DURATION: 60 to 90 minutes AGE: 12+ PLAYERS: 2 to 4

TABLE OF
CONTENTS
The Goal 3
Setup 4
How to Play 5
1. Deploy 5
2. Move 6
Controlled Space 6
Contested Space 6
Retreating 6
Dragon Breath 7
3. Explore 7
4. Fight 8
Order of Battle 8
Timing 8
Results of Battle 9
5. Income 9
6. Draw 9
Cards 9
Energize Cards 9
Energize Battle Cards 10
Secret Mission
& Mission Cards 10

Winning the Game 11

Team Rules 11
In the year 2315, space explorers 4 Home-Base Tiles

reach a moon in a remote planetary 32 Fungoids (8 of each color)

system. There they discover rubium,
6 Single-Hex Tiles
a rare and valuable energy source.
The explorers sell the moon’s location
4 Large Mine Markers
to immoral and competitive Galaxy
corporations, who each send a strike
8 Small Mine Markers
force to seize control of the moon.
When the invading forces arrive,
they discover that the moon has its
own life forms, including magnificent
dragonlike beings that can breathe gouts
of incandescent plasma. The competing
forces waste no time in conscripting
these and other life forms as fighting
units.
Mysterious monoliths jut from the
moon’s surface, and studies reveal that
the highest concentrations of rubium lie
around them. Fierce battles erupt near
the monoliths as the invading forces
32 Energize Cards
struggle to possess the rubium mines
and to carry out their corporations’ secret
36 Secret Mission Cards
orders.
The moon’s landscape is strange.
32 Crystallines (8 of each color)
The aliens are even stranger. Perhaps
strangest of all are the secret agendas
that drive the corporations . . . . 68 Rubium Tokens (in denominations of 5 and 1)

N E X U S O P S
2 R U L E B O O K
1 Monolith Tile 16 Lava Leapers (4 of each color)
18 Exploration Tiles
1 Monolith Base 12 Rubium Dragons (3 of each color)

48 Humans (12 of each color)

6 Double-Hex Tiles

THE GOAL
You’re a combat leader commanding
troops on an alien moon. Deploy your
units to accomplish the Secret Missions
of your corporation. Score 12 victory points
before any other player, and you achieve
control of the region and win the game.

24 Rock Striders (6 of each color)

8 Dice

4 Reference Charts

3
22 Mission Cards
TM

N E X U S O P S R U L E B O O K
SETUP 2-PLAYER GAME SETUP
Before you play for the first time, punch out all the cardboard pieces
from their frames and build the Monolith.

Randomly determine who plays first. Then prepare the game for
play as follows.

1. Starting with the first player, each player chooses a color

and takes the plastic unit pieces and reference chart
for that color.

2. Place the Monolith in the middle of the table. Shuffle the

6 single-hex tiles face down, then place them face up 3-PLAYER GAME SETUP
in a circle around the Monolith. Place the 6 double-hex
tiles in the same way in a circle around the single-hex
tiles. Then attach a home-base tile to the board for each
player, according to where they’re sitting at the table.

3. Shuffle the Secret Mission deck and the Energize deck

and put them face down near the playing area. Put the
Mission cards in a stack near the other decks.

4. Randomly place 1 Exploration tile face down on each of

the 18 hex spaces surrounding the Monolith, excluding 4-PLAYER GAME SETUP
home bases.

5. Put the dice and mine markers near the playing area.
Put the rubium tokens in a pile next to the board; that
pile is called the bank.

6. Get your starting rubium tokens. The first player always

gets 8 rubium. Each player to the left gets 3 more than
the previous player. For example, in a 4-player game, the
first player gets 8, the second gets 11, the third
gets 14, and the fourth gets 17.

Monolith

Terrain Types
Magma Pool Crystal Spires

4
Liquifungus Forest Rock Plains

N E X U S O P S R U L E B O O K
 You may play start-of-turn Energize cards
HOW TO PLAY and purchase units in any order you
Players take turns going left from the first player. choose.
During your turn, do the following in order.

1. Deploy. Purchase and place new units

and play start-of-turn Energize cards.

2. Move. Each of your units can move once.

3. Explore. Reveal discovered Exploration tiles.

4. Fight. Conduct one round of fighting for each

battle you’re in.

5. Income. Gain rubium for the mines you control.

6. Draw. Draw 1 Secret Mission card. If you control the

Monolith, draw 2 Energize
cards.
BREAKING THE RULES
1. DEPLOY Some units and cards have special rules
that override the general rules. In the case
Each unit has a cost in rubium listed
on your player reference chart. You of a conflict, follow the rules for that unit or
may purchase as many of those units card.
as you’d like for their listed cost. When
purchasing the units, return spent rubium
tokens to the bank.
Unit Cost
Once you have purchased units, put each of them on any of your
three home-base spaces. (You can split them up between those
spaces.) If another player’s units occupy any of your home-base
spaces, you may still put your units there.

The number and type of units you can purchase is limited by the
number of figures available. It’s possible to run out of a particular
unit type. When units are destroyed during the course of
the game, however, they return to your supply
and may be
purchased again later.

The Deploy phase

is the only time you
may play start-of-turn
Energize cards. To play
one, simply say you’re
playing it and follow its
instructions. Then discard it
face up next to the Energize
deck.

N E X U S O P S
5 R U L E B O O K
2. MOVE CONTROLLED SPACE
You can move each of your units one space (hex) during the Move You “control” a space if you are the only player with any
phase. If a unit has the ability to move more than one space (such units there.
as the Rock Strider), it can’t move through a space that contains
enemy units. When a unit moves into a space that contains an
enemy unit, it must stop there (unless its ability says otherwise).
Some units can’t enter certain spaces, as noted on the reference
chart. If your turn finishes and another player finds one of your
units on a space it can’t enter, you must move that
unit back to one of your home-base spaces
(your choice).

CONTESTED SPACE
A space is “contested” if more than one player has units in
that space.

Retreating YES NO YES

If you have a unit that began the turn in a contested space, it may
move from that space (retreat) but it must end its move in a space
you control or in an empty space. In other words, a unit can’t retreat
from a battle into another battle.

Example: You want your Rock Strider to retreat. Even

though there’s a Rock Plains between it and a space
containing more enemy units, you can’t move your Strider to or
through that opponent-controlled space.

N E X U S O P S
6 R U L E B O O K
 DRAGON BREATH
At the end of your movement phase,
if you have a Rubium Dragon on the
board in a space you control, it can
breathe plasma into an adjacent space.

To breathe plasma, announce which space your

Dragon is breathing into, then roll a die. If you
roll a 4 or higher, the player who has units in that space chooses
a unit in that space and removes it from the board.
If more than one player has units in that space, choose
which of the players takes the casualty after you roll.

This special attack isn’t considered a battle:

If it succeeds, you can’t play a “win a battle”
Mission or Secret Mission card. Also, you can’t
use Energize battle cards to affect the result of
plasma breath. If your opponent loses his or her
only unit in that space as a result of the breath, he or she
doesn’t draw an Energize card (the normal result of losing
all your units in a battle when someone attacks you).
Because this special attack isn’t considered a battle,
your opponent doesn’t get to attack your Dragon.

3. EXPLORE If the tile shows a unit and a mine,

After you move, if any of your units get both and put them on that
ends its movement on a space with a space.
face-down Exploration tile, flip that tile
face up. You discover units and/or mines Mine markers don’t move from the
as shown on the face of the tile. space where they were discovered.

If the tile shows a unit, get one of those units from your supply and Once an Exploration tile has been flipped
put it on that space. That unit now belongs to you and, on over, it’s removed from the game. Each
your next turn, you can move it and send it into space offers only one opportunity for
battle like any of your other units. exploration during a game.

If the tile shows a mine, get one of

those mine markers and
put it on that space.

N E X U S O P S
7 R U L E B O O K
 Example: You are battling an opponent and you each have
4. FIGHT 1 Rubium Dragon in the battle. You each make an attack roll
Conduct one round of battle in each contested space where you for your Dragons simultaneously. You roll a 1 and miss, but
have units. If there are multiple battles, you choose the sequence to your opponent rolls a 2 and hits. You choose to take one of
conduct them. your Humans in that space off the board as a casualty. When
the order of battle reaches Humans, that Human can’t attack
Order of Battle because it was destroyed.
Units attack in a particular order, called the order of battle, as
shown on each reference chart. The order runs from right to left. Example: In the above example, let’s say you both hit with
All Rubium Dragons attack first, then all Lava Leapers, and so your Rubium Dragons and you choose to take your Dragon
on. Once each unit has attacked in order, then the battle in that off the board as a casualty. Your opponent must still choose a
space ends for the turn, even if both attacker and casualty because your Dragon still scored a hit and casualties
defender have units remaining in that are chosen after all units of a given type attack.
space.
In cases when more than one opponent has units in a space, you
choose one of those opponents to be the defender. Only you and
the defending player then participate in the battle. If you eliminate
all of that player’s units, you win the battle.

Order of Battle

When a unit type comes

up in the order of battle, both
the attacker and defender simultaneously
make an attack roll for each unit they have of that
type. To succeed on an attack roll, you must roll equal to or
higher than the “hits on” number listed for that unit on the reference
chart.
TIMING
For each successful attack roll, your opponent chooses one of his The player whose turn it is always makes decisions first, such
or her units on that space and returns it to his or her supply. That as deciding which casualties to remove or whether to play an
unit is destroyed and may no longer participate in that battle. If it Energize battle card.
hasn’t attacked yet because that unit type hasn’t come up in the
order of battle, it no longer has the opportunity.

N E X U S O P S
8 R U L E B O O K
Results of Battle
• You win a battle if you attack on your turn and eliminate
all the defender’s units in a space. Many Secret Mission
cards and all Mission cards involve winning a battle. For
each battle you win, you can play one of these cards.
(See “Cards” below for more details.)

• You lose a battle if all of your units in a space are Award Draw Discard
destroyed. If it’s another player’s turn when you lose a
battle, you draw 1 Energize card. If you attack on your
turn and lose all your units in a battle, you don’t draw an
CARDS
There are three types of cards: Energize, Secret Mission, and
Energize card, and your opponent can’t play a Mission
Mission. You may discard Energize and Secret Mission cards from
card.
your hand anytime during your turn to gain 1 rubium per discarded
card. Discarded cards go face up next to the
• Neither player wins or loses if both have units remaining
appropriate deck.
at the end of battle.

5. INCOME Energize Cards

There are two ways to get Energize cards: You draw 1 card
For each space you control with a mine,
whenever you lose a battle on someone else’s turn, and you
you gain rubium equal to the number
draw 2 cards if you control the Monolith at the end of your turn.
on that mine if you have at least one
When you draw an Energize card, keep it secret in your hand
Human, Fungoid, or Crystalline on it.
until you decide to play it. If the deck runs out, reshuffle the
Take rubium tokens from the bank
discarded cards to make a new deck.
equal to the amount you earn.
You can only play start-of-turn Energize cards during the Deploy
6. DRAW phase of the turn. To play one, simply tell the other players you’re
Do the following during this phase: playing it, then follow its text. When you’re done, put it face up in
the discard pile.
• Draw 1 Secret Mission card. Keep it secret
in your hand until you play it. If you draw
a Secret Mission card and you meet its
requirements, you may play it immediately.
For example, if you control more Rock
Plains than any other player and you
draw Dominate the Plains, you could
play it immediately.

• Draw 2 Energize cards if you

control the Monolith. Keep them
secret in your hand until you
play them.

N E X U S O P S
9 R U L E B O O K
Energize Battle Cards
Energize battle cards may be played
during a battle when the text on the card
says it can be played. To play one, simply
say you’re playing it and follow
its instructions.

During a battle, any player may play Energize

battle cards, even players
not involved in the battle. The attacker
goes first in playing Energize battle cards,
then the defender, then
clockwise from the defender.

Secret Mission
and Mission Cards
Secret Mission cards are kept secret in your hand
until you meet their requirements on your turn. Mission cards
are kept in a stack that you can draw from whenever you win a
battle as long as you don’t play a Secret Mission card for winning
that battle.

A Secret Mission or Mission card can be played only on your turn.

You can play it as soon as you accomplish the goal listed on the
card. To play it, announce you’re playing it and put it face up in front
of you. It will remain there for the rest of the game.

Many Secret Mission cards and all Mission cards involve winning a
battle. For each battle you win, you can play only one card with the
victory point total listed in red. Draw 1 Energize card
whenever you lose a battle on
Example: You win a battle in a Liquifungus Forest and you someone else’s turn. Draw 2 cards
have a Fungoid surviving on your side of the battle. You if you control the Monolith at the
could play Send in the Fungoids, Objective: Liquifungus end of your turn.
Forest, or a Mission card from the stack, but only one
of those three. You could, however, play one of those
cards and also a Crystalline Slayer card if you
destroyed a Crystalline in that battle, because the Draw 1 Secret Mission card at the
VP number on that card isn’t red. end of your turn.

Each Secret Mission and

Mission card has a VP
number at the top. That
number tells you how many
victory points you earn when
Take and play 1 Mission card
you accomplish that mission.
whenever you win a battle as long
As soon as the total number
as you don’t play a Secret Mission
of victory points you’ve
card for winning that battle.
achieved reaches 12, you
win

10
the game.

N E X U S O P S R U L E B O O K
WINNING THE GAME
The game ends immediately when either of the following happens:

• A player earns a total of at least 12 victory points’ worth of

Mission and Secret Mission cards. That player wins
the game.

• A player is eliminated from the game. A player is

eliminated if his or her last unit is destroyed, he or she
doesn’t have enough rubium to purchase any more units,
and that player doesn’t have any cards to discard for
rubium. The player with the highest VP total among the
remaining players wins the game. In case of a tie, the tied
player controlling the most spaces wins. If there’s still a
tie, the tied player with the
most units on the board
wins. Finally, if there’s still a WANT A SHORTER OR LONGER GAME?
tie, the game is a draw. Try playing to 10 VPs for a shorter game or to 14 VPs for
a longer game.
TEAM RULES
To play a 4-player team game, set
up the game as you would for a regular 4-player game. Split up
into two 2-player teams. Partners sit across from each other (the QUESTIONS?
players to your left and right are your opponents). U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific, and Latin America:
Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Instead of playing to 12 individual victory points, the first team to P.O. Box 707, Renton WA 98057-0707, U.S.A.
reach a combined total of 20 victory points wins the game. 1-800-324-6496 (within the U.S.)
1-206-624-0933 (outside the U.S.)
At the end of your turn, your partner may pass you any one card custserv@[Link]
from his or her hand, face down. You then add that card to your
hand.
U.K., Eire, and South Africa:
If you move into a space that contains any number of your partner’s Wizards of the Coast, Inc., Consumer Affairs
units, you don’t fight, but the space is still considered contested P.O. Box 43, Caswell Way,
(neither player draws rubium from a mine in that space, for Newport NP19 4YD, GREAT BRITAIN
example). If one of your units can move more than one space in a + 800 22 427276
turn, it may move through spaces containing your partner’s units as wizards@[Link]
long as there aren’t any of your opponent’s units in those spaces.
All Other European Countries:
Discussion is allowed, but all talk must be public. Also, if you Wizards of the Coast p/a Hasbro Belgium
choose to show a card to your partner, you must also show it to ’t Hofveld 6D, B-1702 Groot-Bijgaarden, BELGIUM
your opponents (this doesn’t include the card passed at the end of +[Link]
the turn). custserv@[Link]

If a player is eliminated, that player’s partner continues playing and [Link]

can still win the game for the team. The eliminated player’s victory We recommend that you retain our address for future
points still add to the total team victory points. reference.

N E X U S O P S
11 R U L E B O O K
CREDITS
Designer: Charlie Catino
Developer: Bill McQuillan
Editor: Blaise Selby
Art Director: Peter Whitley
Graphic Designer: Scott Okumura
Cover Illustration: Anthony Waters
Production: Kay McKee and Teresa Newby
Brand Manager: Linda Cox

Playtesters: Mons Johnson, Scott Larabee, Alan Comer, Devin Low,

Ryan Miller, Matt Stevens, Mike Donais, Martin Durham, Steve Winter,
Andy Heckt, Andy Collins, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Cal Moore, Brandon Bozzi,
Monique Catino, and Bill Rose.
Thanks to Paul Bazakas, Martin Durham, Brian Hart, Mary Kirchoff,
Rachel Kirkman, Kim Lundstrom, and Steve Winter.

The game designer would like to dedicate this game to the memory
of Paul Randles. “Every day is Christmas!”

Color of parts may vary from those pictured. ©2005 Wizards of the Coast, Inc., P.O. Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707. Nexus Ops, Wizards of the Coast, and their
respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., in the U.S.A. and other countries. Avalon Hill, Hasbro, and their logos are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc. ® denotes
Reg. U.S. Pat. & ™ Office. All rights reserved. PRINTED AND ASSEMBLED IN THE U.S.A. DICE AND PLASTIC PIECES MADE IN CHINA.

300-95038000-001 EN