Objective of the Game: Become a Legend of the Drift System!

Welcome, Captains, to the vast and dangerous reaches of the Drift System! In Xia: Legends of a Drift System, you're not just flying a ship; you're forging a legacy. Your ultimate goal is to become the most renowned captain in the galaxy by accumulating Fame Points (@).

You'll start as a lowly pilot, but through daring exploration, perilous missions, fierce combat, and shrewd trading, you'll climb the ranks. The game ends the moment one captain's Fame Point Marker reaches the space occupied by the Victory Token on the Fame Point Track. That captain is then declared the undisputed winner, a true legend of Xia!

Preparation (Setup): Gearing Up for Galactic Adventure

Before you launch into the stars, let's get your game table ready. Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up your epic journey:

1. Build the Galaxy: Shuffle all Sector Tiles. Deal one tile per captain, placing them face up in the center of your play area. For each subsequent sector, line up its edge symbol with a previously laid sector.
2. Prepare the Decks: Place the Outfit Cards, Ship Ability Cards, Mission Cards, Title Cards, and NPC Cards face down within reach of all captains.
3. Gather the Goods: Place all Cargo Cubes, Damage Markers (including Ice Damage Markers), Credits, and Dice (£ ¢ § Ï) within reach.
4. Deploy the NPCs: Shuffle the Enforcer, Merchant, and Scoundrel NPC cards and deal one face up to each captain. (In a 4 or 5-player game, not everyone will get one.) Captains take the corresponding NPC miniature and place it on the NPC Card.
5. Set the Fame Track: Place the Fame Point Track where everyone can see it.
6. Ready Your Ship: Each captain chooses a ship and takes its corresponding miniature, Ship Mat, and Ship Ability Card.
   • Place one of your Markers on the Fame Point Track at 0 (Unknown).
   • Place another Marker on the highest number of your Energy Meter on your Ship Mat.
   • Place the remaining four Markers on the "Armed" section of your Ship Mat.
   • Place your Color Token around your ship's Flight Stand.
   • Place your Impulse Token nearby.
7. First Player: Determine who takes the first turn.

The Game Turn: Charting Your Course Through the Cosmos

A captain's turn in Xia is a thrilling sequence of three distinct phases, always completed in this order:

1. Action Phase: Your Time to Shine!

This is where the magic happens! You can take as many actions as you want, as long as you can afford them. You can even repeat actions! Your Action Phase ends when you can't or don't want to take any more actions. Here's a taste of what you can do:

• Movement: Propel your ship through space! You'll roll dice to determine your movement points. Be careful of Borders and Gravity Paths – they can have immediate effects!
• Impulse: Use your ship's basic movement without spending energy.
• Exploring:
  • Scan: Discover what lies beyond unexplored edges.
  • Blind Jump (Minor Action): Feeling lucky? Declare a destination hex, draw a new Sector Tile, place it, and move into your declared hex, resolving any effects. Just make sure the new tile's symbol matches the one you're jumping from!
  • Collect Exploration Token (Minor Action): Grab those valuable tokens on the board, some of which are worth 1 Fame Point!
• Rescue: Be a hero! If you have at least 3 energy, you can give 2 energy to an adjacent captain's ship that has no energy or armed markers. You'll earn 1 Fame Point for your good deed!
• Missions:
  • Draw Mission (Minor Action): Get new objectives to pursue.
  • Reveal Mission: Make a mission active.
  • Deliver Mission: Complete your mission objectives at the specified location. Each completed mission is worth 1 Fame Point!
  • Jettison Mission (Minor Action): Discard an active mission card if it's not working out.
• Combat: Engage in thrilling space battles! Spend Armed Markers to attack using your equipped Outfits:
  • Blasters: Short-range (range 1) attacks.
  • Missiles: Long-range (range 2-6) attacks. Remember, you can't use missiles on adjacent ships!
  • Engines (Ramming): Get up close and personal (range 1). Ramming damages both ships!

  Destroying another ship earns you Fame Points equal to the destroyed ship's tier and any Bounty Credits on it!

• Cargo Management:
  • Collect Cargo (Minor Action): Pick up Cargo Cubes from the board.
  • Jettison Cargo (Minor Action): Discard unwanted cargo.
  • Mine/Harvest/Salvage/Quarry: Obtain Cargo Cubes from specific sector types (e.g., Mine from Asteroids, Harvest from Nebulae, Salvage from Debris, Quarry Ember Cargo Cubes from Ice Asteroids). Be careful, some of these actions can be risky and cause damage!
• Relics:
  • Excavate: Dig up valuable Relic Tokens from Dead Worlds. These take up 2 cargo spaces!
  • Sift: Once docked at The Kiln Starport, you can Sift Relics to convert them into Fame Points or other rewards.
• Use Outfit: Activate your ship's equipped Outfits (like Engines for movement, Shields for defense, etc.).

2. Starport Phase: Docking for Repairs and Upgrades

This phase is your chance to breathe and re-arm! You can only enter the Starport Phase if your ship ends its Action Phase at a Starport (any space inside a Planetary Shield or The Kiln). Dead Worlds don't count, so plan your landings carefully!

At a Starport, you can perform these actions in any order, as many times as you can afford:

• Buy New Ship: Upgrade your ride! Purchasing a new ship earns you 1 Fame Point. All your old ship's damage is discarded, and all your Ship Ability Cards, Outfits, Mods, Cargo Cubes, and Credits transfer to the new ship.
• Repair: Fix that damage!
• Sell Cargo: Offload your goods for Credits. Selling a "Big Shipment" (at least 2 Cargo Cubes and all cubes the location can buy) earns you 1 Fame Point!
• Throw Some Credits Around: Spend 5,000% Credits to earn 1 Fame Point.

3. Status Phase: Wrapping Up Your Turn

Every turn concludes with the Status Phase. Follow these steps in order:

1. Freeze Ships: (Specific rules for this step are not provided in the context, but it's the first step.)
2. Claim Titles: If you meet the conditions for any Title Cards, you can claim them for 1, 2, or 3 Fame Points!
3. Draw Titles: (Specific rules for this step are not provided in the context, but it's the third step.)
4. Refresh: Re-arm your Markers, refresh your Abilities and Impulse Tokens.
5. Select Active Mission: Look at all your face-down mission cards, select at least 1 to be your Active Mission Card, then discard down to your Active Mission Limit (usually 1, unless increased by M-Comp units).
6. Count Fame Points: Tally up any new Fame Points you've earned.
7. Check for Victory: If your Fame Point Marker has reached the Victory Token, you win!

After your Status Phase, your turn is over, and play continues clockwise to the next captain.

End of Game and Scoring: Who Becomes the Legend?

The game of Xia is a race to the top! The game immediately ends when a captain's Fame Point Marker on the Fame Point Track reaches the space occupied by the Victory Token. That captain is the winner!

There are ten primary ways to earn those precious Fame Points:

• Exploring: Collect Exploration Tokens, some of which are worth 1 Fame Point.
• Missions: Each completed Mission is worth 1 Fame Point.
• Combat: Destroying another ship earns Fame Points equal to the destroyed ship's tier.
• Trade: Selling a "Big Shipment" of Cargo Cubes (minimum 2 cubes, and all the cubes the location can buy) is worth 1 Fame Point.
• Ships: Purchasing a new ship during the Starport Phase earns you 1 Fame Point.
• Wealth: During the Starport Phase, you can "Throw Some Credits Around" by spending 5,000% Credits to earn 1 Fame Point.
• Titles: Claiming Titles during the Status Phase is worth 1, 2, or 3 Fame Points.
• Luck: Whenever you roll a natural 20 on any of your Ï[d20] rolls, you receive 1 Fame Point!
• Rescue: Saving a stranded captain earns you 1 Fame Point.
• Relics: Sifting Relic Tokens at The Kiln Starport can grant you 1 Fame Point or other rewards.

Tips for Victory: Charting a Course to Legend Status

To truly become a legend in Xia, you'll need a mix of strategy, daring, and adaptability. Here are a few pointers to get you started:

1. Embrace Versatility: Don't put all your space eggs in one basket! Xia offers many paths to Fame Points. Be ready to explore, trade, complete missions, and even engage in combat. The most adaptive captains will find opportunities where others see only obstacles.
2. Master Your Outfits: Your ship's Outfits are your lifeline. Understand how Engines, Blasters, Missiles, and Shields work, and how they interact with Damage Markers. Knowing when to activate your Shields Up or when to go for a risky Ramming attack can turn the tide in your favor.
3. Strategic Starport Visits: Don't underestimate the power of the Starport Phase. It's not just for repairs! Upgrading your ship, selling "Big Shipments" for Fame Points, and even "Throwing Some Credits Around" can be crucial for pushing your Fame Marker closer to victory. Plan your movements to end your Action Phase at a Starport whenever possible, especially if you have a lot of cargo to sell or damage to repair.