COLONISATOR: The Twelve Planets' War

© Duccio Vitale and Eurogames 1989

Original rules by Duccio Vitale
Revised by François Nedelec
Translated by Daniel U. Thibault (June 1998)
<D.U.Thibault@Bigfoot.com>

COMPONENTS
¨ A map (in eight panels)
¨ 100 ship tokens (50 per player)
¨ 25 explosion (damage) tokens
¨ 6 coloured discs (two each red, yellow and blue)
¨ 2 player aid sheets
¨ A die
¨ A rulebook
THE MAP
The map represents the galactic sector that lies between the two giant artificial planets,
headquarters of the competing Interstellar Company and Intergalactic Trust. This is where
colonisation and combat takes place. The hex grid regulates movement and firing. Between
the two giant planets lie asteroid belts and twelve planets, in three colours (red, yellow and
blue). These colours match those of the six discs (see Temporal Succession).
SHIP TOKENS
The tokens belonging to the Interstellar Company are yellow (with a red triangle) whilst
those of the Intergalactic Trust are red (with a yellow circle). They are broken down into five
types:
1. MOBILE BASES
Each player has two of these two-hex ships. They cannot be replaced if lost. They are
spacedocks, used to repair damaged ships (including themselves).
Movement: Up to three hexes per turn, in a straight line. No heading changes allowed.
Firing: Each turn, one missile per enemy ship within 10 hexes. Each missile must be
fired at a different target.
Destruction: Upon the fifth explosion.
2. CRUISERS
These two-hex ships are the spearheads of the fleet. They can carry up to two fighters
each and use hyperspace.
Movement: Up to nine hexes per turn, with up to one heading change (at any point).
Firing: Each turn, two missiles with a range of 8 hexes. These can be split between
targets or fired at the same ship.
Destruction: Upon the third explosion.
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3. FIGHTERS
These one-hex ships are the tactical arm of the fleet. Up to two of them can be carried by
each cruiser.
Movement: Up to twelve hexes per turn, with any number of heading changes.
Firing: Each turn, one missile with a range of 4 hexes.
Destruction: Upon the first explosion.
4. COLONISATORS
These two-hex ships are the key to victory. They carry all that is required to colonise
planets. They can use hyperspace.
Movement: Up to six hexes per turn, with up to one heading change (at any point).
Firing: None.
Destruction: Upon the third explosion.
5. COLONIES
These one-hex tokens represent colonised planets. They do not move nor fire; they may,
however, repair themselves if damaged. Colonies earn victory points at game end.
Movement: None.
Firing: None.
Destruction: Upon the fifth explosion.
EXPLOSION TOKENS
These are used to indicate missiles that have struck their targets. If a ship accumulates
enough explosion (damage) markers, it is removed from play.
OBJECT OF THE GAME
The first player to colonise eight planets wins. If, after completing 18 turns, no player has
achieved this victory condition, victory points are awarded as follows:
¨ Four points per Colony, minus one point per Colony damage
marker. The player with the most victory points wins.
SETUP
Assemble the map and shuffle the coloured discs. Place them in a pile, face down. Put
the explosion markers aside. Each player receives his ship tokens and a Player Aid sheet.
Assign starting sides by any mutually agreeable means. Place your two Mobile Bases within
three hexes of the surface of your home planet (the surface is indicated by the rooves).
PLAY SEQUENCE
Each turn unfolds as follows:
1) One of the players flips a coloured disc face up. The colour indicates which planets
and asteroid belts are absent from the map this turn.
2) Each player throws the die. High roll goes first, reroll ties.
3) The first player builds his new ships. Then, he moves his ships and resolves missile
fire. Lastly, he colonises planets and repairs damaged ships.
4) The second player does as the first.
5) Check victory conditions. The game lasts no more than 18 complete turns.
 Colonisator
TEMPORAL SUCCESSION
The three colours (red, yellow and blue) that each asteroid belt and planet comes in
symbolise the third dimension as well as the natural motion of the celestial bodies. The
colour of the current disc indicates which planets and asteroid belts are absent from the map
that turn. For example, if the current disc is blue, no blue planet can be colonised or be used
to build ships that turn. Likewise, blue planets and asteroid belts are ignored by ships during
their movement and firing this turn. Absent planets still count for victory, however.
Once the six discs have been flipped up, shuffle them and repeat the sequence. Players
may not write down the colours that have come up during the previous turns, nor examine
the previously flipped discs.
Translator’s Note: To keep players with good memories from having an undue
advantage, it may be simpler to keep the discs in a cup and draw a random one each turn.
PRODUCTION
Each turn, your home planet (the giant planet at the edge of the map) can build one of
the following:
¨ A Cruiser and Two Fighters; or
¨ A Colonisator; or
¨ Five Fighters.
The player whose turn it is announces which option he picks and then deploys the
corresponding ships on the launching pads of his home planet (the red areas). Two-hex
ships are placed with their rear hex on the launch pad. Place carried Fighters on top of the
carrying Cruiser token.
Each undamaged Colony can also build one Fighter per turn (unless absent from the
map). Place each Fighter on the planet that built it. If the Colony has any damage, it may not
build a Fighter.
A planet may not exceed its production capacity, nor "save up" production points from
one turn to the next. Neither can production points be "transferred" between planets.
MOVEMENT: Normal Space
During his turn, a player may move some, none or all his ships. There is no random
element to movement; a ship's movement capacity depends solely on its type. A ship may
not exceed its movement capacity, nor "save up" movement points from one turn to the
next. Neither can movement points be "transferred" between ships.
Heading changes are restricted for ships other than Fighters. Mobile Bases cannot
change their heading at all (they'll remain in the same map orientation for the entire game).
Cruisers and Colonisators may pivot once during their move. When (if) they do, pivot them
around the front hex (i.e., swing the rear hex around). When pivoting, the rear of the ship
may not hit an obstacle (a present planet or asteroid hex).
Planets and asteroid hexes, unless absent, are impassable. So are all hexes occupied by
the home planets (launch pads may not be moved back to once left behind).
Because of the planets’ gravity wells, Cruisers must keep at least one free space hex
between themselves and planets. Mobile Bases must keep at least two free space hexes
between themselves and planets.
You may conclude a ship's movement over an absent planet or asteroid hex, but if that
planet or asteroid "comes back", the ship is destroyed. Cruisers and Mobile Bases that find
themselves too close to a planet are also destroyed.
 Colonisator
Ships may cross each other (whether friend or foe) but may not end their movement in
the same hex (or sharing a hex). Fighters are an exception: they may be taken aboard
Cruisers (each Cruiser may carry up to two Fighters at once).
Ships may not move off the map (except for hyperspace, below) nor onto the home
planet hexes. You may not move your adversary's ships during your turn.
Fighters
Fighters may launch from a Cruiser or return to it either before or after the Cruiser
moves, but never during its movement. Fighters that launch from a Cruiser may only move
up to six hexes (not twelve); likewise, they may return aboard a Cruiser only if they expend
no more than six hexes' worth of movement to reach it. Fighters may board or launch from
either of the Cruiser's hexes. Fighters may not launch and be recovered (or vice-versa) in
the same turn.
Fighter fire is unaffected by launch and recovery, except that carried Fighters may not
fire whilst aboard (e.g. a Fighter could fire, then move up to six hexes and end its turn
aboard a Cruiser, but it could not return aboard the Cruiser and then fire).
Fighter launch and recovery is unaffected by Cruiser damage, except that when a
Cruiser is destroyed, any Fighters aboard at that time are also destroyed.
MOVEMENT: Hyperspace
Cruisers (with any carried Fighters) and Colonisators may use hyperspace. This allows
them to cross any distance. Ships that jump out of normal space to hyperspace are simply
removed from the map and put aside; on one of the player'ssubsequent turns, they jump in,
re-appearing anywhere he so wishes. There are some restrictions:
¨ The ship may not be damaged. Damage prevents a ship from jumping out.
¨ The ship may not jump out or in whilst adjacent to another ship, a planet or an asteroid
hex. Absent planets and asteroid belts do not hinder jumping in or out, of course.
¨ Jumping ships may not undergo normal space movement on the turn they jump out nor
on the turn they jump in. A Cruiser may fire before jumping out but may not fire when it
jumps back in. Any Fighters it carries may, on the turn the Cruiser jumps in, launch, move
up to six (not twelve) hexes and fire.
¨ Ships may not jump in and out in the same turn; that is to say, a ship may jump in or
out on a given turn but may not do both. Ships may, however, remain in hyperspace
indefinitely before jumping back in.
MISSILE FIRE
All ships (except Colonies and Colonisators) may fire missiles. Ships fire before or after
movement, but not during it. To see if fire is possible, draw an imaginary line from the centre
of the firing hex to the centre of the target hex (the firing player picks the hexes if either the
shooter or the target is a two-hex ship). If that line intersects a present planet or asteroid
hex, fire is not possible. Ships do not block line of sight.
To resolve missile fire, consult the Missile Fire Table on the Player Aid Sheet. Cross-
indexing the shooter, the target and the range (range includes the target hex but excludes
the shooter hex) yields a number that must be matched or bested on a die for the target to be
damaged.
As ships are hit, they accumulate damage (explosion markers) and are eventually
destroyed.
 Colonisator
Fighters aboard a Cruiser do not change its defence; ignore any carried Fighters
when consulting the Missile Fire Table. If a Cruiser is destroyed whilst Fighters are
aboard, the latter are destroyed as well.
Damage does not affect a ship's movement in normal space. Damage does, however,
prevent a ship from using hyperspace. Damage also affects a ship's fire; subtract a ship's
number of damage markers from its die roll. Example: A Cruiser is three hexes away from a
Fighter. It hits it on a 4+. If the Cruiser has a single damage marker, it needs a 5+; with two
damage markers, it needs a 6.
You may not fire on your own ships. Neither may you fire at Colonies (or Fighters) on
absent planets. Likewise, Fighters on absent planets may not fire nor move. The home
planets cannot be damaged.
COLONISATION
To colonise a planet, a player must bring an undamaged Colonisator in orbit (both hexes of
the Colonisator must touch the planet). Damaged Colonisators may not colonise planets. Place
a Colony marker on the planet once it is colonised (this occurs at the end of the player turn, at
the same time as Repairs). An already-colonised planet may not be colonised; you must destroy
the existing Colony first. An absent planet may not be colonised, of course.
Colonies produce one Fighter each turn they are present on the map, unless
damaged. Place the Fighter on the Colony that built it. If the Colony is damaged, it may
repair one damage to itself each turn.
REPAIRS
Mobile Bases can repair damaged ships (up to eight at once). They must be adjacent to
the Mobile Base. Each whole turn spent in contact removes one damage marker from each
docked ship.
Ships undergoing repairs may not move or fire. The Mobile Base may fire to protect ships
docked with it. A ship that fires while docked simply forfeits its repairs for that turn. Mobile
Bases and Colonies can repair themselves, at the rate of one damage per turn. Damaged
Mobile Bases may not repair any ship other than themselves. They may not fire if repairing
themselves.
 Colonisator

PLAYER AID SHEET

TURN SEQUENCE PRODUCTION
1. Temporal Succession Home planet produces either:
2. First Player Determination ¨ A Cruiser and Two Fighters; or
3. First Player Phase ¨ A Colonisator; or
a. Production ¨ Five Fighters.
b. Movement and Missile Fire Place built ships on the home launch pads
c. Colonisation and Repairs (red hexes)
4. Second Player Phase Each undamaged Colony (unless absent)
a. Production may produce:
b. Movement and Missile Fire ¨ A Fighter.
c. Colonisation and Repairs Place the Fighter on the Colony that built it.
5. Victory Check
SHIP CHARACTERISTICS
Type Movement Hyperspace Carries Fire Range Damage Repairs
†
Mobile Base 3 hexes No nothing 1 per target 10 hexes 5 Self 1/turn
Colony none No nothing none — 5 Self 1/turn
‡ †
Fighter 12 hexes No nothing 1 4 hexes 1 Base 1/turn
†
Cruiser 9 hexes Yes 2 Fighters 2 8 hexes 3 Base 1/turn
†
Colonisator 6 hexes Yes nothing none — 3 Base 1/turn
† A Mobile Base may not repair other ships if it is damaged.
‡
6 hexes when launching from a Cruiser or landing on one.
VICTORY CONDITIONS
The first player to colonise eight planets wins.
If no winner after 18 turns, score as follows:
4 points per Colony, minus all damage to Colonies.
MISSILE FIRE TABLE
Shooter Target Range
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Fighter Mobile Base 5 6 6 6 — — — — — —
Colony 5 6 6 6 — — — — — —
Fighter 4 5 5 6 — — — — — —
Cruiser 5 6 6 6 — — — — — —
Colonisator 5 6 6 6 — — — — — —
Cruiser Mobile Base 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 6 — —
Colony 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 6 — —
Fighter 2 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 — —
Cruiser 3 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 — —
Colonisator 3 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 — —
Mobile Base Mobile Base 2 2 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6
Colony 2 2 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6
Fighter 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5
Cruiser 2 2 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6
Colonisator 2 2 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6