Sherwood (2005) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object of the Game
• Game Setup
• The Game Turn
  • 1) Mission assignments
  • 2) Ambush preparations
  • 3) Springing the ambushes
  • 4) Discard of unsuccessful missions
  • 5) Resolution of successful missions
    • Rewards
  • 6) Little Booty
  • 7) Capture of fugitives
  • 8) Sheriff's rounds
• Next Rounds
• End of Game
• The Final Tally

Object of the Game

Have the most popularity after three rounds of play.

Game Setup

• Each player chooses a colour and takes their 14 "hero" pawns as well as their 6 Merry Men cards.
• Each player places one pawn on the 0 square of the Popularity Points Counter.
• Each player takes a "gold" card from the loot cards.
• Shuffle the other "Loot" cards and place face down on the corresponding space on the board.
• Separate King Richard from mission cards and place face up on the III space on the board.
• Separate Prince John, Guy of Gisbourne and Bishop of Hereford from mission cards and place face up on the II space on the board.
• Shuffle the remaining Mission and companion cards and place face down on the "I" space.
• Place the black Sheriff pawn on the stairwell in the prison.

The Game Turn

There are 8 phases in a turn and at least one turn per round.

1) Mission assignments

Draw 3 "Mission" cards from the face down stack of cards (I, II or III pile) and place "face up" in the order they were drawn in front of the swords (strength), bow (dexterity) and fox (cunning).

2) Ambush preparations

• All players secretly configure their companion cards to determine who will go on missions.
• The character(s) placed to the left of the "Forest" card are sent out to ambush.
• The character(s) placed to the right of the "Forest" card stay in the camp.
• Players place cards face down in front of them with the leftmost card on top.

To send no characters on a mission place the "Forest" card on top. This action allows a character to escape from prison in phase 3.

Players can also equip their ambush party with previously attained loot using the following rules:

• One personal loot card (hand symbol) / character in ambush OR
• One Group loot card (3 Robin Symbols) / group in ambush

3) Springing the ambushes

Players simultaneously reveal their ambushers (Those on top of the Forest card). Sum the characters values for each skill and the player(s) with the highest score for each skill should place a pawn on the respective symbol.

If a player did not send any characters to an ambush they can breakout the top character card of theirs that is in prison. Note that player cannot claim a loot card in phase 6. You cannot bribe the sheriff to release more prisoners.

4) Discard of unsuccessful missions

Discard mission cards to the next stack of cards (on II or III) if two or more players are tied in an individual skill or if a player who has the highest score for more than one mission does not select that mission as each player can only win one mission per turn.

Note unsuccessful Companion cards during the second round are discarded and not placed on the round III stack.

5) Resolution of successful missions

The successful missions are resolved one after the other following the order: strength, dexterity, and then cunning. Successful player chooses on the rewards that are available on the card.

Rewards

"Champion" (lute figure with listed towns)

Choose one of the towns indicated on the card and place your pawn on that town. If your opponent has a pawn on that town you must discard a gold card to replace an opponent's pawn on that town. Your opponent immediately loses one popularity point.

Score popularity points as follows:

• 1 point for this new town.
• 1 extra point for each town that the player controls that is connected to this new town by an uninterrupted path.
• 1 extra point if this same network of towns is connected to Nottingham.

"Camp" (Cabin in forest picture)

The player places a pawn on any free town found in a forest. A player cannot replace an opponent's pawn in this manner. Score 1 Popularity Point. (Please note designer's original design wanted a rule that stated you can only use this if you have claimed a town already. This is not in the English or French rules) [translator's note]

"Theft" (display of loot cards)

The player draws 3 "Loot" cards and puts them in their hand without showing them to the opponents.

"Companion" (New Character)

Players score 1 Popularity Point immediately when they win a "Companion". Each Companion has a particular trait and can now be used by the player when they are used in ambushes. The traits are:

• Friar Tuck: Counts as two people when using a Group Loot card.
• Will Stutely: Do not pay gold to replace an opponent on a town if "Champion" reward is taken.
• Alan-a-Dale: Score +1 popularity if player chooses Champion reward.
• Arthur a Bland: Pay a gold to Arthur and reduce discretion by 2.
• Clorinda Queen of Sheperdesses: Player cannot use group loot card.
• Gamble Gold: Pay a gold to Gamble and increase cunning by 3.
• David of Doncaster: Double the effect of a Personal Loot card given to David.
• Gilbert Whitehand: Pay a gold to Gilbert and increase dexterity by 3.
• Much the Miller's son: Draw two extra "Loot" cards if "Theft" reward is chosen.
• Samir the Saracen: Pay a gold to Samir and increase strength by 3.

Note: After reward has been taken return pawns to player's stock and discard mission card from game.

In stack II there are three special missions with the following differences:

• Prince John: the "Champion" reward allows the player to take two towns rather than only one. The "Champion" reward allows two empty forest towns or one empty plain town to be taken.
• Guy of Gisbourne: the "Champion" reward allows the player to take two towns rather than only one. The "Booty" reward allows one to draw 5 "Loot" cards.
• Bishop of Hereford: The "Booty" reward allows one to draw 5 "Loot" cards. The "Champion" reward allows two empty forest towns or one empty plain town to be taken.

6) Little Booty

Player(s) who send at least one character on ambushes but are unsuccessful AND did not win discretion skill, can draw one Loot card and add to their hand.

7) Capture of fugitives

• The player(s) with the highest discretion AND was successful in a mission must place all company that participated in the ambush in prison.
• Cells are given to players for the whole game on a first come basis starting from the furthest cell from the stairs and working in.
• Once a cell is allocated a player should put a pawn on the corresponding cell.
• If several players are captured during the same game turn, the allocation of cells takes place in the same order as that of the mission resolution.
• Jailed characters are placed in a column, face up, under their cell door following rearrangement by the owning player.
• New arrivals are placed under those that are already locked away in their cell.

8) Sheriff's rounds

On the first turn, move the Sheriff to the first cell next to stairs and each subsequent turn, move sheriff to the next cell in play. When the last cell is reached the sheriff will move back to the first cell. The Sheriff automatically frees the top character card and that character is returned to the hand of the controlling player. A player can also:

• Pay 1 "gold" card to free the next prisoner
• Pay 3 "gold" cards to free the next two prisoners

Next Rounds

Play Continues until all of the cards from the "I" stack have been played. Then all cards on stack II are shuffled and placed face down and play continues as before. Play then continues until all of the cards from the II stack have been played. Note unsuccessful Companion cards are discarded from the game during stack II resolution. Then all cards on stack III are shuffled and placed face down and play continues as before. Once stack III is in play all missions, successful or not, are discarded.

End of Game

Whenever "King Richard" is drawn the end of the game is proclaimed. All mission cards are removed as players are now trying to win the favour of King Richard. Players prepare and resolve ambushes as normal. The results of each skill are used for final scoring. The player who wins discretion still sends their party to prison. There is no Little Booty phase awarded during this turn.

The Final Tally

Players earn points as follows:

1. Each player earns a number of points equal to its largest network.
2. Each player earns 0.5 points x their largest network (rounded up) based on each favour won from King Richard. This is worked out by determining who won the strength, dexterity and cunning skills when King Richard was revealed.
3. Finally each player scores 1 point for each character and companion that are not in prison.

Winner is the player with most points. If points are tied than the player with the largest network wins. If still tied they share in their victory.