MacGowan & Lombardy's The Great War
MacGowan & Lombardy's The Great War Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1.0 Game Formats
1.1 Unless specified by a scenario, use the Random Event (RE), Bonus card, Neutral card, Central Powers Nationality, and Entente Allies Nationality decks.
1.2 Basic Game: Uses the Red and Blue decks of cards, divided into separate Nationality and Neutral decks, with the White deck cards Mata Hari and Spies and T.E. Lawrence Jokers added to their respective decks.
1.3 Adding Cards from the White Deck: Except for the 2 cards noted above, White cards should not be used for your first few games. Many of them add complexity to the game. White cards can be added to the Neutral deck with no significant changes to game balance, but when adding them to Nationality decks, we suggest removing a Red or Blue card of the same rank (King for King, Jack for Jack, 10 for 10, etc.) for each White card that is added.
1.4 Solitaire: An add-on rules module which facilitates one-player games. See the separate Solitaire rules for more information.
1.5 Scenarios: Scenarios depict historical or hypothetical (what-if) battles and campaigns using specific cards and/or variations on the rules to depict the unique conditions that affected the operations. Each scenario will specify the cards to be used, special rules, and victory conditions for the scenario and will be posted on the LombardyStudios.com website.
1.6 War of the Worlds Expansion: A set of twelve cards, representing an invading force of Martian tripods. It consists of a separate Martian deck and 6 Random Event, Bonus, and Joker cards. See the separate War of the Worlds Expansion rules for more information.
2.0 Game Setup
2.1 When drawing cards, the Defender always draws first except in solitaire play. Cards are always drawn from the top of the appropriate deck.
2.2 Shuffle the Random Event (RE) cards and place them face-down on the "Random Event Draw Deck" location on the Decks & Discards Play Mat.
2.3 Shuffle the Bonus cards and place them face-down on the "Bonus Cards Draw Deck" location on the Decks & Discards Play Mat. Each player then draws 2 Bonus cards.
2.4 Shuffle the Neutral cards and place them face-down on the "Neutral Cards Draw Deck" location on the Decks & Discards Play Mat. Each player then draws 2 Neutral cards.
2.5 Separate the Nationality cards into their separate decks (Entente Allies and Central Powers) and shuffle. Place them face-down on the "Entente Allies Draw Deck" and "Central Powers Draw Deck" locations on the Decks & Discards Play Mat. Each player draws 2 Nationality cards.
2.6 Each player then draws 5 more cards in any combination of Nationality and Neutral cards to bring their hand up to 11 cards. Players may only draw from the top of their own side's Nationality deck. Finally, each player discards 2 cards to bring their hand size down to 9.
2.7 Flip the Defender This Turn card to the Central Powers player for the first Turn and place it on the "Defender This Turn" space on the Decks & Discards (DD) Play Mat. Central Powers always begins as Defender in the Basic Game.
2.8 Set the 10-sided Turn die to 1 and place it near the DTT card.
2.9 Place the Battle Mat between the players. Use the markers provided to indicate the winner of each Turn and the current number of cumulative Battle Points (BP) each side has.
3.0 Victory Conditions
3.1 The Basic Game ends after 10 Turns. Some scenarios have more or fewer Turns. The game also ends immediately if one side is unable to draw a Nationality card when required. See Section 3.4.
3.2 At the end of the last Turn of the game or scenario, count the Battle Points (BP) of all enemy Nationality cards you captured and any friendly Nationality cards still in your hand. You capture enemy cards when you have the highest BP total when a Turn is scored.
3.3 Do not count the BP of any cards in your Nationality draw deck or discard pile. Do not count the BP of Neutral or Bonus cards.
3.4 When a player is required to draw a Nationality card and is unable to reconstitute the Nationality draw deck by reshuffling their discard pile the game ends immediately.
3.5 Compare the two opposing sides' BP total to determine the level of victory:
- A) MORAL VICTORY: One side has 10 to 19 more BP.
- B) TACTICAL VICTORY: One side has 20 to 39 more BP.
- C) OPERATIONAL VICTORY: One side has 40 to 79 more BP.
- D) STRATEGIC VICTORY: One side has at least 80 or more BP.
- E) The game ends in a DRAW if a player has only 1 to 9 more BP than their opponent at the end of the game.
4.0 Card Decks and Player Hands
4.1 Neither player may ever draw or use cards from the other player's Nationality draw deck. Both players may draw and use cards from the top of the Neutral and Bonus draw decks.
4.2 When playing Plus cards, players may never link to an opponent's cards or to one of their own cancelled cards. They may only link (add) cards to their own face-up, in-play cards. However, the activation status (G.1 Activate) of a card never prevents another eligible card from being added to it.
4.3 It is possible for a player to use all 9 cards in their hand in Combat Round 1, which will prevent them from playing any cards in Combat Round 2. Nevertheless, the other player is still required to play at least one card during their Combat Round 2 if they still have cards in their hand.
4.4 A player may never have more than 9 cards in their hand unless a scenario permits it. If a player has more than 9 cards at the start of a Turn, they must immediately discard cards until they have only 9 cards in their hand.
5.0 Timing of Card Play and Abilities
5.1 Playing a card and activating its ability are 2 separate actions. Both actions may be done by a player during their part of the same Combat Round. You may also activate a previously unactivated in-play, face-up card during your Combat Round or Optional Bonus Card Phase of a Turn. Jokers and some Bonus cards can be played to interrupt an opponent's Combat Round, but your other Nationality, Neutral, and Bonus cards may only be played and activated during your side's Combat Rounds. There are some exceptions, which are detailed in Section 6.0.
5.2 Only Bonus and Jokers may be played and activated outside of the owner's Combat Round as follows:
- 5.2.1 Bonus cards and Jokers that cancel Random Event cards may be played and activated during the Random Event phase.
- 5.2.2 Bonus cards and Jokers that can cancel or discard an opponent's card just played may interrupt the opponent's play that Combat Round.
- 5.2.3 Bonus cards and Jokers may also be played and activated during the Optional Bonus Card Phase.
- 5.2.4 Otherwise, Bonus cards and Jokers must follow the rules for playing and activating cards during the Combat Round.
6.0 Card Clarifications
6.1 Fortifications and Trenches can cancel specific enemy cards during the entire Turn and therefore are never rotated 180 degrees to indicate they are activated. The Defender may activate them immediately after specified target cards are played (Attack cards for Fortifications and Field Guns for Trenches). If a card's abilities (such as Infantry Flamethrowers or certain Artillery (King) cards) can cancel or discard Fortifications or Trenches, the ability of the newly played card can be immediately activated to cancel or discard the Fortifications or Trenches card.
6.2 Cards such as Naval Blockade or Submarine Blockade may cancel and discard any 1 enemy card previously played that Turn as specified. Discarded cards are not captured and are immediately placed in the appropriate Nationality discard pile. A discarded card's BP are not counted at the end of the Turn.
6.3 A number of cards, including Trench Raid, Prisoner Interrogations, and Cavalry Reconnaissance enable a player to randomly choose 1 or 2 cards from the enemy player's hand, look at them, and return them immediately back to the enemy player's hand. Rotate the card that allowed the sneak peek 180 degrees to show it has used its ability that Turn.
6.4 A Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) is considered Infantry for all purposes. HMG may only be played by Attacker if it is played with an Improved Weapon or Improved Doctrine card.
6.5 The Improved Doctrine and Improved Weapon Bonus cards represent the various tactical and technological advances made during the Great War. As such, they have the following special rules:
- 6.5.1 When played, they may be added to a specific card and immediately activated, giving that card additional abilities, subject to the target limitations on the Improved Doctrine/Weapon card. Place the Improved Doctrine/Weapon card so that it is slightly overlapping the card it modifies.
- 6.5.2 Cards with an Improved Doctrine/Weapon card attached cannot be cancelled or discarded by any other card, unless the cancelling or discarding card also has an attached Improved Doctrine/Weapon card.
- 6.5.3 Improved Doctrine/Weapon cards may be played and activated SIMULTANEOUSLY with the first card played by a player during their Combat Round. This is an exception to the rule that cards may only be played one at a time.
- 6.5.4 If a card with an attached Improved Doctrine/Weapon card is cancelled or discarded, the Improved Doctrine/Weapon card is left in-play, contributing its BP to its owner's total. However, it may not be attached to a new card during the Turn.
6.6 Leader (Jack) cards may be activated to combine additional cards, as specified on the card and any extra abilities from an Improved Doctrine Bonus card. If the Leader (Jack) is not cancelled or discarded by the opponent, it can be activated to combine (add) 1 or 2 cards (or more cards depending on the Leader (Jack's) ability or if modified by Improved Doctrine). Each card that is played by the combine ability is subject to the normal rules for playing and activating cards, as in Sections 4.0 and 5.0.
7.0 Turn Sequence
7.1 A card played from your hand is placed face-up in front of you and is considered in-play even if it is cancelled and turned face-down.
7.2 Each player must play 1 card in each Combat Round unless they have no cards in their hand. The other player must still play 1 card if able.
7.3 A player may play additional cards in a Combat Round only if such cards link (add) to or combine with cards already played and face-up (not cancelled).
7.4 Each player must play 1 Nationality card during the Turn, played in either Combat Round unless they have no Nationality cards in their hand.
7.5 Card abilities such as cancel, discard, and combine may only be used once unless otherwise noted on the card. With the exception of cards such as Fortifications and Trenches, once a card ability has been activated, turn that card 180 degrees to show it cannot use that ability again in the Turn.
7.6 Playing a card and activating its ability are two separate actions. If the opponent can cancel or discard the newly played card, that card may not be activated after the cancellation.
Random Event Phase
7.7 Defender draws 1 Random Event (RE) card and places it face-up. Each player may play 1 Bonus or Joker card to cancel the RE card's effects are then applied and will last throughout the Turn.
Combat Round 1
Defender
7.8 The Defender performs the following actions:
- Play 1 card from their hand that may or may not link to a card previously played by the Defender. This action must be done first, but the following other actions can be performed in any order.
- When the Defender plays their card, the Attacker may immediately interrupt Defender's play with a Bonus or Joker card that can cancel or discard the Defender's card just played. The Defender's newly played card can be cancelled BEFORE it can be activated.
- Defender may then activate card abilities of their face-up, in-play cards that have not been activated yet.
- Play additional cards that link to any card previously played by the Defender in the Random Event Phase.
Attacker
7.9 After the Defender finishes playing cards for the Combat Round, Attacker plays cards as described in the 4 steps above for the Defender. Defender may interrupt with a Joker or Bonus card that cancels the Attacker's card.
7.10 Attacker MUST play at least 1 card with an Attack symbol on it. This may be played in either Combat Round 1 or 2.
7.11 If, at beginning of the Turn, the Attacker has no cards with an Attack symbol, they must discard 1 Nationality card at a time and draw a replacement from their Nationality deck until an Attack card is drawn and then immediately plays that card.
Combat Round 2
7.12 Same as Combat Round 1, Defender plays first. Plus cards may be linked (added) to cards played in Combat Round 1 or in the Random Event Phase.
Optional Bonus Card Phase
7.13 Defender (first) and Attacker may each play either 1 Bonus or Joker card (not both) and only a Bonus or Joker card this Phase. Activate their abilities immediately. Card abilities do not continue into the next Turn.
Battle Resolution Phase
7.14 Each player totals their Battle Points (BP) for all Nationality, Neutral, and Bonus cards that are face-up. The player with the highest total captures all the opponent's played Nationality cards, even if they were cancelled (face-down). This includes Jokers with a Nationality symbol. The Defender wins ties.
7.15 The Winner may place into their hand for future use 1 of their own played Nationality cards or 1 Neutral card played by either side. This may not be a Joker, face card (A, K, Q, J), Bonus card, or any other card with a white BP inside a black circle.
Draw Cards and End the Turn
7.16 Place all played Neutral cards, including Neutral Jokers, face-up in the Neutral discard pile. Discard all remaining Nationality cards face-up in the winner's Nationality discard pile.
7.17 Shuffle the RE card and any discarded Bonus cards back into their respective decks.
7.18 Mark the Turn Winner on the Turn Track of the Battle Mat and place markers to show total BP captured. IN THIS STEP COUNT ONLY THE BP OF CAPTURED NATIONALITY CARDS. DO NOT INCLUDE THE BP OF NEUTRAL OR BONUS CARDS.
7.19 In addition to any cards kept in a player's hand, each player brings their hand back up to 9 as follows:
- 7.19.1 Each player MUST draw 1 Bonus, 2 Neutral and 2 Nationality cards. Additional Neutral and Nationality cards (any mix) are drawn to bring the hand up to 11. (If a player has too many cards in their hand to draw the 5 required cards, then draw in this order until the hand reaches 11 cards: 1 Bonus, then 1 Neutral, then 1 Nationality.)
- 7.19.2 Each player then discards 2 cards to bring their hand size back down to 9 cards.
7.20 Flip the Defender This Turn card and rotate the 10-sided die to the next highest number to begin the next Turn.
8.0 End of Turn 5
8.1 Discard all cards left in both player's hands. Reshuffle all decks except for captured Nationality cards. Follow the instructions in the 2.0 Game Setup section above to refill each player's hand, then begin Turn 6.
8.2 After 10 Turns, each side counts the number of cumulative captured BP to determine the game winner as described in Section 3.0 Victory Conditions.