# Eminent Domain: Escalation ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2014 - **BGG Rating**: 7.7 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-5 (Best with: 3) - **Duration**: 60 min - **Weight**: 2.87 / 5 - **Designers**: Seth Jaffee - **Artists**: Eric J. Carter, Gavan Brown, Ryan Johnson - **Publishers**: Tasty Minstrel Games - **Categories**: Card Game, Civilization, Expansion for Base-game, Science Fiction, Space Exploration - **Mechanics**: Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, Hand Management, Open Drafting, Variable Phase Order, Variable Player Powers ## Verdict If you love space empires and want extra depth without a steep learning curve, Escalation lands just right.More ship optionsSupports 5 playersFlexible new techsRequires base gameLight learning curveRECOMMENDED ## Description Eminent Domain: Escalation arrives as the next chapter in the space‑race saga of Eminent Domain, delivering more tension, options and strategic depth for those who already master the base game. The expansion cannot be played solo – you need the original – but once combined it unlocks a host of new tools: the larger ships gain fresh uses, letting you chart longer routes or haul more resources; extra role cards support a fifth player, expanding the contest to five empires. New technologies appear, each offering an alternate cost that can replace the standard research price, adding flexibility to scientific progress. A brand‑new “Diverse” technology category requires you to own at least one planet of each type before researching, pushing a more balanced territorial spread. For fans of asymmetric starts, optional scenarios provide different opening positions and empire‑specific techs, guaranteeing a unique feel each play. Core mechanics – deck, bag and pool building, hand management, open drafting, variable phase order and variable player powers – remain, now enriched with extra cards and tokens, deepening the game without steepening the learning curve. Playtime stays around an hour for 2‑5 players, and the weight stays light (2.9/5), perfect for groups seeking something more strategic than a casual card game but not as heavy as a heavyweight eurogame. If you love building empires, negotiating peace treaties and battling for galactic supremacy, Escalation adds just the right amount of fresh content without breaking the flow that made the base game so enjoyable. ## How to Play Objective of the Game The galaxy is becoming crowded, and the era of peace and expansion is over. Players, as emperors, must brace themselves against rising tensions. The game is an expansion to Eminent Domain and cannot be played without the base game. The ultimate goal is to accumulate Influence Tokens, as depleting the Influence Tokens in the supply will trigger the game end. Preparation (Setup) Set up the game according to the base Eminent Domain rulebook, then follow these additional steps: Give each player a Fleet Tile. Deal each player one of the new Start Planet Tiles at random. Each player will now have two Start Planet Tiles (one base, one new). Players will choose which of their two Start Planets to use and return the other to the box. Sort the new Technology cards by type (Research / Colonize / Warfare / Survey / Diverse) and place them into four face-up piles near the original Technology cards. You may consolidate new and old Technology cards into similar stacks, but pay attention to the research costs when acquiring them. Specific Setup Rules For 2 Players: Remove the following Role cards from the stacks: 4 Research, 2 Colonize, 4 Warfare, 4 Trade, 4 Produce, 4 Survey. Return these cards to the box. For 5 Players: Add the four blue-bordered "5 PLAYER ONLY" Role cards to each stack. Also add the eight blue Influence Tokens to the standard supply pile. Fluxo do Jogo The game proceeds in turns, each consisting of three phases: Replenish Phase, Action Phase, and Role Phase, followed by a Cleanup Phase. Replenish Phase At the very beginning of your turn, replenish any empty Replenishing slots in your Empire. If a card contains more than one Replenishing slot, each empty slot will refresh even if the other slots are full. Any Replenishing slots that are full at the beginning of your turn are unaffected. Action Phase During your Action Phase, you are allowed to take one action. This action may be from a card in your hand, from your Fleet Tile, or from any face-up Bustling Planets in your Empire. Taking an action is optional; you may choose to take no actions. Any cards played during your Action Phase are set aside from the play area and have no effect during subsequent Role Phases. Cards played during your Action Phase will not be placed into the Discard pile until the beginning of the Cleanup Phase. Actions printed on Planets and permanent Technology cards are limited to once per action, not once per turn. Role Phase The Role Phase is mandatory. After your Action Phase, you must lead one of the six roles. The Role Phase works like in the base game. In situations where a player is allowed to take an additional Role Phase in a single turn, each Role Phase is resolved separately. Any cards played to boost or follow a role are set aside from the play area at the end of the Role Phase. These cards have no effect during subsequent Role Phases and will not be placed into the Discard pile until the beginning of the Leader's Cleanup Phase. Role symbols on Planets and permanent Technology cards may be used once per Role Phase. Cleanup Phase The Cleanup Phase works like in the base game. At the beginning of the Cleanup Phase, before you reconcile your hand, place all cards that were set aside during your Action and Role Phases into your Discard pile. Players who followed during your Role Phase(s) place any cards they set aside into their Discard piles at the beginning of your Cleanup Phase. Ações e Como Jogar Players can perform various actions and utilize new abilities introduced in Escalation. Fleet Tile Actions You begin the game with a Fleet Tile in play, which allows you to upgrade your ships. You may play actions printed on the Fleet Tile instead of playing a card during your Action Phase. Basic Fleet Abilities: ACTION: Discard 3 Fighters to gain a Destroyer. You may only gain 1 Destroyer per action. ACTION: Discard 2 Destroyers to gain a Battlecruiser. Improved Fleet Abilities: ACTION: For every 2 Fighters you discard in this action, gain 1 Destroyer. ACTION: Discard 2 Destroyers to gain a Battlecruiser. When leading or following a Research role, you may upgrade Fleet to Improved Fleet (flip the tile over) instead of buying a Tech card by paying 3 Research or 3 Fighters. There is no Planet requirement for this upgrade. Ship Types and Usage Fighter: The most basic ship. All new Level 1 Technologies may be purchased by spending 3 Research, instead of 3 Fighters. Destroyer: The defenses of Civilized and Hostile Planets can only be overcome with a Destroyer. All new Level 2 Technologies may be purchased by spending 2 Destroyers, instead of 5 Research. Battlecruiser: You may only have 1 Battlecruiser in play at a time. While in play, it is worth 2 Influence and grants you a 1 discount (2 with Improved Fleet) on all Warfare costs. Attacking a Civilized Planet requires you to spend Destroyers to satisfy any Warfare cost. All new Level 3 Technologies may be purchased by spending Battlecruisers instead of 7 Research. With Improved Fleet, your Battlecruiser now has a Primary Weapon; you may spend 1 Battlecruiser when attacking any Planet instead of the printed Warfare cost. New Abilities Peace Treaty: All Civilized Planets and some Technology cards provide a Peace Treaty ability. Whenever you dissent a Warfare role, in addition to drawing a card, you will receive 1 Influence from the supply for each Peace Treaty in your Empire. These benefits stack. Recon: Allows players to search one of the decks in the game and its discard pile for a number of cards, shuffle that deck, then put the chosen cards on top. It is written "RECON [DECK] for X cards." Reparations: Any ability that directly targets an opponent comes with a "REPARATIONS: X" value. Whenever you successfully use this ability against an opponent, that opponent is compensated with whatever "X" is (printed on the card). For all cards with Reparations in Escalation, "X" is "2 Influence from the supply". Replenishing Slots: Some Planets and Technology cards provide Replenishing ship slots. Place a token of the appropriate type on the slot when the card comes into play. You may spend that token at any time. These slots automatically replenish at the beginning of your turn. New Planet Types Expensive Start Planets: One for each standard Planet type (Advanced/Fertile/Metallic). These Planets each cost 5 Research or 5 Fighters to flip, are each worth 2 Influence, contain no Resource slots, but provide you with two Role symbols. Prestige Start Planets: These Start Planets each cost 2 Research or 2 Fighters, are worth 2 Influence, contain one "Any Resource" slot, and provide one Role symbol. Unlike standard Planet types, Prestige Planets do not have an associated Technology stack. Civilized Planets: Can be colonized for 4 Colonies, but can only be attacked by discarding a Destroyer. All Civilized Planets provide the Peace Treaty ability when flipped. Hostile Planets: Can be attacked by discarding a Destroyer; they cannot be colonized. Every Hostile Planet provides a Replenishing slot. Bustling Planets: Can be colonized for 4 Colonies or attacked by discarding a Destroyer. Once flipped, these Planets provide a new action that can be used during the Action Phase, instead of playing a card. New Technology Card Features Resource Icons: A Technology card may include a Resource icon in the upper left-hand corner. You may discard this card from your hand to spend it as if it was the printed Resource. Ship Icons: A Technology card may include a Ship icon in the upper left-hand corner. You may discard this card from your hand to spend it as if it was the printed ship. Research Costs New technologies have different research costs: Level 1: You may spend either 3 Research or 3 Fighters to learn this technology. Level 2: You may spend either 5 Research or 2 Destroyers to learn this technology. Level 3: You may spend either 7 Research or 1 Battlecruiser to learn this technology. You may never combine Research icons and ships when researching a technology; you either pay the full cost in Research icons or discard the full cost in ships. In each case, you must satisfy the Planet requirements of the technology. You may never spend ships to research technologies that do not have ships in their printed cost (e.g., technologies from the base game). One new technology, Double Time, has a unique Planet requirement. Each Double Time requires one Planet of a specific type, and one Planet of any other type. For example, a Double Time from the Metallic Technology stack requires 1 Metallic Planet, and 1 non-Metallic Planet. Utopian Planets do not satisfy this prerequisite when researching Double Time. There is a new stack of Diverse Technology cards. Each technology in this stack requires an Advanced, a Fertile, and a Metallic Planet. You must have flipped at least one Planet of each of these types in order to research these technologies. Fim de Jogo e Pontuação The game end is triggered when the Influence Tokens in the supply are depleted. In 5-player games, the game end will trigger when any two role stacks are empty, or when the Influence Token supply pile (including the blue tokens) is empty. Final Round When the game end triggers, complete the current round as normal, and then play one additional full round. This way, all players will know for sure whether any given turn is their last turn. If the Influence supply is depleted, additional Influence may still be collected. Use any suitable proxy to track the additional Influence. Scoring Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção. Dicas para Vencer Utilize the Fleet Tile early to upgrade your ships, as different ship types are crucial for acquiring higher-level technologies and overcoming specific Planet defenses. Pay attention to the new Planet types, especially Civilized, Hostile, and Bustling Planets, as they offer unique colonization/attack conditions and abilities like Peace Treaty or additional actions. Consider the new Research costs for technologies. Deciding whether to pay with Research icons or specific ship types can be a strategic choice depending on your current resources and long-term goals. ## FAQ ### How many players can join? 2 to 5 players, thanks to the extra role cards that allow a fifth empire. ### How long does a game last? About 60 minutes, similar to the base game. ### Do I need the base game to play this expansion? Yes, Escalation requires Eminent Domain to be played. ### What is the complexity level? The weight is 2.9/5, considered light‑moderate and easy to pick up. ### What are the main new features? New uses for larger ships, extra role cards, technologies with alternate costs, a ‘Diverse’ tech category, and optional asymmetric scenarios. ### Is there a digital version? Yes, the expansion is available on Board Game Arena's digital implementation. ### Do I need any extra translation sheets? The Portuguese version may require translated sheets or cards, but the core content comes printed in the expansion. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 25.78 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6914144&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/4816/eminent-domain-escalation?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com