Anno 1452 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Prefatory Notes
• Components
• Objective
• Preparation
• Object of the Game
• Game Play
  • Pre-Event Round
  • Epochs
  • Prestige
  • 1) Action Rounds
  • A. Build an Estate
  • B. Settle 1-3 Citizens
  • C. Attack an Estate
  • D. Play an Action Card
    • Play an Action Card: City Cards
    • Play an Action Card: Marriage Cards
    • Play an Action Card: Title Cards
    • Play an Action Card: Inheritance Cards
• The "Ottokar" Scenario (for 2 or 3 players)
• Variant Rules
  • A. Only ONE card may be discarded
  • B. The 2 Player Game
  • C. Shrinking King Privileges
  • D. Alternate Election Rule
  • E. Restricted Reactions
  • F. Other King "Fixes"
  • G. More Action Rounds
  • H. Tighter Money
  • I. Size Matters
• Card Descriptions
  • Crown Cards (red backed)
  • Principality Cards (green backed)
  • Action Cards (blue backed)
    • City Cards
    • Inheritance Cards
    • Title Cards
    • Marriage Cards
    • Special Action Cards
    • Bitte Karten mischen Card
  • Instant Cards (Karte sofort aufdecken!)
  • Reaction Cards (red title)
• Victory Point Tracking Table
• Player Aid
  • Sequence of Play
  • Actions
  • Table
  • Instant Cards (Player Aid)
  • Reaction Cards (Player Aid)
  • Principality Cards (Player Aid)
  • Special Action Cards (Player Aid)
  • Crown Cards (Player Aid)
  • Title Cards (Player Aid)
  • City Cards and Inheritance Cards (Player Aid)
  • Bitte Karten mischen Card (Player Aid)

Prefatory Notes

Translator's note: This is a translation of the full-size sheet of paper named "Spielablauf im Überblick". The centre of the sheet shows the board with 6 blue arrows marked A-F. Surrounding the board are 13 pictures which are divided into three groups: The four to the left are marked L 1-4 from top to bottom, the four to the right are marked R 1-4 and the bottom row is marked B 1-5 from left to right. The introductory rules on the reverse side have been rewritten to make them easier to grasp.

Editor's note: The changes made are mostly a matter of layout, minor corrections of the English and so on. There was one obvious mistake regarding the Prestige bestowed by Title cards; also, the confusion regarding the sequence of Action and Event rounds has been dispelled. The FAQ from Spielbox-Online has been integrated. The "Basic" rules differ so little from the Expert game that they are omitted entirely. For those who want to know, the differences are:

1. No trades or agreements between players;
2. No Event round during the first Epoch;
3. The Excommunication card plays a little differently during an Event Round;
4. A slightly simplified majority rule for Principality control: The player with the most Estates in a region receives the Principality card. (Presumably, you keep the card when another player ties with you, but lose it if he builds more Estates)

Translator's note: The layout of the original rules has been changed and some parts which needed clarification have been rewritten. No rules have been changed and all changes have been approved by the designer, Gerhard Kodys. The only important Expert rule (phase 3 of the Event Round) has been included but, clearly marked, so it can be easily avoided if the Basic game is preferred.

Components

The Game Board shows the following features:

[A] The Prestige Table; [B] The Time Table; [C] The Turn Order Display; [D] Three spaces for the Playing Cards; and [E] The 16 Principalities (regions) which form the map of Germany. [F] Each region has a Shield. The Digit shows the maximum number of Estates the region may have (map total = 64); the number of Tower Silhouettes above the shield depicts the maximum number of Cities it may have (map total = 32).

64 Estate Markers, wooden discs, 16 each in 4 colours [L1]. 96 Citizen Markers, small wooden cubes, 24 each in 4 colours [L2]. 12 Soldier Pawns [L3]. 9 Markers, big wooden cubes, 2 each in 4 colours plus 1 black Time marker [L4]. 32 City Discs, of cardboard [R1]. 24 Reduction Tokens, small grey tokens used to mark reduced Estates [R2]. 120 Coins ("Gold") in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 units [R3]. 3 "End of Game" Tiles (a second, spare set of tiles is also included) [R4]. 6 Dice. 4 Player Aids. 107 Playing Cards of three types: 2 Crown cards (red backs); 16 Principality cards (green backs); 89 Action cards (blue backs).

Objective

The goal of this game is to have as many Estate, City and Citizen markers on the board as possible; to get as many Principality cards as possible; to attain a high Prestige level; and to collect the biggest fortune in Gold.

All these elements are transformed into Victory points. The player with the most Victory points is the mightiest ruler and wins the game.

Preparation

Before the first game you should carefully punch out all the cardboard tiles and tokens.

Each player takes a set of counters in one colour: 16 Estate discs, 24 Citizen cubes and 2 Marker big cubes. He also receives 10 Prestige [B1], 15 Gold, 5 Action cards (discard and replace Instant cards) and a Player Aid.

Shuffle the Action cards (blue backed) and place them face-down on the leftmost card space. Place the Principality cards (green backed) in a face-up pile on the rightmost card space [B3]. Place the black Time marker in the top left space of the Time table named "Interregnum" [B2]. Place the two red backed cards face-up somewhere near the game board, with the Soldiers, City discs, Reduction tokens, Gold and dice.

Roll dice for the first turn player order. In reverse order, each player places two Estate markers on the board, in different but contiguous regions [B4]. Place in reverse turn order: 2 Estates in 2 adjacent regions. Only 1 Estate per region.

Decide how many game turns (Epochs) you want to play. For a shorter game, use the proper End Game tile to cover the unused spaces on the Time table [B5].

Note: The 5th player space is not used in the game. Counters for a fifth player may become available in a future expansion. (Or you can readily improvise your own set.)

Object of the Game

To become the most powerful ruler with the most Principalities, Estates, Citizens and Cities, the highest Prestige and the greatest wealth! All of these translate into Victory Points at the end of the game.

Game Play

Pre-Event Round

The Pre-Event Round has only one phase in which the players may make initial deals (See "Trade & Agreements", below).

Epochs

Each line of the Time Table equals one full game turn called an Epoch. Each Epoch is divided into:

• Up to 3 Action Rounds. The first Action Round always takes place. Roll 2 dice before the second, and 3 dice before the third Action Round: if any die shows '6', the Action Rounds are over and the Event round occurs. The basic game begins with the first Action Round.

• An Event Round, in which points are scored and the ensuing Epoch is prepared.

Each Epoch is named after the year of the actual German coronations, except for the first two Epochs in which no King is elected ("Interregnum").

Prestige

Should a player's Prestige ever go above "20", he instead receives 5 Gold per extra prestige point. Similarly, a player must pay 5 Gold for each Prestige point he loses below "0". If a player cannot pay, the bank will pay out that amount to each of his fellow players instead.

Note: This insolvency rule is used exclusively when lost Prestige points cannot be paid; you cannot use the rule to pay for a marriage for instance!

1) Action Rounds

Shift the Time marker one space to the right on the Time table.

The first Action Round of an Epoch is always played. Two further Action Rounds may take place during the same Epoch depending on a dice roll made before each round:

Roll 2 dice before the 2nd Action Round (2x) and 3 dice before the 3rd Action Round (3x). In columns '2x' or '3x': roll that number of dice to check for a possible new Action Round.

If any die shows "6" there will be no further Action Rounds this Epoch. Go immediately to the Event Round.

An Event Round always follows after the final Action Round in an Epoch, no later than after the third.

During each Action Round each player may, in turn order, perform one of the following four actions:

A. Build an Estate

Place one Estate marker in any region and pay the cost to the supply. Cost = 4 Gold plus 1 Gold per Estate already in that region.

The first Estate marker to be placed in a (empty) region costs 4 Gold. The cost increases by 1 for each additional marker in the region (no matter to whom they belong). Only one marker may be placed per action.

Example: The 4th Estate marker costs 4+1+1+1=7 Gold to place.

Each (unreduced) Estate can levy 3 Peasants for war, generates an income of 3 Gold, accommodates up to 3 Citizens and may obtain a City Charter (i.e. have a City disc placed beneath the marker).

The number in the region's Shield states the maximum number of Estate markers that can be in the region. The number of markers a player can have on the board is limited by his supply (16 Estates).

Each region on the map has a Principality card to signify ownership. None of these are held by the players at the beginning of the game.

A player receives the Principality card as soon as he has acquired a majority of the Estates (even out of turn) by placement, trade or battle. With the card comes 1 Prestige point. Take the Principality card as soon as you have the Majority of the Estates for that region. Place the card visibly on the table in front of you. These cards increase your Prestige by +1 as long as you have them in your possession.

The Principality card must be given up as soon as the majority is lost, and the player will also lose the Prestige point.

"Majority" means: more Estate markers than any other single player in the Region, and more markers than there are not in play in that region.

When do you have a majority of Estates in a region?

Example: Österreich has a maximum limit of 5 Estates. If you have 2 Estate markers and the other two or three players have 1 each, you will have the (relative) majority of markers and will receive the Principality card. But if you had 2 Estate markers and the other 3 possible Estates were unbuilt, you would not have a majority (imagine that all unbuilt Estates belong to a non-existent extra player).

If you had 2 Estate markers and another player had 1 marker, you would not have a majority because there are still 2 unbuilt Estates (you are thus "tied" with the non-existent extra player). If a third player places an Estate marker you will immediately receive the Principality card (and a Prestige point). As you can see, you may gain a majority during another player's turn.

Note: An Estate marker represents 3 Peasants and increases your income by 3 Gold. During battle, you will roll 3 dice (every '6' is a hit). An Estate may be reduced through battle, in which case a Reduction token is placed on the marker. The number on the token shows the current 'value' of the Estate marker: 1 or 2 Peasants, income or battle dice.

B. Settle 1-3 Citizens

This action allows you to place up to 3 Citizen markers on the board. Each Citizen marker costs 3 Gold to place. Cost = 3 Gold per Citizen.

Citizens always settle around an Estate marker. Each Estate can accommodate up to 3 Citizens, unless it has a City disc which doubles the limit to 6 Citizen markers. Reduced Estates have a lower capacity. No more than 3 Citizens per Estate or 6 per City.

Citizens fight better than Peasants during war. Citizens may be placed on different Estates in the same round.

Note: Each Citizen increases your income and the number of battle dice for that Estate by 1; a hit is made on each die showing a '5' or a '6'.

C. Attack an Estate

One of your Estates may attack one unfriendly Estate in the same or in a neighbouring Region. Your own Estate must be in the same or a bordering region.

The Citizens around the two Estates participate in the battle.

The King and Anti-King may attack or defend any Estate with their armies by placing the Soldiers directly into that region. The King (also the Anti-King) may attack any Region with his mercenary army (Soldiers) without the use of an Estate, or he may include the army in a standard neighbouring conflict from one of his Estates. (The King does not enter the game until 1273)

Requirements for the attack: You must have at least 1 Estate marker in your supply —otherwise you would not be able to take possession of the conquered Estate.

The Stages of an Attack:

1. Declaration of War: Point out the two conflicting Estates. As penalty for instigating a war you automatically lose 1 Prestige point. The attacker loses 1 Prestige point when he announces the attack. If the King (or Anti-King) is involved in the battle he may immediately bring any of his Soldiers onto the board:

   • Attacking Soldiers are placed in the attacking Region.
   • Defending Soldiers are placed in the attacked Region.

   Note: Participating Soldiers are always lost after the battle, no matter if they win or lose.

   Tip: Both involved players may play 1 Reaction card each which may be used to alter the strength of either party. Both players may play 1 Reaction card each.

2. Battle: Each player throws 1 die per attacking or defending unit. Use 3 dice for an unreduced Estate (= 3 Peasants) or the number of dice shown on the Reduction token plus 1 die per Citizen and Soldier. Roll separately for each type of unit as they have different chances to hit (see the Player Aid). Both conflicting players roll: 1 die per Peasant, 1 die per Citizen, 1 die per Soldier. An Estate marker = 3 Peasants or the number on its Reduction token.

   A hit is scored on any die showing:

   • Peasant: 6
   • Citizen: 5, 6
   • Soldier: 4, 5, 6

   All defending units in a City (Peasants, Citizens and Soldiers) nullify an attacking hit for each "1" rolled. All defenders in a City nullify hits for any die showing: 1.

   The battle is resolved simultaneously on both sides; any losses are only taken after both players have thrown their dice.

   Example: Red is attacking from an Estate with a City and 3 Citizens. The target is a blue City without Citizens:

   • First red throws 3 dice for his Estate; they show 2-5-6 inflicting one hit on blue (the '6'). Then he throws for his 3 Citizens: 1-4-5, inflicting another hit (5).
   • The defender (blue) throws 1-5-6, letting him inflict a hit (6). City defence works on a throw of '1' which means he absorbs one of the red hits as well.

The battle continues until one of the conflicting Estates has been eradicated. The battle continues until all conflicting units on one side have been eliminated. Any Soldiers remaining on the board are returned to the general supply (not to the King or Anti-King player's supply!)

4. Outcome: The victorious player receives 1 Prestige point; the losing player loses 1 Prestige point. Transfer a Prestige point from the loser to the winner.

   If the Attacker wins, he must replace the defending Estate marker with one of his own with a Reduction marker showing '1' at the top. Any City disc beneath the Estate marker is kept by the new owner. The victorious attacker takes the Estate over with '1' Reduction; otherwise the attacking Estate is lost.

   If the defender wins, the attacking Estate is lost. The Estate marker and any City disc beneath it are returned to the supply. (The King or Anti-King does not lose an Estate if he attacked using only his Soldiers.)

   Note: It may happen that both players eliminate each other at the same time. In this case both players lose their Estate and City. No Prestige points are awarded or lost as there would be no winner or loser.

D. Play an Action Card

The final player action consists in playing a card. Only one card may be played and each card can only be used to perform one action. Unless stated otherwise (Marriages and Titles), these cards are discarded after use.

Any card in hand may be used to perform an action. Note that some cards may have dual functions, but only one action may be performed. The red-titled Reaction cards may be played in addition to a regular Action card, in combination with another action (such as building an Estate), or in response to another player's action. Here follows a description of the different Action cards:

Play an Action Card: City Cards

Any card with a Tower silhouette and a City name just below the Title banner may be used to obtain a City charter for one of your Estates in the region stated in the Title banner.

You must already have an Estate marker in that Region. Each Estate can only hold one City disc. The number of Tower silhouettes above the Shield on the board depicts the maximum number of Cities the region can hold at any one time.

You must pay 6 Gold to place a City disc underneath an Estate marker. The money is paid to the supply.

Note: A City doubles the number of Citizens the Estate can sustain, increases the income by 1 and strengthens the Estate's defence: All units (Peasants, Citizens, Soldiers) within a City nullify a hit on a die roll of '1'.

Four cards show a picture of a city (see below) and are single-function; all others are dual-function cards. Most cards have another action to which the illustration refers. These cards can be used either as their main action or as City actions —not both!

Play an Action Card: Marriage Cards

Marriage cards have a picture of a Lady and the region where she lives. Keep the card on the table in front of you until the end of the Epoch.

You must fulfil all requirements stated on the card to be able to play it. (You need to have an Estate in that region only if so required).

Examples: If you must remove a Citizen but do not have any on the board or if you cannot afford the expenses for the marriage, then you cannot play the Marriage card.

You may marry even though you cannot utilise all benefits the card gives (e.g. you might not be able to place an Estate marker or a City disc because of the regional limit).

Example: "You receive an Estate in Bayern" —If there already are 4 Estate markers in that region you will not be able to place yet another marker.

If the card grants you a Principality card you will receive this from the current holder —even when you do not have the majority.

You can only be married to one lady at a time. The marriage lasts until the end of the Epoch. A marriage cannot be annulled, which means you cannot remarry during that Epoch.

A Principality card that was conveyed to you through marriage (and for which you do not hold the majority) must be given up when the marriage is over (including the Prestige point that comes with the card).

Play an Action Card: Title Cards

Title cards have a picture of a Noble and the Region of his title.

You must fulfil all requirements stated on the card to be able to play it. Place the Title card on the table in front of you and receive 2 Prestige points. Keep the card until you no longer fulfil all requirements.

Whenever you cannot fulfil the requirements, the Title card must be discarded (you also lose the Prestige points you had gained).

Play an Action Card: Inheritance Cards

Inheritance cards have a picture of a Treasure chest and name a region. There are no requirements attached.

Place an Estate marker free of cost in the named region (unless the limit has been reached). Take the Principality card if you obtain the majority.

Play an Action Card: Special Cards

"Special Actions" are all the cards which name a specific action in the title banner instead of a region.

Perform the action stated under the abbreviation "AR" (Action Round).

Note: These cards may also be played during the Event Round ("ER").

2) Event Round

Move the Time marker down to the next line and place it in the first column (the Year). A scoring of the events that took place during Action Rounds takes place now, and preparations are made before the next game turn (Epoch).

Each of the 6 phases in the Event Round must be performed in order. All players finish a phase in turn order before the next phase.

1. Cards

Before drawing new cards, a player may discard any number of cards from his hand. A player with more than 5 cards in his hand (like the King) must at least discard any cards in excess of 5.

Each player replenishes his hand back to 5 cards by drawing one card at a time from the Action deck.

Any Instant cards (see below) drawn are immediately discarded and replaced. The very first Instant card drawn takes place.

During the following phases (2-6) of the Event Round, each player may play 1 Special Action card ONCE. Only Special Actions may be played, and the "ER" part of the card is performed during Event Rounds.

Note: Many of the actions are only useful in certain phases. For example "Sondersteuer" which can only be played prior to the Income phase.

2. Income

The players receive income from the supply.

Reduced Estates produce less income (1 or 2 Gold instead of 3).

The Reduction tokens are returned to the supply after the payout.

Income is paid to each player:

• Estate marker: 1-3 Gold
• Citizen marker: 1 Gold
• City disc: 1 Gold
• Principality card: 1 Gold

Tip: Count all your normal Estates first (markers x 3), add the Reduction tokens to this number plus the number of Cities and Citizens.

Note: There is a misprint in the "Kosten-Nutzen-Tabelle" of the original Player Aid cards: "Einkommen" / "Besitzkarte" should be: '1'.

3. Trade & Agreements

The players may freely trade and make agreements with each other. Everything is allowed as long as it does not go against the rules.

Suggestion: Limit the phase to 5 minutes.

Important rule: All agreements must be kept!

Note: By mutual agreement the players may show, trade, buy or give cards away; they may switch or give up Estate markers; conclude non-aggression pacts, etc. You can also record the agreement on paper.

The phase ends when all players have declared that they have concluded their deals.

Tip: You may want to limit the time used to 5 minutes. One player clocks the time; any negotiations not completed when the time is up fail.

4. Prestige Points

One Prestige point is awarded to the player who has the most possessions in each of these categories: Estate markers, Citizen markers, City discs and Principality cards. The player with the fewest possessions in each category loses one Prestige point. If there is a tie between players in a category they all receive/lose a Prestige point.

If all players have the same amount, that category is not awarded (as they would all both receive and lose 1 point anyway).

Gain or lose 1 Prestige point for having the most or least units in the following categories:

• Estate markers,
• Citizen markers,
• City discs,
• Principality cards

Each Prestige point above "20" is converted to 5 Gold instead; similarly, a player must pay 5 Gold for each Prestige point he loses below "0".

If a player cannot pay, the bank will pay out that amount to each of his fellow players instead.

Note: This insolvency rule is used exclusively when lost Prestige points cannot be paid; you cannot use the rule to pay for your marriage for instance!

All existing marriages cease at this point. All Marriage cards are discarded. Discard any played Marriage cards. Principality cards which were part of the marriage portion are returned unless the player has a majority of Estates in that region.

5. Coronation

A King is "elected" for the first time in the 1273 Epoch (after the 2nd Interregnum). The player with the fewest Estates on the board is elected King.

The player with the fewest Estate markers on the board is automatically crowned King.

In the case of a tie, the player with the highest Prestige is crowned; if still tied the King is elected by dice roll (highest player wins).

The King's privileges:

• +3 Prestige points
• +3 Action cards
• 12 Soldier pawns
• Chooses his turn order
• May attack anywhere

The new King takes the King card (König) which states his privileges:

• He immediately receives 3 Prestige points.
• He immediately takes 3 Action cards from the deck (normal rules apply for any drawn Instant cards).
• He takes the 12 Soldier pawns which he may use in any battle. Each participating Soldier hits on a roll of 4-6.
• He chooses his own position in the turn order.
• He may attack any region; he does not need to have a neighbouring Estate.

The player keeps all regions he conquers as King, even when he loses his King status.

Note: The actual Kings were elected by 7 elector princes; however they do not appear in our game. The years are the dates of the actual coronations.

6. New Player Turn Order

The players' Turn markers are placed following these guidelines. The new turn order follows the ranking of the Prestige table.

If the King is in play that player may first decide his place in the turn order by placing his marker on the Turn Order display.

If the Anti-King is in play he may next decide his position.

Then follow the rest of the players. They cannot choose their positions but are placed on the free spaces of the Turn Order display in the order of their Prestige level. In case of ties, roll dice; the high roll comes first.

The King and the Anti-King may decide their own place in the turn order.

Example: The King has placed his marker on the 2nd space, and there is no Anti-King in play. The player with the most Prestige points becomes the first player, the next player becomes third and the final player becomes fourth.

End Game

When the Time marker is moved to the final year (1452 in the full game), the Final Event Round is played.

The final Event Round consists of only two phases: "Income" and "Prestige Points".

During the final Event Round no cards are drawn or played, and only phases 2 ("Income") and 4 ("Prestige Points") are played. Then the players are awarded Victory points for their possessions.

1 Victory point is awarded for:

• each Estate marker
• every 2 Citizen markers (round down)
• each City disc
• each Principality card
• every 10 Gold (round down)
• each Prestige point

The player with the most Victory points (Possessions, Money and Prestige) wins the game.

The player with the highest total of Victory points is the winner and will be crowned Emperor by the Pope!

Tip: If you need to prematurely break off a long game it is best to play until the next Event Round and then only play the two phases: "Income" and "Prestige Points". You can then award Victory points as written above. You should never play less than 6 Epochs though!

Reaction Cards

Reaction cards have the name of the action in red in the title banner.

Reaction cards do not count as an "action" when played. They may be played as an extra action during your own turn, or as a reaction against an opponent's action during any turn. The cards are discarded after use.

Play Reaction card in response to a player action. Only one card per player. Each player may only play one Reaction card against each Action.

Note: Most Reaction cards can only be played during an attack.

Instant Cards ("Show Card Immediately!")

Instant cards have the picture of a Knight and the sentence "Karte sofort aufdecken!" below the title banner. These cards must not be kept in hand but are immediately shown.

One Instant card may be played in each of the 3 Action Rounds and the Event Round. Only the first Instant card drawn during each round is played; the rest are discarded.

Only the first Instant drawn during any Round (Event or Action) takes place; all other Instant cards drawn by any player are immediately discarded.

Instant cards are immediately replenished by new cards. It is advisable to draw one card at a time until the first Instant card has taken place, in order to avoid any discussions among the players!

"Interregnum": The "Interregnum" card announces an Epoch without a King. No Coronation phase or the King dies.

If the card is played prior to the Coronation phase, this phase will be skipped and there will be no King during the upcoming Epoch.

If the card is played after the Coronation phase, the King dies (a new King is not elected until the next Coronation phase). The player loses the Crown card, Soldiers and all privileges but he does not give up any cards or Prestige points.

"Gegenkönig": The "Gegenkönig" card announces an opposing ruler. The player with the most Estates on the board is elected Anti-King. The player with the most Estate markers on the board is crowned Anti-King. If tied, the player with the highest Prestige is elected. If still tied, the highest die roller becomes the Anti-King. The Anti-King lasts for one Action Round only.

The Anti-King's privileges:

• +3 Prestige points
• +3 Action cards
• Half of remaining Soldiers
• Choose place in turn order
• May attack everywhere.

He receives the Anti-King card which states his privileges:

• He immediately receives 3 Prestige points.
• He immediately takes 3 Action cards from the deck.
• He receives half of the King's Mercenary Army (the odd Soldier pawn is discarded).
• He chooses his space on the Turn Order display after the King player.
• He may attack any region on the board, he does not need a neighbouring Estate marker.

The Anti-King's army is discarded with him —it does not revert to the King.

During Epochs without a King (Interregnums), there cannot be an Anti-King either and the card is discarded. If the King dies (the Instant card "Interregnum" occurs), the Anti-King dies as well.

"Bitte Karte mischen" (Please shuffle the cards): This card is not considered an Instant. The "Bitte Karten mischen" card is always played, even if an Instant card has already been played this round. The card tells you to reshuffle the Action deck, this card and the discard pile into a new deck.

Shuffle the Action cards.

The "Ottokar" Scenario (for 2 or 3 players)

"Ottokar" is a fictitious passive player who begins the game with all his markers on the board. Otherwise all normal rules apply.

The "Ottokar" —powerful prince— scenario is designed for the two-player game. In a three-player game you can either play the "Ottokar" scenario or the standard game. "Ottokar" is a fictitious additional player. He begins with all his markers on the board.

Choose a colour for "Ottokar" and place all the markers as shown in one of the two pictures on page 10 of the rule book. Pictures "A" and "B" show two different starting positions.

Note: You could design your own scenarios by placing Cities and Citizens differently.

Once "Ottokar's" markers have been placed, use the normal rules for playing the game.

Note: "Ottokar" is a passive player. He receives no Action cards, no income, he cannot trade, receives no Prestige, can never become King or Anti-King and does not take turns. He has no actions, but his Estates and Citizens may be attacked. A neutral player will then roll dice for him and decide which markers to remove.

Variant Rules

Note: Phase 3: "Trade & Agreements" was originally described here, but has been moved to the main text as it is felt to be an important part of the game.

A. Only ONE card may be discarded

Before the hand is replenished (first phase of the Event Round) the players may only discard one card instead of the normal free discard.

Note: A player with more than 5 cards must naturally still discard more than one card, but he must keep at least 4 cards and may draw at most one new card from the deck.

Tip: Play the Expert game without this rule as there are too many cards which can only be used in specific turns, and they would take up valuable space in your hand.

B. The 2 Player Game

The following rules are used by 2 players:

5 cards are placed open; players may choose to exchange one card for one of their own.

During the "Cards" phase and before either player's turn, five additional Action cards are drawn and placed face up near the game board (resolve and replace any Instant cards as usual). At the end of the "Trade & Agreement" phase, these cards are discarded.

During the "Trade & Agreement" phase, players may "trade" with the bank by replacing one public card from their hand (1:1). The trades must be done in turn order, one card at a time. The starting player begins.

Note: Reverse the turn order in the first round making the second player the first to trade followed by the start player!

A player may not trade twice in a row. The two players must alternate. In other words, if one player stops trading the other player must stop too!

C. Shrinking King Privileges

Every round that a player remains King, the number of prestige and cards gained shrinks by one until it reaches zero. Thus, if a player is King during the first few rounds, he will gain first 3, then 2, then 1, then no prestige and cards. Track the number of rounds with a die on the König card.

D. Alternate Election Rule

The election of the King is resolved by counting Victory Points at that point of the game, the player with the fewest VPs getting the Kingship. Break ties by the fewest Estates, then Cities, then Citizens, then Principalities, then Gold. Use dice as a last resort.

E. Restricted Reactions

Reaction cards (other than the Kindbett card) can only be played by the two players directly involved in the attack. No meddling!

F. Other King "Fixes"

Most commentators on the Web agree that the King is a little too powerful as normally played. These optional rules fix this.

1 – Term Limit: A player may not be King twice in a row. Should the situation arise, an Interregnum occurs instead.

2 – Smaller Army: Reduce the King's (and Anti-King's) army size to 8 Soldiers instead of 12.

3 – Standing Army: The King's army does not recruit unless the kingship changes. In other words, if you are King several rounds in a row, you must make do with your initial allotment of Soldiers for the entire duration of your reign.

G. More Action Rounds

The other frequently occurring comment is to the effect that there are not enough Action Rounds. These optional rules fix this.

1 – Always Play 3 ARs: Always play three Action Rounds per Epoch, unless an Instant card comes up that cuts this short. Before the game begins, remove all Instant cards that can increase the number of Action rounds (the Sturm & Drang cards).

2 – Alternate AR die rolls: Roll only one die before the second Action Round, and two before the third.

H. Tighter Money

Each player starts with 5 Prestige and 20 Gold.

Estates produce 2 Gold, and no Gold at all when reduced (by any amount).

Citizens produce 1/2 Gold each (but cost only 2).

Adjust the Marriage portions as follows: Jutta, Johanna = 10 Gold; Liselotte = 15 Gold; Gertrud = 20 Gold.

The Rebuilding special Action Card produces a normal income of 2 Gold per Estate.

I. Size Matters

The income of a Principality card is half of the region's Estate limit, rounding down:

Estate Limit	2	3	4	5	6
Income	1	1	2	2	3

Card Descriptions

Note on the source: the card-reference pages below are transcribed from the English PDF's "Card Descriptions" pages (pp. 18–22 and 25), with the German card titles kept alongside their English translations as printed.

Crown Cards (red backed)

Der König = The King Privileges: +3 Prestige, +3 Action cards, 12 Soldiers, Choose position in Turn Order, May attack everywhere.

Der Gegenkönig = The Anti-King Privileges: +3 Prestige, +3 Action cards, Half of the King's remaining Soldiers (odd soldier discarded), Choose position in Turn Order (after the King), May attack everywhere. Lasts one Action Round only.

Principality Cards (green backed)

The 16 Principality cards name the region in the Title banner, highlight the region in red on a map, and name the Title given with the Principality. They give 1 Prestige while held.

"Herzog von…" = Duke of …, "Landammann" = A Swiss Noble.

Action Cards (blue backed)

Many Action cards have the text divided into two sections, Conditions which must be fulfilled for the Result to take place. The abbreviations used are: "Bedingung" = C: for Conditions, "Ergebnis" = R: for Result. The Special and Reaction cards have different effects depending on the type of round they are played in: AR: = Action Rounds, ER: = Event Round.

City Cards

32 cards have a Tower silhouette naming a city. A player may use these cards either as a City card or as the main function (as seen on the illustration). 4 of the cards have an illustration of a city and no other function.

C: A City-less Estate marker in that Region. Pay 6 Gold. The Towers above the region shields show the maximum number of Cities each region can have. R: Place a City disc underneath the Estate marker.

Inheritance Cards

5 cards with almost identical text: "Erbschaft" = Inheritance

C: The digits in the region shields show the maximum number of Estates. R: Place a free Estate marker in the named Region.

Title Cards

Erzbischof von Köln = Archbishop of Cologne C: At least one City in WESTFALEN R: +2 Prestige

Erzbischof von Mainz = Archbishop of Mayence C: At least one City in RHEINLAND-PFALZ R: +2 Prestige

Erzbischof von Trier = Archbishop of Trier C: At least one City in LOTHRINGEN R: +2 Prestige

Herzog von Sachsen = Duke of Saxony C: The NIEDERSACHSEN Principality card R: +2 Prestige

König von Böhmen = King of Bohemia C: The BÖHMEN Principality card R: +2 Prestige

Markgraf von Brandenburg = Margrave of Brandenburg C: At least one City in OBERSACHSEN R: +2 Prestige

Pfalzgraf bei Rhein = Count Palatine of the Rhine C: The RHEINLAND-PFALZ Principality card R: +2 Prestige

Marriage Cards

Adelheid C: Be the King. Prestige 1+. R: Receive an Estate marker and a City disc in LOTHRINGEN plus the LOTHRINGEN Principality card; lose 1 Prestige.

Agnes C: Be the King. Prestige 1+. R: One of your Estates in NIEDERSACHSEN obtains a City Charter; settle 4 new Citizens for free anywhere; lose 1 Prestige.

Amalie C: At least one City in BAYERN; 5+ Gold. R: 4 new Citizens settle for free anywhere; draw an additional Action card from the deck; spend 5 Gold.

Anna C: At least one Estate bordering on TIROL. R: Receive 10 Gold and 1 Prestige; draw an additional Action card.

Astrid C: At least one Estate bordering on RHEINLAND-PFALZ. R: One of the above Estates obtains a City Charter.

Barbara C: At least one City bordering on BAYERN with at least 1 Citizen. R: Receive an Estate in that region and the corresponding Principality card; lose a Citizen from the above city to emigration.

Christina C: The year is 1298. R: One of your Estates in UNTERITALIEN obtains a City Charter; receive the UNTERITALIEN Principality card and 5 Gold.

Dagmar C: At least one Estate bordering on SCHWABEN. R: Receive the SCHWABEN Principality card.

Eleonore C: The Principality card of one of the regions bordering SAVOYEN. R: Receive an Estate in SAVOYEN; draw an Action card; perform one additional action during each Action Round of this Epoch.

Elisabeth C: Be or have been the King. R: Receive the ÖSTERREICH Principality; immediately perform 2 additional Actions.

Franziska C: Have no Estates in BAYERN. R: Draw 3 additional Action cards.

Friederike C: At least one Principality card and 10+ Gold. R: Receive an Estate in OBERSACHSEN with a City Charter; pay 10 Gold.

Gertrud C: Must not have the most Estate markers; 1+ Prestige. R: Receive 30 Gold; lose 1 Prestige.

Hildegard C: The year is 1346. R: Receive 5 Gold; gain 1 Prestige; draw 2 additional Action cards; perform one additional action during each Action Round of the current Epoch.

Isabella C: The year is 1273. R: 2 new Citizens settle for free anywhere; gain 1 Prestige; immediately perform one additional action.

Isolde C: The year is in the 2nd Interregnum to 1314 range. R: Receive an Estate in BÖHMEN; immediately perform one additional action.

Johanna C: At least one Estate in TIROL with at least 1 Citizen. R: Receive 15 Gold; gain 2 Prestige; lose a Citizen from the above Estate to emigration.

Josephine C: At least one City in EIDGENOSSEN. R: Receive the EIDGENOSSEN Principality; settle 2 new Citizens for free anywhere.

Jutta C: The year is in the 1314 to 1400 range. 2+ Citizens. R: Receive 15 Gold; gain 1 Prestige; receive an Estate in a region bordering WESTFALEN; lose 2 of your Citizens to emigration.

Karoline C: Be or have been the King. R: Gain 2 Prestige.

Katharina C: The year is in the 1298 to 1438 range. R: Perform one additional action during each Action Round of the current Epoch.

Konstanze C: The year is in the 1378 to 1438 range. R: Receive 5 Gold; gain 1 Prestige; settle 2 new Citizens for free anywhere.

Kunigunde C: Must not have the highest Prestige; 10+ Gold. R: Gain 3 Prestige, pay 10 Gold.

Liselotte C: Must not have the fewest Estates. R: Receive 20 Gold.

Margarethe C: The year is in the 1st Interregnum to 1346 range. R: Receive one Estate in ÖSTERREICH.

Maria C: Must not have any Estates in OBER- or NIEDERSACHSEN. R: Draw 2 additional Action cards; perform one additional action during each Action Round of the current Epoch.

Marianne C: The year is in the 1298 to 1346 range. R: Receive an Estate in a region bordering OBERITALIEN; draw 2 additional Action cards.

Mathilde C: At least one City in any region bordering OBERITALIEN; 1+ Prestige. R: 4 new Citizens settle for free anywhere; lose 1 Prestige.

Sieglinde C: The year is in the 1st Interregnum to 1273 range. R: Receive an Estate in EIDGENOSSEN and 5 Gold.

Sophie C: Must not have the lowest Prestige. R: 2 new Citizens settle for free anywhere.

Therese C: The year is 1314. R: One of your Estates in EIDGENOSSEN obtains a City Charter; receive the EIDGENOSSEN Principality.

Ursula C: Must not have any Estates bordering on WESTFALEN; 5+ Gold. R: One of your Estates in WESTFALEN obtains a City Charter; 2 new Citizens settle for free anywhere; gain 1 Prestige; spend 5 Gold.

Special Action Cards

Bündnisse = Alliances AR: Place this card in front of you. No player may attack you until the beginning of your next turn, when the card is discarded. ER: No attacks are allowed in the Action Rounds of this Epoch.

Diplomatie & Strategie = Diplomacy & Strategy AR: One City of your choice is deprived of its City Charter — remove the City disc! If more than 3 Citizens have settled around that City, that player may relocate them among his other Estates. ER: You may draw 2 additional Action cards from the deck, while all your fellow players must discard 1 card (of their own choice) each.

Gute Ernte = Good Crop (2x) AR: One of your Cities has a market day which yields you "1 die + 5" Gold as well as +1 Prestige! ER: You may designate a region on the board. All players receive double income from that region plus all its bordering regions this turn!

Hungersnot = Famine (2x) AR: You may reduce one Estate of your choice to "1"! ER: All reduced Estate markers on the board keep their Reduction tokens into the next Epoch's Action Rounds (they are not removed during the "Receive Income" phase this Event Round).

Kirchenbann = Excommunication AR: A player of your choice must discard 2 Action cards and that player may be attacked by anyone without any loss of Prestige this Epoch! ER: A player of your choice cannot participate in the "Trade & Agreements" phase this round! (2-player game: You may trade face-up cards twice in a row).

Sondersteuer = Special Tax (2x) AR: You may collect taxes from all your (unreduced) Estates. Roll 1 die for each Estate: "1" = Reduce the marker to "1"; "2-3" = Reduce the marker to "1" and receive 3 Gold; "4-6" = Receive 3 Gold. ER: You receive 1 extra Gold per Estate marker (even reduced markers) during the "Receive Income" phase this round.

Stadtluft macht frei! = "City Air Emancipates!" (in contrast to the air the serfs breathe) (2x) AR: For each Estate you reduce to "1", you may settle a new Citizen in a City, in the same or a bordering Region (without cost). ER: In the next Action Rounds, all players may do the "Obtain a City Charter" action without the proper City card at a cost of 12 Gold (instead of 6).

Volksheld = Folk Hero (2x) AR: You may obtain a City Charter for an Estate of your choice by paying 6 Gold. ER: One player of your choice is not taken into consideration when Prestige points are awarded this round — everybody else receives points as normal. (2-player game: There is no scoring!)

Vülkerwanderung = Migration AR: You may relocate all your Citizens. No Citizen may pass more than a single Regional border. ER: In this Epoch's Action Rounds, all conquered Cities will be destroyed (instead of being seized).

Wiederaufbau = Rebuilding (2x) AR: You may "upgrade" any one of your Estate markers to full value (by removing the Reduction token). ER: All Estates on the board yield a normal income of 3 Gold in spite of any Reduction tokens (these are removed as usual).

Bitte Karten mischen Card

When you draw this card, take all Action cards and shuffle them into a new deck. Then draw a replacement card.

Instant Cards (Karte sofort aufdecken!)

Gegenkönig = Anti-King AR: The player with the most Estate markers on the board is proclaimed "Anti-King" for this round —he receives the same privileges as the King, except he only gets half of the King's remaining Soldiers (the odd pawn is discarded). ER: As above; the King and the Anti-King receive 6 Soldiers each. The Anti-King is discarded after the next epoch's first action round.

Höfische Intrigen = Court Intrigues (2x) Intrigues at the court make progress more difficult. Until the next Epoch the likelihood of new Action Rounds is slightly worsened: Roll 3x or 4x dice before the 2nd or 3rd Action Round.

Interregnum = [Latin: a temporary vacancy of the throne] AR + ER (after the "Coronation" phase): The King is dead! The King player loses all privileges and must return the Crown card and all Soldiers to the supply —he does not lose any Prestige points or cards though. The Anti-King dies as well. ER (before the "Coronation" phase): There will no King elected this round!

Irren & Wirren = Confusion & Turmoil AR: Go directly to the next Epoch after the present Action Round —do not roll any dice! ER: There will be no "Trade & Agreements" phase in this round!

Pest = Pestilence Roll a die for each region; on a "5" or "6", it is plague-ridden! Then roll for each unit (Citizens and Peasants); City units die on a "5" or "6", other units die on a "6" (Estates are reduced).

Sturm & Drang = "Storm & Stress" [a period of drama & passion] (2x) AR: All 3 Action Rounds are played this Epoch —without rolling dice! ER: The players may perform 2 Actions each during the coming Action Rounds!

Reaction Cards (red title)

Befestigte Dörfer = Fortified Village (2x) Protective earthworks make this Estate (without a City disc) more difficult to conquer in this battle —all defending units nullify a hit on a die roll of "1".

Befestigte Städte = Fortified Town (2x) Ramparts and moats make this City especially protected in this battle —all defending units nullify a hit on a die roll of "1" or "2".

Bürgerwehr = Militia (2x) Due to better weapons and training, the Citizens are better armed in this battle —they hit on every die showing "4-6".

Entsatzheer = Relieving Force (2x) You may bring reinforcements into this battle —for each of your (unreduced) Estate markers in the same or a bordering region which you reduce to "1", you may throw an additional die until the end of the battle (it only hits on a die roll of "6").

Kindbett = Childbed (3x) One Lady of your choice, currently present in the game, dies in childbed —discard the Marriage card. (The concerned player might lose any Principality card obtained by the marriage —unless he still has the majority.) Tip: You can use this to "divorce" your current wife and play a new Marriage card!

Landwehr = Peasant Army (2x) Due to better weapons and training, the Peasants are better armed in this battle —they hit on every die showing "5 or 6".

Verrat = Treason (3x) The City under attack is weakened by treachery —it loses its defence bonus of "1". Befestigte Städte ("Fortified Town") and Verrat ("Treason") cancel each other out.

Victory Point Tracking Table

The printed VP tracking grid (p. 23 of the PDF) is a blank scoring worksheet with no rules content and is not transcribed. Victory points are scored as described under End Game.

Player Aid

The four-page player aid printed with the game (pp. 24–25 of the PDF) condenses the rules above. It is transcribed below in the PDF's own order.

Sequence of Play

A) 1-3 Action Rounds (AR)

• Each player may perform 1 action (in turn order).
• Throw 2 dice before the 2nd round and 3 dice before the 3rd round: on any '6' the Action Rounds end immediately this Epoch.
• After the final Action Round of an Epoch: discard all Marriage cards and move the time marker to the next Year.

B) Event Round (ER)

1. Cards (in player order): Discard freely before replenishing hand back to 5. (2-player expert: place 5 cards on display.)
2. Income: restore all Estates to full strength.
3. Trade & Agreements (2-player expert: trade with cards on display!)
4. Prestige points: +1 to the players with the most of a type; -1 to the players with the least of a type. (Types: Estate, Citizen, City, Principality.)
5. Coronation (begins 1273): player with fewest Estates is elected.
6. New Player Turn Order: King, Anti-King, then in order of Prestige.

C) End Game (1378–1452)

• Final Event Round has only two phases: Income + Prestige Points.
• Determine Victory Points (VPs; 1 PP = 1 VP). Most VPs = crowned Emperor by the Pope.

Reaction cards: Each player may play 1 Reaction card for every action performed by any player during the Action Rounds. Each player may play 1 ER Reaction card only during ER phases 2-6 (not in phase 1).

Instant cards: Only the first drawn per AR or ER takes place; all others simply discarded. Draw replacement.

Actions

• Buy 1 Estate: Place one Estate marker in any Region. Cost is 4 + 1 per already-extant Estate in the Region. Take the Principality card (+1 Prestige while held) as soon as you have the majority of Estates in that Region. Majority = more Estates in the Region than any other player and more than the unbuilt Estates in that Region.
• Settle 1-3 Citizens: Place up to three Citizen markers adjacent to any of your Estates. Cost is 3 per Citizen. Max. 3 Citizens per Estate; doubled for Cities.
• Attack an Estate: Attack one Estate (and its Citizens) with one of your own Estates in the same or a bordering Region. Lose 1 Prestige. The King and the Anti-King may attack/defend any Region with their Soldiers, but the pawns are lost after the attack. Both sides roll dice, then both remove hits. Repeat until one side is eliminated. Attacker may capture City (replace with "1" Estate). Prestige: Loser -1; Winner +1. Reduced Estates roll less dice in an attack, sustain fewer Citizens and gain less income.
• Play 1 Action Card:
  • City card: pay 6 Gold to place a City disc under an Estate marker in the specified region.
  • Marriage card: you must fulfil all conditions. Utilise as many benefits as possible and keep the card on the table until the end of the Action Rounds.
  • Title card: you must fulfil all conditions. Gain 2 Prestige points until the card is lost (when you no longer fulfil the conditions).
  • Inheritance card: place a free Estate in the specified Region.
  • Special Action card: perform the action listed under "AR".
  • Bitte Karte mischen card: reshuffle all Action cards.

Table

Type	Cost	Income	To Hit	Victory Points
Estate marker	4+n Gold	1-3 Gold	6	1 VP
Citizen marker	3 Gold	1 Gold	5 or 6	1 VP per 2 Citizens
Soldier pawn	—	—	4 to 6	—
City disc	6 Gold (+ City card)	1 Gold	(Defenders nullify hits on 1)	1 VP
Principality card	—	1 Gold	—	1 VP

Instant Cards (Player Aid)

• Interregnum: AR + ER (after "Coronation"): King and Anti-King die. ER (before "Coronation"): no King this round.
• Irren & Wirren (Confusion & Turmoil): AR: this AR concludes the Epoch. ER: no "Trade & Agreements" phase.
• Gegenkönig (Anti-King): AR: player with most Estates is "Anti-King" for this AR. ER: as above; King and Anti-King receive 6 Soldiers each.
• Höfische Intrigen (Court Intrigues): Roll 3x or 4x dice before the 2nd or 3rd ARs.
• Pest (Pestilence): 1d per region: 5-6 = plague; then each unit dies on 5-6 in a City, on 6 outside.
• Sturm & Drang (Storm & Stress): AR: all 3 ARs will be played. ER: players get 2 Actions each during the coming ARs.

Reaction Cards (Player Aid)

• Befestigte Dörfer (Fortified Village): Treat Estate as City during attack.
• Befestigte Städte (Fortified Town): City units nullify hits on 1-2.
• Bürgerwehr (Militia): Citizens hit on 4-6.
• Entsatzheer (Relieving Force): +1 Peasant for each (unreduced) neighbouring Estate reduced to "1".
• Kindbett (Childbed): Discard a Marriage.
• Landwehr (Peasant Army): Peasants hit on 5-6.
• Verrat (Treason): City loses its defence bonus.

Principality Cards (Player Aid)

Principality cards = 1 Prestige while held.

Special Action Cards (Player Aid)

• Bündnisse (Alliances): AR: no player may attack you until the beginning of your next turn. ER: no attacks allowed in the ARs of this Epoch.
• Diplomatie & Strategie (Diplomacy & Strategy): AR: a City is deprived of its City Charter. Owner relocates extra Citizens. ER: draw 2 Action cards, other players discard 1.
• Gute Ernte (Good Crop): AR: a City yields 1d+5 Gold and 1 Prestige. ER: all players receive double income from a region and its neighbours this turn.
• Hungersnot (Famine): AR: reduce an Estate to "1". ER: all reduced Estates stay so.
• Kirchenbann (Excommunication): AR: a player discards 2 Action cards; he may be attacked without loss of Prestige this Epoch. ER: a player cannot participate in "Trade & Agreements" this round. (2-player game: trade cards twice.)
• Sondersteuer (Special Tax): AR: roll a die for each unreduced Estate: 1-3 = reduce to "1"; 2-6 = 3 Gold. ER: 1 extra Gold per Estate (incl. reduced) during "Receive Income" phase.
• Stadtluft macht frei! (City Air Emancipates!): AR: for each Estate reduced to "1", settle a Citizen in a City in same or bordering Region. ER: in the ARs of next Epoch, all players may "Obtain a City Charter" without a card for 12 Gold.
• Volksheld (Folk Hero): AR: City Charter for 6 Gold. ER: a player does not score Prestige this round. (2-player game: no scoring.)
• Vülkerwanderung (Migration): AR: relocate all your Citizens (no more than one border each). ER: in this Epoch's ARs, all conquered Cities are destroyed.
• Wiederaufbau (Rebuilding): AR: unreduce one Estate. ER: all Estates yield 3 Gold despite reduction.

Crown Cards (Player Aid)

• Der König (King): +3 Prestige, +3 Action cards, 12 Soldiers, choose turn order, attack anywhere.
• Der Gegenkönig (Anti-King): +3 Prestige, +3 Action cards, half of the King's remaining Soldiers (odd Soldier discarded), choose turn order (after the King), attack anywhere. Lasts one Action Round.

Title Cards (Player Aid)

• Erzbischof von Köln: C: a City in WESTFALEN. R: +2 Prestige.
• Erzbischof von Mainz: C: a City in RHEINLAND-PFALZ. R: +2 Prestige.
• Erzbischof von Trier: C: a City in LOTHRINGEN. R: +2 Prestige.
• Herzog von Sachsen (Duke): C: NIEDERSACHSEN Principality. R: +2 Prestige.
• König von Böhmen (King): C: BÖHMEN Principality. R: +2 Prestige.
• Markgraf von Brandenburg (Margrave): C: a City in OBERSACHSEN. R: +2 Prestige.
• Pfalzgraf bei Rhein (Count Palatine): C: RHEINLAND-PFALZ Principality. R: +2 Prestige.

City Cards and Inheritance Cards (Player Aid)

• City cards: C: City-less Estate in the Region, pay 6 Gold, respect region limit. R: place City disc underneath the Estate marker.
• Inheritance cards: C: respect region limit. R: place a free Estate marker in the named Region.

Bitte Karten mischen Card (Player Aid)

Reshuffle all Action cards.