
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,126
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Cosmic Encounter: 42nd Anniversary Edition
- 3–5 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2018

Rules assistance for Cosmic Encounter: White Dwarf Magazine Expansion
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Cosmic Encounter: White Dwarf Magazine Expansion is an expansion for Cosmic Encounter released in 1986 for 2–6 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Paul Mason and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Hand Management.
User Description The White Dwarf expansion for Cosmic Encounter has four new Alien Powers cards for the Games Workshop edition of Cosmic Encounter (2nd edition). Published in the White Dwarf magazine, issue 78 with an article about Cosmic Encounter and its history. All four of the Alien Powers cards were in Eon expansion sets (Grudge in #1, the other three in #3), and have been republished in a later edition of Cosmic Encounter. The Alien Powers Cards are: Reincarnator - Uses Powers not in the game Changeling - Changes Powers with opponents Warrior - Adds experience points Grudge - Penalizes for refusing to ally
Cosmic Encounter: White Dwarf Magazine Expansion supports 2–6 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Cosmic Encounter: White Dwarf Magazine Expansion is 90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Cosmic Encounter: White Dwarf Magazine Expansion for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Cosmic Encounter: White Dwarf Magazine Expansion belongs to these categories: Bluffing, Negotiation, and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers and Hand Management. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Cosmic Encounter: White Dwarf Magazine Expansion are: Paul Mason. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Cosmic Encounter: White Dwarf Magazine Expansion as an expansion for Cosmic Encounter. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Cosmic Encounter to use it. Check that your edition of Cosmic Encounter is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.