You Know This Story…

It has been told many times. Humans left our solar system on board generational ships, looking for new habitable worlds to colonize. Millennia have passed, and now this new System is filled with opportunity. As an aspiring freelance captain, you operate within the margins of what the Trade Union and Space Pirates will allow, on your mission for wealth, fame, and more!

​

The Space Lanes

Despite wondrous advances in interplanetary travel technology, the secret of faster-than-light (FTL) travel remains elusive. However, astrophysicists have discovered a way to track and maintain space lanes, areas of space clear enough to allow for reactionless acceleration and special beacons that warp space enough to shorten the vast distances between worlds. These lanes are what make commerce possible for anyone willing to take the risks.

​

The Trade Union

Though the System lacks an official interplanetary government, merchants, elites, and populist sentiment have given rise to the Trade Union, which serves as the System's police force. It is fairly well known, however, that Union Patrols are willing to bend the rules and look the other way if it serves their own interests.

​

The Pirates

In the vastness of space, even between worlds, gangs committed to thievery and lawlessness also naturally arose. These Space Pirates shake down travelers moving Goods or Passengers from one place to another, and tend to be very unforgiving unless they consider you one of their own.

​

Game Contents

• 15 Settlement Cards

• 24 Space Lane Cards

• 100 Action Cards

• 10 Goal Cards

• Tokens Including:

  • Credits

  • Ore

  • Supplies

  • Parts

  • Medicine

  • Luxury

  • Contraband

  • Pirate Faction

  • Union Faction

  • Damage Indicators

Game Setup

1. Gather all Homeworld cards from the Settlement deck and select one at random. Set it aside.

2. Gather the other Homeworlds and remaining Settlement cards (circles) in one deck. Gather all Space Lanes (squares) in a second deck. Shuffle each deck, then lay out the Settlements (with your chosen Homeworld first) face up. Do the same afterward with the Space Lane cards, following the game board.

3. Each player chooses a Settlement to start on. Players can start from the same Settlement. Place your ship token on the Settlement.

4. Each player takes 3000 Credits.

5. Gather all of the Goal cards and shuffle them. Each player draws one Goal card, looks at it, and places it face down on their Ship Card.

6. Gather all of the Action Cards and shuffle them. Set the Action Cards in a Deck on the table. Leave space for a Discard pile.

7. Each player draws 10 cards from the Action Card Deck.

8. Determine who goes first by rolling one die.

Your Ship

Choose a token for your ship from the available tokens. Use a ship card to keep track of your ship. On the ship card, you will find:

​

• Cargo: Place your Goods tokens here. Unless otherwise specified, the maximum number of Goods you can carry is 10.

• Equipment & Crew: Place any Equipment or Crew cards played to your ship here.

• Damaged: If your ship is damaged, mark this space with a Damage token.

Damage to Your Ship

 

If you Lose an Engagement (see below), your ship is Damaged. Until it is Repaired, you cannot play any Action Cards other than Repair Kit. You can Repair your ship through Action Cards, by spending 500 credits at a Settlement, or by skipping your turn at a Settlement.

​

Spaces and Space Lanes

 

Space Lanes have one to three "distance" markers, indicating the amount of time and fuel it takes to cross them. For the purpose of your location and the location of played Action Cards, the Space Lane counts as a single "Space". Place your ship token on the distance markers to mark your progress, using your own determination of “backwards” and “forwards” to exit the space Lane.

​

Settlements

 

Each settlement has a list of prices for Goods, plus a special feature. When mentioned below, a "Visit" to a Settlement means a landing and a launch from that Settlement.

​

Goals

 

You win the game if you have reached your Goal and have ended your turn on a Settlement.

​

Faction Tokens

 

In addition to tokens for Goods and Credits, you can earn Faction tokens from certain Action cards. These tokens can be used to resolve certain events or for other uses as described on an Action card.

​

Order of Play

Turns

 

On your turn you may:

​

1. Trade: Buy or sell from a Settlement. You may only trade once each turn (i.e., if you trade at a Settlement and then Travel far enough to land on a Settlement, you must wait until your next turn to trade again).
   a. Goods: The cost to buy or sell Goods is marked on the Settlement card. Unless otherwise noted, you may not buy more than 5 of any one Good from a single location per Visit to that Settlement.
   b. Discard: You can discard cards once from your hand during the Trade phase.
   c. Action Cards: You can draw Action Cards once at a cost of 100 Credits per card. Unless otherwise noted, a player can hold a maximum of 10 cards in their hand.
   d. Pawn: Sell any equipment that has been played to your ship for one-half the equipment cost.

2. Travel: Move across Space Lanes from one Settlement to another. Space Lanes may involve multiple moves to cross and are marked accordingly.
   a. Your first move requires no fuel. To continue to move beyond one space on your turn, spend fuel by Discarding a card from your hand for each space moved unless otherwise noted on the Discarded card.
   b. Running out of Fuel: If you run out of cards before landing, you are Adrift. Your ship is Damaged, and cannot be Repaired until you reach a Settlement.

3. Odd Jobs: If you have neither Traded nor Traveled on your turn and are at a Settlement or Space Station, you may draw Action Cards up to your maximum hand size and gain 500 credits.

 

In addition, each Settlement has a special feature that can be used during the Trade phase, but can be used only once per visit.

Engagement

 

If a Pirates or Patrol card is in your space on your turn, you enter an Engagement. These cards list a difficulty number to Win or Escape. At the start of the Engagement, choose if you will attempt Win the Engagement (by destroying or running off the Pirates/Patrol), Escape the Engagement, or Parlay. To Win or Escape the engagement, roll two dice and add any modifiers from your Equipment. If you meet or exceed the number on the card, you are successful. If you fail to Win or Escape, you Lose the Engagement.

​

If you have a card that guarantees a Win or Escape, you can use it after rolling the dice and seeing the results. Furthermore, if you have a card that guarantees a Win or Escape, you can use it even if you had chosen a different option for engagement.

​

What if two players are in the same space? If Pirates or Patrol cards are played to a Space Lane with two players, the player whose turn it is enters the Engagement.

​

Action Cards

 

Unless otherwise noted, Action Cards can be played by anyone at any time. Discard cards to the Discard pile when instructed to do so. When the Action Card Deck is empty, reshuffle the Discard pile and start a new Deck.

​

Reusable cards

 

Some cards instruct you to “Use” the card by turning it or otherwise indicating that it has been used. For Equipment and Crew, this means it cannot be used again until it is Refreshed. Cards give instructions on how they can be Refreshed.

​

Events

 

Event cards are played to Spaces as indicated. Events last until they are canceled or resolved, and are then discarded as described.

​

Pirates and Patrols

 

Play to a Space Lane. When a player is in the same Space Lane as a Pirates or Patrol card, they begin an Engagement. Unless otherwise noted, only one Pirates or Patrol card can exist in a given Space.

​

• Win: You survived! Discard the card.

• Escape: You escaped! Leave the card at its current space, or move it to another space. Any Bounties played to the card remain.

• Lose (Pirates): Your ship is Damaged. Lose all Goods and Transports you are carrying. Any Bounties played to the Pirate card remain. The Pirates remain at this location.

• Lose (Patrol): Your ship is Damaged. Lose all Contraband you are carrying. Move your ship to the last Settlement landed at. Any Bounties played to the Patrol card remain. The Patrol remains at this location.

• Parlay (Pirates): Spend one Pirate Faction. You may sell Contraband to the Pirates for 1000 credits each. You may choose to Discard the Pirates card or move it to another space.

• Parlay (Patrol): Spend one Union Faction OR Pay a toll of 500 credits. In addition, pay 200 credits for each unit of Contraband you are carrying. Contraband Transport cards cannot be Parlayed and immediately result in an Engagement. You may choose to Discard the Patrol card or move it to another space.

 

Once you have Engaged with a particular Pirates or Patrol card, you do not have to re-engage it unless you leave and return to this Space Lane.

​

Economic Event Cards

 

Play to a Settlement. These cards affect prices and quantities at that location until they are discarded.

 

Other Events

 

Other event cards include Space Station, Asteroids, and Wormhole cards. Follow the instructions on the card to use them!

​

Equipment

 

Generally, equipment is played to your ship. The exception to these are Missiles and Countermeasures, which can alternatively be played to any space where a player is Engaged with a Pirate or Patrol event. When "Single Use" Equipment is played to your ship, it is stored for later use as if it were in your hand, but the cost does not need to be paid again. Single-use items played to your ship cannot be played later to a space other than your own.

​

Strategy Note: Keep single-use equipment in your hand if you want to use it as a surprise effect. Play them to your ship to free up space in your hand.

​

Missiles (Single Use)

 

Missiles let you Win an Engagement automatically or cancel Countermeasures. Missiles and Countermeasures are special in that you can play them to another player during an Engagement, possibly deciding their fate. Missiles are discarded after use.

 

Note: Missiles cannot be played against another player unless they have first played a Countermeasures or equivalent effect. That is, you cannot play Missiles to a Pirates or Patrol card to make another player automatically lose an Engagement.

​

Countermeasures (Single Use)

 

Countermeasures let you Escape an Engagement automatically or cancel Missiles. Missiles and Countermeasures are special in that you can play them to another player during an Engagement, possibly deciding their fate. Countermeasures are discarded after use.

​

Fuel Burn (Single Use)

 

Fuel Burn lets you move 3 additional spaces this turn at no additional card cost. Fuel Burn is discarded after use.

​

Repair Kit (Single Use)

​

Repair a Damaged Ship. Repair Kit is discarded after use.

​

Upgrades

 

There are several cards that upgrade your ship to add modifiers to Engagement rolls or that add additional effects. Unless otherwise noted, you can only have one of each Upgrade on your ship.

​

Crew

 

Crew cards are played to your ship at a settlement or space station. Like Equipment, Crew cards have an initial cost to play. Unless otherwise noted, you can only have one of each Crew on your ship.

​

Bounty

 

Factions in the system will pay good money to eliminate their rivals. Bounty cards earn rewards for completing the conditions on the Bounty. Only one Bounty can be played to the same Event. For Bounties that award Faction, gain the opposite faction of the event you Win against. For example, if you win against a Patrol with a Bounty on it, you gain Pirate Faction, and vice versa.

​

Transport

 

Transports are special goods or persons that need to be moved safely from one place to another. Transports do not take up space in your cargo hold. Transport cards earn rewards when the conditions on the Transport are met. If no equivalent Settlement exists to play or resolve a Transport card, it can be played at any Settlement.

​

Ending the Game

 

You win the game if you have reached your Goal and have ended your turn on a Settlement. May the best Trader win!

​

Experimental Rules

Exploration Mode

 

To add a bit of mystery and time to your game, place the non-homeworld Settlements and all Space Lanes face down to begin. Space Lanes and remaining Settlements are only revealed when they are visited by a player.

​

Player vs. Player Mode

 

Players who encounter each other may trade equipment, crew, etc. Additionally, players can start an Engagement with each other! In this case, each rolls two dice and adds modifiers. Whoever gets the highest wins! The losing ship is damaged, and the winning player can take any Goods or Action Cards they wish from the loser.