Clank! in Space - Apocalypse Game Rules

Though the galaxy belongs to Lord Eradikus, small pockets of resistance continue to oppose him. Now, the evil cyborg has turned his ocular implants to these ragtag heroes.

With one grand and wicked scheme, he plans to wipe out his enemies. But all hope is not lost. You and your fellow thieves are already aboard his ship to loot his valuable artifacts.

Maybe you'll prove as heroic as you are greedy. Maybe you'll avert the APOCALYPSE!

Components

2 Game Board Pieces
Boss Marker
35 Adventure Deck Cards
8 Scheme Cards
Instructions

Setup

Before setting up the game as usual, select one of the new Scheme cards to be used during play. This will represent Lord Eradikus's dastardly plans to devastate the galaxy-plans that you will have the chance to stop! (If you feel like it, anyway).

Each Scheme is marked (below the title) as Category 1, 2, or 3. The higher the number, the more difficult you may find it to thwart Eradikus' evil plot. If this is your first time playing APOCALYPSE!, you may want to use a Category 1 Scheme.

Otherwise, we suggest you select a Scheme at random (though you may choose by player consensus if you prefer).

Once you've selected your Scheme, return the others to the box. You can then proceed to assemble the board. You may freely mix the old modules and new ones, selecting any three for a given game. However, we strongly suggest:

You use at least one of the two new board pieces.
If your chosen Scheme mentions a particular module by name (in the lower left section of the card), you use that module.

(You are not required to do either of those things, but you may be in for a more challenging game if you don't!)

Place your chosen Scheme next to your assembled game board. Shuffle the 35 new APOCALYPSE! cards into the Adventure Deck.

The rest of the setup is the same as in CLANK! IN! SPACE!

Survival in the Apocalypse

The Scheme Unfolds

Each Scheme has three Phases listed on the right half of the card. These are the steps that Eradikus must complete in order to bring his plans to fruition. When the game begins, the Scheme is in Phase 1.

During the game, Boss Attacks allow Eradikus to advance his Scheme. Whenever a black cube is drawn from the bag, instead of setting it aside, place it on the Scheme card, filling an empty space in the current Phase.

If this fills the last space in a Phase, that Phase is completed: immediately perform that Phase's action.

Once a Phase is completed, the Scheme moves to the next Phase. All black cubes drawn in future attacks (and any excess cubes from the current attack) are placed on spaces in the new Phase.

Example: There are 3 black cubes already on Phase 1 of Toxigenic Plague. During a boss attack, 2 black cubes are pulled from the bag. The first takes the final space on Phase 1 of the Scheme.

You trash all Prisoners in the adventure row. (They are not immediately replaced). Then you place the second black cube on the first space of Phase 2 of the Scheme.

Beating Back the Apocalypse

Players can fight against Lord Eradikus' plans. Once during each of your turns, you can take the action described on the lower left portion of the Scheme, spending resources to thwart its progress.

When you thwart the Scheme, take a black cube from its current Phase and place it in your play area. This cube is worth 1 point if kept until the end of the game, but it can be also used to fuel powerful effects on your turn.

Some cards, like Space Invader, also allow you to take a cube from the Scheme's current Phase. This can be done in addition to the action on the Scheme itself, allowing a player to acquire multiple black cubes in a single turn.

Cubes on completed Phases cannot be removed by any means! This fact, along with the unpredictability of Boss Attacks, means that black cubes may not always be available on every turn.

Some other rules about removing black cubes from a Scheme:

You may spend Boots on a Scheme that requires them even if you're stopped by dizziness or a security checkpoint.
There must be a black cube available for you to thwart a Scheme.

(You can't collect another reward the Scheme gives if there are no cubes to take).

Example: Space Invasion says "Spend to take a black cube. Then, if you're in the Hangar module, take any minor secret from there" You must be able to take a black cube; you can't just take a minor secret from the Hangar.
"Arrive" effects that return black cubes to the boss bag remove those cubes from the current Phase of the Scheme. (Never from an earlier phase, and never from a player's play area).

Example: Space Pirate says "ARRIVE - Put 3 black cubes back in the bag". At the time he arrives on the adventure row.

Phase 1 of the Scheme has been completed and Phase 2 has two black cubes. Those two cubes are removed from Phase 2 and returned to the bag.

Good Deeds Are Rewarded

You can use some cards and some spaces on the board to spend the black cubes you've collected for a variety of benefits. Whenever you spend a black cube in this way, return it to the boss bag.

Some cards have text that can be activated by spending one or more black cubes.

You may activate the card only once each turn (though you can spend multiple black cubes, each to activate different cards you play in a turn). You may do this at the time you play the card, or later in your turn, if you prefer.

Some spaces on the board allow a player there to spend a black cube to generate an effect. Each such space can only be used once each turn (though if you enter different spaces during your turn, you may spend one black cube in each). The rewards vary, depending on the space:

Remove 3 Clank! from the Clank! area.

Take 3 Credits.

Draw two cards.

Take a Power Crystal.

Heal 1 damage.

Apocalypse Now-ish

If Phase 3 of a Scheme is completed, Lord Eradikus succeeds in enacting his diabolical plan!

A fully completed Scheme creates an ongoing effect that will remain active for the rest of the game.
Players can take no more black cubes by any means. Any further black cubes drawn from the bag are set aside normally.

Apocalypse Later

The new modules and many of the new Adventure Deck cards of APOCALYPSE! are intended to be used with Scheme cards. But let's be honest: sometimes you're not in the mood to stave off imminent doom.

Maybe you're introducing the game to someone new. Maybe you want to mix in a future CLANK! IN! SPACE! expansion, building the biggest Adventure Deck you can without worrying about Lord Eradikus' machinations.

If for whatever reason you want to omit Schemes but still play with the modules and cards of APOCALYPSE, we suggest these rules:

All black cubes pulled from the bag become part of a single pool. During each of your turns, you may buy one cube from the pool for . This will allow you to use cards and spaces requiring black cubes.