A.I. Challenge Deck: Challenge Cards and Missions Guide
In the interests of saving box space, the SSO main rules are extremely dense. As such we have created a series of guides for first time players with more in depth explanation. The following guide goes into further detail on the specific Challenge cards and Missions found in the A.I. Challenge Deck, included with the SSO base set.
Challenge Cards:
Vent Oxygen:
Try to reduce General Oxygen by living Crew ÷ 2 rounded up.
-
Remember the oxygen is decreased to a minimum of 0. Only face up Crew count as living but Crew in Cryo Pods still count as living for either Vent Oxygen card. Reduce by 3 for 5-6 Crew, 2 for 3-4, and 1 for 1-2.
Search and Report/Supply and Report/Maintenance Report:
Try to move a Rank Token on its Crew card onto another Crew’s Crew card.
-
Mission Control are asking for a report on ship’s systems. To move a rank token the player controlling the highest ranked Crew member selects any rank token currently on its matching Crew card and moves it to the Crew card of their choice. Only rank tokens currently eligible for voting are legitimate targets for these cards. Since to reclaim moved rank tokens for future voting Crew must use the Radio Pod these Challenge card’s effect will cause Crew to want to use the Radio Pod whether it triggers a Mission or not, representing their making the requested report.
Crossed Access:
Try to reduce General Oxygen by 1 for each Crew in Locations with printed “Crew” actions.
-
This would reduce oxygen by 1 for each Crew in a Solar Array, Main Airlock, Radio Pod, Oxygen Hydro Pod, Medical Pod, Computer Module or Command Module, to a minimum of 0.
Power Shunt:
May flip face up 1 white Location, Try to flip face down 2 randomly determined white Locations.
-
Events on cards have to be performed in the order printed so if you miss your chance to flip a Location face up, for example if they are all already face up, you do not get a chance to flip 1 face up after the card has forced you to flip 2 face down. This only targets white Locations, so Solar Arrays are not a legitimate target and cannot be flipped by this card.
Emergency Safety Protocol:
Try to flip face down a Location with the highest or equal highest max Crew number.
-
The targeted Location will be, in order, the Central Corridor, Rec Room, Main Airlock, any Pod or any Module and any Array. Remember both that a face down Location cannot be flipped face down and that all face down Locations lose their max Crew number value, so any face down Location is not an eligible target for this card. Should a Pod, Module or Array have the highest remaining max Crew number then the player controlling the highest ranked Crew member chooses which of the available Locations to flip. Note that if the Computer Specialist is in a Location it will not be eligible to be flipped so that if they are in the Central Corridor the Rec Room would be flipped, for example.
Targeted Life Support Failure:
Try to flip face down a Location with the most or equal most Crew in it.
-
If multiple Locations have equal most Crew the player controlling the highest ranked Crew member chooses which Location to flip. For example, if there are 2 Crew in the Main Airlock and 2 in the Radio Pod and 1 in each Module, then either the Main Airlock or Radio Pod will be flipped. Note that if the Computer Specialist is in a Location it will not be eligible to be flipped so that if they are in the most occupied Location the next most occupied will be flipped. In the event that all Crew are in a single Location including the Computer Specialist then a vacant Location will be flipped face down.
Missions:
1 – Search Pattern
Fail – Mission Guide = 0
Punishment – Try to reduce all Crew Morale by 2.
Succeed – All Crew in different Locations.
Reward – May flip 1 Challenge card.
Mission Guide – 0 1 2
-
The Crew need to search the ship as well as they can, to do so all living Crew need to be in separate Locations during the Check Phase step 6. They need to achieve this only once, not for the full count of the Mission Guide.
2 – Emergency Oxygen Protocol
Fail – Mission Guide = 0
Punishment – Try to reduce General Oxygen by 4.
Succeed – All Crew Personal Oxygen = 1+.
Reward – May increase General Oxygen by 6.
Mission Guide – 0 1 2
-
This Mission activates when something is amiss with the oxygen system, in order to reboot the system all Crew must have Personal Oxygen as a safety measure in case when they switch it off and on again it doesn’t turn back on. All living Crew need to have Personal Oxygen, even if in the Cryo Pod. The punishment reduces oxygen to a minimum of 0, the reward to a maximum of the set up level and players can refuse the reward if they feel it is to their advantage.
3 – Full Status Report
Fail – Mission Guide = 0
Punishment – All face up Mission’s Fail conditions count as fulfilled.
Succeed – 0 rank tokens on this Mission.
Reward – May flip 1 Challenge card.
Mission Guide – 0 1 2
-
This Mission requires that the Crew who voted for it remove their rank tokens from it therefore using the Radio Pod to succeed, representing them making their full status report. Note that this Mission’s punishment causes all other Mission’s fail conditions to count as fulfilled, it does not cause them to instantly fail, simply that they will fail during the next Check Phase.
4 – Re-align Solar Arrays
Fail – Mission Guide = 0
Punishment – Try to flip 1 Solar Array.
Succeed – Crew in every Solar Array, minimum 1.
Reward – May flip 2 Challenge cards.
Mission Guide – 0 1 2 3 4
-
Remember that face down Locations lose all qualities except colour, so face down Arrays do not count as Arrays and need not be occupied to complete this Mission, nor can they be flipped face up using its punishment. Intentionally shutting down Arrays with the Computer Module to make this Mission easier is a viable tactic, though note that 1 must remain face up to be occupied.
5 – A.I. Shut Down
Fail – “Crew” action printed on a Location used this Phase.
Punishment – Try to reduce all Crew Morale by 1.
Succeed – Mission Guide = 0
Reward – May flip 2 Challenge cards.
Mission Guide – 0 1 2 3
-
All that is needed to complete this Mission is that Crew do nothing. Note that since failure comes before success in SSO they will need to do so for 4 turns. Crew can still move and use “Crew” actions printed on their Crew cards (such as the Astronaut) or Location abilities that are not “Crew” actions such as the Rec Room “Auto” ability, the Airlock ability to move to Arrays or the Cryo Pod ability to freeze Crew. Running this Mission is about the only reason to use the Engineer’s ability to repair an Array. Depending on your situation it’s usually either the easiest or the hardest Mission in the game.
6 – Shut Down Higher A.I. Functions
Fail – Mission Guide = 0
Punishment – Try to flip 1 Module + 1 Solar Array.
Succeed – No Modules.
Reward – May flip 4 Challenge cards.
Mission Guide – 0 1 2 3 4
-
Once the A.I. is revealed as a definite threat there is only one thing to do, pull the chips and shut it down. The only way to achieve this is to have both Modules flipped face down. There are two ways to do this, players can use the Computer Module to shut down the Command Module, let the Mission fail so the punishment shuts down the Computer Module and hope the Mission triggers again and succeeds. The other method is to use the Computer Module to shut down the Command Module then have a Crew member use the Computer Module to shut down the Computer Module with them in it, sacrificing themselves for the good of the Crew. Their sacrifice is appreciated.
Deck list:
2 x Sinister Noises
2 x Sinister Noise
3 x Vent Oxygen – Reduce by number of Crew
3 x Vent Oxygen – Reduce by number of Crew ÷ 2
2 x Airlock Shutdown
2 x Meteor Strike
Search and Report
Supply and Report
Maintenance Report
2 x Shutdown
Personal Oxygen Failure
Crossed Access
Emergency Safety Protocol
Power Shunt
Targeted Life Support Failure