This section contains rules for the agenda phase, which is added to the game after a player gains control of Mecatol Rex. The agenda phase involves heavy negotiation and political maneuvering.

Custodians Of Mecatol Rex

The custodians token represents the caretakers that safeguard Mecatol Rex until one of the great races can claim the throne.

Players may freely move units into the Mecatol Rex system, but cannot land ground forces on the planet while the custodians token is present.

To remove this token, the active player must spend six influence immediately before landing ground forces on the planet. If the player cannot spend six influence, he cannot land ground forces on the planet.

When a player removes the custodians token, he places it in his play area and gains one victory point. Since the galactic council can now convene on Mecatol Rex, the agenda phase is added as the last phase of each game round, including the round during which a player gained control of Mecatol Rex.

The Agenda Phase

After the agenda phase has been added to the game, the galactic council votes upon issues that affect the entire galaxy. These issues are referred to as agendas and are represented by agenda cards.

Each agenda card has text that includes a number of possible outcomes. Each outcome will affect the game, and players will vote for which outcome they want to occur.

To resolve the agenda phase, players perform the following steps in order:

1. First Agenda

1. Reveal Agenda
2. Vote
3. Resolve Outcome

2. Second Agenda

1. Reveal Agenda
2. Vote
3. Resolve Outcome

4. Ready Planets

1. First Agenda

To resolve an agenda, players perform the following steps:

1. Reveal Agenda

   The speaker draws one agenda card from the top of the agenda deck and reads it aloud to all players, including its possible outcomes.

2. Vote

   Each player, starting with the player to the left of the speaker and continuing clockwise, casts votes in favor of a single outcome.

   When it is a player's turn to cast votes, he may exhaust any number of his planets. Each planet contributes a number of votes equal to its influence value.

   Outcomes

   The outcomes that a player can vote for depend upon the type of agenda:

   

   • For or against: The player commits his votes "For" or "Against" the agenda. The agenda card will have different results according to the outcome that receives the most votes.

   • Elect player: The player commits his votes for the player of his choice, including himself.

   • Elect planet: The player commits his votes for the planet of his choice. That planet must be controlled by a player unless the agenda specifies otherwise.

   When casting votes, the player announces the outcome he is voting for aloud. For example, a player may say, "I'm casting three votes to elect the Hacan player" or "I'm casting three votes against this agenda".

   A player can only vote for one outcome per agenda. For example, he cannot cast votes for two different players. He may, however, choose to abstain from the vote entirely.

   Transactions

   During each vote, players may freely negotiate transactions with other players, even if they are not neighbors with those players. Each player may negotiate up to one transaction with each other player while resolving the vote for each agenda. This often involves convincing players to vote for certain outcomes using trade goods or future promises.

3. Resolve Outcome

   Players count votes and resolve the outcome with the most votes. Each agenda will be one of two types: a directive or a law.

   Directives

   When resolving a directive, players resolve the outcome that received the most votes and discard the agenda card immediately.

   Laws

   When resolving a law, if a "For" outcome received the most votes, or if the law requires an election, the law's effect becomes a permanent part of the game. Players resolve the outcome and place the agenda card in the common play area unless the effect specifies otherwise.

   If an "Against" outcome received the most votes, players resolve the text effect of the outcome and discard the agenda immediately.

   Ties

   If multiple outcomes receive the same number of votes after all players have voted, the speaker decides which of the tied outcomes is resolved.

2. Second Agenda

Players resolve a second agenda following the same rules and steps for step 1, "First Agenda".

3. Ready Planets

Each player readies all of his planet cards. Then, the agenda phase ends and players begin a new game round, starting with the strategy phase.

Continue Reading