Tracking authority in Star Realms: the fastest way
In Star Realms every player starts at 50 authority: combat damage lowers your opponent’s total and cards with the heart icon restore yours. The game ships with double-sided authority cards to track it — and they are the slowest, most error-prone part of an otherwise lightning-fast game.
Here is how authority actually moves during a game, and the cleanest way to track it.
How authority changes hands
On your turn you total the combat from your played ships and bases and apply it to your opponent (or their outposts first — those must be destroyed before you can hit face). Meanwhile trade-row engines routinely produce authority gains mid-combo. A typical turn can move authority two or three times.
Why the paper cards fail
The included authority cards work like dials: flip and slide to show tens and units. In practice, a 14-damage turn means two flips and a slide, someone bumps the table, and now nobody remembers whether you were at 27 or 17. Add a mid-turn +4 authority gain and the bookkeeping eats the game’s pace.
What a good tracker needs
- Big +/− targets you can hit without looking away from the cards.
- A visible history or at least undo — misclicks happen mid-combo.
- Support for more than 2 players for free-for-all and Hunter formats.
- Custom starting totals for variants and boss decks.
The app way
The Star & Hero Realms Counter gives every player a large tap counter starting at 50 (or any total you set), supports up to 4 players on one device, and works offline. It also records who won: the built-in stats track each player’s win ratio, which settles the eternal “I always beat you” debate with data.
House rule tip
Agree before the game whether authority gains apply during combat math or after. Both are common; consistency is what keeps the game friendly.
Keep authority at a glance
Big tap counters, 4 players, win stats. Free on iOS and Android.
