore a Detection Roll to engage an Enemy voluntarily.
Corrupt Systems
These systems have been completely infested by the Corruption. Secondary Rifts are opened in every Corrupt system, allowing the Avatars to pass through when they move on the board (see The Avatar move).
System Symbols
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Exploration symbol: Explorations are possible in the system. Place an Exploration marker on each symbol when the tile is revealed. Enemy systems can only be Explored if you were not detected, or if the system is Pacified.
IMPORTANT: If you run out of exploration markers, move one from a different system on the board, thus permanently losing that Exploration.
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Precursor Signal symbol: A Precursor Signal has been detected. Place the corresponding Precursor Key marker from the Corruption mat on the tile when it is revealed.
-
Ally symbol: An Ally is available for Trade every time you are in this system. Draw a card from the Ally deck and place the matching Ally marker on it.
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Wormhole symbol: A wormhole is open in the system. Systems with wormholes are all considered adjacent to one another for your Ships. Use them to navigate the galaxy very quickly.
IMPORTANT: Jumping to an Enemy system through a wormhole still triggers a Detection Roll.
IMPORTANT: Avatars can't use wormholes, unless specified by their die.
-
Automatic detection symbol: If the system contains this symbol, you are automatically detected upon entering; skip the Detection Roll entirely.
-
Reinforced enemy symbol: Enemies in this system are stronger. If detected, draw the first Enemy card from the reserve instead of the deck.
-
Multiple enemy symbols: If detected, draw one Enemy card per symbol in this system and fight them consecutively.
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Rift symbol: Rifts are opened in every Corrupt system, allowing the Avatars to pass through when they move on the board. Systems containing Rift are all considered adjacent to one another for the Avatars.
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Main Rift symbol: The Main Rift acts as any other Rift, but is the only one where you can activate the Precursor Keys.
Allies
Throughout the galaxy, free people are fighting the Corruption any way they can. These Allies of circumstance can help you during your journey. They can trade powerful Modules for your Ship, and offer their services to give you an edge in your fight.
Interacting with an Ally
When you enter a system with an Ally, draw the first card from the Ally deck and place it face up near the board. Place the Ally marker on the card to identify its location then draw the required number of Ship Modules and Precursor Modules.
Trade Modules
Anytime you are on an Ally, you can perform a Trade action (see Trade) to buy any number of Modules from this Ally.
Ally Ability
Allies have special abilities or offer unique services, such as revealing tiles on the board or lowering the prices of their Modules. When you meet the condition, you are allow to Activate their abilities. This doesn't require to spend an action. Unless specified, abilities can be triggered from anywhere on the board.
TIPS: During the setup, choose your Allies strategically, to reinforce your strengths or offset your weaknesses.
Ally Markers III
The Exploration card Trapped Ally has one option, locked behind a Skill Roll, that grants a new random Ally as a reward.
If unlocked, just place the card near the board, and use one Ally III marker on the tile and the other one on the card to remember its position on the board.
Ship Modules
Ship Modules are lower grade equipment that can be found during Explorations or bought from Allies (for the price indicated on the card).
While they are not as powerful as your Augmentations, they can still make a difference, either by reinforcing your Ship's strength or by offsetting its weaknesses.
Precursor Modules
Precursor Modules are rare artifacts from the Precursor era that can also be found during Explorations or bought from Allies (for the price indicated on the card).
They work essentially in the same way as other Modules, but are much more powerful, and can have game changing abilities.
IMPORTANT: There are no limits as to how many Ship Modules and Precursor Modules you can store. Place them on the side of your Ship mat.
IMPORTANT: Ship Modules and Precuror Modules follow the same activation rules presented above.
Explorations
Explorations are random events and discoveries happening to you during your time in a system. There are 3 types of Exploration: Analysis, Warning, Danger.
When you reveal an Exploration card, it has to be solved right away and in one go by the Ship or Fleet that triggered it, and then be discarded. An Exploration never stays on the board for later use.
Analysis
These Explorations are the safest and present little to no danger for your Ships. You can pick any of the three options on the card (if eligible).
You can spend extra actions to trigger more rewards. These extra actions are not considered Explorations (for the sake of Modules and XP conditions for example).
Any option can only be picked once per Exploration.
IN A FLEET: Fleet members can all pick a different option or share a common one.
EXAMPLE: The Explorer and Battlecruiser reveal the System Exodus together. The Explorer belongs to the ROGUE class and decides to exchange information about cultist movements to reveal 2 systems anywhere on the board.
In the meantime, the Battlecruiser trades resources with the Fleet and gains a Ship Module.
Since the two Ships have lost some Hull, they decide to use 1 additional action to both dock with one of the engineering Ships, and each recover 2 Hull and all their Energy.
Warning
These Explorations are time-sensitive events, where you have to choose "quickly" and can only pick 1 option. These cards offer stronger rewards, but also greater risks.
Warning cards usually have one normal and one class options, and a third choice that is stronger than the rest, but requires you to pass a Skill Roll. If you fail, pick the red effect and if you succeed, refer to the immersion text, next to the star symbol, for an explanation of your reward.
IN THE FLEET: The entire Fleet has to pick only one option and share its rewards.
EXAMPLE: The Warship and Proto-Ship reveal the Cultist Factory. They can only pick 1 option, and have to agree on it.
Since neither of them belong to the ROGUE class, they can't slow down the Avatars this turn. They can either gain some Scraps or try their skill to prevent the Rise of the Corruption.
But if they fail, the Avatars will be granted a bonus movement during this Corruption phase!
Danger
These Explorations are hazards, and you have only one option. In order to escape a Danger card unscathed, you have to pass a Skill Roll. If you succeed, nothing happens, but if you fail, resolve all the red symbols.
IN THE FLEET: The entire Fleet succeeds or fails together and suffers the consequences.
EXAMPLE: The Explorer and Pirate Ship reveal the Dormant Swarm. They have to manage a Skill Roll with two targets to succeed.
The Explorer rolls 2 Miss and the Pirate rolls 2 Hit, therefore the test is successful and none of the effects apply.
Extra Ship in the System
If another Ship is in the system while you or your Fleet perform an Exploration, it can only participate if it joins your Fleet before the Exploration starts.
Rewards During Exploration
Ship Class
Some options are locked unless your, or a Fleet member's Ship belongs to a certain class, indicated above it: Combat, Specialist, Rogue.
IN THE FLEET: Only one Ship needs to belong to the required class, not all of them.
Fleet and Rewards
Rewards that directly target your Ship (recover Hull, discard a Damage card, recover Energy, end your turn, gain XP, etc...) applies to each Ship in the Fleet that chose the option.
Reward that targets a component that is not a part of your Ship (draw a Ship Module, Pacify a system, etc...) applies only once, even when several Fleet members chose the option.
The same rules apply for Warning card rewards marked by the yellow-star symbol.
Rewards Symbols and Effects
Applies to every Ship in the Fleet that chose the option.
- Hull symbol: Recover the indicated amount of Hull. Each Fleet member recover the amount of Hull.
- Energy symbol: Recover all your Energy. Each Fleet member recover their Energy.
- XP symbol: Gain 1 XP. Each Fleet member gain 1 XP.
- Discard-damage symbol: Discard a Damage card. Each Fleet member may discard a Damage card.
- Forbidden symbol: Lose your remaining actions and end your turn. All Fleet members must end their turn.
Applies only once, even when several Fleet members choose the option.
- Scrap symbol: Gain the indicated amount of Scraps. Fleet members decide how to share.
- Module symbols: Gain a Ship Module or Precursor Module without paying its cost. Fleet members decide who gets the Module after it is revealed.
- Red damage symbol: Draw a Damage card. Fleet members decide who takes the damage before it is revealed.
- Reveal symbol: Reveal the indicated number of systems on the board.
- Pacify symbol: Pacify the indicated number of systems on the board.
- Rift symbols: Disable 1 Rift on the board or create a Rift in the system until the end of the turn.
- Avatar movement symbols: Reduce or increase the Avatars' movement by 1 until the end of the turn.
- Yellow-star symbol: When your Skill Roll is successful, resolve the yellow in the card description.
Precursor Signals
Precursor Signals are special Explorations that lead you to a Precursor Key. To access them, however, you will have to solve a given situation.
Level of Challenge
There are three levels of challenge when it comes to the situation faced to reach a Key, indicated by the color of the danger indicator.
- Hazardous — A Hazardous signal offers a fair challenge, without too much drawback.
- Perilous — A Perilous signal has much more demanding effects and harsher consequences.
- Lethal — A Lethal signal is the worst possible one and often has game-altering effects.
Solving a Precursor Signal
Contrary to Explorations, Precursor Signal cards don't have to be solved right away or in one go. Once a Precursor Signal card has been revealed, it doen't have to be solved right away or in one go. You can interact with it whenever you are on the corresponding system without Exploring or spending an action again.
The card stays in play until a Ship manages or decides to access the Key.
Anytime you perform an instruction between [ ] you need to spend 1 Action. This can end your turn.
TIPS: Precursor Signal cards are one of the toughest challenges of the game, taking time, skill, and a good tactical sense to solve.
A good strategy is to reveal and Explore them as early as possible, to find out what you're up against and to plan how best to access them. Make sure to arrange the board in a way that makes the tile accessible later on (wormholes are great for that purpose).
Once you start playing with the Lethal Precursor Signals, you'll have to consider not only how to get the Keys, but also when. These cards often permanently affect the game, and the timing will be critical.
Accessing the Key
Each Precursor Signal card requires a different situation to be solved. You can only access the Precursor Key once the condition is met.
Once you solve a Precursor Signal card, discard it, access the Key and move the Precursor Key marker from the tile to the mat of the Ship who solved it.
IMPORTANT: Accessing the Key doesn't cost an action.
IN A FLEET: You decide which Ship will access the Key and take it on its mat.
EXAMPLE: the Warship explores a Precursor Signal and reveals the Derelict Ship (Hazardous level).
Set the card up by placing 5 damage markers on it as damage. To access the Key, all the markers must be removed using Repair actions. The Warship spends 1 action to perform a [Repair] (paying the associated Scrap cost) and ends its turn.
Later during the Action phase, the Drone Specialist and Battlecruiser reach the system. They interact with the revealed card for free, then spend 2 actions to finish the Repairs (they each Repair twice, removing 4 damage markers).
The condition is met, so they access the Key (no additional action) and decide the Battlecruiser will carry it.
Enemies
Enemies are servants of the Corruption occupying some of the systems (the orange ones). If you are detected, you'll have to fight them or flee to safety.
Engaging an Enemy
When you are detected in an Enemy System, or when you chose to trigger the Combat, you are engaged with the Enemy and can't do anything until it is disengaged, or defeated.
Draw an Enemy card (or use the one(s) already revealed in the system) and place it in front of you on the Battle mat.
If you have to draw an Enemy card and none are left in the deck, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.
Each Enemy has a Hull and Shield value and an ability.
- The Hull is the amount of damages the Enemy can take before it is being defeated. Use the dial of the Battle mat to track them.
- Shields act as damage reduction after each attack.
- The ability triggers under specific conditions. Read them carefully and apply them accordingly.
Multiple Enemies
When multiple Enemies are in the system, draw all cards at once to have an overview. You may fight them in the order of your choice.
You are considered to be engaged with all the Enemies in the system. When disengaging, you must perform 1 Damage Roll per Enemy and apply all their "When you disengage" abilities.
Enemies Ability
When an Enemy has an ability that triggers on your Ships rolling Miss, it activates if and only if the Miss results are not ignored or rerolled by Modules or Augmentations.
When an Enemy is defeated, any Abilites other than "When you defeat the Enemy" don't apply.
IMPORTANT: The only exception is Level 2 - Defender, whose ability triggers before inflicting damages.
Disengaging an Enemy
At any point, before OR during Combat, you can disengage from the Enemy and hide or flee.
When you disengage, perform 1 Damage Roll per Enemy in the system. If the Enemy you disengage from has a "When you disengage" ability, you have to apply it.
IN A FLEET: All the Ships have to collectively choose to disengage.
IMPORTANT: If you flee during a Combat, an Enemy keeps its Hull damages until it is replaced on the battle mat.
Hiding in the System (Enemy)
Once you've disengaged, you can hide in the system, immediately ending your turn. In that case, normal detection rules will apply at the beginning of your next turn.
Fleeing the System (Enemy)
Once you've disengaged, you can also chose to flee the system (instead of hiding). In that case, you can only Jump, Blind Jump, or perform a Hyperspace Rush out of the system (normal action costs apply).
Combat an Enemy
If you choose to Combat the Enemy, refer to the Combat section.
Combat
Whenever you engage Enemies, you can choose to fight.
A Combat is a series of attacks and retaliations that will conclude in the destruction of your Ship(s) or your Enemy, unless you decide to run away.
Combat Strategies
Before each attack, you have to choose between offense, defense, and disengage strategies.
Offense Strategy
During an offense, you get to roll all your dice, increasing your damage output at the risk of harsher retaliations and a critical miss.
Defense Strategy
With a defense, you roll only one die (you choose which), limiting your damage output, but also preventing a critical miss.
Disengage Strategy
When you disengage, you run away from Combat.
Fleet Combat
During Fleet Combat, all Ships roll their dice simultaneously. Each Ship can choose offense or defense strategies individually. Retaliation damages are individual and can't be shared between Ships. If a Ship is defeated, the rest carry on the fight without it.
IMPORTANT: Rolls are individual and unless specified by a Module, you can't use another Ship's dice.
Modules and Fleet in Combat
Some Modules can affect other Ships in the Fleet. The activation rules still apply, regardless of whether you're using an effect from your own Module or that of another Ship.
Combat Sequence
A Combat is divided into a series of Attack Rolls and Enemy Retaliations.
The Combat ends when you disengage, defeat the Enemy or your Ships are defeated.
Attack Roll
- Each Ship chooses its Combat strategy: Offense (roll all your dice), Defense (roll only 1 die), or Disengage (the entire Fleet has to collectively decide to do so).
- If you have any Modules "Before an Attack Roll", you may choose to activate them.
- Attack Roll: Roll your die or dice.
- If you have any Modules "After an Attack Roll", you may choose to activate them
- Each Ship adds up its individual hits to determine the power of its Attack.
- In a Fleet, all the Ships then add up their Attacks to determine the power of the Fleet's Attack.
- Subtract the Enemy's Shields from the power of the Fleet's Attack and remove the resulting damage from the Enemy's Hull using the Battle Mat's dial.
Enemy Retaliation
Only applies when the Enemy is not defeated.
- Activate eligible Enemy abilities.
- Each Ship adds up all its individual misses to determine its individual power of Enemy retaliation.
- Ships lose Hull equal to their individual power of the retaliation.
- Activate eligible Modules "When you lose Hull".
IMPORTANT: Miss results ignored by Modules or Augmentations are not counted as part of the Enemy retaliation.
IMPORTANT: When an Enemy has an ability that triggers on a Ships rolling Miss, it activates if and only if the Miss results are not ignored or rerolled by Modules or Augmentations.
Example of Combat Sequence
After failing a Detection Roll in an Enemy system, the Battlecruiser and Proto-Ship are engaged with the Recon Scout.
Attack Roll (Example)
- The Battlecruiser and Proto-Ship both choose an Offensive strategy. They roll both of their dice each.
- The Proto-Ship chooses to activate its "Ion Cannon" and spend 1 Energy to reduce the Enemy Shields by 2.
- Both Ship roll their dice at the same time.
- The Battlecruiser spends 1 Energy to activate its "Fleet Tactical Array", allowing it and all other Ships in the Fleet to reroll 1 die.
The Battlecruiser and the Proto-Ship reroll 1 die each.
- Each Ship adds up its individual hits to determine the power of its Attack. In this example, 3 hits for the Battlecruiser and 2 hits for the Proto-Ship.
- In a Fleet, all the Ships add up their Attack (step 5) to determine the power of the Fleet's Attack. In this example, 5 hits.
- The Recon Scout has 2 Shields, but they are reduced to 0 by the "Ion Cannon" of the Proto-Ship. The Enemy is damaged by 5 hits and looses 5 Hulls as the result of this Attack Roll.
Enemy Retaliation (Example)
Since the Recon Scout still has 6 Hulls, it is not yet defeated, and will retaliate.
- The Recon Scout's ability is not eligible at this point.
- Each Ship adds up all its individual misses to determine its individual power of Enemy retaliation. In the example, only the Proto-Ship rolled a miss, hence the power of retaliation for that Ship is 1.
- As a result, the Proto-Ship loses 1 Hull. The Battlecruiser is safe.
- The Proto-Ship activates its "Prototype Generator", that allow him to immediately recover 1 Energy.
The Combat then continues with the next Attack Roll.
Defeating an Enemy
When an Enemy's Hull reaches 0, it is immediately defeated and doesn't retaliate (see Combat).
- Trigger "When you defeat the Enemy" ability if applicable.
- Remove the card from the Battle mat. The Enemy is discarded.
- Enemy reinforced-symbol cards are discarded in the same manner.
- Each Ship in the Fleet gains 1 Scrap per Enemy level.
- Pacify the system.
IMPORTANT: Some Modules have a "When you defeat an Enemy" condition; don't forget to trigger them.
Pacify the System
When you defeat all the Enemies of a system, it becomes Pacified.
When you Pacify a system, place a Pacified marker on the tile, blue face up.
A Pacified system is temporarily free of Enemies. You don't need to perform a Detection Roll when you enter it.
A system stays Pacified for 2 turns (see End Phase).
Battle Mat
When you disengage and run away from an Enemy, it stays on the Battle mat for the time being, and its damages stay as well. If another Ship or Fleet reach it, they can pick the fight where you left it off.
However, if another Ship or Fleet engage a new Enemy on the board, it replaces the current one on the Battle mat, in effect "repairing" all its damages.
The same is true for the Avatars.
Avatars
The Avatars are the Corruption's most powerful soldiers and hunt you down mercilessly throughout the galaxy. They have more Hull and Shields than any other Enemy, and the most powerful abilities in the game. Avatars are Enemies and follow the same rules, with 2 exceptions: disengagement and defeat.
IMPORTANT: You are always detected by an Avatar in a system and skip the Detection Roll entirely.
Disengaging an Avatar
You can cchoose to disengage from an Avatar, just like you would any Enemy, with these exceptions:
Hiding in the System (Avatar)
If you hide in the system, an Avatar will ignore you during its Corruption phase (see Corruption phase), as you are "immune" to detection rules until your next turn. As a result, it will hunt down another Ship or Fleet on the board.
Fleeing the System (Avatar)
When the last Ship (or Fleet) in a system occupied by Avatars leaves this system after disengaging, the Corruption marker immediately progresses on the timeline. Every time you run away from the Avatars, the Corruption becomes stronger.
If the Corruption reaches a new step, immediately shuffle the 4 new Enemies from the reserve into the deck, and draw a new Avatar. It enters the play following its usual movement rules (see Reaching a new corruption step).
Defeating an Avatar
When an Avatar is defeated, it is not destroyed. Instead, its standee is placed back on the Corruption mat, 3 slots from the Corruption marker. It will enter play again when the marker reaches it.
You don't gain any Scraps from an Avatar's fight.
IMPORTANT: If you place the Avatar standee beyond the Rise of the Corruption slot, it won't come back into play this game, which can be a great way to take out an Avatar before the final confrontation.
TIPS: The Avatars are extremely dangerous, much more than normal Enemies. Not only are they stronger, their effects are deadly and can cripple your Ship until the end of the game.
It is therefore highly recommended to run away from them until you've leveled up enough to take them on (at least have 4 available Energy and Augmentations, with a complete Fleet).
There are exceptions to this rule:
When you run away from an Avatar, if you're the last Ship to do so, the Corruption will rise (you will lose 1 round). Therefore, it might sometimes be better to fight and be defeated, or hide in the system and skip your turn, rather than lose an entire round.
You could also choose to fight Avatars early on, even if you might lose some Augmentations, Hull, or Energy, to buy yourself some breathing room for the next few rounds. In the long run, it might be better than being constantly pressured by your enemies.
EXAMPLE: the Warship and Explorer were engaged by an Avatar during the previous Corruption phase. As the new Action phase starts, they have to decide what to do.
Case #1
They decide to form a Fleet and can now choose to fight or disengage.
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If they choose to fight, and the Avatar is defeated, they are free to resume their turn. The destroyed Avatar is placed on the Corruption timeline, 3 turns from this point.
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If they choose to disengage, they must perform a Damage Roll each, then flee or hide in the system.
- If they hide in the system, they end their turns right away. In that case, during the next Corruption phase, the Avatar will ignore them and hunt other Ships on the board (see Avatar movement rules).
- If they flee, they can Jump, Blind Jump or perform a Hyperspace Rush out of the system. But because of the Fleeing rule, the Corruption marker will progress on the timeline.
They still decide to flee and run away from the Avatar, at the cost of an entire round (because the Corruption progressed by 1).
Case #2
Instead of forming a Fleet, they decide to play separately.
The Explorer goes first and flees. It has to perform a Damage Roll for disengaging, and then Jump away from the system.
Later, the Warship decides to disengage and hide in the system. This way, the Fleeing rule of the Avatar doesn't trigger (since there is still a Ship in the system), which means the Warship sacrificed an entire turn to buy some time for the rest of the team.
Game Phases
In X-ODUS, each turn is divided in 3 phases.
- Action phase: playing in the order of your choice, and/or as a Fleet, all the Ships use their actions.
- Corruption phase: the Corruption increases its hold on the galaxy and the Avatars move on the board.
- End phase: various effects are resolved, such as disbanding your Fleets, recovering Energy, etc.
1. Action Phase
During your turn, you can perform a number of actions indicated on the Ship mat. Track them with the action tracker. When you have no actions left, your turn is over. You can still, however, perform anything that doesn't require you to spend an action such as Combat, using a Module, etc.
IMPORTANT: Your Ship (or Fleet) must use all its actions before another Ship (or Fleet) can start its turn.
Actions
These are the available actions during the players' turn.
IN A FLEET: All the Ships must perform the same action on the same target.
Send a Probe
1 Action Choose an adjacent empty space. Draw the first tile from the system stack and place it face up at the designated location (also known as revealing a system). You can orient the tile any way you want as long as it is connected to your current system by a hyperspace lane (an opening on the side of the tile).
IMPORTANT: You have to choose the location before you reveal the tile.
IN A FLEET: Collectively choose the location and reveal a single system tile.
Jump
1 Action Move your Ship standee to an adjacent, already revealed, connected system. Remember that systems containing a wormhole are all considered adjacent to one another for your Ships.
Blind Jump
1 Action Perfom the same action as if you had Sent a Probe, then immediately Jump to the revealed system.
Hyperspace Rush
2 Actions Jump three times in a row to adjacent, already revealed, connected systems. You can also use wormholes while rushing (which counts as 1 move). While rushing, you don't enter the systems you move through, and thus don't need to perform Detection Rolls in them.
However, all normal detection rules apply in the last system.
IMPORTANT: You can't Rush past an Avatar.
IMPORTANT: You can't jump only twice (to avoid detection in Enemy systems for example).
IN A FLEET: during a Jump, Blind Jump and Hyperspace Rush, all your Ships must jump to the same system.
Explore
1 Action Remove an Exploration marker from the tile you currently occupy, then draw an Exploration card.
IMPORTANT: Corrupt systems can't be explored, except by the effect of some Precursor Signals.
IN A FLEET: Draw a single Exploration card and solve it as a Fleet.
Scavenge
1 Action Gain 1 Scrap and, if defeated Ships are in the system, gather their Precursor Key markers.
IN A FLEET: Each Ship gains 1 Scrap. If any Precursor Key markers are in the system, share them as you see fit.
Trade
1 Action Perform any of the following actions in any order you want:
- Buy any number of Modules from an Ally.
- Trade Scraps, Modules and Precursor Keys with other Ships in your system.
- Salvage Modules and gain their value in Scraps -1.
IMPORTANT: You can trade with a Ship in the system even if it's not part of your Fleet.
IN A FLEET: You can perform any of the following actions, in any order you want, with any Ship in the system that is or not part of your Fleet.
EXAMPLE: the Drone-Ship, Warship and Battlecruiser are in a Fleet and in a system with an Ally. The Drone-Ship trades some Modules with the Warship, while the Battlecruiser takes Scraps from both Ships before trading with the Ally.
Ship Maintenance
1 Action Perform one of the following actions once:
- Pay 1 Scrap to Repair your Ship or another Ship in the system for 1 Hull.
- Pay Scraps to discard a Damage card on your Ship or another Ship in your system. This is not considered a Repair.
- Increase your Max Energy by paying the indicated Scraps cost (see Energy).
IN A FLEET: Each Ship can choose a different Ship maintenance option on the same action.
Strain
0 Action Once per turn, you can choose to Strain your Ship's engine to increase your remaining available actions by 1. If you do so, you have to perform a Damage Roll right before ending your turn.
IMPORTANT: Straining can be done at any point during your turn, not just when you have spent all your actions.
IN A FLEET: Since it is not an action, a Ship can Strain in a Fleet even if the others don't.
EXAMPLE: the Warship (3 actions) moves once to join the Battlecruiser and Proto-Ship, and form a Fleet with them. The Fleet currently has 2 actions left. If the Warship Strains to gain an extra action, the Battlecruiser and Proto-Ship won't have to, since they still have their 3 actions.
Activating the Keys
1 Action Whenever you are on the Main Rift, you can activate all the Keys in your possession. To signify this, place all the Key markers from your mat onto the tile.
2. Corruption Phase
When all the Ships have spent their actions, the Action phase is over and the Corruption phase begins. The Corruption phase is divided in two steps:
a. The Corruption rises. b. The Avatars move.
A. The Corruption Rises
When the Corruption phase starts, advance the Corruption marker on the timeline by 1.
Reaching a New Corruption Step
If you reach a new red slot, draw an Avatar card from the deck and place the corresponding standee on the Corrupt system closest to a Ship. In case of a tie, use the Avatar movement rules to decide.
Immediately shuffle the next 4 Enemy cards from the reserve into the Enemy deck, but don't shuffle the discard pile.
IMPORTANT: If the Corruption marker reaches the Rise of the Corruption (last red slot), you immediately lose the game.
B. The Avatars Move
After the Corruption rises, the Avatars present on the board move. Roll the Avatar die for each Avatar on the board that is not already engaged with a Ship or a Fleet.
IMPORTANT: You decide in which order to activate the Avatars, but you must always choose before you roll.
Systems containing Rifts are all considered adjacent to one another for the Avatars.
For each Avatar-movement result you roll, the Avatar jumps to an adjacent and already revealed connected system.
When you roll a wormhole result, the Avatar can move through a wormhole, for this turn only, and in addition to its normal moves.
Avatars Movement Rules
An Avatar always moves towards the closest (non-defeated) Ship or Fleet that are not already engaged with another Avatar OR hiding and moves towards them using the shortest possible path.
When an Avatar reaches a system occupied by a Ship or a Fleet, it stops its movement right away and engages them. When an Avatar engages Ships during the Corruption phase, they have to immediately perform a Damage Roll (see Aggressive Engagement).
If an Avatar is equally distant from two Ships or Fleets, it will follow these priorities:
- Ship or Fleet carrying the most Keys.
- Single Ship with the least amount of remaining Hull.
- Fleet with the least amount of remaining Hull.
Avatars will not target Ships or Fleets already engaged with another Avatar nor do they use a movement to enter a system occupied by other engaged Avatars.
If all the Ships or Fleets are already engaged, and an Avatar has yet to play, it moves towards the closest Ship or Fleet following normal rules and engage them, if possible. It is therefore possible for a Ship or Fleet to be engaged by more than one Avatar during the Corruption phase. In that case, the Multiple Enemies rule applies.
If all the Ships or Fleets are hiding, the Avatars target them following the normal movement rules but won't engage them until the beginning of the next Action phase, thus ignoring the Aggressive Engagement rule.
Corrupt Rule
In case of a tie in distance or if in doubt regarding an Avatar's choice, always pick the most damaging one.
Aggressive Engagement
If an Avatar reaches a Ship or a Fleet during the Corruption phase, it will engage them and attack right away with overwhelming firepower. Each Ship must immediately perform a Damage Roll.
The Avatar's abilities don't apply to this roll, unless you're playing at higher difficulty levels (Beyond the Rift and Corrupt Dimension).
IMPORTANT: Combat itself won't take place until the next Action phase, and doesn't have to be resolved first (other Ships can come to help by forming a Fleet).
IMPORTANT: the Agressive Engagement rule doesn't apply if you choose to engage an Avatar during the Action Phase.
EXAMPLE:
The Avatar Ruin enters on the Rift closest to the Battlecruiser.
It then rolls an Avatar-movement result and moves toward the Battlecruiser.
Because of the Aggressive Engagement rule, the Battlecruiser has to immediately perform a Damage Roll.
End Phase
After the Avatars have all moved, you need to clean up the board before the beginning of next turn.
- Discard all the red Pacified markers and flip the blue ones on their red side.
- Disband Fleets. This applies even to Ships engaged with Avatars (all the Ships stay engaged individually).
- Each Ship recovers all their available Energy.
- All the Enemies left on the board are shuffled back into the Enemy deck, except those in a System where a Ship or Fleet is currently hiding.
- Reset your action tracker.
Easy-to-Forget Rules
- You can form a Fleet anytime during your turn and it doesn't cost an action.
- You can use extra actions during Analysis Explorations to pick extra options and gain additional rewards.
- Defeated Enemies don't retaliate (unless specified on their ability).
- You only have to perform a Damage Roll when an Avatar engages you during the Corruption phase (if you engage the Avatar during your turn, nothing happens).
- You only draw a Damage card during a critical miss in Combat and Damage Rolls (Skill and Detection Rolls are not affected).
- When you gain a Ship Module or Precursor Module during an Exploration, you don't have to pay its Scrap cost.
- Unless specified, activating an Ally ability doesn't cost an Action.
- Unless specified, accessing a Precursor Key doesn't cost an Action.
- You may choose to ignore a Detection Roll and voluntarily trigger Combat.
- When the Corruption marker reaches a red box, you also shuffle the next 4 Enemy cards from the reserve into the deck.
TIPS: Blind Jumps are huge time-savers, allowing you to reveal and jump into a system for just 1 action. They do, however, present a few risks, such as jumping into Corrupt and Enemy systems.
You should always be ready to fight when using them, and have some actions left to flee a tougher Enemy or jump away from a Corrupt system.
Couple them to Strains to optimise your actions per turn, but beware of risks and damages!
Winning the Game
The Main Rift is the source of the Corruption's influence and reactivating its seal is the only way to stop the Rise.
Activating the Keys
Whenever you are on the Main Rift, you can use an action to activate all the Keys in your possession. To signify this, place all the Key markers in your inventory on the tile.
Last Key & Last Avatar Movement
When the last Key is activated on the Rift, the Avatars will immediately move (roll the Avatar die for each one on the board). They will focus their movements on reaching the Main Rift (instead of the individual Ships) where they will engage anyone in the system.
While the Avatars won't specifically target the Ships, they will stop to engage one in their way, as per their engagement rules. It can be useful to block them and prevent them from reaching the Main Rift.
Final Fight & Victory
After the Avatars last movement, there are two possible scenarios:
- No Avatars managed to reach the Main Rift, in this case you immediately win the game.
- One or several Avatars managed to reach the Main Rift. All the Ships currently in the system have to fight (regardless of Fleets or remaining actions). If you defeat all the Avatars in the system, you win the game, but if all the Ships in the system are defeated, the Keys are destroyed and you lose the game.
In any case, the game ends in the turn during which you activated the last Key, so choose wisely when to do so.
Losing the Game
There are two ways to lose the game: through the destruction of all the Ships or when the Corruption fully rises.
Ship Defeated
When a Ship's Hull reaches 0, it becomes heavily damaged. Immediately end your turn and lose a number of XP based on your difficulty settings (see Difficulty Setting), along with any Augmentations whose XP requirements are no longer met.
Place your toppled Ship standee in the system where you were defeated.
The Ship will re-enter the game with 2 Hulls at the beginning of the third turn after your defeat. Use the action tracker on the mat to keep track of these turns.
Alternatively, another Ship can Repair you to bring you back into the game immediately.
IMPORTANT: you can play during the turn in which you come back into play.
All the Ships are Defeated
If all the Ships are defeated, don't wait 3 turns to get back in play but instead immediately lose the game.
Rise of the Corruption
If the Corruption marker reaches the Rise of the Corruption, before you manage to seal the Main Rift, you immediatly lose the game.
TIPS: For your first game(s), you should aim to activate the Keys with all the Ships on the Main Rift to fight the Avatars. Since this is the last action of the game, make sure to do it at the end of the turn and to use all your actions to prepare for the final fight (repair your Hull, increase your Max Energy, etc).
Achievements
Once you've spent enough time mastering the game, you can start having some real fun by trying to accomplish the various achievements suggested here. Most of them have been devised by the devious backers of our Kickstarter Campaign. You must beat the game for an achievement to be considered successful.
Lonesome Traveler - Rogue Class
- MAKE PEACE, NOT WAR — Do not use a single Combat class Ship (WarShip or Battlecruiser).
- ELUSIVE — Use Wormholes during four different turns.
- NO STONE LEFT UNTURNED — Explore every system.
- PACIFIST — Don't destroy a single Enemy, including the Avatars.
- SMUGGLER — Don't Explore a single Allied system.
- SCRAP HUNTER — All the Ships must have at least 8 Scraps at the end of the game.
- FASTEST FLEET ALIVE — Win in 6 turns.
- RISK TAKER — Never use a Repair action.
- LONE RIDER — Never form a single Fleet.
- CAREFUL PLANNING — Wait until you've revealed the main Rift before accessing the Keys.
Fight Club - Combat Class
- NOT VERY SMART — Do not use a single Specialist class Ship (Proto-Ship or Drone Specialist).
- JUGGERNAUT — All Ships must form a Fleet at all times.
- NO TIME FOR SIGHTSEEING — Explore less than 10 systems.
- WIPEOUT — Destroy all the Avatars on the board.
- DECIMATION — Defeat 3 Avatars in one turn.
- NO MORE FEAR — Never send probes; only Blind Jump (or use Exploration effects) to reveal the board.
- CAREFUL ADVANCE — Never Strain the engines.
- SHORTCUTS? WHAT SHORTCUTS? — Never use Wormholes.
- NOT RUNNING AWAY — Never disengage from Enemies or Avatars.
- THE HUNTER BECOMES THE HUNTED — Kill the same Avatar three times during the game.
Bleeding Edge - Specialist Class
- HONOR-BOUND — Do not use a single Rogue class Ship (Explorer or Pirate Ship).
- WITHOUT A SCRATCH — All your Ships must finish the game at full Hull.
- INVINCIBLE — Never have more than 2 Hull missing on any Ship.
- A WALK IN THE PARK — Your Ships must finish the game with no Damage cards.
- RING BEARER — Only 1 Ship can carry the Keys.
- ENGINEERING PERFECTION — All your Ships must be fully upgraded (Augmentations and Energy).
- ALWAYS BROKE — Never have more than 4 Scraps per Ship at a time.
- AFTERBURNERS — Always Strain the engines.
- CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT — Choose the Skill Roll option during all Warning Explorations.
- SABOTEUR — Destroy an Avatar without losing a single Hull.
Credits
Playtesters: The original players (and friends) who went through every iteration of the game, good and bad, to help us create X-ODUS.
Virginie Barthel, Sine Bering Holdensen, Nicolas Pinkos, Martin Stenger, Rémi Alliot, Adrien Guénard, Clémence Kozinski, Samuel Branders, Nathalie Adnet, Mia Bering Holdensen, Peter-Frederik Teilmann
Reviewers: The fantastic people who took the time to try the game and share it with the world.
Covil de Jogos, Des Jeux Une Fois, Epitrapaizoume, EverythingBoardGames, Jonspillerspill, L'école du jeu, Le Dandy Meeple & Matthieu, Meniac!, Northern Dice, One Stop Co-Op Shop, Roll For Crit, The Battlecast, Vin d'Jeu, Il Meeple con la Camicia, La Société des Jeux, Ludovox, Sky Development, Stéphane Gobert - Expert Game Award
The Forgotten Tale: The creative and inspired backers who imagined new Exploration cards to expand the world of X-ODUS.
Guest Designer: Adrien Martel (Doppelganger)
Bartosz Makowski, Chris McFadden, Denis Falavel, Felizwerg, James Tlen, Jason D, Kaldris Relm, Lisa Henrion, Martin Domke, Nikobof, Paolo Varotto, PhilH, René Schultze, Roswitha Prochazka, Samuel Branders, Shaun Carlson, Steven Tolhurst, Urvakann, Vil, Wilfried Vernon, Wolfboy II, Ytrezius
The Lost Signals: The devious backers who came up with the craziest ideas for Precursor Signal cards to challenge our players.
Guest Designers: Roberto Allocco (Unstable Technology), Hyoid Thyroid (Hyperspace Relay), Finnean O'Higgins (Darkness Rising)
Adrien M, Arsamatora, aw3someInc, Bertrand Kefer, Daniel, Felizwerg, Jeramie Shake, John Hinely, Justin, k-man-k, Levi Fowler, Martin Domke, Pandeiro, Paolo Varotto, Phil Miller, Samuel Branders, Shaun Carlson, Titrol, Wouter Aka Ome WP, Xav, yoyo37230, Ytrezius
Challenges: The crazy backers who helped us create our formidable and fearsome challenges.
Adrien M, Agrajag, Alton Olson, Andreas, Branders Samuel, Chris Hubbard, Chris Rackley, DarkGodot, Dtf, ekster, Felizwerg, Fraid, Gov, Hyoid Thyroid, Jake, Jean-François Lagacé, Jeffrey Dunaway, Jeramie Shake, Joan VH, Jocelyn Dubois, John Hinely, Judograal, Julien Lemale, Justin, k-man-k, Kickstarter Addict, Lance Carpenter, Liskja, Mallory Shepherd, Paolo Varotto, Pavel Jezek, Phil Miller, Roswitha Prochazka, Ryan Coyle, SebDemiss, Shaun Carlson, SHwoKing, Storgar, Tanguy Poquet, Thomas Batz, Urvakann, Vil, yoyo37230, Ytrezius
Feedback and Proofreaders: The perfectionists who meticulously went through the entire game to make sure everything was perfect.
Revised by Emily, René Schultze, Paolo Varotto, Felizwerg, Steven Tolhurst, Hyoid Thyroid, Yves Brostaux, Gaël Zullo, Julien Lemale
Special Thanks: Sine and Virginie for their boundless patience and support. Marc Dür for the precious information he shared before, during and after the campaign. Thierry Tregaro for convincing us to do the french version. Stian Haugen for his enthusiasm, time, ideas and support. Bernie Lin for his last minute campaign-making advice. Will Zerringer for all the games he hosted for us. Bartosz Makowski for spreading the love to Poland. Peter Barta for his expertise and work on the plastic trays. Paolo Varotto and René Schultze for their support, enthusiasm and joyfulness during the entire campaign.
And to the 3590 backers who made this project into a reality. If you're reading this, thank you so much, we're so happy to finally be able to share the game with you!
Illustrations: Ryan Groskamp, Marco Gorlei, Julia Wolter and Grzegorz Pedrycz
Game Design: Romain Lesiuk & Yann Hilaire
Round Summary
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ACTION PHASE: all the Ships, in the order of your choice, use all their actions to perform tasks:
- Send a probe: Reveal a system in an adjacent empty space.
- Jump: Move to an adjacent, revealed, connected system.
- Blind Jump: Perfom the same action as if you had Sent a probe, then immediately Jump to the revealed system.
- Hyperspace Rush: Jump three times in a row to adjacent, already revealed, connected systems for only 2 actions. Perform a Detection Roll in the last system only.
- Explore: Remove an Exploration marker from the tile you currently occupy, then draw an Exploration card.
- Scavenge: Gain 1 Scrap and, if defeated Ships are in the system, gather their Precursor Key markers.
- Trade: Buy Modules from a Merchant, salvage a Module and trade Scraps, Ship Modules, Precursor Modules and Precursor Keys with Ships in your system.
- Ship Maintenance: You can perform any of the following actions once: repair, discard a Damage card, increase your Max Energy.
Strain: once per turn, gain 1 action but perform a Damage Roll before the end of your turn.
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CORRUPTION PHASE: the Corruption increases its hold on the galaxy and the Avatars move on the board.
- Advance the Corruption marker on the timeline by 1, and resolve Avatar and Enemy effects.
- Avatars move: roll the Avatar die once per Avatar. If an Avatar engages a Ship or Fleet during this phase, they have to perform a Damage Roll.
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END PHASE: clean up the board for the next round.
- Flip or remove the Pacified markers.
- Disband the Fleets.
- Ships recover all their available Energy.
- Enemy cards are shuffled back into the deck unless a Ship is still in the system.
- Reset the action tracker on your Ship mat.
Combat Summary
The following section lists an overview of Combat.
Attack Roll
- Each Ship choose their Combat strategy: offense (roll all your dice), defense (roll only 1), or disengages.
- Activate "Before an Attack Roll" Modules.
- Attack Roll: Roll your die or dice.
- Activate "After an Attack Roll" Modules.
- Each Ship add up their individual hits to determine the power of their Attack.
- Fleet: all Ships adds up their Attack to determine the power of the Fleet's Attack.
- Subtract the Enemy's shields and remove the resulting damage from the Enemy's Hull.
Enemy Retaliation
- Activate eligible Enemy abilities.
- Each Ship adds up all its misses to determine the power of the retaliation.
- Retaliation: Lose Hull equal to the power of the retaliation. Defeated Enemies don't retaliate.
- Activate eligible Modules ("When you lose Hull").