Azteca Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• 1.0 Object of the Game
• 3.0 Components
• 4.0 Game Board
• 5.0 Setup
  • 5.1 Placing Population Points on the Board
• 6.0 Turn Order
• 7.0 Turn Structure
• 8.0 Phase 1: Drawing Azteca Cards
• 9.0 Phase 2: Collecting Tribute
• 10.0 Phase 3: Purchase and Recruitment
  • 10.1 Cost of Purchases
  • 10.2 Placing Newly Purchased Pieces
• 11.0 Phase 4: Slave Market
• 12.0 Phase 5: Pochteca Missions
• 13.0 Phase 6: Lake Domination
  • 13.1 Lake Combat
  • 13.2 Lake Control
  • 13.3 Dyke
• 14.0 Phase 7: Flowery War
  • 14.1 The Armies
  • 14.2 Order of Army Movement
  • 14.3 Movement
  • 14.4 Interception
  • 14.5 Reorganisation
  • 14.6 The Reserve
  • 14.7 Combat
  • 14.8 Terrain
  • 14.9 Losses
  • 14.10 Experience
  • 14.11 Withdrawal
  • 14.12 Neutral States
• 15.0 Phase 8: Judgement of the Gods
  • 15.1 Sacrifices to Quetzalcoatl
  • 15.2 Sacrifices to Tezcatlipoca
  • 15.3 End of the Game
• 16.0 Three-Player Rule
• 17.0 Difficulty Levels
• 18.0 Options
• 19.0 Playing Advice
• 20.0 Short Glossary of Aztec Terms
• 21.0 Designer's Notes
• 22.0 History
• Player Aid
• Azteca: the FAQ

1.0 Object of the Game

The goal of the game is to make as many Sacrifices as possible in honour of the god Quetzalcoatl before the god Tezcatlipoca destroys the universe. To do so, the players must rescue Quetzalcoatl from the underworld and make him climb the pyramid to the Golden Temple before Tezcatlipoca descends the pyramid to reach the underworld. If Quetzalcoatl reaches his Golden Temple before Tezcatlipoca reaches the underworld, the winner is the player who has offered the most Sacrifices to Quetzalcoatl. In case of a tie between players, victory goes to the player who controls the most assimilated territories, then the most territories, and finally the richest player (adding Tribute to the cost of warriors and boats). If Tezcatlipoca reaches the underworld before Quetzalcoatl reaches his Golden Temple, then all players have lost and the universe is destroyed by the Tzitzimimes demons.

3.0 Components

In addition to the components supplied in the game box, each player must have a sheet of paper and a pencil. The number of pieces in the game is deliberately limited, so each player must take care to manage them well.

4.0 Game Board

The game board represents the Valley of Mexico and its neighbouring valleys in the middle of the 15th century. The map is divided into territories, which represent the main city-states of the period, as well as the outer valleys of Tula, Toluca, Tlaxcala and Oaxtepec. Each territory bears the name of the city-state that controls it. Note that the Tula valley continues under the pyramid and that it touches the Toluca valley. The central lake is divided into 4 lake zones; all the city-states that border the lake have a lake port, so you can land in any coastal city-state. There are two types of terrain, mountains and marshes, which give a defensive bonus. Chinampas (floating gardens) are considered marshes.

The other elements of the game board are:

• The Sacrifice Pyramid, which shows the progress of the gods;
• The map of Mexico, where the pochteca expeditions take place;
• The slave market, where players try to acquire additional Sacrifice points.

5.0 Setup

Players may choose the people they want to play or draw them at random. Each player takes the colour that corresponds to the people he has chosen and places his pyramid on the capital that will be his starting territory:

• Aztec at Tenochtitlan (green);
• Toltec at Colhuacan (red);
• Chichimec at Texcoco (yellow);
• Tepanec at Azcapotzalco (blue).

Each player receives 4 Tribute, his 3 Generals, 10 warriors, 3 Jaguar knights (elite warriors), 1 boat, and his Army Organisation board. This board is divided into 4 spaces: 3 spaces for the 3 armies and 1 Reserve space. Distribute your warriors and Jaguar knights among the different spaces of your board, respecting a maximum stack of 4 pieces per space. The Generals A, B and C are placed immediately on the game board in your capital, where they will start the game. The Aztec player also receives a dyke (dam), which he places immediately on one of the following 3 junctions:

• Tenochtitlan–Tizapan
• Tenochtitlan–Iztapalapan
• Tlalolco–Tepeyac

Placement

All players take all the pieces of their colour, and the common pieces (warriors, Tribute, verification markers, etc.) are placed in piles. Then the cards are sorted into several decks according to the colour of their backs. There are 6 different backs:

• 38 Azteca cards (blue back) are the action cards that players will play during the game. Place this pile face down next to the game board.
• 7 Expedition cards (green back) determine the outcome of the missions you entrust to your pochtecas. Place this pile face down on the green card printed on the game board.
• 4 Slave Market cards (yellow back), placed face down at random on the 4 corresponding spaces of the game board.
• 3 Wrath of Tezcatlipoca cards (red back), placed face down to the right of the pyramid.
• 1 Tlatoani card, which designates the first player at the start of each turn.
• 2 TILSIT Editions cards, which are only there to let you discover the other games in our range.

Fold out the silhouettes of the gods Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca and fix them to their bases. Place the god Quetzalcoatl on his starting space at the foot of the pyramid, and Tezcatlipoca at the top of the pyramid. AZTECA also requires 2 Sacrifice urns. The first, the urn of Quetzalcoatl, which bears the effigy of the Feathered Serpent, will be opened at the end of the game only if Quetzalcoatl wins. The second, called the verification urn, which bears the effigy of Tezcatlipoca, is opened regularly during the game. To make these urns, use the 2 plates pierced in their centre and place them on the 2 rectangular storage trays located above the TILSIT logo.

5.1 Placing Population Points on the Board

Before the first turn, and so that the board is different in every game, the players will each draw in turn one of the 13 Population markers. These numbered markers, 0, 1 and 2, represent the Sacrifice points each territory will yield. The first player draws a first marker, looks at it, then places it face down on one of the 13 territories of the Valley of Mexico. The player may not place it on a capital, on the outer valleys (Tula, Toluca, Oaxtepec and Tlaxcala), or on one of the lakes. He may also not place it on one of the two territories adjacent to his capital, unless he has no other choice. For the Aztec player, his dyke determines the adjacent territories. Each player in turn performs this operation until all markers have been placed. Then turn all the markers face up, remove the 0s; only the 1 and 2 markers should remain on the board.

6.0 Turn Order

Roll a die; the player who obtains the highest score receives the "Tlatoani" card (Great Sovereign) and will be the first player. On the next turn, his left-hand neighbour becomes the first player and receives the card, and so on.

7.0 Turn Structure

A turn consists of 8 phases.

• Phase 1: DRAWING CARDS
• Phase 2: COLLECTING TRIBUTE
• Phase 3: PURCHASE AND RECRUITMENT
• Phase 4: SLAVE MARKET
• Phase 5: POCHTECA MISSIONS
• Phase 6: LAKE DOMINATION
• Phase 7: FLOWERY WAR
• Phase 8: JUDGEMENT OF THE GODS

All players play each phase before moving on to the next.

8.0 Phase 1: Drawing Azteca Cards

Each player receives 4 cards on the first turn. On later turns, during phase 1, players decide whether to keep their cards from one turn to the next or to discard some of them. Their hand is then refilled to 4 cards. A player may never hold more than 4 cards in hand. Each card has a name, a number indicating the phase in which it may be played, and text explaining its effects. Cards may be played on your own turn or during another player's turn, but always during the indicated phase. It is forbidden to play the same card twice in a row, except for Raid cards.

SPECIAL CASE: a player may never play a Raid card against one of the territories he controls.

9.0 Phase 2: Collecting Tribute

The Aztecs did not know money, and their economy was based on exchange. In game terms, each player's wealth is expressed in Tribute. There are 3 sizes of Tribute pieces in the game: the small ones are worth 1, the medium ones 2, and the large ones 5. The amount of Tribute received by each player must be announced aloud. Players receive income as follows:

• 4 Tribute for their capital;
• 1 Tribute per city of the Valley of Mexico;
• 1 Tribute per controlled lake zone (see 13.2);
• 2 Tribute per outer city (Tula, Toluca, Tlaxcala, Oaxtepec).

Expeditions and the Tlaloc card also yield additional Tribute. At the end of each Collecting Tribute phase, players also receive Sacrifice points if they control:

• a city of the Valley of Mexico that has a Population marker (1 or 2 points);
• a city of an outer valley (1 point);
• an assimilated city (1 point).

These points are cumulative.

10.0 Phase 3: Purchase and Recruitment

Starting with the first player, each player announces and pays for his purchases. Players are not obliged to spend all their Tribute and may keep it for the following phases.

Advice: always keep some Tribute to take part in the Slave Market and to finance your pochteca missions.

10.1 Cost of Purchases

• 1 warrior costs 1 Tribute;
• 1 Jaguar knight costs 2 Tribute;
• 1 pochteca costs 1 Tribute;
• buying back 1 killed General costs 4 Tribute;
• 1 boat costs 2 Tribute;
• 1 dyke costs 3 Tribute (only the Aztec player may buy one).

Each player may make as many purchases as he wishes, as long as he has the Tribute and the matching pieces.

10.2 Placing Newly Purchased Pieces

Warriors and Jaguar knights are placed in secret on each player's Army Organisation board. Remember that no more than 4 pieces may ever be stacked on a single space. Pochtecas and boats are placed on the capital while waiting to receive their mission. Any new General starts from the capital. A new dyke is placed immediately on one of the positions still free (see dyke, 13.3).

11.0 Phase 4: Slave Market

The Slave Market allows players to gain additional Sacrifice points through auctions. A player who has no Tribute may not take part in the Slave Market. The first player shuffles the 4 "Slave Market" cards, whose value varies from 0 to 3 Sacrifice points. He places them face down at random on the spaces numbered 1 to 4. Then each player in turn looks at 2 cards of his choice, taking care to return them to their respective spaces. Players may look at the Slave Market cards only once. No player may reveal to the others the lots he has just looked at. Each player then secretly chooses the marker of the lot corresponding to the card he wishes to acquire and bids some of his Tribute; the players hide the marker and the Tribute they bid in their hand, and reveal them simultaneously. A player who has bid no Tribute may not take a lot. A player who bid alone on a lot pays the price he bid and gains the Sacrifice points of the lot. When several players have bid on the same lot, the one who bid the highest Tribute wins it, and the other players recover their bids. If several players are tied, they bid again on this lot: they may negotiate, but they may not divide the slave lot between themselves. Players are not obliged to keep their word. Players may decide to bid nothing. The auctions are again held in secret; the player who bid the largest Tribute wins. If there is still a tie, the tied players both lose their Tribute and do not take the lot.

12.0 Phase 5: Pochteca Missions

The pochtecas represented the merchant class in Mesoamerican societies. Their field of activity was very broad: above all merchants, they were also spies and diplomats. This caste, less privileged than the warriors, nevertheless held enormous power which no ruler could do without. Pochtecas are bought during the Purchase and Recruitment phase; they are active for only one turn and are removed from the game once their mission is complete. A player may not send several pochtecas to the same territory (except on Expeditions). A pochteca may not go to a territory where there is an enemy army, or to the capital of another player. First, each player determines the territory to which he sends his pochtecas. To do this, the players secretly note the pochtecas they have bought (A, B, C) on a sheet of paper, together with their destination: each territory has a number, and you simply match the letter of the pochteca with the number of its destination, writing for example A11 or B7 (pochteca A goes to territory 11, B goes to 7). A player who sends pochtecas on an Expedition writes EXP. A player's error in location is not corrected. The sheets of all players are revealed simultaneously and the pochteca pieces are placed on the game board. A pochteca may carry out only one mission, and only once. Expedition, Espionage, Alliance, Uprising and Assimilation are the 5 types of missions carried out by pochtecas. The mission carried out is chosen by the player. All missions of the first player's pochtecas are resolved first, then those of the second player, and so on. The pochtecas of several players may end up on the same territory, in which case a pochteca may no longer be able to carry out its mission. * Note that the Espionage mission is only resolved during phase 7, Flowery War.

EXPEDITIONS: Expeditions are the missions resolved first. Each pochteca sent on an Expedition is placed on the map of Mexico and allows the player to draw an Expedition card. These expeditions, sent outside the Valley of Mexico, bring back additional Tribute, but the operation is not without risk, since the expedition may be massacred. The cards are: massacred, gain of 2 Tribute, gain of 4 Tribute, and gain of 6 Tribute. A massacred pochteca yields no Tribute. The gains are added together. The first player shuffles the cards, then draws one card per pochteca he has sent on an Expedition, and so on for the other players. If the whole deck is discarded before all players have been able to draw their cards, the deck is reshuffled and drawing continues until each player has been served. Gains are received immediately and may therefore be used during the turn.

ALLIANCE: A pochteca placed on a neutral territory may take that territory by offering an alliance; to do so it must pay 3 Tribute. The alliance succeeds automatically and the player places a city of his colour there. An alliance may only be made on a territory of the Valley of Mexico; pochtecas may not make alliances with the outer valleys. A player may attempt only one Alliance per territory per turn. Note: if the Alliance increases the size of your Empire, it does not allow you to take the Sacrifice points of a victorious attack.

UPRISING: A pochteca sent into an enemy city that is not assimilated and not occupied by an enemy army may attempt to provoke an Uprising by paying 1 Tribute. Roll 1 red die: if you obtain a spear, the territory rises up and the opposing player loses his city and his territory. A territory in Uprising becomes neutral again. You may not start an Uprising on an assimilated territory, nor in the outer valleys.

ASSIMILATION: A pochteca may win over a city it controls, to gain 1 additional Sacrifice point per turn and avoid Uprisings. Pay 3 Tribute to win over your city, and replace your city marker with an assimilated city marker showing 1. You may not have more than 5 assimilated cities. This mission is impossible in the outer valleys.

ESPIONAGE: This mission is resolved only during phase 7, "Flowery War". A pochteca on Espionage prevents a neutral territory from benefiting from its mobilisation roll (see 14.13). This mission is also possible in the outer valleys. During the Flowery War, if an enemy army enters the territory where one of your pochtecas that has not yet carried out its mission is located, the pochteca is eliminated only if the army conquers that territory.

13.0 Phase 6: Lake Domination

As with the pochtecas, players write down the location of their boats in secret. Each turn, players must determine the position of all their boats. There are 4 numbered lake zones. Players write the number of boats, then the letter B (boat), and finally the zone of deployment.

Example: 2B4 (2 boats in lake zone 4). Players reveal their locations simultaneously and place their boats on the game board. Note that there are markers for 1 boat and markers for 2 boats. The first player announces whether he wants to attack another player located in a shared lake zone: the combat is resolved immediately. If other players are in the lake zone, they may join either the attacker, the defender, or choose neutrality. A player who comes in as an ally must announce it before the combat begins. A player whose turn it is may sink all the boats of a player located in the same lake zone, and then attack a third player present who has taken part in no combat. Each player in turn, in turn order, announces and resolves his attacks. To limit the writing phases, it is recommended to note the position of the boats at the same time as the pochteca missions.

13.1 Lake Combat

The combat takes place in successive rounds; the attacker may stop the combat at the end of any round. The defender only suffers the attacks. On his turn, and if he is still present in the lake zone, he may possibly turn into an attacker. There is no retreat in lake combats: the combat stops either because one of the players has lost all his boats in the zone, or because the attacker has decided to stop the combat. Each boat is worth 1 combat point. Players add up their combat points; the player with the most combat points is the strong side, and the other player is the weak side. The strong side rolls 1 yellow die, the weak side rolls 1 red die; the dice are rolled simultaneously. In case of a tie in combat points, each player rolls one red die. Each spear obtained on a die means the loss of one boat. At each new round, the strong side is recalculated. In a combat with an ally, losses are shared successively between the two, the ally never suffering the first loss. A lake combat yields no Sacrifice points.

13.2 Lake Control

At the end of the phase, control of each of the 4 lake zones is determined. A player controls a lake zone if he has more boats in that zone than each of his opponents; in case of a tie, the zone is not controlled by anyone. Controlling a zone yields 1 Tribute during phase 1, and allows you to make landings, and to transport and withdraw your troops (army and Reserve). A player who has boats in a lake zone controlled by another player must ask that player's permission to cross it. All negotiations are possible. If a lake zone is not controlled, all players may transport or withdraw freely through that zone without asking the permission of any player.

13.3 Dyke

The dyke allows the Aztec player to connect his island to the coast and use it as a land link. Only the Aztec player may build dykes, and they may not be destroyed. The Aztec player may build a maximum of 3 dykes, whose links are: Tenochtitlan–Tizapan, Tenochtitlan–Iztapalapan, Tlalolco–Tepeyac. Dykes do not hinder the movement of boats. The other players may use them to attack the Aztec player, but in that case the Aztec player benefits from a yellow defence die, as if he were defending in the mountains or in a marsh (see 14.8). As soon as a dyke is bought, it is immediately placed on the game board and can be used right away. If the Aztec player installs a dyke connecting Tenochtitlan and Tizapan, the NEUTRAL territory of Tizapan no longer benefits from the yellow defence die due to the marsh if an attack takes place across the dyke. If the Aztec player captures Tizapan, or if another player seizes it, then the territory gives its owner a yellow defence die due to the marsh.

14.0 Phase 7: Flowery War

14.1 The Armies

Each player has 3 armies marked A, B and C, represented by their Generals. These General pieces move and fight on the game board. Players also have an army called the Reserve, with no marker, which has special rules. On his Army Organisation board, each player distributes his warrior and Jaguar knight pieces among his armies and his Reserve, face down so that his opponents cannot know their fighting strength. An army may never contain more than 4 pieces (warriors or Jaguar knights). An army is destroyed and its General is killed when its last piece is captured in a combat. Unlike the Generals, the warrior and Jaguar knight pieces never move on the game board; they stay on the Army Organisation board and are only used when combats are resolved.

14.2 Order of Army Movement

An army may only move if it receives a march order. At the start of phase 7, "Flowery War", players announce the number of armies they have that are not destroyed. For each army, the players receive a Movement marker of their colour; all these markers are shuffled. Then the first player draws a first marker at random, and its colour allows the player of that colour to move one of his armies of his choice. The player may also decide not to move. Once an army has moved, it must wait until the following turn before it can move again. All "Army Movement" markers must be drawn. It is the first player, or Tlatoani, who makes the draws.

14.3 Movement

Armies move up to 3 territories at most. However, they must stop as soon as they enter a neutral or enemy territory. An army may move onto lake zones if it has boats of its colour. The player who controls a lake zone may prevent an army from passing; if no one controls it, passage is free. An army must always end its movement on a territory. Once an army has finished all its movements and combats, it may no longer move but may still intercept. Terrain features, mountains and marshes, do not hinder the movement of armies in any way.

14.4 Interception

An army, even if it has already moved, may intercept an enemy army that passes through or stops on an adjacent territory, whether land or lake. Multiple interceptions or counter-interceptions are not possible. Only the first player to have declared an interception may carry it out. An interception always causes a combat. An army may intercept on a lake zone only if it has at least 1 boat of its colour there and it controls the lake zone, or if no other player controls it. If another player controls the lake zone, that player may authorise the interception. An army that intercepts on a neutral territory must, once the combat is resolved, withdraw to its starting territory; it may in no case remain on the neutral territory. An intercepted army that wins the combat may finish its movement normally. An army may intercept as many times as it wishes during the turn, as long as it still has troops. A Raid can never be intercepted.

14.5 Reorganisation

Reorganisation consists of transferring warrior pieces from one army to another. Reorganisation is only possible on your own turn, that is, when you have drawn a Movement marker of your colour. Any type of exchange may be carried out. Whenever armies are on the same territory, they may reorganise. An army on its capital may reorganise with its Reserve. An army that passes through a territory occupied either by its capital or by an army of its colour may reorganise. A player may decide to get rid of one or two of his armies by transferring his troops either to the Reserve or to another army. A player who voluntarily empties his army by reorganising destroys it. It is not possible to keep the General pieces if their armies no longer contain troops. The player must buy back a General.

14.6 The Reserve

The Reserve is an army that resides in each player's capital; it serves to protect not only the capital but also any City belonging to the player. It is a defensive army that fills the role of a garrison. The Reserve must not exceed a strength of 4 pieces, warriors or Jaguar knights. It is never destroyed even if all the pieces it contains are captured. It only intervenes at the player's discretion, solely to defend his attacked cities. The number of pieces committed by the Reserve is decided at the start of the combat, before the attacker has announced his combat strength. The Reserve may always withdraw after the first round of combat (exception: the Heroic Combat card). The Reserve has no limit to its movement, but it may only intervene in an attacked city if it can trace an unbroken chain of territories or lake zones belonging to it leading to that city. This chain is broken by natural disasters or by the lake control of another player who does not grant passage. The Reserve may never be intercepted.

14.7 Combat

Combat takes place when 2 enemy armies meet, or when an army attacks a neutral territory or an enemy City defended by its Reserve. The players add up the value of their troops in each army: a warrior piece is worth 1 combat point, a Jaguar knight is worth 2 combat points. The strength of an army may therefore vary from 1 to 8 combat points. Sometimes the Reserve may add its strength to that of its armies. Each player announces his total combat value. The stronger player rolls 2 yellow dice, the other player rolls 2 red dice. In case of a tie, the players each roll 2 red dice. The combat opposes the two adversaries and takes place in successive rounds until one of the armies is destroyed or withdraws. A round corresponds to the dice roll of both players. There must always be at least 1 round of combat before a withdrawal is possible. At the end of each round, the players decide either to continue the combat or to withdraw. At the end of each round, the losses of each player are removed and the strong side is recalculated. Each time a die shows a spear, one enemy troop is captured. A player wins a combat if he completely destroys an army by capturing all the enemy pieces, or if the enemy army withdraws. Only the winner of the combat may convert captured pieces into Sacrifice points, at a rate of 1 Sacrifice point per captured piece. Troops captured by the loser are not converted into Sacrifice points; they are simply discarded. Each time a player wins a combat on a neutral territory or a territory belonging to another player, he captures the territory and places a conquered city marker there. If the territory already has a marker of another player, it is replaced by a marker belonging to the winner. In case of simultaneous destruction of the armies, the defender keeps his territory.

14.8 Terrain

Each time an army attacks across mountains, marshes, chinampas (floating gardens) or a dyke (except for the Aztec player), the defender receives a yellow defence die, which he rolls before the combat. If he obtains a spear, he immediately captures one piece of his opponent's army. This piece is not counted in the calculation of the strong side. This piece is converted into a Sacrifice point even if the defender loses the combat. Warning: a defender may not combine several terrain effects to benefit from several yellow defence dice.

14.9 Losses

The player who suffers losses chooses the troops he loses. The losses are removed simultaneously and set aside. They represent in fact the warriors captured during the combat. Only the winner of the combat converts the pieces lost by his adversary into Sacrifice points. Reminder: when a combat takes place in a lake zone, the winner does not gain any Sacrifice points.

14.10 Experience

After a victorious combat against another army, a surviving warrior may be turned into a Jaguar knight. Warning: this rule does not apply to combats against Raids.

14.11 Withdrawal

During a combat, a player may decide to withdraw his army, his Reserve, or both. To do so, he must own an adjacent territory or a continuous chain of boats that allows him to withdraw to one of his territories. A player may not withdraw through lake zones controlled by other players unless they grant their permission. A player who cannot withdraw must fight to the end. Special cases: an army on a territory that suffers a flood or an earthquake must withdraw to an adjacent territory of its choice belonging to it. If this is not possible, the army is placed back in its capital and suffers the loss of one piece chosen by the owner. In this special case the player does not need to be connected to his capital in order to withdraw there. The "Alliance" card, which allows you to cross a neutral territory, lasts as long as the army that has crossed it has not finished its movements and combats. Thus that army may withdraw through this territory to reach one of its territories.

14.12 Neutral States

Each neutral territory represents an independent city-state defended by its own troops.

THE VALLEY OF MEXICO: All neutral territories of the Valley of Mexico are thus defended by a minimum army composed of 1 warrior and 1 Jaguar knight, to which the mobilisation value of the population must be added. These neutral armies may never withdraw.

THE OUTER VALLEYS: The 4 outer valleys of Mexico (Tula, Toluca, Oaxtepec and Tlaxcala) represent either empires or the gathering of very powerful Indian tribes. Three of them, Toluca, Tlaxcala and Oaxtepec, benefit from a defensive bonus due to their mountain range. And these 4 outer valleys are defended by a minimum army composed of 3 Jaguar knights plus a mobilisation roll whose die result is increased by 1. A conquered valley yields 2 Tribute and 1 Sacrifice point per turn. Pochtecas may not carry out Alliances, Assimilations or Uprisings there. They may, however, undertake Espionage missions.

14.13 Mobilisation

Mobilisation symbolises the raising of troops from the population. When a neutral territory is attacked, each player announces whether he is playing an "Arrival of Reinforcements" card; once all these cards have been played, the neutral player makes his mobilisation roll. He rolls the white die:

• 1 to 3: no additional warrior is added;
• 4 to 5: 1 additional warrior is added;
• 6: 1 additional Jaguar knight is added.

The player to the left of the attacker rolls the dice for the neutral player. For the mobilisation roll of the 4 outer valleys, 1 point is added to the die result. A pochteca on an Espionage mission cancels the mobilisation roll. Additional troops arriving thanks to "Reinforcement" cards are the last to be captured. If they win the combat, they remain on the territory until the end of the turn. Troops that appear thanks to mobilisation disappear at the end of the combat; unlike reinforcement troops, they do not remain on the territory.

14.14 Cousins

Any player adjacent to a neutral territory attacked by another player may declare himself a cousin of the attacked kingdom. In that case, he may send 1 piece from his Reserve to help the neutral army. For this, the territory adjacent to the attacked neutral must be connected to his capital. This piece may never withdraw; it must fight to the end: it will be the last to be captured (after the reinforcement troops). In case of a victory for the neutrals, the territory it defended does not belong to it, even if it is the last survivor. If it is a warrior and it emerges victorious from the combat, it turns into a Jaguar knight and returns to the Reserve. Several players may declare themselves cousins of the same neutral; losses are removed in turn order.

14.15 Plundering the Capital

The attack on an enemy capital aims to capture the Sacrifice points and Tribute of the unlucky player. If the attacker is victorious, he seizes half of the Sacrifice points that the defender holds, rounded up, as well as all of his Tribute. The attacker must then withdraw, because a capital can never be conquered, only plundered. A player can therefore never be eliminated from the game; at worst, he has half of his Sacrifice points and his Tribute stolen. If a capital is plundered by a Raid, the defender of the capital loses half of his Sacrifice points. If the capital is the last territory of a player and all his troops are captured while defending it, the player always keeps his capital and receives free of charge on the following turn 1 General, as well as 3 warriors and 1 Jaguar knight. A player whose capital has been plundered may still take part in the Judgement of the Gods phase.

15.0 Phase 8: Judgement of the Gods

The Sacrifice points accumulated during the whole turn are kept secretly by each player. They must now divide their Sacrifices between Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca. At this point in the game, the players may discuss and come to arrangements among themselves.

15.1 Sacrifices to Quetzalcoatl

In turn order, the players secretly put into the urn of Quetzalcoatl the Sacrifice points they offer to the Feathered Serpent. This urn will not be opened, and the number of these sacrifices will only be revealed at the end of the game to determine the winning player. As a check, but without revealing each player's choices, the player must place the same number of Sacrifice points in the verification urn, this time using the purple verification markers. This urn will be opened every two turns and serves to make Quetzalcoatl climb the steps of the pyramid: he climbs one step for every 20 Sacrifice points. Surplus Sacrifice points are left in the urn for the next count. Quetzalcoatl must climb 5 steps: once he is on the penultimate step, the contents of the verification urn will be checked at every turn to see whether he climbs the last step.

15.2 Sacrifices to Tezcatlipoca

The players hide their Sacrifice points in their hands. Then the players simultaneously reveal the number of Sacrifice points they offer to Tezcatlipoca to calm his anger. The Sacrifices of each player are added together, then the Tlatoani rolls the white die three times, keeping the highest result (this number represents the number of volunteers who sacrifice themselves to prevent the destruction of the universe). The total of the Sacrifices and of the die must be greater than or equal to the "Wrath of Tezcatlipoca" card that is then drawn at random. This card bears a number (9, 10 or 11) which is the minimum number of sacrifices Tezcatlipoca requires to keep his calm and remain at peace. If the total of the Sacrifice points offered by the players and of the die is greater than or equal to that number, Tezcatlipoca does not move. If the total is lower, Tezcatlipoca, furious, descends one step. Warning: all 3 "Wrath of Tezcatlipoca" cards must have been played before they are shuffled again. Thus, on the second and especially the third turn, it is easier to foresee how strong Tezcatlipoca's wrath will be.

15.3 End of the Game

When Tezcatlipoca has descended his 4 steps, he enters the underworld and destroys the world out of vengeance for the ingratitude of men. In this case all the players have lost the game, and the urn of Quetzalcoatl is not counted, since there is no ranking among the losers. To win, the players must bring Quetzalcoatl onto the last step of his temple before Tezcatlipoca reaches the underworld. The contents of the urn of Quetzalcoatl are then revealed: the player who has offered the most Sacrifice points to Quetzalcoatl wins the game. If Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca both reach their objective in the same turn, it is Tezcatlipoca who wins. Advice: as a general rule, put 1 Sacrifice piece worth 5 rather than 5 pieces worth 1, so you do not run short of pieces! Be very precise when placing your pieces in the urn of Quetzalcoatl, because you must not make a mistake, on pain of distorting the game. Never open this urn before the end of the game. If you make a mistake, point it out to the other players and note the number of Sacrifice points that must be deducted from your total.

16.0 Three-Player Rule

With 3 players, the Aztec people is removed from the game. Tlalolco and Tenochtitlan form a single territory, considered a marsh. A Population marker is placed on this common territory. The 4 valleys TULA, TOLUCA, TLAXCALA and OAXTEPEC are removed from the game; no player may enter them. Quetzalcoatl needs only 15 Sacrifice points to climb 1 step. The dyke rules are not used.

17.0 Difficulty Levels

The players may agree to increase or decrease the difficulty of the game by changing the number of Sacrifice points needed for Quetzalcoatl to climb one step: 25 points for Expert level, 22 points for Experienced level, and so on.

18.0 Options

Because we like to offer you different game variants, we suggest you try these optional rules.

"NOT ENOUGH, MY SON..." Players who know the game may decide to start the game differently: each player then has 34 Tribute, except the Aztec, who has 37. Players make their purchases in secret, then announce the composition of their armies. Tribute may be kept during the game.

"THE BIG DEAL" Cards may be sold or exchanged between players. You may play a card to help another player. Players may give or lend Tribute to one another. A player is never obliged to keep his word.

"PIROGUE EXPRESS SERVICE" A player may allow another player to use his boats for movement.

"I ALREADY GAVE..." The peoples of the region, who have suffered long periods of invasion and anarchy, are more reluctant to conclude Alliances. From now on, Alliances and Assimilations are no longer automatic.

• Alliance: allows you to gain a territory without fighting, in the Valley of Mexico only:
  • if the player pays 2 Tribute, he rolls a red die: if he obtains a spear, the Alliance is concluded;
  • if the player pays 4 Tribute, he rolls a yellow die: if he obtains a spear, the Alliance is concluded.
• Assimilation: makes a City loyal, so that it can no longer suffer an Uprising; this also allows the player to receive 1 additional Sacrifice point per turn. To attempt an Assimilation, the player pays 1 Tribute and rolls a red die: if he obtains a spear, he succeeds in the Assimilation.

19.0 Playing Advice

Your one and only aim is to acquire Sacrifices. Never forget this objective; always think about the profitability of your actions in terms of Sacrifice points. Always hide from the other players the Sacrifice points you gain during the turn. Play on the different sectors of the game: economic, political and military. Always keep some Tribute to take part in the slave market; think about quickly Assimilating your cities. A constant lack of Tribute will force you to make difficult choices. If you are short of Tribute, send your pochtecas on Expedition. The fact that you have more territories than the other players does not mean you will have the most Sacrifices. Your conquests are only worthwhile if they bring you Sacrifices. Two imperatives: protect your capital by controlling the neighbouring territories, and hold territories that allow you to threaten the other players. Take first the territories that yield Sacrifices, but always think about ensuring good links between your Cities, even doubling them by controlling the lake zones. Warning: the Flowery War is not a war of mass destruction, nor a war of pillage, like the ones practised by the European armies of the same period. It is a limited war of movements, made of feints, cunning and surprise attacks. So do not be all-or-nothing or vindictive, because the aim is to react quickly to the mistakes of the other players without engaging in long, interminable conflicts that will cost you victory. It is a game for opportunists. During combats, do not hesitate to withdraw, because losing an army proves very costly. Always keep troops in your Reserve to face Raids or defend your Cities. Against other players, always seek to break their links between Cities, so that you can seize isolated Cities without fighting. Think about using your pochtecas for Uprisings. Never underestimate the importance of controlling the lake zones, or you will expose yourself to untimely landings. Always use the largest pieces to record your Sacrifice points, because they are limited in number; and if you cannot put in the exact sum at the end of the game, you will lose your Sacrifice points. Be careful not to make a mistake when putting your Sacrifice points into the urn of Quetzalcoatl, because it must not be opened under any pretext until the end of the game. A player who makes a mistake must announce his error, which will then be noted and deducted from his final total. Beware of Tezcatlipoca: if you do not give enough, he will descend very quickly and soon reach the last step, where it is very difficult to keep him there for several turns in a row, unless you make very large sacrifices to ensure the game continues.

LAST ADVICE: the idea of the game is to introduce a civilisation and a philosophy different from our own, so play the game and put yourself in the shoes of an Aztec king. Do not be a bad sport by making the other players lose on the pretext that you think you can no longer win: no Indian people would have adopted such a selfish and destructive attitude, and besides, as long as Quetzalcoatl has not won, you cannot know whether you have lost, unless you are a clairvoyant!

20.0 Short Glossary of Aztec Terms

• COLHUACAN: "hunchbacked hill", a Toltec city founded by King Mixcoatl ("cloud serpent") in the 9th century with the survivors of Tula.
• TENOCHTITLAN: "place of the cactus", Aztec capital, founded in 1325 on an island in Lake Texcoco.
• AZCAPOTZALCO: a city built by the survivors of the people of Teotihuacan and captured by the Tepanecs ("those who live on the stone", on the lava flows of the Xitle volcano).
• TEXCOCO: capital of the Acolhuas, a Chichimec tribe.
• CHICHIMECS: "descendants of dogs". This term was not offensive; it designated the gathering of nomadic tribes coming from the north who invaded the Valley of Mexico in successive waves. The Toltecs, the Aztecs or Mexica, the Acolhuas and the Tepanecs are Chichimecs.
• CHINAMPAS: small floating gardens laid out on artificial islets in shallow lagoons or lakes. Harvests were frequent and abundant. This method of cultivation made up for the lack of arable land.
• QUETZALCOATL: "feathered serpent", god of creation, of life, discoverer of maize and promoter of human knowledge. He is the enemy brother of TEZCATLIPOCA.
• TEZCATLIPOCA: "lord of the smoking mirror", a nocturnal and lunar god, bloodthirsty and warlike, patron of sorcerers, lord of shadows. He is the enemy of the virtuous QUETZALCOATL, whom he corrupts.
• TLALOC: "he who makes all things grow", god of earth, rain, lightning and the green paradise. He was the god of the peasants and represented agriculture.
• YACATECUHTLI: god of the pochtecas.

Brief bibliography (titles as in the original): J. SOUSTELLE, "La vie quotidienne des Aztèques à la veille de la conquête espagnole" (Hachette); J. SOUSTELLE, "Les Aztèques" ("Que sais-je ?", P.U.F.); M. GRAULICH, "Montezuma" (Fayard); M. COE, "Les premiers Mexicains Olmèques, Toltèques, Aztèques" (Armand Colin); M. COE, D. SNOW and E. BENSON, "Atlas de l'Amérique Précolombienne" (Edition du Fanal); OSPREY No. 239, MEN AT ARMS SERIES, "Aztec, Mixtec and Zapotec Armies".

21.0 Designer's Notes

Try to put yourself in the place of the Indians of the period and to understand their philosophy. Cut off from the rest of the world since they crossed the Bering Strait, the civilisations of the American continent developed in perfect autarky. No major scientific revolution, no great invasion, no religious revolution, but constant myths that were perpetuated for 2,000 years. Time is unchanging, and the Mesoamerican tribes are engaged in a true cosmic drama, a struggle in which the gods are the main actors and which is daily. A struggle that makes creation phases eternally succeed destruction phases. The practice of sacrifice is vital for these peoples, and it does not carry the pessimistic and sinister connotation it has in our Western society. This fragile human balance is maintained by the blood spilled for the god. As J. SOUSTELLE writes: "faced with a merciless universe, the Indian reacted without illusion, but with an indomitable energy, by arranging through hard labour and blood the precarious life that the gods granted him".

AZTECA was conceived as a game of discovery of a civilisation that we have all heard of, but whose foundations and workings few know. The game was created as a change of scenery, an exotic way of reliving the destiny of the peoples of Mesoamerica. How difficult it is to step outside our Western way of thinking, to discover new modes of thought, a displaced and oppressive time in which only cosmic balance matters, and where the gods mingle with men. Think that at the same period, in France, the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453) is raging; French knights besiege Burgundian and English citadels, and princes dream only of enlarging their kingdoms or of delivering the holy places from the hands of the Arabs. The Aztecs, for their part, do not wage siege warfare; they practise the "Flowery War", a kind of regulated and understood war: one kills as little as possible, a prisoner is much more valuable because he can be sacrificed, one does not pillage, one does not massacre, what a waste. Battles end when one of the armies has captured the statue of the enemy god from the enemy temple, which is then brought back as a hostage to the temple of the victorious god. This parallel shows all the difference between our two civilisations. This is what I wanted to achieve between my first game "Montjoie!" and my second "Azteca", which have the same historical setting but two radically different societies. The mechanisms of the game may surprise you, because I have tried to convey these differences of thought and action, which is why the classic reasoning (the more territories I possess, the stronger I am and the more chance I have of winning) is not valid in this game. There is no single method for winning, but methods that combine many interactions, not necessarily easy to grasp at first sight. I have tried to put the players in context, relying as much as possible on the atmospheres created by my research and on this inexorable cosmic struggle for survival. My aim will have been to open a small window onto this fantastic and fascinating world that was Mexico between the 14th and 15th centuries.

22.0 History

The collapse of the city of TEOTIHUACAN, "the abode of the gods", and of its people, around the year 700, gave way to great invasions. This profound change was the work of the Chichimecs, ferocious barbarians who came down from the north and arrived in successive waves over a period of more than 500 years. Gradually, the Chichimecs converted to the civilisation of the Valley of Mexico: the Toltecs, former barbarians, founded the city of TULA north of the Valley of Mexico around 970. TOPILTZIN was officially the priest-king of the city, dedicated to the peaceful cult of QUETZALCOATL, the feathered serpent, preferring to human sacrifice the immolation of animals and self-mutilation. Some of his subjects, dissatisfied with their king's intellectual pacifism and loyal to the evil god TEZCATLIPOCA, "lord of the smoking mirror", god of sorcerers and of warrior orders, opposed him and triggered a true civil war. TOPILTZIN-QUETZALCOATL had to flee with his partisans; he emigrated to YUCATAN and colonised the Mayas. The Mayas knew a new era of prosperity but also of violence, because they adopted the bloody rites of the northern tribes. The Toltec empire reached its peak under the domination of the TEZCATLIPOCA faction; it extended from coast to coast over most of central Mexico. In the 12th century a vast movement of migrations began, which drove one after another hunting and warrior peoples southwards, and this caused the fall of the mythical TULA. The Toltec survivors fled to the southern half of the Valley of Mexico, mainly to the city of COLHUACAN, which became an important stronghold, thus saving their high degree of culture. The Chichimecs led by XOLOTL founded the city of TEXCOCO, which quickly grew rich and became a true cultural centre. The Acolhuas founded COATLINCHAN in 1260; the Otomis settled at XALTOCAN around 1250; as for the powerful Tepanecs, they conquered the city of AZCAPOTZALCO, founded by refugees from TEOTIHUACAN. The Aztecs were the last to arrive. The decades that followed saw the reign of anarchy; the peaceful cities gave way to city-states with a warlike dynamism, all the new peoples trying to recover the knowledge of the civilised peoples they had conquered. The intellectual elite of the earlier cultures, of TEOTIHUACAN and of the Toltecs, had been replaced by a new class of professional soldiers grouped into castes bearing animal names: coyotes, jaguars or eagles. War was the rule, and unfortunate prisoners were sacrificed to gods thirsty for human blood. In the 14th century, there were 28 city-states, the most important of which were TEXCOCO (Chichimec), COLHUACAN (Toltec) and AZCAPOTZALCO (Tepanec). The shores of the lakes of the Valley of Mexico were already divided among many city-states when the Aztecs arrived. A warrior people, the Aztecs distinguished themselves by their bloodthirsty attitude and terrorised their more civilised neighbours. Faced with general hostility, they took refuge on an island in the middle of the lake, where they founded their capital TENOCHTITLAN around 1325. They then served as mercenaries in the service of TEZOZOMOC, king of the Tepanecs of AZCAPOTZALCO. One after another, the city-states of the valley fell under the combined blows of the Tepanecs and the Aztecs. In gratitude, TEZOZOMOC offered one of his daughters in marriage to the Aztec king, which considerably improved the position of the Aztecs among the city-states. But in 1427, the tyrant MAXTLA seized the throne of AZCAPOTZALCO and had the Aztec ruler assassinated. The leaders of the other city-states of the region, well aware that a similar fate awaited them, allied themselves with the rebel Aztecs and destroyed the Tepanecs in 1429. This date marks the birth of the Aztec empire, which was founded on the triple alliance of the cities of TENOCHTITLAN, TEXCOCO and TLACOPAN. At its height, this empire comprised 38 provinces and touched both oceans. It collapsed in 1521 under the combined assaults of the Spaniards and their allies, notably the kingdom of TLAXCALA.

THE MYTH OF THE 4 SUNS. The Aztecs shared many beliefs with the other Native American peoples. They thought that several successive worlds had preceded ours, and that each of them had collapsed in cataclysms during which humanity had been exterminated: these are the "Four Suns". In the beginning was OMETECUHTLI, lord of duality, male and female at once, who begat several children: XIPE TOTEC (the flayed god), UITZILOPOCHTLI, QUETZALCOATL, TEZCATLIPOCA, TLALOC and CHALCHIUHTLICUE. These deities engaged in a cosmic struggle for power which led to the creation and destruction of four successive eras, or Suns. TEZCATLIPOCA ruled the First Sun, called NAUI-OCELOTL (4 jaguar). After 676 years, QUETZALCOATL threw TEZCATLIPOCA into the water, and the earth was devoured by jaguars. During the Second Sun, NAUI-EECALT (4 wind), presided over by QUETZALCOATL, TEZCATLIPOCA took his revenge on this god by overthrowing him: he was carried away by a gigantic hurricane. The Third Sun, NAUI-QUIAUITL (4 rain), was ruled by the rain god TLALOC. QUETZALCOATL sent a rain of fire which consumed the earth and marked the end of this era. Finally, the Fourth Sun, NAUI-ATL (4 water), placed under the sign of CHALCHIUHTLICUE, goddess of water, ended in a flood lasting 52 years, in which human beings were transformed into fish. These imperfect worlds were followed by the creation of the Fifth Sun, designated by the sign NAUI-OLLIN ("4 Movement"). It was created at TEOTIHUACAN, at the moment when the little leprous god NANAHUATZIN threw himself into a great brazier and miraculously transformed himself into the rising sun. But it remained motionless, so the gods offered their blood so that the star could move. The gods had shown the example; it was now for men to fulfil their cosmic duty of sacrifice. The human sacrifice from which "precious water" was drawn made it possible to repel the assault of the darkness and to bring the sun back. But all this is only a temporary concession, since it is said that this sun is destined to collapse in immense earthquakes. The TZITZIMIMES, skeletal monsters that haunt the margins of the universe to the west, will emerge from the darkness and annihilate humanity.

Player Aid

TURN STRUCTURE

• Phase 1: DRAWING CARDS
• Phase 2: COLLECTING TRIBUTE
• Phase 3: PURCHASE AND RECRUITMENT
• Phase 4: SLAVE MARKET
• Phase 5: POCHTECA MISSIONS
• Phase 6: LAKE DOMINATION
• Phase 7: FLOWERY WAR
• Phase 8: JUDGEMENT OF THE GODS

TRIBUTE INCOME

• Capital: 4 Tribute
• City of the Valley of Mexico: 1 Tribute
• Control of a lake zone: 1 Tribute
• City of an outer valley: 2 Tribute
• Tlaloc card: 1D6 Tribute
• Expeditions: 0 / 2 / 4 / 6 Tribute

SACRIFICE POINT INCOME

• Territory with a Population marker: 1 / 2 Sacrifice points
• Assimilated city: 1 Sacrifice point
• City of an outer valley: 1 Sacrifice point

COST OF PURCHASES

• Warrior: 1 Tribute
• Jaguar knight: 2 Tribute
• Pochteca: 1 Tribute
• General: 4 Tribute
• Boat: 2 Tribute
• Dyke: 3 Tribute

POCHTECA MISSIONS

• EXPEDITION: the player draws as many Expedition cards as he has sent pochtecas.
• ESPIONAGE: prevents a neutral territory from making its Mobilisation roll.
• ALLIANCE: automatically gains a territory without fighting, in the Valley of Mexico only, for 3 Tribute.
• UPRISING: causes a non-assimilated city of an opposing player to be lost: red die (spear), for 1 Tribute.
• ASSIMILATION: makes one of your Cities loyal for 3 Tribute, and gains 1 additional Sacrifice point per turn.

MOBILISATION ROLL

Each time a neutral territory is attacked, and once all players have played their Arrival of Reinforcements cards, roll the white die:

• 1 to 3: no additional warrior
• 4 to 5: add 1 warrior
• 6: add 1 Jaguar knight

For the Mobilisation roll in the outer valleys (Tula, Toluca, Oaxtepec and Tlaxcala), add +1 to the die result.

Azteca: the FAQ

Since many questions have been asked about this game, here are the answers:

Q: There is a small strip of land between Lake Xochimilco and the body of water to the east.

a) Does this strip of land separate the two bodies of water? If so, is the body of water to the east navigable?

A: Yes, these are indeed two different bodies of water. But only Lake Xochimilco is navigable. In fact, only the lakes numbered 1 to 4 are considered navigable.

b) To which territory does the strip of land belong?

A: It does not belong to any territory.

c) Can one attack from Colhuacan to Chalco by passing over this strip of land?

A: No. But one may pass either through Lake Xochimilco, or through Tlapacoya and Coatlinchan, for a land attack.

d) Does Lake Xochimilco border Chalco?

A: Yes.

Q: How do boats move? From adjacent lake to adjacent lake?

A: No. They do not move from zone to zone. They are built in one zone and do not move from it.

Q: How many markers are placed in the bowl at the start of combats?

A: One for each General present on the game board.

Q: If player A sends a spy on a mission to a neutral territory that player B attacks straight afterwards, what happens to the spy, and to the mobilisation die?

A: If you send a spy, it means you intend to attack, but nothing says the spy's power is automatic. Player A may therefore choose not to activate his spy. In that case, the mobilisation roll is made normally and nothing happens to the spy.

Q: Who chooses to withdraw first?

A: The attacker.

Q: How does the "Diversion Manoeuvre" card work?

A: One more marker is placed in the bowl. This gives you one more chance to play whenever you wish.