Imperialism: Road to Domination Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• The Aim of the Game
• Setup
  • Components
  • Preparing the game
  • Example setup for two players
• Types of Cards
  • Providence cards
  • Achievement cards
  • Territory and superpower cards
  • Religion cards
  • Player's hand
• The Course of the Game
  • Player's turn
  • 1. Changing hand phase
  • 2. Action phase
• Action: Development
  • Gains from the trade
  • Leader gains
  • Economic gains
• Action: Intrigue
  • Changing religion
• Action: Conquest
• Action: War
  • Outcome of a war
  • Peace negotiations
  • Plundering
  • Playing the war event cards
• Action: Taxation
• Cultural Flowering
• Occurrence of an Achievement
• The End of the Game
• Description of Cards
  • Positive authority cards
  • Negative authority cards
  • Plot cards
  • Event cards
  • Special cards
  • Religion cards
• Symbols of the Permanent Effects

The Aim of the Game

The aim of the game is to create the most powerful empire. To achieve this, the players will change the reigning rulers, plot, conspire, conquer minor countries and overseas lands which will increase the level of goods production in their empires. The players will have to expand their armies and fleet to confront other superpowers. The winner will be the player with most glory points.

Setup

Components

• Game board
• Game rules
• 50 providence cards: 4 special cards, 12 plot cards, 22 event cards, 12 authority cards (positive and negative)
• 38 territory cards: 22 land cards, 16 colony cards
• 10 superpower cards
• 24 achievement cards
• 6 religion cards
• 4 sets of wooden markers (x15 each)
• 50 ducat tokens (x20, x20, x10)

Preparing the game

• The game board is placed in the centre of the play area.
• Each player chooses markers in one colour and places them in front of himself.
• Each player receives 25 ducats. The remaining ducats are placed next to the board (1) so that everyone can reach them. This pile is called free resources.

NOTE: The number of player's ducats should be known to everyone during the game. The opponents can check them if they wish to do so.

• The initial territory cards (marked with the initial territory marker) should be taken from the territory cards pile. The territory and initial territory cards should be shuffled separately. The initial territory pile is placed on the territory stack. This stack is then placed (face down) on the marked space on the board (2). The available territory cards are taken from top of the territory stack and placed on the board (face up) (3). The number of available territories is equal to the number of players, plus two cards.

NOTE: China and India (4) are special territories which can be conquered during the game.

• The providence cards should be shuffled. This face down stack is placed on the appropriate place on the board (5). Each player draws 5 providence cards from that pile on hand (can look them up).
• Religion cards are divided into 3 types (2 cards each) and placed on the appropriate places on the board (6).
• Achievement cards should be divided into cards for 1, 2, 3, 4 glory points, shuffled separately and formed into a face up pile. The cards for 4 glory points should be on the bottom of that stack. Then, the cards for 3, the cards for 2, and on top, the cards for 1 glory point go. The face up stack should be placed on the appropriate space on the board (7). The available achievements are placed on their designated places (8). The number of revealed achievement cards is equal to the number of players, plus one card. The available achievements are all the visible cards (including the top card of the stack).

NOTE: in a 2 player game, there are 5 available achievement cards (including the top card of the stack).

• Shuffle the superpower cards and give 2 to each player. Each player chooses 1 of the received cards. The unchosen and the remaining superpower cards are put into the box (they are not used in this game). Players place their superpower cards in front of them. The permanent effects from those cards are marked on the: army (9), fleet (10), prestige (11) and goods production (12) tracks. The players whose superpower is Russia or Ottoman Empire receive 2 extra glory points. Their markers on the glory track (13) are moved. Apart from the permanent effects marked on the appropriate tracks, the cards may have different effects (see: Description of cards).
• Additionally the players may increase by 1 their army or fleet levels (but not both), by moving the marker on the appropriate track.
• The players place their markers on the spaces marked with '0', on the tracks on which they do not have their markers yet (glory, prestige and goods production).
• The player who has chosen the superpower with the lowest starting number begins the game (the starting number is in a right bottom corner of the card).

Example setup for two players

Board layout key: (1) free resources (bank of ducats); (2) territory stack; (3) available territory cards; (4) China and India; (5) providence cards stack; (6) religion cards; (7) achievement stack; (8) available achievements; (9) army track; (10) fleet track; (11) prestige track; (12) goods production tracks; (13) glory track; (14) territory discard pile; (15) providence discard pile; (16) action spaces; (17) cultural flowering space. Each player has a hand, a bank of ducats and a superpower card. The track bonus of a superpower card (such as +3) is a one-time increase of the player's bank at the beginning of the game where shown.

Types of Cards

There are 128 cards in the game: territory, achievement, religion, providence and superpower. The symbols on cards indicate permanent effects, immediate effects or the requirements for playing them. If you play a card, your empire receives some permanent effects shown on the card. Moreover, just after playing a card, a player can perform its immediate effect. In order to play most cards, the player has to meet their requirements.

NOTE: The symbol '/' in the requirement section of the card means that the player has to meet one or the other condition.

Providence cards

Those cards represent the events in the game. They are divided into 4 types:

Authority cards (positive and negative). Those cards represent the rulers reigning in the empire, absence of leadership or period of revolution. The player plays the positive authority cards on himself, while the negative authority cards are played on other players. Those cards are played during the action Intrigue. When the card is played on other player, it is placed in front of him. If that player has previously had an authority card in front of himself, it is discarded on the appropriate discard pile (15) and the new card is placed on its place. If a player plays positive authority card, he can perform its immediate effects and gain some permanent effects. If a negative authority card is played, the targeted player is forced to perform its immediate effect. (Card anatomy: symbol Intrigue, permanent effects, immediate effects, war modifier.)

Plot cards. Those cards represent espionage and diplomatic actions which usually allow players to steal ducats from others. Those cards are played on other players during the action Intrigue. The player with this card in front of himself performs immediate effect of that card, just after playing it. Some of those cards are war cards so they can be played during the action Intrigue as a plot card, or during the action War as a war card (resulting in a war). (Card anatomy: symbol Intrigue, symbol War, war modifier, plundering value, permanent effects, immediate effects.)

Event cards. Event cards are played in specific moments in the game. They have different immediate effects. Some event cards are war events marked with a war symbol which means that they may be played during action War (your own or other players'). Some of those cards are also war cards. Those cards can be used in two types of situations: as event cards (sometimes outside your turn), or in action War.

Special cards. Those are war cards that give different effects to the player who has started a war with them.

NOTE: Providence cards (with the exception of authority cards), are discarded after use on the appropriate discard pile. This pile is situated next to the providence cards pile.

Achievement cards

Those cards represent achievements gained during the game. If a player meets the requirements of that card, he places the card in front of himself at any moment of his turn. (Card anatomy: glory points, permanent effects, the requirements.)

Territory and superpower cards

Territory cards are divided into two types: colonies and lands. Colonies and lands can be conquered during actions Conquest or War. Some territory cards have initial territory marker which is important during the initial setup. (Card anatomy: permanent effects, glory points, the requirements, the initial territory marker.)

NOTE: The territory cards which the players discard are placed on the discard pile next to the territory pile (14).

In the game, you can also find 10 superpower cards which are distributed to the players at the beginning of the game. (Card anatomy: war modifier, permanent effects, symbol War, plundering value, glory points, prohibition of religion change, immediate effects, starting number.)

Religion cards

You can place one of those cards in front of yourself if you are changing religion in your empire. You have to meet the requirements of that card first. (Card anatomy: permanent effects, glory points, requirements.)

Player's hand

The player starts the game with 5 providence cards (received in the initial setting). Each player may have at most 5 cards on hand and he always supplements the hand to this limit in the changing hand phase (even if he has not changed cards). Over the course of the game, this limit may be increased or decreased by 1. For example, being a leader in gold production increases the limit of cards on hand by 1.

NOTE: Regardless of any modifiers, the limit of cards on hand may never be higher than 6.

NOTE: Every time the providence or territory pile is depleted, the discard piles are shuffled and formed into a new pile.

The Course of the Game

The game is divided into turns. The player with the lowest starting number on his superpower card starts the game. After his turn, the turn goes to the player on his left. Then, the play continues in a clockwise direction.

Player's turn

The player's turn consists of:

• Changing hand phase;
• Action phase.

NOTE: Additionally, at any moment of his turn, a player has to take one of the available achievement cards if he meets its requirements.

1. Changing hand phase

In this phase, a player can discard up to 3 territory and providence cards from hand on the appropriate discard piles (providence discard pile, territory discard pile). However, if he has discarded the cards, the hand is supplemented (to the limit) in one of the two ways:

• The player takes one of the available (face up) territory cards. Then, he supplements the hand with the cards from the providence pile to the current limit. After taking a territory card, the empty space on the board is supplemented with the top card from the territory pile.
• The player takes cards from the territory pile and/or providence pile in any configuration to the current limit (he does not take the revealed cards).

2. Action phase

The player performs one of the five available actions. The action performed in the current turn has to be different from the action performed in that player's previous turn. While choosing the first action in the game, the player places his cube on one of the five available action spaces on the board (16). It stays there until the player's next turn. This cube shows the last performed action. In the following turn, the player has to choose different action by moving the cube on a different action space.

Types of actions: Development, Intrigue, Conquest, War, Taxation.

Action: Development

The player chooses one of the 8 goods on the basis of which he will perform the economic development (it may also be a good which level of production is '0'). If a player decides to perform action Development, he receives the following benefits (the effects are performed in the order given below).

Gains from the trade

If a player choses a particular good, he will receive as many ducats as the value from the trade of that good suggests. This value is shown on each level of goods production. For instance, on the second level of food production, the players receive 4 ducats.

Leader gains

The player who has chosen a good in which he is the leader (has the highest production level of that good), gains some extra benefits particular to that good, this is shown by a leader symbol. Gold is an exception, the benefits from being a leader in gold production are permanent. If there is a draw on one track, there is no leader.

Economic gains

The player may, but does not have to, decide to benefit from economic gains. The effects of goods:

Gold Leader gains: Permanent effect: increased limit of cards on hand by 1. Economic gains: None.

NOTE: Each time a player trades with gold, his prestige is decreased by 1. If the player does not have any prestige he does not receive that penalty.

Food Leader gains: The player receives an extra ducat for each level of prestige that he has currently got (no more than 5 ducats). Economic gains: The player may pay 8 ducats to increase his level of land army by 1 (only once per turn).

Fabrics Leader gains: The player receives an extra ducat for each level of prestige that he has currently got (no more than 5 ducats). Economic gains: The player may pay 8 ducats to increase his level of fleet by 1 (only once per turn).

Spices Leader gains: The player receives 1 extra prestige point. Economic gains: None.

Oriental goods Leader gains: In the same turn, the player may pay 3 ducats to choose other good on the basis of which he will perform Development action. Gold, oriental goods or spices cannot be chosen. He gets trade, economic and leader gains of that good. Economic gains: None.

Industrial materials NOTE: To choose this good in the Development action, you must have at least 10 prestige points or 15 glory points (10 in a 4-player game). Leader gains: The player receives 1 extra prestige point. Economic gains: The player may pay 12 ducats to increase his level of: food, fabrics, industrial materials, land weapons or shipyard production (a player chooses one of those goods). The marker on the appropriate track is moved by one space.

Land weapons Leader gains: The player receives 1 ducat for each 3 levels of his land army. Economic gains: The player can look up the providence discard pile and take one war card on hand (other players have to see this card).

Shipyards Leader gains: The player receives 1 ducat for each 2 levels of his fleet. Economic gains: The player can look up the providence discard pile and take 1 event card on hand (other players have to see this card).

NOTE: While performing an economic development action the player doesn't move his marker on the track of the particular good.

Action: Intrigue

In this action the player may play one or two cards: plot, authority, Diplomatic trick, Middle class development or change a religion.

NOTE: If the player plays two cards, they have to be of different type. The player may play one plot card and one authority card in one action, or negative and positive authority cards (they are considered as different type of cards).

Plot cards are used to steal ducats from other players. When a player has to give ducats to other player but he has not got sufficient amount of them, he gives all his ducats and loses 1 prestige point (if he has any).

The played plot cards are placed on the discard pile after being used.

NOTE: Some of the plot cards have additional effects (see: Description of cards).

Positive authority cards are placed in front of a player. Negative authority cards are placed in front of other player. If that player has already had an authority card (either negative or positive) in front of himself, it is discarded. Each player may have at most one authority card in front of himself (either negative or positive).

Authority cards have some permanent effects which affect the players as long as the cards are in front of them. On those cards also some immediate effects are shown, which the player may perform (if it is a positive authority card) or has to perform (if it is a negative authority card) directly after that card is placed in front of him.

Changing religion

Most superpowers are catholic at the beginning of the game (except Ottoman Empire and Russia). Once per game the players may change the religion in their empires to: Lutheranism, Calvinism, or Counter Reformation (if there are available cards).

NOTE: The players who start the game with Ottoman Empire and Russia cannot change their religions.

If a player fulfills the requirements of a religion, he places the card of that religion in front of himself, receiving the permanent effects of that card.

NOTE: If two players take both cards of one religion, the remaining players cannot choose that religion anymore.

Action: Conquest

The player expands the territory of his empire by placing a territory card in front of himself or by placing a marker on India or China on the board. To do this, the player has to meet the requirements of a territory (shown at the bottom of the card). The requirements shown on the cards concern the levels of fleet, land army, prestige and the cost of the conquest. If a player meets the requirements and pays the cost, he can place the territory card in front of himself.

NOTE: India and China are special types of colonies, more than one player can conquer them.

The territory cards give players some permanent effects. They increase the levels of: army, fleet, prestige or production of particular goods. Some territories give the players glory points after they are conquered. The player markers on the appropriate tracks are moved to mark the changes.

Example: The cost of conquering Livonia (apart from having this card on hand), is at least 3rd level of land army and at least second level of fleet. To conquer the territory, the player has to pay the cost of the conquest, 5 ducats. After this, the land has been conquered. The player increases the level of fleet by 1 and the level of food production also by 1, he also receives 1 prestige point.

Action: War

This action can be chosen when a player has a war card on hand, marked with a war symbol. The card is played on the other player. If the player decides to attack, he has to declare what type of battle (land or sea) will be fought. The defending player may choose at most 2 war cards to defend himself (if he has got any). War, superpower and authority cards, as well as religion cards may have sea and/or land battle modifiers. The modifiers influence the levels of land army, fleet or both (universal modifiers). All of those modifiers influence the strength of the player's land army or fleet.

Outcome of a war

Each player taking part in a war decides about the strength of the defence or attack (it depends if he is attacking or defending). He increases the levels of land army (land battle) or fleet (sea battle) by all the modifiers of a particular kind he has got. The modifiers result from a player's: religion, authority card, superpower, and war cards chosen for the defence or attack.

Example: If the attacker is Prussia with the first level of army, an authority card, Outstanding commander (+3 to the outcome of a land battle), and a war card, Venal advisors (with a +5 modifier to the outcome of land battle), the strength of Prussia's land attack is 9.

If the strength of the attack is higher than the strength of the defence, the war is won by the attacker. In other case (also in case of a draw), the battle is won by the defender. The winner receives 1 glory point and 1 prestige point. The defeated player loses 1 prestige point (if he has got any).

When you know who has won and who has lost the war, you can start peace negotiations and plundering (only in the case of attacker's victory).

Peace negotiations

The defender must choose one possibility of making peace:

Tribute. The defender checks the number of points of difference between the strength of the defence and the strength of the attack. Then, he gives the attacker equal number of ducats.

Territorial adjustment. The defender gives his land (land battle) or his colony (sea battle) to the attacking player and loses the permanent effects of that card (the attacker receives them). You mustn't give China or India.

NOTE: The attacker does not receive, and the defender does not lose the prestige and/or glory points shown on the card given to other player. Those are received only by the player who played this card during the action Conquest.

Political humiliation. The defender decreases the prestige by the difference between his land weapons production value (land battle), or shipyards level (sea battle) and those levels of the attacking player.

Example: If the level of land weapons of the player attacking in a land battle is 4, and the same level of the defender is 1, the political humiliation would end up in losing 3 prestige points by the defender.

NOTE: If the defender's production levels of land weapons or shipyards are higher than the attacker's, the defender decreases his prestige by 1.

If the defender cannot choose any of those possibilities (because he does not have sufficient number of ducats, prestige or a territory card), he gives the attacking player all his ducats and loses all the prestige he has.

Plundering

When the attacking player plunders, he takes from the free resources as many ducats as is suggested by the plundering value on the played war card multiplied by the attacker's land weapon (land battle), or shipyard (sea battle) level.

Example: When the war is won by the attacking player whose level of land weapons production is 3 and the war card he used for the attack has the plundering value of 2, plundering would end up in taking 6 ducats from the defeated player.

Playing the war event cards

Each player can play 1 war event card at the end of the turn of the player who has chosen War action (provided that they meet the requirements for playing it). The winning player can play his card first, then the defeated player and the remaining players (starting from the player who has just finished performing the action). The war event card is discarded to the providence discard pile after it is played.

NOTE: If a player is obliged to give ducats to other player, but does not have them, he gives all his ducats and loses 1 prestige point (if he has got any).

Action: Taxation

The player takes from the free resources as many ducats as he has territory cards in front of himself (the player does not take ducats for his superpower card).

Cultural Flowering

When, in the result of a performed action, a player crosses the 10th prestige space, he moves his prestige marker to the cultural flowering space (17). In the same turn, the player may not receive any extra prestige points (does not move the marker). At the end of his turn, he receives 1 glory point and moves the marker back to the space marked with 10. If a player has 10 prestige points and it happens that he earns prestige out of his turn, the player does not receive it.

Occurrence of an Achievement

If at any moment of his turn, a player meets the requirements of a face up achievement card, he has to take it and gain the permanent effects shown on the card. In such a situation, the player places the card in front of himself.

NOTE: If in his turn, a player meets the requirements of more than one achievement card, he takes only one of them.

The permanent effects of an achievement card are marked on the appropriate tracks on the board (the cubes are moved). The achievement card may give player additional glory points. If this happens, the marker on the glory track should be moved by as many spaces as the card suggests. Immediately after taking an achievement card, the player takes the revealed top card from the pile, places it on the space and a new revealed card is another available achievement.

The End of the Game

When one of the players reaches or crosses the space marking the end of the game (marked with golden colour on the glory track), each of the remaining players plays one more turn and the game ends.

NOTE: The space marking the end of the game is different for different number of players: 2 players: 40 points, 3 players: 29 points, 4 players: 20 points.

In the end of the game players have to add additional points to their conquered glory points:

• 2 points for each of the highest levels of: land army, fleet, prestige.
• 2 points for each of the highest number of colonies, lands.
• 2 points for each of the production leaders of each good.
• 4 points to the players who did not change religion during the game (except the players controlling Ottoman Empire and Russia).
• 1 point (in a 3-4 player game), for each of the second positions on: land army, fleet, prestige tracks and for each of the second highest number of lands and colonies.
• 1 point (in a 3-4 player game), for each of the second positions on each good production track.

NOTE: In case of a draw on the first space of the particular category, both players receive 1 glory point. In case of a draw on the second space, neither of the players receives points.

The player with most glory points wins.

Description of Cards

Positive authority cards

Queen of the sea Permanent effect: Gain +3 modifier to the outcome of sea battle. Immediate effect: Return to the free resources 4 ducats to increase the level of your fleet by 1.

Member of the great dynasty Permanent effect: Gain +3 modifier to the outcome of sea and land battles. Immediate effect: Swap the location of two authority cards on the table (including this card). If someone does not have a positive or negative authority card you can play other player's authority card on that player (either positive or negative). The players with swapped cards do not perform immediate effects of those cards, they only receive the permanent effects.

Great diplomat Permanent effect: Your limit of cards on hand is increased by 1. Immediate effect: Look up other player's hand and take one of his cards.

Reformer Permanent effect: Each time you perform action Development, you receive 2 extra ducats. Immediate effect: Return to the free resources 5 ducats to increase the production levels of: food, fabrics, land weapons or shipyard by 1.

Open to discoveries Permanent effect: You have -2 negative modifier to the outcome of sea battle. Immediate effect: Return to free resources 4 ducats to increase your fleet level by 1. Then, whether you increased the fleet level or not, you can place one colony card from your hand (you have to meet its requirements) in front of you. You still have to pay the cost of the conquest shown on the card. This card is treated as if it was conquered in the action Conquest (you receive the permanent effects, prestige and glory points shown on the card).

Defender of the faith Permanent effect: Gain +3 modifier to the outcome of land and sea battles fought with dissenters (those who have different religion than you). Immediate effect: Look up the dissenters' hands and take from each such player one card on hand.

Outstanding commander Permanent effect: Gain +3 modifier to the outcome of land battle. Immediate effect: Return to free resources 4 ducats to increase the level of your land army by 1.

Adventurer Permanent effect: Gain +3 modifier to the outcome of land battle. Immediate effect: Look up providence discard pile and take 1 war card on hand (other players have to see it).

Negative authority cards

Civil war Permanent effect: The player with this card in front of himself cannot choose action War. Immediate effect: Take one random card from hand of a player on whom you played Civil war. If that player has the highest level of land army, you can return to free resources 8 ducats to increase your production level of: food, fabrics, weapon or shipyard by 1.

Mad Permanent effect: The player with this card in front of himself has -5 negative modifier to the outcome of sea and land battles. Immediate effect: The player on whom the card was played loses 1 prestige point (if he has got any). Additional effect: If the player on whom the card was played has the lowest level of army, he can decrease his prestige by 2 (he has to have at least 2nd level of prestige) to discard this card at the beginning of his next turn (before changing hand phase).

The bourgeois revolution Permanent effect: The player with this card in front of himself cannot choose action War. Immediate effect: The player on whom the card was played loses 1 prestige point (if he has got any). If this card has been played on a player with the highest level of army, each player (according to the order of play), can pay 4 ducats to increase his level of land army by 1.

Bureaucrat Permanent effect: The player with this card in front of himself decreases his limit of cards on hand by 1. Immediate effect: The player on whom the card was played loses 1 prestige point (if he has got any). Additional effect: If the player who has received this card has not got the most glory points, he can decrease his prestige by 2 (he has to have at least 2 prestige points) to discard this card.

Plot cards

Plot of the wealthy Take from a player on whom you played that card 1 ducat for each his colony or land on the table. Then, discard that player's positive authority card. On the appropriate this card pile. Add ducats to your bank.

Corruption of the officials Take from a player on whom you have played that card 1 ducat for each his colony or land on the table and add them to your bank. Then, look up the providence discard pile. You can take one event card from that pile on hand (other players have to see it).

Persecution of dissenters Take from a player on whom you played that card 1 ducat for each his prestige point. Additionally, that player loses 1 prestige point.

Oppression ot the merchants Take from a player on whom you played that card 1 ducat for each of his levels of fabrics/food production, or 2 ducats for each his colony on the table and add them to your bank.

Border raids Take from a player on whom you played that card 2 ducats for each his colony on the table or 1 ducat for each his land on the table and add them to your bank. You cannot take more than 8 ducats. This is a war card with +3 modifier to the outcome of sea and land battle for the player who plays it during the action War. The plundering value of this card is 2.

Venal advisors Take from a player on whom you played that card 1 ducat for each of his levels of land army or fleet and add them to your bank. You cannot take more than 10 ducats. This card is a war card and has a +5 modifier to the outcome of land battle and +3 modifier to the outcome of sea battle for the player who plays it during action War. The plundering value of this card is 1.

Pirates You can play this card on a player who has chosen Development action. Take from that player 1 ducat for each of his levels of either gold, spices or oriental goods production. Add ducats to your bank. You cannot take more than 4 ducats. This card is a war card that has a +3 modifier to the outcome of sea battle. The plundering value of this card is 2.

Event cards

Naval blockade War event. You can play this card against a player who has won a land battle provided that your level of fleet is higher than his. Take from the player on whom you played the card 2 ducats for each of your levels of shipyard production and add them to your bank. This card is also a war card which has +3 modifier to the outcome of sea battle for the player who plays it in the action War. The plundering value of this card is 2.

Armed intervention War event. The card can be played on a player who has won a land battle in which you did not take part. Take from that player 2 ducats for each of your levels of land weapons production and add them to your bank. This card is a war card with a +2 modifier to the outcome of both land and sea battles for the player who plays it. The plundering value of this card is 2.

Settlement The card can be played on a player who has chosen action War and attacked you. The card is played instead of war cards. The war is cancelled. The player who has chosen action War does not lose his turn. Instead, he can perform a different action. His marker remains on the War space (he will not be able to choose action War in his next turn).

Rapacious plunder War event. You can play this card when you win a war in which you were the attacker. Take ducats from the free resources for each of the defeated player's production levels of gold (4 ducats for each level), oriental goods (3 ducats for each level) or spices (2 ducats for each level). You can choose the good for which you want to gain ducats. Add ducats to your bank.

Plans interception You can play this card at any moment of your turn (but after drawing the cards). After playing it, look up other player's hand and take one of his event cards.

Colonization rush You can play this card after performing Conquest action in which you played a colony card (conquered it). You gain extra ducats for trading with: gold, spices or oriental goods (the value indicated on those tracks).

Patriotic upsurge War event. This card can be played when you were the attacker or the defender in a battle. If you have lost, you can increase the level of your army or fleet by 1 and receive 1 ducat from the free resources for each territory you have conquered. If you have won, you can pay 3 ducats to increase the level of your army or fleet by 1.

Exceptional year Play this card when you choose Development action (before choosing the good). You immediately receive 3 ducats or, if you have at least 2nd level of oriental good production, 1 glory point.

Special cards

Diplomatic trick You can play this card in the Intrigue action instead of plot and authority cards: you immediately receive 2 prestige points. The card may also be played when other player plays an event card; the effect of that card is cancelled.

Historic victory This is a war card with a +1 modifier to the outcome of sea and land battles. When you win a war declared with this card and the difference between the strength of the attack and the strength of the defence is at least 3, you receive 1 glory point. The plundering value of this card is 3.

Middle class development You can play this card in the Intrigue action: you receive 1 ducat for each your territory on the table and when you have at least 3rd level of oriental goods production, you receive 1 glory point.

Battle for influence It is a war card with a +1 modifier to the outcome of land and sea battle. When you win a war declared with this card, before peace negotiations, you can look up the providence discard pile and take one card on hand. The plundering value of this card is 3.

Religion cards

Calvinism The player increases his levels of fabrics and food by 1 and can increase by 1 the production level of any different good. He also receives 2 glory points. Each time the player performs the Development action, he or she receives additional 5 ducats.

Counter-Reformation The player increases his level of land army by 2 and land weapon production by 1. Moreover, he receives 2 glory points and +3 modifier to the outcome of land and sea battle with dissenters (the players with different religion).

NOTE: Players whose superpower is Ottoman Empire or Russia are dissenters for other players as well as for themselves. Moreover, dissenter is every player who has different religion than yours. For example, for Poland (catholic country), a dissenter will be Spain, which has changed religion.

Lutheranism The player increases his level of fleet by 2 and increases his hand limit. The player gets additional 20 ducats and can perform Development action.

Symbols of the Permanent Effects

• Land army symbol with 1: Increase the level of your land army by 1.
• Fleet symbol with 1: Increase the level of your fleet by 1.
• Gold symbol with 1: Increase the level of gold production by 1.
• Food symbol with 1: Increase the level of food production by 1.
• Fabrics symbol with 1: Increase the level of fabrics production by 1.
• Spices symbol with 1: Increase the level of spices production by 1.
• Oriental goods symbol with 1: Increase the level of oriental goods production by 1.
• Industrial materials symbol with 1: Increase the level of industrial materials production by 1.
• Land weapons symbol with 1: Increase the level of land weapons production by 1.
• Shipyard symbol with 1: Increase the level of shipyard production by 1.
• +3 with religion symbol: The player receives +3 modifier to the outcome of land and sea battles with dissenters.
• +1 (blue): +1 sea battle modifier.
• +1 (red): +1 land battle modifier.
• -5: -5 land and sea battle modifier (universal).
• Development symbol with 5 ducats: When performing the Development action, take 5 ducats from the free resources.
• Crossed-out War symbol: You may not perform War action.
• +1 with card symbol: Your limit of cards on hand is increased by 1.
• 20 ducats symbol: After playing the card take 20 ducats from the free resources.
• Prestige symbol with 1: Increase your prestige by 1.
• Arrow to Development symbol: After playing this card, perform Development action.