Here is a mix of old and new aliens I created. These have all been re-written and modified for Fantasy Flight's edition of CE. I'll pop these in here, in groups of 10, so they are more easily digested. None of these aliens require any expansions like lucre or moons (I am not even including the Tech aliens I have written). There are a few alternate victory aliens, and a couple "planet" aliens. -Jack

AEON [M:Warp] Wins Through Use of Components (Alternate Win) - 2009

Game Setup: Place 12 Cosmic tokens on your alien sheet.

You have the power of Supremacy . Any time another player uses an artifact, flare, negotiate, or reinforcement, use this power to remove one token from your alien sheet. When you remove the last token, you win the game. You may still win the game via the normal manner.

History: Before the Cosmos was born, the Aeon existed, swirling in a mass of primeval jelly and gas, waiting for the spark that would create life. Through many generations and iterations, the Aeon have reinvented themselves, sometimes in a different form, but always with the same basic strengths. At last, they have become again in a stronger and more dynamic form, ready to conquer the Cosmos for good.

Wild: If another player plays an artifact, flare, and reinforcement in the same encounter, you may gain a colony in his or her system. Give this card to Aeon when you play it. If Aeon is not in the game, discard it to play it.

Super: Whenever a flare is discarded for any reason, you may remove a token from your alien sheet.

Comments: Even with the slight change in spelling, this is clearly a tribute to the original makers of Cosmic Encounter. And in my opinion, the thing that makes Cosmic great is all the extra goodies in the game. Aeon is delighted to see other players using these extras, and when they do he gets close to winning. The dilemma for others is do they risk using those cards to help themselves win an encounter. They will, until Aeon's tokens get low. Then they'll start holding back. But the negotiates are the rub. Sometimes you HAVE to play them.

AMAZON [O:Warp] Captures a Ship That Adds to Total - 2009

You have the power to Capture . As a main player, before cards are played, you may use this power to capture one ship from your opponent's attacking or defending forces, stacking it under one of your ships and adding its value to that ship. If your opponent has no ships left in the encounter, he or she automatically loses. Stacked ships are freed in the Warp, and may be freed as part of a deal.

History: A fierce, matriarchal society, the Amazons avoid contact with male-dominated races until they are required to continue their line. During those times, the Amazons capture the strongest and most suitable candidates from among their enemies.

Wild: If your alien's super flare is discarded by another player, you may add it to your hand. Give this flare to the player who discarded your super.

Super: You may capture a ship from each of your opponent's allies.

Comments: Kevin Wilson chided me for not having any alien on the Warp called Amazon, so I came up with one that day. I like this one, as I feel it's nice thematically. Amazon is a little like Fungus, but since it happens before the encounter is resolved, it can have other effects on encounter outcome. Amazon may also free the ships in a deal, which gives her some leverage.

AMPLIFIER [O:Warp] Draws Flares Instead of Gaining Ships - 2008

You have the power to Boost . Whenever you are given the option of raising ships from the warp, you may use this power to draw a single flare card from the unused flare deck and add it to your hand.

History: A sudden burst of energy produced the Amplifiers into existence, and these young, aggressive beings are quickly finding their place. Unconcerned with rituals or formalities, the Amplifiers strive simply to increase their power by any means possible.

Wild: Give this flare to the Amplifier to play any number of flares you wish during this encounter. If Amplifier is not in the game, discard this card to use it.

Super: You may draw a flare for each of your ships you free from the warp.

Comments: When Amplifier has no ships in the warp, his power is even better. But when the ships are there, he has to weigh getting one out or having a flare. I expect having a flare will win out most of the time, but getting flares makes you a target.

ANDROMEDA [M:Warp] Gains Power when Losing Bases - 2008

You have the power of Potency . Each time you lose a colony, use this power to draw an additional alien power. If, after you have added a power, you gain a foreign colony, you must discard one of your additional powers.

History: A highly adaptive strain of alien bacteria, Andromeda quickly adapts to any threat, becoming a more potent adversary each time it is weakened.

Wild: As a winning offensive ally, you may draw an additional alien power instead of landing on a base.

Super: You do not have to discard an alien when you gain an external base.

Comments: Andromeda is given serious compensation when suffering a big loss (losing a colony). It's offset by his later gains (but he then as the option of choosing between additional powers, if he has accumulated more than one).

ANTE [O:Warp] Takes Cards and Gives Them to Winners - 2007

You have the power to Wager. As a main player or ally in an encounter, you may use this power to draw a card at random from any or all players involved in the encounter. These cards are set aside and may not be used during the encounter. After the encounter is resolved, you may look at the cards and then divide them randomly between the winning players and yourself, dealing them out, starting with yourself. If you take the offensive player's last encounter card, his turn ends immediately, and the win goes to the defense.

History: The roving, gypsy-like Antes are never far from battle. They long to be involved in any matter or thing involving risk or hazardous uncertainty - turning opportunity into a game of chance. Whipping up a frenzy of high stakes excitement in those around them, the Antes coolly sit back and take their share, win or lose.

Wild: When another player discards his or her hand, you may take the cards and exchange them for the same number of cards from your hand at random (including this one).

Super: You may decide which players get which cards when dealing out the ante cards.

Comments: Ante is a meddler. He will sometimes get one of your good cards before you need to play it. Ante will always get something when he uses his power, but taking away other players options as far as what's in their hand is the real key. I lucked out as Ante once and got my super flare when dealing out the spoils. The other player was fuming.

ANTIPODE [M:Warp] Receives Opposite Rewards - 2009

You have the power of Ulterior Motive . As an ally in an encounter, use this power to receive the opposite reward. If you are an offensive ally, you receive rewards of cards from the deck or ships from the warp if your side wins. If you are a defensive ally, you land on the targeted planet if your side wins (coexisting with any ships there).

History: The Antipodes seek a destiny unlike that of their contemporaries. Used to buying when others are selling, the Antipodes would rather invest in their own resources when others prefer to colonize by force. Colonization can occur under more agreeable circumstances - and the Antipodes foster alliances to that end.

Wild: You may offer a player a colony on one of your planets for allying with you, instead of the normal rewards should your side win.

Super: After you have allied but before cards are played, you may declare what reward you will receive if your side wins.

Comments: Antipode has more reason to help the defense than most players. He can also be asked to ally with the offense no matter how many colonies he has, since he's not threat to win that way. This guy is even more powerful in games with a Rewards deck.

ARNOLD [O:Warp:2] BETRAYS ALLIES Jack Reda - 1993

You have the power of Treason . As an ally, your ships count double their normal value. Cnce cards are played (but before they are revealed) you may use this power to withdraw your ships from the encounter. If your former ally loses the encounter, you may gain a reward of ships from the warp, or cards from the deck for each ship you had in the encounter. However, if your former ally wins the encounter, your ships go to the warp.

History: The Arnolds have schemed and calculated when it would be wise to aid their allies, and when it would serve them better to keep their allies' powers in check. Despite having a reputation for being two-faced, the Arnolds still gain help through pity, and reward their allies' sympathy with betrayal.

Wild: As a main player, after cards are revealed, you may force your opponent to replay the encounter. You both must play a different encounter cards if possible.

Super: You may withdraw your ships immediately after cards are revealed.

Comments: Arnold (from Benedict Arnold) can be a formidable ally, and the double value portion is not subject to Cosmic Zap. However, Arnold can be a nasty customer when he leaves you hanging. You may have counted on his double ships in order to win, but if he thinks it's likely you'll lose, or if he's desperate for rewards, he may bail on you. He's a little like Human in that he can have the +4 if he commits all in... but the other part of his power is different enough from Human that I don't mind having them both in my set.

ATROPHY [O:Warp] Degenerates Opponent's Hand - 1993

You have the power to Degenerate . As a main player, before cards are played, use this power to draw a card at random from the hands of all players opposing your side, and put the cards out of the game without looking at them. If the offensive player has no encounter cards left, his or her turn ends. When you win an encounter as a main player, you gain a reward drawn randomly from those cards you set aside.

History: The diseased and filthy Atrophy, radiating decay and destruction wherever they go, refuse to die, lingering long after their horrific effects have withered away whole worlds.

Wild: You may remove one of your opponent's allies' ships from the challenge, sending it back to colonies.

Super: You may look at the cards you degenerated, and play one immediately, if applicable. Otherwise they are removed from the game.

Comments: Atrophy reduced the number of cards, not only in people's hands, but in the game! The only way to get those cards back in is if Atrophy wins rewards and wants any of them. Atrophy can ususally deter players from ally with his opponent (if they have anything in their hands they don't want to risk losing forever).

AVALON [M:Warp] Wins By Not Using Components (Alternate Win) - 2009

Game Setup: Place 12 Cosmic tokens on your alien sheet.

You have the power of Paradise . Whenever you discard a flare, artifact, or reinforcement that you have no used, use this power to remove a token from your alien sheet. At the start of your encounters, instead of raising a ship, you may discard a card from your hand.

History: The Avalon live by a strict code of abstinence and teetotalism. Their world is one free from corrupting influences, and they know that true enlightenment will come when the Cosmos is rid of those crude tools of intrigue.

Wild: You may refuse to take compensation.

Super: You may remove a token from your alien sheet when you play an artifact or reinforcement, after they are discarded.

Comments: This alien is the companions to Aeon. Here, this alien doesn't want to use any of the goodies in Cosmic Encounter (kind of like its namesake). The trade off, of course is that Avalon can't take advantage of his artifacts and other cards if he wants to win with his power.

AVENGER [M:Warp:2] Eradicates Ships When Losing - 2009

You have the power to Retaliate . As a main player, use this power to choose as many ships belonging to any players as you have in the encounter, and remove them from the game (no player can have more than 2 ships removed). If you lose the encounter, these ships are permanently eradicated. If you win, the ships return to the colonies from where they came.

History: Justice, balance, and harmony are the watchwords of the Avengers. A proud race, once preoccupied with intellectual studies and logical process, the Avengers were wronged in a catastrophic event that nearly wiped them out. They came to realize that there can be no law without order, and sometimes preemptive action must be taken, even if brutal by their previous standards.

Wild: If you lose a foreign colony, you may force another player to lose one as well. His or her ships return to other colonies.

Super: You may remove twice as many ships from the game as you have committed to an encounter (up to 3 from any given player), in accordance with your power.

Comments: Avenger is the power I created after writing about badly written powers (it was a joke example that I said could probably be salvaged, so I salvaged it). Avenger explains to you just what's at stake if he loses. You have to play the game preparing for his power in advance by having at least 3 ships on your foreign colonies at all times.

Part two of ten.

BEHEMOTH [M:Warp] Ships Are Twice as Powerful - 2009

You have the power of Scale . Whenever you are involved in an encounter, use this power to count all other players' ships as half their normal value (rounding down) for the purposes of encounter totals.

History: The Behemoth language has no words for the concept of largeness. To them, everything is described in terms of being smaller, for the Behemoths are incredibly large. Size is a relative matter, and despite being massive, the Behemoths are neither clumsy nor slow. Crushing their puny adversaries is merely a matter of convenience.

Wild: When you land ships on a planet, any ships already there belonging to other players must move to other colonies where they have ships.

Super: As a main player, other players' ships count as one fourth of their normal value (rounding down) for the purpose of encounter totals.

Comments: Behemoth started out as an alternate way to play Macron, and I decided to officially add it to The Warp earlier this year. I think it's different enough from Macron, and it's a simple enough concept.

BENEFACTOR [O:Warp] Changes Opponent's Power - 2001

Game Setup: Draw an alien power from those not in use. Look at it, and keep it face down.

You have the power to Endow . As a main player, during the Destiny phase, you may immediately assign your extra power to another player, replacing his or her normal power. That player must use the endowed power for the remainder of the encounter. During the next Regroup phase, draw another power to endow later. You may not endow players with "set-up" powers.

History: Wealthy scientists with no ethical compass, the Benefactors delight in the creation of powerful enhancements which they test on an unwitting populace. Carefully sorting through their wares, the Benefactors gleefully endow their patrons with gifts that serve no end but that of the Benefactors.

Wild: You may give compensation you just received to another player.

Super: You may force a player to keep their endowed power until you lose this Flare.

Comments: Benefactor benefited from a lot of playtesting. It was far too powerful when I first created it, but forcing Benefactor to assign a power during the destiny phase improved it. Sometimes you can use it to take away someone's better power... and sometimes you can use it to give a potential ally something he can use to help you.

BLITZKRIEG [M:Warp] PLAYS MULTIPLE ATTACK CARDS - 1993

You have the power of Assault . As the offensive main player, you must play an attack card for each token you have in the cone. The cards are added together. If you do not have enough attack cards, you must remove tokens from the offensive end of the cone to equal the number of attack cards you can play. All attack cards you play in a challenge are discarded normally. If as offensive player you only have negotiates in your hand, your turn ends.

History: Relying on the speedy and unrelenting assault, the Blitzkriegs have quickly garnered a firm grip on the cosmos. Some races theorize that they are genetically enhanced Deuces, but the Blitzkrieg usually silence such voices.

Wild1: You may double the value of your Attack Card.

Super: You may play an additional Attack Card for each offensive ally you have.

Comments:The main thing that makes Blitzkrieg different from Deuce is that he's mandatory, and only on offense. Blitzkrieg can usually win colonies on his turn, but he goes through his hand very fast... sometimes he can only have one encounter on his turn, if he isn't careful about his hand before his turn.

BOG [M:Warp] Opponents Use Random Hand - 2008

Game Setup:Draw a hand of 12 cards. Choose 8 to be your hand and place the other 4 face down on your alien sheet.

You have the power of Murkiness . As a main player in an encounter, use this power to draw a card at random from your opponent and add it to your set-aside hand. Your opponent must use this hand for the remainder of the encounter. If none are encounter cards, they discard them all and draw the same number from the deck until they have at least one encounter card. Any cards they do not use return to the face down pile. When the pile is depleted, add 4 cards from the deck to your hand, and then choose 4 to place on your alien sheet.

History: The only sentient form of life on a massive gas giant, the Bog drift slowly and stealthily through the vapors and mist that surround them. Relying on their natural camouflage, the Bog confuse and mislead their enemies into making foolish mistakes.

Wild: When a player is to receive cards for rewards, you may instead force them to draw from your hand at random.

Super: As a main player, you may put a card from your hand into the pile on your alien sheet.

Comments: Bog started out as a revised version of another person's power- but it kept getting changed until now it doesn't resemble to other one at all. Part of Bog's ability is getting weak cards out of his own hand. He draws one at random from his opponent, and then that player has one "wild card" in the set aside hand. Sometimes when Bog draws a really good first hand of 12, it's hard deciding what to dump... but later in the game, he can usually stack the "deck' with nice and crappy cards.

BOGGART [M:Warp] Uses Different Alien for Each Opponent - 2006

Game Setup: Draw an alien power at random to place next to each player. You may look at them, but do not have to reveal them until they are used.

You have the power to Terrify . As a main player, you may use this power to take control of the power associated with your opponent for the remainder of the encounter.

History: Masters of disguide, the Boggarts always strive to assume the appearance of their enemy's worst fears. Striking terror into the hearts of their foes is the only way Boggarts can experience joy.

Wild: As a defensive main player, draw three cards from the deck. You may use one of these cards against your opponent during this encounter. Discard all unused cards.

Super: You may switch associated powers between players.

Comments: Obviously inspired by Harry Potter, Boggart could easily be renamed something like Nightmare or Phobia. Obviously some aliens won't be useful to Boggart as a main player, but he can take that into consideration when assigning them (especially since he will know what aliens each player is using normally when he assigns the extra ones).

BORG [O:Warp] Assumes Power of Flares - 1996

You have the power of Assimilation . Whenever you hold a flare card of a power not in the game, you may use this power to immediately assume control of that power. Place the flare face up in front of you to signify that you are now using that power. The flare is still considered part of your hand. You may have more than one flare played in this manner, assuming control of multiple powers at one time. You may still play the flare as normal, but lose that power when you do for the rest of the encounter. The flares can be lost as compensation, or when you must draw a new hand. Any flare you play in this manner is still considered Wild and must be discarded when played.

History: Roaming the cosmos, the Borg search for new life to assimilate. They know they can make better use of an alien resource. Other intelligent life would be better off allowing the Borg to assimilate them. To resist this idea would be futile.

Wild: When someone attempts to play a flare, you may stop them by giving them this card, and taking their flare into your hand. Neither flare can be played again this challenge.

Super: When you play a flare card for its Wild effects, you may retain use of its power as well.

Comments: A Star Trek nod, but a great alien to try to emulate for CE. This was created in the Mayfair days of one-shot flares, which balanced out this power. I had to add the line about discarding flares when they are used solely as flares.

BRINK [M:Warp] Sets Attack Limit - 2009

Game Setup: At the start of the game, place 25 Cosmic Tokens on your alien sheet.

You have the power to Limit . After receiving your hand, place an attack card on your alien sheet. Whenever any other player plays an attack card that is higher than the card on your sheet, use this power to remove a token from your sheet. Any attack card you play over the limit becomes the new limit until your next turn. When you remove the last token from your sheet, you win the game. You may win by the normal method as well.

At the start of your turn, play a new attack card from your hand on your sheet, replacing the one there. Draw a new hand if you are out of encounter cards after placing one on your sheet.

History: A jittery race of quadrupeds, the high-strung Brink fear excessive displays of force, for they know that when universal equilibrium is under too much pressure, the Brink will be the ones that must relieve the burden. Tribal lore speaks of two possible outcomes when the great day of crisis comes - either the universe will collapse into itself, or a purging force will sweep away all life save the Brink. In either case, the Brink do what they can to warn others of the dire consequences.

Wild: Once any player plays a reinforcement, you may force all players to stop playing them for the duration of this encounter.

Super: You may remove a token from your sheet whenever you play at attack card higher than the limit card.

Comments: Clearly in most games, Brink wants to get the lowest possible card as the limit. Having to change cards on his turn can be a blessing or a curse. I haven't had a chance to play this one, so chances are the number of tokens may have to change... but it's hard to say if it will go up or down.

CABAL [O:Warp] Looks at Sampling of Cards - 2001

You have the power of Conspiracy . Any time you are involved in an encounter, you may name any card. Every player must show you that card if they have it (or another card of their choice if they do not have it). You may reveal this information to anyone, but you may not lie.

History: By keeping a watchful eye on the Cosmos, the Cabal are able to exact bits of information from every corner of the universe, piecing together many puzzles and evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of opposing life forms.

Wild: You may look through the destiny pile at any time.

Super: If a player shows you a card you named, you may take it from them.

Comments: Cabal was created for games that included the Finder edict/artifact. But it doesn't really depend on having it in the game. Knowing who has what can make a difference at times in the game, and careful use of Cabal can accomplish that. In games with Pacifist, Gambler, Seeker, and others, being able to say what someone is holding can also be useful.

CENTURION [M:Warp] Attack Cards Add Digits to Total - 2006

You have the power to Conquer . As a main player, use this power to increase the value of the attack card you play by the two digits of its value. For example, if you play an attack 11, it is worth 11 +1 +1, or 13. An attack 08 would be worth 16.

History: The Centurions are bred from battle-hardened masters in the arts of warfare. They are natural leaders, and can get the highest performance out of their military forces. Always cool under pressure, the Centurions never flinch when outnumbered, for the know well that every enemy has a weakness to exploit.

Wild: When you win an encounter, you may force your opponent to keep his or her losing encounter card.

Super: As a main player, you may treat the number of ships on your side like you do your attack card, adding the two digit numerical value to your total. For example, if you have 6 ships, their total value is 12.

Comments: Centurion has gone through a few name changes. I wanted to make sure none of my aliens had names other people were using for their aliens... at this point it's too hard to keep up, so I'm sticking with Centurion no matter what anyone else dreams up. I like the relatively simple concept invovled in Centurion. Coming up with simple combat powers isn't easy anymore.

CHARON [M:Warp] Receives Cards for Raised Ships - 2008

You have the power to Ferry . Whenever another player raises a ship from the warp, use this power to draw a card at random from his or her hand.

History: Circling the outer perimeter of the warp, the keen-eyed Charon have long ferried those lost souls seeking to return to their homeworlds. The price for such services has grown as the Cosmos has grown, and the Charon, generally thought to be humorless and morose, will surely have the last laugh.

Notes: The recommended experience level for this power is Novice. This is a Resource type power.

Wild: Draw a card at random from every player who frees ships from the warp when a Mobius Tubes is played.

Super: You may draw a card from every player that receives ships from the warp for any reason.

Comments: Charon was created using the simple model of looking at the normal rules of an encounter and finding something to exploit.

Great initiative.

They are all very interesting powers. My favourites are Aeon, Antipode, Blitzkrieg and specially Brink.

About Avalon don’t you think that the 12 cosmic tokens might be a little too much? Perhaps 8 or 10 would be more fitting.

Jon Gon said:

Could be... gotta take Avalon out for a spin and see how many tokens makes the most sense.

CHIEFTAIN [O:Warp] Allies Play Attack Cards - 2003

You have the power of Rank. When you are involved in an encounter that has at least one ally on each side, you may use this power to call "engage". All allies in the encounter must play attack cards, and main players do not. If an ally does not have a card, he or she draws a new hand.

History: Lore of battle and tactics is the only form of education and the only manifestation of religion for the Chieftains. Their military prowess is well known and highly regarded throughout the Universe. Often when the battle is not theirs, the Chieftains are prone to taking charge, issuing orders that even their enemies are hard pressed to ignore.

Wild: After players have been invited to ally, you determine the order in which they all commit or decline.

Super: As a main player in an encounter, you may play an attack card even when you call "engage".

Comments: This used to be called Swarm, but then I came up with a different power I liked calling Swarm more. Chieftain is a bit like Delegater in that he can take over as main player, but it's a little simpler to execute. It also opens the door more since ALL allies are now playing cards, and the main player doesn't. Also noteworthy is that the main player still has his or her power.

COUNTERFEITER [O:Warp] Uses Fake Cards - 1994

You have the power to Defraud. Whenever you reveal a card, you may use this power to immediately play a negotiate card from your hand to replace it. The negotiate is then treated as the original card. You then put the first card back in your hand. You may not use it again that encounter. You may counterfeit any number of times per encounter.

History: The Counterfeiters began defrauding their enemies in small ways, with trinkets and minor effects. Later, they realized how easily fooled the rest of the cosmos was. Now the Counterfeiters take pride in passing off bogus materials for more valued merchandise.

Wild: If you must lose ships, you may instead discard an equal number of cards from your hand, and place the ships on colonies where you already have some.

Super: After you defraud a card, you may use it once more time during that encounter.

Comments: Counterfeiter is great for getting rid of negotiates, and also getting another use out of a good card. If he doesn't have negotiates, he's in trouble.

CRYO [b:Warp] Saves Cards for Later - 2007

You have the power to Preserve. As a Main Player or ally, you may use this power to take one card from your hand and put it in cold storage. The cards are frozen, and can't be accessed or taken by any player (they are no longer considered part of your hand). When you put a card in cold storage, draw a replacement from the deck to add to your hand. Once you have at least eight cards in storage, you may access them. Discard your regular hand and use the stored cards as your new hand. You may then begin the storage process over.

History: The wooly Cryo are a frugal and conservative race of fanatics. Once a resource is developed or acquired, the Cryo freeze it for later use against the day of Cosmic Reckoning. They find no sense in squandering goods until they are absolutely needed - until that time when the Cosmos looks inward. When that day comes, it will see the Cryo fully prepared.

Wild: When a player is about to take compensation from you, you may set two cards from your hand aside. That player may not choose those cards.

Super: You may swap a card from your hand for one in storage.

Comments: Cryo has been modified a little in the last several months- now part of the Kevin Wilson school of "powers should be good, so players want to play them". I've enjoyed the long-range planning that comes with playing Cryo... get ahold of a good card, and save it for later. It's then untouchable until the Cryo hand is "thawed out".

CULT [M:Warp] Allies May Play the Same Card - 1991

You have the power of Veneration. As a main player, when you reveal your encounter card, your allies may also play the same card, adding it to your side's total. A Morph may be played by an ally as whatever encounter card you play. If you all play negotiate cards, you each take compensation from the opposing main player if he or she played an attack. You take compensation first. Your allies do not participate in a deal situation.

History: The gibbering Cult, speaking with all of their mouths at once, but in a variety of languages, engage any within earshot, binding them to their cause. The frenzied zeal of their deranged chanting drives their associates into a destructive rage.

Wild: As a defensive player, if all other players are allied against you, you may move your defensive tokens onto the hyperspace gate.

Super: If all other players jointly win the game, you may join in.

Comments: Cult has undergone a few modifications, and the Morph rule is written in (I had cards like Morphs in my deck for many years, and had to make rulings on how they worked... this way is cleaner). Cult doesn't get used a lot, but when he has some lower cards, like 6 or 8, chances are pretty good his allies have them too. Everyone can get them out of their hands and generally win the encounter doing so.

DARWIN [M:Warp] Selects Compensation - 1995

You have the power of Selection. Whenever any player is to receive compensation, use this power to intrude and take the compensation yourself. You then give negotiating players compensation cards of your choice from your own hand.

History: Through a highly developed, unique process of natural and unnatural selection, the Darwin have survived for millennia. Now they carefully observe the life struggles of other alien races, stepping in to adjust certain outcomes as they see fit.

Wild: You may take the top card from the deck rather than raising a ship at the start of your encounter.

Super: You may take your compensation from the top of the desk.

Comments: In the same family as Hacker, Darwin doesn't have to lose his encounters to use his power. He is able to typically improve his hand and dole out the garbage to the other player. Who doesn't love to do that?

DETERRENT [O:Warp] Plays an Attack card for Each Ally - 2009

You have the power to Discourage. As a main player, you may use this power to play one attack for each ally you have, face up (you must have enough attack cards for each of your allies). Your opponent may then surrender, giving you an automatic win. If this happens, you must give your played attack cards to your allies. Your ships coexist with your opponent's on the defensive planet if you were attacking. If you were defending, your opponent and his or her allies return their ships to their colonies. If your opponent does not surrender, proceed with the encounter; your attack cards add together. If you are Cosmic Zapped, you put the attack cards back in your hand and play one normally.

History: Stockpiling weapons for many generations, the Deterrents garnered a reputation as destructive and reckless. The display of force that ever accompanies the Deterrents serves as a warning to others of the potential retaliation that awaits any force foolish enough to engage them. The only solace the Deterrents have in their overwrought existence is the knowledge that they will not go down alone.

Wild: Show this flare to a player that tries to Cosmic Zap you. They may change their mind and keep their artifact. If they do not, they lose the use of their power for the remainder of this encounter.

Super: You may play one additional attack card when playing your deterrents. If your opponent surrenders, you keep one of the attack cards and give the others to your allies.

Comments: Deterrent is an alien that cycles through his hand quickly, but only when he has to. Facing Deterrent isn't bad... you will know if you can probably beat him, so when you can't, just give up. You don't have to lose your ships, and your allies will thanks you.

DITTO [O:Warp] Reuses Discards - 2005

You have the power to Emulate. When another player discards any kind of card, you may use this power to take it and place it face up in front of you. This "ditto card" is out of play, and not considered part of your hand. You may play the ditto card on any subsequent encounter, but must discard a card at random from your hand to do so. If you have not used your ditto card when you draw a new hand, you must discard it. You may only have one ditto in play at a time.

History: Soulless husks that float through space, the Dittos are attracted to the life energies they encounter. Emulating these energies, the Dittos are able to approximate their form and function to the point where it's impossible to tell which is the real thing.

Wild: You may play this card as if it were whatever card is currently on top of the discard pile.

Super: You may have as many ditto cards as you have cards in your hand. If your hand size decreases, you need not lose any of your face up ditto cards.

Comments: Ditto gets mileage out of a really good card that someone else has probably played. We all find ourselves wishing it could have been us, and Ditto has some say in it now. The card he copies is out there for everyone one to see, so it helps to intimidate players (you may not even need to play it).

DOOM [O:Warp] Replaces Card with Set-Aside Cards - 2008

You have the power to Ordain. Each time your system comes up in destiny, set aside an attack card from your hand. If you have no attack cards or use your last one to set one aside, immediately draw a new hand.

As a main player, you may use this power to replace a face down encounter card played by either main player with the accumulated cards you have set aside (treated as one attack card with a combined value).

History: The dire Doom have pronounced judgment on all other aliens since they crawled from the primordial ooze of their unctuous homeworlds. Using arts once thought lost, the Doom construct devices of madness and destruction, waiting for the day when they can be unleashed upon their hapless enemies.

Wild: You may force the offense and all allies to commit to the encounter with the same number of ships you committed. They may decline to be involved.

Super: You may use your power as an ally.

Comments: Doom is a great way to also unload cards you either don't want (and hope to add together), or to save a card for the big win when you really need it (and you're afraid you may lose it or be forced to use it when it isn't convenient). Doom also has the flexibility to make his opponent play the ordained card (nice against Anti-Matter or Pacifist, for example).

DREDGE [O:Warp] Gets Rewards for Bases - 2007

You have the power of Resources. As a main player, before cards are played, you may use this power to take rewards of cards and/or ships from the Warp for every ship other players have in your system.

History: A natural ability to detect precious resources led the Dredge to develop vast networks of mines and pipelines throughout the known Universe. Often dismissed as a filthy and "blue-double-collared" race of miners, the Dredge have expansive reachback capability in times of war.

Wild: You may discard any number of cards from your hand and free any player's ships from the Warp for each card you discarded.

Super: You may receive rewards of cards or ships for each ship you have in your opponent's home system (in addition to any other rewards you receive for your power).

Comments: In a game with a Rewards deck, Dredge becomes a powerhouse. It's also a deterrent for keeping a lot of ships out of your system (so in games with Shadow, Dredge is really obnoxious!).

DROUGHT [M:Warp] Other Players Have 4 Card Hands - 2009

You have the power of Scarcity. At the start of the game, and any time another player draws a new hand, use this power to limit the hand to four cards. You still draw an eight card hand.

History: Creatures of dry and arid countenance, the Drought cause the depletion of resources wherever they venture. Ever surrounded by the desperate cries of those who thirst for justice, the Drought seek only to forge on, leaving the withering dead in their wake.

Wild: Allies of your opponent may only collect one reward for winning an encounter.

Super: When another player draws a new hand, it may only consist of 2 cards.

Comments: Simple and painful. Drought forces you to play with fewer resources. The upside is you're drawing new hands more often, but still don't have as much to choose from.

DUKE [O:Warp] Forces Artifact Use - 2008

You have the power of Edict. As a main player in an encounter, at any time, you may name any Artifact in the game. Starting clockwise from any player you name, if a player has the Artifact, he or she must play it at that time, if appropriate. You may be targeted by an Artifact played in this manner. Alternatively, you may name an Artifact that may not be played by any player in this encounter (the only exception is a Cosmic Zap that stops this power).

History: Bred from the finest lines among the major houses, the Dukes have grown accustomed to having their way. The belief that their word is law is so palpable, whatever the Dukes decree often does come to fruition, for other, weaker races fear the consequences of disobedience.

Notes: The recommended experience level for this power is Advanced. This is a Rules type power.

Wild: Exchange this card for an Artifact that is played. The Artifact does not take effect at that time, and the player who played it gets this Flare instead.

Super: You determine the target of any Artifact you decree.

Comments: This power is a tip of the hat to the Dukester. Duke is able to either shield himself from artifacts, or on occasion force a situation that helps his side out. There have been times when you needed someone to play a Card Zap, but they weren't on your side, so they didn't.

ENIGMA [O:Warp:2] Mixes Encounter Cards - 1992

You have the power of Ambiguity. As a main player in an encounter, after cards are played but before they are revealed, you may use this power to collect an encounter card at random from any players not involved and mix them together with either your card or your opponent's card. You then hand them back randomly. Your opponent must play the card if he or she is given one.

History: Confusing their enemies into misjudging their own power, the Enigmas travel in nebulous obscurity. Being an equivocal species of a questionable nature, the Enigmas riddle the cosmos with an obscure cloud of uncertainty.

Wild: Collect every player's power (including your own) and mix them together. Then pass them out randomly. Everyone must now play their new powers. Give this card to Enigma if it is in the game after you play it. If Enigma is not in the game, discard it to play it.

Super: You may look at the cards before you mix them.

Comments: Enigma brings uncertainty to your encounter. Do you bother trying to play your best card? It depends on how many players are not involved in the encounter. This alien is a bit of a cross between Chosen and Laser.

ENVY [M:Warp] Limits Power Use Jack Reda - 1996

You have the power of Jealousy. Use this power to prevent any player from using his or her power against you unless you have a base in their system.

History: The Envy look at the Cosmos and only see the things that other alien races have. They covet these things, and spend their entire lives trying to get them. Once they have as much, they are happy to allow others to exercise their will, but only then.

Wild: Your opponent may not use his or her power unless you both share a base with each other.

Super: You may use your power to affect an ally in an encounter.

Comments: Simple and straight forward, Envy does get weaker as the game goes on, but hopefully by then he has enough of a lead that it won't matter.

EVANGELIST [O:Warp] Forces Power Use - 2002

You have the power to Compel. Any time you are involved in an encounter, you may use this power to force a player to use his or her optional power. You must do so before the phase to use their power has elapsed.

History: Marked by tremendous enthusiasm for supporting any cause, the charismatic Evangelists can whip even the most skeptical heathens into a fervor of faith. This hypnotic state causes subjects to testify to the unknowable, speak in tongues, and unleash their power however the Evangelists see fit.

Wild: You may force a player that was invited to both sides of an encounter to join your side.

Super: You do not have to be involved in the encounter to use your power.

Comments:Evangelist has the advantage of knowing that Sorcerer will be switching, and Calculator will be calling out calculate. It still isn't a guarantee of a win, but it gives him more options.

EXPONENT [O:Warp:2] Sacrifices Allies to Increase Total - 2003

You have the power to Factor. As a main player, you may use this power to sacrifice some of your allies' ships to increase your total by a factor of the number of ships sacrificed (e.g. if you sacrifice 3 ships, you multiply your totals by 3). For each ship sacrificed, you must give that player a card at random from your hand. You must sacrifice ships before cards are revealed.

History: Living in the event horizon of a tremendous black hole, the Exponent captured other aliens that were caught in the singularity's pull. By absorbing the alien power, the Exponent were able to escape their home, and venture into the cosmos. Now they continue the practice of sacrificing others to increase their own power.

Wild: As an ally, you may sacrifice your ships before cards are revealed, and gain rewards of cards.

Super: You may give your allies specific cards from your hand when you sacrifice their ships.

Comments: Other players know they will have to ally with more than just one ship if they hope to get anything more than a card from Exponent. Exponent can unload less useful cards if that's all he has and help himself win an encounter at the same time.

FLAK [O:Warp:2] Aids While Uninvolved - 2002

You have the power to Shell. Whenever you are not involved in an encounter, you may use this power to play an Attack card on either side of the encounter, adding to that side's total. If that side wins, you draw a card from the deck.

History: Keeping a watchful eye on the outcome of cosmic conflict, the Flak pick and choose whom to offer long-range assistance. Their powerful cannons can lay down a path of destruction without risking any Flak personnel.

Wild: You may play a kicker on either side of an encounter before cards are revealed, as long as you are uninvolved in the encounter. The other player then has an opportunity to play a kicker as well.

Super: You may use your power as an ally.

Comments: Flak is able to get rid of a card and hopefully replace it with a better one, without putting any of his ships at risk. He can also help stop the leaders from gaining a victory by playing a card valued higher than the 4 ships he would have needed to ally with to help the defense. It also lets him bypass a Force Field.

FOCUS [O:Warp:Pl] Arranges Planets in Order of Defense - 2009

Game Setup: Arrange your planets in the order you wish them to be challenged. Arrange your ships on the planets in any denomination you like (as long as there is at least one ship per planet).

You have the power to Channel. Other players must attack you in the order you select. If they have a colony on the first-most planet, they must attack the next one, and so on. When you establish a foreign colony, you may place that planet behind the others, forcing players to attack elsewhere first, if possible. At the start of your turn, you may rearrange the order of any planets in your system.

History: Brilliant engineers, the Focus work on a massive scale, constructing planet-sized mechanisms that can change the orbit of an entire world. Through the use of multi-dimensional mathematics, the Focus can predict where attacks will occur in their own system, and prepare their defenses accordingly.

Wild: When discarding cards, you may place any of them on top of the Encounter deck, in any order you like.

Super: You may rearrange the order of your planets between players' turns.

Comments: Focus can sometimes prevent piling up of offensive players by making someone attack a planet that the other players already have a colony on. Those players are now more likely to ally with the defense. On foreign colonies, Focus increases his chances of being allied to help attack, and can also make it less likely that player will target him in their own system.

FUNNEL [M:Warp] Players Use Coexisting Ships - 2006

You have the power to Conduct. Any time you share colonies with another player or when a player has a colony in your system, use this power to force that player to use his or her ships on those colonies for subsequent encounters.

History: Putting their enormous size to good use, the Funnels began to guide and direct their allies, forcing them to pare down their numbers. Eventually, the Funnels found themselves in positions of power everywhere they were established, until ultimately they rose to power.

Wild: You may select which ships a player will use to attack you. He or she specifies the number.

Super: You may force a player to use his or her last ship on a colony he or she shares with you if that player wishes to move ships for any reason.

Comments: Funnel forces players to commit fully to encounters. When they have a colony in his system, or shares one with him, they have to use those ships in their next encounters. Players with only 1 ship left on a Funnel colony will have to vacate that colony if they want to use a ship.

GENERATOR [M:Warp] Creates Additional Powers - 2001

You have the power of Power. At the start of the game, flip over the top card of the unused flare deck. You now control this power and may use it any time. The flare card is face up, but is still considered part of your hand, subject to loss in compensation, or discard. If another player picks up that card, they then get control of that power. The power is subject to Cosmic Zap as well as Card Zap, resulting in a discard of the power. Whenever you win an encounter as a main player, at the end of the resolution phase, draw another flare and add it to your face up flares. No player may play these flares as a flare- they are only used as powers.

History: Created long ago when the universe was sparsely populated, the Generator set out to fill the ranks of an alien army. Now, long after their creators have perished, the Generator continues to create new life forms, heedless of the effects on society as we know it.

Wild: As a main player, you may draw an additional power from those not in use for the duration of this encounter, discarding it afterward.

Super: You may give a player a regular flare card (including this one) and take their face up flare power.

Comments: Before I knew what the Powerhouse Power did, this is what I imagined. I like mine better. Generator will be a natural target for compensation, but that will mean he draws yet another flare to add as his power after compensation has been taken.

GENIE [M:Warp] Gives Cards to Main Players - 2009

You have the power of Wishes. As an ally in an encounter, before cards are played, use this power to draw three cards from the deck. You must give a card to each main player, and may keep the third card for yourself (or discard it).

History: Trapped in the confines of a smaller, parallel universe, the Genies were grateful to be released. In appreciation for being involved in the affairs of their new masters, they eagerly bestowed gifts on them. As they matured, the Genies' gifts became less useful, as they began to secret away their more valuable belongings against the day when they could be used for conquest.

Wild: As a main player, after cards are revealed in an encounter, you may name any Attack card, and if another player has it, it is played down in place of yours. Afterward, give this flare to the Genie. If the Genie is not playing, discard this flare to use it.

Super: You may use your power as a main player, giving one card to your opponent, and keeping the other two for yourself.

Comments: Genie gets a little reward for being invited to ally, and so does the player who invited him... thus Genie can help his side win sometimes, and can also sometimes add a lousy card to his opponent's hand.

GROTESQUE [O:Warp] Changes Opponent's Power - 1999

You have the power to Transmogrify. Whenever you lose an encounter as the Main Player, you may use this power to force your opponent to draw a power at random to replace his or her current power. You may not transmogrify them into set-up powers. In multi-power games, you decide which power to transmogrify.

History: Twisted in mind and body, the Grotesque punish the abuses of power by means both hideous and harsh. The very nature of their victims is erased completely in favor of a new, radically different persona. Each change they cause twists the Grotesque themselves in a more unnatural way - but they have gone too far to stop now.

Wild: You may change the recipient of a power effect to another player (if the effect is still legal).

Super: You may force your opponent's allies to transmogrify as well.

Comments: A sort of reverse Reincarnator, Grotesque has the ability to get powers out of the game that cause too much trouble. A player may end up getting another powerful alien, but that one may also be short-lived.

GRUB [M:Warp] Wins by Having Cards (Alternate Win) - 2009

You have the power to Amass. At the start of any player's regroup phase, before the offense retrieves a ship from the warp, use this power to win the game if you have 20 cards in your hand. You may still win the game via the normal method.

History: The sluggish and grotesque Grubs lead a laborious, groveling life consuming every resource they can reach. The Grubs care little for conquest or expansion, content to undergo metamorphosis until they emerge the most dominating life form in the Cosmos.

Wild: As a winning defensive ally, you may draw a card at random from the defensive main player for each ship you allied with.

Super: As a winning main player, you may collect a reward of cards for each ship you had in the encounter.

Comments: Grub is going to try allying with the defense as often as he can, and he'll fully commit. That will be all right for other players at first, but then they must be careful about inviting him. Grub will also be playing negotiates, especially late in the game.

HUCKSTER [M:Warp] Offers Deal Before Encounter Occurs - 1998

You have the power to Palter. When encounter cards are played, but before they are revealed, use this power to make a deal with your opponent (in under a minute). If he or she agrees to the deal, treat both cards played as negotiates, and discard. If your opponent refuses, proceed with the encounter normally. If your opponent loses the encounter (or still refuses to deal in a negotiate situation) he or she loses an additional 3 ships on top of other loses in the encounter.

History: The Hucksters see themselves as a force of righteousness in the Cosmos, trying to negotiate peaceful resolutions to any conflict. However, their peaceful nature comes unhinged when they don't get their way, and the accusations made against them about atrocities are perhaps not as unfounded as the Hucksters would have you believe.

Wild: After making a successful deal with your opponent, he or she still loses three ships (as if failing to deal).

Super: Your opponent loses 6 ships for refusing to deal with your before encounter results if he or she loses the encounter.

Comments: Huckster will tend to get colonies without having to put up a fuss, since the other player will often get one too. Huckster's allies will sometimes be shut out.

HUNTER [b:Warp] Captures Ships for Rewards - 2006

You have the power of Trophies. As a main player, when you win an encounter, use this power to capture all opposing ships. These ships are out of the game. During any player's regroup phase, you may return a captured ship to that player and collect a card as a reward (one card for each ship returned). Ships may also be returned to players as part of a deal.

History: Living a strict warrior's code, the Hunters search for worthy adversaries to add to their collection. These trophies of past battles adorn the halls of the Hunter worlds as a symbol of the cunning Hunter credo.

Wild: You may collect rewards of cards or ships for winning an encounter as offensive player.

Super: You may send captured ships to the warp and free an equal number of your own ships from the warp.

Comments: Hunter can whittle down his opponents, or cash them in for cards when he needs them. With a Rewards deck, Hunter is even more powerful, as he will have access to better cards more often than other players.

IMPLOSION [M:Warp] Card Reduced by Number of Ships - 1991

You have the power of Compression. As a main player, your opponent's attack card is reduced by the number of ships on his side (including allies, but not counting power effects such as Macron or Fungus). The reduction takes place before other card effects like Mirror or Calculator. Your Attack Card is unaffected.

History: The Implosions evolved in the abysmal depths of a watery world. The extreme amounts of pressure caused them to become extraordinarily resistant to compression. Later, they learned to generate a field of compression that they could project at their enemies. The larger the enemy, the more they were weakened.

Wild: The number of ships on your opponent's side is reduced by the number of ships on your side for calculating results. This takes place after any other effects.

Super: Your opponent's attack card is reduced by the number of ships involved in the encounter.

Comments: Implosion is a natural extension of the Anti-Matter's ship reduction ability, except that Implosion wants a higher total.

IMPOSTOR [M:Warp] Replaces Ships - 2008

You have the power to Replace. Every time the Destiny pile is flipped, place a Cosmic token on a planet in that system (on a Wild flip, you decide, regardless of where the offensive player attacks). Whenever there are an equal number of Cosmic tokens to the number of a player's ships on a planet, use this power to send those ships to the Warp and place an equal number of your ships on that planet. At that time, the Cosmic tokens on that planet are removed.

History: Masters of infiltration, the Impostors have secreted sleeper agents in every corner of the Cosmos. Once enough data about the indigenous life has been collected, the Impostors quietly come in and replace them with duplicates. The fakes look and act so convincingly, by the time the local authorities catch on, they have been conquered.

Wild: You may replace your revealed encounter card with the top card of the discard pile (if it is an encounter card).

Super: When you replace ships, you may redeploy the Cosmic tokens there to any planets that do not have tokens on them (maximum of one token per planet).

Comments: Certainly from the Disease family of sneaky aliens that get bases- Impostor doesn't have to worry about his own ship resources. Other players do. They have to make sure they have more ships on their planets than impostor tokens.

JACK [b:Warp] Tries Out Powers - 1993

You have the power to Sample. At the start of the game draw five additional powers. At any point during the game you may use one of these extra powers. You have use of the power until the end of that encounter. At that point, you must set the power aside, and you may not use it again. Every time you gain a foreign colony you may draw an additional power from those not being used and add it to your cache of samples. When you lose a colony anywhere, you must discard a power that you have not sampled. You are not required to use a power in any given encounter.

History: The Jack were originally known as The Jack of All Powers. They have traveled throughout the far reaches of the universe; learning, studying, and memorizing the cultures, powers, and intricacies of every living race, hoping to become a most formidable opponent. By comparison, other aliens don't know jack.

Wild: You may name a flare. If any other player is holding it, he or she must give it to you. If a player gives you a flare, give his flare to Jack. If Jack is not in the game, discard this flare when a player gives you a flare.

Super: You may sample a power you previously sampled.

Comments: Yes, it started out as a joke- about how I had so many powers in my set, and somehow I knew them all. They only way anyone else would get as familiar as I was would be to play with more in one game. But the Jack power is a lot of fun to play.

JACRON [M:Warp] Ships Are Worth Number Involved - 2001

You have the power to Amass. As a main player, use this power to make your ships each worth the number of players opposing your side in the encounter. Thus, if you are attacked by a player with two allies, each of your ships is worth three.

History: The Jacron were descended from the Macron, bred for their ability to travel in large groups when necessary. Converting the energy of opposing fleets into mass they could harness, the Jacron are more powerful when outnumbered.

Notes: The recommended experience level for this power is Novice. This is a Rules type power.

Wild: You may add one to your side's total for each player that is on your side.

Super: You may use your power to amass as an ally.

Comments: Another one of my Macron alternatives. Again, I find it different enough and more flexible than Macron that I have no qualms about having it in my set alongside Macron.

JAUNT [O:Warp] Teleports Ships - 1990

You have the power to Teleport. Whenever you win an encounter as a main player, you may use this power to teleport as many of your ships as you had in the encounter, to and from anywhere you have ships, including from the warp, captured by another player, or out of the game.

History: Once mastering the ability to reconstitute their molecules in other places, the Jaunts soon grew in power. No longer did the warp have much of a hold over them. Jumping instantly from one location to another places the Jaunts in position to quickly conquer uncharted realms.

Wild: If you win as an offensive main player, you may teleport a ship from anywhere in the game (including the warp) to the new base.

Super: You may teleport your allies' ships as well.

Comments: Jaunt was one of my earliest aliens. He's especially useful in games with Fungus or Void- but never having to worry about ship resources is always nice.

JUGGERNAUT [M:Warp:2] Forces Alliances - 1993

You have the power of Devotion. Whenever you invite other players to ally, if they do not commit to your opponent, use this power to force those players to ally with you, with at least one ship.

History: The Juggernauts have tirelessly bowled through the universe, binding many to their cause, and leaving nothing in their wake. They will not rest until they have conquered the whole universe, with everyone's help, of course.

Wild: If, as an ally, you have fewer than 4 ships in the encounter, you may add more (up to 4) after cards have been revealed.

Super: When using your power, your allies must commit with 4 ships, if possible.

Comments: Juggernaut is slightly more equitable version of Magnet. Players have a little bit of a choice in who they ally, but if they are invited, they are going to be involved.

I love Cryo, It’s a great power and it will surely be a part of my set once I get the time to make some more custom alien sheets.

Cult is also a very cool concept and I’m really looking forward to try it.

I also like Dredge, even though it reminds a little of Remora which I like a lot.

Flak is another of my favourites, simple, fun and useful, I like it much more than Reserve. Perhaps you should consider creating an alternative wild for Flak so that he can be used in games without kickers.

Focus is awesome, not only the power but also the wild and super.

Others that I enjoyed a lot are Ditto, Grub, Impostor and Jaunt.

LEVIATHAN [O:Warp:Pl] Planets are Ships (Planet) - 2009

You have the power of Magnitude. As the offensive player, use this power to treat one of your system planets as a ship. Take one of your planets (with one to four of your ships on it) and load it onto the hyperspace gate. The planet itself is worth 10, plus the value of your ships on it. You may not ask for offensive allies. If you win the encounter, the planet moves to your opponent's system (but does not count for him or her). If you lose, your planet and ships go to the warp. You may raise a planet from the warp as you would any of your ships (returning it to your system as an unoccupied colony).

History: Immense and powerful creatures, the Leviathans consumed every resource on their own worlds until they themselves became like planets. The Leviathan fleets, now stationed within the fleshy folds of their masters, scout out new worlds for the Leviathans to envelop. The sight of a world-sized entity gating in through hyperspace often causes madness and hysteria on the targeted planet, but it doesn't last long.

Wild: As a main player, you may play your entire hand as one encounter card (adding together only attack cards to create one value). The entire hand is discarded at the end of the encounter.

Super: You may rearrange your ships among all of your system planets (even reoccupying a planet that you had no ships on before).

Comments: I wanted to have a power names Leviathan for awhile, and when the individual planets were released as part of the FFG edition, I knew there was an opportunity to use them this way. Leviathan was first playtested a few weeks ago to much delight on my part. I may end up changing around some of the wording, but it works very well so far.

LUDDITE [M:Warp] Encounter Cards are Not Revealed - 2008

You have the power over Mechanization. As a main player in an encounter, use this power to force the opposing side to play cards for the encounter without revealing them. Both your opponent and his or her allies may play any number of cards (Encounter cards or otherwise) face down, and each has a value of only 1 (no matter what kind of card they play). Add the number of cards to the number of ships on your opponent's side to get his or her total. You may play any Encounter card normally.

History: A simple race of herbivores, the Luddites have always been fearful and mistrusting of all things mechanical. They have evolved a natural field that disables mechanical devices and other forms of technological development, forcing enemies to attack with more primitive means. The Luddites find themselves on a crusade to rid the known Universe of hateful technology, and those who would use it.

Wild: You may discard any number of cards from your hand, adding +1 to your side's total in an encounter for each card discarded.

Super: If you win the encounter as a main player, you may take into your hand all non-encounter cards played by the opposing side as encounter cards.

Comments: I like Luddite because it forces a player to potentially use up some good cards if he has any hope of winning. Yes, Luddite's opponents will be able to dump card they don't like, but they also can't ever negotiate. Since most encounter cards are worth about 8, his opponents have to dump quite a few cards to stay competitive.

LUNATIC [O:Warp] Allies Against Self - 1991

You have the power of Insanity. As a main player, you may use this power to ally against yourself (without being invited).

History: Not known for their rational behavior, the Lunatics have existed thus far by being on the winning side of every battle in some form or another.

Wild: You may exchange all of your tokens on a base in your system with those of another player's tokens in his system. Give this card to Lunatic when you play it. If Lunatic is not in the game, discard this card to play it.

Super: You may ally with both sides of a challenge, if invited by both main players.

Comments: Lunatic always gets something out of his encounters. Yes, he's going to lose some ships, but he'll also keep his colonies, or get rewards. It's not a bad trade-off.

MANGONEL [O:Warp] External Ships Count to Total - 2008

You have the power to Bombard. When you are not involved in an encounter, you may use this power to add the number of your ships on foreign colonies to the total of one side. Your ships are not at risk.

History: Pioneers of frontier justice, the Mangonels prefer to tip the balance from safe distances. Once devoted to a path of non-interference, it did not take long for the Mangonels to realize that they could not sit idly by while other forces destroyed the defenseless. However, there was no need to introduce risk to their interests if the Mangonels could participate by proxy.

Wild: You may play a reinforcement in an encounter where you are not involved.

Super: If you use your power and your side wins, you collect rewards of cards from the deck or ships from the warp in the amount of the number of ships the main player you helped had in the encounter.

Comments: Born out of too many games of Age of Empires II, but I think the concept is sound. Mangonel will be beefing up his external ship count as much and fast as he can. This leaves him weaker at home, but he just has to try to win faster.

MAVEN [O:Warp] Wins if Deals are Made (Alternate Win) - 2009

Game Setup: Start the game with 4 tokens plus one for each player in the game on your alien sheet.

You have the power to Adjudicate. When only one player in an encounter plays a negotiate card, you may use this power to play a negotiate from your hand and call "renegotiate". The two main players have one minute to make a deal. If the deal is successful, you remove a token from your sheet. If the deal fails, both main players lose four ships each to the warp and you remove two tokens. When all of the tokens have been removed from your sheet, you win the game. You may still win the game via the normal manner.

History: Expert negotiators that travel throughout the Cosmos facilitating deals, the Mavens know that the virtue of adjudication is its own reward. Only fools do not seek mutually beneficial outcomes at the tables of diplomacy, and the Mavens understand very well the real fruits of win-win situations.

Wild: If a deal fails between two other players, you have one minute to deal with one of the players. If it fails again, you both lose three ships (the other player loses a total of six).

Super: You may participate in the deal discussions between two other players when you use your power. The three of you have 2 minutes to make a deal. Your penalty for a failed deal is only one ship to the warp.

Comments: I love the idea of alternate win aliens, and I love the token concept that has been added to the game. Maven depends heavily on negotiate cards (for himself and others). He doesn't lose anything if other players don't deal, but they lose 1 extra ship, so they have added incentive. Yes, Maven can renegotiate his own encounters, in which case he DOES lose 4 ships for not dealing.

MERC [b:Warp] Gets Rewards for Defense - 2000

You have the power of Fortune. Whenever you win an encounter as defensive main player, use this power to win a reward of cards or ships from the warp for each ship you had in the encounter. As an ally, you may use this power to play a reinforcement during the planning phase (it does not count to totals), and take rewards in the amount of the reinforcement if your side wins.

History: Having no homes to call their own, the scaly Mercs discovered there was profit to be made in the defense of colonized worlds. After supplanting those that initially hired them, the Mercs have found a place for themselves. They have now set their sites on major expansion.

Wild: You may receive rewards instead of gaining a colony after a successful encounter.

Super: You may receive double the rewards as a defensive ally.

Comments: I always wanted to get something for winning an encounter as the defense, so Merc was a natural development for that. But when I created the Rewards deck, Merc became even more powerful. Still, he was only a defensive winner-only power, so I added the reinforcement bit to give him more opportunity. He's essentially throwing away those reinforcements when he uses them, but if his side wins, he gets more out of it.

MESSIAH [O:Warp] Gains Cards by Winning - 1992

You have the power of Awe. As a winning main player in an encounter where both players played attack cards, you may use this power to discard one card from your hand for any or all players involved in the encounter. You then draw the same number of cards at random from as many of those players as cards you discarded. The number you discard and draw must be equal.

History: By demonstrating to others their superior nature, the Messiahs have accumulated wealth and power in their own system. Now they have moved out into the Cosmos and find that other races are even more easily impressed than their peers.

Wild: If you win an encounter as a main player, you may release one of your ships from the warp.

Super: You may draw two cards from each player involved, and you need only discard one card from your hand for each player.

Comments: Messiah is a card cycler. When he is a winner, he gets to dump cards he doesn't want and snag a card from players who have a lot of them. Messiah can target a single player if he likes (as long as they were involved). He's an equalizer.

MIMIC [O:Warp] Shares Power When Sharing a Colony - 1992

You have the power to Imitate. Once per encounter, you may use this power to copy the power of a player with whom you share a colony. When you copy, that player must use this power at that time if they intend to do so. You may then use the power at that time if you intend to do so.

History: Originally developed as a race of exterminating drones, the Mimics adapted to their environment, and turned on their creators. Now, unable to discern Mimics from themselves, the rest of the Cosmos is in danger of annihilation.

Wild: You may play any Artifact as if it were a Cosmic Zap.

Super: When you imitate a power, that player may not use his or her power.

Comments: Mimic is from the Insect-family of meta powers, but he's got more flexibility than just his opponent. Mimic will try to get on a colony with as many players as he can. He also takes care of timing conflicts, since he forces a player to use his or her power when he copies them (if they want to use it), and then he has last use of the power (letting him undo his opponent). That is, if he faces Sorcerer and copies that power, his opponent must decide to switch cards before Mimic decides if he wants to switch them (and yes, he can look at his card before deciding to switch back). He's quite evil. Oracle does throw a damper in his plans though, since Mimic would have to commit his card when Oracle uses his power.

MONTY [O:Warp] Rewards Deals - 1993

You have the power to Deal. As a main player, whenever you are about to lose an encounter, before it is resolved, you may use this power to have one minute to make a deal with your opponent. You may grant 1-4 of your opponent's ships back from the warp or 1-4 cards from the deck as part of the terms of your deal. If your opponent agrees to the deal, the encounter counts as a win for both of you. If your opponent does not agree, the encounter is resolved normally.

History: Determined at all costs to make a deal, the Montys work feverishly to lay the groundwork that will pay off in the long run. Who can resist the allure of what might be behind door number two?

Wild: If you fail to make a deal with your opponent, you may offer the same deal to another player. If he or she accepts, your opponent still loses 3 ships, but you do not. If the second player rejects, they are unaffected, and proceed as if the original deal failed.

Super: You may use your power as an ally, dealing with the opposing main player only.

Comments: Let's make a deal! Monty tries to turn a loss into a win. He can only use his power if he's going to lose, but in deal situations he can sometimes get more out of it than he would had he won.

MORPHEUS [O:Warp] Copies Played Cards - 2009

Game Setup: Place 4 Cosmic Tokens plus 1 for each player in the game on your alien sheet.

You have the power to Morph. When another player plays a card from the Encounter deck, you may use this power to remove a token from your sheet. Instead of putting the card in the discard pile or back to a player's hand, place the card in front of you. It does not count as part of your hand, but you may play it at any time as if it were. Once played, it is discarded. You may only have one "morphed" card in front of you at a time.

History: Suffering from generations of low self-esteem, the Morpheus prefer to live vicariously through others - taking on their appearance, characteristics, and behavior. Only through succeeding in the footsteps of those they admire more than themselves do the Morpheus begin to see their own worth. Once they reach a state of true pride, surely they will have no one left to emulate.

Wild: You may turn your encounter card into a Morph card.

Super: You may have two "morphed" cards face up in front of you at a time.

Comments: Thanks to the Morph card for this one. Morpheus gets one more use out of each good card used in the game. He has a finite number of morphs he can perform, but some cards are too good to pass up.

MULE [O:Warp] Plays Kickers for Either Side - 1996

You have the power to Kick. If you are involved in an encounter, you may use this power to play a kicker for either side. The main player may change their encounter card after you have played a kicker for him or her. You may also replace a kicker one of the main players has played, taking their kicker into your hand. Additionally, you may use this power to take any kicker discarded by another player.

History: Beginning their existence as laboring slaves, the Mules were bred for strength and endurance. After the great uprising of 20219, the Mules have forged their own destiny, kicking a path through their adversaries.

Wild: You may give a Kicker to any player, who must use it in this encounter.

Super: You may play multiple kickers, for either or both sides of an encounter.

Comments: Mule is obviously not truly suited to play for the FFG edition at this time. If Kickers are introduced to the encounter deck, it will be worth revisiting. In our games, Mule has been a fun power to play, even if he only gets to use his power about 3 times or so in a game.

NEGATRON [M:Warp:2] Receives Opposite Rewards - 2000

You have the power of Reverse. As an ally, use this power to receive the opposite reward you would normally receive. As a winning defensive ally, you land your ship on the defensive planet (coexisting with any ships already there). As a winning offensive ally, you gain rewards of tokens from the warp or cards from the deck for each ship you had in the encounter.

History: The harsh conditions of the Negatron's solar system wreak havoc on their communications, and as a result they have a reputation for confounding the expectations of their allies. The Negatron make their own demands when committing to alliances of convenience - taking resources when attacking, and demanding colonial presence when defending. Garbled communications are no excuse for breaking treaties, in the opinion of the Negatron.

Wild: You may force a player to take compensation from you instead of taking it from him. He takes as many cards as you would have taken.

Super: You may force your other allies to receive the opposite reward they would have normally received.

Comments: Negatron is fun, even when you don't have the Reverse Cone option in a game. Collecting the opposite reward opens doors that are sometimes not open. Negatron gets invited on offense a lot more when he has 3 or 4 colonies.

NEXUS [b:Warp] Uses Expansion Not in Game - 2008

Game Setup: Choose an expansion or variant that is not being used (e.g. Technology, Moons, Lucre, etc.) and add it to the game.

You have the power of Connection. Once per encounter as a main player, use this power to use a game element that no other player has access to. For example, you may research a Tech if Technology is not in the game. Or you may make an encounter against a moon instead of a planet if moons are not in the game.

History: Existing partially in another dimension, the Nexus always stand on the cutting edge of new technologies and advancements. They "borrow" components from parallel worlds and bring them to bear on civilizations that don't understand them. This knack for harnessing the unknown is what gives the Nexus the power to advance faster than their peers.

Wild: You may play as many flares in an encounter as you like. Each flare may only be used once.

Super: You may use your power twice per encounter.

Comments: Nexus is a fun twist on things when you're otherwise playing a game without certain expansions. Right now in the FFG edition, Tech is the most playable component to add in, but Lucre rules are easy to find and substitute Lucre is easy enough to come by.

NINJA [b:Warp] Has a Card in Reserve - 1992

You have the power of Stealth. You must place an attack card from your hand face down off to the side. This card is your "gimmick". It is not considered part of your hand, is not subject to compensation, and you may not change it. Whenever you are a main player and reveal a negotiate card, you may use this power to immediately replace it with your gimmick. Conclude the encounter as if you had originally played the gimmick. Both cards are discarded, and you must select a new gimmick. When you run out of encounter cards, you do not discard your gimmick.

History: Through centuries of devotion to their mystical arts, the Ninjas have developed a system of stealthy attack, always surprising their opponent at the last moment with a hidden weapon.

Wild: You may replace a kicker with one from your hand.

Super: You may replace your face down gimmick with a different card from your hand.

Comments: Ninja was inspired by a Lost Worlds character I enjoyed. Having a special card you can spring on another player later on is always nice. It's also immune to compensation and power effects like Barbarian.

NITROUS [O:Warp] Increases the value of Kickers - 2000

You have the power to Boost. As a main player in an encounter, you may use this power to declare you are playing a kicker, and use any card from your hand as the kicker. It has a value of zero. You may sacrifice any number of your ships to the warp, increasing the value of the kicker by the number of ships. You may increase real kickers in the same fashion. If you are Cosmic Zapped, your virtual kicker is discarded, but sacrificed tokens return to bases.

History: The Nitrous contain a chemical compound in the physiological make-up that makes them more dangerous through self-sacrifice. The explosive nature of their bio-chemistry causes other intelligent races to tread lightly when encountering them. Even the Nitrous are reluctant to speak too loudly or participate in social occasions.

Wild: You may use this card as a kicker with a value equal to the number of your ships in the encounter. Give this card to Nitrous when you use it. If Nitrous is in the game, discard it to play it.

Super: Ships you sacrifice to boost your kicker do not go to the warp if you win the encounter.

Comments: Nitrous, unlike Mule, can be easily used in the FFG edition. In games with Kickers it is even more powerful.

PARADIGM [O:Warp] Changes System Encountered - 2008

You have the power to Shift. When you are the defensive main player, before cards are revealed, you may call out "shift". Immediately flip the next card in the destiny pile over. Move the hyperspace gate to the same planet in the system shown on the new flip. This new color is the new defensive main player, but that player must use the encounter card you played. Reveal encounter cards and calculate totals.

History: Insane geniuses experimenting with reality, the Paradigm have nearly mastered the shift of perception on a galactic scale. While they don't fully understand the ramifications of their ability, they don't seem to care either.

Wild: If your color appears in the destiny pile, you may cancel it and flip again.

Super: You may opt to flip the destiny pile again before cards are revealed.

Comments: Paradigm is one of that class of powers that likes to mess with players' minds. It's a gamble for Paradigm, but it works out often enough for him. He's no longer part of the encounter when he successfully executes his power, but he can sometimes whittle down a player's home colonies.

PARADOX [O:Warp] Nullifes Power or else Players are Re-Attacked - 2009

You have the power of Time Dilation. Whenever a color comes up in the Destiny deck, you collect the discard. At the start of any player's regroup, you may use this power to hand a player his or her color Destiny card. They may not use their power during this encounter unless they place the Destiny card on the top of the Destiny deck. If they do not use their power, the card is discarded normally. You may use this power to place your own Destiny card on top of the Destiny deck to cancel the effects of a Cosmic Zap played against you.

History: The Paradox are reckless time travelers, forcing civilizations to relive their worst disasters, and manipulating the timeline of powerless individuals so that they repeat their mistakes. The Paradox are reckless time travelers, forcing civilizations to relive their worst disasters, and manipulating the timeline of powerless individuals so that they repeat their mistakes.

Wild: After revealing encounter cards, you may play a different card from your hand, replacing the one you previously played. Both are discarded.

Super: You may pick up Wild and Special Destiny cards and use them as any color you choose.

Comments: Paradox has turned out to be a very sneaky alien to play with. Other players have to be very specific about when they absolutely want to have use of their power (even for bluffing purposes). Paradox keeps other players as the defensive targets, which is good for him.

PHOTON [O:Warp] Plays a Card from the Discard Pile - 2009

You have the power to Disperse. As a main player in an encounter, before cards are played, you may use this power to discard your hand and search through the discard pile for any encounter card to play.

History: A singularly focused intelligence, the Photons have evolved with an obsession for maintaining a symmetry at every point in spacetime. They consume massive amounts of energy in order to find equilibrium between an outcome in the past with one in the future. The Photons are unable to concern themselves with creature comforts - the dispersal of their own belongings factors into the overall equation. Those things they rid themselves of now will play their roles in time.

Wild: As an ally, you may search through the discard pile for a reinforcement to play in this encounter.

Super: When you discard your hand to use your power, you may keep any non-encounter cards that were in your hand.

Comments: As soon as a really good card turns up in the discard pile, Photon is ready for action. He can even discard his hand to draw a card from his hand, just to be rid of stuff he doesn't want.

PRISM [M:Warp:2] Secretly Flips Destiny Pile - 1990

You have the power to Refract. At the start of each of your encounters, you secretly look at the next flip of the destiny pile. You then load the hyperspace gate and point it at a planet in your system. All other players must respond as though the same planet in their system is being attacked. Everyone may invite normally. After cards are revealed, you reveal the destiny flip. Conclude the encounter normally. Any player who is allied as well as a main player must remove his or her allied ships without calculating their total. If challenging a home planet, the defensive player is specified before cards are revealed, but after played.

History: By distorting the universe around them, the Prisms have managed to bend countless aliens to their own twisted way. They alone can perceive the cosmos in its true light.

Wild: You may force allies to receive the opposite rewards after an encounter is resolved. Give this card to Prism when you play it. If Prism is not in the game, discard it to play it.

Super: After encounter cards are revealed you may flip the next destiny card and recalculate the effects.

Comments: Prism is just as nutty as Paradigm. Prism forces everyone to prepare for attacks. The later in the game, the more spread out everyone's ships are, and you tend to have fewer allies against you. This makes Prism very powerful when he's going for the win.

PYGMY [M:Warp] Colonies Count as Half - 2009

You have the power of Half. Each of your home worlds counts as only half of a foreign colony for all other players (rounding down). You do not lose your power as a result of occupying too few home planets.

History: When the Cosmos was young, the Pygmies lived on twin worlds, rich with valuable resources. A gravitational anomaly caused the two planets to collide, scattering the Pygmies among the ruined rubble of their former homes. The ragged and inhospitable chunks of debris on which the Pygmies now live serve only as a staging ground for their invasion of other worlds.

Wild: When a player is to collect rewards, he or she may only take half as much as they are entitled to (rounding down).

Super: As a defensive player in your own system, the value of your opponent's attack card is worth half (rounding down).

Comments: Pygmy is truly subversive. The most another player can gain is 2 foreign colonies in your system. Pygmy will almost never be the target of a Wild Destiny. Other players will be less likely to ally against you, since they have less to gain.

QUAKE [M:Warp] Knocks Ships Off of Planets - 2009

You have the power to Topple. Whenever your system comes up in Destiny (either by your color or a Special Destiny card, but not a Wild Destiny), use this power to drop one of your ships on any planet in the game. Any ships that are knocked completely or partially off the planet go to the warp. If your ship stays completely on the planet, you establish a colony there (otherwise it goes to the warp). Ships must be dropped from at least the height of an alien sheet.

History: Seismic beings attracted to dense populations, the Quakes project themselves through the Cosmos on energy waves. These waves are extremely unstable and destructive, but the Quakes enjoy toppling the unsightly structures of their enemies. The dust and debris of decimated cities would be much more pleasing to their eyes, if the Quakes had eyes.

Wild: Force a player to lay all of his or her cards side by side face down in front of them. Then toss this card from at least two feet away. Any cards this card touches are discarded, along with this card.

Super: You may drop a ship twice on a planet when you use your power. Ships knocked off on both quakes are sent to the warp.

Comments: Easily the goofiest power I have created, Quake was made especially for the FFG set with its stackable ships (though would work just as well with the Avalon Hill set too). After many tests, this power tends to work pretty well every time it gets used, but rarely wipes out a whole planet. Other players have to be careful how many ships they keep on a planet, since taller stacks are more vulnerable.

RATION [M:Warp] Divides Cards Among Players - 2002

You have the power to Divvy. Whenever you are a main player in an encounter, before cards are played, use this power to draw a card at random from every other player, and one from the deck. Place the cards face up for all to see. You then give a card to each player and take one for yourself.

History: Masters of maintaining proportioned allotments, the Ration assist with dividing resources between all aliens. In the mix, they manage to save the best items for themselves.

Wild: When you must play an encounter card, you may draw the top card of the encounter deck and use that card. Otherwise, discard it.

Super: You may draw three cards from the encounter deck to add to the divvy pool. Discard whatever cards are leftover.

Comments: Ration is one of those powers that would be good as a Tech or a Moon, but does still work. It's nice to be able to get a good card each encounter, and to also know a little something about what other players have. You can make sure Anti-Matter gets a higher card, Pacifist doesn't get a negotiate, etc.

REBELLION [M:Warp] Attacks Winning Player - 1993

You have the power to Rebel. You do not have a system of planets. Instead, your ships are kept off to one side. Whenever you need to use ships, you may draw them from your side pile. On your turn, instead of drawing from the destiny deck, you must make an encounter against the player with the most foreign colonies (you choose in case of a tie). You may attack that player on any colony he or she has, even foreign ones. You do not lose your power for not having enough home planets.

History: Quietly amassing their forces in out of the way places, the Rebellion have plotted against the unjust forces ruling the Cosmos. Striking from their hidden rebel base, the Rebellion will not stop until the evil empire is destroyed and the Cosmos is free once again.

Wild: Your ships lost in this encounter do not go to the warp. Keep them next to your planets, and use them whenever you need to add ships to an encounter.

Super: You may add the number of ships you have on any colonies you share with your opponent to your encounter total. Those ships are not at risk.

Comments: Rebellion was created as a way to bring another player into the game (I've even used to add a player to a game already in progress). Rebellion is rarely attacked by other players. He can also prevent the leader from winning, since he can target that player on any of his or her colonies.

RECLUSE [M:Warp:2] Allies Must Come from System Attacked - 2002

You have the power of Isolation. As a main player, use this power to force opposing allies to bring ships that only come from the system being attacked.

History: The solitary and mysterious Recluse are difficult creatures to find, much less conquer. Their distant colonies hardly seem worth the effort to encounter, and this has allowed the Recluse to bide their time, building up resources and power for the day when they meet their tormentors head on.

Wild: When your opponent is drawing compensation from you, he or she may only take one card (not counting this one).

Super: As defensive main player, you may force the offense to only use ships from your system to attack you (not counting a ship raised directly from the warp to the hyperspace gate). If he has no ships with which to attack, he must forfeit his turn.

Comments: Recluse is a defensive power that is usually attacked by few if any opposing allies. Players have to first establish a colony in his system to be able to ally with anyone attacking his system, which will be tough to do since the first time anyone attacks his system, they have to do it alone. This tends to give Recluse defensive allies whenever he wants them.

SCAR [M:Warp] Marks Planets of Opponents - 2009

You have the power to Deface. Whenever you lose an encounter as a main player or ally, use this power to place one Cosmic Token for each player opposing you on a planet where any of those players has ships. When there are four Cosmic Tokens on a planet, replace them with four of your ships from anywhere in the game, including the warp.

History: Thinking themselves a handsome and charming race, the Scars were horrified to learn this was not the case when they finally encountered another people face to face. The hideously disfigured Scars grow weary of the sidelong glances and muttered comments that accompany them wherever they go. The only way to camouflage their deformities is by marring the appearance of their surroundings.

Wild: As a main player, you may change an attack card played by your opponent so the second digit is the same as the first one (e.g. a 19 would become an 11).

Super: When you gain a colony through defacement, any ships on that planet belonging to other players go to the warp.

Comments: Scar starts to really shine late in the game. Just when players might want to band together to stop Scar, they have to watch out for who is going to end up giving him a colony if he loses. Scar calls for long term planning.

SEED [b:Warp] Forces a Future Loss - 2008

You have the power to Germinate. When you lose an encounter as a main player or ally, use this power to take a ship from the opposing main player from anywhere. In a subsequent encounter in which you are involved, you may give a ship back to a player opposing your side (adding it to the encounter). That player's ships in the encounter now count to your side's total for determining the winner.

History: Originally devout opponents of early experiments in eugenics and other forms of genetic manipulation, the Seeds were later convinced that tampering in the development of other races could bear interesting fruit in future generations. The careful selection of breeding subjects between different lines has provided the Seeds with sleeper agents they can use at strategic moments, facilitating coups, and ensuring the advancement of their own ends.

Wild: If you draw this card as compensation, you must discard your entire hand. Give this card to Seed if it is in the game, or else discard it along with your hand.

Super: When you use your power, you may take a seed ship from each player that opposed your side.

Comments: Seed has the flexibility to determine when to alter the encounter totals by giving back a "seed" ship. The setup portion of his power is also something players have to deal with, especially powers that need their ships, or in games with Tech.

SHEPHERD [M:Warp] Determines Where Ships Go - 2009

You have the power to Herd. Whenever ships leaves the warp or must return to a colony for any reason, use this power to determine where those ships go. They must go to legitimate colonies if possible.

History: The Shepherds were first tasked with organizing livestock for other alien races. They worked in a domestic capacity, eventually taking on more and more responsibility. As time passed, the influence of the Shepherds became more pronounced, until the line was blurred between who was giving the orders, and who was receiving them.

Wild: You may force a player to take compensation from your hand instead of another player's.

Super: You may force a player to take rewards of ships instead of cards if that player has ships in the warp.

Comments: Shepherd is not a powerful alien at first glance, but in games it has proven to be very strategic. This is another power that gets more intense as the game goes on.

SINGULARITY [M:Warp:Pl] Moves Planets to Other Systems (Planet) -

Game Setup: Place 5 ships on 4 of your planets. The empty planet is then placed in any other player's system.

You have the power of Movability. Whenever the Destiny deck shows the color of a system where you have an empty planet, use this power to move all of your ships from a planet in your home system to the empty external planet. This planet now counts as a foreign colony as well as a home colony for maintaining your power. Players may use a wild or special destiny to make an encounter against your empty planet, which you must defend. You may not use your power to occupy one of your external planets if there are other players' ships there already. When you do use your power, the planet your ships vacated may be placed in another player's system.

History: Formed from organic matter found in the event horizon of a black hole, the Singularity exist within the concepts of mathematical equations. When one equation behaves in a nonlinear fashion, the Singularity take advantage of the holomorphic function that results, moving to a seemingly unpredictable location to establish a presence there.

Wild: When your color comes up in the Destiny deck, you may move one of your ships in the warp to one of your colonies in your system.

Super: During any player's Regroup phase, you may move one of your empty planets to another player's system.

Comments: Singularity is a bit of a variation on Disease, taking advantage of the individual planets in the FFG set. The power is subject to the randomness of the Destiny deck, and the hopes that somehow a player doesn't attack one of his empty foreign planets.

SOLARIS [O:Warp] Gives Others Their Super Flare - 1998

You have the power of Flares. Once per encounter, you may use this power to grant another player the use of his or her super flare (without the need of playing a card). That player simply invokes it that turn, if desired. Players using their super flare in this manner can not be stopped with a Card Zap, and you can only be Cosmic Zapped when first granting super status.

History: Evolving at the vortex of the galaxy's runoff of cosmic detritus, the Solaris honed their power of granting each race's most desired thoughts and aspirations. Through careful execution of their skills, the Solaris have discreetly manipulated their allies and enemies.

Wild: You may play this card as though it were your super flare.

Super: You may play this card like a Card Zap (whenever another player invokes a super flare).

Comments: Solaris is one of the rare benign powers (like Force) that helps other powers- though presumably Solaris is doing it to gain something as well. Being allied with Solaris gives you more options for your own power. I have every alien's Super written on the power card, but you can also have a print out for all of the aliens for easy access.

STEALTH [M:Warp] Has a Secret Power - 2007

You have the power of Surprise. At the start of the game, draw a random alien power and keep it secret. Use this power to reveal your secret alien power at any time, which you must immediately use. After using the secret alien power, draw a new one at the next Regroup phase and keep it hidden. You may only use your Stealth power once per encounter, but a revealed power may be used normally until the end of the encounter in which it is revealed.

History: Bottom-feeding creatures that search through the ruins of forgotten alien civilizations, the Stealth are able to summon forth the power of those former races. Keeping their powers hidden until the best time, the Stealth strike without warning, hoping to add new ranks to the rubble of their domain.

Wild: Choose any player in the game. That player must play a Cosmic Zap against any player you designate, if he has one.

Super: After you use your secret power, you may keep it.

Comments: Stealth is a ton of fun to play. You may not get to use the powers that often, depending on what you draw, but other players can't plan ahead when dealing with you very well, and there's a great indimidation factor.

STOWAWAY [O:Warp:2] Leaves a Ship in the Gate - 1993

You have the power to Stow Away. If you have more than one ship on the hyperspace gate, regardless if your side won or lost the encounter, you may leave one ship on the gate, instead going to a colony or the warp. It remains there for the next encounter and is automatically involved. If you're to be the offensive player, you may place 4 additional ships on the gate; otherwise, it counts as being an ally. You may only place additional ships onto the gate by normal means of placing ships there, including the opposing side. However, if you are determined to be the defensive player, your stowaway ship would not count towards the encounter. The ship remains on the gate for the next encounter. A Cosmic Zap can only prevent you from stowing away a ship, and cannot remove a ship already left on the gate.

History: Always looking for a free ride, the minuscule Stowaways leech onto others to provide for their space exploration. Cosmic dominance would allow them free range to everywhere, even if under false pretenses.

Wild: When another player draws a ship from the warp, you may also draw one and place it where they place theirs. Give this flare to Stowaway when you use it. If Stowaway is not in the game, discard it to use it.

Super: If you only have your stowaway ship on the gate; it remains there as a stowaway after the encounter. If you were to get a colony, you may place a ship on that colony from anywhere you have them.

Comments: Stow Away is a cousin to Parasite, but has the advantage of allying with the opposing side, and being able to leave a ship on the gate after a loss.

SWARM [O:Warp] Players May Play Multiple Encounter Cards - 2008

You have the power to Teem. As a main player in an encounter, you may use your power to declare a teeming attack. Each main player may then play up to as many attack cards as they have ships in the encounter. Cards are totaled together. Negotiates played with attack cards have no value.

History: As individuals they were without intelligence, but when they banded together, the Swarm were able to think as one unit. Their collective becomes even stronger when in proximity of other forms of intelligence, and the Swarm is able to to harness this power, unleashing it as they like.

Wild: When collecting compensation, you may sacrifice to the Warp additional ships from other bases to draw that many more cards.

Super: You may teem the number of allies you have in the encounter as well. Your opponent may only teem with the number of ships he or she has in the encounter.

Comments: Swarm creates crazy big encounters. Swarm has the advantage of when to declare an attack, and can do so when he's holding several attack cards and has more ships in the encounter. It's a good way to purge cards too, if necessary.

SYMMETRY [M:Warp] Wins from Lopsided Encounters (Alternate Win) - 2009

Game Setup: Place 8 Cosmic Tokens plus one for each player in the game on your alien sheet.

You have the power of Equilibrium. Whenever any player wins an encounter by a total of 10 or more, use this power to remove a token from your alien sheet. When the last token is removed, you win the game. You may still win the game via the normal method.

History: The Symmetry move invisibly though the Cosmos, monitoring the amount of force used to win battles, and regulating adherence to the Olotka Conventions for treatment of combatants. Whenever violations occur, the Symmetry take covert action. Other worlds will eventually pay for non-compliance, though they do not fully understand the ramifications.

Wild: If your opponent has more allies than you do, you may choose one of his or her allies, who must leave the encounter. Ships return to colonies.

Super: If the difference in encounter totals is 7 or more, you may remove one of your tokens. You may remove 2 tokens if the difference is 15 or more.

Comments: Symmetry causes some reconsideration of what cards to play and what powers to invoke. It's psychological. Early in the game, players tend to not worry about it, but as you get down to 3 or 4 tokens, people get paranoid about winning by too much. Symmetry can affect this by purposely losing some encounters by a huge margin.

TITAN [M:Warp:Pl] Removes Planets (Planet) - 2009

You have the power to Obliterate. Whenever you lose an encounter as the offense, use this power to remove the planet you were attacking from the game. All ships on the planet are sent to the warp. You can not obliterate more planets than it takes for you to win the game.

History: The recklessly powerful Titans were once worshiped by other Cosmic races, but fell from grace when advances in technology and space exploration revealed their mortality. Their power has not waned though, and when their anger grows too strong to control, it is the faithless that pay the price. A most terrible price, indeed.

Wild: As a losing defensive player, you may obliterate one of the attacking ships that would have landed on your planet. That ship is removed from the game.

Super: You may obliterate all ships on the planet when you lose as the offense.

Comments: Titan seems pretty vicious, but he has to lose as the offense to use his power- which doesn't happen very often in a game. Nevertheless, the penalty is deliciously cruel.

TOXIN [M:Warp] Reduces Ships on Shared Colonies - 1994

You have the power of Poison. At the start of a player's turn, use this power to force the offensive player to lose a ship to the warp for each colony you have in his or her system plus a ship for each colony that player has in your system (this occurs before they retrieve one of their ships from the warp).

History: Spawned on a planet of noxious fumes and deadly elements, the Toxins developed into a uniquely dangerous species. Immune to all forms of poisoning, they quickly learned that most other races were not. Now even their allies are eliminated by the Toxins' hazardous association.

Wild: When any player flips your color, if that player already has a colony in your system you may take all the ships from one such colony and put them in the warp. Give this flare to Toxin when you play it. If Toxin is not in the game, discard it to use it.

Super: You may poison a player on every colony he shares with you.

Comments: Toxin used to punish players that shared colonies with him, but that only ended up making him have no allies. Now players have to worry about how many colonies they have in his system as well as how many he has in theirs. Late in the game, it can get brutal.

TRUCKER [M:Warp] Delivers Rewards - 2009

You have the power to Deliver. Whenever players are to receive rewards, use this power to deliver the rewards. If a player chooses ships from the warp, you determine which of that player's colonies they go to. If a player chooses cards, you take all the cards to be received for that encounter and look at them. You then determine which player receives which cards.

History: When no other alien race would accept the job for deliveries, the cantankerous Truckers agreed to do it. They obey the letter of the law, if not the spirit, and the deliveries are made in a timely fashion - even if goods and destinations are sometimes not to one's liking.

Wild: When a player is to take compensation from you, you may choose a different player to collect it. That player receives the same amount of cards the original player would have taken.

Super: You may free one of your ships when delivering ships, and draw an extra card to keep for yourself when delivering cards. Each ship and card is per player receiving them. You do not get to see the cards you draw for yourself.

Comments: Trucker is a meddling power, but also an equalizer. Trucker makes sure no player has a severe advantage. The dynamic of rewards is altered slightly by Trucker's presence... sometimes people don't ally when they otherwise would.

UBERMENSCH [M:Warp] Accumulates Adapter Points - 2007

You have the power to Adapt. Any time another player plays a flare or artifact, add a Cosmic Token to your alien sheet. Whenever you are a main player, use this power to add your Adapter points to your total.

History: Against impossible odds, the Ubermensch developed on a world so close to its sun, it should not have been able to sustain life. Through the ability to adapt to any situation, they continue to survive. Rather than being weakened by the assaults of their enemies, the Ubermensch merely get stronger.

Wild: As a main player, for every card played during the encounter besides this one, you may add one point to your side's total.

Super: You acquire Adapter points for flares and artifacts you play (not counting this one).

Comments: This is a power that forces other players to really consider whether they want to play that artifact or flare. You'll be getting more powerful each time they do, and your tokens never go away.

UMBRA [M:Warp] Gets Points for Lost Ships - 2004

You have the power of Shadow. Whenever you lose ships to the warp, add a Cosmic Token to your alien sheet. As a main player, you may use this power to add all of your Shadow points to your total. Used points are removed from your alien sheet.

History: Born in the darkest reaches of the Warp, the Umbra began seeking the light once they accumulated enough power. Now, whenever they return to The Warp, the re-emerge even more powerful that before.

Wild: You may add one point to your side's total for each ship you currently have in the warp.

Super: You may use your power of Shadow as an ally.

Comments: Umbra is another in the point-accumulating powers. It's a power that only gets use out of losing, but it's nice to get something in the deal.

VANGUARD [M:Warp] HEADS OFF ATTACKS - 1992

You have the power of Precedence. At the start of the game place a ship in front of your planets. Whenever another player attacks your system (after they load the Hyperspace Gate, but before pointing it at any planet), use this power to force him or her to first attack your vanguard ship. You each play cards. If you win, your opponent must return home and end his or her turn. If you lose, your opponent proceeds with his or her encounter. No ships are lost as a result of the vanguard encounter. If after challenging the vanguard your opponent has no challenge cards his or her turn ends. No compensation is gained from a vanguard encounter.

History: For as long as the Vanguards remember, they have told the tale of the lost ship that held off an entire fleet. From that legend an empire grew, and the Vanguards have seen the usefulness of sending a small force ahead to meet their attackers. Those unable to oppose the advance units quickly see the futility of engaging the main forces.

Wild: You may force your opponent to reveal his or her encounter card before inviting allies.

Super: If your opponent loses the vanguard encounter, you may send his ships to the Warp.

Comments: Vanguard is a great deterrent power. Before they even have allies, players have to expend an encounter card just to be able to actually attack Vanguard's system. The Vanguard ship is never at risk, so you can dump a weak card from your hand if you need to during the "pre-encounter". The attacking player has to hope they can beat you without wasting a really good card to do so.

VERMIN [M:Warp] Reduces Colony Population - 1993

You have the power of Pestilence. Whenever a player establishes a colony in your system, use this power to force that player to lose a ship to the warp from each of his external colonies (including the one he just established).

History: The untold pestilence of the Vermin home worlds have proven too fatal for most invading aliens. Disease, filth, and death follow those who tread even a moment on Vermin soil. The remains of the fallen are a fetid feast to Vermin eyes, and they gladly welcome any who might visit.

Wild: As a main player, your opponent must discard one card for every ship you lose to the warp (you may not play this card if you negotiated).

Super: Players must lose a ship from each foreign colony if they vanquish you from a colony outside your system.

Comments: Vermin forces players to commit heavily to attacking his system, especially since if they establish a colony there, they end up losing ships from all of their foreign colonies- not just the one in Vermin's system.

VICTOR [M:Warp] Wins by Winning (Alternate Win) - 2009

Game setup: Place eight tokens on this sheet (seven if playing with four planets per player).

You have the power to Win. Each time you win an encounter or make a deal as a main player, use this power to discard one token from this sheet. If there are no more tokens on this sheet, you immediately win the game. You may still win the game via the normal method.

History: Hailed as conquering heroes, the strapping and clever Victors have been celebrated as favored champions throughout known space. Even their enemies grudgingly admit that the Victor's penchant for winning is admirable and noteworthy. To the Victors go the spoils.

Wild: As an offensive main player, you win an encounter in the event of a tie.

Super: You may use your power as an ally. If the main players make a deal, you may still remove a token even though you are not part of the deal.

Comments: Victor is one of the rare aliens that kind of gets something for winning as defense: closer to winning the game. As a result, he gets invited on offense less frequently, and finding defensive allies is not as easy later in the game. You can get a fabulous situation though late in the game, where one player with 4 bases attacks Victor when he has only one token left... whoever wins, wins.

VORTEX [M:Warp] Removes Ships in the Warp from the Game - 2008

You have the power of Suction. Every time any player takes a ship (or ships) from the warp, use this power to take an equal number of ships belonging to any player (other than yourself) from the warp and place them out of the game. Ships removed from the warp due to artifacts use are immune from this effect.

History: Within the abysmal confines of the Warp, a treacherous race of beings grew to intelligence. Draining the ebbing life forces from warp entities, the Vortex cheat death themselves. And if they suck the life out of everything within the Warp? More room for the Vortex to operate. For there will surely never be an end to the Warp's power.

Wild: If you fail to make a deal, your opponent must remove three of his ships from the game.

Super: You may offer players some or all of their ships back from the Vortex as part of a deal.

Comments: Vortex is almost as evil as Shadow (Assassin). Losing ships to the warp is now an even bigger deal (and if you do lose some, you have to make sure you get them out before someone else does). Removal of ships due to Rewards is especially nasty.

VULTURE [b:Warp] Uses Dead Ships - 1991

You have the power of Carrion. Whenever the destiny pile is flipped, you may use this power to take a ship of the same color from the warp and place it on your alien sheet. They remain there until you are the main player in an encounter. During the encounter, use this power to either count all the ships on your sheet to your total (before cards are revealed), or send them all back to the warp in lieu of losing any of your own (you must announce your intention before cards are revealed). If you do not use them in the encounter, they go back to the warp. Ships on your alien sheet may not be freed any other way. On a Wild flip, you may take any ship from the warp. You may not take your own ships out, except under the normal rules.

History: The Vultures have thrived on the festering remains of the fallen. They circle the Warp continuously, in search of the recently slain, hoping to feed on the last remnants of power still present in the corpses.

Wild: As a winning Defensive player, you may collect a card from each losing ally.

Super: You do not lose the ships on your alien sheet until you use them.

Comments: Vulture is a great insurance policy. He also weakens players slightly (moreso in games with Tech), by having ships essentially out of the game for short periods. Being able to either add those ships, or use them to prevent losing any of your own is very handy and flexible.

WARLOCK [O:Warp] Converts Cards to Ships - 2008

You have the power to Animate. As a main player, any time before cards are played, you may use this power to discard cards from your hand and draw ships from the warp for each card discarded. Ships freed must be placed on one of your existing colonies or the hyperspace gate. You may discard your last encounter card in this manner, but you may not discard cards after drawing a new hand if you were already out of encounter cards.

History: Keepers of the forbidden texts, the Warlocks unlocked the secrets of the Warp. They determined the nature of what sacrifices the Warp would accept in order to free its wards. The texts have since been destroyed, so the Warlocks alone can benefit from the forbidden knowledge.

Wild: Free of all of your ships from the Warp (or Praw) directly to any of your colonies. Give this card to Warlock when you use it. If Warlock is not in the game, discard it to play it.

Super: You may use your power as an ally.

Comments: Warlock is able to dump useless cards and also get something out of it. He's the opposite of Kamikaze.

WEAPON [M:Warp] Causes Extra Ship Loss - 1989

You have the power to Injure. Whenever you win an encounter as a main player, use this power to force your opponent to lose (in addition to normal losses) one ship for each card he played in the encounter (encounter cards, kickers, reinforcements, artifacts, etc).

History: Refining their methods of pain and loss, the Weapons have exceeded the rest of the cosmos in the amount of damage they cause in battle. Not only do they wipe out their opponents, they get their families and neighbors as well!

Wild: If you fail to make a deal your opponent loses double the number of ships normally lost.

Super: You may injure as an ally.

Comments: This was one of the first powers I created, and back then it was exactly like Cudgel. I made some changes, so now the extra losses are controlled by what Weapon's opponent does (making it a bit more insidious, in my opinion).

WEB [O:Warp] Adds or Subtracts Colonies to Defense - 1990

You have the power to Weave. As a defensive player you may add or subtract one to your total for each colony you occupy including home colonies.

History: By slowly weaving a strong defense, the Web can readily expand into the further reaches of the galaxy. The more the Web spreads themselves thin, the stronger they get.

Wild: As a losing defensive player, you may move any lost ships onto any existing colonies you share with the offensive player. If you do not share a colony with the offensive player, your ships go to the warp.

Super: Your colony total adds to your offense as well as your defense.

Comments: Web isn't exciting, but it is pretty simple. He only has power as defense, but he's effective against Anti-Matter and Loser as well as normal powers.

WIGHT [O:Warp] Takes Unused Power - 1995

You have the power to Drain. Whenever you are involved in an encounter with a player who does not use his or her power (when they had an opportunity to do so), you may use this power to take control of their alien power. They may not use the power until either you use it, or you are involved in an encounter when you could have used the power but did not. You may only control one power at a time.

History: Ghastly beings of negative energies and attitudes, the Wights punish those who do not use their gifts, draining the life-force and power of their victims.

Wild: You may pick up a flare that was discarded but not used.

Super: You do not have to give back the drained power until you use it.

Comments: I love this alien. Wight forces players to strongly consider using their optional powers (like Loser, Sorcerer, Amoeba, Calculator, etc), otherwise they lose control of it for awhile. Knowing someone is likely to use their optional power takes some of the mystique out of it for you when you're facing them. Can they stand not having their power if they don't use it against you??

XERXES [O:Warp] Offers Deals When Outnumbering - 2009

You have the power to Threaten. As a main player, if you have more ships on your side than your opponent, you may use this power to offer your opponent a deal (within two minutes). You may include other involved players in the deal, but are not required to. You may offer cards from the deck to your opponent as part of the deal. If your opponent (and all other included parties) agree to the deal, proceed with the terms of the deal (this counts as a successful encounter). If your opponent refuses the deal, your side automatically loses.

History: The overconfident Xerxes draw large forces to their side with promises of riches and power, and for many cycles there has been little to disprove this mindset. Only when facing a smaller and determined opposition have the Xerxes known any form of defeat. The idea of a weaker enemy posing any difficulty is impossible for Xerxes to comprehend.

Wild: You may play this card at the beginning of a deal situation where you are one of the two main players. If your opponent refuses to deal after you have played this card, his or her ships lost from a failed deal are removed from the game.

Super: If your opponent refuses your deal, proceed with the encounter normally.

Comments: Xerxes is a gamble... your opponent knows he can just beat you by refusing the deal, but normally defensive players don't get anything for winning- so Xerxes can usually tempt them with something. Allying with Xerxes is risky too, but he may involve you in the deal, so it's worth the risk.

YIN YANG [M:Warp] Opponent Shares the Losses - 1991

You have the power to Accord. As a main player, whenever you lose an encounter, use this power to force your opponents to share in the losses. As a losing offensive player, your opponents must lose as many ships as you do (except for when you play a negotiate). As a losing defensive player, your opponents must vacate a colony he has anywhere in the game.

History: For as long as intelligent life has existed, the Yin Yangs have garnered influence and control over the positive and the negative, the masculine and the feminine, and the meek and the bold aspects of the cosmos. Through their efforts in balancing power, they feel certain to stay analogous to their enemies.

Wild: When a player forces you to lose ships (through power use, artifact, flare, or losing an encounter), you may force that player to lose the same number of ships.

Super: You may use your power to accord as an ally, affecting the opposing allies as well as the opposing main player.

Comments: Yin Yang isn't a power that gets you anything, except cold satisfaction that you aren't suffering alone (he's a little like Vacuum in that regard). Yin Yang does make for a great deterrent... since all of your opponents suffer the losses, not many players will be eager to ally against you.

ZILCHLING [M:Warp] Wins by Helping Another Player Win (Alternate Win) - 2009

Game Setup: Place one Cosmic Token on your alien sheet for each player in the game. At the start of the game, write down the name of a player other than yourself that you think will win.

You have the power of Zilch. Any time during the game, use this power to discard a Token from your sheet. When you do, you may either Zap another player's power, or prevent a power (other than your own) from being Zapped. Your power does not count as an artifact.

If the player you pick wins the game, you win as well. If you and the player you pick both share a normal win, you win alone. You may win the game via the normal method as well.

History: Globules of cast off matter from the Cosmic Zilch, the Zilchlings are imprinted with the same genetic desire to influence the outcome of prophecy. Supercharged with the very power that envelopes, surrounds, and penetrates every living being in the Cosmos, the Zilchlings find it easy to meddle in the affairs of others.

Wild: If one player has fewer foreign colonies than all other players, you may grant that player a colony anywhere. Give this card to Zilchling when you play it. If Zilchling is not in the game, discard it to play it.

Super: You may play this card to nullify any card in the game. The card has no value and is discarded. If you nullify an encounter card, it is now worth zero. Discard this card when you play it.

Comments: Obviously inspired by the Zilch, this power is more involved in the game. Normal Zilch can't actively do anything, but has knowledge of everything, and the freedom to tell anyone whatever he likes (including lies). Zilchling is more limited, but can still influence outcomes.