Sovereign: Bretwalda Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
  • Tiles and markers
  • Battle dice
  • Units
  • Cards
• Game Setup
• How to Claim the Title of Bretwalda
• Core Game Concepts
  • Area types
  • Chronicle cards
  • Control
  • Dalcs
  • Food and Gold
  • Kingdoms
  • Kingdom tiles and Buildings
  • Lordship cards
  • Negotiation and exchange between players
  • Opposing and Neutral Units
  • Pretender
  • Rulers
  • Units
    • Land Units
    • Sea Units
    • Text on cards and tiles
• Gameplay
  • Season Phase
  • Action Phase
  • Priority Phase
• Seasons Effects
  • Spring: Sowing
  • Summer: Danes Raids
  • Autumn: Bribe Neutrals and Danes
  • Winter: Feeding the Army
• Actions
  • Development
    • Buildings
  • Collection
  • Fyrd
  • Movement
• Battles
  • Land battles
  • Sea battles
  • Danes and Neutral Units in battle
• Playing with 2 or 3 Players
• Solitaire Play
  • Beginner
  • Advanced
  • Legendary
• Optional Rules
  • Advanced Setup
  • Independent Danes
  • Puppet Danes
  • Subversion Cards
  • Autumn Bid for Influence
  • Randomised Rulers
  • Vikings vs Neutrals Battles
• Kingdom Abilities
• Credits

Components

• Game board
• 4 Kingdom boards (1 per Kingdom)

Tiles and markers

• 64 Kingdom tiles (16 per Kingdom)
• 16 Action markers (4 per Kingdom)
• 60 Control markers (15 per Kingdom)
• 4 Kingdom markers (1 per Kingdom)
• 1 Pretender marker
• 1 Round marker
• 36 Gold markers: 18x value 1, 12x value 3, 6x value 5
• 25 Dalc markers
• 15 Ally markers
• 16 Pillage markers
• 30 Food markers
• 8 Wound markers
• Kingdom tile types: 1x Hamptum, 12x Area, 8x Chronicle, 4x Abbey
• Buildings: 12x Abbey, 6x Granary, 6x Port, 6x Mead Hall (30 Buildings total)

Gold, Dalcs, Allies, Pillage, Food and Wound markers should be considered as unlimited. In the unlikely event any of these markers run out, use substitutes.

Battle dice

16 dice: 5x white, 5x beige, 4x red, 2x grey.

Units

• 8 Rulers (1 King and 1 Queen per Kingdom)
• 8 Ealdormen (4 Neutral and 1 per Kingdom)
• 4x Bishops (1 per Kingdom) — Exclusive: Bishops are only included in Gamefound backer versions of Bretwalda. If you do not have a Gamefound version, ignore all references to Bishops in the game.
• 24 Thegns (8 Neutral and 4 per Kingdom)
• 40 Ceorls (8 Neutral and 8 per Kingdom)
• 8 Ships (2 per Kingdom)
• 8 Danes: 5x Vikings, 3x Drakkars

In this game 'Danes' is a generic term capturing both Vikings and Drakkars. A Danes Land Unit is a Viking, and a Danes Sea Unit is a Drakkar.

Cards

• 24 Season cards: 6x Spring, 6x Summer, 6x Autumn, 6x Winter
• 16 Chronicle cards
• 10 Subversion cards
• 28 Danes cards
• 47 Lordship cards
• 12 Two-sided Ruler cards (3 per Kingdom)

Example Ruler card abilities:

• At the start of the Wessex Fyrd action, draw 1 Lordship card.
• When Coenwulf fights in an area Mercia controls, gain +1 sword in each battle round.
• On your Collection, gain +1 gold for each area you control with a Harbour.
• When Eadwald takes control of a Countryside, immediately recruit 1 Ceorl there for 1 gold.

Game Setup

There are 4 Kingdoms in the game. Each has its own assigned colour and Capital:

• East Anglia – Green, Theodford
• Mercia – Blue, Tamworthige
• Northumbria – Yellow, Eoforwic
• Wessex – Red, Wintaceaster

Each has Units in its own colour, as well as dedicated Control and Kingdom markers, Ruler cards, and a Kingdom board.

1. Place the board in the middle of the table.

2. Shuffle the decks of Lordship cards, Danes cards, and Chronicle cards, and place the decks on their designated spaces on the board. Discarded Danes and Chronicle cards are always placed at the bottom of their deck. Lordship cards are discarded face-up in a discard pile next to the board.

3. Place each player's Kingdom marker on the '0' position on the Victory track.

4. Place Dalcs and Neutral Units on the board, in the indicated areas.

5. Place the Danes Units, and the Pillage, Wound, Gold, Food, Ally, Dalc (Chronicle, Abbey) and Building markers near the board.

6. Separate the Season cards into the following decks: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. Shuffle them and place the top 3 cards from each deck face-down on their designated spaces on the board. The other cards are not used in the game, put them back into the box.

7. Place the Round marker on the first space of the Round track (marked with I).

8. Each player then takes the following items and prepares their play area:

   1. 1 Kingdom board
   2. 2 Kingdom tiles
   3. 3 Action markers
   4. 4 Control markers
   5. 5 Units of the Kingdom's colour
   6. 6. 5 Gold (any combination of markers)
   7. 1 Lordship card, keeping it face down in their player area so that the other players cannot see it
   8. 3 Chronicle cards, selecting 2 of them. The third is discarded to the bottom of the Chronicle card deck. The 2 remaining cards are placed face-down on the relevant space of the Kingdom board so that the other players cannot see them
   9. 1 of their Ruler cards and from that card chooses the King or Queen side, and places the chosen side face-up. The remaining Rulers cards are placed under the chosen Ruler card

   For more randomness and realism on which Ruler you begin with, use the optional RANDOMISED RULERS rule (see page 30).

9. Each player places in their Capital: 1 Ruler (King or Queen as appropriate), 1 Ealdorman, 1 Thegn, 1 Ceorl, 1 Control marker, 1 Food marker.

10. Randomly determine who will be the Pretender. That player takes the Pretender marker. The Pretender determines the direction of play for the first round.

To set up the game for 2 or 3 players, see the "Playing with 2 or 3 players" section below.

If you are familiar with the game and want more variety use the optional ADVANCED SETUP rule (see the Optional Rules section).

How to Claim the Title of Bretwalda

There are 4 ways to achieve victory:

1. Instant victory: If at any point you have 8 Dalcs, you are instantly proclaimed the Bretwalda.
2. End of Season: If at the end of any Season you possess 7 Dalcs, you are proclaimed the Bretwalda.
3. Player Elimination: If, at the end of a Season, any player has removed their last Ruler card (all their Rulers have been slain) the game ends. If you have the highest number of Dalcs among the remaining players, you are proclaimed the Bretwalda (however, a player who has removed their last Ruler card cannot be proclaimed the Bretwalda).
4. End of game: If no one has won by the end of Round XII, the game ends. If you have the highest number of Dalcs, you are proclaimed the Bretwalda.

If 2 or more players meet the victory conditions, the victor is the Kingdom that – in priority order – has the most:

1. Controlled Land areas
2. Capitals
3. Areas with Cities
4. Food in areas they control
5. Gold in their supply

In the highly unlikely situation that there is still a tie, the title of Bretwalda is shared.

Core Game Concepts

Area types

There are 2 different types of areas in the game: Land and Sea.

• City: A City is a type of Land area. It has a shield under the area's name.
• Countryside: A Countryside is a type of Land area. It does not have a shield.
• Capital: A Capital is a City with a shield in one of the Kingdom colours.
• Island: There are 2 Islands in the game: Man and Wiht. These are treated like a Countryside for all purposes. Land Units can move to and from an Island via Sea transport.
• Sea: There are 5 Seas in the game: Nor Sea, Thaemese Sea, Suth Sea, Seafern Sea and Eire Sea. Each features a Ship symbol. Seas are separated by a thick blue border.
• Harbour: A Harbour is not a specific area, but exists within a City, Capital or Countryside.

There is no maximum number of Units per area. Food and Gold symbols in Land areas tell you if those Land areas produce Food and/or Gold, and how much.

Chronicle cards

Chronicle cards are secret objectives you fulfil to obtain Dalcs. They represent the achievement of goals worthy of the chronicles of Anglo-Saxon Britain. Each card shows artwork, the name of the card, and the condition that must be met in order to complete this card.

You complete a Chronicle card by fulfilling the required conditions printed on it. This can happen at any point in the game. You can complete a maximum of 2 Chronicle cards in the game. When you complete a Chronicle card, reveal it and announce it has been completed, then put it in the box, it won't be used in the game anymore. Place a Dalc on your Kingdom board, and move your Kingdom marker up by 1 space on the Victory track. Then draw 1 Chronicle card to have 2 in your hand.

Once the second Chronicle is completed, any remaining Chronicle cards in your hand are discarded to the bottom of the Chronicle cards deck and no more cards are drawn.

You can never hold more than 2 Chronicle cards in your hand.

Control

Control shows the geographic spread of your Kingdom. You control any area that contains one of your Control markers. These are placed by moving your Land Units into areas that do not have one of your Control markers (after winning any battles in those areas).

Dalcs

Dalcs are a type of Anglo-Saxon brooch, recognised as symbols of wealth, influence, and power. In the game they are equivalent to victory points: your claim to the title of Bretwalda is measured by the number of Dalcs you have. There are several Dalc patterns in the game. The differences are aesthetic only.

Dalcs are gained from:

• Controlling the central area on the board (Hamptum)
• Controlling other areas with Dalcs on the board
• Completing Chronicle cards
• Controlling 3+ Abbeys

Food and Gold

Food and Gold are the essential commodities required to run your Kingdom. Food represents livestock, dairy products, bread, and crops. It is used to feed your Units. Gold is required to recruit or upgrade Units, place Buildings, and bribe Neutral Units and Danes. Both commodities are most commonly obtained through the Collection action. Both may be traded with other players.

Kingdoms

There are 4 Kingdoms in the game: East Anglia (East Engle), Mercia (Mierce), Northumbria (Nordhymbra), Wessex (West Seaxe). These were the largest of the 7 kingdoms that made up the Heptarchy in the period Bretwalda covers.

Kingdom tiles and Buildings

Both Kingdom tiles and Buildings are placed as part of the Development action.

Kingdom tiles represent the military, religious and bureaucratic development of your Kingdom. In game terms, they provide boosts to actions and combat.

Buildings represent important physical structures that further support the spiritual and economic growth of your land. There are four different types of Building, represented by markers that are placed in the area where they are built.

Lordship cards

Lordship cards represent good fortune and the tactical, political or economic strength of your Kingdom's Ruler and court. They are kept secret, and can be played at various points during a round, as set out on the card. Each card has a unique effect. Alternatively, each card can be used to add 1 Gold to a Development or Fyrd action, or add 1 additional wound in a battle. Lordship cards are placed in the discard pile after use.

At the end of their turn, each player discards the number of Lordship cards in their hand down to 8.

Each card shows: the name of the card; artwork; when you can play the card; the card effect (the unique effect of that card); that you may discard any number of Lordship cards to add 1 Gold to Development/Fyrd for each card you discard; and the "For the King!" (or "For the Queen!") effect – after rolling the dice during a battle, you may discard Lordship cards to add 1 sword symbol per each card discarded, up to the number of Units you have in the battle.

Negotiation and exchange between players

The period of history covered in this game was one of intrigue, diplomacy, alliance building and betrayal. Reflecting this, you are encouraged to engage in negotiations, make deals and form alliances. Indeed, doing so is generally a prerequisite for victory.

Such negotiations may just be a verbal agreement or they may involve the swapping or purchase of Food or Gold. Negotiations and exchanges can occur at any point. Note that there are no rules around promises being binding.

Example: Just prior to the Bid for Influence in the Summer Season, Northumbria gives East Anglia 2 Gold to help East Anglia win the bid. In return, Northumbria requests that East Anglia will not land the Danes in any area it controls. East Anglia wins the bid but reneges on the deal, landing the Danes in a Northumbria-controlled area.

Opposing and Neutral Units

An opposing Unit is any Unit you do not control, including Neutral and Danes Units. Neutral and Danes Units oppose each other.

Pretender

The Pretender is the player that is currently in the 'lead' in the game, as measured by their position on the Victory track (number of Dalcs they possess), or other determinants in the case of a tie. The Pretender may change each round. Being the Pretender brings several benefits:

• You are the first player.
• When you become a Pretender, you determine the direction of play for the following round (clockwise or anti-clockwise).
• You determine who wins tie-breaks during the Bid for Influence.
• At the beginning of each Season you may take 1 Gold (as tribute) from an opponent.

Rulers

A Kingdom is ruled by a King or Queen, known as a Ruler. A Ruler is a Unit with individual attributes and a special ability. Each Kingdom has 6 unique Rulers. If a Ruler is slain, its card is removed from the game and another Ruler is selected from the remaining Ruler cards. If any player loses all their Ruler cards, the game ends at the end of the Season.

Each Ruler card is two-sided, on one side is a King, and on the other side is a Queen. Each time you are required to select a new Ruler, choose from the King or Queen side of the card, and place your Ruler miniature (King or Queen as appropriate) in an area you control.

Each Ruler card shows: the name of the Ruler; the type of dice the Ruler uses in battle; the amount of Health the Ruler has; the number of movement points the Ruler has; and the special ability of the Ruler.

Example ability: As part of your action, pay 5 gold to place 1 Ceorl in the area with Gweterna.

Units

Each player controls all of the Land and Sea Units of their given colour: Green for East Anglia, Blue for Mercia, Yellow for Northumbria, and Red for Wessex. Neutral Units are White and Danes Units are Black.

Each Unit has the following stats:

• Value: The Gold (between 1 and 5) required to recruit Kingdom Units or bribe Neutral and Danes Units
• Movement: The Unit's movement points (between 1 and 3)
• Health: The number of wounds (between 1 and 3) that a Unit can receive before a Land Unit is slain or a Sea Unit is destroyed
• Battle dice: The colour of Battle dice used by the Unit: White, Beige, or Red

Land Units

• Rulers – Kings and Queens of the Kingdom. Movement, Health and Battle dice as per Ruler card.
• Ealdormen – Noblemen of the highest rank.
• Bishops – Heads of Dioceses, with great moral and spiritual authority. In a battle in which your Bishop participates, you may reroll any number of your dice once in each battle round.
• Thegns – Landholders that the King or Queen can call upon in times of war.
• Ceorls – Freemen, usually peasants.
• Vikings – Danish raiders.

Sea Units

• Ships – Anglo-Saxon vessels. Propelled by a combination of sail and oars. Each Ship may have up to 4 Land Units embarked on it.
• Drakkars – Larger Danish craft capable of transporting Viking warriors across the seas. Each Drakkar may have up to 4 Vikings embarked on it.

Text on cards and tiles

Where the text on a card or tile says something that contradicts a rule in this rulebook, the text on the card or tile takes precedence. Where the text on a card or tile does not say that you "must" do something, the effect is always optional.

Gameplay

A game of Bretwalda lasts a maximum of 12 rounds. Each round consists of 3 phases:

1. Season Phase
2. Action Phase
3. Priority Phase

After a phase is completed, you proceed to the next. After the end of the Priority Phase, you begin another round.

Season Phase

In the Season Phase you resolve a Season card and the specific Seasonal impact.

Tribute: At the beginning of this phase, the Pretender may take 1 Gold (as tribute) from an opponent.

Then the top card of the Season deck corresponding to the current round is revealed. Place it face-up on top of the deck. It remains there until the end of the next Winter, at which point all revealed Season cards are set aside.

There are 4 types of Season cards:

• Spring – Rounds I, V and IX
• Summer – Rounds II, VI and X
• Autumn – Rounds III, VII and XI
• Winter – Rounds IV, VIII and XII

The cards have effects that can impact the subsequent Action Phase (e.g. 'Red Spring' allows players to gain Gold for slaying opposing Units during a battle; another example card gives +2 Gold at the start of the Summer and Autumn seasons).

In addition to the Season card effect, each Season has a specific impact (e.g. in Summer, Danes will Raid), as explained below.

At any time during the game, you may inspect the Season cards that have been set aside.

Action Phase

In the Action Phase you take your 2 actions for the turn. This is the core of the game.

Starting with the Pretender, each player in the direction of play takes 1 action. You mark this by placing your chosen Action marker on your Kingdom board. Then each player in turn takes a second action, until all players have used 2 different actions.

You must take an action on your turn (i.e. move the chosen action marker to your Kingdom board), but you do not have to resolve the action (e.g. during a Movement action, you are not obliged to move any Units).

When all players have taken 2 actions, the Action Phase is over and all Action markers are removed from the Kingdom board.

Priority Phase

If any player has 7 Dalcs, the game ends, and that player is proclaimed the Bretwalda.

In the Priority Phase you determine the Pretender for the next round.

The Pretender for the next round is the Kingdom with the most (go to subsequent step if tied):

1. Dalcs
2. Controlled Land areas
3. Controlled Capitals
4. Controlled areas with Cities
5. Food in areas they control
6. Gold in their supply

If there is still a tie, the current Pretender decides which of the tied players becomes the Pretender.

Example: Robert, the Wessex player (red), has the most Dalcs at the start of the Priority Phase, so he takes the Pretender marker and keeps it until the start of the next Priority Phase.

The new Pretender then determines the direction of play for the next round by placing the Pretender marker on its clockwise or anticlockwise side.

Then, if there is no End of Season game winner, move the round marker on the Round track one position to the right (towards XII) and proceed to the next Season Phase.

Seasons Effects

Spring: Sowing

In Spring you may exchange a Chronicle card in your hand with one from the deck.

At the start of each Spring (except for the first Spring) you may draw 1 Chronicle card from the deck, then discard 1 Chronicle card from your hand to the bottom of the draw deck.

Summer: Danes Raids

In Summer you bid to Influence where the Danes will land and pillage.

After the Summer card is revealed, there is a Bid for Influence. The winner is the player who bids the most Gold. That player decides where the Danes will Raid.

Each bid consists of the following steps:

1. Claim Ally markers
2. Bid for Influence
3. Raid
4. Pillage

1. Claim Ally markers: Prior to the bid, take Ally markers from the supply equal to the difference on the Victory track between your Kingdom marker and the Pretender's Kingdom marker. Each marker is worth 1 Gold. You can only use them for the Summer Bid for Influence, and separately for the Autumn Bribe steps (they are discarded after each Season so markers obtained in Summer cannot be used in Autumn).

Example: As the Pretender, Robert (the Wessex player) with 2 Dalcs does not take any Ally tokens. Nicole (the Northumbrian player), and Brian (the Mercia player) have 1 less Dalc than Robert so both gain 1 Ally marker each. Emma (the East Anglia player) does not have any Dalcs. She takes 2 Ally markers.

2. Running the Bid for Influence: In the direction of play, declare the amount of Gold (including from Ally markers) you have. Then secretly choose any amount, and place it in a clenched hand over the board. When everyone is ready, simultaneously reveal the amount. If you bid the highest amount, you win. In the case of a tie, the Pretender decides who wins. You then discard to the supply any Gold used to bid (even if you did not win), and all Ally markers. The winner then performs the Raid.

3. Raid: Draw Danes cards equal to the amount of Gold you bid plus 1. Select one of these cards. Place 1 Drakkar in the Sea adjacent to the Danes landing area on the selected card.

Danes cards show: the Sea and the Land areas where the Raid occurs; the name of the Land area where the Raid occurs; and whether the card is removed for 2- or 3-player games.

Kingdom Ship present: If there is a Kingdom's Ship in that Sea (even if it belongs to the winner of the bid), a battle occurs (see Sea battles below). If the Drakkar loses the battle but is not destroyed, retreat it to an empty adjacent Sea. If the Drakkar wins the battle, it remains where it is. In either case, place Vikings equal to the amount shown on the Summer card next to the Drakkar. The Vikings do not land this Season, but may be moved and/or disembarked by any player as part of a subsequent Autumn Movement (as shown below).

If the Drakkar is destroyed in battle, or if it loses and retreat isn't possible, remove it from the board. No Vikings land.

No Kingdom Ship present: If there is no Kingdom Ship in the Sea area, place Vikings equal to the amount shown on the Summer card in the area shown on the Danes card, and resolve as follows:

• If there are no Land Units other than Vikings in that area, they Pillage (see below).
• If there are Land Units other than Vikings, a battle occurs (see Land battles below):
  • If the Vikings lose, they retreat to the Drakkar they landed from, ending the Raid. Place the surviving Vikings next to the Drakkar. They are considered embarked on it (and may be moved in Autumn as above).
  • If the Vikings win, they remain in the area and Pillage. Remove any Control marker from that area.

Then discard all the drawn cards to the bottom of the Danes cards deck.

In rare cases, they may be no Vikings in the supply to place, in this case, skip placing Vikings on the board.

4. Pillage: Danes look to sustain themselves and grow rich through the pillage of nearby areas. To reflect this, place Pillage markers in all Land areas adjacent to (not in) any area containing newly placed Vikings. These markers remain until the Vikings move or are slain.

You may not perform a Collection action in any area containing a Pillage marker.

If you want the Danes to play a more active, independent role in the game, use the INDEPENDENT DANES rule (see Optional Rules). If you prefer a more aggressive style of game, granting players greater control over the movement of Danes Units, use the optional PUPPET DANES rule (see Optional Rules). And/or if you want powerful one-off effects introduced into the game during the Summer Season, use the SUBVERSION CARDS rule (see Optional Rules).

Example: Brian (Mercia player) won the bid by bidding 4 Gold (3 Gold markers and 1 Ally marker). He and all the other players discard any Gold they bid to the general supply. All Ally markers are also discarded to the supply. Brian takes 1 Drakkar and 2 Vikings (as shown on the current Summer card), and draws 5 Danes cards (the amount of Gold he bid plus 1). He chooses the card Poclintun and places the Drakkar in the adjacent Sea area (Nor Sea). Since there are no Kingdom Ships in Nor Sea, there is no battle. The 2 Vikings land in Poclintun. Next, he discards all the drawn Danes cards to the bottom of the Danes deck. Finally, he places Pillage markers in the spaces adjacent to Poclintun as an indicator of the Danes Pillage effect.

Autumn: Bribe Neutrals and Danes

In Autumn, players may pay a bribe to move Neutral and Danes Units.

Repeat the Claim Ally markers step as per Summer. Then, in reverse direction of play – ending with the Pretender – you may either pass, or pay Gold and Ally markers to bribe one or more Neutral or Danes Units in a single area to move them to any areas up to their movement range. Bribed Units do not have to end their movement in the same area. Note that unlike Ceorls for the player Kingdoms, Neutral Ceorls can move like other Units.

After all players have either passed or made a bribe, the process begins again among the players that did not pass, and continues until all players have passed.

The cost of bribing a Unit is equal to its Value.

The movement of a bribed Unit follows the standard movement rules (see Movement below), with the following exceptions:

• If a Land Unit has been moved, it cannot be moved again (we recommend that you put it on its side as a reminder).
• Drakkars may be moved multiple times (i.e. do not put them on their side).
• You may not move Neutral or Danes Units into an area containing your own Units.
• All Neutral Units on the board are treated as one faction. This means that if a Neutral Unit moves to an area with other Neutral Units, no battle will occur.
• All Danes Units on the board are similarly treated as one faction.
• If Danes and Neutral Units are in the same space, a battle will occur.

One or more bribed Vikings may be moved onto a Drakkar in an adjacent Sea area, and as part of the same step, moved by the Drakkar. When you move a Viking onto a Drakkar use the Sea transport rules (see Movement below).

At the end of the Unit's movement, resolve a battle immediately if Danes or Neutral Units are in an Area with any opposing Units, then:

• If they are in an area without a Kingdom's Units (including after a battle), remove any Control markers and destroy any Buildings, Food or Ships in Harbour in that area; and,
• Place Pillage markers so that they are adjacent to the new location(s) of Vikings, and remove them from areas where they are no longer adjacent to Vikings.

If you want to bid to determine order of control of Danes and Neutral Units, use the AUTUMN BID FOR INFLUENCE rule (see Optional Rules).

Example: It's Nicole's (the Northumbrian player) turn to bribe. She pays 8 Gold and 1 Ally marker to move the 2 Vikings (for 6 Gold) from the area adjacent to her Capital onto a Drakkar in the adjacent Sea. She removes the Pillage markers from the board. Then as part of the same step she uses Sea transport (for 3 Gold) to move the Vikings from the Drakkar to the area with a Neutral Ealdorman and Ceorl. Due to the rule Danes and Neutral Units in battle, all Units in the area are slain.

Winter: Feeding the Army

In Winter, there is no Food collection. Each player must feed their Units.

During the Winter season, you cannot collect Food through the Collection action.

When the Winter card is revealed, you must apply the penalty effect on that card and discard the indicated amount of Food. Then, each non-Ruler Land Unit must consume 1 Food. It is not necessary for the Unit to be in the same area as the Food: you may spend Food from any area you control to meet the requirement, or you may receive / buy Food from other players. If you do not have sufficient Food, remove non-Ruler Land Units from the board to your supply: 1 Unit (of any type) per each missing Food.

Actions

Development

The Development action allows you to place Kingdom tiles and Buildings.

Kingdom tiles: When you perform a Development action, you may place a single Kingdom tile on your Kingdom board. Kingdom tiles take effect immediately upon being placed on your board. There are 4 types of Kingdom tiles, colour-coded to the 4 types of actions (Development – green; Collection – yellow; Fyrd – blue; Movement – red). Each Kingdom may only have a maximum of 2 of each type of tile.

Example: Nicole takes the Development action. She places the chosen Kingdom tile in the space with the corresponding colour on her Kingdom board.

Buildings: When you perform a Development action, you may also pay 3 Gold and place 1 available Building from the general supply in an area you control. Each Building has restrictions on where it can be placed. Additionally, there is a limit of 1 Building per area, with the exception of your Capital, where there can be up to 2 Buildings, however these may not be of the same type. You may only purchase 1 Building per Development action.

You may discard Lordship cards to generate extra Gold to spend on building. Each Lordship card that you discard will provide you with 1 Gold, which must be spent immediately.

Example: It's Nicole's Development action. After placing a Kingdom tile, she now wants to place a Building. She pays 3 Gold for an Abbey. She places it in Hagustaldes.

Buildings

• Abbey — Requirement: May only be placed in a Countryside area. Effect: When you perform a Collection action in an area with an Abbey, you gain 1 extra Gold from that area (even if that area does not have a Gold symbol). If you control 3+ Abbeys you gain 1 Dalc. Exception: Northumbria gains 1 Dalc for controlling 3 to 5 Abbeys, and 2 Dalcs for controlling 6+ Abbeys.
• Granary — Requirement: May only be placed in an area with a Food symbol. Effect: When you perform a Collection action in an area with a Granary, you place 1 extra Food in that area.
• Port — Requirement: May only be placed in an area with a Harbour symbol. Effect: At any point during your action turn or any Season phase you may exchange Food or Gold with the general supply at the rate of 1 Food for 2 Gold, or 2 Gold for 1 Food. You can do this once per phase for each Port you control. Place any Food marker acquired in this way in the area with Port.
• Mead Hall — Requirement: May only be placed in a City area. Effect: During your Fyrd action draw a Lordship card for free for each Mead Hall you control. You may then purchase any number of Lordship cards for 2 Gold each.

Collection

The Collection action allows you to collect Gold and harvest Food.

Collect Gold and Food from areas you control that contain one or more of your Land Units, and no Pillage markers. Do this by taking Gold markers equal to the sum of the numbers on the Gold symbols in those areas and add them to your supply. Then place 1 Food marker on each of your areas containing the Food symbol. Remember to factor in the effect of abilities, Buildings, or other types of bonuses when collecting, and that you cannot collect Food in Winter.

If you collect additional Food during a Collection action (e.g. from a card effect), always place that Food in the areas where you collect Food.

Example: Nicole (the Northumbrian player) takes the Collection action. She can only collect in areas with her Land Units, so she takes 6 Gold to her supply (5 from areas, and 1 extra because she controls an Abbey), and she places 1 Food in her Capital.

Fyrd

The Fyrd action allows you to recruit or upgrade a Land Unit in a City, and a Ship in a Harbour.

Design note: The word 'Fyrd' in Old English means armed mobilisation of the population in times of danger.

Recruit: You may place a recruited Land Unit in a single City you control. You may also place a recruited Ship in a Harbour you control, or in a Sea area adjacent to a Harbour you control. You may not place a Ship in the Sea area if it contains an opposing Ship or Drakkar. Pay the recruited Units' Value in Gold to the general supply.

Upgrade: You may upgrade a Land Unit in a single City you control. To do so, swap a Ceorl for a Thegn from your supply, or a Thegn for an Ealdorman from your supply. Pay 2 Gold to the general supply.

You may discard Lordship cards to generate extra Gold when spending on recruit / upgrade. Each Lordship card that you discard will provide you with 1 Gold, which must be spent immediately. When taking the Fyrd action, you may only recruit or upgrade 1 Land Unit in a single City. If that City is your Capital, you may recruit and/or upgrade up to 2 Land Units, but you may not upgrade the same Unit twice. If there is a Harbour within the area where you are recruiting Units, you may recruit a Ship in addition to the Land Unit(s).

The number of Units is limited. If you wish to recruit or upgrade a specific type of Unit and you do not have it in your supply, you may remove a Unit of the desired type from the game map and place it in the supply for the purpose of recruiting or upgrading it as part of the same Fyrd action. Note: You may only remove Units from the map this way if you have no matching Units in the supply. You may not do this instead of taking them from the supply.

Draw / purchase Lordship cards: If you control at least 1 Mead Hall: after you have finished recruiting / upgrading, draw 1 Lordship card for free for every Mead Hall that you control and then purchase any number of Lordship cards for 2 Gold each.

Example: Brian takes the Fyrd action. He pays 3 Gold to recruit 1 Thegn in Mameceaster. As Mameceaster is not a Capital he cannot recruit / upgrade a second Land Unit there. He could also recruit a Ship in Legaceaster or the adjacent Sea as that is an area he controls with a Harbour, but he chooses not to. So this ends the recruit / upgrade step. Then, as he controls a Mead Hall, he draws a Lordship card for free, and pays another 2 Gold to draw a second Lordship card.

Movement

The Movement action allows you to move your Units, and then battle with opposing Units.

With a Movement action you may move your Land Units and Ships. Ceorls may not move (unless you have developed the 'Ceorl Leaders' Kingdom tile). Each Unit moves individually.

All Units have movement points. The cost of movement varies depending on the type of border that must be crossed to move into an adjacent area:

Land movement cost:

• via a Roman road
• via the Wilderness
• via the Wetlands: no passage allowed

Sea movement cost:

• via a Sea border
• from a Harbour to the Sea, and from the Sea to a Harbour: no cost

If any of your Land Units enter an area that contains opposing Units, they end their movement. After all Units that you want to move have moved, resolve battles in any areas containing opposing Units. You determine the order of resolution.

If any of your Land Units ends its movement in an area free of opposing Units, or win a subsequent battle in that area, place a Control marker there (removing any opposing Control marker).

If you take control of an area with Buildings and/or Food markers, you may gain control of them or destroy them.

If you take control of a Land area with opposing Ships in a Harbour in that area, you may convert the Ships into your own Ships, or destroy them.

A Unit may not be moved twice as part of the same action by playing a relevant Lordship card (e.g. Reinforcements), unless the card says otherwise.

Example: Brian (Mercia) takes the Movement action. He moves his Ruler to the north to Caerleol via 2 Roman roads (this costs his Ruler his full 2 movement points, so he ends his movement there). As part of the same action he moves his Ealdorman and 2 Thegns one-by-one east into Loidis. Since Loidis contains an opposing Unit (a Thegn belonging to Nicole) this ends the movement of these Units. After all Units he wants to move have been moved, he places a Control marker in Caerleol, and resolves the battle in Loidis.

Sea transport: It is possible to embark Land Units on your Ships (and Vikings on Drakkars – see Autumn Season rules above) and move them by Sea to other Seas and Land areas. To do so, your Land Unit must be in an area adjacent to a Sea that contains one of your Ships. To embark a Land Unit on a Ship, that Land Unit must spend all its remaining movement points. Each Ship may have up to 4 Land Units embarked on it.

You may then, as part of the same movement action, move the Ship to a new Sea area, or leave it in the same Sea. Then, still as part of the same movement action, disembark the Land Units on the Ship to 1 or more adjacent Land areas. For each Land area where you disembark at least 1 Unit, you pay 1 of the Ship's movement points. (In summary: disembarking Land Units uses the Ship's movement points, not the Land Unit's. Land Units use up all their movement points upon embarking on a Ship).

Alternatively, you may leave your Land Units on the Ship between rounds. They can be moved as part of a new movement action in a subsequent round. If so, place the Units next to the Ship as a reminder.

Example: Emma (East Anglia) takes a Movement action. She moves her Ruler and a Thegn on her Ship, which costs all of their movement points and ends their movement. Next, she disembarks her King at Rofaesceaster and the Thegn to Hestingas. This uses the Ship's 2 movement points. (If both Units had disembarked to the same Land area it would only use 1 of the Ship's movement points.) She then places Control markers in the 2 areas where her Land Units disembarked.

Battles

Whenever opposing Units are in an area, a battle ensues. The Units that moved to the area are the attackers. Opposing Units that were already in the area are the defenders.

Land battles

A Land battle lasts a maximum of 2 battle rounds. It follows this battle sequence:

1. Play Lordship cards ("before", "during" or "after" the battle)
2. Roll Battle dice
3. Play Lordship cards for the For the King! effect
4. Assign wounds
5. Declare retreats
6. Determine winner (if no winner, repeat from step 1 for one more round)
7. Draw a Lordship card

1. Play Lordship cards: The outcome of a battle can be influenced by playing Lordship cards. These can be played either "before", "during" or "after" a battle (the text on the card will say when). Note: this is in addition to playing other Lordship cards for their For the King! effect, as discussed in step 3 below.

"Before" applies prior to the Roll Battle dice (step 2) in the first battle round. "During" applies at the relevant point during the battle (between steps 1 to 3). "After" applies after Determine winner (step 6).

In each of these 3 periods ("before", "during" or "after"), the attacker may play a relevant Lordship card, after which the defender may do the same. This alternates until both players consecutively pass. All played Lordship cards are placed in the discard pile.

2. Roll Battle dice: At the start of each battle round, roll 1 die of the colour relevant for each Unit in that battle. If you are defending a City, roll 1 additional grey die. If you are defending your Capital, roll 2 additional grey dice.

The attacker and defender roll their dice simultaneously.*

*If you have a Bishop Unit in the battle: after rolling the dice but before playing Lordship cards for the For the King! effect you may reroll any number of your dice once.

Types and outcome distribution of Battle dice: White, Beige, Red, Grey.

The symbols on the dice represent:

• Sword: opposing Unit(s) takes 1 wound
• Shield: your Unit(s) blocks 1 wound
• Flip: some game effects contain the word "flip": this allows you to flip a rolled die to its opposite side.

3. Play Lordship cards for the For the King! effect: The attacker plays all the Lordship cards they wish to for this effect, followed by the defender. For each card played, add 1 Sword to your total. All played Lordship cards are placed in the discard pile after assigning wounds (step 4). The maximum number of cards you can play is equal to the number of Units you have participating in the battle.

4. Assign wounds: After both players have played any Lordship cards for the For the King! effect, total the number of Swords on your dice and on the Lordship cards. Then subtract 1 from that total for each Shield on your opponent's dice.

The total amount left is the number of wounds that your opponent must assign to their Units in this battle round.

When a Unit has received wounds equal to its Health, it is slain and placed back into the supply. Wounds persist between the first and second battle rounds. Wound markers are assigned to Units to track this. The markers are removed at the end of the battle.

When assigning wounds, you must:

• Assign wounds to a Unit that is already wounded until it is slain, before assigning wounds to another Unit; AND
• Wounds must be assigned so that all Units of one type are slain before wounds are applied to the next type of Unit.

The priority order for assigning wounds is: a) Ceorls b) Thegns c) Bishop d) Ealdormen e) Ruler

Design note: Effectively the Ruler is considered to be in the rear during the battle and so the last Unit that will be targeted.

Ruler slain: If a Ruler is slain, the current Ruler card is removed from the game. If this does not cause the Player Elimination game-end condition, choose another Ruler card at the start of the next Season (prior to the Season card being revealed) and place your selected Ruler from that card (the King or Queen) in any area you control.

Design note: We recommend placing a slain Ruler on top of, or next to, the next Season's card, to remind you that you have to place it on the board before the Season card is revealed.

5. Declare retreats: At the end of the first battle round, the attacker may declare a retreat. If the attacker does not retreat, the defender may then declare a retreat. After the second battle round, the loser must always retreat.

• Attacker retreats: Move all your Units back to the area they entered from. If your Units moved into battle from more than one area, all Units must retreat to one of these areas (they may not be split up). In the unlikely event the area of origin is now occupied by opposing Units, retreat your Units to any adjacent area you control. If no such area exists, the Units must retreat to a Ship in an adjacent Sea. If that is not possible, the Units are slain and must be removed from the board.
• Defender retreats: Move all your Units to an adjacent area you control (they may not be split up). If no such area exists, the Units must Retreat to an empty adjacent area (without opposing Units or Control markers) or to a Ship in an adjacent Sea. If that is not possible, the Units are slain and must be removed from the board.

6. Determine the winner: The winner is determined as follows:

• If you are the only side with Units remaining in the area (i.e. not slain or retreated) you win the battle.
• If both sides have Units remaining after step 5 of the first battle round, a second battle round is conducted (return to step 1 of battle sequence).
• If it is the end of the second battle round and both sides have Units remaining, or neither side has Units remaining (i.e. all Units from both sides were slain), in the contested area, the defender is the winner.

Once a winner is determined:

• The loser must retreat any Units that remain (as described in step 5).
• Remove any wound markers.
• If the defender loses and it is a player Kingdom, remove its Control marker. Place a Control marker of the attacker if it's a player Kingdom.

7. Draw Lordship cards: Once the battle is over, both sides draw 1 Lordship card. If, after a battle, you draw a Lordship card that may be played 'After a battle', you cannot use it for its effect on the battle that has just been resolved.

Example: Brian (Mercia) is attacking Nicole (Northumbria). Brian does not play any "before" Lordship cards. Nicole does, playing the card 'Reinforcements'. This allows her to move her Ruler to the battle area. Next, both players roll their Battle dice. Nicole gains 1 additional sword due to her Ruler's special ability. Nicole is currently dealing 3 wounds to Brian (5 swords minus 2 shields), and Brian is dealing 3 wounds back (4 swords minus 1 shield). Brian does not want to risk the outcome of a second battle round, so plays 2 of his Lordship cards for their For the King! effect, and adds 2 additional swords. Nicole must now assign 5 wounds to her Units. Nicole does not have any Lordship cards to play in response. The 5 wounds she has received are sufficient to eliminate all her Units (including her Ruler). She removes the Units and her Control marker from the area. Brian has 3 wounds to assign. Following the priority order, Brian must assign wounds first to his Thegns. One Thegn receives 2 wounds and is slain. The remaining 1 wound is not enough to slay his other Thegn and so is placed, but removed at the end of the battle. Brian places a Mercia Control marker in the area. Both players then draw 1 Lordship card from the deck.

Hadrian's Wall and Offa's Dyke: There are 2 fortifications on the board that add 1 grey die to the defenders in a battle: Hadrian's Wall and Offa's Dyke. Hadrian's Wall protects northern areas from the Picts. Offa's Dyke protects Mercia's west border from the Welsh. A defender on the south side of Hadrian's Wall or the eastern side of Offa's Dyke gains an extra grey die if they are attacked by Units moving from the north (Hadrian's Wall) or from the west (Offa's Dyke).

IMPORTANT: If Units attack from multiple areas and any of those Units attack through the Wall or Dyke, the defender always gains the extra grey die.

Example: A Pict (Neutral Unit) Thegn is attacking from the north. Since it is attacking through Hadrian's Wall, the Mercian King (Blue) gains 1 additional grey die during the battle. As the Mercian King is defending in a City, he receives a second grey bonus die (City bonus).

Sea battles

A Sea battle follows the same sequence as a Land battle, with the following variations:

1. Sea Units may retreat to an adjacent Sea area that does not contain an opposing Sea Unit.
2. Ships may retreat to a Harbour in the same Sea area if it is under the retreating player's control.
3. Embarked Land Units do not affect the course of a Sea battle. If a Sea Unit is destroyed, the Units it is transporting are slain.
4. Ships in a Harbour cannot be attacked (although remember that if you lose control of a Land area with Ships in a Harbour in that area, you also lose those Ships).

Danes and Neutral Units in battle

If Danes or Neutral Units are in battle against a Kingdom's Units, follow the same rules as above, with the player clockwise to the participating player controlling the Danes or Neutral Units. The Kingdom player may play Lordship cards as normal during the battle. The player controlling the Danes or Neutral Units may not play Lordship cards, and does not draw Lordship cards at the end of the battle.

If the battle involves Danes attacking Neutral Units, or vice-versa, do not follow the battle sequence set out above. Instead, the attacking player slays Neutral Units whose total value (see Core Game Concepts: Units above) is less than or equal to the total value of the Danish Units and simultaneously slays Danish Units using the same method. If multiple outcomes are possible, the attacking player determines which Units from each side are slain.

If Units from both sides remain after the first battle round, the attacking Units must retreat to the area they came from.

Example: During Autumn, Nicole moves 2 Vikings to an area with a Neutral Ealdorman and Ceorl. The 2 Danes have a total Value of 6 (3+3), as do the Ealdorman and the Ceorl (5+1), so all 4 Units are slain.

If you would prefer a less deterministic outcome, use the optional VIKINGS VS NEUTRALS BATTLES rule (see Optional Rules).

Playing with 2 or 3 Players

In games of less than 4 players there will be one or more unused Kingdoms. These are called 'non-player Kingdoms'. Setup and gameplay is the same as for 4 players, except:

1. All non-player Kingdom starting areas are out of play for the duration of the game. No Unit may enter these areas during play. Place the Control markers of the non-player Kingdoms on these areas as a reminder that these areas cannot be entered.
2. Do not place any Dalcs indicated by a colour of a non-player Kingdom, e.g. If Northumbria is out of play do not place Dalcs indicated by the yellow circle with the red symbol.
3. During setup, remove all Danes cards from the Danes deck that have the Kingdom symbol of the Kingdoms not in play, e.g. if the Kingdom of Mercia is not in play, remove all Danes cards indicated with the Mercia symbol at the bottom of the cards.

A 2 to 3 player game may be played with the optional ADVANCED SETUP rule (see Optional Rules). Apply that rule but only using the in-play areas.

Solitaire Play

There are 3 solitaire modes: BEGINNER, ADVANCED and LEGENDARY.

The victory condition in all 3 modes is to control all 13 areas with Dalcs before the end of the game (the end of the XII Round).

The Beginner mode uses a fixed setup. It is suitable for learning the game. Advanced and Legendary modes use variable setups and have restrictions on bribing Neutrals and Danes.

Beginner

Setup

• Set up as normal, but do not set up the Chronicle cards, Pretender marker, Ally markers, and non-player Kingdom markers. These are not used in the game.
• Place Dalcs and Neutral Units on the map as shown in the rulebook diagram.
• Set up as the Mercia player, placing a Ruler, Ealdorman, Thegn, Ceorl and Control marker in the Mercia Capital area (Tamworthige) – this is indicated in the image by a blue frame.
• Place an Ealdorman, Thegn, Ceorl, and Control marker of each of the other 3 non-player Kingdoms in their Kingdoms' Capital area. Do not set up their player areas.

Gameplay

• In Summer there is no Bid for Influence. You must decide how many Danes cards you wish to draw. You get the first card for free, but each next card costs 1 Gold. First, you must decide how many cards you want to draw (one or more), discard Gold into the supply (if you want to draw more than one card), and then draw Danes cards. Then choose the area where Danes perform their Raid based on the cards drawn, and discard remaining cards to the bottom of the Danes card deck. If you do not discard any Gold, draw the top Danes card and perform a Raid.
• In Autumn you may bribe Neutral or Danes Units to move as per the standard rules, but not Units from the other non-player Kingdoms.
• In all other ways, treat the Units of other Kingdoms as Neutral Units.

Advanced

Setup

• Set up as normal, but do not set up the Chronicle cards, Pretender marker, Ally markers, and non-player Kingdom markers. These are not used in the game.
• Set up as any Kingdom, placing a Ruler, Ealdorman, Thegn and Ceorl in that Kingdom's Capital area.
• Place an Ealdorman, Thegn and Ceorl of each of the other 3 non-player Kingdoms in their Kingdom's Capital area. Do not set up their player areas.
• Place a Dalc on the designated space outlined in Hamptun. Then place 12 more Dalcs on the board, following these criteria:
  • There can be only 1 Dalc per area.
  • You cannot place a Dalc in your Capital area.
  • Dalcs may not be placed in adjacent areas (with the exception of the central area, Hamptun: any Dalcs can be placed adjacent to it, provided that they are not adjacent to any other area containing a Dalc).
• Place 4x Neutral Ealdormen, 8x Neutral Thegns and 8x Neutral Ceorls on the board, following these criteria:
  • They can only be placed in areas with Dalcs.
  • They cannot be placed in any Capital (including non-player Kingdom Capitals).
  • The combined Value of Units in any area cannot exceed 9 (counted in Value of Units: 1x Ceorl = 1, 1x Thegn = 3, 1x Ealdorman = 5).

Gameplay

• The same rules apply as with Beginner mode. In addition, you cannot bribe Neutral and Danes Units in Autumn.

Legendary

Setup

• As with Advanced mode.

Gameplay

• The same rules apply as with Advanced mode. In addition, you cannot discard Gold to draw Danes cards during Summer. Instead just draw the top Danes card and perform a Raid on the area indicated on that card.

Optional Rules

The following optional rules are modular. You can pick and mix which ones to use unless otherwise instructed.

Advanced Setup

This rule allows you to determine the location of Dalcs and Neutral Units as part of the setup. This provides extended replayability and variety for each game. It is recommended for experienced players of the game.

How to play: This rule has no impact on the gameplay mechanics, but changes the setup rules, as follows:

1. Place a Dalc on the designated space outlined in Hamptun. Then each player takes 3 Dalcs, 1 Neutral Ealdorman, 2 Neutral Thegns and 2 Neutral Ceorls.
2. Randomly determine the Pretender. The Pretender determines the direction of play for setup (clockwise or anticlockwise). Then, starting with the Pretender and following the direction of play, each player places all 3 of their Dalcs in any Land area (including Capitals) according to the following restrictions: a) There can be only 1 Dalc per area. b) Where possible, the Dalcs should be placed in non-adjacent areas (with the exception of the central area, Hamptun: any Dalcs can be placed adjacent to it, provided that they are not adjacent to any other area containing a Dalc).
3. Once all the Dalcs are placed, each player in the direction of play places all their Neutral Units in any Land areas, with the following restrictions: a) They cannot be placed in a Capital area. b) The combined Value of Units in any area cannot exceed 9 Gold (counted in the Value of Units: Ceorl = 1, Thegn = 3, Ealdorman = 5).
4. After all Dalcs and Units have been placed, each player chooses their player Kingdoms, starting with the Pretender and continuing according to the direction of play.

Then set up the rest of the game as normal.

Independent Danes

This rule makes the movement of the Danes independent, and hence more unpredictable. It is recommended if you want the Danes to be more active in the game.

How to play: You do not Bid for Influence in Summer. Instead, at the start of each Summer Season, refer to the Summer Season card to see how many Vikings will arrive. Then draw the top card of the Danes deck and place the Drakkar and Vikings in the area indicated by that card, resolving any battles with Neutral or Kingdom Units as per the standard Raid rules.

At the start of each following Season* except Winter, the Pretender draws the top card from the Danes deck and moves a Drakkar and any Vikings in Land areas adjacent to the Drakkar to the new area indicated on the Danes card; they Raid this area. If there is more than 1 Drakkar on the board, the player with the least Dalcs decides (Pretender decides who wins ties in Dalcs) which Drakkar (and adjacent Vikings) moves.

Remember: place Pillage markers adjacent to any Land area with a Viking.

* This means that you may draw 2 Danes cards at the start of Summer, one to determine where Danes Units already on the board (if any) will move to, and the other to determine where the new Danes Units will arrive.

If there is no Drakkar on the board (i.e. it was destroyed in an earlier Season), skip this step.

During Autumn, after having randomly moved a Drakkar following the above procedure, you may bribe Danes and Neutral Units as normal.

Note: INDEPENDENT DANES cannot be played with the PUPPET DANES or SUBVERSION CARDS optional rules.

Puppet Danes

This rule allows players to decide where the Danes land, rather than landing them based on the drawn Danes cards. It is recommended if you want a more aggressive style of play.

How to play: Apply the standard Summer Raids rule, except the winner of the Bid for Influence does not draw any Danes cards. Instead they place 1 Drakkar in any Sea area. If there is a player's Ship in a Sea where a Drakkar is deployed, a Sea battle immediately takes place (as per the standard rules). If there is no Sea battle and the Danes are able to land, place the number of Vikings as set out on the Summer Season card into any one Land area adjacent to the just deployed Drakkar. If there are any Units other than Vikings there, a battle immediately takes place.

During Autumn you may pay to move Danes and Neutral Units as normal.

Note: PUPPET DANES cannot be played with the INDEPENDENT DANES optional rule.

Subversion Cards

This rule allows players to bid to win a powerful Subversion card. It is recommended if you want one-off, powerful effects introduced into the game.

Each Subversion card shows the name of the card and the effect of the card.

How to play: As part of the setup, shuffle the Subversion cards and place 3 of them face-down by the side of the board. The remaining cards are not used in the game.

Apply the standard Summer Bid for Influence rule, but the winner of the bid takes the top card of the Subversion deck, and then decides whether to resolve the effect of the Subversion card OR draw Danes cards up to the amount of Gold bid plus 1 (as per the standard rules). If the winner decides to resolve the Subversion card, resolve it, then draw the top card from the Danes deck and place the Danes as per the standard Raid rules. If the winner decides to perform the Raid, discard the Subversion card. Some Subversion cards may cause Danes not to be placed on the board.

Note: SUBVERSION CARDS cannot be played with the INDEPENDENT DANES optional rule.

Autumn Bid for Influence

This rule repeats the Summer Bid for Influence process for the Autumn Bribe Neutrals and Danes step. It is recommended for players that enjoy bidding.

How to play: After the Autumn card is revealed, there is a Bid for Influence. This is conducted in the same way as the Summer Bid for Influence. All players who bid get to move Neutral and Danes Units. The amount of Gold you bid (including Ally markers) equals the Value of Units you can move. If you bid the most, you move all of your chosen Units first. If you bid the second-most, you go next, and so forth. Neutrals and Danes' Autumn movement is the same as per the standard rules.

Randomised Rulers

This rule randomises which Ruler you draw at setup and when your Ruler is slain. It introduces slightly more randomness and realism to the game (after all, historically a Kingdom didn't get to decide the nature and ability of its rulers before they were born).

How to play: When drawing a Ruler for your Kingdom, randomly shuffle and flip your available rulers, then draw the top one from the deck.

Vikings vs Neutrals Battles

The rule allows players to mimic the normal battle sequence for a battle between Neutral and Danes Units following Autumn movement. It is less deterministic than the standard rule, but takes more time to resolve.

How to play: Resolve a Viking vs Neutral Unit battle as per a standard player battle rules, with the player clockwise of the attacking player taking control of the defending Units. No Lordship cards may be played by either player. The players decide if the Units they control will retreat after the first battle round, and to where. Likewise they determine where losing Units will retreat at the end of the battle, if any remain. These Units must retreat together and may not retreat into any area with Units of any other faction, or Control markers. If no such area exists, they are slain. Neither the winner nor the loser draw Lordship cards at the end of the battle.

Kingdom Abilities

East Engle (East Anglia) – Land of Wheat & Grain

The Kingdom of East Anglia lies on a vast plain in the east of the island, surrounded by the sea. It is the most fertile region in England and is rarely short of food.

Place 1 additional Food marker in any area you control when you perform the Collection action (Winter rules apply).

Nordhymbra (Northumbria) – Realm of the Saints

The Kingdom of Northumbria is the northernmost of the Seven Kingdoms. Subject to raiding from the Picts, it is led by devout Christian kings, and home to monks and the nearby monastery on Lindisfarne.

Gain a second Dalc if you control 6 or more Abbeys.

Mierce (Mercia) – Brothers in Arms

The Kingdom of Mercia is located in the interior of the island, bordering the Welsh kingdoms of the Britons. The people of this land, used to war, are always ready to take up arms.

You may recruit 1 additional Land Unit in the same area when you take the Fyrd action.

West Seaxe (Wessex) – A Martial Tradition

The Kingdom of Wessex is the southernmost region of the island, where the ways of the Romans are still remembered. The rulers of this Kingdom are known for their wisdom and cunning.

After a battle, draw 2 Lordship cards, then discard 1.

Credits

Designer: Lew Sołowiej Art: Lew Sołowiej Lead Developer: Mariusz Rosik DTP: Krzysztof Klemiński, Katarzyna Jasińska Production: Agata Jurczyszyn Gamefound Coordinator: Adrian Turzański Editor: James Buckley Proofreading: Rijnyr van Putten, David Martin, Mikolaj Sobocinski, Srdjan Jovanovski, Andy Down Playtesters: Ola Brzyska, Jan Brzyski, Neil Bunker, Ben Ell, Peter Faling, Diarmuid Farrelly, Waldemar Gumienny, Bartłomiej Jędrzejewski, Agata Jurczyszyn, Maciej Krasuń, Marcin Kryślak, Magdalena Łaska, Horacy Muszyński, Filip Olejniczak, Igor Patynek, Mariusz Promis, Joanna Rosik, Bartosz Rudkowski, Cyprian Sala, Adrian Turzański, Jędrzej Wiński, Joanna Witt.

With special thanks to Tomasz Dobosz.

Published by PHALANX LTD, Ealing Cross, 1st Floor, London W5 5TH, United Kingdom.