FAQ (Second Edition)

Q: Voting FOR Labor Force Politics reads "Influence and Resources are reversed. Players collect credits equal to their Influence during the Receive Credits Segment, and have as many votes as their Resources during the Political Phase". Does Labor Force Politics switch Influence and Resources for the entire Political Phase so Resources are used to determine movement order? If so, how would Sarween Tools work?
A: Labor Force Politics only reverses Influence and Resources when you receive credits and vote, it does not switch resources for the entire Receive Credits Segment and Political Phase. So Sarween Tools (each of your planets receive +1 Resources) increases your votes. Sarween Tools does not give you more credits during the Receive Credits Segment since you receive credits equal to your Influence, not your Resources.
Q: Do you roll for fighters using the Spatial Jump technology?
A: Yes
Q: Mentak can fire two cruisers before space combat, in a sense this is a free shot before space combat. Please clarify this advantage.
1. If a space battle occurs in two or more hexes is the Mentak allowed to have two cruisers fire a free shot in each hex they have space battle?
A: Yes
2. If Mentak is the defender, do they still get this advantage?
A: Yes
3. Do the Mentak cruisers fire at the same time as assault cannons? Before? After?
A: Before
Q: The Mentak have 2 Cruisers in a system with one of them transporting an Admiral. Can they use their special ability and the Admiral to fire up to three times before any space combat begins?
A: No
Q: The Mentak has a Dreadnought with the Assault Cannon technology. The Dreadnought is also transporting an Admiral. Can they use the Assault Cannon technology with the Admiral to fire twice with one Dreadnought before any space combat begins?
A: No
Q: Does the Diplomat stop Dreadnoughts from Bombarding with his ability or only ground forces from invading?
A: Only ground forces from invading.
Q: Can a scientist allow the purchase of a cheap spacedock or PDS in the Purchase Units phase, move to a new planet, and have the new unit
placed on the new planet?
A: No
Could it be placed on the old planet?
A: Yes
Q: If you capture an enemy spacedock with Shock Troops (as described in the HOPE'S END rules), can you place new units at that spacedock this turn?
A. Yes.
Q: The action card Determine Policy allows someone to pick a political card in the discard pile or current law and have the players vote (or revote) on that political agenda. The question is once the political agenda has been selected by the determine policy action card, can the Xxcha use their racial ability to get rid of the selected political agenda before anyone can vote on it?
A: Yes
Q: If the fleets of two players with Assault Cannon Technology engage each other, and both fleets include at least one Dreadnought, what happens?
A: If one player has more assault-cannon-dreadnoughts than the other, that player may fire first with a number of dreadnoughts equal to the difference. That is, if I have three and you have two, I may fire first with one. All the others fire normally.
Q: In the Hope's End expansion, if a leader is sent down with ground troops to a neutral planet and all the troops get wiped out by a radiation or biological hazard, is the leader dead too?
A: No. The Leader escapes back to the ship he was dropped from
Q: If a player with the Deep Space Cannon tech uses a P.D.S. to fire on an opponent in an adjacent hex, does it break their Trade Agreement?
A: Yes
Q: Does Sarween Tools increase the number of units you may place on a spacedock since it adds +1 to your planet's resources?
A: Yes.
Q: Does a Spacedock count towards building a unit on your planet's production.
A: No.
Q: If a Carrier has more than one movement, could you "drop" fighters off along the way.
A: Yes, as long as the systems in which it "drops off" fighters can sustain the fighters (i.e., they have carriers or space docks).
Q: Can a Carrier pick up a Ground Force or P.D.S. from another carrier and continue its move?
A: No. According to the "Transporting" rules under "Movement Segment," a Carrier can pick up a Ground Force or PDS [from a planet] at any time, but the Ground Force and PDS cannot leave the Carrier (even to be put onto another Carrier) until the Invasion Combat Segment.
Q: The Action Card "Fantastic Rhetoric" says "You gain 10 additional Influence for one vote." Does this influence count towards establishing turn order?
A: No, but it does influence the order in which the players vote. The 10 additional Influence is lost after the vote.
Q: The Action Card "Stellar Criminals" says "Halve any one opponent's income for one turn." Does this include trade agreements, gold domain counters, or the Rare Mineral action card?
A: Yes to all. Halve any and all income the player may receive during the economy phase.
Q: The Action Card "Space dock Accident" says "All new units placed at one space dock are temporarily removed from play and may not be placed until next turn." Do these units still count towards the number of units you can place at a space dock?
A: No.
Q: The Political Card "Mass Mobilization" says "Divide the total votes for this agenda by five. Each player may place that many Ground Forces on the board." Can these be placed ANYWHERE on the board, including neutral or enemy planets and friendly carriers?
A: No. They can only be placed on planets you control.
Q: The Political Card "Unconventional Weapons" says "All players must pay two credits for each Dreadnought they have in play." If you do not have enough credits and sell one of your dreadnoughts, do you still have to pay the 2 credits for it?
A: No.
Q: The Political Card "Colonization Licensing" says "Players must spend three credits each time they successfully invade a new planet. Players
can not receive the planet's resources or influence until the fee is paid." Can you sell your units to pay the cost?
A: Only if you don't have the credits to pay for it otherwise.
Q: The Political Card "Dispute Resolution" says "Elect two planets controlled by two different players. Remove all ground forces and P.D.S. from both planets." Does this mean that each player votes once for two planets?
A: Yes. Whatever pair has the highest number of votes is elected.
Q: If someone uses the Determine Policy action card to revote on a current Law, can the Xxcha discard it by paying 5 credits?
A: Yes
Q: What happen if total votes on every sides are equal, or if all players abstain?
A: Then the player with the highest total Influence decides the outcome. If it is an "Elect" card, the player with the highest total Influence decides who is elected. If it is a "Law" card, the player with the highest total Influence decides whether or not the Law is passed.
Q: During the Individual Turns Phase (or during voting), what happens if the influence of two or more players is tied?
A: In case of a tie during the Individual Turns Phase, player order is determined by the most Resources. If this is tied, the player with the most Tech goes first, or most Credits on hand. If the players are tied in all way, order is determined by coin toss. (During voting, the process works the same, except the player with the least Resources, Tech, or Credits votes first.)
Q: If I lose all my troops on a planet through an action or political card, do I lose control of that planet, even there are no enemy troops on the planet?
A: In general, no. Unless the card or rules specifically say otherwise, if you lose all troops on a planet, you retain control of that planet.
Q: Can a carrier with two or more ground forces invade two planets in one system?
A: No.
Q: Can P.D.S. shoot Fighters?
A: Yes.
Q: Are planets in my home system subject for Insurgence Check? Can I lose a planet in my home system to a failed Insurgence Check?
A: Unless the card calling for the Insurgence Check says otherwise, yes, planets in home systems are subject to Insurgence Checks.
Q: If the fleets of two players with the Assault Cannon Technology engage each other, and both fleets include at least one Dreadnought, what happens?
A: The two Assault Cannons cancel each other out. Neither players' Dreadnoughts get a "free shot" and the battle is played out normally.
Q: If I have the Assault Cannon Technology and at least one Dreadnought in my fleet, and I attack a system with a P.D.S. and one enemy ship in it, who shoots first, the P.D.S. or the Dreadnought?
A: The P.D.S. gets to fire before the Dreadnought does.
Q: If a player has the Stasis Capsules Technology, can a Dreadnought both bombard a planet and land ground forces in the same turn?
A: Yes.
Q: What if, due to several modifiers, some rolls are either impossible to make or impossible to miss? (i.e. Insurgency roll on a planet with more warships than influence, or a shot from a fighter with a -2 modifier)?
A: The rolls automatically succeed or fail. No roll is necessary.
Q: If an opponent moves his fleet into a system in which I have a P.D.S. but no ships, do I have to use the P.D.S. for an out of turn defense? Or can I choose not to fire on the fleet?
A: You may choose not to fire on the fleet.
Q: If I have the Light/Wave Deflector Technology, and I end my fleet's movement in a system with an opponent's P.D.S., can that P.D.S. fire on my fleet?
A: Yes.
Q: Do the modifiers for a planet's Influence and Resources (i.e. Sarween Tools) affect progression chart calculation and technology bonuses?
A: Yes.
Q: When the Holy Planet of Ixth is played on a planet, what is meant by "not allowed to produce anything"?
A: While the planet retains its Resources and Influence, and any Spacedocks that may already be there, no new units may come into play on that planet.
Q: "Short Term Truce" and "Long Term Truce" are Laws, but have a time limit (two and one turns respectively). How does that work? And what's an "attack"?
A: These two cards are not Laws. This is an errata. "Attack" means to invade a system with an enemy fleet, invade a planet with enemy troops, fire upon (roll dice to hit) enemy forces, or destroy enemy forces with a Technology (such as the X-89 bacterial weapon). Other hostile actions (such as the "Public Execution" card) are not attacks.
Q: If you play the "Scientist Assassination" card, and remove a Technology that was required for another Technology the player already has, is the dependent Technology also removed?
A: No. The player who loses the Technology may continue to acquire Technologies as if he still had the missing Technology. (Once it has been researched, the knowledge remains, even if the working model is destroyed.)
Q: What does a P.D.S. need to hit? I can't find the information in the rules.
A: You need to roll a 7 to hit with a P.D.S. This information was omitted from the back of the rule book, but is on the player reference cards.