EMBRACE THE SWARM

AN UNOFFICIAL EXPANSION FOR FORBIDDEN STARS

Dedicated to +Gremlin Legions, who gifted me this wonderful game

I fell in love with Forbidden Stars the moment I first read about the game. After playing it several times, I'm definitely considering it an all‐time favorite. It helps that I really like the WH40K universe. Having everything at the level of abstraction that Forbidden Stars delivers, along with the deeply thematic abilities and events, is for me a great way to experience it.

One thing I was immediately missing were the Tyranids. I've been a fan ever since Space Crusade introduced me to Genestealers back in the day. As soon as I finished playing my first session of Forbidden Stars, my mind couldn't stop obsessing about how to represent the swarming devourers in this particular game.

What you have here is a labor of fan love. I've used art from the game and other and Fantasy Flight Games sources, in the hope that they will not object to such non‐commercial use. After all, I'm promoting the game and hoping to make it more appealing to a wider audience (the audience that loves Tyranids :). The unit icons are from game‐icons.net, under their Creative Commons license.

This is the very first beta version. I'm sending it out into the galaxy in the hope that others can join me in playing the 'Nids and balancing them against the other factions. They are built around a unique theme: the swarm. They have smaller, but cheaper units, and lots of them. They are easily killed by orbital bombardments and have a hard time in space battles, but when their endless masses overrun planets and devour all their resources their true power is felt.

If you have any feedback, please look me up on G+ or email me at [email protected].

Until then, have fun, enjoy the game, and give those damn space marines a good taste of your claws!

‐ Christian Griffen, August 2015

Design contributions and feedback provided by Paul Beakley (the abilities of Norn‐Queens and There's Too Many!) and Matthew Gagan.

SPAWNING POOL BURROWING CREEPING DEATH REPLANTING

TACTIC SCHEME TACTIC SCHEME

Either place 3 free Termagants on any Place 1 free factory on a friendly or When an opponent resolves an orbital strike Instead of revealing an order during the friendly world or place 2 Termagants on uncontrolled world that does not contain a against you, you may discard this card to Operations Phase, you may discard this card an uncontrolled world that is adjacent to a structure or a Tyranids objective token. force them to reroll all of their [O]. to remove a ruin marker from 1 or 2 worlds. friendly world.

RAPID PRODUCTION EVOLVED WEAPONRY GUIDED EVOLUTION

TACTIC SCHEME TACTIC SCHEME

Instead of revealing an order during the At the start of an assess damage step of Operations Phase, you may discard this card Purchase 1 combat upgrade, reducing its combat, you may discard this card to gain to replace 1 Level 0 unit of an opponent in Gain 1 forge token and 1 cache token. materiel cost by 1 for each factory you 2 (O) and 1 additional (O) for each forge any void with a free Narvhal. If this causes possess. token you have. the void to be contested, immediately resolve the combat. 0 CONSUMING OUR OWN 0 CONSUMING OUR OWN 0 THEY’RE IN THE VENTS! 0 THEY’RE IN THE VENTS!

2 2 2 2

If you are attacking, your opponent cannot gain (D) If you are attacking, your opponent cannot gain (D) Rout 1 of your units to gain 3 (O). Rout 1 of your units to gain 3 (O). during this execution round. during this execution round.

Termagants/Genestealers: Destroy 1 of your routed Termagants/Genestealers: Destroy 1 of your routed Termagants/Genestealers: Gain 3 (O) for every Termagants/Genestealers: Gain 3 (O) for every or unrouted units to unrout another of your units. or unrouted units to unrout another of your units. structure on this world. structure on this world.

0 REFLEXIVE ADAPTATION 0 REFLEXIVE ADAPTATION 0 ACID BLOOD 0 ACID BLOOD

2 2 2 2

Gain either 1 die or 1 [M]. Gain either 1 die or 1 [M]. Convert 1 of your [D] into [O] or 1 of your [O] Convert 1 of your [D] into [O] or 1 of your [O] Gain 1 [M]. Gain 1 [M]. into [D]. into [D]. Termagants/Genestealers: During this combat, Termagants/Genestealers: During this combat, Termagants/Genestealers: For each of your units Termagants/Genestealers: For each of your units each time your opponent gains (D), you gain half each time your opponent gains (D), you gain half that is destroyed during this combat, gain 1 (O) at that is destroyed during this combat, gain 1 (O) at that number of (O), rounded down. that number of (O), rounded down. the beginning of the next execution round. the beginning of the next execution round. 2 TOXIN GLANDS 2 TOXIN GLANDS 2 FLESH HARVEST 2 FLESH HARVEST

4 4 4 4

Gain 1 die. Gain 1 die. Gain 3 (O). Gain 3 (O). Gain 3 (O) unless your opponent spends 1 [M]. Gain 3 (O) unless your opponent spends 1 [M].

Biovores/Hive Ship: At the end of this execution Biovores/Hive Ship: At the end of this execution Termagants/Genestealers/Biovores: Gain 1 mate- Termagants/Genestealers/Biovores: Gain 1 mate- round, carry over up to 3 (O) tokens into the next round, carry over up to 3 (O) tokens into the next riel for any unit that is destroyed during this execu- riel for any unit that is destroyed during this execu- execution round of this combat. execution round of this combat. tion round, up to a maximum of 3 materiel gained. tion round, up to a maximum of 3 materiel gained.

2 THERE’S TOO MANY! 2 THERE’S TOO MANY! 3 ANNIHILATION 3 ANNIHILATION

4 4 6 6

Gain 2 dice. Gain 2 dice. Gain 1 (O) for each [M] you have. Gain 1 (O) for each [M] you have. Convert up to 4 of your [M] into 2 (O) each. Convert up to 4 of your [M] into 2 (O) each.

Biovores/Carnifex/Hive Ship: You can spend up to Biovores/Carnifex/Hive Ship: You can spend up to Carnifex/Hive Ship: During damage assessment in Carnifex/Hive Ship: During damage assessment in 4 (O). For each (O) spent, place 1 free reinforce- 4 (O). For each (O) spent, place 1 free reinforce- this combat, all enemy units’ health is considered this combat, all enemy units’ health is considered ment token in this combat. ment token in this combat. to be 1 lower (to a minimum of 1). to be 1 lower (to a minimum of 1). INTIMIDATING CHARGE INTIMIDATING CHARGE MEAT SHIELD MEAT SHIELD

Your opponent may retreat 1 unit to gain 1 die. If Your opponent may retreat 1 unit to gain 1 die. If Destroy up to 2 of your units. Gain 2 (D) for each Destroy up to 2 of your units. Gain 2 (D) for each they do not, place 2 free Termagants in this area. they do not, place 2 free Termagants in this area. unit destroyed. unit destroyed.

Genestealers: Destroy one of your Genestealers to Genestealers: Destroy one of your Genestealers to Termagants: Gain (O) for each Termagant you Termagants: Gain (O) for each Termagant you force your opponent to choose and destroy one of force your opponent to choose and destroy one of have in this area, up to a maximum of 3 (O) gained. have in this area, up to a maximum of 3 (O) gained. their units. their units.

CIRCLE AROUND CIRCLE AROUND 3 REGENERATION 3 REGENERATION

6 6

Gain 2 dice. Gain 2 dice. Gain 1 (O) and 1 (D). Gain 1 (O) and 1 (D). Convert any of your dice into [M]. Convert any of your dice into [M]. Carnifex/Hive Ship: When one of your units of Carnifex/Hive Ship: When one of your units of Termagants/Genestealers: If you have more units Termagants/Genestealers: If you have more units command level 1 or higher is destroyed during this command level 1 or higher is destroyed during this than your opponent, you may replace up to 2 of than your opponent, you may replace up to 2 of combat, spend [M] equal to its command level to combat, spend [M] equal to its command level to your dice with [M]. your dice with [M]. gain a free unit of the same kind in this combat. gain a free unit of the same kind in this combat. RUSH OF CLAWS RUSH OF CLAWS ANIMALISTIC TACTICS ANIMALISTIC TACTICS

You and your opponent must reroll all [D]. You and your opponent must reroll all [D]. Gain 2 (D). Gain 2 (D).

Termagants/Narvhals: Spend 1 [M] to force your Termagants/Narvhals: Spend 1 [M] to force your Termagants/Genestealers/Narvhals: Discard up to Termagants/Genestealers/Narvhals: Discard up to opponent to choose and rout 1 of his units. opponent to choose and rout 1 of his units. 2 [D]. Gain 2 (O) for each discarded [D]. 2 [D]. Gain 2 (O) for each discarded [D].

1 2 1 1

2 SWARM RUSH 3 ACID STORM 2 CONSUME IT ALL 2 NORN-QUEENS

When you resolve this order, you Enemy bastions do not prevent this When you resolve this order, you Your Hive Ships count as factories. may move units into this system from orbital strike. Gain 1 die. During this may remove 1 structure from any For deployment limit purposes, each one adjacent system and one system orbital strike, you may spend 1 [M] to friendly world in this system to gain Hive Ship has a unit capacity of 3. adjacent to that one. Your first 5 choose and discard 2 of your 2 materiel. a l w a y s a c t i v e . Termagants moved to a contested area opponent’s asset tokens. l i m i t o n c e p e r r o u n d . do not count against the 5 units limit. l i m i t o n c e p e r r o u n d . l i m i t o n c e p e r r o u n d . 0

1 WE ARE LEGION

Your first 3 Termagants on any world do not count against the world’s unit capacity limit. a l w a y s a c t i v e . Ruin Icons

Termagants (16) Objectives Genestealers (8) Narvhals (8) Carnifex (3) Hive Ship (3) Biovores (6)