War! Age of Imperialism
War! Age of Imperialism Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Basic Rules
The Game
Gameplay
War! Age of Imperialism is a game of empire building. The object of the game is to build the largest empire. Each player starts the game with an empire of a few regions, and attempts to add regions to his empire. This may be done in one of two ways: Peacefully or through Invasion. The player may add new regions peacefully by sending explorers into native regions that are not owned by any players. The explorer allows the player to discover how many natives are in these regions, and may even be able to convince the natives to join the player's empire peacefully.
If the natives refuse to join willingly, then the player might choose to invade by sending armies of infantry, cavalry, artillery, and leaders to conquer them and add them to the player's empire. Other players' regions may also be invaded.
Once new regions have been added, the player may build buildings in the region in order to produce production points (PP's). These production points may then be spent (like money) to buy more pieces (armies, navies, explorers, or buildings). The player who has the largest empire at the end of the game is the winner.
The Gameboard
The gameboard is a map of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia during the "Age of Imperialism" (1850 to 1900). The map is divided into regions and sea areas. These regions act like squares on a checker board to regulate movement. Army pieces and explorers may move from one region to another and ships may move from one sea area to another (buildings can not move). Unlike checkers, more than one piece may occupy a single region. Groups of regions are also grouped together by color to form global regions. The global regions (Europe, Islam, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, East Asia, and Australia) give the players added benefits if they are controlled.
The Pieces
There are two main types of pieces in War!: Those that move (armies, ships, and explorers) and those that do not move (buildings and markers).
Armies: These four types of pieces (Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, and Leaders) are called "armies", and are used to attack and occupy regions. A player must have at least one army (of any type) in each region that he owns.
Ships: These pieces are the only ones that may move on the sea areas. They may also carry armies and explorers from one region, across sea areas, to another region.
Explorers: These pieces act as the eyes and ears of the player. They move into unowned regions to see what's there. They also act as diplomats in trying to get the natives to join the player's empire peacefully.
Buildings: Buildings increase the value of the player's regions. Each type (City, Factory, Railroad, and Port) gives production points to the player or has a different special attribute (Fort).
Markers: The two types of markers (Natives and Resources) are placed face down (one each) in each region that is not owned by a player. They show how strong the natives are in that region and what valuable resources are there.
How to Win
The winner is the player with the most regions at the end of the game. If, at the end of the game, a player owns an entire global region (a group of regions all the same color), he may add "5" to his total regions.
The game may end one of three ways:
1.) At a specific time. (For Example: All players agree before the game begins that the game will end at 4:00)
2.) After a set number of turns. (A short game would be 5 turns, a medium game would be 10 turns, and a long game would be 15 or more turns)
3.) When there is only one player left in the game. This "total conquest" type of game can take a long time.
All players should agree how the game will end before starting the game.
Setting Up the Game
Choosing a Color and Who Goes First
Each player chooses a color for his empire and takes those pieces. Each player then rolls two dice. The player with the highest total die roll goes first. The player to his left goes second, and so on around the board clockwise.
Choosing Regions
Each player begins the game with a set number of regions depending on how many players will be playing.
- 6 Players: Each player starts with 4 regions
- 5 Players: Each player starts with 5 regions
- 4 Players: Each player starts with 6 regions
- 3 Players: Each player starts with 8 regions
- 2 Players: Either: a) Each player starts with 10 regions; or: b) Each player controls 2 empires (colors), each with 6 starting regions. In this case, the player with the largest empire (out of the four) wins.
The first player picks a starting region by placing one of his infantry pieces on it. The player to his left then picks a region by placing one of his infantry pieces on it, and so on clockwise around the board until each player has selected the correct number of starting regions based on the number of players in the game. These starting infantry pieces are "free" and do not cost the players any Production Points (PP's).
Placing the Markers
The markers are then placed face down on the board. One of each type (native and resource) is placed in each region not owned by a player. Any unused markers are placed back into the gamebox.
Buying the Starting Pieces
Each player then takes turns buying his starting pieces. Each player gets 120 production points (PP's) and may purchase any pieces that he wants. The pieces may be placed in any region that he owns (is part of his empire). Only one building may be placed in each region (with the exception of the "Fort" – see below). Ships may be placed in any sea area next to that player's region. Armies and Explorers may be placed in any region that the player owns. Any unused production points are wasted (they may not be saved).
The Turns (Sequence of Play)
The First Movement Round: Each player takes a turn moving any or all of his pieces that may move, and fighting any battles that result. The moving player may fight the battles in any order that he wants.
The Second Movement Round: After each player has taken his turn moving his pieces, each player takes a second turn moving any or all of his pieces and fighting any battles that result.
The Production Round: After the two movement rounds are complete (everyone has gone), a production round occurs. Each player takes turns adding up his total production points (from regions, resources, and buildings) and using them to buy more pieces. Production Points are earned by regions and buildings in a player's empire as follows:
- Each region that does not have a building on it is worth 0 PP's. Each region that has a building on it (except for forts and schools) is worth various PPs (see "The Pieces" or "Production" below)
- Each resource marker is worth PPs equal to the number on the marker.
- Each Global Region that is entirely controlled by one player is worth 30 PPs
The new pieces purchased by the player are immediately placed on the board according to the following rules: Ships may only be placed in sea areas next to regions which contain ports, and are owned by the player building the ship. Infantry may be placed in any region owned by the player building them. Cavalry, Artillery, Leaders, and Explorers may only be placed in regions which contain a City, and are owned by the player. Only one building may exist in each region.
(Exception: A fort may be built in any region owned by the player building it, even if another kind of building is already there. Only one fort may exist in each region.) After all three rounds are complete, the turn is over and a new one begins (with a new movement round). This continues until the game ends (see "How to Win" on page 5).
The Pieces: A Detailed Description
Moving Pieces
ARMIES: At least one army (Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, or Leader) must occupy each region in a player's empire at all times.
Infantry: The weakest army unit, but also the cheapest. Infantry pieces cost 10 PP's to build, may be built in any region in a player's empire, and may move one region during a player's movement round. Infantry add "0" to a player's battle roll (see "Battle" below).
Cavalry: A fast moving and fairly strong army piece. Cavalry cost 15 PP's to build, must be built in a region that contains a city, and may move two regions in a player's movement round. Cavalry add "1" to a player's battle roll.
Artillery: A very powerful army piece. Artillery cost 20 PP's to build, must be built in a region that contains a city, may move one region in a player's movement round. Artillery add "2" to a player's battle roll.
Leader: The most powerful army piece. This piece represents an elite mixed force of all three arms (Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery) that is well led by a general. Leaders cost 40 PP's to build, must be built in a region that contains a city, and may move two regions in a player's movement round. Leaders add "3" to a player's battle roll.
PARTIES: (Explorers and Engineers)
Explorer: Explorers are used to move into unowned regions to see what is there and to attempt to have that region join the player's empire peacefully. Explorers cost 10 PP's to build, must be built in a region that contains a city, and may move 2 regions in a player's movement round
If an explorer is the only friendly piece (other than buildings or other explorers) in a region with enemy armies, it is eliminated.
Engineer: Engineers are not used in the basic game.
NAVIES: (Ships)
Ship: Ships are used to carry army pieces and explorers over sea areas. Ships are the only pieces that may move on sea areas by themselves. They may not move onto land regions at all. Ships cost 25 PP's, and may move three sea areas in a player's movement round. Ships may carry up to 5 armies and any number of explorers.
Non-Moving Pieces
BUILDINGS: All buildings (Cities, Ports, Railroads, Factories, and Forts) cost 20 PP's to build, and produce 10 new PP's for the player to spend during his production round (except forts, which do not produce any PP's).
City: In addition to producing 10 PP's, cities allow the player to build new armies and explorers. All new Cavalry, Artillery, Leaders, and Explorers must be built in a city. Only Infantry and Ships may be built in a player's region that does not contain a city.
Port: In addition to producing 10 PP's, ports allow the player to build new ships. New ships must be placed in a sea area next to a player's region that contains a port.
Railroad: In addition to producing 10 PP's, railroads allow moving pieces to move through the region that contains a railroad without using a movement point (free move). (Example: An infantry piece that moved into a region that contained a railroad could move one more region. Example 2: If an artillery piece started its move in a region with a railroad in it, it could move twice: Once free, because of the railroad, and one for its normal movement allowance.)
Factory: Factories produce 10 PP's for the player during that player's production round. They have no other special function except completing sets (see "Production" below).
Fort: Forts do not produce any PP's. They do, however, help a player defend his empire by adding "1" to the owning player's battle roll when he is fighting a battle in one of his regions that contains a fort. A fort may be built in any region, (including native-owned regions), even one that has another building on it. However, there may only be one fort in each region.
School: Schools are not used in the basic game.
MARKERS: (Natives and Resources) One of each marker remains face down on each native-owned region until an explorer enters that region.
Native Marker: Each native marker has a value that represents the number and aggressiveness of the native peoples that live in that region. The values range from "4" (few and peace-loving) to "12" (numerous and war-like). When an explorer enters a region, the player flips over the native marker and rolls two dice to see if he convinces the natives to join the empire.
If the roll is equal to or greater than the number on the native marker, the region joins the player's empire. (One friendly infantry is immediately placed in the region and the native marker is removed from the board.) If the roll is less than the number printed on the native marker, then the explorer's party is wiped out and never heard from again (The explorer piece is eliminated).
Resource Marker: After a region joins a player's empire (peacefully, or as a result of conquest), the resource marker is flipped up, revealing the value of the resource. This resource value is the number of PP's that are added to the owning player's total during his production rounds. Many resource markers have no value and may be removed from the board after being flipped up.
Resources do not count as a building, and may share a region with a building.
NATIVE ARMIES: (Infantry and Cavalry) When a native-owned region is invaded by a player's armies, a battle is fought (see "Battle" below). The number of native armies that fight that battle are determined by the number printed on the "native" marker. The native armies are:
- Infantry equal to the number printed on the marker.
- Cavalry equal to half the number (rounded up) printed on the marker, only if there is a "+" symbol next to the number. If there is no "+" symbol on the marker, there is no cavalry in the native army.
- 1 Artillery unit, only if there are two "+" symbols next to the marker.
Any player other than the invading player, may control the native armies in the battle. If the natives lose the battle, the armies and marker are removed from play. If the natives win the battle, the armies are removed from play, and the marker is returned, face down, to the region from which it came. If the region is invaded again later, the entire native army represented on the marker fights the battle (regardless of losses in previous battles).
Native Infantry: Native Infantry armies act exactly like normal infantry armies, except that they cannot ever leave their home region (They do not move). They are not left on the board, and are used only during each battle when a native-owned region is invaded by a player's armies.
Native Cavalry: Native Cavalry armies act exactly like normal cavalry armies, except that they cannot ever leave their home region (They do not move). They are not left on the board, and are used only during each battle when a native-owned region is invaded by a player's armies.
Native Artillery: There is no specific piece for the native artillery. Players should use an artillery piece from a player that is not involved in the battle.
Moving Pieces
| Type | Battle Roll Modifier | Cost | Move | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infantry | +0 | 10 | 1 | Can be built anywhere in player's empire |
| Cavalry | +1 | 15 | 2 | Must be built in City |
| Artillery | +2 | 20 | 1 | Must be built in City |
| Leader | +3 | 40 | 2 | Must be built in City |
| Explorer | N/A | 10 | 2 | Must be built in City |
Non-Moving Pieces
| Type | PP's Produced | Cost | Special |
|---|---|---|---|
| City | 10 | 20 | Can build Armies and Explorers* |
| Factory | 10 | 20 | - |
| Port | 10 | 20 | Can build Ships |
| Railroad | 10 | 20 | Free Move |
| Fort | 0 | 20 | +1 for Defender |
- * Infantry may be built in any region in a player's empire.
- For each set of 4 (City, Factory, Port and Railroad) the player produces an extra 20 PP's.
- Only one Building per region (except Forts).
Movement
During a player's movement round, he may move some, all, or none of his pieces. After all pieces have finished moving, any battles that result must be resolved.
Army Movement
In a single movement round, armies may move the total number of regions equal to their maximum movement points:
- Infantry: 1
- Cavalry: 2
- Artillery: 1
- Leaders: 2
If armies move into a region not owned by the moving player (either a native-owned region or a region owned by another player), they must stop and end their movement for that round. When armies enter a region not owned by the moving player, a battle is fought (see "Battle" below). A player must finish all movement before any battles are fought.
Armies may move onto ships that are in sea areas next to the region containing the moving army. Armies may only load onto their own ships (ships owned by the moving player). This move costs the moving piece one of its movement points just as if it had moved to a land region. Armies may not move off of ships. Instead, ships pay one movement point to "land" some or all of its passengers (see "Ship Movement" below).
Armies may never move into a sea area without being carried on a ship.
Ship Movement
Ships may move up to "3" sea areas during their movement round. Ships may never move onto a land region. Armies moving onto a ship do not cost the ship any movement points, but landing them (dropping them off) costs the ship one point for each region into which armies are landed. Ships may "carry" up to five army pieces and an unlimited number of "parties" (explorers).
If a ship moves into a sea area containing ships owned by another player, a battle MAY occur. A battle will occur if EITHER player decides to have one. If a battle is fought, the ship's movement is over and it may not move any further that round. If neither player wants a battle, the moving ship may keep moving if it still has any unused movement points. (see "Ship Battles" below)
Party Movement
Parties of explorers may move up to two regions during their movement round. Explorers do not have to stop when they enter a native-owned region. Explorers may also end their turn in a native-owned region. However, any explorers that enter, end their turn, or find themselves in a region owned by another player are eliminated immediately.
Exploration and Negotiating with the Natives
When explorers end their movement in a native-owned region, they may immediately choose to "explore" the region (but they are not forced to do so). The moving player then flips over the native marker and rolls two dice to see if he convinces the natives to join the empire. If the roll is equal to or greater than the number on the native marker, the region joins the player's empire. (One friendly infantry is immediately placed in the region and the native marker is discarded into the gamebox.) If the roll is less than the number printed on the native marker, then the explorer's party is wiped out and never heard from again (The explorer piece is eliminated), and the marker is returned face-down to the region.
Battle
Army Battles
Whenever armies belonging to more than one player occupy the same region, a battle is fought. Each battle consists of five steps:
1.) Both players choose one piece from their army in that region to fight (attacker chooses first)
2.) Both players roll two dice.
3.) Both players add any "pluses" (modifiers) to their total dice roll based on the army piece that is fighting and if they have a fort in the region in which the battle is being fought. The pluses are:
- Infantry: +0
- Cavalry: +1
- Artillery: +2
- Leader: +3
- Friendly Fort in the Battle Region: +1
4.) The player with the lower total (dice roll plus any modifiers) loses. His piece is eliminated and removed from the game. If the two totals (dice rolls plus modifiers) are the same (tie), nothing happens to either piece.
5.) This process is repeated until one player has no pieces remaining in the contested region.
All battles in the Basic Game are fought until one side has no pieces remaining in the battle. Armies may not retreat from a battle.
Example of Battle: The red player moves five armies (2 Infantry, 1 Cavalry, and 2 Artillery) into China, which is owned by the blue player who has 2 armies (both infantry) and a fort there.
- Round 1) The red player chooses to attack with his Cavalry first (This gives him +1). The blue player must use an Infantry (+0) since that's all that he has there. However, the blue player has a fort in China so he gets +1 for the fort. The red player rolls a "7", and the blue player rolls a "9". Each player adds one (8 vs. 10), so the red player loses his Cavalry.
- Round 2) The red player chooses to attack with his infantry (+0) this time. The red player rolls a "10", and the blue player rolls a "9". Red adds "0", and blue adds "1" for his fort. The result is a tie (10 vs. 10), and neither player loses a piece.
- Round 3) The red player changes his attacking piece to Artillery (+2). He rolls a "7" this time, and the blue player rolls a "3". Reds total is "9", and blue's total is "4" (9 vs. 4). Blue loses one of his two infantry.
- Round 4) Red sticks with the Artillery for this attack, and blue pushes forward his last infantry piece. Red rolls a "7" for a total of "9", and blue rolls a "6" for a total of "7". Blue's last piece is eliminated, and red's army is now in China. Another glorious conquest for the red army, and now they have a new fort as a bonus.
Ship Battles
When two players' ships occupy the same sea area, either player may choose to start a battle. (This may occur as a result of production or movement.) If neither player chooses to fight, the ships may both occupy the sea area. This is very different from land regions, which may only be occupied by the armies of one player.
A ship battle is somewhat different from army battles. Ship battles consist of four steps:
The attacker rolls two dice for each ship that he has in the battle. Any rolls of "9" or higher are considered a "hit". The defender rolls two dice for each ship that he has in the battle. Any rolls of "9" or higher are considered a "hit". Any "hits" cause the loss of a ship for the other player.
Ships that were hit are now removed for both players at once (if any). Each player decides which of his own ships are hit and removed (This can be used to shield ships carrying armies from being sunk). The process is repeated until one side has no ships left.
If there are ships from more than two players in the sea area where a battle is occurring, the other players with ships there may decide to join the battle or just watch. If a player decides to join a battle, he must choose which side to join at the beginning of the battle. He then rolls for his ships with the player whose side he joined.
Example of Battle: The green player moves three ships into a sea area that contains two blue ships. The blue player declares a battle because he doesn't want him moving past the green player (One of the green ships is carrying three Infantry pieces).
- Round 1) The blue player rolls a "4" and a "12" and gets one hit. The green player rolls a "10", "3", and "11", and gets two hits. The blue player loses both of his ships and the green player loses one. The green player chooses to eliminate one of the ships that is not carrying the Infantry (naturally). The blue player's hopes of an upset victory are ruined, but at least he stopped the green ships' movement for this round.
Production
Counting up the Production Points
At the beginning of the Production Round, each player counts up his total production points (PP's) to determine how much he will have to spend on new pieces. Production Points are earned by players for each building, resource marker, and region that he has in his empire. The values are:
- Each Region without a Building in it: 5 PP's
- Each Region with a Building (City, Port, Factory, Railroad, but NOT Fort): 10 PP's
- Resource Marker: # PP's printed on Marker
- Each "Set" of four different Buildings (City, Port, Factory, Railroad): 20 PP's
If a player has any "Sets" of four buildings (one of each type: City, Port, Factory, and Railroad, but NOT Fort), he gets 20 Production Points. The player gets 20 PP's for each set of four that he owns. This rewards the player for building each type of Building.
Example: The green player owns six regions in Africa. In them, he has the following:
- Two Cities (20 PP's)
- One Port (10 PP's)
- One Railroad (10 PP's)
- One Factory (10 PP's)
- One Resource Marker with a "6" printed on it (6 PP's)
- One Region without a Building (5 PP's)
- One Fort (0 PP's)
The total of these is 61 PP's. 20 more PP's are added to the green player's total for having one "set" of buildings in his empire (one City, one Port, one Railroad, and one Factory). The green player's total PP's for this Production Round is 81.
Spending the Production Points
After the Production Points are counted, the players take turns spending them and placing the new pieces on the board according to the following rules:
- Ships may only be placed in sea areas next to regions which contain ports and are owned by the player building the ship.
- Infantry may be placed in any region owned by the player building them.
- Cavalry, Artillery, Leaders, and Explorers may only be placed in regions which contain a City, and are owned by the player.
- Only one Building may exist in each region. (Exception: A fort may be built in a region that already has a building. Only one fort may exist in each region.)
The costs of the various pieces are:
- Infantry: 10
- Cavalry: 15
- Artillery: 20
- Leader: 40
- Ship: 25
- Explorer: 10
- All Buildings: 20
Any Production Points that are not used immediately are lost (Use 'em or lose 'em).
This is the end of the Basic Rules.
Standard Rules
Introduction
The Standard Rules vs. The Basic Rules
Many game concepts in the Standard Rules are the same as the Basic Rules. These are presented here for completeness and so that a player does not have to read the Basic Rules to understand the Standard Rules. However, for those players that are familiar with the Basic Rules, and are only interested in what is different in the Standard Rules, we have made it easy to see those changes. Any rules that are new or different from the Basic Rules are presented here in green type. This allows those players who are familiar with the Basic Rules to quickly find what is new, and begin playing.
The Imperialism essay and the poem epigraphs that open the Standard Rules introduction are historical flavour and are not transcribed here.
The Game
Gameplay
War! Age of Imperialism is a game of empire building. The object of the game is to build the largest empire (the most regions). Players start the game with an empire of a few regions, and attempt to add regions to their empire. This may be done in one of two ways: Peacefully or through Invasion. The player may add new regions peacefully by sending explorers into native regions that are not owned by any players. The explorer allows the player to discover how many natives are in these regions, and may even be able to convince the natives to join the player's empire peacefully.
If the natives refuse to join willingly, then the player might choose to invade by sending armies of infantry, cavalry, artillery, and leaders to conquer them and add them to the player's empire. Other player's regions may also be invaded.
Once new regions have been added, the player may build buildings in the region in order to produce production points (PP's). These production points may then be spent (like money) to buy more pieces (armies, navies, explorers, or buildings). The player who has the largest empire at the end of the game is the winner.
The Gameboard
The gameboard is a map of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia during the "Age of Imperialism" (1850 to 1900). The map is divided into regions and sea areas. These regions act like squares on a checker board to regulate movement. Army pieces and explorers may move from one region to another and ships may move from one sea area to another (buildings can not move). Unlike checkers, more than one piece may occupy a single region. Groups of regions are also grouped together by color to form global regions. The global regions (Europe, Islam, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, East Asia, and Australia) give the players added benefits if they are controlled.
The Pieces
There are two main types of pieces in War!: Those that move (armies, ships, and parties) and those that do not move (buildings and markers).
Armies: These four types of pieces (Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, and Leaders) are called "armies", and are used to attack and occupy regions. A player must have at least one army (of any type) in each region that he owns.
Ships: These pieces are the only ones that may move on the sea areas. They may also carry armies and explorers from one region, across sea areas, to another region.
Parties: These pieces represent small groups of specialists (Explorers and Engineers) that play unique roles in helping the player's empire to expand and prosper.
Buildings: Buildings increase the value of the player's regions. Each type (City, Factory, Railroad, Port) gives production points to the player, or has a special attribute (Forts and Schools).
Markers: The two types of markers (Natives and Resources) are placed face down (one each) in each region that is not owned by a player. They show how strong the natives are in that region and what valuable resources are there.
How to Win
The winner is the player with the most regions at the end of the game. If, at the end of the game, a player owns an entire global region (a group of regions all the same color), he may add "5" to his total regions. However, each player's second largest empire is the one that counts for victory (This limits a player's desire to have one empire give regions to the other).
The game may end one of three ways:
1.) At a specific time. (For Example: All players agree before the game begins that the game will end at 4:00)
2.) After a set number of turns. (A short game would be 5 turns, a medium game would be 10 turns, and a long game would be 15 or more turns)
3.) When there is only one player left in the game. This "total conquest" type of game can take a long time.
All players should agree how the game will end before starting the game.
Setting Up the Game
Choosing a Color and Who Goes First
Each player chooses a color for his empire and takes those pieces. Each player then rolls two dice. The player with the highest total die roll goes first. The player to his left goes second, and so on around the board clockwise.
Choosing Regions
Each player begins the game with a set number of regions depending on how many players will be playing.
- 6 Players: Each player starts with 4 regions
- 5 Players: Each player starts with 5 regions
- 4 Players: Each player starts with 6 regions
- 3 Players: Each player starts with 8 regions
- 2 Players: Either: a) Each player starts with 10 regions; or: b) Each player controls 2 empires (colors), each with 6 starting regions. In this case, the player with the largest empire (out of the four) wins.
The first player picks a starting region by placing one of his infantry pieces on it. The player to his left then picks a region by placing one of his infantry pieces on it, and so on clockwise around the board until each player has selected the correct number of starting regions based on the number of players in the game. These starting infantry pieces are "free" and do not cost the players any Production Points (PP's).
Placing the Markers
The markers are then placed face down on the board. One of each type (native and resource) is placed in each region not owned by a player. Any unused markers are placed back into the gamebox.
Buying the Starting Pieces
Each player then takes turns buying his starting pieces. Each player gets 140 production points (PP's) and may purchase any pieces that he wants (regardless of the building requirements usually associated with that piece). The pieces may be placed in any region that he owns (is part of his empire). Only one building may be placed in each region (with the exception of Forts and Schools – see below). Ships may be placed in any sea area next to that player's region. Armies and Explorers may be placed in any region that the player owns. Any unused production points are wasted (they may not be saved).
The Turns (Sequence of Play)
The First Movement Round: Each player takes a turn moving any or all of his pieces that may move, and fighting any battles that result. The moving player may fight the battles in any order that he wants.
The Second Movement Round: After each player has taken his turn moving his pieces, each player takes a second turn moving any or all of his pieces and fighting any battles that result.
The Production Round: After the two movement rounds are complete (everyone has gone), a production round occurs. Each player takes turns adding up his total production points (from regions, resources, and buildings) and using them to buy more pieces. Production Points are earned by regions and buildings in a player's empire as follows:
- Each region that does not have a building on it is worth 0 PP's. Each region that has a building on it (except for forts and schools) is worth various PPs (see "The Pieces" or "Production" below).
- Each resource marker is worth PPs equal to the number on the marker.
- Each Global Region that is entirely controlled by one player is worth 30 PPs.
* Note: No PP's are generated by owning "sets" of four buildings as in the Basic Game.
The new pieces purchased by the player are immediately placed on the board according to the following rules: Ships may only be placed in a sea area next to a region which contains a port, and is owned by the player building the ship. Infantry may be placed in any region owned by the player building them. Cavalry, and Explorers may only be placed in a region which contains a City, and is owned by the player.
Artillery, Leaders, and Engineers may only be placed in a region which contains both a City and a School.
Only one building may exist in each region.
(Exception 1: A fort may be built in any region owned by the player building it, even if another kind of building is already there. Only one fort may exist in each region.) (Exception 2: A School MAY ONLY be built in a region that contains a City. Only one school may exist in each region).
After all three rounds are complete, the turn is over and a new one begins (with a new movement round). This continues until the game ends (see "How to Win" above).
The Pieces: A Detailed Description
Moving Pieces
ARMIES: At least one army (Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, or Leader) must occupy each region in a player's empire at all times.
Infantry: The weakest army unit, but also the cheapest. Infantry pieces cost 10 PP's to build, may be built in any region in a player's empire, and may move one region during a player's movement round. Having at least one infantry in a battle adds "1" to a player's battle roll (see "Battle" below).
Cavalry: A fast moving and fairly strong army piece. Cavalry cost 15 PP's to build, must be built in region that contains a city and may move two regions in a player's movement round. Having at least one cavalry in a battle adds "1" to a player's battle roll.
Artillery: A very powerful army piece. Artillery cost 20 PP's to build, must be built in a region that contains a city and a school, and may move one region in a player's movement round. Having at least one artillery in a battle adds "1" to a player's battle roll.
Leader: The most powerful army piece. This piece represents an elite mixed force of all three arms (Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery) that is well led by a general. Leaders cost 25 PP's to build, must be built in a region that contains a city and a school, and may move two regions in a player's movement round. Having at least one leader in a battle adds "1" to a player's battle roll. Leaders may also act as a "party" and accompany an explorer into a native region to attempt to convince the natives to join the player's empire. When a leader piece does this, it adds an additional "1" to the dice roll.
PARTIES: (Explorers and Engineers)
Explorer: Explorers are used to move into unowned regions to see what is there and to attempt to have that region join the player's empire peacefully. Explorers cost 10 PP's to build, must in a region that contains a city, and may move 2 regions in a player's movement round. If an explorer is the only friendly piece (other than buildings or other "Parties") in a region with enemy armies, it is eliminated.
Engineer: Engineers are used to build "Buildings" more efficiently. When an Engineer is in a region where a player is placing a newly purchased building, the cost of that building is reduced by 10 PP's. Engineers cost 15 PP's to build, and may only be built in regions containing a city and a school. Engineers may move two regions in a player's movement round. If an engineer is the only friendly piece (other than buildings or other "Parties") in a region with enemy armies, it is eliminated.
NAVIES: (Ships)
Ship: Ships are used to carry army pieces and parties over sea areas. Ships are the only pieces that may move on sea areas by themselves. They may not move onto land regions at all. Ships cost 25 PP's, and may move three sea areas in a player's movement round. Ships may carry up to 5 armies, and any number of engineers or explorers.
Non-Moving Pieces
BUILDINGS: All buildings (Cities, Ports, Railroads, Factories, Forts, and Schools) cost 30 PP's to build (unless an Engineer is in the region when they are built), and produce various PP's for the player to spend during his production round (except forts and schools, which do not produce any PP's).
City: In addition to producing 10 PP's, cities allow the player to build new armies and explorers. All new Cavalry, Artillery, Leaders, and Explorers must be built in a city. Only Infantry and Ships may be built in a player's region that does not contain a city. Engineers, Leaders, and Artillery must be built in a region that contains a City AND a School.
Port: In addition to producing 10 PP's, ports allow the player to build new ships. New ships must be placed in a sea area next to a player's region that contains a port.
Railroad: Each Railroad produces 4 PP's for each City, Factory, Port, or Resource (with a value of greater than "0") that is in a region adjacent to the Railroad and in the player's empire. (Note: Different railroads may count the same building if they are both adjacent to it.) Railroads allow moving pieces to move through the region that contains a railroad without using a movement point (free move). (Example: An infantry piece that moved into a region that contained a railroad could move one more region. Example 2: If an artillery piece started its move in a region with a railroad in it, it could move twice: Once free, because of the railroad, and one for its normal movement allowance.)
Factory: Factories produce 15 PP's for the player during that player's production round. They must be built in regions adjacent to Cities. Factories that are not in a region adjacent to the owning player's city do not produce any PP's. Players may not build more than twice the number of factories than cities that they have in their empire. Example: a player with 3 cities cannot build more than 6 Factories.
Fort: Forts do not produce any PP's. They do, however, help a player defend his empire by adding "1" to the owning player's battle roll when he is fighting a battle in one of his regions that contains a fort. A fort may be built in any region, (including native-owned regions), even one that has another building on it. However, there may only be one fort in each region.
School: Schools do not produce any PP's. Schools may only be built in regions that already contain a City. There can only be one school in each region. Engineers, Artillery, and Leaders may only be built in regions that contain a city and a school. Schools also give the player an advantage in military technology: If a player has from 1 to 3 Schools in his empire, he gets +1 on ALL army battle rolls! (this does not include ship battles). If a player has from 4 to 6 Schools in his empire, he gets +2 on ALL army battle rolls. If a player has 7 or more schools in his empire, he gets +3 on ALL army battle rolls.
MARKERS: (Natives and Resources) One of each marker remains face down on each native-owned region until an explorer enters that region.
Native Marker: Each native marker has a value that represents the number and aggressiveness of the native peoples that live in that region. The values range from "4" (few and peace-loving) to "12" (numerous and war-like). When an explorer enters a region, the player flips over the native marker and rolls two dice to see if he convinces the natives to join the empire. If the roll is equal to or greater than the number on the native marker, the region joins the player's empire. (One friendly infantry is immediately placed in the region and the native marker is removed from the board.) If the roll is less than the number printed on the native marker, then the explorer's party is wiped out and never heard from again (The explorer piece is eliminated).
Resource Marker: After a region joins a player's empire (peacefully, or as a result of conquest), the resource marker is flipped up, revealing the value of the resource. This resource value is the number of PP's that are added to the owning player's total during his production rounds. Many resource markers have no value and may be removed from the board after being flipped up. Resources do not count as a building, and may share a region with a building.
NATIVE ARMIES: (Infantry and Cavalry) When a native-owned region is invaded by a player's armies, a battle is fought (see "Battle" below). The number of native armies that fight that battle are determined by the number printed on the "native" marker. The native armies are:
- Infantry equal to the number printed on the marker.
- Cavalry equal to half the number (rounded up) printed on the marker, only if there is a "+" symbol next to the number. If there is no "+" symbol on the marker, there is no cavalry in the native army.
- 1 Artillery unit, only if there are two "+" symbols next to the marker.
Any player other than the invading player, may control the native armies in the battle. If the natives lose the battle, the armies and marker are removed from play. If the natives win the battle, the armies are removed from play, and the marker is returned, face down, to the region from which it came.
If the region is invaded again later, the entire native army represented on the marker fights the battle (regardless of losses in previous battles).
Native Infantry: Native Infantry armies act exactly like normal infantry armies, except that they cannot ever leave their home region (They do not move). They are not left on the board, and are used only during each battle when a native-owned region is invaded by a player's armies.
Native Cavalry: Native Cavalry armies act exactly like normal cavalry armies, except that they cannot ever leave their home region (They do not move). They are not left on the board, and are used only during each battle when a native-owned region is invaded by a player's armies.
Native Artillery: There is no specific piece for the native artillery. Players should use an artillery piece from a player that is not involved in the battle.
Moving Pieces
| Type | Battle Roll Modifier* | Cost | Move | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infantry | +1 | 10 | 1 | Can be built anywhere in player's empire |
| Cavalry | +1 | 15 | 2 | Must be built in City |
| Artillery | +1 | 20 | 1 | Must be built in School |
| Leader | +1 | 25 | 2 | +1 on Native join when with explorer. Must be built in School |
| Explorer | N/A | 10 | 2 |
- * Modifier applies for each type in a battle (not in reserve).
Non-Moving Pieces
| Type | PP's Produced | Cost | Special |
|---|---|---|---|
| City | 10 | 30 | Can Build Cavalry and Explorers* |
| Factory | 15 | 30 | Must be built in regions adjacent to cities |
| Port | 10 | 30 | Can Build Ships |
| Railroad | 4 / Adjacent City, Factory, Port, & Developed Resource | 30 | Free Move |
| Fort | 0 | 30 | +1 for Defender. Can be built in Native-Owned regions |
| School | 0 | 30 | Must be built in regions w/city. Can build Engineers, Artillery & Leaders. (1-3 Schools) = +1 army battle rolls; (4-6 Schools) = +2 army battle rolls; (7+ Schools) = +3 army battle rolls |
- * Infantry may be built in any region in a player's empire.
- Only one Building per region (except for Forts & Schools).
- A player who owns every region in a Global Region gets 30 PP's.
Movement
During a player's movement round, he may move some, all, or none of his pieces. After all pieces have finished moving, any battles that result must be resolved (in the order that the moving player decides).
Army Movement
In a single movement round, armies may move the total number of regions equal to their maximum movement points:
- Infantry: 1
- Cavalry: 2
- Artillery: 1
- Leaders: 2
If armies move into a region not owned by the moving player (either a native-owned region or a region owned by another player), they must stop and end their movement for that round. When armies enter a region not owned by the moving player, a battle is fought (see "Battle" below). A player must complete all movement before any battles are fought.
Armies may move onto ships that are in sea areas next to the region containing the moving army. Armies may only load onto their own ships (ships owned by the moving player). This move costs the moving piece one of its movement points just as if it had moved to a land region. Armies may not move off of ships. Instead, ships pay one movement point to "land" some or all of its passengers (see "Ship Movement" below).
Armies may never move into a sea area without being carried on a ship.
Ship Movement
Ships may move up to "3" sea areas during their movement round. Ships may never move onto a land region. Armies moving onto a ship do not cost the ship any movement points, but landing them (dropping them off) costs the ship one point for each region into which armies are landed. Ships may "carry" up to five army pieces and an unlimited number of "parties" (explorers and engineers).
If a ship moves into a sea area containing ships owned by another player, a battle MAY occur. A battle will occur if EITHER player decides to have one. If a battle is fought, the ship's movement is over and it may not move any further that round. If neither player wants a battle, the moving ship may keep moving if it still has any unused movement points. (see "Ship Battles" below)
Party Movement
Parties of explorers or engineers may move up to two regions during their movement round. Explorers do not have to stop when they enter a native-owned region. Explorers may also end their turn in a native-owned region. However, any explorers or engineers that enter, end their turn, or find themselves in a region owned by another player are eliminated immediately.
Exploration and Negotiating with the Natives
When explorers end their movement in a native-owned region, they may immediately choose to "explore" the region (but they are not forced to do so). The moving player then flips over the native marker and rolls two dice to see if he convinces the natives to join the empire. If the roll is equal to or greater than the number on the native marker, the region joins the player's empire. (One friendly infantry is immediately placed in the region and the native marker is discarded into the gamebox.) If the roll is less than the number printed on the native marker, then the explorer's party is wiped out and never heard from again (The explorer piece is eliminated), and the marker is returned face-down to the region.
If a Leader piece is also moved into the region with an explorer, the explorer may add "1" to his dice roll to see if the natives join the empire. If the total is equal to or greater than the number on the native marker, then the natives join the empire. if the total is lower than the number on the marker, both the explorer and the leader are eliminated. (Note: Only one leader may "help" an explorer in any given attempt.)
Battle
Army Battles
Whenever armies belonging to more than one player occupy the same region, a battle is fought. Successive rounds of battle are fought until one player has no pieces remaining. In each round of battle, each player involved rolls two dice and adds any modifiers. The player with the highest total (with modifiers), may choose an opponent's piece (in that battle) to be eliminated. This will usually be the most valuable piece, but does not have to be.
MODIFIERS
There are three kinds of modifiers in the Standard Rules: Army, Fort, and Technology. These modifiers are added to a player's dice roll during a battle to determine his total.
- Army: A player gets a +1 modifier for each DIFFERENT type of army that he has in that battle. There is a maximum of +4 Army Modifier that can be gained if a player has at least one of each type of army piece in the battle (Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, and Leader). Note: Even if a player starts a battle with all four types, and therefore gets +4, this modifier may be reduced as the battle progresses through losses. (Example: If a player starts a battle with one of each type (+4), he would lose one modifier "+" for each piece that he lost)
- Fort: A player's army that is defending a region with a fort in it, would get +1 on each battle roll during the entire battle.
- Technology: If a player has any Schools in his empire, he gets an additional modifier for advanced technology and military training:
- +1 for having 1 to 3 Schools in his empire
- +2 for having 4 to 6 Schools in his empire
- +3 for having 7 or more schools in his empire
RESERVE
Before each battle roll, each player determines which pieces will be "In Reserve" (The attacker chooses first, then the defender). Pieces in reserve do not count toward the Army Modifier (see above), and they may not be chosen to be eliminated as long as they are "In Reserve". To show which pieces are in reserve, players should place them in a separate group behind the other pieces that are actually in the battle at that time. Pieces may be moved freely into and out of reserve, as long as there is at least one piece out of reserve (involved in the battle) before each battle roll.
Example of Battle: The red player moves five armies (2 Infantry, 2 Cavalry, and 1 Artillery) into China, which is owned by the blue player who has 3 armies (2 infantry and 1 artillery) there. The red player has one school built in his empire. He therefore gets an additional +1 in each round of the battle.
- Round 1) The red player puts his artillery in reserve so it cannot be eliminated in the first round. This means that each player has two different types of armies fighting in this round (+2 for both of them). The red player has a technological advantage, so he has a total of +3 and the blue player has a total of +2. Red rolls a "5" (total of 8) and blue rolls an "8" (total of 10). Blue wins and chooses to remove a cavalry piece since he cannot remove red's artillery because it is in reserve.
- Round 2) The red player now moves his artillery back into the fight, giving him another +1 (for a total of +4) against the blue player's +2 modifier. This time both players roll an "8". With modifiers red has 12 and blue has 10. Red wins and chooses to eliminate blue's artillery piece.
- Round 3) The blue player is now down to only one type of army with his two infantry pieces. Red decides to put his artillery back into reserve rather than take a chance on losing it. Blue has a +1 modifier and red has a +3 (two army types and one for the technology advantage). Red now rolls an "11" (for a total of 14) and blue rolls a 5 (for a total of 6). Blue loses one of his two infantry.
- Round 4) Sensing total victory, red puts his artillery back into the fight and out of reserve. Red's modifier is now +4 and blue's remains +1. Red rolls an "8" for a total of 12, and blue rolls a "7" for a total of 8. Blue loses his last piece and the battle is over.
The Natives
The Human Wave
The European armies that invaded the rest of the world during the mid- to late 1800's usually had vastly superior technology and military training than the native armies that they faced. Even when they were greatly outnumbered, the Europeans could still inflict huge casualties on the brave, but poorly organized and armed natives. The native peoples quickly realized this and tried to devise a solution. Trickery was used when possible, but it really came down to simple bravery. The native warriors would hurl themselves at the Europeans in gigantic human waves, hoping to overwhelm them. This tactic usually resulted in huge losses for the native warriors, but occasionally the Europeans would panic or make a mistake and be defeated.
The player who is controlling the native armies in a battle may decide to use a "Human Wave" attack whenever he wants. For each native piece sacrificed (automatically eliminated), the native army gets a +1 modifier for a single battle roll. The native armies that are sacrificed are eliminated regardless of the outcome of that battle roll.
Ship Battles
When two players' ships occupy the same sea area, either player may choose to start a battle. If neither player chooses to fight, the ships may both occupy the sea area. This is very different from land regions, which may only be occupied by the armies of one player. A ship battle is somewhat different from army battles. Ship battles consist of four steps:
The attacker rolls two dice for each ship that he has in the battle. Any rolls of "9" or higher are considered a "hit". The defender rolls two dice for each ship that he has in the battle. Any rolls of "9" or higher are considered a "hit". Any "hits" cause the loss of a ship for the other player. Ships that were hit are now removed for both players at once (if any). Each player decides which of his own ships are hit and removed (This can be used to shield ships carrying armies from being sunk). The process is repeated until one side has no ships left.
If there are ships from more than two players in the sea area where a battle is occurring, the other players with ships there may decide to join the battle or just watch. If a player decides to join a battle, he must choose which side to join at the beginning of the battle. He then rolls for his ships with the player whose side he joined.
Example of Battle: The green player moves three ships into a sea area that contains two blue ships. The blue player declares a battle because he doesn't want him moving past the green player (One of the green ships is carrying three Infantry pieces).
- Round 1) The blue player rolls a "4" and a "12" and gets one hit. The green player rolls a "10", "3", and "11", and gets two hits. The blue player loses both of his ships, and the green player loses one. The green player chooses to eliminate one of the ships that is not carrying the Infantry (naturally). The blue player's hopes of an upset victory are ruined, but at least he stopped the green ships' movement for this round.
Production
Counting up the Production Points
At the beginning of the Production Round, each player counts up his total production points (PP's) to determine how much he will have to spend on new pieces. Production Points are earned by players for each building, resource marker, and entire global region that he has in his empire. The values are:
- Each Region without a Building in it: 0 PP's
- Each Region with a Building:
- City: 10 PP's
- Factory: 15 PP's
- Port: 10 PP's
- Railroad: 4 PP's/ each City, Factory, Port, and Resource Marker (with a value over "0") adjacent to the region containing the Railroad and in the player's empire.
- Resource Marker: # PP's printed on Marker
- Each Global Region that is entirely owned by the player: 30 PP's
Example: The green player owns six regions in Africa. In them, he has the following:
- Two Cities (20 PP's)
- One Port (10 PP's)
- One Railroad with 5 economic buildings and markers adjacent to it (20 PP's)
- One Factory (15 PP's)
- One Resource Marker with a "6" printed on it (6 PP's)
- One Region without a Building (0 PP's)
- One Fort (0 PP's)
- The total of these is 71 PP's. The green player gets 71 production points for this production round.
Spending the Production Points
After the Production Points are counted, the players take turns spending them and placing the new pieces on the board according to the following rules:
Ships may only be placed in sea areas next to a region that contains ports and is owned by the player building the ship.
Infantry may be placed in any region owned by the player building them.
Cavalry and Explorers may only be placed in a region that contains a City, and is owned by the player building them. Artillery, Leaders, and Engineers may only be placed in a region that contains a City and a School, and is owned by the player building them. Only one Building may exist in each region. (Exception: Forts and Schools may be built in any region owned by the player building it, even if another kind of building is already there. Only one fort or school may exist in each region.)
Schools may only be placed in regions that already contain a city.
The costs of the various pieces are:
- Infantry: 10
- Cavalry: 15
- Artillery: 20
- Leader: 25
- Ship: 25
- Explorer: 10
- Engineer: 15
- All Buildings: 30
Any Production Points that are not used immediately are lost (Use 'em or lose 'em).
Declaring War (and Peace)
Players cannot attack other players indiscriminately. Only players who are at war with one another can attack each other. Any player may declare war on any other player. This may be done at any time during the declaring player's movement round. However, the declaring player may not attack his new enemy until his next movement round. The player who had war declared upon him may attack in his very next movement round (he need not wait).
Peace Treaties (ending wars) must be declared publicly by BOTH players who are at war with each other. This can be done at any time when they both agree. A peace treaty ends a war, and the two players may not attack each other until a new war is declared.
The Victorian Era (the Age of Imperialism) was an age of proper etiquette between nations as well as individuals. Before two civilized nations began slaughtering each other, they would deliver formal declarations of war. Their armies and fleets would then mobilize and prepare. Sometimes the real fighting didn't begin for quite awhile after the declaration.
This is the end of the Standard Rules.
Advanced Rules
Introduction
The Advanced Rules vs. The Standard Rules
Players should play the Standard Rules at least once before trying to tackle the advanced rules. This will give them a firm grounding in the concepts and structure of the game. To avoid needless repetition, and confusion, the advanced rules will include only those rules that are different from the Standard rules.
Players should feel free to use or ignore any of the advanced rules that they desire to create the game that they want, just be sure to clarify which rules are being used and which are not before the game begins.
The Game
War! is a game of empire building. Up to six nations vie to be the most powerful nation on Earth. They become the most powerful nation by owning the most regions, having the most powerful army and navy, having the strongest economy, the most money, and the most advanced technologies.
Each nation starts the game with a few regions, one of which is their capital. They can add new regions to their empire by convincing the native people in other regions to join them. Some native peoples are peaceful and will readily join the first great power to approach them. Others are wild and warlike. Strong military forces will be required to add these provinces.
Some regions contain valuable resources that are necessary for a growing industrial economy. Explorers can go out into the unknown areas of the world to determine which regions are rich with these resources and which are empty wasteland. The explorers can also tell their ruler (the player) about the native peoples in a region. But beware, warlike tribes are liable to decorate their villages with the heads of unlucky expeditions.
Entire expeditions have been known to disappear, never to be heard from again.
Once a new region has been added to the empire, the player must decide how he will improve it. Engineers may move into the new land and develop the resource, if any, or build a factory, railroad, port, or city. Each region can specialize in only one of these economic buildings. The empire gains wealth from these buildings. This wealth may be invested in raising and equipping new armies, further economic growth, education, forts for defense of the empire, or technological advances.
Technology gives the player's nation economic and military advantages over their rivals. A nation may build a huge army, only to find that their musket-armed troops are defeated by a smaller, rifle-armed enemy army. Correctly spending the economic surpluses generated by booming industrialization is one of the most challenging parts of ruling a successful empire in the age of imperialism.
Political considerations cannot be ignored either. The player must decide whether to declare war and invade his neighbor's empire in hopes of greatly expanding his territory, or to maintain peaceful relations while expanding economically. The wars of the period were mostly fought against native populations, but when empires clashed, the wars were usually short and fought for limited goals. Long, drawn-out wars would leave both nations vulnerable to other empires. Players of War! would do well to emulate this example. If a quick, clear victory is not possible, a peace treaty is the best way to end the war before it gets too costly.
Creating a strong network of allies is a good way to avoid being attacked. Although the game is called War!, the players can determine the fate of the world in which they rule. It can become a tense arms race leading to constant warfare, or a world of cooperative trading and expansion.
Winning
The game may end one of three ways:
At a specific time. (For Example: All players agree before the game begins that the game will end at 4:00)
After a set number of turns. (A short game would be 5 turns, a medium game would be 10 turns, and a long game would be 15 or more turns)
When there is only one player left in the game. This "total conquest" type of game can take a long time.
All players should agree how the game will end before starting the game.
At the end of the game, the player with the most "Victory Points" wins the game. Victory Points are awarded to players based on the size and power of their empire as follows:
-
of regions in the player's empire x10
-
of Global Regions completely controlled by the player x50
-
of Buildings x5
-
of Armies, Ships, Parties x1
The Pieces
Moving Pieces
ARMIES: At least one army (Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, or Leader) must occupy each region in a player's empire at all times.
Infantry: The weakest army unit, but also the cheapest. Infantry pieces cost 10 PP's to build, and may move one region during a player's movement round. Infantry add "0" to a player's battle roll (see "Battle" below).
Cavalry: A fast moving and fairly strong army piece. Cavalry cost 15 PP's to build, and may move two regions in a player's movement round. Cavalry add "1" to a player's battle roll.
Artillery: A very powerful army piece. Artillery cost 20 PP's to build, and may move one region in a player's movement round. Artillery add "2" to a player's battle roll.
Leader: The most powerful army piece. This piece represents an elite mixed force of all three arms (Infantry, Cavalry, and Artillery) that is well led by a general. Leaders may also act as a "party" and accompany an explorer into a native region to attempt to convince the natives to join the player's empire. When a leader piece does this, it adds an additional "1" to the dice roll. Leaders cost 40 PP's to build, and may move two regions in a player's movement round. Leaders add "3" to a player's battle roll.
PARTIES: (Explorers and Engineers)
Explorer: Explorers are used to move into unowned regions to see what is there and to attempt to have that region join the player's empire peacefully. Explorers cost 10 PP's to build, and may move 2 regions in a player's movement round. If an explorer is the only friendly piece (other than buildings or other "Parties") in a region with enemy armies, it is eliminated.
Engineer: Engineers are used to build "Buildings" more efficiently. When an Engineer is in a region where a player is placing a newly purchased building, the cost of that building is reduced by 10 PP's. Engineers cost 15 PP's to build, and may only be built in regions containing a city and a school. Engineers may move two regions in a player's movement round. If an engineer is the only friendly piece (other than buildings or other "Parties") in a region with enemy armies, it is eliminated.
NAVIES: (Ships)
Ship: Ships are used to carry army pieces and parties over sea areas. Ships are the only pieces that may move on sea areas by themselves. They may not move onto land regions at all. Ships cost 25 PP's, and may move three sea areas in a player's movement round. Ships may carry up to 5 armies and any number of engineers or explorers.
Non-Moving Pieces
BUILDINGS: All buildings (Cities, Ports, Railroads, Factories, Forts, and Schools) cost 30 PP's to build (unless an Engineer is in the region when they are built), and produce various PP's for the player to spend during his production round (except forts and schools, which do not produce any PP's).
City: In addition to producing 10 PP's, cities allow the player to build new armies and explorers. All new Cavalry, and Explorers must be built in a city. Only Infantry and Ships may be built in a player's region that does not contain a city. Engineers, Leaders, and Artillery must be built in a region that contains a city AND a School.
Port: Ports produce PP's equal to two times the number of factories that the player has in his empire plus the total number of ports in the world (those owned by all players combined) (2 x Player's Factories + 1 x Ports in the World). Ports allow the player to build new ships. New ships must be placed in a sea area next to a player's region that contains a port.
Railroad: Railroads produce 4 PP's for each City, Factory, Port, or Resource (with a value of greater than "0") that is in a region adjacent to the Railroad and in the player's empire. Railroads allow moving pieces to move through the region that contains a railroad without using a movement point (free move). (Example: An infantry piece that moved into a region that contained a railroad could move one more region. Example 2: If an artillery piece started its move in a region with a railroad in it, it could move twice: Once free, because of the railroad, and one for its normal movement allowance.)
Factory: Factories produce PP's equal to ten plus twice the number of developed resources in the player's empire (10 + 2 x Player's Developed Resources). They must be built next to Cities. Factories that are not in a region next to the owning player's city do not produce any PP's. Players may not build more than twice the number of factories than cities that they have in their empire.
Fort: Forts do not produce any PP's. They do, however, help a player defend his empire by adding "1" to the owning player's battle roll when he is fighting a battle in one of his regions that contains a fort. A fort may be built in any region, (including native-owned regions), even one that has another building on it. However, there may only be one fort in each region.
School: Schools do not produce any PP's. Schools may only be built in regions that already contain a City. There can only be one school in each region. Engineers, Artillery, and Leaders may only be built in regions that contain a city and a school. Schools also give the player an advantage in researching new technologies (see "Researching New Technologies" below). In the Advanced Rules, schools do not give the player a direct advantage in battle.
MARKERS: (Natives and Resources) One of each marker remains face down on each native-owned region until an explorer enters that region.
Native Marker: Each native marker has a value that represents the number and aggressiveness of the native peoples that live in that region. The values range from "4" (few and peace-loving) to "12" (numerous and war-like). When an explorer enters a region, the player flips over the native marker and rolls two dice to see if he convinces the natives to join the empire. If the roll is equal to or greater than the number on the native marker, the region joins the player's empire. (One friendly infantry is immediately placed in the region, but the marker remains, face up, in the region until it is "Civilized".) If the roll is less than the number printed on the native marker, then the explorer's party is wiped out and never heard from again (The explorer piece is eliminated).
Resource Marker: After a region joins a player's empire (peacefully, or as a result of conquest), the resource marker can be looked at, but must remain face down until it is "Developed" (paid for like a building: the cost of this is 30 PP's). After it is paid for during the production round, it may be flipped face up and its resource value is added to the owning player's total during his production rounds. Many resource markers have no value and may be discarded after being flipped up. Resources do not count as a building, and may share a region with a building.
NATIVE ARMIES: (Infantry and Cavalry) When a native-owned region is invaded by a player's armies, a battle is fought (see "Battle" below). The number of native armies that fight that battle are determined by the number printed on the "native" marker. The native armies are:
- Infantry equal to the number printed on the marker.
- Cavalry equal to half the number (rounded up) printed on the marker, only if there is a "+" symbol next to the number. If there is no "+" symbol on the marker, there is no cavalry in the native army.
- 1 Artillery unit, only if there are two "+" symbols next to the marker.
Any player other than the invading player, may control the native armies in the battle. If the natives lose the battle, the armies and marker are removed from play. If the natives win the battle, the armies are removed from play, and the marker is returned, face down, to the region from which it came. If the region is invaded again later, the entire native army represented on the marker fights the battle (regardless of losses in previous battles).
Native Infantry: Native Infantry armies act exactly like normal infantry armies, except that they cannot ever leave their home region (They do not move). They are not left on the board, and are used only during each battle when a native-owned region is invaded by a player's armies.
Native Cavalry: Native Cavalry armies act exactly like normal cavalry armies, except that they cannot ever leave their home region (They do not move). They are not left on the board, and are used only during each battle when a native-owned region is invaded by a player's armies.
Moving Pieces
| Type | Battle Roll Modifier* | Cost | Move | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infantry | 0 | 10 | 1 | Can be built anywhere in player's empire |
| Cavalry | +1 | 15 | 2 | Must be built in City |
| Artillery | +2 | 20 | 1 | Must be built in School |
| Leader | +3 | 40 | 2 | +1 on Native join when with explorer. Must be built in School |
| Explorer | N/A | 10 | 2 | Must be built in City |
- * There is also a combined arms modifier: +1 for each different type that a player has in the battle (Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, Leader).
Non-Moving Pieces
| Type | PP's Produced | Cost | Special |
|---|---|---|---|
| City | 10 | 30 | Can Build Cavalry and Explorer* |
| Factory | 10 + (2 x Player's Developed Resources) | 30 | Must be built in regions next to cities. Max. 2 Factories / cities in Empire |
| Port | 2 x Player's Factories + All the Ports in the World | 30 | Can Build Ships |
| Railroad | 4 / Adjacent City, Factory, Port, & Developed Resource | 30 | Free Move |
| Fort | 0 | 30 | +1 for Defender. Can be built in Native-Owned regions |
| School | 0 | 30 |
- * Infantry may be built in any region in a player's empire.
- Only one Building per region (except for Forts & Schools).
- A player who owns every region in a Global Region gets 30 PP's.
"Westernizing" the Natives and Native Rebellion
Even after being "conquered", native peoples would often revolt. The best way to minimize this risk was to "Westernize" them. In other words, to co-opt them and make them feel like a part of the empire. This was done through a massive investment in infrastructure: roads, schools, fancy uniforms for the native levy, etc.
When a native region first joins a player's empire (peacefully or through conquest), the native marker remains in the region face up. It can only be removed from the region after the region is "Westernized". This is done in the production phase by spending production points (PP's) equal to twice the native rating on the marker (PP's = 2 x Native Rating).
Any regions that have not been "Westernized" in this way may revolt. A revolt may only occur when another player incites them with production points. The cost to incite another player's region into revolt is twenty five production points minus the native rating (25 PP's - Native Rating). When a region revolts, native armies are placed there equal to the native rating on the marker. If the natives win the battle, any buildings in the region are destroyed and the region is unowned again (The marker is flipped face down to indicate this).
Actions
There are three new "Actions" that may be taken during a player's production round aside from purchasing new pieces. These are:
- Westernizing Regions: (see above)
- Inciting Rebellion: (see above)
- Researching New Technologies (see below)
These actions may be taken by the player during his production round, and take effect immediately.
Researching New Technologies
The Age of Imperialism was also an Age of Industrialization, as well as an Age of Technological Discovery and Invention. The invention of the steam engine, mass production, and advances in metallurgy, allowed human work to be multiplied. These advances created revolutions in production, travel, and weaponry. Which, in turn, allowed Europeans to meet interesting people all over the world – and subjugate them.
Technologies give benefits to the player(s) that have discovered them. New technologies can be discovered by a player during his production round. The player chooses which technology that he will attempt to research, pays any investment PP's that he wants, and rolls five dice. If the total of the five dice is equal to, or less than the "Discovery Rating" (see below), then the attempt was successful and the player gains the benefit of that technology. The player should place one of his colored pieces on the Technology Chart to show that he has that technology. If the player fails his roll (i.e. if he rolls higher than the Discovery Rating), then all PP's invested are lost.
Players may only research new technologies for which they have all the prerequisites (All techs that are below the new one, with arrows leading to it), or that have no prerequisites (Education 1 and Industry 1). One new discovery may be made by each player during their production round. Two discoveries may be made by players who have five or more Schools in their empire.
Discovery Rating
The Discovery Rating is equal to:
- The # of Production Points invested (spent) by the player on that attempt (plus)
- The total number of Schools in the player's empire times the number of Science and Education advances that the player already has.
Discovery Rating = PP's + Schools x (Science Tech + Education Tech)
Technologies
- Industry 1: Factory production is 10 + 3 x Developed Resources in the empire
- Industry 2: Factory production is 10 + 4 x Developed Resources in the empire
- Industry 3: Factory production is 10 + 5 x Developed Resources in the empire
- Education 1: Aids in discovering new technologies (see above)
- Education 2: Aids in discovering new technologies (see above)
- Education 3: Aids in discovering new technologies (see above)
- Science 1: Aids in discovering new technologies (see above)
- Science 2: Aids in discovering new technologies (see above)
- Metallurgy 1: Ships take two hits to eliminate (turn them sideways to indicate one hit)*
- Metallurgy 2: Ships take three hits to eliminate (lay them on their sides to indicate two hits)*
- * NOTE: Ships that survive a battle are immediately fully repaired.
- Rifles 1: +1 battle roll for Infantry
- Rifles 2: +2 battle roll for Infantry
Blockade
If a player has a ship or ships in a sea area adjacent to an enemy's (at war) port during the production round, he may declare that they are "blockading". The player being blockaded must subtract 10 PP's per blockading ship up to a maximum of half of his total PP revenue for that round.
Destroying Buildings
Players may destroy buildings in regions that they occupy. To do this, a player must declare that he is destroying the building and have an Army in the region that does not move or do anything else during that player's movement round. One Army is required for each building destroyed. Developed Resources may similarly be "undeveloped".
Battle
Whenever armies belonging to more than one player occupy the same region, a battle is fought. Each player takes turns "assaulting" the other player until the battle ends. (The invading player "assaults" first.) The assaulting player chooses one of his armies and one of his opponent's armies to participate in the assault. Both players roll two dice and add modifiers. The player with the lower total loses his piece. This process continues until either player runs out of armies or retreats (see below). This process allows each player, in turn, to decide which of his pieces and which of his opponent's pieces are matched against each other.
Modifiers:
- Infantry: +0
- Cavalry: +1
- Artillery: +2
- Leader: +3
- Fort: +1 for owning (defending) player
- Combined Arms: +1 per type of army (Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, Leader) that the player has in the battle at that point. (e.g. If the player has 3 Infantry, 2 Cavalry, and 1 Leader, he would get +3 in addition to any other bonuses for having three different types in the battle. If he lost his leader, he would then only get +2 for combined arms, and so on. It therefore becomes important to eliminate all of one type from your opponent's army to reduce his effectiveness.)
Any Military Technology Modifiers (Rifles, etc.)
Retreat
After each player has attacked at least once, either player may retreat his remaining armies out of the battle. These armies must all go to the same region. The destination for the retreating armies must be adjacent to the region where the battle took place and be owned by the retreating player, otherwise the retreat may not take place.
This is the end of the Advanced Rules.
Historical Scenario 1886
Historical Scenarios allow the players to start a game based on the empires of the time. They are then able to change history from that point in time. More historical scenarios will be included in the War! Age of Imperialism Expansion Pack (see below).
1886: Imperialism for Everyone
By 1886, the scramble for colonies was in full swing. Great Britain had a huge empire around the globe, France was grabbing Africa as fast as she could, Germany was a hungry new superpower with a very large army, Russia was pushing south and east all along her immense borders, and Japan was emerging from hundreds of years of isolation to become the fastest growing economy in the world. The "second rank" European powers such as Portugal, Spain, and Netherlands had colonies throughout the world as well. In this scenario they act as a unified block for the sixth player.
Some of the building placement rules are broken in the scenario setup to emulate the historical situation, the rules do apply to any new buildings and units placed.
Players:
- 2 Players: Britain vs. France; Britain, Germany, Japan vs. France, Russia, Europe
- 3 Players: Britain, Japan; Germany, Russia; France, Europe
- 4 Players: Britain, France, Germany, Russia
- 5 Players: All except Japan
Setup
BRITAIN:
- Great Britain: 2 Inf, 1 Cav, 1 Art, 2 Ships, Port, City
- Egypt: 1 Inf, 1 Ship
- India: 2 Inf, 1 Cav, 1 Ship, City, Railroad
- Kashmir: 1 Inf, Factory
- New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, N. Territory, W. Australia, Natal, Kenya, Nigeria, Bengal (all with 1 Inf)
FRANCE
- France: 5 Inf, 2 Cav, 2 Art, 1 Ship, City, Port
- Algeria: 2 Inf, 1 Ship, Factory, City
- Mauritania, West Africa, Annam (all with 1 Inf)
GERMANY
- Prussia: 3 Inf, 1 Cav, 2 Art, 1 Ship, City, Port
- Germany: 5 Inf, 2 Cav, 2 Art, 1 Leader, Railroad, Factory
RUSSIA
- Russia: 4 Inf, 1 Cav, 1 Art, City, Port
- Trans Ural: 1 Inf, Railroad
- Siberia: 1 Inf, Railroad
- Lithuania: 3 Inf, 1 Cav
- Ukraine: 3 Inf, 1 Cav
- Caucasus: 3 Inf
- Turkestan, Kazakhstan, Buryat, Yakut, Kamchatka (all with 1 Inf)
EUROPE (Portugal, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Austria)
- Spain: 2 Inf, 1 Cav
- Italy: 3 Inf, 1 Cav, Factory
- Austria: 3 Inf, 2 Cav, 1 Art, 1 Ship, City, Port
- Kongo, Mozambique, Sumatra, Borneo, Philippines, New Guinea (all with 1 Inf)
JAPAN
- Japan: 4 Inf, 2 Cav, 1 Art, 1 Ship, City, Port
Designer's Notes and Comments
The designer's essay on the game's historical theme, the planned expansion pack, the compatible-figures note, the political correctness note, the closing message and the credits are not transcribed here. The map clarifications and the alternate battle rules are reproduced.
Alternate Battle Rules
The combat system that I designed for War! was intentionally kept simple to facilitate fast play. If players want a more realistic combat system, they may use the system in The American Civil War or Napoleon in Europe (also by Eagle Games). When using these systems, native infantry cannot "fire" unless they have a "+ +" symbol on their Native Marker (indicating firearms technology).
Map Clarifications
Land movement from the Ottoman region to the Balkans region is allowed. Sea movement from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Black Sea is allowed with the permission of the player who owns the Ottoman region. Land movement from Spain to Morocco is not allowed. Sea movement from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Red Sea (via the Suez Canal) is not allowed. All multi-island regions such as Great Britain, Philippines, Borneo, etc. are treated as one region. Players may, of course, make their own rulings on these to change the game to their liking.