The Ming Voyages
The Ming Voyages Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Components
- Objective
- Game Board
- Game Set-up
- Main Deck Cards
- Game Sequence
- Description of a Round
- Eras and End of Game
- Winning
- Battle Sequence
- Player Aid Summary (2-player game)
- Solo Play Booklet
- Solo: Objective and Extra Components
- Solo Game Set-up
- Choosing the Difficulty Level
- Game Sequence for the Solo Game
- Solo: Description of a Round
- Solo: Eras and End of Game
- Overlord Events Tie-breaks
- Borderland Limits
- Battle Sequence Adjustments for Solo Play
- The Overlord's Events
- Player Aid Summary (solo game)
- Credits
Components
- 1 game board
- 27 main deck cards
Ming Empire's components
- 7 green ships — Junks
- 12 green cubes — Troops
- 5 yellow cubes — Gold
- 3 green 6-sided dice
Barbarian's components
- 5 white discs — Settlements
- 12 white cubes — Hordes
- 3 white 6-sided dice
Important: All components are finite – if there are none in the Supply, you cannot take them.
Objective
One player is the Ming Emperor trying to complete all 7 treasure fleet Voyages as well as to protect the Chinese Borderlands from invading barbarians. The other player controls the 3 disparate barbarian factions who are trying to settle on the Borderlands with China.
The Ming Emperor scores a major victory if they complete all 7 Voyages before the end of the game and, likewise, the Barbarian Overlord scores a major victory if they control all 5 Borderlands at any time. Having any type of marker in a Borderland shows control. If neither side completes their major victory, a minor victory can be achieved by either side; the Ming Emperor adds their controlled Borderlands to the number of completed voyages, the Barbarian Overlord adds their controlled Borderlands to the number of uncompleted voyages. The winner is the one with the highest total. If it's a tie, the Barbarian Overlord wins.
There is also a version for solo play as the Ming Emperor that uses extra cards for the operation of the Barbarians. See the Solo Play booklet (transcribed below).
Game Board
The game board is divided into several regions:
- Ming Empire Homeland
- South China Sea
- 7 Voyage spaces numbered 1 to 7
- 5 Borderlands
- 3 separate Barbarian Homelands
Neither player can enter an opponent's Homeland. All movement is only possible to an adjacent region. Only Junks and Gold can enter the South China Sea.
The arrows on the diagram on the board confirm the movement and attack routes that each side can use.
Board reference: the 5 Borderlands are, from west to east, Yunnan, Sichuan, Gansu, Shanxi and Liaodong. The 3 Barbarian Homelands are Western Mongols, Eastern Mongols and Manchus. The 7 Voyage spaces are 1 East Africa, 2 Persian Gulf, 3 Arabia, 4 Ceylon, 5 India, 6 Sumatra and 7 Siam.
Game Set-up
A. The players choose which side they will play – Ming Emperor or Barbarian Overlord. Place the board between the 2 players with the South China Sea nearest the Emperor.
B. Shuffle the Main deck and place it face down next to one side of the board.
C. Each player takes their own colour of dice.
D. Place all of both players' markers together as a Supply next to one side of the board.
E. The Barbarian Overlord places 1 Horde in each of their 3 Homelands.
F. The Ming Emperor places 1 Troop in each of the 5 Borderlands, 1 Gold in their Homeland and 1 Junk in the South China Sea. Then they roll a dice and place a Junk from the Supply on the appropriate numbered Voyage space.
G. The Barbarian Overlord takes 4 cards from the deck and the Ming Emperor takes 3. The players can look at these cards but must not reveal them to the opponent.
Leave space beside the board for each player's reserved cards, each player's played card, and the Main deck discards.
You are ready to play!
Main Deck Cards
There are three types of cards in the 2-player game: Action, Emperor and Barbarian cards. All of the cards are shuffled in the same deck and can be played by either player. All three types have a command point (CP) value between 1 and 3 in the centre left that can be used by the side that plays it.
Each card shows: the Overlord special action (top box), the CP value (centre left), the card number (centre right), the Voyage number (below the card name) and the Emperor special action (bottom box).
Action Cards – There are 21 Action cards. These cards can be identified by a curved dagger in the top half and a scroll in the bottom half of the card. The Barbarian Overlord may always use a special action in the top box instead of spending the CP. If the Ming Emperor has completed the Voyage indicated by the Voyage number on the card, they may use the special action in the bottom box instead of the CP. Completion of the Voyage is shown by having a Junk in the relevant Voyage box on the board.
Emperor Cards – These 3 cards can be identified by scrolls in the top and bottom halves of the card. Only the Ming Emperor can choose to use the special actions on these cards instead of the CP. The special action they can use is determined by how many Voyages have been completed, up to 3, or 4 or more.
Barbarian Cards – These 3 cards can be identified by the curved dagger in the top and bottom halves of the card. Only the Barbarian Overlord can choose to use the special actions on these cards instead of the CP. The special action they can use is determined by how many Voyages have been completed by the Ming Emperor, up to 3, or 4 or more.
Opponent's Reaction - For all of the cards, when an Opponent's special action is available on the played card, the Opponent may carry out that action during the Active player's turn. This is the case whether the Active player used the card for a special action or for a CP action. The Active player chooses who uses the card first.
For example, the Ming Emperor plays "Raids" (card #24) and wants to use 3CP to Tax for 3 Gold. The Barbarian Overlord has a Reaction on this card that would deprive the Emperor of up to 2 Gold from their Homeland. The Emperor has 1 Gold in their Homeland, so they sensibly ask the Overlord to take their Reaction first, before their own action. As the Emperor currently has only 1 Gold, they lose 1 rather than 2 Gold. Then, the Emperor taxes the people and places 3 Gold from the Supply into the Ming Empire Homeland. If the Emperor had had no Gold at all, then they would have lost none.
Game Sequence
The game is played over 2 eras, each consisting of a number of rounds. The game ends either when one player achieves a major victory or when the Ming Emperor plays the final card in the second era.
A round is made up of 4 phases. Finish each phase before starting the next.
- Ming Emperor draws 2 cards.
- Ming Emperor plays 1 card.
- Barbarian Overlord plays 1 card.
- End of round - swap hands.
Note: The Barbarian Overlord never draws any cards!
The final round of the first era starts when the Ming Emperor draws the last cards from the deck. At the end of this round after swapping hands, the Emperor will have 3 cards, the Overlord 4. Create a new draw deck by shuffling together cards in the discard pile along with all reserved cards, but not cards in hand. Then, start the first round of the second era.
In the second era, continue to play after the final cards are drawn until the Ming Emperor plays the final card of the game and both hands are empty.
Description of a Round
1. Ming Emperor draws cards
The Ming Emperor draws 2 cards from the deck and adds them to their hand. Skip this phase if the second era deck has run out.
2. Ming Emperor plays 1 card
The Ming Emperor plays 1 card from their hand. They may either:
- Reserve a card face down in front of them, adding it to any cards reserved earlier (the Emperor uses reserved cards during battles);
or
- Play a card face up in front of them. If played face up, the Emperor chooses whether to spend the CP or use the special action on the card. They may use the special action at the bottom of the card if it is an Action card and they have already completed the Voyage numbered on the card. If it is an Emperor card, they may use the top or bottom special action dependent on the number of Voyages completed.
Barbarian's Reaction - if the Barbarian Overlord has a special action available on the played card, they may use that action during the Emperor's turn. The Emperor chooses who uses the card first.
Reminder: the Barbarian's Reaction is available whether the Emperor used the card for a special action or for a CP action.
Using Command Points
If the Emperor chooses to use the CP, they must spend at least 1 of the points on a CP action and all of the points spent must be on the same CP action type. Any CP that cannot be used are lost. The CP actions available to the Emperor are:
- Recruit Troops – Take 1 Troop from the Supply for each CP spent and place them in the Ming Empire Homeland.
- Move – Select 1 region with Troops in it. Move Troops in that region equal to the CP spent into either the Ming Empire Homeland or 1 adjacent Borderland that does not contain Hordes or Settlements.
- Attack – Choose a Barbarian-controlled Borderland adjacent to at least 1 region with Troops in it. Put into that Borderland a number of Troops up to the CP spent from any number of adjacent regions. Fight a battle until only 1 player has forces in the attacked Borderland – see the Battle Sequence at the end of the rules for how to fight a battle.
- Tax – Take 1 Gold from the Supply for each CP spent and place them in the Ming Empire Homeland.
- Build Junks – Take 1 Junk from the Supply for each CP spent and place them in the South China Sea.
- Voyage – Set sail on a Voyage if you have at least 1 Junk in the South China Sea and at least 1 Gold. Choose a Voyage that has not yet been completed (it has no Junk in the Voyage space). Place any number of your Junks and Gold (but at least 1 of each) from the South China Sea and the Ming Empire Homeland, next to your choice of Voyage space. For each CP spent, you have 1 attempt to complete the Voyage. Roll 1 dice for each attempt. To succeed, you must roll lower than the total amount of Gold and Junks that you sent on the Voyage added together.
For example, you play a 2CP card for a Voyage CP action to discover Voyage space 6. You choose to send 2 Gold and 3 Junks on the Voyage. Place 2 Gold and 3 Junks next to Voyage space 6, then roll 2 dice, 1 for each CP. You roll a 5 and a 4. The 5 is a fail, because you must roll lower than the total amount of Gold and Junks sent, in this case 5. Fortunately, the 4 is a success.
If any of the rolls is successful, return to the Supply all Gold sent on the Voyage, and return all but 1 Junk to the South China Sea. Leave 1 Junk on the Voyage space to show it has been completed. For the rest of the game, the Emperor can use special actions on Action cards containing that Voyage number.
If the Voyage was unsuccessful, the Gold stays in the South China Sea with the Junks. All Gold in the South China Sea must be sent on the next attempted Voyage (supplemented by more Gold from the Ming Empire Homeland, if desired), but it cannot be affected by the Barbarian Overlord's actions.
Using the Special Actions on the Emperor cards
Instead of using the CP on an Emperor card, the Ming Emperor can use the special action available to them. The available special action is determined by how many Voyages have been completed. The Emperor must be able to carry out the special action in full in order to use it.
Using the Special Action on the Action cards
Instead of using the CP on an Action card, the Emperor can use the special action on the bottom half of the card, if the Voyage with the number shown on the card has been completed. The Emperor must be able to carry out the special action in full to use it.
End of phase
Once players have finished all their actions in this phase, discard all played cards face up into the discard pile. If there is more than 1 discarded card, the Emperor chooses the order of the discards. Then, continue with the next phase. Note, either player could win a major victory at any time during either player's turn (see Winning).
3. Barbarian Overlord plays 1 card
The Barbarian Overlord plays 1 card from their hand. They may either:
- Reserve a card face down in front of them, adding it to any cards reserved earlier (the Overlord uses reserved cards during battles and, for the Overlord player only, to reinforce their CP action);
or
- Play a card face up in front of them. If played face up, the Overlord chooses whether to spend the CP or use the special action on the card. They may always use the special action at the top of the card if it is an Action card, or they may use the relevant action if it is a Barbarian card, dependent on the number of Voyages completed by the Emperor.
Emperor's Reaction - if the Emperor has a special action available on the played card and has met the Voyage criterion for it, they may use that action during the Overlord's turn. The Overlord chooses who uses the card first. Reminder: the Emperor's Reaction is available whether the Overlord used the card for a special action or for a CP action.
Using Command Points
If the Overlord chooses to use the CP, they must spend at least 1 of the points on a CP action and all of the points spent must be on the same CP action type. Any CP that cannot be used are lost. The CP actions available to the Overlord are:
- Amass Hordes – Take 1 Horde from the Supply for each CP spent and put it in any of the Barbarian Homelands. When amassing more than 1 Horde, you can place them in different Homelands or in the same one.
- Move – Select 1 region with Hordes in it. Move Hordes in that region equal to the CP spent into either 1 adjacent Barbarian Homeland or 1 adjacent Borderland that does not contain Troop markers.
- Attack – Choose a Ming-controlled Borderland adjacent to at least 1 region with Hordes in it. Put into that Borderland a number of Hordes up to the CP spent from any number of adjacent regions. Fight a battle until only 1 player has forces in the attacked region – see the Battle Sequence at the end of the rules for how to fight a battle.
- Gather Resources – Take 1 Settlement from the Supply for each CP spent and place it in any Barbarian Homeland. This represents the Barbarians getting the resources required to build a Settlement in a Borderland later. When placing more than 1 Settlement, you can place them in different Homelands or in the same one.
- Build Settlement – Move 1 Settlement for each CP spent from a single Barbarian Homeland into an adjacent Barbarian-controlled Borderland. Each Settlement can move into a different adjacent Borderland. Once placed in a Borderland, the Barbarian Overlord cannot move the Settlement. A Settlement in a Borderland indicates control in the same way a Horde does.
Reinforcing your CP actions
The Barbarian Overlord player (only) may use up to 1 of their Reserved cards to reinforce each CP action. Add the CPs on the Reserved card to the CPs on the card you are playing. You may use all these CPs for the chosen CP action. At the end of your phase, discard the Reserved card.
Ignore all the actions on cards played to reinforce your CP actions. These actions cannot be used by either player.
Using the Special Action on the Barbarian cards
Instead of using the CP on a Barbarian card, the Overlord can use the special action available to them. The available special action is determined by how many Voyages have been completed by the Emperor. The Overlord must be able to complete the special action in full in order to use it.
Using the Special Action on the Action cards
Instead of using the CP on an Action card, the Overlord can use the special action at the top of the card: it is always available to them. They can never use the special action at the bottom of the card. The Overlord must be able to complete the special action in full in order to use it.
End of phase
Once players have finished all their actions in this phase, discard all played cards face up into the discard pile. If there is more than 1 discarded card, the Overlord chooses the order of the discards. Then, continue with the next phase. Note, either player could win a major victory at any time during either player's turn (see Winning).
4. End of round
At the end of a round, the players swap hands. If the deck has not run out, continue to play a new round, starting at phase 1. If the deck has run out, refer to the Eras and End of Game section below.
Eras and End of Game
The first era saw voyages down to India's southwestern coast, the second era saw the voyages reach the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa.
The game is played over two eras represented by the Main cards deck. Either player can win a game before the end of the first or second era by claiming a major victory.
The final round of the first era starts when the Ming Emperor draws the last cards from the deck. At the end of this round after swapping hands, the Emperor will have 3 cards, the Barbarian Overlord will have 4. Create a new draw deck by shuffling together cards in the discard pile along with all reserved cards, but not cards in hand. Then, start the first round of the second era.
Be careful not to reserve too many cards before the end of the first era; if you don't use them, they will be lost!
When the deck runs out for the second time, keep swapping hands and playing as normal, skipping phase 1 (drawing cards) each round. The final round of the game starts when only the Emperor has a card in their hand; the Emperor plays this card and the game finishes at this point.
Winning
The Ming Emperor scores a major victory if they complete all 7 Voyages at any time before the end of the game and, likewise, the Barbarian Overlord scores a major victory if they control all 5 Borderlands at any time before the end of the game. Having any type of marker in a Borderland shows control. If neither player has claimed a major victory by the end of the second era, one player can claim a minor victory. For the Ming Emperor player, add the number of Ming-controlled Borderlands to the number of completed voyages. For the Barbarian Overlord player, add the number of Barbarian-controlled Borderlands to the number of uncompleted voyages. The winner is the player with the greater total. In case of a tie, the Barbarian Overlord wins.
For competitive play, we recommend that opponents play 2 games, swapping sides for the second game. Calculate the basic overall points as above. A player who wins a major victory earns 12 points instead of their normal total. Where either or both players did not achieve a major victory, they earn points for control of Borderlands and for voyages as described above. If a game is tied, the Barbarian Overlord earns 1 additional bonus point. After 2 games, add up the points for each, and the winner is the player with most points. If the series is a tie after the 2 games, it is an honourable draw.
Battle Sequence
When a player chooses the Attack CP action and puts their Troops or Hordes into a Borderland controlled by the Opponent, a battle begins. The Active player is the Attacker, the other player is the Defender. Follow these 6 battle steps until only 1 player has markers in the attacked Borderland:
A) Attacker Rolls – The Attacker rolls their 3 dice. There are three types of result: a triple is strong (for example, 4, 4, 4), a double is moderate (for example 1, 1, 5) and a single is weak (for example, 6, 4, 3).
B) Attacker Uses Reserves – The Attacker may choose to use the CP on a reserved card to re-roll the dice. Reveal the card. The CP value is the number of re-rolls they can make. Each re-roll can be of any number of the Attacker's dice. The Attacker may stop re-rolling whenever they wish and may use more reserved cards to keep re-rolling. Once the Attacker stops re-rolling, place all used reserved cards in the discard pile. Any unused CP are lost. Unused reserved cards stay in reserve. Keep the dice to one side and note the final result, for example, triple 5, double 3 or single 6. Ignore the additional dice on a double or a single.
C) Defender Rolls – The Defender rolls their 3 dice. Again, there are three types of result: a triple is strong, a double is moderate and a single is weak.
D) Defender Uses Reserves – The Defender may choose to use reserved cards in front of them in the same way as described for the Attacker in step B.
E) Resolve Attack – A strong result is more powerful than a moderate result, which is more powerful than a weak result. If one player has rolled a more powerful result than their opponent, they have struck a Devastating Blow. If both players have rolled the same type of result, then if one player's score of that type is higher, they have inflicted a Normal Hit (for example, a double 3 beats a double 2 and inflicts a Normal Hit). If both players have rolled the same type and the same score (for example, both rolled a single 6), then the result is a Standoff (ignore the additional dice on a double or a single). Below is how these three are resolved. All losses are only from the Borderland attacked:
- Devastating Blow – The loser returns 2 Troops/Hordes to the Supply, unless the loser was the Overlord and they have at least 1 Settlement in the Borderland; in this case the Overlord instead returns 1 Settlement to the Supply.
- Normal Hit – The loser returns 1 Troop/Horde to the Supply, unless the loser was the Overlord and they have at least 1 Settlement in the region – in this case the Overlord does not lose anything.
- Standoff – If both players have rolled the same score of the same type of result, neither player loses anything (ignore the additional dice on a double or a single).
F) End Battle Check – If only 1 player has markers in the Borderland, the battle has ended and play moves to the next phase of the Round. Otherwise, the battle continues at Step A.
Example of a battle
Oscar the Overlord has 3 Hordes in each of the Western and Eastern Mongol Homelands and 2 reserved cards, Affluence (3CPs) and Pestilence (2CPs).
Emperor Beth has 2 Troops in Sichuan and Maelstrom (2CPs) in reserve. Oscar decides to attack and plays a 3CP card. He reinforces his Attack CP action with the 3CP on Affluence, so he attacks with all 6 Hordes, putting them into Sichuan.
Oscar rolls his 3 dice: 553. He decides not to use his reserved card for any re-rolls.
Beth rolls her 3 dice: 556. Both players have double 5. Beth decides it's not the right time to use her reserved card. So, it's a standoff and neither player loses any pieces.
Oscar has to continue to attack until only 1 player's pieces remain. He rolls: 442. Again, he decides not to use his reserved card.
Beth rolls her dice: 543. Oscar's double 4 against a single 5 would be a Devastating Blow, so Beth would lose both her pieces and therefore the battle. She decides to use her reserved card for up to 2 re-rolls. For her first re-roll, she keeps the 5 and rolls the other 2 dice: 51. Now she has double 5, so will win this round of battle, but she has another re-roll. She re-rolls the 1: only a 3. With a double 5, Beth has a Normal Blow against Oscar's double 4 - Oscar loses 1 Horde and is down to 5.
Oscar continues his attack and rolls 653. He decides to use his reserved Pestilence card for up to 2 re-rolls. For his first re-roll, he rolls all 3 dice: 336. Double 3 is OK, but he re-rolls the 6 for his second and final re-roll: 3. Now he has triple 3.
In response, Beth rolls: 321; the worst possible roll, and she has no reserved cards.
Oscar has a Devastating Blow, inflicting 2 hits, so wins the battle. Beth puts her remaining 2 Troops into the Supply. Oscar's 5 Hordes have captured the Sichuan Borderland.
Player Aid Summary (2-player game)
Game sequence
- Ming Emperor draws 2 cards.
- Ming Emperor plays 1 card.
- Barbarian Overlord plays 1 card.
- End of round - swap hands.
Note: The Barbarian Overlord never draws any cards!
Actions available
Players may Reserve a card or Play it for their special action or to spend on the CP actions below.
Both players can use reserved cards for re-rolls in battle. Barbarian Overlord (only) may reinforce their CP action with a single reserved card.
| Ming Emperor | Barbarian Overlord |
|---|---|
| Recruit Troops | Amass Hordes |
| Move | Move |
| Attack | Attack |
| Tax | Gather Resources |
| Build Junks | Build Settlements |
| Voyage |
Battles
A. Attacker Rolls B. Attacker Uses Reserves C. Defender Rolls D. Defender Uses Reserves E. Resolve Attack F. End Battle Check
Results
- Devastating Blow = lose 2 Troops/Hordes
- Normal Hit = lose 1 Troop/Horde
- Standoff = no losses
Settlements in defence
- Devastating Blow = lose 1 Settlement
- Normal Hit = no losses
- Standoff = no losses
End of game and winning
The game ends when a player achieves a major victory or when the Ming Emperor plays the last card of the second Era.
Solo Play Booklet
This section transcribes the separate solo rulebook for The Ming Voyages. You play as the Ming Emperor, and as the player, you follow the normal 2-player rules. You also use the cards and Barbarian pieces on behalf of the game-run Barbarian Overlord. There are some extra game components for solitaire play.
Note on symbols: the three Event decks are marked with Chinese numerals on their backs. They are written here as Level 1 (一), Level 2 (二) and Level 3 (三).
Solo: Objective and Extra Components
You or the Barbarian Overlord score a major victory as in the 2-player game (see Winning). You achieve a minor victory by controlling more Borderlands than the Barbarian Overlord at the end of the game, while completing a specified number of voyages. Otherwise, the Barbarian Overlord wins.
Barbarian Bot Event cards
In the solo game, your fictional Opponent, the Barbarian Overlord, uses the 3 decks of 8 Event cards. You use the Event cards to find out what the Barbarians do in their turn and also for the Overlord to react when a Barbarian's Reaction is available in your own turn.
Level 2 and Level 3 Event cards have a primary event, but will also trigger a Level 1 Event if they happen in the Overlord's turn (but not when it's a Reaction). There is a list of the Events at the end of these rules.
Example Event card — "Amass 3": Take exactly 3 Hordes from the Supply. Place 1 in each Barbarian Homeland. If there are not 3 Hordes in the Supply, discard this card and take another. If used, also Level 1 event. (Barbarian Turn Only.)
Difficulty cards
The Difficulty cards govern the challenge of the game, from Easy, through Medium, then Hard to Brutal. If a Barbarian's Reaction is triggered when you play a card during the Ming Emperor's turn, instead of using the Barbarian action shown on the Main deck card, you will draw a card from an Event deck. The 3 Difficulty cards show the Event deck that you will draw from. Choosing the difficulty level is explained in detail below.
Tie-break cube
A red cube is used to break ties. See Overlord Events Tie-breaks.
Solo Game Set-up
A. Set up the board as for the 2-player game with the Main deck alongside it. Play with both hands of cards face up for the whole game.
B. Put the red tie-break cube to the left of the compass rose.
C. Put the Overlord's pieces and dice to one side in easy reach.
D. Put your own Ming Emperor pieces to one side in easy reach.
E. Sort the Event cards into 3 decks by level; the level is shown by the Chinese number on the backs. Shuffle each deck separately.
F. Leave a space beside each Event deck for discards.
G. Choose a difficulty level (see below) and place the 3 Difficulty cards in sequence. The setup diagram shows the Easy version: CP1 > Level 1, CP2 > Level 1 and CP3 > Level 2.
H. Leave spaces for reserved cards for each side...
I. ...the current played card for each side...
J. ...and for the Main deck discard pile.
Choosing the Difficulty Level
You use the Difficulty cards to show which Event pack to draw from when the game-run Overlord player has a reaction to a Main deck card you play on your turn. If this card cannot be played in full by the Overlord, discard it and do not draw another card. For example, you are playing an Easy game as in the setup diagram. When you play a 3CP card with a Barbarian's Reaction available (such as card #9 Advancement), the game-run Overlord player will draw and carry out a Level 2 Event card. As this is a Reaction to your Main deck card, ignore the bottom part of the card labelled 'Barbarian Turn Only'.
In most cases, when you have completed 4 voyages, you will flip one of the Difficulty cards. See the table below.
We recommend that you start at the Easy Difficulty Level for your first solo game to familiarise yourself with the solo version.
Table of Difficulty Levels
| Difficulty Level | Difficulty at start (CP1 / CP2 / CP3) | At 4 voyages (CP1 / CP2 / CP3) | Required voyages | Player's Reserve card limit | Additional challenges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | Level 1 / Level 1 / Level 2 | Level 1 / Level 2 / Level 2 | 4 | 3 | |
| Moderate | Level 1 / Level 2 / Level 2 | Level 1 / Level 2 / Level 3 | 5 | 2 | |
| Hard | Level 1 / Level 2 / Level 3 | Level 1 / Level 2 / Level 3 | 6 | 1 | Remove Troop losses from the game. |
| Brutal | Level 1 / Level 2 / Level 3 | Level 2 / Level 2 / Level 3 | 7 | 1 | Each Barbarian Homeland starts with 2 Hordes. |
Key:
- Difficulty Level – how hard the game will be!
- Difficulty at start – use these Difficulty cards at the start of the game.
- At 4 Voyages – the changes that you make to the Difficulty cards immediately upon achieving your 4th successful Voyage.
- Required Voyages – you cannot win a minor victory unless you have completed at least this number of voyages.
- Player's Reserve card limit - the number of cards you, as the player, can put in your reserve. The Overlord can have up to 3 reserved cards at any level. In solo mode, the Overlord never uses reserved cards to reinforce CP actions.
- Additional challenges – these are optional challenges to increase the difficulty for players who win with the normal Difficulty Levels.
Game Sequence for the Solo Game
The overall game sequence is the same as in the 2-player game. The following description explains changes to the 2-player rules. Otherwise, play continues as in the 2-player game.
Solo: Description of a Round
Ming Emperor plays 1 card
For your turn as the Ming Emperor play is the same as for the 2-player version, except that any Barbarian's Reaction is always carried out after you, as the Ming Emperor, have played your action.
Barbarian's Reaction
If the Main deck card that the Ming Emperor plays has an available Barbarian's Reaction on it, refer to the CP value of your played card. Look at the Difficulty card with that CP value on it, then draw from the Event deck specified on the Difficulty card. For example, if you are playing a Moderate game and have completed 4 voyages, when you play a 3 CP card with a Barbarian's Reaction available (such as card #15 Famine), the game-run Overlord player will draw and carry out a Level 3 Event card. Do not use the Barbarian action on the Main deck card!
For a Reaction the Overlord only plays the primary event of the card. Ignore the bottom part of the card labelled 'Barbarian Turn Only'.
Barbarian Overlord plays a card
When it is the Barbarian Overlord's turn, look at the Overlord's 4 cards in hand and play the card with the highest CP value.
If there is more than one card with the highest CP value, use the tie-break to select the tied card with the highest or lowest card number (see Overlord Events Tie-breaks).
Place the selected Main deck card in the playing area, not straight into the discard pile; you may need to refer to it again. Discard it at the end of the turn.
Instead of using the played Main deck card's Overlord action, draw and play a card from the top of the Event deck matching the number of CP points on the Main deck card; ignore the Difficulty cards when playing an Event card in the Overlord's turn. For example, if the Overlord's Main deck card has 2CP, draw and play a Level 2 Event card.
Do what the Event card says. Level 1 cards only have a primary Event. Levels 2 and 3 have a primary Event and a Level 1 Event.
If the whole of the primary Event is not possible, discard the card and draw another one from the same deck. If the primary Event was carried out, then draw a Level 1 card and do that Event too, if possible. If the Level 1 Event is not possible, it has no effect (do not draw another card).
If an Event deck runs out, shuffle the discarded cards to form a new deck.
When you've finished doing the Event, discard the Event card to its discard pile, and discard used Main deck cards to their discard pile. You decide the order of discarded cards.
See The Overlord's Events for a list of the Barbarian Overlord's Events.
Emperor's Reaction
If the Emperor has an Action available on the Main deck card played by the Overlord, the Emperor gets the choice of whether to use that special action. This special action is always carried out after the Overlord's Event.
Solo: Eras and End of Game
The change of eras and the end of the game are the same as in the 2-player game.
Overlord Events Tie-breaks
At various points during gameplay, the game relies on comparing CP values on cards or the number of pieces in regions. Where these numbers are equal, the game uses a simple tie-break mechanism: at the bottom left of the board, there is a compass rose. At the start of the game, there is a red cube to the left of the compass rose, showing that you should use the leftmost Borderland or the leftmost Homeland, or the Barbarian action card with the lowest number (the small number at the centre right of the card).
If the red cube is to the right of the compass rose, you should use the rightmost Borderland or the rightmost Homeland, or the Barbarian action card with the highest number.
When you have used the tie-break, move the tie-break cube to the other side of the compass rose, so that the game alternates between lowest and highest cards, leftmost and rightmost regions.
Borderland Limits
For the solo game, no Borderland may contain more than 5 pieces at any time except during an Attack CP action. This includes Troops, or Hordes and Settlements added together. Actions or events, other than Attack CP actions, that would exceed this limit cannot be carried out. There are no limits on any other area.
Battle Sequence Adjustments for Solo Play
As you, the player, will be acting on behalf of the Barbarian Overlord during attacks, the game will make any decisions for the Overlord, in accordance with these priorities.
Use the Battle Sequence as in the 2-player rules.
In attack, the Barbarians will accept any Double or Triple that they get with their first roll and will not use any reserved cards in this case. If they did not get a Double or Triple with their first roll, they will use their top reserved card to re-roll all the dice.
While they have CPs left for re-rolls on a reserved card, they will keep re-rolling until they get a Double or a Triple. If they get a Double, they will use any re-rolls left on the current reserved card to attempt to convert the Double to a Triple.
If they do not get a Double or a Triple, and they have more reserved cards, they will continue to use them in the same way.
In defence, the Barbarians will always use reserved cards to attempt to win the current round of battle. They will always re-roll all dice if possible to obtain a superior Double or superior Triple compared to the player's roll, then use further re-rolls to improve their score only if necessary to win the current round of battle.
The Overlord's Events
If a Level 2 or Level 3 card is used in the Overlord's turn, also carry out a Level 1 Event.
Amass x
Take x Hordes from the Supply and place them in the Barbarian Homelands. If there are not enough in the Supply to complete the Amass, discard the card and take another.
- 1 Horde – Take 1 Horde from the Supply and place it in whichever of Western Mongols and Manchus Barbarian Homelands has the fewest Hordes. If equal, use the tie-break.
- 2 Hordes – Take exactly 2 Hordes from the Supply. Place 1 in whichever of Western Mongols and Manchus Barbarian Homelands has the fewest Hordes. If equal, use the tie-break. Put the second Horde in Eastern Mongols Barbarian Homeland.
- 3 Hordes – Take exactly 3 Hordes from the Supply. Place 1 in each Barbarian Homeland.
Attack x
Choose the most favoured target Ming-controlled Borderland (see below). If equal, use the tie-break.
Move up to x Hordes from adjacent Homelands or Borderlands according to the attack priorities into the target Borderland, always leaving at least 1 Horde or Settlement behind to control a Borderland. Then resolve Battle.
Most favoured target: For each Ming-controlled Borderland, work out how many Hordes can attack from adjacent Homelands and Borderlands. The Overlord will always leave 1 Horde or Settlement behind to control a Borderland, so only pieces in excess of 1 Horde or 1 Settlement are available to attack from Borderlands. For Homelands, all Hordes can attack into any adjacent Ming-controlled Borderland. Then subtract the number of Troops in the Borderland from the number of potentially attacking Hordes. The most favoured target is the one with the highest result.
Example: Yunnan could be attacked by 2 Hordes and is defended by 1 Troop, so its result is 1. Sichuan could be attacked by all the Hordes in both Homelands, plus 1 of the Hordes in Gansu, for a total of 4. With 2 Troops defending, its result is 2, so Sichuan is the most favoured target.
If results are equal, use the tie-break.
Note that most favoured target is not influenced by the number of Hordes that will actually attack!
Attack priorities: Select Hordes that will attack using these priorities (if equal, use the tie-break):
- First, evenly from Homelands, starting with the Homeland having most Hordes,
- Then evenly from Borderlands, starting with the Borderland with most Hordes, always leaving at least 1 Horde or Settlement behind.
Build x
Move exactly x Settlements from the Homeland with most Settlements into the adjacent Barbarian-controlled Borderland with fewest Hordes. If equal, use the tie-break.
If not possible, discard this card and take another.
Gather x
Take exactly x Settlements from the Supply and place them in a single Homeland. First, choose the Homeland with the fewest Settlements; if equal, choose the one with the most Hordes; if still equal, use the tie-break.
If there are not enough Settlements in the Supply, discard this card and take another.
Move x
If any priority is tied, use the tie-break.
Move up to x Hordes into the single most favoured adjacent empty or Barbarian-controlled Borderland.
Most favoured Borderland for Move: Select the target Borderland using these priorities:
- 1st, empty Borderlands adjacent to at least 1 Homeland with 1 or more Hordes
- 2nd, empty Borderlands adjacent to at least 1 Barbarian-controlled Borderland with 2 or more pieces
- 3rd, Barbarian-controlled Borderlands adjacent to the most Troops in Borderlands.
1st choice of region to move the Hordes from is 1 adjacent Homeland, preferring the one with most Hordes. 2nd choice is 1 adjacent Barbarian-controlled Borderland, preferring the one with most Hordes, and always leaving at least 1 Horde or Settlement behind. The Hordes can be moved from 1 region into only 1 Borderland.
If no empty or Barbarian-controlled Borderland, discard the card and take another.
Reserve x
If less than x cards in the Overlord's Reserve, then reserve the played main deck card, whether played by the Emperor or the Overlord. Put it on top of the Overlord's Reserve pile.
If the Barbarian Overlord has x cards in Reserve, discard this card and take another.
A reserved card does not trigger a Barbarian or Emperor's Reaction.
Player Aid Summary (solo game)
Emperor Actions — Reserve a card or Play it for a special action or for these CP actions:
| Ming Emperor | Barbarian Overlord (Events) |
|---|---|
| Recruit Troops | Amass 1, 2 or 3 |
| Move | Move 1, 2 or 3 |
| Attack | Attack 1, 2 or 3 |
| Tax | Gather 1, 2 or 3 |
| Build Junks | Build 1, 2 or 3 |
| Voyage | Reserve 1, 2 or 3 |
MOST FAVOURED TARGET FOR BARBARIAN ATTACK:
- For each Ming-controlled Borderland, how many Hordes can attack? Only pieces in excess of 1 Horde/1 Settlement can attack from a Borderland. All Hordes can attack from Homelands.
- Total number of attacking Hordes, then subtract number of Troops in the Borderland.
Most favoured target for attack is the Borderland with the highest result. If tied, use the tie-break.
ATTACK FROM PRIORITIES:
- First, evenly from Homelands, starting with the Homeland having most Hordes.
- Then, evenly from Borderlands, starting with the Borderland with most Hordes, always leaving at least 1 Horde or Settlement behind.
MOST FAVOURED BORDERLAND FOR BARBARIAN MOVE INTO:
- Empty Borderlands adjacent to at least 1 Homeland with 1 or more Hordes.
- Empty Borderlands adjacent to at least 1 Barbarian-controlled Borderland with 2 or more pieces.
- Barbarian-controlled Borderlands adjacent to the most Troops in Borderlands.
If any priority is tied, use the tie-break.
Move is always x Hordes from 1 region (Homeland or Borderland) into 1 empty or Barbarian-controlled Borderland.
Credits
Design: David J. Mortimer and Alan Paull
Development: David J. Mortimer and Alan Paull
Artwork and layout: Klemens Franz, atelier198
Proofreading: Rachael Mortimer
Published by: SSG Wargames (Surprised Stare Games), 2Tomatoes Games, Frosted Games. © David J Mortimer and Alan Paull 2020