Arc of Eckaris is a strategic warfare game for 4-6 players set in the original Eckaris universe. Players choose from six unique races, each with their own strategic specialty and technologies. Depending on how players plan their strategy, they may choose between three paths to victory, while fending off attempts by other players to control or destroy them.

A single game takes between 40 and 60 minutes to play.

A player may win in one of three ways:

1. Earn 20 Victory Points by capturing planets. Planets have designated rewards such as Victory Points, Influence, and special technology.

2. Destroy your opponents! Deplete your final opponent’s Bank to zero and you will take it all. Of course, this will be easier said than done.

3. Capture the Arc. It might seem like a simple task, but to win the Arc, you win need to defend against every other player.

It’s All About Influence

Success in the game hinges on how you manage your currency. Arc of Eckaris uses one currency called “Influence”. It collectively represents a player’s military, economic, scientific and diplomatic strength.

Influence is divided into two pools, a player’s “Potential” and their “Bank”. Influence in a player’s Bank is readily available to deploy but must be managed carefully. If your Bank is depleted, it’s GAME OVER.

The Potential pool can’t be accessed except to collect rewards for achieving goals or by using Tech that generates Influence into your Bank.

Players have 25 Influence divided among these two pools at the start of the game and will need to plan their resource management wisely.

Basic Game Play

Basic play is relatively simple. Players may choose to perform two of the following actions on their turn:

1. Play A Card

Cards in the Objective deck include Planets, Disruptions, and Event Triggers. Playing a Planet makes it an active goal. Playing a Disruption card of the correct strength will counter another player’s Tech. An Event Trigger will cause you to draw from the event deck and all players will participate in the results.

2. Deploy or Recall Influence 

Place an Influence onto another player’s Incursion Zone. It is necessary to build up Influence on your opponents to conquer Planets. This is also known as your “Force”. When your deployed Force reaches a Planets threshold, you win that card and reap its rewards.

If need be, you may remove one of your Influence from another player’s Incursion Zone and place it in your Bank. You may not Deploy and Recall in the same turn.

3. Discard and Draw

Sometimes you just need a refresh. You may replace one card in your hand each turn at the cost of one action.

4. Activate Your Tech

Tech is a major strategic component of Arc of Eckaris. Each race has six powerful Tech effects available to them. However each of these come with a cost. These costs can be immediate or be triggered under certain circumstances, such as a Disruption.

Each Tech has four levels of strength. Players roll four dice to determine which Tech they may use at which level of strength. (Example: A roll of three 4’s and one 2 would allow a player to use their fourth Tech at a strength of three and their second Tech at its minimal strength)

Tech effects also stack globally, meaning that a player may trigger another player’s Tech, and so on, creating a Tech Chain. Tech Chains can have far reaching effects, especially when they involve several players.

Finishing a Turn

After a player has completed two actions and drawn back up to three cards, their turn ends.