I was never satisfied with many of the leader abilities in TI3, whether it was because they were too powerful or not powerful enough, or too situational, or even just not interesting enough. So I decided to come up with my own rules for leaders and their abilities. Let me know what you think:
Players start the game with only 1 leader (of their choice) in their home system. They gain an additional leader when they reach 2VPs, which they can place on any friendly planet up to 1 sector away from their home system. They gain their final leader once they reach 5VPs, which they can place on any friendly planet up to 2 sectors away from their home system.
Leaders are captured according to the following die rolls:
Space Combat
1-5: Killed.
6-8: Escapes - placed on nearest friendly planet.
9-10: Captured - placed on nearest planet belonging to opponent combatant.
Invasion Combat
1-5: Captured - placed on nearest planet belonging to opponent combatant (including current planet if defending).
6-8: Escapes - placed on nearest friendly planet.
9-10: Killed.
While captive, during the Status Phase and for each captive he holds, the captor may look at 1 random Action card from the hand of the captive’s owner.
If ever a planet containing a captive is successfully invaded, the captive transfers to the new controlling player.
A captor may strike a deal with the captive’s owner to immediately transfer the captive back to any friendly planet of the captor’s choice.
Admirals
- During the “Execute Retreats” step of space combat, only half of an enemy fleet (rounded up) may retreat. The combat then continues (the enemy fleet may retreat again in the next combat round following the same restriction).
- While aboard a Dreadnaught, immediately before or after moving, may transfer 1 Command Counter from Strategy Allocation to Fleet Supply (or vice versa).
- Any ship carrying an Admiral rolls 1 extra die in combat.
Generals
- At the end of invasion combat (as the attacker), you take control of any enemy PDS, faciltiies and spacedocks present.
- In invasion combat, you receive +1 to combat rolls if attacking and +2 if defending.
- At the end of a successful invasion combat where you were the attacker, 2 Ground Forces convert to Shock Troops.
Agents
- Fighters carrying Agents receive +1 movement, +2 to combat rolls, do not require support and may immediately retreat during the “Announce Retreats” step of space combat.
- While in a fighter in a system containing an opponent-controlled planet, you may return your Agent to the nearest planet you control to either: as a tactical action, look at that opponent’s hand of Action cards and discard any 1 card OR cancel the effect of an Action card just played on you by that opponent.
- During combat (as the attacker), enemy PDS and Mech Units are non-functional, and enemy destroyers cannot perform Anti-Fighter Barrage.
Diplomats
- Fleets carrying your Diplomats may move through sectors containing enemy fleets, with permission (or without permission by paying that player trade goods equal to the number of his ships in that sector).
- When an opponent activates a system containing your Diplomat, you may cancel that action and the player’s turn ends (return the Command Counter to his Command Pool; once per round per opponent).
- While in a sector containing an opponent-controlled planet, that opponent may not break trade agreements with you (except due to combat). Additionally, if you offer that opponent a control marker while resolving the Trade strategy card, you automatically receive 1 of his control markers in return (in addition to any he may offer) and you immediately receive 1 extra trade good. This is related to a house rule I use where players can offer a trade partner one of their control markers to increase the value of the trade agreement by 1.
Scientists
- While on a friendly planet with a technology specialty, all planets you control with that specialty provide 1 extra technology discount.
- The cost to build spacedocks, PDS and faciltiies is halved. Additionally, the build capacity of your spacedocks is increased by 2.
- All ships in a friendly fleet carrying a scientist have their scout values doubled (again, in relation to a house rule for scouting domain counters), and all ships in that fleet with a Move of 1 have their Move increased to 2.
Players start the game with only 1 leader (of their choice) in their home system. They gain an additional leader when they reach 2VPs, which they can place on any friendly planet up to 1 sector away from their home system. They gain their final leader once they reach 5VPs, which they can place on any friendly planet up to 2 sectors away from their home system.
Leaders are captured according to the following die rolls:
Space Combat
1-5: Killed.
6-8: Escapes - placed on nearest friendly planet.
9-10: Captured - placed on nearest planet belonging to opponent combatant.
Invasion Combat
1-5: Captured - placed on nearest planet belonging to opponent combatant (including current planet if defending).
6-8: Escapes - placed on nearest friendly planet.
9-10: Killed.
While captive, during the Status Phase and for each captive he holds, the captor may look at 1 random Action card from the hand of the captive’s owner.
If ever a planet containing a captive is successfully invaded, the captive transfers to the new controlling player.
A captor may strike a deal with the captive’s owner to immediately transfer the captive back to any friendly planet of the captor’s choice.
Admirals
- During the “Execute Retreats” step of space combat, only half of an enemy fleet (rounded up) may retreat. The combat then continues (the enemy fleet may retreat again in the next combat round following the same restriction).
- While aboard a Dreadnaught, immediately before or after moving, may transfer 1 Command Counter from Strategy Allocation to Fleet Supply (or vice versa).
- Any ship carrying an Admiral rolls 1 extra die in combat.
Generals
- At the end of invasion combat (as the attacker), you take control of any enemy PDS, faciltiies and spacedocks present.
- In invasion combat, you receive +1 to combat rolls if attacking and +2 if defending.
- At the end of a successful invasion combat where you were the attacker, 2 Ground Forces convert to Shock Troops.
Agents
- Fighters carrying Agents receive +1 movement, +2 to combat rolls, do not require support and may immediately retreat during the “Announce Retreats” step of space combat.
- While in a fighter in a system containing an opponent-controlled planet, you may return your Agent to the nearest planet you control to either: as a tactical action, look at that opponent’s hand of Action cards and discard any 1 card OR cancel the effect of an Action card just played on you by that opponent.
- During combat (as the attacker), enemy PDS and Mech Units are non-functional, and enemy destroyers cannot perform Anti-Fighter Barrage.
Diplomats
- Fleets carrying your Diplomats may move through sectors containing enemy fleets, with permission (or without permission by paying that player trade goods equal to the number of his ships in that sector).
- When an opponent activates a system containing your Diplomat, you may cancel that action and the player’s turn ends (return the Command Counter to his Command Pool; once per round per opponent).
- While in a sector containing an opponent-controlled planet, that opponent may not break trade agreements with you (except due to combat). Additionally, if you offer that opponent a control marker while resolving the Trade strategy card, you automatically receive 1 of his control markers in return (in addition to any he may offer) and you immediately receive 1 extra trade good. This is related to a house rule I use where players can offer a trade partner one of their control markers to increase the value of the trade agreement by 1.
Scientists
- While on a friendly planet with a technology specialty, all planets you control with that specialty provide 1 extra technology discount.
- The cost to build spacedocks, PDS and faciltiies is halved. Additionally, the build capacity of your spacedocks is increased by 2.
- All ships in a friendly fleet carrying a scientist have their scout values doubled (again, in relation to a house rule for scouting domain counters), and all ships in that fleet with a Move of 1 have their Move increased to 2.