Race for the Galaxy: The Brink of War — Rules Manual

TOM LEHMANN
As conflicts spread, galactic prestige becomes all-important,
both to extract concessions and to fend off attackers.
Meanwhile, the Alien departure point is located and the Uplift
Overseers arise. Can you build the most prosperous and
powerful space empire in a galaxy on the brink of total war?
OVERVIEW
Expansion #3:
The Brink of War
This expansion adds new start worlds, goals, game cards, and rules for galactic
prestige to Race for the Galaxy and its first two expansions, The Gathering Storm
and Rebel vs Imperium. New solitaire game counters and drafting rules for six
players are also provided.
CONTENTS
Carefully remove the goal and Prestige Leader tiles, Prestige chips, and counters from
their frames before your first game.
1 replacement Galactic Federation
4 start world cards, numbered 12–15
44 game cards
6 prestige/search action cards
1 Prestige Leader tile
30 prestige chips:
25 @ 1 and 5 @ 5
1 5 VP chip
1 search/solitaire setup sheet
2 “most” goals (large tiles)
3 “first” goals (small tiles)
3 counters to track special Military
8 counters for temporary Military
2 counters for solitaire game

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ADDING CARDS AND GOALS
Both earlier expansions, The Gathering Storm and Rebel vs Imperium, are required for this expansion.
Add the new game cards, replacing Galactic Federation with the Galactic Federation in this expansion (with revised Victory Point icons).
Mix the new goals with the existing ones and use them normally (selecting, as before, two of the “most” goals and four of the “first” goals during setup).
Setup. Place the search sheet, prestige chips, and Prestige Leader tile, “>” side face up, in the center area. Give a prestige/search action card to each player. Add an extra 5 VPs to the total number of VPs in play (e.g., for 3 players, use 41 VPs). Perform the rest of setup.
Note: Galactic Scavengers, start world, has a start power.
Powers. Most new powers are variations on previous powers. Those that aren’t have text descriptions and are described in detail starting on page 11.
Some powers refer to Rebel developments. These have a small red diamond next to their victory point values.
This expansion adds Draw then Discard powers, where a player draws the indicated number of cards, adds them to his hand, and then discards one card. A player with two or more such powers in the same phase draws all the indicated cards before discarding 1 card for each power. (This is an exception to the rule that one power cannot interrupt another power.)
Powers, such as Uplift Mercenary Force’s power that provides Military equal to its owner’s number of worlds, refer to cards in your tableau. This includes only cards present at the start of that phase.
Similarly, the powers and attributes of a card removed from a player’s tableau (due to it being discarded, replaced, or taken over) do persist (for its owner at the start of that phase) until the end of that phase.
Prestige, goods, or cards gained from a card’s placement can be used in the phase it is placed (after paying for it or conquering it militarily).
The multi-kind world attribute of the Alien Oort Cloud Refinery is described after the Card Powers section (see page 15).
Cards in this expansion have three marks below their card frames in the lower left corner.
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Introduction. Various cards and card powers provide galactic prestige, marked by prestige chips. Some powers allow players to spend prestige to gain play advantages. Each player has a prestige/search action card which can be used once per game to gain an advantage. The player(s) with the most prestige at the start of each round receives a bonus. If any player has 15 or more prestige at the end of a round, the game ends (this is fairly rare). At game end, each prestige chip held by a player is worth 1 VP.

Prestige chips worth 1 and 5 are supplied. Players may make change among them at any time. The number of prestige chips supplied is not a limit (make up more if needed).

Gaining Prestige. Some cards, with a prestige symbol next to their victory point values, provide 1 prestige to their owner when they are first placed in a player’s tableau. A world that provides 1 prestige when placed does not provide another prestige when taken over.

Various powers provide prestige. Some Consume powers consume goods for prestige. Such powers must be used if a player has the appropriate goods during a Consume phase (although a player can use Consume powers in any order and, by using other powers first, might instead consume these goods for victory points or cards). The Consume: 2x VPs action bonus only doubles victory points. It does not double prestige gained using Consume powers.

Prestige Leader. Check prestige at the end of each phase. If one player has more prestige than anyone else, then he takes the Prestige Leader tile, “>” side face up, and places it in front of him (returning any prestige on it to its previous holder), placing any (unspent) prestige he earned that phase on top of it. Whenever a sole Prestige Leader earns prestige, put those chips on top of the Prestige Leader tile. If two or more players, each with at least one prestige, tie for most prestige at the end of a phase, place the Prestige Leader tile, “=” side face up, in the center (returning any prestige on it to its previous holder).

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GALACTIC PRESTIGE

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At the start of each round, before selecting action cards, if there is a sole Prestige Leader with prestige on top of this tile, then that player gains 1 VP chip, draws 1 card, and removes the prestige from this tile (adding it to any other prestige the player has).
If, instead, the Prestige Leader has no prestige on this tile or two or more players are tied for the prestige lead, then each such player gains 1 VP chip.
Goals involving VP chips can be claimed as a result of gaining VP chips during this step (even though this isn’t the end of a game phase).
As a reminder that a sole Prestige Leader has taken his bonus, put his new VP chip on top of Prestige Leader tile, removing it after actions are revealed.
When players are tied for the prestige lead, they tend to remind each other to take a VP chip, so no reminder is needed.
Note: 5 extra VPs are used when playing with this expansion (see Setup).
Spending Prestige. Some powers allow a player to spend prestige to gain play advantages (such as drawing cards, additional Military for a Settle phase, gaining VP chips, etc.), as described starting on page 11.
If an expenditure results in the Prestige Leader losing sole prestige lead, the player immediately returns the tile to the center (or to a new Prestige Leader).
Prestige Bonus. Each player has a prestige/search action card to use once per game either for search (see next section) or, by expending 1 prestige, to gain an extra prestige bonus for the phase they selected.
To indicate a prestige bonus, a player can either place both action cards or place just the prestige/search action card, naming the phase to which it applies as players flip over and reveal their selected action cards.
In the 2-player advanced game, place the prestige/search action card and the action card for the other phase you selected, naming the phase receiving the prestige bonus as you flip your action cards over.
The player then immediately spends a prestige. The selected phase occurs normally, except that any player selecting it with a prestige action receives the listed prestige bonus, in addition to the normal bonus for selecting that phase.
Once used, a player removes his prestige/search action card from the game.
To see the effects of these bonuses, set the phase action card side-by-side with the prestige/search action card.
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The prestige bonuses are:
• Explore: draw +6, keep +1, combine draws with your hand, then discard.

With Explore: +5 (and no other powers), this becomes draw 13 cards, combine them with your hand, and then discard 11 (keeping 2).
With Explore: +1,+1 (and no other powers), this becomes draw 9 cards, combine them with your hand, and then discard 6 (keeping 3).
• Develop

Discard 3 fewer cards (total) to pay for a development.
• Settle

Either discard three fewer cards when paying for worlds and/or gain +2 Military until the end of this Settle phase. (Then, draw a card normally after paying for (or conquering) the world you revealed.)
• Consume: Trade

Sell a good, drawing 3 additional cards; then consume any remaining goods doubling the number of VP chips received (as the Consume +x1 bonus applies) and, optionally, discard up to two cards from your hand for 1 VP apiece.
• Consume: 2x

Triple (not double) the number of VP chips (only) that you receive.
• Produce

Draw 3 cards and produce up to two windfall goods (if possible).
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Game End. In addition to the ways a game can possibly end, it ends if a player has 15 or more prestige at the end of a round.
Scoring. Each prestige chip held by a player at game end scores 1 VP.
Some cards score 1 VP for each prestige chip, including Federation Capital, as indicated by a prestige symbol in its VP “hex”.
Prestige chips do not count towards Galactic Renaissance’s VP chip scoring.
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Introduction. Once per game, a player may play his prestige/search action card, declaring “search” as action cards are flipped up and revealed, to search the card supply for a card matching a search category and take it. Doing so does not expend a prestige (thus, a player can search on the first round), but does prevent this player from later using his prestige/search action card to gain a prestige bonus (see previous section).
Procedure. If any player declares search, then a search step occurs before any phase is resolved. Unlike phases, search occurs only for players who declare it. If more than one player declares search during the same round, resolve each search separately, starting from the player with the lowest numbered start world and proceeding clockwise.
To resolve a search, a player selects one of the nine search categories depicted on the search sheet and then reveals (to all players) cards from the supply one at a time, setting them aside. When a card matching the specified category is found, the player may either stop, taking that card in hand, or continue searching. If he continues searching, then when a second card matching the specified category is found, the player must stop and take that card in hand.
If the card supply is exhausted, shuffle the current discard pile to form a new supply and continue searching. If this new supply is exhausted, the search fails: the player takes no card in hand but retains his prestige/search action card for later use.
All previously revealed and set aside cards are then added face down to the discard pile. If the search was successful, the player then removes his prestige/search action card from the game.
SEARCH

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This expansion extends the takeover game described in Rebel vs Imperium.
Interstellar Casus Belli’s takeover power enables a player
to attempt a takeover against a military world in any
player’s tableau (all tableaus are vulnerable to it).
If combined with the Imperium Invasion Fleet’s power to
conquer a non-military world, then potentially any world
in play can be taken over.
The Imperium Planet Buster’s takeover power, if successful,
destroys the target world (discard it from play).
The Pan-Galactic Security Council’s defense power can be used at
the start of the takeover resolution step to defeat any one declared
takeover attempt (against a world in any player’s tableau).
Players may not give nor trade prestige to other players.
A world that provides 1 prestige when placed does not provide
another prestige when taken over.
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TAKEOVER GAME NOTES
Search Categories. The nine categories depicted on the search sheet are:
• Developments that provide +1 or +2 Military. Ignore any
temporary or specialized Military produced on these cards.
• 1 or 2 defense military windfall worlds.
• 1 or 2 (printed) cost windfall worlds.
• Worlds (of any type) with a symbol.
• Windfall or production worlds that come with or produce
Alien goods. Ignore other ALIEN cards. The searching
player may choose to have Alien Oort Cloud Refinery match
this category.
• Cards with Consume powers that consume two or more
goods. Pilgrimage World and cards with powers consuming
two or more goods of a given kind do match this category.
• Military worlds with 5 or more defense.
• 6-cost developments.
• Cards with Settle takeover powers (including defense powers).
This category can be chosen only if playing with takeovers on.

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Two new two-sided counters are provided so that start worlds 12–15 can be
played by the “robot opponent” in the solitaire game (reusing older counters).
Prestige. Use the prestige rules during solitaire play.
Thus, 5 extra VPs are used; the robot gains a prestige if it places a card that
provides one; the robot can tie for or become Prestige Leader normally; and,
at game end, each prestige chip held by the robot is worth 1 VP.
If the robot is the Alien Research Team ( ) or Rebel Freedom Fighters ( ),
its powers can also produce prestige during play.
If the robot is sole prestige leader at the start of a round and the robot gained at
least one prestige in the previous round, then the robot gains 1 VP, places 1 card
in its stack, and increases its credit by 1.
The robot never chooses search nor a prestige bonus (though you may do so).
SOLITAIRE GAME
11 new counters are provided to assist players in tracking their Military and
relevant powers in the takeover game.
Rebel Sneak Attack’s takeover power (like Rebel Alliance’s power in Rebel vs
Imperium) provides 2 Military for each Rebel military world in its owner’s
tableau at the start of Settle, used only when that player is attempting a
takeover. Two counters are supplied to mark this.
Six counters are supplied so that players can mark their total possible
Military, if all temporary military powers have been used.
A player with 2 Military, plus two temporary Military,
plus 1 additional Military versus Rebel military worlds,
would mark this as shown. This lets other players know
that vulnerable military worlds in their
tableaus could possibly be attacked in a
takeover attempt by Military 4 (5 if it is
a Rebel military world).
Two counters are supplied to track a player’s total possible Military on
defense (for use with Rebel Pact).
One counter is supplied to remind players of Pan-Galactic Security
Council’s takeover defense power. Put it before its owner’s military
slide, in front of the Rebel/Imperium status section.
Military

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Setup. Use the “robot =” and special mat counters for each start world as
shown below (and on the reverse of the search sheet). Use 5 extra VPs (29
total). All these start worlds begin with economy size 0, 4 cards and credit 1,
except Galactic Scavengers, which begins with 3 cards and credit 2.
The Galactic Scavengers ( ),
in addition to the start changes
noted above, increases its
credit by one on Produce.
The Uplift Mercenary Force
( ) receives extra cards on
Explore and settles military
worlds, but must pay to do so
on response. On Settle, it
receives 4 cards, +1 card for
each world in its tableau
stack, including itself.
The Alien Research Team
( ) receives extra cards on
Explore; +1 credit on Trade;
and, if it has at least one
Alien world in its
tableau stack, 1 prestige on
Consume 2x (but no increase
to its economy size). On its
Settle action, it places only
Alien worlds; on
response, it places an Alien
military world or
any non-military world,
whichever it finds first.
The Rebel Freedom Fighters
( ) receives extra cards on
Explore, Develop, and Settle;
settles military worlds; gains
1 prestige each time it places
a Rebel development or Rebel
military world; but can never
place (or match on) any
IMPERIUM cards.

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DRAFTING VARIANT (2-6 players)
The drafting variant introduced in The Gathering Storm now supports up to six
players. Deal each player 2 start worlds and shuffle the remaining start worlds
with the game cards. The number of cards that each player draws to choose
from before passing the rest (alternating the pass direction each round) are:
2 players: 4 cards
3 players: 5 cards
4 players: 6 cards
5 players: 7 cards
6 players: 8 cards

Notes: Retrofit and Salvage, Inc.’s power to gain discards instead gives its owner
draws (from his card supply) equal to the number of cards discarded by other
players. Discard a world (and any good on it) destroyed by Imperium Planet
Buster to its former owner’s discard pile.

GOAL CONDITIONS
“First” goals:
First to have at least two
prestige chips and at least
three VP chips at the end
of a phase (Galactic
Standing).
First to have either Military less than zero, with at least two worlds in tableau, or a takeover power, with at least two military worlds in tableau (Peace/War Leader).
If takeovers are off, the
second condition cannot
be met (as takeover
powers are ignored).
First to have either at least three
IMPERIUM
cards or at least four military worlds in tableau (Military Influence).
At least three and the most prestige chips (Galactic Prestige).

“Most” goals:
At least three and the most cards with Consume (Phase IV) powers in tableau (Prosperity Lead).
Ignore Trade powers.

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CARD POWERS (by phase)
II: DEVELOP
See Other Players’ Actions
The player selects his action after other players’ actions are revealed.
In the 2-player game for experienced players, the player selects his second action after both his opponent’s actions are revealed.
ROUND START
Discard for Prestige At the start of Explore (before drawing any cards), the player may discard 1 card to gain 1 prestige.
This power does count for the Research Leader goal.
I: EXPLORE
Draw, then Discard At the start of Develop, the player draws the indicated number of cards, adds them to his hand, and discards 1 card.
Develop and Gain Prestige The player gains 1 prestige after placing the indicated (any, 6-cost, or Rebel) development.
Spend Good to Reduce Cost May discard a Rare elements good ( ) to reduce the cost to place a development by 2.
Save Card from Payment After applying discounts, put 1 card from a development payment under this world ( ).
III: SETTLE
Draw After, then Discard After placing a world ( ), the player draws 2 cards, adds them to his hand, and discards 1 card.
Settle and Gain Prestige The player gains 1 prestige after placing the indicated (a Rebel or any production) world.

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III: SETTLE (continued)
Spend Good to Reduce Cost
May discard a Gene's good ( ) to reduce the cost to place a world by 3.
Replace a world May replace a non-military world ( ) with a 0-3 higher cost world of the same kind ( ), at no cost, to gain 1 prestige. Exception: for this power, a gray world ( ) is considered a kind of world.
This is in addition to any Settle action its owner might take. If the replacement is a windfall world or provides prestige, place its good or gain 1 prestige. Its powers cannot be used this phase. Any good on the old world is lost. This power cannot target a newly placed world nor be combined with any other Settle powers (or bonuses).
Terraforming Engineers also has a -1 cost power, affecting normal Settle actions.
Save Card from Payment After applying discounts, put 1 card from a world payment (but not discards to increase Military) under this world ( ).
Settle Extra Military World May discard from tableau to place a military world ( ) after first successfully placing another world ( ).
This cannot be used with takeover ( ) or pay for military ( ) powers, but can be used with a conquer non-military world power.
This extra world is placed as part of executing Settle powers (after fully resolving settling a world). It can be used after Improved Logistics.
No powers from a world settled earlier in this phase can be used to settle this extra world. If the player chose Settle, he does not draw a Settle bonus for this extra world.
Receive Good After Put a good on top of a production world ( ) after placing it.
Military +1 Military for each world in tableau.
+1 Military. This becomes -1 Military (total), if this player has an IMPERIUM card in his tableau.
Temporary Military May spend 1 prestige to gain +3 Military until the end of this phase.
May discard a Rare elements good ( ) to gain +2 Military until the end of this phase.
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III: SETTLE (continued)
Pay for Military ( )
As an action, the player may place an Alien military world ( ) as a non-military world. The cost is its defense, with any other applicable discounts (including the Alien Research Team’s own discount for placing Alien worlds).
As an action, the player may place a military world as a non-military world. The cost is its defense, with any other applicable discounts.
Take Over a World ( ) As an action, the player may attempt to conquer a military world ( ) in another player’s tableau.
Spend 1 prestige to take over from any player’s tableau. If successful, gain 2 prestige.
Discard from tableau to take over from a tableau with at least one IMPERIUM card, adding 2 Military for each Rebel military world ( ) in your tableau.
Take over from a tableau with total Military of at least 1. If successful, discard that world (and any good on it) and gain 2 prestige.
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Prestige for Pay for Military Gain 1 prestige after using a pay for military ( ) power.
This power does not give the player the ability to pay for military worlds; another power must be used to do so.
Conquer Non-military World As an action, the player may discard this card from his tableau to place a non-military world ( ) as a military world ( ) and gain 2 prestige. Its defense is equal to its printed cost.
This can be combined with takeover ( ) but not pay for military ( ) powers.
Defeat a Takeover ( ) Before resolving any takeovers, the player may spend 1 prestige to defeat one takeover attempt against any player’s tableau.
$: TRADE
Cannot Sell Good A good on this world cannot be sold (using the Trade bonus).
Consume powers, such as the Trade League’s power, can be used.
Trade League does score for this power.
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IV: CONSUME
Goods for Prestige
Discard the indicated good(s) to gain the specified prestige, VPs, and card draws.
Prestige is not doubled by Consume: 2x.
Discard Cards for Prestige
May discard 2 cards from hand to gain 1 prestige.
Spend Prestige
May spend 1 prestige to draw 3 cards.
May spend 1 prestige to gain 3 VPs.
This can be doubled with Consume: 2x.
ROUND END
Gain Other Players’ Discards
After discarding as needed to satisfy his hand limit, the player draws other players’ hand limit discards (if any exist) into his hand.
The player, after doing so, can exceed his hand limit.
V: PRODUCE
Produce Good and Gain Prestige
Produce a good on this world, if it has none, and only then, gain a prestige.
The production reminder for this world shows only its prestige icon.
Gain Prestige for Most
Gain 1 prestige if the player has more worlds than any other player.
Draw for Most Goods
At the end of Produce, draw 1 card if the player produced more goods during this phase than any other player.
Discard to Produce Windfall
Discard a card from hand to produce a good on a windfall world of the specified kind that has no good.
These powers are separate from a production world’s produce good power.
Draw Saved Cards
Draw all cards saved under this world ( ).
If this world is ever discarded from tableau, discard any saved cards.

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6-COST DEVELOPMENT POWERS
For these developments, score end of game VPs for every card in its owner’s tableau that satisfies one of the conditions listed on it, where a CARD TITLE refers to that card’s presence in the tableau.
PAN-GALACTIC AFFLUENCE
ALIEN CORNUCOPIA GOLDEN AGE OF TERRAFORMING
PAN-GALACTIC HOLOGRID
UNIVERSAL PEACE INSTITUTE
Multi-Kind World Attribute
The Alien Oort Cloud Refinery’s kind is chosen when placed, can be changed by its owner at any time, and is chosen (once) before scoring.
A player could produce on it with Mining Robots and then change its kind (and its good’s kind) to Genes for Pan-Galactic League (and later phases). The good was Rare elements for powers referring to its production during that Produce phase, such as Mining Conglomerate.
Imperium Planet Buster is a cost 9 development. It is not considered a 6-cost development for any purpose, including Search, Federation Capital’s Develop power, the Galactic Status goal, the solitaire game, or any 6-cost developments’ VPs.

other (non-ALIEN) production world | ALIEN card (including this one) | other 6-cost development | TERRAFORMING card (including this one) | production world | EXPORT DUTIES, GALACTIC RENAISSANCE, TERRAFORMED WORLD (additional) | EXPANDING COLONY | other world | Novelty world | military world | PAN-GALACTIC MEDIATOR | total negative Military (count negative Military as positive victory points)

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CONTEST WINNERS
The winners of the card contest in expansion #2 were:
• Michael Brough for inspiring Alien Oort Cloud Refinery.
Honorable Mentions: Gilles and Nydhyana Brischoux, Lionel Coignard, Christopher Guild, Dimitri Polzin, and Charlie Schoegje
• Kester Jarvis for inspiring Golden Age of Terraforming.
Honorable Mentions: Pierre Dahl and Christopher Guild
• Ville Halonen and Raine Rönnholm for inspiring Universal Peace Institute.
Honorable Mention: Anthony Rubbo
Honorable Mentions: These entrants correctly anticipated already designed cards or powers in this expansion. Congratulations on your perception!
Andrey Belikov, Rus Belikov, Stephane Berthelot, Dan Blum, Christophe Capel, David Dal Zot, Michael Fraser, Jérémy Goutin, Joe Huber, Joel Jeddeloh, Colin Kameoka, Daniel Kotlewski, J. Chris Lorton, Jesse Mundis, Bill Reeves Jr., R. Eric Reuss, Justin Rodger, Anthony Rubbo, Mark Saya, Ralf Schemmann, Lotte Schüler, Ian Scrivins, Kevin Shiue, Dave Thorby, and Nicholas Vacek.
Thank you to everyone who entered the card contests.
CREDITS
Design, development, and rules: Tom Lehmann
Original graphics and development assistance: Wei-Hwa Huang
Graphics: Mirko Suzuki
Illustrations: Martin Hoffmann and Claus Stephan
Playtesting and Advice:
Corin Anderson, David Helmbold, Jay Heyman, Trisha Lantznester, Serge Levert, Chris Lopez, Larry Rosenberg, Ron Sapolsky, Don Woods, and many others.
Thank you all!
Special Thanks: Larry Rosenberg (card critiques) and Don Woods (search)
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please write to us at:
Rio Grande Games, 18 Santa Ana Loop, Placitas, NM 87043, USA
E-Mail: RioGames@aol.com
www.riograndegames.com
© 2009 Tom Lehmann
© 2010 Rio Grande Games

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