OVERVIEW:

In ARCTICA, players must develop their ecosystem by playing Fauna and putting animal species on the Arctic map, in order to score the most Biodiversity Points at the end of the game.

ACTIVE PLAYER:

1. Place the action pawn on an available space of the action board.
Each space is connected to two action wheels. You must then rotate one of the two connected wheels by one quarter turn, in either direction.
2. You then perform the two actions linked to your action pawn, in the order of your choice.

NON ACTIVE PLAYERS:

As soon as the active player has chosen their two actions, you may, simultaneously with the other non-active players, choose one action among the two selected.

ACTIONS:

Fauna

This action allows you to play a Fauna card into your ecosystem:

Pay its cost, shown in the bottom-left corner of the card, by discarding a number of cards from your hand equal to its cost.


The card will either go to:

• the left of your player board if the animal is long-generation (black background under the cost)
• the right if the animal is short-generation (orange background under the cost)

Resolve all effects shown in the Flash banner (to the right of the lightning bolt).
Each animal also places one token of its type into the corresponding wheel in the next available space. (If there are no spaces for an animal token, the card is unplayable).


Note: Some cards have placement requirements shown just above the cost. You must have the required badges before playing the card.

Reproduction

This action allows you to reproduce one of the two species currently on top of your short-generation or long-generation columns:

Choose the animal to reproduce, which will add one species token to the corresponding wheel, in the next available space. (If full, the Reproduce action do nothing).

The card used for reproduction is then placed at the back of its column.


Note: Generation cards are not animals, and do not produce a Fauna token for your Wheel. However, you can still activate their Reproduction icon to turn your wheels.

Ability

This action allows you to use the ability of one of the two species on top of your short or long-generation columns.

Choose the animal whose ability you want to use.

Resolve all effects shown in the top-left banner of the card.

The card used for an ability is then placed at the back of its column.


Flora x2

Gain 2 Flora, which are placed on your long-generation wheel, in the next available spaces.
If the wheel is full, nothing happen.

Migration x2

Perform 2 movements on the Arctic Circle (surrounding the action board). For each movement:

Choose one of your animal tokens on the Arctic Circle to be moved one space clockwise.

Gain the bonus shown on the destination space.

Note: When one of your animal tokens reaches Ice tile number #6, there is no automatic bonus. However you may optionally pay 1 card to gain 3 Biodiversity Points and return one of your animal tokens on ice tile #6 to your release area.


Note 2: Birds and terrestrial mammals cannot end a movement on a space without an ice tile. They always move to the next space, gaining only the bonus of the arrival tile.

Draw

Gain 2 cards.
You may never exceed 10 cards in hand.

Rotate Wheels + 1 Card

All your wheels rotate by one step, and you gain 1 card.

Rotate Wheels + 1 Migration

All your wheels rotate by one step, and perform 1 movement on the Arctic Circle.

Colony Action

This action allows players to place animal tokens from their release area onto the central map. If the Active Player chooses this action, it is not simultaneous. Players take turns, one after another, clockwise starting with the Active Player.

Steps:

1) Pay 1 Flora.

2) Choose a single species type from your release area.

3) Place as many tokens of that species as you wish on the central board, in spaces for that species type.

4) Gain the bonus on the space, if any, or pay its cost if required.

5) If you create a connection with another token:

-both players gain the connection bonus shown between the two spaces.

-If you connect with one of your own tokens already on the map, you gain the bonus only once.


-Note for 2 Player game: When you create a connection you score 1 Biodiversity Point in addition to gaining the bonus.

END OF ROUND:

After 5 Active Player action selections, the round ends.

---During rounds 1, 2, and 3, only 2 regions are affected by majority and events.

---During the fourth and final round, all 3 regions are affected by majority and events.

1) Ice Melt

The ice tile with the number of the current round is removed.
In the game, this tile appear with a blue outline.

Any animal tokens on that tile are returned to the player’s reserve.

2) Majority

In each affected region, a majority is checked.


The player with the most animal tokens in that region scores the highest reward.
(The distribution of majority rewards is shown on the current end-of-round card.)

3) Collapse (from round 2 onward)

If you have no available tokens of a species left in your supply (you start the game with 6 of each family), that species collapses.

When a collapse occurs:

1) Discard 3 of your tokens of that species (your choice) from the map or your player board.

2) Gain 4 cards and 2 Flora.


4) Endangered Animals

Pay 1 Flora for each endangered badge in your ecosystem.


If you cannot or do not wish to pay, you must destroy one card with an endangered badge in your ecosystem. In that case, you're not paying any Flora.

5) Events

An event tile covers part of each affected region.

--- Each region is divided into 3 sub-regions; only one is affected randomly.

--- Animal tokens in that sub-region are discarded unless their owner pays 1 Flora to save them.

--- If saved, the token flees to the northern Arctic Circle and you gain the bonus of the arrival tile.

--- If the token is in the central sub-region, its owner chooses the destination space.

--- Birds and terrestrial mammals cannot flee to a space without an ice tile.


END OF GAME:

At the end of the fourth round:

---Gain 1 Biodiversity Point for each animal token on your player board.

---Gain 1 Biodiversity Point for each pair of 2 Flora tokens on your player board.

---Gain all Biodiversity Points shown on the cards in your ecosystem.


The player with the most Biodiversity Points wins the game. In case of a tie, the player with the most Fauna cards in their ecosystem wins. If there’s still a tie, the tied players share the victory.

FLIPPING GENERATION CARDS:

After playing 4 cards in the short generation column or 5 cards in the short generation column (including the generation card):

---You must flip that column’s Generation card (from wherever it is) and move it to the front of that column, placing it on top of the Fauna card just played.