Anachrony · Board game rules
When can I use the Recruit action with Valerian?
Quick answer
You can use the Recruit action with Valerian during the Action Rounds phase of any Era, provided there are available Worker spaces on the Main board. His Neuroenhancement ability allows his Scientists to function as Geniuses for placement and retrieval, but does not restrict when the action can be taken.
Details
The Recruit action is a Capital Action available on the Main board during the Action Rounds phase of each Era, as long as there are unoccupied Worker spaces for it [p.12 — MAIN BOARD ACTIONS]. Valerian’s leader ability, Neuroenhancement, states: "All of his Scientists count as Geniuses for all placement and retrieval purposes" [p.23 — LEADER ABILITIES]. This means:
- His Scientists can be used as Geniuses when placing Workers on Action spaces (e.g., they can activate actions restricted to Geniuses).
- When retrieving Workers (e.g., via Time Travel or Anomaly removal), his Scientists are treated as Geniuses.
However, this ability does not alter the timing or availability of the Recruit action itself. The Recruit action’s worker restrictions still apply:
- It cannot be activated by a Scientist [p.13 — RECRUIT].
- If activated by an Engineer, the player cannot select a Genius (Valerian’s Scientists count as Geniuses, so they would be ineligible in this case) [p.13 — RECRUIT].
Valerian’s ability only affects how his Scientists are treated in specific contexts, not the general rules for taking the Recruit action.
Watch out: If Valerian uses an Engineer to activate Recruit, he cannot select a Genius (including his own Scientists, which are treated as Geniuses). He must choose a Scientist, Engineer, or Administrator instead.