Placing Explored Sectors: Placed Sectors must be oriented in the Zone that was Explored so that a Wormhole Connection is made with a Sector where you have Control or at least one Unpinned Ship (excepting players with the Wormhole Generator Tech, see the Wormhole Generator section for details). If the placed Sector contains a Discovery Tile Symbol, place a Discovery Tile on it facedown. If the placed Sector also contains Ancient Symbols, place that many Ancients on top of the Discovery Tile.

Discovery Tiles: As part of your Explore Activation, take the Discovery Tile from any undefended (i.e. containing no Ancients) Sector Explored this Action. Discovery Tiles from Explored Sectors containing Ancients can only be awarded in the Combat Phase (see the Discovery Tiles section of the Combat Phase section for details on Discovery Tiles in the Combat Phase). All Discovery Tiles are double sided: the front showing one of various rewards and the back showing a 2 VP value. When a Discovery Tile is taken during an Explore Activation you must reveal the tile and decide which side to use before the Activation is completed. Unless otherwise indicated, all Discovery Tiles are placed in a faceup Discard Pile next to the Tech and Upgrade Trays after granting a non-VP reward. Discovery Tiles that are kept for their VP value instead of being used for their variable reward are placed next to your Species Board, with the VP side faceup.

After placing an Explored Sector, you may take Control of the Sector by placing the leftmost Influence Disc from your Influence Track on the Influence Space of the Sector. As with Discovery Tiles, you are not allowed to take Control of an Explored Sector containing Ancients until they are destroyed during the Combat Phase (see the Discovery Tiles section of the Combat Phase section for details on Discovery Tiles in the Combat Phase).

Discovery tile symbols with no Ancients

Discovery tile symbols with one Ancient

Discovery tile symbols with two Ancients