ALIEN EMPIRES

INTRODUCTION
Use the special abilities of your Race to dominate your opponents.

OBJECT
Control all 20 of the worlds on the map.

THE MAP
Use a starfield hex map.

MAP SETUP
Distribute 20 World (Planet/System) chits (tokens, markers) onto the map.
Two planets cannot occupy the same space.

CARDS
The common deck contains 3 types of cards: 
Force cards 
Race cards 
Event cards 
All cards are mixed together. 
See the card list.

CHITS
Each player has a set of 50+ control chits (units, markers, tokens). 
Each player has a unique color.

PLAYER SETUP
All players roll 1D10. Reroll ties. 
In order of the rolls, each player picks one World to be his homeworld.
A player places 10 markers on his Homeworld.
Players start with 10 cards.
Each player plays 3 Race cards from his hand face up onto the table.
These are the Abilities, Traits or Powers that this player will have for 
the remainder of the game.
These Race cards are called the Racial Destiny Cards.
Players may discard Race cards with conflicting rules.
If a player does not have 3 Race cards, he may draw cards until he does.
Players discard down to 10 cards.

ROUNDS, TURNS, & PHASES
Players take turns.
Turn order is the reverse order of that determined in player setup.
The time it takes for all players to take a turn is called a round.
The player whose turn it is currently is known as the active player.
Turns are divided into 4 phases:

TURN SEQUENCE
1. Fate Phase
2. Genesis Phase
3. Migration Phase
4. Conflict Phase

FATE PHASE
The active player may draw 5 cards.
Discard down to 10 cards.

GENESIS PHASE
Each planet colonized by the active player gains 1 token.

MIGRATION PHASE
Active player only.
All of your markers may move once per turn.
Markers may move 2 spaces.
Any world you have tokens on is considered to be colonized.

CONFLICT PHASE
All conflicts in this phase must involve the active player.
The active player decides the order in which conflicts are resolved.
Only one conflict is allowed per space per turn.
The active player may initiate a maximum of 3 conflicts this phase.
The attacker and defender are known as the primary players.
Tokens in the same space and adjacent spaces may participate.
Other players with tokens in those spaces may add tokens to the attacker or 
defenders side, if the primary player allows it.  These are ally tokens.
The defender draws one card.
Primary players take turns playing race cards and event cards that can affect
The outcome of the conflict.
Players simultaneously reveal one or more force cards, if they have any.
Each token is worth 1 point of force.
Each side adds up its force total = population tokens in stack + force card 
value + other race & card effects.
The side with the highest force total wins. 
Losing tokens are destroyed. 
All played cards are discarded.
Players allied to the winning side get to draw a card.


RACE CARD LIST
Card Name               Special Ability:
Tachyonic Travel        Tokens may move twice in Migration Phase
Hive Society            Worlds produce 2 population tokens in Genesis Phase
Symbiotic              	Each two tokens generate +1 Force
Traveler               	Each token has move range +2 in Migration Phase
Assassination           Kill one population token anywhere in Migration Phase 
Fanaticism              Each token +2 Force when attacking on worlds
Berserking              Discard a card to generate 4 Force during Conflict	
Aggressive		This player may initiate any number of attacks in his conflict phase              	
Spacer			Each token +2 Force when attacking in Space
Carapace       	     	Each token +2 Force when defending on Worlds
Jinx                 	One of opponents tokens is Force = 0 during Conflict
Mass			Each token +1 Force and move range -1
Reductionism           	Opponent may play only 1 Force card in conflict
Limit              	Opponent must discard 1 card at start of conflict
Tactician              	Draw one extra card at start of conflict
Neutralize           	Opposing race cannot use one of its powers during the conflict
Eliminate         	Sacrifice to make opponent discard 1 card during conflict
Spies                 	Look at opponent’s hand at start of conflict after defender draws his card
Burnout                	Sacrifice to draw a card		
Emulate               	Copy power of any other player not in combat
Copycat                	Copy power of opponent on same world
Vampirism		Gain 1 token if you win the conflict
Doubler                	Double value of one Force card you use       	
Feedback               	Sacrifice to duplicate the effect of a card used by opponent
Booby Trap           	Kill half of enemy tokens after conflict if you loose
Scavenger              	Draw one card if you win the conflict
Strategy             	One target stack you control gets a second Migration and Attack Phase
Resurrection       	Sacrifice to take top card of discard pile in Fate Phase once per round 
Rearguard               You may retreat all of stack except 1 token at start of conflict phase 
Mind Control        	Take control of one opposing token at start of conflict
Opportunists           	Steal random card from opponent at start of conflict
Reinforcement           At start of conflict add one friendly token from up to 3 spaces away
Escape Artist	        Retreat one friendly token from conflict if you lose.
Gatherer               	All movement towards one target planet chosen this turn is at +3
Breeder	               	Discard a card to add two tokens on world you have colonized
Memory		        Your hand size +2
Projection		Discard 2 tokens to place a third token onto any world in Migration Phase
Thinker	                Draw +1 card in Fate phase
Psychic             	Look at top 7 cards in deck after you draw in Fate phase
Worldships              Move one world you control one space per round
Martyr         	        Sacrifice to give all your other tokens +1 force during conflict
Precognition            You may pick your battle card after opponent reveals his
Repulsion	        Move up to 3 of opponents tokens on your Migration phase	
Collectors              Draw 1 extra card in Fate Phase
Anarchy		        You may exchange hands with opponent at start of conflict
Minimalist             	The side with the lowest Force card wins the conflict 
Pacifist               	Use Force cards of 8+ to prevent a conflict
Second Chances          If you lose the conflict, your tokens remain and a second conflict is fought
Teaser                	Force enemy stack on same world to attack at Force –2
Clean Slate            	At start of conflict you may discard and redraw up to 5 cards
Repatriations        	If you lose the conflict steal one card from opponent
Diplomat               	Opponent must discard 2 cards to attack
Deporter               	Cause two enemy tokens on same world to retreat in Migration Phase 
Trader   		Switch 1 card with opponent in Fate Phase
Inconspicuous		One of your tokens if alone in space cannot be attacked.
Scourge                 Opponents Hand size -1
Foundation              Give another player a card at any time
Mercenary             	Your tokens may move up to 3 spaces away to ally
Distress Call           Any player may give you a card at any time
Contagion               Your tokens can move with an opponents moving token
Toll Keeper           	Opponents tokens on same world as yours cannot move
Contraceptives          Opponents tokens on same world as yours may not reproduce
Plea Maker             	Force up to 3 non-primary token to ally
Propagandist           	Take control of one of opponent’s tokens on same world
Time Control           	At the beginning of the round you may change the turn order
Notes: Sacrifice = Discard token.
Notes: Retreat = Move token(s) in same stack 1 space. These tokens may not attack. 


FORCE CARDS LIST
Force   	#       Notes:	
1       	15
1       	12
1       	10      
3       	9       
5       	8
7       	7 	Discard to prevent the conflict
9       	6 	Discard to let your stack retreat at start of conflict
11       	5
13      	4
15      	3
# = Number in Deck

EVENT CARDS LIST
Card Name- Effect
Mutation- Your Race loses one old power and gains a new one from your hand. 
Population Explosion- Genesis Phase: Target world gains +5 tokens
Power up- Value of target Force card is doubled.
Universal Peace- No conflicts this round. Play in opportunity Phase
Temporal Nexus- You may take another turn this round
Supernova- Destroy all tokens on target non-home world
Worm Hole- Move target stack you control to any planet 


ALIEN EMPIRES EXCEL SPREADSHEET
By Peter Cobcroft.
with some handy tools for running a PBeM version of Alien Empires.
Go Here for file. 


VARIANTS
Add, delete, and alter cards.
Start with fewer or more race abilities.
Technology Advances: Every 10 turns gain a Racial Ability.
Terrain: Add obstacles: black holes, supernovas, nebulas to map.
Setup: Bid for Race Abilities.
Background: Detail several races with set racial abilities.
Divide deck up between players.
Add force multiplier cards.
Give individual planets special rules.







Go to Old version of rules