Rule[]
The seventh step of Setup is Deploy Ships. Players deploy in turns beginning with the first player. A single deployment turn consists of placing one ship or two squadrons.
- Ships must be placed within their player’s deployment zones. When a player places a ship, he must set its speed dial to a speed available on its maneuver chart.
- When measuring a ship’s distance from the edge of the play area, such as whether that ship is in its deployment zone, ignore its shield dials and the plastic portions of the base that frame the shield dial.
Source: FAQ 5.1.1; 2020/03/09
- Squadrons must be placed within distance 1–2 of a friendly ship and may be placed outside of deployment zones.
- If a player only has one squadron remaining when he must place two, he cannot place it until he has placed all of his ships.
- Ships and squadrons can be placed on top of the setup area markers as long as they remain entirely within the setup area.
- During Setup, ships and squadrons that have not yet been deployed are in play, and their ship, squadron, and upgrade cards are active, unless that ship or squadron has been destroyed or set aside.
Source: RRG 1.5.0 p.16
Huge Ships[]
The following rules modify the setup rules. These rules only apply to huge ships.
Deploy Ships: When a player deploys a huge ship, it may extend outside of that player’s deployment zone as long as its base is completely within the setup area and touching that player’s play area edge.
Source: RRG 1.5.0 p.8
Obstacles: A huge ship cannot be deployed overlapping obstacles.
Set Aside Units[]
Some Objective Cards and Upgrade Cards allow to set aside ships or squadrons. Set aside units are not in play until deployed later in the game.
Source: RRG 1.5.0 p.16
Sector Fleet Rule (multi-player game)[]
Starting with the first team, the teams take turns deploying their forces into the setup area. When a team takes its deployment turn, each player on that team must place one ship or two squadrons, following the standard rules for deploying ships and squadrons.
Squadrons must be deployed at range 1–2 of a friendly ship deployed during a previous deployment turn.