CONCLUSION.

The foregoing points represent both practical experience based upon actual games and theoretical concepts which I have formulated through repeated readings of the rules. Even the theoretical concepts, I believe, represent hard facts and can be applied during the course of a game. In practice, however, it is unlikely that all of the foregoing will be applied by the players in any one game. One can add that players will naturally be most concerned about achieving the terms presented to them by their own individual task cards, rather than the strategies which are being adopted by their opponents. This is because players will find that the calendar and the geography of the mapboard combine with the fact that players have a maximum of three armies each and a limited budget, so preventing them from involvement in too extensive a self-imposed brief.

Players will find that the game is a challenging one - not because of rule complexity, although it is true that there are many rules - but rather because of the wide variety of situations which may arise during the course of a game. In particular, the core rules are logical and well-explained, and these lead naturally to any secondary ones. A player should attempt to formulate a clear strategy as soon as he knows his combination of task card and faction, but the strategy should be flexible rather than rigid. Try to think ahead, know the rules … and good luck!

London, April 1999.
 
 

 

Table I. Factions and Task Cards.
 
 
TC 166
TC 167
TC 168
TC 169
TC 170
ASCANIANS
good
good
reasonably good
reasonably good
good
BRABANTERS
(N/A)
reasonably good
good
good
good
PREMYZLIDES
poor
good
difficult
difficult
reasonably good
STAUFERS
good
reasonably good
good
good
good
WETTINS
reasonably good
good
reasonably good
reasonably good
good
 

Note: Comments represent my own assessment of each faction/task card combination.

 

 

 

Table III. Extra Troops Available from Alliances.
 
Number of Troops *
Number of Cards
Clerics
Number of Cards
Lay Nobility
Number of Cards
Towns
50
4
4
0
100
9
12
0
150
0
7
0
200
4
6
0
300
5
2
0
400
2
1
8
500
1
0
6
600
0
0
4
700
0
0
0
800
0
0
2
* Number of troops: Clerical and Lay Nobility provide Knights. Towns provide Mercenaries.

 

In addition, a small number of town cards produce no troops at all, but give the advantage of sea movement instead.
 
 

Table II. Comparison of Fiefs Held by Each Faction.
(Number of Knights/Income Value)
 
Ascanians
Brabanters
Premyzlids
Staufers
Wettins
850/20,000
900/65,000
1,000/78,000
500/70,000
850/80,000
400/55,000
300/10,000
600/18,000
500/10,000
300/5,000
300/12,000
300/8,000
350/3,000
400/10,000
300/4,000
300/10,000
200/9,500
50/1,000
400/6,000
100/3,000
100/2,000
150/3,000
  
100/2,000
100/2,000
50/1,000
100/4,000
  
50/1,000
100/1,000
 
50/500
  
50/1000
50/1,000
       
50/1,000
       
50/1,000
       
50/1,000
       
50/1,000
         
 

(6 Fiefs) (7 Fiefs) (4 Fiefs) (7 Fiefs) (11 Fiefs)
 

Note: Each faction’s holdings can raise 2,000 Knights and have a total value of 100,000 marks.
 
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