The Mystery of the Templars Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Game Flow
• Player's Possessions
• Templar Knight Cards
• Templar Knight Counters
• Phase I – Missions
  • Escort Missions
  • Excavation Missions
• Phase II – Markets
• Phase III – Events
  • Card layouts (from the rulebook's card diagram)
  • Events
  • Enemies
  • Development
  • Transports
• Phase IV – Transports
  • Types of transport
• Phase V – Resources
• Turn Order
• Age III
• Map note
• Persecution
  • Assignment of Havens
• Persecution Rounds
• End of the Game
• Optional Rules
  • Preceptor cards (selection rule)
  • Strategic enemies
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Sequence of Play

Components

• 1 game board
• 4 player sheets (one in each of four colours)
• 94 cards
• 321 counters
• 60 seal discs (15 in each of four colours)
• 4 victory point markers (one in each of four colours)
• 10 transport pieces (ships and caravans, 2 of each in five colours)
• 1 special die (faces 3, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1)

Cards (94):

• 4 Turn Order cards
• 20 Templar Knight cards
• 10 Escort Mission cards
• 10 Excavation Mission cards
• 30 Event cards
• 12 Relic cards
• 8 Preceptor cards

Counters (321):

• 188 resource counters:
  • 81 Coins: 45 1-gold, 21 5-gold, 15 10-gold
  • 38 Trade Goods
  • 34 Knights
  • 22 Novices
  • 13 Relics (round)
• 8 Templar Knight counters (2 in each of four colours)
• 9 Province crests (shield-shaped)
• 9 Markets (octagonal)
• 40 Destinations (square)
• 35 "1307" counters (round)
• 32 Enemies (round)

Setup

All examples show a four-player game.

1. Place the game board in the centre of the table.

   Note: this game covers a roughly 200-year period of great instability, so the map shows Europe in the middle of the 13th century.

2. The map is divided into 67 regions (55 land regions and 12 sea regions). Most regions are grouped into eight Province areas (Aragon, Castille and Leon, Germanica, Britannia, Italia, Mallorca, Portugal, and Apulia and Sicily), plus France, which has special rules.

3. Four of the regions are Havens. After the "1307" event is revealed, players will try to bring as many resources as possible into these. Each Haven is marked with a black seal and stays outside the play area until persecution begins (see "Persecution," page 20 of the Japanese rulebook).

   Example of a Haven: the Roman numeral shows the order in which that Haven is assigned.

4. Many regions have a Domus (a branch house). Some regions near the sea also have a port. When the game starts, every Haven also has a Domus.

   Example: a region with a Domus, and a region with a Domus and a port.

5. In a green land region, a Domus also has a City (white circle). The number in a City shows how many resources are placed there during Setup step 9. Three of the Cities show icons (Relic, Trade Goods, Novice). These Cities have special rules.

6. Every Domus outside France has buildings: Chapel, Warehouse and Castle. Each building can hold up to the number of resources shown in it:

   • Chapel: can hold 1 Relic.
   • Warehouse: can hold up to 3 resources in any combination of Coins and Trade Goods.

Example: this crest is placed grey side up, showing that this Province is not yet active.

11. Sort the cards by type and shuffle each type separately. The Event cards are split into three ages (I, II, III); stack them into one deck with Age I on top, then Age II, then Age III. Do the same with the mission cards. Shuffle the Turn Order cards and deal one face up to each player.

12. Each player places their Victory point marker on the Victory point track, on the space matching the number of their Turn Order card.

Example: Green received the "3" Turn Order card, so the Green marker goes on space 3 of the Victory point track.

13. Place the Markets, Destinations, Enemies, "1307" counters, Relic cards, Transport pieces and the special die beside the board. The game now begins!

Game Flow

"Mystery of the Templars" is played over 15 or more rounds, divided into three Ages. Each Age is affected by events that occur only in that Age (shown by the Roman numerals on the back of the cards).

Each round is divided into five phases. During each phase, all players take their turns in turn order (based on the Turn Order cards). When all players have taken their turn, the phase ends and the next phase begins. This is repeated until the end of the game. A player who has ended their turn, or who has chosen to pass and do nothing, may not take any further action during that phase.

Round phases (summary):

• Phase I – Missions: Reveal 2 new missions. Each player must assign Templar Knights to the missions, in reverse turn order. Note: this phase is skipped during Age III.
• Phase II – Markets: Each player, in turn order, may buy and/or sell Trade Goods.
• Phase III – Events: Reveal the top 2 cards of the Event deck and resolve both events immediately.
• Phase IV – Transports: Each player, in turn order, may load resources onto Transports (Knights, caravans and ships). Resources loaded onto Knights are moved first, and then the caravans and ships move.
• Phase V – Resources: Each player, in turn order, may reorganise their resources. At the end of this phase, the Turn Order cards are dealt again according to each player's current rank on the Victory point track.

A more detailed overview is given at the end of this rulebook.

Important: A player's multiple Warehouses are connected like a banking network. A player may pay for anything from any of their Warehouses. Until persecution begins, a player may move Coins between their Warehouses freely at any time, except during Phase III (Events), unless the event requires moving Coins between Warehouses.

A player may exchange Coins for a higher-value coin by combining several lower-value coins, but may not exchange a coin for several lower-value coins.

Example: James has five 1-gold Coins in a Warehouse. To make room for more Trade Goods, James may exchange the five 1-gold Coins for one 5-gold Coin. However, James may not exchange the 5-gold Coin back for five 1-gold Coins. If James spends the 5-gold Coin to buy two resources, James receives 3 1-gold Coins in change.

Player's Possessions

Each player uses the following:

• 1 player sheet: represents what the player's faction holds in the Holy Land (see below).
• 1 Turn Order card: placed face up on the left side of the player sheet.
• 5 Templar Knight cards (hand): when a Templar Knight card is played from the hand, it must be placed on the right side of the player sheet.
• 2 Templar Knight counters: used on the mission chart.
• 15 Seal discs: used to show who owns resources on the game board. A Seal removed for any reason is returned to the player and may be used again. When a player gains a resource, if there is no Seal available to mark it, that resource is lost.
• 1 Victory point marker: used on the Victory point track on the game board.

Each player's possessions are limited by the number of Seals available to them.

Resources placed on the player sheet are considered to be located in the Acre / Jerusalem region at the lower right of the map. (The player sheet is labelled "Acre city / port" and "Jerusalem city".)

Scroll area: The "scroll" area of the player sheet is a temporary storage area for resource counters (Relics and Coins) won from missions. A player cannot use resources on the scroll, but they cannot be taken by the Saracens either. At the start of Phase V (Resources), the player gains the resources on the scroll.

Buildings on the player sheet: Each player sheet has three buildings:

• Chapel (capacity 1): holds a Relic found during an Excavation mission until it is shipped to Europe.
• Warehouse (capacity 6): holds Coins earned as mission rewards and Trade Goods bought in the Holy Land.
• Castle (capacity 2): holds Knights and Novices.

The resource counters each player received at the start of the game are placed face down in these buildings.

Templar Knight Cards

Each player has an identical set of five Templar Knight cards. A player cannot collect their cards back until all five have been played, so the player's options gradually decrease.

Each Templar Knight card shows:

1. Strength: the number next to the icon is the player's Strength until a new Templar Knight card is played. Example: Marie revealed a 7/1 card. For the rest of the round, Marie's Strength in the Holy Land is 3.
2. Portrait: the Knight's portrait helps to tell the cards apart. Cards with different values have different portraits.
3. / 4. Valor: used to complete missions. Each card has two numbers separated by "/"; their sum is always 8. Example: Marie plays a 7/1 card and a 1-Knight counter. She uses most of her Valor (7) for one mission and a little (1) for the other.

The top card on the player sheet is always visible. Previously played cards are hidden and cannot be seen.

Templar Knight Counters

Templar Knight counters are placed on one of the two missions, and show how the Valor of the Knight card is divided between the two missions.

• 1 Knight: when a player plays a 1-Knight counter, they send one Knight to each mission. The higher Valor value of the card is assigned to the mission where the counter was placed, and the lower value is assigned to the other mission. The player takes part in both missions and may receive both rewards (or suffer both penalties).
• 2 Knights: when a player plays a 2-Knight counter, they send both Knights to one mission only. Both Valor values are assigned to the mission where the counter was placed. The player takes part only in the mission where the counter was placed. The other mission is ignored, and the player cannot receive its rewards or suffer its penalties.

Phase I – Missions

Escort missions reflect the Templars' real historical activity, which is also why the order was founded: they were established to escort pilgrims on the road to Palestine, the Christian Holy Land. Players may send Knights on escort missions to earn Coins.

Excavation missions represent the Templars' "legendary" secret mission: the search for Christian relics in the Temple of Solomon. Players may send Knights on excavation missions to gain Relics or Victory points.

During this phase, players cooperate to complete two missions:

1. Each player selects one Templar Knight card and places it face down on the right side of their player sheet. If no cards remain in hand at the start of this phase, the player collects all five cards before selecting the card to play (see "Templar Knight Cards").
2. In reverse turn order, each player takes one Templar Knight counter and places it face down on one of the spaces in their colour on the mission chart (see "Templar Knight Counters").
3. Reveal the top card of the Escort Mission deck. All players reveal the Templar Knight cards and counters they played, and compare the total of their Valor values with the mission's difficulty (see "Escort Missions" below). Resources gained are placed in the scroll area of the player sheet. Victory points gained or lost are recorded on the Victory point track.
4. Reveal the top card of the Excavation Mission deck. All players compare the total of their Valor values with the mission's difficulty (see "Excavation Missions" below). Resources gained are placed in the scroll area of the player sheet. Victory points gained or lost are recorded on the Victory point track.
5. Discard the two revealed mission cards. The Missions phase then ends and the next phase begins.

Note: page 8 of the Japanese rulebook prints "Phase III" for the rule that this phase is skipped; page 6 makes clear that it is Age III, so it is translated as Age III.

Escort Missions

Escort missions mainly bring Coins to players.

Each escort mission card shows:

1. Difficulty: the total Valor required to succeed. The base value (the first number) plus the second number multiplied by the number of players. Example: the difficulty of this mission in a four-player game is 0 + (3 × 4) = 12, so the total Valor of all players' Templar Knight cards must be 12 or more.
2. Base reward: each Templar Knight assigned to this mission gains the number of Coins shown. Example: James assigned two Templar Knights to this mission, so gains 2 gold.
3. Success: the area to the left of the sword shows the additional reward for success. Each player who assigned at least one Templar Knight to this mission receives the full additional reward. Example: James and Marie both assigned Templar Knights to this mission, so if it succeeds, each gains an additional 3 gold.
4. Failure: the area to the right of the sword shows the penalty for failure. The symbol at the top shows who receives the penalty, and the centre shows what the penalty is. Example: one player who assigned the lowest-Valor Templar Knight to this mission loses 1 Victory point.

Example: an escort mission is revealed and succeeds! James played a 2-Knight counter, so he gains the base reward of 2 gold plus the success reward of 3 gold (5 gold in total). Marie played a 1-Knight counter on the other mission, so she gains only the base reward of 1 gold, but gains the full success reward of 3 gold (4 gold in total).

Resolution of escort missions:

• Base reward: a player who placed a 1-Knight counter on either mission gains 1 gold. A player who placed a 2-Knight counter on an escort mission gains 2 gold. The base reward is paid whether the mission succeeds or fails.
• Resolution: add together the Valor values of all Knights assigned to the escort mission. If the total is equal to or higher than the mission's difficulty, the mission succeeds. Otherwise it fails.
• Success reward: if the mission succeeds, each player who assigned at least one Knight to it receives the full success reward shown on the card.
• Penalty: if the mission fails, the player who assigned the lowest-Valor Knight to the mission (if tied, the player whose Knight has lower Strength; if still tied, the player who is later in turn order) suffers the penalty shown on the card. (The number of players affected is shown on the card.)

Excavation Missions

Excavation missions bring Relics and Victory points.

Each excavation mission card shows:

1. Difficulty: the total Valor required to succeed. The base value (the first number) plus the second number multiplied by the number of players. Example: the difficulty of this mission in a four-player game is 2 + (3 × 4) = 14, so the total Valor of all players' cards must be 14 or more.
2. Base reward: each Templar Knight assigned to this mission gains the Victory points shown. Example: Marie assigned one Templar Knight, so she gains 1 Victory point.
3. / 4. Success: the area to the left of the sword shows the reward for success. The player who assigned the most valiant Templar Knight (highest Valor) to this mission receives the upper reward. Each other player who assigned at least one Templar Knight to this mission receives the lower reward. Example: Marie assigned the most valiant Knight, so she takes the Relic (No. 4) and does not gain the 3 Victory points. The other players who assigned Knights each gain 3 Victory points.
4. Failure: the area to the right of the sword shows the penalty for failure. The symbol at the top shows who receives the penalty, and the centre shows what the penalty is. Example: one player who assigned the lowest-Valor Templar Knight to this mission loses 1 Victory point.

Example: an excavation mission is revealed and succeeds! James played a 2-Knight counter on the escort mission, so he gains nothing from the excavation mission. Marie played a 1-Knight counter on this mission, so her Valor is 7, the highest Valor assigned to this mission. Marie takes the Relic counter numbered 4 and places it in the scroll area of her player sheet. The other players who assigned Templar Knights to this mission each gain 3 Victory points.

Resolution of excavation missions:

• Base reward: a player who placed a 1-Knight counter on either mission gains 1 Victory point. A player who placed a 2-Knight counter on an excavation mission gains 2 Victory points.
• Resolution: add together the Valor values of all Knights assigned to the excavation mission. If the total is equal to or higher than the mission's difficulty, the mission succeeds. Otherwise it fails.
• Success reward: if the mission succeeds, the player who assigned the highest-Valor Knight to it (if tied, the player whose Knight has higher Strength; if still tied, the player who is earlier in turn order) receives the Relic card and counter shown. Each other player who assigned a Knight to the mission receives the reward shown.
• Penalty: if the mission fails, the player who assigned the lowest-Valor Knight to the mission (if tied, the player whose Knight has lower Strength; if still tied, the player who is later in turn order) suffers the penalty shown on the card.

Relic rewards: when a player gains a Relic as the success reward of an Excavation mission, they take the Relic counter whose number (shown on its right side) matches the number on the mission card, and place it in the scroll area of their player sheet. They also take the Relic card with the same number (shown at the top right of the card).

Relic cards and counters: A Relic card shows the Victory points that Relic is worth. The number in the bottom left is the Victory points gained by displaying the Relic in a Chapel. The number in the bottom right is the Victory points gained by safely transporting the Relic to a Haven during persecution. The same values appear on the Relic counter: the first (left) number is the Victory points gained by displaying it in a Chapel, and the second (right) number is the Victory points gained by transporting it to a Haven. The number on the right side of the counter corresponds to the Relic card with that number (counter 13 is a spare).

Phase II – Markets

During this phase, players buy and sell Trade Goods (spices, wine and cloth, which were valuable in medieval Europe).

There is one Market in each of the nine Provinces. Each Market starts at value 2 (shown on the board beneath the Province crest). Some events increase Market values; to show a raised value, place the matching Market counter on the board. The maximum Market value is 4.

The Markets phase is divided into four steps:

1. Roll for consignment: the start player rolls the die. The result is the number of Trade Goods in a consignment (a set of Trade Goods counters that each player may buy in the Holy Land). Example: Luke rolls the die and gets a 2. Each player may buy one set of 2 Trade Goods.
2. Buy: in turn order, each player may buy one consignment by paying 1 gold for each Trade Goods counter in it. A consignment cannot be split. Even if a player wants only part of a consignment, they must buy the whole consignment and pay in full, and then discard the surplus Trade Goods. All purchased Trade Goods must be placed in a Warehouse on the player's sheet (if there is not enough room, discard the surplus resources). Example: the consignment is 2 Trade Goods. Luke decides to buy and pays 2 gold. Luke takes the Coins from his Warehouse and returns them to the bank, takes 2 Trade Goods from stock and places them in a Warehouse on his player sheet.
3. Sell: in turn order, each player may sell Trade Goods from any of their Warehouses (other than the Warehouse on the player sheet). The sale price is the Market value of the Province where the Warehouse is, plus the Province bonus shown on that Province's crest. Coins obtained from a sale are always placed in a Warehouse in the Province where the sale took place. If this is not possible for any reason, the player places the Coins under one of their own Seal discs in any region of that Province. Sold Trade Goods are returned to stock. Example: Marie sold 3 Trade Goods in Marseille. At this point the France Market has value 3, with a bonus of +1 (shown on the France crest). Marie therefore gains 12 gold (4 gold per Trade Goods) and places it in the Domus region of Marseille, under her Seal. Later she moves the Coins to a Warehouse, so she can use them in later phases.
4. Remove Market counters: remove the Market counters from the Provinces where Trade Goods were sold (if any). If no Trade Goods were sold in a Province, its Market counter remains. The Markets phase then ends and the next phase begins. Example: Marie sold Trade Goods at the France Market, which had value 3. At the end of this phase the France Market counter is discarded and the value returns to 2. James also sold at this Market during this phase, and so gained the value-3 price (James sold before Marie). Counters are removed only at the end of the phase, after all players have had the chance to sell, so both players gain the benefit of the counter.

Important: France has no Warehouses, so players may sell only resources under Seals in the Marseille region. Coins gained in France are placed under that Seal (this is shown by the Trade Goods icon near the City).

Phase III – Events

When the Markets phase ends, the Events phase begins. During this phase, players reveal the top 2 cards of the Event deck and resolve them immediately.

The game is divided into three Ages. The symbol on the back of each Event card shows the Age in which that card is played. When all Event cards with a given symbol have been used up, that Age ends. There are four types of event, and their proportions differ between Ages.

Each Event card has a priority number (the number beside the hourglass icon). The two events revealed each round are always resolved in order of their priority numbers.

Important: from the time an event is revealed until its effect is resolved, players may not take any action that is not directly related to that event's effect (including moving Coins between Warehouses).

When both revealed events have been resolved, the Events phase ends and the next phase begins.

There are four types of Event card: Events (4 cards), Development (13 cards), Enemies (5 cards) and Transports (8 cards). Each type is resolved in a different way.

Card layouts (from the rulebook's card diagram)

• Event card (Events type): 1. Priority number; 2. Event name; 3. Effect.
• Enemy card: 1. Priority number; 2. First enemy; 3. Second enemy.
• Transport card: 1. Priority number; 2. Caravan; 3. Ship; 4. Departure region.
• Development card: 1. Priority number; 2. First effect; 3. Second effect; 4. Restrictions and cost of the effect (if any).

Events

Events represent the major historical happenings that shaped each Age, and the development of the Templars.

1187 – "The Fall of Jerusalem" (Age II)

Effect: each player turns the resource counters on their player sheet face down and mixes them. Each player randomly selects half (rounded up) of the counters of the player on their right, and returns them to stock. The remaining counters are returned to the player sheet. In addition, the Transport card with the lowest priority number among those in play is discarded, and the related caravan or ship piece is removed. All counters and Seals on those pieces are also removed.

1209 – "The Albigensian Crusade" (Age II)

Effect: the start player rolls the die once for each of the French Domus at Dijon, Toulouse, Aigues Mortes and Marseille. From each Transport and Seal in the regions of these Cities, randomly discard a number of resources equal to the die result. The French Markets are closed (turn the France crest over, so that the grey side is face up). In addition, the Transport card with the lowest priority number among those in play is discarded, and the related caravan or ship piece is removed. All counters and Seals on those pieces are also removed.

1291 – "The Fall of Acre" (Age III)

Effect: each player must remove their player sheet, and all resources on it, from the game. All Seals and Transport pieces in the Acre region are also removed. In addition, the Transport card with the lowest priority number among those in play is discarded, and the related caravan or ship piece is removed. All counters and Seals on those pieces are also removed.

1307 – "Persecution" (Age III)

Effect: this event moves the game towards its end. Follow the procedure described in the "Persecution" section.

Enemies

Throughout history, the Templars were opposed by many military forces. Enemy events represent these enemies becoming active and threatening the movement of resources. There are three types of enemy: Brigands, Pirates and Saracens.

Effect (Ages I–III): when an Enemy card is revealed, place an Enemy counter in the region matching each enemy shown on the card (except the Saracens, which are not represented by a counter).

Each Enemy card shows two enemies, and both become active when the card is revealed. Next to each enemy symbol are two numbered icons. The helmet shows the enemy's base attack value, and the Templar cross shows its Pillage value (the number of resources lost if the enemy's attack succeeds).

• Brigands: the letters to the left of the Brigands symbol on the Event card show in which land region the Brigands appear. The number shows how many counters are placed on the board. Brigands attack every Knight and caravan that enters their region until they are defeated.
• Pirates: the letters to the left of the Pirates symbol show in which sea region the Pirates appear. The number shows how many counters are placed on the board. Pirates attack every ship that enters their region until they are defeated.

Example: a caravan enters a region with Brigands. The Brigands attack!

Enemy attacks are resolved as follows:

1. The start player rolls the die and adds the result to the enemy's base attack value (shown on the Event card). Example: Luke, the start player, rolls a 2. These Brigands have a base attack of 0, so the final attack strength of this attack is 2 (0 + 2).
2. Compare the enemy's final strength with the defence of the attacked Knight or Transport piece. Each Knight counter adds +1 to defence. To increase defence, every player involved in the attack may, in turn order, reveal any Knight among the resources being transported. If the total defence is equal to or greater than the enemy's final strength, the enemy is defeated. Example: a caravan has a base defence of 1. John reveals a Knight from the resources the caravan is carrying. The total defence is now 2 (1 + 1).

If the enemy is defeated, it loses one counter, and the Transport continues moving. Example: the Brigands' attack does not exceed the defence, so the Brigands are defeated and lose one counter.

If the enemy wins, each player shuffles all the resource counters they have on that Transport, face down. Then each player randomly selects, from the counters of the player on their right, a number of counters equal to the enemy's Pillage value (shown on the Event card), and returns them to stock. The Transport's remaining movement allowance is lost. Example: the Brigands are stronger, so the attack succeeds. The Brigands' Pillage value is 1. John shuffles his 3 resource counters on this Transport, and James, to John's left, takes one of them and returns it to stock.

If an enemy loses its last counter, it is no longer active and cannot attack again (unless it is made active again by another event).

Saracens always attack the Acre and Jerusalem regions. They are not represented by a counter; instead, they immediately attack all players and Transports in that region. First, the Saracens attack each Transport individually (Knights, caravans, and ships in port). Then they attack each player's possessions (those on the player sheet), in reverse turn order.

All Saracen attack values are increased by the result of the die. The die is rolled only once for all Saracen attacks caused by one Event card.

When the Saracens attack a player's possessions, that player has a base defence equal to the Strength of the Templar Knight card they played in the Missions phase. The player may reveal Knight counters in their Castle to increase their defence; each Knight adds +1 to defence. The attack is otherwise resolved as normal (see "Enemy attacks" above). If the Saracens win, they plunder resources from the player sheet.

Whether or not they win, the Saracens start one attack each time they appear on an Event card.

Development

Development events show the growth of the Templars' network, and the formation of new Provinces.

Donation (Ages I–III)

Effect: in turn order, each player may buy buildings in any Province or Provinces, up to the number shown on the Event card. A building costs 2 gold each in an active Province, and 4 gold each in an inactive Province.

Important: resources may be placed only in buildings in active Provinces! (Relics are an exception: they may also be displayed in Chapels in inactive Provinces.) Each building gives the player 1 Victory point. Players place a Seal on the buildings they buy. A building that already has a Seal cannot be bought.

Prosperity: Goods (Age I)

Effect: the Market value of every Province rises by 1. Place one Trade Goods counter in each Warehouse in an active Province. In turn order, each player may reveal, from one of their Warehouses in an active Province, Coins worth the value shown on the card. If they do, they gain (in that Province) Coins equal to "that Province's Market value + the modifier from the Event card (if any)".

Prosperity: Novices (Ages I–III)

Effect: the Market value of every Province rises by 1. Place one Novice counter in each Castle in an active Province. In turn order, each player may reveal, from one of their Warehouses in an active Province, Coins worth the value shown on the card. If they do, they gain (in that Province) Coins equal to "that Province's Market value + the modifier from the Event card (if any)".

Note: the La Rochelle Domus receives Novices from the "Prosperity" event (shown by the Novice icon near the City). These counters are added to the other counters already in that City.

Formation of a Province (Ages I and II)

Effect: the Provinces shown on the card become active. Turn their crests over so that the coloured side is face up. In turn order, each player may buy one building for 3 gold in one of the two newly active Provinces. The maximum number of buildings that may be bought is shown on the Event card. Each building bought gives the player 1 Victory point, and the player places a Seal on it. Players may buy only buildings that do not yet have a Seal.

Transports

Effect (Ages I–III): this card creates a new transport. Place the Transport card in an empty space beside the Transport chart. The Transport card is then associated with a particular letter and colour; from then on, counters and pieces with that letter and colour represent this Transport.

Each Transport card shows a caravan and a ship. While this card is in play, these Transports may be used by all players. The card also shows three icons:

• Coin icon: the cost that must be paid each time a player loads Trade Goods (any number) onto this Transport.

• White arrow: the Transport's movement allowance (the number of regions it may move each round).

• Helmet: the Transport's base defence.

• Caravan: moves along land regions. There is no limit to the types or number of resources it may carry.

• Ship: moves along sea regions. There is no limit to the types or number of resources it may carry.

Phase IV – Transports

Types of transport

There are three types of transport:

• Knight: a Knight can carry only 1 resource. A Knight does not use a Destination and moves only through land regions. A Knight moves 1 region per round. A Knight cannot move without carrying a resource. On the game board, a Knight is represented by a Knight resource counter. Its owner is shown by a Seal.
• Caravan: a caravan can carry any number of resources, and may carry the resources of several players. A caravan moves only through land regions, and always moves towards the nearest matching Destination. A caravan with no matching Destination on the board does not move. On the game board, a caravan is represented by a coloured wooden piece, which belongs to no player.
• Ship: a ship can carry any number of resources, and may carry the resources of several players. A ship moves only through sea regions, and may enter only land regions that have a port. A ship always moves towards the nearest matching Destination. A ship with no matching Destination on the board does not move. On the game board, a ship is represented by a coloured wooden piece, which belongs to no player.

The Transports phase is divided into three steps:

1. Loading: in turn order, each player may load resources onto transports. To do so, a player either places one Seal on the Transport card to pay the required cost, or reveals one Knight counter from their Castle and places one Seal on it. A player may load resources only from the region where the transport is.

   • Knight: a Knight carries 1 resource. The player places one Seal in the region where their Knight is, then places under the Seal a Knight (face up) and up to one resource (face down). A player may not load resources onto another player's Knight.
   • Caravan: a caravan can carry any number of resources. The player pays the loading cost shown on the Transport card, places one Seal and at least one resource on the matching Transport chart space, takes the matching Destination counter and places it on any Domus. A caravan belongs to no one, and several players may load resources onto the same caravan.
   • Ship: a ship can carry any number of resources. The player pays the loading cost shown on the Transport card, places one Seal and at least one resource on the matching Transport chart space, takes the matching Destination counter and places it on any port. A ship belongs to no one, and several players may load resources onto the same ship.

   Destinations: when a player loads resources onto a caravan or ship, they take the matching Destination counter from the Transport chart and place it on any Domus. This becomes the Destination of that Transport. A caravan's Destination may be placed on any Domus. A ship's Destination may be placed only on a port.

   Special case: the first player to load a caravan or ship (while its Transport piece is not yet on the board) may load resources from any Domus. The player must place the Transport piece on that Domus, and then may load resources from that region as normal. Other players who want to load resources onto that Transport may load only from the region where its piece is placed.

   Note: if a Transport arrives at its Destination but the player chooses not to use that Destination, the player may return the Destination to the Transport chart for free.

When all Transports have moved, the Transports phase ends and the next phase begins.

Phase V – Resources

Important: once a Relic has been displayed in a Chapel, no one may move it until persecution begins (see "Persecution" below).

Example: Peter reveals the Relic in his London Chapel and gains 5 Victory points (2 from the Relic, plus 3 from the Britannia crest bonus).

Important: a player may display a Relic in a Domus in Paris as if it were a Chapel (shown by the symbol on the board). However, a Relic displayed there is discarded after it has scored its Victory points.

During this phase, players manage their resources. The Resources phase is divided into eight steps:

1. Collect rewards: each player takes the resources in the scroll area of their player sheet (the mission rewards from Phase I) and places them in the buildings on their sheet.

2. Investigate: in turn order, each player may send Knights to investigate Cities. A Knight may investigate one City in its region. The player takes the resource counters (if any) from that City and checks their faces. The player may load one of them onto the Knight. If the Knight already carries a resource, the player may exchange it for one of the resources in the City. Resources not loaded are returned face down to the City.

   Example: Luke's Knight (which is carrying a Knight resource counter) investigated the Dijon City. Among the resources there was a Relic. Luke decided that the second Knight was worth exchanging for the Relic, so he placed the Relic under a Seal (together with the face-up Knight). The other Knight counter is no longer Luke's and is placed in this City.

3. Reorganise: in turn order, each player may reorganise the buildings they own in the same region, and the resources under their Seals. If two Knights that are not carrying resources are in the same region, a player may place both under one Seal to save upkeep (see step 6).

4. Display Relics: in turn order, each player may display Relics in the Chapels they hold. A player who displays a Relic gains Victory points equal to "the Victory points shown on the left of the Relic card (or counter), plus the Province bonus shown on that Province's crest".

5. Recruit: in turn order, each player may replace Novice counters in their Castle with Knight counters (taken from stock). The player must pay 2 gold for each Novice replaced. In addition, a player may reveal the Knights in their Castle, and for each Knight revealed, gain 1 Victory point or 1 gold (the Coins are placed in a Warehouse on the player sheet).

Turn Order

During the game, players normally take their turns in turn order. At the start of the game, this order is random. At the end of Phase V (Resources), the turn order for the next round is determined.

The turn order does not change during a round; it changes only at the end of Phase V.

The new turn order is always based on the current Victory point standings. The player with the fewest Victory points takes Initiative card 1, the player with the next fewest takes card 2, and so on. The turn order is always determined by the Initiative card numbers (from lowest to highest).

Example: Michael has 8 Victory points and is 1st. Luke has 6 Victory points and is 2nd. James has 5 Victory points and is 3rd. Marie has 3 Victory points and is 4th. Marie therefore takes Initiative card 1, James takes card 2, Luke takes card 3, and Michael takes card 4. Marie is last in Victory points, but in turn order she acts first.

Ties: if players are tied on Victory points, the tied player whose Templar Knight card played in Phase I has the higher Strength goes first. If they are still tied, the Initiative cards assigned to those players are shuffled and dealt at random.

Example 1: Luke and James both have 10 Victory points. To decide their order, the Strength of the Templar Knight cards they played at the start of the round is checked. Luke had Strength 3 and James had Strength 1. Luke therefore receives the Initiative card that goes first, and James receives the card that goes second.

Example 2: Luke and James both have 10 Victory points. They check the Strength of their Templar Knight cards, but both have Strength 2, so the two Initiative cards are shuffled and dealt at random. James receives the card that goes first, so he acts before Luke in the next round.

Age III

After 10 rounds have been played, the game enters Age III. At this point no Mission cards remain, so players omit Phase I: Missions and begin each round with Phase II: Markets. Because no Templar Knight cards are played any more, note that when the Saracens attack, their Strength is not taken into account.

When the "Fall of Acre" Event card is revealed, all player sheets are removed from the game (together with all counters on them). Because players no longer have buildings on their player sheets in which to place resources, from this point on they omit the "buy Trade Goods" step of Phase II and the "collect rewards" step of Phase V.

Map note

This game covers more than 200 years of very turbulent history, so it is impossible to show how Europe changed during the game. For simplicity, the game board depicts the world of the Templars in the middle of the 13th century.

Persecution

Note: the Japanese rulebook's diagram ("progress of persecution") shows the 1307 counter placed in each of the eight persecution rounds, in this colour order: Round 1 white, Round 2 yellow, Round 3 orange, Round 4 red, Round 5 light blue, Round 6 blue, Round 7 purple, Round 8 black.

When the "1307" Event card is revealed, persecution begins. This event moves the game towards its end. During persecution, players must transport as many resources and Relics as possible to the Havens.

Effect of "1307": place a 1307 counter in the Paris region (shown by the white line on the diagram). From here, 8 special persecution rounds are played. Before the first persecution round begins, perform the following:

• Remove all remaining Event cards from the game immediately. There are no more Events phases.
• Assign each player a Haven (see "Assignment of Havens" below). Players place one of their Seals on their assigned Haven.
• Players may no longer move Coins freely between Warehouses. They may move Coins only by using Transports. Payments may still be made from any Warehouse as normal.
• Relics displayed in Chapels may now be transported according to the normal rules for transporting resources.
• Players no longer pay upkeep for Seals on the game board.

Also note:

• During the Loading step of the Transports phase, only the first player to load resources onto a caravan or ship may place its Destination counter. All Havens are in Domus regions and may be chosen as Transport Destinations.
• At the end of each round's Phase II (Markets), a 1307 counter is placed in every land region adjacent to a region that contains a 1307 counter (see the diagram on the previous page). Note that a 1307 counter is also placed in the Britannia Province, even though it is separated from the other land regions by the sea.
• When a 1307 counter is placed in a region, all resources, enemies, Transports and Seals in that region are immediately removed.
• A region containing a 1307 counter is considered "out of the game", and no pieces may enter it.
• When all 1307 counters have been placed on the board, the game ends immediately. Final scoring is then carried out (see "End of the Game").

Assignment of Havens

When persecution begins, assign each player one Haven region. This Haven becomes the player's Destination. Havens are assigned as follows:

• I. Cupros: assigned to the player with the most Relic cards. If tied, assigned to the tied player who is earlier in turn order.
• II. Marienburg: assigned to the player with the most Knights among the remaining players. If tied, assigned to the tied player who is earlier in turn order.
• III. Edinburgh: assigned to the player with the most Coins among the remaining players. If tied, assigned to the tied player who is earlier in turn order.
• IV. Tomar: assigned to the last remaining player.

Example: Michael has the most Relic cards, so he is assigned the Cupros Haven (the island at the lower right of the board).

Example: of the remaining three players, Luke has the most Knight counters on the board, so he is assigned the Marienburg Haven (at the top centre of the board).

Example: the two remaining players have the same number of Coins. James is earlier in turn order, so he is assigned the Edinburgh Haven (at the upper left of the board).

Example: Marie is the last remaining player, so she is assigned the Tomar Haven (at the lower left of the board).

Note: each player is assigned only one Haven. When playing with 3 or fewer players, unused Havens are ignored. When a Haven is assigned to a player, that player places one of their Seals on it. The player may place any number of resources under this Seal. Players may not place resources in another player's Haven.

Persecution Rounds

During the persecution rounds, the normal round progression does not apply. Instead, only two phases are played each round:

• Persecution Phase I – Transports: in turn order, each player may load resources onto the available Transports (including their own Knights). Then, as normal, Knights move in turn order, followed by caravans and ships in the order of their priority numbers.
• Persecution Phase II – Resources: in turn order, each player may reorganise their resources as normal. At the end of this phase, Initiative cards are assigned according to the current Victory point standings.

End of the Game

After the 8th persecution round ends, final scoring is carried out and the winner is decided. Players add the following Victory points to the Victory points they earned during the game:

• Relics: each player gains the Victory points from the Relics hidden in their Haven (shown on the right side of the Relic cards and counters). The "House of Holy Mary" (聖母マリアの家) is worth 6 Victory points each if 2 are hidden, and 9 Victory points each if 3 are hidden.
• Knights: each player gains 1 Victory point for each Knight that reached their Haven.
• Coins: each player gains 1 Victory point for every 10 gold hidden in their Haven.

The player who has earned the most Victory points wins!

Optional Rules

Preceptor cards (selection rule)

This selection rule introduces Preceptor cards (教団管区長), and a player who holds one gains a special ability. When this rule is used, during Setup step 7 each player takes 2 Preceptor cards in their colour. These 2 cards are always placed face up beside the player sheet. Each Preceptor card gives the player a special ability that may be used once during the game. After use, the player removes that Preceptor card from the game.

Note: the Preceptor names below are transliterated from the Japanese katakana of the rulebook.

Blue player

• Archambaud de Santanion (アルシャンボー・ド・サンタニオン): the blue player may recover a Relic that has been displayed in a Chapel. The blue player may then display this Relic again in another Chapel (and gain Victory points again).
• Godefroy Bisol (ゴドフロワ・ビソル): during an Excavation mission, if the blue player's Templar Knight has the highest Valor tied for first place, the blue player gains the Relic.

Yellow player

• Payen de Mondidier (ペイアン・ド・モンディディエ): place one Novice counter in each yellow Castle in every active Province.
• Godefroy de Saintomer (ゴドフロワ・ド・サントメール): automatically cause one enemy attack to fail. This card must be used before the die is rolled to determine the attack strength.

Red player

• Jacques de Montignac (ジャック・ド・モンティニャック): during the Markets phase, the red player gains an extra 1 gold for each Trade Goods sold.
• Roland di Rossal (ローランド・ディ・ロッサル): during the Markets phase, the red player may buy a consignment of 4 Trade Goods instead of the consignment shown by the die roll.

Green player

• André de Montbard (アンドレ・ド・モンバール): during the Resources phase, after the new turn order has been determined, the green player may exchange their Initiative card with another player.
• Gondemar di Arles (ゴンドマール・ディ・アルル): during the Transports phase, one Transport piece (a caravan or a ship) chosen by the green player gains an additional 2 movement allowance.

Strategic enemies

This optional rule changes how enemies become active in the game. When an Enemy Event card is revealed, each player, in reverse turn order, takes enemy counters equal to the enemy's base attack value plus 1 (for example, if the base attack value is 3, the player takes 4 counters) and places them in any region. Brigands must be placed in land regions, and Pirates must be placed in sea regions. Counters may also be placed in a region that already contains an enemy.

When an enemy attacks, its attack strength equals the number of enemy counters in that region. This attack strength is not increased by the die roll. If the enemy wins, its Pillage value equals half the number of enemy counters in that region (rounded down, with a minimum of 1). If the enemy is defeated, all enemy counters in that region are removed.

Frequently Asked Questions

If a Seal is removed from the game board, is it lost? No. Seals always return to their owner. All Seals not on the game board are always available to their owner.

If all of a player's Seals are in use, may the player substitute something else until a Seal becomes available? No. The number of Seals each player may use at one time is limited. If all Seals are in use, the player must wait until some of them return. If a player receives a resource but cannot place it under a Seal, that resource is lost.

May a player see all the Templar Knight cards played by the other players? No. Each player reveals only the Templar Knight card they used most recently. Cards played earlier must remain hidden.

In an Excavation mission, if several players have a total Valor of 8, who gains the Relic? In a tie in a mission, the player whose Templar Knight card has the highest Strength (not Valor) wins. If that is also tied, the success rewards are assigned in turn order.

Sequence of Play

The rulebook closes with a summary of the sequence of play, which is translated below and matches the phases described above.

Round phases

• Phase I: Missions

  • Each player selects 1 Templar Knight card.
  • In reverse Initiative order, each player places 1 Templar Knight counter.
  • The top Escort Mission card is resolved.
  • The top Excavation Mission card is resolved.
  • The Missions phase ends.

• Phase II: Markets

  • The first player rolls the die for the consignment size.
  • In Initiative order, players may buy consignments.
  • In Initiative order, players may sell Goods.
  • Market counters where Goods were sold are discarded.
  • The Markets phase ends.

• Phase III: Events

  • The top 2 Event cards are resolved.
  • The Events phase ends.

• Phase IV: Transports

  • Load: in Initiative order, all players may load resources onto Transports.
  • Move: Knights move in Initiative order; then caravans move in priority order; then ships move in priority order.

Persecution phases

• Persecution Phase I: Transports (see "Persecution Rounds" above)
• Persecution Phase II: Resources (see "Persecution Rounds" above)