Space Empires: Replicators (2nd Printing)

Space Empires: Replicators, the second expansion in the Space Empires series, adds a number of features to the base game, starting with the Replicators. Von-Neumann Machines („Replicators”) are self-replicating machinesthat behave, research, and reproduce differently from other empires, while having their own Empire Advantages. Replicators can be used by a fifth player, as an opponent in co-op games, or as a teaching empire for new players as the Replicatorplayer doesn’t have to fill out a production sheet or track the technology on his ships.

Space Empires: Replicators also includes hex-sized terrain tiles for planets, asteroids, nebulae, and other permanent terrain effects. When an exploration marker reveals a terrain effect that stays on the map, the exploration marker is removedand replaced by a tile, giving the map a nice visual effect. (By removing the exploration marker, this also creates more room in the hexes because now the entire hex is the terrain.) For epic games, the backs of some of these tiles canbe used to connect two Space Empires Boards.

New Deep Space terrain is included in this expansion, with the Galactic Capital (which comes with its own scenario), Regional Map, Gravitational Anomaly, Space Pirates, and the Fold in Space.

Each player also is dealt his own (random) resource deck at the start of the game. Everyone starts with a hand of three cards and draws a new one each turn. These cards can be used as an event or turned in for CP. Cards impact battles, exploration,economics — almost every aspect of the game; they can add unpredictable twists and impact your strategy. More powerful resource cards require you to discard an extra card to play them.

New Ships are included in Space Empires: Replicators, with these ships requiring a new technology — Advanced Construction — to be researched. There are three levels of Advanced Construction, and it cannot be researched until the EconomicPhase after your empire has built a BC or larger ship. Thus, they won’t be available until the middle game at the earliest. The ships opened up by Advanced Construction include: