Aliens

Illustrated by: Conceptopolis

Purchase the Aliens Faction on Forgefire! (link coming soon)

Aliens love to mess with people, and they love to mess with other players even more. From bouncing minions back to players’ hands, to replacing bases in play, aliens are out to have a great time, at any planet’s expense.

Aliens are from the Core (Base game) set and do not have a Titan card.

Mechanics

• Returning Minions to hand
• VP Gain

Like those in our stories, the elusive and mysterious Aliens of Smash Up take people for who knows what reasons. Aliens are experts at returning anyone's minions back to their hand. They can Beam Up their friends to safety, and Abduct their adversaries to Probe them for information. Can you withstand their bubble-helmed Invasion?

In isolation, returning minions to their owners' hands is not that significant of an ability, but Aliens leverage their expertise to enable a number of unique strategies. All of their returning abilities can target friend or foe. After you return an enemy's minion, use Probe to discard it, and also spy on their hand. You might preemptively deny them a powerful minion you weren't aware of! Aliens have a minor ability to play extra minions to help replay your own minions you return.

Aliens can do more than just return minions to hands. Send them to their decks instead with Disintegrator! This is especially strong against Tenacious Zs. As always, you can use this on your own minions. How about bases? Enter Terraforming! You also get to play an extra minion.

Strategy

Aliens' overall power is quite low, so they're not too great at breaking bases. Their Scout minions, however, are specialized at maintaining presence on the bases. You may return them to your hand after the base they are on scores, so you can reuse them. You're not likely to win bases this way, but second and third place are enough to support you along with the next strategy.

Invaders probably have the most powerful on-play ability in the whole game. By playing, returning, replaying, and rereturning them in an "Invader Dance", you can theoretically win the game without breaking any bases. More commonly, Invaders make up just one component of the Aliens' overall game plan. Relying on this tactic consumes a lot of your minion plays, so reserve Crop Circles to simultaneously slow your opponents' efforts at breaking bases. While fairly easy in a 2-player game, this gets harder the more opponents you face, because they will more and more easily break bases without your input.

Synergy

Aliens work best alongside factions that are also good at returning minions to hands. The next best have and/or support on-play abilities and help slow down the game for your opponents.

• Ninjas: Master Ninja and Tiger Assassin are even more formidable if you can return them to hand and re-use their minion-destroying on-play abilities.
• Robots: Zapbot, Hoverbot, Microbot Fixer, and Microbot Reclaimer all have useful on-play abilities that provide extra minion plays.
• Tricksters: Blending their tricks and hindrances in with the Aliens, Tricksters also offer much-desired extra minion plays for you to farm VPs.
• Time Travelers: Directly replay Invaders with Do Over! and take control of the bases.
• Star Roamers: Ship's Captain can fetch any minion you need, and even play them as an extra minion if their power is 3 or less (like the Invader). Science Officer's talent lets you return one of your minions to your hand to play another with a different name, giving you access to a VP farming engine with Invader. Collector and Supreme Overlord are good partners for that combo, allowing you to repeatedly return other minions to hand. Medical Officer lets you return your Invaders and other minions to hand if they would be destroyed. Ensigns and Protector Fields can protect your Invaders and other minions from removal outright.

Cards - Minions

1x Supreme Overlord

Power 5 - You may return a minion to its owner’s hand.

Errata? No

Clarifications:

• You can target any minion that's in play, even Supreme Overlord itself.
  • If it's a minion you own on a base, it's returned to your hand.
  • If it's a minion owned by another player on a base, it's returned to that player's hand.
  • If it's a minion that no one owns (e.g. a, treasure, a monster), it remains in play.
  • f it's a minion in stasis, it remains in stasis.
• You cannot return a minion from the discard pile.
• You can return a minion from any base, not just the base that Supreme Overlord is on.
• Actions attached to the returned minion are discarded to the appropriate discard pile.
• If the returned minion would put a player over 10 cards in hand, they do not need to discard any cards until their next Draw 2 Cards phase.

2x Invader

Power 3 - Gain 1 VP.

Errata? N

Clarifications:

• If the Invader is destroyed or its ability is later cancelled, you do not lose the VP it gave you.
• If control of the Invader is later given to another player they do not gain or steal the VP that you gained when you played it.

3x Scout

Power 3 - Special: After this base is scored, you may place this minion into your hand instead of the discard pile.

Errata? N

Clarifications:

• You can only activate the Special ability when the condition, "After this base is scored," is met.
• This Special ability can only be used while Scout is in play.
• After its base scores, its ability is triggered during the step where the players can play/invoke after-scoring abilities. But, that's just when its controller can decide to activate it or not. If they choose to activate it, nothing happens for the moment. However, when the players move on to the step where the cards on the base are all discarded, that's when it is placed into its owner's hand instead of being discarded.
• Even though the card also goes from a base to your hand, it says "place," not "return," so it does not countas returning to your hand for cards like Entangled, Ship's Engineer, and Hissy Fit. Entangled and Ship’s Engineer do not interact with cards that are, "placed."
• It's Scout's current controller who decides whether its ability is activated. But, if they decide that it is, then it will be returned to its owner's hand, not theirs if they are not the owner.
• If you already have 10 cards in hand when Scout is returned to it, you don't discard any card(s) until your next Draw 2 Cards phase.
• Any actions that have been played on a Scout when it is returned to hand are discarded to their appropriate discard piles.

4x Collector

Power 2 - You may return a non-Collector minion of power 3 or less on this base to its owner’s hand.

Errata? Yes - Changed to "non-Collector" in the Bigger Geekier Box update.

Clarifications:

• Collectors cannot return Collectors. (Bigger Geekier Box)
• If the minion returned is:
  • a minion you own, it's returned to your hand.
  • a minion owned by another player, it's returned to that player's hand.
  • a minion that no one owns (e.g. a treasure or a monster), it remains in play.
  • a minion in stasis, it remains in stasis.
• Any actions that were played on the minion being returned are discarded to the appropriate discard piles.
• If a player already has 10 cards in hand when the minion is returned to it, they don't discard any card(s) until their next Draw 2 Cards phase.

Cards - Actions

1x Abduction

Return a minion to its owner’s hand. Play an extra minion.

Errata? No

Clarifications:

• You can return any minion in play, whether you own it or not.
• If the minion returned is:
  • a minion you own, it's returned to your hand.
  • a minion owned by another player, it's returned to that player's hand.
  • a minion that no one owns (e.g. a treasure or a monster), it remains in play.
  • a minion in stasis, it remains in stasis.
• You cannot return a minion from the discard pile.
• If you return your own minion to hand, you may play that same minion as the extra minion for Abduction.
• If the minion you tried to return couldn't be returned because of another card's effect like Entangled or Ship's Engineer, or because it was a minion no one owned, or because it was in stasis, you can still play an extra minion.
• Any actions that were played on the minion being returned are discarded to the appropriate discard piles.
• Even if you return another player's minion to their hand, you are the one who gets to play an extra minion, because you are the one who play Abduction.
• If a player already has 10 cards in hand when the minion is returned to it, they don't discard any card(s) until their next Draw 2 Cards phase.
• Abduction interacts with Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's abilities like this:
  • If Diva copies it, Diva is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is returned to its owner's hand, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that you don't get a second extra minion for affecting a second minion, because Diva only copies the part that returns a minion and the extra minion part isn't changed by the number of affected minions.
  • If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is returned to its owner's hand, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it remains in play because monsters and treasures can't be affected by cards that refer to a card's owner. Also, note that you don't get a second extra minion for affecting a second minion, because Dancing King only copies the part that returns a minion and the extra minion part isn't changed by the number of affected minions.
  • If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is returned to its owner's hand, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it remains in play because monsters and treasures can't be affected by cards that refer to a card's owner. Also, note that you don't get a second extra minion for affecting a second minion, because We are Family only copies the part that returns a minion and the extra minion part isn't changed by the number of affected minions.
  • With Funky Town, you can only copy it if you're the one who played the action and if it affects one of your minions, but if Funky Town does copy it, the minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is returned to its owner's hand, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it remains in play because monsters and treasures can't be affected by cards that refer to a card's owner. Also, note that you don't get a second extra minion for affecting a second minion, because Funky Town only copies the part that returns a minion and the extra minion part isn't changed by the number of affected minions.

2x Beam Up

Return a minion to its owner’s hand.

Errata? No

Clarifications:

• You can return any minion in play, whether you own it or not.
• If the minion returned is:
  • a minion you own, it's returned to your hand.
  • a minion owned by another player, it's returned to that player's hand.
  • a minion that no one owns (e.g. a treasure or a monster), it remains in play.
  • a minion in stasis, it remains in stasis.
• You cannot return a minion from the discard pile.
• Any actions that were played on the minion being returned are discarded to the appropriate discard piles.
• If a player already has 10 cards in hand when the minion is returned to it, they don't discard any card(s) until their next Draw 2 Cards phase.
• Beam Up interacts with Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's abilities like this:
  • If Diva copies it, Diva is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is returned to its owner's hand, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that you don't get a second extra minion for affecting a second minion, because Diva only copies the part that returns a minion and the extra minion part isn't changed by the number of affected minions.
  • If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is returned to its owner's hand, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it remains in play because monsters and treasures can't be affected by cards that refer to a card's owner. Also, note that you don't get a second extra minion for affecting a second minion, because Dancing King only copies the part that returns a minion and the extra minion part isn't changed by the number of affected minions.
  • If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is returned to its owner's hand, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it remains in play because monsters and treasures can't be affected by cards that refer to a card's owner. Also, note that you don't get a second extra minion for affecting a second minion, because We are Family only copies the part that returns a minion and the extra minion part isn't changed by the number of affected minions.
  • With Funky Town, you can only copy it if you're the one who played the action and if it affects one of your minions, but if Funky Town does copy it, the minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is returned to its owner's hand, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it remains in play because monsters and treasures can't be affected by cards that refer to a card's owner. Also, note that you don't get a second extra minion for affecting a second minion, because Funky Town only copies the part that returns a minion and the extra minion part isn't changed by the number of affected minions.

1x Crop Circles

Choose a base. Return each minion on that base to its owner’s hand.

Errata? No

Clarifications:

• Any actions that were played on the minion being returned are discarded to the appropriate discard piles.
• The minions are all returned at the same time, so there's no order of which minions are returned first, etc. .
  • If there is a Ship’s Engineer at the base, it would trigger for each of that player's other minions that are returned.
• You can play Crop Circles and choose Dread Gazebo or a base with Magic Ward on it, because it is not played on the base.
• If a player already has 10 cards in hand when the minion(s) is/are returned to it, they don't discard any card(s) until their next Draw 2 Cards phase.
• Crop Circles does not interact with Disco Dancers or Funky Town because Crop Circles already directly affect all minions on the base (with the notable exceptions of monsters and treasures), and copying the effect can only be applied to minions that aren't already directly affected by the action.

2x Disintigrator

Place a minion of power 3 or less on the bottom of its owner’s deck.

Errata? No

Clarifications:

• You can place a card protected by Superiority on the bottom of its owner's deck because it says, "place," instead of ,"return."
• Placing a card on the bottom of a player's deck does not count as a, "move," or, "return," if other cards are looking for a move or return to happen.
• You cannot place a minion from a discard pile on the bottom of that player's deck, you can only target a minion in play.
• You cannot target a card that is in stasis.
• Any actions that were played on the minion being placed on thebottom of a deck are discarded to the appropriate discard piles.
• Disintegrator interacts with Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's abilities like this:
  • If Diva copies it (and it can copy it even if its power is more than 3), Diva is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is placed on the bottom of its owner's deck, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action.
  • If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself and it can copy it even if the power of the minion that gets the copy is more than 3), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is placed on the bottom of its owner's deck, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that if the minion is a monster or treasure, it remains in play because monsters and treasures can't be affected by cards that refer to a card's owner.
  • If We are Family copies it (and it can copy it even if the power of the minion it is on is more than 3), the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is placed on the bottom of its owner's deck, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it remains in play because monsters and treasures can't be affected by cards that refer to a card's owner.
  • With Funky Town, you can only copy it if you're the one who played the action and if it affects one of your minions, but if Funky Town does copy it (and it can copy it even if the power of the minion that gets the copy is more than 3), the minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is placed on the bottom of its owner's deck, regardless of whoever owns the minion that was directly affected by the action. Note that if the minion is a monster or a treasure, it remains in play because monsters and treasures can't be affected by cards that refer to a card's owner.

1x Invasion

Move a minion to another base.

Errata? No

Clarifications:

• You can move any minion in play including yours, your opponent's, and monsters.
• You cannot move cards in stasis.
• Invasion interacts with Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's abilities like this:
  • If Diva copies it, Diva is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is moved to the same base as the minion that was directly affected by the action.
  • If Dancing King copies it onto a minion (it can be itself), that minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is moved to the same base as the minion that was directly affected by the action.
  • If We are Family copies it, the minion it is on is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is moved to the same base as the minion that was directly affected by the action.
  • With Funky Town you can only copy it if you're the one who played the action and if it moves one of your minions away from Funky Town, but if Funky Town does copy it, the minion is considered as indirectly affected by the action and is moved to the same base as the minion that was directly affected by the action.

1x Jammed Signal

Play on a base. Ongoing: All players ignore this base’s ability.

Errata? No

Clarifications:

• Ignoring a base’s ability means: you do not follow a base’s instructions, you are not subject to its restrictions, and your cards are neither affected nor protected by its ability.
• You cannot play Jammed Signal on Dread Gazebo, as it prevents you from playing it there at all. Jammed Signal's effect wouldn't become active until after it's played, so it can't shut off Dread Gazebo's effect before then.
• Jammed Signal shuts off the ability of the base for all players, regardless of when that ability is triggered or what it does. It does not prevent the base from breaking when the breakpoint is reached. In fact, Once Jammed Signal is on a base, all players must stop following its instructions, are not subject to its restrictions, and your cards can neither be affected, nor be protected by the base's ability.
• Uncontrolled minions, like monsters, are still affected by the base's abilities as they are not controlled by players.
• Actions played on the base are not affected by Jammed Signal as they are not the base's abilities.
• Jammed Signal does not interact with Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability, because it is not a standard action.

1x Probe

Look at another player’s hand and choose a minion in it. That player discards that minion.

Errata? No

Clarifications:

• You look at the entire player's hand, not just the minions in it.
• Cards that trigger off being discarded through their own Special abilities, or ongoing abilities are not triggered off of Probe. For example:
  • Fan and Deputy only trigger if they are discarded through their own special abilities.
  • Igor's ability is an Ongoing ability, so it only triggers when it's discarded from play and Probe can only discard it from a player's hand.
• Cards that trigger from discarded from hand will gain their benefit when discarded by Probe. For example:
  • Enchanted Objects' Special ability is triggered when it is discarded from hand, so if Probe is used to discard it, that player may play it as an extra character.
• Probe does not interact with Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability, because it does not interact with minions in play, so Probe's effect can't be copied.

1x Terraforming

Search the base deck for a base. Swap it with a base in play (discard all actions attached to it). All minions from the original base remain. Shuffle the base deck. You may play an extra minion on the new base.

Errata? Yes - Added "All minions from the original base remain" in the Bigger Geekier Box update.

Clarifications:

• The base that was in play is shuffled back into the base deck.
• You do not discard minions on the Terraformed base, nor actions attached to those minions. They all remain in play on the swapped in base.
• Any actions attached to the base are discarded, not destroyed, similar to when a base is scored. Terraforming actually doesn't do anything to those actions; the part in parenthesis is there to remind you the rule that, "When a card leaves play, discard attachments." So, when a base leaves play, any actions attached to it are discarded.
  • Steam Queen does not prevent actions from discarded from the base, because the rules are causing them to be discarded, not Terraforming itself.
• You can use Terraforming on The Dread Gazebo or a base with Magic Ward on it, as these only prevent cards that are, "played," on a base.
• A Titan on the swapped in base is removed from play and set aside near its owner's deck. Any +1 power counters on it are removed.
• Monsters remain on the on the new base.
• Before a base scores, if someone plays Probe on it with an ability like the Mole, the scoring stops for that base (because it's not the same base anymore), but you still get to play an extra minion there, that must be done immediately or not at all. Then, you must continue the Score Bases back to step 1 if a base (including the new base) is ready to score.
• Terraforming does not interact with Disco Dancers' mechanic and Funky Town's ability, because it does not interact with minions in play, so Terraforming's effect can't be copied.

Cards - Bases

1x The Homeworld

Breakpoint 23 - VPs: 4 2 1 - After each time a minion is played here, its owner may play an extra minion of power 2 or less.

Errata? No

Clarifications:

• Each extra minion of 2 power or less played on the Homeworld with the Homeworld's ability will allow another minion of power 2 or less to be played, so you could play all the power 2 or less minions from your hand.
• The extra minion of 2 power or less played with the Homeworld's ability can be played on a different base, but it will not trigger The Homeworld's ability to play another one.
• Minions with printed power 2 or less that gain power putting them above 2 power after they are in play, like War Raptor, can still be played as the extra minion with the Homeworld's ability. The Homeworld only cares about the power of the minion while it's in hand.
• Before The Homeworld scores, you may play a Shinobi as a Special there and you will get to play an extra minion of power 2 or less, but you have to play it immediately or not at all since it's outside of your Play Cards phase.
• Only the owner of the minion played will get to play an extra minion of power 2 or less, even if control of the played minion changes hands by an interruption like Control Minion. Gaining control of a minion is not the same as owning it.

1x The Mothership

​Breakpoint 20 - VPs: 4 2 1 - After this base scores, the winner may return one of his or her minions of power 3 or less from here to his or her hand.

Errata? No

Clarifications: NA