EPIC SPACE EMPIRES
INTRODUCTION
War amongst the Stars.
Game of Conquest for 2-6 players.
GAME END
The game ends when a turn starts and there are no
cards left in the Resource Deck.
VICTORY
The Player with the most Victory Points (VP) at the end of the game wins.
Each planet is worth a stated number of VP.
If tied, the player with the most Fleets wins.
THE DECKS
There are 4 Decks:
Race Deck
Homeworld Deck
Resource Deck
Action Deck
RACE DECK
Each player picks one Race at the start of the game.
Alternatively Races may drawn randomly or picked from
a small random draw of cards.
Your race card goes faceup in front of you.
HOMEWORLD DECK
Homeworlds are differentiated by type of Government.
Each player gets one at the beginning of the game.
Each has a Basic Force = 20.
Each is worth 5 Victory Points at endgame scoring.
If a player loses his Homeworld, he only draws
a base of 1 card in Production Phase.
A Player who controls no planets is eliminated from the game.
Your Homeworld goes faceup in front of you.
RESOURCE DECK
Resource cards when they are played, go faceup in front of you.
There are 3 main types of resource cards:
1. Planets
2. Fleets
3. Techs
Planets earn you VP and give special abilities.
Fleets are used to attack and defend Planets.
Techs (Technologies) give special abilities.
In general, you can play one of each per turn.
ACTION DECK
Action cards are discarded after they are played and take their effect.
There are 2 main types of Action cards:
1. Tactics Cards.
2. Battle Cards.
3. Event Cards.
Tactics cards are used during Attack Phase.
Battle cards are used during Battle Phase.
Event cards are used mostly during Event Phase.
Battle and Tactics cards are categorized into 4 Types:
1. Attacker Cards. Only useable by the Attacker.
2. Defender Cards. Only useable by Defending Players.
3. Combat Cards. Useable by either Attacker or Defenders.
4. Formation Cards. Useable be either Attacker or Defenders
HAND SIZES
The Basic Max for an Action Hand is 7 cards.
The Basic Max for a Resource Hand is 5 cards.
RACE DECK CARD LIST
Name: Notes:
Terrans Resource Hand Max Size +1
Egg Heads Action Hand Max Size +1
Ameoboids Play 1 extra Planet per Turn in Explore Phase
Insectoids Play 1 extra Fleet per Turn in Build Phase
Big Brains Play 1 extra Tech per Turn in Research Phase
Space Muses Play 1 extra card in Event Phase
Squid Men Main Fleets Speed +1
Green Men Light Fleets Speed +1
Androids Heavy Fleets Speed +1
Space Chimps Attacking Fleets get Speed +1
Space Herd Defending Fleets get Speed +1
Bird Men One Fleet/Turn gets Speed +2
Transhumans Targets of your Tactics cards get extra Speed +1
Energy Beings You can use Tech cards as Battle cards of Force +5
Plant People Battle Cards get +1 Force each
Space Zombies 50% Random Fleets you lose come under your control
Space Vampires 50% Random Fleets you defeat come under your control
Dog Men Main Fleets +3 Force each
Space Pirates Light Fleets +3 Force each
Giant Hominids Heavy Fleets +3 Force each
Cat People All Fleets Force +1 each
Reptilians Defending Fleets Force +2 each
Robots Attacking Fleets Force +2 each
Blue Warriors Battle Combat Cards get Force +3 each
Cyborgs Battle Attacker Cards get Force +3 each
Crab Men Battle Defender Cards get Force +3 each
Space Knights Battle Formation Cards get Force +3 each
Space Sirens Target Opnt discard 1 Rand Act Card in your Event Phase
Space Vixens Worth 5 VP and your Light Fleets are +1 Force each
Space Clones Draw 1 extra Resource Card/Turn
Scavengers In Production Phase you may draw from top of discard
Space Gypsies 50% Steal 1 Rand card from Opts Hand in your Prod Phase
Sapient Fungi All your Planets are worth +2 VP each
HOMEWORLD DECK
Name: Notes:
Star Federation Start with 3 extra Race Cards (One Big Happy Family)
Galactic Empire Your Fleets are +3 Force Each (Glory to the Empire!)
Hive Mind Your Fleets are +1 Speed Each (Great Minds think alike)
Old Republic Start with 3 extra Planets in play (The Problem is keeping them)
Theocracy Each Planet you own is worth +4 VP (Hooray for our side!)
Technocracy Start with 3 Tech Cards in play (Techno Snobs)
Space Spartans Action Hand Max Size +3 (First Class Warmongers)
Space Horde Play up to 2 extra Fleets per turn (You won't have a lot of Friends)
Space Tyrant Draw 2 extra Resource Cards per Turn (I want the Galaxy & I want it now!)
MegaCorp Cartel Play up to 1 extra World & Tech per Turn (Business is Good)
Notes: In cases where you start with extra cards in play, flip over
cards from the resource deck until you get enough cards of the indicated type.
SETUP
Shuffle the decks.
Each player gets 1 Race card.
Each player gets 1 Homeworld card.
Each player draws 2 Resource cards.
Each player draws 5 Action cards.
Players roll 1D10 to see who goes first.
Play proceeds clockwise.
TURN SEQUENCE
Players take turns.
Each turn has 10 Phases:
Production Phase
Trade Phase
Research Phase
Build Phase
Exploration Phase
Action Phase
Event Phase
Attack Phase
Battle Phase
End Phase
PRODUCTION PHASE
Draw 3 cards from the top of the Resource deck.
TRADE PHASE
Players may trade cards in hand and in play.
RESEARCH PHASE
You may put 1 Technology Card into play.
This goes face up in front of you.
BUILD PHASE
You may put 1 Fleet Card into play.
This goes face up in front of you.
EXPLORATION PHASE
You may put 1 Planet Card into play.
This goes face up in front of you.
ACTION PHASE
All players fill their Action card hands to their max.
If the deck runs out, shuffle the discard and draw from it.
EVENT PHASE
You may play 1 Event card.
Discard the Event after it is played.
ATTACK PHASE
You may attack Opponents Planets with your fleets.
You may attack multiple Opponents.
You may attack any Planet including Homeworlds.
You may attack with some, none, or all of your fleets.
All Fleets have a Speed Rating.
There are 3 Types of Fleets: Light, Main, and Heavy.
Heavy Fleets have a base speed = 1.
Main Fleets have a base speed = 2.
Light Fleets have a base speed = 3.
Certain Race, Planet, Homeworld, and Tech cards will increase these values.
If you are attacking, all other players are considered to be defenders, and
must assign their ships to defend their own planets.
All Fleets with a speed = 1 must be assigned first.
This is called the first Round of Assignments (ROS).
The Attacker must assign his speed 1 Fleets before the Defenders assign their fleets.
Any Speed 1 ships not assigned in the first ROS miss their opportunity to
attack or defend.
Any Speed 1 ships that have their speed increased by Tactics cards may be
reassigned if their new rating ROS has not already been completed and passed on.
After all speed 1 assignments are made, speed 2 assignments are made (Second ROS),
then speed 3 (Third ROS), and so on.
Tactics Cards may be played at any time during this phase to increase the
Speed of target Fleets.
BATTLE PHASE
Resolve each planetary Conflict in turn.
Players may play Battle Cards to increase the Force of Target Fleets or to
produce other effects.
If a Planet is attacked and has no defending Fleets, the owner may play
Defender cards but not Combat Cards.
The side with the highest Fleet total Force is the winner.
One Fleet of the losing side is destroyed (Owners Choice) and discarded and
the other Fleets retreat.
If the winner was the Attacker, he gains control of the target Planet if the
attackers Fleet Total was greater than the Defenders Fleet Total plus
the Defense Rating of the Planet.
END PHASE
Discard your Resource & Action hands down to their max hand sizes.
Resource cards discarded in this phase are placed on the bottom of the
Resource Deck while Action cards go into the Action card discard pile.
RESOURCE DECK CARD NOTATION
PL = Planet
FL = Fleet
TL = Technology
VP = Victory Points
PT = Per Turn
F = Force
# = Copies of that card in the Deck
RESOURCE DECK CARD LIST
Name # Type: Force: VP: Notes:
Light Fleet 10 FL 4 - -
Normal Fleet 10 FL 8 - -
Heavy Fleet 10 FL 12 - -
Industry World 1 PL 5 2 Play 1 extra Fleet PT
Research Planet 1 PL 5 2 Play 1 extra Tech PT
Strategic Planet 1 PL 15 2 Action Hand Max Size +1
Pleasure Planet 1 PL 5 7 -
Fringe World 1 PL 10 1 Your Light Fleets get +3F each
Core World 1 PL 5 3 Your Main Fleets get +1 Speed
Throne World 1 PL 10 5 Draw 1 extra Resource Card PT
Ice World 1 PL 15 1 Your Defending Fleets +2F each
Asteroid Field 1 PL 15 2 Fleets Defending this Planet +4F
Desert World 1 PL 10 1 Your Fleets +1F each
Prison World 1 PL 10 1 Your Attacking Fleets +2F each
Progenitor Ruins 1 PL 5 5 Play 1 extra Tech PT
Mining World 1 PL 10 2 Your Heavy Fleets get +3F each
Ringed World 1 PL 10 2 Your Light Fleets get +1 Speed
Jungle World 1 PL 15 2 Your Defending Fleets +1 Speed
Naval Station 1 PL 15 2 Your Main Fleets get +3F each
Trade World 1 PL 5 3 Resource Hand Max Size +1
Nexus World 1 PL 10 2 Your Attacking Fleets +1 Speed
Living World 1 PL 15 3 Your Heavy Fleets get +1 Speed
Training Moon 1 PL 10 1 Battle Cards get +1F each
Minor Race 1 PL 10 3 Draw and attach one Race Card
Force Fields 1 TL - - Your Defending Fleets +3F each
Matter Disruptors 1 TL - - Your Attacking Fleets +3F each
Photonic Torpedoes 1 TL - - Your Light Fleets get +3F each
Anti-Matter Beams 1 TL - - Your Main Fleets get +3F each
Wave Motion Guns 1 TL - - Your Heavy Fleets get +3F each
Replicators 1 TL - - Play 1 extra Fleet PT
Terraforming 1 TL - - Play 1 extra Planet PT
Star Gates 1 TL - - Your Defending Fleets +1 Speed
Hyper Warp Drives 1 TL - - Your Attacking Fleets +1 Speed
Teleportation 1 TL - - One Fleet/Turn gets Speed +2
Impulse Drives 1 TL - - Your Light Fleets get +1 Speed
Tachyon Drives 1 TL - - Your Main Fleets get +1 Speed
Hyper Jumps 1 TL - - Your Heavy Fleets get +1 Speed
Positronic Brains 1 TL - - Action Hand Max Size +1
Anti-Gravity 1 TL - - Resource Hand Max Size +1
Nano-Tech 1 TL - - Battle Cards get +1F each
Cloaking Fields 1 TL - - Attacker Battle Cards +3F each
Mind Control 1 TL - - Combat Battle Cards +3F each
Scanner Tech 1 TL - - Defender Battle Cards +3F each
Universal Truth 1 TL - - Worth 5 VP
Alien Tech 1 TL - - Draw and attach one Race Card
ACTION DECK CARD LIST NOTATION
E = Event Card
B = Battle Card
T = Tactics Card
A = Attacker
D = Defender
C = Combat
F = Formation
POT = Play on Opponents Turn
TFG = Target Fleet(s) Gets…
S = Speed
NH = Non-Homeworld
SRDP = Search Resource Deck for this type of card and put in play
OM = Opponent Must
RC = Resource Cards
AC = Action Cards
AP = Action Phase
FH = From Hand
FOH = From Opponents Hand
PEP = Play in End Phase
ACTION DECK CARD LIST
Name: Type User Force Notes:
Feint T A - 3 TFG +1 Speed
Surprise Attack T A - 2 TFG +2 Speed
Sneak Attack T A - 2 TFG +2 Speed
Infiltration T A - 1 TFG +3 Speed
Ruse T A - 3 TFG +1 Speed
Out of the Sun T A - 1 TFG +3 Speed
Ambush T D - 2 TFG +2 Speed
Interception T D - 1 TFG +3 Speed
Kill Zone T D - 3 TFG +1 Speed
Defense in Depth T D - 3 TFG +1 Speed
Patrol T D - 2 TFG +2 Speed
Long Range Probes T D - 1 TFG +3 Speed
Redeploy T C - 3 TFG +1 Speed
Reconnaissance T C - 2 TFG +2 Speed
Scout T C - 1 TFG +3 Speed
Command Cycle T C - 3 TFG +1 Speed
Break Code T C - 2 TFG +2 Speed
Space Debris T C - 1 TFG +3 Speed
High Speed Attack T F - 1 Light Fleet gets +8 Speed
Above and Below T F - 2 Light Fleets get +7 Speed
Diversion T F - 1 Medium Fleet gets +6 Speed
Pincer Maneuver T F - 2 Medium Fleets get +5 Speed
All Power to Engines T F - 1 Heavy Fleet get +4 Speed
Emerge from Nebula T F - 2 Heavy Fleets get +3 Speed
Sector Alert T - - Negate Target Tactics Card
Legendary Captain T - - Reassign Fleet You Own
Decoy T - - Reassign Opponents Fleet
Lost in Space T - - Target Fleet cannot Atk/Block
Switch T - - Switch 2 Fleets you Own
Drop Ships B A +7
Space Marines B A +6
Planetary Stabilizer B A +11
Orbital Bombardment B A +9
Tidal Disruption B A +10
Planet Buster B A +12
Neutron Bombs B A +8
Planet Fall B A +5
Poison Gasses B A +4
Bio Warfare B A +3
Monitor Ships B D +8
Planetary Defense Force B D +5
Guardian Web B D +9
Killer Satellites B D +7
Orbital Mine Fields B D +6
Magma Cannon B D +10
Equatorial Rail Gun B D +11
Global Deflector Shield B D +12
Shielded Bunkers B D +3
Indigenous Troops B D +4
Drone Ships B C +9
Space Carriers B C +10
War Star B C +11
Nano Troopers B C +6
Nova Bomb B C +12
Space Mechas B C +7
Terminator Units B C +5
Battle Droids B C +3
Atomic Missile Salvos B C +8
Super Soldiers B C +4
Evasive Maneuvers B F - Light Fleet gets +4F
Space Swarm B F - Light Fleet gets +7F
Elite Raiders B F - Light Fleet gets +10F
Space Cruiser Squadrons B F - Main Fleet gets +4F
Attack Ships B F - Main Fleet gets +7F
Superior Firepower B F - Main Fleet gets +10F
Wall of Heavy Armor B F - Heavy Fleet gets +4F
Battleship Wedge B F - Heavy Fleet gets +7F
Space Dreadnaughts B F - Heavy Fleet gets +10F
Preemptive Strike B - - Negate Target Battle Card
Fighting Withdrawal B - - Target Fleet not Destroyed
Mass Destruction B - - Destroy Target Fleet
Rebellion E - - Discard Target NH Planet
Tech Failure E - - Discard Target Technology
Rouge Warlord E - - Discard Target Fleet
Assassin Droid E - - OM discard 3 AC FH
Sabotage E - - OM discard 2 RC FH
Mercenaries E - - SRDP Fleet
Treaty E - - SRDP Planet
Breakthrough E - - SRDP Tech
Diplomacy E - - Steal Target NH Planet
Steal Blueprints E - - Steal 2 RC FOH
Blood Traitors E - - Steal Target Fleet
Space Plague E - - POT: No Attacks this Turn
Supress Uprisings E - - POT: No Attacks this Turn
Battle Plans E - - Draw 3 Action Cards
Alien Allies E - - Draw and Play 1 Race Card
Interstellar Rampage E - - PEP: Go Again starting at AP
Spies E - - Look at 1 Opponents hands
