Contents
Introducing Chaosmos Game Elements
Welcome to the fascinating world of Chaosmos! Today, let’s dive deep into the various elements that make this game truly unique and exciting.
Firstly, I want to talk about the game board. It’s not your regular, run-of-the-mill board. Oh no! The Chaosmos game board is a mysterious, ever-changing space that holds secrets and surprises at every turn. You’ll journey through different planets, each with its own distinctive character and challenges. So buckle up and get ready for a cosmic adventure you won’t forget!
Next up, let’s talk about the cards. These aren’t your ordinary playing cards. They are powerful artifacts that can change the course of the game. Each card you acquire will grant you special abilities and strategic advantages. Will you use them wisely or save them for a critical moment? The choice is yours, but remember, your opponents might have some tricks up their sleeves too!
Now, let’s discuss the Alien Species. They are the heart and soul of Chaosmos. These unique beings possess incredible powers and abilities that can either help you or hinder your progress. As you encounter different Alien Species throughout the game, you’ll have to decide how to interact with them – forge alliances, negotiate friendships, or engage in epic battles. The fate of the universe is in your hands!
Finally, let’s not forget about the powerful Ovoid. This enigmatic object is the ultimate prize in Chaosmos. Whoever possesses the Ovoid when the game ends will hold the fate of the entire universe. But be careful, as the Ovoid is coveted by many, and keeping it safe won’t be an easy feat. Trust no one and be prepared to defend your claim with everything you’ve got!
So there you have it, the incredible elements that make Chaosmos a game like no other. From the ever-changing game board to the powerful cards, Alien Species, and the mysterious Ovoid, every aspect of this game will keep you on the edge of your seat. Are you ready to embark on this thrilling adventure and become the master of Chaosmos? The universe awaits your arrival!
When you get banished, you’re basically thrown to another planet and your turn ends. If you’re in combat, the winner gets to decide where you’re banished to. And if you’re trapped, you’ll be banished right back to your home planet. Any control you had over that planet goes away too, so all the cards you had there go back in the box. It’s like they never existed.
Defenses
Defenses are cards that cancel out the effects of specific cards your opponent plays. So, when you play a defense in combat, it wipes out any cards your opponent already played and any they play later in the same combat. It’s like saying “nope, not gonna happen.”
Scrying
Scrying means taking a secret peek at someone’s hand or planet. It’s like spying, but you can’t take any of the cards you see. And if you happen to find a flip card while you’re scrying, just ignore it. It doesn’t count.
Single-use Cards and the Void
Hey there! Let’s talk about cards, shall we? Most cards stick around forever, but there are some special ones called Single-Use cards that get sent to the Void once you’ve played them. What’s the Void, you ask? Well, it’s like a graveyard for cards, where they hang out face-up and you can take a peek whenever you want to see which ones have been played.
Flip Cards
Now, let’s move on to flip cards. These are the cool ones that you can turn face-up and slip into a planet envelope for safekeeping. Look for the handy bar along their sides to spot them easily!
How to activate a flip card: It’s simple! Just flip the card face-up and slide it in front of the other cards inside the envelope. But hey, listen up! If there’s already a face-up card in a planet, you can’t activate another one. Gotta stick to the rules, you know?
When I’m exploring an envelope in the game, I have the option to activate a flip card without any action costs. It’s like a secret move that I can use at any time. However, if the flip card has an action cost, like the Planetary Bases, I need to let everyone know before I activate it.
Let me explain how a flip card is triggered. When I open a planet and there’s a flip card with its face-up, I need to announce it and then resolve its effects. It’s an important step to make sure everyone knows what’s happening.
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The Telethwarter Trap
Uh-oh! You’ve stumbled upon a trap – the Telethwarter Trap, to be exact. And let me tell you, it’s a real doozy!
Here’s what happens when you trigger this trap. First things first, you’re banished back to your home. Yep, you lose control of your planet envelope and get sent right back to where you started – no fun, right?
But that’s not all. Along with going back home, you also lose the rest of your turn. I know, I know, it’s a major bummer. You were just getting started and now everything comes to a screeching halt.
And the final blow? You have to send the Telethwarter Trap straight to the Void. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Now, I know what you’re thinking – “Is there a way to avoid all this disaster?” Well, I’m glad you asked! If you triggered this trap yourself, you actually have a choice. Instead of enduring all the chaos, you can just send the trap to the Void. Phew! That’s definitely the better option if you ask me.
So, keep your eyes peeled for the Telethwarter Trap. And if you happen to trigger it, remember – banishment, losing your turn, and saying bye-bye to the trap are all part of the deal. Good luck out there!
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Magnetic Vault
Unlocking a Vault: You can’t take any cards from the envelope. (You can still look at the cards inside and add more cards to the envelope).
Disabling a Vault: If you play a Magnetic Key, disable the Vault (flip it face-down). You can secretly enable it again before you leave.
Keys Can’t be Trapped: If you discover a Key inside a Vault, you can play it to disable that Vault.
Considerate Playing
Many groups allow players to continue exchanging cards with their envelopes while the next player starts their turn. This helps reduce waiting time and keeps the game flowing.
As a way to be considerate to everyone at the table, inform them that you’re still preparing your hand, but proceed with your turn. If the next player wants to interact with you, they can wait until you finish before doing so.
My Dream of a Planetary Base
I have always been fascinated by the idea of a Planetary Base. The thought of humans living on another planet, exploring its surface and searching for signs of life, is incredibly thrilling to me. As a child, I used to watch movies and read books about astronauts and space travel, and I would dream about what it would be like to have a base on Mars or the Moon.
Imagine this: you wake up in your sleeping pod, surrounded by the low hum of machinery and the soft glow of artificial light. You step out into the main living area and are greeted by your fellow astronauts, who are floating by in zero gravity. You grab a quick breakfast from the food station before heading to the command center, where you will spend the day analyzing data from the latest expedition to the planet’s surface.
But life on a Planetary Base is not all excitement and adventure. There are challenges too. Living in a confined space for long periods of time can be mentally and physically demanding. The isolation and lack of fresh air and natural light can take a toll on your well-being. But the rewards are worth it.
Not only would a Planetary Base provide valuable data and insights into our own planet and its origins, but it would also serve as a stepping stone for further exploration of the universe. It could become a hub for scientific research, a place where new technologies are tested and ideas are born. It could be the start of a new chapter in human history.
So, if you share my passion for space exploration and the possibility of a Planetary Base, join me in dreaming big. Let’s imagine a future where humans live and work on other planets, where we unravel the mysteries of the universe and push the boundaries of what we thought was possible. The sky is not the limit, it’s just the beginning.
Let’s Activate a Base: I’ll announce the Base and put a Base token on the planet. It’ll take an action to activate a Planetary Base.
Only You Have Control Over Your Base: You can control your Base’s planet just like you normally would. Other players can never take control of it. If they try to, they’ll have to give the envelope back to the box. (By the way, when you’re in control of your Base, you can deactivate it for free).
Time to Attack a Base: Your opponents can attack your uncontrolled Base like they would another player. When your Base is under attack, put your hand aside and fight using your Base. Roll the dice and play as many combat cards as you want from inside the Base’s envelope.
Dealing with an Attack: Forget about fighting it out. If my Base wins, I can kick out the loser (send them packing to a planet I pick, and they’re done for the turn). If my Base loses, I’ll deactivate it (flip it face-down) and take away the Base token. The winner can snatch control of the planet as a free action (or put it back in the box).
Bases don’t have a hand limit during combat. They can’t take any goodies. They won’t inherit any of my alien’s powers, and I can’t play cards from my Base outside of combat.
Conflicting Rules
If a card, an alien power, or anything else clashes with the rules in this booklet, that thing comes first. Sort out other conflicts peacefully and let it go as just another part of the wild cosmos.
Aliens
Atturnuk: If I want a do-over, I gotta reroll before anyone plays cards.
Clokknid: When you’re trapped, your turn will come to an end and you’ll be sent to any planet you choose, except for the one that has the trap.
Drusu: You don’t need the Enviro Gear in order to see what’s happening on your toxic planet.
Gazmae: If you have reached the maximum number of cards you can hold, and you decide to take two cards as spoils, you must return two cards as well. If you take two cards and one of them happens to be a hidden trap, you will lose both cards.
Haamflaagon: You are still allowed to carry or make copies of Advanced Weapons, and your Bases can still use them as well.
Haghouhen: You can only regain control of your home planet if you’re at home, and only during your own turn. However, you can only do this if your home planet is not currently under someone else’s control.
Vlachlos: If you end the game with the Ovoid in your hand, you’ll lose. You don’t have to give a card back if you destroy spoils in combat while at your hand limit. When you trade with the Cosmic Pool, remember that only the card you receive may be destroyed, not the card you send.
Equipment Cards
- Amnion Power Flux: This card doesn’t affect cards that cost more than one action. You still have to spend a hypertoken for Hyperspacing.
- Assault Catapult: You can attack through wormholes, but not through asteroid fields. If you’re attacking an opponent who’s not on the same planet as you, you don’t need Enviro Gear, and you can’t gain control of the planet. Instead, return it to the box.
- Booster Rockets: You must move all at once before you can continue your turn.
- Cataleptic Fog: When I play this card in a fight with a Base, it doesn’t have any effect because there’s already no resolution when battling a Base.
- Claw of Sykloakis: I don’t have to announce any face-up cards and I can’t take a face-up card. After I trade a card for the Claw, I give the envelope back to the other player.
- Cloaking Orb: To hide the card, I place it face-down on the table. My opponent can’t see the card, but they can still take it (or the Cloaking Orb) as spoils.
- Cosmic Fear: If there are multiple instances of Cosmic Fear on both sides, they all get cancelled out.
- Escape Pod: I can still escape even if my opponent takes this card as spoils.
- Evasion Rockets: It only takes one action to travel between planets that are separated by an asteroid field. However, I can never land on an asteroid field.
Card Descriptions:
- Guerilla Drop Capsule: You can’t use this card on your opponent if they don’t control a planet. (If you steal an envelope with an active Base, return it to the box).
- Hypertube: Place the card at the back of the envelope. It must be face-down.
- Nano Fabricator: You can still duplicate a card that has been invalidated. The copy can also be invalidated and/or duplicated.
- Planetary Transceiver: You may not take the last face-down card inside the planet (there must always be at least one remaining). Your hand size still imposes limitations.
- Recovery Bots: You may not take cards that have been removed from the game.
- Replicator Seed: This card does not prevent your opponent from taking the protected card as spoils. You cannot protect a card that has been removed from the game.
Optional Components
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Planet Effect Tokens: Infusing Planets with Special Abilities
These amazing tokens bring unique powers to each planet.
Getting Started: First, mix all the green planet effect tokens. Then, place one face-down on each home planet. Next, add the red planet effect tokens, mix them up again, and put one token face-down on every other planet. Keep the unused tokens in the game box.
Revealing Planet Effect Tokens: When you control a planet, you have the option to reveal its planet effect token for free. To do this, simply turn the token face-up.
Planet Effect Abilities: Once a token is face-up, its abilities become active. Tokens featuring the envelope symbol (lIj) can only be used by the planet’s controller. Other tokens can impact or be used by anyone on the planet.
Singularity Gate: A Portal to Unknown Dimensions
The Biocosm’s amniotic nerve reticulum is a fascinating network that forms the core of its existence. It’s like the beating heart of this cosmic realm, pulsating with energy and possibilities.
Now, let’s talk about the Singularity Gate. This is a special hex that holds immense power. To bring it into play, you need to add it to the game board or place it outside the board, where only the wormhole can access it.
When it comes to using the Singularity Gate, it behaves as if it’s one space away from any wormhole. It’s like a bridge that connects different parts of the Biocosm. However, it’s important to note that the Gate itself is not a planet and cannot be controlled by anyone.
Next, we have the Cosmic Pool. This is where you can trade valuable resources and commodities. The interesting part is that you can also trade from the Singularity Gate space, just as if you were on your own home planet. Isn’t that incredible? It opens up a whole new world of trade possibilities and expands your reach in the Biocosm.
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The Lonely Planet
Once a vibrant and teeming world, The Lonely Planet now lies barren, its once-lush landscapes reduced to scorched desolation, a result of the unyielding wrath of Vlachlos.
Here’s how to set it up: Add the hex representing The Lonely Planet to the game board. If you have planet effect tokens, don’t forget to place one on The Lonely Planet as well.
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Taking Charge of the Desolate World: When I want to control the Barren Planet, I can do so without any restrictions. Instead of placing my cards in an envelope, a marker shows that I have control. Just keep in mind that I can’t store any cards there.
Unveiling Barren Planet’s Impact Token: If I happen to reveal Ancient Base, Cloud Cover, Homing Beacon, or Restless Natives, I can swap out that planet’s effect token for a random one that hasn’t been used from the entire game box.