Eclipse FAQ 
This is a list of the frequently asked questions for Eclipse: New Dawn for the Galaxy. It is a work in progress. Please link to relevant threads.
This extends the Official FAQ, so check there for answers. Right now there are sections that are empty, try to group answers where they are applicable.
References to rules are referring to the 2nd Edition English Rules. You can find them http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/69496/eclipse-rulebook
List of game FAQs
Frequently Overlooked / Misplayed Rules
- When trading resources, you must trade 2 (or 3 or 4, depending on your race) of a single kind for one.
- When exploring, you designate the target space before revealing the hex(es).
- Ships are pinned by opposing ships/bases.
- You may not explore from a hex with a ship (and no influence disc) unless you have an unpinned ship.
- You may build in spaces with enemy ships (if you control the space).
- The only upgrade restrictions are
- You must be able to power all the subsystems.
- Ships must have a drive (and may have multiples!)
- Starbases may not have a drive
- That means you can have multiples of the same upgrade on a ship design.
- You may have multiple starbases in a hex. See http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/680206/multiple-starbases-in-one-hex
- You get reputation draws for destroying ships even if you retreated.
- The traitor may not form new diplomatic relations.
- Storage is unlimited. You can go above 40 resources of any type. (It's just rare enough that they didn't bother printing the sheets that way).
- Cubes that are returned via Influence/Bankruptcy go directly back to the track. Cubes that are destroyed by post-Combat bombing are put into the graveyard until the Cleanup phase.
- All Colony ships are turned face up in the Cleanup phase.
The HexesQ: What are those diamonds on some hexes?
A: Those are artifacts. These only matter for the artifact key technology. See http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/824133/star-diamond-on-a-discovery-symbol-vp
Q: If I remove a cube from a grey planet, does it have to go from the track I took it from?
A: No. (Rules, p10) "If a cube is returned from a gray (wild) square, you may choose which Track it goes to. Similarly, if a cube is returned from an Orbital, you may return it to either the Money or Science track." This is true no matter if the disc removal is via Influence/Bankruptcy (in which case it goes directly to the track) or being destroyed after combat (in which case it goes to the graveyard). (Rules, p20).
The Action PhaseQ: Can I keep taking reactions after everyone has passed?
A: No. See Rules p8. "After every player's Summary Card has been flipped dark side up, the Action phase ends immediately. No more Reactions may be taken."
Exploring ActionQ: When we run out of Sector III tiles, can I use other sectors in their place?
A: No. Sector III is limited (by the number of players, as per the setup rules). Sectors I and II are limited by layout (6 tiles in Sector I, (12 - number) of players for Sector II).
Move Action & PinningQ: How does pinning work?
A: Each ship (or starbase!) prevents one enemy ship of each enemy player from leaving the hex. During a move action you can leave (or move through) a hex ONLY if you have as many ships as the total number of enemy ships. Note -- The GCDS pins all ships. See http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/712363/pinned-ships. In the typical case (only two players in a hex) then each must keep the number of ships that the enemy has. If two players are in a hex with ancients (or a 3rd player) each player has a number of pinned ships equal to the number of enemy ships plus ancients.
Research ActionQ: Can I buy an 8th tile on the row?
A: No. You only have seven slots. You cannot voluntarily discard technologies, either.
Upgrade ActionQ: I can remove as many parts as I want. If I uncover a pre-printed part, does it activate?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I stack two tiles on the same place, so I can upgrade by removing one later?
A: No, this is explicitly forbidden by the rules (on p13) -- "When placing the tiles,
you may place the tiles on top of any of the printed starting Ship Parts on your Ship blueprints, but not on top of other Ship Part tiles."
Q: Can I upgrade starbases even if I don't have any built? Or if I don't have Starbase technology?
A: Yes. See http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/743338/can-you-upgraderesearch-a-tech-for-a-ship-you-have
CombatQ: Do you designate your targets before you roll?
A: No. Rule, p18. "After rolling, you choose which enemy Ship you assign each die to..."
Q: If after I win a combat I don't have an influence disc, can I move one to claim the sector?
A: No. However, all influence discs are removed from lost (bombarded) sectors before any are placed, so if you lose one sector and win another, you'll have disc. See http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/8671580#8671580
Attacking PopulationQ: Can damage from one weapon be split between multiple planets?
A: Yes. The rules (p.20) state that each point of damage destroys one Population cube of your choosing. (See http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/8206780#8206780 and http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/8250159#8250159 for confirmation, http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/9980567#9980567 for discussion.)
Q: If I move ships into a hex with no enemy ships, but an influence disc and Population, do I get to draw Reputation tiles?
A: No. The rules (p.20) state that destroying Population cubes does not grant Reputation tiles. It has been clarified that this is not a "battle" (posts #1, #2, #3).
Reputation TilesQ: Who draws tiles first after an individual battle?
A: The defender. "The tiles are drawn in the order the players entered the hex, so that the player who first entered the hex will draw all his tiles first." (Rulebook, p21).
Q: If you battle multiple players in the same hex, do you get multiple draws?
A: No. "After all battles in a hex have been resolved, each player draws tiles..." (p21)
Q: Do you get a reputation draw for destroying population if you didn't fight any ships.
A: No. Attacking population technically happens "after all battles have been resolved." (Rules, p20). They aren't battles, although people tend to resolve them at the same time.
Upkeep PhaseQ: Can I use the science/mineral I'm about to get to pay upkeep?
A: No. You can use EXISTING Sci/Min. Once you've paid upkeep (removing discs if necessary) you get your new science & mineral. See http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/826411/question-about-avoiding-bankruptcy-before-getting
Q: Can I voluntarily remove discs during the cleanup phase?
A: No, you can only "tactically bankrupt" if you would have negative money. This is in the rulebook FAQ, p 31 (1st Question, 2nd column).
Questions about Specific items
Discovery TilesQ: If I get an ancient ship part after one hex of combat, can I upgrade the ship and use it before the next hex of combat?
A: No, but that's because you only adjust influence discs (which is the only way to get discovery tiles) after ALL HEXES of combat (or during explore/influence action). So there's no possibility for a surprise tile showing up in the middle of combat.
Q: How do ancient ship parts work? Can I change them around?
A: No. You must decide if it's a part or 2 VP right away. If you use it as a part, you may place it as an upgrade (for free) right then, or hold it and upgrade with it later. Upgrading an ancient ship part from your side board counts against the ship parts you can take from the supply with the upgrade action. Once you place it on a ship, if you remove it it is discarded from play. See http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/828063/quick-q-on-ancient-ship-parts
Q: When I get an ancient ship part, can I place it on a space that already has a tile, or must it be an empty or pre-printed space?
A: You can replace a tile. Rule, p7. "You may place this part in any of your Ships (returning an existing part if needed)"
Q: For the "Ancient Technology" discovery, do you count discounts towards determining "cheapest Technology Tile"
A: No. You just look for the lowest base price. If there is a tie, you may choose freely.
TechnologiesQ: Can I use Colony ships right after I purchase Advanced Economy/Research/Mining?
A: Yes. Colony ships can be used any time during one of your actions (or after combat).
Q: Do I need to use a colony ship for an orbital space?
A: Yes.
Q: Are Plasma Missiles overpowered?
A: That has been debated in many numerous threads.
Q: If I take a reaction build and have nanorobots, do I get to build two things?
A: No. This is explicitly mentioned in the rulebook on the bottom of page 14.
Q: How does Artifact Key work?
A: At the time when you buy it, you get 5 resources for each sector you control that has the diamond symbol. See http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/10517311#10517311
The Alien Races
Descendants of DracoNote -- The GCDS is not an Ancient, so the Draco cannot coexist with it. See FAQ or rules, p 27.
Q: What happens to the tile the descendants of Draco do not use?
A: It is discarded face up, and can be reshuffled if need be (as if they'd explored and rejected it).
Q: If I attack a Draco player in a hex with an ancient, who do I battle first?
A: The normal rule (players battle each other, then ancients/GCDS) applies. You fight the Draco player before the Ancients.
Q: If a player attacks a Draco hex with an Alien and kills the alien but does not remove the Draco influence disc (in other words, does not bomb all the population), then does the Draco player get the discovery tile?
A: No. Discovery tiles are only given out when influence discs are added. To get it, the Draco would have to influence to remove the disc (and any remaining cubes) and then re-add a disc.
PlantaQ: How does the Planta explore ability work exactly? Can they discard the first tile and explore in the same spot?
A: The two explore actions are completely independent, done one after the other. See http://boardgamegeek.com/article/8231135#8231135.
Rise of the Ancients ExpansionThe Official RotA FAQ thread is http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/10830010
AlliancesQ: If your ally betrays you (and you have no other ally) can you then join another alliance?
A: Yes. First, you must leave the current Alliance during any of your actions in the Action Phase by flipping your Alliance Tile the Betrayer side up before taking the action. See rules page 11, or http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/876694/possible-scenario-for-alliances
New Technologies / DiscoveriesQ: How many movement points to go into/out of an interceptor bay?
A: Moving into/out of an interceptor bay is free, but if the mothership has more than one hex of movement you can't drop stuff off in the middle. (You could activate the mothership multiple times, though). See page 16, Vernor's Move #14 for a thorough example.
Q: If I retreat a ship with interceptor bays, can I retreat two interceptors with it?
A: No. The bays only work as movements, each ship class must retreat on it's own.
Q: Does the Anti-Matter splitter work on population?
A: Yes, but it's redundant. All cannons split when firing against population. See main rules.
Q: Can you have a standard orbital and a discovery orbital in the same hex?
A: No. The "one orbital per hex rule" applies. You'll have to take the points if you can't place the orbital.
New AliensQ: Do the Magellans get get 1VP for placing an Discovery Warp Portal/Orbital?
A: No. See FAQ at the end of the expansion rules.
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