Xia: Legends of a Drift System: Rulebook

Developer Note: Images are not available yet. They're planned for a future update.

Setup

1. Shuffle the Sector Tiles and place them face down in a stack within reach of all players. Deal one Sector tile per player (3 for a 3-player game, 4 for a 4-player game, 5 for a 5-player game) face up in the center of the play area, one at a time, lining up the edge symbols to the previously laid Sector as shown.

• If a Sector without a Spawn Point is drawn, re-shuffle it into the deck and draw another tile.

2. Shuffle the Exploration Tokens ( ) and place them face down within reach of all players. Place an Exploration Token face down on any Exploration Spaces on the starting tiles.

3. Shuffle the Mission Cards and Title Cards. Place the decks face down within reach of all players.

4. Place the Cargo Cubes, Damage Markers ( ), Outfits*(organized* by shape), Credits, and Dice within reach of all players. The dice are referred to throughout the game as [d6], [d8], [d12], and [d20], where the number represents the number of sides.

5. Give each player one How To Win Card and 3,000 worth of Credits (3 silver coins).

6. Shuffle the three NPC Cards and deal one face up to each player. (In a 4 or 5-player game, not everyone will get one.) Players take the corresponding NPC miniature and place it on the NPC Card.

7. Place the Fame Point Track in the play area. Players now decide the number of Fame Points needed for victory. Place the Victory Marker on the Fame Point Track to indicate the winning total. (Average playtimes: 5 points ≈ 15 min per player. 10 points ≈ 30 min per player. 20 points ≈ 45 min per player.)

8. Separate the blue Tier 1 Ship Mats and matching Ability Cards. (Set the green Tier 2 and purple Tier 3 mats and cards aside for now.) Each player rolls the [d20]. The player with the highest roll chooses a Tier 1 Ship Mat and takes the matching Miniature and Ability Card. This continues counter-clockwise around the table until each player has chosen. All players then place their Miniatures on the Spawn Point of the Sector Tile closest to them.

9. Each player now takes an Impulse Token, and a set of Markers.

• The Impulse Token is placed on the Impulse Space of the Ship Mat face up (yellow side).

• One Marker is placed on the Fame Point Track at 0 (Unknown).

• One Marker is placed on the highest number of the Ship Mat's Energy Meter.

• The remaining four Markers are placed on the Ship Mat, filling out the Armed section.

10. In the same order as ship selection, each player may now spend their Credits to purchase Outfits. The Outfits are placed in their Ship Mat's Hold. Players may only purchase what will fit in the Hold. Players are not required to spend all or any of their Credits at this point.

The game is now ready to start! The player who picked their ship last takes the first turn.

Overview: Become a Legend

Game Overview

Xia is a 3-5 player, sandbox-style, competitive space adventure. Each player starts as a lowly (but hopeful!) captain of a small starship.

Players fly their ships about the system completing a variety of Missions, exploring new Sectors, and battling other ships. Captains vie with each other for Titles, riches, and, most importantly, Fame.

The most adaptive, risk-taking, and creative players will excel. One captain will rise above the others, surpassing mortality by becoming Legend!

First Game

Because of the complexity of Xia, we recommend the following for your first game:

Read all the rules first: You will be much happier!

Play to 5 Fame Points: This will keep the game short and sweet.

Starting Sectors: Use Burning Horse, Kemplar II, Neo Damascus. Add: Outpost 338*(for a 4-player game), and Expedior Gate(for a* 5-player game).

Ignore NPCs: Remove the NPCs from the game and ignore all NPCrelated cards.

Strategies/Outfits: For your first playthrough, each player should pick one of the following strategy/Outfit combinations. This will ensure that the various mechanisms in the game will come into play, allowing you to learn each facet of the game.

• Explorer: Buy Raptor-K Engine. Your goal is to explore new Sectors and collect as many Exploration Tokens as possible.

• Trader: Buy M-22 Engine and Targe Shield, then fly to Kemplar II and purchase 2 Spice Cargo Cubes with your remaining 1,000 Credits. Fly to Neo Damascus and sell your Cargo Cubes. Use your Shield in case of attack.

• Worker: Buy Halon Engine and Targe Shield. Fly to the nearest Mission Point and Draw Missions. Look for Research and Shuttle Missions to complete.

• Pirate: Buy M-22 Engine and Saker V Blaster. Attack everything that moves. Focus on ships with Cargo Cubes and/or Bounty.

Some of these strategies may seem stronger than others. However, during regular play, the board layout is random in nature, so players will need to adapt to succeed.

Turn Overview

A player's turn consists of three Phases:

1. Action Phase The Action Phase includes fighting, flying, using abilities, collecting, trading, and working on/completing Missions. The player will use the inherent abilities of his ship, Outfits he has equipped on his ship, and his bonus abilities from Ability Cards to take Actions. A player may continue taking Actions until he cannot (or does not wish to) take further Actions. When a player is done taking Actions, he may move to the Business Phase.

2. Business Phase*(while on a planet)* The Business Phase only happens if a player ends his Action Phase on a planet space. The Business Phase includes recharging/repairing the ship, buying/exchanging Outfits, and purchasing a new ship or Fame Points. If the player is not on a planet, the Business Phase is skipped.

3. Status Phase A player's turn will always conclude with a Status Phase. During this phase, the player re-arms his Markers, refreshes Abilities and Impulse, draws Titles, counts Fame Points, and possibly claims victory!

Once a phase has started, a player cannot go back to a previous phase (ex. A player cannot start their Business Phase and then go back to the Action Phase). After the player's Status Phase is completed, his turn is over. Play continues clockwise around the table with the player sitting to their left.

Victory

Players achieve Victory through a Fame Point system. Players can earn Fame Points in nine ways: Exploration, Missions, Trade, Combat, Wealth, Ships, Kindness, Titles, and Luck.

When a player's Marker on the Fame Point Track reaches the Victory Token, the game is over and that player is declared the victor. The winning player receives eternal glory(!) and proceeds to read aloud the Victory Story on the back of his Ship Mat.

Fame Point Track

Fame

At the beginning of the game, each player places one of their Markers on the Fame Point Track at "0 – Unknown." As players claim Fame Points, they advance their Marker up the Fame Point Track. Victory is achieved when one player's Marker reaches the Victory Token.

• Variable Game Length: At the beginning of the game, players decide the number of Fame Points needed for Victory by placing the Victory Token on the Fame Point Track at that number. Players can decide to play a shorter game with fewer Fame Points, or a longer game with more Fame Points.

How to Earn Fame Points

There are a variety of ways that players can gain Fame Points ( ):

• Explore: Players may collect Exploration Tokens, some of which are worth one Fame Point. (Adventurous pilots can earn a name for themselves exploring new Sectors.)

• Missions: Each Mission completed is worth a Fame Point. *(Earn a reputation by doing jobs.)

• Combat: Destroying another ship is worth Fame Points. Any player that destroys a ship receives a number of Fame Points equal to the destroyed ship's tier number. (Become known for your fierce prowess.)

• Trade: Selling all the Cargo Cubes in a ship's Hold is worth 1 . However, you must sell a minimum of 2 Cargo Cubes to receive the Fame Point. (A clever capitalist can be just as famous as a vicious pirate.)

• Ships: Purchasing a new ship during the Business Phase earns the player 1 . (A ship directly correlates to one's status.)

• Wealth: Players may purchase* 1 Fame Point during their Business Phase for 5,000 . (Money can buy a great deal.) *You may not purchase the final Fame Point needed for Victory.

• Kindness: Rescuing a Stranded player is worth 1 . *(It's not always tooth and nail to get ahead. People remember mercy.)

• Titles: Claiming Titles is worth 1 , 2 , or 3 . The amount is stated on the Title Card. (A Title is a mark of fame.)

• Luck: Whenever* a player rolls a natural** 20, for any of their [d20] rolls, they receive 1 . (Tales of extraordinary exploits will spread.) *******Maximum once per turn. **The die shows a 20, before any modifiers are applied.

Ships: She May Not Look Like Much...

Ship Overview

Ships are the players' in-game representation. Each ship has a Ship Mat, Miniature, and Ability Card.

Miniatures occupy one space on the game board at a time. Ship Mats are set face up in front of their owner and contain valuable information. Ability Cards allow players to perform unique and powerful actions.

Miniatures

Each ship miniature is placed on a flight stand that takes up one space on the game board.

Ships are moved around the board by Engines, Impulse, and Abilities.

No more than one ship may occupy a single space on the board at a time. However, ships may move through occupied spaces.

Ability Cards

Each ship has a unique Ability Card. Abilities are powers that help the player in a unique way.

Use: The top of each Ability Card specifies how the Ability is used (ex. As an Action, or as Defense). To use the Ability, the player spends the Energy specified on the Ability Card and then follows the directions on that Card. Most Abilities require the player to roll a [d20].

Exhaust: Directly after an Ability has been used, the card is flipped face down. It is Exhausted and cannot be used again until it is Refreshed. Some Abilities are Exhausted before their effects take place. (ex. A player uses the Auto-Pilot Ability as an Action, and rolls the [d20]. The card is now Exhausted, but the effect, moving spaces after other player's turns, is not applied until after his turn is over.)

Refresh: During the Status Phase of a player's turn, all his Ability Cards are Refreshed. Some Abilities (like Auto-Pilot in the example above) are Refreshed before their effects take place. Flip them face up to indicate they are ready for use again (See - Status Phase pg. 10).

New Ship: When a player purchases a new ship, he will retain the Ability Cards from all previously owned ships. (ex. When a player reaches a Tier 3 ship, his ship will have 3 Ability Cards.)

(Read each Ability Card for more details.)

Ship Mats

The Ship Mat is placed face up in front of the player who owns the ship. The Ship Mat contains information about the player's ship. Displayed on the front of the Ship Mat are:

1. Name

This is the name of the ship.

2. Tier

Ships are either Tier 1 , 2 , or 3 .

3. Hologram

This is an image of the ship.

4. Price / Hold Size

• The Price of a ship is the amount of Credits a player has to pay to purchase the ship.

• Hold Size is a quick reference for how many spaces are in the Hold.

5.Impulse Space / Value

The Impulse Space is where the Impulse Token is placed. The Impulse Value represents the number of spaces a ship may move without spending Energy. (See - Movement pg. 9).

6. Hold

The Hold represents the physical capacity of the ship.

7. Energy Meter

This meter keeps track of the ship's Energy.

8. Armed / Disarmed Spaces

Armed spaces are used to hold Markers that are currently ready to be spent on Outfits. Disarmed spaces hold Markers that are waiting to be Armed.

9. Bounty

Bounty Credits are placed here.

Displayed on the back of the Ship Card are:

10. Ship Technical Information

The ship's statistics are listed here. These have no bearing on the game mechanics, but that doesn't mean they aren't important!

11. Backstory

The ship's backstory is located here. Read this when you first purchase a ship to learn about its history.

12. Victory Story

This tale is meant to be read after the ship obtains Victory. It is intended to be read aloud to all players so they may bask in your glory!

Hold

The Hold is the ship's cargo grid which represents the physical capacity of the ship. Outfits and Cargo Cubes are kept in the Hold. Each ship has a unique layout of Hold spaces. Players will need to arrange Outfits in the Hold to maximize the use of space. A player may not have more Cargo Cubes or Outfits than she has space for in her Hold.

Damage: When a ship takes damage, Damage Markers are placed into the Hold, one damage marker per space. A damaged space is no longer useable. If a ship takes damage equal to or exceeding the number of Hold spaces, the ship is destroyed. After a ship is destroyed, all damage markers are removed before the ship respawns. (See - Damage pg. 8)

Repairs: During the Business Phase of a player's turn, she may pay to repair her ship, completely removing all Damage Markers. Repairs for Tier 1 and Tier 2 ships cost 1,000 , and Tier 3 ships cost 2,000 .

Energy Meter

A ship's Energy is a rechargeable resource. Energy is spent to arm Markers, use Abilities, and scan new Sector Tiles.

Spending: To spend Energy, a player simply moves his Marker down the Energy Meter the number of spaces required.

Recharging: During the Business phase, if a player is on a planet, he may replenish his Energy for free. The player moves his Marker up to the maximum number on his Energy Meter.

Stranded: If a player has no Energy and no Armed Markers, he is Stranded. A stranded player cannot do anything except move their ship's Impulse Value and take (Minor) Actions. (See: Stranded - pg. 9)

Visual Aids

Xia comes with two types of visual aids that are not required, but can help players clearly visualize key points of information.

Color Tokens: Color Tokens are used to help differentiate ships on the board. These can be placed on your miniature's flight stand, sliding over the thin part of the flight post to lock onto the thicker part of the base. Players should take the color that matches their set of Markers.

Outlaw Token: Outlaw Tokens are used to mark Outlaw ships on the game board. They can be slid over the thin part of the flight stand post, then set down to lock onto the thicker part of at the base. These tokens are to be used to denote when a ship has a Bounty on it, and is therefore an Outlaw.

Impulse Token

This double-sided token is used to keep track of when a player has used his Impulse.

Using: At the start of a player's turn, the Impulse Token should be face up (yellow-side up) on the Ship Mat. When Impulse is used to take a Move Action, the token should be flipped face down. The facedown token indicates that Impulse is now Exhausted and cannot be used again until it is Refreshed.

Refresh: During a player's Status Phase, he will Refresh his Impulse Token by flipping it face up.

Bounty

There are certain illegal acts that will earn a player a Bounty ( ) of Credits on her Ship Mat. Having a Bounty is a sign that the ship is wanted for illegal acts. A Bounty should remain separate from a player's earned Credits - place the Bounty Credits on the "Bounty" section of the Ship Mat. Ships can be classified as one of the following:

Innocent: Ships without any Bounty are considered Innocent.

Outlaw: Ships with Bounty are considered Outlaw ships. Outlaw ships may not enter Lawful Planets via their Entrance.

Players will accrue Bounty for:

• Evading: Whenever a player crosses through a Planetary Shield instead of using the legal Planetary Entrance, there is a chance that her Bounty will increase by 1,000 .

• Crime: Illegal Missions specify a Bounty for either completing or failing that Mission. This information is included on the Mission Card.

• Raiding: Destroying an Innocent ship will increase a player's Bounty by 1,000 .

Other rules for Bounty:

• Claiming: When a ship with a Bounty is destroyed by another ship, all Credits in the destroyed ship's Bounty area are immediately claimed by the attacking ship. However, if the attacking ship is also destroyed, the Bounty is unclaimed and is simply discarded.

• Removing: If a ship has a Bounty, the Bounty is removed if the ship is destroyed or the player purchases a new ship.

Buy New Ship

During a player's Business Phase, he may purchase a ship that is exactly one Tier higher than his current ship.

To purchase a new ship, a player spends a number of Credits equal to the price displayed on the new ship's Ship Mat. Once purchased, the old Ship Mat and Miniature are replaced by the new Ship Mat and Miniature. The old Ship Mat and Miniature are set aside for the rest of the game. However, all previous Ability Cards are kept, and all Outfits, Cargo Cubes, and Credits from the previous ship are transferred to the new ship's Hold. Damage and Bounty are not transferred.

Outfits Overview

Outfits are the primary focus of the Action Phase. Players use Outfits to move, defend, and attack with their ship. Outfits come in four types: Engines, Shields, Blasters, and Missiles. Engines are used for movement, Shields for protection, and Blasters and Missiles for attacking other ships. Each type of Outfit comes in 3 tiers. The tiers go from cheap, small, and weak to expensive, big, and powerful.

Each Outfit contains:

1. Name / Type: The name of the Outfit (ex. Saker V, type Blaster).

2. Price: How many Credits the player must spend to purchase the Outfit (ex. 2,000 for this Blaster).

3. Die: The die that is rolled when resolving an Action using that Outfit (ex. [d8] is an 8-sided die).

4. Use Spaces: Where Armed Markers are placed when using the Outfit to take an Action. Use Spaces limit how many times the Outfit may be used in a turn (ex. This Blaster, with 2 Use Spaces, may be used twice in one turn).

5. Sections: Outfits are divided into sections by white dashed lines. Each Section takes up one Hold space, and may hold one Damage Marker. (ex. This Blaster has 4 sections, and therefore takes up 4 Hold spaces, and can hold up to 4 Damage Markers.)

Outfits Detail

Outfits in the Hold: Each Section of an Outfit takes up one space in the Hold. Weaker Outfits are smaller, while the more powerful Outfits are larger. Outfits do not have to be "right-side up" in the Hold, and therefore can take a variety of positions. Ships may only hold Outfits if there is enough space in the Hold. Players will need to be creative to fit certain configurations of Outfits in their Hold.

Order: When using Outfits, players can activate them in any order (ex. A player may use an Engine, then a Blaster, then another Engine). A player may use any, all, or none of his Outfits during the Action Phase of his turn.

Using: During a player's Action Phase, he may spend any of his Armed Markers to use any of his Outfits. To use an Outfit, a player moves the Marker from the Armed Space on the Ship Mat to a Use Space on the Outfit being used. The player then rolls the corresponding die for that Outfit. The Action is then completed by resolving the die roll.

Arming: During a player's Status Phase, he may move Disarmed or Used Markers to Armed Spaces of his Ship Mat. Arming a Marker costs 1 Energy per Marker. If the player has no Energy, he may not arm any Markers.

Use Spaces: Players may spend their Armed Markers on any available Use Spaces of an Outfit to use it. An available Use Space is one without Markers or Damage on it. If an Outfit does not have any available Use Spaces, then it cannot be used (ex. This tier 1 Blaster has been used twice this turn and cannot be used again).

Purchasing: Outfits can be purchased during a player's Business Phase for the price listed on the Outfit. The player must be able to fit an Outfit in his ship's Hold in order to purchase it, no other restrictions apply.

Rearranging: A player may rearrange his Outfits in the Hold during the Business Phase of his turn. Outfits with Damage Markers cannot be rearranged; they must first be repaired.

Selling: Outfits can be sold during the Business Phase of a player's turn. Outfits are sold for half of their cost, rounded up (Tier 1 Outfits sell for 1,000 ; Tier 2 Outfits for 1,000 ; Tier 3 Outfits for 2,000 ). Damaged Outfits cannot be sold; they must first be repaired.

Damage: Damage Markers can be placed on any Section of an Outfit. Damage Markers placed on an Outfit cause that Outfit to become less effective. Use Spaces that have Damage cannot be used. In addition, each Damage Marker on an Outfit reduces its roll by 1. (ex. A Player activates a tier 1 Engine with 1 Damage Marker on it. He rolls a d6 and receives a 4. Because of the Damage Marker, this counts as rolling a 3.)

Markers

Markers are used to keep track of Fame and Energy. They are also spent to use Outfits. At the start of the game, each player places one Marker on the Fame Point Track, another on the Energy Meter, and the last four on the Ship Mat on the spaces marked "Armed."

Outfits: Each ship holds 4 Markers that can be Armed and subsequently spent to use Outfits. These 4 Markers are kept separate from the Marker keeping track of Energy.

Spending: To spend a Marker, the player moves one Marker from an Armed space on the Ship Mat to a Use Space on an Outfit. The player then rolls the corresponding die for that Outfit and resolves the roll.

Arming: During the Status Phase, a player may spend Energy to rearm Markers at a cost of one Energy per Marker. A player can arm as many Markers as she desires, up to the maximum of 4. To Arm, the player simply moves her Energy Marker down one space and moves the chosen Marker to an Armed space on her Ship Mat.

• Special Rules: Re-arm may be used by a defending ship during an Attack Action. (See - Combat pg. 8). Markers can also be Armed immediately after being Rescued (See - Stranded pg. 9).

Disarmed: During the Status Phase, any Markers that have not been Armed are placed on Disarmed spaces. After the Status Phase, no Markers should be lefton any Outfits.

Engines

During a player's Action Phase, that player may use an Engine Outfit to take a Move Action, following the steps outlined in the Action Phase section of the rulebook (See - Action Phase pg. 10). The number rolled on the die corresponds to the number of spaces the player may move her Miniature on the board. Players do not have to use all of the rolled movement, but any unused movement is discarded. (See - Movement pg. 9).

Ramming: Engines may be used in a desperate situation to take an Attack Action against an adjacent ship. (This Action is separate from a Movement Action, which cannot be used to ram another ship.) Ramming has a Range of 1 space and requires Line of Sight. The player follows the steps outlined in the Combat section of the rulebook (See - Combat pg. 8). The attack is carried out similar to any other attack, with the exception that Damage dealt is also applied to the attacking ship. The damage to the attacking ship is unblockable, while the target ship is free to use Shields or defensive Abilities. Also, the attack always does full damage to the attacker, no matter how much damage the target takes (even if the target is destroyed). If the attacker combines ramming with other attacks, only the ramming damage is applied to the attacker. (Impulse cannot be used for Ramming.)

Blasters

During a player's Action Phase, that player may use a Blaster Outfit to take an Attack Action against a nearby ship. Blasters have a Range of 1 space and require Line of Sight. After determining Range and Line of Sight, the player follows the steps outlined in the Combat section of the rulebook (See - Combat pg. 8). The number rolled on the die corresponds to the amount of damage done to the target ship in Damage Markers.

Missiles

During a player's Action Phase, that player may use a Missile Outfit to take an Attack Action against a ship at a distance. Missiles have a Range of 2-6 spaces and require Line of Sight. After determining Range and Line of Sight, the player follows the steps outlined in the Combat section of the rulebook (See

• - Combat pg. 8). The number rolled on the die corresponds to the amount of damage done to the target ship in Damage Markers.

Players cannot use Missiles to attack adjacent ships; the targeted ship must be at least 2 spaces away.

Shields

Shields are the only Outfits that can be used outside of a player's own Action Phase. Shields can be used to prevent incoming damage when another player's ship (or an NPC ship) attacks. The defending player declares how many Armed Markers he is spending on the Shield Outfit during the third step of combat (See

• - Combat pg. 8). The number rolled on the dice corresponds to the amount of damage absorbed by the Shields. If the Shield's roll is equal to or higher than the incoming damage, no damage is taken.

Special Rules: Shields can protect a player from more than just combat damage. Players may use Shield Outfits to prevent damage from Asteroid Fields and Energy loss from Nebulae.

• Asteroid Field Damage: Immediately after rolling damage from an Asteroid Field, a player may use his Shield Outfits as outlined above to try to prevent any of that damage. This works for Asteroid Borders and Mining.

• Nebula Energy Loss: Immediately after rolling Energy loss from a Nebula, a player may use his Shield Outfits as outlined above to try to prevent any of that Energy loss; treat the Energy loss as damage for these calculations. This works for Nebula Borders and Harvesting.

• Unblockable: Shields do not help defend against Planetary Shields, Debris Fields, Stars, or Unblockable Damage.

• Combat Re-Arm: Immediately after defending from an attack, Markers spent on Shields for that Attack Action can be re-armed at a cost of 1 Energy per Marker (See - Combat pg. 8).

Combat

Strike fear into your foes through Combat! Destroy ships for Fame, collect Bounties, recover and sell any Cargo Cubes that are dropped, and take on Assassin or Bounty Hunter Missions!

Combat is carried out in six steps:

1. Acquire Target: The attacker must first determine if he can actually attack the target ship:

• Range: Range is counted from the Attacking ship to the Defending ship in spaces on the game board. Blasters have a Range of 1 space and can therefore only target adjacent ships. Missiles have a Range of 2-6 spaces. Some Abilities can be used as attacks; the Ability Card will specify the Range of these attacks. If the target is within Range, the attacker must then determine if he has Line of Sight.

• Line of Sight: A ship is within Line of Sight if a straight line can be drawn from the center of the attacking ship's space to the center of the target ship's space without crossing through an impenetrable Border. The Impenetrable Borders are: Asteroids, Debris Fields, Stars, and Planetary Shields/Entrances. A player also cannot acquire Line of Sight through any space that has not been explored.

If the attacker is within Range and has a clear Line of Sight, he may proceed to Declare Attack.

2. Declare Attack: The attacker declares his target(s) and how many Outfits and/or Abilities he is using for the Attack Action. The attacker then spends any required Armed Markers/Energy at this time. Players can combine offensive attacks into one attack or spread them out into separate attacks.(ex. A player could use two Armed Markers on a Blaster Outfit in one Attack Action. Or a player could spread the two Armed Markers out into separate Attack Actions, choosing to attack different ships with each one, or attacking the same ship twice.)

3. Declare Defense: Any ships being attacked are now given the chance to use Shield Outfits and/or Abilities as defense. The Defender(s) spends any required Armed Markers/Energy at this time. If Shields or Abilities are not declared now, they can't be used after the Damage Roll.

4. Roll: All participants now roll the dice associated with the Outfits/ Abilities they declared during Steps 2 and 3 of this Combat. The Attacker rolls first, followed by the Defender(s).

5. Resolve: Add up the dice rolls of the Attacker and add in any Abilities – this is the Attack Value. Add up the dice rolls of the Defender and add in any Abilities – this is the Defense Value. Subtract the Defense Value from

the Attack Value to calculate the Damage taken by the Defender (See - Damage pg. 8). In the case of multiple defenders, each defender Resolves the Attack separately.

6. Re-Arm: Defenders who have spent Armed Markers on Shield Outfits during Step 3 may immediately re-arm any of those spent Markers at a cost of 1 Energy per Marker. Re-Armed Markers are placed on Armed Spaces. Any Markers that are not Re-Armed are placed on Disarmed spaces. This does not apply to Markers spent in previous Actions.

After the Defender(s) assign the Damage and Re-Arm, the Attack Action is over.

Combat Example

**1. Acquire Target:**Puddle Jumper (brown) checks if he can attack Gaiden (red). Gaiden is at Range 1, which allows him to use his Blaster. There is a Nebula Border between them, but that does not affect Line of Sight, so he can proceed with the Attack.

**2. Declare Attack:**Puddle Jumper declares he is attacking Gaiden with his Blaster twice, spending two Markers in one Attack.

3. Declare Defense: Gaiden declares he is defending with his ship's Evasive Thrusters Ability and his Shield, spending one Marker to use the latter (he could have spent up to three to increase his defense even more).

4. Roll: Both players roll their dice.

• Puddle Jumper* rolls one [d6] for each Marker placed on the Blaster Outfit's Use Spaces (two dice). Puddle Jumper gets a 6 and a 5, for a total Attack Value of 11.

• Gaiden* rolls one [d8] for each Marker placed on his Shield Outfit's Use Spaces (one die), and a [d20] for his ship's Ability (Evasive Thrusters). He gets a 3 on the Shield, and a success for the Ability roll (which, according to the Evasive Thrusters Ability Card, prevents 5 damage), for a total Defense Value of 8.

5. Resolve: The Defense Value (8) is subtracted from the Attack Value (11), for a remainder of 3. Gaiden must place 3 Damage Markers ( ) in his Hold on spaces of his choosing. Here, Gaiden has decided to place all three on empty spaces.

**6. Re-Arm:**Gaiden now chooses to spend one Energy to arm the Marker used on the Shield Outfit.

The Attack Action is now over.

Damage

Damage Markers ( ) are used to keep track of how much damage a ship has sustained. When a ship has taken too much damage, the ship is destroyed.

Taking Damage: Ships take damage in the form of Damage Markers ( ). Each represents one point of damage. The player receiving the damage places Damage Markers into her ship's Hold. Each takes 1 Hold space. Any Hold space with a is unusable until repaired (See - *Business Phase pg. 10).*The player receiving the damage chooses where to place the s in the Hold.

Cubes: If the Hold space where the Damage Marker is being placed is occupied by a Cargo Cube, the Cube is immediately Jettisoned (set on the board in the same space as the ship) where it can be picked up by any player's ship.

Use Space: If the is placed on a Use Space of an Outfit, any Markers are immediately moved to a Disarmed Space, and the Use Space is no longer usable until repaired.

Outfits: Damage Markers can be placed on any Section of an Outfit. Each Section of the Outfit can hold one Damage Markers on an Outfit cause that Outfit to become less effective. Each placed on an Outfit reduces rolls by 1 (ex. A Blaster Outfit with 2 rolls a 5; this counts as a 3 because of the 2 ). Damage Markers on an Outfit affect rolls only for that Outfit. Outfits are not destroyed when they are fully covered by Damage Markers; they are simply unusable until repaired.

Destroyed: When a ship has received equal to or in excess of its number of Hold spaces, the ship is immediately destroyed.

NPCs: NPC ships have a slightly different damage system (See - Non-Player Ships pg. 16).

Death

Death: If a ship is destroyed, it is immediately removed from the game board and placed on its owner's Ship Mat. All active Missions are discarded, all Cargo Cubes are dropped in the space where the ship was destroyed (Exception: Cargo Cubes dropped in Star Spaces are destroyed), and all Bounty is removed*(either collected by destroyer or* discarded). If it was that player's turn, the turn ends immediately.

Reset: Once destroyed, the ship is reset to full Energy, all Markers are Armed, all Damage Markers are removed, and any Ability Cards are refreshed.

Lose next Turn***(except Tier 1 players)***: The player's (or NPC's) next turn is skipped. However, players with Tier 1 ships do not lose their turn.

Nuances: Players do not lose their Ship, Outfits, Credits, Fame, etc. Only Active Missions and Cargo Cubes are lost.

Dying While Ramming: If both the Attacker and Defender are destroyed during a Ramming Attack, the Attacker does not receive anything for the kill: No Bounty is collected, and no Fame Points are awarded.

Respawn

After death, at the start of their next non-skipped turn, the player (or NPC) must first Respawn.

Respawn: To Respawn, roll the [d20] and place the ship on the unoccupied Spawn Point with the number closest to the number rolled. In the case of a tie, place the ship on the higher-numbered Spawn Point. On a roll of 20, the player may choose which unoccupied Spawn Point to place the ship (in addition to the 1 for "Luck").

If a Spawn Point is currently occupied, disregard it for the purpose of determining where to Respawn.

Take Turn: Immediately after Respawning, the player (or NPC) takes a turn as normal.

Example Tier 1 :

• Player 1 turn - Player 1 dies in Tier 1 ship - turn ends immediately.

• Player 2 turn

• Player 3 turn

• Player 1 turn - Respawn, then take turn as normal (since the player was in a Tier 1 ship and thus doesn't have their turn skipped).

Example Tier 2 or 3 :

• Player 2 turn - Player 1 is attacked and dies in Tier 2 or 3 ship.

• Player 3 turn

• Player 1 turn - This turn is skipped.

• Player 2 turn

• Player 3 turn

• Player 1 turn - Respawn, then take turn as normal.

(Note: If Player 1 had died on her own turn, she still would have skipped the denoted turn.)

Movement

Move Actions: Both Engine Outfits and the ship's Impulse value (listed on its Ship Mat) can be used to take Move Actions.

Movement: Players gain Movement by taking a Move Action. Movement may be spent to move the ship. Each point of Movement moves a ship one space on the game board. When taking a Move Action, players do not have to spend all the movement. However, any unspent movement is discarded when the Move Action ends.

• (Minor) Actions:** A player may take Minor Actions without ending a Move Action. In this way a player may move, take a (Minor) Action, then continue moving. (Minor) Actions can be found in the Action Phase section (See – Action Phase, pg. 10).

Impulse: Impulse allows a player to move without spending Energy or using their Armed Markers. To use Impulse, the player declares a Move Action, flips their Impulse Token face down (yellow-side down), and moves a number of spaces up to the Impulse value. Impulse may only be used once per turn. The Impulse Token is refreshed (placed face up) during the Status Phase.

Engine Outfits: Engine Outfits are the primary means of moving around the board. To use an Engine, the player declares a Move Action with the Engine Outfit. The player spends 1 Armed Marker, placing it on a free Use Space of that Engine. The player rolls the associated die (displayed on the Outfit). The player may then proceed to move spaces up to the result of the roll, minus any Damage Markers present on the Outfit in use.

Other Ships: A ship may move through spaces occupied by other ships (space is infinitely huge!). However, a ship may not end its movement in an occupied space (well, space isn't that big...).

Borders: There are nine types of Borders on the game board, each with its own set of rules for movement (See - Borders pg. 12).

Abilities: Some Ability Cards grant extra movement or allow for special movement. Read each Ability Card for more details.

Using Occupied Spaces: A player may take an Action on an adjacent space that is currently occupied by another ship, by first spending two movement. In this scenario, the player would not move their ship from its space, but they can perform an Action as though their ship was on the occupied space. (ex. A player wishing to use a occupied Sell space takes an Impulse Move Action, granting 4 movement. She uses two of those to move adjacent to the occupied space. She then spends the remaining two movement to "use" the adjacent, occupied space, immediately taking a Sell action to Sell her Cargo Cubes as if she was on the occupied space.) Players must still roll for any Borders passed through when using an occupied space***.***

Stranded

A player who has no Energy and no Armed Markers is Stranded. A Stranded player may only use Impulse Engines for movement; he **may take no other normal Actions.**However, Stranded players may still take (Minor) Actions.

Unstranded: A player becomes Unstranded when he gains 1 or more Energy or Arms Markers, for example by being Rescued or Recharging at a planet.

Rescue a Stranded Player: A player may Rescue another player who is Stranded. The rescuer must be adjacent to the Stranded player and have at least 3 Energy. As a Rescue Action, the rescuer transfers 2 Energy to the Stranded player. The Stranded player cannot refuse this help.

The rescuer reduces his Energy Meter by two, and the Stranded player increases his Energy Meter by two. The rescuer then receives 1 Fame Point ( ). The Unstranded player may immediately Arm Markers with his newly received Energy.

Nebulae: Nebulae can cause Energy loss, leaving a ship Stranded. If a ship is Stranded while taking a Move Action, that Move Action ends immediately.

Action Phase

During their Action Phase, players take Actions. To take an Action, the player:

• Declares the Action they are taking;

• Spends any required Energy or Armed Markers and Rolls any associated dice; and

• Resolves the Action.

(ex. Player 1 first declares he will take a Move Action using his Engine Outfit. He spends an Armed Marker on his Engine and rolls the corresponding die, getting a 5. He then resolves the action by moving his ship 5 spaces on the game board. The Action is now over, and the player may take another Action or move to the next Phase.)

The player may continue to take Actions until he decides not to, or he is unable to take further Actions.

The available Actions (each of which is described in more detail elsewhere) are:

Move*(See - Movement pg. 9)*

• Engines: Armed Markers can be spent on Engine Outfits to move.

• Impulse: A player's Impulse Token can be used to move spaces equal to the ship's Impulse.

Attack*(See - Combat pg. 8)*

• Blasters: Armed Markers can be spent on Blaster Outfits to attack.

• Missiles: Armed Markers can be spent on Missile Outfits to attack.

• Ram: Armed Markers can be spent on Engine Outfits to attack.

Missions*(See - Missions Overview pg. 13)*

• Draw Missions (Minor): A player on a Mission Point may draw Mission Cards. This Action may not be taken if the player has a current Active Mission.

• Mission Objectives: A player may complete the objectives stated on her Active Mission card.

• Complete a Mission: A player may turn in her completed Mission for payment at the final Mission Point shown on the card.

Cargo Cubes*(See - Cargo Cubes pg. 15)*

• Buy Cargo Cubes: Players may purchase Cargo Cubes from a planet's Buy Space. The cost is 1,000 for two Cargo Cubes.

• Mine / Salvage / Harvest: Players may Mine, Salvage, or Harvest Cargo Cubes from the correspondingly marked spaces on the board.

• Sell Cargo Cubes: Cargo Cubes can be sold at a planet's Sell Spaces. The player receives 1,000 per Cargo Cube sold.

• Collect Cubes (Minor): Cargo Cubes that are on a board space can be collected by a ship located in the same space as the Cargo Cube.

Explore*(See - Exploration pg. 11)*

• Scan Sector: A player adjacent to an unexplored edge may draw a new Sector Tile from the stack at a cost of 1 Energy.

• Blind Jump (Minor): A player adjacent to an unexplored edge may draw a new Sector Tile from the stack, place it, and move into it.

• Collect Exploration Token (Minor): Players can collect Exploration Tokens from Exploration Spaces. Tokens might provide 1 Fame Point ( ), 1,000 , or nothing!

Other

• Ability Cards: Some Abilities are designated as Actions.

• Rescue a Stranded Player: A player may rescue an adjacent player who has no Energy/Armed Markers by giving her 2 Energy.

• Jettison Cargo (Minor): A player may discard her current Mission Card or Jettison any Cargo Cubes in her Hold. To do the latter, simply move those Cubes onto the space on the Sector Tile occupied by the Miniature. A player may not pick up any Cargo Cubes that she Jettisoned on that turn.

(Minor) Actions: Several of these Actions are marked as (Minor). (Minor) Actions may be taken during a Move Action without ending the movement.

(ex. You use an Engine to take a Move Action. On the roll, you receive a 5, allowing you to move a total of 5 spaces. You may move 3 spaces, take a Blind Jump (Minor) Action, move 1 space, Collect an Exploration Token (Minor) Action, and move one final space. However, if you took a Scan Sector Action instead of the Blind Jump (Minor) Action, your Move Action would end and you couldn't move the final two spaces.)

After completing the Action Phase (either by being unable to take another Action or by deciding to end the phase), a player must either move on to the Business Phase or the Status Phase.

Business Phase

To conduct Business, a player must end his Action Phase on a Planet (any space inside a Planetary Shield). If a player doesn't end his turn on a Planet, his Business Phase is skipped. Once a player starts the Business Phase, he may not take any more Actions (he has landed on the planet). Players may conduct as much business as they would like, provided they have the necessary number of Credits.

Players may do the following, in any order, during the Business Phase:

• Recharge Energy: A player may recharge his Energy Meter up to its maximum for free.

• Repair Damage: A player with a Tier 1 or Tier 2 ship may spend 1,000 to remove all Damage Markers from his ship. Tier 3 ships cost 2,000 to repair.

• Buy Outfits: A player may purchase new Outfits, provided they fit in the Hold.

• Sell Outfits: A player may sell any undamaged Outfit for half of its original cost, rounded up. Tier 1 Outfits sell for 1,000, tier 2 for 1,000, and tier 3 for 2,000

• Rearrange Hold: A player may rearrange any item in their ship's Hold. Damage Markers and Outfits with Damage Markers cannot be rearranged in this manner.

• Buy New Ship: A player may purchase a ship that is one tier higher than his current ship. The cost to do so is displayed on the higher-tiered ship's Ship Mat.

• Buy Fame: A player may purchase* 1 for 5,000 . *Players cannot purchase the final Fame Point required for victory.

When the player completes his Business Phase, he moves on to his Status Phase.

Status Phase

The Status Phase is a brief phase in which elements of the game are updated. During the Status Phase, the active player completes the following steps in order:

1. Claim Fame: The player claims any unclaimed Titles and Fame Points acquired during their turn. If the player reaches the Victory Marker, the game ends and the player claims victory!

2. Draw Titles: Title Cards are drawn the first time any player's Marker reaches a purple Title space on the Fame Point Track. (ex. The first player to reach 3 Fame Points will draw a Title Card, but the next player to reach 3 Fame Points will not.)

3. Refresh: The player's exhausted Ability Cards and Impulse Token are now refreshed by flipping them face up.

4. Arm Markers: The active player may arm any spent or Disarmed Markers by moving them onto the Armed Spaces of his Ship Mat.

• It costs one Energy to move each Marker to an Armed Space.

• If a Marker is not armed, it is placed on a Disarmed Space *(no markers should be lefton any Outfits).

• When arming Markers while on a planet, players do not have to spend Energy.

Sectors

The game board is made up of Sector Tiles.

1. Name / Type: Each Sector Tile has a unique name. An icon (leftof name) and sub-text (below name) denote the Sector's type.

2. Mission Point: This space is used to Draw and Complete Missions (See - Missions Overview pg. 13).

3. Spawn Point: This space is used to Spawn and Respawn ships.

4. Exploration Space: Exploration Tokens are placed on this space.

5. Symbols: Each side of the Sector Tile has a Symbol. When a player draws a new Sector Tile, the Symbols are used to align the new tile with the tile on which the player's ship is currently located. After the Sector Tile is placed, the Symbols may be ignored. This will often result in Symbols not lining up with all surrounding tiles; this is fine.

Borders: Each Sector Tile is made up of 19 hexagonal spaces. These hex spaces are divided by different kinds of Borders, each with their own set of rules (See - Borders pg. 12).

Special Spaces: Some Sectors have special spaces for Cargo Cubes: Buy, Sell, Mine, Salvage, and Harvest spaces (See - Cargo Cubes pg. 15). In addition, some Sectors have spaces that detail special rules for that Sector or space. These special spaces are treated as Normal Space for Movement and Line of Sight.

Calculating Distance: Certain rules, or cards require players to calculate distance in Sectors rather than spaces. These are not interchangeable units of distance. (ex. A ship could be one space away, but in a different Sector.)

Exploration

To explore new Sectors of the system, a ship needs to first be on a space with an unexplored edge, and there has to be at least one Sector tile leftin the deck.

Unexplored Edge: An unexplored edge is any edge space that does not touch another Sector tile.

Once positioned on an unexplored edge, there are two options for exploration:

1. Scan: A player may take a Scan Action to draw a Sector Tile from the Sector Deck; this costs 1 Energy. The Sector Tile is flipped face up, and a Symbol from the drawn tile is matched with the Symbol on same Sector Tile edge as the player's ship. Again, this might result in other Symbols not matching; this is fine.

2. Blind Jump: A player may take a (Minor) Action to Blind Jump onto a new Sector Tile. The player declares an adjacent, unexplored space into which he wants to move, and spends 1 movement. He then draws a Sector Tile, matches the Symbol, and places the Sector Tile. The player must move into the space he declared at the beginning of the Blind Jump (Minor) Action (ex. A player that Blind Jumps into a Star is immediately destroyed – he can't choose to abort the Blind Jump).

Remember, Blind Jump is a (Minor) Action, so it can be done during a Move Action. This allows the player to continue the Move Action after the Jump. A Scan Action would require ending the Move.

Nuances: If a player's ship is on a space that has more than one unexplored edge, he must declare which edge he is exploring before drawing the new tile. Edge symbols are only used when drawing a new tile and are only important to match with the exploring player's tile of origin. Edge symbols are not intended to match up with all surrounding tiles. (If this annoys you, sorry!)

Exploration Tokens

Exploration Spaces represent areas of interest in a Sector. A captain might make a discovery that increases his Fame, or he could find a treasure trove of Credits!

Placing: When a newly drawn Sector Tile has an Exploration Space, an Exploration Token is taken face down from the pile and placed on the Exploration Space, still face down. Do not reveal the Exploration Token.

Exploring: The first player to move their ship onto the Exploration Space claims the Exploration Token. Flip it face up, claim your reward, and place the Exploration Token on your Ship Mat. There are three possible rewards:

1,000 : The player immediately receives 1,000 .

Fame: The player immediately receives 1 Fame Point ( ).

X: The player receives nothing.

Once a token has been claimed by a player, it cannot be claimed again by another player.

Exploration Spaces do not "respawn" tokens, so an Exploration Space will only receive one token per game.

Sectors without Exploration Spaces do not receive Exploration Tokens.

Borders

There are fourteen types of Borders which affect the board (though some share rules). The rules associated with Borders affect Movement and Line of Sight determinations.

Some Borders have different rules when entering than when exiting (ex. Nebulas take Energy from a ship when entering, but not when exiting). If the rule doesn't specify between entering and exiting, the rule applies to both. When a ship passes a Border that requires a [d20] roll, that roll is applied and resolved immediately. The Move Action then continues directly after the [d20] roll is resolved, similar to a (Minor) Action.

Normal: Normal Space is represented by dashed white lines. Normal Spaces are simply empty areas of the star system. Normal Spaces have no special rules for Movement or Line of Sight.

Star: Star Borders are denoted with solid, red lines. Star Borders represent the edges of Stars. Stars block Line of Sight, and any ship that moves through a Star Border is immediately destroyed. (The ship melts in the intense heat.)

Asteroid: Asteroid Fields are represented by jagged-yet-solid orange lines. Asteroid Fields block Line of Sight. Ships may move through them, but the odds of safely navigating through one are slim.

• Entering: Roll a [d20]:

▫ 1-10: The ship takes Damage ( ) equal to the roll (an asteroid has collided with the ship). Shield Outfits and Abilities may be used immediately after the roll to mitigate this Damage.

▫ 11-20: No is taken. (Skillful flying has saved the ship!)

• Exiting: A player may exit an Asteroid Space without consequence. However, if the player moves into a new Asteroid Space, he must roll for Damage, as above.

1. Planetary Shields: Planetary Shields are represented by solid, glowing lines in red, green, or blue (the rules are the same for every color). Planetary Shields block Line of Sight. Players may attempt to move through Planetary Shields, but it is a dangerous and illegal act with the following consequences:

• Crossing: If a player crosses a Planetary Shield, whether to enter the planet's area or to leave it, he must roll a [d20]:

▫ 1-10: The Planetary Shield prevents crossing. The ship cannot move into the desired space, and it loses that 1 Movement point (though it may still continue its Move Action if it has more movement). Additionally, the ship takes Damage ( ) equal to the roll (the ship crashed into the pulsing Shield).

▫ 11-17: The ship successfully crosses the Planetary Shield. However, the ship is detected! 1,000 is added to that ship's Bounty ( ).

▫ 18-20: The ship successfully crosses the Planetary Shield, undetected with no consequences.

2. Planet Entrances: Planetary Entrances are represented by dashed, glowing lines in red, green, or blue (but much lighter than the Planetary Shield lines). Planetary Entrances block Line of Sight. Moving through a Planetary Entrance has rules associated with it depending on the legal status of the planet and ship.

Nebulae: Nebulae are represented by solid, pink lines. Nebulae do not affect Line of Sight. Ships may fly through Nebulae, but there are certain risks involved.

• Entering: Roll a [d20]:

▫ 1-10: Subtract an amount of Energy from the ship's Energy Meter equal to the roll (the ship hit a volatile electrostatic gas cloud). Shield Outfits and Abilities may be used after the roll to mitigate this Energy loss. If the player does not have enough Energy to satisfy the roll, then he must disarm Armed Markers, moving them to the Disarmed section of the Ship Mat (one per Energy lost). If his total Energy and Armed Markers are less than the roll, the player is immediately Stranded and may only use Impulse.

▫ 11-20: The ship enters the Nebula with no consequences.

• Exiting: Once inside a Nebula, players may stay in, move around, or exit the Nebula without consequences.

Inner Borders: Planets and Nebulae have Inner Borders (dashed lines in the color of the Outer Border). These spaces are considered Normal Space and are simply meant to denote the region of space these features occupy.

Debris: Debris Fields are represented by solid, yellow lines. Debris Fields block Line of Sight. Ships may move through Debris Fields, but it's a risky move:

• Entering: Roll a [d20]:

▫ 1-3: The ship is immediately destroyed (an old space mine or unstable nuclear reactor detonates, taking you with it!).

▫ 4-20: The ship passes through the Debris Field without any consequences.

• Exiting: A player may exit a Debris Field without any consequences. However, if he moves into a new Debris Field, he must roll for Damage, as above.

Gates: Gates are represented by solid, green lines. Gates do not affect Line of Sight. Ships may move through Gates as if they were Normal Space. They may also use Gates:

• Use Gate: A ship on a Gate may spend 1 Movement point to travel to any space on any other Gate. (The gates allow ships to travel through their sub-space Tether.)

• Gate special movement is not considered when determining Adjacency, Range, or Line of Sight. Other than the special movement, treat Gate spaces as Normal Space.

• Tigris: The Tigris Gate is malfunctioning and does not connect to other Gates. Instead, players will roll a [d20] and be placed on the numbered Spawn Point closest to the roll (on a tie, choose the higher- numbered Spawn Point). On a roll of 20, the player may choose any Spawn Point (in addition to receiving 1 Fame Point for "Luck".)

Applying Border Effects: As soon as a ship moves through (or attempts to move through) a border that requires a roll, that roll must be made and applied. (ex. A player uses an Engine, rolls a 5, and moves one space into a Nebula. The d20 roll is an 8 – this drains the ship of all Energy and Armed Markers. The ship is immediately Stranded and may only use Impulse. The ship does not get to use the remaining 4 movement from the Engine.)

Double Traversal: When a ship crosses two borders with a single Movement point, the player applies the appropriate effects for both of them in the order they are crossed. (ex. A player moves one space, exiting through a Planetary Shield and entering a Nebula. The player first rolls for the Planetary Shield and applies the outcome; then, he rolls for the Nebula and applies the outcome.)

Planets

There are seven planets in the base game: Lunari, Kemplar II, Azure, Doravin V, Loath, Neo Damascus, and Smugglers' Den (an asteroid that has the same rules as a planet). Planets are the only places on the board where players may initiate their Business Phase. Planets have Buy and Sell Spaces for buying and selling Cargo Cubes (See - Cargo Cubes pg. 15). Planets have powerful shields surrounding them that make crossing them dangerous, but Planetary Entrances allow safer movement for certain ships (see details later in this section). Players don't have to use the Entrance; they may try to illegally sneak through the Planetary Shield.

If a player is on a space inside a Planetary Shield, she is considered on that planet.

There are three types of planets:

• Lawful (blue): Any Outlaw ship *(a ship with a Bounty) cannot enter (but may exit) through the Planetary Entrance. Outlaw ships may still try to enter illegally through the Planetary Shield.

• Outlaw (red): Any Innocent ship *(a ship without a Bounty) that passes through the Planetary Entrance receives +1,000 Bounty ( ) (for being seen associating with Outlaws).

• Neutral (green): These planets have no special rules.

These special rules for planets apply in addition to the rules for Planetary Shields and Entrances.

Adjacency

Ships are considered adjacent when they occupy spaces that are directly next to each other. The only Borders that affect adjacency are Planetary Shields and Planetary Entrances.

Determining Adjacency: Unlike other Borders, if a Planetary Shield or Planetary Entrance is separating two ships, they are not considered to be adjacent to each other for the purpose of Attacks, Missions, and Special Abilities. As a rule of thumb, to interact with a ship on a Planet, players must also be on that Planet.

Line of Sight vs. Adjacent: Line of Sight is different than adjacency. Two ships can be adjacent without having Line of Sight. Some Actions or Abilities require Line of Sight, while others simply require being adjacent.

(ex. For a Thief Mission's "Steal" Objective Action - only being adjacent is required. This means if the target ship is inside an Asteroid space, the Action can still take place. However, an Action that requires Line of Sight, such as using a Blaster against the target, could not be taken.)

Titles

Titles are a mark of Fame for pilots who complete certain exploits. Once a Title is drawn, all players compete to complete its objective and claim the Title for their own. Titles are unique and range in difficulty and reward. Titles are worth 1 to 3 Fame Points and grant small abilities called Skills. Once the Title has been claimed, it is no longer available for other players to claim. The following rules discuss drawing and claiming Titles.

Drawing: The purple spaces on the Fame Point Track are Title spaces. The first player to move his Marker onto or past a Title space draws a Title Card, reads it aloud, and places it face up in the play area within view of all players. It is now available for any player to claim.

(ex. The first player to reach 3 on the Fame Point Track draws a Title Card, reads it aloud, and places it on the table. The next player to reach 3 on the Fame Point Track does not draw a new Title Card.)

Claiming: The first player to complete the Title's objective (as listed on the Title Card) may claim it during their Status Phase. The player takes the Title Card, places it face up in his play area, and receives the Fame Point(s) and Skill listed on the card. Players may claim multiple Titles on their turn as long as they meet all necessary objectives.

Skills: In addition to granting a player Fame Points, each Title gives a player a Skill. Skills are immediately available to the Title holder. These Skills help to enhance a player's Actions or provide new powers. Read each Title Card for more details.

Missions Overview

Each Mission Card has the following features:

1. Mission Type

2. Story Text

3. Objectives - different for each Mission Type

4. Payment - determined by different factors

5. Delivery - the Sector Tile containing the Mission Point on which the player must be located to complete the Mission.

Completing Missions is one way for players to earn Credits and Fame Points. Missions come in a variety of Types, pay different amounts, and can be either Outlaw or Lawful.

Draw: While on a Mission Point ( ), a player without an Active Mission can choose to draw Mission Cards as a (Minor) Action. The player draws the top three Mission Cards from the Mission Deck, looks at them, and may select a single Mission to accept, or none. Missions that are not accepted are discarded. If the player accepts a Mission, he places it face down in his play area as his Active Mission. The Draw (Minor) Action may be taken once per Mission Point per turn. A player may have at most one Active Mission at a time.

Objectives: Each Mission Type has different Objectives, listed on the Mission Cards. Most Objectives require taking an Action to complete. These Objectives must be fulfilled before a player can Deliver the Mission and receive the Payment. Specific Objectives for different Mission Types are explained in the Lawful and Outlaw Mission sections.

Reveal: Immediately after completing the Objective(s), the player must flip the Mission Card face up and reveal the Mission. At this time, place the Payment on the Mission Card. The Mission must still be Delivered before this Payment can be claimed.

Deliver: Once the Mission's Objective(s) is complete and the Mission Card Revealed, a player can go to the specified Delivery Mission Point ( ) to complete the Mission. The player declares a Complete a Mission Action. Note that this is not a (Minor) Action, so a player must end any Move Actions in order to take this Action.

Payment: Once the player has taken the Complete a Mission Action, he receives the payment on the Mission Card, earns one Fame Point, and, if applicable as stated on the Mission Card, his Bounty ( ) increases. Flip the completed Mission face down; it is no longer considered Active. The completed Mission is kept in the player's play area.

Missions Details

Experience: A previously completed Mission may be used to increase the odds of success when attempting a Mission of the same type. Directly after taking a Mission Action that requires a [d20] roll: The player may discard one of their previously completed Missions of the same type and roll the [d20] again, keeping only this new result.

(ex. You've already completed 2 Research Missions, and their cards are face- down in your play area. You attempt a third Research Mission. When taking the Research Action, you roll the d20 and receive a 2. You discard one of your previously completed Research cards to re-roll the d20 and receive a 3. You then spend your final remaining Research card and re-roll the d20 one more time, receiving a result of 16.)

Missions without [d20] rolls are not affected by Experience.

Death: When a player's ship is destroyed, any Active Mission he has is immediately discarded.

Abort Mission: A player may discard his current Active Mission by taking a Jettison Cargo (Minor) Action. Place the Mission Card in the Mission Card Discard Pile. There are no negative repercussions for discarding a Mission.

Discard Pile: If the Mission Card Deck runs out, shuffle the Mission Card Discard Pile and create a new Mission Card Deck.

Shortest Flyable Distance: Some Missions require players to calculate the shortest flyable distance, measured in Sectors. To calculate this distance, start from the Sector Tile containing the "Pick up" Mission Point and count the fewest number of flyable tiles you need to move into to reach the tile containing the "Deliver" Mission Point. You must count the most direct route that it is possible to fly. Do not count unexplored space or Star Sectors as flyable tiles. Gate "special movement" is never used when calculating shortest flyable distance.

(ex. If the "Pick up" Sector is adjacent to the "Deliver" Sector, the shortest flyable distance is 1 Sector.)

*(*Note: Mission cargo / passengers are symbolic and do not have a physical representation or take up Hold spaces: Goods, Contraband, Passengers, etc. For example, nothing is actually stolen on a Thief Mission.)

Lawful Missions

Lawful Missions are a great source of income and Fame for upstanding citizens (Outlaw players may still take Lawful Missions). There are three kinds of Lawful Missions:

Shuttle

1. Fly to Mission Point ( ).

**2.**As an Action: Pick up passengers at the .

3. Reveal Mission Card. Place Credits equal to the specified Payment on the Mission Card. Payment is determined by the shortest flyable distance between the pick-up and dropofflocations, measured in Sector Tiles. If the Delivery has not yet been revealed, wait until it is and then immediately calculate Payment, placing it on the Mission Card.

**4.**As an Action: Deliver passengers to Delivery .

5. Receive Payment on Mission Card.

Research

1. Fly to Mission Point ( ).

2. As an Action: Conduct research at specified ( [d20] roll). (Previously completed Research Missions may be spent immediately to re-roll.)

3. Reveal Mission Card. Place Credits equal to the specified Payment on Mission Card. Payment is determined by quality of research.

**4.**As an Action: Deliver research to Delivery .

5. Receive Payment on Mission Card.

Bounty Hunter

1. Destroy any Outlaw ship (any ship with a Bounty).

2. Immediately after target is destroyed: Collect remains ( [d20] roll). (Previously completed Bounty Hunter Missions may be spent immediately to re-roll.)

3. Reveal Mission Card. Place Payment on Mission Card. Payment is determined by how intact the remains are.

**4.**As an Action: Deliver remains to Delivery .

5. Receive Payment on Mission Card.

Outlaw Missions

A player can make more money outside of the law, but at greater risk. There are three kinds of Outlaw Missions:

Smuggler

**1.**As an Action: Pick up contraband at Mission Point ( ).

2. Reveal Mission Card. Place Payment on the Mission Card. Payment is determined by the shortest flyable distance between the pick-up and drop-off locations, measured in Sector Tiles.

3. Sneak past planetary detection when moving onto Delivery Planet ( [d20] roll). You must Sneak whether you enter through the Planetary Entrance or Shield. If you move onto a planet through the Planetary Shield, you must still roll for moving past that Border. (Previously completed Smuggler Missions may be spent immediately to re-roll.)

**4.**As an Action: Deliver contraband to Delivery .

5. Receive Payment on Mission Card.

Thief

1. Fly adjacent to target ship.

**2.*As an Action: Try to acquire goods ( [d20] roll). (Previously completed Thief Missions may be spent immediately to re-roll.)

3. Reveal Mission Card. Place Payment on Mission Card. Payment is determined by amount of goods acquired.

**4.**As an Action: Deliver goods to Delivery .

5. Receive Payment on Mission Card.

Assassin

1. Destroy target ship. The target ship is determined by seating order, as stated on the Mission Card.

2. Reveal Mission Card. Place Payment on Mission Card. Payment is determined by the Tier of target ship (Merchant and Scoundrel are considered Tier 1 ; Enforcer is considered Tier 2 ).

**3.**As an Action: Deliver remains to Delivery .

4. Receive Payment on Mission Card.

Capitalism: Cargo Cubes and Credits

Cargo Cubes

Cargo Cubes represent goods that are traded throughout the system. Cargo Cubes can be acquired and sold for Credits and Fame. Cargo Cubes are stored in empty spaces in the Hold of a ship, one Cargo Cube per space.

There are three ways to acquire Cargo Cubes:

• Buy: Cargo Cubes can be bought from a Planet's Buy Space. Players can use a Buy Cargo Cubes Action to buy two of the specified Cargo Cubes for 1,000 . To buy Cargo Cubes, the player must have enough empty space in their Hold. Players may purchase as many Cargo Cubes as they desire, as long as they have enough Credits and space in the Hold. The Smugglers Den sells Cargo Cubes of any color.

• Mine / Salvage / Harvest: Cargo Cubes can be obtained by Mining Asteroid Fields, Salvaging technology from Debris Fields, and Harvesting Nebula gasses. See Mine/Salvage/Harvest, later on this page, for more details.

• Collect: Cargo Cubes that have been Jettisoned onto the game board can be collected by using a Collect Cargo Cubes (Minor) Action while on the same space as the Jettisoned Cargo Cubes. The player may collect any number of the Cubes in the space, as long as she has room in the Hold. A player may not collect any Cargo Cubes they have jettisoned in the same turn.

When a player acquires Cargo Cubes, the Cargo Cubes are placed into the player's Hold. Once placed, Cargo Cubes may only be rearranged during that player's Business Phase. Once acquired, Cargo Cubes can be Sold or Jettisoned:

• Sell: Cargo Cubes that match the icon on a planet's Sell Space can be Sold at that planet's Sell Space. Players can use a Sell Cargo Cubes Action to sell as many of these Cargo Cubes as they want for 1,000 per Cargo Cube. If a player Sells all the Cargo Cubes in her Hold, she also receives one Fame Point. A minimum of 2 Cargo Cubes is required to receive the Fame Point. Planet Loath buys Cargo Cubes of any color.

• Jettison Cargo: Players can take a Jettison Cargo (Minor) Action to Jettison any or all Cargo Cubes from their Hold. Remove the Jettisoned Cargo Cubes from the ship's Hold and place them on the game board on the same space as the jettisoning ship. A player that jettisons Cargo Cubes cannot pick those cubes up in the same turn.

• Damage: If a Damage Marker is placed in a Hold Space currently holding a Cargo Cube, the Cargo Cube is immediately Jettisoned.

Cube Types

There are 5 types of Cargo Cubes:

Spice: These solid-orange cubes are represented on the board by an orange cube with an "S" on each face. They can be purchased at Kemplar II, Mined from Outpost 338, and sold at Neo Damascus.

Holo: These translucent, pink cubes are represented on the board by a pink cube with an "H" on each face. They can be purchased at Azure, Harvested from Burning Horse, and sold at Kemplar II.

Terra: These solid-green cubes are represented on the board by a green cube with a "T" on each face. They can be purchased at Doravin V, Mined from Red Gulch, and sold at Azure.

Plasma: These translucent, teal cubes are represented on the board by a teal cube with a "P" on each face. They can be purchased at Neo Damascus, Harvested from Lower Stratus, and sold at Lunari.

Cyber: These solid-purple cubes are represented on the board by a purple cube with a "C" on each face. They can be purchased at Lunari, Salvaged from Pelmont and Kreller IV, and sold at Doravin V.

There are 3 additional ways to obtain Cargo Cubes. Players can Mine Asteroid Fields, Salvage from Debris Fields, and Harvest from Nebulae.

In order to do so, the player must be on a Mining, Salvage, or Harvest Space and have at least one free space in his Hold. The player then declares he is taking a Mining, Salvaging, or Harvesting action. For each Action, roll a [d20] to determine the results of the attempt:

Mine Action: This Action represents the ship's dangerous attempt to match velocity and trajectory with an asteroid in order to mine the valuable minerals and alloys:

• 1-10 (Failure):** The ship receives the number rolled as Damage ( ). (The ship collided with an asteroid.) Shield Outfits and Special Abilities may be used after the roll to mitigate this Damage.

• 11-20 (Success):** The ship receives one Cargo Cube of the type displayed on the Mining Space. Players may attempt to Mine a single Mining Space multiple times within their turn.

Salvage Action: This Action represents the player's attempt to pick through the hazardous remains of past battles and derelict ships to try to find something of value in the old wreckage:

• 1-3 (Failure):** The ship is immediately destroyed. (A leftover space mine or unstable reactor has detonated!) This cannot be prevented with Shield Outfits or Special Abilities.

• 4-20 (Success):** The ship receives one Cargo Cube of the type displayed on the Salvage Space. Players may attempt to Salvage a single Salvage Space multiple times within their turn.

Harvest Action: This Action represents the ship's attempt to harvest the elusive gasses that collect near the nebula's more volatile regions:

• 1-10 (Failure):** The ship loses Energy equal to the number rolled. (An electrostatic anomaly has absorbed the ship's Energy.) Shield Outfits and Special Abilities may be used after the roll to mitigate this Energy loss. If the player does not have enough Energy to satisfy the loss, then he must disarm Armed Markers, moving them to the Disarmed section of the Ship Mat (one per Energy lost). If his total Energy and Armed Markers are less than the roll, the player is immediately Stranded (See - Stranded pg. 9).

• 11-20 (Success):** The ship receives one Cargo Cube of the type displayed on the Harvest Space. Players may attempt to Harvest a single Harvest Space multiple times within their turn.

These, like all Actions (except Impulse), cannot be taken while Stranded.

% Credits

Credits ( or "cR") are the currency of Xia. Credits are represented by metal Credit coins. Credits come in increments of 1,000 (silver) and 5,000 (blue).

Players can spend Credits to purchase repairs, new Outfits, new ships, and even Fame Points! Credits can be acquired in many different ways:

• Exploration: Players can seek out unclaimed Exploration Tokens, some of which offer 1,000 as a reward.

• Missions: Each Mission specifies how many the player will earn by completing it.

• Selling Cargo Cubes: Cargo Cubes sell for 1,000 .

• Bounties: Ships that have a Bounty ( ) on them can be destroyed to earn that Bounty.

• Free Trade: Players can give their Credits to other players freely. This allows players to bribe other players and forge alliances. (Bribes and alliances can be broken and are not considered binding.)

• Ship Special Abilities: There are some ship Abilities that will help players get Credits.

Non-Player Ships

Non-player ships (referred to as Non-Player Characters, or NPCs) are autonomous ships that are controlled by sets of rules.

There are three unique NPCs included in the base game: Enforcer, Scoundrel, and Merchant. Each NPC has an NPC Card that outlines its Actions. NPC Cards are dealt out at the beginning of the game (See - Setup pg. 2). The player dealt the NPC card for a particular NPC will be responsible for carrying out that NPC's Actions throughout the game. However, the player is not affiliated with the NPC in any way.

Spawning

NPCs are introduced onto the board (Spawn) only when that NPC's specific Sector Tile has been placed on the board. Each NPC card states which tile that NPC will Spawn on. When the NPC Spawns, place it on the Spawn Point of the corresponding tile. If the Spawn Point is occupied, place the NPC on an adjacent unoccupied space. If the NPC is destroyed, it Respawns at a random Spawn Point just like player ships.

NPC Turns

At the beginning of the game, the NPC Cards are shuffled and dealt to the first three players. A player takes a turn for the NPC he controls directly after his turn. NPC turns do not have phases like player turns. To take an NPC turn, the player simply reads the NPC card from top to bottom, following the directions. A round of Player and NPC turns in a 4 player game will look something like this:

1. Player 1's turn.

2. Player 1 takes a turn for the Scoundrel.

3. Player 2's turn.

4. Player 2 takes a turn for the Enforcer.

5. Player 3's turn.

6. Player 3 would take a turn for the Merchant, but the turn is skipped because the Merchant hasn't spawned yet.

7. Player 4's turn. (Player 4 did not receive an NPC Card, as there are only 3 NPCs in the base game, so there is no NPC turn after player 4's turn.)

8. A new round starts with Player 1's turn.

NPC Details

Defense: When attacked, an NPC will automatically defend. For each Attack Action, use the defense specified in the blue "Defense" section of the NPC Card.

Damage: When taking damage, the player controlling the NPC takes Damage Markers ( ) and places them on the NPC Card. When the number of on the card equals or exceeds the number needed specified in the yellow "To Kill" section of the NPC Card, the NPC is destroyed.

Death and Respawn: When NPCs are destroyed, the NPC Miniature is immediately removed from the game board and placed on the NPC Card. The player who destroyed the NPC takes any Credits and Fame Points specified in the green "On Kill" section of the NPC Card. If one NPC destroys another NPC, the Credits on the destroyed NPC's Card are taken and placed on the attacking NPC's Card. (ex. The Enforcer destroys the Scoundrel. Any Credits on the Scoundrel's NPC Card are taken and placed on the Enforcer's NPC Card.) NPC's also "forget" their most recent attacker when they are destroyed. Otherwise, the Death and Respawn of an NPC follow the same rules as those for players (See - Death pg. 9).

Movement: NPCs will avoid: Asteroid Fields, Debris Fields, Planetary Shields, and Stars. Nebulae do not affect NPCs. NPCs can use Gates. NPCs cannot take Scan or Blind Jump Actions, and therefore cannot move into unexplored Sector Tiles. NPCs always take the most direct route to their targets. If there is more than one most-direct route, the player controlling that NPC determines the path.

• Unreachable Sectors: Because of the random layout of the board, it is possible for there to be Sectors that are unreachable by NPCs without crossing through a regularly avoided border. In this case, the NPC will move through the safest / most direct path to reach that Sector. The safest path is determined in this order: Asteroids, Debris, then, as a last resort, Planetary Shields. NPCs must apply effects of these borders in the same way a player would.

NPC Types

Enforcer ( Lawful): The Enforcer is the law. The Enforcer targets nearby Outlaw ships, moves towards them, and, if possible, attacks. If there aren't any nearby Outlaws, the Enforcer patrols between Lawful planets. If attacked, the Enforcer will attempt to retaliate. The Enforcer can never have a Bounty on it.

Scoundrel ( Outlaw): The Scoundrel is a dirty pirate. The Scoundrel will hunt down any nearby Innocent ships. After attacking, the Scoundrel will run away towards its home planet of Loath. If attacked, the Scoundrel will attempt to retaliate. The Scoundrel cannot enter Lawful planets since it always has a Bounty ( ) on it. The Scoundrel will never target the Enforcer (he's a coward!)

Merchant ( Neutral): The Merchant is a peaceful trader. During each of its turns, the Merchant will move along a trade route. Each time the merchant arrives at a planet's Sell space, it will gain 1,000 . As the game progresses, the Merchant will become more and more wealthy, a tempting target for pirates! (Note: Merchant does not actually buy and sell Cargo Cubes, the trading is merely symbolic.)

For more details read each NPC's Card.

Ties / Disputes

Ties or rule disputes should be resolved with the [d20] as follows:

Divide 20 by the number of ties / disputes (ex. for a tie between two ships/players, choose 1-10, and 11-20. A dispute between three ships/players should be 1-6, 7-12, 13-18 (19-20 is a re-roll)).

The number rolled determines the winner. In the case of a rule dispute, this result lasts for the rest of the game.