<p><strong>Yes</strong>, as long as the planet is still there.</p>

<p>The defender defends as normal (playing an encounter card) but with no ships. From <a href="http://daveola.com/CosmicEncounter/Rules/Fantasy-Flight.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the rules</a> on <strong>Launch</strong> (page 8):</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Note that, in a home system, the defense may not
  have any ships on the targeted planet, in which case he or she
  defends the planet with zero ships.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>If green were to draw a green destiny card, they could attack their own empty planet to reestablish a colony (or they could draw another destiny card). Page 7:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>When drawing his or her own color, if a player has a home
  planet with no ships on it at all (enemy or otherwise), then he
  or she may aim the hyperspace gate at that planet to automatically
  re-establish a colony there with up to four ships from
  other colonies. Doing so counts as a successful encounter.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-27T08:52:19.590Z
2017-09-27T15:47:29.363Z
2017-09-27T15:47:29.363Z
Samthere
<p>You absolutely can attack a planet with no defenders.</p>
<p>On page 8 of <a href="http://daveola.com/CosmicEncounter/Rules/Fantasy-Flight.pdf" rel="noreferrer">the rulebook</a> it states:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Defending with Nothing?</strong></p>
<p>Even though a player may no longer have a colony
on one of his or her home planets, that player
must still defend it.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Which certainly confirms that you can attack an unoccupied world.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-27T08:53:56.277Z
2017-09-27T08:53:56.277Z
2020-06-17T09:01:24.697Z
Ken Herbert
<p>We had a disagreement about this the last time I played. The rules seem to allude that you can attack an empty planet in an encounter with another player but it doesn't seem to be made explicit.</p>

<p>Example: Green has 4 colonies in his home system, one planet is empty. If blue draws a green destiny card can he attack the empty planet?</p>

<cosmic-encounter>
Cosmic Encounter Can I attack an empty planet
Jim
# Cosmic Encounter Can I attack an empty planet

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-09-27)

We had a disagreement about this the last time I played. The rules seem to allude that you can attack an empty planet in an encounter with another player but it doesn't seem to be made explicit.

Example: Green has 4 colonies in his home system, one planet is empty. If blue draws a green destiny card can he attack the empty planet?

**Tags:** cosmic-encounter


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-09-27. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

**Yes**, as long as the planet is still there.

The defender defends as normal (playing an encounter card) but with no ships. From [the rules](http://daveola.com/CosmicEncounter/Rules/Fantasy-Flight.pdf) on **Launch** (page 8):

> Note that, in a home system, the defense may not
> have any ships on the targeted planet, in which case he or she
> defends the planet with zero ships.

If green were to draw a green destiny card, they could attack their own empty planet to reestablish a colony (or they could draw another destiny card). Page 7:

> When drawing his or her own color, if a player has a home
> planet with no ships on it at all (enemy or otherwise), then he
> or she may aim the hyperspace gate at that planet to automatically
> re-establish a colony there with up to four ships from
> other colonies. Doing so counts as a successful encounter.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2017-09-27. Score: 6

You absolutely can attack a planet with no defenders.

On page 8 of [the rulebook](http://daveola.com/CosmicEncounter/Rules/Fantasy-Flight.pdf) it states:

> **Defending with Nothing?**
>
> Even though a player may no longer have a colony
> on one of his or her home planets, that player
> must still defend it.

Which certainly confirms that you can attack an unoccupied world.


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