I have seen this happen multiple times when playing with/against races such as Locust and The Claw...

There have been games where a player has been reduced to only 2 planets existing in his home system as a result of these powers (or the Guerrilla wild flare and the Omega Missile tech).

In this case where he is permanently incapable of ever regaining/using his power, debate has arisen over what should happen.

One camp insists its just bad luck and that he ought to continue playing and hope he gets good cards to compensate.

The other camp appeals to the premise of the game. Considering that this entire game centers around various racial powers and their interplay, a player without this ability undermines this foundational concept of the game. This player would be severely disadvantaged and unable to compete, essentially making him nothing more than a place filler for the rest of the game. In light of the precedent set by The Entropy Beast hazard, which states that when any system is reduced below 3 planets all players lose the game, this camp suggests that if all players don't lose, then at least the current leader(s) ought to be declared the victor(s)

Now I have personally been on both sides of this and understand where both sides are coming from. However, this debate has gotten rather heated the last few times this situation has come up, so we have decided to ask others what their opinions are on this and what they have done when they have encountered this situation.

Thanks in advance.

You don't need planets to win the game. It's not easy, but also not impossible. If you and your friends want to call the game when that happens, that's totally up to you. Frankly, I'd be pretty amazed to see a player reduced to only 2 or fewer planets multiple times. I play CE a lot, and I've never seen a player lose more than 1 planet ever. I know it's possible, and I'm not saying it hasn't happened to you- I'm just saying it really isn't a problem that needs addressing.

Ditto what the Warp said. I've played probably 50-75 games of FFG's version of Cosmic, and it's never happened for me. If it were to happen, I would say to play on like normal because it is a rare event and still not impossible for that player to win (nor is it impossible that he might regain a planet with the Genesis Bomb). I've seen many games between this set, old sets, and the online game where someone never used his alien power once and still won the game.

That said, if your group somehow comes across this issue with greater than normal frequency and believe it should be ruled in light of the Entropy Beast's text, just make sure everyone knows how you're playing in advance. No game is more welcoming of house rules than Cosmic, but if you are looking for a strict by-the-book explanation of what to do, all there is to do is say, "Tough luck."

Have to agree with Jack and Adam.

Although I recognize it's possible, I've never seen this happen in the games I've played. What I have seen, a lot, is a player get reduced to two home colonies (not planets) and never be able to regain his power before the end of the game. Not that it's impossible to get his power back, but the game circumstances just were not favorable. In practical terms this is the same as what you are describing, but there doesn't seem to be any need to "fix" it.

And, as was said above, once in a while that player will still win the game. It's neither easy nor frequent, but when it does happen, it makes for a good game-story and is all the more a sweet victory for that player. This is a game where it's very possible I will have to play for long stretches without a power. Maybe I keep getting zapped, maybe I've lost too many home colonies, maybe the circumstances for actually using my power to my advantage just have not been coming up ... whatever. So I need to accept that and be ready to try my best to win without a power, regardless of how I lost it or my chances of getting it back.

I would not want to deprive anyone of the rare treat of winning the game when his home system has been virtually obliterated.

I agree with the above. I've never seen it happen, but awesome craziness like that is what makes Cosmic so special. Play it as it lies, and occasionally someone will win despite having only 2 home planets left -- or no home colonies -- or 15 ships in the Warp -- or whatever. There's so many ways this game can twist and turn.

If you lose 3 home planets you lose your power for the rest of the game. It's fairly simple.

The Entropy Beast is not some template to go off because the Entropy Beast only focuses the planet with the most ships on it, not a certain player's system. If Entropy Beast ends the game it's because all the players make poor choices in where to attack with such an effect in power and deserve to lose.

This has happen once in a game I've played. The Claw and Locust, the Entropy Beast was in play, and an Omega missile was used. Lets just say there were many planets getting taken away in that one. If you lose 3 home planets, then your power is gone for good. FYI a special destiny came up and we all lost that game. It was fun though, I had the claw