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I can someone tell me how to play pets and/or microbes on cards in Terraforming Mars. I cannot for the life of me figure it out.
Thanks!

Only certain blue cards can hold microbes (e.g. tardigrades, decomposers) or animals (e.g. pets, herbivores). Those cards will either have an action or effect that lets you put animals/microbes on that card.

When a card tells you to put microbes/animals on *another* card, you can only do so if you have a card that can hold microbes/animals. Otherwise that part of the card's effect is ignored.

If a card tells you to put animals or microbes on another card,you must try to do so.If you can't,the instruction has no effect,but if you don't have a card that will take animals or microbes but another player does,you must put them on another player's card.

danielvictor wrote: ↑23 May 2024, 16:38 If a card tells you to put animals or microbes on another card,you must try to do so.If you can't,the instruction has no effect,but if you don't have a card that will take animals or microbes but another player does,you must put them on another player's card.

This is false in both parts. Placing of resources is completely optional, if you wanted to (though you really never or almost never should, barring maybe some situation with ants/preds played by opponent, maybe imported nitrogen and ghg bacteria when the heat is maxed) you could choose not to place any resources on your own cards . You certainly don’t have to put any resources on opponents cards even if you don’t have any of your own cards to put them on.

Unless the text uses the words 'up to',placing resources is not optional - you must if you can.Check with boardgamegeek.

danielvictor wrote: ↑23 May 2024, 20:32 Unless the text uses the words 'up to',placing resources is not optional - you must if you can.Check with boardgamegeek.

Players may only target another player's resources with red-boardered icons. When playing a card, placing resources is optional and not a requirement. The game designer clarifies that here.

There is no mechanism in the game that places resources on an opponent's card.

If you play a card that tells you to play microbes,and you don't have a card that will take microbes,but at least one of your opponents does,then you have to play the microbes on an opponent's card.

danielvictor wrote: ↑25 May 2024, 07:19 If you play a card that tells you to play microbes,and you don't have a card that will take microbes,but at least one of your opponents does,then you have to play the microbes on an opponent's card.

No you don't...

danielvictor wrote: ↑25 May 2024, 07:19 If you play a card that tells you to play microbes,and you don't have a card that will take microbes,but at least one of your opponents does,then you have to play the microbes on an opponent's card.

This is not correct. If you read the base game rulebook, you can see on page 9 under the title "paying and performing immediate effects" in the praragraph starting with "Any production".

"Resources or production without red freames always affect yourself and must be performed...".

If you dont have a card to obtain that resouce, you can still play the cards giving resources, as that requirement is exempt, stated on the same page in the rulebook.

(Edit to fix quote)