Crisis: 1914

Crisis: 1914 Rulebook

Table of Contents

Introduction

Crisis: 1914 puts players in the shoes of the highest profile statesmen of what became known as the July Crisis. Prestige comes from applying diplomatic pressure - gauge this just right and you will weather the crisis with skill and be declared the winner. Apply too little diplomatic pressure and you will lose. Apply too much diplomatic pressure and you will not only lose, but also be the one to blame for unleashing the Great War.

Components

1 Board
120 Cards (5 decks of 24 cards)
5 player boards
1 Calendar Track marker (yellow cube)
1 Turn Track marker (yellow cube)
5 Initiative Track markers (green, white, black, blue, red cubes)
5 Momentum Effect markers (green, white, black, blue, red cubes)
5 Deliberate/Pass Action Used markers (green, white, black, blue, red cubes)
10 Current Score markers (two each of green, white, black, blue, red cubes)
4 Player board markers (green, black, blue, red cubes)
5 Belligerence Track markers (green, white, black, blue, red cubes)
15 White Prestige dice
8 Red Tension dice
1 Rule book
1 Historical and Design booklet

Note all player markers are alike and distinct only with regards to color coding. The placement of the markers determines their type.

Board

City Boxes

Each nation with a player in the game uses their City Box.

The white boxes are used to track Prestige on white dice. If there are insufficient spaces to place white die add them close to the spaces on the board.

The red boxes are used to track Tension on red dice.

The Belligerence Track marks the current Belligerence total with a small red cube, and this is the minimum Tension in every Tension Box in that same City Box for the remainder of the game.

(Illustration: the Berlin | Von Bethmann Hollweg City Box, with Russian, French and British Tension boxes, the Prestige box and the Belligerence Track 0-5.)

Cards

Each card shows: Diplomatic Pressure Value (DP), Card Title, Card Type, Image, Discard Type, Description, Card Reference and Card Effect.

There are 6 types of cards:

DIPLOMATIC BACK-CHANNEL CARDS (BLUE-GREEN) Apply the current card's DP value, then place your second Score marker +1 DP ahead of it. Or, if your second marker is already on the score track, move it +1 DP up the track.

Take an Assertion card already in your Tableau into your Hand.

ASSERTION CARDS (RED) At the end of the current Week, if you have 4 or more Assertion cards on your Tableau your Prestige score is doubled.

CONSENSUS CARDS (BLUE) For every 2 Consensus cards on your Tableau you may play 1 extra card to it, over the usual limit of 7 cards. This effect is cumulative with other pairs of Consensus cards or National Interest cards.

NATIONAL INTERESTS CARDS (GREEN) For every 1 National Interests card on your Tableau you may play 1 extra card to it, over the usual limit of 7 cards.

CAUTION CARDS (YELLOW) Play this card to your Tableau and take the top card from your Draw Pile into your Hand.

Take an Assertion card already on your Tableau into your Hand (and reduce your DP total accordingly).

OTHER CARDS (NO COLOR) These cards have no unifying qualities.

There are also 3 common effects which may be found across a variety of cards types:

MOMENTUM The moment you have 3 or more cards with the Momentum effect on your Tableau all of your opposing nations are prohibited from taking a Deliberate or Reorganize action for the remainder of the current Week. Place a marker of your color in the Momentum Effects box in the Initiative Track space on the board.

REDUCE TENSION The moment you play a card with this effect onto your Tableau you must make a choice to trigger it or an alternative effect on the same card, if there is one. This effect allows you to reduce the Tension in your own city box of any nation you choose, provided the marker on the Belligerence Level Track permits it. This is explained below.

DISCARD A CARD FROM HAND Some cards compel you to discard a card from your Hand. If you don't have sufficient cards to discard ignore the instruction.

Whenever you play a card to your Tableau the effect written on it will trigger immediately, and if there is a choice of effects, you must make the choice at the moment you place the card on the Tableau. Effects should be read in sequence from the top of the card down, with those at the top of the card being implemented first.

Discard Icons

Each card also has a discard icon, or sometimes two icons - in which case the card will detail which icon applies when.

There are three different kinds of discard piles:

PERMANENT DISCARDS are removed permanently from the game.
RECYCLED DISCARDS are shuffled to re-form a Draw Pile once that deck is depleted.
RETURN DISCARDS are shuffled into the Draw Pile in the Refresh Step.

It is important to pay attention to which pile a card is placed during a Round, and at the end of a Week.

Some cards have two discard type icons. The Permanent discards icon only applies if the conditions on the card are met.

Suggested Layout for Player Areas

(But different table and player configurations will make their own demands on the available space.)

1: PLAYER BOARDS The play of some cards, or the triggering of certain conditions entails the use of markers on Player Boards to keep track of the state of the game. Each player has their own Player Board which helps them arrange their play area, details their abilities and additional cards. All of the boards except Sazonov's have tracks, which utilize color-coded markers to indicate the current game state.

2: TABLEAU This is the term for cards you put in play, either from Hand, or from your Draw Pile. Only the DP of cards in a Tableau are ever calculated when assessing totals. Cards are placed from left to right, overlapping if need be to conserve table space, but clearly showing the total on the left of each card.

3: FROM HAND Each Week each player will start with 3 cards in their Hand. The faces of these cards should only be visible to the player who owns them, and hidden to all other players.

4: DRAW PILE This is a deck of cards face-down that players may draw from and bring into play.

(Illustration: Permanent, Recycled and Return discard piles beside the player area; (2) the Tableau of overlapping cards; (3) the Draw Pile; (4) the face-down Hand; (1) the Player Board.)

Board Key Concepts

(Illustration: the board, showing (1) City Boxes, (2) the Score Track, (3) Prestige dice, (4) Tension dice, (5) the Sequence of Play, (6) target-nation arrows, plus the Initiative Track and Calendar.)

1: KEY STATESMEN Each player controls one of the five playable statesman: Count Leopold Berchtold (Austria-Hungary), Sergei Sazonov (Russia), Theobold von Bethmann Hollweg (Germany), Raymond Poincaré (France), Sir Edward Grey (Britain). Each statesman controls the deck for their respective state.

2: DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE (DP) Each card has a DP value. The cumulative total for the cards on your Tableau in the current week is tracked on the Score Track. If you have two Score markers on the board both are moved in tandem with the addition of a new DP. At the end of the Week the player with the most DP scores the most Prestige.

3: PRESTIGE Prestige, tracked on the white dice, is a measure of how well a statesman has been managing the crisis in relation to other nations. The player with the most Prestige at the end of Week 6, or if the game ends before then, wins the game.

4: TENSION Tension, tracked on the red dice, is a measure of how close a statesman is to pushing opposing nations towards war. If you ever push a nation in your City Box to 6 Tension you will lose; the game ends at the close of the current Week, unless the Congress Step can reduce the Tension, and final scores are determined.

5: TARGET NATIONS Each player's nation has one Target Nation. This is the nation that always receives the Tension players create by their performance during the Week on the Score Track. Target nations are indicated on the board by large red arrows, and are always the top (or only) nation in a player's City Box.

6: OPPOSING NATIONS Austria-Hungary and Germany are opposing nations to Russia, France, and Britain, and vice versa.

Set Up

1 PLAYER: for Solitaire rules see page 11.

2 PLAYERS: play with Berchtold, Austria-Hungary (Green Markers) and Sazonov, Russia (White Markers).

3 PLAYERS: add Bethmann Hollweg, Germany (Black Markers).

4 PLAYERS: add Poincaré, France (Blue Markers).

5 PLAYERS: add Grey, Britain (Red Markers).

If a nation has no player in the current game they are inactive and no player controls them, and their deck plays no part in the current game. All white and red dice should be set to one side to be used later in the game. Any pieces not used on set up may be left in the box.

Place the board on a flat surface. Put a yellow marker for the Calendar Track in the Week 1 space, and a yellow marker for the Turn Track in the 1 space.

Decide how many players there are, and choose sides. Give each player their respective Player Board, which they place in front of them, with a corresponding colored marker on the start space (except for Russia).

Follow the instructions on the Player Boards to remove certain cards from each deck, then shuffle all the cards not removed to form a Draw Pile.

Each player should shuffle and draw the top 3 cards from their Draw Pile to form their Hand.

For each nation with a player in the game, place a corresponding colored marker on the place marked on the Current Round on the Initiative Track. From the top to bottom: Berchtold, Sazonov, Bethmann Hollweg, Poincaré, Grey. These placements are only for the start of the game, and markers may move over the course of play. Also place a corresponding colored marker on the 0 space of the Score Track, and keep a second corresponding colored score marker beside the Score Track.

Place a corresponding colored marker on the 0 space of each Belligerence Track in the game where that City Box has an active player.

Players keep their Momentum Effect and Deliberate/Pass Action Used markers on their Player Board until needed.

Sequence of Play

FIRST DRAW STEP see page 5
PLAY STEP see page 6: As a player you MUST:
- Add a card to your Tableau from your Draw Pile OR
- Add a card to your Tableau from your Hand OR
- Deliberate OR
- Reorganize OR
- Seize Initiative OR
- Pass
SCORE STEP see page 8
CONGRESS STEP see page 10 (optional)
GAME END CHECK STEP see page 10
REFRESH STEP see page 10

1. First Draw Step

The order you take turns through the First Draw Step is set by the placement of markers on the Current Round column of the Initiative track. The player in the #1 spot takes their turn first.

Taking it in turns, you draw a card to your Tableau from the top of your Draw Pile, implement any effects and make any choices if the card demands it, and register the DP value of the card on the Score Track by moving your colored marker along it (if relevant).

Next, move the yellow marker on the #1 space down to the #2 space on the Turn Track. The player with their Initiative Marker in the directly corresponding second space down in the Current Round column repeats the same action - taking the top card from their Draw Pile, implementing effects and adjusting the Score.

Once all players have completed this step the sequence of play moves to the Play Step.

Note, the Initiative Track is only as long in the current game as there are players; so if there are only 3 players, ignore spaces 4 and 5, the 3rd space down is the track's end space.

2. Play Step

Again, the order you take turns through the first round of the play step is set by the placement of markers on the Current Round column of the Initiative track. When it's your turn you MUST choose one action - unless you have previously Passed. The 6 options are:

ADD A CARD TO YOUR TABLEAU FROM YOUR DRAW PILE: Reveal a card from the top of your Draw Pile, play it to your Tableau, and adjust the Score Track, if relevant.

ADD A CARD TO YOUR TABLEAU FROM YOUR HAND: Play a card from your Hand to your Tableau, and adjust the Score Track, if relevant.

DELIBERATE: If you have not used a Deliberate Action in the current Week, discard 1 card from your Hand, face-up, to the appropriate discard pile, and receive 3 new cards from the top of your draw Pile. Play 1 of these to your Tableau, and keep the other 2 in your Hand.

In addition, move your Initiative Track marker from the Current Round column into the Will Move Bottom box in the Next Round column. If there is a marker already in that space, place your marker at the bottom of the pile. Also, place one of your colored markers in the Deliberate Action Used box to remind you that you may only take this action once during any game Week.

REORGANIZE: Discard 1 card from your Hand, face-up, to the appropriately marked discard pile, and look at the top three cards in your Draw Pile, and reorganize them, if you wish. This is the end of your turn with this action - you DON'T also get to also play a card to your Tableau.

SEIZE INITIATIVE: If your current DP score is equal to or higher than the nation at the top of the Initiative Track, discard 3 cards from your Hand and put them face-up in the appropriately marked discard pile(s). In addition, move your Initiative Track marker from the Current Round column into the Will Move Top box in the Next Round column. If there is a marker already in that space, place yours on top of the pile.

PASS: Make no further additions to your Tableau or play no more cards from your Hand for the rest of the current Week. If playing a Pass action move your Deliberate/Pass Action Used marker to the Pass Action Used box in the Initiative Track space on the board. Move the marker from the Deliberate Action Used box if necessary.

Belligerence Action

Whenever you play a card to your Tableau may decide to use a Belligerence action, if you have any remaining. You can never exceed 5 in a game (and may not have an opportunity to use all, since the marker on the track determines how many you have left up to a maximum of 5, NOT the number you have actually taken). This action has two effects:

It immediately doubles the DP value of the card just played.

It also immediately moves the marker on the Belligerence Level Track inside your City Box up to the level that is the highest current total in any Tension Box (the highest total on any red dice) in that same City Box. If the highest Tension total and the current Belligerence Track level are both equal at the time the Belligerence action is taken the Belligerence level immediately increases by 1. If any Tension total in the same City Box is below the new Belligerence Track total it is immediately adjusted up to equal the Belligerence Level Track total. These adjustments are all made at the moment the Belligerence action is taken, and are NOT delayed until the Scoring Step.

Example #1 Russia plays a card worth 3 DP and decides to play her first Belligerence action with it. The DP of the card increases to 6. The red die in Russia's City Box, St. Petersburg, shows Austria-Hungary is at Tension 2, and Germany is at Tension 1. The Belligerence Level Track marker is at level 0, but because there is a die in Russia's City Box at 2, the Belligerence Level Track marker is moved up to 2 to equal it. Because the die in the Germany box is now lower than the Belligerence Level Track marker it is adjusted to 2 to equal the Belligerence Level Track total.

Example #2 Russia plays a card worth 4 DP and decides to play her third Belligerence action with it. The DP of the card increases to 8. The red die in Russia's City Box, St. Petersburg, shows Austria-Hungary is at Tension 3, and Germany is at Tension 3. The Belligerence Level Track marker was at 3 before the Belligerence action was taken. Because the current highest Tension total is the same as the current Belligerence Level Track total they are both increased by 1, up to 4. Because the Tension total in the Germany Tension box is now lower than the current Belligerence Level Track total it too is increased up to 4.

Ultimatum and Maskirovka

These cards must always be played as Belligerence actions, if possible. If it's not possible, because Berchtold and Sazonov are already at 5 on their Belligerence Level Tracks then the cards are not played as Belligerence actions, but they are still played.

The Prestige awarded on playing these cards is awarded immediately, and players DON'T wait until the Score Step - to potentially double it.

Belligerence Level Track

The Belligerence Level Track shows the minimum possible Tension level, not the actual Tension. Actual Tension is always indicated by the red dice in the Tension Boxes. The Reduce Tension effects on cards or scoring below 14 DP by the end of the Week are all ignored if they would move the relevant Tension levels below the number indicated on the Belligerence Level Track. NOTHING can move a Belligerence Track marker back down the track for the remainder of the game. Note: the track records the number of Belligerence actions remaining up to a maximum total of 5, not the number that have actually been taken.

Next Turn

Once you've taken your turn, the Turn Track marker to the left of the Initiative Track is moved down to the next number on the track and the corresponding player takes their turn. When the player with the token at the bottom of the Initiative Track has taken their turn the current Round is complete. What the game terms a 'Week' will not always last for the same number of Rounds, depending on the cards played and actions taken. Scoring is only decided at the end of the Week, after the Play Step has been completed.

Round Ends

If all players have used the Pass action there are no further Rounds, the Play Step ends and players proceed to the Score Step.

Draw Pile Exhausted

If at any point, a player's Draw Pile is exhausted and they must draw from it, take the Recycled Discard deck, shuffle it, and move it, face-down, to form the new Draw Pile deck. Never form a new Draw Pile deck until you need it.

Note: if conditions are such that a player must add a card into their Draw Pile and shuffle it, but there is no other card in the Draw Pile at the time (as may happen with some cards during a Round) a new Draw Pile must be formed from Recycled Discards. A newly added card cannot form a Draw Pile on its own.

Note: a Draw Pile is only formed from Recycled Discards during a Week. Return Discards are not added during a Week, only during the Refresh Step at the end of a Week.

Sudden Game End

If your Highest (or only) Score marker is off the board because it is in excess of 32 DP, you lose, provoking your enemies to mobilize. The game ends at the end of the current Week.

If you play a General Mobilization card and so end the game you take no further turns and your Initiative Track marker is removed from the board, together with your Score Track markers, and your Prestige score is set to 0. Everyone else continues playing until the current Week ends.

Beginning a New Round

If play continues, before a new Round can begin all player markers in the Next Round column are moved to the Current Round column. Any markers in the Will Move Bottom space of the Next Round column are moved first. If there is a pile of markers in the Will Move Bottom space the one at the bottom is moved first, and moved to the bottom space of the Current Round column, pushing any markers above it up. Any additional markers in the Will Move Bottom of the Next Round column are moved, from the bottom of the pile first, onto the lowest space in the Current Round column, but above any other markers just moved from the Will Move Bottom space.

Any markers in the Will Move Top of the Next Round column are moved next, onto the top of the Current Round column, pushing any other markers there down the column. If there is a pile of markers in the Will Move Top space the marker at the top is moved first. Any additional markers in the Will Move Top space are moved, from the top of the pile first, onto the highest space in the Current Round column, but below any other markers just moved from the Will Move Top space.

Play begins again with the diplomat whose marker is now at the top of the Initiative track and a new Round begins. However, any player who has previously used the Pass action is passed over - they can play no further part in the current Week.

3. Score Step

In a Score Step players calculate two values: Prestige and Tension.

Scoring Prestige

If you have two score markers, only pay attention to the highest one when scoring Prestige.

For 2-5 players:

Award	Condition
+1 Prestige	Highest on Initiative Track (with 14+ DP)
+3 Prestige	Most DP on Score Track (with 14+ DP)
+2 Prestige	Second most DP on Score Track (with 14+ DP). Note: this is only awarded with 3-5 players.
+1 Prestige	Neither most nor second most DP but 14+ DP. Note: in a 2-player game the player who comes second in DP receives +1 Prestige, if they reach 14+ DP.
+1 Prestige	Most DP and played at least 1 Belligerence action this week
-1 Prestige	Played at least 1 Belligerence action this week but not the most DP. Note: subtract -1 Prestige before doubling if you have 4+ Assertions.
x2 Prestige	If you have 4+ Assertions on your Tableau this week
-1 Tension	If you have 13 DP or fewer. Note: while calculating Prestige, if you did not reach 14 DP you may reduce any one Tension die in your City Box by 1 point, providing it does not move lower than the current Belligerence Level total there. Note: Tension may never fall below 0.

Example #1 In a 2-player game, at the end of a Week, Berchtold has a Diplomatic Pressure total of 20, and Sazonov has a Diplomatic Pressure of 18. Berchtold is highest on the Initiative Track (and has at least 14 points). Neither have 4+ Assertion cards.

BERCHTOLD: 3 Prestige (most DP, at least 14 DP) 1 Prestige (for being top of the Initiative Track, and scoring at least 14 DP) TOTAL: 4 PRESTIGE

SAZONOV: 1 Prestige (for scoring at least 14 DP) TOTAL: 1 PRESTIGE

Example #2 In a 3-player game, at the end of a Week, Berchtold has a Diplomatic Pressure total of 23, Sazonov has 19, and Bethmann has 24. Sazonov is highest up the Initiative Track. Bethmann played a Belligerence action. Berchtold has 4+ Assertion cards on his Tableau and played 1 Belligerence action.

BETHMANN: 3 Prestige (most DP, at least 14 DP) 1 Prestige (played a Belligerence action, and has most DP) TOTAL: 4 PRESTIGE

BERCHTOLD: 2 Prestige (second most DP, at least 14 DP) -1 Prestige (played a Belligerence action, but doesn't have the most DP) x2 (4+ Assertion cards) TOTAL: 2 PRESTIGE

SAZONOV: 1 Prestige (for not being first or second, but for scoring at least 14 DP) 1 Prestige (for being top of the Initiative Track, and scoring at least 14 DP) TOTAL: 2 PRESTIGE

Ties

Being highest up the Initiative track breaks ties for DP on the Score Track.

Tracking Prestige Scores

Prestige points are kept track of by using the white dice from the central supply. Note: the dice in this game are never rolled, they are just used to track totals.

Scoring Tension

If you have two Score Track markers, only pay attention to the lowest one when scoring Tension. If you have a second Score Track marker it is because you have played at least 1 card with a Diplomatic Back-Channel effect.

There are 2 kinds of Tension to calculate:

Tension from Score Track.
Flow Down Tension

TENSION FROM SCORE TRACK The amount of Tension you generate is shown on the board on the Score Track, as the small "+" number in the top right of the box where your Score Marker is during the Score Step. This is only ever applied to your Target Nation, which is the top (or only) Tension Box in your own City Box.

Example Sazonov's lowest (or only) score marker is at 24 DP, and so he creates 2 Tension to the Austria-Hungary Tension Box inside St. Petersburg, adding this to whatever total was already there. He does not (yet) apply any Tension to the Germany Box beneath it, since Germany is not Russia's Target Nation.

FLOW DOWN TENSION Inside St. Petersburg and Berlin there is more than 1 Tension Box. These additional boxes track what the game terms 'Flow Down Tension'. At the end of any Score Step, if the red die in any Flow Down Box is not already at least half the total of the box above it, it must be adjusted so that it is. Any fractions are ignored.

Example #1 In St. Petersburg the Tension in the Austria-Hungary box is 4. The Tension in the Germany box below it is 1. Since the Germany box must be at least half the box above it, the die there is increased to a value of 2.

Example #2 In Berlin the Tension in the Russia box is 4. The Tension in the France box below it is 3, and the Tension in the Britain box is 0. Since the France box must be at least half the box above it (Russia), but fractions are ignored, the value is not changed. But since the Britain box must be at least half the box above it (France) it is increased to 1. The fraction is ignored.

4. Congress Step (Optional)

At the end of a Week's Score Step, but before the game End Check Step (which can end the game) the player in the last position on the Initiative track may, optionally, choose to invite all statesmen to a congress. Moving from the top of the Initiative track down, each player in turn must agree to attend the congress, or refuse.

If all players agree every Tension die total is reduced by 1 point (although not below their current Belligerence Level markers), and the player who made the invitation is awarded 1 Prestige point. If that player also has 4+ Assertion cards on their Tableau they receive 2 Prestige points.

5. Game End Check Step

It's possible for all players to lose. If any player has a City Box showing any red die at, or higher than 6, the game ends. Any player who has a red Tension Box at 6 or higher has lost and their Prestige score is set to 0. All non-losing players compare their Prestige totals and a winner is determined.

Additionally, any player who played a General Mobilization card to their Tableau during the Week has also lost and their Prestige total is set to 0.

If no nation has a Tension total at or in excess of 6 on any single die in their City Box, and if no player has played a General Mobilization card to their Tableau, then play will continue to a new Week after the Refresh Step - unless the Week just completed was Week 6. If the Week just completed was Week 6 the game ends and a winner is determined.

Game Winner

The winner is the player with the highest Prestige total. There is no tiebreaker for having a position higher up the Initiative track when it comes to the final score.

6. Refresh Step

If the game continues to a new Week the following things happen:

Players check their player boards for any conditions that might apply to add cards to their decks, from the cards set aside at the beginning of the game.

(Return Discards icon) All cards in Hand, on the Tableau, or in the Return Discards pile with the Return Discards icon are shuffled back into the Draw Pile, face-down.
(Permanent Discards icon) All cards in Hand, or on the Tableau marked as Permanent Discards are moved to that pile, face-up, only if the conditions apply.
(Recycled Discards icon) Cards on the Tableau marked as Recycled Discards are moved to that pile, face-up.

Each player may retain as many of their cards in Hand as they like, providing the cards themselves allow it.

Any discards from Hand are made face-up to the appropriate pile.

Each player is dealt cards, face-down from their Draw Pile into their Hand to ensure they have at least 3 cards in Hand before a new Week begins. A player may not have more than 6 cards in Hand at the end of this step.

Note: it is quite possible to have more than 6 cards in Hand during the Play Step and players do not discard down during the Play Step if this is the case. But by the end of the Refresh Step no player may have more than 6 cards in Hand, and all discards must be performed before receiving new cards.

All player markers on the Initiative Track in the Momentum Effect, Deliberate Action Used, or Pass Action Used boxes are removed. Any markers in to the Current Round column are adjusted if any markers are in the Next Round column.

All player markers on the Current Score track are moved to the '0' space.

The Calendar marker is moved one space to the right.

Reforming the Draw Deck

Recycled Discards aren't reshuffled into the Draw Pile until the Draw Pile is expended, and until a card from it is needed.

Return Discards are not reshuffled into the Draw Pile until the Refresh Step.

If a card is added to the Draw Pile during a Week (due to conditions applying to trigger it) that card cannot be in a Draw Pile on its own, and, at that point, a Draw Pile is reformed from Recycled Discards.

Solitaire Game

You play as Berchtold, of Austria-Hungary. You will use this deck in a solo game, and no other decks. Remove the Ultimatum card from your deck, and shuffle.

The Calendar track, Current Score track, Tension, and Prestige markers (dice) are still used, as is the marker for Investigations. As with the 2-5-player game, the Ultimatum card can come into play if The Kaiser's Blank Cheque and the Harvest Summer Leave cards are ever in Berchtold's Permanent Discards pile.

The Berchtold token on the Initiative track never moves position.

The Seize Initiative action is not available.

Deliberate is available once a Week, but costs 1 Prestige point to play. (Place a marker on the Deliberate Action Used space on the Initiative Track to track the use of the Deliberate action.) It also still costs the 1 discard.

Reorganize is available without limit, but costs 1 Prestige point to play. It also still costs the 1 discard.

The Congress Step is omitted in solo play.

A Week still ends when you decide to Pass or when you have to Pass because you've played 7 cards to your Tableau (and you have no pairs of Consensus cards or any National Interests cards allowing you to play more than 7).

Scoring Prestige

No Prestige is awarded for placement on the Initiative Track.

Receive 1 Prestige point for reaching 14+ Diplomatic Pressure points in a Week.

Receive 1 Prestige point for every Diplomatic Pressure point above 18 in a Week.

No Prestige is awarded or removed for any Belligerence actions. But Belligerence actions are still permitted - up to a maximum of 5 uses, and possibly fewer, depending on Tension levels.

Apply any Tension to the Russia Box in Vienna in the usual way.

If this Box reaches 6 Tension the game is immediately lost.

Victory Conditions

By the end of the game you need to avoid losing (by applying 6+ Tension on Russia - the Russia Tension box in Vienna), or by the Austro-Hungarian General Mobilization card being played to your Tableau). If you manage to do this, check your Prestige total at the end of Week 6.

Prestige Points	Result
40+	Emphatic Diplomatic Victory
35-39	Clear Diplomatic Victory
30-34	Marginal Diplomatic Victory
25-29	Diplomatic Tie
24 or fewer	Diplomatic Loss

Example of Play - Solitaire

Week 1

FIRST DRAW STEP From the Draw Pile: The Emperor, 1 DP. I move the score marker to the 1 space on the Score Track.

PLAY STEP

Round One: From the Draw Pile: Szapáry, 0 DP + 1 Diplomatic Back-Channel (DBC). I add the second score maker to the Score Track, 1 space ahead of the existing score marker - onto the 1 space of the score Track.

Round Two: From the Draw Pile: Straussenburg, 2 DP. I adjust the score markers to the 2 & 3 DP spaces.

Round Three: From the Draw Pile: Conrad, 4 DP. I adjust the score markers to the 6 & 7 DP spaces.

Round Four: From the Draw Pile: Sukhomlinov 4 DP. I adjust the score markers to the 10 & 11 DP spaces.

Round Five: From the Draw Pile: The Kaiser's Blank Cheque, 4 DP. I adjust the score markers to the 14 & 15 DP spaces.

Round Six: From the Draw Pile: Potiorek, 4 DP. I adjust the score markers to the 18 & 19 DP spaces. At this point I've played 7 cards (the card from the First Draw Step is included), but the Conrad National Interests ability lets me play an additional 1, and 2 Consensus cards (The Emperor and Straussenburg) mean I can play yet 1 more.

Round Seven: Tisza, 0DP. Discard 1 card from Hand (that was my last card, so now I'm out). Remain on 18 & 19 DP.

Round Eight: Giesl, 0 DP. Remain on 18 & 19 DP.

SCORE STEP 1 Prestige for reaching 14+ DP. 1 Prestige for being at 19 on the score track (1 DP above 18) with highest score marker. 1 Tension in Russia Box in Vienna (from the lower score marker in the 18 space on the score track). TOTAL PRESTIGE: 2 TOTAL TENSION IN RUSSIA BOX IN VIENNA: 1

REFRESH STEP The Kaiser's Blank Cheque moves to Permanent Discards. Tisza is shuffled back into the Draw Pile, and all other cards are moved to the Recycled Discards Pile.

I receive 3 new cards.

Week 2

FIRST DRAW STEP Summer Harvest Leave, 0 DP.

PLAY STEP

Round One: Tisza actually came into my hand in the 3 new cards I picked up. Discard Tisza to Deliberate (-1 Prestige, down to 1). Play Hoyos, 4 DP.

Round Two: Forgách, 3 DP +1 Diplomatic Back-Channel (DBC). 7 & 8 DP.

Round Three: Archduke Friedrich, 3 DP. 10 & 11 DP.

Round Four: Burian, 2 DP. 12 & 13 DP.

Round Five: Czernin, 2 DP (in Week 2), 14 & 15 DP.

Round Six: Draw Pile depleted - Recycled Discards are shuffled and turned face down to form the new Draw Pile. Note - the Tisza card is not shuffled into the Draw Pile now, it is only in the Refresh Step that these Return Discard cards are shuffled back into Draw Piles. Stürgkh 3 DP + 1 DBC. 17 & 19 DP.

Round Seven: Play from Hand: Assassination Investigations, 2 DP (move the marker on the player board to show that next time the card is played to the Tableau it will be worth 3 DP). 19 & 21 DP.

Round Eight: Pass. I have played 8 cards to the Tableau, because the 2 Consensus cards, Archduke Friedrich & Burian, increased my maximum card play to 8 this Week.

SCORE STEP 1 Prestige for reaching 14+ DP. 3 Prestige for being at 21 on the score track (3 DP above 18). 4 Prestige in total. Plus 1 Prestige from existing score. 1 Tension in Russia Box in Vienna (from the lower score marker in the 19 space on the score track). TOTAL PRESTIGE: 5 TOTAL TENSION IN RUSSIA BOX IN VIENNA: 2

REFRESH STEP All cards from Tableau move to Recycled Discards, except Summer Harvest Leave, which is moved to Permanent Discards. Because this and The Kaiser's Blank Cheque are both in the Permanent Discards the Ultimatum card is now moved to the Draw Pile to be shuffled in. The Tisza card is also moved to the Draw Pile and shuffled in.

I have 1 card in hand and collect 3 new cards.

The end of Week 2.

Example of Play - 2 Players

Leopold and Sergei decide to play the game. Leopold will play as Berchtold. Sergei will play as Sazonov. They set up as per the rules.

Week 1

FIRST DRAW STEP In this step players make no choices, they simply turn over the top card of their Draw Pile and play it to their respective tableaux. Leopold turns over a card first. It is Conrad, worth 4 Diplomatic Pressure (DP) points. He moves his marker up 4 spaces on the Score Track, to the 4 space. The Turn Marker to the left of the Initiative Track is moved down 1 space, to show that Sergei takes his turn next.

This is also a First Draw Step, so Sergei makes no choice, he just reveals the top card. This is Freedericksz, which he plays to his tableau. It is worth 0 DP, so his marker isn't moved on the Score Track. However, it does have a Caution ability, which means he takes the top card from his Draw Pile and adds it into his Hand.

PLAY STEP

Round One: Leopold has the first turn (his marker is highest up the Initiative Track). He looks at the cards in his hand and decides to discard his No Romanian Support card to play a Deliberate action. He places the card face up in a Recycled Discard pile he forms with this discard (its icon bottom right tells him what type of discard it is). He picks up the top 3 cards from his Draw Pile. He decides to play the Potiorek card to his Tableau, which is worth 4 points (and is an Assertion card). He moves his marker on the Score Track up 4 spaces from the 4 to the 8 space. He moves the other 2 cards he just picked up into his Hand. He also moves his marker to the Will Move Bottom space on the Next Round column, and places a marker from his player board to the Deliberate Action used box. This is the end of his turn. The marker on the Turn Track by the left of the Initiative Track is moved down 1 space. It is Sergei's turn next.

Sergei discards the Basili card (into a new Recycled Discards pile because this is the type of discard it is) and plays a Reorganize action. This does not affect his status on the Initiative Track. It lets him look at the top 3 cards of his Draw Pile and re-organize them. He decides he likes the order the cards are already in and puts them back this way.

It is now the end of the Round. Because Leopold used the Deliberate action his marker on the Initiative Track moves from the Next Round column to the bottom of the Current Round column. Because there are only 2 players the bottom space is only 2 spaces down. The marker remains face down for the remainder of the current Week. The Turn Track marker is moved to the top of the Turn Track - in the 1 space. Because of this the turn order has changed. Sergei will go first in the current round.

Round Two: Sergei's turn. He flips over the top card of his Draw Deck (he knows what it is). It is Krivoshein, worth 4 DP. He moves his marker on the Score Tack up to the 4 space.

Leopold's turn. He Reorganizes, discarding the Szőgyény card, placing it in the Recycled Discards on top of the No Romanian Support card. He alters the sequence of the cards and puts them back face down at the top of his Draw Pile.

Round Three: Sergei's turn. He flips over the top card of his Draw Pile (he also knows what this is from Reorganizing). It's Bark, worth 2 DP, so his Score marker moves up to 6. But it is also a Consensus card. If he can play another Consensus card to his Tableau he will be able to play an additional card to his Tableau this turn. In fact, since he has Krivoshein on his Tableau too, he can currently play 8 cards over the course of his Week.

Leopold's turn. He flips over the top card of his Draw Pile (he knows what it is). It's Assassination Investigations. It is worth 2 DP, moving his Score marker from 8 to 10. But its value will change in the future. He moves the marker on his player board, from the 2 to the 3 space, to show this is what it will be worth next time the card is on the Tableau.

Round Four: Sergei's turn. He discards the Goremykin card in his hand to Reorganize. He changes the order of the top 3 cards.

Leopold's turn. He plays the Mensdorff card, 0 DP. But he picks up the top card from his Draw Pile into his Hand. (He could, instead, have chosen to remove the Potiorek card from his Tableau, in which case he would have taken that card into his Hand instead, and adjusted his DP marker down by 4 DP - the value of that card.)

Round Five: Sergei's turn. He has just 2 cards in hand. However, he knows what's at the top of his Draw Pile, so decides to flip the card over. It's Maklakov, 2 DP. He moves up to 8 on the Score Track. It is also a second Consensus card, so Sergei can now play 9 cards to his tableau this turn (+1 because of the national Interests ability of Krivoshein, and +1 because of the 2 Consensus cards on his tableau).

Leopold's turn. He turns over the top card of his Draw Pile. It's The Kaiser's Blank Cheque, worth 4 DP. But Leopold decides to play it as a Belligerence action, meaning its value doubles to 8 DP, moving his DP score to 18. He also moves the Belligerence track marker in Vienna up to the level 1 space (The Belligerence marker moves up to equal the Tension level, but since this is 0 the Belligerence marker moves up to 1 space - to the 1.) This means Tension in the Russia Box in Vienna can never fall below 1 for the remainder of the game. (The red Tension die is immediately placed on the 1 face in the Russia Box in Vienna to show this new Tension level.)

Round Six: Sergei's turn. He flips over the top card of his Draw Pile (he knows what it is). It's Benckendorff, 4 DP. He moves from 8 to 12. But the card also has a Diplomatic back-Channel effect. This means Sergei places his second score marker one space ahead of his existing marker on the same track. (If there had already been a second marker in play he would have moved the second marker ahead by 1 space.) This second (highest) score marker ignores any Tension created by its position on the Score Track in the Score Step. Sergei is at 12 & 13 DP.

Leopold's turn. He flips over the top card of his Draw Pile. It's Bilinski, 4 DP. He moves up to 22 DP.

Round Seven: Sergei's turn. He flips over the top card of his Draw Pile (he knows what it is). It's Witte, 0 DP. If there was any Tension in the Austria-Hungary box in St. Petersburg Sergei could also use this card to reduce the Tension there by 1, but since there is no Tension yet this effect does not trigger. Sergei remains on 12 & 13 DP.

Leopold's turn. He discards all 3 cards in his Hand to play a Seize the Initiative action. (He must be equal to or higher on the Score Track to whoever is currently at the top of the Initiative Track to be able to do this.) His marker on the Initiative Track is placed in the Will Move Top space of the Next Round column. Since this is the end of the Round, Leopold's marker is moved to the top of the Current Round column, and Sergei's marker is shunted down. Leopold will now start the next Round.

Round Eight: Leopold's turn. He flips over the top card of his Draw Pile. It's Giesl, 0 DP in Week 1. Leopold remains on 22 DP. He now has 3 Assertion cards on his Tableau. He may play 1 more card to his Tableau - he has played 7 cards, but his Conrad card allows him to play 1 more card than this.

Sergei's turn. He flips over the top card of his Draw Pile. It's Shebeko, 4 DP. Sergei moves up to 16 with his lower score marker, and to 17 with his higher score marker. Both move in tandem. But Shebeko also has a Diplomatic back-Channel effect, so the higher score marker moves up another space to 18. Sergei has played 7 cards to his Tableau, but with his Krivoshein card's National Interests effect and his 2 Consensus cards, he can currently play 9 cards before he has to Pass.

Round Nine: Leopold's turn. He flips over the top card of his Draw Pile. It's Stürgkh, 3 DP. Leopold is at 25 DP. He will have to Pass next turn.

Sergei's turn. He plays a card from his Hand. It's Hartwig, 4 DP. He also plays this as a Belligerence action, increasing its value to 8 DP, and taking him from 16 & 18 to 24 & 26 DP. Because Hartwig on the Tableau triggers the Hartwig dies effect, Leopold must discard 1 card from his hand, if he has one. Leopold is out of cards so the effect doesn't trigger (but the Hartwig card will still be a Permanent Discard in the Refresh Step).

Round Ten: Leopold's turn. He must Pass. He places a marker in the Pass Action Used box on the board.

Sergei's turn. He could play 1 more card this Week, but there is no point since he has already won the Week, and any further increase on the Score Track will just increase the Tension he creates. Sergei Passes.

SCORE STEP Sergei comes highest up the DP track (26 versus 25, his lower score tracker at 24 is ignored with regards to scoring Prestige, and only taken into account with Tension), so he receives 3 Prestige points. He also made at least 1 Belligerence action and came first in the Week, so he receives another Prestige point, giving him a total of 4 Prestige points for the Week. A white die is set to the 4 face in St. Petersburg. (It doesn't matter how many Belligerence actions are taken in a Week, there is only ever a bonus of 1 Prestige point for winning in a week where one or more Belligerence actions have been taken.)

Sergei's top score marker is ignored with regards to Tension created. To discern that we look at the lower marker and see that the 24 space has a +2 in the top right corner. This is the amount of Tension Sergei creates from his DP total. He adds this +2 to the 1 already on the die in the Austria-Hungary Box in St. Petersburg, bringing the total to 3.

Leopold receives 1 Prestige point for achieving at least 14 points. (In a 3-5 player game the player who comes second receives 2 Prestige points, but this does not apply in the 2-player game.) He also finished the Week at the top of the Initiative Track, giving him another 1 Prestige point. With 4 Assertion cards on the Tableau all his Prestige points will be doubled. However, Leopold made a Belligerence action and he didn't win the Week, so he loses 1 Prestige point, and this is applied before the effect of the doubling. So Leopold has 1 point from reaching 14 DP, 1 for being top of the Initiative Track, but loses 1 for playing a Belligerence action but failing to win the Week, and this 1 point is then doubled, giving him a total of 2 Prestige points.

Leopold's DP marker is at 25 on the Score Track. The top right figure shows +3, which is the amount of Tension he generates in the Russia Box in Vienna. He adds this +3 to the 1 already on the die there, bringing the total there to 4 on the red die.

Remember that whoever hits 6 Tension in their own City Box loses, if the total is still 6 or higher in the Game End Check Step. If Leopold causes Tension to hit 6 in the Russian Tension Box in Vienna he will cause Russia to mobilize, and so he will lose. If Sergei causes Tension to hit 6 in the Austrian Tension Box in St. Petersburg he will cause Austria-Hungary to mobilize, and so he will lose. It's possible for both players to lose.

CONGRESS STEP Since Sergei is in last place on the Initiative Track he may offer a Congress. He does. Leopold accepts. They each reduce (all) their Tension dice by 1, and Sergei receives 1 additional Prestige point for the successful invitation.

GAME END CHECK STEP No one has got their opponent's Tension die to 6 points. The game continues (with Sergei winning 5 Prestige points to Leopold's 2, and them sitting on 2 and 3 Tension respectively).

REFRESH STEP All of the cards on Leopold's Tableau are moved face up to the top of his Recycled Discards pile, except The Kaiser's Blank Cheque card, which is now a Permanent Discard and forms that pile. He has no card still in hand, but draws 3 new cards into his hand.

All of the cards on Sergei's Tableau are moved face up to the top of his Recycled Discards pile, except the Hartwig card, which is now a Permanent Discard and forms that pile. He has 1 card still in hand, but it is The Czar, so this card must be shuffled into the Draw Pile before the Week begins. He then draws 3 new cards into his hand - 1 of which so happens to be The Czar.

The markers are moved back to the 0 space on the Score Track.

The marker on the Calendar track is moved to Week 2.

Leopold's markers in the Deliberate Action Used and Pass Action Used boxes are returned to his player board. He can before a Deliberate action again in Week 2.

Everything is set up for a Week 2 to begin.

Table Talk

It's recommended that when playing a card to the Tableau, in either the Draw or Play Step, or when taking a different action, players announce the card or the action so other players understand what is happening. It's also more enjoyable if you have a sense of what else other players are doing.

Other table talk is permitted and encouraged, although no player is bound by any promises made.