Alien Frontiers: Outer Belt — Rules Manual

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Designed by Randall Bart & Tory Niemann with Art by Ian O’Toole
An Expansion to the Alien Frontiers Board Game
Beyond the orbit of Maxwell’s moon, a ring of asteroids, called the outer belt, circles the planet in an elliptical path that brings rare metals, lost ships, disillusioned pilots, and alien relics within reach of the planet. For ship captains bold enough to set a course for these wandering treasures, outer belt mining and salvage operations can be a profitable adventure.

Contents
1 Outer Belt side board
22 Asteroid cards
1 Territory tile
3 Dock Cover chits
2 Alien Tech cards
2 Agenda cards
6 Orange d6
8 Orange colony tokens
1 Orange scoring rocket
1 Asteroid d6

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Expansion Note
The regular rules of Alien Frontiers apply, except as modified below.

Setup
Unfold the Outer Belt board and choose the standard side (square docking spaces) or the Rocket Dice side (rocket-shaped docking ports). Place the Outer Belt board to the right of the main board so that the moon illustrations on both boards line up.

Place the Blish Expanse territory tile on the moon on the Outer Belt board.

Shuffle the Asteroid cards then return the top two cards to the box without looking at them. This will keep the exact mix of available Asteroid cards a mystery so that each game is a little different.

Deal one Asteroid card face-up to each card space on the Outer Belt board. Set the remaining Asteroid deck face-down near the top of the Outer Belt board.

When First Player has been determined, give that player the Asteroid Die.

With 4 players, use a Dock Cover chit to block the docking port on the Outer Belt board marked with four dots. With 3 players, block the docking ports marked with four dots and three dots. With 2 players, block the docking ports marked with four dots, three dots, and two dots.

If there is a 5th player in your game, that person starts the game with 2 Fuel and 1 Ore. If there is a 6th player, that person starts the game with 2 Fuel and 2 Ore.

NOTE: It is perfectly acceptable to play Alien Frontiers with 5 or 6 Players, but we recommend no more than 4 players in order to keep the game duration to 90 minutes or less.

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Important New Icons
Navigation Die
Asteroid Die
Moving The Asteroid Cards
At the start of your turn, take the Asteroid die and gather all of your ships from both the main board and the Outer Belt board. Roll the dice all at once. Before placing any of your ships on the board, look at the Asteroid die; if it rolled a blank, the Asteroid cards do not move. Pass the Asteroid Die to the next player so that he has it for use on his turn to come.
If the Asteroid die rolled [asteroid icon], immediately move the Asteroid cards on the Outer Belt board as follows:
1. The card on the 4th space (closest to the moon) moves off the board and is returned to the bottom of the Asteroid deck face-down. It may come around again in the fullness of time.
2. The card on the 3rd space moves to the 4th space.
3. The card on the 2nd space moves to the 3rd space.
4. The card on the 1st space moves to the 2nd space.
5. The top card from the Asteroid deck is turned face-up on the 1st space.
NOTE: If one or more of the Asteroid spaces were empty when the Asteroid cards moved, the gap in the chain of asteroid cards is maintained in the move. Do not bunch them up.
Ships docked on the Outer Belt board DO NOT MOVE when the Asteroid cards move.
Pass the Asteroid Die to the next player so that he has it for use on his turn to come.
Hold One Turn Before Using
Ignore Hold One Turn Requirement

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Navigation Values
Because the asteroids in the Outer Belt are in motion, ships need to chart specific courses depending on where the target asteroid is located. This is represented by the and two or three dice values shown at each Asteroid card position on the Outer Belt board. These are the allowable Navigation values for that asteroid space.

Claiming An Asteroid Card
An Asteroid card is claimed by docking specific ships in the docking ports next to the card’s current position. The docked ships must meet the requirements shown in the center area of the Asteroid card and the allowed Navigation values for that space. Lets examine the image here for examples.

An Abandoned Ship is in the first position. The symbols in the center of the card show that it requires three dice and all three must be an allowed Navigation value. While the card is in this first space, the allowed Navigation values are [1] or [2]. So, in order to claim the card you would need to dock a [1] [1] [1] or [1] [1] [2] or [1] [2] [2] or [2] [2] [2].

A Heavy Metals Asteroid is in the second position and requires you to dock two ships. One must be a [4] and the other must be one of the position’s allowed Navigation values; in this case [2] [3] [4]. So, you may dock a [4] [2] or [4] [3] or [4] [4] to claim the card.

OUTER BELT
Blish Expanse

ABANDONED SHIP
Discard this card, pay then move one of your ships from your stock to

HEAVY METALS ASTEROID
Discard and pay to receive .

COMPOSITE ASTEROID
Discard to receive

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A Terraforming Module card is in position three. It requires two equal-value dice and both must be the allowed Navigation values for that asteroid position; in this case, a [3], [4], or [5]. So, in order to claim the card, you would need to dock a [3] [3] or [4] [4] or [5] [5].
The final card in the example is a Composite Asteroid. It requires only one die but that die must equal one of the allowed Navigation values for that position. So, you could dock a [5] or a [6], but nothing else.
Because the Asteroid cards will move during the game, the ships needed to claim a card will change. For example, when the Heavy Metals Asteroid moves from position two to position three, docking a [4] [2] will no longer be an option because [2] is not an allowable Navigation value for the third Asteroid position.
Each Asteroid position allows for a maximum of three docked ships. If there are insufficient open docks to meet the docking requirements noted on the Asteroid card then you may not dock at that position and may not claim the Asteroid card.
When you claim an Asteroid card, take the card from the Outer Belt board and place it on the table in front of you. Read the directions on the card to learn when and how you can use the card.
After claiming an Asteroid card, leave your ships docked on the Outer Belt board. Gather them as usual at the start of your next turn.
The symbol found on most Asteroid cards indicates that the player who claims the card must wait one full turn before using the card. The player may, of course, hold it longer if they choose. The “waiting turn” is meant to symbolize the time it takes to get the asteroid from the Outer Belt to Planet Maxwell. It is best to turn a card sideways on the table to indicate that it is “in transit” and then turn it right-way-around when your next turn begins to show that it may now be used.

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Any Asteroid card may be raided as if it were an Alien Tech card. An Asteroid card “in transit” may be raided but the raiding player must then hold it for a full turn before using it. Asteroid cards are protected by the Holographic Decoy, just like Alien Tech cards.

Blish Expanse
The Outer Belt board shows a new territory on the moon – Blish Expanse. If you control Blish Expanse, you may ignore the cost on any Asteroid card you claim.

Notes on Territories, Alien Tech, and Factions
Any rules text from the base game or other expansions that refers to territories on the planet should be read to apply equally to Blish Expanse, the new territory on the moon.
The Plasma Cannon works as usual on ships docked on the Outer Belt board.
When using the Seismic Detonator Alien Tech card or the REV from the Xeno Explorations faction, the only territory adjacent to Blish Expanse is Van Vogt Mountains.
Asteroid cards do not benefit from the Pohl Foothills bonus.

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Asteroid Cards Included With This Expansion

Abandoned Ship: – Discard this card and pay to move one of your ships from the stock to the Maintenance Bay. Gather and use the new ship on your next turn as usual.

Alien Beacon: [3] – Worth 1 Victory Point while you possess this card. Lose one Victory Point if the card is raided from you.

Alien Satellite: [4] – Worth 1 Victory Point while you possess this card. Lose one Victory Point if the card is raided from you.

Belter Pilot: [3] – May use once per turn to change one of your unplaced ships to a [2] or [3].

Composite Asteroid: – Discard this card to receive .

Damaged Ship: – Discard this card and pay the usual Shipyard fee to move one of your ships from the stock to the Maintenance Bay.

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Heavy Metal Asteroid: [4] – Discard this card and pay to receive .
Iron Asteroid: – Discard this card and pay to receive .
Orbital Pilot: [2] – May use once per turn to change one of your unplaced ships to a [1] or [2].
Ship In Distress: [2] – Discard this card and pay to look at the top two cards in the Alien Tech deck. Keep one of the Alien Tech cards and return the other to the top of the Alien Tech deck.
System Pilot: [4] – May use once per turn to change one of your unplaced ships to a [3] or [4].
Terraforming Module: = – Discard this card and pay and return one of your unplaced ships to the stock to land a Colony in the territory of your choice.
BELTER PILOT
Change one unplaced die to a 2 or 3.
May be used once per turn.
COMPOSITE ASTEROID
Discard to receive
DAMAGED SHIP
Discard and pay the usual fee then move one of your ships from your stock to

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Asteroid Cards Available
in Alien Frontiers Booster Pack #6

• Cargo Salvage:
– Discard this card then roll the Asteroid die. If you roll [1-3], take [Ore] from the stock. Otherwise, take [Fuel] from the stock.

• Cometary Fragment:
– Discard this card then roll the Asteroid die. If you roll [1-3], take [Fuel] from the stock. Otherwise, take [Ore] from the stock.

• Hyperspace Pilot:
– May use once per turn by paying [1 Fuel] to change one of your unplaced ships to a [5] or [6].

• Message Buoy:
– Discard this card then deal an extra Agenda card to each player. This Agenda card does not count against a player’s limit of three Agenda cards.

• Orbital Debris:
– Discard this card then roll the Asteroid die. If you roll [1-3], take [Ore] from the stock. Otherwise, take a random [Alien Artifact] from the Alien Artifact discard pile.

HEAVY METALS ASTEROID
Discard and pay [1 Fuel] to receive [2 Ore].

IRON ASTEROID
Discard and pay [1 Fuel] to receive [1 Ore].

ORBITAL PILOT
Change one unplaced die to a 1 or 2.
May be used once per turn.

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• Raider’s Rock: – Discard this card to raid an Asteroid Card from one player currently docked at any position on the Outer Belt board.
• Ship’s Lifeboat: – Discard this card to receive three track-advances at the Colonist Hub.

Asteroid Cards Available Through Promotional Events
• Tactical Meteoroids: [1]
– Discard this card to send any number of ships docked on one Orbital Facility, Faction Facility, or Asteroid to the Maintenance Bay.
• Micro-Singularity: [6]
– Discard this card to remove all cards currently on the Outer Belt board from the game. The Outer Belt board remains empty until someone rolls an on the Asteroid die and places one Asteroid card on the first Asteroid position. Thereafter, the Outer Belt board works as usual.

SHIP IN DISTRESS
Discard and pay then look at the top 2 cards of the Alien Tech deck. Keep one and return the other.

SYSTEM PILOT
Change one unplaced die to a 3 or 4.
May be used once per turn.

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Credits
Designed by Randall Bart and Tory Niemann
Art by Ian O’Toole
Art Direction by Dann May
Graphic Design by Ian O’Toole and Cody Jones
Production by W. David MacKenzie
Developed by Clever Mojo Games
Published by Game Salute

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