Planet

Planet features:

* resource value (number with a green background, lower left)

* influence value (number with a red background, lower right)

* sometimes, a technology specialty (red, yellow, green or blue symbol)

* sometimes, a refresh ability (additional icon at the bottom, explained by text in the centre of the card)

* Home System planets will have the owning races insignia at the bottom

Resources represent a planet's economic surplus.

Resources are used by its owner to purchase units and technology.

Influence represents a planet's population, knowledge base, and/or political importance.

Influence is used to acquire Command Counters, to play certain Action Cards, and to provide vital votes at The Galactic Council.

When a player acquires a planet, either by successfully invading a neutral or enemy planet, or by any other means, he immediately claims its corresponding Planet Card in an *exhausted*state (i.e. face down).

### CONTROLLING PLANETS

To take control of a planet, a player must normally have successfully landed at least one friendly **occupying force** (Ground Force, Shock Troop or Mechanized Unit) on that planet.

Unless the planet is later lost to another player by invasion or some other game effect, a planet will remain under a player's control for the remainder of the game. The player may place one of his Control Markers on the planet at any time to indicate his ownership, but this is superfluous if he has one or more plastic units on the planet.

### TRADE STATIONS

Two regular systems contain Trade Stations (Tsion and Sumerian).  Trade Stations have a white name box and a space for a Control Marker.

Whenever a player has ships in a system in which no other player’s ships are present, he immediately places his Control Marker on the station (and gains the corresponding card in its exhausted state). Control Markers may be removed from Trade Stations by certain abilities and cards.

TRADE STATIONS ARE NOT PLANETS

• Capturing a Trade Station from an opponent does not break a trade agreement with that opponent.

• Ground units or Space Docks may not be placed on Trade Stations.

• No Distant Suns Domain tokens are placed on Trade Stations.

• Trade Stations may never be invaded.

...AND YET THEY ARE.  KIND OF.

Aside from the above exceptions, Trade Stations are still considered planets (with planet cards) for the sake of abilities and other cards that target planets. For example, a player can target a Trade Station with Peaceful Annexation (a power on the Diplomacy Strategy Card) or the Local Unrest Action Card.

(Note, however, that using an ability such as Peaceful Annexation – which gives you control of a planet – on a Trade Station in which another player is the only player with ships in the system is pointless, since that player will immediately regain control of the station.)

### REFRESH ABILITIES

In the Status phase, if a planet or trade station in refreshed (not exhausted), it can be exhausted to take advantage of its refresh ability.

Trade Goods, Shock Troops etc. (depending on the refresh ability) are placed on the planet.

### TECHNOLOGY SPECIALTIES

Technology specialties represent a certain local knowledge or a natural resource important to a specific area of science.

The presence of a technology specialty gives the owner of the planet the ability to purchase a Technology Advance (of the specific type: yellow, red, green, or blue) for 1 less than its normal cost when purchasing technologies with the Technology Strategy Card.

If a player controls multiple planets with technology specialties of the same colour/type, the cost to acquire that technology type is lowered by 1 for each such planet.

Technology specialty discounts do not apply if the contributing Planet Card is exhausted.

It is not necessary to exhaust a planet with the technology specialty in order to receive the discount, nor is it necessary to exhaust that specific planet to buy the Technology advance.

#### Scientists

A Scientist on a planet that contains at least one technology specialty provides 1 additional technology specialty of the same colour.

#### Winnu and Arborec Home System technology specialties

The Winnu have a yellow technology specialty on their home planet. It is not counted towards objectives.

The Arborec have a green technology specialty on their home planet. It *is* counted towards objectives.