User Guide
7
The Turn
Starting with the first player and continuing to the left, each
player takes his or her turn in order. A player’s turn consists of
one or two encounters. e first encounter is guaranteed, but
the player may only have a second encounter if he or she wins
the first encounter (or successfully makes a deal during the en-
counter). Each encounter is comprised of seven phases, which
are described in the following sections.
Starting the Turn
e player whose turn it is (the offense) first checks his or her
hand to make sure it contains at least one encounter card. If
it does not, the player reveals any cards remaining in hand,
discards them, then draws a new hand of eight cards. is is
the only time during the offense’s turn that he or she may get a
new hand of cards in this fashion. Should the offense run out
of encounter cards later on, his or her turn ends (see “Drawing
New Cards” on page 13).
Phases of an Encounter
Regroup1.
Destiny 2.
Launch3.
Alliance4.
Planning5.
Reveal6.
Resolution7.
1. Regroup
roughout the game, ships will go to the warp when encoun-
ters are lost. At the start of an encounter, one of the offense’s
ships is retrieved from the warp and placed in one of his or her
colonies (home or otherwise). If a player has no colonies, the
retrieved ship is placed directly in the hyperspace gate.
2. Destiny
e offense then draws the top card of the
destiny deck. e destiny deck contains
colors, wilds, and specials. If there is only
one card left in the deck, do not draw
it. Instead shuffle the final card and the
destiny discard pile together to form a
new destiny deck and draw from the
new deck.
If a Color is Drawn
If the drawn card shows a player color, it
indicates the planet system where the offense
must have an encounter. For example, if the
red player draws a green destiny card, the red
player must have an encounter in the green
system. e green player is the defense for
this encounter.
If a player draws his or her own color, the
player may either draw again (until the play-
er draws a card that doesn’t show his or her own
color) or the player may attempt to drive a foreign colony off
of one of his or her home planets. In this case, the player whose
colony is being driven off becomes the defense (see “Driving
Out Foreign Colonies” on page 12).
When drawing his or her own color, if a player has a home
planet with no ships on it at all (enemy or otherwise), then he
or she may aim the hyperspace gate at that planet to automati-
cally re-establish a colony there with up to four ships from
other colonies. Doing so counts as a successful encounter.
Note: Some of the destiny cards showing
a player color are marked with a hazard
warning. is has no effect on game play
and will be used in a future expansion.
If a Wild is Drawn
If the drawn card is a wild, the offense may
have an encounter with any player of his or her
choice. For this encounter, the chosen player is
the defense. e encounter must take place in
the chosen player’s home system.
If a Special is Drawn
If the drawn card is a special, it will explain
the conditions of the encounter. e player
indicated by the destiny card is the defense for
the encounter, and the card indicates where
the encounter must take place. For purposes
of game effects (such as the Shadow’s execute
ability), specials are treated as though the
card showed the player color of the player
designated as the defense.
D
ESTINY
Y
ELLOW
Have an encounter with
the yellow player in his
or her home system.
However, if you are the
yellow player, either:
Have an encounter A)
with any other player in
your home system or,
Discard this card B)
and draw again.
D
ESTINY
Destiny Card Back
Sample Color
Destiny Card
D
ESTINY
D
ESTINY
W
ILD
Have an encounter with
any other player of your
choice in his or her home
system.
Sample Wild
Destiny Card
D
ESTINY
D
ESTINY
S
PECIAL
Have an encounter with
the player who has the
most foreign colonies
(other than you). In
the event of a tie, break
the tie to your left.
e encounter takes
place in the other
player’s home system.
Sample Special
Destiny Card