Core Space reference sheet

Overview

• Narrative sci-fi skirmish game; 1–4 players, ~90 min per mission [p.1 — Game Overview]
• Each player controls a crew of Traders competing (or cooperating) to complete mission objectives [p.1 — Game Overview]
• Core threat: the Purge — deadly alien NPCs controlled by the game's AI [p.1 — Game Overview]
• Hostility Tracker rises each round, making the Purge more dangerous over time [p.9 — Hostility]
• Win by completing the Primary Objective, or escape with the most Traders/loot alive [p.19 — Ending a Mission]
• Can be played as one-off missions or linked campaign with persistent crew advancement [p.52 — Campaigns]

Setup

1. Select and read the mission briefing; set up terrain as shown on the map [p.18 — Setting Up]
2. Fill crates: draw large tokens from pouch (eyes closed) per mission diagram; repeat for small tokens [p.18 — Setting Up]
3. Place Entry Point counters as shown on the map [p.18 — Setting Up]
4. Place Purge Board + miniatures and any NPC boards at the side of the play area [p.18 — Setting Up]
5. Determine player order: 2 players flip Turn Counter; 3+ players roll Chance Die (highest wins) [p.18 — Setting Up]
6. Players choose airlock doors in order; place Ship Boards airlock-side up at chosen edge [p.18 — Setting Up]
7. Place Traders on their Ship Boards [p.18 — Setting Up]
8. Fill Crew Dashboards: Health + Skill pegs = character statistics; ammo pegs = full magazine [p.19 — Setting Up]
9. Set Hostility Tracker to starting level shown in mission's Set Up Diagram [p.46 — Set Up Diagram]
10. Player who deployed last takes the Turn Counter and goes first [p.19 — Setting Up]

Turn structure

Each round has 5 phases in order:

1. Hostility Phase — Add 1 black peg to Hostility Tracker (1 per 3 crews, round up); player with Turn Counter draws and resolves an Event Card [p.20 — Hostility Phase]
2. Trader Phase — Starting with Turn Counter holder, players alternate activating one Trader each until all are activated [p.21 — Trader Phase]
3. Purge Phase — New Purge arrive at random Entry Points; all Purge activate highest-rank first using AI chart [p.34 — Purge Phase]
4. NPC Phase — Galactic Corps → Security → Gangers → Civilians activate in that order [p.39 — NPC Phase]
5. Assessment Phase — Remove all Activation Counters; resolve end-of-round effects; pass Turn Counter clockwise [p.20 — Assessment Phase]

Actions

Each Trader uses their Action stat actions per turn (usually 2). One free effortless action per turn (or spend 1 Skill peg for a second).

Effortless actions (free, 1 per turn): Proximity Move (up to 1"), use ⚡ item, throw item, pick up/drop/swap item in base contact [p.30 — Effortless Actions]

Combat

Attack sequence (both Ranged and Close Assault):

1. Roll combat dice shown on weapon token (blue die always first; red dice for additional) [p.23 — Attacks]
2. Count 🎯 icons = hits
3. Apply partial cover: −1 hit (ranged only, resolved before armour) [p.15 — Cover]
4. Apply armour: physical reduces hits by armour value each attack; shield reduces hits but deactivates if wearer takes damage [p.24 — Armour]
5. Remaining hits = damage; reduce target's Health pegs by 1 per damage [p.23 — Attacks]
6. Health = 0 → Trader is defeated (lay on side); NPC is removed from play [p.23 — Attacks]

Misfires: 2+ ⚠ icons = weapon jams (ranged: rotate token 180°; close: flip face-down); no damage dealt [p.23 — Misfires]

Cover thresholds: ≤25% obscured = no cover; 25–90% = partial (−1 hit); ≥90% = full (no LoS) [p.15 — Cover]

Attacks of Opportunity: leaving base contact with an enemy triggers a free Close Assault from each standing engaged enemy [p.22 — Attacks of Opportunity]

Shooting into melee: short range = pick target freely; medium/long = roll Chance Die to determine who is hit [p.27 — Shooting at Engaged Characters]

Scoring

One-off missions — winner determined by:

1. Completing the Primary Objective (stated reward, usually UA) [p.54 — Objectives]
2. If not completed: most Traders alive [p.19 — Ending a Mission]
3. Tiebreaker: highest total sale value of equipment carried [p.19 — Ending a Mission]

Secondary Objectives: small UA cash reward; claimed by the player who completes them [p.54 — Objectives]

Campaign advancement: each Trader who escapes gains 1 Career Point; defeating a Live One = +1 Career Point via Kill Point Counter [p.58 — Advancement Phase]

End of game

• Game ends immediately when all Traders are defeated or back on their ships [p.19 — Ending a Mission]
• If a crew is entirely wiped out, that player automatically loses [p.19 — Ending a Mission]
• Primary Objective completed: player(s) who completed it win [p.19 — Ending a Mission]
• Primary Objective not completed: player with most Traders still alive wins [p.19 — Ending a Mission]
• Tiebreaker: total sale price of all crew's equipment tokens; highest wins [p.19 — Ending a Mission]
• In a campaign, post-game sequence follows: Extraction → Advancement → Trade → Maintenance [p.53 — Post-Game Sequence]

Glossary

• Hostility: Tracker (1–7 levels) measuring Purge interference; rises 1 per round + 1 after first Trader shot each round [p.9 — Hostility]
• Engaged: enemy characters in base contact with each other [p.4 — Glossary]
• Prone: character knocked off their feet; can only Stand Up until upright [p.4 — Glossary]
• Defeated: Trader = laid on side, stays on board; NPC = removed from play [p.4 — Glossary]
• Scatter: move a character/item using Chance Die number + direction shown [p.4 — Glossary]
• UA (Universal Asset): the game's currency for hiring crew and trading equipment [p.4 — Glossary]
• Rank: NPC power level; higher-ranked NPCs arrive later but activate before lower-ranked ones [p.4 — Glossary]
• Partial Cover: 25–90% of target obscured; reduces ranged hits by 1 [p.15 — Cover]
• Misfire (⚠): 2+ misfire icons on one roll = weapon jams/breaks, no damage [p.23 — Misfires]
• Effortless Action: free action (1 per turn) that doesn't count against action limit [p.30 — Effortless Actions]
• Passive Skill: always active; no Skill pegs required to use [p.32 — Passive Skills]
• Florence (Flo): slang for UA/currency [p.2 — Florence]

FAQ

• Q: What if a card's text cannot be resolved at all? — A: If there's an NPC icon at the end, place that NPC instead; shuffle the card back and draw another [p.20 — Hostility Phase]
• Q: What if the required Purge type is unavailable? — A: Use the next lowest ranked Purge available (e.g. no Assassin → use Devastator) [p.34 — Not Enough Purge?]
• Q: Can a defeated Trader be targeted? — A: No — defeated Traders are never targeted by enemies or random selection rules [p.23 — Attacks; p.35 — Targets]
• Q: Can a character exceed their Health statistic? — A: No, unless a rule specifically states otherwise [p.10 — Pegs]
• Q: Do cover modifiers apply to attacks generated by cards/rules (not characters)? — A: No — such attacks have no origin so cover does not apply [p.23 — Attacks]
• Q: What if you can't decide what cover level a target is in? — A: Roll Chance Die: 1–3 = more cover, 4–6 = less cover [p.15 — Cover]