The Cousins' War
The Cousins' War Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Components
- Objective
- Game Set-up
- Game Board
- Action Cards
- Game Sequence
- Description of a Round
- Play Aid — Summary of a Round
- Play Aid — Battle Results Resolution
- Additional Optional Variant — Times of Change
- Promo Card — Battle of Tewkesbury (4 May 1471)
- Credits
Components
- 1 game board
- 17 Action cards
- 6 Times of Change cards
- 1 Play Aid card
- 12 red cubes (Lancaster)
- 12 white cubes (York)
- 2 blue cubes (French)
- 1 black cube (round marker)
- 6 six-sided dice (3 red, 3 white)
Objective
The objective of the game is to gain control of England. This can be achieved in 1 of 3 ways:
- At the end of any round, if a player controls all 3 Regions of England, they win.
- At the end of round 5, the player who controls the most Regions wins.
- If at the end of round 5 both players control the same number of Regions, the player who won the most battles wins.
Control of a Region is shown by having the most cubes in that Region.
Game Set-up
- Place the game board on the playing area and put the round marker (black cube) on the number 1.
- Put the Play Aid card nearby, so that both players can refer to it.
- Put the red, white and blue cubes together as the Supply beside the board.
- Put the 6 dice next to the Supply.
- Place 1 red and 1 white cube from the Supply into each Region.
- Each player picks a side and takes 2 cubes of their chosen colour from the Supply (white for York and red for Lancaster) to create a Reserve.
- Shuffle the Action cards and deal 6 to each player. Put the rest of the cards in the box without looking at them; these cards aren't needed until next round.
Game Board
The map of England and Wales on the game board is broken into 3 Regions: North, Central and South. The battle sites on the Battle cards are printed on the board, so that players can see the location of each battle.
At the top of the board is a track to record the current round you are playing.
Action Cards
There are 2 types of Action card: Battle cards and Event cards.
Battle card — shows the Battle card icon, the name of the battle, the date of the battle, the Command Points (CPs, shown as a number of yellow circles), the starting cubes placed on the Battlefield, and the Battle Region (North, Central or South).
Event card — shows the round track, the Command Points (CPs, a number of yellow circles), the name of the Event, the Primary Event, and the Secondary Event, along with whether the Secondary Event is available to the Opponent.
Game Sequence
The game is played over a maximum of 5 rounds, each representing between 5 and 10 years of the Cousins' War. Each round involves gaining influence across England and preparing for a climactic battle.
Each round has 7 phases as follows:
- Deal Action cards
- Swap 1 Action card with opponent
- Determine Battlefield
- Play Action cards
- Resolve battle
- Victory check
- Clean-up
If no winner is declared in phase 6, continue to a new round after phase 7.
Description of a Round
When a player is playing a card, that player is the Active player and the other player is the Opponent.
1. Deal Action cards
Skip this phase in round 1, as Action cards were dealt during Game Set-up!
Take the deck of Action cards, shuffle it, and deal cards face down to each player until they have 6 cards each. If either player is holding a card from the previous round, they would be dealt only 5 cards. Each player picks up their cards, so they should now both be holding 6 cards. The rest of the Action cards remain face down and are placed in the box; these cards are not needed until next round.
2. Swap 1 Action card with opponent
Both players simultaneously pick 1 card from their hand to pass to their opponent face down, which they then add to their hand.
3. Determine Battlefield
Simultaneously, both players pick a Battle card from their hand and place it face down in the playing area. If you do not have a Battle card in your hand, you must choose 1 of your Event cards that doesn't have a rose or a box on this round's number. Then reveal the chosen cards.
The Battle card with the earliest year is the selected Battlefield for this round. Place it by the board, oriented so the player who played it has the bottom of the card nearest to them. Place the other card, whether Battle card or Event card, in the discard pile.
Each Battle card shows how many cubes each player must add to their side of the Battlefield. Each player chooses whether to take their cubes from the Supply or their Reserve, and places them on the half of the Battlefield closest to them. If you have no cubes in your Reserve or the Supply, you do not place cubes on the Battlefield.
Example: Oscar, playing red (Lancaster), selected Wakefield, and Beth, playing white (York), selected Mortimer's Cross. The players reveal simultaneously. As Wakefield's date (30 December 1460) is earlier than the date of Mortimer's Cross (2 February 1461), Oscar's Battle card will be used as the Battlefield this round. Oscar places it next to the board with the foot of the card nearest to him. Then he takes a red cube from the Supply and places it on his half of the card. Beth discards Mortimer's Cross.
4. Play Action cards
Starting with the player whose Battle card is being used as the Battlefield, players take it in turns to play an Action card. When each player has played 4 cards, this phase is complete. Both players will have 1 card left in hand at the end of this phase.
When playing an Action card, the Active player can either carry out its Primary Event or gain its Command Points (CPs) to spend on Actions. An Event or Action must be executed; you cannot pass and simply discard a card.
Once the Active player has used an Event card to either perform the Primary Event or to spend CPs, the players must check to see if the Secondary Event is available to the Opponent. See "Secondary Event" below.
After you have used the card, place it in the discard pile.
Using a card as an Event
If the Active player is using the card as an Event, carry out all the instructions on the Primary Event (top half of the card) in full. If you cannot do so, for example because cubes are not in the right place, you cannot carry out the Event and must use the card for its CPs.
Using a card for its Command Points
When using the card for its CPs, the Active player spends the points to carry out 1 of the 5 possible Actions described below. Any unused CPs are lost. You can use a card for 0 CPs.
The 5 different Actions are:
- Gain Troops in the Reserve
- Add Troops to the Battlefield
- Move influence
- Place influence
- Remove Opponent's influence
Gain Troops in the Reserve
Take a number of your cubes up to the CP value of the card from the Supply and place them in your Reserve.
Add Troops to the Battlefield
Add a number of cubes up to the CP value of the card from your Reserve to your side of the Battlefield.
Move influence
Choose 1 of the 3 Regions on the board. You may then move a number of your cubes up to the CP value of the card into the selected Region from adjacent Regions. If you select the Central Region, you can move cubes in from the North and/or the South.
Example: Playing red, Oscar has 3 CPs to use. He selects the Central Region. He moves 2 of his cubes from the North Region and 1 from the South Region into the Central Region. Now he controls all 3 Regions, at least temporarily.
Place influence
You may attempt to add a number of cubes from your Reserve straight to the board. The CP value of the card determines the number of attempts you may make. Only 1 cube can be added to each Region.
Carry out each attempt as follows: First take a cube from your Reserve and place it in the target Region. Then roll 1 of the dice. If the number rolled is greater than the number of cubes you have in the Region, you have successfully added the cube. If it is equal to that number, return the cube to your Reserve. If it is lower than that number, place the cube in the Supply.
Example: Playing white, Beth has 3 CPs to use for placing influence. 1st CP: She chooses the North Region first, places a cube from her Reserve into the North and rolls a die. She rolls a 3, which is more than the number of cubes she has in the North (2), so she succeeds and now has equal influence in this Region. 2nd CP: She cannot carry out a second attempt in the North, because only 1 cube can be placed in each Region. She tries in the Central Region, placing a cube there and needing a 5. She rolls a 2 and fails, so the cube goes back to the Supply. 3rd CP: Finally she tries again in the Central Region. She can have a second attempt here, because she hasn't yet succeeded in this Region. She rolls a 4! This fails again, but she keeps the cube in her Reserve, because the roll was equal to the number of cubes she had in the Central Region.
Remove Opponent's influence
You may attempt to remove 1 of your Opponent's cubes from the board. The CP value of the card determines the number of attempts you may have to remove the chosen cube from the Region.
Carry out each attempt as follows: First name the target Region. Then roll 1 of the dice. If the number rolled is less than the number of cubes your Opponent has in the Region, you have successfully removed the cube. Place it in the Supply. If it is equal to that number, return the cube to your Opponent's Reserve. If it is higher than that number, the attempt fails and no change occurs.
Once a cube has been removed from the board, any remaining CPs are lost.
Example: Oscar (red) has up to 2 attempts to remove influence. 1 CP: He names the North Region and rolls a die. A 2! He removes 1 of Beth's white cubes from the North, but because the number rolled was equal to the number of Beth's cubes in the North, the cube goes to Beth's Reserve, not the Supply. 2nd CP: Oscar has succeeded in removing a cube from the board, so remaining CPs are lost.
Secondary Event
Once the Active player has used an Event card to either perform the Primary Event or to spend CPs, the players must check to see if the Secondary Event is available to the Opponent. If the Event card's round number matching the current round has the Opponent's rose on it, or the number is in a thick square box, the Opponent may choose to execute the Secondary Event; carry out all the instructions on the Secondary Event in full. If the Opponent cannot do so, for example because cubes are not in the right place, the Opponent cannot carry out the Secondary Event.
5. Resolve battle
During this phase, players resolve the current battle. If both players have cubes on the Battlefield, the battle continues until only 1 player has cubes remaining. Discard losses from the Battlefield to the Supply.
If at any stage during this phase only 1 player has cubes on the Battlefield, they have won the battle. If only 1 player has cubes on the Battlefield at the start, they win the battle automatically. If at the start of the battle there are no cubes on the Battlefield, then the player who played the Battle card wins the battle automatically. This still counts as winning the battle, and the winner keeps the Battle card.
Players will alternate being the Active player. At the start of the phase, the Active player is the one with the most influence in the relevant Battle Region on the board. If this is a tie, the player who played the Battle card being used as the Battlefield is the Active player.
If you control the blue French cubes, these act as cubes on your side in the battle. When you lose cubes, these are the first to be discarded back to the Supply.
Example: Wakefield is in the North Region. As Oscar (red) controls the North, he will be the first Active player in the battle of Wakefield. Note that, even if Beth had had another cube in the North (making 2 influence cubes each), Oscar would still be the first Active player, because he was the one who played the Battle of Wakefield card earlier in the round. The number of cubes on the Battlefield doesn't decide who starts.
Battle sequence
When you are the Active player, carry out these steps:
I. Roll your 3 dice secretly and look at them without showing them to the Opponent.
II. Make a declaration about the dice roll. This declaration can be a Single X, a Double X or a Triple X, where X is any number between 1 and 6 (see example at the end of the Battle sequence). You may declare anything; however, you must be prepared to prove your declaration or suffer the consequences.
III. The Opponent then decides whether or not to believe your declaration. If the Opponent believes it, the declaration is accepted, and you do not reveal your dice; skip step IV and proceed directly to step V. If the Opponent doesn't believe your declaration, they challenge it and ask to see the dice, then proceed to step IV.
IV. Skip this step if the Opponent chose not to challenge your declaration. If the Opponent challenged your declaration, reveal your roll. Then follow these steps:
- A. If your declaration was true, the Opponent discards a cube from their side of the Battlefield. Then go on to step V.
- B. If your declaration was false, you may play your final Action card to change the dice. For each CP on the card, you may adjust 1 die by +1 or -1. Only 1 CP can be used for each die, and the dice cannot be moved above 6 or below 1.
- C. If the changed dice match your declaration, the declaration stands. Then go on to step V. The Opponent does not discard a cube.
- D. If the final dice result, changed or as rolled, doesn't match your declaration, you discard a cube from the Battlefield to the Supply, and the final dice result (not your declaration) goes into step V.
V. If only 1 player now has cubes on the Battlefield, they have won the battle. Otherwise, the Opponent takes their 3 dice and rolls them openly. If they still have their card left, they may change the dice as described above. The results are then compared. A Triple always beats a Double or a Single; a Double beats a Single. If the same type of result is rolled, the player with the lowest value of that type loses 1 cube from the Battlefield. If it is a tie, neither player loses a cube (with tied Doubles or tied Singles the other dice are ignored). When a Triple beats a Double or a Double beats a Single, the loser discards 2 cubes from the Battlefield. If a Triple beats a Single, the loser discards 3 cubes. See Play Aid card.
VI. If only 1 player remains on the Battlefield, they have won the battle, otherwise the Opponent now becomes the Active player, and the battle sequence begins again.
Example: Oscar has 2 blue cubes and 2 red cubes on his side, while Beth has 3 white cubes. Oscar controls the Region with the Battlefield, so is the Active player in the first battle sequence. He secretly rolls his 3 red dice and scores 2, 4 and 5. He declares that he has rolled Double 5. Beth doesn't believe this, so challenges. Oscar shows the 2-4-5, so the declaration was false.
However, Oscar plays his remaining Action card and adds 1 to the 4 roll, so now he has 2-5-5, which matches his declaration. He's still in with a chance. Beth doesn't lose a cube, even though Oscar matched his declaration, because the challenge was correct.
Beth now rolls her white dice openly. She rolls 1, 3 and 3. Fortunately, she has kept a 3 CP card as her Action card, so she can adjust her dice to 2-2-2 (note that she couldn't make it 3-3-3, because the 1 can only be adjusted by +1). Beth's Triple 2 beats Oscar's Double 5, because any Triple beats a Double.
Oscar has to lose 2 cubes, so the French cubes are moved back to the Supply.
Now Beth has the upper hand, and in the next battle sequence she is the Active player. She rolls her 3 dice: 1-4-6. She declares that she has rolled Double 4 (even though she knows she cannot change the result). Oscar believes her, so Beth scoops up the dice. Oscar rolls his dice openly. He rolls: 3-3-6. Unfortunately, he cannot adjust the dice, and he has failed to beat Double 4! However, he did roll a Double, so only loses 1 cube. The battle continues...
After the battle
The winner places the cubes of their colour from the Battlefield into either the Battle Region or an adjacent Region on the board, or back into their own Reserve. Only 1 Region may be chosen to place in, but the cubes may be split between the chosen Region and the Reserve. Any blue cubes remaining are returned to the Supply. Finally, the winner places the Battle card into their Reserve to keep for the remainder of the game to show how many battles they have won.
Example: Beth (white), having won the battle, chooses to place 2 of her winning cubes from the Battlefield to the Central Region, adjacent to the Region of the Battlefield (North), and 1 cube back to her Reserve. She can split the force between 1 Region and her Reserve, but she cannot pick a second Region.
6. Victory check
If a player controls all 3 Regions, they are declared the winner, and the game ends.
If it is the 5th round, and a player controls more Regions than their opponent, they are declared the winner, and the game ends. If the number of Regions controlled at the end of the 5th round is the same, the player who won the most battles, as shown by having the most Battle cards in their Reserve, is the winner.
If it is not the 5th round, and no winner has been established, continue to phase 7.
7. Clean-up
If you are still holding an Action card, you may choose to keep this card in your hand or place it on the discard pile.
One player then takes the discard pile and the cards previously set aside in the box, shuffles them to create a deck and places it next to the Supply. Remember to shuffle in all the Action cards except any single Action card a player might have chosen to keep between rounds, and any Battle cards from battles that have already been resolved.
Move the round marker to the next number. A new round begins.
Play Aid — Summary of a Round
-
Deal Action cards.
-
Swap 1 Action card with opponent.
-
Determine Battlefield.
-
Play Action cards. For each card, choose 1 of:
- Play Event.
- CP for Troops from Supply to Reserve.
- CP for Troops from Reserve to Battlefield.
- CP to move influence between Regions.
- CP to attempt to place influence from Reserve to Regions.
- CP to attempt to remove 1 influence from a Region.
Possible trigger of Secondary Event.
-
Resolve battle (see "Battle sequence" above).
-
Victory check.
-
Clean-up.
Play Aid — Battle Results Resolution
Cubes lost by the loser, cross-referencing what the loser rolled against what the winner rolled:
| Loser has \ Winner has | Triple | Double | Single |
|---|---|---|---|
| Triple | loses 1 cube | — | — |
| Double | loses 2 cubes | loses 1 cube | — |
| Single | loses 3 cubes | loses 2 cubes | loses 1 cube |
Other Battle Sequence Losses
- If the Opponent challenged the Active player's declaration, and the declaration was true: Opponent loses 1 cube.
- If the Active player's final dice, with or without the play of their final Action card, do not match their declaration: Active player loses 1 cube.
Return lost cubes to the Supply.
Additional Optional Variant — Times of Change
If both players agree, you can add 6 other cards to the game: the Times of Change expansion.
Example card — "Cunning Plans": If the Active player uses a card during the Play Action Cards phase with their own rose showing on the current round number, they may choose to use the Secondary Event instead of the Primary Event or CP.
Times of Change Set-up
After step 7 in the normal game set-up, shuffle the Times of Change expansion deck and place it face down beside the board. Turn the top card face up. The rules stated on this card will be in force for the first round.
Clean-up
After moving the round marker to the next number, remove the face-up Times of Change expansion card from the game and reveal the next one on top of the deck. The rules stated on this card will be in force for the next round.
Promo Card — Battle of Tewkesbury (4 May 1471)
Rules for the promo card for The Cousins' War. For background to the battle, see the Wikipedia page about the Battle of Tewkesbury.
Setting Up
Before starting, both players must agree that the Battle of Tewkesbury card will be used. If agreed, place the Battle of Tewkesbury card next to the Supply face down.
Using the Battle of Tewkesbury
The Battle of Tewkesbury is only fought if the Battle of Barnet happens. Before the winner of the Battle of Barnet places their cubes at the end of the battle, the loser of that battle can choose to fight the Battle of Tewkesbury immediately.
Remove the Battle of Barnet card from the game and replace it with the Battle of Tewkesbury card, face up. Place the Battle of Barnet winner's remaining cubes from that battle on the Battle of Tewkesbury card. Both players must add up to 2 of their cubes from the Supply or their Reserve, if able, to the new Battlefield. The loser of Barnet may then also add any number of cubes from the South Region.
The new battle is fought immediately with the loser of Barnet starting as the Active player. The battle is played out normally until a winner is established.
The winner may then place their remaining cubes from the Battlefield into any region(s) on the board splitting them how they choose. The cubes may not return to the Reserve. The winner also places the Battlefield card into their Reserve, as normal for winning a battle. Therefore, the Battle of Tewkesbury could prove decisive in resolving The Cousins' War.
Credits
- Game design: David J. Mortimer
- Artwork and layout: Klemens Franz | atelier198
- Rules review: Paul Grogan - Gaming Rules!
- Proofreading: Rachael Mortimer
- Published by: SSG Wargames, 2Tomatoes, Frosted Games, Flying Lemur Game Studio
- Surprised Stare Games Ltd, 80 Fenton Road, Warboys, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 2SL, UK
- http://www.surprisedstaregames.co.uk
- © David J. Mortimer 2018