Published by Eurogames
Translated by Mike Schloth (mrmikes@aol.com)
Distributed from The Rules Bank by Mike Siggins
Provisional Rules Set - amendments requested with thanks
1. The game pieces: carefully remove them from the plastic trees. You may want to use a knife or a pair of scissors so FOR GOD SAKE BE CAREFUL!
2. Flags: This isn't brain surgery; look at the diagram. The masts should attached to the galleys and harbor markers as needed.
With 4 players the game lasts 8 rounds, with 3 10 rounds and with 2 12 rounds.
The players represent the sea powers of the time: The Venetians, The Genovese, The Spaniards and The Turks.
At the beginning of each game round the turn order for the phases in the rest of the round is determined by simultaneously revealing cash bids. Highest chooses his/her position first and so on in decending order (ties resoved by the good old trusty die roll).
In the course of a round, the players may build galleys and forts, buy trade goods and recruit sailors. The trade goods are loaded onto galleys. Sailors may ship out on galleys or be left at the harbor as a garrison. On a galley, trade goods and sailors may never total more than 5 markers. The number of sailors on a galley determines the number of sea spaces that galley may move in a round.
Then the galleys are moved on the map of the Mediterranean. If a galley should enter a sea space containing on or more galleys of one or more opponents, then it may lead to -- but not necessarily -- a sea battle. At the start of the game, all harbors except those at which the players begin, will be uncontolled. In the course of the game, most of the harbors will be conquered by the players. If a player does gain control of a harbor, then he marks it with one of his flags stuck into a harbor marker.
After the movement and possible combats of the galleys, the players may sell trade goods off of any of their galleys in harbors. In addition, each player receives 300 ducats from the stae treasury of their starting port. The game round marker is pushed ahead and a new round begins.
In a two player game, there are two options: The historic option, in which one player takes Venice and the other takes Genoa; or [the non-historic option ?] one player takes Spain and the other takes Turkey. Any two players who play using any other combination will be hunted down and shot.
In a three player game, Venice, Genoa and Spain are the nations of choice.
Guess what happens in a four player game.
To begin, each player receives: 2 galleys, 10 sailors and 2000 ducats. Remember to stick your little flags in your galleys and to mark your home ports as your own. The galleys are placed in the sea space next to each player's home port [port, harbor ]. The sailors may be placed on the galleys or left in the home port as a garrison [or any combination thereof] See the illustration on page 5.
The game round marker is placed on game round 1.
Each player takes a few flags of their own nation to mark future acquisitions and to wave patriotically whenever their anthem is played.
On player is declared treasurer for the duration of the game: this player is responsible for distributing ducats, galleys, sailors and trade goods as the occasion warrants. To simplify matters, the treasurer may want to arrange the the game pieces into the compartments of the game box as illustrated on page 5. Any treasurers caught arranging the game pieces in any other way will be shot.
Each game round consists of 6 Phases and the phases must always be executed in the following order:
In the 1st phase, the player turn order is determined for all subsequent phases in the current round. each player takes their turn in the current phase before moving onto the next phase. After the player who takes his turn last finishes the 6th phase, a new round begins and a new player order is determined.
PHASE 1: Advance the game round marker. Next, each player conceals a sum of ducats in his hand.
When everyone is ready, the amounts are revealed simultaneously or at the same time--whichever comes first. The player who spent the most money now chooses whether to go 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th in all of the phases of the current round and places his individual turn position marker on the corresponding space: I, II, III or IV. The player who revealed the next highest amount chooses next and so on. If there is a tie, it is resolved with a die roll. You are not required to spend any money. Players who spend money will always choose before players who do not. If more than one player decides to spent nothing, then the die roll will determine the order of choosing a position.
All money spent[revealed]is paid to the bank.
EXAMPLE: Venice reveals 300 ducats, Turkey shows 500 ducats and the other two reveal nothing. The Turk decides first and decides to go last. He places his turn marker on the space: "IV". Venice chooses next and decides go first; he places his turn marker on the "I" space. Genoa and Spain now roll for the third choice. Genoa rolls "6" and Spain rolls "2". As Genoa wants to play second, Spain is forced to play in the third position. They place their turn markers on "II" and "III" respectively.
The turn order indicates the sequence in which the players accomplish the individual phases. That is to say, the first player buys trade goods first, moves his galleys first,attacks first and sells trade goods first.
PHASE 2: Buying trade goods, building ships and forts, recruiting sailors and rearranging markers.
Each player in turn may perform these actions in any sequence desired and as often as he likes as long as his money holds out. For example, he could first buy trade good(s), then recruit some sailors, then rearrange some game pieces and then ultimately build a fort. [I love these examples, I have the strong impression that you are allowed to, say, buy trade goods, then build a fort, then buy some more trade goods, then buy another fort...but the "for example" shows the player doing each action only once.]
Buying trade goods.
1. In general...
Each player may buy a trade good from any harbor in which one of his galleys is found [and there is room--see rearranging and the Special Cases at the end of the rules]. In each harbor, only the trade good that corresponds to the colored circle may be bought. The colors and the corresponding trade goods are:
You do not have to control a harbor to buy a good there.
In fact, no player may ever refuse to sell a good from a harbor he controls to anyone who can pay the price.
A galley is considered to be in a harbor if it is in that harbor's [adjacent? connecting?] sea space.
It is also possible that players may trade and sell between themselves if they find themselves in the same sea space [in Phase 2 I'm assuming and not necessarily in a harbor? See special Cases]
2. Purchase prices of goods bought in a harbor.
The purchase price depends on whether the the harbor is uncontrolled, whether it is controlled by another player or whether it is controlled by the buyer.
If the harbor is uncontrolled [neutral] or is owned by the buyer, then the trade good sells for 100 ducats per unit. The price is paid to the bank.
If the harbor is controlled by another player, then there are two possibilities:
* THE CONTROLLING PLAYER DOES NOT HAVE A MONOPOLY ON THE GOOD IN QUESTION.
In this case, the seller may demand a price of from 100 to 300 ducats. The buyer may accept this price or make a counter-offer. The seller may now accept the counter-offer or decline it. If the seller declines the counter-offer, then the buyer must either accept the seller's original price or get nothing. To limit time wasting haggling, it is suggested that negotiations are kept to the following pattern: Seller: Suggest 1st price, Buyer: Buy or Suggest 2nd Price, Seller: Accept or decline 2nd price.*THE CONTROLLING PLAYER HOLDS A MONOPOLY ON THE GOOD IN QUESTION.
To determine if the seller has a monopoly on the good for sale, check all of the harbors that produce the good. If the seller also controls those harbors, then he has a monopoly. A player who exercises a monopoly over a trade good may demand a price of from 100 to 1000 ducats. The negotiations are conducted is the same way as above [with maybe a little more heat].
If a price is agreed upon, the buyer pays the seller and receives the trade good which must then be placed on the buyer's galley found in the harbor's corresponding sea space. A player may buy as much of a good as he likes subject to the amount of ducats he has in his possession and the amount of room on his galley in the harbor's sea space. Galleys have a 5 marker limit and at least one of them must be a sailor. Therefore, a galley may never carry more than 4 trade goods.
The number of trade good markers is limited to what is supplied in the game. Once all of a given good have been sold, then no more may be bought at the corresponding harbors. However, if another player still has one on one of his galleys, they may arrange a deal if they meet in the same sea space (see Special Cases [but watch out for Phase 4]).
BUILDING GALLEYS AND FORTS.
To protect his fleet and harbors, a player may build forts and additional galleys in harbors he controls. In each harbor, only a galley or a fort may be built per game round. However, A player may build in several harbors simultaneously. The cost of both galleys and forts is the same: 500 ducats each. This is paid to the bank.
The building of galleys and forts is subject to some restraints:
BUILDING GALLEYS.
Building new galleys increases a player's trade empire and also increases the strategic effectiveness of his fleet. To build a galley in your harbor, your harbor must contain both lumber and iron ore [This is where warehouses come in].
EXAMPLE: In TUNIS or ALEXANDRIA a player must have both lumber and iron ore sold there [in those harbors' warehouses] to build a galley there. In RAGUSA only iron ore needs to have been sold there [in its warehouse] because it already produces lumber naturally.
[If the lumber/iron ore condition is met] As soon as the bank is paid 500 ducats, the new galley is put on the corresponding sea space of the harbor. At least one sailor must be placed on the galley, you have to either use one from your garrison (if you have one), recruit one or "rearrange" the markers on any other of your galleys in the same harbor[see below]. Mark the new galley with one of your flags. The galley may be immediately loaded with trade good(s) bought in the harbor or transferred from another of your galleys in the same harbor.
BUILDING FORTS.
A fort improoves the defensive effectiveness of a harbor's garrison (see phase 4). To build a fort in your harbor, you must be able to find lumber and gold there. EXAMPLE: To build a fort in SICILY or ISTANBUL, both lumber and gold must have been sold in both of these harbors. To build a fort in TUNIS, however, requires only that lumber have been sold there as TUNIS produces gold as its trade good.
[If the lumber/gold condition is met] as soon as the bank is paid 500 ducats, the player places a fort marker next to the corresponding harbor.
HELLO SAILORS!
To strengthen the crew of a galley or the garrison of a harbor, players may recruit addition sailors in harbors they control. The number of sailors available to be recruited in a harbor is directly proporional to the economic activity in the harbor. The number of trade goods sold to a harbor [in its warehouse] is the [maximum] number of sailors that may be recruited there.
EXAMPLE: In the harbor of SMYRNA, three trade goods are found [in its warehouse]. The player who controls SMYRNA may recruit one, two or three sailors there.
Each sailor recruited costs 100 ducats that is paid to the bank. Recruited sailors may be either left in the harbor's garrison or placed aboard any of the recruiting player's galleys located in the harbor's sea space [remember the 5 marker limit].
REARRANGING.
Players are allowed to rearrange their sailors and trade goods if they are found in the same sea space or harbor. Sailors may be moved from galley to galley or from harbor [garrison] (if the player controls it) to galley or from galley to harbor [garrison]. Likewise, trade goods may be transferred from galley to galley.
There are only two rules that must be followed:
1. A galley may never carry more than 5 sailors and trade goods.
2. A galley must always carry at least 1 sailor. A galley sinks immediately a removed from the game[along with any trade goods it may have been carrying], if a player is not able to place at least one sailor marker on his galley. [note that the rearranging only occurs in phase 2, if your galley is left beref of sailors after a battle, you are not able to safe it by transferring a sailor from a galley in the same sea space (but the player who sank you can --see below). Apparently, there may be cases where you may want to abandon a galley in phase 2 to make another galley in the same sea space swifter in phase 3 and/or more powerful in phase 4].
If these two rules are followed, then the players may rearrange sailors and/or trade goods [in the same sea space or harbor] as much as they like.
Once all players have finished there actions in Phase 2, Phase 3 begins.
PHASE 3: MOVING GALLEYS.
Each player in turn may move each of his galleys into as many sea spaces as sailors the galley [currently being moved] carries. [For example,] A galley carrying four sailors may move into from one to four sea spaces.
A player is never required to move his galley(s). It is possible for a player to leave his galleys in the same sea space for several rounds. It is considered to be anchored or patrolling the sea space.
THE PRESENCE OF OPPOSING GALLEYS IN THE SAME SEA SPACE.
A galley can always enter or leave any sea space in which one or more opposing galleys are found. However, a galley may not cross a sea space containing one or more opposing galleys without first obtaining the permission of all opponents with galleys in the sea space.
If permission is not given, the galley ends its movement there and loses any remaining "movement".
In the following round, the galley may leave the sea space.
EXAMPLE OF MOVEMENT:(see illustration on page 8).
The Turk can move his galley up to three sea spaces because it contains 3 sailors. He is starting in the sapce marked "1". The Genovese player is in sea space #1 as well, but as you may always leave the sea space you start the round in, the Turk does not require permission to move to sea space #2. No other player has a galley in sea space #2 so the Turk moves into sea space #3. Here the Turk meets a Spanish galley. The Turk would like to travel to sea space #4, but requires the permission of the Spanish player to do so. If the Spanish player does not grant permission to pass, then the Turk's galley will finish its movement for this round in sea space #3.
THE TIMING OF PERMISSION.
Completely independent of all prior negotiations and promises: The permission for moving through a sea space is given as soon as a player enters a sea space and declares his intention to leave it. If permission is not given, then the moving galley remains in the sea space and may not back up.
In other words, until the galley moves into the [enemy] occupied sea space, any promises made by the occupying player(s) about granting permission or by the moving player about passing through to this sea space rather than that sea space are so much wind. The player moves in and permission is granted or denied. If granted, the player enters any sea space he chooses; if denied, he stops.
As soon as a player has finished moving his galleys, the next player may begin moving his galleys. If all players have moved their galleys, phase 4 begins.
PHASE 4: COMBAT.
There are two kinds of combat: combat between galleys and attacks on harbors. It is important to remember that combat is always voluntary. Each player in turn may decide to attack once or multiple times [or not at all]if he can arrange it.
COMBAT BETWEEN GALLEYS.
If two players find themselves with one or more galleys in the same sea space, [and if it one of the player's turn in Phase 4] then one of them may attack the other with one of his galleys.
The attacker declares which galley he is using for the attack and which galley he is attacking -- this galley must be in the same sea space of course.
Next, both players roll the die and add to their roll the number of sailors on their galley.
Both players divide their result by 3, rounding down. The final result is the number of sailors the opponent loses from his galley. The eliminated sailors are removed simultaneously (see the example below).
After the first round of combat, the attacker may attack again with the same galley or attack a different galley or designate a new galley to make an attack on the same galley or another galley etc. Losses are only ever removed from whatever two galleys are battling at the time. Losses may not be spread out between several galleys.
If a galley loses its last sailor, then the victor may allow it to sink or he may take it and its cargo as a prize. If it is allowed to sink, the galley and its contents are removed from the game board. If the victor wants his prize, then he must transfer at least one sailor from the victorious galley (and only from the victorious galley)onto the defeated galley. The victor may even decide to move all of his sailors onto the prize and allow his own galley to sink.
In any case, the triumphant player may divide any trade goods and sailors arbitrarily between the two galleys taking care not to exceed the 5 marker limit.
NOTE: A player may not voluntarily eliminate his own sailors to make room for trade goods.
If a player takes over another player's galley, then he replaces the other player's flag with one of his own. The conquered galley is now part of the victorious player's fleet.
A player may decide to break off a combat any time after the first round [is this just the attacker, whose turn it is, or any player involved in the combat? I NEED A CLARIFICATION HERE.].
[The more I think about this , the more I am sure that only the attacker may call off battles, it would be pretty silly otherwise. I think the rule is there to allow the attacker to save himself if the battle goes badly in the 1st round].
EXAMPLE OF A COMBAT BETWEEN GALLEYS. (see illustration on page 9).
Top: The Turkish player attacks with galley #1 a galley belonging to the Genovese player.
He rolls a "2" and the Genovese galley looses one sailor (2 + 3 divided by 3 rounded down = 1).
The Genovese rolls a 3 and the Turk loses 2 sailors (3 + 3 divided by 3).
Bottom: The Turkish player decides to attack again, this time with galley #2. He rolls a "4".
That means that the Genovese galley loses its last two sailors and is defeated. But the Genovese player gets to roll since combat is simultaneous. He rolls a 3 which when you add it to his 2 sailors and divide by 3 (rounding down) means that the Turkish galley #2 loses 1 sailor. The battle is over. The Turkish player could transfer one of his sailors from galley #2 to the defeated Genovese galley and claims it as his own. Or, if he does not want the galley, he could let it sink after transferring its two trade goods of wine and gold to his own galley.
ATTACKING A HARBOR.
If a player has one or more of his galleys in the sea space that corresponds to {with} a harbor owned by another player, he may attack the harbor. The calculation of losses is the same as combat between galleys except that now the defender counts up the number of sailors in the harbor's garrison. However, if the harbor has a fort, then the attacker divides his die roll pluss sailor count by 4. This represents the defensive effectiveness of the fort.
EXAMPLE: A galley from Venice carrying 5 sailors attacks the harbor of Smyrna which is defended by a Turkish garrison of 4 sailors. The Venetian player rolls a "4" and the Turkish player rolls a "6". If the harbor does not have a fort, then the calculations are:
*Venice: 5 + 4 = 9, divided by 3 = 3. The Turk loses 3 sailors.
*Turkey: 6 + 4 = 10, divided by 3 (rounded down) = 3. The Venetian loses 3 sailors.
If Smyrna had a fort then the Turkish player would lose less sailors:
The Venetian's sum was 9, this time divided by 4 = 2.25, which 2 when rounded.
The rules for combats between galleys are valid for attacks on harbors with three exceptions:
1. A garrison may never attack a galley. Garrisons only defend.
2. If after one or more rounds of combat a garrison is destroyed, the attacker may not take over the harbor until the next phase. (see Phase 5: Conquering harbors). There may be other players with galleys at the same harbor who have yet to take their turn.
3. If the garrison has eliminated all of the sailors on the attacking galley, the garrison player may not take the defeated galley as a prize. It sinks automatically taking all trade goods on board with her to the bottom of the Mediterranean.
NOTE: Battles never have any consequence on what a harbor produces or what has already been sold there.
Once all players have taken their turn at declaring combat, Phase 5 begins.
PHASE 5: CONQUERING HARBORS.
If a harbor has no garrison, then a player with a galley in the harbor's corresponding sea space may take it over by transferring at least one sailor to the harbor's garrison from his galley. The player then removes the flag of the previous owner (if there was one) and replaces it with his own.
SPECIAL CASE: If a player has a galley in the corresponding sea space, but it is carrying only one sailor, he may still use that sailor to take over the harbor but in doing so he his allowing his galley and any trade goods upon it to sink.
Once all players have taken their turn at conquering harbors, Phase 6 begins.
PHASE 6: SELLING TRADE GOODS AND COLLECTING INCOME. THE SALE OF TRADE GOODS.The players in turn may sell trade goods from any of their galleys found in harbors.
No player may block a sale. Even if you control the harbor, if another player has a good to sell and it passes the conditions for sale, then the sale must be allowed.
There are two conditions on what may be sold at any harbor:
1. A good may not be sold to a harbor that produces the same good.
2. A good may not be sold to a harbor that has already been sold the same good [its sitting in its warehouse].
If these conditions are fulfilled, then the good is moved from the galley to the lowest numbered empty space in the harbor's warehouse. The bank then pays the player 100 ducats times the number of the space in the warehouse if the player does not control the harbor. [ If a player sells to his own harbor, he receives no ducats]. As long as the two conditions for sale are met, a player may keep selling goods at any harbor he has a galley with goods.
The sale of a good is always voluntary.
EXAMPLE OF A TRADE GOOD SALE.(see page 11).
It is the Genovese player's turn to sell goods. He receives 300 ducats for the sale of spice and 400 ducats for the sale of iron ore. He cannot sell his gold or wine because the harbor produces gold and it has already been sold wine[I'm pretty sure that this last sentence is correct--its tough to tell from the illustraion because the fax is so dark].
In the next round, the genovese player will be able to try to by one or more units of gold from the Spanish player.
OPENING NEW MARKETS.
The sale of rare goods could bring great profit. If a player sells a trade good at an opponent's harbor and the good cannot be found in any of this opponent's harbors, then the seller receives a bonus of 500 ducats in addition to its normally determined price.
The bonus is increased to 1000 ducats if the new good is sold at the opponent's home port. That is: at Venice, or Genoa, or Valencia or Instanbul.
NOTE: The player does not receive the bonus if he is selling to his own harbor or to an uncontrolled [neutral] harbor.
INCOME.
Each player receives 300 ducats from the state treasury of his country. The bank pays this out.
ATTENTION: If a player's starting harbor [home port, metropolis] is conquered by an opponent, then he loses the 300 ducats per round income. [and is made fun of].After the 6th phase of the last round, the winner is determined by calculating Prosperity Points(PPs):
The player with the most Prosperity Points wins.
Q:Can players sell and trade between themselves?
A:As long as they are in the same sea space and the sea space has a coast (there are 4 High Sea spaces that are not adjacent to coastline--you can't trade there).[Everything seems to be on a cash basis--i don't see mention made of trading good for good. Is this the birth of an optional rule?]
Q:Can an unwanted trade good [be got rid of?] to make room for a more desirable good?
A:Yes. It is assumed that it was sold very cheaply at an out of the way spot. The good is put back into stock and no "sale money" is paid. You may do the same with sailors IF you are in a harbor's sea space. If the harbor is your own, simply move the sailor into your garrison , if you are at another player's harbor, the sailor is put back into stock.