Saga of the Northmen
Saga of the Northmen Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Contents
1 Gameboard, 56 Influence Cards, 4 Infamy Cards, 20 Trade Route Cards, 120 Influence Cubes (30 red, 30 blue, 30 green, 30 black), 12 Hero Tokens (3 red, 3 blue, 3 green, 3 black), 4 Time Tokens (1 red, 1 blue, 1 green, 1 black), 45 yellow Plunder Tokens, 1 Leader Token.
The Board
Map
The board shows a map of Dark Ages Europe, divided into seven Kingdoms and nine Neutral Regions.
The seven Kingdoms are colored to match their associated Influence Cards. Each round, you will use these cards to bid for control of the Kingdoms and determine how many Armies and Fleets the Kingdoms will have.
The Neutral Regions are beige in color. Each turn, some of these regions will have Plunder Tokens, ripe for the taking. You will use the Armies and Fleets of the Kingdoms you control to fight over and plunder these regions.
Kingdom Chart
There is a chart in the upper right-hand corner of the board that lists the names of the seven Kingdoms. During the Marching Phase each round, the Armies and Fleets of the Kingdoms move in the order listed on the chart, starting with the Normans, and ending with the Norwegians.
Next to the name of each Kingdom is a number listing the total number of Armies and Fleets that appear on the Influence Cards for that Kingdom. This shows the maximum size of the Kingdom's military during any given round.
The Playing Pieces
Influence Cards
The 56 Influence Cards are divided into seven suits. Each suit matches one of the Kingdoms on the board. There are eight cards in each suit.
Influence Cards range in value from 1 to 3, depending on the number of soldiers and ships pictured on the card. The value of a card determines how many Influence Cubes you add to the board when you play the card. Influence Cubes can represent Armies or Fleets, which determines how it can move during the Marching Phase.
Many Influence Cards show a Neutral Region at the bottom of the card. When you play one of these cards, you must place a Plunder Token in the Neutral Region listed.
Infamy Cards
During the game, your clan will earn Infamy Points. Whenever you gain Infamy Points, place an equal number of Influence Cubes on your Infamy Card. Infamy Points can be spent to gain certain advantages during the game, such as keeping Influence Cards in your hand, drawing new Trade Route Cards, hiring Heroes, and changing the order in which Kingdoms move during the Marching Phase.
Trade Route Cards
There are 20 Trade Route Cards in the game. If you can complete a Trade Route, you will earn extra Plunder at the end of the game. The Plunder Value of a Trade Route is shown in the bottom right corner of the card. Trade Routes can only be completed at the end of the Marching Phase. In order to complete a Trade Route, you must control the Kingdom at the top of the Trade Route Card and have Influence Cubes in the Neutral Region at the bottom of the card.
Influence Cubes
Influence Cubes are used in a variety of ways. During the Rally Phase, you will use your Influence Cards to place Influence Cubes on the Kingdoms to try to take control of them. In the Marching Phase, your Influence Cubes on the board represent the Armies and Fleets of the Kingdoms you control. Influence Cubes placed on your Infamy Card represent your Infamy Points.
Hero Tokens
Heroes are the strongest and bravest Northman warriors. You can hire them by spending 3 Infamy Points when you add Influence to a Kingdom during the Rally Phase. Heroes give you an advantage during conflicts with other Kingdoms.
Time Tokens
During the Marching Phase, at the beginning of the turn for a Kingdom you control, you may spend 5 Infamy Points to delay that Kingdom's turn. Your Time Token is placed on the Kingdom Chart to show that the Kingdom is delayed. The Armies and Fleets of a Kingdom that has been delayed will move after all Kingdoms that do not have a Time Token have moved.
Plunder Tokens
Plunder Tokens are placed in Neutral Regions during the Rally Phase, when they are shown on a played Influence Card. The Rally Phase does not end until 15 Plunder Tokens have been placed on the board.
At the end of the Marching Phase, you can collect Plunder Tokens if you are the only player who has Influence Cubes in that Neutral Region—after all battles have been fought.
Leader Token
The player with the Leader Token takes the first action during the Rally Phase, with turns passing clockwise. The Leader Token is also used to break ties in certain circumstances.
Setup
Place the game board in the middle of the table.
Select a Color
Select your color, and take the matching Influence Cubes, Hero Tokens, Time Token, and Infamy Card.
Deal Influence Cards & Create Influence Deck
Shuffle the Influence Cards and randomly deal six cards to each player.
Place the remaining cards facedown, forming an Influence deck. Turn over the top three cards and place them in a row face up next to the deck.
Deal Trade Route Cards & Create Trade Route Deck
Shuffle the Trade Route Cards and randomly deal each player two cards. Place the remaining cards facedown, forming a Trade Route deck.
Note: Your hand of Influence Cards and uncompleted Trade Routes are kept secret from the other players.
Prepare Plunder Tokens
Divide the 45 Plunder Tokens into three groups of 15 tokens each. You will use one group of tokens each round. Place the 15 tokens for the first round next to the game board, and set the other two groups to the side.
Determine Starting Leader
Give the youngest player the Leader Token.
Collect Starting Infamy
Depending on the number of players in the game and your position (clockwise) relative to the Leader Token, take a number of your Influence Cubes and place them on your Infamy Card:
2-Player Game
- 1st player (leader): 3 Infamy
- 2nd player: 6 Infamy
3-Player Game
- 1st player (leader): 3 Infamy
- 2nd player: 3 Infamy
- 3rd player: 3 Infamy
4-Player Game
- 1st player (leader): 5 Infamy
- 2nd player: 4 Infamy
- 3rd player: 3 Infamy
- 4th player: 6 Infamy
Game Play
Saga of the Northmen is played over three rounds. Each round is divided into three phases:
- Rally Phase
- Marching Phase
- Planning Phase
Once all three phases are complete, the round ends.
1. Rally Phase
Attempt to rally the Kingdoms to your cause!
The player with the Leader Token takes the first turn during the Rally Phase, with turns passing clockwise. On your turn, follow these five steps:
1. Play Influence Card
Play one Influence Card from your hand. Place the card face-up in front of you, covering the last card you played (if any) so only your current card is visible.
Note: Once an Influence Card is covered by another card, it can no longer be examined by any player except its owner.
2. Place Influence Cubes
The card you played will show a number of soldiers or ships. Place one Influence Cube on the matching Kingdom for each symbol on the card.
Note: If you have no unused influence cubes left in your reserves, no influence is placed on the board. Infamy cannot be used to place Influence Cubes on the board.
3. Hire a Hero (Optional)
You may choose to spend three Infamy Points (from your Infamy Card) to add one Hero Token to the Kingdom you just added Influence Cubes to.
Remember: Any time you spend Infamy Points, you must remove that number of cubes from your Infamy Card and return them to your reserve of unused Influence Cubes.
Example: Rollo plays an Influence Card on his turn. He places 2 Influence Cubes on the Kingdom of the Saxons. Then, he spends 3 Infamy Points from his Infamy Card (returning those cubes to his reserves) to place 1 Hero there. Finally, he must place a Plunder Token on Bulgaria.
4. Place Plunder Token (if required)
Some Influence Cards show a Neutral Region at the bottom of the card. If you play one of these cards, you must place one Plunder Token in the region shown.
Important: When you place a Plunder Token on the board, it must be taken from the group for the current round! When the last Plunder Token from the current group is placed, the Rally Phase ends.
Note: Some Influence Cards show a symbol next to the Neutral Region at the bottom of the card. Cards marked for 3-or-4-player games: no plunder is added to the board when played in a 3- or 4-player game. Cards marked for 4-player games: no plunder is added to the board when played in a 4-player game.
5. Draw Influence Cards
Draw one Influence Card to bring your hand back up to six cards. You may draw any of the three face-up cards next to the deck, or draw the top face-down card from the deck.
If you draw a face-up card, immediately replace it with the top card from the deck, so that there are always three face-up cards.
Your turn is done, and the player to your left begins the next turn.
The Rally Phase ends as soon as all 15 Plunder Tokens for the current round have been placed on the board.
2. Marching Phase
Send forth your Armies, Fleets, and Heroes!
Important: Your hand of Influence Cards is not used during the Marching Phase. In order to avoid confusing your hand for cards in play, it is recommended that you place the six cards in your hand under your Infamy Card for the duration of the Marching Phase.
The Marching Phase is divided into seven steps:
1. Determine Control of the Seven Kingdoms
The player who has the most pieces on a Kingdom—counting both Influence Cubes and Hero Tokens—controls that Kingdom. Leave all of your cubes and heroes in every Kingdom you control.
If you have pieces in a Kingdom that you do not control, you must remove all of your cubes and heroes from that Kingdom. Your Heroes go back to your unused supply. Your Influence Cubes become Infamy Points, and are moved to your Infamy Card. These Infamy Points are available for use right away.
Continue this process until you determine control of all the Kingdoms on the board (i.e., each Kingdom has only one color of cubes in it).
Ties for Control: If there is a tie for the most pieces in a Kingdom, the tied player with the most Heroes takes control of the Kingdom. If there is a tie for Heroes, the tie is broken in favor of the player with the Leader Token, or the player closest (counting clockwise) to the Leader Token.
Example: Olaf and Emma have both placed Influence Cubes in the Normans Kingdom. They each have 3 Influence Cubes there, so they are tied. Neither placed any Heroes, so they are tied there as well. Olaf has the Leader Token this round, so he wins the tie and takes control of the Normans. Emma must move her Influence Cubes to her Infamy Card.
2. Kingdom Movement
Starting with the Normans and moving down the Kingdom Chart, each Kingdom now has a turn to move its forces. The player who controls the Kingdom makes all the moves for that Kingdom.
a. Play Time Token (Optional)
At the beginning of your Kingdom's turn, you may choose to delay that Kingdom's movement for the round. You must spend five Infamy Points, and mark the Kingdom with your Time Token. The pieces for the delayed Kingdom do not move yet, and play passes to the next Kingdom on the chart. Since you only have one Time Token to use, you can only delay one Kingdom each round.
b. Move Pieces
First, reveal the Influence Cards you played for the current Kingdom. Your cards will show how many Armies and Fleets the Kingdom has this round.
- For each soldier on your cards, you may move one Influence Cube to any Neutral Region adjacent to that Kingdom (Armies can never be used to attack a Neutral Region that is not adjacent to the Kingdom).
- For each ship on your cards, you may move one Influence Cube to any Neutral Region on the board adjacent to the sea.
- Each Hero Token may move as either an Army or a Fleet.
Landlocked Regions: Poland and the Holy Roman Empire are not adjacent to the sea. So, Influence Cubes may NOT be moved to Poland or the Holy Roman Empire through the use of Fleets.
Example: Ragnar controls the Kingdom of the Magyars this round, with 4 Armies and 2 Fleets. He also has 2 Heroes there. He moves 3 of the Armies and 1 Hero into Poland, his last Army into the Bulgarian Kingdom, and his 2 Fleets and the other Hero into Finland.
Once you have moved all of your cubes out of the Kingdom, the next Kingdom on the chart takes its turn. Continue taking turns until all seven Kingdoms have either delayed or moved their cubes.
3. Delayed Kingdom Movement
Starting once again with the Normans and moving down the Kingdom Chart, each Kingdom marked with a Time Token now moves, following the movement process described above.
Note: All of a Kingdom's cubes must be moved to a Neutral Region during its turn. You may never leave cubes in a Kingdom, and you cannot move them into a different Kingdom.
4. Fight Battles
Battles occur in all Neutral Regions that contain two or more colors of player pieces.
The player with the most pieces (counting both Influence and Heroes) in the Neutral Region wins the battle. If you win a battle, leave all your cubes in the Neutral Region.
If you lose a battle, remove all your cubes and heroes from the Neutral Region. Heroes are returned to your unused stock. Influence Cubes become Infamy Points and are moved to your Infamy Card. These Infamy Points are available for use right away.
Ties in Battles: If there is a tie for the most pieces in a Neutral Region, the tied player with the most Heroes wins the battle. If there is also a tie for Heroes, the tie is broken in favor of the player with the Leader Token, or the player closest (counting clockwise) to the Leader Token.
Example: Erik, Harald, and Sigrid are all competing for the Holy Roman Empire. Erik has 2 Influence Cubes there, Harald has 4 Influence Cubes, and Sigrid has 3 Influence and 1 Hero. Harald and Sigrid are tied for the most pieces (4), so they compare their Heroes. Since Sigrid has more Heroes, she wins the battle. Erik and Harald must remove all their cubes from the Holy Roman Empire and place them on their Infamy Cards. They now count as Infamy Points.
5. Collect Plunder
Once all battles have been resolved, the players collect plunder from the Neutral Regions. You get all the Plunder Tokens in every region where you still have cubes.
If a Neutral Region has Plunder Tokens but no cubes, that plunder remains there for the next round.
6. Complete Trade Routes
All players now have a chance to play Trade Route Cards. You can only play a card if you have completed the Trade Route shown on the card. In order to complete a Trade Route, you must control the Kingdom shown at the top of the card and still have cubes in the Neutral Region shown at the bottom of the card.
Place your completed Trade Route Cards face up in front of you for the other players to see. Once played, Trade Route Cards cannot be lost (even if you no longer control the Kingdom on the card).
7. Remove Cubes From the Board
Take any remaining pieces from the Neutral Regions and return them to your reserve of unused Influence and Hero Tokens. If you played a Time Token, take it off the board and return it to your reserves.
3. Planning Phase
Carefully plot your strategy for the next turn!
Starting with the Leader, and proceeding clockwise around the table, each player takes a planning turn. During your turn, you may take either or both of these two actions:
- Draw Trade Routes: You may spend Infamy Points to draw new Trade Route Cards. For every three Infamy Points you spend, you may draw two new Trade Route Cards and choose 1 to keep. Return the other card to the bottom of the Trade Route deck. There is no limit to the number of Trade Route Cards you can hold.
- Hold Influence: You may spend Infamy Points to save Influence Cards currently in your hand. For each Infamy Point you spend, you may keep one card in your hand. All other Influence Cards must be discarded.
Clear Influence Cards & Create New Influence Deck
After all players have taken their planning turns, the influence deck and the three face-up cards are cleared from the table.
Take these cards, along with any discarded Influence Cards, and all Influence Cards played during the past round. Shuffle them and randomly deal cards to each player, until every player again has six Influence Cards in hand.
Place the remaining Influence Cards facedown, forming a new Influence deck. Turn over the top 3 cards, and place them in a row face-up next to the deck.
Set up Plunder Tokens
Slide the next group of 15 Plunder Tokens next to the board for the following round.
Pass Leader Token
Pass the Leader Token clockwise to the next player.
The next round is now ready to begin.
The End of Game
Saga of the Northmen ends after the third round is complete.
Infamy Point Bonus
All players now compare their unused Infamy Points. The player with the most Infamy Points receives bonus Plunder equal to 1 + the number of Trade Routes they completed during the game.
If there is a tie for Infamy Points, all tied players received the bonus.
Example: If you had the most unused Infamy Points and completed 2 Trade Routes, you receive 3 bonus Plunder added to your score.
Calculate Score
Your score is equal to the Plunder Tokens you collected plus the Plunder Value of any Trade Routes you completed plus any bonus Plunder you received for your Infamy.
The player with the highest score is the winner! If there is a tie, the tied player with the most unused Infamy Points is the winner.