Overview
The aim is to be the first to place all six of your control markers on green spaces (the "locations"). You start the game controlling two locations.
Each player has a set of coins representing different units, which will be different for each player; each unit behaves differently from the others.
Core Concepts
You can only have one coin (or stack of coins) of each unit on the board at one time.
Coins are used to take actions with matching coins out in the field
Each player has a wild coin (the Royal seal) which can only be used to take face down actions, the tactic of the Royal Guard unit, or to proclaim a decree (in the nobility expansion).
You have 3 coins available for you to use, a number of coins in your draw bag (in your profile area) and a number of coins in reserve (to the left of your hand) ready to go into your draw bag
You each take turns using a single coin until you have no coins left, at which point you both draw back up to 3 coins.
Turn
On your turn, select a coin and either place it on the board, discard it face up, or discard it face down.
Placement
If you choose to place the coin on the board this can either be on an empty location with one of your control markers, or on a space where the same unit is present to bolster it (i.e. increase it's strength to make it more difficult to get rid of)
Discard (Face Down)
This will give you 3 options:
- - Claim Initiative if you do NOT hold it to go first next round
- - Pass for this action; you may still take an action next turn
- - Recruit a new coin from your supply into your discard area, your opponent will get to know what Unit you recruit.
Discard (Face Up)
This will give you 4 options to be performed with the already deployed unit of the same type:
- - Move to an empty adjacent space
- - Control the location where the unit stands, by placing your control marker on the space or swapping your opponent's control marker with your own (Note: 1 Control marker per space, i.e. you cannot "bolster" control to have 2+ control markers on same space)
- - Attack an adjacent enemy unit by removing one of its coins from the game (i.e. if there was a bolstered stack of 2, it is now 1)
- - Activate the unit's tactic. The Tactic is the unit's special ability which is carried out in full; it is described on the unit's card, an "!" shows something extra they can do beyond normal rules whilst "X" shows something that unit cannot do within normal rules
[Siege Expansion] Siege Tactics requires the unit to be bolstered
END OF BASIC RULES
You do not need to read any further unless you want to know about advanced and 4 player versions
Advanced Rules
After you've learnt the game, you have three options for future play:
1) You can play with one of the other pre-made unit configurations
2) You can play with random units
3) You can draft units to give wider choices
For the Nobility variant both players start with three Proclamation Seals. There are also three randomly drawn Royal Decree cards at the start.
During the game you can discard the Royal seal coin to place one of your Proclamation Seals on a Royal Decree and execute it's ability. You may not choose a Decree if you can not fully execute it's ability, or if it already has one of your seals on it.
The Siege expansion Fortifications are not units, but can be attacked like units.
A location that has a Fortification on it has the following rules:
- Units may enter neutral and friendly locations with a fortification.
- Units may not enter enemy locations with a fortification.
- Units cannot attack enemy units in a fortification, they must attack the Fortification first.
- Units with multi -space movement cannot move through a location with a Fortification.
Four Player / Team Changes
- There are 2 Royal seals (wild coins) shared between the partners
- There are 3 starting spaces
- Each player has 3 units unique to them
- The initiative marker goes to one player, but the other player from the same team cannot take it as an action
- Players take alternating turns between the two teams
- Controlled locations are shared by both players on a team
- Recruit action is for the individual, NOT the team (i.e. you cannot recruit for your partner)
- Players on the same team are friendlies, so you cannot hurt your partner
- Any strategy talk MUST be open so no secret discussions, any communication will be known by the other team