Dune: The Landsraad Maneuver Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• The Lansraad
• Disadvantages
• Optional Advantage
• Karma Powers
• Strategy
• Designer's Comments

The Lansraad

At start: 20 tokens in reserves (off-planet). Start with 30 spice.

Free revival: 3 tokens.

Advantage: You have Influence over almost all major powers (except the Fremen) on Dune.

1. During a turn, you may use your power of Influence during the revival/movement or the battle round. a. In the revival/movement round, you may order any player to "hold in place". That player will not be able to reclaim tokens from the tanks, ship tokens onto or off Dune, or move his tokens on the mapboard during the round. b. In the battle round, you may order any player to "hold in place". That player will not be able to attack anyone during that round, but may defend if attacked by another party.

Alliance: You may not ally with the Fremen (although a third player may be allied to both). Allies may make use of the Lansraad "Optional Advantage" of restricting territories; the same conditions as to who may be affected is imposed.

Leaders and Values:

• Baron Moat: 6
• Earl Viaconte: 5
• Administrator: 3
• Commissioner: 2
• Representative: 1

Disadvantages

1. You cannot make use of your power of Influence in both the revival/movement and combat rounds of the same turn (unless able to play a Karma card, to be described later).
2. You have no power of Influence over the Fremen player, nor may you ever ally with the Fremen player.

Optional Advantage

At the start of any turn, before the Storm marker position is determined, you may declare any non-sietch territory on the mapboard (except for the Polar Sink) "restricted". All tokens that do not belong to the Lansraad player, a Lansraad-allied player, the Fremen player, or are co-existing Bene Gesserit tokens must be moved out of this territory during the upcoming revival/movement turns. Failure to do so results in the tokens being sent to the tanks. With the exception of the above-mentioned token types, tokens may not be moved into the territory during the entire turn.

The Lansraad player may not declare the same territory "restricted" for two consecutive turns.

Karma Powers

1. When played against the Lansraad player, this prevents him from using his power of Influence or optional "restriction" once. The card would be played right after the Lansraad ordered a player to hold in place or declared a territory restricted.
2. If the optional special Karma Power rules are used, the Lansraad player may use a Karma card once during the game to use his power of Influence during the revival/movement and combat rounds of the same game turn. The card would be played at the start of the battle round.

Strategy

Plentiful spice, a high revival rate, decent leaders, and a very effective special power are the Lansraad's good points; its starting with all its tokens off planet and commencing play with a natural enemy (the Fremen) are its bad ones. If you decide to start a seven-player game with a sietch invasion, I advise against invading any Fremen sietch. Any victory you gain against the desert dwellers will be short-lived. As time passes, the wise Lansraad player will join in an alliance, preferably of an anti-Fremen nature. His power of "restriction" can allow his allies to cordon off spice territories for their own use. But, you must be careful who you pick as your friends and what they get out of the deal, for someday they may be your enemies.

Designer's Comments

I think experienced players will find including the Lansraad into their games of DUNE spices things up. Not that the standard game is boring—far from it. But the Lansraad will force all to rethink old strategies; and I always found it hard to envision that such a powerful body as Herbert presents would not have become involved in the affairs of Dune after such a period.

One last note: If future factions to play in DUNE are created, the Lansraad may or may not have Influence over them. A power like the Gholas (The GENERAL, Vol. 18, No. 5) or the Ixians (HEROES, Vol. 1, No. 1)—something from outside the Imperium—would hardly be much influenced by the august body, or honor their "restricted" notices. On the other hand, anything that is created to reflect some group from within the Imperium will.