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

Passing.

Passing on the secondary.

Passing also.

I'm just sayin', if you want to continue down the Chaotic Evil track, you got options! Next game I'm planning to assemble with an eye toward faster play and more points (Imperial II, Artifacts, etc.), and no more than 6 players, so it should go faster.

That's everyone, Sarc. Take yer turn.

Edit: Also, at the BBQ yesterday, I was talking about how I wanted to pick up a copy of this, and `Hrist and Shivam mentioned that they might be interested in getting together once in a while to play. I'm usually pretty busy on weekends, but I can spare one every month or two to drive down to Shivam's for TI Time.

I'll probably host a game myself one of these days, but it'll take a bit of planning (I'm visiting family near Berkeley next weekend and we'll be playing, but I'm not making a meetup out of it this time). The Arkham Horror-theme game day ended up being a bit nuts, with a full house I was not expecting! And not everyone got to play, which was an organizational problem on my end.

My advice: Buy online. The game is $90 and the expansions are $60 each at retail. You can get them for a about 1/3 less at coolstuffinc.com (or wherever). Shattered Empire seems to be awaiting a reprint, due next month.

Anyway, Sol: I'll spend yet another CC to put two GF down on Lazar.

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 2
Strategy Allocation: 1
Fleet Supply: 5
Activations: 1
Total in play: 9/16

You're up again, Egarwaen.

Sweet, I look forward to our next game. Gotta finish this one though.

Heh, I'll need a breather in any case. But I can tell you this: I'm going to put together a Trade Good-based bidding system for race selection, so everyone will be able to take their pick — if they can afford it! Win a low bid and you'll keep any extra TGs for the first round.

Getting ahead of myself here, though.

"Living room!" Bob's still producing solar flares, which kind of makes the War Sun bridge a little uncomfortable. "I've got your living room right here! Number One, open the bomb bay doors and engage the sofa launchers!"

Activating Arinam/Meer, moving in the War Sun, Dreadnought, and attached GFs and Fighters, and invading both planets with 1 GF each.

Sarc, how does Bombardment work here? Can I think fire at both planets with my War Sun prior to invasion combat, or do I have to pick which planet it's going to bombard?

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

UNIT DEPLOYMENT
Muaat - 1x Space Dock, 2x Ground Force
El'Nath - 1x Cruiser, Control Marker, 1x Destroyer
Coorneeq - 1x Ground Force
Lesab - 1x Dreadnought, 1x Carrier, 2x Fighter, 1x Ground Force
Resculon - Control Marker
Arinam/Meer - 1x Dreadnought, 2x Ground Force, 1x War Sun, 4x Fighters

Each ship can only bombard once during the same activation.

My War Sun's first set of Bombardment rolls, targeted at Meer 10, 3, 9
My Dreadnought's first set of Bombardment rolls, targeted at Arinam 1

Ground Force Invading Arinam: 10
Ground Force Invading Meer: 9

Assign your casualties and make your rolls for your defenders, severian. Then Sarcasmorator is up again!

The poor GF on Meer didn't have a chance! You glowy thingies are mean!

Arinam GF survives the initial onslaught, then tries to shoot his way through all the debris flying around him.

Arinam: 4

No such luck. Let's check to see what you rolled.

Well, huh. We lose Meer from the War Sun, and are about to lose Arinam to invaders (who would then be congratulated for their valor and promoted!).

However, we will play an Action Card! This is after all the die rolls, so they still count.

What say you, meanies?

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
Sumerian - 2/2, Trade Goods
Arcturus - 1/1
Mirage - 1/2, Fighters

Go ahead.

We touch the magic dagger infused with the sands of time, and roll back the clock a bit. No, no, no, that's not the way it happened. Shall I start again?

Recheck - Play immediately after an opponent has rolled a die in a space battle or ground combat you’re participating in. Force any one combat die to be re-rolled

CONSUMABLES
Action Cards: 5
Political Cards: 1
Trade Goods: 1

Make your Arinam invasion check again, Egarwaen.

I roll an 8. You're still space cinders.

Aw nuts.

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
Sumerian - 2/2, Trade Goods
Arcturus - 1/1
Mirage - 1/2, Fighters

And add those planets to my list. Sarcasmorator, you're up again.

Psst! You forgot to cross something out!

Also- You know that Sabotage gets played after you play whatever card you're playing, right? I can't think of any reason you'd need to announce that you were playing a card without just saying what card it is then and there.

The reason that rule is there, I think, is so you can't respond to, say, a Direct Hit card with and Emergency Repairs card after the former has been announced; you have to anticipate or lose your chance.

There are some other cases that might matter as well.

I'll post for Sol in a bit.

Oops, that took longer than I expected. Especially for what I'm doing!

Sol passes.

I'm engaging in a Transfer Action between El'Nath and Lesab again; I'm swapping the Cruiser and the Dreadnought.

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 1
Strategy Allocation: 0
Fleet Supply: 3
Activations: 3
Total in play: 7/16

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Muaat (4/1)
Lesab (2/1, Green Tech Spec)
Resculon (2/0)
Coorneeq (1/2, Red Tech Spec)
El'Nath (2/0, Blue Tech Spec)
Arinam - 1/2, Blue Tech Specialty
Meer - 0/4

UNIT DEPLOYMENT
Muaat - 1x Space Dock, 2x Ground Force
El'Nath - 1x Dreadnought, Control Marker, 1x Destroyer
Coorneeq - 1x Ground Force
Lesab - 1x Cruiser, 1x Carrier, 2x Fighter, 1x Ground Force
Resculon - Control Marker
Arinam/Meer - 1x Dreadnought, 2x Ground Force (1x Arinam, 1x Meer), 1x War Sun, 4x Fighters

And then I pass.

Status Phase!

1. Each player may claim ONE Public Objective they qualify for, as well as their Secret Objective if they qualify for it; if a player reaches 10 points during this step he or she wins immediately
2. Damaged ships are repaired
3. Command Counters on the board are removed to each player's reinforcements
4. Planets are refreshed
5. Each player receives 1 Action Card and 2 Command Counters
6. Command Counters may be redistributed between the Command Pool, Strategy Allocation and Fleet Supply
7. Strategy Cards are returned, and the game proceeds to a new Strategy Phase

Our current Public Objectives, each worth 1 Victory Point:

� I am blockading an opponent's Space Dock. (Googleshng, severian)

� I spend 3 Command Counters. (Googleshng, Sarcasmorator, Epithet, Lucas)

� I control Planets with total Influence greater than the players to my right and left. (SilentSnake, Googleshng, `Hrist)

� I invaded 1 planet containing at least 1 opposing Ground Force this round. (Sarcasmorator, Googleshng, Egarwaen)

� I have more than 1 Tech Advance in 3 different colors. (Sarcasmorator)

I'll post a new big map after the Status Phase is over, since refresh abilities mean I'll probably have to add new GF and such. But here's a snapshot overview:

The Mindnet claims the Public Objective "I have more than 1 Tech Advance in 3 different colors."

The Mindnet draws Action Card 10 and takes two Command Counters.

CONSUMABLES
Action Cards: 4
Political Cards: 0
Trade Goods: 0

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 2
Strategy Allocation: 2
Fleet Supply: 6
Activations: 0
Total in play: 10/16

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
Wellon - 1/2

TECHNOLOGIES OWNED
Enviro Compensator
Stasis Capsules
Cybernetics
Hylar V Assault Laser
Deep Space Cannon
Sarween Tools
War Sun

TRADE CONTRACTS
N'orr 1
Letnev 1


VICTORY POINTS: 3

The Federation of Sol qualifies for its Secret Objective:

Usurper: I control Mecatol Rex, and have a Space Dock and at least 6 Ground Forces there. (2 points)

And now I can stop killing myself over this stupid planet.

I draw Action Card 116 and 3 CCs, placing 1 in Command Pool and 2 in Strategy Allocation.

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

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 3
Strategy Allocation: 3
Fleet Supply: 5
Activations: 0
Total in play: 11/16

PLANETS (Resources/Influence)
Jord – 4/2
Lazar – 1/0
Sakulag – 2/1
Thibah – 1/1
Mecatol Rex — 1/6

TECHNOLOGIES OWNED
Antimass Deflectors (pass through Asteroid Fields)
Cybernetics (+1 to Fighter rolls)
XRD Transporters (+1 to Carrier movement)
Enviro Compensator (+1 to Space Dock production capacity)
Sarween Tools (1 free resource when producing units)
Gen Synthesis (+1 to GF combat rolls; when a GF is destroyed, a 5+ die roll places it in home system)

UNITS (Deployed/Total)
Space Docks: 3/3
Ground Forces: 13
Shock Troops: 0
PDS: 2/6
Fighters: 0
Carriers: 1/4
Destroyers: 1/8
Cruisers: 2/8
Dreadnoughts: 1/5
War Suns: 0/2

UNIT DEPLOYMENT
Jord: Space Dock x1, GF x2
Lazar: GF x3
Sakulag: GF x3
Thibah: Space Dock x1, GF x1
Mecatol Rex space: Dreadnought x1 (damaged), Carrier x1, Cruiser x2, Destroyer x1
Mecatol Rex: GF x6, PDS x2, Space Dock x1

TRADE CONTRACTS
N’orr 2
Sol 2 (INACTIVE)

VICTORY POINTS: 6

I invaded 1 planet containing at least 1 opposing Ground Force this round.

I put one CC in my Command Pool and 1 in Strategy Allocation.

I drew Action Card 45.

THE EMBERS OF MUAAT

SPECIAL ABILITIES
>Your War Suns have a base movement of 1 until you acquire Sarween Tools and Deep Space Cannon; once acquired, base movement is 2
>As an Action, spend one Command Counter from Strategy Allocation to place 2 free Fighters or 1 free Destroyer in any one system containing one of your War Suns
>You may move through, but not stop in, Supernova systems

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

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 2
Strategy Allocation: 1
Fleet Supply: 3
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)
El'Nath (2/0, Blue Tech Spec)
Arinam - 1/2, Blue Tech Specialty
Meer - 0/4

TECHNOLOGIES OWNED
Enviro Compensator (Yellow): Space Docks gain +1 to production capacity
Sarween Tools (Yellow): When building with a Space Dock, you gain 1 additional resource
Hylar V Assault Laser (Red): Cruisers and Destroyers gain +1 on combat rolls
War Sun (Red): Can now build War Suns
Deep Space Cannon (Red): PDS can fire at adjacent systems
Micro Technology (Yellow): When receiving trade goods from your trade agreements, receive 1 extra trade good for each active trade agreement.

UNITS (Deployed/Total)
Space Dock - 1/3
Ground Forces - 6
Fighters: 6
Carriers: 1/4
Destroyers: 1/8
Cruisers: 1/8
Dreadnoughts: 2/5
War Suns: 1/2

UNIT DEPLOYMENT
Muaat - 1x Space Dock, 2x Ground Force
El'Nath - 1x Cruiser, Control Marker, 1x Destroyer
Coorneeq - 1x Ground Force
Lesab - 1x Dreadnought, 1x Carrier, 2x Fighter, 1x Ground Force
Resculon - Control Marker
Arinam/Meer - 1x Dreadnought, 2x Ground Force (1x Arinam, 1x Meer), 1x War Sun, 4x Fighters

TRADE CONTRACTS
3 Jok-Nar
1 Letnev

VICTORY POINTS: 2

Claiming VP for blockading a space dock.

Taking 3 new CCs, thanks to hypermetabolism, adding all 3 to command, drawing action cards 72 and 133, ditching Flanking Tactic and then drawing 24 to replace it.

As usual, I'll take those trade goods from Tsion, and as I have a carrier there today, I'll take the fighters from Mirage.

End of Round Full Status Report:

CONSUMABLES
Action Cards: 6
Political Cards: 2
Trade Goods: 2

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)
Vega Major 2/1
Vega Minor 1/2 (Blue Tech Specialty)

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 4
Strategy Allocation: 3
Fleet Supply: 4
Activations: 0

UNITS
Jol/Nar - Space Dock x1
Starpoint/New Albion - Space Dock x1, PDS x1 (Starpoint), War Sun x1, Fighter x2, Dreadnought x2
Mehar Xull - PDS x1
Mirage - Carrier x1, Fighter x2, Ground Forces x1, PDS x1
Tsion/Bellatrix - PDS x1
Vega Major/Minor - Ground Forces x3 (1 on Major, 2 on Minor),
Jord - War Sun x1: (Fighter x4, Ground Forces x2), Carrier x1: (Ground Forces x3), Dreadnought x1

TRADE CONTRACTS
Muat 2
Jol-Nar 1

TECHNOLOGIES OWNED
Hylar V Assault Laser
Deep Space Cannons
Magen Defense Grid
War Sun
Antimass Deflectors
XRD Transporters
Type IV Drive
Cybernetics
Gen Synthesis
Hypermetabolism
Neural Motivator
Enviro Compensator
Sarween Tools
Microtechnology
Nano Technology

VICTORY POINTS: 5

We qualify for Public Objective Blockading Space Dock, and grab our first actual Victory Point. We snag Action Card 123, and refresh all our planets. We exhaust Sumerian for two Trade Goods, and place our two CC's in Command.

THE BROTHERHOOD OF YIN

SPECIAL ABILITIES
>Before an Invasion Combat in which you are the attacker begins, you may roll 1 die. On a 5+ your opponent loses one Ground Force and you gain 1 Ground Force
>Immediately before the second round of a Space Battle, you may discard one of your participating Destroyers or Cruisers to inflict 1 hit on an enemy ship of your choice
>Once per round, as an Action, you may swap the Resource and Influence values of a planet you control until the end of the round.


CONSUMABLES
Action Cards: 5
Political Cards: 1
Trade Goods: 3

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


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




TECHNOLOGIES OWNED
Hylar V Assault Laser - Cruisers and Destroyers gain +1 on combat rolls
Automated Defense Turrets - Destroyer Anti-Fighter Barrage gains 1 extra die and +2 to hit
Antimass Deflectors: Move through Asteroid Fields
XRD Transporters: Carriers gain +1 movement
Cybernetics: Fighters receive +1 on all combat rolls
Assault Cannon: Before battle Dreadnoughts fire one free shot.
Enviro Compensator: Space Docks production capacity is +1.

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

Units (Location)
Darien: Space Dock x1, PDS x2, GF x4, Carrier x1
Tar'Mann: GF x1, Dreadnought x2, Cruiser x1
Centauri: GF x1
Gral: GF x1
Arcturus: GF x2, Fighter x4, Destroyer x1, Carrier x2, Dreadnought x1

Trade Contracts
Yin 1 to Nobody
Yin 1 to Nobody

VICTORY POINTS: 2

Refresh all planets. Draw Action Card 76. Claim "I invaded a planet with at least one ground force" objective for a Victory Point. Draw two CCs and distribute them between Command Pool and Fleet Supply.

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 2
Strategic Allocation: 1
Fleet Supply: 6 (+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 (Red Tech Spec)
Lodor -- 3/1

UNITS (Deployed/Total)
Arc Prime/Wren Terra -- Space Dockx2, Dreadnoughtx2, Carrierx2, Fightersx4, 3x Ground Forces
Qucen'n -- Ground Forcesx1,
Rarron -- Ground Forcesx1
Primor -- Ground Troopx2
Hope's End -- Dreadnoughtx2, Fightersx3, Destroyerx1, PDS, Space Dockx1, 3x Ground Trooper, 2x Shock Troopers
Lirta IV: N/A
Bereg: N/A
Lodor: Dreadnoughtx1, Carrierx2, Cruiserx1, Fightersx6, Ground Troopsx2

TECHNOLOGIES OWNED
Hylar V Assault Laser
Antimass Deflectors
XRD Transporters – +1 Carrier movement
Enviro Compensators
Stasis Capsules
Micro Technology
Cybernetics

TRADE CONTRACTS
Mindnet 1 (+1)
Muaat 2 (+1)

VICTORY POINTS: 3

Taking two command counters and putting one in Command Pool and one in Strategy Allocation. Drawing Action Card 41.

CONSUMABLES
Action Cards: 3
Political Cards: 1
Trade Goods: 0

COMMAND COUNTERS
Command Pool: 2
Strategy Allocation: 1
Fleet Supply: 4

UNITS
Home space - Fighter x3, Cruiser x2
Quinarra - PDS x1, GF x3, Space Dock x1
Perimeter - GF x1
Perimeter Space - Carrier x1, Fighter x2, Cruiser x1
Vefut II - GF x1
Vefut II space - Dreadnought x1, Destroyer x1
A/L/A space - Cruiser x1
Abyz/Fria - Carrier x1, Fighter x5, Dreadnought x3
Abyz - GF x2, PDS x1, Space Dock 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)

TRADE CONTRACTS
L1Z1X 1
Sol 2

TECHNOLOGY
Hylar V Assault Laser
Deep Space Cannons
Antimass Deflectors
XRD Transporters
Cybernetics
Enviro Compensator

VICTORY POINTS: 2

All right, then. On to Round 6.

Strategy Phase







The Mentak Coalition goes dark forever, and Warfare I is dropped from the game.

Choosing order is as follows:

1. severian (SPEAKER) — Leadership (1)
2. Egarwaen — Production (4)
3. SilentSnake — Warfare II (6)
4. Epithet — Bureaucracy (8)
5. `Hrist — Technology II (7)
6. Sarcasmorator — Diplomacy II (2)
7. Googleshng — Assembly (3)

severian is up!

I Choo-Choo-Choose Leadership!