Babylon 5 Component Game System – Updates to Version 2.

Author – Ben Reese

Table of Contents:

1. Phases and Game Length

2. Factions – Extended Empire Abilities
3. Objectives and Themes (Phase breakdown)

Phases and Game Length

Total Turns:

Game Size Recommended Rounds per Total Rounds Victory Points

Players Phase
Basic 3-4 (no First Ones) 4 20 8
Medium 5-6 6 30 12
Large 7-8 8 40 16

Each phase is one year of the show

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5

2258 2259 2260 2261 2262

 Each phase reveals objectives for groups/races/factions.

 Objectives grant victory points
 End of game, the most victory points win. For shorter games, set an amount of victory points
 Phases also grant bonuses to groups – these are optional (and very much first draft)

I’ll make new Faction Empire sheets shortly. Just need a template.

Factions – Extended Empire Abilities

A Faction is a sub-group of a race that provides additional benefits (along with those of the base race)
and a method of returning crew cards from the discard pile to your hand, letting players return Crew
play during extended games.
The Sibilant Whisper (Shadows Faction)
- You can repair fighters being carried on a Shadow Battlecruiser

- You can give Shadow Influence

= Shadow ships may move 1 additional Hex or make one additional 60 degree turn during their move
and during Recovery (for fighters).

= Shadow ships roll 1 generic Defense Grid die and 1 Shadow Defense Grid die when defending against a
Volley. The Shadow player may choose to use 1, both, or neither against adjacent fighters instead of
reducing the incoming Volley.

= Shadow ships that fire at adjacent tokens roll 1 B5 die and add that to the amount of damage from the
Volley.

= You must pay 1 Economy as additional upkeep for every Shadow ship that is not a fighter or a neutral
ship on the board. Hibernating Battlecruisers do not count for this upkeep.

= A crippled Shadow Ship that begins and ends its turn in an unoccupied tile and not adjacent to any
other player’s ships may repair, even if it is not docked at a station, by paying its repair cost in economy.

= During the War in the Heavens, the Shadow Player may build a Deathcloud Planet Killer. Deathcloud
Planet Killers have unique rules found on their description below.

= A Shadow ship or squadron may Jump in any direction, rather than just forward.

= If The Sibilant Whisper Crew card is in your Discard pile, you may remove 10 cards in the Discard pile
from game to move The Sibilant Whisper from the Discard pile to your hand.

Deathcloud Planet Killer

Deathcloud Planet Killers are represented by Asteroid tokens with a value of 4. They move like a normal
ship, and have a jump drive. Unlike normal ships, a Deathcloud does not have any weapons. Instead, it
deals damage by entering another ship or station’s hex, at which point the Shadow Player rolls 4 B5 dice
to determine the amount of damage, and the targeted ship rolls defense grid dice as normal.

Opposing ships do not take damage for moving out of a Deathcloud, and may enter voluntarily if they so
choose (taking damage as normal). If at the start of the Shadow Player’s turn, a Deathcloud activates
while on a plant without a station or base present, that planet is converted into an asteroid with value
equal to its Economy value.

A Deathcloud has defense 9, rolls 2 Defense Grid dice (the same as a Shadow ship), cost 30, and upkeep
5.
Those of Kosh (Vorlons Faction)
- You can repair fighters being carried on a Vorlon Cruiser

- You can form Vorlon Alliances

= Vorlon ships may move 1 additional Hex or make one additional 60 degree turn during their move and
during Recovery (for fighters).

= Vorlon ships roll 1 generic Defense Grid die and 1 Vorlon Defense Grid die when defending against a
Volley. The Vorlon player may choose to use 1, both, or neither against adjacent fighters instead of
reducing the incoming Volley.

= Vorlon ships that fire Heavy Weapons at adjacent tokens roll 1 B5 die and add that to the amount of
damage from the Volley.

= You must pay 1 Economy as additional upkeep for every Vorlon ship that is not a fighter or a neutral
ship on the board.

- If a player with a Vorlon Alliance token Votes on one of your Vote cards for the same outcome as you,
you gain 1 additional free Vote towards that outcome.

= A crippled Vorlon Ship that begins and ends its turn in an unoccupied tile and not adjacent to any
other player’s ships may repair, even if it is not docked at a station, by paying its repair cost in economy.

= During the War in the Heavens, the Vorlon Player may build a Planet Killer. Planet Killers have unique
rules found on their description below. Until the War in the Heavens event begins, the Vorlon player
may not build this ship.

= If Kosh Naranek Crew card is in your Discard pile, you may remove 10 cards in the Discard pile from
game to move The Sibilant Whisper from the Discard pile to your hand.

The Returning Republic (Centauri Faction)

= Start with 6 chosen Centauri cards for your hand

= The Centauri Player may build a base on a contested space.

= Centauri ships may build mines

= During the Allocate phase, for the cost of 1 Economy, you may exchange a docked (Mass Driver or
Primus) for a different Battlecruiser (Mass Driver or Primus) not on the map.

= Mass Driver Battlecruisers may fire their Heavy Weapons out to range 3 when targeting a base. You
may add 1 to the result of the support roll [Use 1 DG die for this ranged support roll].

= The Centauri player may spend 1 Economy when firing heavy weapons at an adjacent token to add 1
DG to the total Volley. Pay 1 Economy and roll separating for each ship that wishes to use this ability.
> The Centauri player may allow another player to add 1 DG to the total Volley of a ship when using its
heavy weapons at an adjacent token. After the die is rolled, the other player pays the Centauri player 2
Economy, and the Centauri player spends 1 Economy.

= Each Centauri ship that does not have a heavy weapon value docked to another player’s base that
does not have a Centauri War Declaration, earns 1 Economy during your Allocate phase.

= You may remove 10 cards from your discard pile from the game to put 1 Crew card from your Discard
pile into your hand.

The Grey Council (Minbari Faction)

Select up to 3 Minbari cards for your hand. Then draw 2 cards from your deck.

= Minbari cruisers and war cruisers may move 1 additional hex after moving forward. This additional
movement must either be forward or a sideslip.

= The Minbari player may spend 1 Economy when one of their ships is targeted with a Volley. The
Minbari player may roll 1 Vorlon DG die and add the result to their Defense against this Volley [in
addition to their normal Defense Grid die].

= The Minbari player may reroll the B5 die when rolling for fire support from their ships.

= You may remove 10 cards from your discard pile from the game to put 1 Crew card from your Discard
pile into your hand.

= Minabari ships may move into a hex with a crippled squadron, destroying the squadron.

= The Minbari player may choose to conduct their fire phase before your move phase. This decision is
made just prior to taking either phase.

The Broken Chains (Narn Faction)

Select up to 5 Narn cards for your hand.

= When building a base, the Narn player may spend 2 additional Economy to build a base 1 higher than
the planet’s Economy.

= If you do not have a base on the Narn Homeworld hex, then each of your other bases produces 1
additional Economy.

= Your units which can build mines may build mines in contested spaces.

= Your Narn units are immune to the mine hexes on your homeworld tile.
= During your upkeep phase, units with an upkeep of 1 may be removed from your scrapyard for a cost
of 2 Economy each.

= Whenever an effect causes you to remove one of your Crew from play, you may gain its cost in
Economy.

> Once per turn, when an enemy fighter squadron moves next to one of your ships, you may spend 1
Economy to roll 1 DG die and apply the value as damage to the Squadron.

= You may remove 10 cards from your discard pile from the game to put 1 Crew card from your Discard
pile into your hand.

The Clark Administration (Earth Alliance Faction)

Select up to 6 Each Cards for your hand

> Once per turn, the Earth Alliance player may reroll one of their DG dice.

- The Earth Alliance player may build new fighter squadrons on their carriers by spending twice the build
cost.

= Collect a bonus of 1 Economy for each opponent ship with an economy bonus docked to Babylon 5.

= Earth Alliance Nova Dreadnoughts and Omega Destroyers may be removed from the scrap yard for a
cost equal to twice their upkeep during the Allocate Phase.

= Earth Alliance Nova Dreadnoughts and Omega Destroyers cannot sideslip.

- The first time a ship moves after being built, it may move 1 additional hex, whether it moved, jumped,
or used a hyperspace gate.

- You may remove 10 cards from your discard pile from the game to put 1 Crew card from your Discard
pile into your hand.

The Combine (League of Non-Aligned Worlds Faction)

At the start of the game, select up to 4 League of Non-Aligned Worlds Cards for your hand. Then, draw 5
cards. Afterwards, place 2 cards on the bottom of your deck.

= When you buy new cards, after drawing all purchased cards, draw 1 additional card. Then put one card
on the bottom of your deck.

= You always have at least one vote. If you ever have 0 votes, you may cast 1 vote.

= You may use Brakiri, Drazi, and Vree tokens.

= A League base (Brakiri, Drazi, Vree) may build a ship of a different League empire by paying the upkeep
in addition to the cost of the ship.

= Vree ships may move in any direction.

= A Vree ship may either move 1 hex in any direction, or turn up to 180 degrees.

= Brakiri ships may dock at another player’s bases. During your upkeep phase, you do not pay the
upkeep of your docked Brakiri ships.

= Your ships may use any base that you do not have a Declaration of War from to repair. You must pay 1
Economy to the base’s owner each time you use this ability.

> At the end of your turn, you may place any number of cards from your hand on the bottom of the
deck, and then draw that many cards.

- If, at the start of your turn, you do not have any cards in your hand, you may pay 1 Economy. Draw 2
cards.

= You may remove 5 cards from your discard pile from the game to put 1 Crew card from your Discard
pile into your hand.

> Once per turn, when one of your ships is targeted by a Volley, you may discard one card. Then, roll 1
DG and add it to the ship’s defense against the Volley (in addition to your normal DG die).

Omega Department (Psi-Corps Faction)

Select up to 3 Psi-Corps cards for your hand.

= You may build 1 Earth Alliance Omega Destroyer. If another player is playing Earth Alliance, mark
which ship is yours with a sticker or by placing a small token on it.

> Once per turn, you may reroll one of your DG dice.

= The Psi-Corps player may build new fighter squadrons on their carriers by spending twice the build
cost.

= Gain 1 Economy for each of your Crew on Babylon 5 [Crew in play are assumed to be on Babylon 5].

> You may spend 1 Economy on each of your opponent’s turns to look at 1 random card from their hand.
Then either return the card, or place the card on the bottom of their deck and one card from your hand
on the bottom of your deck.

- Whenever an Omega Squadron participates in a Volley, roll 1 DG and add the value to the Volley total
damage [roll 1 DG regardless of the number of squadrons participating in the Volley].

= Earth Alliance Nova Dreadnoughts and Omega Destroyers cannot sideslip.

- You may remove 5 cards from your discard pile from the game to put 1 Crew card from your Discard
pile into your hand.
Phases of the Game
Objectives: Each objective may be scored once by each player. A player may only score 1 Objective per
turn. An objective may only be scored during its phase.

Phase 1: 2258
Major Events:

 Narn invade Ragesh 3

 Morden arrives on B5 – alliance with Centauri
 Great Machine on Epsilon 3
 Rioting on Mars
 Narn outpost in Quadrant 37 is destroyed by the Shadows
 Earth President is assassinated
 Delenn begins transformation

Objectives: Theme Expanding Old Borders

o Build 3 Bases – 1 VP
o Explore 3 / 6 / 9 (based on game size) Tiles – 1 VP
o Dock 3 Ships at B5 – 1 VP
o Have 5 Ships on the Map – 1 VP

Themes --- changes 1 aspect, gives 1 bonus

 Narn – may build bases equal to the econ of a planet for 1 less Economy
 Centauri – All non-battlecruisers may move an additional Hex each turn
 Earth Alliance/ Psi-Corps – Gain 1 Economy for every ship that ends its turn in the Earth tile
 Minbari – You pay 2 less Economy when building a ship on your homeworld tile.
 League – Your ships may build any League base without penalty. Your bases may build any
League ship without penalty. You gain 1 Economy for every one of your ships docked to B5.
 Shadows and Vorlons – may play crew cards for 1 less Economy. You do not pay upkeep for
ships on your homeworld tile.

Phase 2: 2259
Major Events:

 Clark becomes Earth President

 Narn realize Shadows are returning
  Drazi civil war started (by shadow agents)
 More shadows sighted
 Centauri emperor dies while trying to make peace with Narn, - war breaks out
 Earth Civil War begins to loom on Mars, opposing Clark
 Narn in need of aid against the Centauri
 Centauri smuggling weapons of mass destruction through B5
 Centauri capture Narn homeworld with illegal mass drivers
 Narns request sanctuary on B5
 Vorlons test for loyalty and ability to fight Shadows (Vorlon Alliance boons)
 Centauri begin to assault non-aligned worlds
 Kosh reveals himself to B5 onlookers.
 Shadow ships seen and recorded.

Objectives: Theme – war within the less races

o Gain the Declaration of War counter from another player – 1 VP

o Destroy a ship belonging to the player with the largest amount of VP – 1 VP
o Destroy 3 non-fighter ships from the same faction – 1 VP
o Build a base on a planet that contained another player’s base – 1 VP
o Have 5 Bases outside your Homeworld tile – 1 VP
o Have more Gross Economy than all other players for 3 turns in a row – 1 VP
o *Gain either a Vorlon Alliance or Shadow Influence – 1 VP
o *Give 2 Vorlon Alliance Tokens or 2 Shadow Influence tokens – 1 VP

Themes --- changes 1 aspect, gives 1 bonus

 Narn – You gain 1 Economy for every one of your ships docked to B5.
 Centauri – Gain 1 Economy for each enemy ship and base crippled or destroyed
 Earth Alliance/ Psi-Corps – You pay only half the upkeep for ships in your homeworld tile
 Minbari – Gain 1 Economy for every Vote that you Vote for or against (don’t abstain)
 League – The first card you purchase each turn costs 1 less Economy
 Shadows and Vorlons – Gain 1 Economy at the start of your turn for every Alliance or Influence
token you have on the map.

Phase 3: 2260
Major Events:

 Ivanova uses the machine to contact other First Ones.

 President Clark declares martial law
 Narn assume security of B5
 Earth colonies and B5 declare independence
 Shadows begin to attack other races more openly – including the Brakiri
 Kosh assists in the war and is assassinated
 Major battle against the Shadows
  Sheridan destroys a shadow base on Z’ha’dum

Objectives:

o Have 7 non-fighter ships on the map – 1 VP

o Destroy a base belonging to the player with the largest amount of VP – 1 VP
o Spend 25 Economy (simply remove from Reserve and gain no other benefit) – 1 VP
o End your turn with 2 ships in the homeworld tile of another player – 1 VP
o Have ships in 6 different tiles at the start of your turn – 1 VP
o Send a Vorlon or Shadow Crew to the discard pile from play – 1 VP
o Destroy the base on the Vorlon or Shadow homeworld – 2 VP
o Destroy 2 Shadow or Vorlon ships – 1 VP

Themes --- changes 1 aspect, gives 1 bonus

 Narn – Gain 1 Economy for each enemy ship and base crippled or destroyed
 Centauri – Gain 1 Economy for each enemy ship and base crippled or destroyed
 Earth Alliance – Gain 1 Economy for each enemy ship and base crippled or destroyed
 Psi-Corps - Gain 1 Economy for each enemy ship and base crippled or destroyed
 Minbari – Gain 1 Economy for each enemy ship and base crippled or destroyed
 League – Gain 1 Economy for each enemy ship and base crippled or destroyed
 Shadows and Vorlons – Gain 1 Economy for each enemy ship and base crippled or destroyed

Phase 4: 2261
Major Events:

 Centauri enter Shadow influence, letting them build a base on Centauri Prime
 Psi Corps makes sleeper agent spies
 Sheridan revived by Lorien
 Gkar and Londo ally to overthrow Centauri Emperor
 Vorlon fleet discovered in hyperspace
 Vorlons begin destroying worlds influenced by shadows
 Shadows create the Deathcloud and begin to destroy worlds
 Vorlons close in on Centauri prime, but Londo has the shadow base destroyed
 Battle against the Shadows and Vorlons at Corianis 6 – with Lorien’s Help, he persuades the First
Ones to leave.
 Centauri emperor implanted with Keeper
 Clark isolates B5
 Zhadum destroyed by servants of the Shadows to protect their secrets.
 Thirdspace gate found and opened.
 Earth Alliance civil war breaks out
  Caste war on Minbar breaks out (stirred on by Drakh)
 The League joins B5 in the Earth civil war
 Minbari civil war is stopped by ritual of the Starfire Wheel. Reformed to empower the Worker
caste.
 Centauri and Narn join B5 against Earth
 Earthforce reveals shadow hybrid ships
 Fleet blockades earth until Clark commits suicide.
 Interstellar Alliance formed with Earth and the League. Sheridan is made president.
 Warlock class destroyers commissioned

Objectives:

o Have a total ship upkeep of 15 or more – 1 VP

o Have more bases than both of your neighbors individually – 1 VP
o Have 3 ships in a homeworld tile that you have the Declaration of War for – 2 VP
o Discard 7 cards at the same time – 2 VP
o Destroy a planet killer ship – 2 VP
o Destroy a world – 1 VP
o Destroy a homeworld – 2 VP
o Destroy a world with an opposing Faction Vorlon or Shadow Influence on it – 1 VP

Themes --- changes 1 aspect, gives 1 bonus

 Narn – When attacking a ship, add 1 to the total Volley. When attacking a Vorlon or Shadow
ship, instead add 1 DG die.
 Centauri – You gain 1 Economy each turn for each Shadow Influence you have.
 Earth Alliance – Can form Alliances. During the Upkeep phase of your turn, you may ask another
player to join in an Alliance with you. While in an Alliance, you may count each other’s bases as
your own for purposes of building and repairing ships, and cannot target each other’s ships or
bases. You may only have 1 Alliance at a time. An Alliance may be broken at the end of your turn
by declaring it broken, and winning a Vote. You and your Alliance partner each gain 1 Economy
during the Upkeep phase.
 Psi-Corps - May spend 2 Economy when one of your ships is the target of a Volley. Roll the
Shadow DG and add the value to that ship’s Defense.
 Minbari – When attacking a ship, add 1 to the total Volley. When attacking a Vorlon or Shadow
ship, instead add 1 DG die.
 League – Can form Alliances. During the Upkeep phase of your turn, you may ask another player
to join in an Alliance with you. While in an Alliance, you may count each other’s bases as your
own for purposes of building and repairing ships, and cannot target each other’s ships or bases.
You may only have 1 Alliance at a time. An Alliance may be broken at the end of your turn by
declaring it broken, and winning a Vote. You and your Alliance partner each gain 1 Economy
during the Upkeep phase.
 Shadows and Vorlons – You may build a planet killer in your homeworld system at half cost.
Phase 5: 2262
Major Events:

 Rogue telepath movement

 Psi-Corps HQ bombed
 Centauri have been attacking Alliance ships
 Alliance and Centauri go to war
 Centauri Prime falls to combined Narn and League attack, Londo becomes Emperor and is
implanted with a Keeper
 Alliance base built on Minbar

Objectives:

o Win a vote with 8 or more votes in your favor – 2 VP

o Start your turn with a base on another player’s homeworld – 2 VP
o Cripple or destroy 3 ships in the same turn – 1 VP
o Have 11 bases in non-homeworld tiles at the start of your turn – 2 VP
o Spend 50 Economy at the start of your turn (with no other benefit) – 2 VP
o Have five ships on the edge of the map outside your homeworld tile – 2 VP
o Have ships in five map tiles that do not contain planets – 2 VP
o Have bases in two different tiles adjacent to another player’s Homeworld tile (or closest on
Distant Stars or larger maps) – 2 VP

Themes --- changes 1 aspect, gives 1 bonus

 Narn – Can form Alliances. During the Upkeep phase of your turn, you may ask another player to
join in an Alliance with you. While in an Alliance, you may count each other’s bases as your own
for purposes of building and repairing ships, and cannot target each other’s ships or bases. You
may only have 1 Alliance at a time. An Alliance may be broken at the end of your turn by
declaring it broken, and winning a Vote. You and your Alliance partner each gain 1 Economy
during the Upkeep phase.
 Centauri – Can form Alliances. During the Upkeep phase of your turn, you may ask another
player to join in an Alliance with you. While in an Alliance, you may count each other’s bases as
your own for purposes of building and repairing ships, and cannot target each other’s ships or
bases. You may only have 1 Alliance at a time. An Alliance may be broken at the end of your turn
by declaring it broken, and winning a Vote. You and your Alliance partner each gain 1 Economy
during the Upkeep phase.
 Earth Alliance / Psi-Corps – Can form Alliances. During the Upkeep phase of your turn, you may
ask another player to join in an Alliance with you. While in an Alliance, you may count each
 other’s bases as your own for purposes of building and repairing ships, and cannot target each
other’s ships or bases. You may only have 1 Alliance at a time. An Alliance may be broken at the
end of your turn by declaring it broken, and winning a Vote. You and your Alliance partner each
gain 1 Economy during the Upkeep phase.
 Minbari – Can form Alliances. During the Upkeep phase of your turn, you may ask another
player to join in an Alliance with you. While in an Alliance, you may count each other’s bases as
your own for purposes of building and repairing ships, and cannot target each other’s ships or
bases. You may only have 1 Alliance at a time. An Alliance may be broken at the end of your turn
by declaring it broken, and winning a Vote. You and your Alliance partner each gain 1 Economy
during the Upkeep phase.
 League – Can form Alliances. During the Upkeep phase of your turn, you may ask another player
to join in an Alliance with you. While in an Alliance, you may count each other’s bases as your
own for purposes of building and repairing ships, and cannot target each other’s ships or bases.
You may only have 1 Alliance at a time. An Alliance may be broken at the end of your turn by
declaring it broken, and winning a Vote. You and your Alliance partner each gain 1 Economy
during the Upkeep phase.
 Shadows and Vorlons – Gain 1 Economy for every one of your ships in a boardedge Hex at the
start of your turn.