Game Objective: The Cold War in Your Hands!

Welcome, agents! In Pandemic Legacy: Season 0, you are the CIA's front line in 1962, at the height of the Cold War. The main objective of each game is simple, yet challenging: complete a unique set of objectives that are given to you at the start of each month (and in the prologue).

The threat is real: a fanatic faction of the Soviet Union is developing a biological weapon called MEDUSA, which could cause millions of deaths. Your mission is to travel the world, neutralize Soviet agents, collect intelligence on the MEDUSA plague (samples, research notes, whatever it takes!) and, crucially, locate and recover Agent Charles Sabik, one of our best who disappeared in action. Did he escape or was he released? Is he working for the Reds? Did he learn anything about MEDUSA?

To win, you need to coordinate your actions, use your medical and field skills to accomplish these specific objectives in cities around the globe. Every decision counts, as this is a Legacy game: your choices are permanent and will shape the 12-month campaign. Prepare for action, espionage, and the tension of the Cold War!

Setup: Entering the Field

Before we dive into the action, let's organize the battlefield. Remember, this is a Legacy game, so some things will be permanent, but most reset each month. For the prologue, changes are not permanent, so feel free to experiment!

Here's what you need to do to get started:

1. The Board and Initial Components:
   • Place the board in the center of the table. It is an abstract representation of the world in 1962.
   • Place the 4 pawns, 36 agents, 8 safehouses, 7 incident tokens, 1 threat level marker, 24 tracking tokens, 3 completed/failed objective tokens and the 9 teams (3 Allied, 3 Neutral, 3 Soviet) within reach.
   • Each player receives a reference card and a passport.
   • The Intelligence File and the Personnel File start empty and can be examined at any time.
   • Have the 3 sticker sheets ready for use, but only stick them when instructed.
2. The Card Decks:
   • The Legacy Deck is the heart of the story. It comes in two parts and is arranged in a specific order. For the prologue, unpack and use only Part 1. Part 2 should be returned to the box until you have gone through all of Part 1.
   • Begin game setup (including the prologue) by drawing cards from the Legacy Deck one at a time, resolving both sides of each card until you reach a card that says "PAUSE" or "STOP". This card will indicate when you will continue drawing cards.
   • The Operations Deck (42 cards) and the 48 Threat Cards and 58 Player Cards should be kept separate for now, do not look at them or shuffle them until instructed.
3. Temporary Aliases:
   • During the prologue, you will use temporary aliases. They have everything you need to learn the game. These aliases do not have "cover"; when you would lose cover, you instead discard a Player card.
4. Prologue Objectives:
   • For the prologue, your objectives are: SEARCH FOR AGENT SABIK (Activate Target in NOVOSIBIRSK), Complete and Reveal Sabik's File and Publish New Sabik's File.
5. Calendar and Funding:
   • Use the Game Calendar (on the back of the Debrief Book) to record progress. The initial funding level is "5" in January, which determines how many Event cards are included in the Player deck.
6. Sealed Legacy Components:
   • DO NOT OPEN OR EXAMINE the Legacy Deck (Part 2), Debrief Book, Dossiers or the Safe Deposit Boxes until instructed by the game or campaign guide.

With everything ready, it's time to dive into espionage!

The Game Turn: Your Actions as an Agent

In Pandemic Legacy: Season 0, each turn is a race against time and Soviet surveillance. The game is divided into months, and within each month, you will have turns to complete your objectives. A game turn generally follows this structure:

1. Action Phase:

   During your turn, you can perform up to 4 actions. Actions allow you to move around the board, interact with Soviet agents, create and use teams, and work to complete objectives. Some basic actions include:

   • Move Agent: Each round, you can move one of your agents to an adjacent space. Agents can occupy the same space as other agents (yours or other players').
   • Commercial Flight: (Modified rule, pay attention!)
   • Acquire Targets: (New rule, pay attention!)

   Remember that your aliases and your occupations can grant special abilities that modify or add actions. For example, the "MEDICAL CONFERENCE COORDINATOR" occupation allows you to move to an adjacent city with another player's pawn or up to 3 cities away from your current city.

2. Surveillance and Cover Loss Phase:

   At the start of your turn, if your current city has surveillance icons (represented on the board), you lose 1 cover for each icon, unless there is a safehouse in your city. Cover loss is a real risk!

   • Each time you lose cover, cross out the leftmost space on your current alias's cover track.
   • If there is an icon under the crossed-out space, resolve the corresponding effect:
     • Discard a Player card (if you have any).
     • Your alias gains a liability. Choose a liability sticker and place it on the alias.
     • Your alias has been completely "burned" and cannot be used in any game for the rest of the campaign. Place a "BURNED" sticker over the alias's name and photo. Discard all your cards, lose any remaining actions, and move your pawn to Washington. Return your passport to the reserve. At the start of your next turn, choose a temporary alias for the rest of the game.
3. Team Creation Phase:

   You collect and discard sets of City cards with matching affiliations to create teams. There are three types of teams: Allied, Neutral, and Soviet. They are represented by disguised vans and are crucial for completing most objectives and removing Soviet agents.

   • A team is active only when it is in a city that matches its affiliation. If it is in a city that does not match, it is inactive (lay the figure down as a reminder).
4. Threat Phase:

   Each city on the board has a corresponding Threat card. When this card is drawn, a Soviet agent is placed in that city. If left unchecked, these agents can cause severe negative effects and even make you lose the game!

Remember, cooperation is key! Share information, coordinate your movements, and use your skills to overcome threats and complete objectives.

End of Game and Scoring: The Legacy of Your Actions

The game in Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 does not end in a single session, but rather after a 12-month campaign. However, each "game" (a single month's session) has an end and an evaluation.

End of a Game (Month):

A game (representing one month of the campaign) ends when you:

• Complete all unique objectives assigned for that month.
• Fail to complete the objectives (e.g., too many Soviet agents, loss of cover for all aliases, etc., although these specific rules may be revealed later).

At the end of each game, your team will receive an evaluation (SUCCEEDING, ADEQUATE, FAILING) based on how many objectives were completed. This evaluation is crucial, as it determines:

• The funding level for the next game. Funding (how many Event cards are included in the Player deck) starts at "5" in January and can range from "1" to "10". If funding goes above "10" for the first time, you open Door 14!
• Whether you advance to the next month of the campaign (check the "Check Objectives" section on page 16 of the manual for details).

Additionally, at the end of each game, you will make permanent improvements to prepare for future games. This may include purchasing assets (gadgets, contacts, visas) for your aliases. Remember that assets can only be used by the current alias.

End of Campaign and Final Score:

The Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 campaign ends after you complete the month of December.

At that point, you will be scored based on your final results. The score will be largely based on your monthly evaluations (SUCCEEDING, ADEQUATE, FAILING) and the final state of the world. Each group will have a unique experience and a different "legacy" to tell!

Tips for Winning: Espionage Strategies

As an SEO expert board game writer and senior editor at BoardGameBot, I can guarantee that Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 is an immersive and challenging experience. To help you excel as CIA agents, here are some tactical tips based on the rules we know:

1. Focus on Objectives, but Keep an Eye on Soviet Agents:

   Your primary goal each month is to complete the unique objectives. Don't lose sight of that! In the prologue, for example, it's crucial to SEARCH FOR AGENT SABIK in NOVOSIBIRSK. However, don't ignore the growing threat of Soviet agents. Each city on the board has a Threat card, and agents will appear. Uncontrolled agents can cause severe negative effects and even lead to defeat. Finding the balance between advancing objectives and containing the Soviet presence is key to long-term success.

2. Cover Management and Strategic Use of Safehouses:

   Soviet surveillance is a constant threat to your cover. Losing cover can lead to liabilities and, in the worst case, having your alias burned, making it unusable for the rest of the campaign! Pay attention to the surveillance icons in cities. If possible, prioritize building safehouses in cities with high surveillance, as they prevent cover loss at the start of your turn. Plan your movements to minimize exposure and use safehouses as secure bases for your operations.

3. Leverage Teams and Their Affiliations:

   Teams are your eyes and ears in the field, and they are essential for completing most objectives and removing Soviet agents. Remember that teams are only active in cities that match their affiliation (Allied, Neutral, Soviet). Coordinate the creation and positioning of your teams. If an objective requires an Allied team in an Allied city, make sure the team is there and active. Intelligent use of city and team affiliations can optimize your actions and accelerate objective completion.

Good luck, agents! The fate of the West is in your hands. Stay calm, plan ahead, and trust each other. Coop is counting on you!