Black Orchestra
Black Orchestra Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 51 conspirator cards — 24 standard cards, 15 illegal cards, 12 plot cards
- 84 event cards — 12 event cards in 7 stages; 62 standard events, 15 important events, 7 key events
- 24 interrogation cards
- 6 Nazi leader tiles (for example, Hitler — motivation -1; Goebbels — cancel ability)
- 5 pawns
- 11 tracking cubes — 10 conspirator cubes (2 per color), 1 red Hitler's Military Support cube
- 10 dice
- 24 item tiles (3 each of 8 items)
- 9 conspirator sheets
- 3 difficulty tiles — easy difficulty, standard difficulty, hard difficulty
- 1 reference sheet
- 1 victory card
- 1 game board
Setup
- Place the Hitler tile and five deputy tiles on the board in their starting spaces as indicated by matching the icon on each tile to the space with that icon on it.
- Shuffle the item tiles and place one face-down on each space with a black square.
- Decide which difficulty level to play the game at: easy, standard, or hard. Based on the level chosen, place the red military support cube on the appropriate value of the Hitler's Military Support track: 2 for easy, 3 for standard, 4 for hard. Take the corresponding difficulty tile and place it on top of the track over the area listed on the back of the difficulty tile.
- Sort the event cards by stage number into seven face-down decks. Shuffle each deck and return the top two cards of each deck to the game box – they will not be used this game. Do not reveal the removed cards. Place the seven event decks face-down in order above their appropriate spaces on the board.
- Shuffle all of the conspirator cards and place them in a face-down stack next to the board – this is the conspirator deck.
- Shuffle all of the interrogation cards and place them in a face-down stack next to the board – this is the interrogation deck.
- Place all ten dice to the side of the board within reach of all players.
- Each player chooses one conspirator sheet (two if playing solo) as well as a pawn and two cubes of the same color.
- Place one of your cubes on each of the marked starting levels for motivation (timid) and suspicion (medium) on your conspirator sheet.
- All players place their pawns on the TRAIN STATION space in Berlin. The player wearing the most black takes the first turn. The operation is ready to commence!
Key Concepts
These basic concepts are used throughout Black Orchestra and are the foundation for learning and playing the game:
Winning and Losing
There is only one way to win the game: assassinate Hitler by succeeding at a plot attempt. To succeed at the attempt, you must both roll a number of targets on the dice equal to or exceeding the level of Hitler's Military Support and roll fewer eagles than your suspicion allows. (See Victory! on page 12.)
However, there are three ways the conspirators lose:
- If all players are in prison, you lose the game.
- If you can't draw an event card when required to, you lose the game.
- If the Stage 7 event Documents Located is drawn*, you lose the game.
*Optionally, this card may be removed. See Guarded Documents on page 12.
If any of these conditions are met at any time, you immediately lose the game. (See Defeat on page 12.)
Resolving Effects
If the text of an effect directly contradicts the text of the rules, the text on the card takes precedence. If it is possible to observe both the card text and the text of the rules, both are observed.
When resolving card effects, resolve the text in order from top to bottom and apply as many of the effects as you can. When resolving any dice result, instead resolve all eagle effects first, all target effects second, and any 1, 2, or 3 results third.
If you can't do something a card says to do, you simply don't do it – disregard the text of the effect(s) you can't resolve. Not being able to apply one effect (such as raising suspicion when you're already at extreme) does not prevent you from applying the other effects on the card. Unless otherwise specified, you may use an effect on yourself.
INTERROGATION CARDS | One major exception to this rule involves resolving interrogation cards. See page 9 for details on resolving interrogation card effects.
Choosing Between Multiple Options
If you are required to make a choice among two or more equally valid options, such as an event card that moves Hitler or a deputy to the space of "the nearest conspirator," the active player chooses which option to resolve.
Motivation and Suspicion
The two key levels each conspirator tracks on their conspirator sheet throughout the game are motivation and suspicion.
Motivation
Motivation measures how committed you are to the cause and affects your ability to have cards in your dossier, use your special ability, and make plot attempts. The conspirator sheet lists the benefit gained while at each level of motivation, and you also retain the benefits of any lower level.
You begin the game at timid motivation and are limited to only two cards in your dossier. Once you've improved to skeptical, your dossier will be able to expand to hold more cards.
At the next level, motivated, you can use the special ability listed to the right of that space on your conspirator sheet.
Once your motivation increases to committed, you can attempt plots against Hitler as an action. However, be warned that there are certain dangerous plots that require a truly reckless motivation to attempt – being committed is not enough.
Suspicion
Suspicion tracks how much attention you've attracted during your covert operations. Conspirators start the game at medium suspicion.
Conspirators at higher suspicion levels will have more difficulty avoiding detection while attempting a plot. The suspicion track on your conspirator sheet shows the number of eagles that will result in an automatic and unavoidable detection and failure of the plot.
When a Gestapo Raid event card is drawn, all conspirators at extreme suspicion are arrested. (See Gestapo Raids on page 9.)
Hitler's Military Support
The Hitler's Military Support track represents the growing strength and eventual decline of the Reich's terrifying war machine. It determines the ultimate goal of a plot attempt: how many targets must be rolled to succeed at a plot. Events and other effects will cause Hitler's Military Support to rise and fall throughout the game, and timing when exactly to attempt a plot based on that is one of the key challenges of the game.
The starting level of Military Support is based on the difficulty level chosen: 2 for easy, 3 for standard, 4 for hard. This is also the lowest that Hitler's Military Support can fall, even if an effect would cause it to go lower. Likewise, the highest level that Hitler's Military Support can rise is 7, even if an effect would cause it go above 7.
Dossiers
Conspirator cards that you draw are placed face-up in front of you into an area called your dossier. Conspirator cards are either in a dossier or discarded – they are never held in hand or played outside of the dossier. Any cards with ongoing effects apply only while the card is in the dossier, and cards with effects that are played as an action are discarded from your dossier after the card's effect is resolved.
Items
Item tiles are used for supplementing plot attempts and lowering suspicion levels by delivering them to certain cities. Items are placed in the item boxes on the lower lefthand corner of the conspirator sheet. There are three copies of each item, and the letters at the bottom of the item tile correspond with the letter of the plots that the items can be used in.
(Note: to avoid any confusion with the number 1, there is no Plot I.)
Dice
The number of dice is limited to those included with the game.
Dossier and Item Limits
The maximum number of cards you can have in your dossier and maximum number of items you can carry is determined by the number of players in the game:
DOSSIER LIMITS
- 1-2 players: 6 cards
- 3-4 players: 5 cards
- 5 players: 4 cards
ITEM LIMITS
- 1-2 players: 4 items
- 3-5 players: 3 items
You may still add cards and pick up items in hopes of finding something useful, but you must discard down to your current limit immediately after exceeding it (even if it isn't your turn), including discarding that new card or item if you wish.
When you are at timid motivation, your dossier limit is 2 cards, regardless of the number of players. Your dossier limit increases to the values above once your motivation has moved beyond timid. If you motivation is lowered to timid and you have more than two cards in your dossier, you must observe your new limit immediately and discard down to two cards.
Play Overview
The player wearing the most black begins as the active player. From then on, players take turns in a clockwise order.
On your turn, perform the following steps in order:
- Check for Hitler and deputies.
- Take up to 3 actions.
- Draw an event card.
1. Check for Hitler and Deputies
If you start your turn in the same space as Hitler and/or any of his five deputies, their watchful eyes and intimidating presence have disrupted your plans and you suffer the corresponding penalty(ies):
| Leader | Penalty |
|---|---|
| HITLER | Lower your motivation by 1. |
| HESS | Discard one card from your dossier. |
| GOEBBELS | You can't use your special ability this turn. |
| BORMANN | You can't use the Conspire action this turn. |
| HIMMLER | Raise your suspicion by 1. |
| GOERING | Discard one item you are carrying. |
It is possible to suffer multiple penalties on your turn. You choose the order that penalties are applied in.
Penalties are only suffered if Hitler/the deputy is in your space at the start of your turn. You do not suffer a penalty if you move onto or off of a space with a leader on it.
Example: At the beginning of Player 1's turn, Hitler and Bormann were also in Nuremberg, so Player 1 would lower their motivation by 1 and could not use the Conspire action for that turn. Player 2 started their turn in Prague and moved into Nuremberg. Even though Hitler and Bormann are there, Player 2 does not suffer a penalty since they did not start their turn in that space.
HITLER AND DEPUTY MOVEMENT | When Hitler or a deputy is instructed to move by an event or interrogation card, they must end the move in a different space, regardless of any conspirator(s) in the space they were in. Conspirators currently in the space of a leader who is moving are ignored when determining who the nearest conspirator is.
This rule only applies to when Hitler or deputies move. For all other applications regarding "nearest conspirator" in relation to Hitler or deputies, conspirators in the same space of those leaders are not ignored and would be considered the nearest conspirator.
Example: The Stage 3 event Visit From Hitler instructs the players to move Hitler to the space of the nearest conspirator. In this instance, Player 1 is ignored and Hitler moves to the (next) nearest conspirator, Player 2.
2. Take up to 3 Actions
After suffering any leader penalties, you may take up to 3 actions. You may take the same action multiple times (with the exception of Conspire, which may only be taken once per turn).
On your turn, you may take one action for one of the following:
Act
Resolve one effect in your dossier or on your conspirator sheet preceded by the arrow symbol.
LIGHTNING EFFECTS | An effect preceded by the lightning symbol does not require an action to resolve. Lightning effects can be resolved at any time, even on another player's turn.
Collect Item
Take a revealed item tile in your space and add it to your conspirator sheet.
Conspire
You can only take the Conspire action once during your turn.
Take up to 3 dice, spending one action for each die taken. Roll all of those dice and resolve the results in this order:
- For each eagle rolled, you and all other conspirators in your space raise suspicion by 1.
- For each target rolled, place that die on the Dissent Track.
- Total all the number results and gain that many actions this turn, plus any unspent actions (if any) that you didn't use for the Conspire action.
DISSENT TRACK | Any targets that are rolled as part of the Conspire action are resolved by putting them on the Dissent Track at the top of the board. Once three dice are on the Dissent Track, the active player immediately chooses and applies one of these effects:
- Raise one conspirator's motivation by 1.
- Lower Hitler's Military Support by 1. (Cannot be lowered below its starting level.)
After resolving the effect, return all dice on the Dissent Track to the supply. Any additional "overflow" target results rolled are then added to the now-cleared track. Dice remain on the Dissent Track between turns and cannot be used for any other purpose while there.
Deliver Item
From time to time, you'll need to continue to carry out your day-to-day duties in order to lower suspicion. Spaces are marked with a "Deliver" text that may have items delivered there in exchange for lowering suspicion.
Once that space's original item has been removed and the delivery text is revealed, you may deliver to that city by discarding the appropriate item(s) and lowering your suspicion by the amount shown. Delivered items are discarded to the item discard pile and are not put back on the delivery space.
If the benefit is listed as distributed, the active player distributes the benefit among the conspirators however they choose, regardless of location. However, if a player is in PRISON, they cannot receive any benefits from a delivery.
Dossier
Take the top card of the conspirator deck and add it to your dossier face-up, observing dossier limits. See Motivation and Suspicion on page 4.
Conspirator cards with the SS symbol are illegal. Possessing these powerful but risky cards could draw the unwelcome attention of the Gestapo. (See Gestapo Raids on page 9.)
Some conspirator cards are plots, which are necessary to make an assassination attempt. (See Plots on page 10.)
Many conspirator cards are discarded after resolving their effect. Place discarded cards into a face-up discard pile next to the conspirator deck. If the conspirator deck runs out of cards, shuffle the discarded conspirator cards into a new, face-down conspirator deck.
Move
Move from your current space to a connected space.
Legal spaces: Each space on the board has a number on it corresponding to an event stage. You may only move into spaces with a number equal to or less than the current stage's number. For example, you can't enter the PRAGUE space until Stage 3 or later.
Berlin: Spaces in Berlin are designated by a B instead of a stage number and are always accessible. All Berlin spaces are treated as being connected to one another. In order to enter or leave Berlin, you must move through the TRAIN STATION.
If an effect simply lists "Berlin" (e.g. "choose one conspirator in Berlin"), this includes all Berlin spaces. However, it is not considered to be the same space for transfers, plot elements, etc. – conspirators must still be in the same space to fulfill those conditions.
Certain spaces on the board contain modifiers (e.g., Paris: -2 suspicion, +1 Military Support). When you enter a space with modifiers, you immediately apply the listed modifiers and continue your turn. Applying the effects does not count as an action. You may gain the effects of a space multiple times in a turn, but you must move out of the space and then move back into it to gain the effect again.
Fortified Locations: Certain locations have especially high security and defense for the Führer. These are known as fortified locations and serve as required elements for some plots. Otherwise, they have no game effect and may be moved into or out of freely.
Release
If you are at extreme suspicion, you cannot take this action.
You can attempt to use your standing and influence to order a conspirator to be released from prison. (See Arrest and Prison on page 9.) You must be in the GESTAPO HQ space in order to take this action.
Roll one die. If you rolled an eagle, you've asked too many suspicious questions and instead of freeing your ally, you are arrested. If you rolled any other result, raise your suspicion by 1 and choose one arrested conspirator to release. The released conspirator moves to GESTAPO HQ at high suspicion.
Reveal Item
Flip a face-down item tile in your space face-up.
Transfer
Give or take one item or card in your dossier to/from a conspirator in your space, observing item and dossier limits. (See Item and Dossier Limits on page 5.)
When finished taking actions, finish your turn by drawing an event card.
3. Draw an Event Card
Once you've taken all of your actions for the turn, draw the top card from the lowest numbered (leftmost) event deck available and place it face-up on top of the current event space. Resolve its effects immediately. This card is the current event, and its stage number determines the current stage.
If you can't draw an event card when required to, you lose the game.
A new stage begins when the first card of that stage is the current event, not when the previous stage's deck runs out. Once stage 7 begins, many previously available spaces are off-limits for the remainder of the game, as the Reich has lost control over these distant lands. When stage 7 begins, move Hitler, all deputies, and all conspirators to the nearest legal space. (See Choosing Between Multiple Options on page 4 and Move on page 7.)
Key Events
Certain pivotal events are marked as a key event. Key events represent major historical moments of that time frame and allow the game to generally follow the flow of history.
When a key event is drawn, place it face-up in the current event space and resolve its effect as usual. However, when the next event card is drawn, place the key event on the key event space to the right of the board. The key event isn't considered to be the active effect anymore, but it does have an effect when certain events are drawn.
Key Event: Moves to the side of the board when next event is drawn. Discard the key event when the next stage begins.
Important event: If the stage's key event is showing, this card is ignored and another is drawn to replace it.
If the key event is showing when an important (yellow top) event is drawn, the drawn card is discarded without effect and the next event card is drawn in its place. If the key event isn't showing, resolve the drawn event card as usual.
Key events are discarded when the next stage begins.
After resolving an event card, your turn is over. If an effect would have you draw multiple event cards in a turn, completely resolve the first event card before drawing the next. The player to your left becomes the active player and begins their turn.
Gestapo Raids
After Stage 1, the Gestapo begin to perform disruptive searches and violent raids as they try and track down the conspirators. When a Gestapo Raid event card is drawn, perform the following steps in order:
-
Conspirators at extreme suspicion are arrested.
REMINDER | Arrested conspirators immediately discard all illegal cards in their dossiers.
If all conspirators are in prison at the same time, you lose the game.
-
For each illegal card in a conspirator's dossier, they must either:
- Discard the card or
- Keep the card and raise their suspicion by 1.
Conspirators make this decision for each of their illegal cards one at a time, in any order. If a conspirator reaches extreme suspicion during this step, they keep any remaining illegal cards.
-
Return all dice on the Dissent Track to the supply.
Arrest and Prison
When you are arrested, immediately discard all illegal cards in your dossier and move to the PRISON space. If you were arrested during your turn, proceed directly to the Draw an event card step under "Arrested Player's Turn."
While it is stationed next to GESTAPO HQ on the board, the PRISON is not connected to any space, and the only way to move into or out of the space is to be arrested or released.
WHILE IN PRISON |
- You can't take actions or resolve lightning effects.
- You can't be the target of, and are unaffected by, all effects (including effects from event and interrogation cards) unless the effect specifically states that you are released.
- Your special ability is treated as if it were blank.
- You keep all of your items and non-illegal cards in your dossier.
Arrested Player's Turn
If you start your turn in prison, follow this turn sequence instead of the usual turn:
- Draw an interrogation card (see below).
- Draw an event card (see page 6).
Interrogation Cards
When you start your turn in prison, draw the top card of the interrogation deck and secretly read it. You must choose one of the listed options on the card to resolve without discussion – you must make the tough choice alone. Do not reveal or discuss any of the card options with other players, even after the card has been resolved.
Some options aren't as severe as others but will likely extend your stay in prison. Other options are more damaging to the cause but will grant you your freedom. Finally, there's always the option to resist, which could free you without any consequences or make matters much worse.
IMPORTANT! | Unlike resolving other game effects where you resolve as much of the card's effects as you can and disregard what you can't resolve, if you can not fully apply all the effects of an interrogation option, you must choose a different option.
Example: If one of the available options included "raise Hitler's Military Support by 2," and Hitler's Military Support was currently 6 or 7, the full effect of the choice could not be resolved since the value for Hitler's Military Support could not actually be increased by 2. For the option "all conspirators raise their suspicion by 1," if any conspirator is at extreme suspicion, this option could not be selected as not all conspirators could raise their suspicion by 1.
Therefore, the only option you can fully resolve is to roll a die and resist, hoping that luck is on your side...
You may always choose the "Try and Resist" option, even if you wouldn't be able to fully resolve some of the potential results. Since the effect for the "Try and Resist" option is simply rolling a die, it is an always available – and sometimes the only – option. When applying the result of the roll, the standard rule for resolving effects returns: apply as much of the effect as you can and disregard the rest of the text.
Once you've chosen which option to resolve, read it aloud and apply its effects, but do not reveal the other options. You choose the target for all effects.
REMINDER | Conspirators in prison (including you) can't be the target of an interrogation card.
You are only released from prison when an effect specifically says so (e.g. "you are released").
After resolving the interrogation card, shuffle it back into the interrogation deck unless the card says otherwise.
Plots
In order to succeed in your ultimate mission, you will need to successfully attempt one of the plot cards from the conspirator deck. The only way to win the game is to assassinate Hitler by attempting a plot and rolling a total number of targets on the dice equal to or exceeding the current level of Hitler's Military Support while rolling under the eagles allowed by the suspicion of the conspirator attempting the plot.
When you think you're ready to take down the tyrant, perform the following steps to attempt a plot:
Preparations
Before you can attempt a plot, first confirm that you meet all of the required elements listed on the left side of the plot card. These elements deal with the locations and proximity between Hitler and the conspirator attempting the plot.
The other required element always concerns motivation. You must be at committed or reckless motivation to attempt a plot, and there are certain especially dangerous plots where being committed is not enough – they can only be attempted with reckless motivation.
If all of the required elements are met, use the Act action and resolve the "Attempt one plot in your dossier" effect listed on the committed motivation line of your conspirator sheet.
1. Build the Dice Pool
The first die in your dice pool is gained by meeting the required elements to attempt a plot. In addition to a plot's required elements, there are also three types of optional elements that can increase a plot's chance of success by either by adding dice to the dice pool or by removing eagle results rolled.
Items
All plots have at least one item as an optional element. You may discard any of the items listed for their associated benefit. Unless otherwise specified, each benefit can only be gained once. In addition to discarding your items, you can also discard items carried by other conspirators in your space, with their permission.
Affiliation
Some plots have optional elements based on your affiliation (Abwehr, Civilian, or Wehrmacht). If your affiliation matches the affiliation on the plot, you gain the associated benefit. Unlike items, only your affiliation can be used to gain the benefit – you cannot use the affiliations of other conspirators in your space.
Meeting
Some plots have optional elements that are based on other conspirators in your space, allowing you to add one or more dice to the attempt.
Additionally, there are also conspirator cards and abilities that can add various benefits to the dice pool.
2. Determine Difficulty
Once the dice pool has been assembled, determine the final difficulty of the plot attempt. To do so, note the current level of Hitler's Military Support and the attempting conspirator's suspicion. Additionally, check the current event and all cards in dossiers to determine if there are any last modifiers to consider.
When ready, announce the total of targets needed to succeed at the attempt as well as the total number of eagles that would result in the plot's failure. You may now choose to remove any amount of dice from the dice pool if you wish. While you'll usually want to use all the dice you can get, if your suspicion is high enough, more dice could potentially be a bad thing. Choose wisely.
Now, take your final dice pool in hand. Steady yourself. It's time to make history. Roll all the dice in the dice pool. For maximum effect, you're encouraged to stand up while making this dice roll!
3. Success or Failure?
Step One: Were We Detected?
First, count the number of eagles rolled. If that number of eagles equals or exceeds the amount of dice shown below your current suspicion level, the Gestapo are alerted of your highly questionable activities and thwart your efforts at the last second. The plot attempt fails and was detected.
PLOT FAILED AND WAS DETECTED
- Ignore all other dice results, even if it would result in a successful plot attempt.
- Discard the attempted plot's card.
- Move Hitler to the safety of the CHANCELLERY.
- All conspirators to lower their motivation by 1.
- The conspirator who attempted the plot is arrested. Proceed directly to the Draw an event card step under "Arrested Player's Turn."
Step Two: Did We Succeed?
If the number of eagles rolled was lower than the number shown below your current suspicion level, count the number of targets rolled and compare it to Hitler's Military Support.
If the number of targets rolled is lower than Hitler's Military Support, the plot didn't go as planned, but it wasn't noticed. The plot attempt fails, but do not discard the attempted plot's card or perform any of the steps under "Plot Failed and was Detected." Simply continue your turn as usual.
However, if the number of targets rolled was equal to or higher than Hitler's Military Support...
Example: It's Erich Kordt's turn. He is in the same space as Hitler – Munich – and has one action left that he can use this round. Looking at his conspirator sheet, he chooses the Attempt a plot in your dossier option; this is available to him since he is at committed motivation.
First, Erich checks to make sure he has all of the required elements for the plot. In this case, he must be in the same space as Hitler and that space must not be fortified. He is in the same space, and Munich is not fortified, so he may attempt the plot.
Erich builds his dice pool: he gets one die for fulfilling the required elements of the plot, one because he is a Civilian, and one for discarding an Explosives item, one of the optional elements. Normally, an item can only be discarded once for an effect, but this plot allows for multiple Explosives to be used. Admiral Canaris is also in that space and happens to have Explosives on hand, so Erich gets the go-ahead to discard Canaris's Explosives for one additional die.
Erich has gathered four dice, and looking at Hitler's Military Support, which is currently 3, he will need to roll three targets to successfully assassinate Hitler without rolling two or more eagles.
Erich dramatically rises and rolls the dice. His result is: eagle, target, target, 1.
He first compares the eagles rolled to his suspicion. At medium suspicion, if two or more eagles were rolled, the plot would automatically fail and be detected, and Erich would be arrested. However, Erich only rolled one eagle and is safe from that dark fate.
Next, he checks to see if he had enough targets to match or exceed Hitler's Military Support. He only rolled two targets, one target short of a successful attempt, so the attempt fails.
Number results are ignored in plot attempts, so the 1 die was no help.
However, since he didn't roll a number of eagles equal to or greater than the amount his suspicion allowed, the plot was not detected. Erich may continue his turn as normal and use his remaining action, even attempting the same plot again (though he is ill-equipped to try again so soon).
Of course, being only one target away from victory, it's possible he or another conspirator was well-prepared and had a card in his dossier to help him finish the job...
Victory!
Hitler has been assassinated. You have saved millions of lives and ended the brutal oppression of Nazi Germany. History will remember your brave acts for generations to come.
You win the game!
Take a picture of your heroic group with the Victory! card to commemorate this incredible achievement!
Defeat...
If All Conspirators Are in Prison...
...the resistance quickly falls apart. No longer facing threats from within, the power of Nazi Germany grows unabated and continues to terrorize the world. Your executions for treason largely go unnoticed. You lose the game.
If "Documents Located" Was Drawn...
...with incriminating evidence now in hand, the Gestapo have finally caught up with you. That evidence is used in your spectacle of a show trial and execution that serves as a wildly effective propaganda piece to inspire Nazi Germany from the brink of defeat into prolonging what's now a seemingly endless war. You lose the game.
If You Couldn't Draw an Event Card...
...after a long and bitter struggle, your efforts are not enough to slow down the Nazi war machine or prevent Hitler's evil from remaining until the bitter end. As Allied forces eventually close in on Berlin, Hitler shoots himself in the Reich Chancellery and grimly proves that he is the only man capable of ending his reign of terror. Despite the years spent plotting and working in the shadows, you are arrested along with many other high-ranking officials as an accessory to the horrors of Nazi Germany. Over 36 million people have lost their lives to the horrors of war and brutal genocide. Had you been able to carry out your plot, who knows how many of those could have survived? You lose the game.
Game Variants
Trusted Lieutenants
In this variant, deputies can be killed with plot cards in the same way Hitler can. The difficulty for deputies is always 2 targets. To win, you must not only eliminate Hitler, you must eliminate at least two of his deputies as well. Even if Hitler is killed first, assume that his trusted lieutenants continue to direct the war effort.
Sense of Urgency
During setup, discard an additional card from each event deck.
Guarded Documents
The Documents Located card is meant to create a feeling of unpredictability and paranoia, as you don't know when – or even if – the card will be drawn. Just as actual conspirators didn't have perfect information on how much time they had left, so too do we want players on their edge of their seats, knowing that when Stage 7 begins, any turn could be their last.
While we recommend playing with the card for the full Black Orchestra experience, it's understandable that some players do not like an "auto-lose" card in the game. If you prefer not to play with Documents Located, return it to the game box and only discard one card from the Stage 7 event deck during setup.
Credits
- Game Design: Philip duBarry
- Additional Game Design: Dann May, Cody Jones
- Art Direction: Dann May
- Graphic Design: Cody Jones, Dann May
- Illustration: Lucas Soriano
- Editing and Reference Design: Peter Gifford
- Playtesters and Design Consultants: Michael Fox, James Takenaka, Dan Yarrington, Tim Schuetz, Renée Masson, David MacKenzie, Jeffrey Norman Bourbeau