Victory by Any Means

The Strategic Game of Exploration, Diplomacy, and Conquest

VICTORY BY ANY MEANS (VBAM) is a strategic level game of interstellar exploration, diplomacy, and conquest that simulates the conflicts between various alien powers as they return to the stars two centuries after the collapse of the last galactic civilization.

In this game, each player takes control of a different alien empire with its own unique strengths and weaknesses. As you explore the galaxy you will establish new colonies, build new fleets, make contact with other strange alien civilizations, and fight epic interstellar wars to determine the ultimate fate of the galaxy and achieve VICTORY BY ANY MEANS!

“The Harbinger War” – The Victory by Any Means Universe

Two centuries ago, the major alien civilizations of the galaxy rallied to defeat the Harbingers — a relentlessly violent species of machine “berserkers”. This victory was achieved by detonating a Precursor bomb at the Harbinger homeworld, destroying it in a single catastrophic explosion. The detonation of this Precursor weapon sent a shockwave that rippled through the fabric of hyperspace, destabilizing the jump lanes which then began disappearing one after another until interstellar travel became impossible.

As far as historians can tell, the entirety of the galactic jump lane network was affected by this Great Hyperspace Collapse. Since then, the jump lanes have remained dormant, and the survivors of the Harbinger War have been cut off from the rest of the galaxy. The old fleets were mothballed or scavenged for materials and the history of the interstellar age started to pass into history and legend.

Then, a year ago, the long range sensor buoys located at the edge of our home system — themselves antiquated remnants of that bygone age — began detecting something amazing: the jump lanes had returned! The long term effects of the hyperspace shockwave were starting to ebb, and the Great Hyperspace Collapse might soon be over.The old fleets have been reactivated and our people are preparing to return to the stars. We are not sure what awaits us out there in the cold, dark void — how many other alien worlds survived the Collapse? Has the Harbinger threat been dealt with once and for all?We have so many unanswered questions, but there is one thing we do know as we begin rebuilding our empire: it is time for you to take your people back to the stars.

VBAM introduces players to the alien empires and history of “The Harbinger War” and uses it to provide greater context to the players than has been available in previous editions of the game. Players will take control of an empire that is recovering from the horrors of the Harbinger War and the ensuing Great Hyperspace Collapse. This explains why these empires are just now taking back to the stars, and why they are emerging back into space at roughly the same time.

Importantly, this default campaign setting gives players a fixed point of reference to show them how the VBAM rules can be used in their own campaigns and settings.