My Space Fleet is Invincible! — Let's Play Twilight Imperium Third Edition

Pass on Technology.

High Alert staying in my home system.

Holy cow stuff's moving fast here suddenly. Before I deal with everything else, there's two things wrong with the updated map. The first is a minor clerical error where I don't have a control marker on Capha. The second is... what gives humanity? I thought we were buds! We send you a shipment of the first three seasons of Brain-o-rama, and you go and snag Sumerian there while I'm heading towards it, when you could just as easily have snagged the pretty-much-as-lucrative Lirta IV nobody else was close to? PDS, get overprotective!

PDS Attack result: 5 PDS Hits on: 6 (with racial penalty)

Now, that there was a warning shot, but why don't you stick to what's above the capital for now, and we'll take the stuff below, and nobody should come to blows for some time.

Speaking of those DVDs, Trade and Tech came up since I last had a chance to react to stuff here. +2 Trade Goods to me, on top of the 1 I had earlier from grabbing the unpopular strategy and... oh, why not? Most of my plans for this turn were scuttled by cards getting played too early, so MERRY TECHSMAS EVERYBODY!

Exhausting every single planet I've got for 12 resources, and tossing in a CC from SA to activate the $@#% out of that Tech 2 secondary.

For my freebie, I'll be taking XRD Transporters.

For the actual proper secondary activation, my Green Tech Specialty gives me a discount on Cybernetics.

Then for the pricey one off the primary, I'll use my Red Tech Specialty to juuuust barely nudge Magen Defense Grid into the realm of affordability.

Phew. Now I can get on with my actual turn. Activating Mehar Xull, moving in everything from Arnor/Lor, and the Dreadnought from Jol/Nar, capturing it.

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Jol – 1/2
Nar – 2/3
Capha – 3/0
Arnor 2/1
Lor 1/2 (Red Tech Specialty)
Starpoint 3/1
New Albion 1/1 (Green Tech Specialty)
Mehar Xull 1/3 (Blue Tech Specialty)

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 1
Strategy Allocation: 1
Fleet Supply: 2
Activations: 2

UNITS
Jol/Nar - Space Dock x1, Fighter x2, Ground Forces x2 (1 on each)
Starpoint/New Albion - Ground Forces x1 (New Albion), PDS x1 (Starpoint), Carrier x1, Dreadnought x1
Mehar Xull - PDS x1, Ground Forces x3, Carrier x1, Fighter x1, Dreadnought x1[/QUOTE]

TECHNOLOGIES OWNED
Hylar V Assault Laser
Deep Space Cannons
Magen Defense Grid
Antimass Deflectors
XRD Transporters
Cybernetics
Enviro Compensator
Sarween Tools

The Federation felt it had left sufficient space real estate available to our good friends, the Universities of Jol-Nar. See the fighter production facilities of Mirage, and the equally lucrative trade station of Tsion! Using your deep space weapons to fire on us may not break our arrangements, but there will be consequences! Yes. Perhaps we can come to a deal without the need for cowardly loophole violence?

Anyway, I'll be taking the Strategic Action and activating Leadership:



That gives me 3 Command Counters off the bat, and I'll also exhaust all my remaining planets, discard my Political Card and spend my last Trade Good for three more.

CONSUMABLES
Action Cards: 0
Political Cards: 0
Trade Goods: 0

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 3
Strategy Allocation: 4
Fleet Supply: 4
Activations: 2
Total in play: 13/16

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Jord – 4/2
Vega Major – 2/1
Vega Minor – 1/2, Blue tech bonus
Lazar – 1/0
Sakulag – 2/1
Thibah – 1/1
Arcturus – 1/1
Sumerian – 2/2, Refresh Ability: 2 Trade Goods

Also, there's a rundown of combat in this post.

Lucas is up.

Passing on Technology.

Activating Leadership's secondary and tapping Loki and Perimeter for two command counters, which I'll place in the command pool for now.

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 3
Strategy Allocation: 2
Fleet Supply: 3

PLANETS
Quinarra – 3/1
Tren’lak – 1/0
Ashtroth 2/0
Abbadon 1/0 (red tech specialty)
Loki 1/2
Perimeter 2/2
Vefut II 2/0 (red specialty)

UNITS (Deployed/Total)
Home space - Fighter x3, Dreadnought x1, Cruiser x1
Quinarra - PDS x1, GF x1, Space Dock x1
A/L/A space- Carrier x1
Abbadon - GF x1
Loki- GF x1
Ashtroth - GF x1
Perimeter space - Cruiser x1
Vefut II - Carrier x1, Fighter x1, GF x1

TECHNOLOGY II
1. Sarcasmorator — SECONDARY
2. Lucas — SECONDARY
3. Egarwaen — PASSED
4. Epithet — PASSED
5. L1Z1X Mindnet — PASSED
6 `Hrist — PASSED
7. Severian — PRIMARY
8. Googleshng — SECONDARY, and how!

LEADERSHIP
1. Sarcasmorator — PRIMARY
2. Lucas — SECONDARY
3. Egarwaen — SECONDARY
4. Epithet — SECONDARY
5. L1Z1X Mindnet — PASSED
6 `Hrist — SECONDARY
7. Severian — PASSED
8. Googleshng — SECONDARY

Cripes that's a lot of stuff happening since I looked at the thread less than twelve hours ago....

I'll probably be activating both those secondaries before taking my turn, but I need clarification on something. There's no yellow tech specialties on the map, so no one's getting a discount on things like Micro Technology, are they?

Exactly. There are yellow tech specialties in the expanded game (the Winnu have one at their homeworld, and some of the new expansion's planets do as well), but none are available this time around. yellow

Alright, I'll spend a strategy allocation counter to activate the technology secondary and tap Moll Primus and Saudor to buy Micro Technology.

I will then spend Torkan and Dal Bootha for 5 Influence to buy two command counters, which I'll put into Strategy Allocation for now (so I have two total there).

Then for my actual turn... no unspent planets... not a lot of trade goods... action card I can't use... I'll pass.

CONSUMABLES
Action Cards: 1
Political Cards: 0
Trade Goods: 2

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 1/3
Strategy Allocation: 2/2
Fleet Supply: 3
Activations: 3
Total in play: 9/16

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Moll Primus 4/1 - 2 GF, Spacedock
Tequ'ran 2/0 - Red Tech - 2 GF, 1 Carrier, 1 Fighter
Torkan 0/3 – Blue Tech - 1 GF, 1 PDS
Saudor 2/2 – 1 GF, 1 Cruiser
Dal Bootha 0/2 – Red Tech - 1 GF, 3 Cruisers
Xxehan 1/1 – Green Tech - 1 GF
Lodor 3/1 - Green Tech


TECHNOLOGIES OWNED
Hylar V Assault Laser
Enviro Compensator
Stasis Capsules
Micro Technology

UNITS (Deployed/Total)
Space Docks: 1/3
Ground Forces: 9
Shock Troops: 0
PDS: 1/6
Fighters: 1
Carriers: 1/4
Destroyers: 0/8
Cruisers: 4/8
Dreadnoughts: 0/5
War Suns: 0/2

TRADE CONTRACTS
Yin 1
Sardak Norr 1

VICTORY POINTS: 1

Activate Leadership secondary.

Tap Wren Terra, Quecen'n and Rarron for 6 influence. Purchase three Command Counters. Allocating 2 to Strategic Allocation, and 1 to the CC pool

I will pass on Leadership's secondary, and elect to perform Technology's secondary. I received two trade goods from trade agreements. I will spend four trade goods and tap Lesab for two more Resources and acquire Saween Tools. Fun times!

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 1
Strategy Allocation: 0
Fleet Supply: 3
Activations: 2
Total in play: 6/16

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Muaat (4/1)
Lesab (2/1, Green Tech Spec)
Resculon (2/0)
Coorneeq (1/2, Red Tech Spec)
Velor (2/0, Red Tech Spec)
Lisis (2/2)
El'Nath (2/0, Blue Tech Spec)

TRADE GOODS: 1

Edit: And it's my turn. I'll take that this evening.

Activating Leadership secondary, paying 2 Trade Goods and adding 1 CC to... oh let's say Strategy Allocation.

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 1
Strategy Allocation: 2
Fleet Supply: 2
Activations: 2

CONSUMABLES
Action Cards: 1
Political Cards: 0
Trade Goods: 1

The Yins pass on Leadership secondary.

A quick note on PDS fire: Googleshng and I almost had a train wreck up there because I did all my Tactical Action stuff in taking over Sumerian/Arcturus, but was actually in range of one of his space guns, which means he had a free shot that could have totally destroyed my plan to take both planets. We worked it out (he retroactively fired and it turned out as a miss, so I didn't have to undo my takeover of the planets), but in future moves everyone should probably stop their action immediately after moving into a system that's in range of an enemy PDS and make sure they're not going to be fired at before continuing. PDS fire happens right after movement, so it also precedes space battles and such.

I'll work on a version of the map that marks which systems are in range of PDS fire to help y'all determine if you need to worry.

And here it is!

Systems adjacent to a PDS that can fire into them are marked at their borders with red crosshairs. Beware when activating these systems if they don't belong to you!

Edit: Just remembered PDSs can't fire into Ion Storm spaces. I'll adjust the map for next time.

I'm going to invoke the Primary Ability of Assembly. I'm going to claim the Speaker token and nominate Lucas to play a political card.

Sarc, what happens if he doesn't have any political cards? I vaguely remember seeing a mention that he draws and executes the one from the top of the stack, but I can't find the relevant note.

HAND:
Action - 2
Political - 2

You remember right. In our case he'll draw a random one from the list.

Also, since we don't know what the vote will be on, everyone should hold off on executing the Assembly secondary until voting's done.

Um, ok. Guess I can do that real quick before going to bed.

I believe the rules say you still get one vote even if all your planets are exhausted.

Now, let the debates commence!

Edit: So, this vote and its effects will be over before we can execute the secondary?

You do indeed get one vote even if you have no untapped influence.

I don't have any resources, so the "For" outcome does me no good. The round's almost over and I've already activate my Space Dock system. So, I cast my 1 vote against!

EDIT: Oh, and the L1Z1X Mindnet abstains, as it will for all votes except elections for which it is nominated, unless taken over by another player.

Interstellar Arms Dealers votes
Total votes for: 7
Total votes against: 3

Well, the honorable giant space brains are Against it for what it's worth... and not just because we're totally tapped out. We're generally all still working on basic infrastructural stuff, and there's no sense in us all grabbing a bunch of warships and going all shoot-happy when nobody has the capacity to recover after a bad roll or two.

If my stance were less principled here though, I'd be inclined to observe that I believe you're actually allowed to bribe people with trade goods in order to get them to vote your way on stuff, isn't it?

Also, people seriously always need to paste in the card image when they play these things. It's a pain having to go digging up-thread to double check exactly how secondaries work.

Here you go:

I'm also going to cast a "Nay" vote, though I'm not going to bother to tap Coorneeq to do so, so I only have one vote.

I vote nay for one vote, since I've got no influence left.

You don't need to tap planets to vote with their influence, you just need them to be untapped so the influence is available. So, Egarwaen, you get 2 votes.

Dur, I keep forgetting that. Which actually changes my vote. Two votes for!

The Yin will contribute their 4 Influence For this vote!

Yes.

Everyone has voted (and the Mindnet has abstained) except you and `Hrist; once you've weighed in we can move on to the secondary.

I vote For this measure.

Edit: Never mind, I think you just get 1 vote; forgot about your Leadership secondary.

Lucas' sole vote won't be able to turn the tide on this, so let's consider the motion passed. Everyone who wants to buy a 2-for-1 bargain-basement Dreadnought and Destroyer combo, post along with your choice for the Assembly secondary.

ASSEMBLY
1. Sarcasmorator — SECONDARY
2. Lucas — PASSED
3. Egarwaen — SECONDARY
4. Epithet — PASSED
5. L1Z1X Mindnet — PASSED
6 `Hrist — SECONDARY
7. Severian — SECONDARY
8. Googleshng — PASSED

The Federation of Sol passes. Actually, I misremembered what I had tapped. I will spend a CC to refresh Jord 4/2.

The L1Z1X Mindnet has no CCs in Strategy Allocation and must pass, but will spend its 3 Trade Goods on the Dreadnought and Destroyer, placing them in its home system.

I'll take advantage of it. I'll tap Coorneeq, use my remaining trade good, and warp in a Dreadnaught and Destroyer at Muaat. I'm still under my 3-unit fleet supply limit.

Edit: Never mind, I've also got to discard a political card. I'll do so.

HAND:
Action: 2
Political: 1

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Muaat (4/1)
Lesab (2/1, Green Tech Spec)
Resculon (2/0)
Coorneeq (1/2, Red Tech Spec)
Velor (2/0, Red Tech Spec)
Lisis (2/2)
El'Nath (2/0, Blue Tech Spec)

TRADE GOODS: 0

UNITS:
Space Dock - 1x Muaat
Ground Forces - 2x Lisis, 2x Velnor, 1x El'Nath, 1x Coorneeq, 2x Muaat
Fighters: 4 - 2x Velnor/Lisis, 2x El'Nath
Carriers: 1/4 - El'Nath
Destroyers: 1/8 - 1xMuaat
Cruisers: 1/8 - El'Nath
Dreadnoughts: 2/5 - 2xMuaat
War Suns: 1/2 - Velnor/Lisis
Control Marker - Lesab

Question: My Fleet Supply is currently at 3, and bringing in the Destroyer/Dreadnought to my home planet would bring the count up to 4. Does that mean I can only bring in one of those ships? If so, I'm tapping Darien and spending a Trade Good for the resources, and bringing in the Dreadnought.

Trade Goods: 0

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Darien – 2/4
Arinam - 1/2, Blue Tech Specialty
Meer - 4/0*
Centauri - 1/3
Gral - 1/1, Blue Tech Specialty

UNITS (Deployed/Total)
Space Docks: 1/3, Darien x1
Ground Forces: Darien x2, Arinam x1, Meer x1, Centauri x1, Gral x1
Shock Troops: 0
PDS: 0/6
Fighters: Darien x4
Carriers: 2/4, Darien x2
Destroyers: 1/8, Tar'Mann x1
Cruisers: 0/8
Dreadnoughts: 1/5, Darien x1
War Suns: 0/2

Then, I will activate the secondary Assembly action, spend a Command Counter and untap all of my planets.


COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 4
Strategy Allocation: 3
Fleet Supply: 3
Activations: 0
Total in play: 10/16

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Darien – 2/4
Arinam - 1/2, Blue Tech Specialty
Meer - 4/0*
Centauri - 1/3
Gral - 1/1, Blue Tech Specialty

Before I make a decision, could I get a rundown of what strategy cards are left out there?