The Mission: Early Christianity from the Crucifixion to the Crusades
The Mission: Early Christianity from the Crucifixion to the Crusades Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1.0 The Setting
[1.1] Introduction: The Mission is a solitaire game that starts after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ around AD 30. The player represents the Christian church as it spreads across the Near East, Asia, Africa, and Europe. The player also plays the role of the Roman (later Byzantine) Empire, which served, at first unwittingly, as the incubator of this radically un-pagan new faith.
As you expand the Church across the map, you convert Lands to the Gospel, uniting them with your social network (the "Oecumene", as the Greeks called it, whence the word "ecumenical"). To a wargamer, it may feel like conquest; the process was really the spread of ideas from friend to neighbor, often spurred by some fiery missionary orator. Later in the game, of course, governments will 'help' the heathens see things their way.
The story will carry you through many separate ages, as the Empire itself takes Christianity as its cause, only to fight off barbarian hordes and the Islamic Jihad in a struggle that culminates in the First Crusade. When the game ends, 1,300 years after Jesus' birth, will you have left the Church in a strong position to carry his message into the modern world... or did you leave it in a dire state of decay? Jesus asks: "When the Son of Man comes again, will he find on this earth anyone with faith in him?" (Luke 18:8)
Be aware that this is a game where you will want to be familiar with the rules before you play, and pay close attention to the many "turning points" in the game. You may need to prepare in advance for new Eras (5.2) and Events on the Acts Track such as Charlemagne and Turkish Decision. This need for long-term planning may interfere with the short-term fun you're having!
You may have heard that God does not play dice, but that's not in the Bible. Albert Einstein said it.
[1.2] The Map and its Paths: The map shows the world known to Jesus and the Romans. Jerusalem is its hub, from which The Mission proceeds on six "Paths" carrying you to West Europe (A), Asia Minor/East Europe (B), Armenia and the Caucasus (C), Persia and Central Asia (D), the Nile Valley, Egypt and East Africa (E), and Roman North Africa (F). Each Path also has its own die symbol (e.g. Path A has "⚀") used to put random Tiles on that Path.
[1.2.1] The Gaul-Milan Shortcut: On Path A, you'll notice a dotted line from Gaul to Milan. Ignore this line! You only use it if Spain is Arab (6.9.1 ④).
[1.3] Communion: A crucial aspect of the game is the diversity of Christianity from its early days. The Church may split into as many as six rival branches, but for game purposes (we make no theological claims here) your "home base" is the Catholic Church in Rome. Other branches are on your side if they're "in communion" with Rome.
In the game, a Land is "Christian" if it has a green 'church' Field Tile on it (but see 6.5.1). All Christian Lands on a given Path are always in communion with you, unless a "Schism" Tile is on the Path, showing a spilled eucharistic chalice. The Christians on that Path have gone a different way and it's more difficult for you to influence and protect them.
Theology, politics and war have all been simplified in order to turn a complex period of history into a playable tower defense-style game. Trust me: it was done in good faith. And it was fun!
2.0 Game Equipment
"Our one Father, God, lives. And so does our mother, the Church." — Tertullian (3rd century)
A complete game set of The Mission should contain:
- 11x17" color Game Map
- 8½x11" 2-sided sheet of 176 "Tiles"
- 8½x11" 1-sided color Acts Track
- 8½x11" 1-sided black/white Counter Tray
- 8½x11" 2-sided color Sequence of Play
- 8½x11" 2-sided black/white Setup Sheet
- 16-page Rulebook (you're reading it)
- Two six-sided dice ("d6") - not included
[2.1] Map Details: Each Path on the Map is made of square "Lands". Most Lands begin the game empty. As time goes on, every Land will be filled with a Field Tile showing its Conversion value. The box furthest from Jerusalem is a round "Horde Homeland" named for its associated Barbarian Horde (6.8). Hordes may retreat into a Homeland, but the player can't move his own Tiles (e.g. the Roman Army) into a Homeland. Those areas are too remote.
Exception: A player may move a Bishop or an Apostle into a Homeland, to create the useful Archbishop (7.1.1, 7.1.3).
[2.1.1] "Random Setup": Several rules call for the "Random Setup" of a Tile. In such instances, select the Tile to be used and roll two dice: the first one for the Path, and the second one for the Land.
The Path roll is indicated with a die icon: A roll of ⚀ means Path A; ⚁ means Path B; ⚂ means Path C; etc.
The Land roll counts, box by box, out from Jerusalem (toward the circular Horde areas far from Jerusalem).
Example: You draw a random Heresy (6.5) that needs to be Randomly Setup. Roll 2 dice, the first is a ⚂ for the Path (so it's Path C) and the second a ⚄ for the Land. On Path C, count five Lands out from Jerusalem to arrive at Georgia, so you place the Heresy Tile in Georgia.
Unless the rule specifically says so, it is fine if more than one Randomly Setup Tiles (e.g. two Heresies) end up in the same square Land box. (In this case, it just means that Land is a wretched snakepit of Heresy.)
No Tile can ever be Randomly Setup in Ireland, since it's impossible to roll a 7. And even if Spain is bypassed under rule 6.9.1 ④, you still do count Spain when Random Setups occur on Path A.
[2.2] Tiles: Before playing the game, all 176 playing pieces or "Tiles" should be sorted by type and placed as shown on the "Counter Tray" card. Having every Tile in its easy-to-find place will greatly shorten the amount of time it takes to set up and play the game.
[2.3] Wafer Tiles: 32 tan Tiles, with big gold/silver "coin" circles on the back, are called "Wafers". They regulate game activity, provide history and list which Paths see action this Turn (6.1).
[2.4] Acts Track: The "Acts Track" card divides the gameplay into 27 discrete Turns. Each Turn represents a given block of "real time". Various historical events occur on each Turn; these are facts of history that the player will just need to deal with. Events marked with symbols have some game function; all other events are historical trivia.
[2.5] Cups: You need four Dunnigan Ceramaceous Randomizers (i.e. opaque coffee cups) to draw random Wafers (from the first cup), Fields (second), Heresies (third) and Faiths (fourth).
[2.6] $olidus (plural $olidi, or $ for short; the Byzantine currency) is "cash" in the game. Keep track of them on the track at the bottom of the map. They can be earned and spent to pay for various game functions (6.2 and 7.0).
[2.7] Field Tiles: The game includes 38 "Field" Tiles, showing a blazing sun on the tan "Plain" side and a church on the green "Christian" side. These represent the populations of the various Lands shown on the map as square boxes, as they convert to Christianity during the game (or relapse to paganism)!
When a Field Tile is placed on the map, it goes tan side up. The tan side always shows it is not Christian. If it is "converted" (7.2), it flips to its green side with an icon of a Christian Church.
'Suns' on Field Tiles facetiously allude to 'sun worshiping pagans'. That's why the five Jewish Tiles have a Menorah instead! The game function is the same (a Field is either Christian or not) but it would be both offensive and wrong historically to label Jews as "pagans" in any sense.
The Field Tiles name nine social groups that were powerfully drawn to the new Christian Gospel, for reasons unique to each group: Ascetics, Jews, Martyrs, Physicians, the Poor, Scholars, Slaves, the Wealthy, and Women. Each Field Tile contains members of all these groups, but the group listed on the Tile is among the first heroic converts in that area.
[2.8] Political Control of Lands: This rule is placed here for reference purposes. It links to several other rules in the game.
Each Path may contains one or more political Tiles to indicate who owns the different Lands on that Path.
[2.8.1] Jerusalem: This is the heart of the world; it does not belong to any one Path. Jerusalem is always controlled by the Romans, until Turn 21 when it becomes Arab-controlled (5.2.5). No unit may move into Jerusalem, either by advancing or retreating (Hordes that reach Jerusalem just stop moving; other units forced to enter it are eliminated). Exception: Arab (Jihad, Abbasid, and Seljuk) units may retreat into Arab-occupied Jerusalem (and may then resume their advance from it).
[2.8.2] Roman Empire: The Empire's geographic reach is shown by the five "Roman Control Tiles" on the map. These read "Pagan Rome", and then "Christian Rome" once Constantine takes over (Turn 10).
Roman control includes any Land that contains a Roman Control Tile, and also any Land between that Tile and Jerusalem (unless controlled by Arabs; 2.8.3). Roman Control Tiles also have a military role and are able to advance and retreat (4.2.1). See 4.2.5.3 for Rome's special ability to fight Arabs "in the rear."
Example: On Path A (Europe) the Pagan Rome Tile is located in the Britain box. This means that Britain, Belgium, Gaul, Spain, Milan and Rome are all part of the Roman Empire on that Path. Lands beyond the Pagan Rome Tile (in this case, only Ireland) are outside the Roman Empire.
The eastern Roman Empire outlived the fall of the western Empire in 476 AD, and historians call it the "Byzantine Empire" after that. But 'Byzantines' themselves never used that word; they called themselves "Romans" right up to their demise in 1453. In the game, the "Roman Empire" includes the Greek-speaking Byzantine Empire, as it should.
[2.8.3] Arabs: Starting on Turn 21 (5.2.5), the Islamic Caliphate seizes Jerusalem and then grows by attacking you from behind. As its "Jihads" advance from Jerusalem on the six Paths, you lose control of Lands occupied by a Jihad Tile or Lands found between such a Tile and the Jerusalem box.
Example: It is Turn 23 (691-720 AD). On Path "F", the Vandal Hordes are in Tingitana. The Christian Rome Tile is located in Numidia, and the Jihad Tile is located in Tripoli. This means that the Caliphate controls Jerusalem, Cyrene, and Tripoli; while Rome controls Numidia, Carthage, and Sufetula. Tingitana and the Vandal Horde Homeland west of Tingitana are Vandal-controlled, outside of Roman rule.
A Jihad Tile shows that the Arabs control the Land the Tile is in, and all other Lands between the Tile and the Jerusalem box. Lands "beyond" the Jihad Tile are not owned by the Arabs. On Turn 25 all Jihad Tiles flip and become Abbasid Tiles. They function the same as Jihads for control purposes but have different movement rules (see 5.2.6 ①). The Seljuks (5.9, 6.10) operate similarly.
Note: The game uses "Arabs" as shorthand for "Jihads, Abbasids, and Seljuks," because "Arabs" is nice and short. We know the Seljuks were Turks, not Arabs.
[2.8.4] Hordes: A Horde Tile indicates that the Horde controls the Land the Tile is in, and all other Lands between the Tile and the Horde's own Homeland Box (2.1). Hordes own the "outside" of the map; Romans and Arabs own the "inside".
[2.8.5] Rulers: A King or Tyrant controls only the Land his Tile is in. He has no effect on adjacent Lands (6.4).
[2.8.6] Persian Empire: Three Lands (Ctesiphon, Persia and Merv; Path D) form the Persian Empire and are marked with Tiles that defend themselves from Hordes and Arabs. They may also affect conversion in those Lands (7.2.3),
[2.8.7] Nubia: If Nubia is set up (5.2.4 ④), the Nubian Tile resembles a Roman Control Tile. Nubia controls the Land the Tile is in, plus all other Lands in the direction of Jerusalem except for Lands occupied by Romans or Arabs. The Nubians can attack "forward" versus the Shewa or Himyar Clans; like Romans they also have "intrinsic defense" against Arabs (4.2.5.2) and attack "backward" against Arabs (4.2.5.3). Nubia is always a Christian empire.
The Christian Nubian kingdoms actually outlasted the Byzantines, but in the end were far more comprehensively destroyed.
[2.8.8] Uncontrolled Lands exist where Romans, Persians, Hordes, Arabs, or Rulers have no political or military presence. Missionaries can explore and convert Uncontrolled Lands (7.1, 7.2).
Example: On Path D, Persia controls Ctesiphon, Persia, and Merv. The Turkish Horde controls the Turkish Horde Homeland and Mongolia. There is a Tyrant in India. This leaves the one Land of Kashgar uncontrolled by anybody.
[2.9] Pope Tiles: The "Big City" (5.2.2) on each Path will eventually contain a Pope Tile, showing the leadership of Christianity on that Path. Each Pope Tile depicts a Catholic Papal mitre (hat).
Of course, each regional 'pope' had his own kind of hat! Each Pope Tile does have the leader's historic title: on Paths A and E, they are called "Popes", Path B "Patriarch", Paths C and D "Catholicos" and Path F "Servant in Charge". In the rules, they're all "Popes". Today, five of these six Paths are still ruled, spiritually, by their successors: The Roman Catholic Pope of Rome, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople (Istanbul), the Armenian Catholicos of Etchmiadzin, the Catholicos of the Assyrian Church of the East (based in Iraq), and the Coptic Pope of Alexandria (in Cairo, Egypt).
On Path F, the Donatist "Servant in Charge" (Præpositus Servus) was Bishop of Carthage. Here the Christian religion was eradicated by the Muslim occupiers in the 16th century. Of the six ancient branches of Christianity, only the North African branch died out completely.
3.0 Game Setup
"[God] has granted us His precious and magnificent promises, through which you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." — Apostle Peter (1st century)
Go to the Setup Sheet, choose a scenario to play, and follow those directions each time you set up the game to play.
4.0 General Rules
"'Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it.' This is not said to persuade us against building." — Origen (3rd century)
[4.1] Sequence of Play: Each turn consists of Phases that must be conducted in order. See the separate Sequence of Play Card for a full rundown of the steps to follow each Turn. Follow each step, using the linked rules when necessary.
[4.2] Army Combat: This rule is placed here for convenient reference purposes. It is linked to by several other rules in the game. This same procedure is used for all Combats in the game.
An Army is a Tile with a white hexagon (⬡) on it. All Army Tiles are either "friendly" (on the player's side) or "hostile" (not on the player's side). Which side some Army Tiles are on, depends on who is attacking them at the moment (if the player is attacking the Army, it is hostile; if a hostile Horde, or a Jihad, is attacking the Army, the Army is considered friendly to the player).
[4.2.1] Three Army Types: An Advance Force (AF) has a white hexagon with a number in it; this number is its Combat Strength. An Advance Force can move 1 space at a time to invade a hostile Land, and it also defends itself if attacked. AF units include the Roman Army, Roman Control Tiles, Nubia, Arabs, Hordes, and the Holy Roman Empire (5.7.1).
Arab "Abbasid Caliphate" Tiles are found on the back of the Jihads. These AF units rarely attack (5.2.6 ①, 6.7).
A Self Defense Force (SD) has an empty white hexagon symbol (⬡). SD units cannot move or attack; they defend themselves if attacked. If a hostile Army retreats backward into a Land that contains an "occupied" SD unit, the SD unit sits there and does nothing; it only defends itself against a hostile Army attacking forward into its Land.
"Martyr" Field Tiles either defend themselves, or submit to occupation without a fight, at the player's discretion.
A Vulnerable Force (VF) has a white hexagon with a "V". A VF unit defends itself if attacked, but is eliminated if defeated (4.2.3).
[4.2.2] Invasions: Hordes invade (toward Jerusalem) if directed by a Wafer (6.8). Arabs invade (away from Jerusalem) if directed by a die roll (6.9). Roman Control Tiles, the Roman Army, and any Roman-controlled Land that attacks an Arab (4.2.5.3) will invade at the behest of the controlling player (7.9). If there is no opposing Army in the invaded Land, the invasion succeeds automatically without a die roll (except when Arabs attack an "empty" Roman-controlled Land – 4.2.5.2).
If an invading Horde or Arab conquers a Land and still has attacks left, it moves on to the next Land and attacks it.
[4.2.3] Combat Procedure: Combat occurs when one Army invades a Land containing an Army hostile to it. Each defending Army in the Land (there may be more than one!) gets one shot to repel the invading Army. The defending Army rolls one die; if the roll is higher than the Combat Strength of the invading Army, the invasion is repelled and the invading Army returns to the Land it just came from. If that Army has any remaining attacks (this may be the case with Arabs and Hordes), it will spend its next attack to re-enter the defending Land; the defender rolls again to repel it.
If the failed attack was by a player's own Army, the player may launch another attack, but at the normal cost of 1 $ for each such attack (7.9).
If the attack is successful, the defending Army is defeated:
- A defeated Advance Force (AF) unit will retreat (4.2.4).
- A defeated Self Defense (SD) unit simply remains in its location under "enemy occupation". An SD unit "under enemy rule" has no military value.
- A defeated Vulnerable Force (V) unit is removed from the map. Persian units are gone for good if defeated; Kings and Tyrants are removed from the map but reappear if a random event (6.4) later creates them again on the Path. Defeated Knights and "Pray for Peace" Tiles are placed in the Damaged Armies box.
[4.2.4] AF Retreats: If a defending AF unit (with a number in its hexagon) is forced to retreat by being defeated by an attacking hostile Army, the defender retreats one Land. Hordes retreat 'out' toward (or into) their Horde Homeland; Arabs retreat 'in' toward (or into) Jerusalem. An AF that retreats into hostile territory is eliminated.
[4.2.4.1] Retreating Romans: Roman Army and Roman Control Tiles are AF units, and may be forced to retreat. If attacked by a Horde, they retreat 'in' toward Jerusalem; if attacked by Arabs, they retreat 'out' toward the Horde Homeland. Romans can only retreat into a Roman-controlled Land. Romans can't retreat into Jerusalem, or onto a friendly Horde or Kingdom; if unable to retreat, they are eliminated. The Roman Army goes to the Damaged Armies box (and returns for free; 5.10). An eliminated Roman Control Tile is gone forever: it means Roman rule on that Path is over!
[4.2.5] Roman Attacks: Roman Control Tiles and the Roman Army can attack during a Roman Offensive (7.9). Each attack costs 1 $ for each Tile moved; the Tile moves 1 space forward (away from Jerusalem; 4.2.2).
[4.2.5.1] Roman Joint Attacks: If the Roman Army is stacked with a Roman Control Tile, both get a shot at invading. Each attacking Roman Tile must spend 1 $ for its own attack; the first may spend and attack before the second decides to spend and attack. If either shot is successful, both may advance.
[4.2.5.2] Intrinsic Defense vs. Arabs: Roman, Nubian, and HRE-controlled Lands have "intrinsic strength" versus Arabs. When an Arab enters such a Land, the Land fights against the invaders with a die roll, as if it contained an SD unit (4.2.3).
Example: Rome contains a Roman Army and the Papal States. A Jihad enters Rome. The player gets three shots versus the Jihad: one from Intrinsic Defense, one from the Papal States, and one from the Roman Army. Any one that succeeds will waste that one Jihad move during this Jihad Step.
If the Jihad advances west into Tripoli, the intrinsic Roman defense in Tripoli can roll one die to resist the Jihad's advance.
[4.2.5.3] Romans Attack Arabs: A Roman-owned Land's Intrinsic Strength (4.2.5.2) can also be used during the Religion Phase to conduct a Roman Offensive (7.9) against an Arab in the adjacent Land on the road to Jerusalem.
Pay the usual 1 $ cost, then roll one die to try to push the Arab back toward Jerusalem (a roll higher than the Arab's Strength succeeds). The now "empty" Land vacated by the Arab's retreat is now Roman-controlled for all purposes.
If a Land adjacent to an Arab contains the Roman Army, the Roman Army can attack the Arab (at the normal 1 $ cost), and advance into the liberated Land if successful (where it defends against future Arab attacks). You are free to do it the other way and attack the Arab with the Land's Intrinsic Strength, but this leaves the Roman Army in a Land with an intervening Roman-held "empty" Land between the Roman Army and the Arab.
[4.2.5.4] HRE and Nubians: The Holy Roman Empire and Nubia Tiles function like Roman Control Tiles (2.8.7, 5.7.1). But the Roman Army can't enter Nubia.
Now you're ready to play. Proceed to the Sequence of Play card, and start with the History Phase (5.0). We suggest starting each Turn with a prayer. It can't hurt!
5.0 History Phase
"My inclination is to avoid all assemblies of bishops, because I have never seen any Synod end well, or solve any evils. Instead, it usually makes them worse!" — St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Bishop of Constantinople (4th century)
[5.1] A New Turn Begins: The "Game Turn" Tile is in the current Turn box. A new generation of history has begun.
[5.2] A New Era? On the Acts Track, the seven Eras have distinctive colors:
- ☐ The Apostolic Age (5.2.1)
- 🟨 The Pax Romana (5.2.2)
- 🟪 The Age of Constantine (5.2.3)
- 🟥 The Fall of Rome (5.2.4)
- 🟩 The Rise of Islam (5.2.5)
- ▦ The Early Middle Ages (5.2.6)
- 🟧 The Crusades (5.2.7)
When a new Era begins (i.e. when the Turn Tile enters the first Turn box of the new Era's color), special rules apply.
[5.2.1] ☐ The Apostolic Age: The start of the game has no special rules. Do be aware of the short lifespan of your Apostles (5.2.2, 7.1).
[5.2.2] 🟨 The Pax Romana: On Turn 3, flip all red Apostle Tiles to their "Relics" sides. On each Relic, place the Bishop unit that pertains to that Path.
This shows that Jesus' Apostles have died, and their place in the church hierarchy has been taken by bishops, a process called Apostolic Succession. Each Church in the game thus traces its line of authority back, via the Apostles, to Jesus Christ himself. This 'guarantee' of legal authority was only called into question 1,500 years later during the Reformation.
Now deploy all six Pope Tiles, each in the Big City of the Pope's printed Path (Path A Pope in Rome, Path B Patriarch in Constantinople, etc.). If the Land where the Pope is placed has no Field Tile in it (at all), also pick a Heresy Tile out of the Heresy Cup and put it on top of the new Pope. This is to punish you for not exploring the Land. If the Heresy drawn is an Ebionite, he goes into the Land even if there are no Jews in that Land, ignoring rule 6.5.2.
Deploying a Pope does not convert the Field Tile in a Big City to Christianity; it only means some sort of church group is set up there, a small flock whose local bishop has a bright future. It is no accident that the great bishops were in the big cities (Rome, Alexandria, etc.); the Council of Chalcedon made this official, to Rome's annoyance, in 451. One game fudge is the Armenian Catholicos: his seat, the town of Vagharshapat, was only a Big City in a religious sense. The patriarchate on Path C should be Antioch, but after 431 it broke into bickering, irreconcilable factions.
[5.2.3] 🟪 The Age of Constantine: On Turn 10, Christian fortunes change as the Roman Emperor Constantine joins the Church. What you do:
① Flip the Roman Capital Tile to its Christian side, and flip all "Pagan Rome" Tiles to "Christian Rome".
② Discard the "Pax/Lex" Tile in the Roman Policy box; replace it with the "Christian Emperor" Tile.
③ Council of Nicaea: Next, the player marks Path A with the "Catholic" Faith Tile, and Path B with the "Orthodox" Faith Tile (eagle) from the Counter Tray.
Note to pop culture fans: Despite what the Da Vinci Code says, the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) said nothing about what books ended up in the Bible (that came a century later, and it wasn't decided by a council); and it certainly had zero to do with Mary Magdalene. Every bishop at Nicaea agreed that Jesus was divine; they disagreed over whether God had "created" him at a moment after time had begun.
④ Council of Arles: Do the "Ecumenical Council" (5.5) shown on the Acts Track.
The Council of Arles (314) was not really an Ecumenical Council, but it formalized the Donatist schism and so divided the western church for centuries.
⑤ Relics: Starting now, all "Relics" Tiles are worth 1 $ (7.11).
[5.2.4] 🟥 The Fall of Rome: On Turn 15, the Western Roman Empire 'falls' to a sudden barbarian attack. What you do:
① Remove the Roman Control Tile from Path A. It is no longer part of the Roman Empire. Place the Papal States Tile in Rome; you control it, and it defends itself from Hordes and Arabs. You can send the Roman Army into the Papal States (if you control it; 5.10), but only to defend it. You can't launch Roman attacks (7.9) from the Papal States until the Emperor Justinian lets you (see 5.6).
② You may move the Roman Capital Tile to any Roman-controlled City for free.
③ Add all 16 unused 'gold coin' Wafers to the Wafer Cup, shaking the cup to randomize it (including the two silver 'coins' still in it). Now activate the Barbarian Hordes (6.8), who deploy in their Homelands as follows:
A – Saxons (Arian); B – Bulgars (Pagan); C – Khazars (Pagan); D – Turks (Pagan); E – Himyar Clans; F – Vandals (Arian)
④ Create Nubia: Of Nobadia, Makouria, and Alodia on Path E, count how many have green Christian Tiles (no Heresy). Multiply that total by x2. Roll a die; if the result is equal to or less than the total, Nubia is created: Place the Nubia Tile in Alodia (2.8.7). Note: by making all three Lands Christian you can guarantee the creation of Nubia.
⑤ Place the 3 Knights (Pray for Peace) Tiles in the "Damaged Armies Box" on the map (7.13).
[5.2.5] 🟩 The Rise of Islam: Islam now appears as a major world religion as its Umayyad Caliphate attacks the Christian oecumene from the rear. What you do:
① Put the "Arab Occupied Jerusalem" Tile in Jerusalem. It has been temporarily occupied by Muhammad's armies. This box is now an enemy base against you.
The temporary Muslim occupation of Jerusalem was interrupted from 1099 to 1187 by the Crusaders. After another spell of Muslim rule, the British liberated it in 1917; it became the capital of Israel in 1948. Parts were back under Arab control from 1948-1967; the city was then united by the Israelis during the Six Day War.
② Place the six "Jihad" Tiles in the Jerusalem box. For the next four Turns, these Arab Muslim Army Tiles will attack your Lands from the rear (6.9)!
③ Remove any "Cult of Isis" Tiles from the map. Isis-ism is so first century.
[5.2.6] ▦ The Early Middle Ages: The Umayyads are now overthrown by the Abbasids. The Arab ruling élite switches from attacking the world to attacking its own non-Muslims. What you do:
① All Jihads flip to their "Abbasid" side. They no longer move like Arabs (ignore 6.9) but may move if a Wafer causes it (6.7). They can be attacked by Hordes (6.8), Romans, the HRE, and Nubia (4.2.5.4). Christians under Abbasid rule can fall into Apostasy (8.3), but you can send aid to block this (8.3.2).
② If Sufetula (Path F) is Roman-ruled at this time, remove the Vandal Horde. All Lands west of the Path F Roman Control Tile are now uncontrolled (2.8.8), except for any Ruler there. On Path F, Romans may now expand into uncontrolled Lands (an exception to 7.9).
③ Relics: From now on, all remaining "Relics" Tiles are worth 2 $. See 7.11.
[5.2.7] 🟧 The Crusades: During the end of Turn 27, Christendom decides to fight back after 400 years of invasion and slavery aimed at it by the Muslim world. This is the end of the game! Go to Rule 8.4; calculate your victory or defeat.
The witless and sheep-headed idea that the Crusades were 'wars of aggression' waged by bloodthirsty Christians against tree-hugging Muslim hippies who 'never did anything to deserve it', and who had somehow occupied half the known world by verbal persuasion alone is depressingly widespread in today's secular West. The most amazing thing about the Crusades is that it took Christians 400 years of non-stop abuse to decide to fight back. One can sincerely debate how Christian the Crusades really were (a holy war fought in the name of God who told his disciples to put their swords away and "turn the other cheek"). But as a matter of power politics, they were the necessary reply to 400 years of Muslim imperialism. Moderns are weirdly unaware that 'White Christians' (as well as Black ones) were the targets of colonialism, segregation, religious violence, and even slavery for many centuries. The books by Driver and Madden in the bibliography are written from opposite viewpoints but are worth reading together for balance.
[5.3] Hide a Heresy: If any Heresies (with the "⊛" symbol) are in the current Turn box, drop them into the Heresy Cup now.
[5.4] Great Theologian: If the ✎ sign occurs in the current Turn Box, place the Great Theologian Tile in his box on the Great Theologians Display. You'll use him later this Turn (7.7).
[5.5] Ecumenical Council: A ✚ in the current Turn Box means a Church-wide bishops' council argues over doctrine.
Randomly select a Path (⚀ = Path A, etc). Keep rolling until a Path is selected that was not already marked with a Faith Tile. (If only one Path is yet unmarked, obviously pick that one.)
If a Path with no Faith Tile is chosen, randomly pick a Tile from the Faith Cup and place it by the corresponding "Faith" label on the map to mark the religious posture taken by bishops and Christian leaders on that one geographical Path.
Example: It is Turn 12. A ✚ symbol shows that the "First Council of Constantinople" is occurring. Roll a die to select a random Path. You roll a ⚄ for Path F, but that Path was already marked with the "Donatist" Faith Tile. Roll again: it's a ⚁, which is Path E. This Path has no Faith Tile, so you draw a random Faith Tile from the cup: the "Orthodox" Tile with a ⚁ is drawn and put on the "Egyptian Faith" label (west of "Alodia") on Path E. Path E's Christians are now officially Orthodox.
Once a Path is marked with its Faith, a second die must be rolled to determine the wider Church's attitude toward the Christians of that Path. Roll one die, and compare it to the 'die' symbol on the Faith Tile. If the roll is higher than the die symbol on the Faith Tile, the Church votes to excommunicate the Christians on that one Path; flip the Path's Pope Tile to its 'spilled chalice' SCHISM! side.
Example: The First Council of Constantinople just declared Egypt "Orthodox", but now the Council votes on whether the Orthodox there are orthodox enough! The ⚁ on the Orthodox Tile is pretty safe; only a roll of ⚅ would annoy the Bishops. Roll the die — the result is a ⚅! Someone has made a power play against the Pope of Rome. Flip the Path E "Pope" to his "Schism" side, and stare at the map in disbelief.
Historically, the Roman Path is Catholic, the Greeks are Orthodox, Armenians and Egyptians both went "One Nature" (Monophysite), the Syriac Asian Path turned Nestorian, and the African Path, based in Carthage, became Donatist.
If a Path is in Schism, its Christians are harder to protect from Apostasy (8.3), and the local Pope won't share his income with you (6.2).
[5.5.1] Ecumenical Council with All Paths Filled: If an Ecumenical Council occurs on a Turn when Faith Tiles have already been placed on all six Paths, the player has the option to do nothing (the bishops voice support for love and peace).
Or, if the Emperor is Christian (not Heretical), the player can choose to try to reconcile a Path in Schism (5.5). To do so, count the number of Lands on that Path controlled by hostile forces: hostile Hordes (including their Homelands), Tyrants, and Arabs. Then pay that amount in $.
Roll 1 die; if it's equal to or less than the number of Melkites on green Christian Field Tiles free from Heresy on that Path, you succeeded: flip that Path's Pope to his "hat" side. He is back in communion with you! This always fails on a ⚀.
If the attempt failed, remove all Melkites from the Path and flip the Emperor to his Heretical side. (The Council excommunicated him instead! You also lost a fortune on all those Melkites; see 7.15.)
[5.6] Justinian: On Turn 17 (511-554 AD) the Byzantine Emperor Justinian revives the Roman Empire. This has two effects:
① This Turn (only), all Hordes stop at the Roman border. Ignore any Horde move that would move a Horde Tile into a Roman Controlled Land.
② Place a Roman Control Marker in Rome (Path A; a Horde in Rome retreats to Milan; a Ruler there is eliminated). Rome is back in the Roman Empire!
[5.7] Charlemagne: On Turn 25, check the Saxon Horde (7.6). If the Saxons are Christian, the Holy Roman Empire sets up (5.7.1). But if the Saxons are still Arian, replace them with the Unholy Arian Empire Tile (5.7.2) instead.
[5.7.1] The Holy Roman Empire: The "HRE" is deployed in the Land that held the Saxon Horde; then take the Saxon Tile, flip it to its Arian side, and place it one Land "beyond" the HRE (in the direction of its Homeland).
In the unlikely event that the Saxons are Christian but are in their own Homeland round box, flip the Saxons to their Arian side and place the HRE in Ireland.
Think of the HRE as the Roman Control Tile on Path A (remove any other such Tile). It controls the Land it is in, and all other Lands on the road to Jerusalem on Path A, except for any Abbasid-ruled Lands; any Ruler between the HRE and Jerusalem is eliminated (it is absorbed into the HRE's feudal system). Lands "beyond" the HRE are still Saxon-controlled and liable to attack by Rulers (6.4); but the HRE is 'Roman' so Rulers can't be created on HRE territory.
Example: The Abbasids control Rome on Path A when Turn 26 begins. There is a Christian King in Milan. The Christian Saxons are in Spain, so the Holy Roman Empire sets up in Spain and the (now Arian) Saxons retreat to Gaul. Whereas the Saxon Horde ruled Spain, Gaul, Belgium, Britain and Ireland, now the Saxons have lost Spain; the Holy Roman Empire absorbs (removes) the King of Milan, and controls Spain and Milan but not Rome (because it's occupied by the Abbasids). The HRE is free to expand outward into Gaul and beyond, using its 'Roman' capacity to wage war (4.2.5). It can also try to liberate Rome if you so choose (4.2.5).
The HRE is like a Roman Control Tile. The Roman Army (5.10) may stack with the HRE and help the HRE to invade territory in either direction: Unlike a Roman Control Tile, the HRE can move forward into "empty" Lands (7.9).
Voltaire called the Holy Roman Empire "neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire." The game at least lets it be Roman.
[5.7.2] The Unholy Arian Empire: If the Saxons are still Arian on Turn 25, then Charlemagne is Arian and the fissiparous Arians unite to create their own mighty state. Replace the Arian Saxon Horde with the Unholy Arian Empire Tile (on the back of the HRE). The 'UAE' is an ordinary Horde, just stronger and more of a pain for you.
Word of advice: Convert the Saxons.
[5.8] Shewa Sultanate: On Turn 26, the "Himyar Clans" Tile on Path E flips over to its Muslim "Shewa" side, which is intolerant (no ●●●) and harder to repel.
[5.9] Turkish Decision: The Turks begin the game Pagan. On Turn 26 the player must roll for Turkish Conversion. Roll 2 dice and pick the lower roll. On Path D, count that many Lands from Jerusalem. If the resulting Land is Islam-ruled, the Turks convert to Islam. If the Land is not Islam-ruled, and is Christian, the Turks convert to Christianity. And if the Land is not Islam-ruled and not Christian, the Turks become Manichees. Find the new "Turk" Tile and put it on the map (replace or flip the old Turk).
Example: On Turn 26, Turkish Conversion occurs. On Path D, the Abbasids control Ctesiphon, Persia and Merv. India is controlled by a Tyrant, but the India Land underneath him is actually Christian. The Turkish Horde is in Kashgar, which means he controls Kashgar and Mongolia; both Kashgar and Mongolia are on their Plain sides so they are pagan. The player rolls one die, and rolls a ⚂⚁ — counting 4 out from Jerusalem this means India. By rule, since India is Christian, the Turks convert to Christianity! Find the "Turks Christian" Tile and place it in Kashgar, replacing the "Turks Pagan" Tile. Christian history in Asia has just been transformed.
If the Turks go Muslim, the fearsome Seljuks also enter the game. Replace the Abbasid Tile on Path B with the "Seljuk" Horde (place it in Jerusalem if there is no Abbasid Tile on Path B). This Seljuk Army will move on Path B on the last two Turns of the game (6.10), and also if a Wafer calls for a G move (6.7).
[5.10] Roman Army Move: The player may move the Roman Army Tile to any Roman-controlled Land on the map, or to the Papal States, if player-controlled. If the Army is in the Damaged Armies box, move it to the map free of charge.
6.0 Secular Phase
"Religion must be defended not by putting to death, but by dying." — Lactantius (4th century)
[6.1] Draw a Wafer: The player draws one random Wafer from the Wafer Cup. Place it "coin" side up in the Active Wafer box on the map.
[6.2] Earn $olidi: "$" points are the 'cash' you use in the game to judge the value of actions and moves. The current Turn's Wafer has a 'coin' with a number that indicates how many $ points that you earn immediately.
In addition, you earn one additional $ each Turn for each Path containing both three Christian (green side up) Lands and a Pope in communion with you.
Example: It is Turn 20. The Wafer has a gold coin with a "3" on it, which earns you 3 $olidi. You survey all your Lands: there are 3 Paths (A, C, and E) which have both 3 Christian Lands and Popes in communion with you. Your income for this Turn is thus 6 $ (3+1+1+1). Move the $ marker up 6.
The $olidus Tile at the bottom of the map keeps track of your available $. Move it to the right by the number of $ just earned. Ignore any $ earned that would put your total treasury above 10.
You made a vow of poverty! All income in excess of 10 $ is siphoned off into simony, corruption, and worldly pleasures.
[6.3] Roman Policy: If the active Wafer has a red ● on its "coin" side, flip the Roman Policy Tile to "Lex Romana" (if Rome is Pagan) or "Heretical Emperor" (if Rome is Christian). Whatever the Roman Policy is, follow it now:
[6.3.1] Pax Romana: For 1 $, you may return any one Plain Field Tile under Roman rule to the Field Cup, and then randomly draw a Field Tile to replace it on the map. You're stuck with the new Tile even if it's 'worse'.
The "Roman Peace" that resulted from a single powerful state ruling the entire Mediterranean created an ideal condition for the spread of ideas like Christianity. The event lets you seek out populations within a Land that you prefer to convert.
[6.3.2] Lex Romana: Caesar orders Christians to the lions! You can conduct a free Conversion attempt (7.2) on one Plain Land adjacent to a Christian Land. The Christian Land must be under Roman rule; the other one need not be. For purposes of this rule, Jerusalem is "a Christian Land under Roman rule".
"Roman Law" saw the Gospel as a political threat. Christians would not worship Roman Emperors as gods, even if they brought peace and order. Romans called Christians 'atheists' since they did not worship the 'true' (Roman) gods. The flip side of this was that conscientious Romans were often disgusted by the fanatical persecution of harmless people, and came to admire the Christians' grit and piety in the face of that treatment; it made the Church look heroic. Tertullian wrote: "As often as we are mown down by you, the more we grow in numbers. The blood of Christians is seed."
[6.3.3] Christian Emperor: You have the option of removing Heresy Tiles in any Roman-controlled Land(s), by increasing the Dark Ages level by +1 for each Heresy Tile so removed. Beware if it goes over 7 (8.1)!
Once Constantine (r. 306-37) embraced Christianity, state power was soon used against the Donatists in Africa. It became a favorite tactic. Augustine urged the torture of all heretics until they embraced true religion; some repentance under torture might not be sincere, of course, but God can tell them apart (City of God, 19:6). It was the church's version of the Vietnam War slogan, "Kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out."
[6.3.4] Heretical Emperor: For the rest of the Turn, you may only move or use Bishops or Archbishops who are outside of Roman Empire control.
Religious divisions led to civil strife and even civil war. Well-intentioned Christian emperors in the Byzantine east fiddled with Church theology to get bickering bishops to agree to divisive doctrinal compromises. Powerful clerics (usually the Pope in Rome) fought back, putting religious purity before national security.
[6.4] "Rulers": If the current Wafer has a "♛" symbol, a powerful Ruler may set himself up on the map. Roll two dice to Randomly Setup (2.1.1) that Ruler. A new Ruler removes any old Ruler on his Path. If he appears in a Land controlled by a Horde, place the Ruler and then retreat the Horde to the next Land "out".
Example: On Path F, the Vandal is in Sufetula. A Ruler appears in Numidia; the Vandal is relocated to Tingitana.
If the attempt succeeds, place the Path's King/Tyrant Tile in the selected Land, which becomes the 'Seat' of the Ruler.
If a Ruler lands on a Land controlled by Rome, Nubia, Persia, or the Arabs, don't place the Ruler; reroll both dice to give him another destination.
Abbasid Rulers: A Ruler appearing in a Land controlled by the Abbasids retreats the Abbasid Tile toward Jerusalem in a way similar to a Horde's retreat (above).
Example: The Abbasid Tile on Path D is in Kashgar, but a Ruler appears in Merv. The Abbasid Tile is moved to Persia. This leaves Mongolia, Kashgar, and India as "unoccupied" Lands.
Any Ruler that usurps territory from the Abbasids is automatically a "Tyrant" (don't roll his religion as in 6.4.1). The player can later convert him (7.10).
The Papal States: If a Ruler lands on the uncontrolled Papal States Tile, the Ruler is a King (don't roll for his religion).
The Baqt: A Ruler that lands in Thebes or Alexandria when the Baqt (6.9.2) is there must set up in Ethiopia instead.
[6.4.1] Ruler Religion: Now determine whether the new Ruler is a Christian "King" or a pagan "Tyrant". This is done by a die roll, using the religious identity of the Ruler's Seat and adjacent square Land boxes. A Land with no Field Tile is always considered Pagan, as is a Land with a tan "sun" Field Tile. A Land with a green Christian Field Tile is Christian (unless Heresy is present).
Consult the Ruler Religion Table on the Counter Tray sheet. Examine the Ruler's Seat, and any "Border" Lands adjacent to that Seat. There may be one or two "Borders." A Horde Homeland is never considered a Border. (So a Seat in Alania on Path C would have only one Border, namely Georgia.)
Example: A Ruler was randomly placed in India, on Path D. His Seat is India; its two Borders are Kashgar and Merv. In this case, India is Christian; Kashgar and Merv are both on their Plain side. So you consult line "b" of the Ruler Religion Table, and roll one die; the result is a ⚂, which means the Ruler is a Christian "King". Place the Path D "King" marker in India to mark the birth of a Christian kingdom there.
[6.4.2] Eliminating a Ruler: A Ruler is eliminated if he is defeated by an Army, or if another Ruler sets up on his Path.
[6.5] Heresy Tile Draw: If the active Wafer has a "⊛" Heresy symbol, there is an outbreak of Heresy that can foil or obstruct the expansion of Christianity.
In this case, draw one random Heresy Tile from the Heresy cup, and Randomly Setup that Tile on the map (2.1.1). Heresy that lands on an Arab-controlled Land is discarded, not placed!
The Caliphate was happy to wipe out heretical Christians, to ensure that the majority Christians kept loyally paying into Islam's 'Jizya' protection racket.
[6.5.1] Effect of Heresy: A Land with a Heresy Tile never counts as Christian for any game purpose even if it contains a green Christian Field Tile; and it will force that Christian Tile into Apostasy at the end of the Turn if not cured (8.3)!
[6.5.2] Ebionite Exception: If the Heresy drawn is an "Ebionite", it is not randomly placed. The player selects one "Jews" Field Tile on the map (Christian if possible; otherwise Plain) and places the Ebionite on that Tile. It is a normal Heresy for all other purposes.
The Ebionites were a sect of early Jewish Christians who kept kosher while also worshiping Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. Moderate ones were called Nazarenes, and their stance was close to that of the Apostles; but Rabbinic Jews and Gentile Christians both considered them heretics.
[6.5.3] Heretical Popes: If a Heresy Tile lands on top of a Pope (2.9), that Pope, and all Christians on his Path, are considered to be in Heresy and thus out of Communion (1.3) with you until the Heresy Tile is removed!
Placing or removing a Pope's Heresy Tile doesn't affect that Pope's "Schism" status. Removing Heresy from a schismatic Pope doesn't cure the Schism, only the Heresy. Heresy on a Pope does make the Field Tile in his Land liable to Apostasy (8.3), from which a Pope normally protects it.
[6.6] Resolve Epidemic: If the active Wafer has an "EP" sign, then an Epidemic (smallpox or measles) breaks out. The player may choose either to build a Hospital at no cost in a green Christian Land that has no Infrastructure on its Path (7.3); or to make one Conversion attempt (7.2) on any Path, free of charge.
Unlike pagans, who shunned the victims of sickness, Christians fought disease by building hospitals and actively caring for the sick. This encouraged survivors and their relatives to turn Christian, and also converted pagans who admired Christian compassion. Pagan Emperor Julian railed against pagan priests for their failure to help the sick, but paganism had no tradition of love and generosity beyond the cynical idea of "bread and circuses."
[6.7] Sudden Jihads: When a Wafer with a ⚑ sign is drawn, all Jihad Tiles, all Abbasid Tiles, and (if in the game – 5.9) the Seljuks, move forward one space (do Combat if needed, 4.2.3). Don't move an Abbasid Tile in Thebes with a Baqt on it (6.9.2). This only affects Paths where there are such Tiles to move.
[6.8] Move Hordes: A Wafer with cryptic alphanumeric instructions on it (e.g. "A2, D2, E2") is instructing you to move three Horde armies against the civilized world. The instructions are to be read in the same order every time: Top Right, Bottom Left, Bottom Right.
The instruction indicates a Path (A, B, C, D, E, or F) and a number of "moves" for the Horde on that Path between 1 and 3.
Example: The code "A2" means the Horde on Path A (the Saxons) makes two moves.
When a Horde "moves", it moves away from its Homeland into the next Land on the road to Jerusalem. (Hordes may not enter Jerusalem itself.) If there are no Armies in the Land moved into, the Horde occupies that Land. If there are Armies there, Combat occurs (4.2.3).
If a Horde has more than one move, it keeps moving until it has no moves left. If forced by Combat to retreat, a Horde uses its next remaining move (if any) to re-enter the Land it was beaten in, and tries again to conquer that Land.
A: Saxons represent many Germanic tribes, including Vikings, Normans, etc., which is why they appear at sea rather than in Germany.
B: Bulgars depict Cumans, Magyars, Huns, and of course Bulgars: a quasi-Turkish tribe from Russia that settled in Thrace, renamed it "Bulgaria", became Christian, and adopted a Slavic dialect that evolved into Bulgarian.
C: Khazars were a typical Turkic steppe tribe that famously converted to Judaism instead of Islam or Christianity, deftly navigating between the two 'superpowers' of the day. As a result, the Russian steppe became a refuge for persecuted Jews. The Jewish Khazars were pro-Byzantine, so they are an 'Allied' Horde (6.8.1). In the 10th c. they were ousted by the Alans, an Iranian tribe who 'got Jesus' and became today's Ossetians. In the game the Jewish Khazar Horde stays on the map since both tribes were allied with the player.
D: Turks. The most generic Horde, our "Turks" represent Turks, Avars, Sogdians, Mongols and Uyghurs, your stereotypical long-haired 'Asiatic Hordes' that ride in on horseback and trash everything.
E: Himyar Clans. These native South Arabians of Yemen often warred with Ethiopia's Kingdom of Aksum. Many of their kings were Christian or even Jewish. Later on, the Himyars are replaced by the Shewa Sultanate, a Muslim jihad state led by the Cushitic ancestors of the Somalis.
F: Vandals were Goths who invaded North Africa (!) in 429. Their kingdom in Tunisia was reconquered by Byzantium in 534. The Vandals are later replaced by the Berbers, the natives of North Africa who defected to Islam in the 7th century.
[6.8.1] Allied Hordes: If a Horde's colored banner has a ✚ or ✡ symbol on it, then the Horde is "Allied" to the player. The player may "countermand" any Wafer's order to any Allied Horde.
Example: On Path C, the Khazars in Alania are on their "Jewish" side, so they're Allied. A Christian King is in Sarir, and the Roman Empire controls Antioch. A Wafer is drawn, ordering the Horde on Path C to move 2 Lands. Georgia is 'neutral' territory and it is to the player's advantage to put Georgia under a pro-Christian government. So the player lets the Khazars advance into Georgia, expending 1 move. Now, what about Sarir? Since Sarir is already Christian, the player chooses to stop the Khazars in Georgia. The Khazars' move into Sarir is countermanded. If the player has some strategic reason to destroy the Kingdom of Sarir, for instance if Sarir is Pagan, he is of course free to let the Khazars sack Sarir.
[6.9] Move Jihads: On four specific Turns – 21, 22, 23 and 24 – the Muslim Caliphate attacks you from the rear, by sending Jihad Tiles out from Arab Occupied Jerusalem (5.2.5). Each Jihad Tile has its Path letter. During the Muslim Jihad Steps of the Secular Phase, you conduct three identical Jihad Steps.
To conduct a Muslim Jihad Step, roll two dice; the first die picks the Path while the second shows how many moves the Jihad has. On the first Jihad Step, put the dice in the "First" Arab Attack Rolls box on the map. (On the second Jihad Step, put them in the "Second" box, and so on with the Third.) This reminds you which step you're on, and how many moves are left in that Step.
Example: It's the first Muslim Jihad Step of Turn 21, so all the Jihad Tiles are still in Jerusalem. You roll 2 dice: the "Path" die is a ⚁, choosing Path B; the "moves" die is a ⚅, so the Jihad Tile that's about to invade Path B gets 6 moves. Yikes!
Each move for a Jihad is identical to the move of a Horde (6.8), except that a Jihad moves away from Jerusalem rather than toward it. Combat (4.2) takes place if necessary (remember Roman/HRE/Nubian Intrinsic Defense: 4.2.5.2). When one Jihad Step is done, re-roll the dice to pick a new Path and new Moves for the second Jihad Step. Do likewise for the third Step.
Note that because of the random rolls, each Step is independent of the others; you might have the Arabs attack the same Path during two or even three Steps in a row if the die rolls say so.
[6.9.1] Special Muslim Conquests: Five Lands are marked with a pair of boxes (🟩🟪) to indicate that a "Special Muslim Conquest" occurs when an Arab Tile conquers (not enters) that Land. (An Abbasid moving as a result of Rule 6.7 counts as an Arab for this rule.)
① Antioch: If an Arab Tile conquers this Land, permanently remove the Roman control Tile from Path C.
② Alexandria: If an Arab Tile conquers this Land, permanently remove the Roman control Tile from Path E.
③ Sufetula: If an Arab Tile conquers this Land, flip the "Vandals" Horde Tile on Path E to its "Berbers" side permanently.
④ Tingitana: If an Arab Tile conquers this Land, it means the Arabs have not only conquered Morocco, but Spain as well. This is automatic in the game if the Jihad captures Tingitana. In this case, place the "Arab Occupied Spain" Tile in Spain. Any Path A Horde in Spain, Milan, or Rome retreats at once to Gaul; a Ruler in Spain is eliminated. A Roman Control Marker in Spain or beyond retreats to Milan.
While the "Arab Occupied" Tile is in Spain, no Army may enter Spain; all movement on Path A must use the "Gaul-Milan Shortcut" (1.2.1) to avoid entering Spain. Units in Gaul or Milan may never attack Arab-Occupied Spain.
To reconquer Spain for Christendom see Rule 7.14.
⑤ Thebes: As soon as an Arab conquers Thebes, you may spend from 1 to 5 $ in tribute to try and buy off the Arabs. Roll a die; if it is equal to or less than the amount spent, the Arabs make peace on the Nile: flip the Jihad Tile to its Abbasid side and place the "Baqt" Tile (located on the bottom of one of the "Cult of Isis" Tiles) on top of it. See 6.9.2.
[6.9.2] Baqt: The Abbasid Tile under the Baqt can never be invaded or attacked, and can never move for any reason.
The "Baqt" was a unique peace treaty signed by Christian Nubia and the Arabs in 641. In exchange for peace, the Arabs demanded a yearly quota of Black slaves from Christian Nubia. So began Black slavery as we know it. It took over 1,000 years to concoct the lie that Christians from Europe started Black slavery, and that Black identity should somehow thank Islam for resisting it. The Baqt itself stood until the 1300s when the Turks betrayed the Nubians; they wiped out Nubia's Black church in 1504. Islam failed to defeat the Black Monophysite Christians of Ethiopia next door; they fought off the jihad and still thrive.
[6.10] Move Seljuks: If the Seljuks are in the game, they now attack on Path B. Roll a die to determine the number of moves (just like a Muslim Jihad Step, 6.9, but of course it only affects Path B, and only happens once a Turn).
[6.11] Remove Wafer: At this time, take the Active Wafer out of the Active Wafer Box and discard it.
7.0 Religious Phase
"We are philosophers – not in words, but in deeds! We do not speak great things; we live them!" — Cyprian (3rd century)
Dear Christendom: The forces of heresy, fate, barbarism, and Islam have assailed you on all sides. But now it is your chance to direct the Church, alongside its often seedy imperial and royal allies, to heal the world! Sincerely, Your Bishop
Initiative now passes back to you. Here you will conduct Actions by spending $ (like spending cash). You can do as many Rule 7 Actions as you want, as often as you want, and in any order that you want, as long as you can afford them. The Italians haven't invented banking yet, so you can't deficit spend.
[7.1] Missionary Moves: Each Path has one individual "Missionary". When the game starts, these are the Apostles, who all start in Jerusalem. Soon, the Apostles will be succeeded by Bishops; finally, Bishops get promoted to Archbishops.
In the early game, Missionaries are sent out mostly to Discover (see 7.1.4), but they can also convert the Lands they have Discovered (7.2), or you can use them to end Heresies on their Path (7.5).
[7.1.1] Apostles begin in Jerusalem and can move "out", one Land at a time, on their Path from Jerusalem to the Horde Homeland. (Peter is marked "A", so he moves only on Path A.) Apostles can only move "out". To move an Apostle one Land, it costs 1 $.
You can move an Apostle for free, but this risks martyrdom on each move. If he moves free of charge, roll a die in each Land the Apostle enters (after he Discovers the Land – 7.1.4). The Apostle is martyred if the die roll is equal to or less than his distance from Jerusalem.
Example: Paul moves from Jerusalem to Cilicia for free. He would be martyred on a roll of ⚀ only. When he moves for free to Anatolia, he dies on a ⚀ or ⚁. If he goes for free to Greece, he dies on a ⚀⚁, or ⚂. And so forth.
Flip a martyred Apostle to his "Relics" side; place the "Bishop" unit for his Path on top of his Relics (and see 7.1.2).
If an Apostle enters a Horde Homeland, remove him from the game and place the Path's "Archbishop" in the Horde Homeland (see 7.1.3 for Archbishops).
Note that if an Apostle goes into a Horde Homeland and creates an Archbishop, he leaves behind no Relics (7.11). Apostles in the game are historical figures. Mark wasn't really an Apostle, but is credited with evangelizing Egypt. North Africa's "Apostle Jude" is even more legendary.
[7.1.2] Bishops: It costs 1 $ to move a Bishop one Land; like an Apostle, he can only move forward on his mission of discovery. If a Bishop enters a Horde Homeland, he is 'promoted': Flip him to his "Archbishop" side (and see 7.1.3). See 7.1.2.1 if a Bishop "Discovers" Women.
[7.1.2.1] Bishops and Women: When a Bishop "Discovers" (places) a Field Tile with "Women" (♥) on it, the Bishop gets flustered and retreats to the Land he entered from. He can pay to re-enter the Women Land; he only gets flustered by Women he wasn't expecting to find. In Big Cities (7.1.4.1), you choose the Tile, so ignore this penalty there.
[7.1.3] Archbishops: It costs 1 $ to "fly" an Archbishop to any Land on his Path. He can help with Conversion (7.2) and ending Heresy (7.5).
[7.1.4] Discovery: A square Land with no Field Tile (2.7) is "undiscovered". The moment a Missionary enters an Undiscovered Land, it gets "discovered": Draw one random Field Tile from the Field Cup, and place it, Plain side up, in the newly-discovered Land. Once a Field Tile is placed in a Land, it can never be removed. (Exception: Pax Romana, 6.3.1.) But its status can flip back and forth between Plain and Christian based on a variety of events and actions.
[7.1.4.1] Big City Discovery: If the Land being discovered contains a Big City icon (e.g. Carthage), draw three Field Tiles and choose one of them to place in the Big City Land (put the others back in the Field Cup). A Big City is more likely to be of value than other Lands, and we show that by giving you three shots at finding a really valuable Field Tile.
[7.2] Conversion: At the end of the day, this is what the game is all about!
"Conversion" in the game is a relative thing. It means setting up a viable Christian community in an area. In real life, "converting" Merv meant planting successful parishes in an area dominated by other faiths; while "converting" (say) Britain meant that in a few centuries 100% of the population was Christian, under a Christian king. These are clearly two different things, but for game purposes they are the same.
Each Field Tile has a "Value" number on it (in a white oval). The higher the Value the harder it is to convert (but the more it's worth at the end of the game when you're calculating your level of victory).
Each Value 'pip' on a Field Tile (where the "2" on the one Physicians Tile is two pips) translates very loosely to about one million people in that Land. The numbers on the two sides differ sometimes; this is by design for game balance.
To convert a Field, look at its Value, pay 1 $, and then roll one die. If the die roll is higher than the Field's Value, the Field is converted to Christianity: flip it to its green "Church" side.
Example: You're making an effort to bring the Gospel to far-off Mongolia at the end of Path D. The locals are a "2" Value ascetic population. So you pay 1 $ and roll a ⚁. Since that's higher than the 2, you succeed. Flip the Field Tile in Mongolia from its Plain side to its green Christian side.
If a Field being converted is stacked with a Pope, an Apostle, a Bishop, or an Archbishop, add +1 to the roll for each such minister in the stack. But a roll of ⚀ always fails, no matter how many +1 modifiers there were!
[7.2.1] "Free" Conversions: Special Conversion attempts can be undertaken 'free of charge' (at no $ cost).
[7.2.1.1] Bible: If a given Path has a Bible (in the Bible Translations box) in its language (7.4), you can flip that Bible each Turn to its "Used" side to make one Conversion try on its Path, at no charge.
You can use the Greek Bible on Path B (only) to make one 'free' attempt at Conversion on that Path. With the Latin Bible, you have a choice to use it on Path A or on Path F, since both Paths speak Latin; but only on one Path per Turn.
[7.2.1.2] Cult of Isis: If a discovered Field contains a "Cult of Isis" Tile, you can make one free Conversion attempt in that Land at any time in the Religious Phase. Discard the Isis Tile when used.
The Egyptian cult of Isis was sort of a barometer of an area's receptivity to odd foreign religions. Such areas were easy for Christian missionaries to convert. Rome was such a place, as the pagan historian Tacitus remarked: "Everything horrible and shameful in the world floods together and is celebrated" in Rome. He was referring of course to Christians! Caligula and other emperors promoted the Isis Cult; traces of it allegedly made their way into Marian devotion.
[7.2.1.3] James the Just is the Apostle that can't leave Jerusalem. But James may, free of charge, make as many Conversion (7.2) and End Heresy (7.5) rolls as you wish, but only for tan "Jews" Tiles next to Jerusalem. Keep rolling these as often as you want, until he fails. When he fails, flip him to his "Relics" side. He has been martyred.
The Brother of Jesus, James was one of the most fascinating figures in the early Church and was far more important than subsequent tradition gives him credit for. Acts 15 and Galatians 1-2 witness to his almost 'papal' leadership. His "Vulcan" hand is actually a Jewish blessing, which (Jewish) Leonard Nimoy snuck into Star Trek! Painter's book in the bibliography is now the definitive source on James.
[7.2.2] Heresy Block: Conversion to Christianity is blocked (not allowed) in a Land containing a Heresy Tile (marked with a blue sun ⊛). All Heresy Tiles in a Land must be eliminated (7.5) before the Field in that Land can be converted.
[7.2.3] Persian Conversion: Persian Empire Tiles modify Conversion rolls in their Lands. The "+1" Tile adds +1 to the Conversion roll, while the "-1" Tile subtracts -1 from the Conversion roll.
Zoroastrianism, the native religion of Persia, is a dualistic faith with strong ethical values. Its most famous saint was Freddie Mercury, but the magi in your Christmas crèche were Zoroastrian priests. They venerate fire, earning them a star on the Walk of All-Time Coolest Religions. Persian satraps (governors) often had their own religious policies. The +1 Land is under tolerant satraps while rabid fundamentalists rule the -1 Land.
[7.3] Build Infrastructure: You can spend $ to build "Infrastructure" that improves the lives of both converts and pagans, and so strengthens the Church. These are Hospitals, Monasteries and Universities. Each one has 2 identical Tiles. Only one Infrastructure can ever be built on a single Path, so a given Path can only ever have one Infrastructure on it!
- Hospitals have a military role, fixing up soldiers and civilians to help defend Lands under attack. They function as SD units (4.2.1).
- Monasteries allow you to "bank" $ for future Turns (8.6).
- Universities are bastions of Christian learning that promote religious freedom and prevent Apostasy (8.3).
It may come as a shock to learn that hospitals and universities flourished in the 'dark ages' of medieval Christendom, commonly written off by pop culture as a time of science-hating prejudice. Despite its needlessly provocative title, Hart's Atheist Delusions (in bibliography) is a heady tonic for 'enlightenment' myths.
It costs 6 $ to build one Infrastructure. However, the cost is cut in half (3 $) if the Infrastructure is built in a location where it has local support, as marked by the small letters on Christian Field Tiles:
The Physicians Tile has an "H", showing a discount for a Hospital. Scholar Tiles have a "U", showing a discount for a University. Ascetic Tiles have an "M", showing a discount for a Monastery.
Example: On Path E, there is a green Scholars Tile in Ethiopia. So it costs 3 $ to build the University of Ethiopia.
Infrastructure still functions under non-Christian rule; the color of the Field Tile underneath is also irrelevant. Hospitals, if retaken by the player, recover their "SD" use. Universities save local Christians from Apostasy. And you can always use a Monastery to save $.
[7.4] The Bible: Each Path has its own "language" listed next to its "Faith". (On Path A, the Faith Name is "Roman Faith" and the language is "Latin".) The language can be Latin, Greek, Armenian, Syriac, or Coptic. Paths A and F both speak Latin.
[7.4.1] Translation: This allows you to publish the Bible in a new language, as a way of witnessing to the public. To do this costs 6 $, but every pair of Christian (green) Field Tiles speaking that language earns you a -1 $ discount on the Translation effort.
Example: It's Turn 4 and you want to make a big push up Path E. You've already converted Alexandria and Thebes, so you have two Christian Lands on Path E. This earns you a 1 $ discount on a Coptic Bible, so you pay 5 $ (not 6 $) and place the new Coptic Bible in the Bible Translations Box.
Place the new Bible in the brown "Bible Translations" box on the map.
Note: You must first publish the Bible in Greek. Only then can you publish it in other languages.
At game start, the New Testament is a bunch of letters and books circulating in Christian circles. These documents were all in Greek, which is why your first act of "translation" is Greek – what this really does is assemble those documents into a single collection or "Canon". (Although this is a truly criminal oversimplification of what took place in the early Church.) But once you have the Greek Bible, you can translate it into other languages.
Greek was the English of its day, the international language of 'modern' civilization east of Italy before and during the Roman Empire. Early Christian texts were mostly in Greek because most early Christians were hellenized Jews who spoke Greek as their native language.
Latin was the language of the Roman Empire, at least in its western half, and had far more impact on English than it did on languages spoken to the east.
Syriac (eastern Aramaic) was the leading language of the Middle East: a Semitic language like Hebrew, but with a lot of Greek influence. Largely displaced by Arabic after the Islamic invasions, today Syriac ('Modern Assyrian') is spoken in Iraq and Syria by a million Christians.
Coptic is the true language of Egypt, the direct heir to the hieroglyphic language of Pharaoh. Once Egypt fell to Alexander the Great, Egyptians traded hieroglyphics for Greek letters, which is why Coptic looks like Greek. Once spoken by almost all Egyptians, Coptic declined after the Arabs ruined Egypt in the 7th century.
Gradually Coptic receded to the status of a rural patois; it died out as a spoken language around 1650. But the gorgeous and fascinating tongue of ancient Egypt is still spoken in Coptic Church liturgy.
Armenian is distantly related to other Indo-European languages. Armenia has become a byword for genocidal horrors inflicted on helpless Christians by the fanatics of Muhammad, but its language is still spoken by nearly 7 million people, mostly in the Republic of Armenia.
[7.4.2] Using the Bible: Bibles give you a "free" shot at Conversion (7.2.1.1), or a "free" try at curing Heresy (7.5). Or you can place a face-up Bible Tile on any Land of its Path, and protect that Land from Apostasy later in the Turn (8.3).
[7.5] End a Heresy: You can try to "end" (remove) a Heresy (⊛) Tile in a Land. Pay 1 $ and roll a die; you succeed if the roll is higher than the number on the Heresy Tile. Add +1 for any Apostle, Bishop, Pope, or Archbishop in the same Land as the Heresy itself. Also add +1 to the roll if the Land is under Christian rule (a King, Christian Rome, Nubia, or a Christian Horde). State persecution of heretics was obscene, but effective. A roll of ⚀ fails, no matter how many +1 modifiers there were.
You can make the same die roll at no cost if you flip a Bible to do it (7.4.2).
Put an "ended" Heresy Tile on the Counter Tray on its "Melkite" side (7.15).
[7.6] Convert ● Hordes: Saxon, Bulgar and Khazar Hordes are marked with a ● as a reminder that the player can try to convert them to Allied status. (Other Hordes may change their identity based on random events instead.)
If the Saxon Horde is "Arian", or the Bulgar or Khazar Horde is "Pagan", the player can try to convert that Horde. Use the same rule for all these Hordes; try this as often as you can afford it.
Count the number of Lands (including the Homeland!) ruled by that Horde, and pay that number of $. Then, roll a die. If it's equal to, or less than, the number of Christian (green) Lands controlled by that Horde (a Land with a Heresy Tile is not Christian), the attempt succeeds; flip the Horde to its "Allied" side, which has a ✚ or ✿ symbol on its banner (6.8.1).
Example: The Bulgars are bearing down on Constantinople, and control both Kiev and Danube Valley. Danube Valley is Christian, but Kiev is Pagan. Since the Bulgars control three Lands, it costs 3 $ to make the Conversion attempt; but since there is only one Christian Land under Bulgar control, you only have a 1/6 chance to convert the Bulgars. You need to roll a ⚀. Roll the die: You miraculously roll a ⚀, and the Bulgars flip to their Christian side and become your ally!
[7.7] Use the Theologian: If the current Turn placed a Great Theologian (5.4), his biography box tells some interesting facts about him: but for game purposes just note the boxed letters, e.g. [A][B]. These are the two Paths this Theologian may work on. A Theologian can work on one of his two Paths, but not both.
You can use the Theologian on one of three distinct types of Mission. If the Dark Ages Tile is in the 7 box or higher, you may only use the Theologian on a mission of Reconciliation (7.7.3).
[7.7.1] Evangelism: Pick a Path for the Theologian. He may then, free of charge, make as many Conversion (7.2) and End Heresy (7.5) rolls as you wish on that Path. Keep rolling these as often as you want, until he fails. If he fails, put him in the Counter Tray and move the Dark Ages Tile one space to the right.
As an 'Evangelist', a Theologian is at the height of his fame and can have a huge impact on the Christians of his chosen Path. But Theologians often raise ideas or topics the hierarchy would keep quiet. Controversy brings the Church into disrepute and raises the Dark Ages level.
[7.7.2] Revivalism: You may place the Theologian on one Land on his chosen Path. This Land is protected, for the rest of the Turn, from any Apostasy (8.3), no matter what its cause (except Heresy).
[7.7.3] Reconciliation: You can send a Theologian straight back to the Counter Tray to reduce the Dark Ages level by -1.
Here the Theologian is making some positive contribution to Christian life and staying out of trouble.
[7.8] Persecute! A Christian ruler can 'heal divisions within the Church' by sending the army to torture Christians with unorthodox opinions.
"Many must first be recalled to their Lord by the stripes of temporal scourging, like evil slaves, and in some degree like good-for-nothing fugitives." — Augustine, The Correction of the Donatists, 6:21 (5th century)
The target of the Action must be a Schism Tile under Christian rule, in Roman/HRE/Nubian territory, a Land ruled by Christian Horde, or under a Christian King. If the Schism Tile is in Roman territory, the Emperor must be Christian (not Heretical).
To Persecute the offending Christians, spend 1 $, flip the Schism Tile to its Pope side, and then flip the Faith Tile on its Path to the Submit! side. This will show that the Pope on the Path is now in communion with you, but that this wasn't by choice.
The effect of Persecution is: The Pope is now face-up, which means he raises cash for you (6.2). But it's harder to preserve Christian Lands on that Path from Apostasy (8.3), if the day ever comes that they are in danger of Apostasy.
This is effectively what happened to the Donatists of North Africa. The schism was 'healed' by force. This helped the Catholic Church for a while. But when the Arabs took over, local Christians gave up the state religion to join Islam.
[7.9] Roman Offensives: Now you can launch Offensives using Romans, Nubia, and the HRE. See 4.2.5.
Roman Army and Control Tiles cannot move forward into "empty" Lands that contain no hostile Armies. The Holy Roman Empire (5.7.1) and Nubia (2.8.7) may invade such "empty" Lands.
By Christ's time the Empire had grown to encompass everything it was competent to govern. Roman policy held back from any more expensive wars of conquest.
Romans/Nubia/HRE can also do their 'backward' attacks (toward Jerusalem; 4.2.5.3). Each such attack costs 1 $.
[7.10] Convert Tyrants: If a Tyrant's Seat is Christian, or is adjacent to any Christian Land, the player can try to convert that Tyrant to Christianity. Pay 3 $ and roll a die on the Ruler Religion Table (6.4.1) as if you were creating a brand new Ruler. If the roll makes him a "King", flip him to his "King" side: he is now Christian, and your ally (6.4.1).
[7.11] Deal in Relics: If a Relics Tile (5.2.2) is in Jerusalem, or in a green Christian Land, you control that Relic. If so, you can cash it in for 1 $ (on Turns 10-24) or for 2 $ (on Turn 25 or later, once medieval piety drives up the price). Discard the Relics and boost your $ total by that much.
[7.12] Move the Roman Capital: If the "Christian Emperor" unit is on the map, the player can move the Roman Capital Tile to any Big City under Roman rule at this time. It costs 1 $ to move the Capital from a friendly-controlled Land, and 2 $ to move it from a hostile Land. Its value is as an SD unit.
[7.13] Knights/Peace Move: There are 3 "Knight" Tiles. On the back, they have a "Pray for Peace" icon. These units all function as "V" Armies (4.2.1). They can never be used to attack, only to defend.
Take the Knight from the Damaged Armies Box, or from the map. Place him in any Land under Christian rule (Roman, HRE, Nubia, a Christian Horde, or a King). Moving a Knight costs $1 ($2 if the Land he goes to is in Schism).
A Pray for Peace Tile functions the same way, but only goes in a green Christian Land not under Christian political rule. It only costs $1 to deploy a Peace Tile.
"Pray for Peace" Tiles may sound gamey, but represent Christians who prove loyal to the rulers they live under, and show the leavening and civilizing effect of their presence in a barbaric world.
[7.14] Spanish Reconquista: On Turn 25, 26, or 27 (only once per game) you can attempt the "Reconquista" of Spain if the Arab-Occupied Tile is there and the Field Tile in Spain is Christian (with no Heresy present).
Count the number of Arian, Abbasid, and Tyrant controlled Lands (including the Horde Homeland) on Path A and pay that number in $. Roll 2 dice; if the total is equal to or less than the number of Christian (green) Tiles on Path A, you have succeeded: Flip the Arab-Occupied Tile to its "¡Reconquista!" side. Spain is now Christian-controlled (and you can ignore the Gaul-Milan Shortcut).
The Reconquista Tile is not a control marker; it just shows the event happened.
[7.15] Build Melkites: You can spend 1 $ to place a Melkite on any Christian (green) Land on a Path whose Pope is in Schism (5.5; see 5.5.1 for Melkites' role in later Ecumenical Councils). Melkites are only found on the back of removed Heresies, so the number of Melkites you can build depends on your skill at beating Heresy.
Through bribery, calls to ethnic pride or Roman patriotism, and cogent religious argument, the great Orthodox/Catholic Church built loyal Christian communities to undermine schismatic Popes. The Syriac word malkoyo ("Royal") described such groups; in Greek it became "Melkite". (The word "Uniate" was later used in the Latin West.)
8.0 End of Turn Phase
"Whoever he may be, and whatever he may be, he who is not in the Church of Christ is not a Christian." — Cyprian (3rd century)
[8.1] Dark Ages Collapse: If the "Dark Ages" Tile is in the "7" box (or higher), the game ends at once and you lose.
[8.2] Persian Religion: The heartland of the Zoroastrian faith (7.2.3) is marked with flame icons around Persia. If all three Lands are now under Abbasid rule, flip the "Persia Zoroastrian" Tile to its Muslim side, unless you pay 5 $ to stop this. If it flips, you lose Religious Freedom in those three Lands (8.3.1).
[8.3] Christian Apostasy: Check every green Christian Field Tile on the map. If it is (1) controlled by a non-Christian Horde, (2) controlled by the Abbasid Caliphate, (3) controlled by a Tyrant, or (4) occupied by a Heresy (⊛) Tile, then the Field is in danger of Apostasy!
An endangered Field Tile must go into Apostasy (flip to its Plain side) at this point in the Turn unless its Apostasy is prevented (8.3.1, 8.3.2).
[8.3.1] Religious Freedom: A Tile with three purple bezants (●●●) grants Religious Freedom to the Land it's in, no matter who controls it. A Horde with bezants grants Religious Freedom to all its controlled Lands. If the Persians are Zoroastrian, Religious Freedom also applies to all three "flame" Lands (8.2). No Field Tile in such a Land is in danger of Apostasy, unless Heresy (⊛) is there; Heresy always tops Religious Freedom.
In addition, a Bible (7.4.2) or Theologian (7.7.2) in a Land also prevents Apostasy in that Land, unless Heresy (⊛) is there.
[8.3.2] Prevent Apostasy: In each Land with no Heresy Tile, Apostasy can be prevented by paying $ to sustain the Christians. The cost per Land depends on the Path the Field is on; a decision must be made on each Land separately:
1 $ if its Path is in communion. 2 $ if its Path has a Schism Tile. 3 $ if its Path has a Submit Tile.
[8.4] Turn 27 – The Crusades! If it is not the end of Turn 27, skip this and move on to Rule 8.5.
But if it is the end of Turn 27, then the Pope of Rome has called a general Crusade to rid the Holy Land of Muslim invaders! Move the Game Turn marker to the "Age of the Crusades" box. The game now ends in a general war of Christian versus Muslim; its outcome depends on the overall strength of Christian civilization that you have built.
CALCULATE YOUR VICTORY POINTS TOTAL:
A Add up the combined Values of all Christian (green) Lands. Subtract -1 for each square Land on the map that has no Field Tile in it at all. (Such Lands were never, ever touched by Christianity — an unforgivable and ahistorical failure of evangelization.)
B Add +5 for each Path where ALL Lands are Christian. Add +5 if the "Reconquista" Tile is in Spain. Also add +5 for each Land still under Persian rule.
C Add +3 for every face-up Pope (not in Schism). Do not count a Pope stacked with a Heresy Tile.
D Add +1 for each $ in your treasury, +3 for each Relic on the map, and +3 for each Monastery, University, and Hospital on the map (or +4 if that Infrastructure unit is under Christian political rule).
E Subtract -5 for each Heresy Tile, and -5 for each Submit Tile, on the map. Subtract -10 if the Roman Capital is not in a Christian-controlled Land.
F Subtract -1 for each Dark Ages level, and -5 for each Bible that has not been Translated.
The combined total determines your level of victory as follows:
100 or higher: Christendom Defeats Islam while Zoroastrians rebound in Persia. Islam retreats into small, exotic regional pockets, while Christianity expands rapidly across the map.
90-99: Christendom Ascendant: Asia Minor, Egypt, and the Fertile Crescent are liberated by the Crusaders, while Islam begins a slow, steady decline.
80-89: Stalemate (the historical outcome). The Crusades wither and die, but the Christian world is largely secure. Only the Ottomans will ever pose a serious threat to Christendom.
70-79: Islam Ascendant: Islam continues to grow slowly, as Eastern Europe, Russia and India embrace Muhammad.
69 or less: Muslim successes inspire the Mongols to convert to Islam. Genghis Khan establishes a Muslim empire stretching from Europe to Southeast Asia as Christians become a small, persecuted minority resembling today's Coptic Egyptians.
[8.5] Resets: The Turn draws to a close:
✗ Flip the "Lex Romana" Tile to "Pax", or flip "Heretical Emperor" to "Christian". ✗ Return the Theologian to the Counter Tray. ✗ Flip all Bibles face up and return them to the Bible Translations box.
[8.6] Lose or Bank Money: All unspent 'money' ($) on the $olidus Track is now lost; reduce the $ total to zero. However, if there are Monastery Tiles on the map (7.3), you can save 1 $ on the $ Track for each Monastery Tile on the map (maximum: 2 $).
[8.7] The Turn is Over: Go back to 5.1 and start the next Turn by moving the "Game Turn" Tile to the next Turn box!
+ + +
9.0 Notes & Credits
"It is no hindrance to the knowledge of God to be educated. Rather, it is a help." — Origen (3rd century)
9.1 Designer's Notes
Jesus asked his disciples: "When the Son of Man returns, will he find anyone on the earth who has faith?" (Luke 18:8) That question is the premise behind The Mission.
I spent my late adolescence, and most of my adult life, in a sect of the Reorganized Latter Day Saints with a fascination for early Christian history. They passed it down to me.
My academic work in Soviet Studies acquainted me with Eastern Orthodoxy, while friends from Egyptian Coptic and Armenian Orthodox backgrounds helped fuel my passion for learning about early Christianity's several trajectories, sending me to many Coptic, Armenian and Assyrian liturgies and cultural festivals and cookouts. Those contacts also help explain why this game puts more emphasis than you might expect on Christian history outside Western Europe.
A personal moment of religious epiphany for me was when my wife and I visited Hagia Sophia, once the seat of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Constantinople, but violently stolen by Muslim Turks in 1453 and converted into a mosque. (It has been pointed out that Islam's three most famous sites were all stolen from other religions: the Ka'aba in Mecca from pagans, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem from the Jews, and Hagia Sophia from the Christians.)
The sect I belonged to condemned Catholics, Copts, Orthodox, Assyrians and Armenians as 'false Christians' who had lost all true religion. It hit me, hard, that those 'false Christians' had defended and upheld Christianity for centuries in the face of genocide, while my modern American sect sat in smug comfort on a world they built. The experience helped finally lead me into the wider Christian story (and the Episcopal Church).
I've published many articles, and one book, on the early Church, mostly on the Donatists of North Africa, who are also an obsession of mine. As a game designer, the time has finally come to do a game on this vast topic. I wanted to do something didactic, to teach its audience of wargamers and Sunday School students a lot of real Church History. And while as a Christian I want the game to show off the love I have for the subject matter, and for the Gospel that inspires it all, my main objective as a designer is to put out a good game.
It's not obvious, but this game grew out of Mound Builders, a tower defense game that Wes Erni and I did on prehistoric North America. The overall flow of the game is the same: the player expands from the middle, then defends his possessions from outside threats. When I told my pastor about the game I was designing, he called it "Risk for Jesus."
I wanted a big picture, narrative view. So I built a "grand strategy" solitaire game covering 1,300 years of Christian history on a map of the ancient Mediterranean, Near East, Europe and Africa. While the secular world of empires and politics plays out around you, your missionaries spread the faith, translate the Bible, and convert people to Christianity. Each turn covers several decades. The game teaches players about the expansion and doctrinal battles of early Christianity as you build universities, hospitals, and monasteries to educate, heal, and inspire the societies you touch.
The game has a dual emphasis on both evangelism and conversion on the one hand, and ecclesiastical rivalries and church politics on the other, in the age before Protestantism scrambled the Christian egg. I wanted the players to feel the sudden transformation from the persecuted missionary church of the first four centuries, where apostles and theologians help you evangelize, to the state-sponsored, political church that followed Constantine's conversion. Like it or not, you will come to rely on the Roman/Byzantine state and Christian kingdoms to establish and defend the faith, and to persecute heresy. Only a handful of dissidents, like my Donatists, rejected the tempting bargain that Constantine offered.
Division in the Church is a major theme, reflected in Jonathan Carnehl's cover art, which shows the leaders of each Path: Orthodox, Nestorian, Catholic, Armenian, Coptic, and Donatist. Heresy and schism in the Church will try to thwart your plans. Pressing against you are barbarian hordes, some of which you may convert. While your Christians lived as political outlaws for their first 400 years, and never entirely forgot what that was like, suddenly you are faced with Islam: an army born as a religion. The game turns from one of missionary outreach to one of survival, as Christian communities hunker down during the long Dark Ages, under Arab or Turkish siege in the West, or occupation in the East. At the end, you will try to rise up in a blaze of glory as Christendom finally strikes back, using the Spanish Reconquista and the Crusades to recover lost provinces — an outcome that will depend on your cumulative efforts throughout the game to this point (i.e. 'Victory Conditions').
Our artist told me he was happy not to see 'Faith Points' or anything that gamey in the game. Beginners and experienced gamers will find this an intriguing and very different sort of game. It's a war of ideas, but this is still a wargame, where managing scarce resources (including Holy Relics!) and making shrewd long-term decisions are the key to victory. But in the end, it's a power politics view of the early Church that culminates in the Crusades, while never losing sight of the importance of church-building and pastoral ministry.
A wonderful aspect of the design process was that people from many different religious perspectives contributed: Ben (a High Church Episcopalian), Wes (an agnostic), Jonathan (an Evangelical Protestant), Stefan (a Roman Catholic), Charles (a Scottish Presbyterian), and Ian (an atheist). An Armenian Orthodox deacon reviewed the text of the rulebook to make sure we didn't make any gaffes on that account. I wanted to make a game that was fun, educational, and, I hope, spiritually valuable as well. Christianity is not the story of you being right with God; it is the story of the Church that Jesus founded, and its work in the world that includes you.
— R. Ben Madison, M.A.
9.2 Game Credits
"Outside the Church there is no salvation." — Cyprian (3rd century)
Design: R. Ben Madison, M.A. Artwork and "Mission" Font: Jonathan Carnehl Playtesting and Development: Samuel Argento, Steve Carey, Fr. Adam Carnehl, Wes Erni, Mark Giordano, Fr. Barry Kendall, Eric Overkamp. Special thanks to Stefan Nellen and Charles Dudgeon for their development work. Proofreading: The indispensable Ian Wakeham Theological Consultant: Deacon Dave Luhrssen Photography: R. Ben Madison and Amy Durnford
9.3 Bibliography
These are among the hundreds of books that informed me, and thus the game, on the history of the early Church:
William Y. Adams, Nubia: Corridor to Africa (1977) Henry Chadwick, The Early Church (1993) Angelo Di Berardino, ed., Encyclopedia of the Early Church (1992) John Driver, How Christians Made Peace with War (1988) Eusebius, The History of the Church (written before 339 AD; I use the 1989 Penguin Classics edition) Adrian Fortescue, The Lesser Eastern Churches (1913) W.H.C. Frend, The Donatist Church (1952) W.H.C. Frend, The Early Church (1982) David Bentley Hart, Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and its Fashionable Enemies (2009) J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines (1977) Thomas F. Madden, A Concise History of the Crusades (1999) Colin McEvedy, The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History (1992) Paul McKechnie, The First Christian Centuries (2001) John Painter, Just James: The Brother of Jesus in History and Tradition (2005) Jaroslav Pelikan, The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (1971) Jaroslav Pelikan, The Spirit of Eastern Christendom (1974) Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (1996)
Saints be praised! Advice and support for this game are available on our Board Game Geek page:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/269489/mission-early-christianity-crucifixion-crusades