HOW TO PLAY
Lacuna: Command the Void comes in two ways to play.
The short version: command a small fleet on a grid of rows and columns, and protect your Flagship. It is both your most powerful ship and your life total. Skill and strategy matter far more than luck.
WHAT IT IS
A four-faction sci-fi space Tactical Combat Game played with cards. You command a fleet laid out in columns and rows, and your Flagship is both your most powerful ship and your life total. It uses the same Combat Matrix as the board game, and skill and strategy matter far more than luck.
YOUR STARTING FLEET
You begin with a small fleet in formation: 3 Level 1 units in the front row, 2 Level 2 units behind them, and your Flagship in the back row, closest to you. In the Void, you also have access to your reinforcement deck to help in the cosmic battle.
THE CARDS
- Units: ships and other forces that fight for you. Some are melee and attack a target one row away. Some have both ranged and melee attacks. Some have multi-attack.
- Position bonuses: certain cards give bonuses to other ships based on where they stand in your formation, so where you place a unit matters.
- Upgrades: attach to a unit to make it stronger.
- Directives: one-time-use cards for things like direct damage.
- Flagship: your commander, chosen from several unique options per faction. Each Flagship has a unique ability that represents its faction.
HOW A ROUND WORKS
- Upkeep (everyone at once): all players refresh at the same time. Disabled units become Depleted, and Depleted units become Ready.
- Actions (one at a time): the first player takes one action: Reinforce, make a combat attack with one unit, move a unit, or play a Directive card. Play then passes to the next player.
- Pass: keep taking turns until all players have passed.
HOW COMBAT WORKS
- Add up your attackers' strength and compare it to the target's defense.
- Roll a d10 on the Combat Matrix.
- A hit damages the target. A Disabled result knocks the unit out of action until it recovers at Upkeep.
- Damage is persistent and stays on a ship until it's destroyed or repaired.
- Some ships are Interceptors. They must be destroyed before enemies can reach your other ships or your Flagship.
- Special keywords bend the rules and the fabric of the Void.
Playtest version 0.1. This is a high-level overview, and the rules may change as testing continues.
WHAT IT IS
A sci-fi fleet battle on a 16×16 hex board. This is the 2v2 "Domination of the Void" mode: four players form two teams of two, and each player commands one of the four factions: Astral Enclave, Eclipse Syndicate, Saurian Legion and Solaris Empire. It can also be played as a Free For All. Command the Void.
GAME MODES
The rules below describe the 2v2 "Domination of the Void" mode.
YOUR FLEET
17 ships per player, from fast Strikes to heavy Marauders, led by your faction's Flagship. Every faction has the same stats. Your Flagship's special aura is what sets you apart.
HOW A TURN WORKS
On your turn, every ship can move and attack. Teams alternate turns around the table. Ships can fly through asteroid fields, around planetoids and past enemies, but terrain and enemy fire make every move a risk.
HOW COMBAT WORKS
- Add up your attackers' strength and compare it to the target's defense.
- Roll a d10 on the Combat Matrix.
- A hit damages the target. A Disabled result knocks it out of action for a turn.
Damaged ships fire back, so every fight has a cost.
THE NEUTRAL THREAT
40 neutral AI ships guard the board's edges and center. They're worth big points, but they hit back.
HOW YOU SCORE
Earn victory points by:
- Destroying enemy ships
- Destroying neutral AI ships
- Destroying enemy homeworlds
- Holding the four center hexes at the start of your turn
HOW YOU WIN
- Instant win: hold all four center hexes through an opposing turn.
- Elimination: wipe out the other team.
- Points: have the most points when the round limit is reached.