Patriots & Redcoats Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Goal
• Components
• Setup
• How to Play
• Phase 1: Spycraft Phase
• Phase 2: Council Phase
  • Election Fails
  • Election Succeeds
• The Spycraft Cards
  • Spy
  • Conceal
  • Reverse
  • Skip Next Turn
  • Draw 2 Cards
  • Winter is Coming
• Leaders
• Assassination
• Turncoats
• Glossary of Terms
• History

Overview

In Patriots & Redcoats, the players take on the roles of the Americans fighting to win independence and the British fighting to stop the rebellion. Watch out--there are spies and turncoats among you, and war by its nature can take on a character all its own.

Goal

During setup, each player is secretly assigned to the Patriots team or the Redcoats team, though a player's team may change during play.

A team can win in two ways:

• Win 4 War Victories. For details on winning War Victories, read Phase 2: Council Phase.
• Locate and eliminate the opposing Leader. For details on all the ways to eliminate Leaders, read Leaders.

Components

• 37 Loyalty cards: 14 Patriot, 14 Redcoat, 3 Turncoat, 2 Patriot Spy, 2 Redcoat Spy, 1 Patriot Leader (General Washington), 1 Redcoat Leader (King George III)
• 1 Commander card and stand
• 40 Spycraft cards: 23 Spy, 8 Conceal, 3 Skip Next Turn, 3 Reverse, 2 Draw 2 Cards, 1 Winter is Coming
• 16 War cards: 6 Patriot Victory, 10 Redcoat Victory
• 1 War track and marker

Setup

1. Deal Loyalty cards. First, separate the Patriot Spy, Redcoat Spy, Patriot Leader, and Redcoat Leader cards from the Loyalty deck to make the first pile.

   If you are playing with 4-6 players, return 1 Patriot Spy and both Redcoat Spy cards from the first pile to the box. Otherwise, 1 Redcoat Spy to the box.

   Then, shuffle the Patriot, Redcoat, and Turncoat Loyalty cards to make the second pile. Take cards from the second pile and add them to the first pile until the first pile holds cards equal to the number of players. Do not look at these cards.

   For example, in a game with 5 players, the first pile would hold 1 Patriot Spy, Patriot Leader, Redcoat Leader, and 2 cards added from the second pile, each a Patriot, Redcoat, or Turncoat.

   In a game with 10 players, the first pile would hold 2 Patriot Spy, 1 Redcoat Spy, Patriot Leader, Redcoat Leader, and 5 cards added from the second pile, each a Patriot, Redcoat, or Turncoat.

   Shuffle the first pile and deal 1 Loyalty card to each player, emptying the pile. Then, deal 2 Loyalty cards from the second pile to each player so that each player has 3 Loyalty cards in front of them.

   Return undealt Loyalty cards facedown to the box. Don't look at them.

2. Determine the first Commander. Choose a Commander randomly. You might do this by seeing who can tell the coolest Revolutionary War fact or who can sing all of Yankee Doodle Dandy or God Save the King. Or you can use the Cards Against Humanity method: the Commander is whoever took a bathroom break most recently.

   Put the Commander card in its stand, and give it to the Commander.

3. Prepare decks. Shuffle the War cards to form the War deck, and shuffle the Spycraft cards to form the Spycraft deck.

4. Look at Loyalty cards. The players simultaneously look at their 3 Loyalty cards, without showing them to anyone else, and then place the cards facedown in front of them.

You may discuss your Loyalty cards and tell truths or lies about them, but you cannot show your cards to any of the other players.

How to Play

Patriots & Redcoats is played over a series of rounds. Each round consists of two phases:

• Spycraft Phase: Starting with the Commander, each player takes a turn by drawing a Spycraft card, revealing it, and resolving it.
• Council Phase: The Commander selects an Agent to form the War Council. Then, the players vote "yes" or "no" to elect the War Council. If the majority vote "yes," then the War Council chooses a War card to reveal. If the majority vote "no," or if there is a tie, then the election fails, moving the War marker up one space.

After resolving these phases, the round ends. Pass the Commander card to the next clockwise player.

Always discard cards facedown, regardless of whether they were face-up or facedown when they were discarded. Discarded cards cannot be viewed or revealed.

If a deck is ever empty, and you are prompted to draw a card from it, shuffle its discard pile to form a new deck.

Phase 1: Spycraft Phase

Starting with the Commander and moving clockwise, each player takes a turn by drawing a Spycraft card, revealing it, and resolving its effects. This phase ends immediately when the opportunity to take a turn returns to the Commander.

For details on the effects of the Spycraft cards, read The Spycraft Cards.

If your game has many players, the Commander can deal the Spycraft cards to the player taking a turn.

Phase 2: Council Phase

The Commander nominates another player to be the Agent for this round's War Council, led by the Commander and the nominated Agent. Then, every player will vote on whether to elect this War Council. Once everyone is ready to vote, the Commander says, "Three, two, one..." On the count of "one," all players must simultaneously vote yes (thumbs-up) or no (thumbs-down).

If the War Council is elected, the Commander and Agent will work in secret to influence battle strategy, determining whether the Patriots or the Redcoats win a War Victory during this round.

Election Fails

If the majority of players vote "no," or if there is a tie, the War Council is not elected.

Advance the War marker once. If the War marker reaches the "3" space of the War track, draw a War card and place it on the War track. (The governments of France, Germany, and Spain take advantage by meddling in your affairs.) Return the War marker to the "0" space. End the Council Phase.

Election Succeeds

If the majority of players vote "yes," the War Council is elected.

Do not advance the War marker. Leave it on its current space. The Commander draws 3 War cards, looks at them in secret, and discards one. Then, the Commander gives the remaining 2 War cards to the Agent. The Agent looks at them in secret, discards one, and places the other card face-up on the matching War track. End the Council Phase.

A team wins if it has 4 War Victories.

While choosing cards, the Commander and Agent cannot communicate in any way, and cannot choose cards randomly. After the Agent places a War card on the War track, the Commander and Agent may discuss the cards they saw and chose, but they are free to be truthful or deceitful.

The Spycraft Cards

Spy

Increases the chance of finding out a player's loyalty.

Each Spy card is worth 1-3 eyes. When you reveal a Spy card, you may give it to another player, so that player receives the card's eyes. However, you cannot split eyes from one Spy card among multiple players, as you can with feathers from Conceal.

When you receive eyes that increases your total eyes to 3 eyes or more, you must immediately reveal one of your facedown Loyalty cards, and then remove 3 eyes by discarding and turning Spy cards.

Revealed Loyalty cards stay face-up until prompted to flip facedown.

If all of your Loyalty cards are revealed, you are eliminated. If you are holding a Leader, the opposing team wins.

The 2-eye Spy card has a side with 1 eye. You can turn the card to this side if you are prompted to remove one eye.

Example of Resolving a Spy Card Dave is the current Commander, so he takes a turn first. He draws a 3-eye Spy card, which he chooses to give to Fiona.

Fiona didn't have any eyes before, but now she has 3 eyes, so she must reveal a facedown Loyalty card. She chooses to reveal a Redcoat, and then discards the 3-eye Spy card.

Conceal

Lessens the chance of finding out a player's loyalty.

Each Conceal card is worth 1-3 feathers. When you reveal a Conceal card, you may split its feathers among players of your choice, including yourself.

When you receive feathers, remove an equal amount of eyes by discarding and turning Spy cards.

If you receive more feathers than your total eyes, the excess feathers have no effect.

After the players who received feathers finish removing eyes, discard the Conceal card, even if there is excess feathers.

Examples of Resolving Conceal Cards Jules is the current Commander, so she takes a turn first. She has a 2-eye Spy card, and she draws a 3-feather Conceal card. She chooses to keep the all of the feathers, so the 2 feathers remove her 2 eyes, and the remaining feather is wasted. She discards both cards.

Dave takes a turn next. He has a 2-eye Spy card, and he draws a 2-feather Conceal card. He keeps one feather, so he turns his 2-eye Spy card to its 1-eye side, and he gives the other feather to Fiona, so she discards her 1-eye Spy card. Dave discards the 2-feather Conceal card.

Fiona then takes a turn. She has no Spy cards, and she draws a 3-feather Conceal card. She has a revealed Loyalty card, but she cannot use feathers to flip it facedown. Because she has no eyes and doesn't want to give feathers to anyone, she discards the 3-feather Conceal card.

Reverse

Reverse the order of play until the end of this round. If play was moving left, it now moves right. If play was moving right, it now moves left. At the end of the round, discard Reverse.

Playing Reverse has two interesting effects. First, players who already took a turn this round will get to take a second turn. Second, because the Spycraft Phase ends when the opportunity to take a turn returns to the Commander, some players may not get to take a turn during this Spycraft Phase.

Skip Next Turn

Your turn ends immediately, and the next player in turn order does not take a turn. Discard Skip Next Turn.

Major Ferguson also lets you choose a player to reveal one facedown Loyalty card of their choice.

Like Reverse, Skip Next Turn can skip over the Commander, which means that the Spycraft Phase continues until the opportunity to take a turn returns to the Commander.

Draw 2 Cards

Draw two more Spycraft cards, and then resolve them. You must resolve both, but you can resolve them in either order. Discard Draw 2 Cards.

Hessians lets you also choose a player to flip one of their Loyalty cards face down, or lets you also call an immediate War Council, as in "Election Succeeds" above. You act as Commander and choose an Agent. After this War Council, continue the current Spycraft Phase.

Winter is Coming

You draw 2 War cards, choose one to reveal, and discard 1 War Victory from the War track matching the revealed War card. Then, discard the two drawn War cards.

Next, each player chooses one of their own face-up Loyalty cards to flip facedown. Then, each player selects one of their own facedown Loyalty cards to pass. When everyone has selected a card, simultaneously pass these cards facedown to the next clockwise player. The Patriot Spy and Redcoat Spy cards cannot be passed.

Then, the players check their own Loyalty cards to determine their team:

• First, you are a Redcoat if you hold the Redcoat Spy, or you are a Patriot if you hold a Patriot Spy.
• Second, you are a Redcoat if the most recent Leader card you held was the Redcoat Leader, or you are a Patriot if it was the Patriot Leader.
• Third, you are a Redcoat if you hold 2 or 3 red Loyalty cards, or you are a Patriot if you hold 2 or 3 blue Loyalty cards. If you hold a Turncoat, you choose whether it counts as red or blue.

If you meet the first condition, don't check the second or third. If you meet the second, don't check the third.

After checking loyalty, the game ends if a Spy received the opposing Leader.

Finally, discard Winter is Coming.

Card text: Draw 2 War cards, reveal one, and remove a matching War Victory. Discard drawn War cards. Each player flips a Loyalty card facedown, then passes a facedown Loyalty card to the left. After passing, check Loyalty cards.

Example of Passing Cards Betsy passes the Patriot Leader, and she receives a Redcoat. She now has 3 Redcoat cards, but she remains a loyal Patriot because the most recent Leader she held was the Patriot Leader.

Leaders

Your team's Leader is a powerful force, as it can recruit players to your team if it's passed during Winter Is Coming. However, passing the Leader is also dangerous, because it invites elimination by the opposing Spy.

Designer's Note: Winter was a time where both armies regrouped and new allegiances were formed. We can thank the traitor Benedict Arnold and many others since then that have switched sides in war by betraying one cause for another in search of personal gain.

If your team's Leader is eliminated, your team loses the game. A Leader can be eliminated in the following ways:

• If a player who holds a Leader is eliminated, whether by revealing their last Loyalty card or by being assassinated, the opposing team wins.
• If a Patriot Spy receives the Redcoat Leader, the Patriots win.
• If the Redcoat Spy receives the Patriot Leader, the Redcoats win.
• If a Patriot Spy receives the Redcoat Leader at the same time as the Redcoat Spy receives the Patriot Leader, both Leaders are eliminated. The winner is the team with the most War Victories. If tied on War Victories, the winner is the team with the most loyal players. If still tied, no one deserves to win--play again.
• If a player who holds the Patriot Leader receives the Redcoat Leader, or vice versa, both Leaders are eliminated. The winner is the team with the most War Victories. The player holding both Leaders is loyal to the team shown by their third Loyalty card. Break ties on War Victories in the same way as in the previous paragraph.

Card text (Redcoat Spy): You are on the Redcoats team. If you pass this card, you remain on the Redcoats team until you receive the Patriot Leader. If you receive the Patriot Leader while you hold this card, the team with more War Victories wins.

Card text (Patriot Spy): You are on the Patriots team. If you pass this card, you remain on the Patriots team until you receive the Redcoat Leader. If you receive the Redcoat Leader while you hold this card, the team with more War Victories wins.

Remember: You are concealing your identity while trying to learn the other players' identities. Get creative, but realize you only have to reveal your identity when being assassinated if you have the Patriot Leader or Redcoat Leader.

Information is power. You can use it to protect your team, strike against the other team, or sow deception by sacrificing yourself for a teammate about to have their last Loyalty card revealed. This pressures the surrounding players and takes the heat off your Leader, perhaps just enough to tip the scales of war.

Assassination

If you are a Spy, you can reveal your card at any time to assassinate another player, eliminating them. However, you are also eliminated. Do not reveal any of your other Loyalty cards.

The assassinated player does not reveal Loyalty cards, unless the assassinated player holds a Leader. This Leader is eliminated, so the opposing team wins.

You cannot assassinate while you are holding a Leader, unless you also reveal a Turncoat card (see Turncoats).

If you assassinate a player who just announced how they will resolve a Spy or Conceal card, discard that card without effect. If a player who just received a Spy card already revealed a Loyalty card, your assassination does not flip that Loyalty card facedown.

If you assassinate an Agent who just placed a War card on the War track, discard that War card.

If you assassinate another Spy who just declared an assassination, cancel their assassination.

Example: Julia, the Agent for this round, just placed a fourth War Victory for the Redcoats. But Karen reveals she's a Patriot Spy and says she is assassinating Julia. If she succeeds, the War Victory will be discarded as well. However, Jeff then reveals he's the Redcoat Spy and assassinates Karen. This cancels Karen's attempt to assassinate Julia, so the Redcoats win their fourth War Victory after all, winning the game.

Turncoats

If you are targeted by an assassination, you can avoid being eliminated by revealing a facedown Turncoat card. The assassinating Spy is still eliminated.

Likewise, if you are a Spy and assassinate another player, you can prevent yourself from being eliminated by revealing a facedown Turncoat card.

While face-up, the Turncoat card cannot prevent elimination.

Card text: Reveal this card to avoid being eliminated by assassination.

Glossary of Terms

• Agent: The player elected to the War Council during the Council Phase. During the War Council, the Agent receives 2 War cards from the Commander and chooses one to place on the War track.
• Commander: The player who takes the first turn during the current round, who nominates an Agent during the Council Phase, and who chooses cards to give to the Agent during the War Council, if elected.
• Leader: The Patriot Leader and Redcoat Leader cards. If a Leader is eliminated, the opposing team wins the game.
• Patriot: A player with sworn allegiance to the Patriots team.
• Redcoat: A player with sworn allegiance to the Redcoats team.
• Spy: A player holding the Redcoat Spy or Patriot Spy. If a Spy ever holds the Leader card of the opposing team, the Spy's team wins. At any time, a Spy can reveal their identity to assassinate another player, but doing this also eliminates the Spy.
• War Marker: Tracks the number of times that the players have failed to elect a War Council. It only resets to the "0" space after it reaches the "3" space, prompting a random War Victory.

History

• King George III: England's longest-ruling monarch before Queen Victoria. Portrayed as an inflexible tyrant, he squandered his right to govern the colonies and presided over the loss of the American Revolution. Early in 1776, King George consented to the hiring of thousands of Hessian mercenaries to assist the British troops already in America in crushing the rebellion.
• General Washington: Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Considered the patriots' chief spymaster, Washington shaped the war with the use of espionage, deception, and intelligence operations. One such little-known fact is that he approved a plan to kidnap King George III's son, the future king, during the naval officer's posting in New York. At the end of the war, England's chief of intelligence in the colonies grumbled to London newspapers, "Washington did not really outfight the British; he simply out-spied us."
• Major John André: A British army officer during the war. In 1779 André was made adjutant general of the British Army and put in charge of intelligence gathering. In this position, André managed the correspondence of secret agents in America and even carried letters for Benedict Arnold. On September 23, 1780, however, André was caught with an incriminating military letter from Arnold. He was arrested, tried as a spy, and hanged shortly after on October 2, 1780.
• Benjamin Franklin: A revolutionary spymaster and propaganda maestro. Benjamin Franklin was also one of the original members of the Committee of Secret Correspondence, the forerunner to today's Central Intelligence Agency. Created in 1775 by the Second Continental Congress, this committee was charged with gathering intelligence and "corresponding with our friends in Great Britain and other parts of the world" to gain information that would be helpful to the American cause and to forge alliances with foreign countries.
• Benjamin Tallmadge: Officer in the Continental Army and spymaster, as well as a friend and Yale classmate of Nathan Hale, America's first spy to be executed by the British during the war. General Washington appointed Tallmadge as head of his secret service and tasked him with establishing a trustworthy espionage network against the British in New York City. During the war, Tallmadge acted as leader of the Culper Ring, which provided critical intelligence using methods we would still recognize today: dead drops, codenames, number substitution codes, and invisible ink.