Dune: Imperium Rules Reference
Dune: Imperium is a deck-building worker placement game set in the world of Frank Herbert's Dune. Players are Leaders of Great Houses of the Landsraad, competing for control of the desert planet Arrakis and its precious spice melange. You'll send Agents to key locations, forge alliances with powerful Factions (Emperor, Spacing Guild, Bene Gesserit, Fremen), acquire new cards to build your deck, and deploy troops to win Conflicts. Cards and Agents are tightly linked: you can't send an Agent without playing a card that allows it. Each round features a Conflict where players commit troops and play Combat Intrigue cards to win rewards including Victory Points, resources, and control of key locations.
Objective
The player with the most Victory Points at the end of the game wins. The game ends at the end of a round in which any player has reached 10 or more Victory Points, or the Conflict Deck is empty.
How to Play
Each round has 5 phases in order: Round Start, Player Turns, Combat, Makers, and Recall.
Tips for New Players
- Cards and Agents are linked: You cannot send an Agent to a board space without playing a card with a matching Agent icon. When building your deck, consider which Agent icons you need access to.
- Garrison deployment limit: When sending an Agent to a Combat space, you can deploy ALL newly recruited troops from that turn, plus UP TO 2 additional troops from your garrison. Troops recruited at non-Combat spaces go to your garrison.
- Timing troop commitment: The longer you wait to commit troops to a Conflict, the more information you have. A lesser victory achieved cheaply can be more valuable than an expensive first-place finish.
- Water fuels spice: Water is rare and essential for harvesting spice (the best spaces cost 1-2 water). Look to the Fremen spaces (Stillsuits, Sietch Tabr) for water.
- Spice is versatile: Spice can be sold for Solari (Sell Melange), spent on powerful spaces (Conspire, Selective Breeding, Heighliner), or used to pay costs on cards. The Emperor and CHOAM (Sell Melange) convert spice to Solari.
- Swordmaster and High Council: Both are once-per-game permanent upgrades. Swordmaster (8 Solari) gives a 3rd Agent. High Council (5 Solari) gives 2 Persuasion every Reveal. Getting either early is a strong advantage.
- Alliance races: The first to 4 Influence with a Faction gets the Alliance (1 VP). But if someone passes you, they take it. Watch opponents' Influence tracks and consider racing for Alliances they're close to.
- Deck thinning: Trashing weak starting cards (like Dagger or Convincing Argument) improves your deck quality. The Bene Gesserit space Selective Breeding lets you trash a card and draw two. Stronger cards appear more often in a thinner deck.
- Intrigue cards are game-changers: Never count an opponent out of a Conflict - Combat Intrigue cards can swing strength dramatically. The Bene Gesserit spaces (Secrets, Selective Breeding) are the main sources.
- Kwisatz Haderach ruling: This card lets you take an Agent turn even with no Agents available, by moving an Agent already on the board. You may send it back to the same space. However, you cannot use it on once-per-game spaces (High Council, Swordmaster) or spaces blocked by The Voice.
- Reveal turn is optional timing: You can choose to take a Reveal turn even if you still have Agents. Sometimes it's strategic to reveal early to set your Combat strength and acquire cards before opponents.
- Troops return to supply after Combat: After a Conflict resolves, all troops in the Conflict go to your supply, NOT your garrison. You must recruit them again to use them in future Conflicts.
- Influence bonuses at level 4: The bonus at 4 Influence with each Faction is a one-time reward. You keep it even if you drop below 4 later, but you do not earn it again if you return to 4.
- Control defensive bonus: If you control Arrakeen, Carthag, or Imperial Basin and the Conflict card revealed is for that location, you may deploy 1 troop from your supply to the Conflict before the round begins.