How to Play Terraforming Mars: Amazonis & Vastitas

Game Objective

In Terraforming Mars: Amazonis & Vastitas, players explore and colonize two distinct regions of Mars: the volcanic plains of Amazonis Planitia and the frozen ancient ocean of Vastitas Borealis. The goal is to terraform these areas by raising temperature, creating oceans, and developing infrastructure while competing for unique milestones and awards on each map.

Setup

Refer to the manual for details on this section.

Game Flow

Refer to the manual for details on this section.

Actions and How to Play

Amazonis Planitia

• Energy bonus: This region offers advantages related to energy production.
• Wildcard bonuses: Some areas grant flexible resources (any standard resource).
• Noctis City: Can be placed without positioning restrictions.
• Volcanic areas: Olympus Mons, Ascreaus Mons, Pavonis Mons, Arsia Mons, and Hecates Tholus are marked on the map.

Vastitas Borealis

• Ice effect: When placing a tile, the released frozen carbon dioxide increases temperature by 1 step (costs 4 MC).
• Viking landing sites: Allow placing a delegate for free (if playing with Turmoil).
• Volcanic areas: Hecates Tholus, Elysium Mons, Alba Mons, and Uranius Tholus are destinations for pieces like Lava Flows.

End Game and Scoring

Exclusive Milestones

• Amazonis: Earthling, Shaper, Merchant, Sponsor, Lobbyist.
• Vastitas: Agronomist, Engineer, Astronaut, Geologist, Farmer.

Exclusive Awards

• Amazonis: Collector, Innovator, Builder, Manufacturer, Physicist.
• Vastitas: Traveler, Landscaper, Mountaineer, Promoter, Blacksmith.

Refer to the manual for details on how points are calculated.

Tips to Win

1. In Amazonis, leverage wildcard bonuses for strategic flexibility and prioritize milestones that match your most abundant resource type.
2. In Vastitas, plan tile placement to maximize temperature increases and utilize volcanic areas.
3. Monitor awards from the start to guide your actions and cards according to each map's criteria.