Before Your FIRST Game (One-Time Setup)
+These steps permanently modify your game. Only do this once, before your very first game.
1. Customize the Factions
Each of the 5 factions needs a starting power. Take the First Game Power cards:
- For each faction, look at the two power options on their card
- Choose ONE power for each faction
- Remove the sticker from the card and place it in the green space on that faction's card
- DESTROY the remaining unused powers (they won't come into play)
Tip: If stuck, flip a coin for each faction!
View the 5 Factions2. Customize the Resource Deck
Each Territory card starts with 1 coin. The sticker sheet marked "BEFORE YOUR FIRST GAME" has 12 additional coins.
- Remove the 12 Coin stickers from the card
- Apply them to Territory cards (max 6 resources on any card)
Increasing a territory to 3+ resources makes it hotly contested. Spreading coins gives the whole board value; concentrating them in one continent makes that continent very valuable.
Setup Before EVERY Game
+Setting Up the Sideboard
Player Setup
Each player starts with either:
- A Red Star token — if you haven't signed the victor's section yet, OR
- Missile token(s) — one for every time your name appears in the victor's section
Scar Cards
Shuffle and deal ONE Scar card to each player. If there aren't enough for everyone, no one gets one this game.
Choosing Factions & Starting Positions
+The old dice-roll-and-pick system has been replaced by a draft card system. Lay out all draft cards and faction cards face-up before the game begins.
The Four Draft Card Types
- Starting Troops — How many troops you place at game start
- Turn Order — When you take your turn each round
- Starting Placement — When you place your HQ at game start
- Starting Coin Cards — How many coin cards you begin with
Filter by Player Count
Only use draft cards marked with your player count or lower:
- 3 players: Use only cards marked "3"
- 4 players: Add the "4" marked cards
- 5 players: Add the "4" and "5" marked cards
The Draft
You cannot take a second card of the same type. If you already have a Turn Order card, you must pick a faction or a different card type.
In a 4-player game, the pick order repeats as:
P1 → P2 → P3 → P4 → P4 → P3 → P2 → P1
This sequence repeats until all players have a faction and one card of each type.
Placing Troops & Starting the Game
A legal starting territory is either:
- An unoccupied territory with no marks (no scars or cities), OR
- An unoccupied territory that contains a Major City you founded in an earlier game (even if it has a scar)
Important: You cannot place your HQ adjacent to another faction's HQ!
1. Start of Turn
+Turn In Cards for a Red Star
You may turn in 4 Resource cards to buy one Red Star token. The number of coins doesn't matter — any 4 cards work.
- Territory cards go to the discard pile
- Coin cards return face up to the sideboard
- You can buy multiple Red Stars if you have enough cards
If you purchase your 4th Red Star, you win immediately!
Playing a Scar Card
Some Scar cards are played at the start of a player's turn (yours or any player's). Check your Scar card for timing.
2. Join the War OR Recruit Troops
+You do ONE of these, not both. If you control no territories, you MUST Join the War.
Join the War
If there's a legal starting territory available:
- Take HALF your starting troops (round down)
- Place them in a legal starting territory
- You do NOT get another HQ
Recruit Troops
Add up troops from these sources:
| Source | Troops |
|---|---|
| Territories controlled | # of territories ÷ 3 (round down) |
| Population (cities) | Sum of city populations ÷ 3 (round down) |
| Continent bonus | See board for each continent |
| Turn in cards | See chart on board |
Cities have population values:
- Minor City: Population 1
- Major City: Population 2
- World Capital: Population 5
Your total population = sum of all cities you control. Add this to your territory count before dividing by 3.
If you have cards totaling 2+ Resources (count the coins), you may turn them in for troops.
Refer to the chart on the board to see how many troops you get for each resource total (2-10).
The territories on the cards are irrelevant when recruiting. Coin cards return to the sideboard; Territory cards go to discard.
Placing Troops
Place ALL recruited troops in territories you control. You can put them all in one territory or spread them out.
Minimum recruitment is 3 troops (round up if calculation gives less).
3. Expand & Attack (Optional)
+You can expand into unoccupied territories and/or attack enemies. This is optional and you can do as much as you want (as long as you have troops).
Expanding into Unoccupied Territory
Move at least 1 troop from an adjacent territory into the unoccupied one. You now control it.
Expanding into Unoccupied Cities
Same as above, BUT you lose troops equal to the city's population. If you wouldn't have enough troops left to hold the territory, you cannot expand there.
Attacking Enemies
See the Combat section for detailed attack rules.
4. Maneuver Troops (Optional)
+After all expanding and attacking, you may perform one maneuver:
- Move as many troops as you like from one of your territories to another
- Territories must be connected through territories you control
- You cannot pass through enemy or empty territories
- You must leave at least 1 troop behind in the origin territory
This is movement only, not an attack or expansion.
5. End of Turn
+Drawing a Card
If you attacked and conquered at least 1 territory this turn, draw 1 Resource card:
- If you control one or more territories shown on the face-up cards, you must select one of those cards. The choice is yours.
- Otherwise, draw from the face-up Coin cards
- If no Coin cards, you don't get a card
You may draw a face-up card containing a territory in your Homeland, even if you do not currently control that territory.
Your Homeland is the continent that has been your faction's starting location most often (check the back of your faction card). If there's a tie, your faction does not have a homeland yet.
When you take a Territory card, slide remaining cards left, then flip a new one from the deck.
You can only draw 1 card per turn (unless a power says otherwise). Expanding into unoccupied territory does NOT count.
Scars
Some Scars on the board trigger at the end of your turn. Check the reference stickers on the board.
Winning a Territory
+If the Defender Has No More Troops
Move your attacking troops into the territory. You may also move additional troops from the attacking territory (but leave at least 1 behind).
You can move up to 3 additional troops even though you attacked with max 3.
No territory can ever be left abandoned — all troops must move to a new territory.
Conquering an HQ
If the conquered territory has an enemy HQ, leave it there. You now control that HQ and it counts as one of YOUR Red Stars!
If this gives you 4 Red Stars, you win immediately!
If Defender Still Has Troops
You may attack again (same or different territory) or stop. The defender cannot be forced out until all their troops are eliminated.
Modifying Die Rolls
+Marks on the board, Missiles, and faction powers can modify dice. Rules:
- A modified die can never be higher than 6 or lower than 1
- If more than one die is the same number, only ONE is modified per Scar, Power, or Missile
Example: Attacking a territory with a Bunker that gives +1 to defense. Defender rolls two 5s. Only one becomes a 6, so the rolls are 6 and 5.
Missiles
+Players who have won previous games receive Missile tokens at game start.
Using Missiles
- Played AFTER dice are rolled but BEFORE troops are removed
- Each Missile changes one die to a 6 (unmodifiable)
- A player may use multiple Missiles per battle
- Multiple Missiles can change multiple dice
Who Can Use Missiles?
Any player (not just attacker/defender) can use a Missile to affect any battle!
If multiple players want to play Missiles at the same time: attacker first, then defender, then clockwise from attacker.
Missiles are discarded after use and removed from the game box.
☢️ Nuclear Fallout (KABOOM)
+Triggered when 3 Missiles are used in the same combat roll (before troops are removed).
Fallout Effects (in order)
- Remove the attacking and defending troops from the battle normally
- Then remove ALL remaining troops in the fallout territory and DEMOLISH any HQ there
- Each territory connected to the fallout territory by land loses 1 die worth of troops
- If a player is knocked out or eliminated as a result, they discard any resource cards
Put the 8 Mutant Event Cards aside. They will go into (or create) the event deck for the next game.
Fortifications
+Fortifications are energy shields that protect cities. A Fortified city costs 2 additional troops to expand into if unoccupied.
Defending a Fortified City
When defending, the defender adds +1 to both dice.
Fortification Damage
After each attack with 3+ troops, mark one box around the Fortification. Once all 10 boxes are marked, the city is no longer fortified.
A depleted Fortification can be re-fortified with a new Fortification mark (remaining uses on old one are ignored).
Knocking Out a Player
+If you defeat the last troop on the board belonging to another player:
- Take all of their Resource cards (but NOT their Scar card)
- Take their Red Star tokens (if any)
- Take their Missile tokens (if any)
Depending on the state of the board, they may or may not be able to Join the War on their next turn.
When a faction with an empty blue slot is knocked out or eliminated, the player controlling that faction chooses a Comeback Power and places it onto the blue slot on their faction card.
Each faction can only have one comeback power. See the Reference section for available powers.
Elimination
If there are no legal starting territories when it's your turn, and you have no troops on the board, you are eliminated from the game.
Turn over your faction card and mark "Eliminated" for this game. Plot your revenge for next game!
Everyone: Record Your Game
+All players turn over their Faction cards and record whether that Faction:
- Won the game
- Held On (didn't win, but wasn't eliminated)
- Was Eliminated
If you have no troops on the board when the game ends, you are considered eliminated (even if a legal starting territory opens up later).
If You WON
+The winner signs their name and dates the next line on the board. Add any comments, mottos, or trash talk!
Choose ONE Reward:
Name any unnamed continent. In future games, controlling it gives +1 troop bonus. You may put your initials to remember you named it.
Place a Major City mark in any territory that doesn't have a city. Name it. Worth population 2 and becomes a legal starting territory for you.
Place a white "cancel" sticker over any Scar on the board. That territory no longer has a Scar and a new one can be placed there.
Put a Fortification mark on any city (even one already fortified to reset uses). Gives +1 to both defender dice.
Select any Territory card and DESTROY it. Write a small "x" near that territory's name on the board to show it has no card.
Permanently change any continent's troop bonus by +1 or -1. Bonus can only be changed once (up or down).
If You HELD ON (But Didn't Win)
+Proceeding clockwise from the winner, each player who Held On chooses ONE:
Place a Minor City in any territory without a city. Name it. Worth population 1 and becomes a legal starting territory for you.
Choose a territory you controlled at game end that has a matching Territory card. Add one resource sticker to it. Max 6 resources per card.
Note: If there are no more Minor City marks or Coin stickers to place, the losers no longer gain any additional rewards.
Completed World (After 15 Games)
+At the conclusion of the 15th game, once all rewards are chosen:
- The player who signed the victor's section the most times gets to name the planet
- Fill in "The World Of" on the board with the name
- If players are tied for most wins, those tied roll off — adding +1 for each continent they named
After 15 games, no further changes are made to the board. The game is now played in a world entirely of the players' making. Cards, new components, Scars, etc. will still change the world.
📦 New Scar Powers (Pack 1)
+Pack 1 introduced new Scar cards that can be placed on the board. These are in addition to existing Scars.
Activate at the start of your turn. Place 2 troops in every HQ you control.
Activate before a combat roll. Dice rolled for combat in that territory cannot be modified for the rest of the turn.
Activate as a player draws a resource card. That card cannot be drawn. The player can draw any other eligible card instead.
🏠 Homeland (Pack 3)
+Factions are starting to become attached to their new world. By this time they are starting to develop a Homeland.
Determining Your Homeland
Look at the back of your faction card. Your faction's Homeland is the continent that has been the starting location most often for that faction (including this game).
If there is a tie for most common starting continent, your faction does not have a homeland yet.
Homeland Benefit
At the end of your turn, when you draw a resource card, you may draw a face-up card containing a territory in your Homeland, even if you do not currently control that territory.
This gives your faction an advantage when collecting cards from their home continent, even when opponents control those territories.
☣️ Mutant Faction (Pocket 1)
+Starting the game after the first KABOOM, a Mutant faction joins — seeking revenge, especially against the Bringer of Nuclear Fire.
How the Mutant Faction Works
- Mutants are drafted like any other faction using the draft card system
- They evolve in a unique way — through their event cards
- Their faction card includes a private mission (printed in red) that can earn them one Red Star token — once per game
Do not scratch off the covered area on the Mutant faction card until instructed by the game.
🚀 Missile Powers (Pocket 1)
+After the devastation of the nuclear attack, factions begin researching alternative weapons — resulting in Missile Powers.
How Missile Powers Work
- Each faction with an empty brown slot will receive one Missile Power (not all at the same time)
- Activated by discarding a Missile
- Each faction's Missile Power is unique — see the Missile Power cards from Pocket 1
Card Types
+Territory Cards: Have a territory name and Coin symbol. Starting resources vary. Max 6 resources per card.
Coin Cards: Have ONLY the Coin symbol (no territory). Can never be upgraded. Return to sideboard when turned in.
Scar Cards: Dealt at game start. Usually played during the game to place Scars on the board.
Starting Power Cards: Give factions their starting power. Only used during first game setup.
Event Cards: Shuffled with Territory deck after an envelope is opened. Resolve when drawn.
Mission Cards: One face-up on sideboard. Complete during your turn for 1-2 Red Stars.
Mission Cards
+At the start of the game, place one Mission card face up on the sideboard.
Any player may complete the mission on their turn to earn 1-2 Red Star tokens.
Completing a Mission
- At the end of your turn, if you've completed the face-up mission, discard it and take your reward
- Place a new random Mission card face up
- You can only complete one mission per turn
- You cannot draw a Resource card on the same turn you complete a mission
Note: You can always draw a Resource card instead of completing a Mission, if you're entitled to one.
Event Cards
+Event cards have been shuffled into the Territory deck. They are now in play for all future games.
Event cards get shuffled into the Territory deck after opening certain envelopes. When drawn:
- If the newly revealed card in slot 1 has an EVEN number of resources, an event occurs
- Turn over the top card in the Event deck and perform the action
- Discarded Event cards go back in the box (not reshuffled until deck runs out)
You don't trigger an event when laying out initial Territory cards at game start.
Conflicting Powers
Sometimes Event cards conflict with Faction powers. Negative effects from Events override any extra abilities a Faction has.
Opening New Packages
+Sealed components contain surprises. Only open when you've satisfied the requirement listed. You can open them in any order once you've earned it.
Every pack contains cards called "THE WAR PROGRESSES" that explain what's in the pack and where stickers go. Refer to the back of each Evolution card.
When to Open Packs:
- Pack 1: ✓ OPENED — 9th Minor City founded → Draft System + new Scar Cards
- Pack 2: ✓ OPENED — First player eliminated → Comeback Powers
- Pack 3: ✓ OPENED — Second win for same player → Homeland
- Pack 4: Open when the [REDACTED] mark is placed on the board
When to Open Pockets:
- Pocket 1: ✓ OPENED — 3 Missiles in one combat roll → Nuclear Fallout + Mutant Faction + Missile Powers
- Pocket 2: Open when a person is about to place 30+ troops on the board AND has at least one Missile
When Decks Run Out
+Territory Deck
Shuffle the discard pile to make a new draw pile. However, more Event cards may come into play mid-game. These would be shuffled with any cards left in the event deck as the game continues.
Coin Card Deck
The first time this happens, follow the instructions on the sideboard to award a Red Star token to the player who controls the most territories.
If there's a tie, no player gets a Red Star.
If the Coin deck runs out again in the same game, this Red Star is NOT awarded a second time.