Deep in the Ultima Segmentum, precious resources and lost artifacts have been found in the recently explored Traxis sector. In order to secure these treasures, the Imperium of Man wages a bloody conflict, desperately holding back tides of traitors, Daemons, and Xenos alike. The foul forces of Chaos plunder and corrupt, furthering their own goals of conquest and madness. Meanwhile, alien races of all kinds build their own empires, casting out all who would challenge their dominance. Blood will be spilt. Champions will rise. The only certainty is that there can be only one victor. ~ Unending War, Undying Glory! ~ Two players plunge into endless war with Warhammer 40,000: Conquest, Fantasy Flight Games’s newest Living Card Game. Players battle relentlessly over the planets of the Traxis sector, a strategically vital sector of space in the 41st millennium. Only by forming a peerless strategy and conquering these planets will one player rise to victory and defeat rival claimants to the Traxis sector! ~ The Timeline of Battle ~ At the beginning of every round of the game, players deploy armies to key planets throughout the Traxis sector. Planets are critical to the war in a variety of ways. After players deploy armies, the command struggle occurs at each planet, representing a strategic battle for planetary influence, with the victor gaining the spoils: added resources and card draw. Once the command struggle concludes, battles erupt at the first planet and at any planet with a warlord. The victor of the battle at the first planet claims it for his victory display, and by claiming three strategic planets one player will dominate a game of Warhammer 40,000: Conquest. Players deploy armies to planets throughout the Traxis sector and battles are not fought at every planet, but just because players cannot claim a planet doesn’t mean they can safely ignore it. Deploying armies to planets farther afield along the line of planet cards is crucial to receiving the resources and cards both players need to maintain a concentrated offensive. Balancing the need to win battles in the present against your plans for future conquests is the key to dominion of the Traxis sector. Battles offer players the chance to execute their tactics, pitting mighty armies against each other. During a battle, a unit exhausts to strike a chosen enemy unit, dealing damage directly to its target. A host of keywords and special abilities create engaging battles where the best option is never obvious, however. For example, the Daring Assault Squad (Core Set, 16) bears the keyword Area Effect (2), meaning that instead of attacking one specific unit, it may deal two damage to every enemy unit at the planet! ~ The Warlord's Power ~ Players’ armies in the Traxis sector are not without leadership in the grim darkness of space. Every army is commanded by a redoubtable warlord, who leads his armies into battle and grants powerful, far-reaching abilities. A warlord inspires his troops to great deeds of heroism, but players must beware leaving their warlords in harm’s way. If a warlord is defeated once, he becomes bloodied, and if he is defeated again, that player immediately loses the game. A warlord provides more than formidable leadership for a player’s troops; he is also the foundation of deckbuilding. Every warlord has a signature squad consisting of eight cards associated with that warlord – his most trusted warriors, unique locations, or powerful tactics. When a player chooses a warlord to lead his army, the eight-card signature squad must also be included in the deck. The cards in the signature squad possess a unique synergy with the warlord himself, helping to forge the beginnings of a deck. After choosing a warlord and adding his signature squad, deckbuilding possibilities only increase. Nine factions battle for the fate of the Traxis sector in Warhammer 40,000: Conquest, each with its own distinct flavor and preferred play style. Players aren’t limited to building decks out of one faction at a time, however: temporary allies can be found, even in the unending war of the far future. Warhammer 40,000: Conquest features an alignment wheel, showing each of the factions in the game arrayed in a wheel. While building decks, a player may draw on cards from one of the two factions adjacent to his warlord’s faction. For example, a player with a Space Marine warlord may include cards from either the Astra Militarum or the Tau factions in his deck. The Necrons and Tyranids will be added in a future deluxe expansion and have special rules governing their deckbuilding. The Necrons, at the center of the wheel, may steal units from any of the factions in the wheel. Tyranids, however, lie outside the alignment wheel, and their restless agression keeps them from forming an alliance with any other race. With such a wide range of factions and options for players, deckbuilding offers massive potential.
~ Enter the Traxis Sector ~ War is the only constant in the 41st millennium and Warhammer 40,000: Conquest invites players to command battles where entire planets hang in the balance. Whether players field the military might of the Imperium of Man or draw upon the uncontrollable magic of the Warp, they’ll find glorious battles and the taste of victory in Warhammer 40,000: Conquest! |