Alien Frontiers: Factions — Rules Manual

RULEBOOK
Game Design by Tory Niemann
Art by Mark Maxwell
Graphic Design by Karim Chakroun
© 2012 Clever Mojo Games

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Important Notes
Factions is not a stand-alone game. It is assumed that you
already have a copy of the original Alien Frontiers board
game and are familiar with how to play. Alien Frontiers:
Factions introduces Agendas (Hidden Goals), Factions
(Variable Player Abilities), and a 5th player to the game
(Purple). It also adds eight new Alien Tech cards.
Objective
The Factions expansion does not change the primary
objective of Alien Frontiers: to gain more influence over
Planet Maxwell (measured in Victory Points) than your
opponents. The Agenda cards, however, add new ways
to obtain that influence and offer options for hidden
influence that are not revealed until the end of the game.
Components
6 Purple Dice
8 Purple Colony Tokens
5 Rocket
Scoring Tokens
8 Faction Boards
This Rulebook
24 Agenda Cards
8 Alien Tech Cards

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3
Setup
The Factions expansion changes the setup procedures as
follows:
Deal two Agenda cards face down to each player. Place the
remaining Agenda cards in a draw deck near the Orbital
Market. Players may look at their own Agenda cards. See
the Agenda Cards section for more details.
Shuffle the eight new Alien Tech cards into the Alien Tech
deck and deal one Alien Tech card face-up to each player.
Display three Alien Tech cards face-up near the Alien
Artifact and place the Alien Tech draw deck nearby, as
usual.
Randomly select a number of Faction boards equal to the
number of players plus one, then return the remaining
Faction boards to the game box.
Determine player order, then give all of the selected
Faction boards to the last player. The last player chooses
one Faction board, places it face-up on the table near the
game board, and passes the remaining Faction boards
counter-clockwise. This procedure continues until all
players have chosen a Faction board. The remaining
Faction board is returned to the box.
5 Player Variant
Each player takes six colony tokens.
The fifth player receives two fuel and one ore at the start
of the game.
End of Game and Scoring
The Factions expansion changes end-game scoring and tie
breaker rules as follows:
In addition to the usual VP scoring sources, players receive
1VP for each revealed Agenda card. See the Agenda Cards
section for further details.
If there is a tie, the tied player with the most revealed
Agenda cards is the winner. Still tied? Compare the
number of Alien Tech cards held by the tied players. Tied
again? Compare the number of ore tokens held by the tied
players. Again? Compare the number of fuel tokens held
by the tied players. If you’re still tied after all of that, play
again!

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4
Orbital Facilities
The Factions expansion changes the orbital facility rules as
follows:
Colonist Hub
With five players, the Colonist Hub docking ports are
“freeform”, like the Solar Converter. Ships may use any
docking port and each ship docked earns one colony
track advancement. Players are still limited to three ships
docked at the Colonist Hub and only one colony working
toward launch.
If all of the docking ports are occupied, no new ships can
dock at the Colonist Hub until some of the docking ports
become unoccupied.
The colonies themselves are also “freeform” in that they
are not limited to staying on one track. If advancing your
colony would place it on a circle that is already occupied,
just slide your colony to a circle on a different track in the
appropriate position. If the circle you need is occupied on
all tracks then you will need to adjust the number of ships
you’ve docked to position your colony on an unoccupied
circle.
If all of the launch circles are occupied and your ship is on
the sixth circle, you may launch by docking one ship and
immediately paying the one fuel and one ore fee.
In all cases, the three-ship limit still applies. If you already
have three ships at the Colonist Hub then you may not
dock a fourth ship to advance to an unoccupied circle or
to launch your colony.
Orbital Market
You may dock a pair of equal-valued ships at the Orbital
Market to draw two new Agenda cards. You may never
have more than a total of three Agenda cards. If drawing
new Agenda cards puts you over that limit, you must
discard unrevealed Agendas until you have a total of three
Agenda cards.
You may not discard revealed Agenda cards.
The Multiverse Window Alien Tech card extends your
limit to four Agenda cards.
Docking ships at the Orbital Market to obtain Agenda
cards does not allow you trade fuel for ore.

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Faction Facilities
Each Faction board grants a unique game ability to the
faction owner that other players may not use. Using this
owner benefit is often free, but if there is a fuel or ore cost,
it is paid to the stocks.
Each Faction board has an orbital facility with one
docking port. If the docking port is unoccupied, any player
may use the facility by docking one ship of any value and
paying a one-fuel access fee to that faction’s owner. If
the faction owner uses the orbital facility on their own
Faction board they do not pay the access fee. If there is an
additional cost to use the faction facility, that cost is paid
to the stocks.

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6
COREX CONGLOMERATED
DEEP POCKETS
At the beginning of their turn, the faction owner receives
one fuel plus one fuel for each territory that they control.
Example 1: Red does not control any territories. At the
beginning of their turn, Red receives one fuel.
Example 2: Red controls Heinlein Plains and Lem Badlands.
At the beginning of their turn, Red receives three fuel.
A player docked at Corex Conglomerated pays two fuel to
the stock to receive one ore for each territory they control
at the time of docking.
Example 3: Blue docks a ship at Corex Conglomerated and
pays the one-fuel access fee, then pays two fuel to the stock.
Blue controls Asimov Crater, Pohl Foothills, and Bradbury
Plateau, so Blue receives three ore from the stock.

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7
DARK SPACE EXPLORERS
BACK FROM THE UNKNOWN
On their turn, the faction owner may discard up to two
Alien Tech cards instead of just one.
Example 1: Green discards the Orbital Teleporter to move a
colony from Van Vogt Mountains to Burroughs Desert, then
discards a Gravity Manipulator to place the Repulsor Field on
Burroughs Desert.
A player docked at Dark Space Explorers pays one fuel
to take the top card from the Alien Tech deck. If the card
is a duplicate of one they already have, the new card is
discarded without effect.
Example 2: Yellow docks a ship at Dark Space Explorers and
pays the one-fuel access fee then pays one fuel to the stock.
Yellow takes a random card from the Alien Tech deck.

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8
HOMESTEADER’S UNION
FOR THE PEOPLE, WITH THE PEOPLE
The faction owner may launch their colonies from the
sixth circle of the Colonist Hub instead of the seventh.
Example 1: Red docks two ships at the Colonist Hub to
advance their colony to the sixth circle. Red then pays one fuel
and one ore to launch their colony.
A player docked at Homesteader’s Union advances their
colony token one circle at the Colonist Hub.
Example 2: Blue docks a ship at Homesteader’s Union and
pays the one-fuel access fee. Blue advances their colony token
one circle on a Colonist Hub track.

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9
NEW GAIA ENGINEERS
CREATING A NEW MOTHER EARTH
When any other player uses the Terraforming Station, their one fuel and one ore payment is given to the faction owner instead of the stocks. If the faction owner uses the Terraforming Station, their payment goes to the stocks as usual.
Example 1: Green is the faction owner for New Gaia Engineers. Yellow uses the Terraforming Station and pays the usual one fuel and one ore fee to Green.
To dock at New Gaia Engineers, a player must already be docked at the Terraforming Station. The player immediately re-rolls the terraformed ship and places it back on the Terraforming Station. The result of the roll determines where the ship will go when it leaves the Terraforming Station, either on the player’s next turn or if blasted by the Plasma Cannon. If it is a 1, 2, or 3, the ship will go to the Maintenance Bay. If it is a 4, 5, or 6, the ship will go to the stocks.
Example 2: Red docks a ship at the Terraforming Station and pays the cost to the New Gaia Engineers faction owner. Red then docks a ship at New Gaia Engineers and pays the one-fuel access fee. Red rolls the terraformed ship, gets a 2, and places it back on the Terraforming Station. The terraformed ship will go to the Maintenance Bay when it leaves the Terraforming Station.

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10
PROXIMA CENTAURI SCHOLARS
CONCENTRATED STUDY
The faction owner may pay two fuel to place one field generator token on the planet or remove one field generator token from the planet. The faction owner may not use this benefit to move a field generator from one territory to another. The faction owner may not place or remove more than one field generator per turn with this faction benefit.
Example 1: Blue is the faction owner for Proxima Centauri Scholars. Blue pays two fuel and removes the Positron Field token from Lem Badlands.
A player docked at Proxima Centauri Scholars pays one fuel to move a field generator token from one territory to another territory.
Example 2: Green docks a ship at Proxima Centauri Scholars and pays the one-fuel access fee. Green then pays one fuel to the stock and moves the Repulsor Field from Burroughs Desert to Pohl Foothills.

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SCAVENGER FLEET
NOT PRETTY, BUT IT FLIES
When the faction owner builds a new ship at the Shipyard or acquires the Relic Ship from Burroughs Desert, they immediately roll it and use it along with their other unplaced ships.
Example 1: Yellow docks a pair of ships at the Shipyard, pays the necessary costs, and moves a ship from the stocks to the Maintenance Bay. Yellow immediately gathers that ship, rolls it, and uses it with their other unplaced ships.
Example 2: Yellow controls Burroughs Desert. Yellow pays one fuel and one ore to obtain the Relic Ship, then immediately rolls it and uses it with their other unplaced ships.
A player docked at Scavenger Fleet may dock two unequal ships at the Shipyard and pay the usual costs to build a new ship.
Example 3: Red docks a ship at Scavenger Fleet and pays the one-fuel access fee. Red then docks a 3 and a 1 at the Shipyard, pays the standard fuel and ore costs to use the Shipyard, and moves a new ship from the stocks to the Maintenance Bay.

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SMUGGLER’S ALLIANCE
NO HONOR AMONG THIEVES
The faction owner may use any sequence of three ships to bump ships already docked on the Raiders’ Outpost. Higher value is not required for this faction’s owner.
Example 1: Blue is the faction owner of Smuggler’s Alliance. Green has a 4,5,6 docked at the Raiders’ Outpost. Blue uses a 2,3,4 to bump Green’s ships from the Raiders’ Outpost to the Maintenance Bay.
To dock at Smuggler’s Alliance, a player must simultaneously dock at the Raiders’ Outpost. Once docked, the player may raid four resources AND one Alien Tech card from any combination of opponents.
Example 2: Purple docks a 2,3,4 at the Raiders’ Outpost then immediately docks a ship at Smuggler’s Alliance and pays the one-fuel access fee. Purple proceeds to steal one ore from Red, two ore from Blue, a Plasma Cannon from Green, and one ore from Yellow.
Example 3: Purple docks a 3,4,5 at the Raiders’ Outpost, then immediately docks a ship at Smuggler’s Alliance and pays the one-fuel access fee. Purple steals the Holographic Decoy from Red and then steals four ore from Red as well.

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URANIAN SYNDICATE
CONTROL IN CHAOS
A “contested” territory is a colonized territory which is not controlled by any player. The faction owner may use the territory bonus of one contested territory, whether or not the player has any colonies in that territory. Use of the territory bonus lasts for the duration of the player’s turn. The only territory bonus that the Uranian Syndicate may not access in this way is the Burroughs Desert bonus.
Example 1: Red is the faction owner for Uranian Syndicate. Green and Blue each have one colony on Lem Badlands, so no one controls that territory. On Red’s turn, Red uses the Lem Badlands territory bonus to get extra fuel from the Solar Converter.
A player docked at Uranian Syndicate pays one ore to move one of their own colony tokens from one territory to another territory or pays two ore to move one opponent’s colony token from one territory to another territory.
Example 2: Blue is the faction owner for Uranian Syndicate. Blue docks one of his ships and does not pay the one-fuel access fee. Blue then pays two ore to move one yellow colony from Herbert Valley to Pohl Foothills, where Green already has one colony. Pohl Foothills is now contested and Blue may invoke the faction owner benefit to use the territory’s bonus.

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14
New Alien Tech Cards
There is one copy each of eight new Alien Tech cards in the
Factions expansion. Shuffle them into the main Alien Tech deck
and apply the same general rules as with the original Alien Tech
cards.
Astrogation Servo
You may pay two fuel to the stock to take any one ship from the Maintenance Bay, roll it, and use it as if it were your own ship. The borrowed ship may not be docked at the
Terraforming Station. That ship’s owner gathers the ship with the rest of their fleet at the start of their turn.
Example 1: Red pays two fuel and takes a blue ship from the
Maintenance Bay, rolls a 6, and docks it at the Lunar Mine to receive
one ore. On Blue’s turn, the borrowed ship is gathered with all of Blue’s
other ships.
You may discard an Astrogation Servo to send all ships docked at
one orbital facility to the Maintenance Bay.
Example 2: Green discards the Astrogation Servo and sends all of the
ships at the Alien Artifact to the Maintenance Bay.
Chameleon Cloak
You may pay two fuel to the stock to replace
an opponent’s ship or ships at one orbital
facility with equal valued ships of your
own. Pay the usual cost, if any, and gain the
usual facility benefit for docking. Send the replaced ships to the
Maintenance Bay. The Chameleon Cloak may not be used on a
ship docked at the Terraforming Station
Example 1: 3,5,6,2 are docked at the Alien Artifact. Yellow rolls 2,3,5,6.
Yellow pays two fuel to use their Chameleon Cloak and replaces the 5, 6
with their own 5, 6. Yellow may now claim an Alien Tech card.
Example 2: The Lunar Mine has 6,5,5,3,2 in the docking ports. Red
rolls a 3,2,5. Red pays pays two fuel to use their Chameleon Cloak and
replaces the 2, 3 to receive two ore.
You may discard the Chameleon Cloak to swap all of the colonies
on two territories. The Repulsor Field blocks this action.
Example 3: Burroughs Desert has one green colony and Lem
Badlands has two red colonies. Red discards their Chameleon Cloak
to swap all of the colonies on those two territories. Now Burroughs
Desert has two red colonies and Lem Badlands has one green
colony.

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15
Electrofabricator
You may pay two fuel to receive one ore. This may only be done once on your turn.
Example 1: Blue pays two fuel to the stock and receives one ore from the stock.
You may discard the Electrofabricator to receive three ore.
Example 2: Yellow discards the Electrofabricator and receives three ore from the stock.

Experimental FTL Drive
You may pay one fuel to the stock and place one fuel token on this card to change one of your unplaced ships to any value. At the end of the turn in which the Experimental FTL drive receives its third fuel token, return all three fuel tokens to the stock and discard the Experimental FTL Drive card. If you control the Pohl Foothills territory, the one fuel discount comes off the fuel you pay to the stock. If the Experimental FTL Drive card is stolen via the Raiders’ Outpost, the fuel currently on the card stays with the card. The Experimental FTL Drive card has no discard ability.
Example 1: Red rolls a 3,3,4,6. Red pays one fuel to the stock and one fuel to their Experimental FTL Drive card then changes the 4 to a 3 to form a triple for use on the Colony Constructor to place a colony on Pohl Foothills.
Example 2: Red controls Pohl Foothills and on their next turn, Red rolls a 2,3,5,6. Pohl gives Red a discount on Alien Tech card use so Red does not need to pay a fuel to the stock to use the Experimental FTL Drive card. Red does pay one fuel to the card to show that it has been used a second time.
Example 3: Blue rolls a 2,3,4,4 and docks the 2,3,4 at the Raiders’ Outpost. Blue steals Red’s Experimental FTL Drive. The two fuel tokens remain on the card when it transfers to Blue. Blue pays one fuel to the stock and one fuel to the Experimental FTL Drive card then changes his last 4 to a 6 and docks it at the Terraforming Station. The Experimental FTL Drive card now has three fuel tokens on it so, at the end of Blue’s turn, it is discarded and those three fuel go to the stock.

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Lunar Tunneler
Once per turn you may pay 1 fuel when you dock at the Lunar Mine to receive an extra ore.
Example 1: Green docks a ship at the Lunar Mine and receives one ore. Green then pays one fuel to use their Lunar Tunneler and receives a second ore.
You may discard the Lunar Tunneler to send all of the ships currently docked at the Lunar Mine to the Maintenance Bay.
Example 2: There are five ships docked at the Lunar Mine and Yellow needs three ore. Yellow discards the Lunar Tunneler to send all five ships to the Maintenance Bay, then docks three yellow ships at the Lunar Mine to get the needed ore.
Multiverse Window
You may have a total of four Agenda Cards while you possess the Multiverse Window. If you have any face-down Agendas when you lose or discard this card you must discard down to a total of three Agendas.
Revealed Agenda cards may not be discarded.
Example 1: Red has two revealed Agenda cards and a Multiverse Window. Red docks a pair of ships at the Orbital Market and draws two new Agenda cards. Because the Multiverse Window expands Red’s limit to four Agendas, Red may keep both of the new cards.
Example 2: Blue docks at the Raiders’ Outpost and steals Red’s Multiverse Window. Red’s Agenda limit is reduced to three and Red has two revealed Agendas and two face-down Agendas. Red must immediately discard one of the face-down Agenda cards to bring the total down to three Agendas.
You may discard the Multiverse Window to reveal a face-down Agenda and score the in-game VP, even if you have not met the Agenda’s condition.
Example 3: Blue has three face up Agenda cards. Blue docks a pair of ships at the Orbital Market and draws two Agendas and keeps one to fill the four Agenda limit granted by the Multiverse Window. Blue then discards the Multiverse Window and flips up that new fourth Agenda card. Blue now has four face-up Agendas but since the Multiverse Window was discarded Blue is returned to a three Agenda limit. However, Blue has no face-down Agendas so there is nothing to discard. Blue retains all four face-up Agendas.

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Oscillation Capacitor
Uma vez por turno, você pode reutilizar uma carta de Tecnologia Alienígena com custo de combustível pagando seu custo de combustível novamente. Se apropriado, o bônus Pohl Foothills também pode ser aplicado à segunda utilização da carta.
Exemplo 1: Green paga dois de combustível para usar seu Orbital Teleporter, então, porque Green tem o Oscillation Capacitor, eles pagam mais dois de combustível para usar o Orbital Teleporter novamente.
Você pode descartar o Oscillation Capacitor para descartar uma carta de Tecnologia Alienígena de sua escolha em posse de outro jogador sem invocar o poder de descarte dessa carta.
Exemplo 2: Mais tarde no jogo, Green decide que Blue está usando demais seu Plasma Cannon. Green descarta o Oscillation Capacitor e descarta o Plasma Cannon de Blue, sem invocar seu poder de descarte de destruição de nave.

Solar Harvester
Você pode receber um de combustível para cada nave oponente atracada no Solar Converter.
Exemplo 1: No turno de Yellow, há duas naves azuis e duas naves verdes atracadas no Solar Converter. Yellow ativa seu Solar Harvester e coleta quatro de combustível do estoque.
Você pode descartar o Solar Harvester para retornar todo o combustível em posse de todos os outros jogadores ao estoque. Seu combustível não é afetado.
Exemplo 2: Mais tarde no jogo, Yellow decide que os outros jogadores precisam ser um pouco desacelerados. Yellow descarta o Solar Harvester e força todo o combustível em posse de todos os outros jogadores a serem devolvidos ao estoque. O estoque de combustível de Yellow está seguro.

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18
Agenda Cards
Agenda cards add a hidden scoring element to Alien Frontiers. Each Agenda card has two conditional situations. The agenda on the left is an in-game situation that a player may reveal at the time they achieve the condition to score 1VP. The agenda on the right is an end-game situation that a player may reveal at the end of the game if they have achieved the condition to score 1VP. Only 1VP, in-game or end-game, may be awarded per Agenda card.
Each player starts the game with two Agenda cards that they keep face-down on the table in front of them. A player may have up to three total Agenda cards.
A player may dock a pair of ships at the Orbital Market to draw two new Agenda cards. A player may keep or discard any of their new or face-down Agenda cards. With one exception (see Multiverse Window in New Alien Tech Cards section) a player may never have more than three total Agenda cards.
When a player meets the condition on the Agenda card they may reveal it (flip it face-up) to score the VP. Revealed Agenda cards may not be discarded.
Ships docked at the Orbital Market may be used for trading or for obtaining new Agenda cards, but not both.
Agenda cards may not be stolen via the Raiders’ Outpost.
Agenda cards may not be discarded by using the discard power of the Oscillation Capacitor.
Possessing the Multiverse Window Alien Tech card extends the Agenda card limit to four cards.
If the Agenda deck is exhausted, reshuffle the discards to be a new draw deck.

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In-Game Agendas Endgame Agendas
Gather your fleet of seven ships
You possess a Resource Cache and an Oscillation Capacitor
Roll five sequential ships without using Alien Tech
You control Pohl Foothills
Land three colonies in a single turn
You control Herbert Valley
Roll four-of-a-kind without using Alien Tech
You control Van Vogt Mountains
Take control of two territories belonging to other players in a single turn
You possess a Plasma Cannon and an Electrofabricator
Gain six or more ore in a single turn
You control a territory with a single colony on it
Possess four Alien Tech cards that no other player possesses
You control Asimov Crater
Land a colony on a territory that already has the Isolation Field on it
You control Bradbury Plateau
Bump your own ships from the Raiders’ Outpost
You control a territory containing three or more colonies belonging to other players
Gain twelve or more fuel in a single turn
You control a territory with three field generators on it
Gain two or more Alien Tech cards in a single turn
You possess a Stasis Beam and a Solar Harvester
Go from the lowest untied score to the highest untied score in a single turn
You possess a Booster Pod and an Experimental FTL Drive
Move colonies so that you and an opponent both gain VPs
You control Burroughs Desert
Take control of a territory from an opponent and use its benefit immediately
You control Heinlein Plains

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20
In-Game Agendas Endgame Agendas
Move five spaces on the Colonist Hub track in a single turn
You control Lem Badlands
Steal from all opponents on a single turn
You possess a Polarity Device and a Multiverse Window
Gain two ships in a single turn
You do not have any colonies on Van Vogt Mountains
Dock four ships totaling exactly 8 points at the Alien Artifact
You do not have any colonies on Pohl Foothills
Use your ships to fill all unused docks at the Solar Converter
You do not have any colonies on Heinlein Plains
Place the Repulsor Field on the planet without using Proxima Centauri Scholars
You do not have any colonies on Lem Badlands
Dock your ships at five different orbital facilities on the same turn
You do not have any colonies on Burroughs Desert
Fill every dock at the Lunar Mine with your ships
You do not have any colonies on Herbert Valley
Launch a colony from the Colonist Hub and begin work on a new colony in the same turn
You do not have any colonies on Asimov Crater
Roll 10 or less with your fleet of five or more ships without using Alien Tech
You do not have any colonies on Bradbury Plateau
Some Agendas are harder to achieve than others. Don’t be afraid to get new Agendas and discard ones you don’t like. Also, there may be more than one way to achieve some of the In-Game Agendas. Be creative...it’s fun!

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21
De Factionibus Universi
By Tory Niemann
The Naming of a Planet
A Retro-Future History of Planet Maxwell
❝
Like many geographic names in the history of discovery, how the
planet designated B122011P became known as “Maxwell” is less about
official naming than it is about what captures the public imagination.
Soon after B122011P was determined by astronomers to be an Earth-
like mass orbiting within the so-called Goldilocks Zone (just the right
temperature to sustain life), a brave team of scientists and explorers
was gathered to make the journey there. Among those to be the first
visitors to the world were a handful of artists. Though the team
naturally had the best in photographic and holographic recording
equipment, Central Fleet Command thought an artist would be most
capable of capturing the essence of humanity’s first visit to an alien
landscape.
The explorers returned to Earth (or at least half of them did). The
pictures they had of B122011P were breathtaking and enthralled the
public. Despite all the advanced methods of science to display the
planet, the one image that became most famous over the world was a
painting. This work truly conveyed to the people the beauty and detail
of the new world. It became the iconic view of this discovery.
The artist, never guessing the importance that his
work might one day have, had signed it across
the bottom as he did all his works: “Maxwell.”
Every news program, historical holo-tape,
and scientific work that referenced the
new planet showed this piece of art,
and the name that came with it. The
World Senate debates about what
to name the planet became moot-
-for the public, it was Maxwell,
right from the start.
B122011P was a lifeless
astronomic classification, but
Planet Maxwell was a real place
people could dream of, set their
hearts on, and risk everything they
knew to reach.
Who exactly Maxwell the artist was
or what became of him after his return
to Earth has since been lost to history.
❞

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Deep Pockets
A Retro-Future History of Corex Conglomerate
❝
From its humble origin as a manufacturer of tritanium boxes to its current status as a titan of industry, Corex Conglomerated has been a company on the move. When humanity began its quest to the stars, Corex was there to build the rockets and develop the fuels for interstellar transport. When the first colonies on the moon and Mars were founded, Corex came with them to advance dome construction and establish routes of commerce. The recent perfection of the Higgins-Gunther Drive has opened a new exo-solar planet to the human race and Corex once again will aid the glorious cause of colonization!
Forward Humanity, Forward Corex Conglomerated Industries!”
-From CCI’s PR Department
The Board of Directors of Corex Conglomerated are not starry-eyed idealists or tree hugging hippies.
They know how the world works, which is how they have gotten where they are today. Some might even call them ruthless. However, one thing they all do believe in is Commerce. Commerce is the engine that drives all human endeavors, the ultimate motivator that moves people to greatness and great things.
Corex survives only so long as it makes a profit for its shareholders. Though it has diversified and grown exponentially over recent decades, the company needed a new source of revenue to stay in the black. The investment made in the Mars colony failed to pay off and the entire traditional rocket fuel industry went belly up when some eggheads at Proxima Centauri University invented the H-G Drive. Downsizing looked inevitable for Corex Conglomerated.
Planet Maxwell represented a whole new market into which Corex could expand. An untamed world was the ultimate laissez-faire environment for the company, not to mention a supply of raw materials far outstripping the asteroid mines. Corex patented photovoltaic colony domes to ensure that every colony they land can turn a profit. Integrated mining hubs in the colonies themselves allow these outposts to pay off in other ways as well. Others may invest in alien trinkets or green technology, but Corex knows the safe money is on colonists, and what those colonists can produce.
The Board of Directors foresees record earnings in the next fiscal quarter.
❞

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23
Back From The Unknown
A Retro-Future History of Dark Space Explorers
❝
The coalition we know as the Dark Space Explorers had its origins
in a tragic astro-navigation error. The original exploration team sent
to Planet Maxwell was a motley crew of young pilots and scientists,
eager to prove themselves in an historic undertaking and, after a year
on the surface of the alien world, they had done just that. Their holds
were packed with geologic samples and technological marvels unheard
of back on Earth. When the time came to set their gravitation drives
for the voyage home, some oversight, miscommunication, or outright
blunder occured and half of the fleet simply failed to arrive at Earth.
No one knew if the ships were destroyed in flight or if they fell through
some spatial anomaly native to the vicinity of Planet Maxwell. A dozen
ships and nearly two hundred scientists and explorers simply vanished
from space and were born into legend as the Dark Space Explorers.
Twenty years later, when Humanity was, at last, poised to colonize
Planet Maxwell, the unbelievable happened...the Dark Space
Explorers came back from the unknown. The lost explorers told a
harrowing story of being catapulted half-a-galaxy away from their
intended destination, the damage to their ships, and the despair of
isolation from friends and family. Inspired by the leadership of the
self-styled Admiral Harkness, however, these devastated men and
women rose to the challenge of being castaways in space. They forged
a new community, delved into the alien tech they had salvaged from
Planet Maxwell, and created an experimental FTL drive to pull them
across the uncharted depths of dark space in a lengthy series of small
superluminal jumps. After everything, these explorers still hungered
for the planet they risked their lives to explore all those years ago.
The Dark Space Explorers
are not a corporation with
limitless resources, or a secret
organization with a cadre
of spies, or a grass-roots
movement of the common
man. They are survivors.
Nomads for the better part
of two decades, they are
now looking for a home
and willing to use what they
have learned to make it...or take it. Few other humans in the universe
can match the Dark Space Explorers’ access to and control of alien
technology, and they have no qualms with leveraging this technology
to achieve their goals.
❞

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24
For The People, With The People
A Retro-Future History of the Homesteader’s Union
❝
After the devastation of the Autumn War, things were supposed to be different on Earth. Leaders established the World Senate as the final political solution, a unified government to stamp out corruption, poverty, and injustice. But as the decades wore on, people saw that little had really changed. Those with wealth, influence, and connections still took advantage of the poor, the voiceless, the average man. The names were new but the same inequality persisted.
The discovery of Maxwell gave hope to common people. Here, finally, was a place to be free from the old ways and to start fresh on a new frontier. This desire for a new beginning set a fire under those first explorers and gave a dream to those who followed their exploits.
Maxwell was hope.
People saw that hope dashed as Earth companies, political groups, and governments rushed to manipulate the colonization processes. The ships bound for Maxwell, supposedly open to everyone, began to be reserved for the rich, influential, and politically desirable.
Change would come from the workers on the Colonist Hub. Sick of seeing normal people excluded from what was promised by the World Senate, they formed the Homesteader’s Union to open Maxwell to everyone. They were ideally placed to ensure that more and more people had the opportunity to become colonists, and they used that position to speed the slow colonization process.
Where other groups focus on subtlety, maneuvering, and strange technology, the Homesteader’s focuses on sheer volume of colonists. The common man will control Maxwell by being common and outnumbering those with special interests. Then, when the planet has made its break from the old ways, humanity can finally get it right.
❞

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Creating A New Mother Earth
A Retro-Future History of the New Gaia Engineers
"Pollution from the 20th century and radioactive fallout from the wars of the 21st century, wounded the Earth. Everyone learned the importance of ecological preservation, but the damage had been done. To return the planet to the beauty and health it once had, the scientific community, spearheaded by the passionate Gaia Engineers, began delving into radical new options.
Hope came to the Gaia Engineers with the invention of the Genesis Ray. Deploying an entirely new type of energy, the Genesis Ray accelerated the growth of organisms and spontaneously created new life forms out of basic molecular building blocks. It was hailed as a miraculous innovation by the ecological communities but denounced by the public at large as a corruption of nature and an unpredictable risk--after all, who could say what deadly virus or predator the Genesis Ray might create?
The objections were obviously overblown but, in the end, they won the day and the World Senate voted to cancel funding. The Genesis Ray project was abandoned.
Planet Maxwell changed that. The scientists of Earth saw the barren, lifeless surface of Maxwell as a blank canvas and the Genesis Ray as their paint brush. Though the technology was too potent to be safe on Earth, it would be the perfect tool to fill an empty world. Their brilliant minds integrated the Genesis Ray with an entire platform dedicated to creating life on a continental scale. The High Orbit Genesis Bombardment Device, commonly known as the Terraforming Station, was the result. The only problem with their inspired design was the vast amount of power needed to operate the Terraforming Station. This dilemma was solved by designing the station to use rocket ships as disposable power cells, a small price to pay for creating life on a dead world.
Now the New Gaia Engineers, as they call themselves, are mobilizing to command their new world. The fate of this planet must be different from humanity’s first home, and the New Gaia Engineers know that they can ensure that. While others may use the Terraforming Station for their own purposes, only the scientists who created it have the expertise to deploy the Genesis Ray to full effect. One day Maxwell will be a green planet, and the New Gaia Engineers aim to ensure that they will be its guardians."

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26
Concentrated Study
A Retro-Future History of the Proxima Centauri Scholars

“Knowledge is power. Much is made of space exploration and colonization, but anyone with intelligence must see such pursuits are merely the means to an end. Science is humanity’s true great endeavor. What is branching out to a new world in comparison to branching out in a new field of knowledge?
At the heart of most great discoveries in the last century has been one group: the Specialized Research Think Tank at Proxima Centauri University. Founded by Dr. Nathanson soon after PCU was launched as Earth’s first geosynchronous school of higher learning, the group consists of a rotating roster of tenured faculty, handpicked research fellows, and particularly brilliant doctoral students. Their areas of expertise encompass theoretical astrophysics, chemical engineering, AI programming, quantum mechanics, xeno-archeology and a dizzying array of other spheres. The vast range of knowledge possessed by the Specialized Research Think Tank, or “Scholars” as they are known on campus, is key to their discoveries.
One of their greatest recent successes, the Higgins-Gunther Trans-Warp Acceleration Drive, freed humanity to travel beyond its own solar system and seek out distant worlds.
The Proxima Centauri Scholars do not exist to make money or for political gain; their charter is only for the advancement of Science. Despite this status as pure academics, the Scholars decided that they could not ignore the situation with planet B122011P, colloquially known as Maxwell. The sheer volume of useful discoveries to be had is staggering, and they agreed it would be a crime against Science to let less educated groups take control of the planet and squander its enormous potential.
The Proxima Centauri Scholars have already begun to decipher the alien wonders of Maxwell, focusing especially on how some devices can be dismantled and repurposed to broadcast effects across vast regions. With intense study, the Scholars have developed methods of manipulating and creating these fields without the destruction of precious alien technology. The strategic use of these field generators to repulse, entice, and neutralize their opponents is calculated to bring success for the Scholars -- and that means success for Science!”

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27
Not Pretty, But It Flies
A Retro-Future History of the Scavenger Fleet

"People all over the world sought to escape what historians call
the Autumn War by leaving Earth. As diplomacy failed and nations
readied their armies, rocket ships of all kinds took refugees out into
the solar system for safety. The coalition of ships banded together for
security and set out for the Mars colony. They found this settlement
already on the brink of disaster and unfit to help anyone else. Likewise,
the mining bases on the asteroid belt refused to aid the nomads.
For years they wandered until news reached them of the cease-fire
on Earth. The fleet came back but most of the people found they no
longer had a homeland to return to. War had rewritten the map; many
countries were annexed by their rivals and others were devastated by
nuclear fire. The World Senate did not want the exiles, fearing that
such a population might destabilize the post-war balance of power.
Again they had nowhere to go.
The fleet of refugees found another possibility in Maxwell. Here was
a virgin world that they could make a permanent home and where
their lost cultures could live on. Captain Anderson, leader of the
ragtag coalition, made the decision to set out for Maxwell despite the
hardships of a long voyage. Though they had their share of problems
along the way, this forced them to pool their know-how and learn
to make repairs most engineers would think impossible. During the
journey they occasionally encountered vessels abandoned by other
factions. Sometimes they were able to restore these ships and other
times they used the ship’s parts to improve their own rockets. By the
time they arrived at Maxwell, it was truly a Scavenger Fleet.
Their enormous skill and experience in ship maintenance and
construction is the Scavenger Fleet’s main asset. With the Shipyard in
orbit of Maxwell they can create ships in any situation and their crews
can ready a new vessel in minutes, not days. Other factions may have
sophisticated methods,
but the leaders of
the Scavenger Fleet
know that the planet
belongs to those who
can claim it first, and
more ships means
more speed. They lost
their first homes but
they will not lose this
one.
"

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28
No Honor Among Thieves
A Retro-Future History of the Smuggler’s Alliance

“Wanting what someone else has is the ugly core of human nature.
Regardless of what end of the galaxy you’re on, as long as there are
people they will be taking what they want from some other guy.
Stealing is inevitable.
When the first colonists came
to Maxwell, it was a waiting
game to see just how long
Earth values and Earth morals
would hold out. This was a
new world, and the old niceties
did not have a place here on
the frontier. The first raiding
parties were denounced by
the leaders of the different
colonies, but in private they
all did the same thing: wait for
their own chance to steal. The leaders hired skilled people to do the
dirty work for them, and politely called the crooks “smugglers.” From
the Raiders’ Outpost, they pillaged alien tech and precious resources
from more honest folks.
As often happens when people are hired for illegal work, the smugglers
soon figured out a more profitable way to do their job: without giving
up the stolen goods. The best and brightest of these smugglers decided
it was high time they stopped stealing from each other and band
together to steal from everyone else. An alliance was formed and
a base of operations was secretly established on the backside of an
asteroid.
Other factions keep stealing as they always have, but they can’t match
the skill and finesse of the Smuggler’s Alliance. No one knows the
spaceways around Maxwell like they do, and no pilots are as good
at sneaking up on unaware freighters. They’ve even been known to
coordinate their raids and strike multiple convoys at once. Once they
control Maxwell, the leaders of the Alliance will live like pirate kings,
hoarding the wealth of an entire world. And then they will see just how
long their Alliance lasts.
”

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Control In Chaos
A Retro-Future History of the Uranian Syndicate
"The Uranian Syndicate is a myth. There is no credible evidence that a secret cabal of powerful manipulators exists, let alone that they have agents in all human colonies. Proponents of this conspiracy theory believe that from a space station originally hidden beyond Saturn’s rings, a collective of power brokers has directed a network of spies and operatives for years. Most sane people see this idea as absurd paranoia. To infiltrate and control governments and scientific communities across the solar system, as crackpots suggest the Syndicate has done, is utterly impossible.

This is exactly what the Syndicate wants people to think. For more than a century, the organization called by some the Uranian Syndicate has wormed its fingers into political parties, new movements, and circles of higher learning. Few know of the Syndicate’s existence who are not already agents of the group. Its operatives specialize in creating conflict and infighting. While others bicker and fight over public leadership, the Syndicate capitalizes on the instability for profit and control. The cabal strives to be the ultimate power behind every throne.

The group’s agenda has always been to amass wealth and power for its members, but now that purpose is changing. With the discovery of Planet Maxwell, the Uranian Syndicate sees an opportunity to control an entire world -- lock, stock, and barrel. No longer will they have to hide from the law and operate in the shadows: they will be the law. The skills of the Syndicate, as master manipulators and profiteers in conflict, transition well to planetary conquest. By maneuvering their opponents into territorial disputes with each other, the faction plans to build their own power and become the de facto ruler of Maxwell. And then, the Syndicate’s true mission will begin…"

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Credits
Game Design: Tory Niemann
Art: Mark Maxwell
Graphic Design: Karim Chakroun
Publisher: Clever Mojo Games
Play Testers: Randall Bart, Tom Decker, Grant Dunstall, Miles English, Scott Everts, Brandon Freels, Evan Grim, Bill Hahn, Anna Helbling, Tom Hillman, Blake Hooper, Robert Jordan, Cherilyn Kirkman, Chris Kirkman, Kayla Konakis, David MacKenzie, Fred MacKenzie, Megan McDavitt, Seth McDavitt, Patrick Nickell, Mark O’Green, Jameson Orndorff, Seth Roback, Dave Schumm, Katie Schumm, Shawn Storie, Chris Taylor, Mary Taylor, Jesse Williams, Clever Mojo Play Testers, Myriad Games Staff, Unlimited Hobbies Playtest Group, …and The UOPX Lunchtime Gamers
A special thank you goes out to the more than 1,300 backers who pledged their support on Kickstarter.com. Factions would not have been possible without their generous support.
© 2012 Clever Mojo Games http://www.clevermojogames.com

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Play Testers: Randall Bart, Tom Decker, Grant Dunstall, Miles English, Scott Everts, Brandon Freels, Evan Grim, Bill Hahn, Anna Helbling, Tom Hillman, Blake Hooper, Robert Jordan, Cherilyn Kirkman, Chris Kirkman, Kayla Konakis, David MacKenzie, Fred MacKenzie, Megan McDavitt, Seth McDavitt, Patrick Nickell, Mark O’Green, Jameson Orndorff, Seth Roback, Dave Schumm, Katie Schumm, Shawn Storie, Chris Taylor, Mary Taylor, Jesse Williams, Clever Mojo Play Testers, Myriad Games Staff, Unlimited

A special thank you goes out to the more than 1,300 backers who pledged their support on Kickstarter.com. Factions would not

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Owner Bonus Docking Bonus
Faction Boards Icon Reference
COREX CONGLOMERATE
At the beginning of their turn, the faction owner receives one fuel plus one fuel for each territory that they control.
A player docked at Corex Conglomerated pays two fuel to the stock to receive one ore for each territory they control at the time of docking.
HOMESTEADER’S UNION
The faction owner may launch their colonies from the sixth advancement circle of the Colonist Hub instead of the seventh.
A player docked at Homesteader’s Union advances their colony token one circle on a Colonist Hub track.
NEW GAIA ENGINEERS
When any other player uses the Terraforming Station, their one fuel and one ore payment is given to the faction owner instead of the stocks. If the faction owner uses the Terraforming Station, their payment goes to the stocks as usual.
To dock at New Gaia Engineers, a player must already be docked at the Terraforming Station. On the player’s next turn, roll the terraformed ship. On a 1, 2, or 3, send the ship to the stocks as usual. On a 4, 5, or 6, send the ship to the Maintenance Bay.
PROXIMA CENTAURI SCHOLARS
The faction owner may pay two fuel to place any field generator token on the planet or remove one field generator token from the planet.
SCAVENGER FLEET
When the faction owner places a new ship on the Maintenance Bay, they immediately roll it and use it along with their other unplaced ships.
A player docked at Scavenger Fleet may dock two unequal ships at the shipyard and pay the usual costs to build a new ship.
SMUGGLER’S ALLIANCE
The faction owner may use any sequence of three ships to bump ships already located on the Raiders’ Outpost. Higher value is not required for this faction’s owner.
To dock at Smuggler’s Alliance, a player must simultaneously dock at the Raiders’ Outpost. Once docked, the player may raid four resources AND one Alien Tech card from any combination of opponents.
URANIAN SYNDICATE
A territory that has colonies on it but has no one player in control of the territory is called “contested”. The faction owner may use the territory benefit of one contested territory.
A player docked at Uranian Syndicate pays one ore to move one of their own colony tokens from one territory to another territory or pays two ore to move one opponent colony from one territory to another territory.
DARK SPACE EXPLORERS
On their turn, the faction owner may discard up to two Alien Tech cards.
A player docked at Dark Space Explorers pays one fuel to take a random Alien Tech deck.

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