New Dawn for the Galaxy

The galaxy has been a peaceful place for many years. After the ruthless Terran–Hegemony War (30.027–33.364), much effort has been employed by all major spacefaring species to prevent the terrifying events from repeating themselves. The Galactic Council was formed to enforce precious peace, and it has taken many courageous efforts to prevent the escalation of malicious acts.

Nevertheless, tension and discord are growing among the seven major species and in the Council itself. Old alliances are shattering, and hasty diplomatic treaties are made in secrecy. A confrontation of the superpowers seems inevitable — only the outcome of the galactic conflict remains to be seen. Which faction will emerge victorious and lead the galaxy under its rule?

The shadows of the great civilizations are about to eclipse the galaxy. Lead your people to victory!

Game Overview

Eclipse places you in control of a vast interstellar civilization, competing for domination with its rivals.

Each Round expand your civilization by Exploring and colonizing new Sector hexes (Sectors), Researching Technologies (Techs), and Building Spaceships (Ships) to wage war. After eight Rounds the game ends, and victory is awarded to the player with the most Victory Points (VP). VP are gained from fighting battles, forming Diplomatic Relations, Controlling Sectors, Controlling Monoliths, making Discoveries, and Researching Techs.

There are many potential paths to victory, so plan your strategy according to your civilization's strengths and weaknesses while paying attention to other civilizations' endeavors!

Note:

The following formatting has been used to help identify important game terms and concepts as you read the rules:

• Game/component terms are Capitalized.

• Key rules are emphasized in bold.

• Notes/exceptions are presented in italics.