Card games
Star Realms
IELLORobert Dougherty, Darwin Kastle2014
- players
- 2
- minutes
- 20
- years
- 12+
In the box
128 cards: Trade Deck, starting decks, Explorers and Authority cards
Official rules (PDF, publisher's site)
Box details
- Designers
- Robert Dougherty, Darwin Kastle
- Publisher
- IELLO
- Mechanics
- Deck BuildingOpen DraftingPlayer EliminationTake That
- Expansions
- Star Realms: Crisis – Fleets & Fortresses · 2014
- Star Realms: Crisis – Events · 2014
- Star Realms: Crisis – Heroes · 2014
Where to buy it
Near you and online
In a shop
Within 50 km.
Online
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The basics
Reduce your opponent's Authority to zero by building the best fleet, each player starting at 50. On your turn, play the cards in your hand to produce Trade, which buys cards from the Trade Row, Combat against your opponent or their bases, and Authority; then discard everything played and draw five cards. The first player to drop to 0 Authority loses.
The rules, step by step
Setup
50 Authority, 10 cards each, Trade Row: 5
- Each player starts with 50 Authority and a deck of ten cards: eight Scouts and two Vipers.
- Shuffle the common deck and reveal five cards: this is the Trade Row. The Explorers stay beside it, always available.
- The first player draws three cards for their first turn, the second five.
How to play
Play your cards, Trade: buy, Combat: attack
- On your turn, play the cards in your hand: they produce Trade, Combat or Authority.
- Trade buys cards from the Trade Row or Explorers; they go to your discard pile. The Trade Row is refilled at once.
- Combat targets the opposing player or their bases.
- A card gains its Ally ability if another card of the same faction is in play on your side.
- Some cards can be scrapped for an immediate effect: they leave the game.
- Bases stay in play from turn to turn, until they are destroyed.
- At the end of your turn, discard everything played (except bases) and draw five cards.
Scoring
Damage subtracted, Authority gained added
- Subtract the damage taken from your Authority and add the Authority gained.
End of the game
0 Authority, First to 0 loses
- The first player to drop to 0 Authority loses.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
Can you attack a player who has bases?
Yes, unless they have an Outpost: you must destroy it first. Other bases do not prevent attacking the player.
Do you keep unused Trade or Combat?
No, whatever is not spent is lost at the end of the turn.