How to Play Dune: War for Arrakis – The Spacing Guild

1. Game Objective

The The Spacing Guild expansion introduces the great powers of the Empire — CHOAM, the Spacing Guild, and the Landsraad — into the conflict over Arrakis. The main objective is to use the monopoly on space travel to recruit Houses Major Troops and Space Frigates, transporting them via colossal Heighliners to reinforce your forces on the planet and shift the balance of the war.

2. Setup

1. Place the Space Board and the Heighliner Boards (for each faction) on one side of the main board.
2. Place the Heighliner figures on the starting space of their respective Heighliner Boards.
3. Each player must attach a color base of their faction to 2 Houses Major Troops and place them in the area of the Heighliner board marked with the Landsraad symbol.
4. Keep the Space Frigates, the remaining Houses Major Troops, the color bases, and the Guild Navigator card and figure nearby.
5. Shuffle the 3 new Planning cards for each faction into their respective decks.

3. Game Flow

The game follows the normal flow, but with the addition of Imperium Actions that can be performed during the round:

• Atreides: May perform an Imperium Action immediately after using one of their Legions to destroy a Harkonnen Harvester.
• Harkonnen: Perform Imperium Actions during the Spice Harvesting phase (phase 4 of the round), spending Spice points to maintain or raise Imperium markers.

Additionally, at the end of each round, the Heighliners automatically move 1 step toward Arrakis on the Space Board.

4. Actions and How to Play

There are three types of Imperium Actions, each associated with an Empire power:

• Spacing Guild Action: Advance your Heighliner 1 step on the Space Board.
• CHOAM Action: Place 1 Space Frigate on your Heighliner board (in the area with the CHOAM symbol).
• Landsraad Action: Attach a color base of your faction to 2 Houses Major Troops and place them on your Heighliner (in the area with the Landsraad symbol).

Landing Phase: When a Heighliner reaches the final step (Arrakis), the Landing Phase is resolved immediately. The player removes the units from the Heighliner board and places them on the main board following placement restrictions (empty areas not adjacent to enemies for troops; free Air Zones for frigates). After this, the Heighliner returns to the starting space.

Special Abilities:

• Superior Troop-Transport: Remove 1 Space Frigate in a connected Air Zone to move or attack with a Legion up to 3 areas away.
• Aerial Bombardment: Remove 1 Space Frigate to attack an area with an enemy Harvester or Legion (rolling 3 combat dice).
• Guild Navigator (Harkonnen): Enters play via Planning card. Can be removed to act as an Ornithopter or replace an Ornithopter anywhere on the board.

5. End of Game and Scoring

Consult the manual for details on this section.

6. Tips for Winning

• Harkonnen Resource Management: Plan your Spice spending well during the Spice Harvesting phase. Spending 3 points to raise an Imperium marker grants 2 actions, which can be decisive for moving your Heighliner faster or recruiting troops en masse.
• Tactical Use of Frigates: Do not underestimate Aerial Bombardment. It allows you to remove Harvesters or deal direct damage to enemy Legions without the need for conventional combat, making it an excellent tool for destabilizing your opponent.