Star Realms

2014

Engage in cosmic combat in Star Realms, a fast-paced deck-building game. Acquire ships and bases, strategize your trades, and reduce your opponent's authority to zero to emerge victorious.

20
minutes

2 - 2
player(s)

12+

Medium Light

About the game

Delve into the vast expanse of the cosmos with the thrilling deck-building game, Star Realms. This sci-fi themed game plunges players into an intense power struggle for galactic supremacy. Here, the churning interstellar wars between diverse alien races, futuristic human factions, and mighty star empires are kind of the norm.

Set in a vibrant universe teeming with interstellar civilizations, resource-rich planets, and ominous cosmic anomalies, Star Realms is a game of strategy, cunning, and a little bit of luck. As a player, you adopt the role of a space fleet commander, building and upgrading your deck with powerful starships, bases, and technology to outmaneuver and outfight your opponents.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Star Realms is a deck-building card game that combines strategy and the theme of interstellar warfare. The components of the game are all cards, divided into different types and factions. Let’s break down each type of card, its function, and how it fits into the overall gameplay.

1. Starting Deck Cards

Each player begins the game with a starting deck that consists of:

8 Scout Cards: These are trade cards that allow players to acquire more powerful cards for their deck. They are used to generate trade points, which are spent to purchase ships and bases from the trade row.
2 Viper Cards: These are combat cards used to attack opponents or their bases. Viper cards provide combat points, which are used to reduce the opponent’s authority (life) or destroy their bases.

2. Trade Deck Cards

The Trade Deck is the main pool of cards from which players can acquire new ships and bases. It includes:

Ship Cards: Ships provide a variety of benefits when played, including combat points, trade points, and special abilities. Some ship cards also have faction abilities, which are triggered when another card of the same faction is played during the same turn.
Base Cards: Bases remain in play until they are destroyed. They provide ongoing benefits each turn or when specific conditions are met. Bases also provide defense, as opponents must choose to attack bases before attacking a player’s authority directly.
Outpost Cards (a type of Base Card): Outposts must be destroyed before any other bases or a player’s authority can be attacked. They often have powerful effects or high defense values.

3. Explorers

Explorers are a separate stack of cards that are always available for purchase. They provide both trade points and combat points, and can be sacrificed for a one-time burst of combat points.

4. Score Cards (Authority Cards)

These cards are used to track a player’s authority, which is the life total in Star Realms. Each player starts with 50 authority, and the goal of the game is to reduce your opponent’s authority to zero.

These components all interact to create a dynamic game where the balance of power can shift quickly. The key to victory in Star Realms is using your trade points wisely to build a powerful deck, while using your combat points to keep your opponent’s bases in check and whittle down their authority.

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

Star Realms is a fast-paced deck-building card game designed for 2 players (with expansions allowing for additional players). The objective of the game is to reduce your opponent’s authority (life points) to zero. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game:

Step 1: Sorting the Cards

Start by sorting the game cards into their various decks:

The Explorer cards (these can be identified by their grey borders)
The Starting Deck cards (these have a blue border and consist of 8 Scout cards and 2 Viper cards per player)
The Trade Deck (these are the remaining cards)

Step 2: Preparing the Player Decks

Each player should be given a starting deck consisting of 8 Scout cards and 2 Viper cards. The player will shuffle these cards and draw a hand of 5 cards.

Step 3: Preparing the Trade Deck

Shuffle the Trade Deck and place it in the center of the play area. Draw the top five cards from the Trade Deck and lay them face up in a row next to it. This forms the Trade Row.

Step 4: Preparing the Explorer Deck

The Explorer cards form their own separate deck. Place this next to the Trade Deck.

Step 5: Preparing Authority Points

Each player starts with 50 authority points. These can be tracked using the authority cards provided in the game or any other method the players choose.

Step 6: Determining the First Player

Determine who will go first. This can be done randomly or by any method the players agree on. The player who goes first will draw a hand of 3 cards for their first turn, while the second player will draw a hand of 5 cards.

Once these steps have been completed, you are ready to play Star Realms!

Keep in mind the game involves strategy and the ability to adapt to random elements, as the availability of cards in the Trade Row will change throughout the game.

Game flow Round and round we go

Star Realms is a strategic deck-building game where players aim to reduce their opponent’s Authority (life points) to zero. The game is played in rounds, with each player taking turns until one emerges victorious. The game structure is as follows:

Setup:

Each player starts with a personal deck containing 8 Scout cards and 2 Viper cards.
The shared Trade Deck is shuffled and 5 cards are laid out in the Trade Row.
Each player’s Authority starts at 50 points.

Player’s Turn:

Main Phase: The player can perform any of the following actions in any order and multiple times:
- Play a card from their hand.
- Acquire a card from the Trade Row by paying its Trade cost with Trade points. The acquired card goes to the player’s discard pile.
- Use Combat points to attack the opponent, reducing their Authority.
- Use the abilities of a card in play.
Discard Phase: The player places all the cards from their hand and their play area into their discard pile.
Draw Phase: The player draws a new hand of 5 cards. If their personal deck is empty, they shuffle their discard pile and create a new deck.

Play continues in this way, with players taking turns until one player’s Authority is reduced to zero. The other player is then declared the winner of Star Realms.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In Star Realms, a deck-building game, each player’s turn comprises of five potential phases: beginning of turn, main phase, discard phase, draw phase, and end of turn. Understanding each phase is critical to optimizing your strategy and ultimately winning the game.

1. Beginning of turn:

At the start of your turn, play all the cards from your hand onto the table. This forms your “play area”.

2. Main phase:

During the main phase, you have several strategic actions to choose from:

Play a card: You can play any card from your hand. Ship cards give you immediate benefits like combat points or trade points, while base or outpost cards remain in play until destroyed.
Acquire a card: You can buy cards from the trade row using trade points. Acquired cards go to your discard pile and will be shuffled into your deck later. This is how you strengthen your deck.
Use a base or outpost ability: If you have a base or outpost card in play, you can use its ability. Abilities vary from card to card and can give you an advantage in combat, trade, or other aspects of the game.
Attack: You can use combat points to attack your opponent’s bases, outposts, or directly reduce their authority (life points). Attacking strategically can disrupt your opponent’s plans and bring you closer to victory.

3. Discard phase:

After your main phase, discard any unplayed cards from your hand and all the cards from your play area. This includes ships and any bases or outposts that were destroyed during your turn.

4. Draw phase:

Finally, draw a new hand of five cards from your deck. If your deck is empty, shuffle your discard pile to form a new deck. This allows you to use the cards you’ve acquired during the game.

5. End of turn:

After the draw phase, your turn ends. If there are fewer than five cards in the trade row, refill it from the trade deck. Then, it’s your opponent’s turn.

By understanding and optimizing each of these phases, you can build a powerful deck, disrupt your opponent’s strategy, and dominate the star realms.

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

Star Realms is a popular deck-building game where players aim to reduce their opponent’s Authority (life points) to zero. The game ends immediately when one of the following victory conditions is met:

A player’s Authority is reduced to zero.
If a player needs to draw a card and there are no cards left in their deck, they lose the game.

When either of these conditions is met, the game ends immediately, even if the current turn hasn’t finished. There is no final scoring as in some other games; the only objective is to deplete your opponent’s Authority or their deck.

In a multiplayer game, the last player with Authority remaining is the winner. If multiple players would lose at the same time, the game continues with the remaining players.

Before the game ends, players must take all actions and use any remaining Trade (to purchase cards) or Combat (to attack their opponent) that they have generated during their turn. Once a player has completed all actions, their turn ends and their opponent’s turn begins.

It’s important to note that players cannot choose to end the game prematurely. The game only ends when one of the specified victory conditions is met. This is to ensure fairness and to keep the game competitive until the very end.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Star Realms is a deck-building game where scoring is primarily based on reducing your opponent’s Authority Points (AP) to zero. There are no points awarded to players, instead, the goal is to deplete your opponent’s points. Here is a breakdown of how the scoring system works:

Authority Points (AP): Each player starts with 50 AP. The objective is to reduce your opponent’s AP to zero. You can do this by playing cards that inflict damage. The amount of damage each card inflicts is indicated by a red number on the card.

Trade Points: These are not directly related to scoring, but they are crucial for gameplay. You can spend Trade Points to buy more cards, which can in turn inflict more damage on your opponent. The amount of Trade Points a card gives you is indicated by a blue number on the card.

Combat Points: These are used to inflict damage on your opponent. The amount of Combat Points a card gives you is indicated by a red number on the card. The total Combat Points you have at the end of your turn is the total damage you inflict on your opponent’s AP.

Tie-breaking Rules: In the rare event of a tie (both players reducing each other’s AP to zero in the same turn), the game continues to an additional round. The player who started the game goes first. If both players again reduce each other’s AP to zero, the process repeats until there is a clear winner.

Remember, the ultimate goal in Star Realms isn’t about accumulating points, but reducing your opponent’s AP to zero. So choose your cards wisely and strategize your moves to ensure you deplete your opponent’s AP before they deplete yours.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Star Realms is a fast-paced, deck-building card game that offers a dynamic range of strategies and tactics to employ during gameplay. While the game’s rules are generally straightforward, there are some special rules, exceptions, and clarifications that players should be aware of.

1. Combining of Abilities: In Star Realms, you can combine abilities from different factions to create powerful combos. The key is to look for cards within your trade deck that belong to the same faction because when played together, they can trigger additional abilities.

Example: If you have two cards from the Blob faction in play, both cards will trigger their faction abilities.

2. Base Cards: Base cards in Star Realms remain in play until they are destroyed. They provide ongoing benefits and can be a reliable source of authority (health), combat, or trade.

Note: Outposts (a type of base) must be destroyed before attacks can be directed at other bases or the opponent’s authority.

3. Discard Pile and Deck: When your deck is empty, and you need to draw a card, shuffle your discard pile to create a new deck. This rule allows you to use the cards you’ve acquired during the game repeatedly.

4. Card Abilities: Card abilities in Star Realms are immediate unless they state otherwise. This means that when a card is played, its abilities must be used during that turn or they are lost. The only exception is base cards, which have ongoing abilities that last as long as the card is in play.

5. Damage Assignment: Damage in Star Realms does not carry over between turns. This means that if you do not use all of your combat on a turn, the unused combat is lost. Similarly, any damage dealt to a base or outpost that does not destroy it is also lost at the end of the turn.

6. Trade Row Refreshing: After purchasing a card from the trade row, immediately replace it with the top card from the trade deck. This rule keeps the trade row stocked with cards and gives players more options on their turn.

Clarification: When a card that affects the trade row is played (like a card that lets you scrap a card in the trade row), resolve the card’s effect before replacing any missing cards.

Understanding these rules will ensure a smooth and competitive game of Star Realms. Happy gaming!

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Star Realms is a fast-paced deck-building game that requires both strategy and adaptability. Here are some tips and strategies for both beginners and advanced players, as well as some common mistakes to avoid:

Beginner Tips:

Focus on building a deck that works well together. This usually means buying cards of the same faction to take advantage of the synergy between them.
Don’t forget about the trade row. New cards are always coming up, so keep an eye on it and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Don’t neglect your bases. They can provide ongoing benefits each turn and can protect you from attacks.

Advanced Strategies:

Try to thin your deck. This means getting rid of weaker cards so that you draw your stronger cards more frequently.
Consider your opponent’s strategy. If they are focusing on a particular faction, you might want to buy cards from that faction to disrupt their strategy.
Keep track of what’s in your deck. Knowing what cards you are likely to draw can help you make better decisions.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Ignoring the trade row: It’s easy to get caught up in your own strategy and forget to pay attention to the trade row. But remember, your opponent is also buying cards from there, so it’s important to keep an eye on it.
Not adapting your strategy: Star Realms is a dynamic game and the situation can change quickly. If your strategy isn’t working, don’t be afraid to change it.
Not using all your trade: Trade is a valuable resource. Make sure to use it all each turn, even if that means buying a card that doesn’t fit perfectly into your strategy.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Plan your purchases: Try to plan your purchases a few turns ahead. This can help you build a more effective deck in the long run.
Balance your deck: While it’s important to focus on one or two factions, don’t neglect the other factions entirely. A balanced deck can be more flexible and adaptable.
Practice: Like any game, practice makes perfect. The more you play, the better you’ll understand the game’s mechanics and the more effective your strategies will be.