Håtunaleken

Håtunaleken Rulebook

Table of Contents

1 map of central Sweden
35 game pieces
125 game cards (31 main cards for leaders, commanders and bishops; 94 auxiliary cards for fleets, cities, castles, mines, monasteries, troops and money)
40 event cards (indicating events and places for these, and the end of a siege, battle and other situations)
6 event markers

Map

The map shows fortified cities, unfortified cities, fortified and unfortified cathedral cities (stiftstäder), castles and strongholds (slott och borgar), manors (gårdar) and mines (gruvor). Harbour towns are marked by a blue name label.

Seas and watercourses are marked in blue and represent obstacles which can be crossed on certain conditions. Forested land is marked green, open country is marked yellow. No roads are marked. Movements take place on a grid of squares laid over the map.

The borders to Norway and Denmark are marked with crosses and dashes. The border between Svealand and Götaland is marked with a dashed line.

Map Symbols

(Key to the playing board, "Teckenförklaringar till spelplanen (kartan)".)

Fortified city (Befäst stad)
Unfortified city (Obefäst stad)
Fortified cathedral city (Befäst Stiftstad)
Unfortified cathedral city (Obefäst Stiftstad)
Castle (Slott, Borg)
Manor (Gård)
Mine (Gruva)
Royal castle (Kungligt Slott)
Royal assembly (Herredagar)
Bishops' meeting (Biskopsmöte)
Feast (Gästabud)
Harbour town (Hamnstad) — marked by a blue name label

The Game Pieces

King Birger and the dukes Erik and Valdemar (the game's leaders) are marked with their respective crowns on blue, red or green bases. 3 pieces.

The commanders (stormän), Duke Knut Porse, the drots Johan Brunkow and the knights are marked with coats of arms (sköldmärken). 18 pieces.

The bishops are marked with mitres (bishops' hats) in different colours. 7 pieces.

The fleets are marked with the coat of arms of the respective harbour town. 7 pieces.

Cards

Main cards (huvudkort). 31 cards, representing the three Folkungs, their consorts, the 18 commanders and the 7 bishops. These cards are marked with the respective coats of arms, which also appear on the game pieces. The princesses have no pieces and are represented by their men. The cards also give the home place (hemort: city, castle or manor), the ransom in case of capture (lösensumma) and the number of horsemen in the retinue (ryttare i följe).

Three of the main cards have special significance:

Johan Brunkow — Birger's drots (a distinguished office in the Middle Ages).
Duke Knut Porse of Halland — Erik's ally (bundsförvant).
Bishop Greger Magnusson of Åbo — Valdemar's ally (bundsförvant).

Auxiliary cards (hjälpkort). 94 cards, representing the fleets, cities, castles, mines, monasteries, troops and money. The number of ships, the crew size, the value and the transport capacity of a fleet are given on its card.

Cities, castles, strongholds and manors (Städerna, slotten, borgarna och gårdarna): 55 cards. Garrison and value are given on the cards.
Mines and monasteries (Gruvorna och klostren): 14 cards. Value is given on the card.
Foot banners (Fotfänikorna), a troop strength in the Middle Ages of 300–500 men on foot: 12 cards. The number of men is given on the cards.
Trade profit (Vinst av handel): 6 cards. The sum of money is given on the cards.

Among the auxiliary cards are cards that belong to certain persons. These are called home cards (Hemortskort). Cards with a blue knight belong to this group.

Event cards (Händelsekorten). 40 cards, divided into five parts:

indicates the event of the game turn (spelvarvets händelse);
indicates the event for the players (händelse för spelare);
indicates the outcome of a siege (belägring);
indicates the outcome of a battle (strid).

The fifth part is coloured red, black or white (the colour of the card).

Colour	Outcome of feast and treachery (gästabud och förräderi)	Outcome of royal assembly or church meeting (herredag eller kyrkomöte)	How a crossing of a watercourse succeeds (övergång av vattendrag)
RED	IS KILLED (dödas)	TREACHERY (förräderi)	PASSES (passerar)
BLACK	IS CAPTURED (fångas)	PEACEFULLY (fredligt)	IS HINDERED (hindras)
WHITE	ESCAPES (undkommer)	IS DISPERSED (skingras)	IS STUCK (fastnar)

Setup

The players choose leaders and receive their cards (Birger's, Erik's or Valdemar's) together with their cities Stockholm, Lödöse and Kalmar (cards with a blue knight).

The princesses' cards are set aside for the time being.

The home cards (Hemortskorten) are placed in a separate pile, as are the Visby and Åland fleets (cards with a blue knight). The event cards (Händelsekorten) are placed in a separate pile.

The remaining 83 cards (auxiliary and main cards) form the draw deck (spelleken), and 12 cards of these are dealt to each player. The rest of the deck is placed beside the other piles.

The players now lay out their main cards (commanders and bishops) on the table and place the corresponding game pieces on their locations on the map. At the same time the players take from the home cards the locations of the persons (hemorter), which are placed under the respective main cards.

Distribute the auxiliary cards under the main cards so that each game piece has resources to operate and, not least, can buy its way free if captured. Place the cards so that at least part of each is visible, to make an overview easier.

Movement

Royal persons, commanders and bishops ride with their retinue of horsemen and may move at most 10 squares in one move, in any direction (horizontally, vertically or diagonally).

Foot troops move in the same way, at most 5 squares. A mixed troop of both horsemen and foot soldiers moves as foot soldiers.

Several horse and foot troops may be gathered into one army (the pieces are stacked on top of each other on the same square) and then move as one unit (for example across a watercourse).

A troop that is to cross a watercourse draws an event card. The colour of the card decides the outcome:

RED = PASSES: the movement continues.
BLACK = IS HINDERED: the troop must choose a new crossing point (move to a new square and draw a new card).
WHITE = IS STUCK: the troop does not get across but must wait until its next move, when it may continue without drawing a new card.

Watercourses that can be crossed this way include all rivers and lakes, as well as Göta älv and Kalmar sund. In Stockholm, Uppsala, Västerås, Lödöse, Tingvalla and Varberg there are bridge connections, which allow crossing without drawing a card. These places may also be crossed in rain, which otherwise prevents crossing of watercourses.

Fleets move in the same way, at most 10 squares. Storm and calm hinder movement, and a fleet at sea is wrecked if a storm card ("stormkort") is drawn. A fleet may move from the East Coast to the West Coast in two moves.

Fleet movement at sea is illustrated in the original by a diagram of three steps: move 1, rest one round (vila 1 omgång), then move 2 (drag 2), each step 3 squares. The text reads:

A fleet may move at most 3 squares on the Baltic (Östersjön). Thereafter the fleet is placed at the southern edge of the map (where it is at sea). During the second move it may move at most 3 squares in the Kattegat. The corresponding rules apply to movement from west to east. Transport of a troop may begin in the first move after the troop has reached the same harbour as the fleet in question. The transport takes place in the following round, and the troop may go ashore immediately on arrival at the new harbour, but may not be moved from that harbour until the next round.

A fleet can only put in at a harbour (marked with a blue name label). A fleet lying in a harbour that is held by another player must receive that player's permission to sail.

Siege

Only a commander's stronghold (stormansborg) and manor (gård), as well as a bishop's castle (biskopsslott), held by a player can be besieged and taken. Others are regarded as deserted.

Cities and royal castles can be besieged and taken even if they have no owner. If the place is then taken, its card is removed from the deck and given to the victor.

To take a castle or a city requires at least twice the strength of the place's garrison (permanent garrison plus any reinforcement). The attacker draws an event card. Under point 3 he sees whether the place surrenders, or whether the storming is repulsed and the siege continues. The card also states the losses on both sides, by the given names of the fallen. These pieces are removed from play, and their main and auxiliary cards return to the deck.

On surrender, any person and troop in the place fall into the victor's hands. A person may be ransomed for the stated ransom sum (if the sum is at the disposal of the piece in the form of auxiliary cards under its main card). Otherwise he dies in captivity (the card returns to the deck). A ransomed piece is placed again in its home place. A troop is taken over by the victor, and its auxiliary cards are placed under the main card at the place.

A conquered place passes to the victor on the spot. If there are several such cards, the player places the auxiliary card under any main card he chooses. This may make some commanders or bishops very strong, a situation much like reality at that time. The player can balance this with cards he draws at the end of the move.

If the storming is repulsed, the place remains besieged until the siege is lifted or the place surrenders. A trapped troop cannot be moved away from there, and reinforcements cannot be brought in. A relief force must first engage in battle with the besieging forces, and battle then arises under the rules below.

Battle on Land

Battle on land arises when a player with one or more pieces attacks a force in a green "forest square" (skogsruta), a yellow "plain square" (slätruta), or a force that is besieging a place or is outside the walls for some other reason. If several pieces take part in the battle they are placed on top of each other in a stack. If the battle is in open terrain, a horse troop (ryttartrupp) counts as double strength.

The attacker draws an event card. Under point 4 it is stated which strength ratio must prevail for him to win. The card also states, as in a siege, which pieces fall on either side. On victory, opponents who do not fall are taken prisoner. A captured piece that can be ransomed returns to its home place. Troops pass to the victor and are placed under a piece at the location.

Note that a troop must never be without a leader, i.e. a royal piece, commander's piece or bishop's piece. If it is, the troop returns to the deck. This can happen, for example, if the leader falls, or if no other leader is at the place to take command. A fallen person's resources (cities, castles, manors and so on) return to the deck. A troop, however, passes to the victor.

If the attacker does not have the strength needed to meet the victory conditions, the battle is undecided and the players take account only of the losses on both sides.

Battle at Sea

A fleet cannot operate without a leader, i.e. a royal, commander's or bishop's piece aboard. Several fleets may, however, be gathered under one leader. Fleets may nevertheless be moved without a leader, and a fleet can defend itself when attacked even without a leader.

Battle arises when a player with one or more pieces attacks a fleet at sea or in harbour. The combined strength of the crews and troops aboard is counted on both sides, and the attacker draws an event card. The outcome of the battle is calculated as for a battle on land, or as for a siege if the enemy fleet lies in a harbour. If the leader is lost, however, a fleet (unlike foot troops) can be moved from the location.

In a battle over a harbour town, fleets and troops may thus take part on both sides. A fleet in a besieged city takes part by having its crew counted into the garrison. The attacker may come both by land and by sea. The strengths are added together, but note that a fleet must have a leader aboard. Note also that a fleet which besieges a harbour town is counted as a fleet at sea, and may therefore be struck by a storm and wrecked, or by calm and overactivity (överksamhet) [translator's note: the printed word is as written in the original].

Feast (Gästabud)

A player may hold a feast (gästabud) provided that his leader is at a place where a feast can be held. A map excerpt in the original shows the places where feasts may be held.

The place may not be under siege. The player may also not be prevented by another operation (for example suppressing a mutiny or revolt), and his leader must dispose of 6000 marks, which he must pay to the game (spelleken). One may not pay with one's capital (home place).

At a feast the opposing players must appear with their leaders. All game pieces are moved directly, without regard to the movement rules and without hindrance from rain or famine. Pieces at sea do not take part.

The opposing players draw one event card for each participating person. The colour under point 5 gives the outcome. After the feast the host returns at once to his home place.

RED = IS KILLED: the piece is removed from play.
BLACK = IS CAPTURED: the piece may be bought free for the stated ransom sum. If the sum is not available, the person dies in captivity and the piece is removed from play. A ransomed piece is placed again at once in its home place.
WHITE = ESCAPES: the piece is placed at once in its home place.

Wedding (Bröllop)

A player who draws such a card immediately moves his leader to the princess's location. The wedding takes place in the same move:

King Birger with Princess Margareta of Denmark at Håtuna Kungsgård.
Duke Erik with Princess Ingeborg Håkansdotter of Norway at Bohus castle.
Duke Valdemar with Princess Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Norway at Borgholm castle.

After the wedding the princess's card is placed under the leader card. The player pays 4000 marks to the game (spelleken) at the same time. If the sum cannot be paid, the wedding is postponed (the player draws a new event card). A piece at sea cannot hold a wedding. One may not pay with one's home place.

Royal Assembly and Church Meeting

The places are marked with crossed swords (royal assembly, herredag) and bishops' crosiers (church meeting, kyrkomöte) respectively.

When a player draws an event card reading "Royal Assembly" or "Church Meeting" and holds the place, he must summon all commanders (stormän) and bishops to the meeting. Affected pieces are moved directly to the place of the meeting, without hindrance from rain or famine. Johan Brunkow, Knut Porse and Bishop Greger, and pieces at sea, on Gotland or Åland take part in neither the royal assembly nor the church meeting.

The player then draws a new event card. The colour under point 5 gives the outcome.

RED = TREACHERY: the opposing players must draw an event card for each participating commander (bishop). The colour gives the outcome in the same way as at a feast. The player's own commanders (bishops) remain at the place.
BLACK = PEACEFUL MEETING: one card from the deck is dealt to each participant. Only auxiliary cards are dealt; main cards (commanders, bishops) are returned to the deck.
WHITE = DISPERSED: all participants return to their home places.

Mutiny (Myteri)

Mutiny occurs only in fortified cities. It means that both the permanent garrison and the force stationed in the city (a commander and a bishop with horsemen, troops and fleets) pass to the next player in turn order. The mutiny is put down by retaking the city through a siege. Mutiny is prevented by the presence of a royal person, or of the allies (bundsförvanterna) Johan Brunkow, Knut Porse or Bishop Greger.

Revolt (Uppror)

A revolt, which afflicts a certain landscape, means that certain places are besieged by rebellious peasants. The revolt is put down when the player moves at least 500 men to the besieged place. No card need be drawn, but the force must remain at the place during the move. If no intervention takes place, the place returns to the deck.

Surprise Raid (Överrumpling)

Only a city with no defence other than its permanent garrison can be taken by surprise by sea raiders (sjöröver). The presence of a force beyond the permanent garrison makes a surprise raid impossible, but that force must engage in battle and remain at the place during the move. A city that is taken by surprise returns to the deck.

Royal Persons and Allies (Kungliga personer och bundsförvanter)

The three Folkung brothers are the game's leaders, and the loss of a leader means that the player has lost. If the leader is married, however, the player has the right to continue the game with the widow as leader. This situation corresponds to the reality of the dukes' fate, since they died after the feast at Nyköping.

Johan Brunkow (Birger's drots), Knut Porse (Erik's ally) and Greger Magnusson (Valdemar's ally) hold a special position.

If Birger draws Johan Brunkow from the deck, he disposes of him with horsemen, the city of Visby and the Visby fleet. The pieces of Brunkow and the fleet are placed in Visby, the starting position, and may be used in the next round. If another player has taken Visby, he must hand the city over to Birger.
If the drots, Johan Brunkow, falls into the hands of one of the dukes, Birger can buy him free with his own means; otherwise Brunkow is killed.
The same applies to Knut Porse with horsemen and Varberg, and to Greger Magnusson with horsemen, the Åland fleet and Kastelholm. The starting positions for these pieces are Varberg and Kastelholm respectively.

The allies must always be provided with their respective home place. Places and fleets always follow these cards.

Cities, Castles, Strongholds, Manors, Mines and Monasteries

Fortified cities have a garrison of 200 men, which may be reinforced up to 2000 men by billeting horse or foot troops in the city. If a city with a force greater than these 2000 men is attacked, the defender must state whether the whole force (apart from the permanent garrison) meets the enemy in the open field, or whether only part meets the enemy in the field and part defends itself in the city together with the permanent garrison. In both cases there are then two combat actions: during the first move, battle in the open field; during the next move, a siege.

In an unfortified city, troops of up to 1000 men may be billeted, and the city must be taken by siege. If more than 1000 men are at the place, the same rules apply as for a fortified city.

Castles and strongholds have a garrison of 100 men and may be reinforced to 1000 men in the garrison. For castles and strongholds with troops of more than 1000 men the same rules apply as for fortified and unfortified cities.

Unfortified cities, manors and mines that are not defended can be taken by the smallest force (100 horsemen). The player must draw an event card, and the text under point 3 is applied.

The monasteries (klostren), which are not marked on the map, are in practice only a means of payment. They can only be assigned to bishops or royal persons.

Course of Play (Spelets gång)

An event card is drawn for the round (spelvarvet) and the event is signposted on the map.

Famine (Hungersnöd): no operations may take place within the area.
Plague (Pest): everyone in the city and its surroundings (that is, also besiegers) dies. Game pieces are removed from play. Main and auxiliary cards return to the deck. The city's permanent garrison is not affected.
Rain (Regn): no watercourses may be crossed within the area.
Storm (Storm): a fleet at sea is wrecked. The piece (together with any troop transport) is removed from play, and the auxiliary card(s) return to the deck.
Calm (Stiltje): no movement or other activity at sea.
Forest fire (Skogsbrand): the area may not be passed.

A sign with the corresponding text is placed at the indicated place on the map. The players then start in the order Erik, Valdemar and Birger.

Each player in turn draws an event card, reads point 2, and continues to draw until he gets a card that applies to his situation. 34 events are tied to a certain place and apply to the player only if he holds that place. The weddings and the other six cards are not tied to any place.

The player follows the instructions on the event card and carries out his operations. A game piece may carry out only one operation: a move together with a siege or battle, a royal assembly, a wedding, a feast, a church meeting or similar.

Before each round the players may redistribute cards from the leader's main card to other main cards, but not the reverse. The king and the dukes may, in other words, "grant" (tilldela) cities, castles and so on. Anslott (the commanders' home places) and the bishops' sees, however, cannot be granted; they always follow their owner, though they can be taken by an opponent.

A troop assigned to a certain piece cannot be handed over to another piece unless the pieces are on the same place.

Example: A player has two commanders, A and B, each with a foot banner in addition to a horse retinue, but on different squares. He wants to move a horse force independently of the slow foot troops. B is then moved to the same square as A, and A takes command over both foot banners (which then cannot march further than the range of the first-named banner), and B rides on with his horse retinue.

After the player's move he takes three new cards from the deck and lays them out in the same way as the first cards. Cards taken anew from the deck may be distributed by the player to any main cards.

Game Tactics (Speltaktik)

One must make a careful judgement when auxiliary cards are distributed among main cards. Most auxiliary cards should be placed under the leader's card, so that resources can be redistributed after the round. If a game piece (main card) loses its ransom sum because an enemy force has taken his city, castle or mine, he cannot have the loss replaced from the leader until after the round. He risks being captured and dying for lack of ransom money in an attack before then. On the other hand, one should not assign too many "grants" (auxiliary cards) to pieces, since they are lost if the piece is removed from play, for example if it falls in battle or siege.

When troop movements begin it is advisable to gather a strong army under the leader and, with it, take cities and castles and defeat inferior forces. If resources allow, it may be advantageous to operate on a wider front and let other forces take similar tasks. It is often advantageous to concentrate on a certain area and extend it as soon as possible. This eases one's own troop movements, but it is also necessary to get as many cities as possible, in order to have frequent opportunities for feasts, royal assemblies and church meetings.

One should be aware that all cities except Stockholm, Lödöse and Kalmar may be struck by plague. Large forces may in unfortunate cases be lost. Mutiny in a city with large forces is another catastrophe that can quickly turn the situation. The presence of a leader or an ally prevents this, however.

Feasts are often decisive between the players. It is therefore important to double the leader (through a wedding) as soon as possible, and to secure at least one of the "feast places" (Gästabudsplatserna).

Second Printed Text: Map, Pieces, Cards and Play

The scanned rulebook prints a second text of the rules on pages 8 to 12 of the original ("Kartan — spelplanen", "Spelkort", "Händelsekort", "Förberedelser", "Spelets gång", "Spelardrag", "Sammanfattning — spelmetodik", "Vem vinner?"). It is transcribed here in full as printed; where it repeats the sections above it is the same rule in different words. The title page and introduction are printed a second time on page 7 of the original and are not repeated here.

Map (Kartan — spelplanen)

On the map are indicated fortified and unfortified cities, fortified and unfortified cathedral cities (stiftstäder), castles and strongholds (slott och borgar), manors (gårdar) and mines (gruvor).

Harbour towns are all cities that lie on the coast or on watercourses. Harbour towns with a blue name label also have a fleet.

Seas and watercourses are marked in blue and represent obstacles that can be passed on certain conditions (see Movement).

Green marks wooded land, yellow marks open country. No roads are marked. Movements take place on a grid laid over the map. The borders to Norway and Denmark are marked with crosses and dashes. The border between Svealand and Götaland is marked with a dashed line.

Map symbols (Teckenförklaringar till spelplanen): Fortified city (Befäst stad); Unfortified city (Obefäst stad); Fortified cathedral city (Befäst Stiftstad); Unfortified cathedral city (Obefäst stiftstad); Castle (Slott, Borg); Manor (Gård); Royal castle (Kungligt Slott); Mine (Gruva); Royal assembly (Herredagar); Bishops' meeting (Biskopsmöte); Feast (Gästabud); Harbour town with fleet, marked by a blue name label (Hamnstad med flotta).

Game pieces (Spelpjäserna)

King Birger and the dukes Erik and Valdemar (the leaders) are marked with their respective crowns on blue, red or green bases. 3 pieces.
Commanders (stormännen), Duke Knut Porse, the drots Johan Brunkow and the knights are marked with coats of arms (sköldmärken). 18 pieces.
The bishops are marked with mitres (biskopsmössor) in different colours. 7 pieces.
The fleets are marked with the coat of arms of the respective harbour town. 7 pieces.

Cards (Spelkort)

The game has 125 cards, of which 42 have a blue knight on the back and 83 have a plain white back. The cards are divided into main cards (huvudkort) and auxiliary cards (hjälpkort).

Main cards (huvudkort), 31. Six cards represent the three Folkungs and their consorts (cards with a blue knight). 18 represent the commanders (duke, drots and knights) and 7 the bishops; these 25 cards have white backs. The main cards are marked with coats of arms, which also appear on the game pieces. The princesses have no pieces and are represented by their men. The cards also state the home place (city, castle or manor), the ransom in case of capture, and the number of horsemen in the retinue.

Three of the main cards have special significance:

Johan Brunkow — Birger's drots (a distinguished office in the Middle Ages).
Duke Knut Porse of Halland — Erik's ally (bundsförvant).
Bishop Greger Magnusson of Åbo — Valdemar's ally (bundsförvant).

Auxiliary cards (hjälpkort), 94. These cards represent:

Cities, castles, strongholds and manors, 55. Garrison and value are given on the cards.
Fleets, 7. The cards give the number of ships, the crew size (corresponding to the fixed garrison of the cities), the value and the transport capacity.
Monasteries (kloster), 5. Value is given on the card.
Mines (gruvor), 9. Value is given on the card.
Foot banners (fotfänikor), 12: a troop strength in the Middle Ages of 300–500 men on foot. The number of men is given on the cards.
Profit from trade (vinst av handel), 6. The sum of money is given on the cards.

Auxiliary cards with a blue knight on the back are called home cards (Hemortskort). They belong to a certain person.

The value in marks stated on the cards for cities, castles, strongholds, manors, monasteries, mines and profit from trade constitutes the means of payment for weddings, ransoms and feasts.

Event Cards (Händelsekort), 40

An event card is divided into five parts:

Round (Spelvarv). Gives the event of the round.
Move (Speldrag). Gives the event for the players.
Siege (Belägring). Gives the outcome of a siege.
Battle (Strid). Gives the outcome of a battle.

The fifth part is a box coloured red, black or white. The outcomes are the same as in the table in the section on event cards above:

Colour	Outcome of feast and treachery	Outcome of royal assembly or church meeting	How a crossing of a watercourse succeeds
RED	IS KILLED (dödas)	TREACHERY (förräderi)	PASSES (passerar)
BLACK	IS CAPTURED (fångas)	PEACEFULLY (fredligt)	IS HINDERED (hindras)
WHITE	ESCAPES (undkommer)	IS DISPERSED (skingras)	IS STUCK (fastnar)

Setup (Förberedelser)

Place the game board between the players.

Shuffle the event cards and lay them face down beside the board.

Divide the 125 game cards into two piles. The cards with a blue knight (home cards, hemortskort) go into one pile, and the cards with a white back go into another.

The cards with a white back (the deck, spelleken) are shuffled and laid face down beside the board.

The players choose leaders (Birger, Erik or Valdemar) and receive their main cards, their home cards (Stockholm, Lödöse or Kalmar) and their game pieces. The home card is placed under the main card so that the coloured part of the home card is visible.

The players place their leaders' game pieces at their respective home places on the board.

Deal 12 cards from the deck (cards with a white back). These are sorted into commanders (duke, drots and knights) and bishops, and laid out one at a time beside the leader's card (Birger, Erik or Valdemar).

From the home cards (cards with a blue knight) the home places of the bishops and commanders are now dealt out. The home place is stated on the respective main card. The home cards are placed under the respective main cards so that the coloured part of the home card is visible.

The players distribute the rest of the 12 cards under the main cards, so that these persons receive resources (troops, fleets) to operate, and cities, money and so on to buy themselves out of captivity. (See Game Tactics.)

Place the cards so that the coloured edges, upper or lower, are visible, to make an overview easier. Place the main cards' game pieces at their respective places on the board.

Example: the game piece bearing Tord Bonde's coat of arms is placed at Örbäck on the board.

After the players have familiarised themselves with the cards, the board and the game pieces, and the setup is complete, the game proceeds as follows.

Course of Play (Spelets gång)

Birger, Erik and Valdemar are the main persons of the game, and the loss of such a piece means that the player has lost. If the main person has meanwhile married (see Wedding), the player has the right to continue the game with the widow as main person.

To help them, the main persons have commanders and bishops. These, together with the king and the dukes, are the leaders of troop forces and fleets.

Round (Spelvarv). An event card is drawn for the round, and under point 1 it is stated what applies to all players during the round. The event is marked on the board with a white event sign. After the round the sign is removed. The following situations may occur:

Famine (Hungersnöd): no operations may take place within the area.
Plague (Pest): everyone in the city, including besiegers, dies. The game piece is removed from play. Main and auxiliary cards return to their respective piles. (The permanent garrison is not mentioned in this text.)
Rain (Regn): no watercourses may be crossed within the area.
Storm (Storm): a fleet at sea is wrecked. The piece (together with any troop transport) is removed from play, and the auxiliary card returns to the deck.
Calm (Stiltje): no movement or other activity at sea.
Forest fire (Skogsbrand): the area may not be passed.

The players then start in the order Erik, Valdemar and Birger.

Player's move (Spelardrag). "Erik" draws an event card and reads point 2, Player's move. If the card does not fit any of "Erik's" main cards, he draws cards until he gets one that applies. If the player has not got anything suitable after five cards have been drawn, he continues with operations with his other game pieces.

34 events are tied to certain places and apply only to the player if he holds the place. The weddings and the other six cards are not tied to any place.

Example: Erik's main card represents Lödöse, Skara, Tälje, Axevalla and Garpenberg. "Erik" draws the event card "Mutiny in Stockholm". Since he does not hold Stockholm, he must continue drawing cards until one of his places is named in point 2. If he draws the card "Mutiny in Skara", he follows the instructions for Mutiny.

Events of the player's move. The following situations may occur under point 2 of the event card:

Wedding (Bröllop). A player who draws such a card immediately moves his leader to the princess's location. The wedding takes place in the same move:

King Birger with Princess Margareta of Denmark at Håtuna Kungsgård.
Duke Erik with Princess Ingeborg Håkansdotter of Norway at Bohus castle.
Duke Valdemar with Princess Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Norway at Borgholm castle.

After the wedding the princess's main card and home card are placed under the leader's card. The player pays 4000 marks to the game (spelleken) at the same time. One may not pay with one's home place. If the sum cannot be paid, the wedding is postponed (the player draws a new event card). A piece at sea cannot hold a wedding.

Royal Assembly and Church Meeting (second text)

The places are marked with crossed swords (royal assembly) and bishops' crosiers (church meeting).

When a player draws an event card with the text "Royal Assembly" or "Church Meeting" and holds the place, he must summon all commanders to the Royal Assembly, or all bishops to the Church Meeting. Affected pieces are moved directly to the place of the meeting, without hindrance from rain or famine. Johan Brunkow, Knut Porse and Bishop Greger, and any piece at sea or on Gotland or Åland, take part in neither the Royal Assembly nor the Church Meeting.

The player then draws a new event card. The colour under point 5 gives the outcome.

RED = TREACHERY. The player's own commanders or bishops remain at the place. The opposing players must draw an event card for each participating commander (bishop). The colour of that event card gives the outcome:

Red = is killed. The piece is removed from play. Main and auxiliary cards return to their respective piles.
Black = is captured. The piece may be bought free for the stated ransom sum, which is paid to the player holding the Royal Assembly or Church Meeting. If the sum is not disposed of, the person dies in captivity and the piece is removed from play; main and auxiliary cards return to their piles. A ransomed piece is placed at once on its home place.
White = escapes. The piece is placed at once on its home place.

BLACK = PEACEFUL MEETING. One card from the deck is dealt to each participant. Only auxiliary cards are dealt; main cards (commanders and bishops) are returned to the deck. All participants return to their home places.

WHITE = DISPERSED. All participants return to their home places.

Mutiny (second text)

Mutiny, which occurs only in fortified cities, means that both the permanent garrison and the force stationed in the city (commander and bishop with horsemen, troops, fleets) pass to the next player in turn. The mutiny is put down by retaking the city through a siege (see Siege). Mutiny is prevented by the presence of a royal person, or of the allies (Bundsförvanterna) Johan Brunkow, Knut Porse or Bishop Greger.

Revolt (second text)

A revolt, which afflicts a certain landscape, means that certain places are besieged by rebellious peasants. The revolt is put down when the player moves (see Movement) at least 500 men to the besieged place. The force must remain at the place during the move. If no intervention takes place, the place returns to the deck.

Sea Raiders (second text)

Only a city with no defence other than its permanent garrison can be taken by surprise by sea raiders (sjörövare). The presence of further forces makes a surprise impossible. The force must remain at the place during the round. A city that is taken by surprise returns to the deck.

Operations with the Other Game Pieces

After the player has carried out the event under point 2 of the event card, he may carry out operations with those game pieces he has not previously used during the player's move. He first moves all or as many of them as he wishes (see Movement). Then he has each of them carry out one operation (siege, battle or feast; see the respective heading). Each piece may carry out one movement and one operation per player's move.

Movement (second text)

On land. Game pieces representing leaders, commanders or bishops are moved at most 10 squares in one move, in any direction: horizontally, vertically and diagonally. The direction may be changed within one and the same move. If leaders, commanders or bishops have foot banners (fotfänikor) as auxiliary cards, their game pieces are moved only 5 squares, but in the same way. Several horse and foot troops may be gathered into one army (the pieces are stacked on top of each other), and then move as one unit. A mixed troop of this kind moves as foot soldiers, that is, 5 squares.

Crossing a watercourse. For a troop that is to cross a watercourse, the player draws an event card.

Red = passes: the movement continues.
Black = is hindered: the troop must choose a new crossing point (move to a new square and draw a new card within the same round).
White = is stuck: the troop does not get across but must wait until its next move, when it may continue without drawing a new card.

Watercourses that can be crossed in this way include all rivers and lakes, as well as Göta älv and Kalmar sund. In Stockholm, Uppsala, Västerås, Lödöse, Tingvalla and Varberg there are bridge connections, which allow crossing without drawing a card. These places may also be crossed in rain, which otherwise prevents crossing of watercourses.

Movement of fleets. Fleets move in the same way, at most 10 squares. Storm and calm hinder movement, and a fleet at sea is wrecked if a storm card is drawn. A fleet may move from the East Coast to the West Coast in two moves.

The diagram in the original shows the sea route: move 1 to the southern edge of the map; rest one round (vila 1 omgång); then move 2, 3 steps, on the Kattegat. The text reads: A fleet is moved to the southern edge of the map, rests one round, and in the next move it moves at most 3 squares on the Kattegat. The corresponding rules apply to movement from west to east. Transport of a troop may begin in the first move after the troop has reached the same harbour as the fleet in question. The transport takes place in the following round; the troop may go ashore immediately on arrival at the new harbour and take part in an operation there, but it may not be moved from that harbour until the next round.

A fleet may call at all cities on the coast and on watercourses. A fleet lying in a harbour that is held by another player must receive that player's permission to sail.

Siege (second text)

Only a commander's stronghold (stormansborg), a manor (gård) and a bishop's castle (biskopsslott) held by a player can be besieged and taken. Cities and royal castles can be taken even if they have no owner. If the place is then taken, its card is removed from the deck and given to the victor.

To take a castle or a fortified city owned by another player requires at least twice the strength of the place's garrison (permanent garrison plus any reinforcement).

To besiege and take other places, at least the same strength as is present at the place is required. If the place is unfortified and no other force is present, a siege may be carried out with a minimum force of 100 men. (This also applies to unfortified cities.)

The attacker draws an event card. Under point 3 he sees whether the place surrenders or whether the storming is repulsed and the siege continues. The card also states the losses on both sides, by the given names of the fallen. Their game pieces are removed from play. The main and auxiliary cards of a fallen person, and the resources (cities, castles, manors and so on), return to the deck. A troop, however, passes to the victor.

During the game a player may draw the main card of a fallen person. Since that game piece has been removed from play, it cannot act. The home card and the troop on the main card, however, fall to the player, who places the card under any main card he chooses.

On surrender, the place and any surviving persons and troops fall into the victor's hands. A person is ransomed for the stated ransom sum, if the sum is available in the form of auxiliary cards under the person's main card. A ransomed piece is placed again in its home place. The auxiliary cards that made up the ransom sum are placed under the victor's main card.

If the means of payment is lacking, the person dies in captivity. The piece is removed from play; its main card returns to the deck and its auxiliary cards fall to the victor.

If there are several victors, the player places the auxiliary cards under any main cards he chooses.

If the storming is repulsed, the place remains besieged until it falls through surrender or battle. A trapped troop cannot be moved, and reinforcements cannot be brought in. To lift a siege, a relief force must first engage in battle with the besieging forces, and battle then arises under the rules below.

Battle on Land (second text)

Battle on land arises when a player with one or more pieces attacks a force in a green "forest square" (skogsruta), a yellow "plain square" (slätruta), or a force that besieges a place. If several pieces take part in the battle they are placed on top of each other.

If the battle is in open terrain (yellow plain square), a horse troop (ryttartrupp) counts as double strength.

The attacker draws an event card. Under point 4 it is stated which strength ratio must prevail for him to win:

2 to 1 = victory, i.e. victory if, for example, at least 400 men attack 200 men.
3 to 1 = victory, i.e. victory if, for example, at least 600 men attack 200 men.
3 to 2 = victory, i.e. victory if, for example, at least 600 men attack 400 men.
4 to 1 = victory, i.e. victory if, for example, at least 800 men attack 200 men.

As in a siege, the card also states which pieces fall in the battle on both sides. The game piece is removed from play. The main card and resources of a fallen person (cities, castles, manors and so on) return to the deck. A troop, however, passes to the victor.

On victory, opponents who do not fall are taken prisoner. A piece that can be bought free returns to its home place. Troops pass to the victor and are placed under a piece at the location.

Note that a troop must never be without a leader, that is, a royal piece, commander's piece or bishop's piece. The troop then returns to the deck. This can happen, for example, if the leader falls and no other leader is at the place to take command.

If the attacker does not have the strength needed to meet the victory conditions, the battle is undecided and the players take account only of the losses on both sides.

Battle at Sea (second text)

A fleet cannot attack unless a royal piece, commander's piece or bishop's piece is aboard. A fleet can, however, defend itself when attacked and can also move without these pieces aboard. Several fleets may be gathered under one royal person, commander or bishop.

Battle arises when a player with one or more pieces attacks a fleet at sea or in harbour. The combined strength of the crews and troops aboard is counted on both sides, and the attacker draws an event card. The outcome of the battle is calculated as for a battle on land, or, if the enemy fleet lies in a harbour, as for a siege. If the leader, that is a royal piece, commander's piece or bishop's piece, is lost, a fleet (unlike a foot troop) can nevertheless be moved from the place.

In a battle over a harbour town, fleets and troops may take part on both sides. A fleet in a besieged city takes part by having its crew counted into the garrison. The attacker may come both by land and by sea. The strengths are added together, but note that a fleet must have a leader aboard. Note also that a fleet which besieges a harbour town counts as a fleet at sea, and may therefore be struck by a storm and wrecked, or by calm and overactivity (överksamhet).

Feast (second text)

A player may hold a feast provided that his royal person is at a place where a feast can be held (a place with the goblet symbol). The place may not be under siege. The royal person must dispose of 6,000 marks, which he pays to the game (spelleken). He may not pay with his home place.

At a feast the opposing players must appear with their royal persons. The three royal pieces are moved directly to the feast place, without regard to the movement rules and without hindrance from rain, forest fire or famine. A piece at sea does not take part.

The opposing players each draw an event card. The colour under point 5 gives the outcome:

Red = is killed. The piece and its main card are removed from play. Other cards return to their piles. The player is out of the game. If the royal person is married, however, the player has the right to continue the game with the widow as leader.
Black = is captured. The piece may be bought free for the stated ransom sum, which is paid to the player who holds the feast. If the sum is not disposed of, the person dies in captivity and the piece is removed from play (see above). A ransomed piece is placed at once on its home place.
White = escapes. The piece is placed at once on its home place.

After the feast ends, the host moves back to his home place.

New Round (Nytt spelvarv)

After the round ends, every player receives three new cards from the deck (the cards with a white back). If a player receives main cards, the corresponding home cards are dealt from the pile of cards with a blue knight.

Before each round the players may redistribute cards from a royal person's main card to other main cards, but not the reverse. The king and the dukes may, in other words, grant (skänka) cities, castles and so on.

A troop assigned to a certain piece cannot be handed over to another piece unless the pieces are on the same place. Any pieces may in this way exchange a troop or a fleet.

Example: as in the example in the first text above (two commanders, A and B, each with a foot banner, one of them taking command of both banners while B rides on with his horse retinue).

Royal Persons and Allies (second text)

The three Folkung brothers are the game's leaders, and the loss of a leader means that the player has lost. If the leader is married, however, the player has the right to continue the game with the widow as leader. This corresponds to the reality of the dukes' fate, since they died after the feast at Nyköping.

Johan Brunkow (Birger's drots), Knut Porse (Erik's ally) and Greger Magnusson (Valdemar's ally) hold a special position.

If Birger draws Johan Brunkow from the deck, he disposes of him with horsemen, the city of Visby and the Visby fleet. The pieces of Brunkow and the fleet are placed in Visby, the starting position, and may be used in the next round. If another player has taken Visby, he must hand the city over to Birger.
If the drots, Johan Brunkow, falls into the hands of one of the dukes, Birger can buy him free with his own means; otherwise Brunkow is killed (and is removed from play).
The same applies to Knut Porse and Greger Magnusson. The starting positions of these pieces are Varberg (Knut Porse, with horsemen) and, for Greger Magnusson (with horsemen, the Åland fleet), Kastelholm.

The allies must always be provided with their respective home place. Places and fleets always follow these cards.

Cities, Castles, Strongholds, Manors, Mines and Monasteries (second text)

Fortified cities have a garrison of 200 men, which may be reinforced up to 2000 men by billeting horse or foot troops in the city. If a city with a force greater than these 2000 men is attacked, the defender must state whether the whole force (apart from the permanent garrison) meets the enemy in the open field, or whether only part meets the enemy in the field and part defends itself in the city together with the permanent garrison. In both cases there are two combat actions: during the first move, battle in the open field; during the next move, a siege.

In an unfortified city, troops of up to 1000 men may be billeted, and the city must be taken by siege. If more than 1000 men are at the place, the same rules apply as for a fortified city.

Unfortified cities, manors and mines that are not defended can be taken by the smallest force (100 horsemen), without battle or siege.

The monasteries (klostren), which are not marked on the map, are in practice only a means of payment. They can only be assigned to bishops or royal persons.

Winning the Game (Vem vinner?)

The one who has destroyed the opponents and is left alone with his royal piece has won.

Summary of the Play Method (Sammanfattning — spelmetodik)

Round 1. One participant draws an event card, reads under point 1, which applies to all three players, and marks the event on the board (see Round).

Play continues in turn in the order Erik, Valdemar and Birger.

Erik draws a new event card, reads under point 2 and carries out the operation with one or more of his game pieces (see Player's Move).

Erik then continues, and moves his other game pieces, all or as many as he wishes (see Operations with the Other Game Pieces).

When Erik has carried out his operations (siege, battle, feast and so on), it is Valdemar's turn to draw an event card for the round, carry out operations and so on.

When Valdemar is finished, it is finally Birger's turn to carry out the corresponding operations as described above.

Round 2. When all three players have finished their player's moves, each of them draws three new cards from the deck (cards with a white back; see New Round).

A new event card is drawn for round two. The event is marked on the board. Then the turn passes again to Erik, Valdemar and Birger.

Thereafter follow rounds 3, 4 and so on.

When the game is over, after 3 to 8 rounds (depending entirely on luck and the players' skill), there shall be one player left alone with his royal piece.

Game Tactics (second text)

One must make a careful judgement when auxiliary cards are distributed among main cards. Most auxiliary cards should be placed under the leader's card, so that resources can be redistributed after the round. If a game piece (main card) loses its ransom sum because an enemy force has taken his city, castle or mine, he cannot have the loss replaced from his royal person until after the round. He risks being captured and dying for lack of ransom money in an attack before then. On the other hand, one should not assign too many "grants" (auxiliary cards) to pieces, since they are lost if the piece is removed from play, for example if it falls in battle or siege.

When troop movements begin it is advisable to gather a strong army under one's royal person and, with it, take cities and castles and defeat inferior forces. If resources allow, it may be advantageous to operate on a wider front and let other forces take similar tasks. It is often advantageous to concentrate on a certain area and extend it as soon as possible. This eases one's own troop movements, but it is also necessary to get as many cities as possible, in order to have frequent opportunities for feasts, royal assemblies and church meetings.