Designed by ??.
Published by ??.
Translated by ??.
The board shows 40 planets around which the game revolves. If it surprises you that all the planets have neither neighbouring planets nor suns, then it should be mentioned here that these are actually in existence, but are not taken into consideration as one cannot settle them on the fewest planets and in the most solar systems. In this game only planets that can be colonised are of importance, all other worlds not being taken into consideration. When looking at the cards you will notice that the planets stand in different distances to one another. Any attempt to communicate this in any coordinate grid was doomed to failure, so in this game there is a table at the end of the rules booklet which shows how quickly one planet can be reached by another. As a matter of priority the board must show the owner of each planet and give an overview of the situation in this game.
The sections of the rules are accompanied by a capital letter.
There is a postal game of the same name.
In the game there are 42 game boards : you need only 40 of these. Before the first game you should make the effort to stick the enclosed self sticking numbers in the boards in the spaces marked "NR", otherwise you will get into terrible confusion during the course of the game. You will notice that from the beginning the planets have a different number for population. So when sticking on the numbers, proceed as follows :
On boards with a population of 1 stick :
21,26,27,28,29,31,,37,38,39 and 40
On boards with a population of 2 :
9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,22,23,24,25,30,32,33 and 35
On boards with a population of 3 :
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,20, and 34
In the population space there is a number which shows the population already there. this population can not be transported away in any of the game variants. You can only transport away population in excess of this number.
If the population of a planet becomes higher, you simply place the corresponding number counter on the space. The population of a planet cannot rise about 9 units. On the land troop space place the corresponding game counters. There must always be at least the same number of troops as population, otherwise there is a robot. There are also spaces for 2 hangars and 3 factories. In these spaces you can place the corresponding counters if a hangar or factory is built, Whether you build , for example 3 steel factories or one of each type is left to your choice. The distance number spaces and the planet orbit will be explained later on.
Each player has his own central warehouse board. Here there are spaces for the acquired raw materials of oil, steel and high tech. There is also an area for the sum of all the population a player possesses in his planets and a list of the game phase order. For the extension game there are spaces for the political relationship.
The central warehouse is not located on any specific planet so it can not be captured.
There are 1452 of these in 8 different colours. There are also white ones which are for all players.
These counters have quantities 1,2,5 and 10. The fighters form the backbone of the military might of a player. Air battles are conducted with them. There are 95 fighters on 25 counters at your disposal. In addition there are 33 counters with 75 fighters in total which represent neutral pirate fleets. With the.loss of your own colour counters, these can be used as replacement.
This C stands for colonies or control. The colonies of a player are marked on the board with these counters. There are 25 of these counters.
The home planet of a player is marked on the board with this counter. there is only one of these counters for each player.
The player can mark all relevant data on the corresponding game boards with these counters. There are no "0"'s as these are already marked on the game board. There are 74 of these counters.
There are freight counters. They are needed to mark the transport of population, oil, steel and high tech. They are marked with their cargo ships. There is one each of these counters at you disposal.
White counters can be used by all the players.
these counters have the quantities 1,2,3 and 5. Apart from their normal use for the attack on land troops, they can also be used for the transport of civilian goods. They are the only means of capturing a planet. There are 180 transporters on 75 counters.
These are need to mark factories on the board.
These are required if you want to build a transporter or fighter on that planet. With a hanger you can build as many of that type as you wish, so long as the resources are still sufficient. There are 36 counters of each type.
These are of the quantities 1,2,3 and 5. They are required for the defence of a planet. A further task is to look after the feelings of the people, to avoid revolts. With all the counters there is the rule :"What is not there cannot be built". So it is not possible to build another steel factory if all 39 steel factory counters are already in use.
There are 5 6-sided dice.
Before one has the pleasure of playing you firstly have to deploy the counters, positions and boards. The allocation of positions is detailed in the list of "game positions". now each player picks out a counter colour and marks his home planet (the planet with the lowest number) on the board with his HP counter as well as marking the other planets which he controls with a C counter. For each planet the player receives the corresponding planet board. These are occupied with as many land troops as the number of population on the board. On each planet is placed a factory of the player's choice. On the home planet and the "stamm" colony (the planets with the lowest numbers) there is built a hanger of the player's choice (not in the basic game). The allocation of the fleet can be gathered from the list of "start positions". In the central warehouse each player places 5 units of each raw material by putting down number counters. Under "Summe Bevolkerung" the sum of a players' population units on all planets is marked down with number counters.
First, it has to be said that you can play Ashes of Empire with any number of players between 2 and 8 and you can allocate start positions arbitrarily. The positions suggested here are in this respect not binding. Through the positions with Ashes of Empire are created different strengths of neighbouring planets and different flight ranges as well as very different set ups. The positions suggested here have a certain equilibrium, which is not necessarily guaranteed with other strength combinations.
I. In a time of economic crisis, the colonies detached themselves from Earth. Only on Barnard's Arrow and Crossland can the Empire maintain its power. Lenin, Last Hope and Einstein form a new state which unlike the remaining colonies are successful in keeping and using the standard of industry. Now begins the race of the ancient power with the up and coming young state over leadership of the galaxy. Who will win?
Player 1 : Erde (1), Barnard's Arrow (9), Crossland (20) Player 2 : Lenin (5), Last Hope (13), Einstein (34)
On each home planet 10 fighters + 3 transporters On any one colonial planet 5 fighters + 3 transporters
II. The empire has collapsed. The states of Eastside and Sombrero sense their chance to succeed. They still have no points of contact and their aim is the same - the final shattering of the empire.
Player 1 : Sombrero (7) Tromp (15), New Earth (22) Scott's Home (23) Murphy (25), Aitchison (26), New Jerusalem (31) and Kaironow(38) Player 2 : Eastside (3), Desert Rock (11), Beyond (21), Newton (24), Atlas (28), New Mecca (29), Evergreen (30) and Lermontov(33).
On any three planets 5 fighters + 3 transporters
The game proceeds with the following phases in order.
This is an element of the extension rules and explained there (A.4.1)
All the players determine the production of their planets. For this purpose the counters which show what is to be built are placed face down on the space with the corresponding planet number.
The building order is not yet carried out
Each production plan requires raw materials which must be in stock in the central warehouse. Both fighters and transporters in as many quantities as you which dependent on the raw material can be built on each of your own planets. The following table shows which resources are required for building of a product.
| Product | Oil | Steel | High Tech |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fighter | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Transporter | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Land troops | - | 1 | 1 |
In the basic game there can be a maximum of one factory which is already available with its capture.
No hangars are necessary in order to build fighters or transporters. The counters are placed face down on the command sheet to keep the orders secret. With this system the game leader has a small advantage since he knows the total quantity the other players wish to build. But this is balanced by the fact that the must establish his order before then. Even is this is not the case, this advantage is further made up for the fact that he must distribute the counters and therefore has less time to think about his turn.
To determine in which order the flight movements are carried out, the player with the lowest total population decides in which position of the round he wishes to move. He marks this with the corresponding number counter on the text space of his central warehouse. Then the player with the next highest population decides and so on. At last the player with the highest population takes the remaining position. When there is a tie for population amount, the next criteria or deciding is the total stockpile of provisions. Whoever has the lowest value decides first. If this is equal, then the following values are then into consideration first, with the smallest value determining who goes first.
Number of planets, size of fighter fleet, size of transporter fleet, number of factories, number of hangars, home planet number.
In Ashes of Empire it is possible to reach each planet from each of the other planets. Th etime requred can be read off the distance table at teh end of the rules. We offer two variants. On the planet boards there is the orbit space as well as the flight spaces 1,2 and 3. Now the cross table is used - the 0 corresponds to the orbit space an dthe numbers 1,2 and 3 correspond top their counterparts on the planet boards. So if one wished tof ly from Outpost (10) to Mechamea (12), you would findon the table a 2. The fleet is then placed on the 2 space of the planet board 12. If there is already a fleet of the same player, the both fleets combine into one. The planet list functions in a similar way. Here you find the value "D" with an additional number. This number corresponds to its counterpart number on theplanet board. If there is only a "D", then the fleet isplace immediately in the orbit o fthe planet aimed for. This is, for example, the case with a flight from Crab (2) to Outpost (10). You can only send out what is on the start planet.
It is up to the player to decide whether he sends the total fleeet of a planet to one other planet or whether he splits it up.
A fleet which is on a number space cannot be sent back. A flight order for a fleet can only be given whenit is in the orbit space.
Rival fleets which are on the same number space do not fight.
Now for the actual movement.
First of all the fleets on the number spaces are moved forward by one space this means moving ontl the next smallest number and so nearer to the planet. The players move according to the order established in G.4.3. Each player can if he wishes move all his fleets which are in a planet obit. He moves his fleet - he places the corresponding counter on the corresponding space on the table on the current planet. If a fleet comes from the "distance" (Entferning) space into teh orbit space, then the player cannot move this fleet again this round. In this phase there is the possibility to change one's home planet. The homeplanet is where your fleet retreat when beatn in a space battle. Even if this planet is lost, you do not lose your central warehouse. It can also be moved without there being any direct danger . You can only appoint one planet to be a home planet. If you lose you home planet you are forced to find a new one from amongst your remaining planets.
The buidling orders are now carried out - simply place the counter on et order sheet into the corresponding planet. With building, the raw material just used is removed from the central warehouse board. The system of the flight and building order maya pear strange, but it prevents a building order being made as a direct reaction to an enemy flight movement.
As in the basic game.
With the inclusion of political relationships (A.4.1), it is possible that more than one player can defend a planet. To determine who is an attacker, defender, and spectator you have to look at the political relationships of the planet owner. It is possible that two rival players will attack a planet together, if they are both hostile to the planet owner. In such a case they do not fight against each other.
Each player throws one die once for each of his fighters. The result of the dice throw of each player is added together, divided by 6 and rounded off. If more than one player is represented on the opponent's side, then the player who shot them down decides who suffers, or it is decided by a die throw who suffers the losses.
The Alliance with the lowest total numerical losses wins. The losing alliance flees to their home planets.
As in the basic game.
After the first conquering of a neutral planet, the planet receives a factory of the player's choice. This does not apply if the planet has been already under a player's control and has no factory because the previous owner has transported it away to another planet.
On each planet built factories produce wares depending on the planet's population.
| 1 to 3 | 1 raw material per factory |
| 4 to 6 | 2 raw materials per factory |
| 7 to 8 | 3 raw materials per factory |
| 9 | 4 raw materials per factory |
Neutral planets produce after achieving independence or after an unsuccessful landing attempt sufficient fighter and ground troops so as to replenish them up to their quantity at the start.
You can also "convert" factories as in the basic game.
If a player is successful with his ground troops in warding off a land attempt by a numerically larger attacking transporter fleet, he can place his morale counter for his troops face up in front of him.
With the victory of a transporter fleet against stronger ground troops, the morale counter for the transporters is place face up. Likewise for fighters against a stronger fleet of fighters.
In all following battles, an extra die is thrown for each 4 battle units (with ground troops for each 3 battle units)
If a player loses a battle against inferior troops and his units have their morale counter face up, then he must remove the morale counter.
From the 11th round onwards 5 dice must be thrown to see if the game ends.
With each further game round the required total sum reduces by 2.
The game ends if a player is successful in owning 18 planets (22 in the 2 player game) at the end of a round.He is the winner regardless of the number of points he has.
A player receives the following points :
In phase 3 each player determines on which planets he wishes to produce. The counter is paced face down on the space of the planet (left). " phases later in phase 5 the building orders are carried out - the warehouse has to be reduced.
The xxx for planet is read off the table at the bottom row. Throw two dice : the first represents the column, the second the row. Then read off the planet number by cross referencing.