Nothing So Well Lost: The Siege of Rhodes 1522
Nothing So Well Lost: The Siege of Rhodes 1522 Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components and Setup
- Players need a standard card deck (including 2 jokers) and 1 six-sided die (1d6) to play.
- Remove all face cards. Divide the deck in two: give all black cards and 1 joker to the Hospitaler Player (HP); give all red cards and 1 joker to the Ottoman Player (OP).
- Each player shuffles their deck.
- Place each HP infantry unit in its designated Area (WA).
- Place the L'Isle Adam unit in the Reserve area.
- Put the Turn marker and Ottoman Mine Level (OML) marker on Space [1].
- Put the Hospitaler Resistance Level (HRL), the Ottoman Resistance Level (ORL) and the Ottoman Artillery Level (OAL) markers on Space [4] of the Record Track.
Turns
The game has 8 Turns, each with many Rounds.
Rounds
- Players reveal the top cards from their decks. The side with the highest Card Draw (CD) wins the Round. a. If the winning CD is odd, that side can do 1 Activation (ACT) or pass, then the loser may do 1 ACT, or pass. b. If the winning CD is even, that side can do up to 2 ACTs, then the loser may do just 1 ACT. c. On ties, neither side can do ACTs.
- The side drawing the first joker gets no ACTs that Round.
- When the second joker is drawn, the Turn ends immediately (with no ACTs performed). a. Move the Turn marker up 1 Turn. b. Both players then reshuffle their decks.
Playing a Round
The map shows the city of Rhodes and the rectangular WAs where all game play takes place (plus the Reserve area).
- In general, play occurs with the side winning the Round declaring: a. which ACT(s) it will undertake, b. a target WA, c. checking for success,
- followed by the other side.
Note that no OP infantry units start on the map. OP brings them into play by first creating Breach markers.
Up to 3 Breach markers can accumulate in any one WA.
Each ACT allows a side to do one of the following:
- Bombardment (both)
- Mining (OP only)
- Assault (OP only)
- Counter-mining (HP only)
- Sally (HP only)
OP can recycle Breach markers by voluntarily removing them from WAs (no ACT required) during its portion of a Round.
In addition, the HP (only) may redeploy 1 (odd CD) or 2 (even CD) of its units (this is a free move) to and from any WAs before performing an ACT, but only when it wins the Round.
Actions
Bombardment
OP adds Breaches; HP reduces OAL.
Both sides may choose the Bombardment ACT.
- For the OP, indicate a target WA. Roll 1d6.
- Add +1 if the L'Isle Adam unit is in the Reserve Area.
- A DR =< the current OAL is successful: place a Breach marker in the target WA. Otherwise, no effect.
- For the HP, simply declare a Bombardment attack (no target WA required). Roll 1d6.
- If DR < the current HRL, roll a second 1d6. If that DR is EVEN, reduce the OAL marker 1 space (but never below Space 1). Otherwise, no effect.
Mining
OP slower but higher chance of breach.
OP may choose the Mining ACT. OP has the option to:
- Raise the Ottoman Mine Level (OML) marker up 1 space on the Record Track.
- Declare a target WA. Roll 1d6.
- DR < the current OML is successful: place a Breach marker there.
- The Mining attempt fails if the DR => current OML.
- Either way (ALWAYS), reset the OML marker back to Space 1.
Assault
OP to reduce/destroy HL units.
OP may attempt the Assault ACT.
- Flip all Breach markers in the target WA to reveal their Infantry unit sides.
- Add all OP attacking Infantry Combat Factors (CF) and subtract all defending HP infantry CF to find a net +/- DR modifier.
- OP rolls 1d6, adding the net +/- DR modifier.
- Assault succeeds if the final DR is > the current HRL.
- Reduce 1 defending HP infantry unit: flip it over, or remove it from play if already reduced.
- A DR > than twice the current HRL reduces 2 HP units (or removes 1 if it has 2 steps).
- Assault fails if the final DR <= the current HRL. Remove 1 OP infantry unit (return it to the OP) ... [alternative - remove all OP infantry units].
However, before the Assault DR is made, HP can try to move the L'Isle Adam unit from anywhere to the target WA under Assault (free move) to improve its chances (once per Assault, per Round, per Turn).
- Roll 1d6. A DR < the current HRL is successful; otherwise it cannot move.
Counter-mining
HP removes Breaches or reduces OML.
HP may attempt the Counter-Mining ACT.
- Declare the target WA (whether friendly occupied or not). Roll 1d6.
- Add +1 to DR if the L'Isle Adam unit is in the target WA.
- A DR > the current ORL is successful:
- Remove 1 Breach marker from the target WA (return it to OP), OR
- reduce the OML marker 1 space,
- (HP choice).
Sally
HP reduces OP OAL.
HP may attempt to Sally forth and attack OP artillery.
- Select 1 HP infantry unit currently in a WA. Roll 1d6.
- Modify the DR as follows:
- -1 for each Breach marker in the WA the attacking unit is sallying from.
- +1 if the L'Isle Adam unit is in the WA being sallied from.
- A DR > the current ORL means reduce the OAL marker 1 space (but never below Space 1).
- Any other result is no effect, except DR < 1 means reduce the HP unit (or remove it if already reduced).
Changing Resistance Levels
- Increase the ORL by 1 space (but never above Space 5) for each unoccupied WA (no HP units present) that has at least 1 Breach marker on it.
- Reduce the ORL by 1 space (but never below Space 1) the instant any of the following occur:
- For every combo of 2 Breach markers or Infantry units eliminated by the HR.
- For each failed Mining attack that occurs.
- Reduce the HRL by 1 space the instant when:
- the L'Isle Adam unit is eliminated.
- On Turns 5 through 8 only, make a general HP morale check (HMC) at the start of each Turn. Roll 1d6.
- Add +1 to DR for each unoccupied WA (no HP units present) with at least 1 Breach marker in it.
- A DR < 4 results in no HRL reduction. Otherwise, reduce the HRL by 1 space.
Victory
OP wins if the HRL is reduced to 0 at the end of any Turn, or no later than Turn 8. Otherwise, HP wins.