Pandemic FAQ

Pandemic)FAQ)
Base%Game%...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................%2!
Roles%................................................................................................................................................................................................................................%3!
Contingency!Planner!.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................!3!
Dispatcher!............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!3!
Medic!......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!4!
Operations!Expert!.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................!4!
In%the%Lab%Expansion%.......................................................................................................................................................................................................%5!
In%the%Lab%Challenge%..................................................................................................................................................................................................%5!
Roles%................................................................................................................................................................................................................................%7!
Epidemiologist!...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!7!
Field!Director!......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!8!
Medic!......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!8!
Pilot!.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!9!
Scientist!..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!10!
Virologist!...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!10!
Event%Cards%................................................................................................................................................................................................................%10!
Government!Grant!.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................!10!
Sequencing!Breakthrough!..........................................................................................................................................................................................................!11!
Solo%Game%...................................................................................................................................................................................................................%11!
Team%Game%................................................................................................................................................................................................................%12!
Mutation%Challenge:%Worldwide%Panic%.............................................................................................................................................................%16!
On%the%Brink%Expansion%...............................................................................................................................................................................................%17!
Mutation%Challenge%.................................................................................................................................................................................................%17!
Virulent%Strain%Challenge%......................................................................................................................................................................................%19!
Government!interference!...........................................................................................................................................................................................................!19!
Hidden!Pocket!.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!21!
Rate!Effect!.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!21!
Uncounted!Populations!...............................................................................................................................................................................................................!22!
Roles%.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................%22!
Archivist!.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!22!
Containment!Specialist!................................................................................................................................................................................................................!23!
Epidemiologist!................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!24!
Field!Operative!................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!24!
Generalist!..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!26!
Troubleshooter!...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................!26!
Event%Cards%................................................................................................................................................................................................................%27!
Borrowed!Time!...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................!27!
Mobile!Hospital!...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................!27!
New!Assignment!.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................!28!
Rapid!Vaccine!Deployment!........................................................................................................................................................................................................!29!
Resilient!Population!......................................................................................................................................................................................................................!29!
Special!Orders!..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!29!
BioOterrorist%Challenge%..........................................................................................................................................................................................%30!
State%of%Emergency%Expansion%..................................................................................................................................................................................%33!
Hinterlands%Challenge%...........................................................................................................................................................................................%33!
Superbug%Challenge%................................................................................................................................................................................................%34!
Quarantines%...............................................................................................................................................................................................................%35!
Roles%.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................%36!
Colonel!................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!36!
First!Responder!..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................!36!
Gene!Splicer!......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!37!
Pharmacist!........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!38!
Veterinarian!.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!38!
Event%Cards%................................................................................................................................................................................................................%38!
Emergency!Response!...................................................................................................................................................................................................................!38!
Emergency%Event%Challenge%.................................................................................................................................................................................%38!
CDC!Planes!Grounded!..................................................................................................................................................................................................................!38!
Disease!Zones!Expand!..................................................................................................................................................................................................................!38!
Logistical!Failure!............................................................................................................................................................................................................................!39!
Patient!Zero!......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................!39!
How%to%fit%the%base%game%and%OTB%and%ITL%expansions%in%one%box%..............................................................................................................%40!
! Base!game!
Base%Game%
!
Is%research%station%hopping%considered%a%flight?%
!
Yes,!a!Shuttle!Flight!(see!the!action!summary!cards!or!rules).!
!
Can%you%fly%to%where%you%are?%
!
Yes,!a!player!can!do!a!direct!or!charter!flight!to!their!own!city.!This!counts!are!both!"leaving"!
and! "entering"! a! city! (for! the! Virulent! Strain! effect! Government) Interference! and! the!
Containment!Specialist).!!
It!mostly!matters!for!the!Containment!Specialist.!If!he!is!trying!to!get!that!city!card!into!the!
discard!pile!(for!the!Archivist!or!Re.examined)Research)!and!there!are!more!than!2!cubes!of!a!
color!present,!then!he!can!both!remove!a!cube!and!discard!that!card!by!doing!a!flight.!This!is!
more!efficient!than!building!a!second!research!station!(except!possibly!in!BioXTerrorist!games!
where!Sabotage!can!be!a!consideration).!It!can!also!matter!for!the!Containment!Specialist!and!
the!ITL!Virulent!Strain!effect!Resistant)to)Treatment.!
!
Can%you%have%multiple%research%stations%in%the%same%city?%
!
Yes,!you!can!build!more!than!one!research!station!in!a!city.!
!
Let's%say%Algiers%had%1%Black%Cube%and%we%draw%the%Algiers%card%from%the%bottom%of%the%
deck%due%to%the%Epidemic%card%which%requires%us%to%add%3%Black%Cubes%to%the%city.%This%
causes%an%Outbreak%since%you%can%only%have%a%max%of%3%cubes%of%the%same%color%in%that%
same%city%correct?%
!
Yes.!
!
If%a%cure%for%a%disease%is%discovered,%do%players%have%to%treat%all%of%the%cubes%with%one%
action?%
!
Yes.!
!
Is%the%whole%Playing%the%Infector%phase%unOinterruptible%by%actions%that%you%can%do%at%
"any%time"?%
!
No.!
!
Can%you%do%these%"any%time"%actions%in%between%infection%card%draws?%
!
Yes.!At!any!time!means!any!time!*except*!between!drawing!a!particular!Infection!deck!card!
and!(fully)!resolving!its!effect.!That's!one!thing!you!can't!interrupt.!
!
2% yellow% cubes% left.% 3% yellow% cubes% in% Lima% (3% connections),% and% 3% cubes% in% Santiago%
(only% 1% connection% to% Lima).% When% playing% the% infector% Lima% is% drawn.% Do% I% need% 3%
cubes%(one%for%each%connection)%and%lose%the%game%or%only%2%as%Santiago%outbreaks?%%
!
You!need!2!cubes.!If!you!don't!need!to!place!cubes!(because!the!city!already!has!3!cubes!OR!
the! Quarantine! Specialist! is! present! OR! it's! a! cured! disease! and! the! Medic! is! present! OR! a!
Updated!2015XSepX01! Page!2!of!45!
! Base!game!
Quarantine!marker!is!present),!then!you!don't!place!them.!Only!cubes!*actually!needed!to!be!
placed*!on!the!board!matter!for!determining!loss!of!game!due!to!not!having!enough!cubes.!
!
If%two%players%are%in%the%same%city,%can%they%use%Share%Information%to%transfer%a%special%
event%card?%The%rules%seem%to%suggest%that%the%Researcher%can%give%away%a%special%event%
card%via%Share%Information%but%no%other%role%can%do%so.%
!
Only!city!cards!can!be!passed!from!player!to!player.!
!
When% I% have% to% discard% to% bring% my% hand% size% down% to% 7,% can% I% discard% event% cards% as%
well%as%city%cards?%
!
Yes.!You!can!discard!them.!
!
Roles%
!
Can% players% opt% to% not% use% their% role's% powers?% For% instance,% can% the% Quarantine%
Specialist%opt%to%"turn%off"%her%quarantine%ability%and%allow%disease%cubes%to%be%placed%
anyway?!
!
No.!
!
Can%players%disregard%role%powers%when%they%are%detrimental?%
!
No.!
!
Contingency%Planner%
!
What%happens%if%the%Contingency%Planner%is%the%target%of%New$Assignment%while%holding%
a%Special%Event%card?%
!
He!discards!any!Event!card!on!his!role!card.!New)Assignment!simply!swaps!roles;!it!does!*not*!
combine!two!roles!for!a!turn.!
!
Is%the%Contingency%Planner%allowed%to%discard%the%Event%card%on%his%role%card%without%
using%it%to%draw%a%new%Event%card%on%the%role%card?%
!
There's! no! rule! that! permits! discarding! an! event! from! the! CP's! role! card! so! the! CP! is! stuck!
with!any!Event!card!on!his!role!card!until!he!plays!it.!
!
Dispatcher%
!
We%had%a%game%where%I%had%the%Dispatcher,%my%friend%had%the%Troubleshooter.%I%know%
that%I%can%use%Dispatcher's%special%ability%and%move%Troubleshooter%in%my%turn.%And%if%I%
use%Direct%flight,%I%have%to%use%a%card%from%my%hand.%But%can%I%still%keep%the%card%using%
Troubleshooter's%special%ability?%
!
! Base!game!
No.!The!Dispatcher!is!moving!the!Troubleshooter!using!the!Dispatcher's!movement!abilities.!
However,!if!the!Troubleshooter!was!using!the!Event!Special)Orders!to!move!another!player's!
pawn,! the! Troubleshooter! would! only! have! to! reveal,! not! discard,! a! card! used! to! move! that!
pawn!by!Direct!Flight.!In!this!case,!the!Troubleshooter!is!moving!another!player's!pawn!using!
the!Troubleshooter's!movement!abilities.!
!
Does%the%Dispatcher%only%have%the%ability%to%"move"%other%players%from%city%to%city,%or%
can% they% use% also% use% other% abilities,% like% build% a% research% center,% remove% a% disease%
counter,%etc...?%
!
The!Dispatcher's!ability!to!move!other!players'!pawns!only!allows!the!dispatcher!to!*move*!
them,!not!to!perform!any!other!actions!with!them.!
!
If%the%Dispatcher%moves%the%Medic,%does%the%automatically%clear%away%disease%counters%
from%cured%diseases?%
!
Yes,!this!effect!is!part!of!the!Medic's!*movement*,!so!it!occurs!when!the!Medic!is!moved!by!the!
Dispatcher!(by!either!of!the!Dispatcher's!two!ways!of!moving!other!players'!pawns).!
!
If%the%Dispatcher%uses%his%special%ability%to%"remotely"%move%the%Operations%Expert,%can%
he%use%the%special%ability%of%the%Operations%Expert%to%move%from%a%research%station%to%
any%city%with%an%arbitrary%city%card,%or%can%only%the%Operations%Expert%himself%use%his%
ability?%
!
No,! the! Dispatcher! cannot! activate! the! Operation! Expert's! ability! to! move! anywhere! by!
discarding!a!card!at!a!research!station!when!moving!the!Operation!Expert.!
!
Can% the% Dispatcher% move% someone% from% a% city% containing% Virulent% Strain% cubes% when%
Government$Interference%is%in%effect?%
!
No.!
!
Medic%
!
Medic% is% on% Jakarta% and% red% disease% is% cured,% but% all% red% cubes% are% on% board.% When%
infect%cities,%Jakarta%came%out.%Do%I%lost%the%game%at%that%point%or%not?%
!
No.! The! Medic! prevents! placing! disease! cubes! (and! outbreaks)! of! cured! diseases! in! his!
location.! Note! that! if! it! had! been! the! Quarantine! Specialist! instead! of! the! Medic,! the! result!
would! have! been! the! same! (as! it! would! also! be! for! Quarantine! markers,! introduced! in! the!
State!of!Emergency!expansion)!
!
Operations%Expert%
!
Does% his% first% special% ability% mean,% that% he% can% build% laboratories% completely% without%
cards%or%does%it%mean,%that%he%has%to%own%the%card%of%the%city,%where%he%wants%to%build%a%
laboratory,%but%just%doesn’t%lose%this%card?%
!
Means!that!he!can!build!laboratories!completely!without!cards!*in!his!current!city*!
! In!the!Lab!
In%the%Lab%Expansion%
%
%
In%the%Lab%Challenge%
%
Can%you%still%cure%a%disease%the%original%way%with%5%cards%of%the%same%color?%
!
No.! Note! that! the! Discover! a! Cure! action! is! *replaced*! by! the! new! version! both! on! the! Lab!
reference!cards!and!in!the!rules.!
!
When% treating% a% disease% is% it% mandatory% or% optional% that% the% cubes% get% put% into% the%
sample%tray?%
!
Optional.!See!also!Treat!Disease!on!ITL!rules!page!4.!
%
Can% I% do% as% many% Lab% actions% as% I% want% (up% to% 4% per% turn)% as% often% as% I% want% if% I% just%
remain%in%a%city%with%a%research%station?%
!
Yes.! Lab! actions! are! the! same! as! any! other! actions,! other! than! the! research! station!
requirement.!
!
Is% it% possible% to% simply% "reOcharacterize"% a% disease?% i.e.% Can% one% discard% the% card%
previously% used% to% characterize% the% sequence% as% red% and% instead% characterize% it% as%
yellow?%(Granted%the%sequence%allows%for%both%colors%and%the%gray%spots%are%emptied%of%
red%cubes)%
!
No.!
!
When% doing% the% Lab% Test% action% is% it% mandatory% that% I% remove% a% cube% of% the% disease%
color%from%a%city?%
!
No.!
!
When%I%use%any%event%card%that%removes%cube%from%the%board%can%I%use%the%cubes%and%
put%then%in%the%lab?%
!
No.!Only!the!Treat!Disease!action!can!put!a!cube!in!the!Lab.!
!
On% the% Lab% Actions% reference% card,% it% says% that% when% you% treat% a% disease% in% a% city,% you%
may% move% one% of% the% cubes% into% a% sample% dish.% Does% this% mean% that% if% you% are% in%
multiple% cities% that% turn,% you% can% move% a% cube% from% each% city% to% a% sample% dish% on% the%
same%turn,%or%can%you%only%put%a%treated%cube%in%a%sample%dish%per%turn?%
!
You!can!move!1!cube!to!a!dish!for!every!treat!disease!**ACTION**!you!take.!This!is!relevant!
when! you! can! remove! more! than! 1! cube! with! that! action,! so! when! the! medic,! for! example,!
cures!all!the!cubes!in!a!city!for!1!action,!only!1!cube!may!be!put!on!a!dish.!Hence!that!if!you!are!
in!one!city!that!has!3!cubes!and!you!have!to!and!decide!to!take!3!actions!to!clear!those!(that!
! In!the!Lab!
means!you're!not!the!medic!neither!the!disease!is!cured),!then!you!can!put!all!3!into!the!dishes!
(you!don't!need!to!change!city).!!
The!restriction!is!that!you!may!move!1!cube!to!a!sample!dish!per!Treat!Disease!action.!Cubes!
removed!by!other!means!can't!be!samples.!If!you!Treat!Disease!several!times!in!a!turn,!then!
each! time! you! can! move! 1! cube! to! a! sample! dish.! These! cubes! could! be! from! the! same! or!
different!cities,!depending!on!where!you!did!the!Treat!Disease!actions.!
!
If%you%are%playing%in%the%lab%and%you%wipe%out%a%virus%so%you%don't%have%to%put%cubes%on%
the%board.%How%do%you%cure%other%virus%if%you%don't%have%those%other%cubes%anymore?%
!
A!spot!with!an!eradicated!disease’s!color!can!be!filled!with!any!color!cube.!This!rule!is!at!the!
bottom!of!page!4!of!the!In!the!Lab!rules!and!also!in!the!final!item!in!the!page!5!reminder!list.!
!
Can%you%only%add%1%of%a%**cured**%disease%to%either%of%the%sample%dishes?%
!
Correct.!
!
Can% you% place% the% disease% cube% samples% on% the% Sequence% Card% in% any% order% when%
developing%a%given%cure?%
!
Yes.!(As!long!as!you!have!Characterized!the!disease!first.)!
!
When%performing%any%dishOtoOdish%lab%action%what%happens%to%any%cubes%left%behind%in%
the%previous%dish?%Do%they%stay?%
!
No,! they! are! returned! to! the! supply,! see! the! Process! a! Sample! action,! rules! p.! 4:! "Move! all!
cubes!from!1!dish!along!1!arrow!to!a!new!dish!or!Sequence!card,!adjusting!them!as!shown!on!
the!arrow!used.!Return!any!cubes!lost!from!adjustments!to!the!supply."!
!
Discover% a% Cure% states:% "Discard% the% Sequence% card,% returning% its% cubes% to% the% supply.%
Draw% and% place% a% new% Sequence% card% to% open% a% new% research% line".% Does% Discover% a%
Cure%include%a%Sequence%a%Disease%action?%
!
No.!But,!a!new!Sequence!card!is!placed;!just!like!it!says.!
!
After%curing%a%disease%do%I%need%to%use%a%Sequence%a%Disease%action?%
!
Not!if!you!use!the!new!Sequence!card!drawn!after!a!cure!for!the!next!cure.!
!
To% characterize% a% sequence% for% the% purple% disease,% must% the% sequence% card% have% a%
purple%vial%in%the%top%right%hand%corner?%
!
Correct.!!
!
Can%you%put%cubes%on%a%card%that%is%not%characterized?%
!
No.!
!
It%must%have%cubes%on%the%sequence%card%to%test%the%cure?%
!
! In!the!Lab!
Yes.!
!
When% you're% characterizing% purple,% the% city% matching% the% card% you% play% must% have% a%
purple%cube%on%it.%
!
Correct.!
!
When% building% your% second% research% station,% does% the% second% research% line% open%
automatically% (IE% you% draw% a% sequence% card% and% place% it,% as% you% do% during% setup% for%
research%line%1)?%
!
No.!
!
You%need%to%either%spend%your%bonus%lab%action%from%building%the%research%station,%or%
another%lab%action%to%open%the%line,%correct?%
!
Yes.! See! the! page! 5! note! next! to! Sequence! a! Disease:! "Sequence! a! Disease! allows! players! to!
open!the!2nd!research!line,!replace!Sequence!cards!for!already!cured!diseases!with!new!ones,!
or!find!more!efficient!Sequence!cards.!
!
Are%vials%meant%to%replace%the%wooden%cure%markers?%(Even%when%not%playing%the%lab%
challenge.)%Are%they%simply%an%upgraded%component?%
!
Correct.!The!vials!are!easier!to!see!across!the!table!on!the!lab!board!when!they!are!being!used!
to!characterize!a!disease.!Use!whichever!you!prefer!when!playing!without!the!Lab!challenge.!
!
Under% what% circumstances% do% we% play% with% just% 12% purple% cubes% once% having% both%
expansions?%
!
You!play!the!OTB!challenges!with!12;!you!play!the!new!ITL!Mutation!scenario!with!24.!
!
!
Roles%
!
Epidemiologist%
%
The%epidemiologist%is%in%Atlanta%(after%having%used%all%of%their%actions)%and%has%4%blue%
cards.% The% medic% is% also% present% in% Atlanta,% and% possesses% the% Washington% card.%
Obviously,%the%epidemiologist%would%like%to%get%a%5th%blue%card.%
To% accomplish% this,% they% could% take% the% medic's% card% immediately,% before% drawing.%
However,% that% nothing% in% the% rules% prevents% them% from% waiting% until% they've% finished%
drawing% (to% see% if% they% draw% a% blue% before% taking% a% powerful% movement% option% away%
from%the%medic).%
If%the%epidemiologist%doesn't%draw%a%blue,%they%could%take%Washington%from%the%medic%
at% this% point.% However,% if% it's% still% unclear% whether% the% card% is% more% important% to% the%
medic% (for% mobility)% or% the% epidemiologist% (for% curing),% they% could% even% wait% to% see%
what%cards%are%drawn%during%the%infection%phase.%If%a%key%city%comes%up%or%doesn't%come%
up,%depending%on%the%situation,%you%can%choose%to%use%your%power%(or%not)%as%the%very%
last%decision%before%you%end%your%turn.%
! In!the!Lab!
Is%my%interpretation%of%the%situation%correct?%
!
There’s!nothing!in!the!rules!to!prevent!you!from!doing!this!card!exchange!during!any!part!of!
your!turn.!The!"Free"!action!need!not!be!limited!to!the!first!part!of!your!turn.!
!
Field%Director%
!
Once$per$turn,$you$may$move$another$player's$pawn$in$your$city,$or$a$city$connected$to$it.$
Doing$this$is$a$free$bonus$action”.%Is%it%only%usable%on%the%Field%Director's%turn?%
!
Correct.!
!
The%Field%director%role%allows%the%player%to%treat%disease%cubes%in%adjacent%cities.%At%one%
point%someone%played%the%Improved%Sanitation%event,%that%allows%players%to%remove%an%
extra% cube% (if% present)% when% treating% a% disease.% The% field% director% stood% in% let's% say%
Paris,%he%used%only%the%treat%disease%action.%He%removed%two%cubes%from%Paris%for%one%
action,%for%his%second%action%he%removed%two%cubes%from%Essen,%then%he%removed%one%
cube% from% Milan% and% one% from% Madrid.% He% claimed% that% because% of% his% special% ability%
removing%the%cubes%from%Milan%and%Madrid%only%took%one%action,%but%another%guy%who%
played%with%us%said%that%it%should%have%taken%two%actions%to%do%that,%because%he%thought%
the%event%meant%cubes%in%the%same%city.%Who%of%the%guys%was%right?%
!
Both! the! Event! and! the! Field! Director's! power! refer! to! the! "Treat! Disease"! action! (in! caps).!
This!action!is!defined!to!be!in!one!("the")!city.!
The! Field! Director! role! changes! which! city! this! can! be! (again,! using! "a! city")! and! Improved!
Sanitation!makes!it!"1!***more***!cube"!(emphasis!added).!So,!the!Field!Director!can!remove!
2!cubes!(of!the!same!color,!if!present)!in!one!adjacent!city!with!a!single!Treat!Disease!action!
while!this!event!is!in!play.!
The! Field! Director! may! *not*! remove! 2! cubes,! 1! each! from! 2! adjacent! cities,! with! a! single!
Treat!Disease!action!using!this!event.!
!
I%need%clarification%on%the%Field%Director%role%specifically%the%part%where%it%says:%"move%
another%player’s%pawn%in%his%city,%or%a%city%connected%to%it,%once%per%turn%by%Drive/Ferry,%
as%a%free%bonus%action"%
Now% does% that% mean% I% can% move% any% pawn% in% the% world% to% the% city% I% am% now% or% a% city%
connected% to% it?% Or% does% it% mean% I% can% move% a% pawn% in% the% same% city% as% I% (or% a% city%
connected%to%it)%
!
It!means!you!can!move!another!pawn!that!starts!either!in!the!same!city!or!adjacent!to!the!field!
director,!1!space!via!drive/ferry.!The!pilot,!for!example,!can't!be!moved!this!way.!
!
Medic%
!
Can%the%medic%put%all%the%cubes%they%treat%for%one%action%into%one%of%the%sample%trays?%
!
No,!1!cube!per!Treat!Disease!action!(just!as!it!says).!
!
If%the%medic%is%on%a%city%with%three%cubes,%can%he%choose%to%use%three%actions%to%move%all%
three%cubes%to%sample%dish(es)?%
! In!the!Lab!
!
No;!not!under!the!revised!Edition!rules.!The!Medic!no!longer!has!the!option!to!Treat!just!one!
cube!of!a!disease!when!there!are!multiple!cubes!of!that!disease!present!in!a!city.!
!
Does%this%also%mean%that%once%a%disease%has%been%cured,%the%medic%is%unable%to%obtain%
any%cubes%for%that%disease%for%use%in%the%lab?%
!
Correct.!
!
Pilot%
!
Can%the%pilot%hop%from%research%station%to%research%station%as%other%pawns%can?%
!
No.!The!pilot!cannot!do!the!Shuttle!Flight!action!(nor!combine!it!with!his!flying!ability).!!
!
On%the%card%it%says%he%can%fly%to%any%city%within%three%connections.%I%took%connections%as%
lines% between% cities.% For% example,% if% he% was% in% Santiago,% he% could% make% it% only% to%
Chicago%because%there%are%three%lines%between%those%cities.%
%
Correct.!
!
I%am%seeing%some%other%posts%that%say%the%connection%is%the%city%itself.%So%for%the%max%of%
three,%the%Pilot%can%really%make%it%to%Montreal%instead%(from%Santiago)%
!
Incorrect.!Whether!you!count!lines!or!cities,!Montreal!is!4!away!from!Santiago!by!the!shortest!
route.! If! you! can! go! *within*! 3! cities,! there! is! no! way! that! this! means! you! can! reach!
somewhere!4!cities!away.!
!
The% distinction% of% the% wording% of% drive/ferry% vs% flying% in% a% case% like% that% primarily%
affects%drive/ferry%actions%such%as%Mobile%Hospital?%
!
Correct;!plus!the!Field!Director's!power.!
!
Can%the%pilot%move%to%an%adjacent%city?%
!
Yes,!the!pilot!can!use!his!fly!ability!to!move!to!an!adjacent!city,!but!he!may!*not*!Drive/Ferry!
to!one.!This!matters!for!certain!events,!such!as!Mobile!Hospital,!and!certain!powers,!such!as!
the!Field!Director's!ability!to!move!other!characters!by!Drive/Ferry.!
!
Can% a% pilot% fly% through% a% research% station% in% Hong% Kong% and% through% Atlanta% to% get% to%
Washington,%if%he's%one%space%away%from%Hong%Kong?%
!
No.!
!
Pilot's%turn:%Plays%Special$Orders,%proceeds%to%move%the%Medic.%Does%the%Medic%get%to%fly,%
since%the%Pilot%would%normally%move%by%flying?%
!
Yes,! per! the! standard! rules! for! moving! another! pawn:! the! movement! *powers*! of! the!
character! moving! the! other! pawn! affects! the! moves! that! can! be! done! (while! any! movement!
*effects*!XX!such!as!the!Containment!Specialist's!or!Medic's!removal!of!disease!cubes!XX!of!the!
! In!the!Lab!
pawn! being! moved! still! occur).! Note! this! means! that! the! Pilot's! movement! restrictions! also!
apply!XX!the!Medic!cannot!be!moved!by!a!Direct,!Charter,!or!Shuttle!Flight!while!being!moved!
by!the!Pilot!player!with!Special!Orders.!
The!Medic!could!take!a!passenger!along!while!being!moved!in!this!fashion.!
!
The%pilot%can’t%make%a%lab,%but%when%the%'make%a%lab'%comes%up%in%the%event%cards,%can%
the%pilot%still%play%this%event?%
!
Yes!
!
Scientist%
!
Scientist's%ability%reads%that%they%may%discard%4%cards%of%one%color%rather%than%5%to%Cure%
a% Disease,% but% the% In% the% Lab% challenge% changes% the% Cure% a% Disease% mechanic% entirely.%
We%figured%if%the%wording%were%"The%Scientist%may%discard%one%less%card%than%required%
to%Cure%a%Disease"%the%ability%would%still%work%in%the%base%game%and%also%with%the%In%the%
Lab% expansion% (as% it% still% requires% 3% cards% of% one% color% to% Cure).% Has% anyone% else%
encountered%/%realized%this?%Is%this%intended?%Have%we%missed%a%rule%or%something%else%
that%would%clarify%this%situation?%
!
The!Scientist!discards!2!cards,!not!4!(or!3),!to!Discover!a!Cure!in!the!Lab!challenge,!as!noted!in!
the!rulebook!sidebar!on!page!5!
!
Virologist%
!
The%Virologist%has%the%ability%to%remove%one%cube%of%any%city%when%she%discards%a%city%
card.%The%cube%and%the%city%card%must%be%of%the%same%color,%right?%%
!
Correct.!
!
Does%that%mean%that%The%Virologist%is%unable%to%remove%purple%cubes%with%her%ability?%
!
Correct.!
!
Does% the% Virologist% ability% get% upgraded% like% other% (in% city)% curing% if% the% cure% for% that%
color%has%been%discovered?%
!
No,!only!the!Treat!Disease!action!(an!the!Medic)!changes!if!a!cure!has!been!discovered.!Other!
means!of!removing!cubes!do!not!change.!
!
!
Event%Cards%
!
Government%Grant%
!
When% playing% Government$ Grant% you% get% a% free% lab% action% as% stated% in% the% rules% does%
that%action%go%to%the%person%that%played%it%even%if%it%isn't%their%turn?%%
! In!the!Lab!
!
No.!It!goes!to!"the!player";!i.e.!the!current!player.!This!wording!appears!in!other!event!cards.!
For!example,!Mobile!Hospital!and!Special!Orders!both!affect!the!current!player,!who!may!or!
may!not!be!the!player!who!played!the!event.!
!
If%a%person%had%the%Government$Grant%card%and%had%the%3%cards%to%cure%the%final%disease%
could%he%or%she%play%the%event%card%and%use%the%free%lab%action%to%discover%the%cure?%
!
No.!Discovering!a!cure!is!not!a!lab!action.!
!
Can%you%play%Government$Grant%between%the%draw%player%cards%phase%and%the%infection%
phase?%
!
Yes.!No!free!lab!action!occurs.!
!
Extra! actions! cannot! be! gained! by! playing! Events! outside! of! a! player's! actions! step.! For!
example,!you!can't!gain!actions!by!playing!Borrowed!Time!after!drawing!cards!(see!OTB!rules,!
page!2).!
!
Sequencing%Breakthrough%
!
Does%Sequencing$Breakthrough%apply%only%to%the%player%that%played%the%event%from%their%
hand?%
!
No.!It!applies!to!the!next!cure!no!matter!which!player!discovers!it.!This!Event!card!isn't!in!the!
discard! pile! until! the! next! cure! occurs! (and! therefore! can't! be! retrieved! by! the! Contingency!
Planner!until!then).!To!mark!this,!it!is!placed!in!front!of!the!player!who!played!it.!
Sequencing) Breakthrough! should! read! "play! any! time".! This! will! be! corrected! in! future!
printings.!
!
!
Solo%Game%
!
Can%you%share%knowledge%with%the%CDC%on%your%turn%in%a%research%station?%
!
No.!(The!CDC!is!not!a!player,!save!for!the!two!Event!exceptions!explicitly!noted!in!the!rules.)!
The!only!way!to!move!City!cards!between!the!CDC!and!the!player!is!the!CDC's!Exchange!Data!
action!(done!on!the!CDC's!turn).!
!
About%reassign%role%(CDC%action%in%the%solo%game):%If%you%use%New%Assignment%to%change%
your%role%for%free,%does%the%old%role%go%back%to%the%pile%of%available%roles,%or%to%the%pile%of%
used%roles?%
!
The!text!on!New!Assignment!reads!"*swap*!his!Role!card!with!any!one!of!the!unused!roles",!so!
the! old! role! is! still! in! the! unused! role! pile! (this! may! be! relevant! in! the! regular! game! if! the!
Contingency!Planner!is!in!play).!This!doesn't!change!in!the!Solo!game.!
!
Can%I%use%New%Assignment%to%change%the%CDC's%role?%
!
! In!the!Lab!
No.!The!CDC!is!not!a!"player".!
!
Can%the%CDC%do%this%Lab%action%at%any%time%(even%if%I'm%not%at%a%research%Station)?%
!
Yes.!
!
Does% the% city% colour% need% to% match% the% card% you% give% to% the% CDC% or% the% card% you% take%
from%the%CDC?%
!
The! card! you! give! the! CDC! must! match! the! research! station's! city's! color.! The! CDC! can! give!
you!any!card!it!has.!
!
In%a%Solo%Game%if%you%use%New$Assignment%does%your%current%role%become%removed%from%
the%game?%
!
No.!New)Assignment!normally!swaps!with!an!unused!role,!so!in!that!case!your!role!goes!back!
to!the!unused!role!pile.!
!
Can%you%switch%back%to%it%with%the%CDC?%
!
Yes.!
!
If%you%use%New$Assignment%you%can%pick%an%old%role%that%was%removed%from%the%game%by%
the% CDC.% Does% that% mean% my% current% role% gets% removed% from% the% game% because% they%
switch%places?%
!
Yes,!due!to!the!"swap"!wording!on!New!Assignment.!
!
!
Team%Game%
!
One% of% the% goal% cards% for% the% team% game% variant% of% In% The% Lab% has% something% like% the%
following%notation:%
%
1st%(vial%symbol):%+6%
other%(vial%symbol):%+3%
%
We%were%wondering:%Does%"1st%cure"%refer%to%the%first%cure%of%the%game%(i.e.,%read%it%as%
the%first%cure)%or%the%first%cure%your%team%finds%(your%first%cure)?%%
!
The!first!cure!of!the!game.!The!teams!are!competing.!
!
Rules,% page% 7:% "Team% members% may% show% each% other% their% cards".% Does% this% include%
Infection% cards?% Specifically,% the% 6% cards% seen% when% using% the% Special% Event% Forecast,%
and%the%cards%seen%by%the%Troubleshooter%at%the%start%of%her%turn%OO%may%those%be%shown%
to%the%player's%teammate%without%divulging%their%identity%to%the%other%players?%
!
Yes.!
!
! In!the!Lab!
What%happens%if%the%4th%cure%or%the%3rd%eradication%happens%while%there%are%no%purple%
cubes%on%the%board?%Does%the%game%end%as%a%victory%for%humanity?%
!
Yes.!Just!as!in!the!normal!mutation!challenge!rules,!see!OTB.!
!
It%is%Team%A's%turn.%Team%B%plays%a%Special%Orders%card,%allowing%a%player%from%Team%A%
to%move%Team%C's%Medic%to%eradicate%a%cured%disease.%Who%gets%credit?%
!
Team!B,!as!per!the!rules.!Further,!Special)Orders!requires!the!Team!C!Medic!to!give!permission!
to!let!his!pawn!be!affected!by!Special)Orders.!
!
What% if% two% diseases% are% eradicated,% the% Medic% is% not% in% play,% Team% B% cures% a% third%
disease,% and% a% Team% C% nonOMedic% pawn% was% in% the% city% containing% the% only% disease%
cubes% of% that% disease.% If% Team% A% plays% New% Assignment% and% picks% the% Team% C% player%
whose%pawn%is%in%this%city,%who%then%chooses%to%replace%his%or%her%role%with%the%Medic,%
this%disease%is%immediately%eradicated%and%the%game%ends.%Who%gets%award?%
!
In! this! case,! Team! C! XX! not! A! (or! B)! XX! receives! the! award.! Again,! the! Event! did! not! directly!
result!in!the!disease!being!eradicated;!it!gave!the!Team!C!member!an!opportunity!to!change!
his!or!her!role.!Team!C's!resulting!powers!then!caused!the!disease!to!be!eradicated.!
!
The! difference! between! this! and! previous! Special)Orders! question! is! that! Team! B's! Special!
Orders!results!in!actions!that!directly!cause!the!eradication.!Without!the!play!of!this!event,!the!
disease!is!not!eradicated.!
!
It% takes% 2% actions,% not% 1,% to% Share% Knowledge% between% teams% (due% to% the% teams’%
incompatible% disease% protocols).% Within% a% given% team,% Share% Knowledge% takes% just% 1%
action.%How%does%this%affect%the%Epidemiologist?%
!
It!has!no!effect.!The!Epidemiologist's!power!does!not!involve!the!Share!Knowledge!action.!
!
In% a% 6Oplayer% Team% Game,% the% event% Sequencing$ Breakthrough% can% cause% a% Field%
Operative% to% find% a% cure% with% a% single% card% (and% 3% cubes).% How% does% this% affect%
discovering% a% cure% for% the% purple% disease% in% the% Worldwide% Panic% challenge,% where% a%
purple%cure%must%contain%2%cards%with%cities%containing%purple?%
!
It!reduces!it!to!1!City!card,!which!must!contain!at!least!1!purple!cube.!
!
How%does%Sequencing$Breakthrough%affect%who%gets%credit%for%a%cure?%
!
It!doesn't.!The!rule!about!Events!applies!only!to!Eradications,!not!the!Discover!a!Cure!action!
(see!the!ITL!rules,!page!6).!
!
No%team%gets%the%prestige%points%for%there%being%no%purple%cubes%on%the%board%when%the%
4th%cure%or%3rd%eradication%occurs,%right?%
!
Correct.!
!
If% removing% the% last% purple% cube% ends% the% game,% then% the% team% who% did% that% gets% the%
prestige?%
! In!the!Lab!
!
Yes.!
!
Can%the%Pilot%use%Regional%Response%Team%cards?%
!
No.!!
!
I'm%having%a%hard%time%interpreting%the%meaning%of%some%of%the%goal%cards%in%the%team%
game.%Look%at%the%picture%below,%for%example.%%
%
a)%I'm%assuming%that%this%means%that%my%team%gets%6%points%for%every%cure%award%(and%1%
point%for%every%eradication%award)%that%we%earn%during%the%game.%
b)%Does%this%only%apply%to%the%four%"basic"%cures,%or%does%the%purple%cure%count%as%well?!
c)%What%about%the%"First%Cure"%and%"Virulent%Cure"%awards?%
d)%If%I%end%the%game%with%that%goal%card,%the%Blue%Cure%award,%the%Virulent%Cure%award,%
and%the%First%Cure%award%(and%nothing%else),%I%would%get%24%points%(6%x%3%awards%+%2%for%
First%Cure%+%4%for%Virulent%Cure),%correct?%
!
!
!
a)!Correct,!with!the!proviso!that!we!are!talking!about!*cures*.!
b)!Purple,!too!(see!below).!
c)!From!the!ITL!rules,!page!7,!"There!are!also!awards!for!1st!disease!cured!and!eradicated!and!
for! curing! and! eradicating! the! Virulent! Strain! and! purple! Mutation! diseases! (if! these!
! In!the!Lab!
challenges!are!used).!These!earn!the!Prestige!shown!(*and!possibly!more!at!game!end!from!
certain!Goal!cards*).!(emphasis!added)!
d)!Not!quite.!First,!this!goal!card!gives!you!points!for!*disease!cures*,!not!award!markers.!The!
award! markers! are! used! both! to! track! the! diseases! cured! and! eradicated! and! to! give!
additional!bonuses.!
!
So,!for!this!first!goal!card,!if!Red!was!the!first!disease!cured;!Yellow,!the!Virulent!Disease;!and!
Blue!a!third!disease!cured!by!your!team,!then!your!team!would!have!5!award!markers!(one!
for!each!color,!plus!the!other!two)!and!would!score!24!points!as!you!indicate.!
!
However,!if!Blue!was!both!the!Virulent!Disease!and!the!first!disease!cured!and!you!cured!no!
other! diseases,! then! your! team! would! have! just! 3! award! markers! (Blue,! Virulent,! and! First)!
and!would!score!12!points:!6!for!the!cured!disease,!and!+2!and!+4!for!the!other!awards.!
!
(For!these!same!situations!with!the!below!goal!card,!you!would!score!18!points!and!12!points,!
respectively.)!
!
I'm% also% a% bit% confused% about% this% card% below.% Does% "1st"% literally% refer% to% the% "First%
Cure"%and%"First%Eradication"%awards,%or%does%it%simply%mean%that%the%first%cure%award%
of%any%type%that%you%receive%is%worth%6%points,%and%any%subsequent%awards%you%win%are%
worth%3%each?%%
!
!
!
1st!refers!to!the!First!Cure!and!First!Eradication!across!all!diseases!by!any!team.!
! In!the!Lab!
!
Does%the%"last%purple%cube"%award%on%the%reverse%side%of%the%purple%eradication%award%
count%as%eradication%on%goal%cards?%
!
No.!
!
!
Mutation%Challenge:%Worldwide%Panic%
!
!
When%curing%the%purple%disease,%the%card%used%to%characterize%must%have%a%purple%cube%
in%that%city,%and%if%there's%a%Worldwide%Panic,%the%test%must%as%well.%What%happens%if%you%
treat%the%purple%disease%in%that%city%after%characterizing/testing?%Nothing?%
!
Correct.!These!are!requirements!for!performing!these!actions.!Once!done,!it!doesn't!matter!if!
the!purple!cubes!are!then!later!removed.!
%
Does%Mutation%Worldwide%Panic%completely%replace%the%regular%Mutation%module?%
!
No.! It! is! an! alternative! way! to! play! the! Mutation! challenge.! It! has! a! different! flavour.! In! the!
OTB! Mutation! challenge,! the! purple! disease! has! only! 12! cubes! and! can! "sneak! up"! on! the!
players,!sort!of!like!a!ticking!time!bomb.!
!
In! the! ITL! Worldwide! Mutation! challenge,! the! purple! disease! has! 24! cubes,! is! everXpresent,!
harder!to!cure,!and!*much*!harder!to!eradicate.!
!
Some! groups! prefer! one;! some! prefer! the! other.! It's! mostly! a! matter! of! taste.! Do! you! want!
something!that's!constantly!in!your!face!or!something!that!you!can!ignore!for!a!while,!but!may!
have!to!suddenly!scramble!to!deal!with?!
!
One!issue!the!OTB!Mutation!challenge!sometimes!ran!into!XX!particularly!at!4!Epidemics!and!
less!often!at!5!XX!is!that!if!the!first!epidemic!doesn't!occur!for!a!while!(so!that!lots!of!Infection!
cards! get! reshuffled)! and! the! Mutation! cards! both! get! shuffled! to! the! bottom! of! these!
reshuffled! cards,! then! the! Mutation! challenge! can! sometimes! "fizzle",! due! to! the! Mutation!
cards!not!showing!up!until!the!Infection!rate!rises!late!in!the!game.!
!
The! ITL! versions! avoids! this! due! to! the! extra! cities! the! begin! the! game! infected! with! the!
purple!disease.!So,!if!you!want!a!more!*consistent*!experience!and!are!using!just!4!Epidemics,!
play!the!ITL!version.!If!you're!playing!6+!Epidemics,!both!versions!are!equally!hard!(in!quite!
different!ways).!At!5!Epidemics,!the!OTB!version!will!occasionally!fizzle,!but!usually!won't.!
!
I%guess%the%only%thing%different%besides%setup%between%Mutation%Worldwide%Panic%and%
regular%Mutation%module%is%that%you%use%the%2%new%cards%instead%off%the%ones%in%On%The%
Brink%
!
False.!Curing!the!purple!disease!is!also!different,!needing!2!cards!for!cities!with!purple!cubes,!
not!1,!among!the!5!purple!cure!cards.!
!
! On!the!Brink!
On%the%Brink%Expansion%
!
!
When%I%set%up%the%game,%do%I%use%all%event%cards?%Or%am%I%suppose%to%only%use%2%for%every%
player?%
!
2!per!player!
!
When%playing%on%Legendary%difficulty,%do%you%keep%the%infection%rate%at%"4"%when%you%
draw%the%7th%Epidemic%card?%
!
Yes.!The!track!does!not!continue!beyond!the!last!4!space.!
!
!
Mutation%Challenge%
!
!
If%a%disease%(ex:%Red)%has%be%eradicated%and%we%draw%a%Mutation%card%during%the%infect%
step%and%the%city%from%the%bottom%of%the%deck%is%red,%do%we%still%place%a%purple%cube?%
!
Yes.! As! noted! in! the! rules! and! on! the! Mutation! card! itself,! unless! the! *purple*! disease! is!
eradicated,! you! place! a! purple! cube! (only)! on! the! drawn! card's! city.! The! eradication! of! the!
card's!disease!color!matters!only!for!infections!of!that!color.!
%
The% mutation% challenge% rules% do% not% actually% state% that% you% need% all% five% cures% to% win%
the%game%it%say%"the%players%win%immediately%if%they%either%cure%all%5%diseases%or%cure%
the%4%other%diseases%and%have%no%purple%disease%cubes%on%the%board".%I%interpret%it%as%
you% win% with% curing% the% original% 4% diseases% as% long% as% the% mutation% disease% isn't%
brought%out%at%all,%where%my%partner%believes%it%means%that%as%long%as%you%treat%all%the%
purple% cubes% while% curing% the% original% 4% you% win% and% says% that% curing% the% mutation%
disease%only%matters%if%there%is%still%purple%cubes%on%the%board%when%you%cure%the%4th%
disease.%%
!
If!you!have!4!cures!(excluding!purple),!you!must!either:!
!
1)!Clear!the!remaining!purple!cubes!off!the!board!OR!!
2)!Cure!purple!
!
Either!of!those!would!result!in!a!win.!If!no!purples!were!on!the!board...win!!Note!that!if!you!
clear!the!board!of!purple,!and!then!purple!reappears!before!you!cure!the!4!regular!diseases,!
then! you! still! have! to! treat! the! purple! cubes! again! (or! cure! purple)! after! curing! the! regular!
diseases.!
!
In% Mutation% Mode% if% a% 4th% purple% cube% is% to% be% placed% the% Purple% Cubes% will% cause% an%
Outbreak%exactly%like%the%other%4%colours?%
!
Yes.!
%
! On!the!Brink!
On% Mutation% Cards% that% are% drawn% when% the% purple% disease% is% eradicated.% How% are%
these%resolved?%I%see%the%following%options:%
%
#1:% Draw% a% card% from% the% bottom,% discard% the% Mutation% and% the% bottom% card% with% no%
effect.%(After%all,%it%is%supposed%to%behave%like%all%other%diseases%except%where%indicated,%
and%the%card%is%effectively%"purple".)%
#2:%Draw%a%card%from%the%bottom,%discard%the%Mutation,%and%place%the%original%colored%
cube% corresponding% to% that% city% (as% long% as% that% disease% is% not% also% eradicated% of%
course).%
!
Neither! option! you! propose! is! correct.! No! card! is! drawn! from! the! bottom! of! the! pile! in! this!
case! (doing! so! tends! to! make! the! game! easier).! From! the! On! the! Brink! Mutation! Challenge!
rules,! page! 4:! "If! the! purple! disease! is! eradicated! and! a! Mutation! card! is! drawn! during! the!
infection! phase,! just! discard! it! (without! effect).! This! card! still! counts! toward! the! number! of!
Infection!cards!drawn!that!phase."!
!
A%Mutation%event%card%was%drawn%before%a%Mutation%infection%card%had%shown%up.%My%
friend%argued%that,%whilst%no%purple%cubes%were%on%the%board%yet,%the%mutation%hadn't%
been%eradicated,%either,%so%it%was%still%on%the%board%in%game%technical%terms.%I%said%no,%
that% was% rubbish% O% there% weren't% any% purple% cubes% on% the% board% physically,% so% the%
mutation%wasn't%in%play%yet.%What%is%the%official%ruling%on%this?%
!
There!is!nothing!in!the!rules!or!otherwise!that!suggests!that!adding!purple!cubes!is!dependent!
on! cubes! already! being! on! the! board! (or! having! been! on! the! board! in! the! past).! In! general,!
*all*!diseases!(not!just!the!purple!disease)!can!enter!play!without!either!being!on!the!board!
initially!or!being!drawn!during!Infections.!For!example,!suppose!you!start!the!game!without!
any!cubes!of!one!of!the!four!standard!diseases.!It!is!perfectly!possible!for!that!disease!to!enter!
play!due!to!an!Epidemic!card!(by!being!the!card!color!of!the!card!drawn!from!the!bottom!of!
the! Infection! Deck),! despite! the! fact! that! there! are! no! disease! cubes! of! that! disease! on! the!
board!and!that!there!have!been!no!infections!of!that!disease.!A!disease!is!not!eradicated!until!
A)! it! is! cured! and! B)! no! cubes! of! it! are! on! the! board.! *Both*! of! these! requirements! must! be!
met.! Otherwise,! cube! placements! by! infections,! epidemics,! Mutation! events,! etc.! all! occur!
normally.!
!
If% you% draw% "The% Mutation% Threatens"% (draw% 1% card% from% the% bottom% of% the% Infection%
Draw%Pile%and%add%3%purple%cubes%to%the%pictured%city):%Can%the%Field%Operative%return%
purple% cubes% to% the% supply,% or% can% you% play% a% special% event% (e.g.,% Remote% Treatment)%
before%drawing%the%infection%card?%
Or%if%you%draw%"The%Mutation%Spreads"%(draw%3%cards%from%the%bottom%of%the%Infection%
Draw%Pile%and%add%1%purple%cube%to%each%of%the%pictured%cities):%Can%the%Field%Operative%
return% purple% cubes,% or% can% you% play% a% special% event,% in% between% the% infection% draws%
from%this%card?%
!
These!Mutation!Event!cards!are!drawn!from!the!player!deck.!Once!you!*start!resolving*!each!
of!them,!you!cannot!play!Special!events!nor!return!cubes!from!the!Field!Operative.!You!may!
do!so!before!you!start!resolving!them.!
!
When%playing%the%mutation%challenge%the%rules%say%that%when%infecting%a%city%that%has%at%
least% one% purple% marker,% add% another% purple% marker% AND% a% marker% of% the% infection%
! On!the!Brink!
card's%color%unless%that%color%is%eradicated.%If%there%are%already%3%of%each%color,%does%the%
additional%red%and%purple%cause%1%breakout%or%2?%
!
Two!outbreaks,!as!per!the!normal!rules.!From!the!Pandemic!rules,!Outbreaks:!"An!outbreak!
occurs! if! a! player! is! required! to! add! a! cube! to! a! city! that! already! has! 3! cubes! in! it! *of! that!
color*."!
!
My%wife%and%I%were%playing%OTB%Mutation%Challenge%tonight:%we%had%one%yellow%cube%on%
both% Khartoum% and% Johannesburg% along% with% three% yellow% cubes% on% Lagos% and% two%
yellow% cubes% on% Kinshasa.% In% addition,% we% had% three% purple% cubes% on% Kinshasa.% An%
epidemic%was%drawn%and%Khartoum%was%drawn%from%the%bottom%of%the%deck.%How%many%
outbreaks% occurred% of% each% color% and% what% is% the% final% number% of% cubes% on% each% city?%
We%lost%because%of%a%lack%of%purple%cubes%to%draw%from%the%petrie%dish.%
!
Why!are!you!placing!any!purple!cubes?!
!
A)!Khartoum!(Y3++)!outbreaks:!Kinshasa!(Y3+,P3),!Johannesburg!(Y2+),!Cairo!(Y1+)!
B)!Lagos!(Y3)!chain!reaction!outbreaks!in!Y:!Sao!Paulo!(Y1+)!
C)!Kinshasa!(Y3,P3)!chain!reaction!outbreaks!in!Y:!Johannesburg!(Y3+).!
!
Result:!+3!outbreaks;!7X>14!yellow!cubes!on!the!board.!Purple:!no!change.!
!
Remember:!
!
*!Chain!reaction!outbreaks!do!not!put!cubes!(or!trigger!outbreaks)!in!cities!that!have!already!
resolved!their!outbreaks!in!that!series!of!chain!reaction!outbreaks.!
*! Each! color! is! resolved! independently.! An! outbreak! of! one! color! in! a! city! has! no! effect! on!
cubes!of!another!color!in!that!city.!
*!You!only!add!both!a!disease!cube!and!a!purple!cube!when!doing!an!*infection*!for!a!city!with!
both!a!purple!and!its!own!color!cube,!not!for!an!outbreak!in!a!neighboring!city.!
!
I!suspect!this!last!rule!is!what's!causing!this!issue.!Please!reXread!the!Infections!section!for!the!
purple!disease!on!page!4!of!the!OTB!rules.!
!
!
Virulent%Strain%Challenge%
!
!
We’re%confused%about%how%the%effects%play%out%when%a%Virulent%Strain%Epidemic%card%is%
drawn.%Step%two%simply%says:%“2.%INFECT:%Infect%a%city%with%3%cubes”.%Do%we%draw%a%city%
off%the%bottom%of%the%deck%like%normal?%
!
It's! just! like! normal.! A! Virulent! Strain! Epidemic! card! is! identical! to! a! regular! Epidemic! card!
except!for!the!special!text!on!the!bottom.!
!
Government%interference%
!
When% a% cure% is% found% for% the% Virulent% Strain% color,% does% the% Epidemic:% Government$
Interference%stop%the%Medic%from%leaving?%
! On!the!Brink!
!
No.!
!
What% happens% when% a% player% with% the% role% Dispatcher% (that% allows% them% to% move% the%
other%players'%pawns%on%their%go)%moves%your%pawn%into%a%city%contain%Virulent%Strain%
cubes% and% Government$ Interference% is% in% effect?% During% their% turn% they% can't% use% your%
pawn%to%treat%a%VS%cube,%so%what%happens?%
!
The!dispatcher!moves!you!in,!and!you!are!stuck!until!your!turn!when!you!can!treat!it.!Unless!
you! can! play! rapid! vaccine,! or! remote! treatment! and! treat! every! disease! on! that! city! on! the!
dispatcher's!turn!as!well.!
!
Played% the% Virulent% Strain% challenge% for% the% first% time% and% had% a% situation% come% up%
regarding% Government$Interference% and% the% Field% Operative.% The% FO% needed% to% leave% a%
city%with%only%*one*%cube%of%the%Virulent%strain.%If%he%sampled%it,%could%the%FO%leave%the%
city?%[emphasis%added]%
!
Yes.!Government!Interference!no!longer!applies!after!the!FO!sampling!as!the!city!no!longer!is!
"a!city!with!Virulent!Strain!cubes",!which!is!the!trigger!for!the!Government!Interference!effect.!
!
Various! effects! that! remove! (but! don't! *treat*)! cubes! don't! count! towards! satisfying! the! GI!
requirement,!unless!they!remove!*all*!the!VS!strains!cubes!in!that!city.!
!
If!there!were!two!or!three!VS!cubes!in!that!city,!then!the!FO!could!not!move!away!from!it!after!
taking! a! VS! sample.! The! FO! would! have! to! also! *treat*! at! least! one! VS! cube! before! moving!
away!(or!find!some!other!way!to!remove!all!the!remaining!VS!cubes).!
!
Think!of!the!precise!ordering!when!GI!is!in!effect!as:!
a)!I'm!ready!to!move!away!from!the!city!I'm!in!
b)!are!there!any!VS!cubes!present?!
c)!if!so,!have!I!treated!a!VS!cube!in!this!city!this!turn?!If!not,!I!can't!move...!
!
[do!something!(play!a!special!event!or!perform!some!action),!then!check!aXbXc!again]!
!
If!that!"something"!involves!moving!away!(such!as!playing!the!special!event!Airlift),!I!still!have!
to!check!aXbXc,!which!will!then!prevent!Airlift!from!working.!
!
Hypothetical% with% three% players:% Turner% (it's% his% turn),% Wyatt% (he's% waiting),% and% Carl%
(who%has%cards).%
Turner% and% Wyatt% have% their% pawns% in% a% city% with% two% cubes% of% the% Virulent% Strain%
disease.% Government$ Interference% is% active.% It% is% Turner's% turn.% Carl% has% Airlift% and%
Special$Orders.%
%
1.%Can%Carl%immediately%play%Airlift%and%move%Wyatt%to%a%different%city?%
2.% If% Turner% uses% an% action% to% treat% one% cube% in% the% city% (leaving% one),% can% Carl% *then*%
play%Airlift%and%move%Wyatt%to%a%different%city?%
3.% If% Turner% uses% an% action% to% treat% one% cube% in% the% city% (leaving% one)% and% Carl% plays%
Special$Orders,%can%Turner%use%an%action%to%move%Wyatt%to%a%different%city?%
!
1!X!No,!Wyatt!hasn't!removed!a!cube!on!the!turn!Wyatt!is!attempting!to!leave.!
! On!the!Brink!
2!X!No,!Wyatt!still!hasn't!removed!a!cube.!
3!X!Yes;!Turner!is!moving!Wyatt!as!if!it!were!his!own!pawn!and!Turner!has!removed!a!cube!on!
this!turn.!
!
This!is!roughly!analogous!to!Turner!flying!Wyatt!somewhere!using!Special!Orders!XX!Turner!
"pays! the! cost"! (by! discarding! a! card),! not! Wyatt,! in! order! to! move! Wyatt! during! Turner's!
turn.!
!
If%Government$Interference%effect%is%in%game,%I%assume%that%if%players%A%and%B%are%in%the%
same%city%with%Virulent%Strain%cubes,%and%player%A%treats%a%VS%cube%on%his%turn%(without%
removing%all%of%them%from%the%city),%then%player%A%may%leave%the%city%on%that%turn,%but%
player%B%may%not%Special%Ordersed%out%of%it%on%that%same%turn.%
!
False.! Special! Orders! says! "This! turn,! the! player! may! spend! actions! to! move! 1! other! pawn!
(with! permission)! *as! if! it! were! his! own*."! After! treating! a! cube,! Player! A! can! use! Special!
Orders!to!move!Player!B!out!of!the!city.!
!
Regarding%Government$Interference,%if%a%player%treated%a%VS%cube%as%their%last%action%and%
there%were%still%VS%cubes%in%their%city,%could%they%still%be%airlifted%after%an%epidemic%was%
resolved%during%their%draw%cards%phase?%
!
No,!that!player!is!no!longer!in!the!action!portion!of!his!or!her!turn.!
!
Hidden%Pocket%
!
What%happen%if%I%draw%Hidden%Pocket%when%the%virulent%strain%is%not%yet%eradicated?%Do%
I%discard%it%without%effect%or%do%I%keep%it%until%the%virulent%strain%is%eradicated%and%then%
apply%the%effect?%
!
Hidden! Pocket! doesn't! have! a! Continuing! Effect! icon! and,! at! the! end! of! its! text,! it! says:!
"Otherwise,!ignore!this!event".!So,!yes,!if!the!virulent!strain!isn't!eradicated,!you!discard!this!
card!with!no!event!effect!(after!resolving!its!normal!Epidemic!effects).!
!
Rate%Effect%
!
The%rule%on%the%card%Virulent$Strain$"Rate$Effect"%states:%If%at%least%1%Infection%card%of%the%
Virulent% Strain% is% drawn% in% an% infection% phase% (and% the% Virulent% Strain% is% not%
eradicated)%draw%1%more%Infection%card%than%the%current%Infection%Rate.%
Does% that% mean,% for% every% Infection% card% you% draw% of% the% Virulent% Strain,% you% have% to%
draw%another%Infection%card?%For%example:%If%the%strain%is%black,%the%rate%is%set%at%2,%and%
you%draw%two%black%cards,%does%that%mean%you%have%to%draw%two%more%Infection%cards?%
!
No;!you!draw!1!more!Infection!card,!since!at!least!1!black!card!was!drawn.!It!is!1!more!draw!if!
*at!least*!1!black!infection!card!is!drawn!(in!this!example),!not!1!more!draw!for!*every*!black!
infection!card!drawn.!
!
Rate$ effect% says% that% when% you% draw% a% card% of% the% Virulent% Strain,% you% draw% an%
additional%one.%But%does%the%regular%infector%phase%complete%before%this%effect%triggers%
(so%it%would%only%apply%on%the%next%turn)?%
! On!the!Brink!
!
Epidemics! are! not! part! of! the! infector! phase,! they! are! resolved! as! part! of! a! player's! draw,!
before!discarding!down!to!hand!limit,!*before*!the!infector!phase!even!begins.!Therefore,!this!
continuing!effect!applies!starting!with!that!turn's!infector!phase,!not!the!next!turn's!infector!
phase.!
!
Suppose% we're% playing% with% both% the% Virulent% Strain% and% Mutation% variants.% The% Rate$
Effect% is% in% play% (the% virulent% strain% epidemic% card),% and% Red% is% virulent.% A% player%
completes% his/her% actions% and% moves% on% to% the% infection% phase;% the% infection% rate% is%
two.% A% yellow% city% is% infected,% followed% by...% a% Mutation% card.% The% bottomOofOdeck%
infection%card%is%Red,%so%a%purple%cube%is%added%there.%Draw%a%third%infection%card%as%per%
the%rate%effect?%Or%do%mutations%not%count?%
!
Do!not!draw!a!third!infection!card!from!the!top!of!the!infection!deck.!The!extra!card!drawn!
from! the! bottom! of! the! infection! deck! (to! resolve! Mutation!)! doesn't! produce! a! red! cube,!
doesn't! count! as! one! of! the! normal! infection! card! draws,! etc.! So,! similarly,! it! doesn't! count!
towards!Rate!effect.!
!
Uncounted%Populations%
!
Is%the%Virulent%Strain%card%"Uncounted$Populations"%instructing%the%player%to%add%1%cube%
of%the%virulent%strain%color%to%each%city%drawn%during%the%intensify%phase?%
!
No.!No!infection!cards!are!drawn!during!the!Intensify!step!(#3)!of!resolving!an!Epidemic!card!
(as! opposed! to! the! Infection! step! following! the! resolution! of! an! Epidemic! card).! This! card's!
effect!is!a!oneXtime,!not!continuing,!effect.!
!
Is% "Uncounted$ Populations"% saying% to% add% a% single% cube% to% each% and% every% city% with%
exactly%one%cube?%
!
No.! The! card! states! "each! city! with! exactly! 1! cube! *of! the! Virulent! Strain! color*"! (emphasis!
added).!
!
Is%"Uncounted$Populations"%saying%to%add%1%cube%to%each%city%with%1%cube%of%the%virulent%
strain%color?%
!
Correct.!
!
!
Roles%
!
!
Archivist%
!
One%of%the%Archivist's%special%abilities%allows%you%to%gain%a%card%from%the%discard%pile.%
The%ability%doesn't%say%anything%about%discarding%down%if%this%would%put%you%at%9%cards.%
Other% actions% which% result% in% you% gaining% cards% (Sharing% knowledge,% ReKexamined$
research%event)%explicitly%state%that%you%should%discard%back%down%to%your%hand%limit%if%
! On!the!Brink!
needed,% but% I% don't% see% this% anywhere% for% the% archivist's% ability.% Does% this% mean% the%
archivist%can,%at%least%until%the%end%of%their%turn%or%they%do%another%action%which%means%
they%need%to%discard,%have%9%cards%in%their%hand?%
!
No.!The!revised!version!of!the!second!edition!Pandemic!rules!states!that!the!hand!limit!is!in!
effect!at!all!times.!
!
I% have% the% second% edition% of% Pandemic,% and% I% don't% remember% seeing% this% (“No.$ The$
revised$version$of$the$second$edition$Pandemic$rules$states$that$the$hand$limit$is$in$effect$
at$all$times.%“).%Is%there%a%separate%revised%rule%set%somewhere.%Or%did%I%just%miss%it?%
!
Yes.!See!the!ZXMan!site.!Mostly!the!second!edition!rules!rewrite!worked!fine,!but!we!redid!the!
hand!limit!section!as!follows:!"Hand!Limit:!If!you!ever!have!more!than!7!cards!in!hand!(after!
first! resolving! any! Epidemic! cards! you! may! have! drawn),! discard! cards! or! play! Event! cards!
until!you!have!7!cards!in!hand."!
With!the!Archivist,!the!same!rule!applies!(substituting!8!for!7).!
!
Can%an%Archivist%act%like%a%Troubleshooter%or%sort%of%an%Operations%Expert%by%spending%
actions%to%retrieve%city%cards%and%reuse%them%in%various%ways?%
!
Yes.! (This! flexibility,! as! you! note,! comes! at! the! price! of! extra! actions.! These! are! actions! not!
spent! to! treat! disease,! share! knowledge,! etc.! Managing! this! tradeXoff! is! the! key! to! using! the!
Archivist!well.)!
!
With% the% Hinterlands% Challenge,% can% the% Archivist% pick% up% any% card% from% the% discard%
pile%that%matches%the%hinterland%colour,%if%he%is%on%that%hinterland%space?%
!
No.!The!Archivist's!ability!is!to!pick!up!City!cards!that!*match*!the!space!he!is!on.!No!city!cards!
match!the!Hinterlands!spaces.!
!
Containment%Specialist%
%
If%Atlanta%starts%with%2%or%3%disease%cubes%due%to%the%initial%infections,%does%one%of%them%
get%removed%if%one%of%the%players%draws%the%Containment%Specialist?%
!
No.!Starting!in!a!city!is!not!"entering"!a!city.!
!
If% I% reOenter% the% same% city% twice% per% turn,% would% it% remove% a% second% cube?% Eg.%
Containment% Specialist% starts% in% Atlanta,% Washington% has% 3% cubes.% Spend% 1% move% to%
Washington%(remove%1%cube),%2nd%action%to%move%to%New%York,%3rd%action%to%go%back%to%
Washington%(remove%another%cube%or%not?),%4th%action%to%dance%around.%
!
For! each! time! you! enter,! yes.! You! get! no! benefit! from! dancing! around! (other! than! amusing!
your!coXplayers.)!
!
If% the% Containment% Specialist% moves% into% a% city% where% he% would% usually% remove% one%
cube%O%but%that%color%has%already%been%cured%O%does%he%remove%all%cubes%for%free?%Or%just%
one?%
!
Just!one.!
! On!the!Brink!
!
For% the% Containment% Specialist,% when% meeting% with% the% Virulent% Strain:% Government$
Interference,%entering%a%city%with%more%than%2%cubes%of%the%same%color%and%removing%one%
of%them%is%not%"treating"%at%least%1%cube%right?%
!
Correct.!
!
For% the% Containment% Specialist,% when% meeting% with% Epidemic:% Resistant$ to$ Treatment,%
entering%a%city%with%more%than%2%cubes%still%removes%one%right?%
!
Correct.!
!
Epidemiologist%
!
Is% the% power% of% the% Epidemiologist% usable% only% once% per% her's% turn% OR% only% once% per%
her's%turn%AND%encountered%player%?%(i.e.%the%power%may%be%executed%only%once%per%turn%
O%or%more%than%once?)%
!
Once!per!turn.!Once!per!player!encountered!per!turn!would!be!meaningless!in!2Xplayer!games!
and!totally!gross!at!the!start!of!the!game!in!large!player!games:!"The!Epidemiologist!goes!first,!
takes!1!blue!card!from!every!other!player!in!Atlanta!and!cures!blue.!Yawn."!
!
The%epidemiologist's%power%says%take%any%"nonOmatching"%card.%Does%that%mean%you're%
NOT%allowed%to%take%the%card%of%the%city%you're%both%on?!
!
Not!with!your!special,!but!with!the!normal!"share!knowledge"!action,!thus!allowing!you!to!get!
two!cards!XX!one!that!matches!the!city!you're!in!and!one!that!doesn't!XX!from!one!player!in!one!
turn!(for!two!actions).!We!used!"nonXmatching"!to!indicate!you!could!do!both!of!these!actions!
in!a!single!turn!XX!that!neither!one!prevents!the!other!from!occurring.!
!
Field%Operative%
!
If%you%have%6%cubes%of%one%colour%on%your%Field%Operative%card%(having%used%6%actions%to%
remove%them%from%the%board,%each%on%a%separate%turn)%can%you%use%all%6%to%contribute%to%
a%cure?%In%which%case%you'd%only%need%one%card%of%the%given%colour.%
!
No.!From!the!OTB!rules,!page!8:!"When!he!Discovers!a!Cure,!he!may!replace!*exactly*!2!of!the!
needed!City!cards!by!returning!3!cubes!of!the!cure!color"!(emphasis!added).!Exactly!2!means!
just!2!and!no!more,!NOT!sets!of!2.!(Contrast!this!to!the!ITL!Virologist!whose!power!to!replace!
cure!cards!with!pairs!of!other!cards!*can*!be!done!multiple!times.!Her!explanation!does!not!
use!the!word!"exactly"!and!has!an!explicit!note!that!this!is!allowed.)!
!
It%would%seem%that%the%Field%Operative%has%the%ability%to%carry%2%cures%at%the%same%time%
with%3%cards%&%3%cubes%each%in%2%colors%
!
He!could!hold!the!material!for!two!cures,!however,!he!would!need!to!do!them!in!two!actions.!
Discover!a!Cure!is!an!action!applying!to!a!single!disease.!
!
! On!the!Brink!
Can% you% return% cubes% from% the% Field% Operative% after% resolving% one% infection% card% and%
before%drawing%the%next?%For%example,%suppose%there%is%one%red%cube%left%in%the%supply,%
and% the% Field% Operative% has% 3% red% sample% cubes% on% her% card.% The% first% infection% card%
draw%is%a%red%city,%requiring%the%last%red%cube%to%be%added%to%that%city.%Could%the%Field%
Operative% return% one% or% more% cubes% from% her% card% before% the% next% infection% card% is%
drawn?%
!
Yes.!
!
Can%the%Field%Operative%use%the%special%ability%of%3%cards%and%3%disease%tokens%to%cure%
purple?%
!
Yes.!
!
How% does% this% interact% with% the% standard% method% of% curing% mutation% of% any% 5% cards,%
with%at%least%one%having%the%mutation%disease%in%the%city?%
!
From!the!OTB!rules,!page!4:!"When!a!Scientist!or!Field!Operative!turns!in!fewer!City!cards,!at!
least!1!of!them!must!be!a!city!with!1!or!more!purple!cubes!on!it."!!
The! 3! cubes! turned! in! from! the! Field! Operative's! card! to! do! this! must! be! purple! (the! cure!
color,!as!stated!on!the!FO!card).!
!
In% the% situation% that% you% are% the% Field% Operative% and% have% the% Event% card% "Mobile$
Hospital"% in% play,% can% driving% through% cities% (and% thus% removing% cubes% automatically%
due% to% the% event)% yield% you% cubes% to% place% on% your% role% card% and% use% later% for% curing%
purposes?%
!
No.!Only!cubes!from!the!once!a!turn!Field!Operative!action!to!place!them!on!his!role!card!as!a!
sample!are!samples.!All!other!cubes!removed!by!the!Field!Operative!(by!playing!events,!doing!
Treat!actions,!etc.)!cannot!be!used!as!samples.!
!
The%Field%Operative%card%says%that%he/she%has%to%gather%three%cubes%of%the%same%color%
and% matching% cards% to% cure% a% disease.% I% interpreted% this% has% follow:% if% the% Field%
Operative% possess% a% sample% from% New% York,% Toronto% and% Chicago,% he% can% cure% the%
disease%only%if%he%also%has%the%cards%for%New%York,%Toronto%and%Chicago%(and%discards%
those% at% a% research% center).% Am% I% right?% In% the% rulebook,% the% rule% is% formulated%
differently%and%it%seems%to%indicate%that,%if%I%have%a%sample%from%Chicago,%Toronto%and%
New%York,%I%can%discard%any%3%blue%cards%to%cure%the%disease.%This%interpretation%seem%a%
little%bit%too%easy%to%execute.%
!
No,!you!are!wrong.!The!trick!is!that!only!one!sample!can!be!gained!per!turn;!it's!a!slow,!steady,!
and!fairly!sure!cure!method,!but!often!you!just!need!to!cure!diseases!faster...!
!
I% read% the% Field% Operative% this% way:% if% you% are% about% to% cure% a% disease% with% 5% cards,%
instead%replace%2%of%those%cards%with%3%disease%cubes%of%the%matching%color.%So%with%my%
reading%you%still%need%five%cards%but%you%get%to%keep%two.%
!
This!is!not!the!intended!reading.!The!action!Discover!a!Cure!requires!discarding!5!cards!of!the!
cure!color.!The!Field!Operative!can!discard!3!cards!of!the!cure!color!along!with!3!cubes!of!that!
color!to!do!this!action.!He!does!not!need!to!have!any!additional!cards!in!hand.!
! On!the!Brink!
He! is! replacing! part! of! the! action's! *requirement*! with! a! different! requirement.! When!
someone!is!willing!to!take!part!of!a!payment!"in!kind"!and!some!in!cash,!you!do!not!have!to!
have!the!entire!payment!in!cash,!before!paying!part!in!cash!and!part!in!kind.!
!
Does% the% Field% Operative's% ability% to% take% a% cube% satisfy% the% requirement% of% the%
Government$Interference%card?%In%other%words,%if%the%Field%Operative%takes%a%cube,%must%
he/she%also%treat%another%cube%(assuming%there%were%at%least%two%there)%before%moving%
out%of%that%city%on%that%turn?%
!
No,! it! doesn't;! you! must! also! treat! another! cube! (if! one! exists)! in! that! city! before! leaving! it.!
Government!Interference!requires!a!pawn!to!*treat*!one!or!more!cubes!of!the!virulent!strain!
disease!(using!the!*treat!disease*!action)!before!leaving!a!city!with!it.!
!
The! Containment! Specialist's! power! is! not! a! treat! action! XX! that's! why! it! doesn't! count.!
Similarly,!the!Field!Operative's!power!also!doesn't!involve!using!the!treat!action,!that's!why!it!
doesn't!count!either.!Think!"treat",!not!"remove!a!cube".!
!
Could%the%Field%Operative%theoretically%"treat"%a%virulent%strain%cube%with%one%action%if%
Resistant$to$Treatment%is%in%play?%He%could%use%the%special%remove%cube%ability%and%then%
immediately%place%it%back%in%the%supply,%right?%I%understand%this%is%only%once%per%turn%
but%still.%
!
Yes,!this!is!legal.!
!
Generalist%
!
What%happens%if%I%am%a%generalist%and%someone%plays%New$Assignment%on%me%during%my%
turn?%Do%I%get%5%actions%anyway?%Do%I%get%5%actions%only%if%the%New%Assignment%is%played%
after%my%fourth%action,%when%being%a%Generalist%has%taken%action%by%preventing%my%turn%
to% end% right% now?% Do% I% get% 4% actions% anyway% unless% I% change% role% after% my% 5% actions?%
Conversely,%I%am%playing%a%nonOGeneralist%role,%and%during%my%turn,%a%New%Assignment%
turns%me%into%a%Generalist.%Do%I%get%a%5th%action%on%this%turn?%
!
The!Generalist!grants!five!actions!to!spend!during!a!turn,!not!a!fifth!action!at!the!end!of!your!
turn.! Therefore! a! player! who! begins! their! turn! as! the! Generalist! and! then! is! assigned! a!
different!role!still!gets!five!actions!that!turn.!
A!player!who!starts!a!turn!as!some!other!role!and!then!is!assigned!the!Generalist!also!gets!five!
actions!to!spend!on!that!turn.!Or,!to!put!it!differently,!if!at!any!point!on!your!turn!you!are!the!
Generalist,!you!get!five!actions!to!spend!on!that!turn.!
!
Troubleshooter%
!
We%were%playing%and%had%an%infection%rate%of%3.%Someone%played%the%special%event%card%
"Commercial$Travel$Ban"%which%sets%infection%rate%to%1%until%current%players%next%turn.%
When% the% Troubleshooter% uses% his% special% privilege% to% look% at% the% number% of% top%
infection% cards% equal% to% the% current% infection% rate,% does% he% only% draw% 1% per% special%
event%card%or%3%per%board%infection%rate?%
!
"Current!infection!rate"!means!exactly!what!it!says;!draw!1!card.!
! On!the!Brink!
!
!
Event%Cards%
!
!
How% do% event% cards% work% in% On% the% Brink?% It% sounds% you% shuffle% the% event% cards%
together,% then% deal% 2% event% cards% to% each% player.% Then% shuffle% the% city% cards% and% deal%
out% the% rest% of% their% hands.% Put% the% rest% of% the% event% cards% in% the% box% undisclosed.%
Correct?%
!
No.!Shuffle!the!events,!take!2!per!player,!put!the!rest!away.!Shuffle!these!events!*with!the!city!
cards*!and!deal!out!the!initial!player!hands.!
!
In%2Oplayer%games%there's%only%4%event%cards%instead%of%5?%
!
Correct.!
!
Some% events,% which% relate% to% user,% like% "New$Assignment"% and% "ReKexamined$research"%
have% the% phrase% "Select% a% player"% in% them.% But% those% three:% “Mobile$ Hospital”,% “Special$
Orders”%and%“Borrowed$Time”%do%not.%So%the%question%is:%can%player%"A"%play%such%card%
while%turn%of%player%"B"%is%in%progress,%and,%in%such%case,%will%the%player%"B"%benefit?%
!
Yes.! These! cards! all! say! "this! turn"! and! (except! for! Borrowed! Time)! "the! player",! so! they!
would!then!apply!to!player!B.!
!
Can%you%play%a%special%event%AFTER%the%Infect%step%of%the%first%Virulent%Strain%Epidemic%
card%and%before%determining%the%virulent%strain?%
!
No.! This! will! be! clarified! in! future! rules! sets.! Resilient) Population! will! have! an! explicit!
exception.!
Borrowed%Time%
!
Is% the% player% who% just% drew% Borrowed$ Time% still% active,% or% with% other% words,% is% it%
allowed% to% immediately% play% this% card% on% yourself% directly% after% you% drew% it% to% take%
another%two%actions%"out%of%row"?%
!
No.!This!is!explicitly!stated!on!page!2.!
!
Mobile%Hospital%
!
When%using%the%Mobile$Hospital%with%a%cured%disease,%can%you%remove%all%of%the%blocks%
or%just%one?%
!
One.!The!only!exception!is!the!medic's!normal!ability!to!automatically!remove!all!blocks!of!a!
cured!disease,!which!this!event!doesn't!override.!
!
It’s%the%Dispatcher's%turn.%The%Mobile$Hospital%event%card%is%played%at%the%beginning%of%
this%turn,%and%the%Dispatcher%uses%his%special%ability%to%move%the%Generalist%("as%if%the%
! On!the!Brink!
pawn% were% his/her% own,"% as% the% rules% say).% Does% the% Mobile$ Hospital% enable% the%
Generalist% to% remove% cubes% during% this% turn?% (This% could% also% apply% to% Special% Orders%
instead%of%the%Dispatcher's%special%abilities.)%
!
No.!When!using!the!Dispatcher's!power!(or!Special!Orders),!the!powers!of!the!moving!pawn!
do!take!effect;!thus!if!you!move!the!Medic,!he!will!remove!cubes!of!a!cured!disease,!and!so!on.!
See!page!2,!Special!Orders.!
However,!in!this!case,!the!powers!of!the!moving!pawn!do!not!include!Mobile!Hospital,!since!
Mobile! Hospital! was! played! on! the! Dispatcher! and! the! Dispatcher's! pawn! is! not! the! moving!
pawn.!
(You!can't!have!it!both!ways!XX!both!get!the!powers!of!the!pawn!being!moved!and!the!powers!
of!the!pawn!of!the!player!doing!the!moving;!nice!try,!though!!;X)!
!
When% a% player% uses% Mobile$ Hospital% to% remove% 1% disease% cube% from% each% city% that% is%
driven/ferries% to,% if% a% city% has% two% different% colors% (purple% and% blue% for% example)% of% a%
disease%when%entering,%do%you%remove%one%of%each%color,%or%choose%one%or%the%other%to%
remove?%
!
You!choose!exactly!one!cube!to!remove.!
!
New%Assignment%
!
Wondering%if%such%a%play%is%legal%or%not.%The%scenario%looks%like%this:%
%
1)% A% player% has% the% New$ Assignment% event% card% (let's% say% they% were% the% Generalist% to%
start).%
2)% Let's% say% it% is% near% the% end% of% the% game% and% many% Event% cards% have% already% been%
played.%
3)% At% the% beginning% of% their% turn,% they% play% the% new% assignment% card% to% become% the%
Contingency%Planner,%they%now%have%5%actions%(since%they%were%just%the%Generalist).%
4)%They%begin%to,%one%at%a%time,%"resurrect",%and%subsequently%replay%event%cards%from%
the%player%discard%pile%(of%course%only%using%the%action%once%per%previously%discarded%
event).%The%last%event%card%that%they%resurrect%(their%5th%action)%is%the%new%assignment%
event,%which%they%then%play%to%choose%another%new%role.%
%
Is%this%a%legal%play?%
!
Perfectly!legal.!
!
We’re% uncertain% as% to% whether% the% wording% on% the% card% New$ Assignment% means% all%
players%may%change%their%roles%if%desired%when%it%is%played,%or%only%one.%
!
New!Assignment!lets!any!*one*!player!pick!a!new!role.!
!
On%the%card%New$Assignment%by%"select"%does%this%mean%the%player%CHOOSES%the%role?%
!
Yes.!
!
Can%the%event%New$Assignment%be%played%inObetween%the%Infect%and%Intensify%steps%of%an%
Epidemic%(similar%to%the%wording%on%the%event%Resilient$Population%in%order%to%change%a%
! On!the!Brink!
player's%role%to%the%First%Responder%before%the%Epidemic%is%fully%resolved%and%allowing%
said% player% to% then% immediately% move% to% the% Epidemic% city% to% treat% disease% there%
following%the%Epidemic?%
!
No.! Resilient) Population! has! a! specific! exception! to! the! timing! rules! listed! on! its! card! that!
permits!it!to!be!played!in!the!middle!of!resolving!an!Epidemic!card.!New)Assignment!does!not!
and!follows!the!general!timing!rule!(see!Event!Cards,!base!rules,!page!7)!that!you!may!not!play!
an!Event!in!the!middle!of!resolving!another!card.!
!
Rapid%Vaccine%Deployment%
!
During% a% game% last% night,% a% player% cured% a% disease% with% their% 4th% action,% and% then% on%
their%first%of%two%card%draws%picked%up%a%"Rapid$Vaccine$Deployment"%special%event%card.%
The% question% was% whether% this% card% could% then% be% used% to% eliminate% 5% cubes% for% the%
disease% we% just% cured.% I% argued% that% the% card% had% to% be% in% hand% and% played% "with"% the%
cure% to% be% considered% "immediate",% and% that% the% card% draw% action% was% an% end% of% turn%
action%that%was%separate%from%the%action%phase.%Was%this%the%correct%ruling?%
!
Yes.!
!
About% "Rapid$ Vaccine$ Deployment",% it% looks% like% cubes% can% be% removed% from,% say,% San%
Francisco,%Chicago,%Essen,%and%Paris.%The%first%two%cities%are%connected,%as%are%the%last%
two,%but%they're%not%one%single%connected%group.%
!
This!is!not!the!intent.!The!intent!is!that!they!be!a!single!connected!group.!
!
Resilient%Population%
!
The% card% Resilient$ Population% states% "Remove% any% 1% card% in% the% Infection% Discard% Pile%
from% the% game".% We% have% been% removing% the% Mutation% infection% cards.% Based% on% the%
literal% wording% of% the% card,% this% is% perfectly% acceptable,% but% was% this% the% intent% of% the%
card?%
!
No.! See! the! OTB! rules,! page! 4,! Mutation! cards,! which! specifically! states! that! this! cannot! be!
done.!
!
Special%Orders%
!
Playing%Special$Orders%is%no%action;%but%is%the%effect%of%the%card%an%action,%that%is,%does%it%
cost%an%action%to%actually%move%a%pawn%of%your%fellow%gamer?%
!
Yes!(just!as!when!the!Dispatcher!moves!another!player).!
%
! BioXterrorist!
BioOterrorist%Challenge%
!
!
In%doing%the%bioOterrorist%challenge,%how%many%cards%does%each%player%get?%I%know%the%
bioOterrorist%gets%2%infection%cards.%Now,%with%two%other%people%playing%the%main%game%
(total%3%players)...do%the%other%two%get%4%cards%or%3%cards?%
!
4!cards.!
!
When%you%give%the%initial%city%cards%to%the%players..%do%you%count%3%or%4%players%in%our%
case?%(we%were%3%regular%players%+%1%terrorist)%
!
3! players.! From! the! revised! rules,! page! 5,! Setup,! second! paragraph:! "Use! 2! Event! cards! per!
player! in! the! game,! including! the! BioXTerrorist! (for! this! purpose! only).! Deal! Player! cards! to!
the!nonXTerrorist!players!normally."!
!
Can% the% New$ Assignment% event% card% be% used% on% the% bioOterrorist% and% force% the% player%
using%the%bioOterrorist%to%switch%character%cards?%
!
No.! The! BioXTerrorist! is! considered! a! regular! "player"! only! for! determining! the! number! of!
Event!cards!used,!not!as!a!possible!target!of!Events.!See!OTB!rules,!page!5:!"Use!2!Events!cards!
per!player!in!the!game,!including!the!BioXTerrorist!(*for!this!purpose!only*)."!
!
With% the% In% the% Lab% expansions,% does% the% Bio% Terrorist% still% only% need% to% drain% out% 12%
cubes?%
!
Yes.!
!
One%of%the%endgame%conditions%is%that%the%players%lose%if%they%are%unable%to%place%a%cube%
when% required.% My% question% is% whether% this% rule% applies% to% the% BioOTerrorist's% infect%
action.% If% there% are% already% 12% purple% cubes% on% the% board,% does% a% BioOTerrorist% infect%
action%end%the%game?%
!
Yes.!
!
The%other%players%eradicated%the%purple%disease.%At%that%time%the%BioOTerrorist%player%
had% two% infection% cards% in% hand.% Do% those% cards% get% returned% to% the% Infection% discard%
pile?%
!
Yes.!
!
Does%it%cost%a%player%an%action%to%capture%the%bioterrorist?%
!
Yes.!From!the!OTB!rules,!page!5,!Capturing!the!BioXTerrorist:!"If!the!BioXTerrorist's!pawn!has!
been!spotted!and!is!on!the!board,!a!player!in!the!same!city!as!the!BioXTerrorist!may,!*for!an!
action*,!capture!him."!(emphasis!added).!
!
Below!this!is!listed:!"Capture!(special!player!action)"!and!an!example!in!which!the!Archivist!
spends!an!action!to!capture!the!BioXTerrorist.!
!
! BioXterrorist!
Assume%there%are%3%black%cubes%and%the%BioOterrorist%in%Istanbul%and%he%infects%locally.%%
%
1.%What%happens%when%the%BT%infects%locally%by%placing%a%Purple%cube?%
2.%If%the%scenario%is%slightly%different%and%there%is%2%Black%and%1%Purple%cube%in%Istanbul,%
what%happens%if%the%BT%infects%locally%again?%
3.%Is%possible%to%have%more%than%3%cubes%in%a%city%with%the%BT%in%play?%
%
Under%the%normal%rules%this%would%cause%a%Black%outbreak%and%the%Purple%cube%would%
never%be%placed.%I%am%a%bit%confused%at%present.%
!
The!key!rule!is!that!there!can!never!be!more!than!3!cubes!of!the!same)color!in!one!city.!
!
1.!The!BT!adds!a!purple!cube,!leaving!3!black!and!1!purple.!
2.!The!BT!adds!a!purple!cube,!leaving!2!black!and!2!purple.!
3.!Yes.!It!is!possible!to!have!more!than!3!disease!cubes!XX!of!different!colors!XX!in!a!city.!In!the!
base!game,!this!can!only!happen!due!to!Outbreaks!at!the!borders!between!two!different!color!
"zones".!In!OTB,!this!can!also!happen!in!the!Mutation!or!BioXTerrorist!challenges.!
!
In!the!revised!base!game!rules,!see!the!example!on!page!6,!2nd!column,!bottom,!where!Madrid!
gets!a!4th!cube!due!to!the!Algiers!outbreak!(bringing!it!to!3!blue!cubes!and!1!black!cube).!The!
result!is!shown!on!page!7,!1st!column,!top!diagram.!
!
From!the!rules!on!page!7:!"a!city!may!have!disease!cubes!of!multiple!cubes!on!it,!up!to!3!cubes!
of!each!color".!
!
Bearing! this! in! mind,! reread! the! rules! in! the! Mutation! and! BT! challenges! and! see! if! things!
make!more!sense.!
!
A% BioOterrorist% is% in% Lima% and% he% has% the% card% of% Jakarta.% He% infects% locally% Lima% and%
announces% that% he% uses% Jakarta% airport.% Normally,% if% the% bioOterrorist% announces% the%
same%action%order,%other%players%can%conclude%that%now%he%will%be%close%to%Jakarta.%But%
if% he% announces% another% order% for% example,% at% first% he% said% I% have% used% the% Jakarta%
Airport%and%then%infect%locally%Lima,%then%player%concludes%that%now%he%is%close%to%Lima.%
Is%this%action%legal?%Or%the%BT%should%respect%the%action%order?%
!
The! BT! does! his! actions! in! order,! resolving! them! as! he! goes.! There! is! no! "announcement! of!
actions",!simply!the!*doing*!of!actions,!which!produces!effects.!
So,! in! this! case,! he! adds! a! purple! cube! to! Lima! and! then! announces! an! airport! sighting! in!
Jakarta.! These! two! effects! must! occur! in! this! order,! because! that's! the! order! in! which! these!
actions!were!done.!
!
All% BioOterrorist% actions% are% visible% (except% skip% and% drive/ferry).% I% assume% not,% but%
does%the%BioOterrorist%say%they%have%driven?%I%couldn't%see%any%clarification%either%way%
in%the%rules.%
!
No.!From!the!OTB!rules,!page!5,!BioXTerrorist!Secrecy:!"he!does!not!announce!which!action!he!
is!doing".!ReXread!this!section,!as!your!statement!that!all!other!actions!can!be!deduced!is!false.!
For! example,! the! BioXTerrorist! player! must! announce! an! airport! sighting,! but! does! not! say!
whether!the!BT!is!doing!a!Direct!or!a!Charter!Flight.!
!
! BioXterrorist!
Just% a% clarification% on% escaping% with% the% BioOterrorist.% In% my% game% last% night,% we%
captured% the% BioOterrorist% in% New% York% and% on% his% turn,% he% drew% the% New% York% card.%
From%the%rules,%it%says%he%can%only%escape%with%a%Direct%Flight%(thus,%any%card%other%than%
New% York).% So% does% that% mean% that% he% can't% do% anything% to% escape% with% the% New% York%
card%and%should%probably%draw%again%(but%can't%escape%this%turn)?%
!
Huh?!A)!there's!nothing!in!the!(revised!or!1st!edition)!rules!that!prevents!a!Direct!Flight!to!the!
city!you!are!in!and!B)!once!captured,!the!BT!isn't!"in"!any!specific!city;!his!pawn!is!placed!the!
capturing!player's!role!card.!The!BT!would!be!spotted!upon!arrival,!of!course,!but!could!then!
shift! to! an! adjacent! city.! Whether! the! BT! wants! to! escape! to! a! city! so! close! to! players! is! a!
different!matter...!
!
Can%the%bioOterrorist%locally%and%remotely%infect%on%the%same%turn?%
!
Yes.!
!
It%only%take%1%card%to%infect%remote%and%none%to%infect%locally?%
!
Yes.!
!
Can% the% BioOTerrorist% infect% remotely% on% the% city% he's% currently% in?% Example:% BioO
Terrorist%begins%his%turn%on%Atlanta.%He%plays%the%Atlanta%card%from%his%hand%to%infect%
remotely.% Next% he% infects% locally% (effectively% adding% two% purple% cubes% to% Atlanta% in% a%
single%turn).%
!
The!rules!don't!prevent!it:!you!may!infect!remotely!in!the!city!you're!in.!
!
If%the%bioOterrorist%is%hidden%in%Chicago,%and%a%player%drives%through%Chicago%intending%
to%move%further%to%Atlanta,%does%he%interrupt%the%player%with%the%announcement%that%he%
is%in%Chicago?%
!
Yes.!The!BT!is!spotted!and!the!BT!pawn!placed!as!soon!as!a!player!enters!the!city!in!which!the!
BT!is!in!(see!OTB!rules,!page!5).!Note!that!Actions!are!performed!*individually*,!one!at!a!time,!
during! Pandemic,! so! the! player's! intended! action! to! move! on! to! Atlanta! is! irrelevant.! The!
moving!player!can!freely!decide!either!to!do!that!or!to!do!something!else!(such!as!capturing!
the!BT),!upon!spotting!the!BT.!
!
Is%it%possible%for%the%bio%terrorist%to%not%win%and%not%lose?%
!
If!neither!the!nonXterrorist!players!nor!the!bioXterrorist!win,!then!everyone!loses.!
!
Does% the% terrorist% player% have% to% announce% how% many% actions% is% he% taking?% Example:%
the%player%decides%to%take%only%Drive/Ferry%actions,%ie.%discards%nothing,%places%nothing%
on%the%board,%no%spotting.%Does%he%have%to%announce%the%fact%that%he%used%all%3%actions?%
!
No.!The!BT!just!says!"Done"!so!the!next!player!can!start!his!or!her!turn.!See!the!second!note!
under!BioXTerrorist!Secrecy,!page!5,!OTB!rules!(2nd!Edition).!
!
!
! State!of!Emergency!
State%of%Emergency%Expansion%
!
Hinterlands%Challenge%
!
Is%there%a%particular%reason%why%the%Blue%&%Yellow%diseases%each%have%4%and%the%red%&%
black%each%have%5%cities%directly%affected%by%the%die%roll?%
!
Those!cities!are!not!*directly*!affected!by!the!die.!The!only!areas!directly!affected!by!the!die!
roll!are!the!hinterlands!spaces,!of!which!there!are!a!total!of!4!
!
Does%a%Hinterlands%space%count%as%a%'city'%for%the%Local%Liaison's%ability?%
!
Yes.!
!
Does%the%Hinterlands%spaces%apply%when%considering%this%continuous%effect?%
!
Yes.!From!SoE!rules,!page!3,!"The!Hinterlands!spaces!behave!like!normal!'city'!spaces."!
!
I'm%guessing%Hinterland%spaces%are%not%cities.%
!
Incorrect.!
!
So,%you%wouldn't%be%able%to%zap%cubes%of%a%cured%disease%on%the%appropriate%Hinterland%
space%with%the%Pharmacist,%correct?%
!
No.!
!
I'm%also%guessing%you%can't%setup%quarantines%there.%
!
Also!incorrect.!(Quarantines!do!get!set!up!in!rural!areas!in!real!life.)!
!
Since%the%Remote%Treatment%event%doesn't%specify%city%spaces,%we%could%remove%cubes%
from%Hinterlands%spaces,%yes?%
!
Correct!
!
Special%Event%cards%excepted,%you%can%only%fly%into%a%Hinterland%Space%using%the%named%
card%of%the%city%you%fly%from,%correct?%
!
Not!only!do!Charter!flights!work,!but!so!do!Shuttle!flights!XX!if!you!find!a!way!to!put!a!research!
station!in!a!Hinterlands!space!(Gov.!Grant!or!Op.!Expert).!
!
So%the%only%way%out%of%a%Hinterland%Space%is%by%car%or%ferry?%
!
No.! You! can't! do! Charter! flights,! but! you! can! do! Direct! and! Shuttle! flights! out! of! Hinterland!
Spaces.! (The! Event! Airlift! also! works,! as! does! the! Dispatcher's! power! to! move! a! pawn! to!
another!pawn,!etc.)!
!
When%pulling%the%9%cards%and%adding%cubes%to%the%board%during%setup,%do%I:%
%
O%add%a%cube%to%a%matching%hinterland%space%EACH%time%I%pull%a%card%of%that%color?%If%so,%
what%happens%if%I%have%to%place%a%fourth%cube%of%that%color?%
O%add%4%cubes%total%to%the%hinterlands%spaces.%1%in%each%hinterland%space%/%color%
!
The!latter.!
!
Does% the% VS% Chronic$ Effect% affect% infections% on% the% Hinterlands?% As% in,% rolling% the% VS%
color% on% the% Hinterlands% die% (when% no% cubes% of% that% color% are% present% in% that%
Hinterlands%space),%does%Chronic%Effect%cause%two%cubes%to%end%up%in%the%VS%Hinterland%
space?%
!
Yes.!
!
If%purple%cubes%end%up%in%the%Hinterlands,%does%rolling%the%matching%hinterland%space%
also%place%an%additional%purple%cube%there?%
!
Yes.!
!
Superbug%Challenge%
!
When% combining% the% Superbug% challenge% with% the% Virulent% Strain% challenge% does% the%
Government%Interference%Virulent%Strain%epidemic%card%still%take%effect?%
!
Yes.! Alternatively,! if! you're! not! willing! to! deal! with! this! possibility! remove! Government)
Interference!during!setup!before!shuffling!and!selecting!VS!Epidemic!cards.!
!
If%you%have%say%a%superbug%red%bonus%card%and%there's%a%purple%cube%In%any%red%city%(ex.%
Hong%Kong)%can%you%say%that%it%matches%Hong%Kong%and%use%it%as%one%of%your%two%cards%
that%have%purple%cubes%when%doing%discover%a%cure?%
!
No.!The!red!Isolated!Disease!Sample!says:!"Use!this!card!as!a!red!City!card!for!Discover!a!Cure!
(or!Share!Knowledge)."!So,!it!counts!as!a!red!City!card!towards!any!cure!that!requires!one!(for!
example,!a!"normal"!red!cure!or!a!Gene!Splicer!cure!or!a!Field!Operative!cure!of!red,!etc.).!It!
doesn't!say!use!this!as!a!*wild*!card!to!match!any!red!city!(which!is!what!you're!trying!to!do).!
!
Similarly,! an! Isolated! Disease! Sample! is! only! a! City! card! when! doing! the! actions! Discover! a!
Cure!or!Share!Knowledge;!not!for!direct!or!charter!flights!or!abilities!that!refer!to!city!cards!in!
other!contexts!(Op.!Expert,!Colonel,!Pharmacist,!Archivist,!Local!Liaison,!Epidemiologist,!and!
the!Virologist's!second!ability!(it!works!for!the!first)).!An!Isolated!Disease!Sample!is!stronger!
than!a!"normal"!City!card!in!some!ways,!but!weaker!in!others.!This!is!intentional,!for!balance.!
!
In% the% Superbug% challenge,% were% you% to% have% a% city% under% quarantine,% and% it% come% up%
under% infections% AS% A% MUTATION,% though% prior% to% this% infection% deck% pull% it% was% only%
infected%with%its%color,%does%it%become%a%Superbug%city?%
!
No.!The!Superbug!mutation!changes!the!color!of!the!new!cube!*being!added*!to!a!city!without!
purple! cubes.! A! Quarantine! prevents! new! cubes! XX! of! any! color! XX! from! being! added,! so! it! is!
simply!flipped!over/removed.!
!
We%were%wondering%if%you%are%able%to%use%the%Bonus%cards%on%other%peoples%turns?%
!
No.!These!are!not!events.!
!
In%Superbug%can%Rapid$Vaccine$Deployment%be%used%after%purple%is%cured%to%remove%any%
purple%cubes?%What%about%Remote$Treatment?%
!
Yes!and!Yes.!
!
Am% I% right% that% removing% purple% decease% cubes% with% the% vaccine% it% does% not% take% an%
action?%
!
Incorrect.!
!
Does%taking%vaccines%from%the%factory%and%building%the%factory%also%not%take%an%action?%
!
Incorrect.!
!
What%is%the%max%limit%that%you%can%have%of%Vaccine%Factory/Research%Stations%combined%
on%the%board?%Is%it%6%or%10?%
!
6.! From! the! rules,! page! 6,! Build! Vaccine! Factory:! "At! a! research! station,! replace! it! with! a!
vaccine!factory!and!1!vaccine!dose,!*removing!it!from!the!game*."!
!
With% Regional% Response% Team% can% you% treat% the% purple% disease% if% its% cured% and% you%
have%a%vaccine%dose?%
!
No.! This! card! allows! players! to! *Treat! Disease*,! not! Distribute! Vaccine.! These! are! two!
different!actions.!
!
Can%the%Scientist%get%a%card%"discount"%when%discovering%the%Superbug%cure?%If%so,%how%
many%cards%does%the%scientist%need?%
!
Yes.!!2!cities!with!Purple!cubes,!2!of!any!other.!The!Scientist!can!turn!in!4!cards!for!a!cure!at!a!
research!station:!"2!(or!more)!of!these!cards'!cities!must!have!at!least!1!purple!disease!cube".!
!
When%curing%the%Superbug%with%Sequencing$Breakthrough%do%we%need:%1%city%card%with%
a%purple%cube%and%3%other%city%cards%OR%2%city%cards%with%a%purple%cube%and%2%other%city%
cards?%
!
The!latter.!
!
Quarantines%
!
If%a%city%has%a%quarantine%marker%with%its%'2'%side%face%up,%and%an%epidemic%calls%for%you%
to%place%3%cubes%in%that%city,%then%you%flip%the%marker%to%its%'1'%side%O%you%do%not%remove%
the%marker%and%place%1%cube%there.%Is%this%correct?%
!
Yes.!
!
Can% a% player% use% an% action% to% flip% a% quarantine% marker% in% his% current% city% from% its% '1'%
side%to%its%'2'%side?%
!
No.!Note!the!Colonel's!special!ability.!
!
Does%a%city%have%to%be%free%of%disease%cubes%before%you%can%impose%quarantine%on%it?%
!
No.!(Just!like!real!life.)!
!
Does%imposing%quarantine%remove%existing%disease%cubes%from%that%city?%
!
No.!(Again,!just!like!real!life.)!
!
Can%a%quarantine%be%flipped/removed%only%once%per%infection%card%drawn?%
!
Correct.!
!
I% noticed% that% the% fine% points% in% the% rules% said% that% it% only% counted% as% one% flip% if% they%
were% placed% at% the% same% time.% However% in% chain% reaction% outbreaks,% cubes% are% not%
placed% at% the% same% time% so% it% would% seem% as% though% a% chain% reaction% outbreak% could%
cause%a%quarantine%marker%to%be%flipped%and%removed%with%a%single%infection%draw.%Is%
this%correct?%
!
No.! You! are! confusing! the! mechanical! act! of! placing! disease! cubes! when! resolving! chain!
reaction! outbreaks! that! result! from! a! single! Infection! or! Epidemic! card! (which! obviously!
occurs! in! some! sequential! order)! with! whether! their! placement! is! all! considered! "resolving!
one!card's!effect"!for!the!purpose!of!timing!and!possibly!playing!Event!cards,!which!it!is.!
!
For! the! same! timing! reason! that! you! cannot! play! Airlift! in! the! middle! of! resolving! a! series!
chain! reaction! outbreaks! (resulting! from! the! effect! of! a! single! card! draw)! to! shift! the!
Quarantine! Specialist! to! prevent! some! of! them,! the! quarantine! marker! is! only! flipped! over!
once.!
!
Roles%
!
Colonel%
!
If% there% are% 6% Quarantine% Markers% on% the% board% and/or% in% the% supply% and% you% swap%
from% the% Colonel% to% another% role% with% the% OTB% event% New$ Assignment$ or% the% ITL% Solo%
Game's%CDC%power,%what%happens?%
!
Nothing.! They! remain! where! they! are.! Roles,! Colonel,! SoE! rules! page! 8,! clarifies! that! the! 2!
extra! quarantine! markers! are! added! *during! setup*.! If! you! swap! *to*! the! Colonel,! you! don't!
add!2!more!quarantine!markers.!
!
First%Responder%
!
Had% a% couple% questions% about% First% Responder's% interaction% with% "CDC% Planes%
Grounded"%
1)%Can%she%still%move%to%a%research%station?%%
2)%Can%she%still%move%to%the%epidemic%city?%
!
Yes!to!both.!Neither!of!these!are!"Flights".!
!
Can%the%First%Responder%move%to%a%Vaccine%Factory%as%an%action?%
!
Yes.!
!
Is%the%treat%disease%once%per%colour%or%simply%just%once?%So%if%the%city%had%3%red%cubes%
and%say%1%Blue%cube%(from%an%earlier%outbreak),%you%move%to%that%city%and%treat%disease%
on%the%3%cubes%which%means%remove%one%if%not%cured%yet%or%all%3%if%it%is%cured.%Can%you%
then%treat%disease%on%the%Blue%cube%as%well?%
!
You!get!a!single!Treat!Disease!action!in!the!epidemic!city.!Spend!it!wisely.!
!
Do%you%determine%the%Virulent%Strain%before%or%after%the%First%Responder%treats%after%an%
epidemic?%
!
Before.!The!VS!is!determined!after!resolving!the!*Infect*!step!(2nd!step)!of!an!Epidemic!(see!
the!OTB!VS!rules).!The!First!Responder!acts!after!resolving!the!entire!Epidemic!card.!
!
Does%the%VS%Resistant$to$Treatment%affect%the%First%Responder's%ability%to%treat%after%an%
epidemic?%
!
Yes.! It! prevents! the! Responder's! single! Treat! Disease! action! from! removing! a! VS! cube! (the!
Responder!can!still!travel!to!the!Epidemic!city).!
!
Can%the%First%Responder%travel%to%a%vaccine%factory?%
!
Yes.!
!
Gene%Splicer%
!
I'm% the% Gene% Splicer% and% Sequencing% Breakthrough% is% in% play.% I% assume% I% can% use% my%
ability%and%cure%with%only%four%cards...%but%if%I%do,%which%card%can%I%be%short?%The%cure%
color,%or%one%of%the%others?%Or%does%it%matter?%
%
I% see% in% the% rules% where% it% talks% about% needing% an% extra% card% for% the% appropriate%
Virulent%Strain%card,%but%I%see%nothing%about%the%event%anywhere.%
!
This!event!says!you!need!*1!fewer!city!card*:!so!the!Gene!Splicer!can!cure!with!either!2!cards!
of!the!cure!color!and!any!two!cards!of!the!other!three!colors!OR!one!card!of!each!color.!
!
With!this!event!and!the!ITL!Lab!Challenge,!then!the!Gene!Splicer!needs!to!discard!two!of!the!
other!three!colors!(as!per!the!Lab!Challenge!cure!sidebar).!
!
Pharmacist%
!
The%Pharmacist's%role%card%reads%"As%an%action,%reveal%a%City%card%to%Treat%Disease%(or%
Distribute%Vaccine)%there."%When%you%reveal%this%city%card,%do%you%then%discard%it%or%put%
it%back%on%top?%
!
Neither.!You!return!the!City!card!(showing!a!different!location!from!the!city!you!are!in)!that!
you! revealed! from! your! hand! to! your! hand,! doing! the! Treat! Disease! action! in! that! city.! This!
wording! assumes! that! cards! in! hands! are! not! open! to! other! players! (the! default! rule! when!
playing!above!Introductory!difficulty).!If!playing!with!open!hands,!just!point!to!your!City!card!
in!front!of!you!and!then!Treat!Disease!in!that!city.!
!
Veterinarian%
!
Can%the%Veterinarian%travel%to%the%hinterlands%from%a%vaccine%factory?%
!
Yes.!
!
Event%Cards%
!
Emergency%Response%
!
I% was% wondering% if% you% could% use% the% event% card% Emergency$ Response% and% the% First%
Responder's%ability%on%the%same%epidemic%and%treat%two%cubes%in%the%epidemic%city?%
!
Yes!
!
Emergency%Event%Challenge%
!
CDC%Planes%Grounded%
!
I% assume% that% the% Emergency% Event% CDC$ Planes$ Grounded% does% not% impact% the% Field%
Director's%ability%since%the%card%even%states%that%it%is%a%drive/ferry%action?%
!
Correct.!
!
Disease%Zones%Expand%
!
Say%at%the%end%of%player%1's%turn%he%draws%the%San%Francisco%infection%card%causing%that%
city%to%outbreak.%This%results%in%blue%cubes%on%Los%Angeles,%Manila,%and%Tokyo%(where%
Tokyo%already%has%1%red%cube%from%setup).%Then%at%the%end%of%player%2's%turn%they%draw%
Disease$ Zones$ Expand% Emergency% Event% card.% Does% this% mean% then% that% Los% Angeles%
would%get%a%red,%black,%and%blue%cube%added%to%it%and%that%Manila%and%Tokyo%would%get%a%
black,%blue,%and%yellow%cube%added%to%both%of%them?%
!
No.! It! means! that! Los! Angeles,! Manila,! and! Tokyo! XX! cities! with! different! colored! cubes! XX!
would!each!get!1!more!blue!cube.!Tokyo!would!not!also!get!1!red!cube,!since!that!would!be!a!
cube! of! a! *matching*! color! and! only! nonXmatching! color! cubes! are! added! and! only! to! cities!
with!different!color!cubes!on!them.!
!
Logistical%Failure%
!
Do%you%roll%the%hinterlands%die%twice%after%the%Emergency%Event%Logistical$Failure?%
!
Yes,!rolling!the!Hinterlands!die!is!part!of!doing!Infections.!(This!is!why!you!don't!roll!it!when!
One!Quiet!Night!is!played.)!
!
Patient%Zero%
!
Does% Patient$ Zero% unOeradicate% an% eradicated% disease% in% the% same% way% Hidden$ Pocket%
does?%
!
Yes;!see!the!fine!points,!rules!page!4.!
!
Is%Patient%Zero%considered%part%of%the%infection%phase?%
!
No.!
!
If%you%play%One%Quiet%Night,%do%you%skip%Patient%Zero's%effect?%
!
No.!One!Quiet!Night!skips!the!Infection!Step,!but!effects!that!take!place!*before*!that!skipped!
Infection! Step! still! occur.! (In! contrast,! Hinterlands! Infections! are! considered! to! be! part! of!
Infections!and!do!get!skipped!by!One!Quiet!Night.)!
!
If% you% draw% two% Emergency% Events% at% the% same% time,% one% of% them% being% Patient% Zero,%
and%you%resolve%Patient%Zero%first,%would%you%have%to%even%place%a%cube%in%that%city?%
!
No.!You!would!draw!the!Infection!card!from!the!bottom!of!the!Infection!deck!and!place!it!in!
the!Infection!discard!pile!and!then!start!resolving!the!next!Emergency!Event.!!
The!second!Emergency!Event!card!would!replace!Patient!Zero!as!the!Emergency!Event!and!no!
cube!would!be!placed!in!the!city,!since!the!card!specifies!"before!infections".!
!
Does% the% Infection% card% drawn% from% the% bottom% of% the% Infection% Draw% Pile% to% resolve%
Patient% Zero% affect% purple% cubes% already% in% the% city% before% it% was% drawn% and% add% an%
additional%purple%cube%along%with%one%matching%the%cities%color%each%turn?%
!
No;! it! is! not! an! Infection! card! drawn! during! Infections.! (This! is! similar! to! how! an! Infection!
card!drawn!to!resolve!an!Epidemic!does!not!affect!purple!cubes!already!in!a!city.)!
!
! How!to!fit!the!game!in!one!box!
How%to%fit%the%base%game%and%OTB%and%ITL%expansions%in%one%box%
!
*Solution!provided!by!Jeff!S!(blkhwks19)!
!
Bigger!pictures!at!the!boardgamegeek!thread!
!
1!X!Pick!a!box.!I!went!with!ITL!(In!The!Lab)!since!its!the!most!recent!expansion!and!reminds!
me! I! have! everything! up! to! that! point.! But! if! you! want! the! original! game! box! then! go! for! it,!
they're!all!the!same!size.!Either!way,!make!sure!to!use!the!black!plastic!insert!from!OTB!(On!
The!Brink)!or!ITL!as!it'll!definitely!help!keep!components!organized!and!eliminate!the!need!
for!little!baggies.!
!
!
!
2!X!Start!by!placing!the!14!award!markers!from!ITL!in!the!4!smallest!cutXouts!on!the!perimeter!
of!the!single!petri!dish!cutout.!2!of!the!cutouts!will!have!4!markers,!and!2!will!have!3!markers.!!
!
3!X!On!top!of!each!stack!of!markers!place!1!of!the!base!game's!cure!markers.!!
!
4!X!Put!the!12!purple!cubes!from!OTB!and!the!other!12!purple!cubes!from!ITL!in!a!petri!dish!
with!the!purple!sticker.!(NOTE:!the!12!cubes!from!ITL!have!a!slightly!different!hue!than!the!
cubes! from! OTB.! They! are! close! enough! in! color! to! be! used! all! as! the! same! disease! but! this!
helps!just!in!case!you!need!to!separate!them!later.)!Place!the!purple!disease!petri!dish!in!the!
single!petri!cutout!in!the!bottom,!between!all!the!award!markers.!
!
!
!
5! X! Put! all! the! disease! cubes! from! the! 4! base! game! colors! into! appropriate! matching! petri!
dishes!(with!stickers).!Then!put!these!petri!dishes!in!the!upper!4!cutouts!on!top!of!your!award!
marker/cure!marker!stacks.!I'm!a!nerd!so!I!went!ahead!and!matched!up!the!petri!dishes!to!the!
cure!marker!it!sits!on!top!of!!
!
6!X!Dump!the!purple!cure!marker!from!OTB,!the!infection!rate!marker!and!outbreak!marker!
(from!the!base!game)!in!the!gap!between!the!petri!dishes.!
!
!
!
7! X! Now! for! the! pawns.! Place! all! the! pawns! from! the! base! game! in! one! of! the! longer! side!
troughs,! standing! up.! Then! place! all! the! pawns! from! OTB! in! the! other! long! trough,! standing!
upright.!The!small!trough!will!only!hold!3!of!the!4!pawns!from!ITL,!but!you!can!put!the!4th!
sideways!in!the!slot!smack!dab!center!of!the!entire!insert.!(NOTE:!I!had!the!original!printing!of!
Pandemic! and! OTB,! and! the! games! came! with! way! too! many! similarly,! but! everXsoXslightly!
differently! colored! pawns,! which! caused! lots! of! confusion.! To! keep! things! simple! this! time!
around,!I!used!a!sharpie!to!mark!on!the!bottom!of!each!pawn!which!of!the!3!games!it!belongs!
to.!Definitely!not!required,!but!makes!things!easy!to!keep!track!of.)!
!
!
!
8!X!There!are!2!smaller!troughs!left!in!the!insert!that!have!a!kind!of!zigXzaggy!look!to!them.!
The! research! stations! can! be! placed! in! here,! with! the! points! of! each! pointing! towards! the!
center!of!the!box.!Place!5!of!the!base!game!research!stations!in!the!longer!of!these!2!troughs,!
and!place!the!6th,!along!with!the!3!green!stations!from!ITL!in!the!other!trough.!
!
!
!
9!X!Place!the!5!colored!vials!end!to!end!in!the!long!tubeXlike!trough.!They!should!all!just!fit,!and!
be!slightly!difficult!to!remove.!
!
!
!
10!X!The!big!area!can!hold!3!stacks!of!cards!side!by!side.!Before!I!stacked!cards!in!the!box!I!
organized!them!by!type!and!removed!a!few!cards!I!do!not!regularly!used.!The!cards!I!removed!
are!all!of!the!reference!cards,!the!2!blank!event!cards,!the!2!blank!role!cards,!the!purple!cure!
indicator!card!(since!I!simply!put!the!sticker!on!the!board!instead),!the!Researcher!role!card!
from!the!base!game,!and!the!Epidemiologist!role!card!from!OTB!(since!these!2!role!cards!were!
replaced!revised!role!cards!from!ITL).!I!put!the!cards!into!their!own!baggie!and!just!left!them!
in!one!of!the!other!empty!game!boxes!for!now.!
!
10a!X!In!the!first!stack!in!the!card!area!I!placed!all!of!the!infection!cards,!all!the!role!cards!from!
all!3!games,!and!the!CDC!card!from!ITL.!!
!
10b!X!In!the!2nd!stack,!I!placed!all!of!the!player!city!cards!and!all!of!the!events!cards.!
!
10c!X!In!the!last!stack!I!placed!all!of!the!sequence!cards,!goal!cards,!and!bonus!cards!from!ITL,!
as! well! as! the! mutation! cards,! mutation! event! cards,! epidemic! cards,! and! virulent! strain!
epidemic!cards.!
!
Obviously,!organizing!them!in!this!way!is!by!no!means!required,!but!it!helps!keep!things!neat!
and!it!comes!out!to!3!pretty!even!stacks,!which!is!important!when!stacking!the!game!boards!
and!such!on!top.!
!
!
!
11!X!I!tore!off!a!few!of!the!bioXterrorist!sheets!from!the!main!pad!since!I!figured!we!don't!play!
this!version!all!that!much!so!4X5!sheets!should!last!quite!a!while!and!save!me!some!vertical!
stacking!space.!Place!those!on!top!of!everything!else!and!place!the!original!pad!in!the!empty!
box!with!the!cards!that!were!removed.!!
!
12!X!Place!the!game!boards!on!top!of!the!bioXterrorist!sheets.!
!
13!X!Place!the!3!game!manuals!on!top!of!the!boards.!
!
!
!
14! X! Put! the! cover! on.! You'll! notice! it! doesn't! QUITE! go! all! the! way! down,! but! it! goes! down!
enough! that! it! can! be! stored! and! stacked! and! will! stay! on,! for! the! most! part.! Obviously! a!
different!deeper!box!or!removing!other!components!that!aren't!needed!would!help,!but!this!is!
about!the!best!I!can!do!with!what!I!was!given.!
!
!
!

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