Nemesis: Retaliation · Board game rules
When do Xyriens activate during the game?
Quick answer
Xyriens (Intruders) activate during the Intruder Phase, when drawn from the Intruder bag, or when entering a room via Noise rolls or Event cards.
Details
The rulebook does not explicitly mention "Xyriens," but refers to alien life forms as Intruders (equivalent to Primebloods) [p.9 — PRIMEBLOODS ARE INTRUDERS]. Activation-like behavior occurs in these scenarios:
- Intruder Phase (Step 2): All Intruders in rooms attack Characters present. If multiple Intruders are in a room, they attack in order of size (largest first) [p.14 — INTRUDER ATTACKS].
- Intruder Bag Draws: During Bag Development (Intruder Phase Step 4), drawing a Queen token triggers her activation (attack or movement). Other tokens (Adult, Drone, Larva) add new Intruders to the bag but do not directly "activate" [p.15 — BAG DEVELOPMENT].
- Noise Rolls: If a Character’s Noise roll result matches adjacent corridors with Intruders, those Intruders enter the room and immediately attack [p.31 — NOISE ROLL].
- Event Cards: Some Event cards force Intruder movement or attacks, resolving immediately [p.31 — EVENT CARDS].
Watch out: Intruders in corridors do not activate unless moved into a room via Noise, Events, or other effects. They only attack during the Intruder Phase if already in a room with Characters.