5
You have selected a mission to play, and you are set up and ready to go.
Starting Energy and Hand Size
Each player places his energy marker on spot 15 of his energy board. Each player then
deals himself a hand of 5 tactic cards. Look at your cards, but keep them secret from
your opponent.
Who Goes First
Players roll the number die, re-rolling ties. High roller chooses who goes first and play
passes to the left from the starting player. The player who goes first gains only 5 energy
on his first energy phase (instead of the normal 10 energy), but still draws a tactic card.
Your turn consists of 3 phases which you must complete in order.
1
Energy Phase
2
Deploy Phase
3
Action Phase
Once you’ve completed all 3 phases, your turn is over, and the player to your left can start
his turn. Each phase is explained in detail below, and there are reminders on the
quick-reference cards.
Discarding tactic cards for energy:
At any point during your turn, you can discard any
number of tactic cards from your hand. You gain one energy for each card discarded in
this way.
At the start of your energy phase, gain 10 energy, then draw one tactic card and place it
into your hand.
Note:
On turn one, the player who goes first gains only 5 energy, but still
draws a tactic card.
How energy works:
When you gain energy, move your energy marker up on your energy
board that many spots. When you spend, pay, or lose energy, move your energy marker
down on your energy board that many spots. It costs energy to launch ships, activate
ships, play tactic cards, and to activate some special powers. You cannot choose to
perform an action that requires more energy than you have to spend.
Minimum and maximum energy:
Your energy can never go below 0 or above 40. If
gaining energy would put your marker above 40, ignore any energy beyond 40. For
example, if you have 33 energy and you gain 10 energy, place your marker at 40.
THE BATTLE BEGINS
TACTIC CARDS
The illustration below explains the stats on your tactic cards.
Tactic Card Types
Below are the different types of tactic cards, and some rules about playing them.
During each phase, you may be able to pay energy to play different tactic cards
in your hand, even if it’s not your turn! Refer to the phase listed, as well as the
text on the tactic card, to determine when you can play it.
A
Card Name:
The name of the card.
B
Card Type:
The type of the card.
C
Phase:
The phase in which you can play the card.
D
Faction:
Shows which faction the card belongs to. Ship upgrades,
additional weapons and heroes can be played only on ships in this faction.
E
Cost:
The amount of energy you must spend to play the card.
F
Card Type Symbol:
Symbol(s) explaining the card’s type.
G
Power(s):
Describes the card’s power(s).
H
Collection Number:
The collection the card belongs to.
Events:
Event cards normally have a onetime effect and are
then discarded.
Hero:
A hero card may be attached to a solo ship card that
you control. As long as the hero card is in play (attached to a
ship), it has a power that affects the game as described on
the card. You cannot have 2 heroes with the same name
attached to ships in your fleet at the same time. If that would
ever happen, you must discard one of them back to the
owner’s discard pile.
Solo/Squadron Ship Upgrade:
This card may be attached to
a solo or squadron ship card that you control, depending on
if it has a solo or squadron icon on it. It will upgrade the
ship(s) with the power listed on the card.
Solo/Squadron Additional Weapon:
This card may be
attached to a solo or squadron ship card that you control,
depending on if it has a solo or squadron icon on it. Any time
you activate that ship card, you may charge this weapon
along with any other weapons on the ship card, in any order.
For example, you could charge your additional weapon first,
then charge your primary weapon.
Solo/Squadron Sabotage:
This card may be attached to a
solo or squadron ship card that your opponent controls,
depending on if it has a solo or squadron icon in it. Sabotage
cards are attached to ships like most other tactic cards,
with some exceptions. There is no limit to the number of
sabotage cards a ship card can have on it. Once it is
attached to a ship, it is permanently attached to that ship
unless it is removed because of another tactic card or
power, or because the ship is destroyed.
ON YOUR TURN
1 ENERGY PHASE
TM
2 DEPLOY PHASE
During this phase, you may
pay the launch cost in
energy to launch any ship
cards that haven’t already
been launched. Ships may
be launched either onto
spaces in your starting
zone, or adjacent to a ship
that was transporting them.
Starting Zone
Starting Zone
A
B
C
D
F
H
G
E
