In Sol 3, two players face off in tactical combat, using a combination of constructed decks and selected cards, collectively known as a player’s “List”. Players create a map using a grid of map tiles, and then play proceeds in alternating turns. Each turn, the active player draws cards from their deck, moves their Capital and launches units, then activates their Units one at a time. Playing Pilots and Tactics cards is done by spending Command, which is generated each turn by a player’s Crew cards.
Each player brings a selection of Missions to the game. Each mission, when completed, grants it’s owner Victory Points. The first player to succeed in reaching the set number of Victory Points (12 in a standard “Cruiser Clash” game) wins the game. Alternatively, if a player is required to draw or discard a card from their deck, but no longer has any cards in their deck, they immediately lose the game, and their opponent wins via a “morale” victory.
—description from the designer