How to Play Race for the Galaxy: Rebel vs Imperium

Objective of the Game

In Race for the Galaxy: Rebel vs Imperium, players aim to build the most prosperous and powerful space empire in a galaxy where border conflicts rage, as the Imperium crushes outlying systems and Rebel worlds ally. The game introduces new ways to interact and compete, including the ability to conquer military worlds from other players. The ultimate goal is to have the most Victory Points (VPs) at the end of the game.

Preparation (Setup)

These rules assume the first expansion, The Gathering Storm, is being used, which is strongly recommended. If not, ignore goals, the start world setup change, and solitaire/drafting variants. Takeover rules can still be used, but ignore references to Improved Logistics.

1. Unpack Components: Carefully unpack the card deck, and remove VP chips, goal tiles, military slides, takeover disk, and counters from their frames.
2. Add New Cards: Add the new game cards to the existing deck, replacing the Gambling World with the revised Gambling World from this expansion. A third Research Labs is added for play balance.
3. Add New Goals: Mix the new goals with the existing ones. Select two of the "most" goals and four of the "first" goals during setup.
4. Takeover Disk Setup: For the first game of each session, set out the takeover disk with its red "no takeovers allowed" side face up. Alternate games with takeovers on and off.
5. Takeover Components (When Takeovers are On): If takeovers are on, give each player a Military slide and four cubes (red, purple, and two light red cubes). Set the two takeover defense counters and the Rebel takeover bonus counter nearby.
6. Start World Setup (Rules Change):
   • After setting out the goals, separate the start worlds by their blue and red (even/odd) start numbers into two groups.
   • Shuffle each group separately.
   • Deal two start worlds, one from each group, to every player.
   • Shuffle any remaining start worlds with the game cards.
   • Deal six game cards to each player.
   • Each player, after studying all eight cards (two start worlds and six game cards), discards one of their two dealt start worlds and two of their six game cards.
   • Players then simultaneously reveal their selected start worlds and begin play.

Fluxo do Jogo

Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção.

Ações e Como Jogar

Takeovers

Takeovers allow players to conquer military worlds in other players’ tableaus under certain conditions. Takeovers can be on or off, marked by the takeover disk. When takeovers are off, ignore all powers with takeover symbols, but use their other powers and attributes normally.

Vulnerability to Takeovers

A player is vulnerable to specific takeover powers based on the cards in their tableau:

• Imperium Seat's takeover power: Vulnerable if the player has at least one Rebel military world in their tableau.
• Rebel Alliance's takeover power: Vulnerable if the player has at least one Imperium card in their tableau.
• Imperium Cloaking Technology's takeover power: Vulnerable if the player's total Military in their tableau is at least one.

A player with no military worlds, or only non-Rebel military worlds, no Imperium cards, and only temporary and/or specialized Military is not vulnerable to takeovers.

Tracking Military and Vulnerability

Use the Military slide and cubes to track your total Military (red cube) and Rebel/Imperium takeover vulnerabilities. Place a light-red/purple cube once you put a Rebel military world/Imperium card respectively in your tableau. Use the second light-red cube to track any additional Military versus Rebel worlds. Flip and abut a second, unused slide to track Military greater than 10.

Takeover Procedure

A takeover is performed as an action during the Settle phase, against a previously settled military world in another player’s tableau. It can only be performed if the attacking player has a takeover power that their target is vulnerable to.

1. Declaration: Takeover declarations are made when resolving Settle powers after placing and revealing worlds. There is no separate takeover declaration step, but there is a takeover resolution step at the end of Settle.
2. Invoking Takeover Powers: Takeover powers involve a Settle action, so they must be invoked either by players who didn’t place a world or by a player with a power that allows them to place a second world during Settle (e.g., Improved Logistics).
3. Declaring a Takeover: To declare a takeover, a player announces the takeover power being used, the target world, and any temporary Military being used. The target cannot be a newly placed world in that Settle phase. Powers and attributes of a newly placed world have no effect on takeovers.
4. Resolving Takeovers: Declared takeovers are resolved in clockwise order, starting with the player with the lowest numbered start world, after all players have paid for their worlds and invoked any Settle powers.
5. Boosting Defense: When resolving a takeover, if the owner of the target world has any unused temporary Military, they may boost their Military by invoking these powers.
6. Success Condition: A takeover succeeds if the total Military of the conquering player is greater than or equal to the total Military of the defending player plus the defense of the target world. Ties go to the attacker.
7. Transferring the World: If the takeover succeeds, transfer the world—and any good on it—to the conquering player’s tableau and draw any cards for placing that world (due to a Settle bonus or Draw After powers).

Specific Takeover Powers and Bonuses

• Take Over a World (symbol): As an action, the player may conquer a military world in another player’s tableau.
• Take over a Rebel military world (symbol): Take over from a tableau with at least one IMPERIUM card, adding 2 Military for each Rebel military world in your tableau (at start of Settle).
• Discard from your tableau to take over from a tableau with total Military of at least 1 (symbol): Discard from your tableau to take over from a tableau with total Military of at least 1.
• Rebel Alliance: Provides 2 Military for each Rebel military world in its owner’s tableau at the start of Settle when that player is attempting a takeover (only).
• Rebel Pact: Provides 2 Military for each Rebel military world and 1 Military for each non-Rebel military world in a player’s tableau at the start of Settle, when defending against takeovers.
• Takeover Defense (symbol): The player’s worlds defend against takeover attempts at +2 for each Rebel military world and +1 for each non-Rebel military world in his tableau (at start of Settle).

Other Card Powers

• Pay for Military (symbol): As an action, the player may place a non-Alien military world as a non-military world. The cost is the world’s defense, with any other applicable discounts.
• Pay for Rebel Military (symbol): As an action, the player may place a Rebel military world as a non-military world. The cost is the world’s defense –2, with any other applicable discounts.
• Reduce Pay for Military Cost (symbol): –2 cost when using a pay for military power. This power does not give the player the ability to pay for military worlds; another power must be used to do so.
• Mix and Match Explore: The player combines all exploration draws with his cards in hand before discarding during Explore. Thus, an Explore +5 becomes draw 7 cards, combine them with cards in hand, and then discard any 6 cards.
• Conquer Non-military World: As an action, the player may discard this card from his tableau to place a non-military world as a military world. Its defense is equal to its printed cost –2. This cannot be combined with takeover or pay for military powers.
• "up to" Four Different Kinds: Discard up to 4 different kinds of goods to gain 1 VP and a card draw apiece.
• Ante and Draw if Lucky: The player may ante a card from hand of cost or defense 1-6 to flip over that number of cards from the supply. If any of them has a larger cost/defense than the ante card has, choose any one of the cards flipped over to keep, plus the ante card. If not, discard the ante card.
• Produce Windfall on Other: The player produces a good on one of his other windfall worlds of the specified kind without a good on it. This power is separate from Interstellar Prospectors’ normal Produce power and can be used when it already has a good.
• Draw for worlds (Uplift): Draw 2 cards for each Uplift world within the player’s tableau.
• Draw for worlds (Rebel): Draw 1 card for each Rebel world in the player’s tableau. The Rebel Cantina itself is a Rebel (non-military) world.
• Larger Hand Limit: Discard down to 12, not 10, cards at the end of the round.
• Gain 1 VP: Gain 1 VP. This can be doubled with the Consume: 2x bonus.
• Military for Military Worlds: Contributes +1 Military for each military world in the player’s tableau.
• Discard to Reduce Cost: The player may discard this card from tableau to reduce the cost of placing a development by 3 cards.
• Discard to Draw: The player may discard 1 card from hand to draw 1 card.

Fim de Jogo e Pontuação

Game End Trigger

The game ends when a player triggers the game end with a tableau of 12 or more cards. Some cards, like Trigger on Tableau of 14, can modify this, causing the player to trigger the game end with a tableau of 14 or more cards instead.

Scoring

Victory Points (VPs) are scored from various sources:

• VP Chips: Players collect VP chips throughout the game.
• Goals: Players score points for achieving "first" and "most" goals. Examples include:
  • Uplift Knowledge: First to have at least three UPLIFT cards in tableau.
  • Propaganda Edge: At least three and the most Rebel Military worlds in tableau.
  • Expansion Leader: First to have at least eight cards (developments or worlds) in tableau at the end of a phase.
  • Galactic Riches: First to have at least four goods in tableau at the end of a phase.
  • Research Leader: At least three and the most cards with Explore (Phase I) powers in tableau.
• 6-Cost Development Powers: These developments score end of game VPs for every card in its owner’s tableau that satisfies one of the conditions listed on it. Conditions can include:
  • other world
  • TERRAFORMING card
  • IMPERIUM card (including this one)
  • Rebel military world
  • REBEL card (including this one)
  • other military world
  • other developments (including this one)
  • INTERSTELLAR BANK, INVESTMENT CREDITS, GAMBLING WORLD
  • Uplift world with other UPLIFT card (including this one)
  • GALACTIC BANKERS, GALACTIC EXCHANGE
  • PROSPECTING GUILD
  • REBEL ALLIANCE, UPLIFT CODE
  • Rare elements world
• Pan-Galactic Research: This is a 6-cost development worth 4 VPs. Placing it does not satisfy the Galactic Status goal (in expansion #1), but does count as 2 VPs for Galactic Federation.
• Diversified Economy: A tableau with Diversified Economy and three different kinds of worlds would score 9 for this card.

The player with the most Victory Points wins the game.

Dicas para Vencer

1. Strategic Takeover Vulnerability: Be mindful of your tableau composition. By not entering the "arms race" (having positive Military) or siding with either the Rebels (having Rebel military worlds) or the Imperium (having Imperium cards), your empire can be safe from military action by other players.
2. Timing Takeover Declarations: When multiple takeover declarations are made, or when temporary Military can affect the outcome, players need to be careful with timing. Declared takeovers are resolved in clockwise order, and a later declaration can only succeed if all earlier declared attempts fail.
3. Maximize Military Bonuses: Double-check for all applicable bonuses before declaring a takeover. Cards like Rebel Alliance and Rebel Pact provide significant Military bonuses for attacking or defending, respectively, based on the types of worlds in your tableau.