Havoc: The Hundred Years War Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Card Setup
• Table Setup
• Preparation
• Starting Play
  • (1) Recruiting Troops
  • Keeping the Peace
  • A Year of Peace
• (2) Cry HAVOC! – How to Start a Battle
• Battle Hand Rankings
• "Let Slip the Dogs of War" – Activating Your Dogs
• The Last Battles – Formigny and Castillon
• Winning the Game
• Special Rules for 2 or 3 Players
• Special Rules for 5 or 6 Players
• Tips from Our Playtesters
• Variants
• A Play Example
• Errata
• Credits

Contents

• 108 regular cards in 6 suits, values 1-18
• 12 multicolor Dogs of War, with numerical value 0
• 2 double-sided Havoc/Peace cards
• 1 set of Battle cards, numbered 1-9
• 15 victory point tokens
• Additional reference cards

Card Setup

6 players 6 suits, cards 1-18 – 12 Dogs – Maximum 5 in the Recruits Area

5 players 6 suits, cards 1-15 – 10 Dogs – Maximum 5 in the Recruits Area

4 players 6 suits, cards 1-13 – 8 Dogs – Maximum 5 in the Recruits Area

3 players 6 suits, cards 1-10 – 6 Dogs – Maximum 4 in the Recruits Area

2 players 6 suits, cards 1-8 – 6 Dogs – Maximum 4 in the Recruits Area

Table Setup

Set up the main play area as shown. Lay out the Battle cards left to right in numerical order (there are small numbers on the front, upper right corner.) At least the next four battles should be visible to all players. The small victory tokens are placed with the Battle they relate to.

For 5 or 6 players, use the two-sided Havoc/Peace card that shows "Peacekeeper 1" and "Peacekeeper 2" only. For 2 to 4 players, use the Havoc/Peace card that includes "Peacekeeper 3."

Find the Dogs of War. These are special cards in the game, always valued 0 (zero), but which can be played as any color (suit) of your choice. Before the games starts, remove the Dog cards from the deck. Keep 2 Dogs for each player, and place the rest back in the game box.

Preparation

Give 1 Dog to each player as part of their starting hand. Choose a dealer, shuffle the regular cards (without the extra Dogs), and deal 7 to each player. Place 3 cards face up in the Recruits Area. Shuffle the extra Dog cards into the remaining cards to make a Draw deck. Give the Havoc/Peace card to the person on the dealer's left, with the Peace side up. This person is the first Peacekeeper (see "Keeping the Peace" later in the rules).

Starting Play

Play starts with the Peacekeeper and continues clockwise. On your turn, there are just two choices: 1) recruit Troops (draw cards) or 2) cry HAVOC! to start a Battle.

(1) Recruiting Troops

Draw 2 cards to your hand and discard 1 card to the Recruits Area. You may draw your cards in any combination from the Recruits Area or the Draw Pile. If the Recruits Area is at its maximum, you must take your first card from the Recruits Area. For 2 or 3 players, that maximum cards in the Recruits Area is 4 cards; for 4 or more players it is 5 cards. There is no limit on hand size.

Dogs. Once during your recruiting turn, you may play 1 or 2 Dogs from your hand as follows:

• Fetch. Discard 1 Dog to take 1 card from the Draw deck or from the Recruits Area
• Looting the Dead. Discard 2 Dogs together, search the Discard pile and take 1 non-Dog card from it. Show the other players what you retrieve. Discards may not be searched at any other time.

If needed, refill the Recruits Area after each player (not after each draw) so it always shows at least 3 cards. If the Draw deck runs out, shuffle the Discard pile into a new Draw deck.

(Very Rare) If it comes to your turn, and there are not enough cards in the Draw deck, Recruits Area, and the Discard pile for you to complete a regular Recruiting action, then you must cry HAVOC! and start a Battle (see below).

Keeping the Peace

As the Peacekeeper, you must report progress. If the Havoc side of the Havoc/Peace card is up, flip the card over to the Peace side and turn to "Peacekeeper 1". If the Peace side is up, rotate the card to the next higher Peacekeeper number. Keeping the peace leads to rewards.

A Year of Peace

If it is time to rotate the Peace card and there is no higher number then you declare a Year of Peace. Remove the next Battle card from the game, along with any victory point tokens, and all other players must discard 1 card from their hands to the Discard pile. Rotate the Peace card back to Peacekeeper 1 and take your regular turn. For your efforts in keeping the peace you remain Peacekeeper!

(2) Cry HAVOC! – How to Start a Battle

The lowest numbered Battle card shows the reward(s) for this Battle. Cry HAVOC!, take the Havoc/Peace card, and place it Havoc side up into your field (the area in front of you). Play at least 2 cards from your hand, face up, as your starting "Battle Hand." You are the HAVOC Caller.

Each player's Battle Hand will be limited to 6 cards. In addition to your Battle Hand, you may play up to 2 Dogs outside the Battle. Battle Hands will be ranked against each other in a way similar to poker at the end of the Battle, with the highest ranking hand winning the Battle. Hand rankings are found below, and on the Reference Cards provided.

Now that a Battle has begun each other player in turn joins the Battle or declines.

• Join the Battle. If you wish to join the Battle you must play at least 2 cards face up into your field. Your hand doesn't need to match or "beat" any other hands to join this Battle.
• Decline. You may decline to fight and draw 1 face-down card from the Draw deck. By declining to fight you are permanently out of this Battle.

Building Your Battle Hand. On your turn, if you are still in the Battle, you may play any number of cards (but at least one) up to your limit of 6 cards. If you are satisfied with your hand, you may pass, locking in your Battle Hand. Once you pass, you may not add more cards to your field, but you remain in the Battle. Remember that Dog cards are value zero but count as any suit (color) of your choice. So a Dog (0) played with a multi-color hand, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, counts as a "6 card straight" (rank #10 below).

Dogs Outside of Battle. At the end of a Battle, you may declare that 1 or 2 Dogs you have played in the Battle do not count as part of your Battle Hand. Example: a Dog (0) in a Battle Hand along with blue 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 counts as a "6 card flush" only. By declaring the Dog outside Battle, those five blue cards now count as a more valuable "5 card straight flush." This means that if you have already played six non-Dog cards to your field, any Dog you add is automatically outside the Battle Hand.

Winning the Battle. When all players have passed, evaluate all Battle Hands using the ranks below and award victory points as stated on the current Battle card (1st gets highest, 2nd and 3rd place get points if offered). The winner puts the Battle card in his field. Others take the appropriate victory point markers. Players' victory points are kept face up and visible to the other players.

Battle Hand Rankings

1. 6 Card Straight Flush — highest hand
2. 6 of a Kind
3. 5 Card Straight Flush — sequential, 1 suit
4. 5 of a Kind
5. "Big House" — 4x + 2x
6. 4 of a Kind
7. "Trios" — 3x + 3x
8. 6 Card Flush — all same suit/color
9. "Full House" — 3x + 2x
10. 6 Card Straight — sequential numbers
11. 5 Card Flush — all same suit/color
12. 3 Pair — 2x + 2x + 2x
13. 5 Card Straight — sequential numbers
14. 3 of a Kind — 3x
15. 2 Pair — 2x + 2x
16. 1 Pair — 2x
17. High Single Card — lowest hand

Notes on the Hands. Battle Hands are ranked similarly to poker hands, but with a maximum of 6 cards. A straight or a flush must use all the cards played (5 or 6 cards). For other hands, it is legal to play more cards than needed (sometimes used as a bluff), still to a maximum of six in the Battle. Higher numbered sets beat lower numbered sets - a pair of 5s beats a pair of 1s. Tied hands (unlikely) are won by the player who has the least cards left in their hand. If still tied, split the Battle points for those places, rounding down. Dogs played but declared outside of Battle (explained above) do not count as part of the Battle Hand at all.

"Let Slip the Dogs of War" – Activating Your Dogs

After the Battle, each player may activate up to 2 Dogs that were played during Battle. Starting with the HAVOC Caller and going clockwise, each player with Dog(s) in play takes one of the following actions:

• Scavenge. Discard 1 Dog (place it on the Discard pile) and take any 1 face up non-Dog card on the table into your hand. You can retrieve face up cards from any battlefield, even yours, or from the Recruits Area. Sorry, but all cards in the Discard pile and Draw deck are off limits for scavenging.
• Looting the Dead. Discard 2 Dogs together, search the Discard pile, and take 1 non-Dog card from it. Show the other players what you retrieve. Discards may not be searched at any other time.

Continue in order until all who played Dogs have activated up to 2 of them. The Recruits Area is not refilled to a minimum of 3 cards until all Dogs have been activated.

Discard Played Cards. All face up cards on all battlefields are now placed in the Discard pile. If needed, the Recruits Area is refilled to three cards.

Battle Winner's Duties. As the winner of the Battle, you now take the action printed at the bottom of the Battle card. This directs you to deal new cards (from the Draw deck) to one or more players, including the HAVOC Caller. And since you won the Battle, you also become the new Peacekeeper!

Place the Havoc/Peace card in front of you on its Peace side so you can read Peacekeeper 1. You now start the next regular turn, by recruiting troops or by crying HAVOC! and starting a new Battle - playing for the next Battle card in order. Turns continue clockwise as before.

The Last Battles – Formigny and Castillon

After the 8th Battle at Formigny (whether it is fought or cancelled), there are no more player turns. Any cards in the Recruits Area are placed in the Discard pile. The current Peacekeeper now deals 2 cards face down to each player from the Draw deck. If you run out of cards, shuffle the Discard pile to make a new Draw deck as usual.

The Dogs Are Kenneled. Starting with the Peacekeeper, players in turn may now discard up to 2 Dogs from their hands and draw that many new cards from the Draw deck. Cards in the Discard pile may not be retrieved for the Battle of Castillon.

Fight the Last Battle. All players now place their highest value Battle Hand into the field, up to a maximum of 6 cards. The Battle Hands are evaluated and points are awarded for first, second, etc. (points are 11–8–5–3–1–0). Ties are broken by who has the least cards left in hand unplayed. If still tied, split the combined points for those places, rounding down.

Winning the Game

The player with the most points wins the game and is crowned monarch. Ties for most points are broken first by the most number of Battles won (count the Battle cards held by each tied player). If still tied, the order of finish in the Battle at Castillon determines the Crown. Let the revels begin!

Special Rules for 2 or 3 Players

For 2 or 3 players, the game is a little more challenging if you disregard the second place award on the Battle cards. So, Battles with 1st and 2nd place listed function as if they were 1st place only. Battles with a 3rd place shown give those points to the 2nd place winner in the Battle, with no points for 3rd.

Special Rules for 5 or 6 Players

For 5 or 6 players, use the Havoc/Peace card shown here. For the first game round only, allow all players one extra round of Recruiting or Crying HAVOC! before starting the regular Peacekeeper process. For more than 4 players, it slows the game a little too much to let everyone recruit new cards three turns in a row, which is why this special Havoc/Peace card that has no "Peacekeeper 3" is included in the game box.

You can also use this special Havoc/Peace card for 4 or less players if you want a faster game or a little more of a challenge.

Tips from Our Playtesters

Playing Battle Hands early in the game which require 5 or more cards (straights, flushes) can run you short of cards fairly quickly. Agincourt and Castillon are the big battles: prepare for them early on.

Recruiting cards "forever" hoping to win the few last Battles is not always effective. Picking your Battles, watching what people are recruiting, and getting other people to deplete their hands seem to be smart plays.

Variants

Try playing with the Battle cards in random order, or allow the person who just won a Battle to select the next Battle to be fought. The last Battle (Castillon) still needs to be played last. While less accurate historically, these variations will cause players to adjust strategies for the new Battle order.

A Play Example

Four players have just started a game. Anya, to the dealer's left, starts the game with the Havoc/Peace card in front of her. All players have 8 cards in hand, including 1 Dog. The current Battle card is Sluys, offering 5 points for 1st place and 3 for 2nd place (no 3rd place). Here's the Recruits Area - blue 9, orange 2, and green 12.

1. Anya turns the Havoc/Peace card so it reads Peacekeeper 1. She draws a card from the Draw deck as her first card, then takes the green 12 from the Recruits Area. She ends her turn by giving a gray 7 back to the Recruits Area.

2. Ben draws 2 cards from the Draw deck, and returns a yellow 1 to the Recruits.

3. Carl also draws 2 cards from the Draw deck, and gives up a brown 10 to the Recruits.

4. The Recruits Area is now at it maximum size, so Dana must take her first card from the Recruits. She takes the blue 9 and then the brown 10 from the Recruits Area. She gives a green 2 to the Recruits.

5. Anya turns the Havoc/Peace card to read Peacekeeper 2. She draws her first card and then takes the green 2 from the Recruits Area. She discards a Dog from her hand to take one more card, and she chooses the brown 2. She ends her turn by giving a blue 6 back to the Recruits.

6. Ben cries HAVOC! and takes the Havoc/Peace card from Anya, turning it to its Havoc side. He lays down a pair of 5s to start his Battle Hand. For this battle he is the HAVOC Caller.

7. Carl decides to stay out of the Battle, and draws 1 card from the Draw deck for being peaceful. He can't re-enter this battle later.

8. Dana plays an orange 10 and a Dog in front of her. She's in the Battle by playing 2 cards.

9. Anya plays three 2s to enter the battle. She's only required to play 2 cards, but she hopes to bluff her competition out early in the game.

10. Ben adds to his hand by playing 1 Dog card.

11. The play skips Carl, since he stayed out of the fight. Dana plays a 9 next.

12. Anya passes. She can't add any cards later, but her hand will count as a 3 of a kind. [Hand #14]

13. Ben passes, and Dana plays another 9. She's the only one left who can play cards. She passes.

Evaluating the Hands

14. Anya wins the Battle with "3 of a kind." She gets the Battle card worth 5 points. Dana gets 2nd place with a pair of 9s (they're higher than Ben's pair of 5s) and takes the 3 point token.

15. Ben was the HAVOC Caller, so he gets to use his Dog first. He puts the Dog in the Discard pile and takes into his hand the green 2 that was in front of Anya. He can take any face up non-Dog card.

16. Dana has the next Dog card, and she discards it in order to take the blue 6 from the Recruits Area. All the rest of the Battle Hand cards are now placed in the Discard pile.

17. Anya (the Battle Winner) follows the directions on the Battle card. She deals 1 card to each player (including those not in the battle), and deals 1 extra card to Ben who was the HAVOC Caller.

18. For winning the battle, Anya takes the Havoc/Peace card and will take the next turn. She turns the card Peace side up, reading Peacekeeper 1, as she decides what to do next.

Errata

The back cover of the game box lists Louis XIV and should have listed Louis IX, the young king who began his reign in 1226 at age 12. While it is not certain that he personally commissioned the Bible we used for most of our artwork, almost certainly it was presented to him or a member of his court soon after its creation about 1250 AD.

Credits

Special thanks to Doug Cooley for suggesting the medieval battle theme; Tom Powers for his extensive rules editing; George Vriese for suggesting the scoring tokens; Julie Brooks for her efforts in assembling the game; and Jay Schindler for suggesting the variable scoring mechanism.

Thanks to our playtesters: Aaron Curtis, Alex Rodriguez, Ben Corliss, Bill Hughes, Bobby Warren, Chris and Julie Brooks, Chris Lemon, Dave Eggleston, Dave Heberer, Doug and Mimi Walker, Ed Rozmiarek, Greg Paulos, Gwen Gray, Iain Cheyne, Jacob Brooks, Jason Harrison, Jason Sato, Jay Farrell, Jeff DeBoer, Jeremy Avery, Jim Cilek, Jim Harvey, John Haley, John Williamson, Ken Crangle, Ken Rude, Kevin Graham, Lennart Bjorksten, Lorna Wong, Mark and Terri Koberstein, Matt Riley, Michael Chapel, Mike Chastain, Mike Deans, Mike Frantz, Peter Sarrett, Rich Rowan, Rita Humphrey, Susan Rozmiarek, and Tim Isakson. If we've forgotten someone, accept our apology and thanks!

Thanks to Simone Wolter for doing the German translation; George Vriese for the Dutch translation and collaborating on the German; and Laurent Rochette for the French translation. (All translations available online at www.sunrivergames.com.)

• Game, cards, and game box design: KC Humphrey
• Art: Folios 13 recto, 23 recto, and 42 verso from the Morgan Crusader Bible (also known as the Maciejowski Bible), used by permission of the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York. www.morganlibrary.org
• Dogs of War: Barbara Bloom, Graphic Illustrator
• All other art: KC and Rita Humphrey
• Battle card text: Larry Gormley (editor), Leaders and Battles database. www.lbdb.com
• Rules: KC and Rita Humphrey, Tom Powers

RULE SET 9/19/05 © 2005 KC Humphrey / Sunriver Games www.sunrivergames.com