Aristocrat
What is the ultimate starting hand for the Aristocrat (following the Mayfair version which forbids the Keeper Edict along with Aristocrat's own Flare)?
-Stellar Gas (Stop at least one player from taking cards as consolation)
-Space Junk (Pick up one of your own discards if nothing else)
-Attack 40 (Might as well have the big guns in a "normal" game)
-Cosmic Zap (Great card to have in any game)
At this point, reading the included Flares becomes more important. Depending on what Flares are included (Clone, Schizoid, Parasite, Boomerang, Spiff among others), your strategy should focus on getting external bases. More Flares will come into your hand later.
Other non-Flares to consider:
-Un Zap (In case someone tries the Hand Zap on you)
-Attack 30 (Hard to beat, especially if you already have the 40)
-Finder (Good insurance card- maybe you can get the Keeper from someone else)
-Emotion Control (Another good insurance card, after you've lost Stellar Gas)
Optional house rule regarding Aristocrat:
Aristocrat chooses his hand after Flares are dealt in (thus letting him see what is in the deck), but may not choose any Flares for his initial hand. Or, Aristocrat decides how many Flares he will start the game with, and selects them at random (excluding his own, or not, at your group's discretion).
The reasoning behind this is Flare combos. Certain combinations of Flares (especially Eon Flares) can make Aristocrat invincible (indeed, it is possible for Aristocrat to win the game on his very first turn with the right combination of Flares in his hand). Under any circumstances, choosing what cards to put in your hand is an incredible advantage. This advantage should be tempered slightly at the start of the game. Aristocrat will be guaranteed a Flare on every one of his turns regardless, so limiting them initially is very reasonable.
ARISTOCRAT [M:9] PICKS HAND AND DRAWS EXTRA FLARES Eon
You have the power of privilege. Before play begins, you are not dealt a random hand. Instead, you look through the deck and select your own choice of seven cards. You do this after Flare cards have been added to the deck, and before cards are dealt to other players. You may not select the Aristocrat Flare as part of your opening hand. Also whenever you are a main player in a challenge, before challenge cards are played, pick a Flare from the top of the unused Flare deck. After you have drawn your first Flare in this manner, whenever you must pick another, you must first set aside a Flare from your hand - if you have one. The set aside Flare is placed in a pile (not the normal discard pile) and you may not draw it again.
History: Beginning life with every advantage, the Aristocrats expect deference and respect from others. Drawing on a storehouse of great wealth from their feudal planet-estates, they now turn their majestic gaze upon the squabbling villeins of space.
Timing:
Setup
Play at any time
Notes: The recommended experience level for this power is Expert. This is a Resource type power.
Wild: You may look through the deck and select one card from it for your hand, then discard this Flare.
Super: If you run out of challenge cards and must draw a new hand, instead of drawing the top cards in the deck, you may look through the current deck and select any seven cards.
ARISTOCRAT [B:MCE] Picks Hand And Draws Flares Mayfair
You have the power of privilege. This gives you two special abilities.
1. At the start of the game, instead of being dealt a hand, you look through
the challenge deck, choosing any seven cards as your starting hand. You may
not select the Aristocrat Flare or the Keeper Edict as part of your hand.
After you have made your choices, shuffle the deck and deal regular hands to
the other players.
2. Whenever you are a main player, you draw the top card from the pile of
unused Flares. Once you have drawn one in this manner, you must discard a
Flare from your hand (if you have one) before drawing a new one. Flares so
discarded are removed from the game; they do not go onto the regular discard
pile.
History: Beginning life with every advantage, the Aristocrats expect deference
and respect from others. Drawing on a storehouse of great wealth from their
feudal planet-estates, they now turn their majestic gaze upon the squabbling
villains of space.
Notes: The recommended experience level for this power is Expert. This is a Resource type power.
Wild1: You may look through the challenge deck and select one card to add to
your hand. Discard this Flare, then reshuffle the challenge deck, but do not
include discards.
Super1: Trade this Flare for three drawn from the unused Flare deck.
Pro: You need not discard a Flare when you have one to draw a new Flare from
the unused Flare deck.
Con: Aristocrat must discard a Flare before he can draw one from the unused
Flare deck or else he cannot draw.
ARISTOCRAT [M:WWW] Picks Hand And Draws Flares Tony Minkoff (Revision)
You have the power of privilege. This gives you two special abilities: 1) At
the start of the game, instead of being dealt a hand, you look through the
challenge deck, choosing any seven cards as your starting hand. You may not
select the Keeper Edict or any Flares as part of your hand. After
you had made your choices, shuffle the deck and deal regular hands to the other
players. 2) Whenever you are a main player, you draw the top card from the
pile of unused Flares. Once you have drawn one in this manner, you must
discard a Flare from your hand (if you have one) before drawing a new one.
Flares so discarded are removed from the game; they do not go onto the regular
discard pile.
History: Beginning life with every advantage, the Aristocrats expect deference
and respect from others. Drawing on a storehouse of great wealth from their
feudal planet-estates, they now turn their majestic gaze upon the squabbling
villains of space.
Notes: The recommended experience level for this power is Expert. This is a Resource type power. Alternate version of Aristocrat.
ARISTOCRAT [M:Warp] Draws Hands from the Reward Deck Jack Reda (Revision)
You have the power of Privilege. Whenever you draw cards from the deck (including at the start of the game), use this power to draw some or all of them from the Reward deck.
As a main player, once destiny has been determined, use this power to draw a flare from the unused flare deck and add it to your hand.
History: Beginning life with every advantage, the Aristocrats expect deference and respect from others. Drawing on a storehouse of great wealth from their feudal planet-estates, they now turn their majestic gaze upon the squabbling villains of space.
Notes: The recommended experience level for this power is Advanced. This is a Resource type power.
Wild: You may look through the deck and select one card from it for your hand. After you play this card, give it to Aristocrat (or discard it if Aristocrat is not in the game).
Super: When you use your power to draw cards, you may immediately discard any or all of them.
ARISTOCRAT [O:CD] Picks Hand and Draws Extra Flares Fantasy Flight
Game Setup: After flares are added to the deck but before hands are dealt, you have one minute to look through the deck. Take any eight cards (except the Aristocrat flare) to form your initial hand, and then re-shuffle the deck.
You have the power of Privilege. As a main player, any time before encounter cards are selected, you may use this power to draw a flare from the unused flare deck and add it to your hand. Then, if you have two or more flares in your hand that do not match any players’ alien powers, you must choose one of those unmatched flares and remove it from the game. The flares you remove from the game cannot be drawn again.
History: Beginning life with every advantage, the Aristocrats expect deference and respect from others. Drawing on a storehouse of great wealth from their feudal planet-estates, they now turn their majestic gaze upon the squabbling villeins of space.
Notes: The recommended experience level for this power is Expert. This is a Resource type power.
Wild: At the start of any encounter, you may take one minute to look through the deck, choose one card, and add it to your hand. Then, shuffle the discard pile together with the deck to form a new deck. Give this flare to the Aristocrat after use (or discard it, if the Aristocrat isn't playing).
Super: When using your power, instead of drawing one flare you may discard this flare either to draw three, or to take one minute to look through the unused flare deck and choose any one flare, shuffling the flare deck afterwards.
Displayed 5 powers.
  
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