SYMBIOTE Set-Up, Infinity
Has 40 Tokens
You have the powers of numbers. At the start of the game, you receive
a second set of 20 tokens of a color not in play. Use only the
destiny cards of your system color. Place eight tokens on each home
planet during setup. During play, use the second-color tokens just as
your normal ones except that only your system-color tokens count as
bases, either for winning or for keeping your Alien Power. If you do
lose your power, the second-color tokens are frozen in place and may
not be moved until you regain your power. Likewise, you cannot
retrieve them from the warp for any reason, commit them as an ally, or
use them to defend a planet.
HISTORY: The environmental extremes on the Symbiote's home world drove
its two sentient species into a mutual interdependence. Now this
exceptionally tough hybrid has discovered that the warp gives this two-
in-one race a distinct advantage over its adversaries.
FLARE
Phase 8
Wild: As defensive player, you may add all tokens on the planet to
your total, regardless of their allegiance. If you lose, your tokens
go to the warp but the others remain.
Infinity
Super: You may swap any tokens of your second color for tokens of your
system color in the warp. Tokens that come out of the warp in this
way must go to bases where the second color tokens had been.
PULSAR
Phase 8
Con: When Symbiote takes consolation cards from you, his Symbiote
tokens do not count. If he only had Symbiote tokens in the challenge,
he gets one card as consolation.
Infinity
Pro: Your Symbiote tokens on bases count for the win and keeping your
power even if you do not have your regular tokens on such bases.
Eon/Avalon:
No Changes
Experience Rating: Novice
Cosmic Monopoly
Begin the game with $3,000. In long version, you have 40 tokens. For
the need to keep a cosmic token on a property to maintain ownership,
at least one token needs to be your primary color.
Commentary: This is a resource power. This is a great power. Though
your tokens are still a limited resource, you have a lot of them to
play around with. It is rare for a player to have more than 12 tokens
in the warp. I have played in games where all of a player's tokens
were in the warp, but it is still rare. However, even in these rare
cases, Symbiote is not in such a desperate situation as others would
be.
When you're not in a challenge to gain a base, you are better off in
the long run to risk only your second color tokens. Even though bases
with only second color tokens don't count for the win or keeping your
power, they still count as bases for purposes of "returning tokens to
bases" to allow you to return your primary color tokens there or any
other purpose where having a base matters. Symbiote/Plant can graft
with such a base, for example.
Under the rules for Pulsar Cards, if you don't have your power for
lack of home bases, if you have your power's Pulsar Card, that allows
you to use your power but you cannot use the Pro effect. Therefore,
this is how Symbiote Pro Pulsar works. Suppose you only occupy four
bases in your home system, but one of them is occupied only by your
second color tokens. Now, if you acquire the Symbiote Pulsar Card,
and then lose a home planet with primary tokens, your Pro Pulsar takes
effect. You are not considered to have lost your power. However, if
you lose a home base with primary tokens, and thus lose your power,
and then get the Symbiote Pulsar Card, you can then use your power as
normal but cannot use the Pro Pulsar effect until you get a third home
base with primary tokens. In short, whichever occurs first between
having the Pulsar Card or losing your third home base takes precedent
for which effect takes place.
Changeling in the same game as Symbiote is quite delicate. If you are
also playing with Pulsars, a player using Changeling who has the
Symbiote Pulsar card in his hand could easily win the game, though a
Warp Break could do just as well. Changeling/Mesmer opposing Symbiote
is dangerous. Also be wary of power swapping cards, i.e. Wild
Sorcerer, Wild Dealer, Wild Slider. Insect, Mimic, and Wand can also
be dangerous in games with Symbiote, but the question is do they use
Symbiote=92s extra tokens or get a set of 20 tokens of their own.
Hello, Continuum.
Gerald Katz
Don't forget to tip the Butler!
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