1. Objective of the Game

In High Frontier 4 All: Module 3 – Conflict, players are factions that have expanded beyond Earth and are now negotiating, trading, and sometimes fighting for control of the solar system. The War of Independence can erupt when the internal market in space becomes as valuable as trade with Earth, forcing factions to choose between remaining under terrestrial regulation or becoming a free‑trade coalition of self‑governing city‑states.

The game ends when the War of Independence is resolved. The victorious bloc (Loyalists or Independents) is determined by the propaganda chits on the Political Assembly placard (see 3B3). The winning bloc gains victory points from the War/Anarchy Victory Point track (3F4). The losing bloc’s players may still earn points from other scoring tracks, but the overall game winner is the bloc that wins the War.

2. Preparation (Setup)

1. Module 0 must be used. Place the Module 3 Political Assembly placard in place of the Core placard.
2. Modules 1 & 2 are recommended but not required. If used, follow their setup rules (see 3Aa).
3. Players (2‑6) divide into the Independence (b) and Loyalist (m) blocs. Each bloc assigns factions to players (use dice if necessary). At least one Loyalist (Purple, Yellow, or White) and one Independent (Green, Gray, or Red) must be present.
4. Aqua starts as in Core (C5). If using the quick start variant (V1), start with zero Aqua.
5. Bribes – each player takes 3 black bribe disks (2 in 5‑ or 6‑player games) into their Reserves (see 3B1).
6. Playmat – each player takes the playmat of their faction color. The playmat contains the faction weapon (3D6) and the firing results table (3E2).
7. Dropstone – each player places the plastic dropstone of their color on the spot with the dropstone picture on the map.
8. Propaganda Chits – place the six propaganda chits on the circles of the political assembly placard as follows: Freedom, individuality, and equality on the Independence side; honor, unity, and authority on the Loyalist side (see 3A5).
9. Extremist Delegates – each player starts with one delegate in their color’s ideology. Place the delegate on top of the propaganda chit that matches their ideology (3B2a). If the chit is flipped, the delegate becomes disgraced and moves into the ideology (3B2b).
10. Seniority Disks – place 4, 5, or 7 disks in the center of the political assembly depending on game length (short, intermediate, or Futures). These disks are used in the War Outbreak Roll (3C1).

3. Flow of the Game

The game proceeds in turns, each consisting of the following phases (in order):

1. Player Turn – the active player performs any number of actions, including free actions, operations, and combat.
2. End of Turn – resolve end‑of‑turn effects such as the Purge Roll (K1e) and any forced actions from war restrictions (see 3D3).
3. Next Player – the next player in clockwise order becomes active.

When the War of Independence is declared (see 3C3), the following changes occur immediately:

• The Active Law star token moves to the War/Anarchy slot on the political assembly (3C3b).
• A Purge Roll is performed (K1e). For each player, one delegate of each color in the same ideology is decommissioned unless the delegate is an extremist (3D3a).
• All War/Anarchy restrictions (3D4, 3D5) take effect. Operations, abilities, and free actions that are restricted must be evaded by petitioning a delegate (3D3).
• Combat and felonies are allowed between enemies (3D).

The War continues until the War/Anarchy Victory Point track (3F4) is reached or a truce is declared (3F3). The war ends when all propaganda chits support one bloc (3F4d) or when the victory point track is filled (3F4a).

4. Actions and How to Play

4.1. General Actions

• Operations – any Core or Module 1/2 operation that is not restricted by war rules (see 3D4).
• Free Actions – any Core or Module 1/2 free action that is not restricted by war rules (see 3D5).
• Combat – allowed only between enemies during War/Anarchy (3D). Combat is resolved by rolling dice and applying the relevant tables (see 3E2, 3E6).
• Felonies – allowed against enemies during War/Anarchy (3D). Felonies do not require a bribe.

4.2. Vendettas (3D1)

Vendettas are actions forbidden by exoplanetary law. They can be performed only by paying a bribe to the victim before the relevant dice roll. Five types exist:

• Sneak Attack – treacherous attack on an ally when you flip your propaganda to the other bloc during a defection (3B3c).
• Sabotage – on an opponent’s turn, immediately after a successful Belt, Hazard, or Epic Hazard Roll, force a reroll.
• Human Kamikaze – only Player Purple may use this weapon (3E5d). Paying a bribe allows unlimited use of human kamikazes and manned dropstones that turn.
• Beamed Gray Goo – only Player Gray or a player with an Anchored Pharmaceutics Bernal/Lab may fire this weapon (3D6e). A bribe allows unlimited use of gray goo that turn.
• Dropstone – any player may attack with this weapon (3D7). Only Player Purple is exempt from paying the bribe.

4.3. Delegate Corruption & Suborning (3D2)

• Corrupt Delegate – place a bribe disk under a delegate to corrupt it. A corrupt delegate can be petitioned to evade war restrictions (3D3).
• Suborn – once per turn free action, corrupt an uncorrupted delegate of any color by paying a bribe (and 4 Aqua if the delegate is not your color). Extremists and incorruptible delegates cannot be suborned.
• Blackmail – if you decommission a corrupt delegate for any reason, you claim its bribe.

4.4. Petition to Evade Restrictions (3D3)

During War/Anarchy, certain operations and abilities are restricted. To perform a restricted action, you must petition a delegate to the indicated ideology using one of the following:

• An extremist delegate of your color (or an opponent’s color if you negotiate).
• A delegate of your color.
• A delegate of an ally’s color, with their permission.
• A corrupt delegate of any color.

If the petition is successful, the action is allowed for that turn.

4.5. Faction Weapons (3D6)

Each faction has a unique weapon that can be used only during War/Anarchy and only if the player has an Anchored Bernal (or ET Home Bernal). The weapons are:

• Red (Capitalist Freedom) – jammers that allow the attacker to attack first (3D8e).
• Yellow (National Unity) – biological warheads on kamikaze attacks (3E5).
• White (Elitist Honor) – marines that do not need buggies for buggy attacks (3E4). White delegates are incorruptible.
• Green (Worker Equality) – fighting mirrors that do not need a Powersat (3E3c).
• Gray (Anarchical Individuality) – beamed gray goo that adds 1d6 to raygun FV (3E3a). Requires a bribe to use against an enemy.
• Purple (Socialist Authority) – amat bombs that cost 1 Aqua to use (3E5d). Purple can perform a sneak attack without a bribe (3B3c).

4.6. Dislodge (3D7)

Dislodge is a new War/Anarchy operation that creates a dropstone stack. The stack must contain an operational thruster and may be used to attack a target in the appropriate heliocentric zone. The stack is decommissioned after the attack.

5. End of Game and Scoring

The game ends when the War of Independence is resolved. The resolution occurs under one of the following conditions:

• All propaganda chits support one bloc (3F4d). The war ends immediately, and the victorious bloc gains victory points from the War/Anarchy Victory Point track.
• The War/Anarchy Victory Point track is filled (3F4a). The bloc that reaches the end of the track wins the war.
• A truce is declared (3F3). The war ends, and the bloc that has the most propaganda chits wins.

After the war ends, each player counts points from the following scoring tracks (exact scoring tables are in the manual; consult the manual for details on each track). The overall winner is the player whose bloc wins the war, plus any additional points earned from other tracks.

6. Tips for Winning

• Control the Propaganda – flipping enemy propaganda during a defection (3B3c) can force the enemy to lose a factory and may end the war if all propaganda aligns with your bloc.
• Use Faction Weapons Wisely – each faction weapon has a unique advantage during war. For example, Purple’s amat bombs allow you to attack without a bribe, while Gray’s beamed gray goo can add extra damage to rayguns.
• Evade Restrictions Early – petition a delegate to evade war restrictions (3D3) before you need to perform a restricted operation or ability. This can save you from costly penalties or forced decommissioning.