# Star Realms: Command Deck – The Alignment ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2018 - **BGG Rating**: 7.6 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-4 (Best with: 2) - **Duration**: 20-0 min - **Weight**: 1.50 / 5 - **Designers**: Darwin Kastle, Robert Dougherty - **Artists**: Adam Lachmanski, Randy Delven, Vito Gesualdi - **Publishers**: Wise Wizard Games, Devir, IELLO, IUVI Games - **Categories**: Card Game, Expansion for Base-game, Science Fiction - **Mechanics**: Deck, Bag, and Pool Building ## Verdict If you love Star Realms and want to step into a legendary commander’s shoes, The Alignment gives you that in a quick, thematic package.Faction customizationReady‑to‑play deckWorks with all setsExtensive English textLight learning curveRECOMMENDED ## Description Star Realms: Command Deck – The Alignment arrives as one of six command decks released after Star Realms: Frontiers. Each deck packs 18 cards that turn the player into a Legendary Commander, providing a 12‑card starting deck, two easy‑to‑use score cards, two Commander‑specific Gambit cards, and even an 8‑cost mega‑ship. The main appeal is customization: the deck includes new cards from the commander’s two favorite factions, enabling aggro, control or combo‑oriented strategies. You can use The Alignment for commander‑duel battles or as a raid‑boss, taking on multiple opponents playing standard decks. It works with Frontiers and any other Star Realms set, expanding the universe without adding new rules – just lay the cards out and follow the familiar deck‑building, open‑buy, future‑buy, and hand‑management mechanics. Playtime hovers around 20 minutes, but can stretch with four players or when everyone explores Gambit options fully. Its light weight (1.5/5) ensures a minimal learning curve, perfect for those already comfortable with Star Realms core and seeking a quick, thematic boost. In short, The Alignment offers a fast way to step into a legendary commander role, with quality components and solid replay value, though it leans on a fairly extensive text that benefits from a good grasp of the language. ## How to Play Game Objective When playing with the Alignment Command Deck, you take on the role of Divine Admiral Le, the legendary commander of the Alignment. Your objective is to defeat your opponents, who can be another player using a Command Deck or two players using standard starter decks. While you can acquire and play cards from any faction, your starting deck and gambit cards work particularly well with cards from the and factions. Setup Place your Divine Admiral Le card, along with your Alignment Ingenuity and Le's Foray gambit cards, face up in front of you. The Divine Admiral Le card is for reference only and does not count as a card or in play for activating Ally Abilities. You start with 64 Authority. You can use the included scorecards to track your Authority. To represent a change in the tens digit, rotate and/or flip the card. To represent a change in the units digit, slide and/or flip the card. Add the two numbers in the circle to get your Authority score. Shuffle the Mech Battleship card into the Trade Deck before assembling the initial Trade Row. Shuffle the other 12 cards (Imperial Talon, Imperial Viper, Ranger, Salvage Drone, Scout, Scout Bot, Stellar Falcon, Viper, and Welder Drone) to create your Personal Deck. Your starting hand is six cards. If you are the first player, you receive a starting hand of three cards. If you are the second player, you receive a starting hand of six cards. 2 vs 1: When playing against two players, these players use standard starter decks (eight Scout cards and two Viper cards). They play as a Hydra team with a total of 75 Authority. Hydra teams share a turn, can share trade and combat, but have separate decks and ally triggers. Game Flow Refer to the manual for details on this section. Actions and How to Play Alignment Faction Symbol This faction symbol represents both and . Mech Battleship The Mech Battleship card counts as a card of both factions ( and ), and will activate the Ally Abilities of either. Its own Ally Ability can be activated by a or card. Alignment Ingenuity (Gambit) This gambit remains face up in front of you throughout the game. When you use the ability of a ship or base, first resolve the ability's effect. Then, you may draw a card and then discard a card. Le's Foray (Gambit) This gambit remains face up in front of you until you use it. You may use it by scrapping it at any time during your Main Phase. When you use it, you count as having an additional and card in play that turn for activating Ally Abilities. End of Game and Scoring Refer to the manual for details on this section. Tips for Winning The Mech Battleship card is a great card for you to acquire, but your opponents can also acquire it, so be aware. Your starting deck and your gambits work particularly well with cards from the and factions, so consider focusing on these factions when acquiring new cards. ## FAQ ### How many players can use The Alignment? 2 to 4 players, just like the base game. ### How long does a game last? About 20 minutes, though it can run longer with four players or heavy Gambit use. ### Do I need any other components to play? Only the command deck itself; any other Star Realms sets you already own are optional. ### What is the deck’s complexity level? Low – it follows the same rules as Star Realms, just adds new cards. ### Is English required? The cards are printed in English and contain a lot of text, so a good grasp of the language is helpful. ### Can I use the deck as a raid boss? Yes, the commander can act as a raid boss against multiple opponents using standard decks. ### What’s the difference between The Alignment and other command decks? Each deck features a different legendary commander, unique Gambit cards, and distinct favorite‑faction combos. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 4.39 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=3439256&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 4.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4887251&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 4.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=1070232&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 5.53 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=2334527&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 5.60 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=1665591&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 5.94 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=7042533&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 6.15 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=2356859&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 6.30 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=2817017&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 6.54 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=1048365&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 6.60 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=1198456&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/27291/star-realms-command-deck-the-alignment?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com