How to Play The Manhattan Project: Second Stage

Objective of the Game

The Manhattan Project: Second Stage is a game for 2-5 players that expands upon the original Manhattan Project. This set introduces several expansions that can be used individually or in combination, allowing players to customize their game experience. The core objective remains to develop nuclear weapons, but with new elements like H-Bombs, Rockets, and unique Nations and Personalities, players have additional strategies to earn victory points and achieve nuclear supremacy.

Preparation (Setup)

General Setup

• Shuffle the 5 H-Bomb cards and place them face-down near the face-up bomb cards.
• Place the Lithium Deuteride (LD) cubes (orange) in the General Supply.
• Shuffle the 5 Lithium Plants into the main deck of Building cards.
• Place the 7 Personality tiles face-up in the General Supply.
• Place the Air Strike Overlay on top of the Main Board Air Strike section, with either the single space or the triple space side face-up, depending on your group's preference for game aggression.

Player-Specific Setup

• Each player takes a Rocket Track and places it beside their Player Board.
• Give each player a Rocket counter, which is placed on the “0” space of the Rocket Track.
• Place the 5 Rocket Factories face-up in a row near the face-up Bomb cards.
• Give 1 Nations Identity card to each player using any chosen method. Players place their card face up on their Player Board.

Fluxo do Jogo

Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção.

Ações e Como Jogar

H-Bombs

• Designing H-Bombs: When it is your turn to choose a Bomb card during a Design Bomb action, you may instead choose to place one of those Bomb cards at the bottom of the Bomb deck, and take the top H-Bomb card into your hand (if any are still available). You may not choose this option when you receive the last card of the Design Bomb action.
• Building H-Bombs: You may build an H-Bomb using the same Bomb Action you use to build a regular Bomb.
  • H-Bombs require a payment of LD cubes to the General Supply.
  • H-Bombs do not require a payment of Plutonium or Uranium.
  • An H-Bomb must be built as an upgrade to a Plutonium Bomb that already exists in your supply. Place the H-Bomb card underneath the Plutonium Bomb you wish to upgrade. Each Plutonium Bomb may only be upgraded once.
  • The H-Bomb card doubles the point values shown at the bottom of the upgraded Plutonium Bomb.
  • H-Bombs do not affect the loading bonus (5 pts) of a bomb.
  • H-Bombs may be loaded, but they may not be tested.

Lithium Plants

• Lithium Plants are Buildings that can be constructed and activated just like all other regular Buildings. When activated, they produce Lithium Deuteride (LD) cubes (orange). Like Yellow-cake, LD cubes are not limited. If they run out, use any suitable marker as a substitute.

Rockets

• Rocket Factories: When it is your turn to choose a Bomb card during a Design Bombs action, you may instead choose to place one of those Bomb cards at the bottom of the Bomb deck, and build one Rocket Factory (if any are still available). You may choose which of the remaining Rocket Factories to build. Take the Rocket Factory and place it on your Player Board. You may not choose this option when you receive the last card of the Design Bombs action.
• Using Rockets: Rockets may be used exactly like Bombers, but with one key difference: you may use a Rocket to damage an opponent’s Building during an Air Strike even if your opponent has a Fighter on his Fighter Track. You may also use a Rocket instead of a Bomber to load a bomb. Fighters cannot destroy Rockets.

Nations

• During Step 2 of your Worker Placement turn, you may choose to place a Worker (or Workers or other costs) on your National Identity card to take the Worker Action shown, just like a regular Building.
• National Identity cards can never be damaged by a Bombing Run, and your opponents can never place Workers on your National Identity card through Espionage.
• South Africa: It is possible (but not necessary) to load a bomb first, then dismantle it. If you do so, keep the loaded counter (and the 5 points) on the card. The cost you must pay is the dollar amount on the card, not the additional bomber.
• Pakistan: “Aircraft” includes Fighters and Bombers, but not Rockets. When collecting 5 Aircraft, Pakistan may choose any combination of Fighters and/or Bombers. Pakistan cannot discard H-Bombs.
• India: India may not choose to collect a portion of a University’s output for a reduced cost. The cost is always $1 per worker shown in the output. If all of a University’s output is not available from the General Supply, then India may elect to pay the owner the full, required cost, and still collect whatever portion of the University’s output is available.
• North Korea: When you activate the card, you do not need to announce what you intend to collect (Uranium or Plutonium). Once the card is activated, you are committed to using it. You cannot change your mind if the other players elect to pay you the $3, or if they do not pay. Your opponents can divide up the $3 payment between themselves as they see fit. It is not necessary for all of your opponents to contribute money.

Personalities

• Choosing Personality Tiles: When you retrieve Workers, you must also take one available Personality tile of your choice from the General Supply. If you already have a Personality tile (which will always be the case except during your very first retrieval), you must return your current Personality tile to the General Supply. You may never keep the same Personality tile between your retrieve workers actions.
• Each Personality tile explains the special bonus you receive as long as you control that personality. These bonuses do not require activation and are always in effect.
• Klaus Fuchs: The espionage of a single building is in addition to any espionage ability you might already have (e.g., from the Main Board Espionage space, from The Soviet Union Nation card). For example, if you have activated Espionage on the Main Board for a current spy level of 2, you activate your Soviet Union Nation card AND you have the Fuchs personality card, you would be able to activate a maximum of 4 opponent buildings on your turn (2+1+1).
• Leó Szilárd: Since you are allowed to activate the Main Board Reactor and Enrichment spaces as Buildings, you may place workers on 1 or both of them (and pay the activation costs) during Step 2 of your turn when you are activating other Buildings. This is in addition to the worker you may have placed earlier on the Main Board during Step 1 of your turn.
• Curtis LeMay: This personality does not allow you to conduct a full air strike as you would from activating the Main Board Air Strike space. It allows a single Air Strike action each turn (e.g., a single Fighter Attack in which you spend 1 fighter, a single Bombing Run in which you spend 1 bomber, or a single Rocket Attack in which you spend 1 Rocket).
• Kenneth Nichols: If you choose to use Nichols’ ability, the $1 you must place on the Bribe Pile comes from the General Supply – not your Personal Supply.
• John Lansdale: This personality makes Espionage impossible against your Buildings by every means – even The Soviet Union Nation Card and from the Klaus Fuchs Personality card.

Air Strike Overlay

• If you are playing with the single space side of the Air Strike Overlay, Air Strike negotiations are not allowed.

Fim de Jogo e Pontuação

Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção.

Dicas para Vencer

• Consider upgrading Plutonium Bombs with H-Bombs to double their point values, as this can significantly increase your score, but remember they cannot be tested.
• Utilize Rockets strategically for Air Strikes against opponents, especially if they have Fighters, as Rockets cannot be intercepted.
• Leverage your chosen Nation's unique ability and the bonuses from your current Personality tile, as these are always in effect and can provide powerful advantages.