Cosmic Encounter: Cybele Takes The Game!

[Cosmic Encounter]

Moderated by: ForWhomTheJellyRolls and BipolarChemist

This game will be based on the Base Set of Cosmic Encounter put out by Fantasy Flight Games in 2008 (as opposed to the game put out by Future Pastimes)! Much of this game will be testing for future rounds of the game, as this game contains a lot of mechanics and periods where players have to make decisions. We ask that the players that sign-up for this first game to be minorly experienced with this game and can commit the time to this game to promptly respond, as each step of the game has times when players can play actions as a response or just at that specific time! With that in mind, the following will be some basic rules of the game. For a more thorough explanation of the rules, please consult the rule book located: here.

Spoiler: The Initial Set-Up

• The game will have 6 players. Each player will choose a colour when they sign up. This colour will represent their alien race’s colour of planets and ships.
  
• All players will receive 5 home colonies (or planets) with 4 ships on each. These can be seen on the opening post of the game.
  
• Next, each player will be dealt two flare cards and the alien race cards associated with them. These two alien races will be your choices for the alien race you want to be for the rest of the game. Once you have chosen one of these alien races, you will tell the mods which one you have chosen and we will handle the rest for you!
  
• After every player has decided upon an alien race, these will be revealed to all players and the flare cards will be shuffled into the deck! All players will be dealt 8 cards, unless an alien power says differently.
  
• The player who goes first will be determined by flipping the top card of the destiny deck. This player will be known as the offense for their turn. The colour that comes up will be of the player who goes first. The deck will then be shuffled back up!
  
• Now the real game begins

Spoiler: The Stages of The Game

• Regroup Phase:
  Throughout the game, ships will go to the warp when encounters are lost. At the start of an encounter, one of the offense’s ships is retrieved from the warp and placed in one of his or her colonies (home or otherwise). If a player has no colonies, the retrieved ship is placed directly in the hyperspace gate. The placement of the ship will be public.
  
• Destiny Phase:
  The offense then draws the top card of the destiny deck. The colour that comes up will be of the person who he or she is attacking, and hence they will become the defender. There are also specials and wild cards in this deck. These will be dealt with when they come up! A special will have certain instructions on it on who you will be targeting. A wild card is your choice on who to target! The offence and defense will be known as the Main Players. The destiny card flip will be public.
  
• Launch Phase:
  The offence will take the hyperspace gate and use it to target one of the defender’s home planets. The offense will then choose one to four ships to attack with! These ships can come from any colony, but be careful not to remove all ships from a colony as there may be dire consequences! The defender may not add or subtract ships from the planet that is being attacked. So it is possible to be defending with no ships! All actions here will be public.
  
• Alliance Phase:
  Now, the offense and defense will ask for allies to help them! In this game, we will allow for the offense and defense to ask in the thread in no particular order to aid in keeping the game moving. Starting with the player that goes after the offense and is not the defense, they will choose which side to ally with, if any, and how many ships they will be sending and where they will be sending them from. Choosing to ally with the offense will give the ally a chance to get their ships on a foreign colony, moving them up the victory point track! Choosing to ally with the defense will give the ally a chance to get some defender rewards (cards from the deck for each ship you put it, or ships from the warp for each ship you put in).
  
• Planning Phase:
  In this phase, we will allow a 24 hour period for the players to converse, argue, and yell at each other about what cards they will play for the attack. Players may lie about what cards they will play. By the end of the 24 hour period, the offense and defense will have played a card in private, This card will be an attack card, a negotiate card, or a morph card.
  
• Reveal Phase:
  The cards played are now revealed. Multiple situations can now take place in the Resolution Phase. There may be some powers that take place in this phase.
  
  
• Resolution Phase:
  
  Both Play Attack: The players are given 24 hours for reinforcements to be played or allow each ally and player to pass on playing reinforcements or actions. Resolve the attack by adding who has the highest combined attack power. This is calculated by the attack power on the cards played being added plus the number of ships on that player’s side. The loser’s ships are placed in the warp, along with their ally’s ships. Depending on who won, there will be different outcomes. If the offense won, then they and their allies will place all of their ships on to the planet that was attacked. If the defense won, then they will do nothing, and their allies will get their defender’s rewards. The defenders must state in the thread which rewards they want (ships or cards or a mix).
  
  Both Play Negotiate: Players have 24 hours to discuss in the thread and come to an agreement. All allies have their ships returned to them. In the negotiation, the main players may make an agreement to trade cards and/or each main player may allow for a ship from the other player to be placed on one of their colonies. If no agreement is made in this time or one of the players states in bold that they do not wish to make a deal, then the negotiation has failed and they must follow the directions for a failed negotiation. Player’s cannot choose to do nothing as a part of a deal.
  
  One Plays Negotiate, One Plays Attack: The negotiator automatically loses and all of their ships, and their ally’s ships go to the warp. The offense can now place their ships on that planet. The defender now receives compensation for their attempt at peace and will take a card from the offense’s hand for each lost ship of theirs.
  
  If a Morph Card is Played: The morph card becomes the same card that was played by the opposite player. There is only one morph card in the game.
  
  After the encounter is resolved, the encounter cards are discarded, everything gets resolved and we move on. If the offense won the encounter and it was their first encounter, they have the option of having a second encounter. Otherwise, play passes to the next player.
  
• Notes For Each Phase:
  In each phase, there may be specific cards or powers that can come into play. We will do our best to ensure that player’s actions are always made possible and time restrictions are not causing problems with actions than can be played. Any mandatory actions, we, the mods, will keep track of for you, but please keep an eye out for the effects of these actions. We ask that you attempt to create a situation based map on how you want to play your cards or actions in specific locations in the game, so as to reduce the game and action time. This can be done in private threads that you will be given access to once the game has started. If there is a possible action that can be played and you have not prepared for it, we will give a 24 hour period for each phase of the game so actions can be played, but we hope that all players will be able to be on or have created a plan to pass or play at that point in the game.

Spoiler: Winning The Game

• The first player to reach 5 on the victory track will win the game. You go up a point for each time that you are on a new planet that is not one of your own. You must keep at least one ship on these planets to keep that victory point. More ships on the one planet does not give you extra victory points, but may help keep you and that victory point safe!
  
• The win can be shared! If two players go on to their fifth foreign colony at the same time, well the both win! Yay!

Spoiler: Some Other Rules

• If three or more of your planets are eliminated, you will lose your alien power. This occurs immediately once you have lost 3 of your planets.
  
• If you draw your own colour from the Destiny deck, then you may target one of your own planets to regain an empty planet, or fight other players on one of your planets. You may choose which colour you would like to fight against.
  
• If there is ever a timing conflict on a turn when dealing with powers, artifacts, game items, or effects, then the resolution order of this will take place in this order: The offense, the defense, and then players who are neither, starting with the player after the offense.
  
• If the offense begins their turn with no encounter cards (attacks, negotiates, or morphs), then they must play or discard any non-encounter cards, then they will draw eight new cards and continue the turn as normal. If the offense runs out of encounter cards in the middle of their turn, then their turn ends immediately.
  
• If the defense has no encounter cards and is required to play one, then they must play or discard any non-encounter cards, then they will draw eight new cards and continue the turn as normal.

Spoiler: Current Game Information

Current Game Information

Current Turn:

Cybele

Allies:

Player on the Defence:

Allies:

Basic Information	Alien Power	# of Cards in Hand
Green: Cybele	Reserve (Can Use Attacks As Reinforcements)	10
Orange: Chevre	Remora (Gets Cards or Ships With Others)	1
Yellow: ZZZX	Shadow (Removes Other’s Ships)	7
Blue: JDGA	Miser (Gets Second Hand)	4 + 5 in Hoard
Purple: quadz08	Vulch (Collects Discarded Artifacts)	8
animorpherv	Oracle (Foresees Opponent’s Card)	11

Green: Cybele	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5
Ships on Planet	2 Green Ships	2 Green Ships	3 Green Ships	3 Green Ships	2 Green Ships, 1 Blue Ship

Orange: Chevre	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5
Ships on Planet	1 Green Ships, 2 Yellow Ships, 1 Purple Ship	2 Orange Ships	2 Orange Ships	1 Green Ships, 1 Blue Ships, 1 Red Ship	2 Orange Ships, 1 Blue Ship

Yellow: ZZZX	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5
Ships on Planet	1 Yellow Ship	1 Yellow Ships	1 Yellow Ships	3 Yellow Ships	4 Yellow Ships

Blue: JDGA	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5
Ships on Planet	3 Blue Ships	2 Blue Ships	2 Blue Ships	3 Blue Ship	3 Blue Ships, 1 Orange Ship, 1 Green Ship

Purple: quadz08	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5
Ships on Planet	2 Purple Ships	1 Purple Ships	1 Purple Ships	1 Purple Ships	3 Red Ships, 1 Green Ships, 2 Yellow Ships, 3 Orange Ships

Red: animorpherv1	#1	#2	#3	#4	#5
Ships on Planet	3 Orange Ships, 1 Yellow Ship, 1 Blue Ship, 1 Purple Ships	4 Red Ships	4 Red Ships	3 Red Ships	2 Red Ships

Victory Track	0	1	2	3	4	5
Cybele					X
Chevre				X
ZZZX				X
JDGA					X
quadz08			X
animorpherv			X

Warp	Cybele	Chevre	ZZZX	JDGA	quadz08	animorpherv
# of Ships in the Warp	0	7	5	3	13	4

Ships in Battle	Cybele	Chevre	ZZZX	JDGA	quadz08	animoprherv	Total
Attacking	4	0	0	0	0	0	4
Defending	0	0	0	0	1	0	1

Revealed Cards on Attacker’s Side:

Revealed Cards on Defender’s Side:

Total on the Attacker's Side:

Total on the Defender's Side:

Spoiler: Card Types

Encounter Cards:

These cards are played during the Planning phase and are used to resolve encounters. There are three types of encounter cards, Attack cards, Negotiate cards, and the Morph card.

• Attack cards have numbers on them which add to your total in an encounter. They vary in number from 00 to 40.
  
• Negotiate cards are used to make deals.
  
• The Morph card becomes whatever card the opposing player uses.

Reinforcements Cards:

The offensive player, defensive player, and any allies in an encounter can play these cards played during the Reveal phase to add to the total of either side in an encounter.

Artifact Cards:

These have various effects and can be played at various times, listed on the card.

• Card Zap: Negates a flare or artifact card as it’s being played. Can be played at any time.
  
• Cosmic Zap: Negates a player’s ability as it’s being used. Can be played at any time.
  
• Emotion Control: Causes all encounter cards to become Negotiate cards. Is played during the Reveal phase.
  
• Force Field: Cancels Alliances after they have been formed. Is played during the Alliance phase.
  
• Ionic Gas: Prevents players from collecting compensation or rewards. Is played during the Resolution phase.
  
• Mobius Tubes: Frees all ships from the warp. Can only be played by the current player during the Regroup phase.
  
• Plague: Makes a player discard cards and lose ships to the warp. Is played during the Regroup phase.
  
• Quash: This is played to cancel a deal after a deal has been successfully made. Is played during the Resolution phase.

Flare Cards:

These cards have various effects and can be played at various times, listed on the card. Flare cards are returned to a player’s hand once they are played. Each flare card has a Wild effect which is used when you are playing a different alien from the one listed on the flare and a Super effect which is used when you are playing as the alien on the flare card. Only one flare card can be used per encounter and any flare may not be used more than once per encounter.

Spoiler: Flares Played

Flare

Citadel

Wild (If you are not the Citadel):

As a main player or ally, after encounter cards are revealed, you may add 5 to the defense’s total.

Can be used by:

As a main player or ally.

Can be used:

During the Reveal phase.

Super (If you are the Citadel:)

Your citadels may either add to or subtract from the defense’s total when you activate them. Citadels are still discarded if the defense loses, even when they are used to subtract.

Can be used by:

As any player.

Can be used:

During the Planning phase.

Flare

Shadow

Wild (If you are not the Shadow):

As the defense, when you lose an encounter in which your opponent played an attack card, you may send one of your ships not in the encounter to the warp to take all opposing ships to the warp with you. In spite of winning, those ships do not establish colonies.

Can be used by:

Defensive Player Only.

Can be used:

Resolution Phase.

Super (If you are the Shadow):

When you execute a ship during your turn, you may replace it with one of your ships, retrieved from the warp.

Can be used by:

Offensive Player Only.

Can be used:

Destiny Phase.

Flare

Reserve

Wild (If you are not the Reserve):

Whenever another player discards a reinforcement card (whether after playing it or not) you may take it and add it to your hand. reinforcement cards you play are discarded as normal.

Can be used by:

Any Player.

Can be used:

Any Phase.

Super (If you are the Reserve):

You may use your power to play any attack card of 9 or less as reinforcement.

Can be used by:

Main player or Ally only.

Can be used:

During the Reveal Phase.

Flare

Gambler

{Quick summary of race's power}

Wild (If you are not the Gambler):

As a main player, before cards are revealed, you may call any number as a “spread”. If the encounter cards are different from each other by that number or more add the “spread” to your card.

Can be used by:

Main Player Only.

Can be used:

During Planning Phase.

Super (If you are the Gambler:)

When stating what your card is, you may “up the ante” by saying how many extra ships (1-20) are at risk. The penalty for lying or calling a non-bluff is now as many extra ships as you declared.
May be used: As the main player only, during the Reveal phase.

Can be used by:

Main Player Only.

Can be used:

During the Reveal Phase.

Player List

1.

Flameaxe

Cybele

2.

Chevre

3.

ZZZX

4.

JDGA

5.

quadz08

6.

animorpherv

Replacement List:

[Flameaxe]

IVE HEARD ABOUT THIS

ITS LITERALLY THE WORST EVER

SOURCE: LITERALLY EVERYONE

(ill play i guess)

[Chevre]

/in to try this :S

[ZZZX]

/In yolo

[JDGA]

/in
I heard at the boardgame convention I went to a while back that this is literally the best game ever. Didn't get a chance to try it then, but~
(And if experience does have to be a requirement, I'll probably get a chance to actually play it tomorrow. Barring that, I'm a quick learner!)

[quadz08]

/in as purple plz

[animorpherv1]

/in as red

[ZZZX]

btw im yellow

[Flameaxe]

GREEN

[Cybele]

FUCK. /replace

[Cosmic Encounter]

PMs have been sent out to all of the players! In them you will have a link to your Private Topic where we will be able to keep track of your cards in hand, your alien race, and any private actions, such as playing encounter cards.

Currently you have been given 2 alien races. Please go over the rules of the game and go over what each alien race does, along with the flare associated with it. Then choose which race you would like to play as for the rest of the game in your Private Topic!

Thank you!

As a note: We, the mods, are going to highly encourage discussion and chit chat in this thread. A large part of this game is diplomacy and negotiations, so we expect there to be a lot of this! Please keep smack talk a bit down and feel free to give criticisms about the game! We plan to run more in the future and while we put a lot of work into making this the best we could, there may be some bumps along the way!

[quadz08]

boompadoompaodoomp

LET'S DO IT SUCKAS

GALACTIC RUMBLE INCOMING

[JDGA]

/blue btw

[Cosmic Encounter]

That makes Chevre Orange by default! Colors have been chosen!

[ZZZX]

this will be fun.

[Cosmic Encounter]

Now that you have all chosen your alien race, we will reveal everyone's choices, along with the description of their power. This information will be freely available in the opening post of this thread.

Flameaxe

Reserve

Reserve (Can Use Attacks As Reinforcements):

You have the power to Reinforce.

As a main player or ally, after encounter cards are revealed, you

may use

this power to play one or more attack cards of 06 or less from your hand as if they were reinforcement cards of their listed value.

As a main player or ally, when another player plays a reinforcement card, you

may use

this power and discard a negotiate card to cancel that reinforcement card.

The Reserves became the dominant species on their home world by waiting for other beings to wear each other out and then arriving with timely force to deliver a knockout punch. Showing the effective use of timing, the Reserves call in extra strength just when they need it most.

Difficulty of Play:

Green

Can be used:

As a main player or ally only, during the reveal phase.

Chevre

Remora

Remora (Gets Cards or Ships With Others):

You have the power to Cling.

Whenever another player retrieves one or more ships from the warp, you

may use

this power to retrieve one of your ships from the warp as well. You may not retrieve a ship from the warp during the same encounter in which it went to the warp.

Whenever another player draws one or more cards from the deck, you

may use

this power to draw one card from the deck as well.

The universe’s original tag-alongs, the Remoras first reached space as the valued servants of the dominant race on their homeworld. Seldom accomplishing anything for themselves, the Remoras simply make themselves useful to others and then ride their coat-tails to victory. Although other races might chide them for a lack of drive, the Remoras simply wonder why they should give up a good thing.

Difficulty of use:

Yellow

Can be used:

As any player, during all phases.

ZZZX

Shadow

Shadow (Removes Other’s Ships):

Whenever any other player's color or a special destiny card that targets another player is drawn from the destiny deck,

use

this power to choose one of that player's ships from any colony of your choice and send it to the warp. On a wild destiny card, you may execute one ship belonging to any other player regardless of who the offense chooses to encounter.

After being subjected to colonial domination for thousands of years, a hive of Shadows rose up on an outpost planet in a forgotten empire. Devoted to guerilla warfare and adept at choosing the most isolated and vulnerable targets as their victims, they mercilessly cleansed their sector of its overlords. Having become imperialists themselves, however, they now have new uses for their old talents.

Difficulty of use:

Yellow

Can be used:

As any player, during the Destiny Phase. Mandatory.

JDGA

Miser

Miser (Gets Second Hand):

Game Set-Up:

You are dealt two separate eight-card hands. Look at them and choose one to be your “hoard”. Place it facedown on this sheet. (The mods will kindly do that for you).

You have the power to Hoard.

Whenever you wish to play a card, you

may use

this power to play a card from you hoard instead of your normal hand. You may not add cards you gain to your hoard, and other players may not look at or draw cards from your hoard. If there are no encounter cards left in your hoard, you may reveal it, then discard it and get a new eight-card hoard.

Barely eking out a living on their shriveled moon, the Misers for generations secreted away their small annual surplus. But as the hoard grew, so did their greed, until now they prepare to risk their holdings for greater Cosmic booty.

Difficulty of use:

Green

Can be used:

As any player, during any phase.

quadz08

Vulch

Vulch (Collects Discarded Artifacts):

You have the power to Salvage.

Whenever any other player discards an artifact card (whether after playing it or not),

use

this power to add the artifact to your hand. Any artifact cards you play are discarded as normal and cannot be salvaged.

If you draw a new hand, you keep your old artifacts after revealing them, then draw eight new cards in addition to the artifacts.

Originally developing as a structured, bureaucratic race, only the Vulches who were most able to grasp new opportunities rose to the top. Over millions of years, this inbred scavenging talent flourished and spread throughout the race. Now, Vulches are prepared to use the discarded refuse of others the achieve their goal of universal supremacy.

Difficulty of Play:

Green

Can be used:

As any player, at any phase. This power is mandatory.

animorpherv1

Oracle

Oracle (Foresees Opponent’s Card):

You have the power to Foresee.

As a main player, before encounter cards are selected,

use

this power to force your opponent to play his or her encounter card faceup. Only after you have seen your opponent’s card do you select and play your card.

During millennia of civilization, the ancient Oracles developed perceptiveness about the intentions of others to uncanny lengths. While reluctant to test the outer limits of their vision, they find even short-range prescience has given them the reputation of great wisdom.

Difficulty of use:

Green

Can be used:

As Main player only, during the planning phase. This power is mandatory.

[Cosmic Encounter]

The first offensive will be chosen by the first card on the top of the Destiny Deck.

Spoiler: Destiny Card

Destiny

Green

Have an encounter with the green player in his or her home system.

If you are the green player:
Have an encounter with any other player in your home system, or
Reestablish a colony on an empty home planet, or
Discard this card and draw again.

This means that our first offensive player will be

Flameaxe

! The turn order will follow the player list in the opening post from here on out.

[Cosmic Encounter]

Each of you have been dealt your starting hand for the game. We can now start!

Flameaxe

it is now your

Regroup Phase

. As you have no ships in the warp, this phase is now simply open for any actions. All players have 24 hours from this post to either say pass in the thread, or to play an action or card in this thread. During this period you may also discuss whatever you wish to discuss.

The move this game a bit faster, we ask that the players try to plan out actions ahead of time in their Private Topics, to the best of their abilities.

Thank you and good luck!

[Flameaxe]

I play a

pass

card, face down in defense mode.

And I end my turn.

[animorpherv1]

Pass

[Chevre]

Pass

[JDGA]

Pass

[ZZZX]

Pass

ta
Discuss

[ZZZX]

Also jdga is that sakura from stay night on ur avi?
Also why are you guys not discussing stuff like blowing planets and stuff?

[JDGA]

Also jdga is that sakura from stay night on ur avi?

...uh, no, it's Erika from Umineko.