How to Play Alien Frontiers: Outer Belt

Objective of the Game

In Alien Frontiers: Outer Belt, players act as ship captains venturing beyond the orbit of Maxwell’s moon. The goal is to navigate the Outer Belt to mine rare metals, salvage lost ships, and recover alien relics. By strategically docking ships to claim Asteroid cards, players gain resources, Victory Points, and special abilities to expand their influence and secure victory.

Setup

1. Unfold the Outer Belt board and place it to the right of the main board, aligning the moon illustrations.
2. Place the Blish Expanse territory tile on the moon space of the Outer Belt board.
3. Shuffle the Asteroid cards, return the top two to the box (unseen), and deal one face-up to each card space on the board. Place the remaining deck face-down.
4. Determine the First Player and give them the Asteroid Die.
5. Block docking ports based on player count using Dock Cover chits:
   • 4 players: Block the port with four dots.
   • 3 players: Block ports with four and three dots.
   • 2 players: Block ports with four, three, and two dots.
6. If playing with 5 players, each starts with 2 Fuel and 1 Ore. With 6 players, each starts with 2 Fuel and 2 Ore.

Game Flow

The game follows the standard rules of Alien Frontiers with the following additions:

• Start of Turn: Take the Asteroid Die and gather all your ships from both the main board and the Outer Belt board. Roll all your dice at once.
• Asteroid Movement: Check the Asteroid Die. If it shows an asteroid icon, move the Asteroid cards:
  1. The card in the 4th space (closest to the moon) returns to the bottom of the Asteroid deck.
  2. Cards in spaces 1, 2, and 3 shift forward one position.
  3. Turn the top card of the Asteroid deck face-up in the 1st space.
  Note: Gaps in the chain are maintained; do not bunch cards together. Ships docked on the Outer Belt board do not move.
• Passing the Die: Pass the Asteroid Die to the next player for their turn.

Actions and How to Play

To claim an Asteroid card, you must dock your ships in the ports next to the card's current position. You must meet two requirements:

• Navigation Values: Each position on the Outer Belt board has specific allowed dice values. Your docked ships must match these values.
• Docking Requirements: The center of the Asteroid card specifies the number and type of dice required (e.g., specific values or equal-value dice).

Restrictions: Each position allows a maximum of three docked ships. If there are insufficient open docks, you cannot claim the card. After claiming, leave your ships docked until the start of your next turn.

In Transit: Most Asteroid cards require you to wait one full turn before use. Turn the card sideways to indicate it is "in transit," then turn it upright at the start of your next turn to use it.

Raiding: Any Asteroid card can be raided like an Alien Tech card. If an "in transit" card is raided, the new owner must hold it for a full turn before using it.

Blish Expanse: Controlling this territory allows you to ignore the cost on any Asteroid card you claim.

End of Game and Scoring

Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção.

Tips for Winning

• Manage Your Timing: Because Asteroid cards move and their Navigation values change, plan your dice placement carefully. A docking combination that works in the 1st position may become invalid as the card moves to the 2nd or 3rd position.
• Control Blish Expanse: Controlling this territory is highly beneficial, as it allows you to ignore the costs associated with claiming Asteroid cards, effectively making your mining operations more efficient.
• Strategic Raiding: Use Raider’s Rock or standard raiding mechanics to steal Asteroid cards from opponents, especially those that provide Victory Points like the Alien Beacon or Alien Satellite.