Game Format: Teams

In Team Games, each team provides its own map. There are 3 starting locations on each map allowing up to 3 players per team. Teams do not have to be evenly matched. There are a few alterations to game rules to accommodate teams.

Team Modifications

Vicarious Priority

All players on a team are considered to “gain priority” by proxy when any member of their team officially gains priority. This means teammates may use any card effects requiring priority. However, only the player who actually gains priority may utilize the free draw at the End of Turn Phase and this is the only player who plays a card from the Environment Deck (if there is any).


Mobility

In team games, the "original Mobility" of all mobile vessels gains +1. Given the extended distance of 2 or more maps this buff to Mobility proves quite helpful in keeping up the pace of the game.



Winning

In team games, an allied victory is achieved in one of two ways:
  • total annihilation
  • domination

Players decide before the game which option will be applied to the team game. The standard game elects Total Annihilation. As an alternate option both methods can be available in the same game.

Total Annihilation

In victory by total annihilation your team must destroy all enemy major vessels (Ships and Bases) and keep at least one (a ship or the base) in play. Support craft do not have to be destroyed as a player typically cannot "win" with only support craft.

Domination

In victory by domination, if your team occupies all starting spaces of an opponent team's map during End of Turn Phase, that opponent team is defeated. Those players are eliminated and their vessels are removed from the map. Of course in a domination game there are questions about capturing or reclaiming start spaces, and contested occupation.

Capturing Start Spaces

To capture an opponent starting space in a Domination game, simply move one of your team's Capital Ships into that space. When that Ship leaves that space, place a token to designate it has been captured. When your team has captured and/or occupies all 3 starting spaces of an opponent team's map (during End of Turn Phase) that enemy team is eliminated.

Reclaiming Captured Spaces

Whereas capturing an opposing start space requires a capital ship, reclaiming one can be accomplished by any vessel. For the indigenous team to reclaim one of its captured spaces (before End of Turn), if that team can move any of its vessels (including Support Craft) into that space the captured space reverts back to control of the indigenous team.

Contested Occupation

A starting space must be exclusively controlled by one team for ownership to transfer (i.e., if a start space has been captured by an opponent and an indigenous player moves into that space, control still rests with the opposing team who captured it if that enemy player still occupies that space). If two or more different teams occupy the same starting space at the same time control does not shift to any other team until only one team remains in that space. How do you remove an opposing team from that space? That's for you to figure out.

While capturing an enemy start space requires a capital ship, retaining it can be achieved with any vessel. An enemy support craft cannot capture a start space but can prevent you from reclaiming your captured start space. Any vessels of differing teams can contest occupation.



Captain's Rules in Team Games

In Captain's level team games a few alterations are necessary to the normal rules. Only one Base is permitted per team.

Also, players on the team help control the Base. There are two options for this:
  • tier sharing
  • priority shifting

Tier Sharing

In tier sharing, since there are no more than 3 players, each player controls one tier of their base (for extra tiers, the priority player will control the Base).

Priority Shifting

In priority shifting, control of your team's Base switches to you when you gain priority.

Each team chooses which method of Base control it will implement.

When a player is defeated by having his/her Capital Ship destroyed, that player still controls the team's Base at the appropriate time. Also, a defeated player keeps all cards in hand instead of sending them to the discard pile.

The Base may begin with EQUIP type cards equipped to it, according to one of the Complement rules. Players on a team decide amongst themselves which cards to use for this rule.




Other Changes

You may view the cards held in hand by your team members. It is assumed players on a team have secure communication. This does not apply to cards set in the tiers.

If a card affecting the space station states the “player” must do something, this applies to the controlling player at the time.

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