Twilight Imperium

[Punisher]

Sorry.
Yeah, I did.
It's my turn to do an action. from the tutorial, it sounds like I want to colonize worlds but I can't figure out how to move ground forces.

[NickAragua]

1. Activate the system you want to colonize by double clicking it; that "activates" the system
2. Double click the system from which you want to move ships/infantry to the destination, this will bring up that system in that big hex to the left
3. Click on the space around the planet to bring up the ship list - click the ships you want to bring
4. Click on the planet itself to bring up the ground unit list - click the ground units you want to bring
5. Click the green checkmark to confirm. You'll then have to assign units to planets in the destination system and resolve any cards you "dig up".

[Zarathud]

I was banging my head against a wall for the same reason until I hit the "help" button.

[El Guapo]

Yeah, "help" is incredibly useful in terms of "how do I do what I want to do?"

A couple other mechanics basics. First, whenever you want to do stuff with units in a system, you (as with colonizing planets here) need to 'activate' the system, which places a command token from your tactics pool in that system (so relatedly if you don't have any tokens in your tactics pool you can't do stuff with units). Once you activate the system you can (but don't have to) move units from any system(s) into the activated system (as long as all of the relevant units have enough movement to reach the system). If multiple players have units in the same system, there's then combat. After any combat, if the current player has space docks in the system, they can then use those space docks to build new units.

Note also that once a command token is placed in a system, that effectively "locks" the system for the rest of the action phase. Basically you can't activate a system that already has one of your command tokens (so you can't move into a system twice, build in the same system twice, etc. in one action phase). You also can't move units out of a system that has your command token in it. Note that cards / effects that remove a strategy token from the board (such as warfare) allow you to 'unfreeze' that system and act on it again and/or move units out of that system.

Second, when you want to use your strategy card (leadership, diplomacy, etc.) you double-click on the action card on the right side of your play area. After you finish your strategy action the game will then go around so that anyone who wants to can do the secondary action of that strategy card (usually costing them a token from their strategy pool).

Third, if you have an action card that has the word "action:" at the start of it, double-click on it to use it.

[Zarathud]

Do we have leaders/agents enabled?

[El Guapo]

Do we have leaders/agents enabled?

Nope. The people running Twilight Wars are still working on adding in stuff from the expansion. The biggest add lately was the addition of exploration cards and relics, which was just a few weeks ago. No idea when they're going to get to adding leaders, but even when they do it won't impact existing games like this.

[El Guapo]

Sorry.
Yeah, I did.
It's my turn to do an action. from the tutorial, it sounds like I want to colonize worlds but I can't figure out how to move ground forces.

Looking at the game state, it looks like you're trying to go into the Cealdri / Xanhact system. I'd recommend against that - that system is right next to the L1Z1X (ghostlobster) homeworld, so it's likely that he'll fight you over it. You don't start with that much of a fleet, and it's easy for him to get stuff to a system that's adjacent to his homeworld. Even if you can hold onto the system, it's going to cost you to do so. I'd recommend going to Tecu'ran / Torkan instead - near to your home system, worth a decent amount of resource / influence, and no one's going to fight you over it. Plus it gives you access to Primor next door, which is a valuable (legendary) planet.

So I'd suggest undoing the activation and activating Tecu'ran / Torkan instead.

Also the "resolve an ability" phase is mostly if you want to activate some ability to let you go farther or do something special before you move. Mainly this usually means playing the "flank speed" action card which gives all of your ships +1 movement for one action phase. Usually you skip that and go to the next screen which is where you pick what you're moving (including both the ships and any ground units that you're taking along using the 'capacity' of your ships).

[Punisher]

I have a card that says "At the start of your turn during the action phase" would thst be now and before activating?
If so how do I use it?

[Punisher]

Separate thing. It looks like I didn't understand where my home system was when placing planets. I thought it was off the board and to the left where it has my name which is why I placed thise planets there.

Ooppps

[El Guapo]

I have a card that says "At the start of your turn during the action phase" would thst be now and before activating?
If so how do I use it?

Yes, that's the correct timing. And generally you play cards by double-clicking on them

However, since you don't have any action cards yet I'm assuming that you're talking about your "Creuss IFF" card. If so that card is a 'promissory note'. The purpose of promissory notes is to be traded to other players as part of a deal, and then they use the card. So you can't use Creuss IFF yourself, you need to trade it to someone else (generally in exchange for compensation) and then they use it.

One other note is that players can only trade with 'neighbors' - that is anyone who you have a planet / system / unit next to one of your planet / systems / units.

[Punisher]

Oh.
Damn. I thought it was something that I could use.
Another oopps

[Punisher]

1. Activate the system you want to colonize by double clicking it; that "activates" the system
2. Double click the system from which you want to move ships/infantry to the destination, this will bring up that system in that big hex to the left
3. Click on the space around the planet to bring up the ship list - click the ships you want to bring
4. Click on the planet itself to bring up the ground unit list - click the ground units you want to bring
5. Click the green checkmark to confirm. You'll then have to assign units to planets in the destination system and resolve any cards you "dig up".

Step 3 and 4 don't seem to work for me.
When I try clicking on ground forces or ships, nothing happens and I don't see a green checkmark.
I can seemingly drag my ships anywhere but cant drag ground forces.

[El Guapo]

1. Activate the system you want to colonize by double clicking it; that "activates" the system
2. Double click the system from which you want to move ships/infantry to the destination, this will bring up that system in that big hex to the left
3. Click on the space around the planet to bring up the ship list - click the ships you want to bring
4. Click on the planet itself to bring up the ground unit list - click the ground units you want to bring
5. Click the green checkmark to confirm. You'll then have to assign units to planets in the destination system and resolve any cards you "dig up".

Step 3 and 4 don't seem to work for me.
When I try clicking on ground forces or ships, nothing happens and I don't see a green checkmark.
I can seemingly drag my ships anywhere but cant drag ground forces.

So you don't drag the units anywhere - you can drag ships around the map graphically (as you've seen) but that doesn't do anything game wise.

I think the reason it hasn't been working is that you haven't progressed to the "move units" step, because before that happens the game asks you if you want to use any abilities before you move. Basically after you double-click a system and activate it, the steps go like this:

(1) the game will ask you if you want to "resolve an ability (system activated)". When you're moving this is generally when you play any action cards like "flank speed" (which gives you bonus movement);
(2) if you're activating a system where another player has units / planets / tokens, the game will then prompt that player if they want to "resolve an ability (system activated)";
(3) after you pass and any other relevant players pass, the game will then prompt you to move units. Once you get to that step, you click on any system(s) from which you want to move units, click on the space area, and then click on any ships that you want to move. You also separately click on any planet(s) from which you want to move ground units (using ships that have capacity) and click on those ground units separately;
(4) after you do that, the game will then give you a complete list of units that you're moving and where you're moving them from, and ask you to confirm that that is correct. After that the units move.

[NickAragua]

1. Activate the system you want to colonize by double clicking it; that "activates" the system
2. Double click the system from which you want to move ships/infantry to the destination, this will bring up that system in that big hex to the left
3. Click on the space around the planet to bring up the ship list - click the ships you want to bring
4. Click on the planet itself to bring up the ground unit list - click the ground units you want to bring
5. Click the green checkmark to confirm. You'll then have to assign units to planets in the destination system and resolve any cards you "dig up".

Step 3 and 4 don't seem to work for me.
When I try clicking on ground forces or ships, nothing happens and I don't see a green checkmark.
I can seemingly drag my ships anywhere but cant drag ground forces.

Yeah, looks like it's waiting for you to decide whether to activate some kind of special ability first (you might want to click the 'help' icon to figure out what it is that it wants you to do).

[El Guapo]

1. Activate the system you want to colonize by double clicking it; that "activates" the system
2. Double click the system from which you want to move ships/infantry to the destination, this will bring up that system in that big hex to the left
3. Click on the space around the planet to bring up the ship list - click the ships you want to bring
4. Click on the planet itself to bring up the ground unit list - click the ground units you want to bring
5. Click the green checkmark to confirm. You'll then have to assign units to planets in the destination system and resolve any cards you "dig up".

Step 3 and 4 don't seem to work for me.
When I try clicking on ground forces or ships, nothing happens and I don't see a green checkmark.
I can seemingly drag my ships anywhere but cant drag ground forces.

Yeah, looks like it's waiting for you to decide whether to activate some kind of special ability first (you might want to click the 'help' icon to figure out what it is that it wants you to do).

Generally that's an invitation to play any relevant action cards (which he doesn't have yet). So most of the time (as here) you just skip that (press 'pass').

[Punisher]

I have a card called gravity drive. It gives +1 to movement and is in the pile at the bottom. 1st on left with what looks like a circuit board.
Is that not an action card? I thought it was because it sounds like the flank speed card.
Also is every ones move count 1 to start?

[NickAragua]

Gravity drive lets you add 1 to the "move" of one of your ships that's being moved as part of a system activation. I suspect you can activate it when you activate a system by double clicking on it.

Your ships have stats (you can find them by mousing over the ship). Some are faster, some are slower. For the "ghosts", your ships get +1 move if they start in your home system or a system with an alpha/beta wormhole. Gravity drive lets you add 1 on top of that.

So, for example, you could activate Tequran/Torkan, hit the green checkmark to skip card activation, then select a transport, some infantry and fighters, and then they would move to Tequran/Torkan.

You could also just activate Primor, double click on your gravity drive card then the green checkmark, then select your transport and some infantry/fighters and move them there. Because your transport started in your home system, it will have a move of 2, and the gravity drive will give it an extra movement.

You could do the same with Xealdri/Xanhact, but ghostlobster may not respond in a friendly manner

---

In terms of actions, you have as many actions as you have tactics tokens, strategy cards and action cards/tech/other abilities that say "action:" on them.

[Punisher]

So, for example, you could activate Tequran/Torkan, hit the green checkmark to skip card activation, then select a transport, some infantry and fighters, and then they would move to Tequran/Torkan.

You could also just activate Primor, double click on your gravity drive card then the green checkmark, then select your transport and some infantry/fighters and move them there. Because your transport started in your home system, it will have a move of 2, and the gravity drive will give it an extra movement.

This is what I'm thinking but since I have no idea how to play well. I'm flip-flopping.

Can someone let me know the pros/cons of each and what the better option is and why?

I know it's a competitive game but I'm unlikely to win in any case.

[NickAragua]

This is what I'm thinking but since I have no idea how to play well. I'm flip-flopping.

Can someone let me know the pros/cons of each and what the better option is and why?

I know it's a competitive game but I'm unlikely to win in any case.

So from my perspective, you have two options:

1) take over Tequran/Torkan. This will get you a red and a blue exploration card, 2 resources, 3 influence. This is the conservative play and gets you decent numbers.

2) take over Primor. This will get you a blue exploration card, 2 resources, 1 influence and the ability to put down two extra infantry every turn. The two infantry/turn is pretty good; you can also score some early VPs by activating Abyz/Fira or Saudor in a subsequent action and getting a destroyer in there (Saudor is "safer" because red doesn't have any ships that can get to it while yellow might be able to instigate a destroyer slapfight in Abyz/Fria) - that'll let you score the "Intimidate Council" public objective. Primor is also a decent forward base where you can stick a space dock and crank out a decent number of ships.

The resource values of the two planets are the same; the "double T" gets you 3 influence vs 1, but Primor gets you two infantry/turn (which is 1 resource's worth of infantry for free PLUS you can place them on any planet you control without locking the system up with an activation).

In the long run, you'll want to take over both (and Wellon too, but that's kind of a tertiary objective). If it were me, I'd probably go for Primor as that gets you an extra two infantry if you take it over this turn as opposed to next turn, and you don't run the risk of Sol or someone else swiping it.

BTW, those black tokens are "frontier tokens" and let you draw a frontier card if you activate the system and end the activation with a ship in there and have the Dark Energy Tap tech. Frontier cards are pretty good (ranging from "get a couple of trade goods" to wildcard artifact fragments to free spacecraft).

[Punisher]

Thanks!
That helps.

I'm done.

[El Guapo]

Thanks!
That helps.

I'm done.

Also to use the two free infantry from Primor, you wait until the end of your turn and then click on the eclipse symbol that's in the lower left of your stack of planet cards. You'll then see a card that says "The Atrament". You double click on that and the game will ask you on which planet you want to put your infantry.

You should probably do that at the end of your next turn.

[El Guapo]

Thanks!
That helps.

I'm done.

Also it's your turn to choose whether to use the secondary ability of the DIplomacy strategy card. Diplomacy's secondary allows you to use a strategy token to "refresh" a used planet, allowing you to use its resources or influence (or tech skip) again. Note that when you take planets they start exhausted (unusable), so right now you can't use Primor's resources, but if you used Diplomacy to refresh it you could.

Also note that you start with only two strategy tokens (and only get two more per turn) so you have to plan ahead on what you want to use your tokens on. IMO probably not worth spending a token just to refresh Primor, but YMMV.

[NickAragua]

Are we stuck? Feels like we're stuck.

[Punisher]

Are we stuck? Feels like we're stuck.

My screen says we're waiting on zarathud. Maybes he's been tied up? Maybe he just REALLY, REALLY, REALLY wants to consider this move?

[Zarathud]

I’m at GenCon. Will try to log on my iPad.

[Zarathud]

Logged in but tomorrow events until 12 pm.

[El Guapo]

On punisher now.

[El Guapo]

I’m at GenCon. Will try to log on my iPad.

Since you are at Gencon, I saw something online that indicated a tease of new Twilight Imperium content from Fantasy Flight, possibly a new expansion. Did you happen to see anything about this?

[El Guapo]

Zarathud, are you still at Gencon? Waiting on you for Leadership.

[Zarathud]

I’ll try to do it from the road. Just finished my last event.

[NickAragua]

I think... we may very well be closing in on the end of the first turn!

[baelthazar]

I think... we may very well be closing in on the end of the first turn!

Don't count your chickens. At our speed, the double passing required in the Agenda phase is going to take a week.

[Zarathud]

At least I'm back from GenCon.

[ghostlobster]

Good game everyone, congrats Baelthazar on your victory!

While it does indeed take literal months to get through a six player game, I still had fun. While there are a lot of elements missing from the game, you certainly can't beat being able to play Twilight Imperium from your phone. The only thing is that is tricky is that it can take so long before it's my turn that I completely forget what the heck I was trying to do in the first place

[baelthazar]

Anyone want to try again? We all know it is a long term commitment

[Zarathud]

Yes

[Punisher]

I'd be willing to lose again.

[El Guapo]

I would do it again.

[baelthazar]

Once we hear from Nick, I will set it up.

[NickAragua]

Yeah, I'll drop in