Pandemic Legacy: Season 0

2020

"In Pandemic Legacy: Season 0, you're a CIA recruit combating 'Project MEDUSA', a lethal Soviet bioweapon. Travel the globe, neutralize threats, and save humanity!

60
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

14+

Medium Heavy

About the game

Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 is a compelling, engaging, and immersive board game that revolves around the theme of covert espionage during the Cold War era. The game is set in a world simmering with international intrigue, where players assume the roles of medical specialists turned secret agents.

You and your team are about to embark on a thrilling journey to prevent a global catastrophe. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to uncover the truth behind a deadly Soviet bioweapon named Project MEDUSA.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 is a cooperative game where players work together to prevent and treat diseases around the world. The game includes various components, each with unique features and contributions to the overall gameplay.

The Game Board is a map of the world which shows different cities connected by lines. This is the main area where players plan and execute their strategies. Players move their characters along these lines and treat diseases in these cities.

The Rulebook contains all the rules and instructions for the game. It provides detailed information on how to set up and play the game, as well as explaining how the different components interact.

Player Cards are used by players to travel between cities, build structures, and treat diseases. There are two types of player cards: City Cards and Event Cards.

City Cards allow players to travel to the city named on the card or build a structure in that city.
Event Cards provide players with powerful one-time use abilities that can greatly help in treating diseases or dealing with game events.

Disease Cubes are placed on the game board to represent the spread of diseases. If a city has three disease cubes of the same color, an outbreak occurs, spreading the disease to connected cities.

Player Pawns represent each player on the game board. These pawns are moved around the board, from city to city, as players take actions during their turns.

Research Stations are structures that players can build in cities. These stations provide a base of operations for treating diseases and are an essential part of winning the game.

Infection Rate Marker and Outbreaks Marker are used to keep track of the current infection rate and the number of outbreaks that have occurred, respectively.

The Legacy Deck is a deck of cards that changes the rules and conditions of the game as players progress through the campaign. These changes are permanent and can drastically alter the game.

Stickers are used to permanently change the game board and player cards. These stickers represent various game effects, such as scars for characters, city panic levels, and new rules.

Dossiers contain additional stickers that are revealed as the game progresses. These stickers provide new challenges and rules that must be followed.

Finally, the game includes numerous sealed packages that are opened when instructed by the Legacy Deck. These packages can contain anything from new components to new rules.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 is a cooperative board game where players work together to prevent a global pandemic. The game is set in a Cold War era, and players are tasked with the mission to develop a vaccine for a dangerous virus. Here is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to set up the game.

Step 1: Unpacking the Game Components

Start by unpacking the box and familiarizing yourself with the components. These include:

The Game Board: This represents the world map.
Cards: There are several types of cards such as player cards, infection cards, and legacy cards.
Pieces: These include disease cubes, research stations, and player pawns.
Legacy Deck: This deck changes the game rules and objectives as you progress.

Step 2: Setting Up the Game Board

Lay out the game board in the center of the play area. The board represents different cities around the world which players will need to travel to during the game.

Step 3: Preparing the Player Cards

Shuffle the player cards and deal a certain number to each player. This number depends on the number of players – 2 players receive 4 cards each, 3 players receive 3 cards each, and 4 players receive 2 cards each.

Step 4: Determining Player Roles

Each player chooses a character card, which represents their role for the game. Each role has a unique ability that can aid in the mission. These roles include:

Operations Expert: Can build a research station in their current city.
Scientist: Only needs 4 cards of the same color to discover a cure.
Medic: Can treat all cubes of one color when doing the Treat Disease action.
Dispatcher: Can move another player’s pawn as if it was theirs.

Step 5: Setting Up Initial Resources

Place the player pawns on Atlanta, the home of the Centers for Disease Control. Place 1 research station on Atlanta. Set aside the disease cubes and other research stations near the board.

Step 6: Preparing the Infection Cards

Shuffle the infection cards and flip over the top 3. Place 3 disease cubes on each of the cities revealed. Flip over the next 3 infection cards and place 2 disease cubes on each of the cities revealed. Lastly, flip over 3 more infection cards and place 1 disease cube on each of the cities revealed. This will be the initial state of the world at the start of the game.

Step 7: Setting Up the Legacy Deck

The Legacy deck is set aside until the game instructs you to draw from it. This deck brings in new elements and challenges as the game progresses.

Step 8: Random Elements

There are several random elements in Pandemic Legacy: Season 0. The initial infection of cities is randomly decided by the draw of cards. Also, the legacy deck introduces new elements to the game in a random order, keeping each playthrough unique.

Remember, the goal of the game is to work cooperatively with your team to prevent a global pandemic. Good luck!

Game flow Round and round we go

Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 is a cooperative game where players work together as a team of medical specialists trying to prevent a global pandemic. The game is divided into multiple rounds, each consisting of three phases – the Player Phase, the Draw Phase, and the Infection Phase. This game has an added element of progression as it is a ‘legacy’ game, meaning the decisions and outcomes of one game affect future games.

1. Player Phase:

During the Player Phase, each player can perform up to four actions. These actions can be any combination of the following:

Drive/Ferry: Move to a city connected by a red line to the city the player is currently in.
Direct Flight: Discard a city card to move to the city named on the card.
Charter Flight: Discard the city card that matches the city the player is in to move to any city.
Build a Safe House: Discard the city card that matches the city the player is in to build a safe house in that city.
Share Information: Give or take a city card that matches the city the player is in to/from another player.
Neutralize Agent: Remove an agent figure from the city the player is in.
Find a Team: Place a team in a city with a safe house.
Move a Team: Move a team along a red line or to any city by discarding a city card.

2. Draw Phase:

After taking actions, the player draws the top two cards together from the player draw pile. If they draw an ‘Epidemic’ card, they must follow the instructions on the card and then discard it. If the player draw pile is empty, the players lose the game.

3. Infection Phase:

In the Infection Phase, the player flips over a certain number of infection cards (depending on the infection rate) from the infection draw pile and places one agent on each indicated city. If a city is drawn that already has three agents, an ‘incident’ occurs.

The game continues in this order until the players either win by achieving all their objectives or lose by having too many incidents, running out of player or infection cards, or having too many agents on the board.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 is a cooperative game where players are teaming up to stop a global pandemic. Each player’s turn is broken down into three steps: the Do Actions step, the Draw step, and the Infect step. Here’s an in-depth look at what happens during each of these steps:

1. Do Actions Step: During this step, a player can perform up to four actions. Here are the possible actions:

Drive/Ferry: The player can move their pawn to a city connected by a line to their current city.
Direct Flight: The player can discard a city card to move their pawn to the city named on the card.
Charter Flight: The player can discard a city card that matches their current city to move their pawn to any city.
Make an Alias: The player can create a new alias in their current city by discarding two city cards that match the city’s color.
Add to Team: The player can add a new team member to their city by discarding three cards that match the city’s color.
Share Knowledge: The player can give or receive a city card that matches their current city to or from another player.
Treat Disease: The player can remove one disease cube from their current city.

2. Draw Step: During this step, the player draws two cards from the player deck. If one or both of these cards are Epidemic cards, the player must immediately resolve them.

3. Infect Step: During this step, the player draws a number of cards equal to the current infection rate and adds one disease cube to each of the drawn cities.

In Pandemic Legacy: Season 0, strategic choices are critical. The actions taken during a player’s turn can have lasting effects on the game. For example, creating an alias can make it easier for a player to travel, but it also uses valuable city cards that could be used to build a team. Similarly, treating a disease can help prevent outbreaks, but it takes up an action that could be used for movement or other actions. Therefore, players must carefully consider their options and their potential impact on the game.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 is a cooperative board game where players work together to prevent global espionage and thwart a deadly plot. The game ends under two primary conditions, each with its own set of rules and requirements.

Victory Condition:

The game ends in victory when all four major objectives given at the start of the game are completed. These objectives include creating teams, finding enemy agents, and other specific tasks. The objectives change from game to game, offering a unique gameplay experience each time. The players must complete these objectives before the end of the month, marked by the depletion of the player deck. If they succeed, they win the game and can read the victory section in the Legacy deck to see the effects of their victory on the campaign.

Defeat Condition:

The game ends in defeat if any of the following conditions occur:

The player deck runs out before the objectives are completed.
There are too many incidents on the board (a total of 7).
A city is in uproar and the players can’t place an additional incident marker.

When the game ends in defeat, players have to read the defeat section in the Legacy deck. This will provide information on how the defeat impacts the overall campaign and what they need to do next.

Regardless of whether the game ends in victory or defeat, there are specific actions that players must take before final scoring:

Adjust Funding: In the event of a victory, players reduce their funding by 2 for the next month. In case of defeat, players increase their funding by 2 for their next attempt.
Resolve Endgame: Players draw and read the top card of the Legacy deck if it matches the current month and has a pawprint symbol.
Record Progress: Players fill in the endgame area on the debrief section of their team dossier.
Choose Upgrades: After a victory, players choose two upgrades to apply. After a defeat, players choose one upgrade.

Once these steps are completed, the final scoring takes place. The score is calculated based on a variety of factors, including the number of objectives completed, the health of the board, and the number of cities in uproar. The team with the highest score wins the campaign.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 uses a scoring system that is both cumulative and performance-based. Following are the details of how points are awarded and the tie-breaking rules.

Points Awarded

Objectives Completed: Each objective completed during a game month awards the players with 2 points. If an objective is not completed but is in progress, the team receives 1 point.
City Cards: At the end of the game, players add up the number of city cards remaining in the player deck and divide the total by 5, rounding down. This is the number of additional points the team receives.
Safehouses: Each safehouse established on the board is worth 1 point.
Team Members: Each team member that is not lost (i.e., still usable in the game) is worth 1 point.
Unused Funding: Each unused funding at the end of the game is worth 1 point.

Tie-Breaking Rules

In the event of a tie, the following rules are applied in order:

Least Incidents: The team with the least number of incidents has the advantage.
Most Safehouses: If there is still a tie, the team with the most safehouses wins.
Most City Cards: If there is still a tie, the team with the most city cards left in the player deck wins.
Least Lost Team Members: If there is still a tie, the team that lost the fewest team members wins.

If all these tie-breaking criteria are exhausted and there is still a tie, then the game is declared a draw.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 is a thrilling cooperative board game that requires strategic planning and teamwork. This game, unlike the traditional Pandemic games, involves a storyline that unfolds over a year. While the core principles of the game remain the same, there are a few unique rules, exceptions, and clarifications that players should be aware of:

1. Legacy Deck:

The Legacy deck in Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 offers a new twist. Players are instructed not to shuffle this deck. They should draw from the top when the game indicates and stop when instructed to do so. The deck is designed to guide players through the story and add new rules as the game progresses.

2. Dossier:

The Dossier is a collection of doors that conceal game elements. Doors should only be opened when directed to do so by the game. Each door introduces new gameplay elements, rules, or components that will alter the course of the game.

3. Game Months:

Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 is divided into months (January through December). Each month can be played twice. If players are victorious in their first attempt of a month, they move on to the next one. If they fail, they get one more chance to try that month again before moving on.

4. Permanent Changes:

Unlike the original Pandemic, changes made during Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 are permanent. This means that stickers applied to the board, cards, or rulebook stay there for the duration of the campaign.

5. Player Actions:

Players get four actions per turn. However, in this game, players can also forge, find, or purchase items, build safe houses, and create teams. These actions are unique to Pandemic Legacy: Season 0 and add a new layer of strategy.

6. Teams:

Players can form teams in this game. Teams can travel together and share certain benefits. The formation and use of teams is a unique aspect of Season 0.

7. Safe Houses:

In this game, players can build Safe Houses, which are required for certain actions like creating a team or completing an objective. Once built, a Safe House remains until it’s destroyed by an incident.

Note:

While these are some of the unique rules and exceptions in Pandemic Legacy: Season 0, it’s important to keep in mind that the game has a progressive nature. New rules and components are introduced as you play through the game, so it’s crucial to regularly refer to the rulebook and Legacy deck to make sure you’re playing correctly.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies for Pandemic Legacy: Season 0

1. Plan Ahead: To truly excel at this game, you need to strategize several turns ahead. Consider the bigger picture instead of just focusing on the immediate threats. Planning takes into account which cities will need attention first and how to effectively manage resources.

2. Utilize Your Team’s Strengths: Each team member has unique abilities. Make sure you’re maximizing their potential by placing them where they can have the most impact.

3. Manage Your Resources Wisely: It’s crucial to keep track of your resources. Don’t waste them on small outbreaks when they could be better used for research or more significant threats.

Beginner Tips

1. Communicate: Communication is key in Pandemic Legacy: Season 0. Make sure everyone is on the same page about the team’s strategy and tactics. Discussing your plans with your teammates can help you find better solutions and anticipate problems.

2. Stay Flexible: The game can change quickly, so be prepared to alter your strategy as needed. Don’t get too attached to a specific plan. Remain adaptable.

3. Learn From Your Mistakes: Don’t be discouraged by early failures. The best way to improve is to analyze your games and learn from your mistakes.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Ignoring the Bigger Picture: Focusing only on the immediate threats can lead to bigger problems down the line. Always consider the overall state of the game and plan ahead.

2. Not Utilizing Team Strengths: Each team member has unique abilities that can greatly improve the team’s chances of success. Ignoring these abilities is a common mistake that can cost you the game.

3. Wasting Resources: Using resources on insignificant threats or not using them effectively can put your team at a disadvantage. Always consider the best use for your resources.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay

1. Effective Communication: Make sure everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goal. Regularly check in with your teammates and discuss your strategy.

2. Regular Practice: The more you play, the better you’ll get. Regular practice will help you understand the game mechanics more deeply and develop effective strategies.

3. Study Successful Strategies: Look up strategies and tactics used by successful players. Understanding why certain strategies work can help you improve your own gameplay.