Vici

Vici Rulebook

Table of Contents

Game Contents

Vici contains the following components:

1 7 by 5 Game Board
1 Shared Stockpile Mat
2 Stockpile Mats
14 Pieces: 6 Footmen, 4 Spearmen, 2 Bowmen, and 2 Horsemen
6 Battle Dice
9 Vici Tokens

Game Objectives

To win the game, a player must accomplish one of the following objectives:

Earn 3 more Vici Tokens than your opponent. For example, a player earning 4 Vici Tokens would win if the opponent only has one Vici Token. If either player earns 5 Vici Tokens, that player wins the game immediately (see Conquering the Opponent's Camp).
Cause an opponent to be unable to make at least one move (see Movement).

Setting up the Playing Area

Place the game board on a table between two players. The first row of spaces on the board designates each player's Camp. Place each Stockpile Mat on the ends behind the Camp, and the Shared Stockpile Mat along the side. On the opposite side, place the 6 Battle Dice in the area toward the center. Place the 9 Vici Tokens in the indicated space on the Shared Stockpile Mat. Finally, each player collects these pieces: 3 Footmen, 2 Spearmen, 1 Bowmen, and 1 Horsemen. They are stacked active side up (see Anatomy of a Piece) into their labeled slots on each player's Stockpile Mat.

Turn Order

A player's turn will always follow this order:

Flip encamped pieces to active (see Encamped Pieces).
Add Build Points (see Adding Build Points).
Deploy pieces (see Deploying Pieces).
Move up to three pieces (see Movement).
Resolve all battles (see Battling).

Starting Player

Each player rolls 2 Battle Dice at the same time. The player with the higher added value is the first player and deploys first (see The First Turn).

Adding Build Points

At the start of the turn, after flipping any encamped pieces to active, players add up Build Points to deploy new pieces into their Camp. To do this, the player adds up the number of open spaces in his Camp, plus any Vici Tokens that are in his opponent's Camp.

Unused Build Points do not carry over onto deployment on the next turn.

Deploying Pieces

Each turn, pieces may be deployed into a player's Camp. Pieces come from a player's Stockpile Mat or from the Shared Stockpile Mat.

The Build Costs of the pieces are marked on the Stockpile Mat and the Shared Stockpile Mat. Pieces can be purchased as long as their added Build Cost does not exceed the amount of Build Points, and the number of pieces does not exceed the number of open Camp spaces.

Footmen: 1 Build Point
Spearmen: 2 Build Points
Bowmen: 3 Build Points
Horsemen: 4 Build Points

Pieces cannot be deployed into a square with an opponent's Vici Token in it, nor do those Camp squares add to a player's added Build Points.

Encamped Pieces

Pieces having just been deployed remain with the encamped side up until the start of the player's next turn. Then all encamped pieces are flipped to their active side.

Encamped pieces cannot move in the movement phase on the turn they are deployed, nor can they move horizontally or switch places with other pieces within the Camp.

Encamped pieces still offensively battle on the turn they are deployed (see Battling with Encamped Pieces).

The First Turn

On the first turn, players calculate their Build Points. Because the Camp has 5 open spaces this will always be 5. Next, the first player uses the Build Points to deploy pieces. The pieces are deployed into the open Camp spaces of the player's choice, encamped side up, and whose total cost does not exceed 5 (total Build Points). These can be any combination of pieces, for instance:

Spearmen (2 BPs), 3 Footmen (3 BPs), Bowmen (3 BPs), Footmen (1 BP)
Horsemen (4 BPs), Footmen (1 BP), 2 Spearmen (4 BPs), Footmen (1 BP)

Note: the printed example is a layout of pieces with their Build Point costs, and it does not state which pieces are deployed together. The costs are as printed.

Although this example uses only 4 of the 5 Build Points, it is still allowed.

No Movement: pieces cannot be moved on the first turn since they are encamped, so only on this turn may movement and battling be skipped. On the second turn, pieces may move and battle.

Anatomy of a Piece

Bladed end: the unique shaped end designates the direction the piece moves and shows the piece's ownership.
Strength: denotes the piece's specific strength versus other pieces (see Battling with Strength).
Two sides: an active side and an encamped side.

Movement

Players may move up to 3 pieces in a turn, but must make at least 1 move, or else the game is over. All pieces may only move forward and forward-diagonal into unoccupied spaces. They do not normally move backward, backward-diagonal or horizontal (except for Spearmen's "Flank," see below).

Footmen, Spearmen, and Bowmen can only move 1 space in a turn (except for Footmen's "Rush," see below). There is no double or triple moving a piece using combined moves.

Special Piece Movements

Footmen's "Rush": On Footmen's first move out of the Camp, Footmen may move two spaces forward in the same vertical path for one movement. However, they also may regularly move one space forward or forward-diagonal. Footmen may not "rush" anywhere else other than from the Camp.

Spearmen's "Flank": Spearmen are the only pieces that can move one space horizontally for one movement, but only if that movement puts Spearmen into a battle (see Battling). They may also move forward, or forward-diagonal. Spearmen may not "flank" when they are in a Camp.

Horsemen's "Blitz": Horsemen have the ability to move up to 2 spaces for 1 movement. Each move must be forward or forward-diagonal from its previous space. If Horsemen's path is blocked by another piece, it may not "jump" over it.

Conquering the Opponent's Camp

Once a piece moves or advances into the opponent's Camp, that square has been "conquered." The piece is removed from the board and replaced with a Vici Token. The conquering piece is given to the "conquered" player and placed onto his Stockpile Mat.

Camp spaces that have been conquered can never be "unconquered."

Doomed Pieces

Pieces are "doomed" when they are in a Camp space in front of a Vici Token. As soon as a piece's bladed end is touching a conquered Camp space, it is removed from the board and placed in the Shared Stockpile.

Doomed Horsemen

Horsemen may not "blitz" to move diagonally into a Camp space from a space in front of a Vici Token.

Battling

Battles occur when two or more pieces are touching in vertical, adjacent spaces, with bladed ends facing each other. All battles must be resolved after all movements are completed in a turn (see Battle Order). No more moves may be made once a player declares a battle.

If there are multiple battles, the attacking player decides which order they are resolved; he calls out which of his pieces will be attacking which of the opponent's pieces.

For instance, in the battle shown in the printed rulebook, the attacking player would say: "Footmen versus Spearmen."

However, within the individual battles, the Battle Order must be followed when resolving the order in which pieces battle (see Battle Order).

Melee and Ranged

There are two types of battling: melee and ranged. All pieces may participate in melee battling, however only Bowmen may ranged battle. As far as pieces go, Footmen, Spearmen, and Horsemen are melee pieces, and Bowmen are ranged pieces.

Melee Battle

In melee battles, opposing pieces are facing each other in adjacent vertical spaces, touching bladed ends. The winning piece always advances (see Defeating and Advancing). If pieces tie, see Ties.

Bowmen in Ranged Battle

In ranged battles, Bowmen are always one space vertically away from the opponent's piece (see Battling with Bowmen).

Bowmen do not advance if victorious at ranged combat.

Bowmen in Ranged, Behind Melee Battle

If Bowmen are behind a piece that is in a melee battle, the Bowmen ranged battle first. If the Bowmen win, the melee piece advances on the defeated piece's space. However, the Bowmen does not advance. If the Bowmen "miss," the melee battle is then resolved.

Bowmen in Melee Battle

If Bowmen are in a melee battle, they cannot ranged battle (see Battle Order below). If Bowmen win in a melee battle, they may advance. If by advancing, they move into a ranged battle then they resolve it as well.

Battle Order

When determining the order in which pieces attack in an individual battle, follow this:

Bowmen melee battle
Attacking ranged battle
Defending ranged battle
Melee battle

Continue battling until there are no battles left to resolve.

In the printed example, there are no Bowmen melee battles, so the next in the Battle Order is the attacking Bowmen vs. Footmen. If the attacking Bowmen wins, the Footmen advances and melee battles the Bowmen. If Bowmen "miss," then the defending Bowmen would ranged battle with the attacking Spearmen. If both the attacking and defending Bowmen "miss," then Spearmen and Footmen would melee battle.

Equal Battle

A battle between two identical pieces is called an equal battle (ex. Footmen vs. Footmen). To resolve this battle, each player rolls 2 Battle Dice. The player with the highest added total wins and may advance (see Defeating and Advancing).

Battling with Strength

A battle where one piece is stronger than the other is called strength (ex. Horsemen vs. Footmen). A piece's strength can be determined by its strength icon or by the Battle Strengths chart. In these battles, the player with the "strong" piece gets 3 Battle Dice and the "weak" player gets 2.

Battle Strengths chart:

Strong Footmen vs. Weak Spearmen
Strong Spearmen vs. Weak Horsemen
Strong Horsemen vs. Weak Footmen
Ranged Battle: Bowmen (strong) vs. melee pieces (Footmen, Spearmen, Horsemen)
Melee Battle: melee pieces (Footmen, Spearmen, Horsemen) vs. Bowmen, as shown on the chart

Battling with Encamped Pieces

Encamped pieces have no strength, as noted by their filled-in strength icon. In all battles, they use 2 Battle Dice. However, pieces battling against them may have strength if they are deemed as "strong." For example, a Spearmen battling an encamped Horsemen is still "strong."

Encamped pieces can battle on the turn they are deployed. Encamped pieces do not advance if they are victorious in a battle.

Defeating and Advancing

Having a higher roll results in victory! Pieces that are defeated in battle immediately are removed from the board and placed in the Shared Stockpile.

The victorious piece then advances forward into the square previously occupied by the defeated piece.

If the advancing piece enters into another battle, that battle must be resolved. Continue advancing and battling until pieces can no longer advance or pieces have conquered an opponent's Camp.

Ties

If players' rolls are the same, the battle is a tie. Both pieces are defeated, removed from the board, and placed in their slots in the Shared Stockpile.

Battling with Bowmen

If Bowmen win in a ranged battle, they are victorious. However, Bowmen do not advance. They do advance if they win a melee battle.

If Bowmen lose or tie in a ranged battle, it is a "miss." The Bowmen and the victor remain on the board, and the battle is resolved.

Bowmen vs. Bowmen battles are considered equal battles in which "regular" tie rules apply.