Cities have several values that are used in the game system:
SIZE - the physical expanse of the city and its population. Also used to determine its taxation value in tlts by multiplying by 10. Ranges from 1 to 10. Also used to limit the number of regts and sqds that may be built at a city during a qtr.
Defence - will normally be close in value to the cities size. Represents the size and strength of the walls as well as its possible intrinsic garrison. A city without troops present will still be defended by its people. The defence value times three is also the maximum number of regts that may be inside the city at one time, excess forces would remain outside the walls and if needed would retreat from the hex.
Supply - the amount of storable food that is produced by the city during a non-winter qtr appearing at the beginning of each such qtr. During winter this value is reduced one point.
Stores - the amount of storable food present in the city at that time. Stored food is lost at the end of a qtr and replenished each qtr based on the cities Supply value. Stored food is used to feed troops and the city during sieges.
Cities may be ceeded to other players as part of treaty agreements, such cities attain the status of alIied to the new owners.
New cities may be raised by players, such a city must not be within 3 hexes and not more then 8 hexes, of on existing city and costs 500 tlts for 1 size, 1 defence, O supply and store. Further upgrades of the size will cost 4 times the next level to be gained, and only one level may be gained per turn. The defence value may be increased as per the Fort&Siege rules.
Cities may be destroyed in several ways. Tax destruction (size) can be permanently inflicted upon a city by a force of sufficient size. For every week that a Command unit and 30 regts (min) remains at a city hex at this task, the tax size of that city will be reduced by 1 point. A cities size may never be reduced by more than I point per week. This may not be performed if enemy troops are in the hex at the beginning of the week.
A city/forts walls may be reduced permanently by one for every week that a Command unit and 30 regts spend in that action. A siege train will count as 10 regts for this purpose. Multiple points of defence may be pulled down, one for each group meeting the requirement.
In both cases above the city will roll for revolt each week. A city in a coastal hex, or on a navigable portion of a river is considered to be a port, and may have sqds harbour inside it. A port does not indicate the capacity to build ships, these will be defined for each country.
Economics
Money will be referred to in the game by the name talents - tlts. Each tlt will represent a quantity of money sufficient to pay for what it buys. Tlts are collected from cities via taxation each turn. Various other methods exist to gain income but taxation is the primary source.
Each city in a country will have a tax level in tlts equal to ten times the size value as Iisted on the map (or on your turn sheets after game start), this is collected during each turn in normal circumstances. During winter your income will be half that of other qtrs, each week! This will mean a surplus will be needed to pay for troops.
Money in the game will not be specifically based in any spot, it will however require the presence of a city to be usable. A player may spend their money at:
any city they own or are allied to.
any city which is within 8 hexes of a city that they own or is alIied to them
any city which they control and have established a Command Base in.
The exception to this is the creation of a new city in a hex, and the establ ishment of a Command Base in a captured city. In either case you are always free to expend the money on these tasks in accordance w i th their restrictions .
Command Bases are established in captured cities that are out of communication range and allow that city to act as if one of your own cities. This costs 100 tlts and requires the presence of a command unit (except Scouting Commands).
Money may at times be transferred to other players, to do this however you must be able to fulfill the above rules. ie you must have an applicable city within 8 hexes of one of their applicable cities.
An alIiance treaty allows for the inclusion of the 'alIies' cities as places that money may be spent, as if they were allied cities of your own.
Money can also be earned by contributions to the game magazine. Each player submitting a 50+ word article related to the game 'and their country will earn 50 tlts. The reason we do this is to promote interaction between players via the magazine and also as an addition for trade. The game is essentially a wargame, we do not see a need or use for complex trading rules, which tend to be abused anyway. In effect your article represents your countries trading. A simple system of trade is available for those who wish to use it.
Money may also be raised by the organised Looting of ones 'owned or allied' cities. Such cities will automatically check for revolt for the next 5 weeks. Should they revolt during the looting period their the money is lost and the troops destroyed/lost. If looting is successful then half the normal taxation income of the city per qtr is gained. A looted city will yield half its 'normal tax for the next 10 weeks unless they are winter weeks in which case they yield no tax at alI . Further looting of such a city during the effected 10 weeks will yield no extra income but will re-establish the 10 week period for recovery. Time is required to loot a city, plus the presence of troops. Cities up to size 7 require one whole week to loot, larger cities require two whole weeks. There must not be any enemy troops present in the hex at the beginning of each week or the looting will fail. Once begun it cannot be stopped, although it may be abandoned, the income would be lost and the city still effected. Looting cities will effect your Country Morale.
MiIitary forces occupying enemy cities may PiIIage them for money . To be eIigibIe to do this there must be no enemy troops in the hex at the start of each week. Pillaged cities will test for revolt for the next 10 weeks at anytime there are enemy troops present in the city. Cities up to size 7 require one whoIe week to piIIage, larrger cities require two whoIe weeks. A pillaged city will yield income the same as a looted city and suffer the same after effects.
A city that is piIlaged after having been looted will yield nothing but will extend the effect period to a new ten weeks, and vice versa. In either case, where two weeks are needed, if enemy troops begin the week at the city the activity will fail.
Military forces with little time on their hands may Raid a city after defeating its defenders and driving them from the hex. Raiders gain 5 tlts per regt/sqd present per movement point they remain in the city hex up to the current value of the cities tax income that turn. You may not raid a ci ty during movement points that enemy forces are present in the hex. Raiding causes the city to produce less taxation income that turn, equivalent to the amount raided from it .
The tax income of a city may be effected by other events as well.
The presence of an enemy force at the beginning of a week outside a city will reduce its tax to haIf its normal value.
Cities placed under blockade will produce no tax income at all during that time.
Random events may also afflict your cities.
Leaders And Commands
Each country in the game will be allocated one commander for each city they 'own' at the beginning of the qtr .
Leaders wiII be pIaced in Command of unit Commands or Fortifications. The avaiIabIe positions a Ieader can fill are as follows.
1. Task Force Commander.
2. Army or Armada Commander.
3. Division or FIeet Commander .
4. Fortress City Commander.
5. SpeciaI Commander.
6. Scouting Commander
Leaders assigned to cities or forts remain with their commands until it is lost to an enemy in some fashion. At this time, depending on circumstances they may escape for re-assignment or be killed.
Leaders assigned to other commands join this unit and move with them at all times. If the command unit is lost then the leader is also, unless they escape.
Leaders being reassigned from one command to another must move there. Time is the only requirement here as the actual move will be performed by any manner the leader can find. Thier average speed however will be 8 hexes per Week. The time required for such travel will therefor be the distance divided by 8 in weeks (rounded down). You cannot assign a leader to a command that is out of communication, blockaded or is at sea (not in a port).
The term leader can be referred to as commander, the word is interchangeable.
AlI leaders will be rated by three numeric values ranging from 1 to 9. The higher the rating the better the ability of the leader. Over a period of time your leaders ratings may change, depending on their successes. It will never go above 9 however.
AlI leaders have three ratings of importance:
Military Ability [MA]: this will effect and be consulted for all military conflicts. The force with the highest MA will have an adavantage over its enemy, the larger the difference the greater the advantage. An Army commander will have thier MR modified by one (up) for each Divisional commander with a higher MA then they have, up to a maximum of 9.
An Army Commander has an MA of 5. Under their command they have 4 divisions with commanders who have MAs of 3,3,5,7. Because there is one division commander with a higher MA than the Army commander, the Army commanders final MA is treated as 6.
Loyalty [LOY]: will reflect not only the level of obedience of the leader, but also their strength of character, their will power and amount of personal control. Bribes may be offered to leaders and LOY will be consulted to see if they accept. Bribes can be of differing size and purpose (See later). Loyalty is also checked when a command exceeds its Line of Communication distance, or to find out if they will surrender a city.
Special Ability [SR]: will be used to determine several misc events that a leader may be assigned to perform.
Any commands that may exist and cannot be filled due to lack of leaders will be considered to have intrinsic commanders of 3.3.2 abiIity. These Ieaders may be repIaced at anytime.
A leader once assigned to a position cannot be demoted unless they faiI in some activity. The ranking of positions is as foIIows:
Task Force Commander.
Army Or Armada Commander.
City or Fort of defence value 8+.
Division or FIeet Commander.
SpeciaI Command.
City or Fort with defence 7 or less.
Scouting Commander.
A leader may be promoted or shifted sideways to a similar ranked position at anytime. Leaders may only normally be demoted if they fail in some activity assigned to them, such as battle. When a leader does faiI they will be noted as such on the move sheet for one turn, at this time only they may be demoted to any position available. If not demoted at that time they revert to normaI conditions. An exception to this wouId be if his previous command was no Ionger available, in which case they must be reassigned next turn to another command.
Failure is defined as having achieved a Rout status, having lost your command unit, or having 3 reasons of disorder in one week.
At the end of each qtr a ruler may dismiss one of their leaders completely and receive a replacement.
Should a player find, for some reason that they have more leaders than commands (excluding dummy leaders) then the excess leaders are lost.
Commands exist to regulate and control military forces. A pyramid structure is used to do this, units being assigned to low level commands, these commands in turn being assigned to higher commands. The highest rank command unit is considered the overall Commander and its leaders ratings are used. If several commands of equal rank are together than the average abilities of all those commanders is used. Commands do not have a physical presence and therefor do not count toward any space requirements in cities or fleets.
Task Forces are the highest possible command, however only armies, Special and Armadas may be assigned to a Task Force. Task forces may move over land or sea interchangeably. On land it has 4 movement points and moves as an infantry unit. At sea it moves as any squadron. They cost 250 tIts. A Task Force of Armadas and Armies must comply with normal movement restrictions with regard land troops at sea and vice versa.
Armies may onIy have Divisions, Cities and SpeciaI commands assigned to them. They may onIy move via land, with a movement rate of 6 acting as cavalry. It could of course be loaded onto a fleet for sea movement. They cost 200 tlts. Armies may be assigned to Task Force commands if they begin the move in the same hex .
Armadas may only have Fleets, City and Special Commands assigned to them. They may only move via sea as if a squadron. They cost 200 tlts.
Divisions may onIy have regts, City and SpeciaI Commands assigned to them, with a Iimit of 30 regts each. They may only move via land unless carried, with a movement rate of 6 movement points and move as cavalry. Bear in mind however that a force moves at the speed of its slowest component. They cost l00 tlts. Divisions may be assigned to an Army commands or City commands if they begin the weak in the same hex.
Divisions also have the highly important feature of Organic Supply, which is used to feed the regts assigned to it, see Land Supply.
Fleets may only have squadrons, Scouting regts, City, Scouting and Special Commands assigned to them, with a limit of 10 squadrons each. They may only move via sea with a movement rate of a squadron. They cost 100 tlts. They may only be assigned to Aramadas and City commands. Land units can be carried by naval units, in the case of individual regts they would temporariIy be assigned to the Fleet command, they would not count in a naval engagement however, but could participate in an assault on a city. Land commands are carried by Fleets, this does not mean they are assigned.
City and Fort commanders cannot move. Any other commands present in a city (not just in a city hex) must be either assigned to the city or the city must be assigned to the command (depending on ranking). Commands linked to a city must be able to fit into the city as a garrison or the assignment will fail. Commands linked to city commands automatically convert to garrison orders and will inherit the orders of the city, regardless of rank
An City command would be placed under the control of an Army Command (due to ranking). If successful however the Army Command is moved into the city as a garrison and adopts the orders of the city (which it is now defending).
Regts may be assigned to a city or fort command only up to the limit of the garrison capacity. An unlimited number of sqds may be assigned.
Players may only have one Special Command at any one time. This command can be allocated to any command and will enhance that commands forces effectiveness. The extent of the enhancement will depend on the abiIity of the Special Commander and a random element. They cost 100 tlts. Nothing may be assigned to a Special command.
Scouting commands are used for scouting, they never need supply and ignore Lines of Communication limits There is a chance they will be destroyed if they are in a hex containing any enemy troops, depending on their numbers. They cost 50 tlts. Nothing may be assigned to a Scouting Command.
ivisions starting the week in a hex with at least 10 regts, and not in an enemy ZOC, may build a road through a clear or cultivated hex, cisting 10 tlts. Hills and forest will require twice the money and regts (20 rgets, 20 tlts). Roads may not be buiIt through a mountain or desert hex. It costs no movement points to buiId a road but they are only buiIt at the beginning of a week. Roads may only be built in hexes adjacent to a hex with a road in it or to a city hex.
Hexes with rivers will cost more due to the requirement for a bridge. The cost in tlts is doubIed in such hexes.
Weather
Each week players will be advised of the current weather, they will not know it prior to that week so will be unsure of what effects might be applicable.
Weather effects the movement rates of regts ond sqds, and may also force an attrition roll.
Naval movement effects are Iisted above, effects on regts are as follows:
1st week of rain............no effect
2nd reek of rain.............foot -1 MP, cavalry -2 MP.
3rd week of rain+..........foot -2 MP, cavalry -3 MP.
Troops not at a city for the entire week will suffer an attrition roll of 1 in 20.
One week of fine weather will restore normal movement rates for the NEXT week, that first week of fine weather however will still suffer the last weeks penalty.
During winter several effects will come into force that have been mentioned elsewhere.
Fortifications and Siege
All starting cities in the game will be fortified, all other fortifications must be built by the players during the game. The strength of a fort is expressed by a single number from 1 to 15, being a numeric value of the walIs defence. The garrison of a fort can be made up of any regt or sqd. The maximum garrison a fort/city may have, and also the maximum number of regts that can be inside the city, is equivalent to its defence value times three. So a 10 point city/fort may hold 30 units as a garrison, and a maximum of 30 regts can be inside the city at one time. An unlimited number of sqds may hide inside a city at anytime, but the garrison may only consist of 30 units (regts or sqds) at a time, usually the strongest available.
Regts and sqds will have an assigned value when defending or attacking walIs. This will range from I to 5 under normal circumstances and is their siege combat value. When defending a city the SV of units is doubled as long as at least one point of city defence value remains. The resolutions system basicalIy consists of a comparison of the attackers strength versus the modified strength of the defenders. Players should aim to have AT LEAST 1:1 odds, if less than this than an automatic bloody repulse wilI occur.
Existing fortifications may be upgraded one step by expenditure of a number of tlts equal to the new defence strength times 30. This may not be performed during any week that an enemy force starts the move in the city hex. Eg. to raise a 9 point DV to 10 would cost 300 tlts.
New fortifications may be built (not cities, see earlier) by paying half the accumulated total of the defence strength of the fort times 30 tlts. Eg a 5 point fort will cost 1+2+3+4+5 = 15 / 2 x 30 = 225 tlts (round up). The hex nominated must be within LOC range and not in the ZOC of an enemy or neutral force.
Attacks on fortifications can be undertaken via the classical methods, they are:
Blockade and Starvation: surround the fort and wait. The blockader need only have as many regts as the size of the city to commence this. If the city is a port then there must also be a sqd present (at least one). Sqds by themselves may not blockade a city. The city will survive a length of time dependent on the number of supply points it has. Transfers to and from a blockaded city will not be allowed.
Siege: surround the fort and slowly wear down the walls, combined with periodic assaults to test the enemy. A siege train helps immensely but is not essential. A siege is usual a blockade at the same time, but does not need to be.
Assault: up and over the walls, the hard way. Assaults may be launched at anytime, but only two per week as laid out in the Sequence of Play. There are two forms of assault you can choose, the weaker version reduces losses on both sides but has less chance of success
Assaults should be launched periodically in combination with sieges. BE WARNED, walls are great equalisers! . Land and sea forces may combine to attack a city they can both reach. Regts carried aboard sqds are added to the attack., it is considered they disembark as the fleet attacks.
Special Transfer: normalIy alI transfers between commands occurs at the beginning of the week when the commands occupy the same hex, however it is necessary that transfers should be allowed after the Assault Phase to allow players to garrison a city and prevent an enemy simpIy waIking up to the city Iater in the move and taking it back. AccordingIy any command that successfully captures a city by Assault will be allowed to perform a special transfer of units into the city this will have a section of its own on the move sheets. If not specified then the command will attempt to put alI the attackers into the city. If there are too many they will place the smallest commard inside first and work up through the larger commands (smallest being in number of units).
Morale Loss: a morale check will be made each week one of the following applies:
Every week of siege that reduces the DV.
Every second week of blockade
Every week of blockade if the city has no supply points.
Whenever an enemy force enters a city hex and the city has no garrison.
Every week a defending unit is lost.
Only one test will be made during a single week, based on your country morale.
Treachery: the attacker may offer the enemy commander a bribe to surrender the city, or if their loyalty is low enough then the commander may simply surrender. Bribes should be at least 100 tlts.
Prisoners
Captured troops, which may be gained via battle, will be assigned to the highest command unit present at the time. They travel with that unit at all times unless transferred to another command (which cannot be an Scouting Command). Once that command returns to a friendly city the prisoners may be sold into bondage, yielding 20 tlts per infantry regt and 30 tlts per cavalry regt. This is achieved by simply transfering the prisoners to the city command, they are automaticalig sold at the end of the tear'. Prisoners do not count for carrying capcitg.
Dispersal
Any land command and its units may be ordered to disperse at anytime. The commands will vanish immediately. The commanders and units must be given a destination city to head for and will then commence a strategic move there. Prior to this however a 1 in 10 chance of attrition will be rolled. Siege Trains and Supply Trains are lost regardless.
Use the Disband section of the move sheet for this activity, listing alI the commands. Instead of units being listed in the second column list the city to which the regts will move.
Individual units may be disbanded from commands by listing the command the unit is with and then the units to be disbanded.
You may not normally disband a command, there is no need to really, seeing they cost nothing to keep. The above method is the only way to do so. The normal disband order only involves regts and sqds etc.
Trade
There wilI be four levela of scouting, each giving more detaiI. Reports however are not always accurate. The number of scouting points required for each level are:
LeveI 1 - 20+.
Leve1 2 - 50+
Level 3 - 120+
Level 4 - 230+
Scouting Commands always have a scouting level of 2.
Cities will also scout and have an intrinsic value of their size times 10, to which will be added any forces in the hex.
A scouting report is constructed from the hexes in your ZOC and only applies to those hexes where the ZOC exists. Terrain may impede this .
Attrition
Most of the forms of attrition have already been mentioned in the rules but are repeated here.
Land forces will suffer attrition if the Division OS is zero and forage collected is not 5 points. Each regt has a 1 in 10 chance of destruction.
Land forces that forced march will suffer attrition of 1 chance in 20 per regt during the first week, and 1 chance in 10 per regt during any consecutive week of forced marching.
Land forces not remaining the entire turn in a city during the third consecutive week of rain will suffer a 1 in 20 chance of attrition.
When a command is dispersed all regts present will suffer a 1 in 10 chance of attrition.
During siege operations, after a cities suppy has been depleted, each regt or sqd will have a 1 in 20 chance of destruction.
Naval forces will suffer attrition if the country does not have sufficient funds to pay a fleets supply cost. A 1 in 20 per sqd chance of destruction.
Naval forces that cannott end the turn in a coastal or river hex due to the presence of enemy troops will suffer attrition. A 1in 20 per sqd chance of destruction
Naval forces at sea during a week with weather of Storms, or Rain and Strong Winds, will also suffer attrition.
Spies
Each player will have available to them 5 spies per qtr, which they may place as they wish so as to gain information. Spies must be placed in cities and each city they are sent to costs 50 tlts. Each week a players spies will attempt to report any troop movements in and around the city plus other misc information.
The quality and quantity of this information will be erratic.
Assassins
Assassins may be bought to attempt to kill or wound a specific commander. Each player will be limited to one assassin per qtr. The cheapest assassin will cost 100 tlts. The more you pay for them the better they will be. The player should nominate the target command and a hex number it occupies. If the command is rot in the hex then the assassin will report failure and vanish. Assassination occcurs before movement.
Treaties and War
Players may sign treaties with other players to form alIiances, or to prevent war between their forces. These treaties are binding on players and if broken then significant penalties will be inflicted. They can be broken however.
There are two kinds of' treaties: Non-Aggression and AlIiance
Non-Aggression Treaties prevent the forces of either player attaching the forces of the other without a specific order to do so. If combat does occur between the parties then the treaty is broken. Such a treaty may be broken by declaration at anytime and a report will be passed to the other party of this fact. A country responsible for breaking this treaty will have every city they own check against their Country Morale. Failure will mean the city will check for revolt.
AlIiance Treaties prevent combat as noted above, but also allow the players forces to combine and fight together. As well, the allies may enter each others cities freely and will consider them to be friendly for all purposes. AIliances can be broken by declaration or combat as noted above, the effects however will be greater. A country responsible for breaking this treaty will have every city they control check against their Country Morale halved (round up). Failure will mean the city will check for revolt.
If both players break the treaty at the same time the neither would suffer any effect.
All treaties will have a time limit decided by the players, this can be no longer then 20 weeks/moves.
AlI treaties may be broken by declaration of war through the move sheet, that turn however the treaty will still apply.
Treaties must be offered to other countries for them to accept, on the move sheet you will be given two options to appeal to other countries for a treaty. In this section you should specify the type of treaty and any conditions you require for acceptance. Conditions can include one of the parties providing money or a city. Your appeal will be reported on the move sheet of the other country, they have the option to accept or reject only. If they wish to modify they can appeal back to you, or you may dicuss it via the mail between yourselves.
An appeal if accepted is immediately binding, do not offer one spuriously.
Cities transferred via treaty agreement become 'allied' to the new owners.
To offer a treaty involving money transactions you must have a LOC between the two countries.
Players alI begin the game Neutral to all others. Immediately battle occurs between two courtries they will move to a Enemy status. Enemy status may also be invoked voluntarily by the players against others. If not at war or bound by treaty then you are neutral with other forces. Neutral forces will attack each other if they meet and orders allow. Neutral units will not however capture trade units belonging to other players.
Players may only remove Enemy status by signing a treaty. Treaties that lapse will result in the countries reverting to Neutral status.
Revolt
A revolt roll is made every week during and after the looting of a city, for 5 weeks. A revolt roll will also be made during any week in which a city is pillaged, or a captured city is Under Garrisoned, or a city is devastated. If a city does revolt then the garrison is eliminated and the city will either return to its previous owner or it may turn independent.
The minimum safe garrison in regts and sqds required for a city is equal to its size. For each regt less than this there will be a 10% of revolt.
Roads