Unita Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
  • Board
  • Dice
  • Terrain tiles
  • POWER card
• Setting Up the Game
• Aim of the Game
• Idea of the Game
• Play
  • 1. Deployment
  • 2. Movement
  • 3. Battle
  • 4. "Terrain" tiles
• 5. End of Game
• 6. POWER Cards
  • POWER card reference
• 7. Version for Two Players
• 8. Variations
  • Colonial Version
  • Cooperative Version
  • Family Version

Components

The box contains:

• 1 double-sided board.
• 64 dice:
  • 16 green (Primitiva),
  • 16 yellow (German Land),
  • 16 red (Friburga),
  • 16 blue (Hexagone).
• A first player marker.
• 12 "Terrain" tiles (3 of each colour).
• 12 POWER cards (3 per community).
• The rules of the game.

Board

The board has two sides: one for 2 or 4 players and one for 3 players. The board shows the following elements:

• Starting squares.
• Reorganisation squares.
• The Gate.
• First player marker place.
• POWER card place.
• Number of players.

Dice

A die has four different kinds of side:

• A red figure (white on red dice): the highest figure on the die.
• One or several figures in white or black: these are the values between 0 and the red figure.
• One or more white sides (with no figure).
• His community's coat of arms.

Terrain tiles

• For all: Forêt (Forest) and Montagne (Mountain).
• Specific: Whirlpool (Hexagone), Mirage (German Land), Red Cross (Friburga) and Magic Forest (Primitiva).

The effects of the terrain tiles are described in section 4, "Terrain tiles".

POWER card

Each POWER card shows an effect and a use number. See section 6 and the POWER card reference.

Setting Up the Game

This set up is for 3 or 4 players. The rules for 2 players will be explained in section 7.

• The board is placed in the centre of the table, using the side corresponding to the number of players.
• Each player chooses a colour and takes the 16 dice and 3 "Terrain" tiles according to his colour. He places himself opposite his colour on the board.
• Each player places his dice with the red number side up (this is the highest number on the die). At the start of the round, a player's dice with red figures are:
  • 2 x 5,
  • 3 x 4,
  • 4 x 3,
  • 4 x 2,
  • 3 x 1.
• Each player takes one of his "5" dice, one of his "4" dice and one of his "3" dice (corresponding to the red figures on the dice). He throws these; if one or more does not show a number (white side or coat of arms up), he throws again until he obtains 3 numbers.
• Placing of terrains: beginning from square 1, in the direction of the centre of the board, the player places his first terrain, face down, at a distance corresponding to the result of one of his dice. Then he continues in the same way with a second terrain and a second die, counting the distance from the terrain already in place. The third terrain is placed in the same way, so the player has 3 terrains all placed face down on the board. Once the three terrains have been laid down, the player places the 3, 4 and 5 dice in front of him, red side up.
• Each player takes his community's POWER cards.
• The green player always starts. He takes the first player marker.
• When each player has 16 dice red figure up in front of him, three POWER cards, and has placed his terrains face down on the board, the game can begin.

Aim of the Game

At the end of the game, the player with the most life points (LP) wins.

Idea of the Game

In Unita, each player represents a community of Helvetia or one of its neighbours, fighting for or against independence for Helvetia. Pressing ever onwards, armies confront or avoid one another in the name of victory.

Each player is in command of a battalion formed of four companies of four sections each.

Terms used in the rules: Bataillon (battalion), Compagny (company), Section.

On the Helvetian side, you can play Primitiva (the Men) or Friburga (the Nuns). On the Neighbours' side, German Land (the Engineers) or Hexagone (the Royal Frogs).

Play

There are two phases to the game: deployment and movement. Any fighting will take place during the movement phase.

1. Deployment

Each battalion will now spread its companies out on the battle field. No fighting takes place at this stage.

Starting with the green player, each player places two of his dice, red side up, on one of the squares marked 1, 2, 3 or 4 on his colour. Once a die has been placed it cannot be moved or turned. The dice can be placed on the same or on different companies; the two "5" dice must be placed with different companies.

The two 5 dice cannot be placed in the same company.

When each player has placed two dice, the phase continues this time anti-clockwise, starting with the last player.

This continues until each player has placed his 16 sections, set out in four companies.

When the deployment phase has ended, we pass on to the movement phase.

2. Movement

Each battalion has its own battle path according to its colour. Each path consists of squares on which companies can be placed. Starting with the green player, in a clockwise direction, each player takes his turn, until there are no more battalions on the board. The first player marker can be passed from hand to hand to show who the active player is. If players take too long making their moves, pressure can be put on using a sand glass.

At each turn, a player must use three move points – no more and no less. When a company advances one square, always in the direction of the centre, one move point is used. To go onto a terrain square, two move points are required.

At each turn, a player must use three move points – no more and no less.

To go onto a terrain square, two move points are required.

Each time a move point is used, a company coming alongside an enemy company must declare battle. The battle must be totally resolved before proceeding to the next move. (It is not permitted to pass alongside an enemy company without battle being declared.)

A player can dispense his move points between his companies as he wishes. He can even move one company, then another and then move the first one again.

The aim is to lead the companies to exit (Gate) at the centre of the board with as many Life Points (LP) as possible.

No company can "jump" over another company. There can only be one company on each square.

Arriving at an angle, a company continues in the other direction, along its route; it does not rotate. All the companies of each player must reach the "Gate". A company can be moved even if the faces of all dice are on "0" (coat of arms). This means that this company is in retreat.

It is not possible for a company to make a retreat.

A company which arrives at the centre of the board ("Gate") must immediately disappear before an eventual battle can take place. The player recuperates his company and places it in front of him, with the dice positioned as they were on arrival at the Gate.

The three move points must be used. If the player has difficulty in moving his companies because of the positioning of terrains, he must choose a move sequence allowing him to use his three move points. If no move is possible (because for example there is only one company left on the board, the others having gone through the Gate), then the unused move point is lost.

3. Battle

When a company advances alongside one or two enemy companies, then there is battle.

A battle takes place in three stages:

• determination of the loser sections;
• loss of LP;
• change of front line.

To determine the losing section:

The sections going into battle are those who meet head-on with the enemy (the two dice touch the two opponents' dice). The strength of the troops is shown by the value on the dice. The lowest dice loses the battle. In this way a loser is determined for each of the two sections.

The back-up sections can never lose LP.

The active (challenging) player chooses the order of fighting, if he is surrounded by several opponents.

Example: In the case of an equal score, the value of the back-up section is added to the total.

Example: If there is still an equal score, then a draw is declared.

Loss of Life Points (LP): The two defeated sections on the front-line lose 1 LP, and their dice are turned to the corresponding side.

Change of front-line: The four sections having just done battle take on the back-up (behind) position, and those who were on back-up come to the front-line.

This concludes battle.

If there is still a battle to be fought (because the challenging company has come face to face with two enemy companies), the second battle can start once the change of front-line has taken place. The challenging player decides the order of fighting once he is surrounded.

Sections / company with 0 LP: A section who has lost all its Life Points is placed on "coat of arms". It is said to possess 0 LP. The sections with 0 LP still go into battle. Defending in a mountain for example, it can go up to 1 LP, but it cannot lose any more LP.

A section reduced to 0 LP is placed on his coat of arms.

A company reduced to 0 LP can still move, provoke battle and thus changes of front-line.

4. "Terrain" tiles

Each community possesses three "Terrain" tiles: a mountain, a forest, and a special card corresponding to its battle path.

These terrains are placed face down, by the players at the start of the game, each player placing his terrains on his own battle path.

A terrain is turned face side up if the player needs to apply its effect (usually during a battle). A company has to pay two move points to enter a terrain, whether it is turned face up or not. Leaving a terrain does not reveal its nature. Once a terrain is turned face up, it stays that way for the rest of the game.

In the case of the Red Cross, if the player wishes to use it, he can decide to turn his terrain face side up. If two terrains are turned face side up and the third face side down, it remains hidden even if the nature of it is obvious. This is important for the use of the POWER card Ent (Luserna), for example (this card can be found in extension 1 of the game).

If a player is about to reach a square next to a company who is on a hidden terrain, he makes his move, the terrain is revealed and battle is declared. In the case of a double combat, the active (challenging) player chooses the order of combat after having turned over the terrain card.

Each terrain brings bonuses or penalties to the company who is on it. There are 6 terrains:

• The Mountain (for all): inflicts a -1 penalty to all sections of the attacking company, but offers a +1 bonus to all sections of the company when it is in defense (a section can not have less than 0 LP).
• The Forest (for all): inflicts a -1 penalty to all sections of the company in defense, but offers a bonus of +1 to all sections of the attacking company (a section cannot have less than 0 LP).
• The Magic Forest (Primitiva): any company on this terrain can refuse one battle per game.
• The Whirlpool (Hexagone): any company on this terrain can reorganise its sections without having to turn the dice, once per game.
• The Mirage (German Land): once per company, in defense, each 1 is worth 5.
• The Red Cross (Friburga): any company on this terrain can treat one of their sections with 1 LP, once per game.

To enter a territory you need two move points.

The active player is the attacker.

Note on the Red Cross tile: the tile artwork is printed "1x / +1 PV", while the rule text above reads "1 LP". The rule text is transcribed as printed.

Special squares (it costs one move point to enter):

• The "Gate": it takes a move to get to this square, but once it is reached, the company is immediately taken off and placed in front of the player who owns it. (There is never any fighting on this square.)
• "Re-organisation": having reached this square the player can decide to use a move point to reorganise his troops. He can switch around and interchange his sections as he likes without changing values. This is only possible when there are no opponents on the neighbouring squares.

5. End of Game

All the companies are inevitably drawn towards the Gate. Once it has been reached, the company is placed back in front of its owner without moving the dice. The figures on the dice, the Life Points, are kept such as they are until the end of the game.

The game ends when all the companies have passed through the Gate (it is possible that one player takes more turns than another).

Each player counts the remaining number of LP of his battalion (by addition of all the dice).

The player having the highest number of LP wins the game. In the case of equality, if one of these players has played the POWER card Girl Power (Friburga), he wins the game; otherwise it's the player who has the least number of sections with 0 LP (coat of arms side) who wins.

6. POWER Cards

Each community has 3 POWER cards at their disposal at the start of the game.

A player can use only one of these cards during a game. His choice will be revealed when he decides to use its effect for the first time.

The other cards will then be put away in the box.

POWER card reference

The English text of each card, as printed on the POWER Cards sheet.

Primitiva

• Halberd: 1x per game, gives you +1 in attack with 1 dice.
• Crossbow: 1x per game, you can injure one dice before you move and go into battle.
• Cavalry: 1x per game, you can use the back-up dice (those behind) to fight instead of those on the front-line.

German Land

• Discipline 1: Permanent effect. The Mountain or the Forest gives you +0 in attack or +0 in defense.
• Technology 1: 1x/game, you may move one group of adjacent GermanLand companies. This move costs 2 movement points if at least one of these companies enters a terrain, and 1 point otherwise. Battles are fought according to the usual rules.
• Technology 2: Your Mirage can imitate an opponent's special terrain for the rest of the game. This does not necessarily need to be visible. The description of all the terrains is in the rules.

Fribourga

• Confession: 1x per game, with a dice showing a "1", you can turn it to "2".
• Girl Power: Permanent effect. In battle, you win all the draws. (If you have the most LP equally with another player, you are the winner.)
• Pilgrimage: 1x per game, when you play this card you can only have two move points, but at the following round, you will have four move points.

Hexagone

• Glory: 1x per game, your first company to go out adds the amount shown on the lowest dice to its total LP. E.g. if your total is 1+4+2+1, this company will give you 9 LP instead of 8.
• Strike: 1x per game, you can refuse to fight.
• Terror: 2x per game, you can fight one section of a company twice in a row (the change of front-line operates after the first battle on this side). You do battle with one section, then change the front-line, and lastly you do battle with the company according to the normal rules.

7. Version for Two Players

The board for 4 players is used. Each player plays with two battalions. Helvetia (Primitiva and Friburga) plays against the Neighbours (Hexagone and German Land).

The first player marker is very important here, as it is placed on the battalion who is next to play. Once the three moves have been made, the first player marker is moved on to the next battalion in a clockwise direction.

The player who leads the battalion with the most LP through the "Gate" wins the game. He cannot addition the LP of his two battalions, only the highest one is taken into account.

Example: The player playing Helvetia finishes with Primitiva (32 LP) and Friburga (7 LP). His opponent finishes with German Land (31 LP) and Hexagone (29 PV). This means that Helvetia wins since Primitiva finishes with the most Victory Points (PV).

Otherwise the rules are the same.

8. Variations

Colonial Version

The companies are placed section by section instead of aligning two at a time.

The game is played without the POWER cards and without the terrains.

Cooperative Version

The Helvetia players play together against the Neighbours. They are allowed to talk out loud together, without leaving the table.

The winning team is the one which led the battalion with the most LP at the end of the game. It is the strongest battalion that is taken into account, as the points from each battalion cannot be added together (as in the version for two players). The role of a battalion is to ensure the wellbeing of its partner battalion, to enable it to fight under the best conditions.

Family Version

To play in a faster and more spontaneous way, with less strategic reflection, we suggest that you do not use the deployment phase, but each player prepares his four companies, each man for himself. Before play, the players line up their companies before them, in order 1-4. Then they are placed directly on the board without changing direction. Be careful that the two 5's are not in the same company.