Pandemic Legacy: Season 1

2015

Pandemic Legacy: A cooperative, thrilling campaign game where players race to cure plagues, facing new challenges and decisions that alter the game forever.

60
minutes

2 - 4
player(s)

13+

Medium

About the game

Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 is a highly immersive and dynamic board game that takes you on a thrilling adventure around the globe. It’s inspired by the classic game of Pandemic, but takes it to a whole new level with an engaging storyline and evolving game mechanics.

The game is set in a world gripped by a series of devastating diseases. As members of a skilled response team, your mission is to prevent a global pandemic, treat hotspots of infection, and find the cure to save humanity.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

The ‘Pandemic Legacy: Season 1’ board game includes various components, each playing a distinct role in game progression and strategy. Below is a detailed description of each component and its function:

1. Game Board

The game board represents a world map divided into different cities, connected by lines. Each city is depicted as a circle and connected to one or more other cities. Each player moves their character pawn on this board, representing their location in the world.

2. Character Pawns

The game comes with a set of unique pawns, each representing a player’s character. These pawns are moved around the game board, with their location indicating the city the character is currently in.

3. Disease Cubes

These are small, colored cubes representing four different diseases. The cubes are placed in cities on the game board to indicate outbreaks and the spread of diseases. The players’ mission is to prevent these diseases from spreading and eventually cure them.

4. Player Cards

Player Cards come in five types: City, Event, Epidemic, Infection, and Character. City cards allow players to travel and build research stations; Event cards provide one-time special abilities; Epidemic cards increase the rate of disease spreading; Infection cards dictate where diseases appear; Character cards indicate each player’s unique abilities and roles.

5. Research Stations

These are small white buildings that players can construct in cities. Research Stations allow players to share knowledge, discover a cure for a disease, or quickly move between stations.

6. Legacy Deck

The Legacy Deck consists of cards that guide the game’s storyline and bring new elements into play. Players are instructed to draw from this deck at certain points during the game, introducing changes that affect the game permanently.

7. Dossiers

Dossiers contain stickers that are applied to the rulebook and the game board. These stickers introduce new rules or alter the game board permanently to reflect the ongoing story.

8. Tokens

There are various tokens included, such as Outbreak and Infection Rate tokens, which track these respective game stats on the board. Quarantine tokens can be placed in cities to prevent disease spread.

9. Infection Rate Marker

This marker moves along the Infection Rate Track. The position of the marker determines how many Infection cards are drawn at the end of each player’s turn, controlling the speed at which diseases spread.

10. Outbreak Marker

This marker moves along the Outbreak Track. If this marker reaches the last space of the track, the players lose the game.

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

Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 is a highly engaging and dynamic board game where you and your team must work together to save the world from deadly diseases. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to set up the game properly.

Step 1: Unpack the Game Contents

Begin by unpacking the box. Inside, you should find a game board, role cards, a deck of cards, disease cubes, research stations, and various markers. Lay out all the components so that they’re easily accessible.

Step 2: Place the Game Board

Place the game board in the center of the playing area. This board represents the world map, with cities connected by lines, indicating possible travel routes.

Step 3: Prepare the Player Deck

Shuffle the player deck and deal cards to each player. The number of cards dealt depends on the number of players – two players receive four cards each, three players receive three cards each, and four players receive two cards each.

Step 4: Choose Player Roles

Each player chooses a role card. These roles provide special abilities that will aid in curing the diseases. Roles include the Scientist, who needs one less card to discover a cure, or the Operations Expert, who can build a research station without discarding a city card.

Step 5: Place Research Stations and Disease Cubes

Place a research station marker on Atlanta (the home of the CDC). Put the remaining research stations and disease cubes beside the board within easy reach of all players.

Step 6: Set Up Initial Infections

Draw the top nine cards from the infection deck. The first three cities drawn receive three disease cubes each, the next three receive two, and the final three receive one cube each. Place these cubes on the corresponding cities on the board.

Step 7: Prepare Player Tokens

All players place their tokens in Atlanta, the starting location. The player who was most recently sick goes first.

Step 8: Set Up the Legacy Deck

Next to the board, place the Legacy deck. This deck contains cards that will come into play in chronological order, changing the game rules, objectives, and even the board itself. Do not shuffle this deck – the order is important.

Now that you’ve completed the setup, you’re ready to play Pandemic Legacy: Season 1! Remember, communication and teamwork are key to saving humanity from these terrible diseases. Good luck!

Game flow Round and round we go

Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 is a unique cooperative board game that unfolds over multiple sessions. The game is divided into several rounds, each consisting of three distinct phases: Player Actions Phase, Draw Cards Phase, and Infect Cities Phase.

During the Player Actions Phase, players perform a variety of actions to prevent the spread of diseases and work towards finding cures. The specific actions available to each player are:

Drive/Ferry: The player moves their pawn to a city connected by a white line to their current city.
Direct Flight: The player discards a City card to move their pawn to the city named on the card.
Charter Flight: The player discards the City card that matches the city they are in to move to any city on the board.
Shuttle Flight: If the player is in a city with a research station, they may move their pawn to any other city with a research station.
Build a Research Station: The player discards the City card that matches the city they are in to build a research station there.
Treat Disease: The player removes one disease cube from the city they are in.
Share Knowledge: The player either gives the City card that matches the city they are in to another player, or takes that card from another player.
Discover a Cure: The player discards 5 City cards of the same color to cure the disease of that color.

During the Draw Cards Phase, the active player draws the top two cards from the player deck and adds them to their hand. If an Epidemic card is drawn, the player must immediately resolve it, which involves increasing the infection rate, infecting new cities, and intensifying the infection deck.

The final phase is the Infect Cities Phase. The number of cities infected is determined by the current infection rate. In this phase, the top card of the infection deck is drawn, and the city named on the card is infected with one more disease cube of the corresponding color.

The game continues in this manner, with players collaborating to cure diseases and prevent outbreaks, until either the players win by discovering cures for all four diseases, or they lose if eight outbreaks occur, not enough disease cubes are left when needed, or if the player deck runs out of cards.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In Pandemic Legacy: Season 1, a cooperative board game, each player’s turn is divided into three steps: 1) the player takes actions, 2) the player draws cards, and 3) the player infects cities. The choices made during these steps greatly impact the course of the game.

Step 1: The Player Takes Actions

During this step, a player can perform up to four actions. These actions can be any combination of the following:

Drive/Ferry: The player moves their pawn to a city connected by a white line to the city where their pawn is currently located.
Direct Flight: The player discards a City card from their hand and moves their pawn to the city named on the card.
Charter Flight: The player discards the City card that matches the city they are in, then move their pawn to any city.
Shuttle Flight: If the player’s pawn is in a city with a research station, they can move their pawn to any other city that has a research station.
Build a Research Station: The player discards the City card that matches the city they are in and places a research station there.
Treat Disease: The player removes one disease cube from the city they are in, reducing the spread of the disease there.
Share Knowledge: The player may give or take a City card that matches the city they are in to/from another player.
Discover a Cure: The player discards five City cards of the same color to cure a disease of that color.

Step 2: The Player Draws Cards

After performing actions, the player draws two cards from the top of the player deck. Drawing epidemic cards can increase the disease spread rate and intensify infection.

Step 3: The Player Infects Cities

The player then draws a number of cards equal to the current infection rate from the top of the infection deck. Each of these cards represents a city that gets one additional disease cube.

Strategy comes into play in how players choose to manage their actions and how they deal with the escalating situation. Finding a balance between treating diseases, building research stations, and discovering cures is key to winning Pandemic Legacy: Season 1.

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

Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 is a unique, campaign-style board game where the outcomes of one game can influence the next. The game ends in one of two ways: either the players successfully achieve the current month’s objectives, or they lose by having too many outbreaks, not enough player cards, or not enough disease cubes of a certain color.

There are several victory conditions in Pandemic Legacy, depending on the current month and the objectives presented:

Discover Cures: The players must discover the cures for all four diseases.
Eradicate Diseases: The players must not only cure a disease but also remove all cubes of that disease from the board.
Build Structures: The players must build a certain number of research stations or military bases.
Quarantine Cities: The players must place quarantine markers in a certain number of cities.
Find the Paranoid Soldier / Immunologist / Virologist: The players must complete a search track to find a missing character.

Players must keep in mind that these victory conditions can change from month to month and not all of them need to be fulfilled in every game. The objectives for each month are specified on cards that are revealed as the campaign progresses.

Before final scoring, players must perform several actions:

Resolve end-of-game upgrades: Players can add two upgrades to the game. These could be permanent research stations, character upgrades, positive mutations for cured diseases, or starting research stations.
Check the Legacy deck: Players must check the Legacy deck and draw the next card, following any instructions given.
Adjust the funding level: If players won the game, the funding level for the next game is reduced by two. If they lost, it is increased by two.
Set up for the next game: Players must clean up the board and prepare for the next game or month.

Scoring in Pandemic Legacy is based on how many games were won or lost, with an additional scoring for the state of the world at the end of the campaign. This includes the number of panic levels in cities and whether diseases were eradicated.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 uses a unique scoring system that takes into account a variety of factors during the game. Here’s a detailed look at the scoring system.

1. Base Score

Your base score is determined by the number of games it took you to finish the campaign. For every game you played, you subtract 20 points from a starting total of 1000 points. For instance, if it took you 17 games to finish, your base score would be 660 (1000 – (20*17)).

2. Funding Level

You add or subtract points based on your funding level in the last month (December). If your funding level is above 0, subtract your funding level from your base score. If your funding level is 0, add 100 points to your base score.

3. City Panic Levels

For each city on the board, adjust your score based on its panic level at the end of the campaign:

For each city with a panic level of 0 (stable), add 20 points.
For each city with a panic level of 1-2 (rioting), subtract 5 points.
For each city with a panic level of 3-4 (collapsing), subtract 10 points.
For each city with a panic level of 5 (fallen), subtract 20 points.

4. Objectives & Missions

Add 50 points to your score for each objective completed during the campaign. If you found the virologist, immunologist, or paranoid soldier, add 50 points for each of these missions.

5. Tie-Breaking Rules

If two or more players have the same score at the end of the game, the tie-breaker is determined by the number of cities each player has saved. The player who has saved the most cities wins. If there is still a tie, the player who ended the game with the highest funding level wins.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 has several unique rules and exceptions, some of which are introduced as the campaign progresses. Here are some of the most important:

Legacy Deck: The Legacy Deck introduces new rules and elements to the game as you play through the campaign. These are introduced in a specific order, and you must not look ahead in the deck unless instructed to do so. Each new rule should be added to the Rulebook using the included stickers.

Permanent Changes: Pandemic Legacy features permanent changes to the game board and components. When you are told to destroy a card, it is removed from the game forever. Also, when a city outbreaks, it becomes unstable and a sticker is placed on its location on the board, which can have lasting effects for future games.

Diseases: In addition to the standard four diseases, a fifth disease (C0dA-403a) is introduced during the campaign. This disease cannot be treated or cured in the usual way, and requires special actions to deal with.
Characters: Each player selects a character at the start of the campaign, and these characters can gain upgrades or scars as the game progresses. If a character is in a city when it outbreaks, they gain a scar. If a character ever has more scars than they have available scar slots, that character is ‘lost’ and removed from the game.
Game End Upgrades: At the end of each game (whether you win or lose), you can choose two upgrades to apply. These could be positive mutations to diseases you’ve cured, enhancements to player abilities, or other beneficial effects. Choose wisely, as these upgrades can greatly affect future games.

Win and Loss Effects: If you win a game, you proceed to the next month. If you lose, you have a second chance to try the same month. If you lose again, you move on to the next month but with a funding level increase.

Sticker Placement: When placing stickers on the board, they are permanent and cannot be moved or removed. Therefore, take care to place them accurately and in the correct position, as specified by the game rules.

Given the complexity and evolving nature of Pandemic Legacy: Season 1, it’s crucial to carefully read and understand all new rules as they are introduced. The above points are some of the most important, but the game will likely require ongoing rule clarifications as you progress through the campaign.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 is a highly engaging and strategic board game that requires a good understanding of the game mechanics and effective teamwork to win. Here are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay.

Advanced Strategies:

Plan Ahead: Always keep an eye on the infection rate and the player deck. Knowing when an Epidemic card might come up or when a city is about to outbreak can help you plan your turns effectively.
Use Event Cards Wisely: Event cards can be game-changers. Save them for the right moment, don’t just use them as soon as you get them.
Optimize Character Abilities: Each character has unique abilities. Utilize these abilities to the maximum extent to gain an advantage in the game.

Beginner Tips:

Understand the Game Mechanics: Make sure you know the rules well. The game involves a lot of moving parts, so understanding how everything interacts is key to winning.
Communicate: This is a cooperative game, so communication with your team is critical. Discuss your plans and strategies openly.
Focus on the Objectives: Winning the game isn’t about curing all the diseases, it’s about completing the objectives. Always keep the objectives in mind.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Ignoring the Infection Rate: The infection rate is easy to forget about, but it’s vital to keep track of it. A high infection rate can quickly lead to a loss.
Forgetting to Share Knowledge: Sharing knowledge is the only way to cure diseases. If you forget to share knowledge, you won’t be able to cure diseases effectively.
Not Utilizing Characters’ Abilities: Each character has unique abilities. Not using these abilities is a common mistake that can cost you the game.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Play Regularly: The more you play, the better you’ll understand the game mechanics and the more effective your strategies will become.
Try Different Character Combinations: Different character combinations can lead to different strategies and outcomes. Experiment with different combinations to find what works best for your team.
Keep Track of Cards: Knowing what cards have been played and what cards are left in the deck can help you plan your turns more effectively.