This FAQ answers rule questions related to the Arcs rulebook. For FAQs on specific cards, please refer to the Leder Card Library.
This FAQ is not exhaustive—it does not cover every rule, just those that may be overlooked or cause confusion. It does not cover the Blighted Reach campaign expansion. (FAQ forthcoming.) Page numbers in this FAQ refer to the base rulebook.
This document is based on a community FAQ originally compiled prior to release by turmoilbyrd. We're indebted!
Core Rulebook, Page 19: Add the following text. “Discard all action cards not in players' hands into the action discard pile on the map face down, and shuffle the action discard pile.” There are a couple situations where discard order matters.
Perform the setup steps given by Leader cards after drafting everything. (For example, the Archivist Leader prompts you to gain lore cards.)
The two initial resources are always placed in the two leftmost resource slots, even if you have more slots open (Setup, p.5). When setting up a Leader (p.21), you gain resources as shown on the Leader card in the order shown on the card, rather than based on your starting planets.
If multiple things happen at the same time but must be resolved in order, the player taking their turn chooses their order (p.22). Here are some examples:
You do not have to use all of the action pips given by your action card (p.8). For example, if you have 3 action pips, you could take only 1 action.
If you convert a standard action into a new action (p.20), modifiers of that standard action do not affect the new action itself.
However, if a new action contains standard actions, modifiers of those standard action(s) apply, unless explicitly ignored (e.g., Force Beams).
Some abilities refer to “when you Copy or Pivot to…” followed by an action. These abilities only trigger from spending action pips to Copy or Pivot—it does not trigger from Prelude actions.
You can tax a city even if you cannot gain a resource from it. If you tax a Rival city this way, you still gain a Captive (p.12).
You can build even if the corresponding building or ship supply is empty (p.22).
During a Catapult move, you have to stop at:
As long as you have not stopped, you may backtrack while dropping off ships. For example, you could Catapult from a planet in cluster 3, drop ships off in gate 3, then in gate 4, then finally stop at a planet in cluster 3.
The attacker's Loyal ships in the battle system are all “attacking ships” and can be damaged by self-hits and intercept, even if the attacker doesn't collect dice for all of them.
You need a legal defender in order to battle.
You can collect zero dice. (p.14).
You need a legal target to secure—a card in the Court on which you have the most agents.
Resolve the “When Secured” effect of a Vox card before drawing a new card to refill it.
In general, as long as an action or a step does not reveal new information to the acting player, it can be undone with the consent of the table (p.22).
For example, playing an action card reveals the card to other players, but the acting player does not gain new info, so it can be undone with the consent of the table.
Some actions and steps reveal new information and thus cannot be undone:
Some players might not consent to an undo. For example, if the acting player is collaborating with another player or kingmaking, rewinding can effectively reveal private information to the table (p.22), giving advantage to the person they are helping.
Here is the turn structure:
In theory, once you spend an action pip from the played action card, you cannot use any more Prelude actions. In practice, as long as your actions do not reveal new information (e.g., battle/secure), it is fine to rewind to the Prelude. See Rewind / Undo.
Resources spent during your Prelude only return to the supply at the end of your Prelude (p.20). This means you cannot regain a resource you spent in your Prelude during your same Prelude.
You cannot use Prelude actions on cards that you secured from the Court in the same Prelude (p.20). However, you can use non-Prelude parts of the card (e.g., Mining Interest's Manufacture action) later in the same turn. You can use the Prelude actions on a card if you gain the card in other ways (e.g., steal with Silver Tongue).
The player with initiative may pass the initiative marker to the next player in turn order who has any cards in their hand.
Surpassing with a “7” seizes the initiative, unless it was already seized. Seizing in this way is not optional (p.10).
In your Prelude, you can always spend resources without effect, regardless of your Outrage (p.16).
You can rearrange resources in your resource slots when you gain a resource (p.17). You cannot rearrange resources when a resource is removed (spent, discarded, stolen, etc.).
The Weapon resource lets you “spend any action pips from your card play to take Battle actions” (p.17). This cannot convert actions from spending other resources, only the actions you take from your played action card.
When a city is destroyed, the following happens (p.16):
As a result, the Outrage in step 1 does not discard cards you gain from steps 2 and 3.
Some cards let you replace a piece (p.22). This removes a piece and also places another piece in the same system. You cannot replace if the targeted piece cannot be removed or if the corresponding supply to place a piece from is empty. The new piece keeps the same fresh or damaged state as the old piece.
June 17, 2024: Added Errata section with Core Rulebook, Page 19 errata
June 14, 2024: Original release