Fine Print
Table of Contents
This section covers some technical parts of play.
Tiebreakers & Choice Order
If you have a tie and its tiebreaker is not specified, break the tie in turn order. Likewise, if players must make a decision in an unclear order, resolve it in turn order. (Start with the player with initiative and go clockwise.)
If multiple things happen at the same time but must be resolved in order, the player taking their turn chooses their order. If no one is taking a turn, the player with initiative chooses.
Elimination & Concession
Rarely, a player will have no starports or ships on the map. If this happens, they place 3 fresh ships in any gate at the end of their turn.
Sometimes, usually in games with 2 players, it may become clear that a player has won. Feel free to concede!
Pieces & Piece Limits
Pieces are limited by the contents of the box with one exception: if you need an agent to place on an Outrage slot but none are in your supply, use a placeholder piece until an agent enters your supply, then place the agent.
If a rule makes you place pieces, this refers to fresh Loyal pieces by default
Pieces that you place and return come from and go to their original supply by default except for cities: cities come from and go to the rightmost empty city slot on their original player board. (Remember, pieces often go to Trophies and Captives instead of back to supplies.)
If you must place or return more pieces than possible, do the maximum possible.
If you replace a piece, return it and place another piece in its place. If the old piece was damaged, the new piece is placed damaged. (Replacing a piece does not destroy it.)
Rules Hierarchy
This rulebook supersedes the aid sheets and player boards.
Cards supersede this rulebook, but any rule that uses the term cannot is absolute—it cannot be superseded unless explicitly named using the term ignore. (For example, “You ignore Outrage when spending Material for its Prelude action.”)
Sidebars as well as text written in italics and parentheses (like this) are clarifications and reminders, which are superseded by the core rules they reference.
Negotiations
Players may make deals and promises, but they are not binding. Players cannot give each other pieces unless a rule allows it.
Private Information
Players cannot show the action cards in their hand to anyone else.
Turn Etiquette
Though declaring an ambition and seizing the initiative happen before any other actions, we usually let people do them during their turn as long as new info hasn't been revealed—such as rolling dice or drawing a card—and any relevant modifiers are followed. Don't get bogged down in technicalities unless it changes the game. Arcs thrives when the game flows!
Split Discard Piles
Normally, all action cards are discarded face down, even ones played face up. This speeds up play but it favors players with good memory.
If you're running a tournament or want a more strategic but slower game, you can split the action discard into two piles—one for cards played face down, and one for cards played face up.
If you're prompted to draw from the action discard pile, draw from the facedown pile. In the rare circumstance that it doesn't have enough cards, shuffle the piles together first.