Space Stations

Each space station has a special ability that can impact the game as described on the space station’s corresponding card. Space station abilities are not considered alien powers. They are not affected by game effects that copy, steal, or cancel alien powers, such as Cosmic Zap.

As long as a player maintains a colony on the planet with the attached space station (i.e., he has at least one ship of his color on that planet) the player receives the benefit or has access to the ability listed on his corresponding space station card. The planet to which a space station is attached does not have to be involved in an encounter in order for the player to use his space station’s ability.

If a player has no ships on the planet that is attached to his space station, he loses access to his space station ability and flips his corresponding space station card facedown.

If a player’s alien power is zapped, lost, or affected in some way, he still has access to his space station ability as long as he has at least one ship on the planet attached to his space station.

If a planet with an attached space station is destroyed or otherwise removed from the game for any reason, the attached space station is also destroyed and removed from the game.

Space stations can be traded for as part of a deal, either in addition to cards and/or colonies, or by themselves. A player receiving a space station attaches the newly acquired space station to any planet in his home system which does not currently have an attached space station.

Space Station Conquest
This variant allows players to acquire other players’ space stations for their own use.

When a player wins an offensive encounter against a planet outside his home system which has a space station attached, that player conquers that space station. At the end of the resolution phase, the winning offensive player takes the space station card and its corresponding marker from the defending player. He then attaches the conquered space station to any planet in his home system which does not currently have an attached space station.

In this variant, space stations may be traded as part of a deal as normal.

A player has access to every space station ability he controls as long as he has a colony on the attached planet.

If a player acquires at least five space stations (four if playing with the Four Planets variant), that player wins the game! This victory condition is only available if enough space stations are in play.

Space Station Questions
Q: How does Leviathan work in combination with space stations? Can a planet with an attached space station be sent as a worldship? What happens to the space station in that case?

A: Yes, the planet with the space station can be used as the worldship. The Cosmic Storm rules state that, “the planet to which a space station is attached does not have to be involved in an encounter in order for the player to use their space station’s ability.” However, if the leviathan loses the encounter, he will lose the space station ability since he will no longer have ships on the planet with the space station.

Q: What happens if The Claw moves a planet with an attached space station?

A: If a game effect moves a planet with an attached space station out of its current system, the attached space station moves with the planet. If the planet is anywhere other than in a system (i.e. the Warp or Hyperspace Gate) the ability on the attached space station cannot be used until the planet moves back to a system. The space station would still belong to the original controlling player in this case.

Q: The Temporal Matrix: is it possible to draw new tech instead of taking the second encounter provided by this space station?

A: You can give up the gained encounter to draw a tech.

Q: The Cosmic Energy Generator: when it is captured, does it lose a token (as it was on the losing side of the encounter), or gain two (as it is now on the winning side)?

A: It would lose a token. Then as instructed by the space station, at the end of the resolution phase, “the winning offensive player takes the space station card...”

Q: Do alliances have to be formed for the Observation Platform to take effect?

A: No. This is simply the timing of the card.

Q: Does Colony Cloak allow the offense to target another player’s foreign colony in the same targeted system?

A: Yes.

Q: Does Cosmic Energy Generator gain or lose tokens for successful or failed deals?

A: No.

Q: If a planet with a Space Station attached to it is destroyed, is the Space Station also destroyed?

A: Yes.