, featuring defensive Supports and terrain modifiers (from Pulsars).
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PLAYERS:
Each Player controls 1 remnant of SPACEFEDERATION, and each remnant must provide a Name. Each Player starts with 2 Solar Colonies and Fleets:
1. Blue: QUA, PIC
2. Crimson: SHE, LON
3. Red: KIR, WNL
4. Cyan: KER, RAY
5. Dark Green: HAY, FWI
6. Light Green: ADA, CRH
7. Purple: JAC, ART
TURNS AND PHASES:
Each Turn represents one Earthdate. Each Year is divided into 3 phases:
1. Up Movement phase, separate for each Player.
2. Down Movement phase, separate for each Player.
3. Strange Build/Disband phase, simultaneous for all Players.
During Up and Down phases, each Player has their own time to move (capped at 24 hours).
They can move their Fleets from star to star, or support their other Fleets.
During Strange Build/Disband phase, each Player builds new Fleets or disbands their current Fleets so that amount of Fleets is equal to amount of Solar Colonies they own.
So if you own 3 Solar Colonies and have 1 Fleet, you can Build 2 Fleets. If you have 4 Fleets but have only 2 Solar Colonies, you must disband 2 Fleets.
THE MAP:
Map of the SPACEGALAXY is divided into named Stars, each name shortened to 3-letter abbreviations and each with different color: Solar Colonies (bright yellow), Normal (orange) and Pulsars (light purple).
You can find entire list in 'Stars' spoiler.
You can view the map of traversible Stars in the 'Map' spoiler.
SOLAR COLONIES:
There are 29 Solar Colonies on the map, each marked as a bright yellow star with 'white' center.
Solar Colonies determine how many Fleets you can have. You can build new Fleets at Supply Centers only.
Solar Colonies can be taken by having an Fleet at a Solar Colony at the end of the Down Phase.
The Sol System is a special Solar Colony; being capital of the defunct SPACEFEDERATION, ownership of it means prestige and legitimacy for the owner's government.
It counts as 3 Solar Colonies for purposes of winning the game (so besides it, you need to control only 12 SCs more)
PULSARS:
These 5 special, strategic chokepoints are marked as light purple stars.
Fleets stationed at them gain +2 to combat rolls due to outgoing interference messing up approaching fleet's sensors.
WINNING THE GAME:
To win the game, you must have 15 or more Solar Colonies under your control at the end of an Earthdate.
LOSING THE GAME:
If, at the end of any given Down Phase, you do not own any Solar Colonies, you must disband all your Fleets, and you lose.
FLEET MOVEMENT AND COMBAT:
Fleets are represented as squares with a triangular 'spaceplane' on the field with a color representing their owner.
During your time to move at Up/Down Phases, you can move your Fleets around, from one Star to another connected to it by a white line. There can be only 1 Fleet inside any Star at any given time.
If your Fleet wants to enter a star where an enemy Fleet is already stationed, a Combat occurs. Both Fleets roll 1d6 dice; if there's a tie, the dice are re-rolled.
The Fleet that has the higher roll wins the combat; the loser is destroyed. If the attacking Fleet wins, it also moves into the star previously occupied by the loser.
You can also Support your Fleets:
1. One Fleet moves into star occupied by an enemy Fleet, and other, adjacent to the star you wish to conquer, Supports. Supporting Fleet grants a second 1d6 to your target Fleet's roll. No matter the outcome of the combat, the Supporting Fleet is not affected.
2. One Fleet does NOT move; and other, adjacent to the star the first Fleet is occupying. Supporting Fleet grants a second 1d6 to you target Fleet's rolls whenever attacked, until your next Turn.
Supporting Fleet that is targeted and destroyed no longer provides bonus dice.
You cannot Move and Support; an Fleet that is Supporting during a Phase cannot Move in the same turn, and vice versa.
Example:
Crimson has 2 Fleets, 1 in Zelavas and 1 in Beta Corvi, Blue has 1 Fleet in Delta Serpentis.
Crimson sends Fleet in Zelavas to attack Blues in Delta Serpentis, and commands Beta Corvi Fleet to Support.
If Crimson wins the combat, Blue loses its Fleet in Delta Serpentis, Crimson's Fleet in Zelavas moves into Delta Serpentis, while the Fleet in Beta Corvi remains there.
If Crimson loses the combat, it loses Zelavas Fleet, Blues Fleet remains in Delta Serpentis, and Crimson Fleet in Beta Corvi remains there.