The minimum number of cards in your market depends on what format you and your friends like to use. We suggest that when you have collected enough cards, you use the default tournament format:
• Exactly one starbase
• Exactly three outer regions
• A market of at least 52 cards
• No more than four of each card
HOW TO START A GAME
1. Playing area
Place the starbase card on the table in front of you with its starting side facing up. Then place the three outer regions face down beside the playing area, shuffle your market (the rest of your deck), and put it on the table close to your starbase. Reserve the space next to your market for your scrapheap (discard pile). This is where you place any cards that have been destroyed or discarded from your hand.
2. Decide who goes first
Randomly decide which player goes first.
3. Draw your opening hand
All players draw 7 cards from their markets. Starting with the player who goes first, all players may choose any number of cards from their hand and reshuffle them into their markets, and then refill their hand to 7 cards (do this only once and only at the beginning of the game).
4. Create an ISK bank
Place the ISK coins in a central location where everyone can reach them. All players’ wallets are empty at the beginning of the game.
Example Game Setup:
Ian starts by placing his Amarr starbase on the table. But he is careful not to reveal the back side of the starbase to his opponents, so that he may surprise them later on. Ian then draws a starting hand of 7 cards from his market. He is not quite happy with his draw, so he shuffles a couple of cards back into the market and refills his hand.
Suggested playing area
When you have played your cards, it is recommended that each player’s area looks something like the picture below.
