Official Rules (First Edition)

Game Phases[]

Each round of the game follows 12 phases in order:

Progression Phase
Propaganda Phase
Market Phase
Assassin Phase
Political Phase (Including War/Peace Declarations)
Draw Action Cards Phase
Receive Credits Phase
Purchase Units Phase
Individual Turns Phase
Receive Trade Income Phase
Technology Phase
Place New Units Phase

The Propaganda and Assassin Phases were added in the Distant Suns and Borderlands expansions, respectively.

(1) Progression Phase[]

At the beginning of the game, each player places a race marker under "Warlord" on the chart. Then, during the progression phase, players may advance their counter on the chart if they possess the requirements needed for advancement to the next bracket.

A player can only move forward if all previous requirements as well as the next requirements are fulfilled
A player can never move backwards
A player can only advance 1 bracket per progression phase

If a player advances to the Imperium Rex bracket, they have won the game

If two players reach Imperium Rex on the same turn, the player with the highest influence total wins the game
If the influence total is tied, the player with the highest resource total wins the game

(2) Propaganda Phase[]

See: Propaganda for more information on this phase

(3) Market Phase[]

During this phase players may freely exchange Action Cards and credits

Players may never exchange other components

(4) Assassin Phase[]

See: Assassins for more information on this phase

(5) Political Phase[]

Represents the Galactic council on Mecatol Rex, where the great races meet to decide upon matters facing the galaxy. This phase only applies if the number of players exceeds 2

The number of votes a player has is equal to the number of influence they have (i.e. the combined influence value of all the planets they control)

(i) Draw 1 political card from the political deck

One player reads the agenda aloud. This may be an "Elect" or "For or Against" agenda
Some political cards are LAWS which represent permanent changes to the rules of the game. If a law is voted FOR, it is placed face up next to the political deck and its effects last until the game end or another political card removes the law from play
If the Revote card is drawn and there is no existing Laws, the card is discarded and the Political Phase is over

(ii) Players debate the agenda and may threaten or convince players to vote their way

There is not penalty for breaking a promise or agreement

(iii) Players vote

Voting starts with the player with the least influence and then proceeds in order up to the player with the most influence

When casting votes, players must cast all their votes at once (cannot split). They may abstain however.

If playing with the Declarations of War and Peace variant, declarations are made during this phase

If playing with Shock Forces, the owner of Hope's End may pay 1 credit to replace 1 normal Ground Force with a Shock Force unit

(6) Draw Action Cards Phase[]

Each player draws 1 Action Card from the Action Card deck
Players may never have more than 7 Action Cards in hand and may discard before drawing

(7) Receive Credits Phase[]

Each player receives credits from the bank equal to the combined number of resources on all planets they control
- In order to control a planet they must have at least 1 Ground Force on the planet

(8) Purchase Units Phase[]

Each player spends credits on the units they wish to purchase
If a player has bought units that cannot be place on the board during the Place New Units phase (due to Space Dock production limitations), those units are destroyed without refund

(9) Individual Turns Phase[]

During this phase, each player takes their turn (all 3 segments) in order whilst the other players observe.

The player with the highest influence number is first to act, in order until the player with the lowest influence number has their turn

When it is their turn, a player may chose to wait instead, and the opportunity to have a turn first goes to the player next in influence order

Once a player has taken their turn, they are done for the round

Note that influence may change as planets change hands. Players should re-check the amount of influence after each player has taken their turn.

1 - Movement

The active player can move and transport their units across the galaxy to different system tiles

A carrier can pick up Ground forces or PDS at any time during its movement

A Ground Force or PDS cannot leave the carrier before the Invasion Combat segment

If a ship enters a system containing the spaceships of another player, that ship must stop its movement (it is interdicted). A space Combat follows.

Fleets can move through systems that contain enemy controlled planets and enemy spacedocks with fighter units but can never move through systems containing another race's fleet (one or more spaceships in the same system before the beginning of the movement segment)

Some tiles have special movement rules

Wormholes: Systems containing corresponding wormholes are adjacent. For example it costs one move to get to a system containing an alpha wormhole and another move to pass through to the other side
Supernovas: Cannot move into or pass through
Asteroid Fields: Cannot move into or pass through until players achieve the "Antimass Deflector" technology, which allows movement through but not into
Nebulae: Any ship that enters a nebula must immediately stop its movement for the turn
Gravity Rift: Any ship exiting must roll. On a 1-6, that ship leaves the corresponding side of the hex. On a 7-10, the player may choose which side to exit. Movement out of a Gravity Rift does not take up a ship's move value

2 - Space Battle

Always occurs in any system containing the spaceships of the active player and those of another player

(i) The attacking player fires once with all their ships and counts the number of hits (rolls equal to or higher than the ship's combat value)

(ii) The defending player fires with all defending units and counts their hits

(iii) Both players remove ships equal to the number of hits inflicted on them (players choose their own casualties)

(iv) The attacker may withdraw

The attacker's fleet must withdraw together to an empty or friendly system that is closest to their home system
This may never be through a wormhole or into an asteroid field

(v) The above process is repeated until one side is eliminated or attacker withdraws

3 - Invasion Combat

Occurs after the active player has finished all of their space battles

An invasion is the movement of one or more friendly ground forces and/or PDS from a Carrier to a friendly, neutral or enemy planet of the same system.

If invading a friendly or neutral planet, the invading player simply places the ground forces and/or PDS to the planet's surface
If invading an enemy planet, the following process is followed:

(i) Determine how many Ground forces will land on the (1) specific planet

(ii) Each Dreadnought may use their Bombardment ability

(iii) Each defending PDS fires once at the invading ground force

(iv) The remaining ground forces land and begin combat. Combat is identical to the Space combat sequence except the attacking units cannot withdraw

(v) Outcome

If all ground forces of both players are wiped out, the planet becomes Neutral
If all the defending ground forces were destroyed and the attacker has one or more ground forces remaining, the attacker takes control of the planet. All of the defender's space docks or PDS on that planet are immediately destroyed

(10) Collect Trade Income Phase[]

Each player collects income from any trade agreements (one credit per planet the trade partner controls)

(11) Technology Phase[]

Players may each purchase 1 technology advance that they meet the prerequisites for a price of 30 credits

(12) Place New Units Phase[]

Players place the units bought in the Purchase New Units Phase

Ground Forces and PDS are placed directly on a planet containing a Spacedock and count towards the space dock production limit
Spaceships are placed directly in space and count toward the space dock production limit
New space docks do not require a space dock to be created and may be placed on any friendly planet not already containing a spacedock. It cannot produce new units on the turn it was purchased

Other Rules[]

Blockade[]

If an enemy unit occupies the space surrounding a Spacedock, it is blockaded
A blockaded Spacedock cannot place any units in space but may still produce Ground Forces and PDS

The Outer Rim
Shock Forces
Leaders