Void
Alert
Destroy
Type
Power to Eradicate
Vaporizes Enemy Ships
As a leader, after winning an encounter where the enemy fleet suffers casualties, use this power to vaporize their casualties.
Legacy: When ship(s) would be destroyed as casualties, they are vaporized instead.
The Void seek nothing and want nothing. They crave nothing and demand nothing. They love nothing more than anything, and they will finally feel at peace once everything is nothing.
Leader: Encounter
Mandatory
Wild Flare
When an artifact is used by another alien, you may discharge this flare to negate that artifact and vaporize it.
Any: Any
Super Flare
As a sponsor, if your fleet wins the encounter and the enemy fleet suffers casualties, you may discharge this flare to use your power.
Sponsor: Encounter
Modifications
- Modified Void’s Wild flare to also vaporize the artifact, to fit the theme. The original only negated the artifact.
- My version of Void has no mercy rule. Nothing is specified, as my elimination rule slides naturally into it.
- Void’s legacy turns every encounter into permanent losses, making every ship a precious resource. Aliens may be wise to negotiate and send few ships to avoid suffering major losses. Aliens that specialize in ship revival despise this legacy, while Observer becomes a godsend during it.
Tips
- Void eradicates ships from the entire enemy fleet, not just the opponent. Side against Void at your own risk.
- No compensation is gained from Void inflicting a massacre, as none of the ships involved go to the warp. This makes it very difficult for Void to successfully negotiate, unless an emotion control is involved.
- If Void does manage to negotiate, they naturally have more leverage, as all lost ships on the enemy side will be vaporized, while theirs will simply go to the warp.
- Fighting against Void isn’t statistically more difficult than fighting another alien. However, the stakes are much higher, especially when opposing them. Sending a small fleet can be wise to cut your losses when you think you will lose. A large fleet can help overcome Void’s might, but it carries a high risk. If Void wins, those ships are gone for good except in the rarest of circumstances. Tread carefully.
- Since Void’s power is so intimidating, many aliens will choose to save their best pods for encounters against it. Because of this, it can be difficult for Void to win consistently without sponsorship, so it may wish to save its own best pods for encounters with the biggest threats.
- Be wary of Void obtaining its flare. A Void as a sponsor is still a potential threat, and you never know which side they will join as a bystander. Be careful about sending too many ships at once during any encounter unless you’re allying with Void.
- Void doesn’t have to win to activate its power. Be wary about aspects which make both sides lose.
Development Notes
- Void brings a much welcome aspect of permanence to the game of Cosmic. There are only a small handful of effects that can undo Void’s damage, so most of the time its power will be absolute.
- The original game has a mercy rule, preventing Void from vaporizing more ships if it would prevent an alien from winning. This is done to be in keeping with Cosmic’s general rule that a player cannot be eliminated prematurely. My Cosmic does allow such eliminations, however, as I think such an upset is more interesting than letting a player with four ships and no home colonies limp along to the end with no real chance of victory. I’m considering a form of “ghost” mechanic, that allows the eliminated alien to participate more actively despite no longer having the chance to win. Maybe warpfall could grant more ships for each eliminated alien.
- Had a tough time determining the conditions that should allow Void to utilize its power. In the case of a tragedy, does Void’s power still proc? It makes sense that Void still needs to have presence in the system to suck everything into the Void, and it also doesn’t make sense for Void to use its power if there are no casualties. The “casualty” mechanic was invented for powers like Void and Bully, who specifically target the ships that are lost in an encounter. Having a term for it makes things much more efficient.