Watch the Skies occurs during two distinct phases: the Day Phase and the Night Phase.
During the Night Phase, most players will report to a country where they will produce and discuss various topics and challenges they are working against. Leaders in each country will authorize players to take certain actions - from diplomacy to military affairs to espionage.
During the Day Phase, players will disperse to different areas on the game floor.
During the Night Phase, players may produce using any card with a black arrow. Players may only use cards that match city cards in their city network. Production occurs when a player discards a combination of resources on the left side of an arrow to collect the combination of resources on the right side of an arrow.
In cases where there is no item on the left side of an arrow, a player collects the resources on the right side of the arrow once per night phase.
Types of Goods
There are three main currencies in this game. Economic cubes (green) are used primarily to purchase cards, buy units, and conduct espionage. Military cubes (orange) are used primarily to move units and attack other units. Research cubes (purple) are used primarily to unlock new technologies.
Ambient effects
Represented by icons, ambient effects are not consumable and may be used by multiple cards. For example, if a city network has three “faith” icons, then a player may use three “faith” icons on each card that requires a “faith” icon to produce.
Free Trade Agreements
Players may use ambient effect icons in their hand from all locations with Free Trade Agreements and the location where they spend the night.
Technologies
Some technologies may impact how players may produce. Follow the rules on the research registry.
Trade
During the Day Phase, players are allowed to move around the play area, talk, and trade with any other player.
Players may exchange any resources, tokens, cards, or information to any player at any time. All trades are final.
Purchase Cards
During the Day Phase, players may purchase cards from the bank. The price of the card is in the upper left-hand corner of the card. Prices may include ambient effects, tokens, meeples, and/or money.
Players must discard a combination of resource tokens and/or cards with matching ambient effects to buy a card. Give discarded cards to a referee.
Uncontrolled cities may be acquired by discarding a number of cards with at least five city points. City points are listed at the bottom of each card.
Coups
Players may take over a country by discarding city cards with a combined value of five or greater for that country. To take over a country, a combination of players must discard a combination of cards with five points associated with a country. Give discarded cards to a referee.
If a country has the technology SUZERAIN, then it can establish a "client state" relationship with another country. In this case, the country gains an additional vote at the United Nations and the military leaders may use the client state's units.
If a country is currently a noncontrolled country, then the player(s) take the country’s flag and associated role cards (if any.)
If a country is currently a controlled country, work with a referee to help gather the country’s flag, role cards, and technology registers.
Issues
At the start of the game, leaders of each country will receive a document outlining an outstanding issue facing the world. It is up to players to negotiate how they wish to approach the individual challenge. Issues have no specific deadline, but many players may have interests in certain decisions occurring.
Issues are resolved by a treaty. In many cases, players will need to spend cubes to support the treaty.
How players resolve an issue may create consequences.
Events
From time to time, leaders of each country will receive a document outlining a thematic event within the game. Events have no specific deadline, but many players may have interests in certain decisions occurring.
Events are resolved by a treaty. In many cases, players will need to spend cubes to support the treaty.
How players resolve an issue may create consequences.
Crises
From time to time, leaders of each country will receive a document outlining a crisis within the game. Crises are time sensitive – and not acting may create consequences.
Crises are events that have specific deadlines. Deadlines will be displayed with a time stamp in the upper right had corner of the document. Players must decide their preferred outcome and allocate resources by the deadline in order to have their response processed.
Crises may be resolved in multiple ways, including treaties, spending cubes, or discarding cards. Follow the instructions on the given crisis document.
Negotiations
Throughout the game, you are able to negotiate agreements – both informal and formal (via treaties) with other players. These agreements may be about any topic, including issues, events, crises, in-game negotiations, etc. Work with referees if you need help implementing an idea.
Client States
Players may take over a country by discarding city cards with a combined value of five or greater for that country. Client states provide votes at the United Nations, and they allow military players to use their armies, navies, and air forces.
The United Nations is essentially a world Congress. It is an excellent forum on conducting diplomacy at scale.
Players may decide to bring treaties to the United Nations. When this occurs, they share a treaty with other members. The United Nations may then vote on the treaty as a group.
Each country receives one vote at the United Nations.
Resolutions passed by the United Nations are not enforceable; however countries may decide to make military decisions based on what happens at the United Nations.
Veto Power
Some countries have a veto power over any treaty that involves using military resources. At the start of the game, these veto players include United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China. Additional countries may gain veto power with a treaty signed by all existing countries with veto power.
Client States
Countries with client states may cast votes on behalf of their client states.
Signing Treaties
Treaties are formal written agreements between countries. To create a treaty, players must get a sheet of paper, write down what they want to do, and then have all relevant parties sign the treaty. Players must do what they can to uphold treaties, else face severe consequences.
To sign a treaty, take a sheet of paper, summarize what you want to do, and then have relevant players’ leaders sign the document. Place the document to the side of the map if you want to publicize the treaty.
Breaking Treaties
Teams that break treaties may face severe consequences imposed by referees. If you have another team break a treaty, then please let a referee know so they may process the consequences.
Teams may break treaties with lessened consequences by providing written notice. This must be done in writing and with a time for when the treaty will end. The longer the timespan between the intent to break a treaty and breaking the treaty will lessen the consequences.
Common Treaty Types
Defensive Treaty: If a member of this treaty is attacked, then all other members of this treaty promise to help defend their ally.
Non-Aggression Treaty: Members of this treaty agree not to attack each other.
Technology Cooperation Treaty: Members of this treaty agree to work together and share information on a technology registry.
Free Trade Agreement: Members agree to trade with each other. During the night phase, players may use ambient effect icons in their hand from all locations with Free Trade Agreements and the location where they spend the night. (Players with these agreements may want to physically move their tables near each other.)
Army
Costs six cubes to build (economic or military)
May take three damage before being destroyed (4 HP)
Costs one military cube to move to adjacent space
Costs one military cube to attack
Fires with 2d6, scores one damage per five pips
May move to any adjacent city / nonplayed country
May be convoyed by navies
Required to occupy a city
Navy
Costs six cubes to build (economic or military)
May take three damage before being destroyed (4 HP)
Costs one military cube to move to adjacent space
Costs one military cube to attack
Fires with 2d6, scores one damage per five pips
May move to any adjacent coastal city / ocean
Costs one military cube to convoy one army
Air Force
Costs eight cubes to build (economic or military)
May take two damage before being destroyed (3 HP)
Costs one military cube to move to adjacent space
Costs one military cube to attack
Fires with 1d6, scores one damage per five pips
May move to anywhere on map
Nuclear Weapons
Requires MANHATTAN PROJECT tech to build
Costs ten cubes to build (economic/military/research)
Costs one military cube to attack
Fires with 10d6, scores one damage per five pips
May be used in countries adjacent to your units
If five of greater are used, then humanity fails.
Operations
During the Day Phase, authorized players may move units on the map, paying the required cubes to do so. If two units are in the same space, then either player may decide to attack the other.
Battles
When a player decides to attack another player’s units, they roll dice based on the attack units’ capabilities. For each five pips thrown, the defending player assigns one damage to their units.
After all present units have had the opportunity to fire, players may decide to retreat. Retreating is free, however, it must be to an adjacent area without ongoing conflict.
If a unit receives damage equal to or greater than it has hit points, then it is removed from the board.
Once all players have had the opportunity to retreat, players may elect to attack again. Repeat this process until no players decide to attack.
Insurgency
When a player successfully attacks and removes the final unit in a city, players with the INSURGENCY tech may immediately pay six (economic or military) cubes to spawn a new army in that city.
The battle then restarts as it normally would.
NPC Rules
All NPC units will neither move nor retreat
All NPC units will counterattack against hostile units
All NPC units will attack units in their territory at the start of the day phase
Occupation
If a foreign military unit is the only remaining unit in a city, then they may attack the city itself. To successfully occupy a city, a player must roll of at least ten pips and have at least one army present.
When a unit attacks a city, it takes one damage.
If a player successfully occupies a city, then it may collect the city card from another player or the bank.
Who You Control
Players authorized by a country may move
•their country’s armies, navies, and air forces
•their country’s client states’ armies, navies, and air forces
Players authorized by a country may attack with
•their country’s armies, navies, and air forces
•their country’s client states’ armies, navies, and air forces
To use a nuclear weapon, you must have written authorization from your country’s chief executive on whom to attack.
Treaties
Attacked players with defensive treaties may request you assist in their defense. Not doing so could have significant consequences.
Players will nonaggression treaties may request that you not act aggressively towards them. Doing so could have significant consequences.
Registries
Each country will receive a group of documents that outline the research requirements for technologies in a given area of research.
Most technologies offer new abilities, and many technologies open up the option of research new technologies on their specific registry.
The cost of researching a technology is available on the left side of a given technology.
From time to time, players may receive a new research registry.
Prerequisites
Most technologies require previous research to be completed. For example, one needs to understand arithmetic before attempting algebra.
Prerequisites are shown on research registries through arrows on each registry. A player must have completed research on all other technologies with arrows pointing towards the new technology.
Conducting Research
The cost of researching a technology is available on the left side of a given technology. A technology costs combination of cubes and ambient effects.
To gain a new technology, a player must discard the a combination of cubes and/or city cards with matching ambient effects. For example, a technology that has the cost of three research cubes may be purchased after discarding three research cubes. Similarly, a technology that has the cost of two religious icons may be purchased after discarding a combination of cards that represent two religious icons. Give discarded cards to a referee.
Once a player successfully researches a new technology, they mark the technology as complete on their registry.
Trading Technology
Each round, a country may acquire exactly one technology from another team via trade. You must have all prerequisite technologies to research a technology in order to receive a technology from another team via trade. To accept a tech, mark the appropriate technology on your registry.
Each round, a country may give exactly one technology to another team via trade. They must have all prerequisite technologies to research a technology in order to receive a technology from another team via trade.
Stealing Technology
In some cases, actions may allow players to learn new technologies through espionage. A country must have all prerequisite technologies to research a technology in order to receive a technology from another team via espionage.
Using Technology
Technologies grant abilities that allow players to change the rules within a game. To do so, a player must have possession of the research registry at the time of that technology’s use.
In some cases, technologies may be used in sequence. For example, Technology A might allow a player to turn an economic cube into a military cube, while Technology B might allow a player to turn a military cube into a research cube. A player would then be allowed to turn economic cubes into research cubes.
If there is a question whether or not a technology works in a certain fashion, contact a referee. If rules changes from technologies are contradictory, do whatever option is the most fun for the players and keep the game moving.
Spy
Costs six cubes to build (economic or research)
Costs one economic cube to move to any city
If in a city, may prevent another Spy from entering city
May conduct counterintelligence during Night Phase
May be required for certain Intrigue Cards
Intrigue Cards
You may start the game with intrigue cards, and from time to time you may receive additional intrigue cards. These cards allow you to do something special within the game that may have dramatic effects on the game.
Using Intrigue Cards
To use an intrigue card or a plot, confirm that you meet the requirements listed.
If you do, then you may write down the location of the plot, the name of the plot (as listed on the intrigue card), and who you are on a sheet of paper. Place this sheet of paper in the appropriate position on the map (folded for your secretly.) Do so during the Day Phase.
All intrigues will be processed during the Night Phase.
Counterintelligence
If you have a spy in a city that you control or influence, then other players may not move a spy to that location.
Counterintelligence lessens the impact of intrigues played by other players. If a spy is in a location, then it automatically provides counterintelligence during the Night Phase, when all intrigue cards are processed.
Intrigues have unique effects and requirements. Players must follow the instructions on their intrigue cards - in writing. In some cases, there are costs associated with using intrigue cards; players must be able to immediately discard those costs when referees process the intrigue during the night phase.