BACK

Warp's Edge – Expansion: Anomaly

Reading Time: Approx. 5 Minutes

Warp's Edge – Expansion: Anomaly

Do you know the basic rules and have you achieved your first victories?
The Anomaly expansion introduces a completely new mechanic to the game: rifts in space-time that benefit you short-term – but become a problem long-term.
Also: 2 new starfighters, 2 new motherships, new enemies, new skill cards, and optional challenge cards.

Prerequisite:
The Anomaly expansion cannot be played alone. You need the Warp's Edge base game.

What's New? – Overview

  • 12 Anomaly tokens + 1 Anomaly bag
  • 9 Time tokens – only for THE HOURGLASS
  • 6 new Power tokens (2 new types)
  • 6 new Skill cards
  • 27 Challenge cards – 3 per Mothership
  • 6 new Enemy cards (2x Level 1, 2, 3 each)
  • 1 double-sided Starfighter tableau → 2 new Starfighters: AVENGER and RELIC
  • 1 double-sided Mothership tableau → 2 new Motherships: THE HOURGLASS and THE DECAY
  • 1 Player Aid

What's mandatory, what's optional?

Mandatory when playing with this expansion:
Anomaly tokens, new Enemy cards, and new Skill cards must always be integrated – they are shuffled into the existing stacks (base game). Without them, the expansion does not work.

Optional – everything else:
New starfighters, new motherships, and challenge cards are entirely optional. You can use them in the base game without the expansion – or play the expansion without integrating them.

Setup – Changes from the Base Game

  1. Prepare Anomaly Bag: Place all 12 Anomaly tokens into the separate Anomaly bag. Shake it thoroughly.

  2. Integrate Enemy Cards: Shuffle the 6 new Enemy cards into their respective level stacks (2x Level 1, 2, 3 each) before assembling the Enemy deck.

  3. Integrate Skill Cards: Shuffle all 6 new Skill cards into the existing Skill stack.

  4. Challenge Card (optional): After choosing the Mothership, shuffle the 3 matching Challenge cards and draw 1 randomly. Place it face up next to the Mothership tableau.

  5. Time Tokens (THE HOURGLASS only): Place 1 Time token into the main bag at the start of the game. The remaining 8 are kept as a supply.

The New Mechanic: Anomaly Tokens

Anomaly tokens represent rifts in space-time – they give you a short-term advantage but later turn against you.

Each Anomaly token has two sides:

  • Side A – Immediate Bonus: You voluntarily draw the token from the Anomaly bag in Step 2 (Pilot Actions) and place it face up with Side A in your pool. The A-effect can be used once during this turn. Afterwards, the token goes to the discard pile.

  • Side B – Penalty in the next Warp: At the end of the Warp, all Anomaly tokens from the discard pile return to the main bag. If you draw an Anomaly token from the main bag in Step 4 of a future turn, it lies face up with Side B. At the beginning of Step 2 of the next turn, you must resolve the B-effect first – before performing other actions.
Important Rule:
You can only voluntarily draw one Anomaly token from the Anomaly bag per turn. You cannot store an Anomaly token in your Hold. The A-effect only occurs if you draw the token yourself – the B-effect always occurs if you randomly draw it from the main bag.

The 4 Anomaly Tokens at a Glance

  • Anomaly #1 – A: Take a Laser token with a value of 2 from the supply into your pool. B: Discard a Laser token from your pool, draw a token from the main bag.

  • Anomaly #2 – A: Take any Power token from the supply into your pool. B: Discard an Energy token from your pool, draw a token from the main bag.

  • Anomaly #3 – A: Take a Maneuver token from the supply into your pool. B: Place this token under the enemy with the highest speed value – this enemy cannot be stunned this turn. Then draw a token from the main bag.

  • Anomaly #4 – A: Draw up to 3 tokens from the main bag and place them in your pool. B: No effect.

New Starfighters

  • AVENGER ★★: Advanced starfighter with a three-stage protection system. Once the shield token reaches a purple area, it cannot be repaired beyond that. However, in Step 2, the hull can be repaired by 1 for 2 energy. High damage, but glass defense – for players who actively manage risk.

  • RELIC ★: Classic ship design with a special planning phase: If you don't draw at least 3 identical tokens in Step 4, you can draw 1 additional token. Good consistency – for players who appreciate a reliable bag.

New Motherships

  • THE HOURGLASS ★★★★ – Unprotected: Vulnerable every round. Has a rotating mothership token that shifts when a Time token is drawn from the main bag. At the same time, the highest laser token of the new section is removed from the supply. Particularly tricky: stunning triggers Time tokens – the more enemies are stunned, the more often the token rotates. Strategy: stun sparingly, defeat quickly.

  • THE DECAY ★★★★★ – Unprotected: Decaying Talosian cruiser. Has a decay track: once all remaining sections are stunned in Step 3, the current decay effect is triggered, and the token advances. Effects permanently remove tokens or skill cards. Special feature: Left section can only be defeated by a combination of laser and maneuver, right section only by energy. Strategy: never stun sections simultaneously, defeat them quickly individually.

Challenge Cards

There are 3 challenge cards for each mothership type – also for the motherships of the base game. Each card adds a new special rule to the mothership.

Recommendation:
Start with 1 Challenge card. Can you defeat a Mothership with all 3 cards simultaneously? This is extremely challenging even for experienced pilots.

Common Mistakes with the Anomaly Mechanic

  • Drawing too many Anomaly tokens: Every A-effect bonus brings a B-effect disadvantage in the next Warp. Those who are greedy will struggle with limited resources in the next Warp.

  • Forgetting B-effect: If you draw an Anomaly token in Step 4, its B-effect must be resolved first at the beginning of the next turn – before other actions.

  • Underestimating Anomaly #3 B-effect: An enemy that cannot be stunned will definitely attack. Plan shields or tokens accordingly.

  • THE HOURGLASS – Over-prioritizing stunning: Every stunned mothership section triggers a Time token – this rotates the token and removes laser tokens from the supply. Stunning costs you resources long-term.

Back to the Quick Start Guide or continue to Tips & Strategies.

Note: We assume no liability for the content of linked pages; responsibility lies solely with the respective operator.

This content serves as unofficial game aid and is based on our own explanations and strategies. It is not affiliated with the publisher or rights holder of the game.

© ReDesign. All rights reserved.