How to Play Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge

Deep Water Games, Metafactory Games, BoardM Factory · Board game · 2021
1–5 · best 2, 3 Solo 45–60 min Weight 2.0/5
8.0 rating Ludopedia
7.3 rating BGG

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Objective of the Game

In Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge, players are competing to get an edge over their competition. This expansion adds new ways to interact directly with other players, including corporate espionage and sabotage. The goal is to strategically build factories, manage resources, and potentially hinder opponents to take the lead.

Preparation (Setup)

To set up Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge, integrate the new cards into the base game:

  • Combine and shuffle all the new blueprint cards from Subterfuge with the base game's blueprint cards.
  • Combine and shuffle all the new contractor cards from Subterfuge with the base game's contractor cards.
  • The sabotage tokens are used with the new Saboteur contractor.

Cards from the Subterfuge expansion can be identified by an expansion symbol in the bottom left corner of the cards.

Solo Game Setup

For the Solo Game, there are modified rules for setup:

  • Remove all Subterfuge contractors from the contractor deck except for the 7 Saboteur contractor cards, which are shuffled in.
  • All Subterfuge blueprint cards should be shuffled into the blueprint deck.

Fluxo do Jogo

Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção.

Ações e Como Jogar

Sabotage

Buildings can be sabotaged by hiring the Saboteur contractor during the market phase. When you do this, you place a sabotage token on a building within a compound that is not already sabotaged. Once sabotaged, that card’s ability is disabled and cannot be activated.

To begin repairs, any time during the work phase, you may choose to flip over the sabotage token and place a worker on it (the value does not matter). This allows you to discard the sabotage token at the END of the next market phase. While a building is being repaired, you still cannot use it. You are not required to repair a sabotaged building, but it will remain disabled until you fully complete the repair.

Sabotage Restriction: It is never possible for the same building to be sabotaged two rounds in a row because you cannot sabotage a building that is already sabotaged, and the sabotage token isn’t discarded until the END of the following market phase.

Accumulating Goods: As you gain goods, place them on the building that manufactured them. This helps players see which buildings are being utilized and may be ideal targets for sabotage. Goods not manufactured by a building (e.g., gained from hiring a contractor) can be placed on the Headquarters board.

Sabotaging The Machine (Solo Game)

In the Solo Game, the rules for sabotage are different. The Machine’s compound consists of cards grouped by color. When you hire the Saboteur, instead of sabotaging an opponent’s factory, you place the sabotage token on an entire color group belonging to The Machine.

During The Machine’s turn, that color’s die cannot manufacture any goods (The Machine can still add cards of that color to their compound). Instead, The Machine will automatically use that color die to flip over the sabotage token and begin repairing. Discard the sabotage token at the end of your market phase.

Sabotage Restriction: You cannot sabotage a color group that is already sabotaged. Because the sabotage token isn’t discarded until the END of your market phase, it is never possible for the same color group to be sabotaged two rounds in a row.

Sabotaging the Player (Solo Game)

During The Machine’s market phase, the green die determines The Machine’s actions as normal. However, in Subterfuge, the action has an additional effect:

  • Rolling a [green die symbol]: As usual, reveal the top card of the blueprint deck and put it in The Machine’s compound. Then discard all contractors ([contractor symbol]) in the marketplace.
  • Additionally, The Machine will sabotage the player (regardless of whether the market contains a Saboteur or not). The Machine will automatically sabotage the card in the player’s compound with the most goods on it (remember: goods should be placed on the card that manufactured them). In the case of a tie or if there are no cards with goods on it, the player decides which non-monument card gets sabotaged. If there are no valid targets, the sabotage token is simply discarded.

Blueprint Cards

  • Airport (Production): Place a die of any value to gain 1 good. At the end of the work phase, choose an opponent to gain an extra die of the same value (they do not roll it) at the beginning of the next work phase. In a situation where multiple players have an Airport and order matters, this choice is made in a clockwise order starting with the player with the first player token. In the solo game, simply gain 1 good and ignore the additional effect (nobody gets the extra die).
  • Assembler (Special): Place 2 matching dice to build a blueprint card from your hand without paying any metal and without needing to discard another blueprint card with a matching tool symbol.
  • Cloning Lab (Training): Pay 2 energy to change the value of an unplaced die to be equal to another die (placed or unplaced). The die you are copying must be one of yours.
  • Empire (Special): Gain 1 good after building a card. Empire does not activate itself when being built. Empire’s build cost is reduced by 1 energy for each card you have built in your compound.
  • Fabricator (Production): Place 2 matching dice with value 3 or less and pay 3 metal to gain 2 goods OR place 2 matching dice with value 4 or greater and pay 4 metal to gain 3 goods. The two dice must have the same value.
  • Guard Tower (Monument): When you are being sabotaged, Guard Tower must be targeted before any other building. If Guard Tower is already sabotaged, your other buildings may be targeted.
  • Lighthouse (Monument): When hiring a contractor, you may instead discard a blueprint with any tool symbol (additional costs still apply). Lighthouse cannot be sabotaged.
  • Promenade (Monument): Promenade is worth X prestige and costs 3 + X metal where X is the number of differently named monument type cards in your compound (max 4). You may only build one Promenade.
  • Trade School (Training): Pay 1 energy to change the value of an unplaced die to any value you don’t already have (this includes placed and unplaced dice).

Contractor Cards

  • Benefactor: Additional cost of 5 energy. Gain 2 goods.
  • Corporate Spy: Choose an opponent and look at their hand. Steal a blueprint card from their hand.
  • Headhunter: Additional cost of 2 energy. Steal a die from a player and roll it as your own for the next work phase. Return ownership of that die back to that player at the end of that work phase.
  • Saboteur: Place a sabotage token on a card in a player’s compound. That card cannot be activated. Draw 2 blueprints from the blueprint deck. Sabotage will not affect the prestige value of monuments such as Promenade. You cannot sabotage a card that already has a sabotage token on it (regardless of whether it’s sabotaged or under repair).
  • Thief: Steal up to 3 resources total from any number of players.
  • Union Leader: Other players must play the next work phase with one fewer die.

Fim de Jogo e Pontuação

Scoring: Sabotage only disables the activated effect of a building. The prestige value of the building and any goods on the card still count towards that player’s final score.

Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção.

Dicas para Vencer

  • Tactical Strike: Pay attention to how your opponents use their factories and sabotage the right card at the right time. For example, you might catch your opponent on a turn with no energy, giving you an ideal opportunity to sabotage their Power Plant.
  • Corporate Espionage: If you see an opponent pick up a key card like Megalith or building certain types of cards like Beacons, you should consider hiring the Corporate Spy to steal that card or hiring the Thief to deny them the necessary resources to build them.

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Rules manual

Official PDF file

Prefer the Official PDF? Download the official Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge rulebook or browse it online with our AI rules assistant.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers about the rules

5 questions
What is the objective of Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge?
In Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge, players are competing to get an edge over their competition. This expansion adds new ways to interact directly with other players, including corporate espionage and sabotage. The goal is to strategically build factories, manage resources, and potentially hinder opponents to take the lead.
How do you set up Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge?
To set up Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge, integrate the new cards into the base game: Combine and shuffle all the new blueprint cards from Subterfuge with the base game's blueprint cards. Combine and shuffle all the new contractor cards from Subterfuge with the base game's contractor cards. The sabotage tokens are used with the new Saboteur contractor. Cards from the Subterfuge expansion can be identified by an expansion symbol in the bottom left corner of the cards. Solo Game Setup For the…
How do you play Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge?
Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção. Sabotage Buildings can be sabotaged by hiring the Saboteur contractor during the market phase. When you do this, you place a sabotage token on a building within a compound that is not already sabotaged. Once sabotaged, that card’s ability is disabled and cannot be activated. To begin repairs, any time during the work phase, you may choose to flip over the sabotage token and place a worker on it (the value does not matter). This allows you to…
How does Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge end, and how do you score?
Scoring: Sabotage only disables the activated effect of a building. The prestige value of the building and any goods on the card still count towards that player’s final score. Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção.
What are some tips for winning Fantastic Factories: Subterfuge?
Tactical Strike: Pay attention to how your opponents use their factories and sabotage the right card at the right time. For example, you might catch your opponent on a turn with no energy, giving you an ideal opportunity to sabotage their Power Plant. Corporate Espionage: If you see an opponent pick up a key card like Megalith or building certain types of cards like Beacons, you should consider hiring the Corporate Spy to steal that card or hiring the Thief to deny them the necessary resources…
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