Eclipse: Shadow of the Rift

Very good expansion. Offers some very interesting new options. Nothing I would consider essential, but they definitely spice things up.

Very intriguing additions. Rated a little lower due to increased fiddliness compared to previous expansion. Still excellent.

Modular expansion:

• New Mechanic: Time Distortion (especially for one of the new Alien species: it is a kind of loan like time travel in Anachrony)
• New Mechanic: Evolution: (especially for one of the new Alien species: adapt a Species to a certain play style
• Adds 3 new alien species
• Adds new rare tech and development tiles (introduced by the Rise of the Ancients expansion)
• Adds new discoveries
• Adds deep warp portals / anomalies (additional hex field / unpredictable enemies moving out of it)
• Adds new special reputation tiles (one time used)
• Adds a new weapon type that may do random damage based on die roll

N/A

I could see a great portion of features in play, the main feature are the new great races available with really different and fun abilities. The Rift Warp system is interesting and puts more complexity and different strategies in the game. But overall this expansion is not the best for Eclipse if you want to have only one expansion I would recommend Rise of the Ancients over this one, because the missile strategy little fix. And because there are a lot of new and great features on the first expansion.

But if you want to give the game more complexity and variety, this one is great, specially because of the great 3 races there.