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

Epithet and Egarwaen are correct — it's activated systems only that you can't pick up units from, like when severian tried to do so in Round 2 and couldn't.

Egarwaen, I just sent you a PM. I had no notion this move would be so controversial, and I hope you will stay with us.

I'll also clarify right now: You can move units out of a system that's been activated for your current action. Given movement rules, any units that move out also have to move back in. After the Tactical or Transfer action in question is complete, units in the activated system(s) are stuck there. Here's the clarification from page 4 of the FAQ:

I'm going to play Diplomacy and use function (a) - everyone must place a command counter from their reinforcements in the Resculon system.



After everyone resolves the secondary, Googleshng is up.

I'd also like to note, for the record, that Sarc gave the option to go back to the end of the Strategy Phase and play an Action Card that would've changed the resolution of this turn. I've elected not to; I feel that would be unfair to him. Instead, I'm going to use this option to secure my rear against an attack by the Mindnet until I have a chance to recover from that debacle.

Sarc, I apologize speaking so harshly to you. I still feel very strongly that this was something you needed to mention was possible before you used it, though to be fair, the rulebook hardly gives it as much weight as it requires. It's important enough that it deserves its own bullet point under "Move Ships Into System", not a passive aside in the middle of a section saying the exact opposite.

Secondary:
Sarc - Vega Minor
Google - Wellon
Severian - Pass
Lucas - Pass
`Hrist - Pass
Epithet - Pass
Eggy - Primary
Cyborg AI lunatics - Pass

Hmm... Being next in the rotation, I can definitely activate that secondary to snag Wellon... but whether that's worth the effort depends on a couple things I should really double check...

Actually, heck with it. No sense holding everything up for the next 12 hours or so. Exhausting Bellatrix and Mirage to activate Diplomacy II secondary and annex Wellon.

On the bright side, all my vulnerable undefended planets out in this tendril are now exhausted, so nothing goes to waste if they fall, but they're still way too tempting a target. If only I had some way to instantly erect some kind of major defenses to seriously deter anyone from trying to swipe these and go after their other defenseless neighbors. Oh wait I totally do!

Civil Defense: Play as an Action. Place 2 free PDS units on any planet you control that has no PDS units.

Bellatrix gets them, and I am officially going into mexican standoff mode out here. Any one of you moves anything into firing range of any one of my PDSes, you're getting a face full of laser. I don't care how friendly we are. Weirdly enough, the only effect this should have on anyone is that Lizix is now way way better off taking that big nasty pile of ships through the wormhole to mess with Sarc than they are heading my way with it.

CONSUMABLES
Action Cards: 2
Political Cards: 1
Trade Goods: 3

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)
Mirage 1/2 (Fighters)
Tsion 2/2 (Trade Goods)
Bellatrix 0/1 (Red Tech Specialty)
Wellon 1/2

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

The ugly clones have no empty planets to annex. We pass.

Google, that's a little harsh, don't you think? We've been good pals, and I even stood between you and those scary burning balls of whatever. Whatever happened to being besties? I made you a friendship bracelet...

I'll exhaust Vega Minor and spend a CC and 1 Trade Good to annex Vega Major.

The L1Z1X pass, though they may be playing an Action Card in response to Googleshng's move. Want to check something first. Never mind.

And if I'm not mistaken, only `Hrist has a planet left that's possible to claim with this.

Well, I understand the reasons. I didn't think I'd left it completely uncovered in my rules rundown (my original description of the activation sequence specifies that you can't move ships out of a system that already has a Command Counter, and Transfer Actions involve moving units between two newly activated systems), but this is a vague enough rule that it required a FAQ clarification in the first place, and I should have posted about this aspect of movement rules explicitly. I'm sorry for the omission and the nasty surprise, and I'm glad you're staying on.

Yeah, I'm passing on that secondary.

Lucas, you're up once annexation is done with.

Yes, but I pass

Passing on the secondary.

That's everyone. Lucas, go!

I need to go introduce some heretics to the concept of "cleansing promethium" so I'll make this quick.

Activating Production's Tight Deadlines:


Exhausting Moll Primus and Tequ'ran plus the two free resources from production gives me eight resources to build with. The Lodor Spacedock will produce two ground forces, a cruiser, and a dreadnought.

Moll Primus 4/1
Tequ'ran 2/0
Lodor: 2 GF, 2 Cruisers, 1 Dreadnought, Spacedock

Having just made one of these helpful lists....

Secondary:
Sarc - Thibah
Google - Pass
Severian - Pasta
Lucas - Primary
`Hrist - Arc Prime
Epithet - Buildin' buildin' buildin'.
Eggy - Pass
Cyborg AI lunatics - Oh My God It's Full Of Dreadnoughts

I'mma Pass.

I'll take this secondary, spending my last CC from Strategy Allocation and exhausting Jord for 4 resources, plus 1 from Sarween Tools and another from my last Trade Good, to build 2 PDS units and a Cruiser at Thibah.

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

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 2
Strategy Allocation: 0
Fleet Supply: 5
Activations: 1
Total in play: 8/16

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Jord – 4/2
Vega Minor – 1/2, Blue tech specialty
Vega Major – 2/1
Lazar – 1/0
Sakulag – 2/1
Thibah – 1/1
Arcturus – 1/1
Sumerian – 2/2, Refresh Ability: 2 Trade Goods
Mecatol Rex — 1/6

The L1Z1X Mindnet will spend its last CC from SA and tap [0.0.0.] and Quann for 7 resources to build a Carrier and their last Dreadnought.

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 2
Strategy Allocation: 0
Fleet Supply: 5
Activations: 0
Total in play: 7/16

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
[0.0.0.] – 5/0
Mellon – 0/2
Zohbat – 3/1, Blue tech specialty
Rigel I – 0/1
Rigel II – 1/2
Rigel III – 1/1, Blue tech specialty
Quann – 2/1, Green tech specialty

The Clones have too much going on to Double our Efforts. We pass.

Activate Production secondary. Spend Command Counter from Strategic Allocation. Tap Arc Prime, Wren Terra, Quecen'n and Primor for 9 resources. Build a 1x Cruisers, 4x Ground Forces and 2x Fighters at the Arc Prime shipyard, and 6x Fighters at the Wren Terra shipyard.

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 2
Strategy Allocation: 0
Fleet Supply: 3 (+1)

CONSUMABLES
Action Cards: 3
Trade Goods: 1

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Arc Prime – 4/0
Wren Terra – 2/1
Qucen'n -- 1/2
Primor -- 2/1 (Ground Troop Refresh)
Rarron -- 0/3 (Green Tech Spec)
Hope's End -- 3/0 (Shock Troopers)
Lirta IV -- 2/3 (Green Tech Spec)
Bereg -- 3/1 (Orange Tech Spec)

UNITS (Deployed/Total)
Arc Prime/Wren Terra -- Space Dockx2, Dreadnoughtx1, Carrierx2, Fighterx12, Cruiserx1, 5x Ground Forces
Qucen'n -- Ground Forcesx1,
Rarron -- Ground Forcesx1
Primor -- Ground Troopx2
Hope's End -- Carrierx1, Fightersx3, Destroyerx1, Ground Troopx1, Shock Troopx2, Space Dockx1
Lirta IV: Cruiserx1, Carrierx1, Fightersx4, Ground Forcex1
Bereg: Ground Forcex1

TECHNOLOGIES OWNED
Hylar V Assault Laser
Antimass Deflectors
XRD Transporters – +1 Carrier movement
Enviro Compensators

TRADE CONTRACTS
Terran 2
Egarwen 2

VICTORY POINTS: 2

Now that I think about it, I would like to change my Pass to a Build, but only if everyone's cool with it. We're still waiting on two peeps anyway.

I'm ok with it.

I'm heading out, so I'll post this preempively. If it isn't allowed, then I'll just edit it out.

Spending strategy CC, exhausting Arinem, Centauri, Gral, Tar'Mann, and Velnor for 6 Resources. Purchasing a Carrier, 2 GF's and 4 fighters.

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 2
Strategy Allocation: 1
Fleet Supply: 4
Activations: 0
Total in play: 7/16


PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Darien – 2/4
Arinam - 1/2, Blue Tech Specialty
Meer - 0/4
Centauri - 1/3
Gral - 1/1, Blue Tech Specialty
Tar'Mann - 1/1
Usis - 2/2
Velnor - 2/0, Red Tech Specialty

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

sev, that's too many units. You can build only 3 using the secondary.

Also, I'm starting to think it's too problematic playing the L1Z1X. There are too many moves I don't feel comfortable making because, while they would be what I'd do if I was playing just the L1Z1X, they also could give Sol an advantage (and that's even keeping in mind that they are heading to Mecatol Rex for reasons of their own, and there's a clash in the offing if I still have MR when they arrive).

I could just execute their Strategy Card and pass, or keep playing as I have been, or treat them as a defeated player (ie, no Actions or Strategy Cards) but leave their units in their current positions as a wall, probably starting next round. What do you fine folks think?

Activating Production's secondary, and tapping Abyz and Tren'lak and spending 3 trade goods to build a PDS, Dreadnought, and Destroyer x1 in home space.

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

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 2
Strategy Allocation: 0
Fleet Supply: 4

UNITS
Home space - Fighter x3, Carrier x1, Cruiser x1, Dreadnought x1, Destroyer x1
Quinarra - PDS x2, GF x3, Space Dock x1
Perimeter space - Dreadnought x1,
Perimeter - GF x1
Vefut II - GF x1
A/L/A space - Cruiser x1
Abyz/Fria - Cruiser x1, Carrier x1, Fighter x1
Abyz - GF x1
Fria - GF x1

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

Do Fighters and Ground Forces count as "units" for the purposes of this secondary? Because if they don't for some reason I might change my builds.

They do. Everything you build counts as 1 units, even when they come in pairs.

I'll change mine to be the carrier and two fighters once I can boot the laptop again.


Now that I think about it, that restriction was why I didn't want to take it in the first place. The humidity must be getting to me. I'll pass.

To clarify: each pair of fighters or GFs is a single unit? Or each pair of fighters is two units?

Regarding the Mindnet, I'm fine with them going into standby. It'll be like in Risk where you deal in a 3rd player for 2 player games.

Each pair is two. And singles cost full. So if you build 3 Fighters, it costs 2 resources, same as 4 would.

I encourage you to discount my opinion, since I, of course, benefit directly from this. But I'd like to see the Mindnet played purely defensively once they exhaust available reachable unclaimed systems. Until someone attacks them, at which point the Mindnet should utterly destroy them.

I'd be fine with doing that if no one objects (and it was actually my original plan before I started hemming and hawing on whether they should pursue objectives aggressively). That way the L1Z1X can just pass after using their Strategy Card, while keeping us going at 8 cards. Maybe with the occasional shifting around of units in their territory.

It might be interesting to have the Mindnet abstain from strategy cards also, so there are more abilities that are off the table each round. More trade goods are always good also.

I'm a bit hesitant to do it this way simply because the Mindnet has been a handy way to get new objectives on the table. On the other hand, if they do stay out of everything, y'all (and/or me) will need to start choosing Bureaucracy now and again, and that would be a positive, I think.

The other thing we could do is put L1Z1X in neutral and ditch Warfare I or Warfare II, since the doubling up would no longer be needed in order to provide a choice of cards to the last player choosing.

Nonsense! It encourages perpetual peaceful relations! I don't need to move big ol' ships up to glare at you in untrusting fashion, you don't have to worry about me doing that. You can just relax, and move out in one of the many other directions... hmm. You can take fast ships and zip'em through that wormhole to greener pastures on the other side anyway.

Also, regarding our half-out of the game faction, I say the best thing to do is seriously, just go out and twist someone's arm into taking them over. They're actually crazy well positioned to F people up because we've all been leaving them be. If we can't get that done this... I still can't keep it straight which is turn and which is round but the big one, I'm all for the no cards no moving, if you're willing to kill the ships in there go for it lobotomized faction notion.

Also, I'll fix my last turn there up with updated whatsits in a bit, way behind on stuff today.

Also, passing on production.