Hey fellow Twilight Imperium players!

What are some of the house rules you guys play with?

* Shattered Ascension premade maps - updated with a few balanced tweaks to accomodate some of the Shards of the Thrones tiles. - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WG05D3R5

* Twilight Council Political Phase, also from Shattered Ascension.

* Gravity Drive only provides bonus if movement is started inside either a Gravity Rift or Wormhole hex.

* Not playing with Yssaril Tribes as it either forces metagaming to compensate for them being wildly overpowered in the hands of any decent player, or a dramatically heightened chance to win.

* No Distant Suns or Final Frontier tokens - coupled with the SA maps, removes these tokens make for some very intense, dynamic and balanced games.

* Political Schnaps; After every Political Step, each player stands up and toasts with a schnaps/bitter to 'seal the deal'

* No Representatives; we found that it simply didn't add enough to the game compared to the time it consumed, plus we found the SA Political variant far superior.

-No Yssaril

-Star by Star Galaxy Setup

-Custodians of Mecatol Rex

-Leaders! (I love leaders, no idea why anyone would play without em)

-No Distant Suns or Final Frontier Tokens

-Space Mines (Though they rarely see use)

-Mechanized Units and Flagships

-When Diplomacy or Warfare is selected, you have your choice between Diplomacy I and II and Warfare I and II. The unselected card remains face down in the strategy area and can't be selected by other players.

-Assembly II and Political Intrigue

-Trade II is combined with Trade III and reads as follows: Each player receives trade goods for active trade agreements, then must pay 1 TG for each mercenary they control, or discard it. Then choose one of the following: (Receive 2 Trade Goods, cancel up to 2 Trade Agreements, or draw the top two cards from the mercenary deck and hire the mercenary of your choice.) Then open trade among players.

House Rules:

1. Dreadnoughts: if undamaged, roll two combat dice in space combat. This does not apply to pre-combat effects such as Assault Cannon nor Planetary Bombardment - just actual space combat, only one combat die is rolled in each of these situations as per the normal rules. If damaged in space combat, the Dreadnought only rolls one combat die.

2. War Suns: require [3] hits to destroy; however, for each hit sustained, the War Sun loses [1] combat die, in space battle only

3. Home System Control to WIN: in order to be eligible to win, a player must control all planets of their Home System at whatever point in the game victory conditions are calculated. The player with the highest number of VP’s, and who also controls all planets of their Home System, will be declared the Galactic Emperor and Winner when the end-game condition is reached.
*The Clan of Saar, due to their racial special ability, is exempt from this requirement.*

4. TI3-SE-SotT Strategy Cards: TI3-SE Strategy Cards will be used with the following exceptions and HR modifications;
(a) “Leadership” SC#1 - grants the choosing Player the ‘Speaker’ token;
(b) “Political-Assembly” SC#3 {all players receive 1 AC and 2 PA cards at game start) – when executing the primary of “Political-Assembly” do not assign ‘Speaker,’ draw 2 AC’s, perform agenda per TI3-base “Political” SC#3 by drawing the top PA card from PA card deck and resolve its agenda; next, after resolving the agenda, draw the next 3 PA cards from the top of the deck, keep 1, discard 1, and place 1 on top of the PA deck (you may place 1 from your hand as the top card on the PA deck), this will be the next agenda for voting; during the Status Phase, Players may discard 1 PA card for a TG, other Players may execute the secondary of “Assembly” SC#3 TI3-SE};
© *“Trade III (#5)”* - when executing the primary ability, receive [1] additional Trade Good (“TG’s”) bonus for each Trade Agreement in place from the previous Game Round (the 1st Player to execute “Trade III” receives a bonus of 2 TG’s automatically), do not draw Mercenaries. All other elements of the Strategy Card remain unchanged.
(d) Options - players may choose either “Warfare” or Warfare II” for SC#6, and, may choose either “Bureaucracy” or “Imperial II” for SC#8; when “Bureaucracy” SC#8 is chosen in the “AoE” format, the choosing player draws [2] Objective cards from the appropriate stage (I or II) deck, reveals one, and places the other on the top of the appropriate Public Objective (“PO”) deck – only this player may qualify for the hidden PO until such time as it is revealed, and may also claim any one of the available Public Objectives during the Game Round, including the hidden one. If the hidden Public Objective is claimed, it is reveled, but no other player may claim it until the next GR Status Phase.

5. Pre-Set Maps: pre-set maps will be used, those provided in the source documents on the FFG website will be used as a guide.

6. Clarification: The Universities of Jol-Nar and the Sardakk N’Orr receive (-1) and [+1] die roll modifiers, respectively, to their combat die rolls for all die rolls which inflict casualties; this includes Assault Cannon, Bombardment, PDS fire, PDS counter-fire and ground force invasion or defense.

7. Preliminary and Secret Objective Card Draw: After all set-up is complete, in the order of the Draw Numbers previously received by each Player; each player will, one at a time, draw two Preliminary Objective cards. The Player will choose one, keeping it secret, and then will return the other Preliminary Objective card to the deck. The Preliminary Objective card deck must be reshuffled every time before the next Player draws two Preliminary Objective cards. When a Player achieves the chosen Preliminary Objective, the Player will then draw three Secret Objective cards during the Status Phase, will choose one to keep, and will then return the other two to the Secret Objective deck. If two or more Players qualify for their Preliminary Objectives, the same process will be performed as described above however each Player will follow the step previously outlined, one Player at a time, in Strategy Card order.

8. Tie Breakers and Scoring in the Final Round: in the event of a Time Limit Deadline resulting in a tie in the final count for Victory Points (“VP’s”) where no player reaches either [14] VP’s (The Long War), [12] VP’s (“Mid-War”), or [10] VP’s (Short War), the “Imperium Rex” guidelines on page 14 of the TI3 Base rulebook will be used to determine the Winner / Galactic Emperor. Whichever full Game Turn (“GT”) / Round is the last to be completely finished through the end of the Status Phase will be known as the Final Round for Scoring. The Rules-as-Written (“RAW”) shall be used for claiming VP’s in the status phase; in Strategy Card order during the Status Phase, the first player to reach [14] VP’s (“TLW”), [12] VP’s (“MW”) or [10] VP’s (“SW”) instantly wins the game. There are NO ties at [14] VP’s (“TLW”), [12] VP’s (“MW”) or [10] VP’s (“SW”).

9. Sudden Death Victories: any player who reaches [14] VP’s (for “TLW”), [12] VP’s (“MW”) or [10] VP’s (“SW”) during a Game Round (“GR”) instantly wins the game.

10. Race Balancing: the following modifications are made to the Great Races of TI3-SE:
A. Mentak Coalition: (i) Replace text regarding theft of Trade Goods with: “Once per Action Phase, as an Action, spend one command counter from your strategy allocation to steal, or ‘Pirate,’ one Trade Good each from any two different players for a total of two ‘Pirated’ Trade Goods. Only players with three or more Trade Goods at the time of the action may be ‘Pirated.’ If no 2nd player exists at the time to steal or ‘Pirate’ a Trade Good from, that portion of the action is forfeit. (ii) “Trade Goods received from the Transfabrication Technology Advance may not be spent ‘1-for-2’ with the Mentak’s “Mirror Computing” Racial Technology. Any Trade Goods received from Transfabrication must be placed on the Mentak’s Transfabrication Technology Advance card and remain separated from other Trade Goods.”
B. Sardakk N’Orr: “(i) When you execute the secondary ability of Warfare, you may choose to execute the primary ability instead. (ii) Your PDS base unit cost is 1 resource; you may also exceed the planetary limit on PDS units by 1 and have [3] PDS units on any single planet. Replace text for Racial Tech “Berserker Genome” as follows: “At the end of the first round of every space battle or invasion combat, roll one combat die for each casualty you have suffered, compare each roll to your destroyed unit’s combat value, if a hit is achieved, your opponent takes an additional casualty. (iii) The Sardakk N’Orr have three racial technologies.” (iv) all combat die roll modifiers apply to all rolls for the Sardakk N’Orr, specifically including racial technologies, and all other rolls where hits are determined. (v) the Sardakk N’Orr may build a 7th and an 8th PDS unit. *{Note – leave starting units unchanged}
C. Xxcha Kingdom: add or alter Racial Abilities as follows: “(i) Whenever you are the defender (you cannot be the active player), your attacker receives a (-1) for all combat rolls against your units in all pre-combat rolls, all rounds of space battle and all rounds of invasion combat. (ii) Once per Game Round, before any space battle or invasion combat begins in which you participate, place the Xxcha Kingdom Valiant Resistor token on a planet with your GF’s or with a Fleet, this token may be used to absorb one hit from your opponent during either one space battle or one invasion combat in which you participate. *{Note – leave starting units unchanged}
D. Federation of Sol & Naalu Collective: these CV-Intensive Great Races may build a 5th CV (“Carrier”)
F. Embers of Muaat: (i) the Embers of Muaat may build a 3rd WS (“War Sun”). (ii) You may execute the “Nova Seed” racial technology next to any system except another super nova system.
G. L1Z1X Mindnet: the L1Z1X Mindnet may build a 6th DN (“Dreadnought”)
H. Yin Brotherhood: the Yin Brotherhood may build a 9th and a 10th DD (“Destroyer”)

11. Racial Technologies: All Great Races in play during any given game will receive one free Race Specific Technology of their choice during the Status Phase at the end of Game Turn / Round Three (“GT 3”). The Nekro Virus may copy and receive at the same time one free Racial Technology from one of the other Great Races in play as long as all other applicable rules are followed.

12. Transfabrication Technology Advance: When this technology advance is performed, the capital ships scuttled will yield Trade Goods according to the following table: DD’s & CA’s 1, CV’s 2, DN’s 3, FS’s 5, WS’s 7

Optional Rules:

I. * Leaders (TI3 Base Rules pg’s 34-35)
II. * Game Length - (a) [10] VP regular game, (b) the Mid War [12] VP game, or © The Long War {modified} to [14] VP’s (TI3 Base Rules pg 32) may be used – if TLW is used we will play until one player achieves [14] Victory Points (“VP’s”), or, until the agreed upon Time Limit Deadline is reached, or, until one player achieves the “Supremacy!” or “Domination!” Phase II Public Objective card, whichever among any of these comes first
III. * Age of Empire {modified} (TI3 Base Rules pg 33) ** See Also (TI3 FAQ & Errata Version 2.2.1 3/20/2009 pg 1, FFG website) ** – All Players will secretly choose one Stage I and one Stage II PO card to be used during game play, this selection is performed prior to laying out and preparing the Objective Cards. The Objective Cards will be prepared as per the TI3 Base Rules on pg 7, with all six (or seven for “MW,” or eight, for “TLW”) of the random Phase I Public Objective Cards revealed at the start of the game, while four (or five for “MW,” or six, for “TLW”) random Phase II Public Objective cards remain face-down and secret; after the end of Game Turn 3, during item 7) of the Status Phase, all of the four (or five for “MW,” or six, for “TLW”) Phase II Public Objective Cards will then also be revealed so that now all Public Objective Cards, both Phase I & Phase II, are visible to all players.
IV. * Variant Objectives (SE Expansion Rules pg 9) - we will be using ALL {mixed, base + expn} of the new SE Expn Objective Cards, including Special Objectives, with the following exceptions: we will not use, (a) “Imperium Rex” & (b) “Four Ships in Two different other player’s Home Systems, I Win.” The “Supremacy!” and “Domination!” Phase II Public Objective Cards will be used and randomly shuffled into the available Phase II Public Objective Card deck, and one or both may appear in the final Phase II Public Objectives for the game – if each of these are achieved by two different players in the same Status Phase, whichever player possesses the lower numbered Strategy Card at that time wins!
V. * Race-Specific Technologies (SE Expansion Rules pg 9) (& 2nd RST from SotT)
VI. * Tactical Retreats (SE Expansion Rules pg 11)
VII. * Custodians of Mecatol Rex (SE Expansion Rules pg 11)
VIII. * Facilities (SE Expansion Rules pg 11)
IX. * Homeworlds {modified, see HR-2 above} (Game Options & Variants Version 1.1, FFG website, pg 2)
X. * Artifacts (SE Expansion Rules pg 9) which includes the use of Special Objective Cards
XI. * Voice of the Council (SE Expansion Rules pg 11)
XII. * Preliminary Objectives (SotT Expansion Rules pg 10)
XIII. * Flagships (SotT Expansion Rules pg 10)
XIV. * Mechanized Units (SotT Expansion Rules pg 11)

NO "Mercenaries" (way too random), NO "Intrigue" (takes way too long and adds nothing), NO "Space Mines," NO "Shock Troops" (we would consider them if we could agree on a decent House Rule, the RAW rule for getting them is just more "random" silliness), NO "Distant Suns" (still more random silliness), NO "Final Frontier" (still even more "random" silliness).

Hello all we are in Western Canada.

My group uses mostly raw rules (including all expansions), with the following modifications:

- Frontier tokens aren't used.

- Shock Troopers can survive without other ground units (troops and tanks both) but can't load onto space craft alone.

- Carriers/war suns can offload cargo to multiple planets in one system. (not sure if that's part of the core rules or a mus-interpretation but it makes the game go much faster)

- Each player draws one Action Card and two Political cards after all starting units are placed but before the first Strategy phase begins. No Actions Cards may be played during the first Strategy phase.

-Trade is changed-> Players do not need the permission of the active player to exchange trade contracts.

- The following Strategy cards are used; Leadership, Diplomacy 2, Assembly, Production, Trade 2, Warfare 1, Technology 1 and Bureaucracy.

{NOTE:} We have agreed to experiment with the use of Industry in games not using the Lazax empire modifying it by adding the following text to the primary ability before the option "choose either A) or B)" Draw the top card from the objective deck and place it face up. Immediately check to see if you qualify for any one face-up objective card and then place one of your control markers on it and move your position on the scoring track up by the appropriate amount. Next score one point if you control the Mecatoll Rex system.

- The following rules have proven less exciting than expected and have been ignored. Political Representatives and Promissory notes, distant suns tokens, Artifact tokens (the eight triangular bits four with points and four without), Mercenaries, Preliminary Objectives, Voice of the Council and its ilk and Imperium Rex.

- Once we tried to modify Ground combat by playing small games of Warhammer 40k when combat came about but it broke Twilight Imperium. For those interested in trying it out we used each Ground Force token to represent 500 pts of an army and each Mechanized Unit allowed for one Super heavy unit up to 2000 pts. Twilight Imperium combat bonuses applied to rolls for one player turn at a time, and armies where selected after bombardment rolls had been applied.

- Shock Troopers can survive without other ground units (troops and tanks both) but can't load onto space craft alone.

As a curiosity, how do you keep track of who the STs belong to when there is no coloured plastic with them to mark their owner? As I understand it, this is the entire purpose of the rule that prevents them from being alone in the first place.

- Carriers/war suns can offload cargo to multiple planets in one system. (not sure if that's part of the core rules or a mus-interpretation but it makes the game go much faster)

I'm pretty sure that's RAW. It has been known to generate questions concerning how to resolve some DS tokens when GFs have been dispatched from a single carrier to multiple planets. Those questions would be moot if you couldn't drop off on multiple planets.

- Once we tried to modify Ground combat by playing small games of Warhammer 40k when combat came about but it broke Twilight Imperium. For those interested in trying it out we used each Ground Force token to represent 500 pts of an army and each Mechanized Unit allowed for one Super heavy unit up to 2000 pts. Twilight Imperium combat bonuses applied to rolls for one player turn at a time, and armies where selected after bombardment rolls had been applied.

LOL. Sounds like a good way to make a long game even longer.

I learned this lesson with Titan (where it wasn't even a house rule) - having a mini-game that only involves some players destroys the larger game by forcing everyone else to wait on the mini-game every time it occurs.

As a curiosity, how do you keep track of who the STs belong to when there is no coloured plastic with them to mark their owner? As I understand it, this is the entire purpose of the rule that prevents them from being alone in the first place.

Thanks for replying.

We make sure that the player has his control marker clearly displayed on the planet, beside the shock troopers in question.

On an unrelated note have you found a way to keep giant fleets from spilling over to other systems? I've had players take advantage of confusion generated by such.

As a curiosity, how do you keep track of who the STs belong to when there is no coloured plastic with them to mark their owner? As I understand it, this is the entire purpose of the rule that prevents them from being alone in the first place.

Thanks for replying.

We make sure that the player has his control marker clearly displayed on the planet, beside the shock troopers in question.

On an unrelated note have you found a way to keep giant fleets from spilling over to other systems? I've had players take advantage of confusion generated by such.

On the fleets spilling over I have a plan to make a framework for the game board tiles out of a piece of plywood, with a routed depression for the tile inside a larger routed depression to give more room for units.

On an unrelated note have you found a way to keep giant fleets from spilling over to other systems? I've had players take advantage of confusion generated by such.

I find that slaughtering my opponents on a regular basis prevents their fleets from getting too large. =P

Seriously, though, it hasn't been a huge problem at our table. We make frequent use of the FT and GF bonus tokens to keep those two unit types under control - we don't wait until we run out of plastic, we start stacking tokens after 3 or 4 units are put together.

The other unit types haven't been a problem for us. Occasionally someone goes crazy with destroyers, but even those fleets aren't tough to keep together. Does your group like to put a lot of CCs into Fleet Supply? We rarely go higher than 6 ourselves.

We regularly see eight or nine ship fleets circling Mecatol Rex. Particularly when the Flood are playing (thats the Arborek, Halo reference.) It gets annoying when a player sits two of those things side by side. We go on faith with them but really, some of my players I have to question.

I'm a Minatures player and I've found an idea that's cheep(ish) Games worshop flying bases have multiple height stems and can be glued on both ends of the stems. it gets the player a raised tray that has a 3cm diameter footprint.with a 6cm table.

When I get my camera working I'll post pics.

Steve-O are you the guy from Jackass?

We regularly see eight or nine ship fleets circling Mecatol Rex. Particularly when the Flood are playing (thats the Arborek, Halo reference.) It gets annoying when a player sits two of those things side by side. We go on faith with them but really, some of my players I have to question.

I'm a Minatures player and I've found an idea that's cheep(ish) Games worshop flying bases have multiple height stems and can be glued on both ends of the stems. it gets the player a raised tray that has a 3cm diameter footprint.with a 6cm table.

When I get my camera working I'll post pics.

Steve-O are you the guy from Jackass?

---------

Do you guys play the whole game through in one session or do you leave the game set up to play across multiple sessions?

Steve-O are you the guy from Jackass?

No, but I'm pretty sure that's where the nickname came from. =P

I never watched Jackass myself, but people call me that so I used it as an online handle.

Does anybody have any house rules relating to "pausing a game" over a week or more?