I am going to Pittsburgh for vaca and probably going to attend the Terraforming Mars event at World Boardgaming Championships (WBC) 2026 on July 24th on the way. Their website is funky but I found the details here: https://www.boardgamers.org/wbc26/previews/tfm.html
It's a spur of the moment thing, since I worked myself to death and I get to treat myself away from the family. The resort looks nice, I would rather bee there during the ski season, WBC was essentially the premiere event in the USA before WSBG in Vegas. This will be my first time attending a major board game events so I am looking forward to it.
What's interesting to me is actually the event format(check link above and here: https://www.boardgamers.org/wbc26/previews/tfm.html)
CHANGES FROM RULEBOOK: These are the key rulebook changes, which are the same as last year’s tournament:
BANNED CORPORATIONS: DO NOT PLAY WITH MANUTECH, VITOR, POINT LUNA OR POSEIDON. When playing with expansions, shuffle the expansion corporations together and deal 2 expansion corporations and 2 base game corporations to each player. If not playing with Venus, deal each player 1 expansion Corp; add 2 base corps to the 2 remaining expansion corps and deal 1 to each player, so each player either has 2 expansion corps and 2 base corps or 1 expansion and 3 base. When playing with just the Base board and Prelude cards, do NOT use Prelude corporations; just deal each player 2 (or if agreed by all, 3) base game corporations.
RANDOMIZED MILESTONES AND AWARDS: Randomized milestones and awards (if available) will be used: (1) in all games using the original board; and (2) in Quarterfinal, Semifinal, and Final. Refer to separate rules regarding use
REBALANCED CARD: Modify Toll Station so it increases MC production by 1 for each space tag held by any 1 opponent (not all opponents)
TURMOIL AND PROMO CARDS: Turmoil and promo cards may be used only in the Semifinal and Final and only if all players agree
FAST MODE: All players must take 2 actions each turn or pass. You may sell 1 patent as your first action and then sell a second patent as your second action. You may take 1 action and then pass for the generation
TRADING: When playing the Colonies expansion, no more than one trade per turn is allowed (meaning a player with Space Port Colony, Space Port, or Sky Docks cannot use their first two actions to trade twice; on their second turn, they may trade again once)
Heat Format: All games will use the full corporate version rules (including all cards, corporations and production starting at 0) and the drafting rules described below. Heats will have 4-player games with some 3- or 5-player games as needed.
Heat 1: Original board
Heat 2: Elysium board
Quarterfinal: Hellas board
Semifinal: Original board
Final: Randomize board
Expansions: In Heats, we will try to assign tables based on interest in playing expansions; if you agree to play expansions, you must play at least 2 of the Venus, Prelude and Colony expansions; if you do not, you will play without expansions, except the Prelude expansion if at least 2 players request.
In the Quarterfinal, unless all players agree, at least 2 expansions (other than Turmoil) must be used. If there is no consensus, each player may veto 1 expansion and the expansion with the most vetoes is not used; if tied, the #1 seed at the table decides.
In the Semifinal and Final, all of the expansions (except Turmoil) will be used unless all players agree otherwise.
Drafting:
Corporations: Unless players otherwise agree, deal each player 2 corporations if no expansions are used and otherwise 2 regular corporations and 2 expansion corporations. Beginner corporations may not be used.
Initial Draft of Project Cards: At the start of the game, deal each player 5 project cards. Each player keeps 1 project card and passes the others to the left. Keep taking one card and passing the rest until each player has 5 cards. Deal each player another 5 project cards, keep 1 and pass the others to the right. Keep taking 1 card and passing the rest until each player has a total of 10 project cards. Choose a corporation and which of the 10 project cards to buy (after the Prelude card draft if applicable).
Generation Drafts: At the start of each generation from Generation 2 on, deal 4 project cards to each player. On even generations, keep 1 and pass the rest to the left; on odd generations, keep 1 and pass the rest to the right. Once everyone has 4 cards, decide which cards to buy.
Prelude Draft: Prelude cards are drafted. Deal each player 4 Prelude cards along with the initial set of 5 project cards. After the project card draft is completed, keep 1 Prelude card and pass the rest to the left; repeat passing 1 Prelude card until all players have 4 Prelude cards, then choose 2.
Venus: If Venus is used, include the Venusphile Award and the Hoverlord Milestone. Remember: the starting player must advance one of the global parameters (including the Venus scale) at the end of each generation. Due to time constraints, this rule is mandatory.
Colonies: You can build a colony or trade at a colony even if you cannot use their resources (Titan, Miranda or Enceladus). Floaters, microbes and animals received when a colony is built or traded at may not be split between different cards but if received when trading may be placed on a different card than received due to a colony bonus.
If I get to play Turmoil+Promo for my table I would have a great time, I am going to do the infamous Lake Resort Green Party no card shenanigans at the 7 Spring Resort lolz. If I want to win the whole thing, I would certainly down vote all expansions to keep it Prelude Base no Prelude Corps Initial Generation Draft.
Let's talk about their rule sets, and see if you wanna meet up.
Discuss.
It's a spur of the moment thing, since I worked myself to death and I get to treat myself away from the family. The resort looks nice, I would rather bee there during the ski season, WBC was essentially the premiere event in the USA before WSBG in Vegas. This will be my first time attending a major board game events so I am looking forward to it.
What's interesting to me is actually the event format(check link above and here: https://www.boardgamers.org/wbc26/previews/tfm.html)
CHANGES FROM RULEBOOK: These are the key rulebook changes, which are the same as last year’s tournament:
BANNED CORPORATIONS: DO NOT PLAY WITH MANUTECH, VITOR, POINT LUNA OR POSEIDON. When playing with expansions, shuffle the expansion corporations together and deal 2 expansion corporations and 2 base game corporations to each player. If not playing with Venus, deal each player 1 expansion Corp; add 2 base corps to the 2 remaining expansion corps and deal 1 to each player, so each player either has 2 expansion corps and 2 base corps or 1 expansion and 3 base. When playing with just the Base board and Prelude cards, do NOT use Prelude corporations; just deal each player 2 (or if agreed by all, 3) base game corporations.
RANDOMIZED MILESTONES AND AWARDS: Randomized milestones and awards (if available) will be used: (1) in all games using the original board; and (2) in Quarterfinal, Semifinal, and Final. Refer to separate rules regarding use
REBALANCED CARD: Modify Toll Station so it increases MC production by 1 for each space tag held by any 1 opponent (not all opponents)
TURMOIL AND PROMO CARDS: Turmoil and promo cards may be used only in the Semifinal and Final and only if all players agree
FAST MODE: All players must take 2 actions each turn or pass. You may sell 1 patent as your first action and then sell a second patent as your second action. You may take 1 action and then pass for the generation
TRADING: When playing the Colonies expansion, no more than one trade per turn is allowed (meaning a player with Space Port Colony, Space Port, or Sky Docks cannot use their first two actions to trade twice; on their second turn, they may trade again once)
Heat Format: All games will use the full corporate version rules (including all cards, corporations and production starting at 0) and the drafting rules described below. Heats will have 4-player games with some 3- or 5-player games as needed.
Heat 1: Original board
Heat 2: Elysium board
Quarterfinal: Hellas board
Semifinal: Original board
Final: Randomize board
Expansions: In Heats, we will try to assign tables based on interest in playing expansions; if you agree to play expansions, you must play at least 2 of the Venus, Prelude and Colony expansions; if you do not, you will play without expansions, except the Prelude expansion if at least 2 players request.
In the Quarterfinal, unless all players agree, at least 2 expansions (other than Turmoil) must be used. If there is no consensus, each player may veto 1 expansion and the expansion with the most vetoes is not used; if tied, the #1 seed at the table decides.
In the Semifinal and Final, all of the expansions (except Turmoil) will be used unless all players agree otherwise.
Drafting:
Corporations: Unless players otherwise agree, deal each player 2 corporations if no expansions are used and otherwise 2 regular corporations and 2 expansion corporations. Beginner corporations may not be used.
Initial Draft of Project Cards: At the start of the game, deal each player 5 project cards. Each player keeps 1 project card and passes the others to the left. Keep taking one card and passing the rest until each player has 5 cards. Deal each player another 5 project cards, keep 1 and pass the others to the right. Keep taking 1 card and passing the rest until each player has a total of 10 project cards. Choose a corporation and which of the 10 project cards to buy (after the Prelude card draft if applicable).
Generation Drafts: At the start of each generation from Generation 2 on, deal 4 project cards to each player. On even generations, keep 1 and pass the rest to the left; on odd generations, keep 1 and pass the rest to the right. Once everyone has 4 cards, decide which cards to buy.
Prelude Draft: Prelude cards are drafted. Deal each player 4 Prelude cards along with the initial set of 5 project cards. After the project card draft is completed, keep 1 Prelude card and pass the rest to the left; repeat passing 1 Prelude card until all players have 4 Prelude cards, then choose 2.
Venus: If Venus is used, include the Venusphile Award and the Hoverlord Milestone. Remember: the starting player must advance one of the global parameters (including the Venus scale) at the end of each generation. Due to time constraints, this rule is mandatory.
Colonies: You can build a colony or trade at a colony even if you cannot use their resources (Titan, Miranda or Enceladus). Floaters, microbes and animals received when a colony is built or traded at may not be split between different cards but if received when trading may be placed on a different card than received due to a colony bonus.
If I get to play Turmoil+Promo for my table I would have a great time, I am going to do the infamous Lake Resort Green Party no card shenanigans at the 7 Spring Resort lolz. If I want to win the whole thing, I would certainly down vote all expansions to keep it Prelude Base no Prelude Corps Initial Generation Draft.
Let's talk about their rule sets, and see if you wanna meet up.
Discuss.
