Terraforming Mars

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is TR?
Terraform Rating
Related Rule(s)
What can I do on my turn?
7 options
A) Play a card from your hand. B) Use a standard project. C) Claim a milestone. D) Fund an award. E) Use the action on a blue card. F) Convert 8 plants into a greenery tile (which gives an oxygen increase) as described on the player board. G) Convert 8 heat into a temperature increase as described on the player board.
Related Rule(s)
Component list
1 Rules Booklet 1 Game Board 5 Player Boards 17 Corporation Cards 208 Project Cards 8 Reference Cards 200 Player Markers (transparent plastic cubes, 5 colors) 200 Resource Markers (opaque plastic cubes in gold, silver, and copper in different sizes) 3 Game Board Markers (big white plastic cubes) 9 Ocean Tiles 60 Greenery/City Tiles 11 Special Tiles 1 First Player Marker
What do asterisks on cards mean?
Special rule
When an icon has an asterisk (*) next to it, there is a special rule that you must read in the explanation text on the card.’
When does the game end?
When all 9 oceans have been placed, and oxygen and heat are at the top of their tracks.
Related Rule(s)
In the solo version when buying the standard project can I buy as many times as I want or just once per generation ?
Yes
Yes, you can buy a standard project as many times as you want in a single round.
What do you get for placing oceans? What about placing tiles next to oceans?
Varies
For placing an ocean you get 1 TR. For placing tiles next to oceans, you get a one-time bonus of 2M€ (not production, just 2M€ in money). If you place a tile adjacent to SEVERAL oceans, you get 2M€ for EACH ocean.
What is the difference between turns and generations?
A generation is comprised of several rounds of turns where players take 1-2 actions or pass, one after the other, clockwise. When you pass, you cannot take any more actions during that generation. When all players have passed, the generation is over and a new one begins, each with several turns of players taking actions.
Related Rule(s)
Do you always get +1 income when placing a city tile, or just when you take the generic build a city action?
No
You only get an increase in income when you perform the Standard Project Action, as it is implied that you are getting revenues off the top from taxes. Other city building is done via projects that have their own rewards.
When placing a greenery tile, you have to place it next to a tile you own. If you only have a special tile on the board, do you have to place the new greenery next to it?
Yes
Yes. Special tiles have your player marker on them, so they are your tiles, just like greenery or city tiles.
When you place a tile on a hex with the card symbol(s), do you have to pay the 3 M€ each to actually put the cards into your hand?
No
No, you do not have to pay, but you get the card(s) into your hand for free.
Related Rule(s)
Some of the map hexes have 2 symbols for plants, steel, titanium or cards. Does that mean you get two bonus resource cubes for putting something on that hex?
Yes
Yes, you get 2 bonus resources when putting any tile on those hexes, i.e. any tile gets you the 2 resources.
Related Rule(s)
Does the generation track offer anything else in a multi-player game other than just tracking how many rounds you play?
When Drafting
The generation track is used mainly to keep track of rounds played in multiplayer games. However, if you are playing with rules on drafting research cards each generation, you can use it to see if you pass cards clockwise or counter-clockwise.
Related Rule(s)
Who wins in case of a tie in VPs?
M€ and cards
If players are tied at the end of a game in VPs, the winner is the player with the most M€. If that number is also a tie, the winner is the player with the most unplayed cards (since you could always sell cards for 1M€ each as a last action).
How do I win the game?
Have the most VPs
The winner of the game is determined by the amount of Victory Points (VPs), calculated from several factors.
Does the UNMI corporation card work as a blue card with an action?
Yes
UNMI works exactly like a blue card with an action; it may be used only once per generation.
When is the Capital tile placed?
-
This tile is only placed by the Capital card, not by Noctis City, Phobos Space Haven, or Ganymede colony. Those cards place normal city tiles as indicated by their icons. Capital has a special tile (that counts as a city tile) because it scores adjacent ocean tiles, in addition to the normal scoring of adjacent greenery tiles.
Related Rule(s)
Can the "robotic workforce" card affect any card?
No
The robotic workforce can only target a card with the building tag, and it only copies that card's production box, not other effects. Any decreases of production stated in that box must also be performed. It cannot copy the action or effect on the upper panel on a blue card; only the production box on the lower panel of a card with the building tag.
Is the ecoline corporation effect an action?
No
Ecoline’s effect is not an action, and so may be used any number of times during the generation. It is an effect that alters the plant conversion action on the player board, making it cheaper to use.
Search for life - card: When it says reveal, what do I do with the revealed card afterwards? Do I keep it?
No
Search for Life should read: “Reveal and discard...”
If the deck of cards run out, do you shuffle the discard into a new deck?
Yes
The deck is reshuffled from the discard pile if it becomes empty.
Related Rule(s)
How does end of the game greenery conversion work?
-
After the last Production phase players may, in the preserved player order, convert plants into one or more greenery tiles. The greenery tiles are paid for (with 8 plants each) and placed one at a time, triggering placement bonuses and other effects before the next tile is placed. When that player can't place any more greenery tiles, the next player goes. After every player has had a chance to place greenery tiles, end game scoring begins.
Can a blue card action be used several times in a generation?
No
Blue cards with actions can only be used once per generation (mark them as used with your player marker until the Production phase). If a card has more than one action, you must choose which one to use. Any cost before the arrow must be paid first, then the effect after the arrow is performed similar to when you play a card, and with the same restrictions, meaning you must be able to perform the effect in full, except for raising an already maxed out global parameter (oxygen, temperature, or ocean), removing opposing resources, or adding resources you can't collect. If you can’t perform the effect (or pay the cost), then you can’t take this action.
Can a card's tag(s) trigger its own effects?
Yes
A card’s tags may often trigger the card’s own effect while being played. For example, Decomposers adds a resource to itself when being played because of its microbe tag triggering the card effect.
Related Rule(s)
Do tags on events (red cards) count during the game and end game scoring after being played?
No
They are active and may trigger effects while being played, but are not counted after this, neither during the game or during end game scoring (they may still give end game VP if they contain a VP icon).
Related Rule(s)
What cards can collect resources?
Varies
Only cards that explicitly can use the resources on them may collect such resources. Examples of uses are spending them in an action or getting VPs for them. Viral Enhancers may, for example, not collect resources because it doesn’t do anything with resources. So the triggered resource gained from its microbe tag will instead be a plant resource as stated on the card.
Inventrix and Tharsis Republic first action?
-
These corporations have a pre-defined first action, meaning that the first of your two allowed actions on your first turn in the first Action phase is used for this purpose. You may use the second action for that turn normally, if you want.
Can tiles stack on the board?
No
A tile can never be placed on top of another tile.
If I play an event card that removes plants and I'm the only one with plants, do I have to remove my own plants?
No
Effects that remove your own resources are mandatory, while effects that remove resources from any player (marked by a red border around the resource icon) are voluntary and may be performed in full, in part, or not at all. Only one player or card may be targeted at a time with the effects of a card. Removing production is always mandatory.
In what order do triggered events and effects take place?
Varies
If several effects or triggers are to be performed at the same time, the acting player chooses the order. If it is not in the Action phase, the first player chooses the order.
Can a cost be "negative" for a card (meaning I get M€ for playing it)?
No
A cost may never be negative. If a card costing 1 M€ and is discounted by 2, you will pay 0 M€ for it, not -1 M€ (whatever that is).
Are there exact requirements for cards?
No
A requirement box (next to the card’s cost) that doesn’t explicitly say ‘max’ is automatically a minimum requirement. For example: ‘requires 3 oceans’ means that you can play the card if there are at least 3 ocean tiles in play. There are no ‘exact requirements’.
Are effects cumulative?
Yes
Effects are in general cumulative. A card can potentially trigger several effects, and each individual effect of a card may trigger. Discounts are cumulative, but a cost may not go below zero.
If a card requires, for example, 2 power tags but also has a power tag, does it count towards itself?
No
No. Also don't forget your corporation card might have a tag on it!
Related Rule(s)
Can you place a city next to Noctis city if Noctis city hasn't been placed yet?
Yes
Yes, you may.
Related Rule(s)
When you get a tile such as the mining rights card that lets you put the mining rights tile down, do you own that tile?
Yes
You own special tiles. This matters if you place one before any greeneries as you then need to place those next to the special tile to start. Only oceans are unowned. A good way to check is by flipping the tile and checking if there is a square space meant for a cube printed.
Related Rule(s)
Can other resources than metal and titanium be substituted for M€ to pay for card costs (plants, heat, electricity)?
No
No, only metal and titanium can be used to pay for card costs with the appropriate values (base values are 2 for metal, 3 for titanium).
How many actions can I take on my turn?
One or two
You can choose to take 1 or 2 actions on your turn. If you take no action at all (pass), you are out of the round and may not take any more actions this generation, but as long as you take actions, you will get more turns. When everyone has passed, the action phase ends.