Twin Stars FAQ

This is the official FAQ for Twin Stars: Adventure Series I and Twin Stars: Adventure Series II.

## **General**

Q. If you win a scenario by performing an action which
requires a skill check, do you win immediately or do you need to perform the
skill check first?

A. You need to perform the skill
check and suffer any consequences first.

Q. When using characters who have multiple symbols on the
same row, it is possible to get two combos simultaneously. How do you decide
which one to activate?

A. You can choose which of the
possible combos to activate.

Q. When using characters who have multiple symbols on the
same row and a combo is formed, can you avoid that combo by choosing another
symbol that would not activate it?

A. If a combo is formed, you must
activate it, unless there’s another combo that can be activated instead.

Q. When can you use the universal special ability to re-roll
a die? Only when placing them on characters, or also for skill checks and rolls
related to the scenarios?

A. Energy can be used to re-roll
any die at any time, unless a special rule states otherwise (e.g., in Hunt the
Bounty, search dice can only be re-rolled using resources rather than energy).

Q. What is the sequence of events when activating a reaction
or fatigue ability?

A. If no combo results from a roll,
you pick one die to reduce and one to re-roll. Reduce the die first. If there
is a fatigue or reaction ability on the space that you reduced to, resolve the
action. If no combo results from the fatigue or reaction, pick up the other die
and re-roll it as usual.

Q. When performing a skill check, you succeed if the two
dice can be placed in the two character’s skill check ranges, and fail if they
cannot. What happens if one die can fit and the other can’t?

A. Unless both dice can fit, you
fail the skill check.

Q. If a combo does not occur, one die is reduced and the
other is re-rolled; if a combo still doesn’t occur, does the same die need to
be reduced as before, or can you choose?

A. You can always choose which die
to reduce and which to re-roll.

Q. Can you place both character dice on the same character?

A. No; you can only place one die
on each character, unless a special rule states otherwise.

Q. When gaining or losing health, can you choose which
character suffers or benefits?

A. If the heart or broken heart
icon is on a character, that character must be affected by it. If the heart or
broken heart icon is on the scenario, either character may be affected by it,
unless stated otherwise. If the heart or broken heart icon is part of a skill
check, either character may be affected by it, unless stated otherwise.

Q. Do all special abilities require energy to use?

A. No; the universal special is to
re-roll a die by spending energy, and many other specials require energy as
well. However, this universal special is itself modified (for instance, by
Bood, who can spend health instead), and if a special does NOT have an energy
cost associated with it, it activates in some other way instead.

## **Characters**

### **Bood**

Q. Can Bood’s special action be used to re-roll skill check
dice, or only character dice?

A. No; only energy can be used for
that.

Q. When using Bood’s special action to re-roll dice, can
they be re-rolled one at a time, or only together?

A. Whenever both dice are rolled,
they’re always rolled together; Bood is no different.

### **Brenimov-X**

Q. How do you get the star on Brenimov-X’s 2-spot?

A. If you roll a two, you need to
re-roll the die. However, effects do not activate upon die reduction, so if you
reduce the die to two, it stays there.

### **Fanoobia**

Q. When reducing to Fanoobia’s one-spot, can you choose
which character to heal?

A. No; Fanoobia can only heal
herself.

### **Grant Rockgardner**

Q. Does Grant’s special ability work for any die roll in the
game, or do you decide to use it and then roll a special die for which you try
to guess the outcome?

A. Grant can spend energy to call
the number of a die rolled during regular gameplay; it’s an excellent insurance
policy against a roll that, if it fails, will sink you.

Q. Can you use Grant’s special ability to call two dice
being rolled at once?

A. No; when rolling two dice, they
are always rolled together, and Grant’s ability can be activated when rolling
“a die.”

### **Inpon Gol**

Q. Inpon Gol’s 3-spot has a token which covers up one side
or the other, and moves “when this die is removed.” Does that mean that the
token is moved every time Inpon’s die is removed?

A. No; any time the die is on the
3-spot and is then re-rolled or reduced, the token is moved to the other side
of the spot.

Q. When does Inpon Gol lose health – when the die is moved
to his 3-spot and the broken heart is already uncovered, or when the die is
moved off of his 3-spot thereby uncovering the broken heart?

A. If the broken heart is uncovered
and the die is placed on Inpon’s 3-spot, he immediately loses health.

### **Inzill Mey**

Q. When using Inzill Mey’s instant action to place the other
die on any number and re-roll this die, which die is placed where?

A. You can place Inzill’s partner’s
die on any spot on Inzill’s partner. Then, pick up Inzill’s die and re-roll it
on her card.

Q. When using Inzill Mey’s instant action to use another
character’s instant action, which character actually uses the action?

A. Inzill Mey adopts the other
character’s instant action and uses it as if it were her own.

### **Kinglan**

Q. After activating Kinglan’s effect that places a coin on
his card with the heads side up, if that coin is used in place of the next coin
flip, is the coin afterwards removed from his card?

A. Yes; the coin is a one-time used
effect, and the next time it needs to be randomly flipped as usual.

Q. When activating Kinglan’s effect that places a coin on
his card with the heads side up, what happens if a coin has already been placed
there previously? Do you stack two coins, and have a heads guaranteed for the
next two coin flips?

A. No, the effect is redundant and
ignored. You only need one coin for the game.

### **Phaeton**

Q. With Phaeton in play, !! count as a combo, while !!! does
not. Paired with some characters, it is possible to hit a !!!! combo; how does
this count?

A. Only !!! does not count as a
combo; !!!! counts the same as a regular !!.

### **Roux Jaezmina**

Q. When using Roux’s instant action to re-roll both dice,
add them together, and make two new dice with the same sum, does this mean that
both new dice need to be showing the same number?

A. No; get the sum, and then split
it up between the two dice any way you choose.

### **Smiff**

Q. How does Smiff’s “Focus \*” work?

A. If a skill check succeeds and
Smiff’s die is a three, you gain a \* icon; if the other die is already on a \*,
it counts as a \*\* combo. Otherwise, continue play as normal.

### **Strezelsior**

Q. When using Strezelsior’s special action to combine both
dice, use the sum, and re-roll the other die, which die uses the combined
number and which die is re-rolled?

A. You can choose which character
to place the set die on and which character to re-roll on.

Q. When using Strezelsior’s special action to combine both
dice, use the sum, and re-roll the other die, what happens if the two dice add
up to a number greater than six?

A. You can only use this ability
when the dice combine to a sum of six or less.

### **Yanfred Jima**

Q. Do both dice need to be on !! to activate his special?

A. No; the special can be activated
at any time. To do so, take the effect of a !! combo as shown on the scenario
card, then swap the positions of the dice; you may then activate any instants
or combos achieved through the swap, after the !! has taken effect.

Q. But doesn’t activating a combo, including !!, return the
dice on the cards to your hand?

A. Normally yes; this ability,
however, activates a combo and then allows the dice to be manipulated after as
part of the action.

### **Zoaze**

Q. What do the “re-rolls” in Zoaze’s special action refer
to?

A. Anytime that you use Zoaze’s
reaction abilities on her one- and two-spots, you may add one to the result of
the die roll in exchange for conducting a skill check.

## **Scenarios**

### **Scenario 01: Escape the Brig!**

Q. Do you need to acquire the Pick (with a \*\* combo) before
you can use it?

A. Yes; the pick is covered at the
start of the game, and you can use a \*\* combo to uncover it and use it at will.

Q. If you get a \*! combo without having acquired the pick,
are you forced to perform the "Advance forward 1 space and [Skill -2
Health]” since you don't have the pick to drop?

A. No; you can’t use the pick in
the first place, so \*! does not count as a combo.

Q. If you acquire the pick and later choose to drop it, is
it permanently removed from the game?

A. No; it returns to its spot on
the scenario card and can be reacquired with another \*\* combo.

### **Scenario 02: Confine the Quarks!**

Q. Didn’t this used to be named “The Quark Star?”

A. Yes, and the entry on Board Game
Geek reflects this. It was renamed to fit the naming convention followed by the
other scenarios.

Q. Do base precision and precision begin at the same spot at
the start of the scenario?

A. Yes, they both share the first
spot on the precision track.

Q. Can precision ever be below base precision?

A. No; it cannot be reduced below
base precision, and if it’s at the same position as base precision when base
precision is increased, it increases as well.

Q. Do the bonuses on the precision track apply during any
die roll, or only when experimenting?

A. The precision track applies only
when experimenting.

Q. When precision reaches “May re-roll 1 if experimenting,”
does this mean that one die may be re-rolled or that a die showing “1” may be
re-rolled?

A. All dice that show “1” may be
re-rolled when experimenting; if no dice roll a one, then no dice may be
re-rolled through this ability.

Q. When precision reaches “May use 5 and 6 for +$1M,” does
this mean that fives and sizes increase your funding, or that a combo of a five
and a six increase funding?

A. Only a combo of one five and one
six increase funding by $1M.

Q. When precision reaches “May use 5 and 6 for +$1M,”
rolling a 5 and 6 may grant additional funding, but it does not award a quark.
Does it still count as a failure?

A. No; the funding is gained, and
that’s the end of that particular experiment action, neither a success nor a
failure.

Q. When precision reaches “Evens = +1 at Pentaquark,” what
rolls add a quark? Any evens (e.g., a 3 and a 4 – since 4 is even)? Any roll
with an even sum (e.g., 3 and 5)? Only two evens (e.g., 2 and 4)?

A. Doubles are normally required to
add to the Pentaquark. If the precision track reaches this point, a roll that
consists of two even numbers (e.g., 2 and 4) will also yield one quark.

### **Scenario 03: Rule the World!**

Q. Are the enemy ships covered at the start of the scenario?

A. No; the enemy ships begin
uncovered and ready to attack.

### **Scenario 04: Stop the Virus!**

Q. When using the check-check combo to cover a virus, if you
roll the number of the marked virus, can you cover up the marked virus?

A. Yes, you got a lucky roll.

Q. According to the scenario card, when conducting a healing
attempt, if four, five, or six viruses are uncovered, you must roll a 1; if
three are uncovered, a 1 or a 2; if two are uncovered, a 1, 2, or 3. Does this
trend continue, so that if one is uncovered, you can roll a 1, 2, 3, or 4; and
if all are covered, a 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5?

A. No; you get no additional
bonuses for covering up more than the card states.

Q. One virus is marked at the start, and until “treated,”
rolling the number on this virus counts as a single “!”. What does it mean to
“treat” this virus?

A. The marked virus is “treated” by
being covered up, either through a \*\* combo (which covers up a virus of your
choice) or by a check-check combo (which lets you roll to cover up a virus).

Q. Performing a “healing attempt” lets you roll a die to “treat
a virus” – does this also let you cover up the marked virus?

A. “Treating” the marked virus has
nothing to do with “treating a virus” that occurs through healing attempts. Successful
healing attempts either “heal” or restore stamina; they do not interact with
the row of viruses at the bottom of the scenario card.

### **Scenario 05: Steal the Plans!**

Q. At the start of the scenario, how many guards begin at
the “Guard Start” location?

A. Just one; others may appear
later.

Q. Can the player characters move only clockwise, or in any
direction?

A. Players can move in any
direction.

Q. If a guard moves on top of a character, the character is
caught and the scenario fails; if a character moves on top of a guard, does it
still also count as a capture?

A. Yes; the scenario ends in
failure.

Q. If there are already four guards present on the scenario
card and a fifth is summoned, what happens?

A. Nothing; there can be a maximum
of four guards in play at any time, and only four guard tokens are needed for play.
However, if a guard is eliminated, his token can be re-used later to spawn a
new guard, if needed.

Q. What does it mean that guards see “in a straight line?”

A. Guards, standing on the edges of
the scenario card, can see to the ends of the same edge that they are on. They
cannot look around corners and they cannot look across the text on the card.

Q. If, while carrying the plans, you move twice and pass
over a spot that would generate new guards without stopping on that spot, are
new guards still generated?

A. Yes; the plans passed through
that spot and new guards appeared at their starting location.

### **Scenario 06: Hunt the Bounty!**

Q. How many resources do you start with?

A. Resources include energy,
health, and supplies. Both characters start with full health, you choose how
much energy to begin with (depending on what level of difficulty you would like
to play), and you start with  five
supplies (which is also the maximum).

Q. What do the “Inquiry” and “Restock” actions accomplish?

A. Characters are either sent to a
planet to perform an inquiry or to the restock area; after placing both
characters, both dice are rolled. Then, if the combined total matches with
whatever condition is stated on the planet where a character was performing an
inquiry, the stated amount of information is gained; if not, the stated amount
of threat is gained instead. Meanwhile, if either or both dice can be placed
inside the restocking character’s skill check range, then you can gain one
resource of your choice; if neither die can be placed in the restocking
character’s skill check range, nothing happens.

Q. Do you lose if you reach the end of the threat track?

A. No; you can only lose this
scenario by losing all health on one of the characters. However, a full threat
track reduces health so much for every !! combo, so you probably won’t last
much longer.

Q. Do you win if you reach the end of the information track?

A. No; you can only win by
capturing the bounty. However, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to
do so without reaching near the end of the information track.

Q. How can you “spend resources” to attempt to capture on a
\*\* combo?

A. Resources – energy, health, and
supplies – are expended to add to the capture die roll and the information
track, in the amount that you choose. Each energy, health and supply spent adds
one to the roll, and is then considered lost.

### **Scenario 07: Master the Trials!**

Q. What does it mean that you must take a skill check “at
each reduction”?

A. Each time the die is reduced
(due to not activating a combo), you must also take a skill check and lose a
health point (on the character that reduced a die) in case of failure.

Q. How does the difference between the Master’s and
Apprentice’s levels affect attempting a trial?

A. To attempt a trial, you must
roll one die, and if your roll is equal or greater to the number on the next
trial spot, you succeed. If attempting a trial using the check-check  combo, however, you must subtract from your
roll the difference between the Master’s level and the Apprentice’s level (at
the bottom of the scenario card). For instance, if the Master and the
Apprentice are at their starting locations, then you must subtract three from
your roll. Note that a large difference between the Master and the Apprentice
may make trials outright impossible on a check-check combo, while having the
Master and Apprentice at the same level makes a trial attempted through a check-check
combo identical to a trial attempted through a \*\* combo.

### **Scenario 08: Beat the Odds!**

Q. The description side of this card says to use five coins,
while the scenario side says to begin with six. How many coins should be used
in this scenario?

A. Five; the scenario side is
incorrect. The scenario is, in effect, a “best out of five” contest between you
and the thieves: the first to win three coins wins.

Q. When the thieves have moved a coin to their track, is
that coin permanently lost to you, or can it still be recovered?

A. Yes, it can still be recovered;
a \*\* combo allows you to steal a coin back from the thieves, as long as it is
still on the thieves’ track. Once it has been moved to the “X”, it is removed
from the game and is permanently lost to you.

Q. What does it mean to “gain a re-roll” under the \*\* combo?

A. You may use a \*\* combo to mark
one of the four positions on the “re-roll” track on the left side of the
scenario card. Thereafter, when betting, if your combined roll equals the
number that you have marked, you may choose to re-roll (and take the skill
check if necessary). The re-roll track only comes into play while betting, and
not during regular play.

### **Scenario 09: Control the Skies!**

Q. When beginning this scenario, do you place a token for
your characters on the map first, or can you place the enemy starfighter first
and then choose where you would like your characters?

A. You must begin the scenario by
placing a token for your characters, and then place the enemy starfighter
after.

Q. When a new wave of enemies hits, can you re-place your
ship for free, or are you stuck where you started until you move with a
check-check combo?

A. You do not get a free move; if
you would like to move, you must activate a check-check combo first. This may
mean that the enemies are clustered on one side of the map and you’re at the
opposite, and you then have to spend several turns just sliding over the entire
map to get to them.

Q. If using a check-check combo to move onto an adjacent
location where an enemy fighter is located, can you choose to move only without
attacking (to avoid the skill check)?

A. No; if activating a check-check
combo, if you can destroy a fighter, you must do so.

Q. How do you use the upgrade track on the right side of the
scenario card?

A. Each time you activate a \*\*
combo, you may move the upgrade token forward on the upgrade track. When you
advance to the missile, you may take the missile token; it is now yours to use.
When you advance to the shield, you may take the shield token; it is now yours
to use. When you reach the end of the track, you may move back to the beginning
for free. Alternatively, instead of moving forward on the track, activating a
\*\* combo may be used to deploy a missile or shield token that you have already
acquired.

Q. If you activated enough \*\* combos, could you
theoretically gain a shield on every spot on the map? Or, could you build up a
limitless stock of missiles?

A. No; there is only one shield
token and one missile token, and once they are acquired, they cannot be
re-acquired until used.

### **Scenario 10: Sell the Junk!**

Q. At the very start of the scenario, do you begin with $0
or $1?

A. You begin the scenario with $1,
and place the token on the money track accordingly.

Q. Does the money track at the top of the scenario card
intentionally skip from $8 to $10, and from $10 to $12?

A. Yes; you must gain $2 to make
those jumps. A single dollar gained when you’re already at $8 (or $10) is
wasted, and your money track does not advance.

### **Scenario 11: Destroy the Order!**

Q. After passing a law, are you required to follow it in all
cases, or can you choose when it’s applied?

A. If a law is in effect, it must
be followed whenever applicable.

Q. Regarding the suspicion track on the right side of the
scenario card, what constitutes “using” a law? Anytime a character die is
placed on one of the icons that modified by the law, or just when a
law-modified combo is activated?

A. A law is “used” only when a
combo is activated that is in some way modified by the law. An icon which does
result in a combo does not count as a use of the law.

### **Scenario 12: Serve the Rabble!**

Q. Do the primary and secondary character tokens, placed on
“bouncer” and “server” on the right side of the scenario card, ever move or
interact with the scenario?

A. No, they are simply there to
mark which character acts as which.

Q. What is the difference between the server and the
bouncer?

A. As shown on the right side of
the card, the bouncer begins with one additional health point, on top of the
character’s usual maximum. The server, on the other hand, can at any time sacrifice
one health to gain one energy.