Quick Answer
Set up the 20 Strong Nemesis Core Set by placing the ship tiles, your character, and the intruder deck, then follow the turn flow: roll dice, move, explore, and trigger noise. This guide walks you through each step so you can start playing immediately.
What Makes Nemesis Core Set Unique
Unlike other 20 Strong systems, Nemesis focuses on exploration and evasion. You're trying to reach Earth while avoiding intruders, and every action you take can generate noise that attracts them. This makes timing and risk management crucial.
The game is designed for solo play, but you can adapt it for co-op by sharing decisions. The core loop is straightforward once you understand the flow: roll dice, move, explore rooms, and manage noise.
Trade-Offs to Keep in Mind
Taking longer to explore gives you more chances to find critical functions like generators and escape pods, but it also increases noise, making it harder to evade intruders. You'll need to balance thorough exploration with speed.
Rooms start inactive, so you'll need to activate them to use their effects. This adds a layer of strategy: do you spend time activating a room now or move on to find better options?
Setup and Play Steps
- Place the Ship Tiles: Lay out the ship tiles in the designated arrangement to form the ship layout. Ensure all tiles are face up and accessible. Check that the room icons match the setup diagram to avoid misplacement.
- Prepare the Decks: Shuffle the intruder deck and the room deck separately. Place them within reach, and set aside the escape pod token and any other components as indicated in the rules. Keep the intruder deck separate from the room deck to avoid drawing the wrong cards.
- Set Up Your Character: Choose your character and place its token on the starting room. Note any starting equipment or abilities listed on the character card. Double-check your starting room's active status; you may need to activate it before using its effect.
- Understand the Turn Flow: Each turn, roll your dice, then move your character that many spaces. After moving, you may explore the room you're in by drawing a room card and resolving its effect. Remember that moving through rooms with intruders may trigger noise or combat—plan your path carefully.
- Manage Noise: Every time you take an action that generates noise (such as activating a room or failing an exploration check), add a noise token. When the noise track fills, an intruder moves toward you. Keep an eye on the noise track—it's your main timer for attracting intruders.
- Win or Lose: Win by reaching an escape pod and successfully activating it. Lose if your character is defeated by intruders or if the intruder deck runs out. Remember that you can choose to retreat from a room to avoid combat, but this may cost you time and increase noise.
Product Facts
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20 Strong: Nemesis Core Set: In 20 Strong: Nemesis, you desperately want to reach Earth in one piece, but it won’t be easy. As you explore the ship and evade the intruders, you may encounter crewmates willing to betray you. Betrayal adds a social deduction twist, so you must weigh trust against survival when deciding who to interact with.
20 Strong: Nemesis Core Set
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20 Strong: Nemesis Core Set: Roll dice to move throughout the ship. Discover critical functions like generators, engines, and escape pods. The longer you take, the more noise you’ll make. Dice movement creates tension between speed and thorough exploration, making noise management a key strategic element.