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Pandemic expansion guide

by Jacob Berggreen

This guide is intended to help “Pandemic” players getting an overview of the many expansions/challenges.

The guide first contains a quick overview of the expansions.

Then, the guide shows compatibility between expansions.

Then, the guide helps setting up the base game (with expansions roles and events).

Then, the guide helps setting up each expansion by comparing to the base game setup.

This does not replace the rule books.

Table of contents
1. Expansion overview .................................................................................................................................................. 2
2. Expansions compatibility .......................................................................................................................................... 3
3. Base game setup guide ............................................................................................................................................. 4
4. Expansions setup guide ............................................................................................................................................. 5
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1. Expansion overview
Expansion/challenge Summary
Virulent strain One of the diseases becomes a virulent strain.
from “On the brink”
This strain of disease becomes harder to fight.
Epidemic cards have effects on the virulent strain.
Virulent strain Adds two new “Virulent strain” epidemic cards.
from “In the lab”
Mutation A new mutated (5th) disease appears.
from “On the brink”
The mutated appears randomly in new cities or cities already affected with
other diseases.
To prevent running out of cubes, you have to treat the mutated disease
often, since there are only 12 cubes.
Mutation: Worldwide panic Modifies “Mutation” from “On the brink”.
from “In the lab”
The mutated disease is in play from start.
The mutated disease appears in greater number.
The mutated disease can be treated less often as there are now 24 cubes
instead of only 12.
The mutated disease is harder to cure.
Bio-terrorist One player controls a 5th disease and plays against the other players.

The bio-terrorist secretly notes his whereabouts.

The other players gain knowledge about the bio-terrorists’ whereabouts
when he/she is “spotted” (in the same city as other player) or “sighted”
(uses direct or charter flight).
3-5 players.
Lab Cures must be developed in a lab by “characterizing”, “sequencing” and
from “In the lab” “testing” them. Then, the cures can be finalized at research stations.
Solo game One player together with an imaginative CDC player against the diseases.

The CDC player may perform 1 of 5 possible actions in between the real
player’s actions.
Team game 2 or 3 teams race to achieve most prestige.

Prestige is gained by a team when they find cures and eradicate diseases.
Quarantines By ordering quarantines in cities, the players can stop the growth of
from ”State of emergency” diseases temporarily.

As an action, players can quarantine cities.

This makes the game easier.
Hinterlands In the hinterlands of certain cities, diseases now spread from animals to
from ”State of emergency” humans and into the connected cities.

The hinterlands are represented like cities on board extensions.

On every turn, you roll a die and a disease cube may appear in the
hinterlands.
Players can share knowledge easier in the hinterlands (knowledge about
animal diseases).
Emergency events Bad things happen when emergency events occur.
from “State of emergency”
Emergency events are added to the player deck, like epidemic cards.
Superbug A new resistant (5th) disease is in play.
from “State of emergency”
You can’t treat the disease until a cure has been found.
When a cure has been found, vaccines are used to treat the disease.
Must be played together with “quarantines”.
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2. Expansions compatibility
This table shows which expansions are compatible with one another.

The matrix is symmetric.

Virulent Quaran- Hinter- Emergency

Mutation Bio Lab Solo Team Superbug
strain tines lands Events

Virulent
X X X X X X X X X*
Strain

Mutation X X X X X X X

Bio X X X X

Lab X X X X X X X X*

Solo X X X X X X X

Team X X X X X X

Quarantines X X X X X X**

Hinterlands X X X X X X X X X

Emergency
X X X X X X X X X
events

Superbug X* X* X X X** X X

Legend

* Special rules when combined

** Must be combined
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3. Base game setup guide

This table shows the setup in the base game, including all possible roles and events from expansions.

Later, in the “Expansions setup guide” section, this table will act as the offset.

Roles (1 or more cards per player) Events (2 cards per role)

Base game Base game

Contingency planner Resilient population
Dispatcher Forecast
Medic Airlift
Operations expert Government grant
Quarantine specialist One quiet night
Researcher
Scientist On the brink
Special orders
On the brink New assignment
Bio-terrorist Rapid vaccine deployment
Archivist Re-examined research
Containment specialist Borrowed time
Epidemiologist Commercial travel ban
Field operative Remote treatment
Generalist Mobile hospital
Trouble shooter
In the lab
In the lab Improved sanitation
Field director Sequencing breakthrough
Local liaison (no lab actions) Infection zone ban
Pilot
Virologist State of emergency
Epidemiologist (in the lab version) Emergency response
Researcher (in the lab version) Advance team
Local initiative
State of emergency Resource planning
Colonel Sample delivery
First responder Emergency conference
Gene splicer Infection rumor
Pharmacist
Veterinarian
Medic (superbug version)
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4. Expansions setup guide

For each expansion, this table shows the changes to the roles used and “other changes” like changes to events and
which parts to include from the expansion boxes.

The information is relative to the table in the “Base game setup” section above.

Game mode Roles Other changes

Virulent strain
from “On the brink”
Virulent strain Exchange epidemic cards with “Virulent strain”
from “In the lab” version.
Mutation Include the 2 “mutation” infection cards.
from “On the brink” Include the 3 “mutation” event cards.
Include 12 purple disease cubes.
Include purple “discovered cure” indicator.
Mutation: Worldwide panic As in “mutation” from “On the brink”.
from “In the lab” Add 12 purple disease cubes.
Bio-terrorist Include “Bio-terrorist” Include “location sheet”.
Include pencil.
Include black pawn.
Include 12 purple disease cubes.
Include purple “discovered cure” indicator.
Lab Exclude “Field operative” Include the lab extension board.
from “In the lab” Exchange “Epidemiologist” Include sequence cards.
Exchange “Researcher” Include lab actions reference cards.
Solo game Include “CDC” role card Exclude “Special orders”
Exclude “Dispatcher”
Exclude “Researcher”
Exclude “Epidemiologist”
Exclude “Local liaison”
Team game Exclude “Hidden pocket” virulent strain
epidemic card if combined with “Virulent strain”
Include team reference card.
Include team goal cards.
Include team bonus cards the same way as
epidemic cards when creating the player deck.
Include team awards.
Quarantines Include “Colonel” Include “Local initiative” event.
from ”State of emergency” Include 6 quarantine markers if “Colonel” role is
in play.
Hinterlands Include “Veterinarian” Include “Hinterlands” boards at the side of the
from ”State of emergency” base game board.
Emergency events Include “Emergency” event cards the same way
from “State of emergency” as epidemic cards when creating the player
deck.
Superbug Exchange “Medic” Include “quarantines” expansion.
from “State of emergency” Include superbug bonus cards the same way as
epidemic cards when creating the player deck.
Include 24 purple disease cubes.
Include vaccine doses.
Include 4 vaccine factories.
Include superbug reference cards.
Include purple “discovered cure” indicator.