Twilight Imperium 4th edition

CT: Command Token
TG: Trade Good

SC: Strategy Card
GF: Ground Force

HS: Home System
PN: Promissory Note

Golden rule

Card abilities take precedence over rules. If both the card and rules can be followed, do so. If a card or faction ability uses the word “cannot”, it is absolute and cannot be overridden.

How to win

Score 10 Victory points. If playing Long War, score 14 points. Or if reaching the end of round 10 the one with most VP wins.

Public objectives

When scoring public objectives, place 1 control token on it and advance your victory point track.
Each game contains 5 Stage I & 5 Stage II public objectives. The Speaker reveals two of the Stage I cards during setup, all others remain facedown.
Public objectives cannot be scored if a player doesn’t control all the planets in his HS.

Secret objectives

Each player begins the game by drawing 2 secret objectives and keeping 1.

When scoring secret objectives, reveal it face-up. Place 1 control token on it and advance your victory point track.
Each player can have up to three total scored and unscored secret objectives. If a player draws a secret objective beyond three, he must return an unscored secret objective to the deck and shuffle.
A player can gain secret objectives by resolving either the primary or secondary ability of the Imperial SC.

Command sheet pool

Tactical pool
CT’s in Tactic are mostly used to activate systems during your Tactical Actions, including retreats.

Fleet pool
CT’s in Fleet equal the limit of non-fighter ships you can have in one system. Remove excess non-fighters immediately.

Strategy pool
CT’s in Strategy are mostly used to initiate the secondary ability of strategy cards, and some racial abilities.

1. Strategy phase

Starting from the Speaker and going clockwise, everyone selects a Strategy Card. Any SC not taken gains 1 Trade Good. Initiative order for the round is dictated by the lowest number. In 3 or 4 player games, select 2 SC’s per player, one SC at a time.

2. Action phase

Each player executes a single action in initiative order. You cannot pass until you have done all your strategic actions. Repeat until everyone has passed.

Strategic action

Execute the Primary abilities of your SC (not Secondary), from top to bottom.
Other players, in clockwise order, may now use it’s Secondary ability.
Exhaust the Strategy Card, may now pass during a later turn.

Component action

Perform an action on an action card, technology or faction sheet with “ACTION:”

Tactical action

Activation (move 1 CT from Tactic Pool to destination system).
Movement
1. Move ships.
2. Space Cannon Offense.
Space Combat (“Before space combat” abilities activate)
1. Anti-Fighter Barrage.
2. Announce Retreats.
3. Make Combat Rolls.
4. Assign Hits.
5. Retreat.
6. Repeat From 3.2
Invasion (includes landing on friendly planets)
1. Bombardment.
2. Commit Ground Forces.
3. Space Cannon Defense.
4. Ground Combat.
5. Establish Control.
Production

Make a transaction or deal

The active player can resolve one transaction (exchange commodities, TG’s and PN’s) with each neighbor at any time during his turn. The transaction may or may not be part of a deal (see Transactions & Deals).

Transactions

A transaction is a way for a player to exchange commodities, TG’s and PN’s

During the active player’s turn (at any time, even during combat), he may resolve up to one transaction with each of his neighbors.
During each “Vote” step of the Agenda phase, a player may perform one transaction with each other player, even if those players are NOT his neighbors.
To resolve a transaction, a player gives any number of TG’s and commodities and up to 1 PN to a neighbor in exchange for any number of TG’s and commodities and up to 1 PN. Players cannot exchange other types of cards or tokens, unless they are the Emirates of Hacan.
A transaction does not have to be even, and after components are traded, it cannot be undone.
Players can resolve a transaction as part of a deal.
Players can trade a maximum of one PN from his hand to another player, even if that card originally belonged to another player.

Deals

A deal is an agreement between two players that may or may not include a transaction that involved physical components.

Players can make deals with each other at any time, even if they are NOT neighbors. However, deals that include a transaction must follow the rules for transactions, including that the players be neighbors.
When a deal is binding, a player must adhere to the terms and whatever transactions, if any, were agreed upon.
BINDING: If the terms of a deal can be resolved immediately (i.e. after the deal is made), the next thing any player does is resolve the deal according to the agreement.
NON-BINDING: If the terms of a deal cannot be resolved immediately (i.e. after the deal is made) it is not enforced by the game and only player agency honors the deal.

Pass

Only if your SC is exhausted (both SC’s if you have 2). After a player has passed, he is not allowed to make new actions this game round. However, he is allowed to execute the Secondary ability of any SC’s played by other players.

3. Status phase

Score objectives in initiative order, with 1 public and/or 1 secret objective. Player cannot score public objectives if he does not control all his home planets.
Flip and reveal next public objective.
Draw 1 action card.
Return all CT’s from the board back to each player’s reinforcements.
Each player gains 2 CT’s from reinforcements. Optionally redistribute all the CT’s on his sheet, including the 2 he just gained among Strategy, Tactic and Fleet pools. If there are no more CT’s in players reinforcements, they gain no more. Any ships over the Fleet pool are immediately destroyed.
Ready all cards.
Repair units that have “Sustain Damage” ability.
Return SC’s to common area.
If custodian token has been removed from Mecatol Rex, start Agenda Phase. If not, begin a new game round at the Strategy Phase.

4. Agenda phase

This phase is skipped until the Custodians token is removed from Mecatol Rex.

Reveal - Speaker draws and reads aloud the top Agenda card. Reveal and clarify all possible outcomes.
Predict - If applicable, a player predicts the outcome by declaring aloud the outcome he feels will receive the most votes. It must be a possible outcome on the agenda.
Vote - Starting with the player left of the Speaker and moving clockwise, each player can cast votes for a single outcome of the agenda by exhausting planets for their full influence value. Abstaining is not the same as casting 0 votes.
Resolve - Players tally each vote that was cast and immediately resolve the outcome receiving the most votes. Speaker decides if there is a tie. After resolving the outcome, resolve any abilities dependent on predicting the outcome.
Repeat - Players repeat the process for a second Agenda, with players remaining influence.
Ready - Each player readies all his exhausted planets. Start a new game round.

Tactical action in detail

1. Activation

Place a CT from the Tactic pool in a system without any of your CT’s. You can place a CT in a system with another factions CT inside. This is the active system.

2. Movement

2.1. Move ships

Any of your ships, from any number of systems, that can reach the active system may move into it.
Units can move through, but not out of a system that already contains one of it’s factions CT’s. (i.e. a CT that was not placed there as part of this Tactical Action to activate the system.)
Cannot move through a system that has other players ships (advanced fighters count, not normal fighters).
Units with “Capacity” can pick up ground forces and fighters on the way from systems that don’t contain the active players CT’s. They can only dropped off in the active system.
Can move from and then back into the active system.
Fighters & GF’s are not assigned to specific ships, expect while transported.
Can transfer ground forces from one planet to another planet in the active system (if you have the capacity).
All movement happens simultaneously, this can be important if using Gravity Rift.

2.2. Space cannon offense

Starting with the active player and going clockwise, any players units with the “Space Cannon” ability - within range - may fire at the active player’s ships within the activated system.
All players dice are rolled before assigning any hits. For each hit by the active player, the defender must assign hits to ships destroying any as normal.
For each hit by any other player, the active player must assign hits to ships destroying any as normal.
Can use sustain damage as normal and therefore players can use the “Direct Hit” action cards.
When assigning hits from multiple players you must assign those hits in clockwise order and only that player may play action cards.
Space Cannons can fire through wormholes.

3. Space combat

Any ability that states “before space combat.” is used now.

3.1. Anti-fighter barrage

Assign hits to respective fighters. Excess hits have no effect.

3.2. Announce retreat

Defender first. If defender retreats, attacker cannot; a player can retreat GF’s in the active system by putting them in the space area immediately
GF’s can exceed capacity during combat.

3.3. Make combat rolls

Attacker first. Make combat rolls for all units with the same combat value separately, starting with the lowest combat value first.

3.4. Assign hits

Players assign hits to their respective ships and remove casualties.
Capacity is not enforced during space combat, but as soon as combat ends it must be applied. (I.e. fighters remain in the fight even if nothing has capacity.)

3.5. Retreat

Can only retreat to an adjacent system that has a planet you control or at least one of your units. You cannot retreat there if it has any enemy units.
Cannot retreat if there an none of the opposing players ships left.
Player must place a command token from their reinforcements in the system, regardless if one of theirs is already there.

To win, the player must have at least one ship left in system. In case of a stalemate, the attacker must retreat or his units are destroyed.

When a winner is decided, both fleets now check and destroy any ships exceeding capacity and Fleet pool. Any ability that states “after combat ends” is used now.

A player’s unit with “Production” is blockaded if it is in a system with another player’s ships but does not have any of it’s own. Blockaded units can not produce ships; it can only produce GF’s

4. Invasion

4.1. Bombardment

The attacker decides which units (if any) are going to bombard GF’s, and on which planet. Planets that have a “Planetary Shield” unit cannot be bombarded. War Suns remove “Planetary Shield” from other players units in the system.
Defender assigns hits to GF’s.

4.2. Commit ground forces

Move ground forces from ships onto the planets you would like to invade. No limit to number of ground forces on a planet.

4.3. Space cannon defense

When the active player commits GF’s to a planet, defending units with the “Space Cannon” ability on that planet only may fire once at each GF.

4.4. Ground combat

Make combat rolls for each GF on the planet; active player assigns hits to his GF’s first, then defender. Casualties are removed. There is no retreating.

4.5. Establish control

At least 1 attacking GF must remain for success. If all ground forces are destroyed the defender retains control.
Victor destroys enemy PDS(s), Space Dock and control tokens.
Victor receives planet card in its exhausted state.

5. Production

Units with “Production” ability can produce other units in the active system.
A space dock can only produce a number of units equal to the resource (yellow) value of the planet it is on +2.
If there are multiple units that can produce in the active system their production value is combined.
Producing 2 fighters or 2 ground forces for 1 resource counts as 2 units.
Players cannot produce 1 fighter and 1 ground force for 1 resource.
A space dock can support 3 fighters.
Any resources not spent exhausting a planet are lost.
A unit cannot produce ships if there are other players ships in the system.
If a player doesn’t have the unit in reinforcements, they may first remove one from a system that does not have one of their CT’s.

Commodities

A commodity has no game effects, but converts into a TG if given or received from another player.

Trade goods

A player can spend TG’s at any time during the game in one of the following ways:

In place of spending one resource.
In place of spending one influence. TG’s cannot be spent to cast votes.
To resolve an effect that specifically requires that a TG be spent.

Action cards

There is a hand limit of 7 action cards.
Multiple action cards with the same name cannot be played during a single timing window to affect the same units or game effect. (e.g. Playing 2 direct hits on 2 different units in one space combat is allowed, playing 2 flank speeds during movement isn’t.)
If your first copy of an action card gets sabotaged you can play a second copy.
Combat action cards are very specific about which part of the tactical action you can use them in.
Skilled Retreat is not a retreat for purposes of some abilities.

Anomalies (add images)

Asteroid Belt - Ships cannot move into or through until game effects allow it.
Gravity Rift - Any ship moving into, out of or through gets +1 move. When moving out, all ships roll a d10 and are destroyed on 1-3. Transported units do not roll but are lost if their capacity ship is destroyed.
Nebula - Ships cannot move through a Nebula. Defenders inside get +1 and ships moving out of a Nebula get a move of 1 until game effects allow it.
Supernova - Ships cannot move into or through a Supernova.
Wormholes - These are considered adjacent for all purposes.

Unit skills

Bombardment -
Space cannon - both offensive (shoot ships) and defensive (shoot infantry/mechs)
etc ...

Planet trais

red, blue, green