The more you play Cosmic Encounter, the more you realize that the rules do not begin to cover every situation that can arise. Debate over a rule or conflict in powers can not only bog down a game, they can turn friends into enemies (I have seen it happen). In an effort to put some disputes to rest (if only so you can finish a game), I have compiled some house rules that my group has agreed upon (if grudgingly).
POWERS
Power loss is immediate upon loss of third base, before the
tokens even go to the Warp.
AMOEBA
Yes, the Amoeba can ooze entirely out of the cone (which
means he's attacking with zero tokens added to the total;
with zero tokens at risk; and if he wins, zero tokens will
occupy, so that despite having had a successful challenge,
he wouldn't gain a base.)
ANTI-MATTER
Yes, the Anti-Matter and his opponent ADD Lucre to their totals (Eon games).
ARISTOCRAT
In Eon-style games, you may not select the Keeper edict or the Aristocrat Flare to start the game.
ASSASSIN
On occasion, the Assassin player is faced with a Destiny Card that leaves some ambiguity about who
is defensive main player. The Wild Destiny Card allows the Assassin to pick anyone as his target,
regardless of who is chosen by the offensive main player. Similarly, when the offensive player is
faced with a decision (i.e. "Make a Warp challenge...") the Assassin may choose a victim based on the
choices at hand. For example, in the above special destiny, if there is a tie between red and yellow
for the most tokens in the warp, even if the offensive player chooses red as the defensive main player,
the Assassin may target either red or yellow to lose a token.
ASSESSOR
When against the Boomerang, the Boomerang challenge precedes
the offensive Assessor's tax deal. (Eon style)
If you have no tokens on bases, you need not pay the
Assessor, since it specifies "from base." (Eon style)
AURA
Does NOT reveal the Miser's hoard. (Aura specifies regular
hand.)
No, the wild Aura may NOT "shuffle the deck as often as he
likes in order to get a card he likes on top." He must
shuffle, THEN reverse. (Eon style)
BOOMERANG
When against Assessor, Boomerang challenge precedes
Assessor's tax deal. (Eon style)
If you attack Boomerang, and during his pre-emptive attack on your system you use your power, it is
still considered the same challenge when you resume your attack on him. Therefore, if you have a power
that can only be used once per challenge, you may not use it again after Boomerang attacks you (if you
use it during his attack). For example, if you are Trader, and trade hands with Boomerang when he attacks
you during your turn as offensive player, then you may not trade hands again when resuming your portion
of the challenge as offensive player.
BULLY
Can't force co-occupancy of a moon.
BUTLER
DOES count as "any other player" when flipping for the
Dictator.
CAN position the cone where the deadbeat offender already
has a base; so long as a legitimate challenge can be made
there (e.g. there is another player there and it is
the offensive player's home system).
CALCULATOR
Calculator power precedes Wild Calculator, Excise Moon,
etc., due to the "revealed as" wording. (But Wild
Calculator-Excise conflicts are resolved by the conflict
resolution rules, based on the position of the players).
Against Deuce, Calculation is performed on Deuce's first
card, and his side card is figured in afterwards.
Insect w/ Wild Calculator vs. Calculator: Whether the
Insect's Calculation by power or by flare occurs first
depends upon the order in which he plays them.
CAVALRY
Can NOT play a Kicker when using his power, nor does the main player's Kicker affect the Cavalry's Challenge Card.
When playing the Cavalry Wild or Super Flare, any Kickers affect each Attack Card played by allies of the
player who played the Kicker.
CHOSEN
When drawing for "divine intervention", if a Kicker is drawn before a Challenge Card, the first Kicker drawn
applies to the Challenge Card eventually drawn. When playing the Super Flare, the Chosen player may also
keep any Reinforcements drawn.
CHANGELING
Yes, the Changeling's change is "permanent." (i.e. does not
revert at challenge's end)
Decides which power to take when playing with multiple powers for each player.
CHRONOS
Chronos' victims' kickers are put aside with their
challenge card, and returned with the challenge card at the
challenge's end.
Against Deuce, only the Deuce's first card is put aside.
The second may be picked up and played again as the first or
second card.
Yes, the Visionary can tell Chronos what to play the second
time around.
The Wild Chronos affects only the first PHYSICAL flip of the
disc, so if someone flips his own color and passes and flips
again, the Chronos can't affect that flip. (Eon style)
CLONE
Does NOT keep any Kicker played.
CRYSTAL
The Crystal can force the Macron to bring 1-4 tokens.
A challenge cancelled by the Super Crystal's arrangements
does not count as one of a player's two challenges.
The Crystal acts on each player as or after he or she
enters the cone (it's option) and affects the Wild
Doppleganger players similarly (as to number).
DELEGATOR
Involved in challenge, includes as ally.
DEMON
If Victory Boon is played after an attack with the Wild
Demon, only the defensive player picked is rewarded.
No, the Wild Demon never lets you pick yourself as the
defensive player.
DEUCE
Against Chronos, only the first card is set aside. The
second may be picked up and played again as the first or
second card.
The Laser selects only the first card.
The Deuce's Kicker affects only the main card. The other is then
added to the kicked first card.
When the Deuce only has one challenge card, and thus must
draw a new hand, the one challenge card is discarded with
the rest.
The Sorcerer may not switch the side card.
It must be an attack (if possible) if the Loser has called
an upset.
The Oracle may NOT look at it.
The Visionary MAY perceive it.
Against Calculator, the Deuce's side card is figured in
after the totals (including Calculation) are arrived
at.
Witch's curses affect the side card as appropriate (e.g. All
your attack cards are worth 2.)
If a player's turn ends due to lack of challenge cards, he
MAY use the Wild Deuce to take another challenge, at the
beginning of which he discards his old cards and takes a new
hand.
DICTATOR
Yes, the Dictator may force a player to attack where he
already has a base, so long as there is another player there
to defend; any other player if it's the Dictator's victim's
home system; or the player whose system it's in if it's any
other system.
Yes, the Butler counts as "any other player" even when
flipping FOR the Dictator.
Alternate version of Dictator.
DIPLOMAT
DISEASE
DOPPLEGANGER
House rule suggestion: If you want to let Doppleganger keep
Flares/Kickers normally, make super "Can buy 2 cards for 1
lucre (4 card maximum)". (Eon style)
May keep Kickers. (Eon-style)
If Doppleganger's defensive victim runs out of challenge
cards, he must draw a new hand; the Doppleganger may not
force the card he rejects back upon him to prevent him from
doing so. If his offensive victim runs out of challenge
cards, that victim's turn ends, and Doppleganger discards
those cards.
When Silenced, the Doppleganger is required to draw from the
deck, unless another player offers and he accepts. (Eon style)
The Crystal affects the Wild Doppleganger normally.
DRAGON
You do not receive an extra 4 Lucre for becoming the Dragon
later in the game than the beginning.
EMPATH
ETHIC
Stellar Gas stops Ethic's consolation.
EXTORTIONIST
The Extortionist may never profit from another player's Wild
Filching. Either he catches him and all the cards go back,
or he doesn't, and thus can't extort. (Eon style)
This also applies to Subterfuge cards.
The Miser's Hoard, but not his regular hand is immune.
FILCH
The Negator may negate another's decision to catch him Wild
Filching, as can the Silencer silence another player trying
to catch him. The Extortionist can't profit from another's
Wild Filching, as, if he admits to having caught the Wild
Filch, all the Wild Filch's acquisitions return to the deck.
No, Wild Filch may NOT steal Lucre. (Eon style)
Filch does NOT take opponent's Kicker Card.
FILTH
Wild Filth may not be used against moons; super may.
When the Filth Power changes hands, everyone sharing bases
with the new Filth must evacuate, of course.
FORCE
May limit, but not negate powers.
FUNGUS
If the Wild Fungus is used against the Fungus, any Fungus
stacks count as one for the Wild Fungus player (and the
stacks return to the Fungus if the Wild card is lost).
Likewise, if the Wild Schizoid is used against the Fungus,
any Fungus stacks count as one for the Wild Schizoid (and
remains a stack until broken in the warp).
GAMBLER
The Gambler sees his opponent's card before bluffing.
Yes, the Super Gambler may put more tokens at risk than he
has out of the Warp.
Gambler may also keep his Kicker secret with his Challenge Card, and he may lie about them both.
The spread in the Gambler Wild Flare is figured after the effects of Kickers.
GRUDGE
HEALER
The Healer can heal tokens from the Void.
HURTZ
When the Hurtz leases a moon, it is put in the leaser's
system. Since it will go away at the end of the challenge,
Immediate moons are probably more useful than others.
Yes, Hurtz can advertise, but no, he may not let others look
through the deck(s) or read things over before renting them.
The deck is shuffled after he looks through it; he gets no
special knowledge of what's coming up -- he's no Aristocrat
or Wild Mind.
Officially, in a single-power game, a power rented from
Hurtz becomes your sole power. For example, if you were the
Mutant, and rented the Reincarnator, and you lost, you'd
draw a new power and keep that, discarding the Reincarnator
and the Mutant.
INSECT
Insect will cause power effects to take place more than once. Therefore, if Insect calls "time travel"
against Chronos, the Chronos player must set aside the challenge card, and may not use it. Additionally,
Chronos may call "time travel" on the subsequent play. In another example, if Skeptic doubts Insect
will win, Insect may also doubt Skeptic will win, causing the losses to be doubled twice (or tripled).
The Super Insect has total flexibility. If he wants to go
first, no problem. He flashes the Flare and goes ahead. If
he wants to go second, he simply waits for his opponent to
go first (flashing the Flare if he is the offensive player
and would normally go first) and then follows him. Even if
the opponent doesn't use his power when he has the chance,
the Super Insect can then go ahead and use it anyway since
it is still 'before' his opponent has used his power.
Finally, the Super Insect isn't forced to use the power if
his opponent does and the Insect has declared he will do so
afterwards. The Flare specifies he 'may' use the power and
affects only the timing of his option, not his free will to
decide. (Besides, it's more fun that way, and you don't get
to be a Super Insect very often.)
The Wild Insect must be discarded despite the Keeper. (Eon style)
Insect vs. Butler: defensive player performs for the
offensive player.
Insect w/ Wild Calculator vs. Calculator: The precedent by
which the Insect's use of the Power Calculator and the Flare
Calculator is determined is by the order in which he plays
them.
JUDGE
LASER
When against the Miser, the Miser chooses which hand is
lased.
May use the Wild Magnet to have cards separated from those
to be lased.
Selects only the first of the Deuce's cards.
Laser's opponent may play a Kicker before the Laser draws a Challenge Card for him to play. The Laser Wild
Flare also forces, by implication, the victim to select his Kicker, if any, before asing for allies.
LLOYD
The Wild Lloyd does NOT need money to spend money.
The Wild Lloyd MAY be used to pay, for example, the
Extortionist or the Ethic, whose powers aren't such that
you're explicitly "required" to pay them.
LOSER
If the Witch makes the Flare Loser into something else, it
CAN be discarded.
A zapped Super Loser does NOT lose a base, as the Flare
Loser isn't considered to enter his hand.
If an upset has been called, BOTH the Deuce's cards must be
attacks, if possible.
(Likewise, I would rule that if the Witch made the
Flare Loser into something else for more than one player,
and it moved from one of the cursed players' hands to
another's during the spell, the recipient would not be
affected.)
If a tie occurs in an upset challenge, offense wins.
If the Loser wins with a Compromise, he collects no
consolation, as no tokens were lost. (Likewise for his
opponent).
Players may play Kickers after the Loser has declared an upset and before playing Challenge Cards.
MACHINE
CAN be stopped by Wild Pacifist.
The Machine's Timegash is only good for one challenge.
When the Wild Machine makes you stack your hand, you don't
have to let people see how many non-challenge cards you have
if you're sufficiently dexterous.
Kickers are stacked with challenge cards when you're
stacking.
If cards are to be drawn from a stacked hand, he may NOT
shuffle in his challenge cards, but should put his
non-challenge cards on either or both ends.
(He should be able to stick in his non-challenge cards;
let it be drawn from, and restack.)
MACRON
Yes, the Macron IS mandatory, and can't bring more than one
token into the cone.
The Crystal can force the Macron to bring 1-4 tokens.
Moon Boon is worth 5 to the Macron; Mini Mac Moon makes his
tokens worth 2.
Alternate version of the Macron
MAGNET
Wild Magnet can stop an Edict, Flare or Kicker,.but it must be a specific one, e.g. Cosmic Zap.
and can be circumvented in its attempt to prevent a player
from playing a compromise by the Wild Mesmer, as it can
repel either the Wild Mesmer or the compromise, but not
both.
MESMER
May change edicts into "play at any time" edicts and use
them even when there is a lien on his hand.
When a player tries to use a Wild Flare at the same time the
Super Mesmer does (e.g. Wild Dictator) conflict
resolution rules are in effect.
Yes, the Wild Mesmer can circumvent the Wild Magnet, which
may dictate that a player can't play a compromise or that he
can't play the Wild Mesmer, but not both.
MIND
May NOT look at the Miser's horde.
MIRROR
Reverses digits before figuring the effect of Kickers.
MISER
Miser's horded hand is determined before cards are dealt out -- no
picking between the two.
Chooses which hand Laser lases.
No conflict with a 6-player game if you have all the
expansion sets. (Eon style)
Mind can NOT look at the Miser's horde.
The Miser's hoard but not his hand is immune to the
Extortionist.
MUTANT
Super mutant discards the Flare Mutant when its used.
NEGATOR
If decider is specific in his decision, he may make a
different decision, if general, he may not.
If the Negator is caught Wild Filching, he may negate a
player's decision to catch him.
Yes, the Negator can negate another's decision to pass upon
flipping his own color, and could negate the decision of a
player attacking in the player's own system as to which
color to attack.
A 'Between challenges' event comes at the end of the
previous challenge, so certainly the Negator can affect
those events.
ORACLE
The Flare Oracle, when invoked, is shuffled in, too.
The Oracle does NOT look at his opponent's kicker.
Against Deuce, only his first card is seen.
PACIFIST
Wild Pacifist CAN stop Machine.
No, the Pacifist does NOT collect consolation when he wins
with a Compromise; he loses no tokens.
PARASITE
A player isn't considered to have lost his power due to the
Wild Reincarnator, nor does a Wild Witch user ever lose his
power.
Yes, a person can use Flare Parasite despite losing his own
power(s).
PENTAFORM
Other than Moon Base Omega, moons do NOT count for changing the Pentaform's life stage.
PHANTOM
Upon receiving Phantom (even mid-game), invert five tokens from bases and put them on your star. If you
lose your power, you cannot use ghost tokens or create more, but you may still convert them to regular tokens
by moving them from the star to the cone.
PHILANTHROPIST
The Philanthropist CAN give away the card the Visionary told
him to play.
PIRATE
Pirate victims can use most challenge affecting powers (e.g.
Mind, Chronos, Seeker), save those that would be
inappropriate (i.e. alliance or token affecting powers (e.g.
Virus, Anti-Matter, Macron).
Yes, he counts his Lucre in a raid. (Or can buy points in Mayfair style).
Yes, the Wild Pirate can hint. No, if he loses the card the
treasure no longer exists. He may choose whether to
announce that he is planting the treasure. (Eon style)
PLANT
Moons do NOT count for being able to graft.
PROPHET
REINCARNATOR
One isn't considered to have lost his power due to the Wild
Reincarnator.
Reincarnator must lose before he gets a power.
The Reincarnator represents a multiple power of sorts, his
current incarnation, and his Reincarnator power. Thus,
either or both powers could be zapped during one challenge.
(It would take two zaps to zap both.) If the Reincarnator
is zapped, it doesn't get a new power (or, if it's zapped
the first time it loses, it doesn't get one.)
SCHIZOID
May include loss of power in victory condition (Keeps itself
from victory until it loses its power), and then normal
victory rules apply).
If you want a minimum number of required external bases, set
a house rule. (Eon style)
When the Schizoid's terms become invalid (e.g. the condition
was occupy 2 moons, and Vanish eradicates the moons) the
game can only be won through the normal conditions upon the
Schizoid's loss of his power. And "does not require memory
of previous events" allows memory up to and including the
beginning of the challenge, so if the condition is 4 bases
and plays a Mobius Tubes, a player can win by playing a
Tubes and taking his fourth base later that challenge.
Examples of Schizoid Win Conditions.
SEEKER
It is legitimate for the Seeker to ask about, for example,
"intent to win," (and his victim must answer immediately),
but, it is, of course, difficult to prove or disprove
"intent to win."
It is also legitimate to ask "Will you win with a solo
victory", and though the victim must attempt to abide by
your answer, circumstances beyond your control may force you
to break your word.
MAY ask questions about the Miser's hoard, or the Schizoid's win conditions.
SILENCER
If the Silencer is caught Wild Filching, he may silence a
player who attempts to catch him. (Eon style)
When the Doppleganger is silenced, he must draw from the
deck unless a player offers him cards and he accepts. (Eon style)
The Gambler's card declaration is given despite Silencing
(And the Skeptic and Seeker are impotent).
Powers affected by Silencer.
SIREN
The Siren can lure even if her color was flipped.
If more than one of the cards the Wild Siren lured is drawn,
she gets all of them.
SKEPTIC
Offensive Skeptic can't doubt in a moon challenge (as card
specifies "planet").
Yes, the Super Skeptic may put at risk more tokens than he
has out of the Warp.
SNIVELER
Sniveler "bases" can either be home, foreign, or combined.
SORCERER
Against Deuce, only Deuce's first card may be switched.
No, the Sorcerer does NOT switch kickers.
TERRORIST
Can plant bombs on moons.
A Cosmic Zap stops a Terrorist Bomb! (Even if the
terrorist is out of the game)
A Cosmic Zap also stops the Terrorist from planting more
bombs, for a challenge.
Yes, the Terrorist can (and must) set off his own bombs.
Terrorist Paper.
TRADER
Yes, with Trader vs. Vulch, the following scenario is
possible: "Trader Plagues Machine. Vulch picks up Plague.
Trader plays Finder on Plague, and Plagues Machine again.
Vulch picks up Plague and Finder. Trader trades hands with
the Vulch and Plagues Machine. Vulch picks up the Plague
and the Trader finds it again. He now plagues Machine for
the fourth time. Vulch picks it up, and Plagues Machine
himself."
Trader may only trade once per challenge.
VACUUM
The Wild Vaccuum gets two tokens if two attack cards were
played.
Because power loss is immediate upon the loss of the third
base, the Vaccuum can't suck tokens corresponding to those
he lost defending his third base.
Yes, the Super Vacuum CAN prevent a win if it's fast enough.
VAMPIRE
The Wild Flare is not meant to restrict the player to a planet base; you may switch tokens with a player on a
moon base.
VISIONARY
Yes, the Visionary CAN tell the Chronos what to play the
second time around.
"At the appropriate time(s)" means that the vision is
cancelled if the victim loses the card, even due to
Philanthropic gift.
Against Deuce, the side card MAY be perceived.
Has no power over Kickers, and he specifies which Challenge Card his opponent must play AFTER players have
committed themselves on playing Kickers.
VIRUS
VOID
The Zombie IS exempt from the Void.
Despite the fact that the Force could conceivably get a
player with > 15 eradicated tokens back into the game,
unless the Force acts immediately, he IS out of the game.
The bases [in the eradicated player's system] remain but
have no further challenge possibilities against the Void.
The Wild Flare was not intended to take out only planets. You may take a moon out of the game instead.
VULCH
The Wild Vulch vs. the Vulch CAN create an 'endless' loop if
the Vulch offers an edict, the Wild Vulch refuses it and
discards it; the Vulch picks it up; the Vulch offers an
edict... One of them has to give up. (Eon style)
The Vulch CAN pick up a rebirth and play it immediately
(between challenges).
The Vulch CAN play any other edict immediately upon picking it
up (if it can be played).
Yes, with Trader vs. Vulch, the following scenario is
possible: "Trader Plagues Machine. Vulch picks up Plague.
Trader plays Finder on Plague, and Plagues Machine again.
Vulch picks up Plague and Finder. Trader trades hands with
the Vullch and Plagues Machine. Vulch picks up the Plague
and the Trader finds it again. He now plagues Machine for
the fourth time. Vulch picks it up, and Plagues Machine
himself."
WARPISH
Yes, Warpish gets moons.
WARRIOR
Experience points, when used, do NOT go away.
WILL
WITCH
An alteration to the Wild Loser is binding, and if it's
turned into something else, it can be discarded normally.
The Wild Witch holder is never considered to have lost his
power.
When the Super Witch loses his power, he becomes the Wild
Witch, which restores his power, and makes him the Super
Witch again. He can use the Flare like this every
challenge. (Eon style)
When witch is zapped, all active curses cease.
Witch's curses affect Deuce's side card as appropriate.
Examples of Witch Curses.
WORM
The Wild Worm can't be used to move another's tokens.
The Worm can't point the cone at a moon in his system; the
power specifies planet.
The Worm CAN reposition the cone where his opponent already
has a base (so long as the worm has a base there too).
WRACK
If a defensive Wrack tortures the offender out of the cone,
he's used up his tortures and loses, the offender doesn't
get a base, having no tokens with which to occupy. It is
considered a successful challenge regardless.
Yes, the Wild Wrack can "turn off" a mandatory power. It's
like a ransomable zap.
If the defensive Wrack tortures all of the offender's
challenge cards out of his hand, the offender's turn ends
immediately. If this is done on the Wrack's last torture,
the offender wins and occupies, but his turn still ends.
The Wild Wrack automatically becomes unusable after
challenge resolution, as there will be zero tokens in the
cone.
(Presumably any time the defender against an Offensive
Wrack ran out of challenge cards, he'd draw a new hand.)
No, the Wrack may not change his deal offer between
tortures.
ZOMBIE
IS exempt from the Void.
DOES get consolation despite not losing tokens to the Warp.
(He loses tokens, just not to the Warp.)
The Zombie is relatively immune to the Wild Wrack, as he
loses tokens to other bases instead of the warp, so won't
lose his power due to it.
Alternate Theory:
Zombie VS Void (and similar powers)
Zombie's tokens never go to the Warp, but Void eradicates a player's tokens instead of going to the Warp. So, which one affects the other, if at all? The wording of the powers themselves leaves a certain amount of ambiguity. The same is true of powers like Fungis and Vampire. A possible solution exists below:
In all cases of timing conflicts (when two players invoke contradictory special
effects simultaneously) between Alien Powers, Flares, Edicts, or so on,
resolution takes place as follows. Any players who are not main players go
first, starting with the player to the left of the offensive player and
proceeding clockwise, then the offensive player and finally the defensive
player.
Therefore, if we are to invoke the new interpretation for situations like
"Zombie, Void, Fungus, Vampire"- the player who's tokens go to the warp, or
are otherwise manipulated in some way would depend on where they are in the
challenge. Any power that can affect tokens as an Ally would get first dibs,
starting of course, with the player left of the offensive player, and moving
around the board clockwise. Then, if there are tokens left, the Offensive
player would go next (In Void vs Zombie, if the Void is offensive, Zombie loses
tokens- but if the Zombie is the offensive main player, and lost the challenge,
the tokens are NOT voided). Finally, if there are tokens remaining, the
Defensive Main Player may invoke his or her power effects.
It should be noted that the Singularity Reverse Hex specifically
mentions that Zombie tokens are captured by the Singularity, even though it also states that tokens
go into the Singularity instead of the Warp.
