Political Cards (First Edition)

This page lists all Political Cards in Twilight Imperium (First Edition)

Base Game

There are 20 Political Cards in the Base Game

Card	Special	Text
Arms Reduction	LAW	For: All units cost an additional 2 credits and all players must remove all but 2 Dreadnoughts Against: This card is discarded
Conventions of Nxill	LAW	For: All space battles last for only one round. After the first round, the attacker must withdraw their forces Against: This card is discarded
Council Empowered	LAW	For: The “Progression Phase” is taken every second turn rather than every turn Against: This card is discarded
Crown of Thalnos	LAW	Elect player The elected player’s Ground Forces now fight at +1
Expansion Suppression	-	For: All players that control more than 4 planets outside their home system must immediately abandon all planets in excess of 4 (chosen by individual players). All Ground Forces and PDS on these planets may be placed on any planet in that player’s home system. All excess Spacedocks are destroyed Against: This card is discarded
Free Trade	LAW	For: During the Collect Trade Income Phase, players receive an additional 5 credits for each Trade Agreement they have active Against: This card is discarded
Holder of Mecatol Rex	LAW	For: Whoever controls Mecatol Rex may always cast their vote last during the “Political Phase” Against: This card is discarded
Holy Planet of Ixth	LAW	Elect Planet This planet is not allowed to produce anything (No planet in a home system may be elected)
Humane Labor	LAW	For: The Production limit of all Spacedocks is lowered to 2 Against: This card is discarded
Limits to Individual Power	LAW	For: The number of action cards that can be kept is reduced to 3. All players must immediately discard down to 3 cards. No player may draw new action cards if they are holding 3 cards Against: This card is discarded
Long Term Truce	LAW	For: No attacks may be initiated during the next 3 turns. If this truce is broken, the aggressor must immediately pay 50 credits. Discard this law when the truce is broken or after 3 turns have passed Against: This card is discarded
Public Execution	-	Elect player The elected player loses all action cards and credits. Furthermore, the player receives a -2 to all offensive combat rolls during this turn
Revote	2 in deck	Elect Current law After a law has been elected, revote on the policy
Short Term Truce	LAW	For: No attacks may be initiated during the next 2 turns. If this truce is broken, the aggressor must immediately pay 35 credits. Discard this law when the truce is broken or after 2 turns have passed Against: This card is discarded
Support for Development	-	For: During the next “Place New Units Phase”, all players receive a free Spacedock Against: This card is discarded
The Book of Latvina	LAW	For: All players advance to Tech level 3 in all fields Against: This heretical book is burned and this card discarded
Trade Embargo	LAW	Elect player All Trade agreements with this player are discarded and no new Trade agreements may be formed with that player for the next 3 turns
Trade Restrictions	LAW	For: Partners in Trade Agreements now receive 1 credit for each planet controlled by the player with fewer planets Against: This card is discarded
Unconventional Weapons	LAW	For: All Dreadnoughts receive a -1 to all combat and bombardment rolls Against: This card is discarded

Borderlands Expansion

The Borderlands Expansion introduced 16 new Political Cards

Card	Special	Text
Clean Space	LAW	For: Only 1 mine may be placed on any star system. No mines may be added to a star system that already contains 1 or more mines. No mines already in play are affected. Against: This card is discarded
Cleansing	-	For: All units on Mecatol Rex must be removed immediately. These units may be placed on any other planet occupied by the affected player Against: This card is discarded
Convention of Sacul	LAW	For: The invader may withdraw their Ground Forces to their Carriers after any round of Invasion Combat Segment Against: This card is discarded
Fine Print	-	For: Draw the next political card. If it is a For/Against, that card is immediately enacted “For”. Initiate the effects immediately. If the next card is an “Elect” vote, it is discarded Against: This card is discarded
Industry Leader	LAW	For: Whenever a tech level is purchased, whichever player leads that field of technology receives 10 credits from the bank. If two or more players are tied, no player receives any reward Against: This card is discarded
Lend-Lease	LAW	For: During the Market Phase, each player may ‘give’ 1 Ground Force to another player. The giver removes 1 of their Ground Forces from play. The recipient then places 1 Ground Forces on 1 of their planets that are not blockaded Against: This card is discarded
LOC	LAW	For: Players may borrow up to 10 credits from the bank. Any loan must be repaid in order to advance on the Progression Chart Against: This card is discarded
Quarantine	LAW	Elect Planet No Ground forces may be built on the elected planet and no friendly Ground Forces may land on or leave the planet. Discard this LAW when another race successfully invades the planet
Repeal	-	Elect current law After a law has been elected discard it
Revote	-	Identical to cards of same name in Base Game
Stellar Olympics	-	Elect player The elected player may host the Stellar Olympics. During the next Political Phase, they may pay 15 credits. That player then gains 7 resources and 10 influence for the next 3 turns
The Phrelmanx Effect	LAW	For: No fleet may move more than 1 hex per turn Against: This card is discarded
The Way of the Knife	LAW	For: After every assassination attempt (successful or not) roll a die. If the result is even, the assassinating player is caught and executed. They lose all action cards and credits and suffer a -2 on all offensive rolls Against: This card is discarded
Trade Tax	LAW	For: Whenever a new Trade Agreement is established, both partners must pay the bank 5 credits Against: This card is discarded
University of Mecatol	LAW	For: The cost of tech advances is reduced by 5 credits Against: This card is discarded
Wormhole Freeze	LAW	For: All wormhole travel is banned. No ship may enter a wormhole Against: This card is discarded

Distant Suns Expansion

Political Cards

The Distant Suns Expansion introduced 8 new political cards

Card	Special	Text
Free Space	LAW	For: PDS may not fire when a fleet enters its system Against: This card is discarded
Free Speech	LAW	For: The “Martial Law” segment is skipped entirely Against: All civilizations drop 1 Status (“D” goes to rebellion)
Internal Affairs	-	Elect player The Mecatol Bureaucrat of 1 race is under investigation for misconduct. That player’s Influence is reduced to “0” for the next 2 turns
Neutral Zone	-	Elect Empty System No combat may take place here, fleets cannot be interdicted here. Fleets of different races can co-exist here
Parker Convention	LAW	For: Dreadnoughts may no longer bombard Against: PDS now cost only 6 credits to produce
P.O.W	LAW	For: Defending Ground Forces may surrender to an invading force before invasion combat begins. The attacker must pay 2 credits per surrendering unit and then removes them from play or immediately must place them upon any planet in their home system Against: This card is discarded
Revotes	-	Elect 2 current laws After the laws have been elected, revote on their policies
S.A.L.T 2000	LAW	For: Players may only advance to Tech level 4 in any category Against: Roll a die for every discontent planet; on an odd result that planet goes into rebellion. Then, discard this card

Event Cards

The Distant Suns expansion also introduced 12 event cards

Event Cards are placed in the Political Deck at game setup. If drawn during the Political Phase, their effects are applied immediately

Event cards usually begins by asking players to 'roll' for a number of random planets

A roll for a planet involves the following:

(1) Roll two 10-sided dice, letting 1 die represent the first digit and the second die represent the second digit (e.g. a roll of 3 and 5 represents the number 35)

(2) Use the following list to see which planet is selected to be affected by the event (SEE NOTE BELOW):

• 1-10: Bereg
• 11-20: Centauri
• 21-24: Fria
• 25-28: Mehar Xull
• 29-32: Mellon
• 33-36: Riescue
• 37-40: Torkan
• 41-44: Abyz
• 45-48: Emelpar
• 49-52: Coorneq
• 53-56: Sacul G
• 57-60: Starpoint
• 61-64: Cronos
• 65-68: Lort IV
• 69-72: Olergodt
• 73-76: Tequ'Ran
• 77-80: Vefut
• 81-82: Gral
• 82-84: Lazar
• 85-86: Lodor
• 87-88: New Albion
• 89-90: Quann
• 91-92: Saudor
• 93-94: Tallin
• 95-96: Tar'Mann
• 97-98: Thiban
• 99-00: Wellon

After applying the event card effects, another Political Card is drawn and the game continues as normal

• If another event card is drawn instead, its effect is applied and the next card is drawn
• This continues until a Political card is reached

Card	Text
Community Service	Roll 3 random planets Owners receive 3 credits per Ground Force unit stationed there
Coup Attempt	Roll 4 random planets The owner of these planets must face 1 assassination attempt for each planet rolled that is “Discontent” or 'Rebellion'
Environmental Upheaval	Roll 2 random planets These planets cannot be invaded this turn. Any PDS on these planets will not function this turn
Hail	Owners may place a free Ground Force Unit on all “Content” planets (Ignore this effect on unoccupied planets)
Hazardous Duty	Roll 2 random planets Owners must pay 2 credits for each Ground Force present if “Discontent” or in rebellion
Ion Storms	Roll 2 random planets No fleet may exit these systems this turn (Invasions and Space Battles proceed as normal)
Liquidity	Roll 4 random planets The owners of these planets may immediately collect credits equal to the planet’s basic resource value
Meteor Storm	Roll 2 random planets The Resource Value of these planets is reduced to “0” for this turn
Pollution	Roll 2 random planets These planets may not produce anything. Owners may resume production on polluted planets at any time by spending 5 credits per planet
Science Convention	Roll 1 random planet The owner of this planet receives 10 credits towards any Tech Advance purchased this turn
The Hand of God	Roll 1 random planet Systems surrounding that planet are shifted 1 step counter-clockwise
Winnaran Expansion	Roll 1 random planet Place 1 neutral Ground Force Unit on each unoccupied planet in this and adjacent systems

Note: If also playing with The Outer Rim Expansion, the following chart is used for 'Rolls' instead of the list above. This incorporates the new system tiles