Nit-Pickers' Guide To 7 Ages: Version 2.2 - September 2012 by Daniel Peters

Nit-Pickers’ Guide to 7 Ages, version 2.
Nit-Pickers’ Guide to 7 Ages

version 2.2 – September 2012 by Daniel Peters
***
Table of Contents
Introduction - - - - - - - - - 2
Commentary on the Rules - - - - - - - - 3
Introduction / Components - - - - - - 3
Preparing to play / Winning the game / Who goes first? - - - 3
Playing the game - - - - - - - - 5
Wild card - - - - - - - - 5
Actions - - - - - - - - - 6
1. Start empire - - - - - - - 7
2. Production - - - - - - - 10
3. Trade and progress - - - - - - 13
4. Manoeuvre - - - - - - - 16
5. Destiny - - - - - - - 26
6. Civilise - - - - - - - 26
7. Discard empire - - - - - - 30
End of turn - - - - - - - - 31
Optional Rules - - - - - - - - 34
Counter errata / Card errata - - - - - - 37
Commentary on the Player’s Guide - - - - - - - 38
Terms of play - - - - - - - - 38
Leader types - - - - - - - - 41
Artefacts - - - - - - - - 45
Guide to Empire Special Rules - - - - - - - 62
Index of Empires - - - - - - - - 62
Catalogue of Empire Special Rules - - - - - - 63
1. ESR pertaining to starting an empire - - - - 63
2. ESR pertaining to production (and to initial unit purchase) - - 64
3. ESR pertaining to trade and progress - - - - 65
4. ESR pertaining to manoeuvre - - - - - 66
5. ESR pertaining to destiny, civilising, and harvesting glory - - 69
6. ESR that do not easily fit into the sequence of play - - - 70
Guide to Events - - - - - - - - - 72
General Rules for Events - - - - - - - 72
Index of Events - - - - - - - - 77
Catalogue of Events - - - - - - - 77
1. Interrupts and “any time” events - - - - - 78
2. Events before and after the action rounds - - - - 82
3. Events before and after an action - - - - - 85
4. Procedure repetition events - - - - - 87
5. Time-warp events - - - - - - 88
6. Miscellaneous procedure modifications - - - - 89
7. Trade procedure modifications - - - - - 94
8. Conflict procedure modifications - - - - - 95
9. Standard events - - - - - - 99
-1-
Nit-Pickers’ Guide to 7 Ages, version 2.2
Introduction
Ideally, every game ought to be well-defined. The rules ought to be unambiguous and internally
consistent, as well as complete – in the sense that every logically possible situation is covered.
7 Ages falls far short of that ideal, on all three counts.
This “Nit-Pickers’ Guide” represents an effort at both debugging and clarification. Its purpose is
to answer (in principle) every question that could possibly arise about the rules of 7 Ages – to
resolve every ambiguity and every contradiction, and to deal with every possible situation, no
matter how unlikely or how bizarre.
I should emphasise that my goal is to interpret the rules, not to change the rules. I assign a great
deal of weight to a literal reading of the rules as written. But I also assign a great deal of weight
to any statements made by the designer (Harry Rowland) in the 7 Ages rules forum on the Board
Game Geek website1. For the most part, my interpretations try to strike a balance between what
the rules actually say and what the designer apparently intended us to understand from them.
But such a synthesis still leaves many issues unresolved. Hence the length of the present
document. This work goes far beyond the set of questions (pertaining to the 7 Ages rules) that
have ever been raised on “Board Game Geek” (I believe), let alone the meagre offerings of the
official errata/Q&A document. I would be surprised (and pleased) if someone could find an issue
that has not been addressed here. (Few gaps were found in earlier versions.)
Even if the goal of completeness is achieved, there remains the question of correctness. But
“correctness” is not easy to establish. We are unlikely to receive any official rulings – let alone
clear and consistent ones – on many of these issues. The best I can hope for is that future
versions of this document will converge with the evolving consensus of 7 Ages players.
This is version 2.2. Substantial changes from version 1.0 are indicated in blood red (except
where those changes consist simply of deletions). Changes from version 2.0, except trivial ones,
are indicated in green. Similarly, changes from version 2.1 are indicated in blue.
Footnotes are used for editorial comments, and for explanations and arguments in support of my
interpretations of the rules. Many of my footnotes refer to statements made by Harry Rowland on
Board Game Geek, using notation such as “HR041207” (for example), where the six-digit
numeral is a date in YYMMDD format. No attempt is made to distinguish between different
posts made on the same date. I also use footnotes to include a few proposals for changes to the
rules, as a matter of taste, where there is in fact no pressing need.
Once again, I am indebted to all who have participated in the 7 Ages rules discussions on Board
Game Geek – especially Harry Rowland, for obvious reasons, and Željko Šokčić, for his very
useful critiques (communicated privately) of version 1.0 of this document, and of the early drafts
of version 2.0. David Amidon, Steve Fowler, Daniel Hammond, Chaim Kaufmann, and Jonathan
Woolley also deserve credit for catching errors in earlier versions.
Important disclaimer: This document is strictly unofficial. It has not been formally approved
by Harry Rowland or by the Australian Design Group.
1
I understand that discussions about rules also take place on “Con Sim World”, but I have not followed any
of the discussions there.
-2-
Commentary on the Rules

This commentary is intended to be read in parallel with the official rules2. My headings match
the headings in the rulebook. Paragraph numbers (¶ 1, etc.) refer to paragraphs under each
heading, sub-heading, etc., as if they were implicitly numbered in sequence, starting from 1.
Paragraphs within an italicised example are included in this implicit numbering. (Exception: The
long combat example is treated as a separate section.) Elements of bulleted lists are excluded
from the numbering. This commentary is based on the March 25, 2006 version of the rules.
Introduction
No comment.
Components
No comment.
Preparing to play
“You are now ready to start the game” (¶ 2): Well, almost. The procedure described under
“Who goes first” (¶¶ 1-3 therein) should also be considered as part of the setup of the game.
Winning the game
“That player gains 7 bonus glory points…” (¶ 2): That is, every empire that progresses beyond
the 49th progress level generates 7 glory points (immediately) for its owning player. Moreover,
an empire’s acquisition of the Internet generates 7 glory points for its owning player even if that
empire and/or any other empire has already progressed past the 49th progress level3.
“The game can instead end at a time you predesignate” (¶ 2): See also “6) Faster history” in the
Optional Rules, and my commentary thereon (pages 35-36).
Who goes first?
Cards that are played in the same round of bidding (see ¶ 1 for the first round and ¶ 2 for all
subsequent rounds) are added to the discard pile in random order.
“If you run out of cards, the tied players draw…” (¶ 2): In the extremely unlikely case that a
further draw is required when insufficient cards remain in the deck for all the tied players who
need to draw, the discarded cards should be shuffled (together with the cards remaining in the
deck, if any) to replenish the deck, before anyone draws.
“…and takes the empire counters of the same colour (dark and light)” (¶ 3): That is, the player
takes the two sets of empire counters with colours that match the chosen glory marker. Each set
consists of a progress marker, a money marker, two capital city markers, and some unit counters.
“If two (or more) players played the same value card, the player to the left of the first player
chooses first” (¶ 3): This tie-breaking method is needed only to distinguish among players whose
ties have not already been broken by playing extra cards.
2
In some respects, the official rulebook is deliberately incomplete, leaving some important rules to be
buried in (for example) the glossary within the Player’s Guide, and usually leaving out the relevant effects
of leaders, artefacts, events, and empire special rules. I have not changed this policy overall, but I have
increased the number of exceptions to it. For example, my treatment of the sequence of actions (in the
sections on “Playing the game”, “Wild card”, and “Actions”, pages 5-7) creates a conceptual framework
for making sense of all the ways in which extra actions can be added, or actions can be changed from one
type to another, by events or artefacts.
3
HR050207 and HR050119.
-3-
After the glory markers are chosen (¶ 3), the setup is complete.
“Simply deal them 7 cards…” (¶ 8): There’s more to it4. A new player can join the game only at
the start of a turn, before action markers are placed. The new player can sit to the right of the
player who (now) has the turn marker, or in any other position around the table at the agreement
of all players. The new player receives an unused glory marker, selected randomly5. (Initial
glory points are awarded as indicated in ¶ 8.) Then, each player (clockwise, starting from the
player with the turn marker) must bring her/his existing collection of empires into conformity
with the limits imposed by the new number of players. In order to do so, a player must first
discard as many empires as is necessary to conform to the limit on the number of empires that a
player may have in play at one time (see ¶ 3 under “Playing the Game”). (The player is free to
choose which of her/his empires is discarded. This discarding procedure is treated as an
immediate “automatic” discard; there is no need for a discard empire action.) Then, if the player
has any empires in the new player’s dedicated colours, she/he must change the colour of each
such empire6. Finally, if the player has too many empires in non-dedicated colours (the
maximum being two less than the per-player limit on the number of empires in play), she/he must
change the colour of the excess empires. (Whenever an empire’s colour changes, the new colour
is chosen as if a new empire was being put in play. All empire counters of the old empire’s
colour are replaced with equivalent ones in the new colour. If the new counter mix does not
allow all units to change, the excess units are removed – and the owning player chooses exactly
which units to remove.)
Example: The number of players is changing from four to five. Ivy, the new player, gets the purple glory
marker. There is no light purple empire in play. James (with the blue glory marker) has three empires,
two in his own dedicated colours and one in purple. He changes his purple empire to grey. Thomas
(red/pink) has four empires in play, and must discard one empire of his choice. He discards his tan empire.
Claire (green) has only three empires in play, two of which are in her dedicated colours, and does not have
to make any changes. Zachary (yellow/orange), having recently suffered some dreadfully bad luck, has
only two empires in play, one brown and the other black. He does not have to discard any empires.
However, only one of any player’s empires can now be in a non-dedicated colour, so Zachary must change
the colour of one of his empires. He changes his brown empire to orange.
The moment when players can be added is also the appropriate moment for players to leave the
game early, if they insist on it. In clockwise order (starting from the player with the turn marker),
each player who quits should discard all of his/her empires (one at a time, in any order chosen by
that player), then discard all of his/her cards in hand (similarly). Finally, that player’s glory
marker is also removed. If the player with the turn marker quits, the turn marker moves
immediately to the next player to the left. If there are now fewer than two players in the game,
the game ends immediately (with obviously simplified victory conditions!).
The procedure for new players joining the game should only be performed if a net increase in the
number of players is called for, and the procedure for quitting should only be performed if a net
decrease in the number of players is called for. If some players quit the game while others join
in, then the new players should simply take the place of the quitting players as far as possible.
4
Note that ¶ 8 is not concerned with the setup procedure, so it should have had a heading of its own. The
rulebook’s treatment of the procedure for new players joining in is clearly incomplete, so I have had to
invent some details. There are many possible alternatives, of course. (See the next two footnotes.)
5
If the player is allowed a choice, there ought to be some constraints. For example, HR050119 suggests
that the number of empires in play that match the colours of the new glory marker should be minimised,
and that within this constraint, the glory score(s) of the affected player(s) should be maximised.
6
Alternatively, these empires could simply be discarded (as HR050119 suggests), before discarding
empires to conform to the limit on the number of empires per player.
-4-
Playing the game7

This section (together with the next section, “Wild card”) describes the placement of action
markers, which is usually (in practice) the first step of every turn. A few other procedures may
occur even earlier in a turn: First, the possible play of an “Oi! It’s MY go!” event; and second,
the addition or subtraction of players as described in ¶ 8 of the previous section. Of course, there
are also events that can be played at “any time” (such as Copper Mine), and some of those could
be played before action markers are placed.
Each player always has one complete set of action markers. A player can never lose any action
markers (except by quitting the game) or gain any extra action markers8.
“…face-down…” (¶ 1): That is, with the side labelled “Action” visible.
“…not on any empire” (¶ 2): This extra action marker can be considered to mark an empty
“slot” into which an empire may later be inserted. See ¶ 6.
The action markers that are placed according to the procedure of ¶ 1 and ¶ 2 are “in play”, and
cannot be taken out of play, for the rest of the turn. (In particular, when an empire is discarded,
its action marker (if any) remains in play. See ¶ 6.) The rest of the action markers (of all players)
are “out of play”, and cannot be brought into play, for the rest of the turn. An action marker that
is out of play cannot be used for any purpose.
In general, each action marker that is in play can be used, during the main part of the turn, to
perform one “action cluster”9 (or perhaps two: see Time Wrinkle). Each action cluster normally
consists of a single action, but may consist of several actions in series (as a result of Rare
Conjunction or the Forum). Each action has an announced type and an actual type, which are
usually the same but may be different (as a result of an event or an artefact). The announced type
of the first action of each action cluster is the same as the type of action indicated on the action
marker that is used to perform that cluster. (Regarding wild card, see the next section.)
“Thus playing ‘start empire’ on an empire in play will have no effect” (¶ 4): Actually, it can have
an effect, for the following reasons (among others): First, there are procedures that can be done
just before any action, even a start empire action, by the active empire (see Oracle, for example).
Second, the empire could conceivably be discarded before the action begins, in which case a start
empire action could still be performed for full effect (see ¶ 6). Third, the actual action type could
be different from the announced type (see especially Alliance). Fourth, the action cluster could
be extended to more than one action (see especially Rare Conjunction).
“…that marker’s only effective actions…” (¶ 5): An empire card could possibly be placed under
that action marker before its action is announced (see New Dynasty, for example), in which case
other action types would also turn out to be effective.
“Once placed, you may always carry out…” (¶ 6): More generally, removing an empire from
under an action marker, or inserting an empire under an action marker, does not change that
marker’s eligibility to do an action. It only changes the way in which that action is carried out.
Wild Card
“…during any action…” (¶ 1): That is, during any “action round”. See my commentary on
“Actions”, below.
7
“Playing the game” is an inappropriate title. Its scope should be narrower: “Placing action markers”.
8
HR050125.
9
My terms action round and action cluster are intended to bring some (badly needed) clarity and precision
to any discussions of the sequence of play. See also footnote 86.
-5-
“…to convert into an action of that type…” (¶ 1): That is, to perform an action cluster in which
the announced type of the first action is the type appropriate to that round.
“…even if you have already used that action this turn” (¶ 1): That is, even if you have already
used the action marker whose indicated type is the type appropriate to that round.
“An empire with a wild card … does not get the free progress…” (¶ 2): The assessment of this
penalty is done at the start of the “free progress” step, and it applies only if the wild card marker
is face-up at that time. The penalty is not triggered by the placement of a wild card marker.
Example: Zachary uses his wild card marker to do a start empire action, and he starts the Vietnamese. The
Vietnamese empire ends the turn with a face-up wild card marker, so it does not get the free progress level.
In the next turn, Zachary uses his wild card marker on the Vietnamese to do a manoeuvre action. Later in
that turn, Ivy plays New Dynasty and steals this empire, placing its card under her (then-active) civilise
marker. The Vietnamese empire is eligible for the free progress level at the end of that turn, since its card
is not under a wild card marker at that time.
“If you use the wild card to perform the same action twice in a turn, you lose 1 glory point…”
(¶ 2): This penalty is based on the announced type of the first action in the action cluster for
which the wild card is used10. Therefore, you lose one glory point if you perform two action
clusters during a single action round, regardless of which actions are actually performed. The
penalty is applied at the moment the second action cluster is announced. (One of the two clusters
would have to use the wild card, of course. This cluster could be performed either before or after
the other one, but the first cluster must be finished before the second one is started.) Moreover,
doing two action clusters in the same action round is the only way to suffer this penalty unless
Time Wrinkle has been played this turn. (See Time Wrinkle in the Guide to Events, page 83.)
The type of action cluster for which a wild card marker is used (that is, the announced type of the
first action of the cluster) will often need to be remembered for the rest of the turn. This matters
for purposes of determining whether an empire involved in a trade can be considered to have
“chosen” trade and progress that turn (see my commentary on ¶ 1 of “Effects of trading” under
“3. Trade and progress”, page 15). It also matters for the “cadenced progress” optional rule.
Actions
“The actions are taken in this order” (¶ 1): That is, there are (normally) seven “action rounds” in
which action clusters are performed. (See Time Wrinkle for a possible eighth round.) Within
each round (of the usual seven), the announced type of the first action of each cluster is as
indicated in the list given here – start empire for the first round, production for the second, and so
on. Each action cluster uses a specific action marker (the “active action marker”), which is turned
face-up at the beginning of that cluster. Whenever there is an empire card under an active action
marker, that empire will be called the “active empire”. (Exception: During an empire-starting
procedure (as described under the rules for the start empire action), the newly-starting empire
(only) is considered to be the “active empire”, regardless of the status of any action marker.)
“Each player who has chosen to start an empire will turn over that action marker, then start an
empire” (¶ 2): That is, in the first action round, each player who has chosen a start empire action
marker this turn may turn over that action marker to perform an action cluster whose first action
is announced as start empire. Also, each player who has chosen a wild card action marker this
turn may turn over that action marker to perform an action cluster whose first action is announced
as start empire. A player for whom both of these conditions apply may do both of these action
clusters in either order.
10
HR050506 confirms that an Overslept event does not save you from a wild card glory penalty.
-6-
“Then the players who have chosen production will turn over that marker and perform that
action…” (¶ 2): That is, in the second action round, each player who has chosen a production
action marker this turn may turn over that action marker to perform an action cluster whose first
action is announced as production. Also, each player who has chosen a wild card action marker
this turn, and whose wild card marker is still face-down, may turn over that action marker to
perform an action cluster whose first action is announced as production. A player for whom both
of these conditions apply may do both of these action clusters in either order.
“When it matters…” (¶ 3): For a variety of reasons – including the possibility of interfering with
nearly any kind of action by means of events – the order of play almost always matters.
Formally, the action clusters within an action round should always be considered to be played in
clockwise order, starting with the player who has the turn marker. Rules about the playability of
events, for example, should always be interpreted strictly in terms of sequential play11.
Simultaneous play should only be allowed with the agreement of all players. If the action clusters
in an action round are being played simultaneously, and it turns out that the order would have
mattered after all, then players must “undo” whatever they have done as far as necessary in order
to play the action round properly (that is, sequentially).
“You can always decide not to turn over…” (¶ 4): For an exception, see my commentary on the
2nd bullet under ¶ 1 under “Effects of trading” under “3. Trade and progress”, page 15.
As each action is announced, the actual type of the action must be determined. It is usually the
same as the announced type. (For exceptions, see Alliance, Overslept, and Unique Conjunction,
and also Forum and Heresy.) Then, if there is an active empire, certain free procedures can
sometimes be performed before the action itself. (See Buddhism, Christianity, Oracle, and
Satellites.) Then the action itself is performed (according to its actual type). At the end of an
action, another action may sometimes be announced as part of the same action cluster (see Rare
Conjunction and the Forum), in which case the action cluster continues with that extra action.
Otherwise, the action cluster ends.
The announced type of an action is always one of the seven standard types. The possible actual
types include vote and pass. Nothing happens in a pass action. For a vote action, see the entry
for Heresy in the Player’s Guide.
1. Start empire
“When you choose a start empire action…” (¶ 1): Rather, when you perform a start empire
action (regardless of your choice).
“…play any card from your hand to start the empire shown on the card” (¶ 1): That is, a start
empire action normally consists of a single empire-starting procedure, as described in this
subsection, unless there is already an active empire, in which case (normally) nothing happens.
The new empire’s card is placed under the active action marker12. There are other circumstances
in which an empire-starting procedure may be performed (see Empires Galore and Phoenix), but
in those cases the card for the new empire is not placed under any action marker (although the
new empire is considered to be the “active empire” for the duration of its own starting procedure).
A player who already has the maximum number of empires in play (see ¶ 3 under “Playing the
game”) cannot start a new empire. The starting of a new empire is also impossible if none of the
11
This principle is in keeping with HR041219. I am disregarding the indications to the contrary in
HR050228 and HR050506, because simultaneous play is essentially impossible to debug. It simply raises
too many questions, especially where events (particularly Blowback) are concerned.
12
HR050125.
-7-
empires represented by cards in the player’s hand is eligible to start (see under “When is an
empire eligible to start?”, below). A player can always choose not to start an empire.
“…only…if there is a set of counters not being used…” (¶ 2): That is, a player can only start an
empire if there is a set of empire counters that is not currently in play and is usable by that player
(see ¶ 4 under “Who goes first?”).
When is an empire eligible to start?
“Some empires can start in a particular age only if another specified empire is (or isn’t) on the
map” (¶ 1): There are also other kinds of conditions for these conditional ages. For example, the
Steppe Nomads (card 19), who usually start in the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th age, can start in the 1st age if at
least one fertile13 area with a wheat symbol is controlled (by any empire).
In order to be eligible to start, at least one potential starting area must be available to that
(potential) empire. This restriction can possibly disqualify the United States (card 50),
Byzantines (card 54), “Pirate State” (card 98), “Free State” (card 99), “Modern State” (card 105),
or Latin Americans (card 110).
Some empires – Franks (card 21), Venetians (card 43), Cimmerians (card 59), and Papal States
(card 89) – have additional restrictions on their eligibility. These restrictions are also given in the
“Age” section on the empire’s card. (The Byzantines (card 54) have a similar explicit restriction,
but that restriction is already implied by the need to have at least one potential starting area.)
Setting up a new empire
“Place the empire’s progress marker…offset from that of the most advanced empire…” (¶ 3): In
the unlikely case where the most advanced empire is beyond the 49th progress level when a new
empire is started, that most advanced empire’s progress level is treated as “50” for purposes of
calculating the starting progress level of the new empire. If the new empire’s starting progress
level works out to be greater than 49, the new empire is treated as if it has just now moved
beyond the 49th level (so the player is awarded 7 glory points immediately).
Some empires – Byzantines (card 54), Moors (card 69), Norwegians (card 70), and Ukrainians
(card 91) – name another empire in the “Set-up” section. This indicates the option to start with a
progress level equal to that of the named empire, if that empire is in play. (If more than one
empire of the named nationality is in play, due to Civil War or Empire Fragments, then the new
empire can copy the progress level of any one of those empires.)
“Progress markers can never be lower than progress level 1” (¶ 4): There are no exceptions to
this rule. It is not overruled by events. However, this rule does not prevent an empire from
starting. If an empire’s initial progress level would be less than 1, according to the rule of ¶ 3,
then it starts at level 1 instead.
Starting areas
The word or in an empire’s “Start” section should generally be understood as exclusive. (For
example, the Polynesians (card 73) may start in Luzon or in Mindanao, but not in both.) The
Celts/Gauls (card 14), as indicated by the term and/or, have the choice of starting in Austria, or in
Black Forest, or both; so they may have either one or two starting areas, at the option of the
player starting that empire. The only other empires that can have more than one starting area are
the French (card 32), Germans (card 33), Byzantines (card 54), and Moors (card 69).
13
The way the card is written, any area with wheat will do. But from the rules for production actions and
for harvesting glory, there appears to be a general principle that wheat symbols in non-fertile areas should
be ignored unless controlled by an empire in the 5 th age or higher.
-8-
Only land areas can be starting areas14, in all cases (regardless of the wording on the card).
Initial money
The “Money” section on an empire’s card usually shows either a number or a formula (i.e., a
function of the new empire’s age), indicating the amount of money with which the new empire
starts. The Byzantines (card 54) are a special case: Their starting money is derived entirely from
a transfer of funds from existing empires. (Each empire among the Romans, Macedonians, and
Hellenic Greeks must transfer half of its money, rounding fractions up, to the new Byzantines.)
Initial units
Leaders (¶ 1): A named leader that has previously been in play cannot be brought into play.
When a leader is brought into play in this way, it is placed on the map, in one of the new empire’s
starting areas. However, the absence of friendly units does not cause the immediate removal of
the leader; a grace period applies to that leader until the empire’s initial units are placed (and unit
conversion, if any, is performed).
Units (¶ 3): Note that an empire’s initial unit purchase can never include elephants, because all
initial purchases are considered to be placed simultaneously, and the new empire does not yet
control its starting area(s) when it has not yet placed its units.
Forts (¶ 5): Newly-purchased forts are not yet placed on the map15. Put them aside for now.
Naval units (¶ 7): See my comment on the placement of new naval units in production (¶ 3 under
“Building new units” under “2. Production”, page 11).
When new units are placed in a neutral area, the new empire takes control of that area. A city in
that area, if any, is not reduced16.
What if someone else is already in your starting area?
Unit/leader conversion (¶ 1): Converted leaders and converted elephants, nukes, and star wars
units simply stay on the map but now belong to the new empire. Otherwise, every converted unit
is replaced by a unit of the same type in the new empire’s colour. (Conversion of units is not
restricted by the new empire’s progress level, nor by any “no cavalry” or “no naval” restrictions.
“No cavalry” and “no naval” restrictions are not removed as a result of unit conversion17.) If the
counter mix of the new empire’s colour does not include enough unit counters for all the
conversions, the excess converted units (as chosen by the new empire’s player) are simply
removed. Conversion of the units in an area causes removal of artefacts18 (except Crusade and
Jihad) from that area. Any fort and/or disorder marker in the area remains (unless the area
becomes neutral due to counter mix limits). A capital city (of a prior controlling empire) changes
into an ordinary city (with no change to its level), although it may later turn into the new empire’s
capital – see under “Placing a capital”, below. (In this case, the takeover of the prior empire’s
capital does not cause that empire to lose any money19.)
14
Confirmed by HR081225. The “Start” sections for the French (card 32), the Germans (card 33), and the
Moors (card 69) imply that sea areas can also be starting areas, but this implication is incorrect.
15
See footnote 21.
16
The general rule for taking over neutral cities (¶ 7 under “Movement” under “4. Manoeuvre”) applies
only to the takeover of an area by movement, not to the initial placement of units.
17
HR060918.
18
This removal of artefacts is confirmed by HR050213. However, it is tempting to propose that conversion
should not cause the removal of artefacts (unless the area goes neutral).
19
According to a popular “house rule”, money is transferred in this case, in the same way as if the capital
were conquered in a conflict. HR060525 suggests that such a rule may become official in future.
-9-
If the new empire takes a leader (by conversion) from an empire of a different age, the age
difference does not cause the leader to be removed. Note that after conversion, it is possible for
an empire to have more leaders in play than its leader rating.
Conflict (¶ 2): The new empire is the attacker. The conflict procedure is the same as in a
manoeuvre action (but there will be no amphibious modifiers, since the attacking units have not
moved). From this point on, the new empire is subject to being discarded if it ever has no units
on the map. If an empire is discarded before its starting procedure is complete, then all remaining
steps of the starting procedure (e.g. placing a capital) are skipped.
Placing a capital
“If the empire captured a level 5 or 7 city…it instead starts with a capital one level lower…”
(¶ 1): No, it’s much simpler than that. The new empire can choose any area that it now controls
for a capital. If a city is already there (in the chosen area), that city becomes the capital, without
changing its level20. Otherwise, a new level 1 capital city is placed there. That’s all!
“You may also set up any forts listed in the ‘Special’ section…” (¶ 2): Also, any forts that were
purchased with the initial unit purchase should be placed now21, in areas now controlled by the
new empire. Excess forts, if any, are lost.
Special set-up actions
“You carry out any special actions…immediately after you have set up the empire and resolved
any conflicts…” (¶ 3): The capital and forts (if any) are also placed before the “special actions”
(which are not “actions” in the sense in which that word is usually used in this game).
2. Production
This subsection describes the procedure of a production action, in the case where there is an
active empire. If there is no active empire, nothing happens in a production action.
Earning income
“When you choose a production action…” (¶ 1): Rather, when you perform a production action
(regardless of your choice).
“maximum of 199 at any time” (¶ 1): This maximum always applies, with no exceptions – not
even for events. An empire can receive more money, but the excess money vanishes instantly,
before it can be used for anything.
“Halve your total income if your empire has no capital” (¶ 8): The capital (if any) of a barbarian
empire (i.e., one with a “no cities” symbol for the age it is currently in) is ignored. That is, a
barbarian empire is always treated as if it has no capital for income purposes22.
Maintaining existing units
“If you can’t, you choose which units are not maintained” (¶ 1): But you must maintain as many
as possible. An empire that fails to maintain all its units will always lose all its money.
Example: The Babylonians control one coastal land area with a single spear unit, and one adjacent sea
area with a single galley. This empire has enough money to maintain all but one of its units. If the player
designates that spear unit as the non-maintained unit, the galley unit will be automatically removed for
having no friendly-controlled adjacent land areas, but the empire would still have to pay maintenance for
the galley. So the player decides to maintain the spear and remove the galley instead.
20
Reduction in city level, if required, would have been done already as part of conflict resolution.
21
HR041207.
22
This is the apparent implication of the “Barbarian empire” entry in the glossary in the Player’s Guide.
- 10 -
Building new units

“The cost of each type of unit is listed on the map” (¶ 2): This refers to the base cost, before
modifications. Some empires have different base costs for some unit types, as listed in the
“Special” section on the empires’ cards.
“The minimum cost of a unit, after all modifications, is 1 money23” (¶ 2): That is, after all
modifications that apply to each individual unit’s cost, but not modifications that apply to the
total cost of units built together24. Adjustments to costs are applied in the following sequence:
Modifications to individual unit costs are applied first; then the minimum-cost rule is invoked,
where necessary; then the modified unit costs are added up (for all the units built together); then
modifications to the total cost are applied; and finally, fractions are rounded25.
Example: The United States (with no special cost rules) builds three motorised units, two tanks, and two
bombers. Two administrators (Roosevelt and another) are in the capital, bringing a -2 modifier to the cost
of each unit. The motorised units will cost 1 money each because of the minimum-cost rule, while the tanks
will cost 2 money each and the bombers 5 each, for a total of 17. But World War is in play, halving the
total cost, and the total cost is halved again for Democracy effects (with the US having recently lost Luzon
to another player’s Japanese empire). So the modified total cost is 4.25 money, rounded down to 4.
Placement of naval units (¶ 3): Whenever a naval unit is in an area with two separate coastlines
(e.g. Siam), the unit is considered to be occupying only one of those two coastlines26, and the unit
counter must be placed in such a way that the occupied coastline is indicated. Orient the counter
so that its lower-left corner (with the circled number) points to the occupied coastline27. The
occupied coastline constrains the future movement options of the unit, but for all other purposes,
the unit is considered to occupy the entire area (like a land unit). A newly-placed naval unit in
such an area can be placed on either coastline, at the option of the owning player.
Forts (¶ 5): An empire can fortify only its own controlled areas.
Special restrictions (¶ 7): The “no cavalry” restriction does not apply to elephant or tank units28.
Elephant units have their own special restrictions (¶¶ 8-11).
23
It seems to me that infantry units should always be the cheapest units, and I suspect that the cumulative
nature of leader effects was not considered when the leader rules were written. I propose the following rule
change: The minimum cost of an infantry unit, after all modifications, is 1 money. The minimum cost of a
non-infantry unit, after all modifications, is equal to the modified cost of an infantry unit, taking into
account the minimum-cost rule. Example: An empire builds a catapult unit while it has two
administrators, and no other modifications apply. If at least one of the administrators is in the capital, then
the new unit costs 1 money (base cost of 3, minus two for the two administrators). But if both
administrators are outside the capital, the new unit costs 2 money (equal to the cost of an infantry unit).
24
Additive modifiers (to costs) always apply to each individual unit. Multiplicative modifiers could, in
principle, apply either to individual units or to the total cost – and the distinction would be irrelevant
without the minimum-cost rule. It happens that all multiplicative modifiers apply to the total cost, but it is
tempting to propose that they should all apply to individual unit costs. (In the example given in the main
text, the total cost would then be 8 (i.e., 7.5 rounded up) instead of 4.)
25
HR070427 confirms that the rounding of fractions applies to the total cost of all units purchased together,
not to each individual unit.
26
HR070303 confirms that this information must always be retained in some way; it cannot be “forgotten”
and reset at the beginning of a new manoeuvre, for example.
27
See my comments on ¶ 5 of Naval unit movement restrictions, page 19.
28
Here, I am rebelling against HR080822, according to which elephant units are affected by the “no
cavalry” restriction. (That ruling raises other questions: Would it mean that the definition of “force pool”
in the glossary is wrong, or that there are exceptions to the rules for the placement of elephants in an
empire’s force pool? The latter case further complicates the already-overloaded elephant rules. But in the
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“An empire can only build elephants that have been added to its force pool” (¶ 8): That is,
elephants that have been added to its force pool and are still there. Each elephant unit can be in
the force pool of at most one empire at a time. An elephant in an empire’s force pool should be
grouped with the out-of-play unit counters of that empire’s colour. If an empire’s progress level
ever reverts from 10 (or more) to less than 10, all elephants in its force pool (but not those
currently in play) are immediately removed and placed in the common force pool29.
“If an empire at progress 10 or more takes control of an area with an elephant symbol, add that
elephant to its force pool” (¶ 8): An empire similarly takes over a named elephant unit if its
progress level increases to 10 (or more) while it already controls the corresponding area. See also
my commentary on ¶ 10 (below).
“…even if that means taking it from another empire” (¶ 8): Yes, even if that elephant unit is
currently in play. Removal of an elephant unit from the map may cause an empire to lose control
of an area. During a manoeuvre action, this loss of control may happen while the active empire
has units in that area, in which case the active empire takes control of that area. If such a
takeover happens during a movement phase, that area is treated as if it turned neutral for a brief
moment and was then taken over by movement (except that disorder is not removed). If such a
takeover happens as a result of conflict, then that area is treated as liberated for all purposes
(including special glory awards for liberation), even though no conflict resolution takes place in
that area. In both cases, if the area thus taken over also has an elephant symbol, a chain reaction
of elephant removals is possible.
“…if it is at progress level 10 or more and progresses by trading…” (¶ 9): That is, the empire
must already be at progress level 10 or more at the start of the trade. If both empires are eligible
to gain an unnamed elephant (both having progressed, thanks to a Joint Venture event), but only
one unnamed elephant is available, then the empire that initiated the trade gets the elephant.
“…unless the empire controls that elephant’s area…” (¶ 10): If units are removed in such a way
that they could possibly be considered to be removed simultaneously, they should be thusly
considered for the purpose of applying this rule. (For example, if an empire has trouble with
maintenance, and thereby loses a named elephant unit plus all the units that were occupying the
corresponding elephant-symbol area, then that empire is not considered to control that area, and
the elephant unit reverts to the common force pool.) A general rule to cover all the cases is as
follows: An elephant unit that dies or is not maintained always goes into the common force pool.
An empire that controls an elephant-symbol area, and has a progress level of 10 or higher, takes
over the corresponding elephant unit (i.e., from another empire or from the common force pool)
at any of the following moments: (1) when a new empire completes all new unit purchases and
all unit conversions (if any), (2) when a maintenance payment (including all unit removals for
failed maintenance) is complete, (3) when all progress increases due to a trade are applied,
(4) when an empire takes control of an area by moving, (5) at the end of each liberation due to
conflict, (6) at the end of each conflict resolution that does not result in liberation, (7) at the end
of each standard event, (8) at the end of each faction takeover procedure in a Civil War or Empire
Fragments event, (9) at the end of each area’s outbreak procedure in a Plague or Pestilence event,
and (10) when all progress changes in the “free progress” step are applied. At each of these
moments, the taking of named elephant units into empires’ force pools is simultaneous.
Example: The Egyptians have the “Sudan” elephant in play, and the Carthaginians have the “Sahara”
elephant in play. A series of events causes both empires’ progress levels to drop to 9. Later, the “Sahara”
former case, why make a distinction between an empire’s “force pool” and its “counter mix”?) Clearly, my
solution is simpler. I treat the “no cavalry” rule as simulating the unavailability of horses.
29
This removal of elephants from a force pool is not explicit in the rules, but it appears to follow from the
minimum progress rule, together with the definition of “force pool” in the glossary in the Player’s Guide.
- 12 -
elephant (alone) occupies Sudan, but since the Carthaginians are at progress level 9, they do not get the
“Sudan” elephant. Meanwhile, the “Sudan” elephant (alone) also occupies Sahara, and similarly the
Egyptians do not get the “Sahara” elephant. Then, during “free progress”, both empires’ progress levels
increase to 10. The resulting elephant removals are simultaneous, so each empire takes the other empire’s
elephant off the map and into its force pool, and both elephant areas become neutral.
Final elephant removal (¶ 11): This effect is permanent. Thereafter, elephant units can never be
in play or in an empire’s force pool, even if all empires revert to the 6th age or lower.
Nukes and star wars units (¶ 12): These units are built directly from the common pool. (While
out of play, they are never assigned to a specific empire.) The minimum progress level is shown
on the progress track, but not on the counters.
Spending money at other times
No comment.
3. Trade and progress
If there is no active empire, nothing happens in a trade and progress action. If there is an active
empire, that empire normally performs one trade. But in some cases, the active empire will not
be eligible to perform a trade. (See ¶ 2 under “How to trade”, plus my commentary below.)
How to trade
“If there is a choice, you must trade with an empire that hasn’t traded so far this turn” (¶ 2):
More generally, you cannot choose an empire (as a trading partner) if it has been involved in
more trades, so far this turn, than some other available empire.
“If your empire trades with an empire that also chose a trade and progress action this turn, the
trade will complete both empires’ trade and progress actions” (¶ 2): This rule does not prevent a
trade and progress action from taking place; it merely means that an empire can lose the ability
to initiate a trade in such an action (so the action may consist of doing nothing). Specifically:
(1) An empire that is performing its first trade and progress action of a turn cannot initiate a trade
if it has already been involved in a trade this turn. (2) An empire that is performing its second (or
subsequent) trade and progress action of a turn cannot initiate a trade if it has already been
involved in a trade more recently than the last time it completed a trade and progress action.
Example: Ivy’s Romans and Zachary’s Persians both have a trade and progress action marker. Ivy has the
turn marker, so the Romans go first in the trade and progress action round. The Romans use their action to
trade with the Persians. The Persians go next. They use their Oracle to spy on the Romans (Zachary looks
at Ivy’s hand), and then they perform their action. But they do not trade in that action, because they have
already been involved in a trade this turn. Then Zachary plays Rare Conjunction in order to give the
Persians an extra action, and he chooses another trade and progress for that extra action. Before starting
that extra trade and progress, he uses the Oracle again, this time peeking at Claire’s hand (i.e., the
Persians spy on the Siamese). And this time, the Persians do trade, since their eligibility to initiate a trade
was reset at the end of their previous trade and progress action. However, they cannot trade with the
Romans because the Aryans (belonging to James) are within range and have not been involved in a trade
this turn.
When is an empire within range?
Note that range must be traced in several other situations, besides determining a trading partner,
and the same rules apply.
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“…smallest number of areas between them…” (¶ 1): Actually, range is not necessarily based on
the path with the smallest number of areas30. An empire is within range of your empire if it is
possible to trace a path from some area of your empire to some area of that other empire, where
the length of the path is no greater than the age of your empire (plus appropriate modifications),
and the path obeys the constraints of ¶ 2 and ¶ 3.
Permission to trace range (¶ 3): If permission (to trace range through a given empire) is given, it
cannot be refused by the empire that is tracing range.
Example: The Parthians and the Steppe Nomads have already traded with each other, and now Ivy’s T’ang
empire is starting a trade and progress action. Before any discussion of range-tracing permission, it
appears that the Steppe Nomads and the Parthians are the only possible trading partners for the T’ang, so
Ivy can choose between them. That’s fine with her, since she wants her empire to trade with the Parthians.
But Zachary grants permission for the T’ang to trace range through the territory of his Steppe Nomads.
Ivy did not ask for (or want) this permission, but she cannot refuse it. So now the Slavs, who have not
traded this turn, are within range of the T’ang. Therefore, the T’ang must trade with the Slavs.
If permission is not explicitly granted, it is considered to be denied. As a result of negotiations
(or other developments), the player of a potentially permission-granting empire can change
her/his mind from denying permission to granting permission, but not the other way around.
Once granted, permission cannot be revoked. However, permission lasts for a limited time.
Every time permission is granted, it is granted for a single purpose (such as determining which
empires are valid trading partners, for a single trade procedure). For example, if an empire
performs two trades in a row (due to a special ability), then any range-tracing permission that is
granted for the purpose of finding valid trading partners in the first trade does not extend to the
second trade. A separate discussion of permission would apply to the second trade.
When a player grants permission (for range-tracing), in the context of selecting a trading partner,
that player cannot impose conditions on which empire will be chosen as the trading partner. The
active player chooses a trading partner after any discussions about permission are completed. If
the active player says, as part of those discussions, that a certain empire will (or will not) be
chosen as the trading partner, that declaration is not binding.
Example: Claire’s Romans are doing a trade and progress action, so she must select a trading partner.
She opens negotiations with James for the possibility of tracing range through Parthian territory. If
permission is granted, Zachary’s Huns will then be in range of the Romans. James does not want the
Romans to trade with the Huns. He cannot grant “conditional” permission; he must either deny
permission or grant unconditional permission. After some discussion, in which Claire assures him that she
will not trade with the Huns, he grants permission (in exchange for money, paid from the Romans to the
Parthians). Having secured permission, Claire can now renege on her promise and make the Romans
trade with the Huns, if she wishes to. But that is not her style, so she trades instead with the Aryans.
Payment for permission (¶ 3): Money goes from the empire that is tracing range to the empire
that is granting permission. Cards go from the hand of the player whose empire is tracing range
to the hand of the player whose empire is granting permission. (There is no limit to the number
of cards that a player can receive in this way.) Any characteristic of a card can be specified when
negotiating such a transaction – such as “a card of value 5 or more” or “the Romans card” or “a
card with an event that affects conflict resolution” (for example). After payment is made for
range-tracing permission, the paying player is not entitled to a refund under any circumstances.
Asymmetry (¶ 4): This is important. If we say “X is in range of Y”, we are talking about tracing
from Y to X, not from X to Y.
30
The issue here is that there are modifications to the maximum path length that depend on the contents of
the area from which the path begins. (See “explorers”.)
- 14 -
Trading
“If you don’t have any cards in your hand…” (¶ 1): If both players need to draw, the player who
initiated the trade draws first. Similarly, if a player needs to draw when trading against the deck
(¶ 3), the card that is treated as coming from the player is drawn before the card that is treated as
coming from the deck.
The cards played (¶ 1) are revealed to all players31. (In the case of a trade against the deck (¶ 3),
the card played and the card drawn from the deck are revealed to all players.)
“The empire with the higher total wins the trade” (¶ 2): And the side with the lower total loses
the trade. If the totals are tied, neither side is considered to win (or lose) the trade.
“…without modifying it” (¶ 3): That is, the value of the card coming from the deck, without any
modifications, becomes the “total” trade value for the deck.
Effects of trading
“…if it chose a trade and progress action this turn” (2nd bullet under ¶ 1): The empire that
initiated the trade is automatically considered to have “chosen” a trade and progress action (even
if the current action was chosen for it by an Alliance event)32. The other empire (in a two-empire
trade) may or may not be considered to have “chosen” a trade and progress action, and this is
determined as follows: (1) If the empire’s card is under a face-up action marker that has been
used (this turn) to perform an action cluster in which the announced type of the first action was
trade and progress, then it is considered to have chosen trade and progress (even if it has not
actually performed any trade and progress actions this turn)33. (A face-up trade and progress
marker is always sufficient. A face up wild card marker may be sufficient, depending on how
that marker has been used this turn.) (2) If the empire belongs to a player whose opportunity to
perform actions in the trade and progress action round has not yet arrived, and its card is
currently under a face-down trade and progress or wild card action marker, then that player may
declare that the empire has chosen trade and progress this turn. Such a declaration, if any, is
made immediately after the trading empire is identified – that is, before cards are played34. If that
declaration is made, then the empire is considered to have chosen trade and progress, for
purposes of the current trade, but the action marker in question must be invoked to perform an
action cluster during the trade and progress round of the current turn (and not earlier).
(Typically, that will mean performing a single trade and progress action in which the empire will
be unable to trade, since it has already been involved in a trade this turn.) If that declaration is
not made, then the empire is not considered to have chosen trade and progress this turn, for
purposes of the current trade. (3) In all other cases, the empire is not considered to have chosen
trade and progress.
Example: Claire plays Time Wrinkle on her wild card marker, which is on her Irish empire. Ivy’s
Sinhalese empire also has a wild card, as does James’s Mongol empire. Ivy uses her wild card for
production, and following that production action she plays Rare Conjunction to announce a manoeuvre
action. James plays Alliance, with the result that Ivy’s extra action is performed as trade and progress
instead of manoeuvre. During their own trade in that action, the Sinhalese are automatically considered to
have chosen trade and progress for purposes of determining progress awards. (This all takes place within
31
HR050215.
32
HR050415. Outside of the present document, I am not aware of any attempt to express a fully general
rule for determining whether an empire has “chosen” trade and progress. Note that the active empire and
the other party in the trade are not treated the same way for this purpose.
33
Based on HR050207. If an empire tries to do trade and progress but its action is turned into a pass by an
Overslept event, and that empire is later involved in a trade (initiated by another empire), then it is
considered to have chosen trade and progress.
34
Based on HR050304.
- 15 -
the Sinhalese action cluster, in Ivy’s part of the production action round.) James also uses his wild card for
production. Zachary, who has the turn marker, starts off the trade and progress action round by turning up
the trade and progress marker on his Venetians. The Venetians perform two trades (thanks to their special
rule). First, they trade with the Irish, whose wild card marker is still face-down. Before any cards are
played in that trade, Claire has a choice: (a) She can declare that the Irish have chosen trade and
progress, with appropriate beneficial results in the current trade (with the Venetians). In that case, the
Irish will be forced to use their wild card in the trade and progress round. Or, (b) she can avoid making
such a declaration, in which case the Irish will not be considered to have chosen trade and progress (for
purposes of the current trade with the Venetians), but their wild card will retain its flexibility. She chooses
the first option, knowing that the Irish will still be able to do their intended civilise action due to the Time
Wrinkle. For their second trade, the Venetians trade with the Sinhalese. This time, the Sinhalese are not
considered to have chosen trade and progress, because their wild card marker was officially used for
production. Later in that round, the Irish use their wild card for trade and progress, as promised, but they
cannot initiate a trade in that action, because they have already been involved in a trade this turn. During
the extra action round (due to Time Wrinkle), all wild card markers in play can be used for another action
cluster. The Sinhalese do their intended manoeuvre action, and then the Mongols do trade and progress, in
which they trade with the Koreans. Finally, Claire (sitting to James’s left) changes her mind and does
another trade and progress action with the Irish – noting that their ability to initiate a trade was reset at the
end of their previous trade and progress action. If the Irish trade with the Mongols, then the Mongols will
be considered to have chosen trade and progress for purposes of that trade, because their wild card marker
has now been used in that way – even though it was originally used for production.
Final disposition of cards (¶ 3): The cards do not go to their final destinations (players’ hands or
the discard pile) until after the progress awards are finalised. So the events on these two cards
cannot be played to influence the progress awards35.
Gifts (¶ 4): A gift many not be refused. If both empires want to give away money, (1) the
players decide simultaneously (and secretly if necessary) how much money they want to give,
then (2) these decisions are announced, and finally (3) the money is transferred36. (The amount of
money to be given by an empire cannot be more than the empire has at that moment, i.e. before
the transfer.) If both empires choose to give money, then for all purposes the exchange is treated
as a single transfer, of the net amount only.
“If you progress beyond the 49th progress level you…cannot go backwards in progress any more”
(¶ 10): Nor can you go further forwards. There are no exceptions, not even for events.
4. Manoeuvre
If there is no active empire, nothing happens in a manoeuvre action. If there is an active empire,
the action usually consists of that empire doing a single manoeuvre, as described in this section.
(See Overrun for the possibility of more than one manoeuvre in a single manoeuvre action. Also,
note that a manoeuvre can sometimes happen outside of a manoeuvre action: See “1f. Free
manoeuvres” in the Catalogue of Empire Special Rules, pages 63-64.)
The usual procedure of a manoeuvre (excluding special effects from events, artefacts, or leaders)
is as follows. First, the empire performs a general movement phase, as described under
“Movement”, below. Second, the empire performs a conflict resolution phase, as described under
“Resolving conflicts with other empires”, below. (A conflict resolution phase is finished when
no active units are in any areas controlled by other empires. If that condition is already fulfilled
at the end of the movement phase, then there is nothing to do in the conflict resolution phase.)
Third, the empire performs a disorder removal phase, as described under “Removing disorder
markers”, below. (Note that additional movement and conflict resolution phases can also happen
35
This follows from the most straightforward reading of the rules: The steps in a trade are performed in the
order in which the rules are presented.
36
HR080807.
- 16 -
within the manoeuvre – see the rules for strategists and for World War.) If the active empire is
discarded during its manoeuvre, the manoeuvre ends and all remaining phases are skipped.
Movement
“…each time its empire chooses a manoeuvre action” (¶ 1): Rather, during each movement phase
that occurs during any manoeuvre performed by its empire. Units can move one at a time, or in
stacks. A stack of units must consist of units that begin the movement phase in the same area.
They may remain together throughout their movement, or some can drop out of the stack along
the way while others continue – but those that drop out are then finished their movement. Each
unit or stack must finish its movement before another unit or stack begins37.
The arctic icecap is a decorative feature. It is not playable as an “area”38.
Movement point costs (¶ 4): Sometimes the movement point costs applicable to a moving unit
will depend on who controls the areas being entered (or exited) by that unit. In such a case, the
costs are always assessed according to who controls the area at the start of that unit’s movement.
The unit can benefit from changes of control that resulted from the movement of other units,
earlier in the same movement phase.
Example: A rifle unit of a 6th-age empire enters a neutral forest area and takes control of it. Later in the
same movement phase, a knight unit of the same empire enters that area at a cost of 1 movement point
instead of 2, because a forest area that is controlled by an empire in the 6 th or 7th age is treated as a fertile
area for all purposes.
“Whenever an area is left vacant of units…” (¶ 7): These effects apply whenever a controlled
area becomes neutral for any reason, not only in movement.
“…remove all artefacts…” (¶ 7): Except Crusade or Jihad.
“…replace any capital with a city of the same value” (¶ 7): That is, with an ordinary city. (A
capital is also a city, of course.) The empire does not lose any money in this case39.
“Whenever a unit occupies a vacant area containing a city…” (¶ 7): This effect applies during
any kind of movement – even if the unit merely passes through and leaves the area vacant again.
It does not apply during the placement of initial units for a new empire.
Leader movement
“Leaders can only move by accompanying a unit for its entire move”: A moving leader is
considered to be “accompanying” only one unit, regardless of how many other units are in the
same moving stack. A leader can accompany only one unit in each movement phase, and it stays
with that unit throughout that movement phase. That unit must end its move in a land area40.
“Leaders can’t accompany a star wars or nuke unit”: But a leader can be part of the same stack as
a nuke or start wars unit, if its accompanied unit is part of that stack.
Naval transport
“The naval unit and the unit it transports must start the manoeuvre action together in the same
area and move together for the whole action”: Rather, the naval unit and the unit it transports
37
HR090223 for the last two sentences of this paragraph.
38
Obvious, I think, but I can also cite HR050226.
39
HR060918 warns against extrapolating from the rule for money loss in conflict to other cases where a
capital is lost.
40
See the naval transport rules for this last restriction. The rules as written do not impose such a restriction
on a fighter or bomber that carries a leader, but I believe the restriction was intended to apply generally.
- 17 -
must start the movement phase together in the same area and move together for the whole phase.
It does not matter what happens before or after that movement phase41.
“The move uses the naval unit’s movement allowance and movement restrictions”: The presence
of the passenger unit does not put any limitations on the naval unit’s movement (except the need
to end in a land area).
Land unit movement restrictions
“…already has twice as many units…” (¶ 2): Units dropping out of the currently-moving stack
can fulfil this requirement.
Naval unit movement restrictions
“…already have twice as many naval units…” (¶ 2), and “…already have twice as many units…”
(¶ 4): Units dropping out of the currently-moving stack can fulfil this requirement.
Whenever a unit enters a sea or ocean area that is controlled by another empire, the controlling
empire’s player must reveal how many of the controlling empire’s units (in that area) are naval
units. (The remainder of the non-active units in the area will be aircraft units.) As long as the
numbers of (non-active) naval and aircraft units in a sea or ocean area is not yet revealed (that is,
from the beginning of a movement phase until the first time the area is entered by active units),
all non-active units that are hidden (by the “fog of war” rules) must be assumed to be naval units
for purposes of restricting the entry of active naval units42. (A unit cannot enter an area if it
would be neither allowed to stop nor allowed to continue.) If this assumption would make a
naval unit unable to enter an area without invoking the “peaceful traversal” rule (see the further
commentary on ¶ 2 below), then its entry of that area does trigger the “peaceful traversal” rule,
even if the area turns out to have no naval units belonging to the controlling empire.
Example: Erica’s Japanese are doing a manoeuvre. Zachary’s Chinese control the Sea of Japan with a
stack of two units, of which the top unit is a fighter. The hidden Chinese unit is assumed to be a naval unit,
for purposes of restricting Japanese movement, until a unit enters that sea. Suppose Erica starts by moving
a Japanese battleship carrying a tank. That ship could not stop in the sea area (because a ship with
passengers must end its move in a land area), nor could it exit the sea area without invoking the “peaceful
traversal” rule (because of the assumption that the hidden unit is a naval unit). Therefore, if the ship (plus
tank) enters the Sea of Japan, the “peaceful traversal” rule is invoked – regardless of what the hidden unit
actually is. Now suppose instead that Erica starts by moving a Japanese battleship with no passenger into
the Sea of Japan. Upon entry, Zachary must reveal whether the hidden unit is a naval unit or an aircraft
unit. Either way, Erica’s battleship will have the option to stop its movement there (causing conflict) or to
continue moving. Suppose she then decides to continue moving the ship (to neutral Vladivostok). If the
hidden unit has turned out to be a naval unit, then the “peaceful traversal” rule is invoked – so no
Japanese units can end that movement phase in any Chinese-controlled areas. But if the hidden unit has
turned out to be an aircraft unit, then no such restriction applies.
“…or if they don’t end their move in any area controlled by that empire” (¶ 2): Note that this
restriction applies to all active units, not only to those in the currently-moving stack43. If the
active player uses this “peaceful traversal” rule in order to move naval units44 through a sea or
ocean area that is controlled by another empire, then none of the active empire’s units can end
41
I believe Mr Rowland has said so, but I have lost the reference.
42
As long as there are no aircraft units in the game, this rule implies no change at all from the official rules
as written. When aircraft units are (or may be) in play, this rule imposes the least possible disruption
within the constraints of harmonising with HR080330 and preventing any paradoxes. See footnote 49.
43
A strict reading of the rules as written implies that only the units in the currently-moving stack would be
restricted. But HR041205 confirms this stronger interpretation.
44
Note that in the rules as written, this “peaceful traversal” rule only allows naval units to move through
controlled sea or ocean areas. I propose that this ability should extend to aircraft units as well.
- 18 -
that movement phase in any areas controlled by that other empire. The “peaceful traversal” rule
cannot be used to move through an area controlled by an empire that controls an area in which
any active units have already ended their movement (in that movement phase).
“You can’t move a naval unit so that it would move across land…. To indicate this, place ships
on the coast closest to the sea area(s) they can enter” (¶ 5): Instead, I suggest orienting the naval
unit counter so that its lower left corner (with the circled number) points toward the occupied
coastline, whenever it is in an area with two coastlines45. (Thus, all units in an area can be kept in
a single stack – see my commentary on the “fog of war” rule, page 25.)
Explicit rules spelling out all the coastal constraints are as follows: A naval unit in a coastal land
area may enter only (1) a sea or ocean area that is adjacent to its occupied coastline, (2) a coastal
land area that is connected to its present area by a crossing arrow that goes through a sea or ocean
area that is adjacent to its occupied coastline, or (3) the next coastal land area along the occupied
coastline, in either direction. A naval unit entering a dual-coastline land area is considered to
occupy the coastline that would make the reverse move possible. If both coastlines are accessible
(e.g., moving from Malaya to Siam), then the player must choose and announce which coastline
is being occupied by each naval unit as it moves. Whenever a naval unit moves from one land
area to another land area, at least one sea/ocean area that was accessible from the former location
must also be accessible from the latter. The canal rules provide an exception to these constraints.
Canal use (¶ 6): A naval unit going through a canal does not go directly from the sea area on one
side to the sea area on the other46. A canal can be used (if its requirements are fulfilled) when a
naval unit enters or leaves a “canal area” – that is, one of the dual-coastline land areas adjacent to
the canal. The effect of the canal is as follows47: (1) When entering a canal area, the unit can
arrive at the coastline that would normally be inaccessible, given the location from which the unit
entered the area. (2) When leaving a canal area, the unit can move as if it is occupying the other
coastline of that area. (If a naval unit moves through a canal area, the canal rule can be invoked
when entering the canal area or when exiting that area, for the same net effect.)
Example: The Ethiopians control Egypt while the Ottomans control Palestine. The Ottomans are in the 6 th
age. An Ottoman cruiser moving from the Eastern Mediterranean (or from Syria) to Palestine would
normally go to Palestine’s Mediterranean coast, from which it normally could not move to the Red Sea
(nor to Medina). But with Ethiopian permission, that cruiser could arrive at Palestine’s Red Sea coast,
from which it could move on to the Red Sea itself (or to Medina). Or, having arrived at Palestine’s
Mediterranean coast, it could move on to the Red Sea (or to Medina) with Ethiopian permission.
Automatic galley destruction (¶ 7): A galley may not move in such a way as to cause its own
immediate destruction.
Aircraft unit movement restrictions
“Nukes…can never enter an area containing another empire’s star wars unit” (¶ 2): This
restriction only applies if the star wars unit is visible. A star wars unit that is hidden by the “fog
of war” rules (see commentary, page 25) does not prevent nuke units from entering its area48.
45
This method of representing the occupied coastline was originally suggested by Mikko Häkkinen.
46
This restriction follows from the most literal reading of the rules, since the canal rule is presented as an
exception to the prohibition on moving across land (¶ 5), not as an exception to the general rule that
movement always goes from an area to an adjacent area. Moreover, the rules provide no general principles
by which an empire can allow the passage of another empire’s units through its territory.
47
Think of the naval unit as “flipping” from one coastline to another, within a canal area, at a cost of zero
movement points. (Such a “flip” can also be done at the start or end of a special move, such as a retreat.)
48
The legality of a move should not depend on hidden information. This case is also comparable to the
exception to the fighter/bomber penetration rule (see footnote 49).
- 19 -
“…already has twice as many aircraft units…” (¶ 3): Units dropping out of the currently-moving
stack can fulfil this requirement. In any area, the movement of fighters and bombers is
constrained only by the visible non-active aircraft units49 – that is, those that are not hidden by the
“fog of war” (see commentary, page 25) – even if the number of hidden non-active aircraft units
has been revealed due to the entry of the active units (see page 18).
The “airbase” rule (¶ 4) restricts where a (non-star-wars) aircraft unit can end its move (if it
moves at all), but it does not place any other restrictions on movement. Note that an aircraft unit
can fulfil the requirements of this rule merely by moving in a stack with a naval unit – and the
aircraft unit can stop in a sea or ocean area even if that naval unit continues its movement.
Other movement restrictions
“…an empire must always leave at least 1 non-aircraft unit in each land area it controls” (¶ 1):
That is, its non-aircraft units can only leave a land area that it controls if at least one non-aircraft
unit of that empire stays in that area. Its aircraft units are free to abandon an area that it controls,
even if no non-aircraft units are in that area.
“If the crossing arrow is in 2 sea areas…” (¶ 2): That is, two sea or ocean areas. A crossing
arrow is considered to be “in” each sea or ocean area that is adjacent to both of the land areas
connected by the crossing arrow. However, a unit that moves via a crossing arrow is considered
to be moving from a land area directly to another land area for all purposes; the unit is not
considered to be “in” a sea or ocean area, even momentarily, when it uses a crossing arrow.
(Note that the crossing arrow between Ontario and New England is peculiar, because it does not
involve any sea or ocean areas. This arrow does not cause any restrictions for the movement of
land units, but naval units cannot use it at all.)
Removing disorder markers
In spite of the order of presentation here, this step actually occurs after all movement and all
conflict resolution (for the entire manoeuvre) is complete50.
“+ the defender’s modifier for the terrain…” (1st bullet under ¶ 2): There are two parts to this.
First, there is a modifier for the terrain type of the area itself: +3 for mountain, +2 for jungle, and
+1 for tundra or forest – but remember that a forest area counts as a fertile area (with zero
modifier) if it is controlled by a 6th-age or 7th-age empire. Second, there are amphibious
modifiers that can be triggered by any non-aircraft unit that entered the area during the present
manoeuvre: +1 if at least one unit crossed a river into that area, +1 if at least one unit used a
crossing arrow into that area, and +2 if at least one unit invaded that area (i.e., entered it from a
sea or ocean area). A canal counts as a river in this case if the active empire is in an age that
makes the use of that canal possible. Any kind of movement (including retreat) can trigger an
amphibious modifier for this purpose51. If a unit enters and leaves an area, and then enters the
same area again in the same manoeuvre, then only the latter entry of the area can trigger an
amphibious modifier. Aircraft units do not trigger amphibious modifiers52.
49
The restrictions on stopping and the restrictions on continuing, together with the “fog of war” rules, have
the potential to create paradoxes. The present rule (from HR080330) prevents any paradoxes associated
with moving aircraft units. Regarding naval units, see footnote 42.
50
This is from a literal reading of the rules, confirmed by HR080331. An alternative rule, following
HR050517 and HR050531, would be to perform a disorder removal phase after each conflict resolution
phase, including extra conflict resolution phases from World War and strategists, and including the initial
conflict resolution phase in an empire starting procedure. Several other minor changes would be needed if
this alternative rule were adopted, but no more will be said here of this matter.
51
See also footnotes 105 and 162.
52
See footnote 55.
- 20 -
A fort in the area (if any) does not modify the number of units required for disorder removal.
Resolving conflicts with other empires
“If it’s your empire’s manoeuvre action, you decide the order in which to resolve its conflicts”
(¶ 1). Choose the first conflict, resolve it, then choose the next conflict, and so on. (The order
does not have to be fully specified at the start of the conflict resolution phase.)
Each conflict starts with the possibility of a special retreat, due to empire special abilities or a
Treachery event. If no special retreat happens, then one or more rounds of conflict are played,
until the conflict is decided (either by the retreat of one side or by the annihilation of one or both
sides). Finally, the aftermath of the conflict is dealt with, as described under “End of conflict”.
At the beginning of the first round of conflict (assuming no special retreat occurred), the players
involved in the conflict must set aside part of the table, apart from the map, in which all the units
that are in the embattled area will be placed for the duration of the rounds of conflict. In general,
during the rounds of conflict, each side’s units will be divided among three groups, according to
their status. A unit may be “newly committed”, or “previously committed”, or “uncommitted”.
“Previously committed” units are placed off to the side, while “uncommitted” and “newly
committed” units are placed centrally, between the two players (assuming that the attacking and
defending players are not the same person). “Uncommitted” units are placed further back, toward
the owning player, while “newly committed” units are placed further forward, toward the
opposing player. In general, each of the three groups of units of each side will be placed as a
single stack, and subject to the “fog of war” rules. See the diagram below.
defender sits here
defender’s
uncommitted units
defender’s defender’s
disorder previously committed units
markers defender’s
newly committed units
dividing line
attacker’s
newly committed units
attacker’s attacker’s
disorder previously committed units
markers attacker’s
uncommitted units
attacker sits here
The same layout can be used if both empires belong to the same player. In this case, the player
should sit in the attacker’s position (visualising an imaginary person in the defender’s position).
If the embattled area is a dual-coastline land area, then when the battle layout is defined, the
players should agree on a facing convention to be followed throughout the conflict by all the
naval units involved, so that the occupied coastlines are not forgotten.
Example: French and Spanish forces (including naval units) are undergoing conflict in Castille. As the
players set up their units on the battle layout, they agree that naval units on the Bay of Biscay side will be
“right side up” as viewed by the owning player, while naval units on the Western Mediterranean side will
be “upside down” as viewed by the owning player.
- 21 -
No units will be “newly committed” at the start of any round of conflict. At the start of the first
round, all units will be “uncommitted”.
In general, each side will also have some number of levels of conflict disorder, represented by the
use of disorder markers in the indicated part of the battle layout. At the beginning of the first
round, both sides have zero levels of conflict disorder. Conflict disorder is a temporary condition
that is removed at the end of a conflict, regardless of the result.
“In each conflict, each player involved draws a card from the deck…” (¶ 2): Rather, in each
round of conflict, a card is drawn from the deck for each side, by the owning player. The attacker
draws first. Note that the drawing of cards is not the first step of a round, although the earlier
steps will not usually be relevant on the first round. See “Committed and uncommitted units”,
“Nukes”, and “Retreating”.
“A player with a tactician in the area can decide to discard their card and draw a replacement
card” (¶ 2): The discarding is done on behalf of the empire with the tactician. (If both sides
belong to the same player, the player must keep the attacking and defending roles separate.) An
empire with more than one tactician in the area can discard its drawn card as many times as it has
tacticians. The last-drawn card (by that side) must be used. All discarding and drawing by the
attacker is done before the defender begins to draw cards.
“Each of them must secretly commit some or all of the units…” (¶ 3): A vertical barrier of some
kind (such as the rulebook) should be set up along the dividing line (see diagram above) so that
the two players cannot see each other’s unit commitments (unless there is only one player
involved, controlling both sides). Units to be committed must be drawn from the “uncommitted”
category and moved into the “newly committed” category. “Previously committed” units stay
where they are.
“…and may choose to use a tactician…” (¶ 3): That is, a tactician in the area can be placed
among its empire’s “newly committed” units – but not if all of those units are nukes.
“Now, turn over all the cards and work out each side’s conflict total…” (¶ 5): Also remove the
barrier between the two sides’ units, and spread out the newly-committed units (of both sides) so
that they are visible. For the rest of the round, all newly-committed units can be inspected by all
players. Calculation of the conflict total is based on “newly committed” units only; “previously
committed” units and “uncommitted” units are ignored.
“+ the front line value of half the units…” (2nd bullet under ¶ 6): Round fractions up when
considering “half the units” 53.
“+1 per age your empire is ahead of your opponent’s” (5th bullet under ¶ 6): This applies only to
the empire that is in the higher age (if any); there is no negative modifier for the other empire.
“+ the best front line and support value used by units you committed this round for each disorder
marker…” (6th bullet under ¶ 6): That is, the sum of the best (used) front line value and the best
(used) support value is multiplied by the opposing side’s levels of conflict disorder, to get this
term of the grand sum. If you have only one newly-committed unit, and therefore no units that
used a support value, treat the “best support value” as zero for this purpose.
53
By the rules as written, the “front line” and “support” roles can be decided after all unit commitments are
revealed. Some players use a “house rule” in which the roles have to be decided as part of the secret
commitment decisions. (As a way to indicate the role designations, the “front line” units could be those in
the top half of the stack.) HR041119 agrees that this “house rule” might be better than the existing rule. (It
could make a difference when elephants are involved – see ¶ 7).
- 22 -
Fractions involved in the calculation of a conflict total are rounded only at the very end of the
calculation54. In particular, units’ front line values and support values retain all fractions acquired
from modifications, until the calculation is complete.
Elephant effects (¶ 7): This is one of several modifiers that can affect a unit’s combat values.
Others are due to terrain, artefacts, or events. The elephant effect is final; there is no way for the
affected units to end up with a non-zero front line value.
Terrain modifiers
Amphibious modifiers are based on the way in which the attacking (non-aircraft) units entered the
area during the most recent movement phase. (If a unit enters and leaves an area, and then enters
the same area again in the same movement phase, then only the latter entry of the area can trigger
an amphibious modifier.) They are +1 if at least one unit crossed a river into the area, +1 if at
least one unit used a crossing arrow to enter the area, and +2 if at least one unit invaded the area
(i.e., entered it from a sea or ocean area). Aircraft units do not trigger amphibious modifiers55.
“Terrain modifiers are based on the age of the defender…” (¶ 1): Thus, a canal counts as a river
if the defender is in an age that makes use of the canal possible. Also, it is the defender’s age that
determines whether a forest area is treated as a fertile area.
Conflict outcomes
Losses (¶¶ 1-2): Take losses from “newly committed” units, not “previously committed” units.
“Set aside the surviving committed units…” (¶ 3): That is, surviving “newly committed” units
are moved into the “previously committed” category. Any surviving committed leader is put
back into its area on the map (or put among its side’s “uncommitted” units).
“…and discard the cards drawn” (¶ 3): Attacker’s card first.
“If an elephant is lost…all surviving units on that side must immediately retreat” (¶ 4): There are
two exceptions, both arising from situations in which committed units on both sides are lost.
First, if one side is wiped out, the other side does not retreat even if it lost an elephant. Second, if
neither side is wiped out but both sides lost an elephant, only the attacker retreats.
Committed and uncommitted units
“If you have no remaining uncommitted units, your committed units become uncommitted
again…”: The “committed” units here are what I have called “previously committed” units. This
step occurs early in a round of conflict, before the drawing of cards.
Nukes
“If an empire’s only uncommitted unit…is a nuke, the owner may destroy it…” (¶ 1): More
generally, if all of the empire’s uncommitted units are nukes, the owner may destroy them all. If
this is true of both players, the attacker makes the decision first. This is the very first step of the
round (except for the possible playing of events and implementation of their effects). If this
voluntary destruction of nukes causes the entire conflict to be resolved (by removing a side
entirely), the rest of the round is skipped.
“The empire would then gain a disorder marker…” (¶ 1): This is just reiterating the rule given
under “Committed and uncommitted units”, above.
“If a nuke and star wars are committed during the same round, the nuke is destroyed…” (¶ 2):
Star wars units only destroy opposing nuke units. If all committed nukes are destroyed by star
54
Apparently implied by HR050425.
55
Actually they do, by the rules as written. The omission of this exception was presumably an oversight.
- 23 -
wars units, and one side is thereby left without any “newly committed” units, that side is
automatically treated as having a lower conflict total than the other.
Nuclear explosion (¶ 3): Nukes do not affect cities56 (except to remove capital status).
Glory penalty (¶ 4): 5 glory points are removed for each committed nuke. The penalty applies
immediately after committed units are revealed, before the nukes are destroyed by star wars units.
Retreating
Retreat option (¶ 1): The decision to retreat happens after the step in which committed units
become uncommitted and conflict disorder is added (see “Committed and uncommitted units”).
Retreat procedure (¶ 2): A leader can retreat from the embattled area to any adjacent land area to
which at least one unit (other than a nuke or star wars unit) also retreats.
“Units can only retreat to an area they could enter during movement” (¶ 2): That is, under the
same constraints that apply to an individual unit’s movement within a movement phase – except
that restrictions on abandoning an area do not apply during retreat.
End of conflict
Surviving units and leaders are removed from the battle layout and put back into the appropriate
area on the map. Each surviving naval unit in a dual-coastline land area must occupy the same
coastline that it occupied before the conflict.
“Remove 1 elite marker (if any) from an empire that loses a conflict…” (¶ 1): An empire is
considered to “lose” a conflict only if the opposing empire “wins” the conflict (by gaining or
retaining control of the embattled area).
“…in which two or more of its units were involved” (¶ 1): Rather, the empire loses an elite
marker only if it lost at least two of its units from the conflict57. Units that were removed as part
of a retreat attempt are also considered to have been lost from the conflict. Units lost from other
areas as a side effect of the conflict are not included.
“If control of the area changes…” (¶ 3): This paragraph refers to the case where the attacker
takes over the area (which is euphemistically called “liberation” in the Player’s Guide). In the
case of reversion to neutrality (¶ 2), see ¶ 7 under “Movement”.
“…remove any artefacts…” (¶ 3): Except Crusade or Jihad.
“If an empire loses its capital city in a conflict, all that empire’s saved money is lost…” (¶ 4):
This can happen in any of four different ways58 – if (1) a capital is liberated by an attacking
empire, or (2) a conflict in a capital leaves that area neutral, or (3) liberation of an elephant-
symbol area causes the removal of an elephant from a capital, causing the latter area to become
neutral, or (4) a capital is abandoned using a Reinforcements event to reinforce a conflict in an
adjacent area. In the second through fourth cases, there is no transfer – the money is simply lost.
“If an empire without a capital loses a leader in a conflict that it also loses…” (¶ 5): For losing a
conflict, see my commentary on ¶ 1 above. A leader that is lost from the embattled area as a
result of conflict is considered to have been lost in that conflict. In the case of an attacker victory,
a leader that is lost from any area the attacker liberates as a result of that conflict is considered to
have been lost in that conflict. (See my commentary on ¶ 8 under “Building new units” under
56
HR080522. But I propose that any city in the area should be removed, or at least reduced.
57
From the official errata.
58
HR090527. (Version 2.1 of this document erroneously claimed that the 3 rd and 4th cases do not cause
money loss.) Note that the 2nd and 4th cases can also apply to a Barracks Revolt conflict (HR090904).
- 24 -
“2. Production”, page 12.) The loss of a leader does not cause money to be transferred if the
empire losing the leader had a capital at the start of the conflict. (But such an empire can still
lose its money due to the rule in ¶ 4.)
The effects of a conflict – including special effects due to artefacts or empire special rules – are
entirely applied before the next conflict is resolved59. (Exception: There may be a delayed
placement of disorder due to Confucianism.)
Example: The Mongols (progress level 20) move into three land areas controlled by the Sung (progress
level 21). The Mongols win the first conflict (in an area with a city), thus getting two glory points for their
special glory condition. The Sung have their progress level reduced to level 20 in the process. The
Mongols win both of the other conflicts as well, but they do not get any glory from these conquests, since
the Sung are no longer a more advanced empire.
Next conflict
No comment.
Fog of war
Everything on the map except units can be examined by all players at all times. (Leaders are not
units.) In general, an empire’s units in a single area can be arranged into one or more stacks –
whatever will fit in the area – and the topmost unit of each stack can be examined by all players at
all times60. Other units in the stack can be examined only by the owning player (but other players
are always entitled to know how many units are in a stack). Units can be rearranged by the
owning player at any time (in order to change which unit is visible). Exception: During a
movement phase, the non-active units cannot be rearranged while a unit or stack is moving61.
They can be rearranged between the completion of one stack’s (or lone unit’s) movement and the
beginning of the next stack’s (or unit’s) movement; and if any non-active players wish to
rearrange their units at such a time, the active player must wait until these rearrangements are
finished before starting to move the next stack.
The revelation of newly-committed units in conflict resolution provides the main exception to the
“fog of war” rule. Some other exceptions arise during movement (see commentary on “naval unit
movement restrictions”, page 18). Still other exceptions arise in the execution of certain events.
Example (complete)
“…and they are the medium veteran colour as opposed to the Russians who are the large
ponderous one” (¶ 6): That is, in this example, the French are represented by one of the darker
colours, while the Russians are represented by one of the lighter colours. Therefore the French
units are stronger than Russian units of the same type.
“(1 for the spear +5 for the card +2 for defending in a forest (usual +1 and another +1 as per the
Russian special (see card 34)) +2 for the fortification)” (¶ 11): The Russian special ability
actually has nothing to do with forests. While defending (in any terrain), each Russian infantry
unit gets +1 to its front line value. So the total value of 10 in this paragraph is correct, but for the
wrong reason. It should say “(2 for the spear (including +1 for the Russian special) +5 for the
card +1 for defending in a forest + 2 for the fortification)”. ¶ 13 has the same problem.
The Russian total in ¶ 17 should be 36, not 35. Again, “5 for the rifle” should be “6 for the rifle”
(because of the Russian special ability) and “+2 for the forest” should be “+1 for the forest”. But
now the “+10 for the French disorder marker” should be “+11 for the French disorder marker”,
59
HR060323.
60
HR041208.
61
HR080331.
- 25 -
because the best committed Russian front line value is 6 (including modifications), not 5.
Similarly, the Russian total in ¶ 24 should be 55, not 53.
The French total in ¶ 20 should be 51, not 52, since the conflict card has value 4, not 5.
5. Destiny
The same basic procedure for a destiny action applies whether there is an active empire or not.
“…to fill your hand to 6 cards” (¶ 2): The 6-card limit may be modified by events (or optional
rules). If you already have as many cards as the limit (or more), do not draw any cards.
6. Civilise
A civilise action begins with the playing of cards for artefacts or for standard events, as described
under “Playing cards”. This step is performed whether there is an active empire or not. It is
theoretically possible for an event to cause the active empire (if any) to be discarded, or to do the
reverse: to bring an empire into active status. If there is no active empire at the end of this step,
the action ends. Otherwise, the remaining steps described in this subsection are performed by the
active empire, in the order presented (from removing leaders to removing disorder).
Playing cards
In this step of a civilise action, the active player (only) may play any number of cards for artefacts
or for standard events, in any order. A few general rules for playing events of any kind are found
under “Playing event cards”, below. (See my commentary there for a definition of “standard
events”.) See also the “General Rules for Events” section in the Guide to Events (pages 72-76 of
the present document) for a more complete explanation of events.
“Discard all played cards after use”: A card played for an event or artefact is discarded
immediately – as soon as the event or artefact is announced62.
Playing event cards
“If the card doesn’t say when the event can be played, it can be played only during a civilise
action” (¶ 2). We ought to give this kind of event a name, so let’s call them “standard events”,
for lack of a better term63. (See also my commentary on the “Terms of Play” in the Player’s
Guide, where I add an entry for “standard events” – page 41.)
Much more clarification is needed, for the effects of specific events, than is provided in ¶ 3. See
the Catalogue of Events within the Guide to Events (pages 77-106 of the present document).
“If the event instructions conflict with the rules, the event takes precedence…” (¶ 4): Not always.
In this commentary, I point out a few places where rules in the rulebook are not overruled by
events (e.g., “Progress markers can never be lower than progress level 1”).
Assassin events
“The other empire must be within range of the empire taking the civilise action…” (¶ 1): Notice
that it is not necessary to trace range to the target leader.
“…(i.e. it can’t be played unless the civilise action is taken by an empire)” (¶ 1): That is, there
must be an active empire at the moment the assassin event is played. It does not matter whether
there was an empire card under the active action marker at the time the marker was placed.
“(or 3 in the case of the Assassins empire)” (¶ 2): That is, in the case of the extra assassination
attempt that is allowed by the special ability of the Assassins empire.
62
HR071104 (and elsewhere).
63
Can someone suggest a better term? Please?
- 26 -
“…reveal them” (¶ 4): And discard them. The card drawn by the side doing the assassination
attempt is discarded first.
Playing artefact cards
“Artefact cards can be played if…” (¶ 1): The most obvious restriction on playing an artefact is
that the player must have the appropriate card. But this restriction does not apply to the Crusade
artefact, since there is no card for it. For the requirements to play Crusade, see the entry for the
Pope artefact in the Player’s Guide. If the active player is eligible to play it, the Crusade artefact
is played in much the same way as any other artefact (except that there is no card to discard).
Specific restrictions on artefacts (¶¶ 2-3): In some cases, the play of an artefact card is restricted
by range. Range-tracing for the purpose of playing an artefact follows the same principles as
range-tracing for the purpose of playing an event. (See “Range-tracing for events” in the
“General Rules for Events” section in the Guide to Events, page 75.) However, the usual range
restrictions on artefacts specify that something must be within range of the target empire. (So the
player who is asking for permission may be someone other than the player who is playing the
artefact.) Another difference is that (in some cases) range must be traced to a specific area, or to
some area within a specific sub-region, rather than to an empire – but the essential principles of
range-tracing are unchanged. Remember: permission is needed in order to trace range through a
controlled area, but permission is not needed in order to trace range into a controlled area.
Permission for range-tracing is either granted unconditionally or denied. Permission cannot be
based on which artefact (or event, etc.) the active player is intending to play, or on the identity of
the target or on any other choices related to the placement of the artefact. See pages 75-76 of the
present document.
“An artefact can’t be played if the artefact marker matching that artefact is red, or already on the
map or on the progress track” (¶ 3): Oops! This ought to say: An artefact with a red marker
cannot be played if the marker is already in play (on an empire’s card or on the progress track).
A religion or government cannot be played if all the markers for that religion or government are
already in play (on empires’ cards), either side up64. Any other artefact with a green marker
cannot be played if the green artefact marker is already on the map.
For an artefact with a blue marker, it does not matter whether that blue marker is already on the
progress track. Such an artefact can be played again – subject to the other restrictions governing
artefacts65. (It cannot be played if the matching green marker is on the map.)
A religion or government marker that is in play (on an empire’s card) can always be swapped
freely for an equivalent one, in order to make another religion or government available.
Example: I wish to play Buddhism on one of my empires, and it appears that I cannot, because all of the
markers with Buddhism are in play. But one of those markers is in play Christianity-side-up (indicating a
Christian empire), and a different Christianity marker (with Hinduism on the other side) is available. I can
freely swap one Christianity marker for the other, thus releasing a Buddhism marker for my immediate use.
The possibility of playing an artefact (and the eligibility of any potential target) is constrained by
the rules for the placement of the artefact marker(s). (See ¶¶ 4-5 and my commentary on ¶ 4,
below.) If the marker(s) cannot be placed, the artefact cannot be played.
An artefact can be cancelled by a Strange Omen event (card 8) in the same way that an event can
be cancelled by a Bad Augury event (for example). A confirmed artefact (that is, one that is
played and not cancelled) always has some immediate effects. In most cases, the immediate
64
HR050114: Counter mix limits apply to all artefacts, including religions and governments.
65
HR060918 and HR041206 (contrary to the rule as written).
- 27 -
effects include the placement of a marker (or two), and a glory award (or penalty). Some
artefacts have other immediate effects in addition to these (see the Player’s Guide). The Internet
brings an immediate glory award followed by an immediate end to the game. (No further card
plays are possible after the Internet is confirmed, and the current civilise action is left unfinished.)
An artefact marker has ongoing effects as long as it remains in play. See the Player’s Guide.
Placement of artefact markers (¶ 4): It is convenient to distinguish between the “target” of an
artefact (which is the empire that must be in one of the listed ages, as explained in ¶ 1) and the
“recipient” of an artefact marker (which is the empire that actually gets the marker, either on its
card or in one of the areas it controls). In most cases, the target of the artefact and the recipient of
the marker are the same empire. The exceptions are Crusade (for which the marker has a
recipient but there is no target), Jihad (for which the recipient of the marker is not the target66),
Peace Treaty (for which there are two markers and hence two recipients, one of which is the
target), and World War (which has a target but whose marker has no recipient).
When World War is confirmed, its marker goes on the progress track (see the Player’s Guide).
When any other red-marker artefact is confirmed, the marker goes on the target empire’s card.
When a religion or government is confirmed, one marker (only) of that religion or government
goes on the target empire’s card. When any other artefact with a green marker is confirmed, the
matching green marker goes in a land area controlled by the recipient (which is usually the
target). There are other restrictions: See the entries in the Player’s Guide for Crusade, Jihad,
Peace Treaty, and Pharos Lighthouse. (Peace Treaty has two markers, and both are placed: The
first marker goes in a land area controlled by the target empire, and the second marker goes in a
land area controlled by the other recipient.) See ¶ 9 for the placement of blue artefact markers.
“If an artefact marker is green, the empire getting the artefact gains 1 glory” (¶ 6): This is
referring to the recipient empire67. Notice that in the case of Jihad, this glory award does not
apply to the target empire. Peace Treaty is treated as two artefacts; the glory award applies to
each of the two recipient empires (one of which is the target empire).
“If it is red, that empire loses 1 glory” (¶ 6): In the case of World War, the target empire loses
one glory point in spite of the fact that it does not “get” the artefact68. (There is no recipient.)
“the empire loses control of the area” (1st bullet under ¶ 7): Crusade and Jihad are exceptions;
they are not generally removed in this case69.
“the empire controlling the area advances past the latest age stated on the marker” (2nd bullet
under ¶ 7): The ages in question are listed in the middle of the “elite” or “disorder” marker that is
found on the back of the on-map artefact marker. (These ages are “1~5” for Crusade, and
otherwise the same as the allowed target ages listed in the artefact section of each matching card.)
This case is only checked at the moment when an empire’s age changes; the marker is removed if
the new age is higher than the highest age stated on the marker. (In general, it is possible for an
empire to have an artefact while being in a higher age than the ages listed for that artefact. This
can happen due to the Exotic Artefact event. Also, in the case of Crusade or Jihad, it can happen
simply because the recipient is not the target – or because a Crusade or Jihad artefact is not
necessarily removed when another empire takes over its area.)
66
HR050114 confirms the distinction between the target and the recipient in the case of Jihad (though
without using that terminology).
67
HR050114.
68
HR041201.
69
HR050114.
- 28 -
Example: The Arabs, in the 3rd age, get the Hanging Gardens – normally allowed only for empires in the
1st or 2nd age – with the help of the Exotic Artefact event. Assuming that they retain control of the
artefact’s area, the artefact will remain until the Arabs change age. If they revert to the 2 nd age (perhaps
due to Hun invasions), the artefact still remains until they change age again. If they advance again into the
3rd age, the artefact is then removed.
Placement of blue markers (¶ 9): If the target empire is beyond the 49th progress level, the blue
marker is placed just to the right of the “49” box, and is considered to be “on” the progress track
thereafter. (Only empires beyond the 49th level will be considered to be “at or above” such blue
markers.) A blue marker that is already on the progress track is not moved if the artefact is
played again70.
“They gain all the benefits” (¶ 10): Except that blue artefact markers do not count where glory is
concerned71. Only the matching green marker is considered for purposes of the immediate glory
award for artefact placement (¶ 6 above), and only an empire’s green artefact markers count
towards an empire’s number of artefacts during “harvesting glory”, regardless of how many blue
artefacts the empire “has” by virtue of its progress level.
Artefact stripe colour (¶ 12): The Internet has a black stripe, indicating that it has no marker.
Removing leaders
¶ 1 describes the procedure for this step of a civilise action. ¶¶ 3-4 give other general rules for
removing leaders.
Removal of abandoned leaders (¶ 4): Exception: When a leader is placed before the initial unit
purchase during an empire’s starting procedure, it remains on the map until the unit purchase (and
unit conversion, if any) is complete. After that, the present rule takes effect for that leader.
Promoting leaders
Random draws (¶ 4): Picking a chit from the cup is only allowed if the player has decided not to
promote a named leader (or the empire cannot promote a named leader)72.
“Place a new leader in any area the empire controls” (¶ 5): Rather, any land area the empire
controls. An empire that controls no land areas cannot promote a leader in a civilise action. (This
point also affects the wording of the example in ¶ 3.)
Adopting a religion or government
Basic restrictions (¶ 1): An empire cannot “adopt” a religion or government that it already has.
(For example, an already-Islamic empire cannot “adopt” Islam from another empire – which it
might be tempted to do in order to gain another elite marker.) Counter mix limitations may
prevent an empire from adopting a religion or government. An empire with Renaissance cannot
adopt Feudalism. Otherwise, an empire that wishes to adopt a religion or government does not
have to obey the restrictions that apply to gaining that religion or government by card play.
Example: An empire must be in the 5th age or higher and have Industrial Revolution in order to gain
Capitalism by the play of a card – but these restrictions do not apply to an empire that is adopting
Capitalism by copying an empire within range.
“An empire can’t adopt both a religion and a government in the same action” (¶ 1): Nor can it
adopt two religions or two governments. However, restrictions on “adoption” do not apply to the
acquisition of a religion or a government by card play. In particular, it is possible for an empire
70
HR041206.
71
HR041207.
72
Obvious I think, but I can also cite HR060323.
- 29 -
to gain a religion and/or a government by card play (in the first part of the action) and to “adopt”
a religion or government later in the same action.
“If you discard a religion or government to adopt another, place a disorder marker…” (¶ 3): The
sequence73 is: (1) remove the old religion or government (if any), (2) apply disorder from having
removed a religion or government (if applicable), (3) place the new religion or government,
(4) gain glory and apply other immediate effects (if any) of the new religion or government.
“An empire can sometimes adopt Confucianism in a manoeuvre action” (¶ 4): Or in an empire-
starting procedure (such as in a start empire action).
Modernising
The “no cavalry” and “no ship” restrictions that sometimes affect an empire during production are
ignored during modernising. For example, a “no ships” empire that gained a galley with the help
of the Mercenaries event can turn the galley into a cruiser, if its progress level is 36 or higher.
(Note that “frigates” should read “cruisers” in ¶ 2.)
Urbanising
Cities can only be built in land areas. A 6th-age or 7th-age empire treats its forest areas as fertile.
“The first city an empire builds is its capital” (¶ 4): This is not always true. There are two ways
for an empire to get a capital. One way is described under “Placing a capital” under “Setting up
a new empire” under “1. Start empire” (see also my commentary, page 10). The other way is
given in ¶ 6 of the urbanisation rules. Otherwise, the first city an empire builds does not
automatically become the empire’s capital. (See the example below.)
The description of builders (¶ 5) is incomplete; see the Player’s Guide (plus my commentary,
pages 41-42).
Designating a capital (¶ 6): Turning a city into a capital is the last part of the urbanisation step.
The new capital can be any city belonging to the active empire, including one that was just built
(or improved) in the current urbanisation step. The level of a city does not change as a result of
being turned into a capital. An empire cannot establish a new capital if it already has a capital.
Example: The Goths, while in the 2nd age (therefore barbarian) build a level 1 city in Germany with the
help of an unnamed builder. That city is not a capital, since a barbarian empire cannot establish a capital.
Later, the Goths capture a level 5 Roman city in Austria, bumping it down to level 3 (as the builder is busy
elsewhere). At the end of that turn they advance into the 3 rd age and lose their barbarian status (and their
leaders). In the next turn they do a civilise action and build a new level 1 city in Poland. At the end of that
urbanisation step, they can turn any one of their cities into a capital. The new capital does not have to be
the one they built just now (in Poland), nor does it have to be the one they built first (in Germany).
Removing disorder
Note that this kind of money expenditure can only happen in a civilise action, never during
production.
7. Discard empire
Automatic discarding (¶ 1): For a major exception, an empire that is in the process of doing its
starting procedure (see “1. Start empire”) is not affected by this rule until its initial unit purchase
(plus unit conversions, if any) is complete.
73
Notice that, when switching religions, a new (or old) Confucianism cannot protect you from the resulting
disorder in step 2 (HR050119).
- 30 -
“…discarded immediately” (¶ 1): If this happens as a result of conflict, the immediate discard
does not stop the victorious empire from taking money from the defeated empire (if applicable).
If the conditions for automatically discarding an empire are met for two or more empires
simultaneously, they are discarded in clockwise order, starting from the player with the turn
marker, and in the order of the owner’s choice if two or more belong to the same player.
Using an action to discard an empire (¶ 2): A discard empire action consists simply of discarding
the active empire, if any. If there is no active empire, nothing happens.
Tidying up the map (¶ 3): Crusade and Jihad are not removed.
End of turn
Free progress
“…unless it is currently in a dark age…”: Dark ages are not “ages”; they are specific levels.
They are indicated on the progress track.
“…or took a wild card action this turn”: That is, if the empire’s card is under a face-up wild card
action marker at this time (regardless of the actual history of that empire)74.
All progress adjustments in the “free progress” step are considered to be simultaneous.
Harvesting glory
The basic sequence for harvesting glory is as follows: (1) Events that affect the harvesting glory
procedure are played. (2) Empires buy glory. (See “Buying glory points”. Make a note of these
purchases, if necessary. The purchased glory points are not yet recorded on the glory track.)
(3) Empires score glory, from their circular glory icons, all simultaneously (with no interruption
from events). (An empire’s set of glory icons can be modified by artists, by the Hanging
Gardens, and by Expanded Glory events.) For each empire, the score obtained from its glory
icons is added to its purchased glory, and this sum is subject to modifiers (for Hinduism, then for
any glory-related events other than Expanded Glory), resulting in the modified score for that
empire. For each player, the modified scores of all empires belonging to that player are added up,
fractions (if any) in this sum are rounded, and the resulting total is then awarded to that player (on
the glory track).
“To gain glory from a category, an empire must have more than zero of that particular
category…” (¶ 3): This rule doesn’t affect glory from progress, since the lowest possible
progress level for any empire is 1.
“The number tells you how many glory points the empire earns for satisfying that condition”
(¶ 4): Note that the icon number is itself subject to modifiers, and may end up higher than 3. The
general rule is that the number of empires that exceed the empire being scored (in the category in
question), taking tie-breaks into account, is subtracted from the (modified) icon number, and the
resulting difference (or zero, whichever is greater) is the number of glory points scored.
Icons without a number are treated in a fundamentally different way. See “Glory from resources”
and “Glory from your homeland”.
Comparing empires (¶¶ 4-5): Note that an empire’s performance in each glory category is
compared to that of all other empires. (The exceptions are the “no Europe”, “crescent”, and
“cross” categories. See “Glory from areas”, including my commentary, page 32.) In particular, it
does not matter whether the other empires can gain points from that category or not.
74
HR070427 and HR070622 confirm that it does not matter what marker was originally placed on the
empire’s card; it matters only what marker is on the card at the time of the “free progress” step. HR050126
confirms that only a face-up marker triggers the penalty.
- 31 -
“If two of your own empires tie for a particular condition, you choose which is higher between
them for that condition” (¶ 7): Empires belonging to the same player can resolve their final tie-
breaks in different ways for different glory conditions – but of course these final tie-breaks must
be maintained consistently throughout all the scoring for that turn.
Example: James has two empires: the Russians and the Ming. They are tied for first place in Asian areas.
James decides that the Ming win the tie-break, resulting in 2 glory points for first place. These two empires
are also tied for first place in Asian land areas. James is free to declare that the Russians win this tie-
break (resulting in 3 glory points), since “Asian land areas” is a different category from “Asian areas”.
Example: Claire has two empires: the Byzantines and the Vietnamese. After considering the tie-breaks for
philosophers and for player order, these two empires are still tied with each other for third place in Asian
areas, and for second place in cities. The Vietnamese have no “cities” icon, so she decides that the
Byzantines will beat the Vietnamese in that category. The Byzantines get 1 glory point for being second
place in cities (since their relevant icon number is 2). But the Byzantines don’t care whether they are third
place or fourth place in Asian areas (since their relevant icon number is 2 again), so Claire decides that
the Vietnamese will beat the Byzantines in that category. The Vietnamese get 1 glory point for being third
place in Asian areas (since their relevant icon number is 3). On the following turn, Claire has the same
two empires, but they are now tied for second place in Asian areas. This time, she will get 2 glory points
from that category, regardless of which way she decides the final tie-break. (If the Vietnamese win the
final tie-break, they will get 2 points from that category while the Byzantines get 0. If the Byzantines win
the final tie-break, each of the two empires will get 1 point from that category.)
Glory from cities
No comment.
Glory from units
The units that are counted for this purpose are the units in play: both those on the map and those
in delayed-entry mode (see Secret Mobilisation).
Glory from artefacts
The “artefacts” icon provides glory to the empires with the most green artefacts. The empire’s
religion (if any) counts, as does its government (if any), as well as the on-map artefacts in the
empire’s territory.
Glory from resources
No comment.
Glory from areas
Restrictions on disordered areas and on desert and tundra (¶ 1): These restrictions do not apply to
scoring glory from other categories (such as resources or homeland).
“Many empires gain glory from controlling areas within a particular region” (¶ 2): Or sub-region.
Note that sub-regions as well as regions are delineated by the thick blue lines, and extend into sea
and ocean areas in the same way that regions do. See the Player’s Guide for the specific regions
and sub-regions.
“…in the North East Asia region” (¶ 3): Which is actually a sub-region.
In order to gain glory from a “cross” or “crescent” icon, the empire must have the appropriate
religion (Christianity for the cross, Islam for the crescent). The number of areas controlled is
counted the same way as for a “world” icon, but the empire compares itself only to other empires
with the same religion (even those that don’t earn glory for the same condition)75.
75
HR041125.
- 32 -
Glory from your homeland

An empire’s starting areas are the areas that were identified as its starting areas when the empire
was started. (Write them down if necessary76.) It does not matter where the empire’s capital is (if
any), nor does it matter which areas could have been starting areas.
Example: The Franks control Normandy and Gaul, but not Burgundy, when Claire starts the French.
Claire starts her new empire in Normandy and Gaul. Those two areas, and not Burgundy, are considered
to be the French starting areas as long as that empire lasts – so its scoring for the “homeland” category
during “harvesting glory” will be based on those two areas. Several turns later, the French are discarded.
James plays Vizier to pick up the French card, and he re-starts the French on the following turn. The
Franks are long gone, so the French start in Burgundy (alone). During the “harvesting glory” step at the
end of that turn, and thereafter, Burgundy is considered to be the sole starting area for the French.
This category provides the only way to lose glory in the harvesting glory step. If an empire
controls some but not all of its starting areas, it neither gains nor loses glory from this category.
Buying glory points
“An empire buys glory before it works out its icon glory points”: More strictly, all empires buy
glory before any empires work out their icon glory points. When an empire buys glory, any other
empire (with enough money) can buy glory in response, regardless of seating order.
Event cards and glory points
Events that affect the harvesting glory procedure must be played before any empires are scored.
“The French are equal 2nd highest progress, and thus gain 2 glory points” (¶ 3): No, the French
do not have a progress icon. In order to make this example work, let’s imagine that the French
have the most artefacts in play. That will give them 2 points.
“On the control of non-European land areas…” (¶ 4): Delete the word “land” (two instances)
from this sentence.
The example also forgets to mention the glory for most European territory, but let’s suppose that
the French are 3rd (or worse) and therefore get no points from that category.
“…Normandy (the French starting area) is controlled by the Normans…” (¶ 5): For this example,
we assume that when the French were started, the Franks were in play, controlling Normandy but
not Burgundy or Gaul. The French would then have had the choice to start either in Normandy or
in Burgundy, and would have chosen the former, thus allowing the conversion of Frankish units.
Other glory conditions
“Phillippa wins a trade and progress action with her Cham empire…” (¶ 2): The Chams have no
such glory condition. Let’s suppose that the example intended to refer to the Ethiopians (card 45)
instead. (Also, “wins a trade and progress action” should simply read “wins a trade”.)
The turn ends
No comment.
76
The following empires have the “homeland” icon and variable starting area(s), and might therefore need
to have their starting area(s) recorded: Franks (card 21), Srivijayans/Javanese (card 27), French (card 32),
Germans (card 33), Russians (card 34), Byzantines (card 54), Moors (card 69), “Modern State” (card 105),
Chou (card 108), and Latin Americans (card 110).
- 33 -
Optional Rules
In addition to the eight optional rules given in this section, another optional rule has apparently
reached official status77: During a trade, after trade totals are determined but before progress
levels are awarded (and before the winning empire, if any, receives any money due to Capitalism
and/or empire special rules), each empire that does not win the trade receives money equal to the
value of its played card (unmodified). (In a tied trade involving two empires, both empires
receive money by this rule. In the very unlikely case where the order matters, the empire that
initiated the trade is awarded the money first.)
1) Total History
This rule applies whenever an empire is started while no other empires are in play – not only for
the first empire in the game.
2) Pursuit
Pursuit does not apply to the special retreat due to the Vietnamese or Phoenician special rules78,
but it does apply to a special retreat due to a Treachery event.
“You lose 1 unit for every full 2 other cavalry units…” (¶ 1): The use of the word “full” appears
to indicate that the number of (non-tank) cavalry units, divided by 2, is rounded down instead of
up, in order to calculate the contribution of these units to the pursuit79.
Pursuit losses are removed before considering whether other retreating units have a valid place to
retreat.
3) Cadenced progress
Cadence marker effects (¶ 4): An empire whose card is not under an action marker is not
considered to have chosen any action. An empire whose card is under a face-down action marker
is not considered to have chosen any action. Otherwise, the type of action that an empire is
considered to have chosen is the announced type of the first action of the action cluster for which
the marker was used80. For any action marker other than wild card, that will be the action type
whose name appears on the marker. Players must remember what every face-up wild card was
used for. If a wild card marker has been used for two action clusters (which is possible if Time
Wrinkle is in play), and the two action clusters started with different action type announcements,
then an empire under such a marker is considered to have chosen two types of actions, thus
increasing its vulnerability to cadence marker effects. In all cases, the actual actions performed
by that empire do not matter.
“If an empire being discarded is affected by a ‘go slow’…” (¶ 5): An empire that is cancelled by
Shooting Star is not considered “discarded” for this purpose. As each empire is discarded, make
a note of the applicable (modified) trade number and of the applicable “chosen” action (according
to the guidelines above). (The timing of the assessment of the applicable trade number and
“chosen” action is described in the next paragraph.) Later, when the cadence markers are
revealed, the effects of the cadenced progress rules can be determined.
77
HR071102.
78
HR100318.
79
It is tempting to propose that motorised units, despite being infantry, should count as cavalry for
purposes of the pursuit rules – both for determining losses and for taking losses.
80
HR050421 confirms that Cadence rules affect wild card markers, based on the action chosen for the
marker. HR050125 confirms that Cadence effects are based on the marker that is presently on the empire,
regardless of where that empire’s card was when action markers were placed at the start of the turn.
- 34 -
The moment at which the applicable trade number and the “chosen” action are assessed depends
on the reason for the discarding of the empire. (1) If a newly-starting empire triggers final
elephant removal and another empire is discarded thereby, the trade number and chosen action
are assessed from the beginning of that empire-starting procedure81. (2) If an empire is discarded
due to conversion, or due to the takeover of an elephant unit following conversion and initial unit
purchase, then the trade number and chosen action are assessed from just before the new empire’s
initial unit purchase. (3) If an empire is discarded due to failure to pay maintenance, the trade
number and chosen action are assessed from the beginning of that (production) action. (4) If an
empire is discarded due to a trade, the trade number and chosen action are assessed from the
beginning of that trade. (5) If an empire is discarded due to the elephant-takeover effects of a
unit’s (or stack’s) movement, the trade number and chosen action are assessed from the beginning
of that unit’s (or stack’s) movement. (6) If an empire is discarded due to conflict resolution, the
trade number and chosen action are assessed from the beginning of that conflict. (Exception:
Item #7 in this list applies to a Barracks Revolt event.) (7) If an empire is discarded due to a
standard event, the trade number and chosen action are assessed from the beginning of that event.
(In the case of Civil War or Empire Fragments, if a new empire created by the event is discarded
while the event is still ongoing, it is treated as having chosen no action.) (8) If an empire is
discarded due to a discard empire action, the trade number and chosen action are assessed from
the beginning of that action. (9) If an empire is discarded in the “free progress” step of a turn,
then of course its trade number and chosen action are irrelevant for the cadenced progress rules,
since the free progress for that turn will already have been implemented. (10) If an empire is
discarded as part of the procedure for new players entering the game, then it is treated as having
chosen no action, since the placement of action markers for that turn has not yet taken place.
(Ignore the action marker from the previous turn, if any.)
Example: The Tamils (with a usual trade number of +0) have the Great Library, and thus a modified trade
number of +1, when someone plays a Pestilence event which wipes them out. Regardless of the order in
which they lost their areas, they are treated as having had a positive trade number for purposes of the
cadenced progress rules, because they had a positive trade number at the start of that event.
4) Technology
“Normally, the maximum number of cards each player can hold is 6” (¶ 1): That is, a player
cannot usually increase his/her number of held cards to more than 6 by way of the main
procedure of a destiny action. There are no restrictions on the number of cards a player can gain
in other ways.
If the active empire is the only empire in the game, then it is both the most and the least
advanced, and so the effects cancel each other: The player can fill his or her hand to 6 cards.
“Ties are broken in the same manner as in harvesting glory” (¶ 3): For the final tie-break (after
philosophers and seating order), the active empire beats all other empires of the same player.
5) Redemption
“…starting with the dealer…”: Better yet, the discards should be done simultaneously – i.e.,
chosen by each player without reference to what other players are discarding. All the discarded
cards should be shuffled together before becoming the official discard pile.
6) Faster history
An “immediate” game-ending condition should be considered “less immediate” than other
“immediate” effects of whatever has just transpired.
81
See footnote 192. Admittedly, it is very unlikely for this case to lead to the discarding of an empire.
- 35 -
Example: The Modern Chinese (starting in the 6th age) are the first empire started in a game with the
“faster history” rule. That empire eventually reaches the 7 th age, thus causing an “immediate” end to the
game. But at that time, the Siamese (after a string of bad luck) have already been reduced to a single unit
in play, which happens to be an elephant. And that unit is in an area adjacent to an area held by the
Mongols (which have been started with the help of a pair of Time Ripple events). The following four
“immediate” consequences occur: (1) All elephants are removed from the game (due to the entry of the 7 th
age), (2) the Siamese are discarded (due to having no units on the map), (3) the Mongols get a bonus glory
point (for their special glory condition), and (4) the game ends (due to an empire reaching the next age
after the age in which the game started).
There are many other options for alternate game-ending conditions. A game-ending condition
may be immediate (such as in the present rule as written, or such as in the standard rule for the
Internet), or it may be deferred to the end of the turn (such as in the standard rule for ending the
game when an empire goes beyond progress level 49). Also, a game-ending condition may be
dependent upon something that is unknown when the game begins (for example, ending when the
first empire reaches or exceeds a progress level that is 11 levels higher than the level at which the
first empire started), or it may be absolute (for example, ending at midnight in real local time).
The possibilities are endless.
7) Take that!
“…during civilise you may only play artefact and event cards on empires within range of the
empire taking the action” (¶ 1): The event cards in question here are the standard events.
“If no empire is civilising, the card may be played if any empire controlled by that player is
within range” (¶ 1): Rather, it may be played only if the target empire is within range of at least
one empire belonging to the active player82. (That is, if there is no active empire, an artefact or a
standard event is treated as a non-standard event for purposes of this rule; see ¶ 2.)
“To play event cards at any other time…” (¶ 2): This paragraph applies to all non-standard
events (even if played during civilise).
“…the player playing the card must have an empire within range of the area or empire targeted by
the card” (¶ 2): Rather, the empire targeted by the card must be within range of at least one
empire belonging to the player playing the card. (Exception: A new empire that does not yet
have any units on the map can be targeted by an event played by the owning player (only).) As
for the words “area or”, which I have deleted: Cards affected by the “take that!” rule should
always be treated as targeting an empire (or a player) for purposes of this rule83.
“Where the event card is targeting a player…” (¶ 3): The idea of this (sadly garbled) paragraph is
that if the target of an event is a player, then any empire belonging to that player can be treated as
the target, for purposes of this rule. (Exception: A player with no empires in play may still play
an event on herself/himself.) This goes for standard events as well as non-standard ones.
If the target of an event is an area (e.g., Volcano), then the empire controlling that area is treated
as the target, for purposes of this rule. If the target of an event is a set of areas (e.g., Tribute),
then any empire that controls at least one of the target areas can be treated as the target. If the
target of an event is a side in a conflict (e.g., Deserter), then the empire to which that side belongs
is treated as the target. If the event affects a conflict or a trade without specifying a target (e.g.,
Mesmeriser or Joint Venture), then any empire involved in that conflict or trade can be treated as
the target. If the target of an event is an action marker (e.g., Time Wrinkle), and that marker is on
82
Remember the asymmetry of range! (This comment also applies to ¶ 2.)
83
For simplicity’s sake, I am interpreting the “take that!” range restrictions as being similar to the range
restrictions that always apply to assassination attempts.
- 36 -
an empire card, then that empire is treated as the target. If the target of an event is an action
marker without an empire card, then that marker’s player is treated as the target (see ¶ 3).
If an artefact or standard event is played when there is an active empire, then the active empire is
treated as the target of any cancellation (or Blowback) event directed against that artefact or
event. Otherwise, the player playing a card (for an artefact, event, or new empire) is treated as
the target of any cancellation (or Blowback) event directed against that card.
Some events (Alliance and “It was an accident, officer, honest!”) have range-related restrictions
in any case, and are not affected by the “take that!” rule. Some other events are also unaffected
by this rule84: Ambitious Leaders, Bargain, Empires Galore!, Exotic Artefact, Glorious Glory!,
Glory?, “Glory? Bah, Humbug!”, Herbal Remedy (if played in leader-rescue mode), Maestro,
Miracle Cure, “Oi! It’s MY go!”, Phoenix, Time Ripple, Unique Conjunction, and Vizier. Also,
several other events (e.g., Karma) are usually unaffected in practice, since a player will typically
play them on his/her own empires (or on himself/herself).
8) Lady luck
Essentially, Lady Luck is a new event type that belongs to each “7” card, in addition to whatever
type of event is printed on the card. Lady Luck is subject to all the rules for playing events in
general, and cancellation events in particular. A Lady Luck event can be used to cancel another
Lady Luck event. A Bad Augury event can also be used to cancel a Lady Luck event.
Counter errata
In principle, the age-codes found on the backs of most artefact markers ought to match those
found on the corresponding cards, with respect to asterisks and daggers as well as numbers (see
also “Card errata”, below), although the asterisks and daggers are not important on the counters.
Card errata
The blue stripe for the Industrial Revolution artefact (cards 7, 41, 103, and 109) ought to have an
asterisk and a dagger. The red stripe for the World War artefact (cards 82, 96, and 99) ought to
have a dagger (as well as its asterisk). The green stripe for the Great Wall artefact (cards 34, 91,
and 110) ought to have an asterisk.
Many events, and some empire special rules, could benefit from a clearer, more complete, more
precise description. See the Guide to Events (pages 72-106) and the Guide to Empire Special
Rules (pages 62-71) for my interpretations (and for errata suggestions)85.
84
Some of the events in this list are obvious (e.g. Unique Conjunction), while some others should be
considered as exceptions to the “take that!” rule. For example, Phoenix has a player as a target, and so it
would be restricted by the rule as written. But I believe it should be an exception, based on the apparent
spirit of the rule.
85
Suggestions for card errata are often implicit in my interpretations. In a few cases, these suggestions are
made explicit (in footnotes to the Guide to Events).
- 37 -
Commentary on the Player’s Guide

This commentary continues on from my “Commentary on the Rules”. I concern myself here only
with the glossary, the explanation of leader types, and the explanation of artefacts. This
commentary is based on the March 25, 2006 version of the Player’s Guide.
Terms of Play
Terms in this glossary for which I have no comment are skipped. Additional entries (not in the
original glossary) are marked with an asterisk. (With the exception of action, the additional
entries are for new terms that are not used in any official documents.)
* Action86 – Most of the game procedures take place within the context of “actions”. Whenever
an action is performed, it is always part of an action cluster, and there is always a specific action
marker (the “active action marker”) that can be considered to be performing that action. (When
an empire card is under the active action marker, that empire is also considered to be performing
the action.) There are nine types of actions, each with a different procedure. (The procedures for
the seven standard types of actions – start empire, production, trade and progress, manoeuvre,
destiny, civilise, and discard empire – are described in the “Actions” section of the rules. The
procedure for a vote action is described in the entry for Heresy in the Player’s Guide. Nothing
happens in a pass action.) The actual type of an action (i.e., the type of action that is performed)
is usually the same as the announced type (i.e., the type of action that was declared when the
action was initiated), but it can be different due to events or artefacts87. The announced type of an
action is always one of the seven standard types.
* Action cluster – An action cluster is a sequence of actions performed in succession by the same
action marker, along with certain other procedures that may take place just before or after each of
those actions. Usually, an action cluster has only one action, but it can gain additional actions
due to Rare Conjunction events or by the use of the Forum. Usually, an action marker can
perform only one action cluster in a turn (see Time Wrinkle for an exception). Whenever an
action cluster is performed, it is always part of an action round. Whenever an action cluster is
performed by an action marker that is not a wild card, the announced type of the first action of
that action cluster is the same as the action type that is printed on that action marker.
* Action round – The main part of each turn usually consists of seven action rounds. In general,
an action round consists of a sequence of action clusters. Any player may be eligible to perform
action clusters in any action round – depending on the status of her/his action markers. For each
standard action type, there is one action round in which that type is featured: start empire in the
first action round of each turn, production in the second, and so on. In each action round, the
announced type of the first action of every action cluster is the same as the action type that is
featured in that action round. (A turn may have an eighth action round, due to a Time Wrinkle
event. Some action markers may be eligible to perform an action cluster in the eighth round,
regardless of whether they were used in an earlier action round. This is the only way in which an
action marker can be used for two action clusters in the same turn. See Time Wrinkle for details.)
Active – An action marker is “active” while an action is being performed by it. During an
empire-starting procedure, the new empire is “active”, and otherwise the empire (if any) that is
under an active action marker is “active”. Units belonging to an active empire are “active”. The
86
This entry is based on the most frequent use of the word in the rulebook. But occasionally, a reference to
an “action” in the rulebook is better understood as referring to an action cluster or an action round.
87
The priority for determining the actual type of an action can be summarised as follows: (1) Unique
Conjunction, (2) Alliance or Overslept (use event priority rules to decide between them), (3) Forum
(voluntary pass to get a “+1 Go” marker), (4) Heresy, (5) announced type.
- 38 -
player to whom an active empire belongs is “active”. When there is no active empire, the player
to whom an active action marker belongs is “active”.
Age – An empire that is beyond progress level 49 is still considered to be in the 7th age88.
Area – “Whenever an area is left vacant of units, remove all artefacts…”: Except Crusade and
Jihad. Tribute markers from the area’s boundaries are also removed.
Barbarian empire – “…but they get only half the normal income during production”: That is,
such an empire is treated (during production) as having no capital. If it really has no capital
(which is likely), then there is no additional penalty.
Capital – “The first city in a non-barbarian empire”. Not quite. When a non-barbarian empire is
started up, it will establish a capital. In most cases, that will be its only city at that time. A non-
barbarian empire without a capital may turn one city into a capital during civilise. Otherwise, the
“first city” is not necessarily the capital.
Card deck – “Discarded cards go into the discard pile, which stays face-up” (¶ 2): Normally, a
discarded card will go onto the top of the discard pile. (See religious leaders for an exception.)
“When there are no more cards left in the deck, shuffle the discard pile…” (¶ 2): If the deck is
emptied by a card that is drawn from the deck as a randomiser (to be placed directly into the
discard pile), the reshuffle occurs before that card hits the discard pile. That is, the last-drawn
card from the deck is never included in the reshuffle.
In the very rare case where no discarded cards are available for the reshuffle89, some of the cards
from the players’ hands are shuffled instead. At such a time, each player who is holding more
than 10 cards keeps only 10 of those cards, and the remainder (randomly selected) are added to
the set of cards being shuffled. (These cards do not go into the discard pile, even for a moment –
so there is no chance to play Vizier on them in this case.) A player holding 10 cards or fewer
does not contribute any cards to the reshuffle.
Players are always entitled to examine cards in the discard pile (but cannot change their order).
When multiple cards are discarded, they should always be discarded one at a time, so that a “play
any time” event (especially Vizier) can interrupt the sequence of discards.
Players are always entitled to know how many cards every other player is holding.
Control – “An empire controls all areas occupied by 1 or more of its units”: Not true90! An area
can be controlled by only one empire at a time. (During conflict, the area is controlled by the
defending empire.) The general rule is: When exactly one empire has units in an area, the area is
controlled by that empire. When an empire has established control of an area by this rule, it
continues to control the area as long as it has at least one unit in the area. When no units are in an
area, no one controls it (see “Neutral area”).
If a unit passes through a neutral area, its empire does take control of that area, even if only for a
moment91. So such movement can cause city reduction, removal of tribute markers, etc.
88
HR050114.
89
This case may indeed be impossible, though I suspect that it could theoretically happen if players
deliberately conspired to make it happen, for the sake of crashing the game. It is tempting to impose a
similar “donation” procedure if there are fewer than 20 cards in the discard pile when a reshuffle is needed,
and to make the hand limit adjustable, instead of setting it at 10 cards: Whenever a reshuffle is needed,
make the hand limit as high as possible within the constraint of ensuring that at least 20 cards are shuffled.
90
There was a lengthy discussion about this on BGG.
91
HR070303.
- 39 -
* Controller – The initiator of an event is usually also the controller of that event. The exception
is that when an event is modified by Blowback, the controller of that Blowback event becomes the
controller of the modified event. Usually, decisions that must be made in the execution of an
event are made by the controller. See the Guide to Events for details.
Counter – Glory, action, and cadence markers are also 5/8”, as is the turn marker.
There is no limit, in principle, to the number of disorder, elite, fort, “+1 go”, tribute, and generic
city markers; the existing counter mix has no significance for these markers. For everything else
(including units, leaders, and artefacts), the counter mix is an absolute limit92.
Disordered area – Also, you cannot place disorder in a neutral area.
Force pool – Elephants that are neither in play nor in any empire’s force pool are in a “common
force pool”, which means (in this case) that no one can build them. Nukes and star wars units
that are not in play are in a “common force pool”, which means (in this case) that any empire with
a sufficiently high progress level can build them.
Glory points – “You can’t have fewer than 0 glory points” (¶ 1): There are no exceptions to this
rule, not even for events. But note that this rule does not prevent a player from doing something
that would otherwise cost glory.
There is no maximum amount of glory that a player can have. If a player’s glory ever exceeds
199, the players will need to be creative about how to record it.
Ways of gaining/losing glory (¶ 2): Note that the summary here is incomplete. There are several
other ways of gaining or losing glory during the turn that are not mentioned here (for example,
see the “Wild card” rule).
* Initiator – The initiator of an event is the player who played it (regardless of whether the event
is modified by a Blowback event).
Modifiers – Whenever several modified numbers need to be added together for any purpose, any
rounding is deferred until the addition is complete. (For example, a unit’s front line value or
support value may be fractional due to an Outflanked event, but the conflict total is all added
together before any fractions are rounded.)
Non-empire action – A non-empire action is an action performed by an action marker while
there is no empire card under it. It does not matter whether the action marker had an empire
counter under it at the time the marker was placed.
Pass action – “The empire does nothing this turn”: That’s overstated. Nothing happens during a
pass action itself (whether it’s an empire action or a non-empire action), but events may allow the
affected empire (or, more generally, the affected action marker) to do another action.
Doing a pass action is fundamentally different from simply choosing not to turn over an action
marker. In the first place, the wild card glory penalty is based on the announced type of the first
action of an action cluster. It does not matter if (for example) the action cluster turns out to
consist only of a single pass action. Similarly, “go slow” effects (see the “cadenced progress”
optional rule) are based on the announced type of the first action of an action cluster. Finally, at
the end of a pass action (by an empire), it is possible for that action cluster to be extended by
means of a Rare Conjunction event – typically resulting in a non-pass action being performed in
that action cluster.
92
HR091227.
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Range – The reference to the “smallest number of areas” is misleading. (See my commentary on
“When is an empire within range?” under “How to trade” under “3. Trade and progress”, pages
13-14.) Note also that range is not always traced from empire to empire.
Regardless of the purpose for tracing range, the same constraints apply when considering the
validity of a path. In particular, an empire can always withhold permission to trace range through
its controlled areas, unless a rule specifies otherwise.
* Standard event – An event whose card description does not specify when it can be played.
These events can normally be played only during a civilise action, and only by the active player.
Some events have two different modes in which they can be played, and some of these events fit
the definition of a standard event in one mode but not in the other. Specifically: Counterspy (card
71), Flood (card 21), Storms (card 44), and Vital Heir (card 2) count as standard events when they
are not being used to cancel other events. The remaining standard events are Barracks Revolt
(card 7), Busted! (card 62), Chaos (cards 68 and 73), Civil War (card 67), Currency Crisis (card
13), Earthquake (card 43), Empire Collapses (card 34), Empire Fragments (card 28), Equine
Fever (card 86), Fires (card 42), Glorious Pity (card 1), “It was an accident, officer, honest!”
(cards 63 and 89), Karma (card 60), Land Reforms (card 57), New Dynasty (card 65), New World
(card 25), Pestilence (card 18), Plague (card 39), Rebellion (card 26), Tribute (card 74), Tsunami
(card 23), Uprising (cards 90 and 107), Urban Riots (card 59), and Volcano (card 47).
Leader types
Administrator (Ad) – “If an administrator is in its capital, then infantry costs are also reduced by
1”: Infantry costs are reduced by 1 for each administrator in the empire’s capital. (Usually only
the first such administrator is relevant, because of the minimum unit cost after modifications.)
An administrator that is brought into play by a new empire, before it builds its initial units, can
help with that initial build. But since the empire does not yet have a capital at that moment, the
administrator’s modifier will not apply to infantry units.
Artist (Ar) – Bonus glory (¶ 2): This is always based on the artefact being within range of the
artist, not on the artist being within range of the artefact. That is, range is traced from the artist to
the artefact. For this purpose, range can always be traced through any part of the empire gaining
the artefact; permission does not need to be granted by that empire93. Permission for tracing
range (through a third-party empire) is granted (or not) for all the artists of an entire empire, not
for an individual artist. Peace Treaty is treated as two separate artefacts; an artist could possibly
get the bonus glory for both markers94.
“During harvesting glory, you count double the number of artefacts in an area containing an
artist…” (¶ 3): For multiple artists in an area, the effect is cumulative; the number of artefacts in
an area is doubled once for each artist in the area.
“…and an empire with an artist increases the glory it gains from artefacts by one” (¶ 3): That is,
each artist in an empire increases the icon number for the “artefacts” glory condition by one for
that empire. An empire without an “artefacts” icon is treated as if it had such an icon with an
initial icon number of zero.
Builder (Bu) – “…an extra city in the builders’ area…” (¶ 1): That is, each builder allows one
increment of urbanisation to be performed in its area (but no further than the maximum city level
to which that empire can build, as modified by the presence of the builders).
93
HR060918. I would prefer to say that artists have automatic permission from all empires, but HR050506
states that range can be blocked by third-party empires.
94
HR061213.
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“This can’t be a city that was built or improved in the same action” (¶ 1): So urbanisation that is
performed according to the usual rule (one increment in any one land area, or one increment in
each of two fertile areas) is performed only in areas without builders. However, multiple builders
in the same area can do multiple increments of urbanisation95.
“They can be built or improved 1 age earlier than otherwise allowed” (¶ 1): That is, each builder
in an area increases the effective age of the empire by one, for purposes of determining the
maximum city level for urbanisation in that area. This effective increase in age can even overrule
an empire’s barbarian status, for purposes of allowing urbanisation in that area. (Builders do not
increase the effective age of an empire for any other purpose. In particular, they do not allow a
barbarian empire to establish a capital.)
Example: Suppose the Mongols are in the 2nd age. They cannot do any urbanisation in an area with one
builder, since the Mongols are still barbarian when they are in the 3rd age. But they can do two increments
of urbanisation in an area with two builders, up to a maximum city level of 5. They cannot turn a city into
a capital, regardless of their builders. They retain all the benefits and penalties of their barbarian status
(and their special ability to abandon land areas).
Explorer (Ex) – “The range of an empire is doubled when counting from an area containing an
explorer” (¶ 1): For multiple explorers in an area, the effect is cumulative; the range is doubled
once for each explorer in the area from which range is traced.
“All units that are stacked with an explorer throughout a manoeuvre action gain 1 extra
movement point” (¶ 2): Rather, every unit gains one extra movement point for each explorer that
is stacked with it for the entire movement phase (not necessarily for the whole manoeuvre). In
some circumstances, a unit will be unable to drop out of an explorer’s stack, because of the
prohibition on using too many movement points.
Example: A stack of knights moves with two explorers. Assuming that the two explorers stay together, all
units that stay with them will have 5 movement points in that movement phase. Units can drop out of the
stack after using 3 movement points or fewer, but not after using their 4th movement point.
“Each neutral area entered by units stacked with an explorer costs 1…” (¶ 2): For this purpose,
the units only have to be stacked with an explorer at the moment they enter that neutral area. It
does not matter whether those units remain with the explorer for the entire movement phase96.
“You must still leave a unit behind in any land area the explorer starts in” (¶ 3): That is, the
explorer does not affect its empire’s units’ ability to leave the area it starts in.
Philosopher (Ph) – This tie-break has a higher priority than the other tie-breaks (such as the
seating order).
Populist (Po) – “…an empire with a populist leader can remove disorder in the populists’ area”
(¶ 1): This rule applies to the disorder removal phase at the end of a manoeuvre. (See my
commentary on “Removing disorder markers” under “4. Manoeuvre”, page 20.) In addition to
the removal of disorder from areas with a sufficient number of units, disorder is also removed
from each disordered area (controlled by the active empire) that contains a populist.
Production modifications (¶ 2): To determine the effective level of a city during production, start
with the printed city level, add one for each populist (of the same empire) located in any adjacent
area(s), then double it for each populist in the city’s area. This modified level applies for all
purposes during production (as well as for the special Korean income during destiny), but not for
any other purposes. (For example, a populist does not enhance an empire’s scoring for the
“cities” category in harvesting glory.)
95
HR050114.
96
HR050226.
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Example: An empire has three cities, each adjacent to the other two (and none in disorder). One of the
cities is level 5, and contains a populist. The other two cities are level 3, and one of these also contains a
populist. During production, the level 5 city has a modified level of 12, the level 3 city with a populist has a
modified level of 8, and the other level 3 city has a modified level of 5.
Religious (Re) – “During destiny, an empire with a religious leader puts its discards on the
bottom of…” (¶ 1): That is, when there is an active empire with a religious leader during a
destiny action97, every card discarded by the active player98 is placed at the bottom of the discard
pile. In addition to the cards discarded as part of the usual destiny procedure, the cards affected
by this rule include99 (1) event cards played by the active player, (2) randomiser cards drawn by
the active player, and (3) discarded empires belonging to the active player (except the active
empire itself, whose religious leader is considered defunct before its card hits the discard pile).
“…from the top of the discard pile” (¶ 1): Exception: You cannot use this rule to draw a card
from the discard pile if that card was in your hand at any time during the current action round100.
Example: Claire begins a destiny action with no active empire. She begins the action by playing Favour of
the Gods, which allows her to play standard events as if she were doing a civilise action. The Favour of
the Gods card goes to the top of the discard pile. She plays New Dynasty on the Sudanese (putting the
New Dynasty card on the top of the discard pile) and puts the Sudanese card under the active action
marker – so they become the active empire. The Sudanese have a religious leader in play. Next, Claire
plays Barracks Revolt on the Mughals. That event card goes to the bottom of the discard pile, because of
the religious leader. Claire draws a randomiser card to determine how many Mughal areas suffer an
internal conflict. That card also goes to the bottom of the discard pile. She and James (the Mughals’
player) each draw randomiser cards to resolve the resulting conflicts. Those drawn by Claire go to the
bottom of the discard pile, while those drawn by James go to the top. Similarly, any events played to affect
the conflicts will go to the bottom of the discard pile if played by Claire, and to the top of the pile if played
by anyone else. After the Barracks Revolt is finished, Claire plays Volcano on her own ailing Armenians,
to put them out of their misery without having to use up an action. The Volcano card goes to the bottom of
the discard pile, followed by the Armenians card. Then Claire plays Pestilence on the Incas. That card
goes to the bottom of the discard pile. Ivy, to protect her Incas, plays Blowback (applauded by James) and
directs the effects of the Pestilence onto the Sudanese. The Blowback card goes to the top of the discard
pile. Since Ivy is now the controller of the Pestilence event, she draws the randomiser cards to determine
the effects of that event, and they go onto the top of the discard pile. Claire watches a series of powerful,
high-valued cards go onto the discard pile, and looks forward to picking some of them up later in that
97
Earlier versions of this document erroneously extended this effect beyond the destiny action itself, to
include any Rare Conjunction event played immediately after such an action. I wasn’t thinking straight.
Incidentally, HR100105 + HR100111 tentatively suggest extending this rule to apply at all times, not only
during destiny, in order to address a concern that was handled better by a later ruling (see footnote 100).
98
In general, cards are discarded (or played) by a player, not by an empire. When there is an active empire
with a religious leader during destiny, the active player cannot (for example) play Gold Mine and claim that
the event was being played “by a different empire”, in order to put that card on top of the discard pile. The
attempt in HR050114 to allow such distinctions is completely unworkable.
99
HR050517 confirms that “played” cards are equivalent to “discarded” cards for religious leader effects
(explicitly reversing HR050506). This ruling was a response to concern over the possibility of a “super-
mine” – whereby the active player plays (e.g.) Copper Mine, and then immediately picks it up and plays it
again until all his/her empires have the maximum money.
100
HR100318 says that you cannot pick up (from the discard pile) a card that you have “just discarded”;
my interpretation here removes the ambiguity. This ruling was mainly in response to the “bonus destiny”
effect: Any empire with a religious leader belonging to a player holding the Rare Conjunction card could
otherwise use that event to get a free destiny action after any other action, and then pick up that card again
as part of that destiny action. This ruling also more thoroughly addresses the “super-mine” problem: The
ruling of HR050517 (see footnote 99) is not quite adequate in cases where the discard pile happens to be
nearly empty, but that earlier ruling remains in force, because it has by now become widely accepted – and
in any case it represents merely a removal of ambiguity from the rule as written, not an outright change.
- 43 -
action. Unfortunately, the high power of these cards also causes the Pestilence to have a devastating
effect, and the Sudanese are discarded – to the top of the discard pile, since their religious leader is no
longer in play. Claire has no more standard events that she wishes to play, so she performs the main part
of the destiny action, with no religious leader effects.
“They can always remove heresy on their empire’s religion during any civilise action…” (¶ 2):
That is, at any time during a civilise action with an active empire that has a religious leader, the
active player may remove the Heresy artefact from the active empire, or (if the active empire has
a religion) from any empire that has the same religion as the active empire.
“…and their empire is immune to religious strife” (¶ 2): Almost. An empire with a religious
leader cannot gain the Religious Strife artefact, but it is not otherwise immune101. In particular, if
an empire already has Religious Strife, that artefact is not removed as a result of gaining a
religious leader, not are its effects negated by the presence of a religious leader.
Scientist (Sc) – “An empire with one or more scientists can play an additional card during any
trade and progress action it is involved in for each scientist it has” (¶ 1): This should say “during
any trade” instead of “during any trade and progress action” (since an action can have more than
one trade). Also, this benefit of scientists can be negated by scientists in the other empire. The
general rule for the possible number of extra cards is as follows: An empire’s player can play an
additional card for each scientist the empire has, if the empire is trading against an empire with no
scientists (or against the deck). If both empires have scientists, then only the empire with more
scientists gets this advantage, and that empire’s player can only play as many extra cards as the
difference in the numbers of scientists102. If the empires have equal numbers of scientists, then no
one gets this advantage. See Capitalism for modifications to the number of cards you can play.
Just before playing any cards, determine your “draw allowance” as follows: If you have fewer
cards in your hand (at that moment) than the number of cards you are entitled to play, your draw
allowance is equal to the difference between those numbers. Otherwise, your draw allowance is
zero. (This initial draw allowance can be modified by Capitalism and/or by Computing.) When
you play a card, you may draw the card from the deck (instead of playing from your hand) if you
have drawn fewer cards than your draw allowance, so far, or you have no cards left in your
hand103. Thus, the number of cards that you can play in a trade is not limited by the number of
cards you have in your hand104.
Cards are played one at a time. You can choose to play fewer cards in a trade than you are
entitled to play (but of course you must play at least one card). When you draw a card from the
deck for this purpose, you can look at it immediately, but you must play it. Your choices of
whether to continue playing or to stop, whether to draw or play from your hand, etc., can be based
on your knowledge of the cards you have drawn so far.
Example: Zachary’s Ming empire, with three scientists, is trading with Ivy’s Mongols, who have no
scientists. Zachary can play four cards, but he has only two in his hand. Therefore he can draw two from
the deck. He wants to keep one of his cards secret, so he tentatively decides to play only three cards – one
101
HR060523.
102
The statement in version 1.0 of this document, in which only one extra card could be played (and only
by the side with more scientists), was based on HR050115. That ruling was quickly forgotten; HR050421
confirms that more than one extra card can be drawn if you have more than one scientist. However, the
principle that there should only be an advantage for the side with more scientists, confirmed in HR050115,
has not (to my knowledge) been overruled. The net implication appears to be the rule presented here.
103
By playing “any time” events while in the middle of playing trade cards, you could possibly have met
your draw allowance and be out of cards while still being entitled to play another card. (Earlier versions of
this document suggested that your draw allowance could be reassessed as you play, but this rule is easier.)
104
HR050421.
- 44 -
from his hand and two from the deck. After drawing and playing his two cards from the deck, he can still
change his mind about which cards (if any) he will play from his hand.
See also my commentary on Computing (pages 48-49).
“After cards are revealed…” (¶ 1): All the played cards are revealed, including those taken back.
“Return the other cards to your hand” (¶ 1): The other cards go to your hand even if some (or all)
of them had originally been drawn from the deck.
Strategist (St) – “…including after each multiple move allowed by certain special rules, artefacts
and events…”: There are no events or special rules that apply here, and the only applicable
artefact is World War. (To clarify: The strategist rule applies to all manoeuvres, including the
additional manoeuvres brought about by events and empire special rules. However, the wording
of the present rule apparently refers to additional movement within a manoeuvre, even though
there are no events or special rules that have such an effect. Each manoeuvre can have up to three
movement phases: (1) general movement, (2) possible additional general movement due to World
War, and (3) strategists’ movement.)
“…any units stacked with a strategist may move, and resolve conflict, an extra time”: The
strategists’ movement phase, and the resulting conflict resolutions (if any), take place before the
disorder removal phase105. The strategists’ movement phase is conducted like a general
movement phase, but with the additional restriction that every unit that moves must be stacked
with a strategist throughout that movement phase106.
Tactician (Ta) – “An empire with a tactician can discard the first card it draws when resolving a
conflict in the leader’s area and draw a replacement card” (¶ 1): In each round of conflict, a card
can be discarded for each tactician that the empire has in the area107.
Artefacts
Buddhism108
“…only if India is within the empire’s range…” (¶ 1): Range must be traceable from an area in
the target empire to an area (not necessarily a land area) in India.
“You place a disorder marker in any area of an empire that takes control of at least one area from
your Buddhist empire during a manoeuvre action” (¶ 3): Here, the words “manoeuvre action”
should simply read “manoeuvre”. (This rule applies to every manoeuvre, whether part of a
manoeuvre action or not.) This disorder placement happens immediately after a conflict in which
an area is liberated from a Buddhist empire that has not already used this disorder-placement
ability during the current manoeuvre. Disorder is not placed if the Buddhist empire is discarded
as a result of the conflict109. Disorder is not placed if the Buddhist empire has Socialism or
Religious Strife. Disorder is not placed if the victorious empire has Hinduism (unless it also has
Socialism or Religious Strife).
105
Proposal: For any unit that starts the strategists’ movement phase in an area with a strategist, ignore that
unit’s prior movement (i.e. from before that phase) for purposes of disorder removal.
106
HR070303 makes it clear that the restriction on staying with a strategist applies only to that extra
movement phase, not to any earlier or later movement in the same manoeuvre. HR050531 makes it clear
that strategists cannot generally “drop off” units along the way.
107
Thus, multiple tacticians have a cumulative effect, at least on card draws. It is tempting to propose a
rule giving them a cumulative effect on retreat options: During conflict, a side with more tacticians in the
area than the opposing side can retreat if either side has acquired a disorder marker. Otherwise, a voluntary
retreat is only allowed if the opposing side has acquired a disorder marker (as in the basic rules).
108
There are 5 Buddhism markers: 3 shared with Christianity and 2 with Islam.
109
In effect, the Buddhist disorder effect is the very last step of that conflict.
- 45 -
If a Buddhist empire is prevented from placing disorder because the victorious empire has
Hinduism, or because all the victorious empire’s land areas are already disordered, then the
Buddhist empire is considered not yet to have used this disorder placement ability, so it can still
do so later in the manoeuvre.
Example: The Han are Buddhist and control Shansi and Szechuan (among other areas). Shansi is
disordered. Both areas are attacked by the Sung, all of whose areas are disordered. The Sung liberate
Shansi, but no disorder is placed because all Sung areas are disordered at that moment. Then the Sung
liberate Szechuan, and the Han invoke the Buddhism rule and place disorder in Szechuan (the only non-
disordered land area controlled by the Sung).
Example: The Vietnamese are Buddhist, the Siamese are Confucian, and the Mughals are Hindu. The
Mughals attack the Vietnamese in Burma and Tongking and the Siamese in Siam. The Mughals liberate
Burma, but no disorder is placed because the Mughals are protected by Hinduism. Then they liberate
Siam, at which time they convert to Confucianism. Then they liberate Tongking, and the Vietnamese invoke
the Buddhism rule and try to place disorder in a Mughal-controlled land area. Because of the Confucian
protection from disorder, the Mughals’ player draws a card to see whether that disorder sticks.
In the (unlikely) case where an empire liberates areas from more than one empire during a single
conflict, the eligible Buddhist empires (among those from whom areas were taken in that conflict)
apply this disorder-placing rule in clockwise order, starting from the player with the turn marker.
Example: The Aryans (progress level 9) control Sind. The Satavahana (progress level 11) previously
controlled Sind, and still have the elephant unit from that area. That elephant unit is alone in Hyderabad.
Both of these empires are Buddhist. The Tamils (progress level 14) move units into both Sind and
Hyderabad. They win their conflict in Sind, and as a result they take the corresponding elephant unit into
their force pool – thus also liberating Hyderabad in the same conflict. The player with the Satavahana has
the turn marker, and so this player places disorder first.
“Before each action it takes, a Buddhist empire can remove a disorder marker from one area it
controls” (¶ 3): The disorder removal can be done before any action (except a pass). It happens
after determining the actual type of the action but before performing the action. It can be
performed before or after any spying procedure from the Oracle or from Satellites, as the active
player chooses. It is not allowed if the empire has Socialism or Religious Strife.
Capitalism110
“Capitalist empires can play 2 cards in their own trade and progress actions (not if another
empire trades with them)” (¶ 3): This rule refers to the case where neither party in the trade
would otherwise be able to play an extra card – that is, when there are no scientists involved, or
when both empires (in a two-empire trade) have equal numbers of scientists. In effect, the
Capitalist empire is treated as having one more scientist than it really has. The same principle
applies if a Capitalist empire initiates a trade while having fewer scientists than the other
empire111, but in this case the effect is different: The number of cards that the player with the
scientist advantage can play is reduced by one, and the active player can still play only one card.
“If you also have a scientist, you can play the second card from the deck” (¶ 3): That is, if the
active player is already entitled to play more than one card in the trade (because of scientists),
then Capitalism (on the active empire) does not increase the number of cards that can be played.
Instead, it increases the active player’s draw allowance by one (see my commentary on Scientists,
page 44). This effect is similar to (and cumulative with) the effect of Computing. (See my
commentary on Computing, page 48.)
110
There are 7 Capitalism markers: 4 shared with Democracy, 1 with Feudalism, and 2 with Socialism.
111
This case has never (I think) been addressed in any official ruling. The cancellation of scientists (see
footnote 102) implies a principle that only one player in a trade should be able to play more than one card.
- 46 -
“They earn a glory point immediately if they win a trade” (¶ 4): Note that this rule applies to a
Capitalist empire that wins a trade regardless of who initiated the trade. Every other benefit of
Capitalism applies only if the Capitalist empire in question initiated the trade.
“…they also gain 1 money for each point they won by” (¶ 4): This refers to the difference
between the two trade totals. This money is gained before progress levels are awarded.
“They can either take the money from the empire that lost the trade or from the bank” (¶ 4):
Here, taking money “from the bank” means gaining money out of nowhere. (If trading with the
deck, the money must be taken “from the bank”.) If the winning Capitalist empire opts to take
money from the losing empire, but the losing empire has less money than the difference between
the trade totals, then the winning empire simply gets all the other empire’s money – no more.
“They double the amount they take from another Capitalist empire” (¶ 4): That is, if the winning
Capitalist empire opts to take money from the losing empire, and the losing empire is also
Capitalist, then the winning empire takes an amount of money equal to double the difference
between the trade totals – or all the money the other empire has, whichever is less.
Christianity112
“Put a disorder marker in its capital…” (¶ 2): Only if the empire has a capital in an area that is
not already disordered, and only if the empire does not have Socialism.
“Immediately before it performs its action in a turn…” (¶ 3): The free move (or free disorder
placement) can be done before any action (except a pass). It takes place after determining the
actual type of the action but before performing the action. It can be performed before or after any
spying procedure from the Oracle or from Satellites, as the active player chooses. It is not
allowed if the empire has Socialism or Religious Strife.
Free move (¶ 3): The unit must move in a way that would be legal in a movement phase (in a
manoeuvre). If the unit is neither a nuke nor a star wars, any number of leaders can move with it.
Free disorder placement (¶ 3): The empire in whose area the disorder is being placed must not
have Christianity and must not have Hinduism – unless it has Socialism or Religious Strife, in
which case it does not matter what religion (if any) it has.
“Place a disorder marker in a Christian empire’s capital…” (¶ 4): This disorder penalty does not
apply to an empire that also has Socialism.
“…whenever it loses control of a fertile area” (¶ 4): Remember that a 6th- or 7th-age empire treats
all its forest areas as fertile. If a Christian empire loses control of an area as a result of progress
increases (by that empire or another empire), by way of final elephant removal or elephant area
control effects, then all simultaneous progress level adjustments – in the same free progress step,
or in the same trade – are made before determining whether a lost forest area counts as fertile.
Example: The Italians are at progress level 35 while the Ottomans are at progress level 42. The Italians
are Christian, and they control the forest area Corsica & Sardinia with a single elephant unit. These two
empires trade with each other, and someone plays Joint Venture to make both empires improve their
progress level by one, regardless of who wins the trade. The Ottomans enter the 7th age, and all elephant
units are removed from the game. The Italians lose control of Corsica & Sardinia, and they suffer disorder
in their capital – because they are now in the 6th age, so their forest areas are treated as fertile.
It is possible for an empire to lose control of several areas simultaneously113. If this happens to a
Christian empire, then one (non-disordered) city area in the empire gains disorder for each fertile
112
There are 7 Christianity markers: 3 shared with Buddhism, 2 with Confucianism, and 2 with Hinduism.
113
HR080406 suggests (tentatively) that the loss of control of areas should always be sequential, for
purposes of automatic Christian disorder. But this would mean the added complication of specifying how
- 47 -
area lost (unless fewer cities are available, in which case all the empire’s cities gain disorder, with
no additional penalty). In general, the owning player chooses the cities where disorder is placed.
The only constraint is that if the empire has a capital, and that capital is not already disordered,
then it must be included among the cities that are selected to gain disorder.
The possible cases of simultaneous loss (of multiple areas by a single empire) are as follows:
(1) All effects of determining a new empire’s initial progress level are treated as simultaneous114.
(2) All effects of a new empire’s initial unit purchase, plus any unit conversion that happens in
the same empire’s starting procedure, are together treated as simultaneous. (3) All effects of the
maintenance step of a single production action are treated as simultaneous. (The disorder that
results from the present rule (due to lost fertile areas) is placed before the disorder that results
from the usual maintenance rule (in areas that are still controlled, but from which units were
removed).) (4) All effects of a single trade are treated as simultaneous. (5) All effects of each
area’s worth of a regular move (in a movement phase) are treated as simultaneous. (6) Aside
from areas abandoned by reinforcing moves (see Reinforcements), all effects of a single conflict
are treated as simultaneous115. (7) All unit removals from a single Rebellion or Empire Collapses
event are treated as simultaneous116. (8) All effects of a single faction takeover procedure (in
Civil War or Empire Fragments) are treated as simultaneous. (See next paragraph.) (9) All
effects of an empire’s change of colour (see New Dynasty, for example) are treated as
simultaneous. (10) All effects of a single “free progress” step are treated as simultaneous.
This automatic disorder rule applies unchanged during the faction takeover procedure of a Civil
War or Empire Fragments event. (See the entries for those events in the Guide to Events – pages
100-103.) That is, as each new empire is created (from a faction), the original empire may suffer
disorder due to lost fertile areas (if applicable). In the case of Empire Fragments, the resulting
disorder markers can even be placed in the territory of a still-unclaimed faction, since those areas
would be still controlled by the original empire at that time. Elephant area control effects (i.e.,
the removal of named elephant units due to another empire’s control of the corresponding
elephant-symbol areas) can cause additional areas to be lost by the original empire (in addition to
the areas lost directly to the new empire), and can also cause areas to be lost by the new empire.
Colossus
No comment.
Computing117
“During trade and progress…”: That is, during each trade.
“…may choose to pick one card from the deck…”: More generally, the effect of Computing is to
increase that empire’s player’s draw allowance by one (see commentary on Scientists, page 44) –
but without increasing the total number of cards that she/he can play.
Remember that your choice of which cards to play (and of whether you will draw another card
from the deck) can be based on the cards you have drawn so far.
the order is determined in all cases. Moreover, it is easy (in that case) to think of examples in which unit
conversion would lead to the placement of disorder to the disadvantage of the new empire – which seems
contrary to the spirit of the rule.
114
See footnote 192.
115
Remember that it is possible to lose more than one area from a single conflict, due to elephant effects.
Elephant effects also explain the inclusion of most of the other items in this list.
116
However, the automatic disorder from Christianity is irrelevant in the case of Empire Collapses.
117
The artefact summary table in the original printed booklet indicates another property of Computing
(+1 to the empire’s trade value). HR050126 confirms that this additional property was an error.
- 48 -
Example: Claire’s Japanese empire (with one scientist, and with Computing) is trading with James’s
Russians (with no scientists). Claire has only one card in her hand. Her scientist allows her to play two
cards, one of which can come from the deck. Computing increases the number of cards that she can draw
by one (i.e., from one to two), so she has the option to play both cards from the deck. She draws one card
and looks at it before deciding whether to draw the second card as well or to play the card in her hand.
Concentrated Ownership
No comment.
Confucianism118
Disorder avoidance (¶ 3): If the Confucian empire also has Socialism or Religious Strife, it
cannot avoid disorder in this way. The card drawn to avoid disorder is a randomiser card, to be
placed directly into the discard pile. If several areas in the empire are (nominally) hit by disorder
simultaneously, the affected player draws one card for each area being hit. That player
announces which area is being considered just before drawing each card. If several areas in
several empires are (nominally) hit by disorder simultaneously, then areas controlled by
Confucian empires belonging to the player with the turn marker are considered first (in any order
designated by that player), then those belonging to the next player clockwise, and so on.
“An empire that takes control of a land area…” (¶ 4): That is, by way of liberation (due to
conflict) or unit conversion (in an empire starting procedure). (This rule does not apply to faction
takeover in a Civil War or Empire Fragments event.) The procedure described in ¶ 4 applies only
once overall to a new empire’s unit conversion procedure (regardless of how many areas are
taken), and once for each conflict that results in the liberation of one or more land areas.
“…from a Confucian empire…” (¶ 4): That is, from a Confucian empire that does not have
Socialism and does not have Religious Strife.
“…can convert to Confucianism immediately…” (¶ 4): Even if the empire losing the area is
being discarded as a result of the conflict (or conversion) – but not if the empire gaining the area
has Confucianism already, nor if it has (now) any areas in disorder and has a different religion,
nor if counter mix limits make it impossible for the empire to gain Confucianism. The
Confucianism marker on the losing empire is treated as unavailable, thus possibly preventing the
adoption of Confucianism, even if that empire is being discarded as a result of the same conflict
(or unit conversion procedure) that is triggering the effects of Confucianism. The effects of
adopting Confucianism in this case are the same as in “adopting a religion” in a civilise action
(including the disorder from abandoning a previous religion, if any).
Each individual conflict brings about only one (nominal) opportunity to adopt Confucianism,
even if multiple areas are liberated as a result of that conflict (due to elephant area control
effects). Similarly, a new empire’s unit conversion procedure (if any) brings about only one
(nominal) opportunity to adopt Confucianism, regardless of how many areas are taken over at that
time. The (nominal) opportunity to adopt Confucianism takes place after the other immediate
effects of area takeover, but before any empires are discarded as a result of losing units.
“…but, if it doesn’t…put a disorder marker in the area” (¶ 4): The exact procedure depends on
whether the area(s) are taken over during a manoeuvre or otherwise. Outside of a manoeuvre, if
an empire does not adopt Confucianism when it has a (nominal) opportunity to do so, disorder is
placed immediately in each area that was taken from a Confucian empire (with neither Socialism
nor Religious Strife) as a result of the conflict (or conversion procedure) that brought about the
(nominal) opportunity to adopt Confucianism. (Exclude already-disordered areas, of course.)
118
There are 5 Confucianism markers: 2 shared with Christianity, 1 with Hinduism, and 2 with Islam.
- 49 -
Example: The Byzantines are starting in Greece (Greek-controlled), Asia Minor (Macedonian-controlled),
and Crete (Roman-controlled). The Macedonians and the Romans have Confucianism. The Byzantines
can adopt Confucianism after converting the units in these areas. If they do not adopt Confucianism, then
disorder is placed in Asia Minor and in Crete, but not in Greece.
During a manoeuvre, disorder from this rule is not placed immediately119. If a victorious empire
fails to adopt Confucianism when it has a (nominal) opportunity to do so, make a note of the
areas that were liberated (from a Confucian empire with neither Socialism nor Religious Strife).
These areas receive disorder at the end of the manoeuvre, after the disorder-removal phase.
In all cases, if the empire taking the area(s) has Hinduism (but neither Socialism nor Religious
Strife) at the time of the area takeover, then it suffers no consequence for failing to adopt
Confucianism. Other exceptions to disorder placement (as a result of already-existing disorder,
or the Great Pyramid, or the disorder-resistance property of Confucianism) are always assessed at
the time of disorder placement.
Example: The Mongols attack Shensi, Szechuan, and Bengal, all of which are controlled by a Confucian
empire. Szechuan has the Great Pyramid, and Bengal is in disorder. The Mongols win the conflict in
Shensi but do not convert to Confucianism. The players make a mental note of delayed disorder placement
for Shensi, even though that disorder will not actually be placed if the adjacent Great Pyramid is still
standing at the time of disorder placement. The Mongols win the conflict in Szechuan, then have a change
of heart and decide to convert to Confucianism this time. No disorder results, but the Great Pyramid is
removed (due to a change of control of its area). Then the Mongols win the conflict in Bengal. They
cannot convert to Confucianism because they are already Confucian, so the players make a mental note of
delayed disorder placement for Bengal. At the end of that manoeuvre, the Mongol hordes remove the
already-existing disorder in Bengal. Then Shensi and Bengal (but not Szechuan) are hit by their delayed
disorder. Fortunately, the Mongols’ player draws two high-valued cards to resist the new disorder (using
the protective power of their new religion) and neither area receives disorder.
“Reduce a Confucian empire’s trade number by 1” (¶ 5): Unless it also has Socialism.
Crusade (see Pope)
See my commentary on Pope, pages 56-57.
Democracy120
“…if they lost control of an area to another player’s empire in that or the previous turn” (¶ 3):
Mainly, this is referring to liberation (due to conflict) and unit conversion (in an empire’s starting
procedure)121. But in addition, the target empire of a Civil War or Empire Fragments event is
considered to lose control of an area to another player’s empire if any new empire that is created
by that event (and survives that event) belongs to a different player. As for those new empires,
they do not inherit this condition (of having lost control of an area to another player’s empire)
unless the original empire had that condition already at the beginning of the event.
In order to get this benefit, the empire must be Democratic at the time it loses the areas122 (not
only at the time it builds the units).
119
In the rule as written, the disorder is placed immediately. But then this effect of Confucianism is rather
weak, because a newly-conquered area will typically have a stack of units that would easily remove the
resulting disorder at the end of the manoeuvre. When some players expressed concern over this issue, the
response (e.g. HR060123) was to introduce the rule given here.
120
There are 8 Democracy markers: 4 shared with Capitalism, 2 with Feudalism, and 2 with Socialism.
121
HR050203 confirms that conversion counts here.
122
HR080526. However, the wording of the rule in the Player’s Guide implies that the empire only needs
to be Democratic at the time it builds the units.
- 50 -
“Wild card actions do not stop Democratic empires from the free advance…” (¶ 4): Democracy
protects an empire from the usual (basic) effects of a wild card in the “free progress” step. But
Democracy does not overcome the effects of a cadence marker on an empire with a wild card.
“…unless the other empire moved a unit into one of its land or sea areas in the current or the
previous turn” (¶ 5): This ought to say: unless the other empire attacked one of its land or sea
areas in the current or the previous turn. (If you move peacefully through a Democratic empire’s
sea area, that move does not allow that empire to attack you with impunity.) In order to avoid
this glory penalty, the victorious Democratic empire must also have been Democratic at the time
it was attacked by the other empire123.
For this purpose, an empire is considered to “attack” an area controlled by another empire if any
of the former empire’s units are in that area at the start of any conflict resolution phase – even if
no conflict resolution takes place there. (See the last example on page 46.)
Feudalism124
“halves the income it earns in a production action (this is not cumulative with the effect for being
a barbarian empire)” (1st bullet under ¶ 5): That is, the Feudal empire is treated as if it has no
capital for purposes of earning income. If it really has no capital, there is no additional penalty.
“reduces by 1 the number of progress levels it advances when it wins a trade” (2nd bullet under
¶ 5): Also, a Feudal empire does not advance when a trade is tied.
Forum
“…can convert any action into a pass action when it turns over its action marker” (¶ 2): This use
of the Forum is not allowed if the action is converted by Unique Conjunction, Alliance, or
Overslept. (Those events have higher priority.) Otherwise, it is allowed for any action (when the
action is announced), including a bonus action from Rare Conjunction.
“An empire can spend a ‘+1 go’ marker to take a second action whenever it takes any action
(except a pass or vote action)” (¶ 3): That is, an extra action is added to the current action cluster.
If the action just finished is neither a pass nor a vote125, and the action cluster is not extended by a
Rare Conjunction event, then the Forum can be used in this way to announce another action.
“The second action must be different from the first…” (¶ 3): That is, the announced type of the
extra action must be different from the actual (performed) type of the immediately preceding
action. Within that restriction, the announced type of the extra action can be any of the seven
standard action types, at the option of the active player. (The extra action could end up being the
same as the preceding action, if someone plays Alliance to convert the action.)
“An empire can spend only one ‘+1 go’ marker a turn” (¶ 3): More strictly, only one “+1 go”
marker can be spent in a turn (by anyone).
If the Forum is transferred to a new empire, created by the faction takeover procedure in a Civil
War or Empire Fragments event, the new empire gets all the saved “+1 go” markers126.
123
HR080601. However, the wording of the rule in the Player’s Guide implies that it does not matter
whether the empire was Democratic at the time it was attacked.
124
There are 7 Feudalism markers: 1 shared with Capitalism, 2 with Democracy, and 4 with Socialism.
125
Note this difference between the extra action from the Forum and the extra action from a Rare
Conjunction event: Rare Conjunction can be played after a pass or vote action.
126
If the proposed rule change of footnote 18 is used, then the same principle applies to unit conversion.
The new empire, if it gets the Forum, would get all the saved “+1 go” markers as well.
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Great Library
No comment.
Great Pyramid
This protection is absolute. There are no exceptions. Event cards do not overcome this rule.
Whenever a player has a choice of which areas (nominally) become disordered, for any reason,
the Great Pyramid does not affect the set of options. It merely stops the disorder from being
placed, in its protected areas. In other words, areas that are protected by the Great Pyramid, but
would otherwise be eligible for disorder, are treated as if they are still eligible for disorder, for
purposes of selecting areas to gain disorder127.
Example: The Romans (Christian) lose control of three fertile areas in a Rebellion event. They still have
their capital, but it is protected by the Great Pyramid, as is one other Roman city. So the capital counts
toward the three cities that must be hit by disorder, even though it does not actually suffer disorder. The
owning player must choose two other Roman cities to be hit (nominally) by disorder. Naturally, he chooses
the other protected city as one of these, so only one city actually becomes disordered.
A new Great Pyramid has no effect on any already-existing disorder.
Great Wall
Note that conflicts are always performed sequentially. So if the Great Wall is removed in one
conflict, it will have no effect on subsequent conflicts in the same conflict resolution phase.
Hanging Gardens
In effect, a “cities 2” icon is added to the empire’s card. If an empire that already has a “cities”
icon has the Hanging Gardens, that empire will score twice for cities in the “harvesting glory”
step – once for its printed icon, and once for the Hanging Gardens128.
Heresy
“…on an empire with a religion…” (¶ 1): Within this restriction, Heresy can be placed on a
Socialist empire129.
“If an empire has a Heresy artefact any action taken by any empire with that religion is converted
into a vote action as soon as it turns over its action marker” (¶ 2): This effect applies to any
action (such as a bonus action from Rare Conjunction), at the time the action is announced – not
only to the first action done by an action marker. It does not happen if the active empire has
Socialism. It does not happen if the action is converted into by Unique Conjunction, Alliance, or
Overslept130. If the active empire has the Forum, that empire can still use the Forum to take a
pass action (and gain a “+1 go” marker), thus avoiding the Heresy effects.
After an action is converted into a vote, but before the vote action begins, it is sometimes possible
for the Heresy artefact to be removed. This can happen in two ways: (1) If the active empire
performs a free move (from Christianity), just before its action, then it is (remotely) possible for
127
HR050322 states that the Great Pyramid nullifies the Christianity penalty if it protects the capital, but it
seems to be referring only to the case of a single fertile area being lost. The case of multiple fertile areas
being lost simultaneously is not addressed there.
128
HR090227. But I like the alternative given in version 1.0 of this document: If an empire that already
has a “cities” icon has the Hanging Gardens, the effect of the Gardens is to increase the icon number by 2
(instead of adding another icon). In other words, the Gardens would affect the “cities” category in the same
way that a pair of artists would affect the “artefacts” category.
129
HR080413.
130
HR060425 confirms that Alliance is “stronger” than Heresy. See also footnote 87.
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the Heresy artefact to be removed as a result of that free move (plus elephant area control effects).
In this case, the action reverts to its announced type. (2) If the announced action type is civilise
and the active empire has a religious leader, the active player can remove the Heresy artefact
immediately before the action begins – that is, after any free move (or free disorder placement)
from Christianity, any free disorder removal from Buddhism, and any spying from the Oracle or
from Satellites. Again, the action reverts to its announced type (in this case, civilise).
Heresy has no effect if its empire has no religion131. If the empire with Heresy has Socialism and
a religion, Heresy does affect the non-Socialist empires with the same religion.
The description of a vote action here (¶¶ 3-4) is the usual procedure for that type of action. See
Pope for an exception.
“In a vote action, draw one card” (¶ 3): A randomiser, to be discarded immediately.
“…how many progress levels the empires with that religion will lose [among] them” (¶ 3):
Losses cannot be assigned to empires with Socialism132.
“Each empire that would lose a progress level gets one vote for each progress level it would lose”
(¶ 4): That is, according to the proposal of the active player – without reference to the fact that an
empire beyond the 49th progress level cannot actually lose any levels, nor to the fact that an
empire cannot be brought below progress level 1. Those empires to which zero losses are
assigned take no further part in the action – except that if a “0” card was drawn, the active empire
still participates.
Voting procedure (¶ 4): Votes are announced openly, and clockwise, starting with the player who
has the turn marker.
“…the progress levels are lost…” (¶ 4): Progress losses are applied simultaneously.
Hinduism133
“A Hindu empire ignores the adverse effects of all other religions” (¶ 3): The relevant cases are
made explicit in my commentary on Buddhism, Christianity, and Confucianism.
“If a Hindu empire receives 1 or fewer glory during harvesting glory, increase its glory by 1”
(¶ 4). This does not happen if the empire has Religious Strife, unless it also has Socialism. The
“1 or fewer” includes any bought glory.
“If a Hindu empire receives 5 or more glory during harvesting glory…” (¶ 5): Again, this
includes any bought glory.
Industrial Revolution
No comment.
Internet
No comment.
Islam134
“Give that empire an elite marker” (¶ 2): But not if the empire has Socialism or Religious Strife.
131
HR050114. There are ways this can happen, although it is impossible at the time Heresy is placed.
132
Here, I rebel against HR050114, which states that losses can be assigned to Socialist empires, but that
those losses are not actually applied. This “heresy sink” effect is just too convenient; it seems to go against
the whole point of a vote action.
133
There are 6 Hinduism markers: 2 shared with Christianity, 1 with Confucianism, and 3 with Islam.
134
There are 7 Islam markers: 2 shared with Buddhism, 2 with Confucianism, and 3 with Hinduism.
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“An Islamic empire immediately gains 1 glory each time it takes control of a land area from a
non-Islamic empire” (¶ 3): That is, an Islamic empire without Socialism and without Religious
Strife immediately gains 1 glory each time it liberates a land area from a non-Islamic empire or
from an Islamic empire with Socialism.
“An Islamic empire immediately loses 1 glory each time it takes control of a land area from an
Islamic empire” (¶ 4): That is, an Islamic empire without Socialism immediately loses 1 glory
each time it liberates a land area from an Islamic empire without Socialism.
Jihad
“but only on an Islamic empire” (¶ 1): That is, the target empire must be an Islamic empire. (It
does not matter whether the target empire has Socialism135.) However, the recipient empire (the
one that gets the artefact) is not the target empire in this case. The age restriction applies to the
target empire, not to the recipient.
“Put the Jihad artefact in any land area adjacent to the target empire that a non-Islamic empire
controls” (¶ 2): It does not matter whether the recipient empire has Socialism136.
“Remove the artefact immediately the area becomes controlled by an Islamic empire” (¶ 2): Even
if that empire has Socialism137.
Non-participation penalty (¶ 3): More generally, the penalty applies at the end of an action
cluster138 in which none of the actions was a manoeuvre (and not all of the actions were pass)139,
if all of the following conditions were fulfilled at the beginning of that action cluster140: (1) Jihad
was in play, (2) there was an active empire, (3) that active empire had Islam but had neither
Renaissance nor Socialism, (4) that active empire had not previously completed a manoeuvre
action this turn (where a “free manoeuvre” in an empire’s starting procedure does not count as a
manoeuvre action), and (5) that active empire had not previously completed an action cluster to
which the Jihad penalty was already applied this turn. An empire is considered to have
“completed” an action (or action cluster) if the empire was the active empire as that action (or
action cluster) was being finished. The magnitude of the penalty is only 3 glory points in total,
regardless of how many actions were performed in that cluster141. The penalty is not applied if an
“immediate” game-ending condition is achieved in one of the actions of that action cluster.
“…all Islamic units in that and every adjacent area add…” (¶ 4): This bonus applies to units
belonging to empires that have Islam but have neither Socialism nor Religious Strife.
Just Rule
“Remove the just rule artefact immediately the empire has no leaders on the map” (¶ 4): If the
removal of the last leader is cancelled by Miracle Cure (or by Herbal Remedy in leader-rescue
mode), the artefact is not removed.
135
HR080408.
136
HR080401.
137
HR080401 again. It is tempting to propose that Jihad should also be removed whenever its area is far
away (say, more than 3 areas) from the nearest area controlled by an Islamic empire. Such a rule would be
similar in essence to the removal of a Crusade due to the removal of the Pope.
138
HR061214 confirms (at least tentatively) that Jihad penalties are applied at the end of the action cluster
(though without using that terminology), and that an extra action cluster from Time Wrinkle cannot
reinstate the lost glory points, in spite of the wording of the rule as written. (It appears from HR080408
that this earlier ruling has been forgotten, but no replacement rule of sufficient generality has been offered.)
139
HR080408.
140
HR050114 confirms that Renaissance is checked at the start of the action cluster, so the empire cannot
avoid the penalty by gaining Renaissance during the cluster. HR080408 does the same thing for Socialism.
141
HR080401. (The fifth item in the list of initial conditions seems to be implicit in this ruling as well.)
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Moon Landing
“An empire with the moon landing gains a glory point each time it takes a civilise action”: This
bonus applies at the very beginning of the civilise action (before the playing of cards).
“It gains 7 glory points if it ends the game (in addition to the 7 it gets for leaving age 7 or playing
the internet)”: For “leaving age 7”, read “advancing beyond progress level 49”, and for “playing
the internet” read “acquiring the internet”. This Moon Landing bonus applies to an empire that
advances beyond progress level 49 when no other empire has done so previously (though others
may do so simultaneously with this one), or to an empire that acquires the internet when no
empire (this one or any other) has yet advanced beyond the 49th progress level142.
Oracle
“…immediately before it takes its action…”: This spying procedure can be done before any
action (except a pass). It takes place after determining the actual type of the action but before
performing the action. It can be performed before or after any free move (or free disorder
placement) from Christianity, or any free disorder removal from Buddhism, or any spying from
Satellites, as the active player chooses.
“…within twice the range of the oracle”: That is, range to the target empire is traced in the usual
way, except that the path must start in the area with the Oracle, and the path length can be up to
twice its usual maximum.
“If the capital of that empire is disordered, it can keep one of those cards”: That is, the active
player can take one of the cards from the hand of the player whose empire was spied on. The
active player chooses which card to take.
Paved Roads
No comment143.
Peace Treaty
“…within range of the first…” (¶ 2): That is, the empire receiving the second Peace Treaty
marker must be within range of the empire receiving the first marker, within the constraint that
the range path must start from the area receiving the first marker144. (It is not necessary that the
range path be able to reach the area in which the second marker is placed.) Note that all
necessary range negotiation (by the player to whom the target empire belongs) must be completed
before the Peace Treaty card is played.
“…neither empire can move a unit into an area controlled by the other…” (¶ 2): Rather, neither
empire can move a unit in such a way that it ends its move in an area controlled by the other.
Removal (¶ 3): Removal of a Peace Treaty artefact marker for any reason always causes the
other Peace Treaty marker to be removed145.
Pharos Lighthouse
No comment.
142
HR050209.
143
Actually, I do have a comment. It is bizarre that the effect of Paved Roads is based on the technology of
the empire whose units are entering a city, and not on the technology of the empire to which the city
belongs. So I propose the following rule change: The entry of a city is not affected by Paved Roads.
Instead, units of an empire with Paved Roads expend only one movement point when exiting one of their
own cities of level 3 or higher, regardless of the terrain of the area entered.
144
HR050114 confirms this constraint.
145
HR061213.
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Pope
Eligibility (¶ 1): The target empire must not have Religious Strife146 (unless it also has
Socialism). Socialism does not prevent an empire from being the target of Pope147. In order to
play Pope on a non-Christian empire (which is only possible if that empire is of the Papal States),
a Christianity marker must be available (taking into account the fact that the empire will lose its
existing religion, if any, in the process of adopting Christianity). Also, if the target empire has a
religion other than Christianity, it must have no disorder.
“…it immediately adopts Christianity (as in a civilise action)” (¶ 2): Unless already Christian.
Note that such an “adoption” does not count against the limits on “adoptions” that apply later in
that action. (That is, if the active empire gains a new Pope and adopts Christianity as a side
effect, it can still adopt a different religion or a government after the leader promotion step of that
civilise action.)
Removal of Christianity from an empire with the Pope does not cause the Pope to be removed.
“Christian empires that would lose a progress level as a result…” (¶ 3): This is referring to all
empires to which a nonzero proposed loss has been assigned, regardless of whether they would
actually lose any levels. (Empires at level 1 and empires beyond the 49th level are included.)
“…may opt instead to discard their Christianity artefact…” (¶ 3): Only in the case where the
Pope has dictated a “yes” result. These decisions are made openly, and in clockwise order,
starting from the player who has the turn marker. Following these announcements, progress
levels are lost (all simultaneously) by participating empires that did not renounce Christianity.
“…in which case, the heresy artefact remains” (¶ 3): That is, the Heresy artefact remains if even
one empire renounces Christianity.
“…can call for a crusade if Palestine is controlled by a non-Christian empire” (¶ 4): It does not
matter whether that empire has Socialism148. A call for a Crusade cannot be done if the Crusade
artefact is already in play, nor if there is another artefact (and no artists) in Palestine. The call for
a Crusade is done during the “playing cards” step of a civilise action; for sequencing purposes, it
is equivalent to the play of an artefact card.
“Put the crusade artefact in Palestine” (¶ 4): With all the usual effects of placing an on-map
artefact (i.e., 1 glory for the receiving empire, plus bonus glory for artists). The recipient empire
(i.e., the empire that controls Palestine) is not treated as the “target” empire; there is no
requirement for that empire (or any other) to be in the 5th age or lower, in spite of the “1~5” that
appears on the back of the Crusade marker.
“Palestine is controlled by a Christian empire” (1st bullet under ¶ 4): Even if that empire has
Socialism149.
Non-participation penalty (¶ 5)150: More generally, the penalty applies at the end of an action
cluster in which none of the actions was a manoeuvre (and not all of the actions were pass), if all
of the following conditions were fulfilled at the beginning of that action cluster: (1) Crusade was
in play, (2) there was an active empire, (3) that active empire had Christianity but had neither
Renaissance nor Socialism, (4) that active empire had not previously completed a manoeuvre
action this turn (where a “free manoeuvre” in an empire’s starting procedure does not count as a
146
Apparently implied by HR080331.
147
This is a natural extrapolation from HR080401, HR080408, and HR080413.
148
HR080401.
149
HR080401.
150
See also footnotes 138–141.
- 56 -
manoeuvre action), and (5) that active empire had not previously completed an action cluster to
which the Crusade penalty was already applied this turn. An empire is considered to have
“completed” an action (or action cluster) if the empire was the active empire as that action (or
action cluster) was being finished. The magnitude of the penalty is only 3 glory points in total,
regardless of how many actions were performed in that cluster. The penalty is not applied if an
“immediate” game-ending condition is achieved in one of the actions of that action cluster.
“…all Christian units in that and every adjacent area add…” (¶ 6): This bonus applies to units
belonging to empires that have Christianity but have neither Socialism nor Religious Strife.
Printing
“…against a more advanced empire…”: That is, against an empire that was more advanced at the
start of the trade.
Radio
“…can trace range through other empires” (1st bullet): That is, all other empires are
automatically considered to grant permission for tracing range through their territory, for all
purposes. No negotiation or payment takes place. (Thus, one of the few mechanisms for
transferring money between empires of the same player is gone.)
Railways
“…can move their units any distance entirely within land areas they control…” (2nd bullet): For
each moving unit (or stack), this capability is based on the areas that are controlled by the active
empire immediately before that unit (or stack) starts to move. This benefit overrules all other
rules (including empire special rules) regarding movement point costs.
When a unit uses a crossing arrow, it is considered to be moving from a land area directly to
another land area for all purposes, including the use of Railways151.
Religious Strife
“but only on an empire that has a religion but not a religious leader” (¶ 1): Within these
constraints, Religious Strife can be placed on an empire with Socialism152.
“It cannot exercise its religion’s power” (¶ 2): In addition to nullifying all effects of the religion’s
“power” (as listed in each religion’s entry in the Player’s Guide), Religious Strife also nullifies all
of the other beneficial effects of every religion153, as follows. (1) A non-Socialist empire with
Religious Strife does not get the immediate glory point for gaining a religion. (2) The immediate
elite marker from gaining Islam is not awarded to an empire with Religious Strife. (3) During
“harvesting glory”, a non-Socialist empire with Religious Strife is considered to have no religion
for purposes of scoring glory from artefacts, and also for the “cross” and “crescent” categories of
scoring glory from areas. (4) A Christian empire with Religious Strife is not immune to the free
disorder placement from the power of another Christian empire. (5) Units of an empire with
Religious Strife do not get a strength bonus from Crusade or Jihad. (6) A non-Socialist empire
with Religious Strife cannot be the target/recipient of a Pope artefact. (7) An empire with
Religious Strife cannot be the target of a New World event. (8) A Christian Papal States empire
with Religious Strife cannot collect tithes (see page 70) – and if it is not Socialist, it can be
obliged to pay tithes to another Papal States empire (assuming that the Papal States have been
split by a Civil War or Empire Fragments event).
151
HR060406.
152
A natural extrapolation from HR080413.
153
In keeping with the apparent spirit of the rule (and with a literal reading of HR080331).
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Religious Strife does not prevent the removal of Revolution due to the placement of a religion.
“Remove the artefact when…its religion votes in favour of resolving a heresy” (¶ 3): Rather,
remove it when Heresy is removed, as a result of a vote action, from any empire with the same
religion as the empire with Religious Strife (even if the empire with Religious Strife is not
participating in the vote action). If Heresy is not removed in spite of a “yes” result (see Pope),
then Religious Strife is not removed either.
Renaissance
No comment.
Revolution
“Move the target empire’s progress marker back 4 progress levels, put a disorder marker in its
capital area and remove any religion artefact on its card” (¶ 3): These steps are applied in the
order opposite to the listed order. The empire cannot use Confucianism to prevent the placement
of disorder, since that religion would have been removed already.
“adopts socialism” (1st bullet under ¶ 5): Or gains Socialism by an artefact card play154.
“adopts any religion” (2nd bullet under ¶ 5): Or gains any religion by an artefact card play. The
removal of Revolution in this case is not affected by Socialism, nor by Religious Strife.
“leaves its current age…” (3rd bullet under ¶ 5): The Revolution artefact may even cause itself to
be removed, almost immediately after it is placed, because of the 4 progress levels lost.
Satellites
“treats every empire as within range” (1st bullet): Indeed, everything is automatically within
range of any empire with Satellites, even if the range path would normally be constrained to
begin with a certain area within the empire. For example, all artefacts are automatically within
range of all artists belonging to an empire with Satellites.
“…immediately before it takes its action…” (2nd bullet): This spying procedure can be done
before any action (except a pass). It takes place after determining the actual type of the action but
before performing the action. It can be performed before or after any free move (or free disorder
placement) from Christianity, or any free disorder removal from Buddhism, or any spying from
the Oracle, as the active player chooses.
“…at the cost of 1 money per card examined” (2nd bullet): The money “disappears”; it is not paid
to another empire. A partial payment is allowed. Before looking at any cards, the spying player
decides how much money to spend. Then the spying player examines as many cards (in the target
player’s hand) as the amount of money spent. If a partial payment is made, the cards to be
examined are selected randomly155.
Socialism156
“Socialist empires ignore the effects of any religion they have (except during harvesting glory)
and ignore the effects of crusades, heresy, jihads and religious strife” (¶ 4): This is overstated, in
two respects. (1) In order for Socialism to protect an empire from a glory penalty from Crusade
or Jihad, the empire must have Socialism at the beginning of the action cluster in question. For
154
HR041125. Similarly for religions (2nd bullet).
155
HR080404.
156
There are 8 Socialism markers: 2 shared with Capitalism, 2 with Democracy, and 4 with Feudalism.
- 58 -
this purpose, Socialism is irrelevant at the time the penalty is applied157. (2) Socialism has no
impact on any of the rules that govern the placement or removal of any other artefacts, including
the immediate effects of such placement or removal158 (except of course that Socialism nullifies
the effects of Religious Strife). (Exceptions: A Socialist empire does not gain the immediate elite
marker for gaining Islam. A Socialist empire does not suffer the immediate disorder (in the
capital) for gaining Christianity.)
If a Socialist empire has Heresy (and a religion), note that any non-Socialist empires with the
same religion are still affected by Heresy.
Temple of Diana
“…disordered areas within range of the temple…”: It is possible (if an empire’s territory is
fragmented or oddly shaped) that the shortest path between two areas of the same empire might
pass through areas outside that empire. Therefore, when judging range between two areas of the
same empire, it may be necessary to obtain permission to trace range through another empire.
Permission (for the sake of tracing range from the temple to disordered areas in the temple’s
empire) is granted, if at all, for the empire as a whole. That is, the empire granting permission
may not specify which disordered areas can trace their paths through its territory.
For the purpose of negating disorder in a production action, range is checked at the start of that
action, before earning income.
For the purpose of negating disorder in “harvesting glory”, range is checked before any empire
scores (but after any events related to harvesting glory are played, and after any glory point
purchases are made).
“…and counts those areas when working out how many glory points it gains”: That is, the
disorder is negated. If the area is tundra or desert, it is still not counted (unless the empire has a
special rule allowing it to count areas of that type).
United Nations
“…moves a unit…” (¶ 3): Or stack. Censure of a move can happen every time an area controlled
by another empire is entered, so it can happen several times in a unit’s (or stack’s) movement.
Censure votes are stated openly, in clockwise order, starting with the player with the turn marker
(but skipping the active player). A single “no” vote stops the voting and defeats the measure.
The possible censure of an event card is considered only after the play of any cancellation cards
(or Blowback) directed at that event – and of course no censure is possible if the event is
cancelled. If the vote passes, it is the initiator of the event (i.e., the active player) who decides
whether the censure will be accepted, even if the event has been taken over by Blowback.
“A player can accept a censure, in which case, the moving units end their turn in the area they
immediately left…” (¶ 4): For “end their turn”, read “end their move” (i.e., their part of that
movement phase). The units are treated thereafter, for all purposes, as if they had not entered the
protected area, even for a moment (so the return to the previous area cannot trigger a censure). If
the move, thus interrupted, would then be illegal, the player must reject the censure159.
157
HR080408. The justification given for this ruling is bogus, but its conclusion should be accepted
anyway, given its harmony with other rulings associated with Crusade/Jihad penalties.
158
HR050119 confirms that a Socialist empire is still subject to the disorder that results from dropping a
religion in order to adopt another one. This more general statement is my attempt to generalise from
HR080401, HR080408, and HR080413. (Socialism does not affect the placement or removal of Jihad or
Heresy in any way, and it does not cancel the +1 glory for gaining a religion.)
159
HR050114.
- 59 -
Example: French units march from Normandy through Burgundy (French controlled but in disorder) into
the Low Countries (German controlled). The UN censures the move, the French accept the censure, and
the stack goes back to Burgundy. At the end of that manoeuvre action, the French player wants to remove
the disorder from Burgundy. The units from Normandy are treated as if they had simply marched to
Burgundy without spending a moment in the Low Countries, so they do not trigger the river’s terrain
modifier for determining how many units are needed. The Germans have the next manoeuvre. They send a
fleet through the North Sea and the Norwegian Coast (both controlled by English naval units) to Iceland
(US controlled), and the UN censures the move into Iceland. The Germans must reject the censure and
lose 1 glory point – because the fleet cannot end its move in the English-controlled Norwegian Coast after
going through the English-controlled North Sea, since no German ships are in the North Sea.
The decision to accept or reject a movement-related censure is made before the number of air or
naval units (among the non-active units in the area) is revealed due to the entry of the area (see
page 18). If the censure is accepted, this information is not revealed.
“A player who doesn’t accept the censure loses 1 glory point” (¶ 4): When the entry of an area
(by a unit or stack) is censured, and the censure is rejected, the penalty is 1 glory point for the
entire stack, not 1 glory point per unit160. If the entire stack continues its movement (such as by
the rule for the peaceful traversal of a controlled sea or ocean area), the glory is not lost (unless
those units return to that area by accepting a censure in their next area)161.
If a leader is deliberately abandoned (i.e., left without friendly units) by a moving unit, but the
unit returns to the leader’s area due to an accepted censure, then the leader is not considered
abandoned, and it is not removed from play.
Universal Suffrage
“…increase the income they earn by +1 per area they control”: That is, when gaining income
during production, each area from which the empire is entitled (in principle) to gain income
generates 1 money more than usual. (Neutral areas that provide income due to tribute markers
are included. Areas in disorder are excluded, unless the disorder is nullified by the Temple of
Diana. If not affected by disorder, areas that would otherwise generate 0 money are included.)
World War
“…in the target empire’s current space on the progress track” (¶ 2): Or any other space in the
target empire’s current age, since the exact progress level does not matter. If the empire is
beyond the 49th level, put the World War marker somewhere in the 7th age.
“all empires taking a production action halve the total cost of new units…” (1st bullet under ¶ 3):
This benefit also applies to a new empire’s initial units (during an empire-starting procedure).
Extra move (2nd bullet under ¶ 3): This extra movement phase is a general movement phase,
performed in the same way as the first movement phase of the manoeuvre162. It does not take
place if the World War is removed as a result of any conflict resolution following the first
movement phase.
“empires can never advance more than 1 progress level when they win a [trade]” (3rd bullet under
¶ 3): An empire that would have advanced 1 or more progress levels in a trade, considering all
factors other than World War, still advances 1 progress level (even if it has Feudalism).
160
HR080331.
161
HR050114 confirms that the intent of the censure rule is to apply only to attacks, not to peaceful
traversals. This ruling raises the question of exactly how the exception should be implemented. The
present solution appears to be simplest: The censure vote can take place, but its results may not stick.
162
I propose that in any manoeuvre in which the extra movement from World War takes place, any
movement preceding that movement phase should be ignored for purposes of disorder removal.
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“…when any empire enters any age higher than the artefact…” (¶ 4): Note that this can happen
due to a decrease in progress level, as well as to an increase. If the “cadenced progress” optional
rule is being used, then this can even happen during the “free progress” step, since World War
does not prevent empires from regressing.
“…every empire (except an empire that removed the artefact by entering a higher age) gains a
glory point for each fertile area it controls” (¶ 5): Remember that a 6th-age or 7th-age empire
treats all its forest areas as fertile. If World War is removed in a trade or a conflict, the glory
award is based on control of areas at the end of that trade or conflict – that is, after all other
effects of the trade or conflict are completed.
Suppose that two or more empires change their age simultaneously (for example, both empires in
a trade advance due to a Joint Venture event). If even one of those empires enters (or passes all
the way through) a higher age than the World War, that artefact is removed. All of the empires
that entered (or passed through) a higher age than the World War are excluded from the glory
award. (All progress adjustments resulting from a single conflict are treated as simultaneous for
this purpose.) For those empires that changed their age but are not excluded from the glory
award, the new age of the empire determines whether its forest areas are treated as fertile.
Example: A 4th-age World War is in play. The Marathas are at progress level 36 (6 th age). They have a
level 5 city in Sind and a level 5 city in Deccan. Their only unit in Deccan is the named elephant
associated with Sind. The Huns attack both cities and choose to resolve the conflict in Sind first. The Huns
win that conflict. When they liberate Sind, the Marathas lose 5 progress levels (due to the Huns’ version of
the vandalism rule), thus ensuring that World War will be removed (since the Marathas are re-entering the
5th age). The elephant unit from Sind is added to the Huns’ force pool, so it is removed from the map, and
the Huns also liberate Deccan, causing the Marathas to lose another 5 progress levels. (The Marathas are
now in the 4th age, but this does not prevent World War from being removed.) Following the liberation of
the two areas, the World War is removed and the glory points are awarded. The Huns now control Deccan
(which is a fertile area), so their player gets the glory point from that area. If another Maratha unit had
been with the elephant, Deccan would still have been controlled by the Marathas (but awaiting another
conflict) when the glory award was assessed, so the Huns’ player would not have gotten the glory point
from that area. (The Marathas’ player would not get that glory point in any case, since the Marathas are
excluded from the glory award in this example.)
Example: Consider the example on page 47. If a 6th-age World War was in play at the start of that trade, it
would be removed because the Ottomans are entering the 7 th age. The Italians would be eligible to score
glory as the war ends, but they would not get a point for Corsica & Sardinia, since they do not control it at
the end of the trade.
Example: During the “free progress” step, the United States reverts from level 36 to level 35 and the
Russians revert from level 43 to level 42 due to the “cadenced progress” optional rule, while World War is
in play. If World War is in the 6th or 7th age, it remains in play. If it is in the 5 th age, it is removed by the
Russians’ change of age, so the Russians are excluded from the end-of-war glory award, and the United
States does not treat its forests as fertile, since it is now in the 5th age. If World War is in the 4th age
(unlikely), then it is removed, and both the US and the Russians are excluded from the glory award.
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Guide to Empire Special Rules

The purpose of this Guide is to extend my commentary to the special rules found on the empire
cards – both in the “Special” section and in boxes in the “Glory” section. I have found it
convenient to list all the special rules in a “Catalogue of Special Rules”, which is organised
according to the nature of those rules (not according to the empires to which they apply). The
catalogue is preceded by an “Index of Empires”, designed to facilitate any search for the
catalogue entries that pertain to any given empire.
Index of Empires
All 110 empires are listed alphabetically. The number in parentheses immediately to the right of
the empire name is the card number. Alphanumeric codes to the right of the card number indicate
the sections of the catalogue (if any) that pertain to that empire.
Amazons (97) 3b Huns (68) 1cf, 2b, 4aef “Pirate State” (98) 2b, 3c, 4f
Ancient Iranians (86) 4a Incas (11) 5d Plains Americans (75) 2ab, 4f, 5e
Arabs (24) 1cf, 2ab, 5e Inuit (88) 4ach, 5e Poles (39) 2b, 4d
Armenians (66) 4d Irish (87) 4ch Polynesians (73) 2b, 4a
Aryans (7) 4f Italians (44) 1b Portuguese (40) 2b
Assassins (109) 1d, 5bc Japanese (22) 1c, 2b, 5d Romans (12) 1f, 2b, 4dg, 6d
Assyrians (6) 1c, 2bc, 4g Jurchens (55) 2b Russians (34) 2b, 4d
Australians (78) 2a, 5e Kanem/Bornu (83) 2a, 5e Sanga (81)
Babylonians (107) Khmers (25) 4d Satavahana (63)
Benin (67) 3d Koreans (71) 5a Saxons (23) 2b, 4a
Byzantines (54) 1b, 4d Kushans (96) 2b, 4a Seljuks (93) 2b, 4a
Carthaginians (92) 1b, 2b, 3c, 6a Latin Americans (110) 1b Shang (4)
Celts/Gauls (14) 4f Macedonians (15) 1cf, 4d Siamese (77)
Chams (85) 3c Magyars (72) 1f, 2b, 4d Sinhalese (65) 6a
Chavin/Mochica (60) Manchu (38) 2b Slavs (26) 4d
Chimu (61) Marathas (18) Spanish (35) 2b
Ch’in (100) 1d Mauryans/Guptas (17) Srivijayans/Javanese (27) 2b, 3b
Chou (108) Mayans (58) Steppe Nomads (19) 1cf, 2b, 4aef
Cimmerians (59) 2c Medes (106) 2b Sudanese (80) 2a, 4d, 5e
Cushites/Nubians (95) 2a, 5e Melanesians (79) Sumerians (2) 1d, 6a
Dutch (49) 2b, 4d Ming (104) 2c Sung (103) 6a
Early Finns (94) 4ach, 5e Minoans (62) 2bc, 3a Swedes (28) 2b
English (37) 1b, 2b, 4d Mitanni (90) 2bc Syracusans (56) 1b, 2b
Ethiopians (45) 2a, 3d, 5e Modern Chinese (29) 1f, 2b Tamils (64) 2b
Etruscans (52) 1a “Modern State” (105) 1be T’ang (102)
Franks (21) 1f Mongols (41) 1cf, 2b, 4aef, 6e Teotihuacan/Olmecs (57)
“Free State” (99) 1b Moors (69) 1b, 2b Toltecs/Aztecs (10) 4g
French (32) 1bf, 5d Mughals (48) 1cf, 2b Ukrainians (91) 1b
Germans (33) 1bf, 4d Normans (36) 1c, 2b United States (50) 1b, 4d
Ghana/Mali (31) 2ab, 3d, 5e Norwegians (70) 1b, 2ab, 5e Vandals (53) 2b, 4ef
Goths (20) 2b, 4ef Ottomans (47) 1cf, 2b, 4g Venetians (43) 2b, 3a, 6a
Han (101) 4a Papal States (89) 1b, 6c Vietnamese (84) 1c, 4b
Hapsburgs (46) 1b, 6b Parthians (16) 2bc Vikings/Danes (30) 2b, 4ae, 5e
Harappans (3) 6a Persians (13) 1cf, 4d Woods Americans (76) 4d
Hausa City States (82) 2a, 3c, 5e Pharaonic Egyptians (1) 2b Zimbabweans (42) 3d
Hellenic Greeks (5) 1c, 2b Phoenicians (9) 2b, 4b Zulus (51) 1cf, 2b, 4ef
Hittites (8) 1c, 2b Picts/Scots (74) 4d
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Catalogue of Empire Special Rules

In some cases, the special rules (as written on the cards) are incomplete. Here, I have tried to fix
them, simply by rewriting, often with no comment on the existing wording. Most of the special
rules are clear and need no help, but I include all of them here anyway.
1. Empire special rules pertaining to starting an empire
See also 2b (page 64) for changes to the base costs of units.
1a. Initial unit prohibition
The Etruscans cannot build cavalry units in their starting procedure.
1b. Conversion
The following empires can convert units and leaders (see the rules for the start empire action),
under certain conditions, in some or all of their starting areas: Byzantines (all starting areas,
unconditionally), Carthaginians (if the starting area is controlled by Phoenicians), English (if the
starting area is controlled), “Free State” (if the starting area is controlled), French (all starting
areas that are controlled by Franks), Germans (all starting areas that are controlled by Franks),
Hapsburgs (if the starting area is controlled by Franks or Germans), Italians (if the starting area is
controlled by Romans, Venetians, or Papal States), Latin Americans (unconditionally), “Modern
State” (if the empire with prior control of the starting area does not have a capital in the starting
area163 nor in any other area in the same region), Moors (all starting areas that are controlled by
Arabs), Norwegians (if the starting area is controlled by Vikings/Danes), Papal States164 (if the
starting area is controlled by an empire that has Christianity but not Socialism), Syracusans (if the
starting area is controlled by Hellenic Greeks), Ukrainians (if the starting area is controlled by
Slavs or Russians), and United States (unconditionally).
1c. Free elite markers
The following empires get a free elite marker during their starting procedure: Arabs (but only if
they start in the 3rd age), Assyrians, Hellenic Greeks, Hittites, Huns, Japanese, Macedonians (but
only the first time they are started, and only if they start in the 2nd age), Mongols, Mughals,
Normans, Ottomans, Persians, Steppe Nomads, Vietnamese, and Zulus.
1d. Free forts
The Assassins, Ch’in, and Sumerians each get a free fort during their starting procedure.
1e. Free promotion
The “Modern State” can perform leader promotion at the end of its starting procedure (unless it
already has one or more leaders due to conversion). This leader promotion is done the same way
as in a civilise action.
1f. Free manoeuvres
Some empires may perform one or two “free manoeuvres” at the end of their starting procedure.
A “free manoeuvre” follows the same procedure as a manoeuvre that is done in a manoeuvre
action, including any extra movement (plus conflict resolution) due to World War and/or
163
A capital in the starting area prevents conversion in this case, even if the area is not in any “region”.
164
There is no rule allowing a new empire to copy the religion or government of a prior empire when
performing unit conversion (and HR050213 specifically forbids it). But this omission (or prohibition) is
particularly bizarre in the case of the Papal States.
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strategists. However, a “free manoeuvre” is not considered to be an “action”. In particular, a

different “actual type” cannot be imposed on it by an event165.
The following empires get one “free manoeuvre”: Franks, French, Germans, Huns, Magyars,
Modern Chinese, Mughals, Persians, Romans, Steppe Nomads, and Zulus.
The following empires get two “free manoeuvres”: Arabs (but only if they start in the 3rd age),
Macedonians (but only the first time they are started, and only if they start in the 2nd age),
Mongols, and Ottomans (but only if they start in the 4th age).
2. Empire special rules pertaining to production (and to initial unit purchase)
2a. Income during production
The following empires treat desert areas as having a basic income value of “1” instead of “0”:
Arabs, Australians, Cushites/Nubians, Ethiopians, Ghana/Mali, Hausa City States, Kanem/Bornu,
Plains Americans, and Sudanese. The Norwegians treat tundra areas as having a basic income
value of “2” instead of “1”.
2b. Unit base costs
Some empires, under some conditions, use base costs for some unit types that differ from the
usual base costs. “Initial” units refer to units purchased during the empire’s starting procedure.
Otherwise, changed base costs apply both during the starting procedure and during production.
Initial infantry units cost 1 for Ghana/Mali and for the Modern Chinese, Normans, Romans,
Russians, and Zulus. Initial missile units cost 2 for the Normans. Initial catapults cost 5 for the
Huns. Catapults cost 5 for the Magyars, if they are in the 3rd age or lower.
Initial cavalry units cost 3 for the Huns, Magyars, Medes, Moors, Mughals, Parthians, and
Vandals. Initial cavalry units cost 2 for the Mongols, Normans, Ottomans, and Steppe Nomads.
Initial cavalry units cost 2 for the Jurchens, if they start in the 3rd age.
Cavalry units cost 3 for the Plains Americans and the Poles. Cavalry units cost 3 for the Arabs, if
they are in the 4th age or lower. Cavalry units cost 2 for the Goths, if that empire controls fewer
than 4 areas. (If the Goths have been split by Civil War or Empire Fragments, it is only the
Gothic empire doing production whose areas matter. A small Gothic empire could gain this
benefit even if the Goths collectively control 4 areas or more.) Cavalry units cost 2 for the
Kushans, if they are in the 2nd age.
Chariots cost 3 for the Assyrians, Hittites, Mitanni, and Pharaonic Egyptians. Light horse units
cost 3 for the Russians and the Seljuks. Horse archer units cost 3 for the Seljuks. Knights cost 3
for the Manchu.
Initial naval units cost 4 for the Polynesians. Initial naval units cost 3 for the Norwegians,
Swedes, and Vikings/Danes.
Naval units cost 4 for the Hellenic Greeks, Minoans, “Pirate State”, and Srivijayans/Javanese.
Naval units cost 4 for the Japanese, if they are in the 6th or 7th age. Naval units cost 4 for the
Tamils, if they are in the 2nd or 3rd age. Naval units cost 3 for the Carthaginians, Dutch,
Phoenicians, Syracusans, and Venetians. Naval units cost 3 for the English, if they are in the 5th
or 6th age. Naval units cost 3 for the Portuguese, if they are in the 4th age. Naval units cost 3 for
the Saxons, if they are in the 2nd age. Naval units cost 3 for the Spanish, if they are in the 4th age.
165
I am generalising from HR050613, which states that such a “free manoeuvre” cannot be changed to a
pass by the Unique Conjunction event.
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2c. Unit progress thresholds

For some empires, the minimum progress level to build certain types of units is lower than usual.
These modified thresholds are also taken into account when modernising (in a civilise action).
Chariots can be built at any progress level by the Assyrians and the Mitanni. Galleys can be built
at any progress level by the Minoans. Light horse units can be built at progress level 3 or higher
by the Cimmerians. Catapults can be built at progress level 8 or higher by the Assyrians.
Knights can be built at progress level 11 or higher by the Parthians. Ships-of-the-line can be built
at progress level 20 or higher by the Ming.
3. Empire special rules pertaining to trade and progress
3a. Trade eligibility
A Minoan or Venetian empire that performs a trade and progress action can usually initiate two
trades in that action166. (The second trade is initiated after the first one is completed, and only if
the active empire is not discarded as a result of the first.) The exceptions are as follows: A
Minoan or Venetian empire that is performing its first trade and progress action of a turn can
only initiate one trade if it has already been involved in (exactly) one trade this turn, and cannot
initiate any trades if it has already been involved in more than one trade this turn. A Minoan or
Venetian empire that is performing its second (or subsequent) trade and progress action of a turn
can only initiate one trade if it has already been involved in (exactly) one trade since the last time
it completed a trade and progress action, and cannot initiate any trades if it has already been
involved in more than one trade since the last time it completed a trade and progress action.
3b. Disposition of cards
If an Amazon or Srivijayan/Javanese empire loses a trade, and is not discarded as a result of that
trade, then the usual procedure for exchanging cards is not followed. Instead, the losing player
keeps both of the trade-value cards involved in that trade.
3c. Trade income
When a trade is initiated, every “Pirate State” empire that is adjacent to the active empire
immediately gains 1 money. (The money is taken from the “bank”, not from another empire.
Two empires are considered “adjacent” to each other if an area controlled by one empire is
adjacent to an area controlled by the other empire. Those areas do not have to be land areas. An
empire is never considered to be “adjacent” to itself.) When an empire is identified as the second
party in a trade, every “Pirate State” empire that is adjacent to that trading empire gains 1 money
(similarly)167. In both cases, if more than one “Pirate State” empire (after splitting due to Civil
War or Empire Fragments) is entitled to this income at the same time, they gain income in
clockwise order, starting from the player with the turn marker – in the unlikely case where the
order matters168.
Any empire of the Carthaginians, Chams, or Hausa City States gains money (from the “bank”)
equal to the difference between the trade totals when they win a trade. That money is gained
before progress levels are awarded, and just before money from Capitalism (if any) is gained.
166
The cards state that these empires can “trade twice”. The problem here was how to sort out the
interaction between this special rule and the rule by which an empire’s trade ability can be used up in
advance (by being involved in a trade initiated by someone else). HR070312 upholds my interpretation.
167
Thus, a “Pirate State” empire gains 2 money from a trade announcement, if it is adjacent to both empires
in the trade. (One could argue otherwise. In my opinion, the card text as written is unclear.)
168
The order might matter if more than one “Pirate State” empire must pay a tithe to the Papal States,
especially if two or more Papal States empires are in play – unless the proposal of footnote 175 is adopted.
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3d. Glory from trade

The Ethiopians gain 1 glory whenever they win a trade. The Zimbabweans gain 2 glory
whenever they win a trade. Ghana/Mali gains 1 glory whenever they win a trade against a more
advanced empire (considering the progress levels at the start of the trade).
Benin gains 1 glory for each progress level they gain as a result of trade. The condition of being
“beyond the 49th level” is the highest possible level, and it is treated as one level higher than 49.
Example: Benin (progress level 48) initiates a trade with the Marathas (level 49). Benin wins the trade,
and would normally be entitled to an increase of 4 progress levels, taking Printing into account. However,
there is only room for an increase of 2 levels, since that is all it takes to bring Benin past the 49 th level. The
total glory award is 9 points: 2 for Benin’s special glory condition, plus the usual 7 for going past level 49.
4. Empire special rules pertaining to manoeuvre
4a. Movement
Land units of the Han pay only 1 movement point to enter any forest or mountain area that is
already controlled by their own empire. (They do not get this benefit for entering areas controlled
by other Han empires – i.e., if the Han have been split by Civil War or Empire Fragments.) Land
units of the Inuit and the Early Finns pay only 1 movement point to enter any tundra area.
Galleys of the Vikings/Danes and of the Polynesians can enter ocean areas. (But their galleys are
still subject to the usual rule for automatic galley removal.)
The Saxons, while in the 2nd age, have enhanced naval transport capacity: Each of their naval
units can carry two land units at a time.
The following empires, as long as they are barbarian, are not subject to the restriction on
abandoning their own land areas with non-aircraft units: Ancient Iranians, Huns, Kushans,
Mongols, Seljuks, and Steppe Nomads.
4b. Retreat before conflict
As explained in my commentary on the rules, there are ways in which a special retreat (i.e., a
retreat before the first round of conflict) can occur. (See under “Resolving conflict with other
empires” under “4. Manoeuvre”, page 21.)
A Vietnamese empire can voluntarily retreat before conflict, if they have not already exercised
this option during the same action cluster. In the case of a conflict between two Vietnamese
empires (i.e., if they have been split by Civil War or Empire Fragments), the attacker decides first
whether they will retreat before conflict. Also, in the case of an internal conflict (see Barracks
Revolt), the attacker decides first – and a retreat by either side will use up that empire’s special
retreat ability for the rest of that action.
If the defending empire is Phoenician, and that empire has at least as much money as the number
of attacking units, the defending empire has the option to force the attacker to retreat before
conflict by paying the attacking empire169 as much money as the number of attacking units. (This
option is not available in an internal conflict – see Barracks Revolt.) If the attacking empire is
Vietnamese, the Vietnamese ability to retreat voluntarily before conflict is considered before the
Phoenician ability to force a retreat before conflict.
169
I propose that this money should go to the “bank” (i.e. it should vanish) instead of to the other empire.
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4c. Generic conflict modifiers

The +1 modifier to the defender’s conflict total for a tundra area does not apply if the attacker is
of the Inuit or the Early Finns. The +2 modifier to the defender’s conflict total for invasion does
not apply if the attacker is Irish and in the 2nd or 3rd age.
4d. Unit strength bonuses
The Picts/Scots and the Sudanese get +2 to the front line value of each of their infantry units
during the first round of any conflict. The Slavs and the Woods Americans get +1 to the front
line value of each of their infantry units in any conflict in a forest area (unless the defender is in
the 6th or 7th age). The Russians get +1 to the front line value of each of their infantry units when
they are defending. The Armenians get +1 to the front line value of each of their infantry units
when they are defending in a mountain area.
The Romans get +1 to the front line value of each of their sword units. The Macedonians get +1
to the front line value of each of their light horse units and +1 to the support value of each of their
spear units. The Magyars get +2 to the front line value of each of their horse archer units. The
Persians get +1 to the support value of each of their horse archer units. The Khmers get +1 to the
support value of each of their elephant units. The Poles and the Byzantines get +1 to the front
line value of each of their knight units. The Germans get +2 to the front line value of each of
their tank units when they are attacking.
The English get +1 to the front line value and +1 to the support value of each of their naval units.
The Dutch get +1 to the front line value of each of their naval units when they are in the 4th or 5th
age. The United States get +1 to the front line value and +1 to the support value of each of their
naval and aircraft units when they are in the 7th age.
4e. Vandalism
When a land area is liberated, the empire that loses control of the area will sometimes lose one or
more progress levels, depending on which empire was the attacker.
The Mongols cause one progress level to be lost when they liberate a land area from any other
empire. The Goths, Zulus, and Vandals cause one progress level to be lost when they liberate a
land area from a more advanced empire. The Vikings/Danes, if they are in the 2nd or 3rd age,
cause one progress level to be lost when they liberate a land area from a more advanced empire.
The Steppe Nomads cause one progress level to be lost when they liberate a land area from an
empire that has not already lost a land area to the same attacking empire in the same turn.
The Huns, when they liberate a land area with a city from any other empire, cause as many
progress levels to be lost as the city level. This procedure is applied before the city is reduced
due to the conquest of the area170.
4f. Glory from conflict
A “Pirate State” empire gains one glory point for winning a conflict in a sea or ocean area against
any other empire. The Steppe Nomads gain one glory point for winning a conflict in a land area
against an empire of another player.
The Goths, Mongols, Plains Americans, Vandals, and Zulus gain one glory point when they
liberate a land area from a more advanced empire of another player. (That is, from an empire that
was more advanced than the attacker before applying the effects of vandalism, if any.) When the
170
In keeping with HR060918.
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Mongols gain a glory point for this reason, they also gain one additional glory point if the
liberated land area had a city (before applying any city reduction due to conquest171).
The Celts/Gauls gain one glory point when they liberate a land area from a more advanced
empire, unless they have already done so earlier in the same turn.
The Huns, when they liberate a land area with a city from an empire of another player, gain as
many glory points as the city level. (These points are awarded before the city is reduced due to
the conquest of the area172.) Two additional points are awarded if the defending empire also
changed its age due to vandalism. (If the defeated empire is discarded as a result of the conflict,
these points are awarded before that empire is discarded173.)
When the Aryans win a conflict in an attacking role, they gain three glory points for every empire
of another player that they cause to be discarded, and from which they liberated at least one area,
as a result of that conflict.
Example: Zachary’s Harappans (progress level 9) control Sind with a spear and an archer, control the
Persian Gulf with a galley, and control no other areas. Ivy’s Kushans control Kashmir (only) with the
“Sind” elephant (having previously controlled Sind), but have no other units in play. Erica’s Aryans
(progress level 10) move into both Sind and the Gulf, and conflict ensues, starting with Sind. If both sides
annihilate each other, the Aryans liberate the Gulf due to the automatic galley removal, and the Harappans
are discarded, but Erica gains no glory, since that conflict was not won. But if the Aryans liberate Sind,
Erica gains 3 glory points as the Harappans are discarded. The Aryans take the “Sind” elephant into their
force pool, and thus cause the Kushans to be discarded also, but since they did not liberate any areas from
the Kushans in that battle, no further glory points are awarded. Now suppose the Aryans had moved into
Kashmir also. If the Aryans liberate Sind, they would also liberate Kashmir, and Erica would get 6 glory
points in that conflict.
4g. Miscellaneous effects of conflict
The Assyrians and Toltecs/Aztecs, when they win a conflict against another empire, can place a
new unit (of their choice) in the embattled area, subject to the following constraints: The new
unit must be of the same type as a unit that was lost (from the embattled area) by the losing side
as a result of that conflict. The new unit cannot be a nuke or star wars unit. The new unit can be
an elephant, but if so, it must already have been in the winning empire’s force pool from the
beginning of the conflict. Otherwise, the new unit is subject only to the limits of the winning
empire’s counter mix. (It does not have to be of a type that the winning empire would ordinarily
be allowed to build.) If a naval unit is placed in a dual-coastline land area, the victorious
empire’s player can choose either coastline for the unit to occupy.
The Ottomans, if they are in the 5th age or lower, can place a new infantry unit (of their choice) on
the map whenever they liberate a land area from an empire that has Christianity and does not
have Socialism. The unit goes into the newly-liberated area. The unit must be of a type that the
winning empire could normally build, given its progress level.
The Romans gain an elite marker when they liberate a land area from any other empire, unless
they have already done so earlier in the same turn174.
171
HR060918.
172
HR060918.
173
In effect, the “immediate” discarding of an empire (due to having no units on the map) is “less
immediate” than all other effects of the conflict, except the Buddhist disorder effect (see footnote 109).
174
HR050406 confirms that this elite gain is immediate, when applicable. We can generalise from here to
other special rules that say “if [______] happens this turn”, such as the Celtic/Gaulish glory award for
liberation, or the Steppe Nomads’ version of the vandalism rule.
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4h. Removing disorder

When calculating the minimum number of units required to remove disorder, the +1 modifier for
tundra does not apply if the active empire is of the Inuit or the Early Finns, and the +2 modifier
for invasion does not apply if the active empire is Irish and in the 2nd or 3rd age.
5. Empire special rules pertaining to destiny, civilising, and harvesting glory
5a. Special income in destiny
Before discarding cards in a destiny action, if there is an active empire and that empire is Korean,
that empire gains income from its cities (only). City income is calculated the same way as in
production, including the benefits of populists and of Industrial Revolution. There is no benefit
from Universal Suffrage. The penalty from having no capital (or from having Feudalism) applies
normally. Cities in disordered areas do not produce income, unless the disorder is nullified by the
Temple of Diana. If the empire has the Temple of Diana, range from the temple to that empire’s
disordered areas is checked at the start of this step, just as in production.
5b. Special assassination
During the “playing cards” part of a civilise action, one free assassination attempt can be made if
there is an active empire and that empire is of the Assassins. The free assassination attempt is
performed as if it is a card play. (That is, it is done before, after, or in between plays of artefacts
and/or standard events.) The free assassination attempt is not an “event”, so Bad Augury cannot
be played to cancel it, and Blowback cannot be played to modify it. Three draws are allowed for
the assassination randomiser card.
5c. Glory from assassination
The Assassins gain two glory points whenever they successfully assassinate a leader – whether by
their special assassination ability or by an event card. (An assassination is always considered to
be performed by the active empire, even when an assassination event is under the effects of a
Blowback event.) If an assassinated leader is saved by a Miracle Cure event, the points are not
awarded.
5d. Urbanisation bonus
During urbanisation, the French treat forest areas as fertile, the Incas treat mountain areas as
fertile, and the Japanese treat all land areas as fertile.
5e. Harvesting glory
The following empires count their desert areas, for scoring glory from areas during “harvesting
glory”, except where prevented by disorder: Arabs, Australians, Cushites/Nubians, Ethiopians,
Ghana/Mali, Hausa City States, Kanem/Bornu, Plains Americans, and Sudanese.
The following empires count their tundra areas, for scoring glory from areas during “harvesting
glory”, except where prevented by disorder: Early Finns, Inuit, Norwegians, and Vikings/Danes.
Note that these special rules do not change the nature of the glory categories themselves; they
only change the way in which these empires count their areas.
Example: The Ethiopians and the Italians both have a green and blue icon for African areas among their
glory icons, so they are in direct competition within that category. The Ethiopians can count desert areas,
while the Italians cannot. Meanwhile, if the Ethiopians control part of Asia, their Asian desert areas are
counted for purposes of the scoring of Asian areas. The Ethiopians do not have an icon for Asia, but they
can limit the points scored by those empires that do have such an icon.
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6. Empire special rules that do not easily fit into the sequence of play
6a. Range bonus
The Carthaginians, Harappans, Sinhalese, Sumerians, Sung, and Venetians get +1 to their
maximum path length when tracing range for any purpose.
6b. Marriage
At the end of any action cluster (in which not all of the actions were pass actions), if there is an
active Hapsburg empire at that time, that empire can impose a “marriage” on another empire
(regardless of range). A “marriage” cannot be imposed where there is already a “marriage” in
place, imposed by and on the same two respective empires. When an empire is discarded, all
“marriages” imposed by or on that empire are removed. At the end of any action cluster (in
which not all of the actions were pass actions), if there is an active empire at that time, all
“marriages” imposed on that active empire are removed. When a unit belonging to an empire on
which a currently-existing “marriage” is imposed ends a move in an area controlled by the
(Hapsburg) empire by which that “marriage” was imposed, the “marriage” is removed and the
moving empire loses 3 glory points.
6c. Tithes
A Papal States empire that has Christianity but neither Socialism nor Religious Strife is a “tithe
collector”. (There can only be one tithe collector unless the Papal States have been split by Civil
War or Empire Fragments.) An empire that has Christianity but not Socialism, and is not a tithe
collector, is a “tithe payer”. Whenever a tithe payer gains money175 (including from payments or
gifts from other empires), all tithe collectors (in clockwise order, starting from the player with the
turn marker) check to see whether the tithe payer in question is within range. If the tithe payer is
found to be within range of at least one tithe collector, then the tithe payer must pay 1 money to
one of those tithe collectors. (The tithe payer must be within range of the selected tithe collector.)
No tithing occurs as a result of the redistribution of money in a Civil War or Empire Fragments
event; this redistribution is not considered as income.
Each instance of gaining money causes a new tithe to be paid. Money gained by different
procedures cannot be combined into a single piece of income.
Example: The Carthaginians (with Christianity and Capitalism) initiate a trade, which they win. They
gain money from their special ability, and pay a tithe to the Papal States. They also gain money due to
Capitalism, so they pay another tithe to the Papal States, within the same trade.
In the rare case where more than one area is liberated in a single conflict, and more than one
empire loses money thereby (due to losing its capital, or losing a leader when having no capital),
each money transfer is a separate source of income for the victorious empire, generating a
separate tithe payment.
If a tithe payer gains money when it already has the maximum (i.e., 199 money), the received
money vanishes instantly, but the tithing rule still applies (thus possibly bringing that empire’s
treasury down to 198).
6d. Elite loss from leader loss
A Roman empire loses one elite marker (if it has any) for every one of its leaders that is removed
from play, except one removed voluntarily during a civilise action176. (This rule applies
unchanged during the execution of a Civil War or Empire Fragments event. In the case of
175
I propose that tithing should apply only if the tithe payer gains at least 2 money.
176
HR050428 confirms that voluntary leader removal does not cause elite loss.
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Empire Fragments, it is possible for a leader to be removed from an area that has been assigned
to a faction that is still unclaimed at the time of that leader’s removal. In this case, the original
(target) empire suffers the elite loss, since the leader still belongs to that empire at that time.) A
leader rescued by Miracle Cure or Herbal Remedy does not cause elite loss.
6e. Glory from annihilation
A Mongol empire gains one glory point each time an adjacent empire belonging to another player
is discarded. For this purpose, two empires are considered “adjacent” to each other if a unit of
one empire and a unit of the other empire are in adjacent areas (or in the same area). The areas in
question do not have to be land areas. The timing of the moment at which adjacency is judged is
given in the next paragraph. Exception: If the conditions for automatically discarding an empire
are met for two or more empires simultaneously, then any Mongol empires among the empires
slated for removal do not get this glory award in spite of the sequential nature of the discarding.
(For purposes of judging simultaneity, follow the guidelines given for simultaneous loss of area
control, in my commentary on Christianity – see the first full paragraph on page 48.)
The moment at which adjacency is judged depends on the reason for the discarding. (1) If a
newly-starting empire triggers final elephant removal and another empire is discarded thereby,
adjacency is judged from the beginning of that empire-starting procedure177. (2) If an empire is
discarded due to conversion, or due to the takeover of an elephant unit following conversion and
initial unit purchase, then adjacency is judged from just before the new empire’s initial unit
purchase. (3) If an empire is discarded due to failure to pay maintenance, adjacency is judged
from the beginning of that (production) action. (4) If an empire is discarded due to a trade,
adjacency is judged from the beginning of that trade. (5) If an empire is discarded due to the
elephant-takeover effects of a unit’s (or stack’s) movement, adjacency is judged from the
beginning of that unit’s (or stack’s) movement. (6) If an empire is discarded due to conflict
resolution, adjacency is judged from the beginning of that conflict. (Exception: Item #7 in this
list applies to a Barracks Revolt event.) (7) If an empire is discarded due to a standard event,
adjacency is judged from the beginning of that event. (In the case of Civil War or Empire
Fragments, if a new empire created by the event is discarded while the event is still ongoing, it
cannot bring about this glory award, since that empire did not exist at the moment when
adjacency was judged. Only the original (target) empire can possibly cause this glory award
while the event is ongoing. Of course, this is very unlikely.) (8) If an empire is discarded due to
a discard empire action, adjacency is judged from the beginning of that action. (9) If an empire is
discarded in the “free progress” step of a turn, adjacency is judged from the beginning of that
“free progress” step. (10) If an empire is discarded as a result of players joining in or dropping
out of the game, adjacency is judged from the beginning of the turn.
Example: Ivy’s Huns are adjacent to Zachary’s Mongols when Erica plays a Plague event. If the Huns are
discarded as a result of that event (and the Mongols are still in play at that moment), then Zachary gets a
glory point for the discarding of the Huns, regardless of the order in which the outbreaks are performed,
even if those empires were no longer adjacent at the instant before the outbreak affecting the last Hun-
controlled area.
177
See footnote 192. Admittedly, it is very unlikely for this case to lead to the discarding of an empire.
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Guide to Events
The purpose of this Guide is to extend my commentary to the events. The first part of this Guide
is a set of general rules for playing events. The last (and longest) part is the “Catalogue of
Events”, in which the specifics of every event are described in detail. The catalogue is preceded
by an “Index of Events”, designed to facilitate any search for the catalogue entries that pertain to
any given event.
General Rules for Events
Event phases
For each type of event, there are specific moments in the sequence of play in which such events
can be played. Formally, the play of an event represents a step in an “event phase” that can be
inserted into the sequence of play at any moment that is appropriate for that type of event. In
many cases, an event phase itself represents a step within another event phase. In such a case, the
“inner” event phase will sometimes be called an “event subphase” in the following discussion.
An event subphase follows the same rules as any other event phase.
Sometimes there are two or more types of events that are appropriate to the same event phase.
Typically, all players are eligible (in principle) to play events (the main exception being that
standard events are only playable by the active player), but of course a player must have the
appropriate card in hand in order to play an event.
In general, an event phase consists of a series of opportunities to play an event appropriate to that
event phase. The event phase ends when all eligible players decline an opportunity to play such
an event (or when, due to circumstances, no such event is playable). If an event is played, the
next iteration of that event phase – i.e., the next opportunity to play an event belonging to that
event phase – does not occur until after that event is either confirmed or cancelled.
When an event is played (i.e., announced), its card goes immediately into the discard pile. If that
event offers a choice of target, the target of the event must also be announced immediately178 –
before we find out whether the event is confirmed or cancelled.
Some events have “immediate effects”, some have “delayed effects”, and some have both. (See
the Catalogue of Events for details179.) “Immediate effects” are applied within the event phase in
which the event is played, while “delayed effects” extend beyond that event phase. When an
event is confirmed, its “immediate effects” are applied before the next iteration of that event
phase begins.
Confirmation and cancellation
When an event is played (and its target is announced, and its card is discarded), the next step of
the event phase is an event subphase in which players may respond to the newly-announced event
with cancellation events (and/or Blowback). If a cancellation event is confirmed (i.e., played and
not cancelled) in that subphase, then the original event is cancelled. If no cancellation event is
confirmed, then the original event is confirmed180.
178
HR070303 states that an event’s target must be announced before cancellation events are considered.
179
The distinction between immediate and delayed effects, though important in general, is rather arbitrary
in some cases. That is, there are some events whose effects could be described either way, depending on
how the timing and frequency of the appropriate event phase(s) are defined.
180
Thus, “confirming” and “cancelling” are defined recursively. The recursion is terminated by the fact
that an event is confirmed if no cancellation event is played at all.
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If an event is cancelled, the next iteration of that event phase begins. Another event (appropriate
to that event phase) can be played. The set of possible events, and the set of possible targets for
those events, is unchanged (in principle). The new event can even be of the same type as the just-
cancelled event, if another card exists for the same event (or if the original card has somehow
found its way back to a player’s hand in the interim).
If an event is confirmed, its “immediate” effects (if any) are applied, and then the next iteration of
that event phase begins. In general, another event (appropriate to that event phase) can be played.
However, in some cases, a confirmed event places certain restrictions on which events can be
played (and which targets are available for those events) for the remainder of the same event
phase. (See the Catalogue of Events for details.) If no further events appropriate to that event
phase are possible, then the event phase ends.
Example: If an Alliance event is cancelled, there is another iteration of the same event phase, in which an
Overslept event can be played. Alternatively, if someone has picked up the Alliance card from the discard
pile (thanks to a timely play of a Vizier event), then a second Alliance event can be played instead of
Overslept. If an Alliance event is confirmed, then that event phase ends, because this particular event
phase only allows one confirmed event (of the two event types that belong to that phase).
Cancellation events (and Blowback)
The event subphase for cancellation events works like any other event phase. If a cancellation
event (versus some event X) is cancelled, another cancellation event (versus X) can be played.
However, if a cancellation event is confirmed, then no further events (in response to X) are
allowed in that subphase, so the subphase ends (and the event X is cancelled).
A Blowback event (card 110) can be played to modify another event, and it is played during the
same subphase as any cancellation events that respond to the same event. If a Blowback event is
confirmed, another Blowback is not allowed in response to the same event (i.e., in the same
subphase)181, but it is still possible to play a cancellation event versus the same original event.
For many events, the detailed description in the Catalogue of Events (in the present document)
refers to the “controller” of an event. Usually, the initiator of an event (i.e., the player who
played it) is the controller of that event. But if Blowback is played successfully in response to an
event, then the controller of the Blowback event becomes the controller of that other event.
“Any time” events
Some events can be played at “any time”, according to the instructions on their cards. An event
phase for these “any time” events can be inserted into the sequence of play at nearly any moment
in the game, and any number of “any time” events can be played within each “any time” event
phase. In particular, players should be conscious of the possibility of an “any time” event phase
occurring each time a card is added to (or taken from) the top of the discard pile – because a
Vizier event is an “any time” event that can (usually) be played to grab the new top card.
Whenever more than one card is discarded for any reason, they are always discarded one by one,
so that an “any time” event phase can be initiated between discards. (For example, when the two
conflict randomiser cards are discarded at the end of a round of conflict, the attacker’s card is
discarded before the defender’s card. A Vizier event can be used to grab the first card before the
second is discarded.)
181
Even if the Blowback card is quickly picked up by a Vizier event. The principle here is that an event
ought to work unless it is cancelled, and it ought to work as intended by its initiator unless it is struck by a
Blowback. Applying this principle to Blowback, we must conclude that a nominally successful Blowback
event should not be “buried” by a second Blowback played on the same original event. However, note that
the (presumed) effect of two Blowback events on the same original event can be achieved by playing
Blowback versus Blowback (with the help of a Vizier). See the second example on page 79.
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There are three circumstances in which an “any time” event phase cannot be initiated182. (1) No
events can be played before the first turn of the game begins. In particular, a Vizier event is not
allowed during the bidding procedure in the setup of the game183. (2) An “any time” event phase
cannot be initiated within another “any time” event phase – except that an “any time” event phase
can be initiated within the event subphase of responses (cancellations and/or Blowback) to an
“any time” event. (Note that this restriction does not stop you from playing Vizier to pick up the
card of a newly-played “any time” event. When an event is played (and its initial target is
announced), the subphase of responses to that event begins immediately. See the example
below.) (3) An “any time” event phase cannot be inserted into the moment between the
announcement of an event (or artefact) and the discarding of the corresponding card – assuming
that the event’s (or artefact’s) initiating player has made due allowance for any “any time” event
phase that should have been possible before his/her event was played.
Example: Zachary plays Gold Mine, announcing his Ethiopians as the target. The Gold Mine card is
discarded immediately. The subphase of responses (to Gold Mine) begins. Ivy plays Vizier (to pick up the
Gold Mine card) before any of the events proper to that subphase are played – implicitly inserting an “any
time” event subphase at the very start of the subphase of responses. No events are played in response to
the Vizier event, so that event is confirmed, and Ivy gets the Gold Mine card. Ivy can then play Gold Mine
immediately, to continue that “any time” event subphase. (At this moment, Zachary’s Gold Mine event is
still in play, and still awaiting either cancellation or confirmation. Zachary’s Gold Mine and Ivy’s
potential Gold Mine would be separate events, in spite of the fact that there is only one Gold Mine card.)
But she chooses not to play it, and no other events of that subphase are played, so the event subphase of
responses to Zachary’s Gold Mine continues. If that event is confirmed, the next opportunity to play an
“any time” event will be in the next iteration of the same “any time” event phase in which Zachary’s Gold
Mine was played (i.e., after the Gold Mine money is awarded to the target empire).
Example: Claire plays Empire Collapses on the Huns. James politely asks whether anyone wants to play
Vizier, and no one speaks up. He then plays Bad Augury to cancel the Empire Collapses event. As soon as
the Bad Augury is announced, it is too late for anyone to play Vizier on the Empire Collapses card. But if
James had played Bad Augury too quickly, then a player with a Vizier card could legitimately insist on
being allowed to play it on the Empire Collapses card. We would “undo” the Bad Augury announcement,
and back up to the point where Empire Collapses had just been played, so that Vizier could be played on it.
Priority and overriding
As already noted, all players are allowed (usually) to participate in any event phase. If two or
more players have a card whose event belongs to the same event phase, and wish to play their
events at the same time, priority always begins with the player who has the turn marker, and
proceeds clockwise from there around the table. If a player plays an event quickly, without
checking whether higher-priority players want to play something first, that event can be
“overridden” by another event (appropriate to the same event phase) played by a higher-priority
player. An overridden event card returns to its player’s hand, and is treated for all purposes as if
its player had decided at the last moment not to play it after all184.
Example: James has the turn marker, and Zachary is sitting to his left. The Russians card has just been
discarded. Ivy puts down her Vizier card to pick up the Russians. “Not so fast,” says Zachary, playing his
182
Earlier versions of this document imposed an additional restriction, which has been rendered
unnecessary by the official ruling cited in footnote 100.
183
When no one yet has the turn marker, it is too difficult to interpret the “priority” rule.
184
Similar considerations apply to the accidental skipping of a potential “any time” event phase (and the
correction of that error), as in the second example on this page. In effect, when an event is overridden, the
players are identifying and correcting an error in the sequence of play. Thus, the overriding of events is
merely a special case of a general meta-rule that applies (wherever possible and fair) to many different
games: If someone accidentally plays out of turn, his/her actions are undone, back to the point where the
error occurred. (Arguably, you do not need a rulebook (or a Nit-Pickers’ Guide) to tell you that!)
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own Vizier card. Ivy’s Vizier event is overridden, so the card returns to her hand. But James plays
Copper Mine (another “any time” event), and Zachary’s Vizier is also overridden, so the card returns to
his hand. The Copper Mine card goes into the discard pile. A new “any time” event subphase could be
inserted into the beginning of the “response” subphase, but no one bothers to do so. (The new top card of
the discard pile is not worthy of a Vizier.) No one cancels the Copper Mine, so James implements the
immediate effects of that event (by adding 5 money to one of his empires).
If a lower-priority player plays an event (legitimately, without being overridden), that does not
mean that the higher-priority players have given up their rights to play any events in that event
phase. The priority rule applies every time there is an opportunity to play an event, if more than
one player is otherwise eligible to play one.
Example: One of Zachary’s empires is doing production. The action starts with an event phase (for any
production-modifying events). Zachary has the turn marker, so he has the first shot at playing an event.
He has the Heavy Taxes card, but he wants to save it (to play its artefact in a civilise action later that
turn), so he declines. Ivy plays Drought, and no one plays a cancellation event, so the event is confirmed.
Now Zachary is worried about running into trouble with maintenance. But the event phase is not over yet,
so he can change his mind and play Heavy Taxes now (in the next iteration of that event phase).
Range-tracing for events
Some events (such as assassin events) have restrictions related to range. Typically, some empire
will have to be within range of some other empire, where the latter belongs to the player who is
considering playing the event. For this purpose, range is assessed in the same way as when
checking for valid trading partners in a trade and progress action. Payment can be made for the
privilege of tracing range through areas controlled by other empires. When granted at all,
permission is granted for a single purpose – in this case, for the play of a single event. The
general category of event (i.e., the type of event phase to which the event belongs) must be made
clear in any discussions about permission. However, permission must either be granted
unconditionally or denied. It cannot be based on exactly which event will be played, or on the
choice of target or any other choices related to the execution of the event.
When a player initiates negotiations for range-tracing, for the purpose of playing an event, that is
the moment when any assertion of higher priority is appropriate. If a higher-priority player stands
by and allows the negotiations to proceed to the point where a payment is made, she/he loses the
right to override that event.
Example: Ivy turns over an action marker on her Mongols and announces a manoeuvre. Zachary wants to
play Alliance, but he can do so only if the Mongols are within range of one of his empires. So he asks
Claire whether his Tamils are permitted to trace range through the territory of her Persians. Claire
approves of the idea of the event, but she wants to get something out of it, so she asks for money. James,
who has the turn marker, tells Zachary not to bother, and plays Overslept instead. If James had waited
until the payment was made, he would not be able to override the Alliance event with the Overslept event.
The play of an event uses up the benefits of any range-tracing permissions that have been granted
(so far) for the purpose of playing any event belonging to that event phase – including
permissions whose benefits were not used in the play of that event (such as permissions granted
to the empires of different players). The end of an event phase also terminates the benefits of any
range-tracing permissions for events of that event phase.
Example: The players are using the “take that!” optional rule, according to which most events have range
restrictions. Claire is doing production with her Siamese empire, and James wants to play Drought to limit
her income. But he needs to trace range through one of Zachary’s empires and one of Ivy’s empires, in
order to make a valid path to the Siamese. Zachary grants permission for free, but negotiations with Ivy
over the price of permission lead to an impasse, and James is forced to give up on that event. The event
phase is not over yet. Claire plays Brilliant Financier – and immediately, the benefit of Zachary’s
permission (for James’s range-tracing) is terminated. James takes another shot at his event, but
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negotiations for range-tracing must start over. He obtains permission from both Zachary and Ivy, but this
time Zachary takes a hint from Ivy and charges money. James plays Drought, but Claire cancels it with a
Bad Augury event. If James wants to try another event (such as Something’s Fishy), negotiations for
range-tracing must start over again.
The “playing cards” step in a civilise action
The first part of a civilise action is like an event phase (as described above) for playing standard
events. The difference is that artefacts can also be played. (See the rules for “Playing artefact
cards” under “Playing cards” under “6. Civilise”, and my commentary thereon, pages 27-29.)
Artefacts and standard events can be played only by the active player. For the purpose of
sequencing, the play of an artefact is equivalent to the play of a standard event. The “immediate”
effects of a standard event or an artefact must be completed before the next standard event or
artefact is played. (All of the effects of any standard event are “immediate” effects.)
See also the special rules for the Assassins (page 69). For the purpose of sequencing, a free
assassination attempt is equivalent to the play of a standard event. Similarly, the assassination
attempt procedure must be completed before the next standard event or artefact is played.
The play (announcement) of a standard event or an artefact or a free assassination attempt uses up
the benefits of any range-tracing permissions that have been granted (so far) for the purpose of
playing any standard event or artefact or free assassination attempt in the current action. Again,
permission for range-tracing is either granted unconditionally or denied. It cannot be made
conditional on whether the next play by the active player will be the play of an artefact or the play
of a standard event or a free assassination attempt.
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Index of Events
Here, all of the events are listed alphabetically. The parenthesis immediately to the right of the
event name contains the card numbers of the cards with that event. The alphanumeric codes to
the right of the parenthesis indicate the sections of the catalogue in which that event is found.
Alliance (97) 3a Favour of the Gods (103) 6d New Dynasty (65) 9b
Alpine Training (105) 8f Fires (42) 9e New World (25) 9a
Ambitious Leaders (53) 4d, 5c Flood (21) 1a, 9e Oi! it’s MY go! (24) 2a
Amphibious Training (4) 8f Forced March (78) 6c Outflanked (27) 8f
Bad Augury (5, 41) 1a Glorious Glory! (104) 2d Overrun (72) 4b
Bargain (88) 4c Glorious Pity (1) 9a Overslept (3) 3a
Barracks Revolt (7) 9c Glory? (49) 2d Pestilence (18) 9e
Barrage (61) 8f Glory? Bah, Humbug! (22) 2d Phoenix (54) 1e
Blind Alley (108) 7c Glory Pour Moi! (32) 2d Plague (39) 9e
Blitzkrieg (46) 6c Gold Mine (29) 1f Rare Commodity (16) 7d
Blowback (110) 1a Heavy Taxes (64) 6a Rare Conjunction (15) 3b
Breakthrough (84) 6c Herbal Remedy (87) 1ad Rebellion (26) 9b
Brilliant Financier (75) 6a High Command (66) 8b Rebels Foiled (80) 1a
Bumper Harvest (77) 1a, 6a I Am Truly Glorious! (33) 2d Reinforcements (102) 8c
Busted! (62) 9d I Spy! (9) 8d Rout (55) 8g
Chaos (68, 73) 9c Industrial Espionage (69) 7b Sappers (101) 8f
Charge! (52) 8f It was an accident, officer, Schwerpunkt (17) 8f
honest! (63, 89) 9d
Civil War (67) 9b Joint Venture (82) 7c Secret Mobilisation (79) 6a
Copper Mine (94, 95, 96) 1f Karma (60) 9a Shooting Star (40) 1c
Corrupt Administration (93) 6e Kismet! (76) 6e Silver Mine (11, 45) 1f
Counterspy (71) 1a, 9d La Patrie en Danger (20) 6a Something’s Fishy (98) 6a
Currency Crisis (13) 9c Lady Luck (optional rule) 1a Storms (44) 1a, 9e
Deserter (14) 8e Land Reforms (57) 9a Strange Omen (8) 1b
Drought (100) 1a, 6a Local Guides (106) 8f Time Ripple (12, 38) 5a
Earthquake (43) 9e Loyal Mercenary (81) 6f Time Wrinkle (70) 2b
Empire Collapses (34) 9b Maestro (85) 5c Treachery (30) 8a
Empire Fragments (28) 9b Mass Migration (109) 6c Tribute (74) 9a
Empires Galore! (35) 4a Mechanical Marvel (19) 6a Tsunami (23) 9e
Enlightenment (51) 2c Mercenaries (31) 6a Unique Conjunction (99) 2b
Equine Fever (86) 9e Mesmeriser (56) 8f Uprising (90, 107) 9c
Eureka! (36) 7a Militia (83) 6a Urban Riots (59) 9c
Exotic Artefact (48) 5b Miracle Cure (91) 1d Vital Heir (2) 1a, 9a
Expanded Glory (50) 2d Mobilisation (58) 6a Vizier (37, 92) 1f
Failed Negotiation (10) 6b New Administration (6) 6e Volcano (47) 9e
Catalogue of Events
Many of the event descriptions, as written on the cards, are incomplete or otherwise flawed.
Here, I try to fix them all, simply by rewriting them. All of the events are catalogued, even those
that need no help. Events that have two modes (i.e., that can be played in two essentially
different ways) are listed twice.
Each event entry has a boldface parenthesis containing a letter that summarises the way in which
Blowback can be played on the event (in that mode): “(N)” means that Blowback cannot have
any effect on the event; “(C)” means that it can be useful to take control of the event by means of
Blowback, but the target cannot be changed; and “(T)” means that there are circumstances in
which Blowback can be played to change the target of the event.
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In the first eight sections of this catalogue, events are (mostly) grouped according to the
possibility of belonging to the same event phase. Each subsection begins with a description of
the timing of each event phase in which any of those events can be played, and of the limitations
on the playability of events in that phase. The ninth section (standard events) is different: It is
organised thematically rather than procedurally.
Note on targeting: An “empty” target is generally allowed. There is no requirement to choose a
target that makes an event effective. For example, it is permissible to play Rebellion on an
empire with no disorder, even though the event would then have no effect.
Note on terminology: See the definitions of “initiator” and “controller” on page 40.
1. Interrupts and “any time” events
1a. Responses to an event
When an event is announced, there is an event subphase for responses to that event. The possible
response events are listed here. With the exception of Blowback, these are all cancellation events,
which have the effect of cancelling the original event. (See the General Rules for Events,
especially the section “Cancellation events (and Blowback)”, page 73.) A cancellation event
can only be played in response to an event that it can cancel.
Bad Augury185 (N) can cancel any event, including another Bad Augury.
Bumper Harvest (N) can cancel Drought (only).
Counterspy (N) can cancel Busted!, Industrial Espionage, I Spy!, Local Guides, or Treachery.
Drought (N) can cancel Bumper Harvest, Flood, or Storms.
Flood (N) can cancel Bumper Harvest, Drought, or Fires.
Herbal Remedy (N) can cancel Pestilence or Plague.
Lady Luck (N) is not printed on any card, but according to the “Lady Luck” optional rule, it exists
as an alternative event on every card of value 7. It can cancel any event except Bad Augury.
Rebels Foiled (N) can cancel Civil War, Empire Collapses, Empire Fragments, New Dynasty,
Rebellion, Shooting Star, or Uprising. Immediate effect: In addition to cancelling the original
event, one glory point is awarded to the initiator of Rebels Foiled.
Storms (N) can cancel Fires (only).
Vital Heir (N) can cancel Civil War, Empire Collapses, Empire Fragments, New Dynasty,
Rebellion, or Shooting Star.
Blowback (C) can be played in response to any event, possibly changing the way that event is
executed. Individual entries in this catalogue indicate the possible effect of Blowback on each
event. (See the preamble to this catalogue, page 77.) An event that has two different modes
cannot have its mode changed by Blowback. If the initiator of the original event had a choice of
targets for that event, the initiator of the Blowback event can specify a different target. (Such a
change of target is not allowed if the target is implicitly specified by the timing of the original
event186. See the first example below.) The set of possible options for the target of the original
event is not changed by the play of Blowback. (The new target, if any, must be one that would
have been possible when the original event was announced. Range-tracing negotiations cannot be
185
These cards have the additional instruction to discard the target event’s card. This instruction is
unnecessary, since the target event’s card will already have been discarded.
186
HR060323. See also footnote 11 regarding sequential versus simultaneous play of actions.
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reopened by the Blowback initiator in order to expand the target possibilities for the original
event. Wherever range-tracing permission was not explicitly granted for the play of the original
event, permission is considered to be denied for purposes of determining a new possible target.)
When Blowback can change the target, the new target must be specified when Blowback is
announced – i.e., before the event subphase of responses to the Blowback event. If the affected
event had other information whose announcement was required when the event was announced,
then any changes to that information must also be specified when Blowback is announced. (Note
that a Blowback event can itself be modified by Blowback, if the Blowback card is picked up by
means of a Vizier event.) Immediate effect: The controller of the Blowback event becomes the
controller of the original event. The target of the original event is changed, according to the
specifications that were made by the new controller at the time the Blowback event was
announced. Similarly, if the original event required the immediate announcement of any other
supporting information187, that information is also changed in accordance with the declaration of
the new controller. (When the target (and/or other information) is changed, this change is
thorough. The new target (etc.) is treated for all purposes as if it had been the target all along,
from the time the original event was announced.) Delayed effect: The original event (if
confirmed) is executed according to the changes of controller and target (etc.) dictated by the
Blowback event. (Where necessary, entries in this catalogue distinguish between the initiator of
an event and the controller of that event.) The set of possible options for the execution of the
original event is not changed by Blowback188.
Example: Ivy turns over an action marker and announces a manoeuvre action. Zachary plays Overslept to
turn that action into a pass. Blowback cannot be played to redirect the Overslept event onto another
player’s action, because those other actions are announced at a different time 189.
Example: Claire plays Empire Fragments on the Persians. James plays Blowback to change the target of
the Empire Fragments event to the Franks. (At this time, both the Empire Fragments event and the
Blowback event are awaiting either cancellation or confirmation.) Zachary plays Vizier, and no one
cancels it, so he implements the immediate effects of that event, and takes the Blowback card from the
discard pile. Then he plays Blowback to modify the earlier Blowback. The first Blowback involved an
announcement of a change of target for the Empire Fragments event, so the second Blowback requires an
announcement of a change to that information – which amounts to another change of target for Empire
Fragments. So Zachary directs the Empire Fragments event to the Japanese. Now there are three events
(i.e., one Empire Fragments event and two Blowback events) that await either confirmation or
cancellation. Ivy has a Bad Augury card. She now considers her options – assuming, for the sake of
argument, that no one else has a cancellation event card in hand. (1) She can cancel Zachary’s Blowback,
in which case James’s Blowback will be unmodified, and the Franks will be hit by the Empire Fragments
event, with James as the controller. (2) She can let Zachary’s Blowback be confirmed and cancel James’s
Blowback (rendering Zachary’s Blowback irrelevant), in which case the Empire Fragments event will be
unmodified, and the Persians will be hit by the Empire Fragments event, with Claire as the controller.
(3) She can let both Blowback events be confirmed and cancel the Empire Fragments event (rendering both
Blowback events irrelevant). (4) She can let all three events be confirmed, in which case the Japanese will
be hit by the Empire Fragments event, with Zachary as the controller. She chooses the fourth option and
keeps her Bad Augury card.
187
The quintessential example here is the announcement of the new action type from an Alliance event.
188
The essential principle of Blowback (confirmed by HR050206) is that the new controller makes the
decisions involved in implementing the original event. This does not mean, in general, that the original
event is treated as if the new controller had played it. (Other rulings support this principle as well. The
opposite statement in HR050114 is an aberration.)
189
Here, I am directly rebelling against HR100106, which (like some earlier rulings) allows Overslept to be
used in precisely the way I claim here that it cannot be. (See also footnote 11.) The task of finding a
complete and consistent way of accepting these rulings and generalising from them (in keeping with the
overall intent of this document) is not something I care to take on at this time.
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Example: Zachary plays Silver Mine on his Romans, who are currently doing a civilise action. Ivy plays
Blowback to redirect the Silver Mine event onto the Persians. Both events are confirmed. The Persians
receive 10 money from the Silver Mine. The fact that the original target was civilising is irrelevant.
1b. Response to an artefact
When an artefact card is played (or a new Crusade is announced), there is an event phase for a
Strange Omen event in response to that artefact. If such an event is confirmed, no further events
of that phase are possible.
Strange Omen (N) can respond to any artefact (including Crusade190). Immediate effect: The
artefact is cancelled191. (That is, it is not placed.) Delayed effect: In the case of a cancelled
Crusade, another call for a Crusade cannot be made in the same action.
1c. Response to a new empire
When a card is played as a new empire, before a colour is chosen for the new empire, there is an
event phase for a Shooting Star event in response to that empire announcement. (No such event
phase occurs in response to the creation of a new empire in a Civil War or Empire Fragments
event.) If such an event is confirmed, no further events in that phase are possible.
Shooting Star (N) can respond to any new empire. Immediate effect: The new empire’s card is
discarded. The empire does not start. (That empire-starting procedure is considered to be
complete. Another empire cannot immediately be started in place of the cancelled empire.)
1d. Leader rescue
When the removal of a leader would normally be required, there is an event phase for a leader-
rescue event, thus possibly causing the leader to remain in play. (There is no such event phase in
response to the voluntary removal of a leader in a civilise action.) When the simultaneous
removal of several leaders would normally be required (see next paragraph), a single event phase
for leader-rescue events applies to all of those leaders collectively. Each leader among those
slated for removal can be the target of (at most) one leader-rescue event in that phase. If a leader-
rescue event is confirmed, another such event is possible in general (within the same event
phase), but it must have a different target leader. When no valid targets remain, no further events
are possible in that event phase. A confirmed leader-rescue event (retroactively) prevents the
target leader from being removed. A leader cannot be the target of a leader-rescue event if that
leader’s empire has no units in any land areas.
Simultaneity, for the (nominal) removal of leaders, is determined as follows: (1) All effects of
changing a single empire’s colour (in the context of adding a new player to the game – see page
4) are treated as simultaneous. (2) All effects of a single Christian free move are treated as
simultaneous. (3) All effects of determining the starting progress level of a new empire are
treated as simultaneous192. (4) All effects of a new empire’s initial unit purchase, plus any
conversion from the same starting procedure, are together treated as simultaneous. (5) All effects
of the maintenance step in a single production action are treated as simultaneous. (6) All effects
of a single trade are treated as simultaneous. (7) All effects of each area’s worth of a regular
move (in a movement phase) are treated as simultaneous. (8) All effects of a single reinforcing
190
The card specifies an artefact “card”, but this is not intended to exclude Crusade. The point here is that
Strange Omen cannot be played to cancel the “adoption” of a religion or government (by copying from
another empire).
191
The card also has an instruction to discard the target artefact’s card, but this instruction is unnecessary,
since the target artefact’s card (if any) will already have been discarded.
192
Given enough Time Ripple events, a new Minoan or Venetian empire (with a “+1” setup) could possibly
cause final elephant removal and therefore area neutralisation.
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move (see Reinforcements) are treated as simultaneous. (9) A committed tactician who loses a
round of conflict is lost alone. (In this case, the leader-rescue event phase happens after units are
lost in that round, but before the implementation of any forced retreat due to elephant loss.)
(10) Other than as indicated in items #8 and #9, all effects of a single conflict are treated as
simultaneous. That is, at the end of a conflict (including all indirect unit removals, such as those
due to elephant area control effects), all leaders that were abandoned as a result of that conflict,
and all leaders belonging to empires that changed age as a result of that conflict, are lost
simultaneously. (11) The target of an assassination is lost alone. (12) All effects of a single
standard event are treated as simultaneous, with the exceptions of Plague, Pestilence, Empire
Fragments, Civil War, New World, and Barracks Revolt. (Barracks Revolt is covered by items #8
through #10 above.) (13) In a Plague or Pestilence event, all effects of a single area’s outbreak
are treated as simultaneous. (14) All effects of a single faction takeover procedure (in a Civil War
or Empire Fragments event) are treated as simultaneous. (15) All effects of the final progress
adjustment in a Civil War event are treated as simultaneous with each other, but separate from the
effects of the faction takeover procedure. (16) All effects of each unit’s movement in a New
World event are treated as simultaneous. (17) All effects of one placement of the Revolution
artefact are treated as simultaneous. (18) All effects of a single vote action are treated as
simultaneous. (19) All effects of a single “free progress” step are treated as simultaneous.
Miracle Cure (T) is the main leader-rescue event. Its target is any leader who is slated for
removal, as explained in the preamble above. Immediate effect: The target leader is taken off
the list of those slated for removal. If the leader is in a land area with at least one unit of its
empire, there is no other immediate effect. Otherwise, the controller of the Miracle Cure event
places that leader in any land area containing at least one unit of its empire. Delayed effect: The
target leader remains in play. If the leader’s nominal removal was due to having been voluntarily
abandoned in a movement phase, then after being rescued, the leader is still eligible to move (i.e.,
it is considered not to have moved yet in that movement phase).
Herbal Remedy (T) can be played in the same way as Miracle Cure (with the same effects), but
only in the “free progress” step193.
1e. Response to empire removal
When an empire is discarded any time during an action round, there is an event phase for a
Phoenix event in response to that empire discarding procedure. (There is no Phoenix event phase
if an empire is discarded in the “free progress” step, nor if an empire is discarded due to players
joining or quitting the game. Also, no Phoenix event phase results from the discarding of an
empire card due to a Shooting Star event, because the empire in question never really started.)
When two or more empires simultaneously fulfil the conditions for being automatically
discarded, there is a single Phoenix event phase after all of those empires are discarded, in
response to that entire set of empire discarding procedures. The target of a Phoenix event is any
player who had an empire that was discarded in the period of time to which the Phoenix event is
responding. Multiple Phoenix events are possible if more than one empire was discarded in the
relevant period of time. In every Phoenix event phase, each player can be the target of (only) as
many confirmed Phoenix events as the number of empires belonging to that player that were
discarded in the relevant period of time. When no valid targets remain, no further Phoenix events
are possible in that phase.
Phoenix (T) has no immediate effect, except that the event must be recorded. Each player
maintains a running total of the number of confirmed but still-unresolved Phoenix events of
193
To be picky, the card ought to state what happens to a leader in an area with no friendly units, as the
Miracle Cure card does. (On the other hand, leader abandonment in a “free progress” step is unusual.)
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which he/she was the target. At the beginning of every action cluster (of any player), this total
will be zero for all players. Delayed effect: At the end of every action cluster (that is, after all
actions belonging to that cluster are complete194, after any Jihad/Crusade penalties for that cluster
are applied, and after any “marriages” are imposed or removed), all unresolved Phoenix events
are resolved, one at a time – including any Phoenix events that are played while resolving other
Phoenix events. The order is determined by player priority, which begins with the player with the
turn marker, and proceeds thence clockwise around the table. Priority is assessed anew at the
beginning of each iteration. (So if a Phoenix is played on a higher-priority player during the
resolution of a Phoenix event that was previously played on a lower-priority player, that higher-
priority player will “jump the queue” and have the next opportunity to resolve a Phoenix,
regardless of other Phoenix events that may remain unresolved.) The procedure for resolving a
Phoenix event is as follows: If the target player is eligible to start a new empire (that is, he/she
has fewer empires in play than the maximum per player, and a suitable colour is available), then
he/she can attempt to do so195, following the same procedure as in a start empire action (except
that the new empire does not go under any action marker). Otherwise, nothing happens.
1f. “Any time” events
An event phase for these events can be inserted into the sequence of play at nearly any moment in
the game, and any number of “any time” events can be played within each such event phase. (See
the General Rules for Events, especially the section pertaining to this kind of event, page 73.)
Copper Mine (T): The target is any empire in play. Immediate effect: The target empire gains
10 money if it is currently active and performing a civilise action. Otherwise, it gains 5 money.
Silver Mine (T): The target is any empire in play. Immediate effect: The target empire gains 20
money if it is currently active and performing a civilise action. Otherwise, it gains 10 money.
Gold Mine (T): The target is any empire in play. Immediate effect: The target empire gains 30
money if it is currently active and performing a civilise action. Otherwise, it gains 15 money.
Vizier (N) cannot be played if the discard pile is empty. Its target is the top card of the discard
pile (at the moment when the Vizier event is announced, just before the Vizier card is discarded).
Immediate effect: The target card is taken from the discard pile (no matter how many cards are
now on top of it) and added to the hand of the initiator of the Vizier event.
2. Events before and after the action rounds
2a. Beginning of the turn
The very first step of a turn – before the placement of action markers, and even before the
addition or removal of players – is an event phase for an “Oi! It’s MY go!” event. If such an
event is confirmed, no further events are possible in that phase.
Oi! it’s MY go! (T): The target is any player196. Immediate effect: The target player takes the
turn marker. (The effect is then considered complete. The turn marker does not “spring back”
later, to where it was previously.)
194
HR070427. The card is incorrect in stating that the effects are immediate.
195
HR060523 makes it clear that the benefit of the event belongs to the player who lost an empire (thus
triggering the play of the event), not (in general) to the initiator of the event.
196
By the wording of the text on the card, there is no “target” player, and the benefit of the event goes to
the initiator of the event. My modification here was done for the sake of allowing Blowback to affect the
event. (This case is analogous to that of I Spy! – see footnote 247.)
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2b. Action marker preparation

After action markers (and cadence markers, if used) are placed, and before the beginning of the
first action round, there is an event phase for Unique Conjunction and Time Wrinkle events. If a
Time Wrinkle event is confirmed, no further Time Wrinkle events are allowed in that phase.
Multiple Unique Conjunction events are allowed in the same event phase.
Unique Conjunction (T): The target is any one of the seven standard action types. Delayed
effect: For the rest of the turn, whenever any action is announced with a type matching the
Unique Conjunction’s target type, the actual type of that action is pass – and neither Alliance nor
Overslept can be played on this action. (This effect does not apply to “free manoeuvres” during
new empires’ starting procedures, even if the Unique Conjunction’s target type is manoeuvre,
because those “free manoeuvres” are not considered to be “actions”197.) Also, if Alliance is
played to change an action to a type matching the Unique Conjunction’s target type, the actual
type of that action is pass198.
Time Wrinkle (T): The target is any action marker in play. The target marker is indicated by
pointing to it, not by naming its type – so only its owning player will know its type. (It may be
helpful to put an improvised marker on the target action marker, as a memory aid.) Delayed
effect: If the target action marker is face-up at the end of the discard empire action round of this
turn, then an eighth action round takes place. In the eighth action round, every player who has (in
play) an action marker of the same type as the target marker can perform one action cluster with
that action marker, even if the marker is already face-up. Note that wild card is a distinct type of
marker. (As usual, these action clusters are performed in clockwise order, starting with the player
with the turn marker. Also as usual, these action clusters are optional.) At the start of an action
cluster, the marker is turned face-up if it is not already so. If the marker is not a wild card, the
announced type of the first action of the cluster is as indicated by the type of marker. For a wild
card marker, the announced type of the first action of the cluster may be any standard type, at the
option of the active player199.
Example: Ivy plays Time Wrinkle on her manoeuvre marker. She uses that marker in the appropriate
round. Zachary uses his wild card for manoeuvre. In the eighth action round, every player with a
manoeuvre marker in play (whether face-up or face-down) can use that marker for an extra action cluster.
Zachary cannot use his wild card in that round, since that is a different type of marker.
* Implications of Time Wrinkle for the wild card glory penalty rule: If a player uses a wild card
to perform an action cluster in the eighth action round, having already (in the same turn)
performed one or two action clusters of the same type, then the wild card glory penalty applies.
(The “type” of an action cluster is the announced type of the first action of that cluster.) Also, if a
player uses a previously unused (still face-down) non-wild-card action marker to perform an
action cluster in the eighth action round, having already (in the same turn) performed an action
cluster of the same type (using a wild card), then the wild card glory penalty applies. In both of
these cases, the player loses one glory point at the moment the new action cluster is announced200.
Example: Claire has three empires in play. She places three action markers: manoeuvre, civilise, and wild
card. She plays Time Wrinkle on her wild card marker. She uses all three markers, including the wild
197
See footnote 165.
198
HR050422.
199
From the official errata (derived from HR050119). Unfortunately, the card text makes the wild card
case unclear (by saying that a player with the same marker can perform “that action” again). It would be
better to say that such a player can perform “another action with that marker”.
200
The cases of a face-down marker (wild card or otherwise) are essentially the same as the basic case
where a player does two action clusters in the same round – the sole difference being that the second cluster
is delayed until the eighth round. The case of an already face-up wild card is from the official errata.
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card, which she uses for destiny. In the eighth action round, every player with a wild card marker in play
(whether face-up or face-down) can use that marker for an extra action cluster, and can choose what kind
of action to use it for. In Claire’s case, she will suffer a glory penalty if she uses her wild card for
manoeuvre, destiny, or civilise, since she has already done an action cluster based on each of these action
types. So she uses it for production, and avoids the glory penalty.
Example: Zachary has three empires in play. He places three action markers: production, civilise, and
wild card. He intends to use the wild card for a second action cluster in the production round, in spite of
the glory penalty. James plays Time Wrinkle on one of his own action markers. Zachary hopes it is a
production marker, since he would be able to use his own production marker a second time (with no
additional penalty). But the empire under his production marker gets discarded during the start empire
round (due to Claire’s new empire having two “free manoeuvres”), and so he does only one action cluster
in the production round, using the wild card with no glory penalty. Also during that round, it is revealed
that the target of the Time Wrinkle is indeed a production marker. During the civilise round, Zachary
plays New Dynasty to steal an empire, which he puts under his vacant (and still face-down) production
marker. During the eighth round, he does production with that newly-stolen empire – and loses one glory
point, since he had previously used his wild card for production.
* Implications of Time Wrinkle for Crusade/Jihad penalties: An empire that performs a
manoeuvre action cannot trigger a glory penalty from Crusade or Jihad in any later action cluster
of the same turn. If an empire incurs such a penalty in one action cluster, then begins another
action cluster later in the same turn, that empire does not trigger another penalty (from the same
artefact) in the later action cluster, no matter what actions are performed in that cluster.
However, the glory points that were lost in the earlier action cluster cannot be regained, even if
the empire does a manoeuvre action in the later action cluster201. (The penalty from the earlier
action cluster cannot be retroactively cancelled.)
Example: Zachary has two Christian empires – Ethiopians and Normans – while Crusade is in play. Time
Wrinkle is in play, targeting a wild card. The Ethiopians do production, but follow that action with an
immediate manoeuvre, as part of the same action cluster, using a Rare Conjunction event. That empire
does not suffer the Crusade penalty. The Normans do a civilise action (with a wild card), resulting in a
loss of 3 glory points due to the Crusade. In the eighth action round, Zachary can choose any standard
action type for the Normans. He cannot regain his lost glory point by choosing manoeuvre, nor can he lose
any further points to the Crusade by choosing a different type of action.
2c. Free progress
At the beginning of the “free progress” step of a turn, just after the cadence markers (if used) are
revealed, there is an event phase for Enlightenment events. Any number of Enlightenment events
can be played in the same event phase.
Enlightenment (T): The target is any empire in play. Delayed effect: When assessing progress
level adjustments in the current “free progress” step, the target empire of any Enlightenment
event is not affected by dark ages, by a wild card, or by cadence markers. (Therefore, its progress
level will advance unless it is prevented by World War or by being already beyond the 49th level,
and it certainly will not go backwards.)
2d. Harvesting glory
At the very beginning of the “harvesting glory” step (before any empire scores or buys glory),
there is an event phase for events that pertain to harvesting glory. Any number of these events
can be played in the same event phase. (However, if a “Glory? Bah, Humbug!” event is
confirmed, all other events of this event phase are rendered irrelevant – so there is then no reason
to play any further events in this phase.)
201
See footnote 138.
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With the exception of Expanded Glory, the effect of each of these events is to apply a
multiplicative modifier to the total glory awarded to each empire in the current “harvesting glory”
step. (That is, the glory scored from an empire’s glory icons is added to any glory points bought
by that empire, and that sum is subjected to modifiers: The additive modifier from Hinduism (if
applicable) is applied first, followed by any applicable multiplicative modifiers from these
events.) Multipliers are cumulative with each other – but of course a multiplier of “zero” will
render all other multipliers irrelevant.
Expanded Glory (T): The target is any empire in play. Delayed effect: The target empire’s icon
numbers are all doubled (after any modification due to artists) for each applicable Expanded
Glory event (on the same target), for scoring in the current “harvesting glory” step. The extra
“cities 2” icon created by the Hanging Gardens is affected like any other numbered icon.
Expanded Glory has no effect on numberless (homeland or resource) icons202.
Glory pour moi! (T): The target is any empire in play. Delayed effect: There is no effect on the
target empire. But if one or more Glory Pour Moi! events are confirmed, then the total glory
awarded (in the current “harvesting glory” step) to each empire that is not the target of any of
these events is zero, regardless of other events203. (The total glory awarded to each such empire is
subject to a multiplier of 0.)
I am truly glorious! (T): The target is any empire in play. Delayed effect: The total glory
awarded to the target empire (in the current “harvesting glory” step) is doubled for each
applicable I am truly glorious! event (on the same target).
Glory? (N) has no target. Delayed effect: The total glory awarded to every empire (in the
current “harvesting glory” step) is halved for each applicable Glory? event.
Glory? Bah, humbug! (N) has no target. Delayed effect: The total glory awarded to every
empire (in the current “harvesting glory” step) is zero, regardless of other events. (A multiplier of
0 applies to every empire.)
Glorious Glory! (N) has no target. Delayed effect: The total glory awarded to every empire (in
the current “harvesting glory” step) is doubled for each applicable Glorious Glory! event.
3. Events before and after an action
3a. Before an action
When any action is announced204, there is an event phase for the two types of events presented in
this subsection. (Exception: No such event phase occurs if the action is immediately turned into
a pass due to a Unique Conjunction event.) Note that no such event phase occurs at the
beginning of a “free manoeuvre” during an empire’s starting procedure, since a “free manoeuvre”
is not considered to be an action. (Similarly, no such event phase occurs at the beginning of an
extra manoeuvre arising from an Overrun event.) If one of these events (Alliance or Overslept) is
confirmed, no further events are possible in that phase. The immediate effect of one of these
events is to determine the actual type of the action that was just announced.
202
Obvious, I think, but I may as well cite HR060415 anyway.
203
By a strict reading of the card, the “zero” multiplier should apply to the non-target empires of each
Glory Pour Moi! event. Therefore, if more than one empire is the target of a Glory Pour Moi! event, then
no empire will get any glory (equivalent to “Glory? Bah, Humbug!”). My interpretation – which does not
meddle with the basic case of a single Glory Pour Moi! event – is intended to make the event more fun.
204
HR060523 upholds the essential equivalence between an extra action and an action that starts a cluster.
(As for “free manoeuvres”, see footnote 165.) By referring to the turning over of an action marker, the
Alliance and Overslept cards are too restrictive in their present wording. They ought to refer more
generally to the announcement of an action.
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Overslept (N): If there is an active empire, that empire is the target. Otherwise, the active player
is the target. Immediate effect: The actual type of the action is pass.
Alliance (C) can only be played when there is an active empire, and cannot be played by the
active player. The active empire is the target of the event, and it must be within range of at least
one of the initiator’s empires (even if the “take that!” rule is not being used). The initiator of the
event chooses a standard action type that is different from the announced type, and is neither start
empire nor discard empire. This choice of action type must be announced when the Alliance
event is announced (i.e., before the event phase of responses to the Alliance event), and it can be
changed by a Blowback event. (The initiator of any Blowback event responding to an Alliance
event chooses an action type, with the same restrictions, and announces it when the Blowback
event is announced. Similarly for any Blowback event played in response to that Blowback event,
and so on.) Immediate effect: The actual type of the action is the type that was chosen by the
controller of the Alliance event. (Exception: If Unique Conjunction is in play, and the Alliance
controller chose a type that matches the Unique Conjunction’s target type, then the actual type of
the action is pass.)
3b. After an action
When any action is concluded205, if there is an active empire at that time206, there is an event
phase for a Rare Conjunction event. (For this purpose, an “active empire” is one whose card is
under the active action marker, even in the case of a start empire action. See the example below.)
The active empire is the target of the event. If such an event is confirmed, no further events are
possible in that phase. The effect of such an event is to extend the current action cluster by one
action. If no such event is confirmed, then in some cases the action cluster can be extended by
the Forum; otherwise, no further actions take place in that cluster.
Rare Conjunction (N): Immediate effect: A new action (in the current action cluster) is
announced207. The active player chooses any one of the seven standard action types as the
announced type of the new action. Delayed effect: The action cluster is extended accordingly.
The actual type of the new action is determined in the usual way, based on its announced type and
on any applicable events (Unique Conjunction, Alliance, Overslept) or artefacts (Forum, Heresy).
Example: Zachary turns over his start empire marker and starts the Polynesians, whose card goes under
that action marker. Then, as part of the same action, he plays Empires Galore! and starts the Arabs, whose
card does not go under any action marker. At the end of that action he plays Rare Conjunction to do a
manoeuvre action. That manoeuvre is performed by the Polynesians, not the Arabs, because the
Polynesians are the empire whose card is under the currently active action marker.
205
HR050421 apparently confirms that Rare Conjunction is even playable at the end of a pass action.
Here, I am following the card strictly (as it specifies an “action”), and disregarding the suggestion in
HR050319 that such an event can be played at the end of any empire-starting procedure (even one from
Phoenix), since that would lead to many potential complications that are best avoided.
206
The card refers to an empire’s action, implying that the event cannot be played if an action ends as a
non-empire action. (It does not matter if the action began as a non-empire action; HR070622 confirms that
Rare Conjunction is generally playable at the end of start empire.) On the other hand, it would be a simple
and harmless change to remove this restriction (as appears to be suggested in HR050228) – in which case
the active player would be the target whenever there is no active empire.
207
The card should say “another action” instead of “a second action”, since the event could be played at the
end of the empire’s second action (or third action, etc.).
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4. Procedure repetition events

4a. Empire-starting procedures
In a start empire action, following that action’s main empire-starting procedure (or attempt)208,
there is an event phase for Empires Galore! events – but only if the active player is still eligible to
start a new empire (i.e., that player has fewer empires in play than the maximum per player, and a
suitable colour is available). This action phase takes place even if the active player was
prevented from starting an empire due to an already-existing active empire. As long as the active
player remains eligible to start a new empire, further Empires Galore! events are possible in the
same event phase.
Empires Galore (N): Immediate effect: The active player can (try to) start an empire, following
the same procedure as in the main part of a start empire action (except that the new empire does
not go under any action marker). The new empire is treated as the active empire for the duration
of its starting procedure, in spite of the fact that the currently-active action marker will have a
different empire (or perhaps none at all) under it. However, for purposes of the continuation (or
conclusion) of the current action cluster, the new empire is not considered to be the active empire.
4b. Manoeuvres
At the end of any manoeuvre (except one resulting from an Overrun event), if the active empire is
still in play, there is an event phase for Overrun events. (The just-completed manoeuvre may be
the main manoeuvre of a manoeuvre action, or it may be a “free manoeuvre” within an empire-
starting procedure209.) In both cases, as long as the active empire remains in play, further
Overrun events are possible in the same event phase.
Overrun (N): The active empire is the target. (This is the new empire, in the case of an empire
starting procedure.) Immediate effect: The active empire performs another manoeuvre. (In the
case of a manoeuvre action, this new manoeuvre is still part of the same action. In the case of an
empire-starting procedure, this new manoeuvre is part of the same empire-starting procedure.)
4c. Trade
In a trade and progress action (with an active empire), following all the trades that the active
empire is otherwise entitled to perform, there is an event phase for Bargain events – but only if
the active empire is still in play. As long as the active empire remains in play, further Bargain
events are possible in the same event phase. Bargain cannot be played if a Failed Negotiation
event was confirmed in this action.
Bargain (N): Immediate effect: The active empire performs a trade.
4d. Leader promotion
After any210 leader promotion (or attempt), if the active empire still has fewer leaders in play than
its leader rating, there is an event phase for Ambitious Leaders events (in extra-promotion mode).
208
The wording of the card suggests that the new empire-starting procedure is after the start empire action,
rather than part of it – leading to difficult questions regarding the interaction between Empires Galore! and
Rare Conjunction. My interpretation is based on the fact that the new empire-starting procedure is not
explicitly described as an “action”. See the example following the Rare Conjunction entry (previous page).
209
HR070622 confirms that an Overrun event can be played in response to a “free manoeuvre”. Making
sense of this ruling was part of the motivation for making a distinction, in this document, between a
manoeuvre and a manoeuvre action. A “free manoeuvre” is thus no different, in principle, from any other
manoeuvre – and there is now no need to split the Overrun event into two separate modes.
210
Much to my surprise, HR050927 confirms that Ambitious Leaders is playable after the “named leader
only” promotion – even to bring in an unnamed leader.
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More precisely, this event phase can happen at any of the following times: (1) after the standard
leader promotion procedure in a civilise action (but only if the active empire controls at least one
land area), (2) after the “named leader only” promotion procedure that takes place before initial
units are built in any empire-starting procedure, and (3) after the standard leader promotion
procedure that follows the initial capital placement in a “Modern State” starting procedure.
(Case 2 applies even for an empire with no named leaders: The “named leader only” promotion
procedure still occurs, even if it consists of doing nothing.) As long as the active empire still has
fewer leaders in play than its leader rating, further Ambitious Leaders events (in this mode) are
possible in the same event phase.
Ambitious Leaders (N): Immediate effect: The active empire performs a leader promotion. For
purposes of selection, this procedure is the same as the standard leader promotion in a civilise
action. (The promoted leader can be named or unnamed.) If it takes place before initial units are
built in an empire-starting procedure, then the promoted leader (if any) can be placed in any of
the new empire’s starting areas. Otherwise, the promoted leader (if any) is placed in any land
area that is controlled by the empire. The active player decides where the leader is placed.
5. Time-warp events
5a. Time-warp for new empires
At the very beginning of any empire-starting procedure211, before the active player presents a card
for a new empire, there is an event phase for Time Ripple events. There is no limit to the number
of events that can be played in that event phase.
Time Ripple (N): Delayed effect: In the current empire-starting procedure (only) 212, the age-
related restrictions on new empires are relaxed, as follows. The minimum age is reduced by one
for each applicable Time Ripple event (to a minimum of 1), and the maximum age is increased by
one for each applicable Time Ripple event (to a maximum of 7). In the case where no other
empires are in play, this means that the new empire will start in an earlier age than usual (unless it
was already a 1st-age empire) 213. If no empire is started, then any Time Ripple events played in
this empire-starting procedure have no effect.
5b. Time-warp for artefacts
In each iteration of the “playing cards” step of a civilise action, after any range-tracing that
applies to the next artefact or standard event (or free assassination attempt), but before that
artefact or standard event (or free assassination attempt) is announced, there is an event phase for
Exotic Artefact events214. There is no limit to the number of events that can be played in that
event phase.
Exotic Artefact (N): Delayed effect: In the current iteration (only) of the current “playing cards”
step, the age-related restrictions on artefacts are relaxed, as follows. The minimum age is reduced
by one for each applicable Exotic Artefact event (to a minimum of 1), and the maximum age is
211
The procedure for empire-starting due to Phoenix or Empires Galore! is the same as in the main part of
a start empire action (except for the placement of the new empire’s card). Hence Time Ripple can be used
in each case (and ideally, the card text should not specify a start empire action).
212
HR060620: If Time Ripple is played at the beginning of a start empire action, the effects do not extend
into any extra empire-starting procedures from Empires Galore! events.
213
HR061010: The player does not have the choice of making the empire start “later” in this case.
214
The card says “play when playing an artefact”. Since this event affects the playability of an artefact, it
obviously cannot be played as a response to that artefact. The timing given here – where this event is
played immediately before playing the artefact – seems to be required. But this sequence implies the
possibility of a change of plans, so the possibility of a standard event (or a free assassination attempt) had
to be mentioned here, for the sake of generality.
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increased by one for each applicable Exotic Artefact event (to a maximum of 7). If the active
player plays an artefact with no age restrictions, or plays a standard event, or makes a free
assassination attempt, or ends the “playing cards” step of the action, then any Exotic Artefact
events played in this iteration have no effect.
5c. Time-warp for leaders
In any leader promotion procedure, before any leader is selected (or any chits are drawn from the
unnamed leader cup), there is an event phase for leader time-warp events. (This event phase
takes place after the event phase for Loyal Mercenary events. It does not take place at all if a
Loyal Mercenary event was confirmed.) There is no limit to the number of events that can be
played in this event phase.
Maestro (N) is a leader time-warp event. Delayed effect: In the current leader promotion
procedure (only), the active empire can bring a named leader into play in a different age than the
age that is usual for that leader. The absolute difference between the active empire’s current age
and the leader’s usual age must be less than or equal to the number of applicable leader time-warp
events. If a named leader is not promoted at that time, these events have no effect.
Ambitious Leaders (N) can also be played as a leader time-warp event, in exactly the same way as
Maestro (above)215, and with the same effects.
6. Miscellaneous procedure modifications
6a. Production
The events of this subsection can be played in a production action216 (if there is an active empire).
In each case, the target is the active empire.
At the very beginning of a production action (before collecting income, and before checking the
coverage of the Temple of Diana), there is an event phase for any events that affect production.
If a Bumper Harvest event is confirmed (in this mode), a Drought event (in this mode) cannot be
played in this phase217. If a Drought event is confirmed (in this mode), a Bumper Harvest event
(in this mode) cannot be played in this phase. Otherwise, there is no limit to the number of events
that can be played in this event phase. Just before building new units (but after any range-tracing
due to a Mercenaries event, if applicable), there is another event phase in which further
Mechanical Marvel events can be played218.
Something’s Fishy (N): Delayed effect: In the current action, the part of the active empire’s
income that comes from sea and ocean areas, but not from oil219, is cancelled. The sea/ocean
215
HR050228. Before noticing this ruling, I had thought Ambitious Leaders was unplayable in the “named
leader only” promotion (in an empire starting procedure), because the text of the Maestro event specifically
mentions that it can be played in that way, while the text of Ambitious Leaders does not.
216
Some of these events are helpful for building units, but HR060214 confirms that they cannot be played
in start empire (for the new empire’s initial builds). They are only playable in production.
217
The cards ought to (but do not) specify this restriction. If playing a (production-mode) Drought on top
of a (production-mode) Bumper Harvest were allowed, it would be a far more powerful use of Drought
than the mere cancellation of the Bumper Harvest – so the ability of Drought to cancel a (production-mode)
Bumper Harvest would be pointless.
218
This is one of the two production-related events for which the card text does not specify that they can
only be played at the beginning of the action. The other one (Brilliant Financier) affects income, which is
usually the first step of the action, so there is very little room for changing the timing of the play of that
event. One could argue for inserting an extra event phase for Brilliant Financier events just after checking
the coverage of the Temple of Diana, but that strikes me as unnecessary.
219
The card does not mention oil revenue as an exception, but this exception is suggested by the title of the
event. The omission was probably inadvertent.
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component of any bonus income from Universal Suffrage is included in the part of the income
that is cancelled.
Drought (N): Delayed effect: In the current action, the part of the active empire’s income that
comes from land areas, but not from cities or from oil, is cancelled. The land component of any
bonus income from Universal Suffrage is included in the part of the income that is cancelled.
Bumper Harvest (N): Delayed effect: In the current action, the part of the active empire’s
income that comes from land areas, but not from cities or from oil, is doubled for each applicable
Bumper Harvest event. The land component of any bonus income from Universal Suffrage is
included in the part of the income that is doubled.
Brilliant Financier (N): Delayed effect: In the current action, the active empire’s total income is
doubled for each applicable Brilliant Financier event.
Heavy Taxes (N) can only be played if the active empire has a capital220 and is not barbarian.
Delayed effect: In the current action, the active empire’s total income is doubled for each
applicable Heavy Taxes event. After the income is gained but before maintenance is paid (in the
current action), if the empire’s capital is not disordered, it then becomes disordered. (There is no
cumulative disorder effect for multiple Heavy Taxes events.)
Militia (N): Immediate effect: The active empire loses one elite marker (if it has any). Delayed
effect: The active empire is exempted from paying maintenance in the current action.
La Patrie en Danger (N) can only be played if World War is not in play. Immediate effect: The
active empire loses one elite marker (if it has any). Delayed effect: The total221 cost of units
built by the active empire in the current action is halved. (This modifier is cumulative with the
Democracy modifier, if applicable. But only one La Patrie en Danger event can apply for this
purpose. Multiple events of this type do not combine with each other for a cumulative effect on
unit costs222.)
Mechanical Marvel (N): Delayed effect: For every applicable Mechanical Marvel event, the
active empire is treated as if its progress level is 4 levels higher than it actually is, for purposes of
determining what kinds of units the empire may build in the current action. Exceptions:
Eligibility to build elephant units cannot be affected by this event223. Nukes and/or star wars units
cannot be built if the final (permanent) removal of elephant units has not yet taken place224. Note
that Mechanical Marvel applies only to the active empire’s progress level; it cannot be applied to
the progress level of an empire being referenced by a Mercenaries event225.
Mercenaries (N): Delayed effect: Just before new units (etc.) are built in the current action, the
active empire may engage in range-tracing for the purpose of finding mercenaries. For any
empire that is thereby found to be within range of the active empire, the active empire is treated
as being able (in principle) to build any (non-elephant) unit type that that other empire could build
(in principle), for the rest of the current action. For this purpose, the only characteristics of those
220
The card does not mention the need for a capital, but this omission was probably inadvertent.
221
The card does not explicitly specify the “total” cost (as opposed to the cost of each unit individually),
but this seems to be the most natural interpretation of the wording. (The distinction between halving each
unit’s cost and halving the total cost is relevant because of the minimum-cost rule; see footnote 24).
222
To allow a cumulative effect (of multiple La Patrie events) would lead to the peculiar result of units
being potentially cheaper in the absence of a World War than they could be with a World War in play.
223
The card does not mention elephants as an exception, but several new rules would have to be invented in
order to make this event applicable to elephants. (One failed attempt to do so is represented in HR050314.)
224
This exception (being the simplest solution to an obvious problem) does not need to be mentioned if
only one Mechanical Marvel event is in play – which is probably why it is not mentioned on the card.
225
HR090904.
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other empires that should be considered are their progress levels, any special rules that allow
them to build units at lower progress levels than usual, and any “no cavalry” and “no ship”
restrictions that currently apply to them. In particular, those other empires’ counter mix
limitations are not considered, nor their geographical (unit placement) limitations, nor any
limitations in their money. The active empire may still be unable to build some of those units
(due to limitations in money, placement areas, and the counter mix), in spite of this event.
Eligibility to build elephant units cannot be affected by this event.
Mobilisation (N): Delayed effect: In the current action, the active empire can ignore the usual
limitation on the number of new units that can be placed in each area.
Secret Mobilisation (N): Delayed effect: Any new units built in the current action may be
placed on the active empire’s card instead of on the map, at the option of the active player. Units
on the empire’s card are said to be in “delayed-entry mode”.
* Effects of delayed-entry mode: (1) At the beginning of any manoeuvre, before the first
movement phase, all active units in delayed-entry mode must be placed on the map. They are
placed as if newly purchased, but without any restrictions on the number of new units that can be
placed in each area. Units that cannot be placed on the map at this time are removed. (2) Units in
delayed-entry mode do not prevent their empire from being discarded due to having no units on
the map226. (3) Units in delayed-entry mode do count for purposes of glory from units, during
“harvesting glory”227. (4) Units in delayed-entry mode do require maintenance, when applicable.
(5) When an empire changes colour (for example, because of New Dynasty), and the new colour’s
counter mix does not allow all the units to be replaced, then the empire’s owning player is free to
choose which excess units are removed. Units in delayed-entry mode are equivalent to units on
the map for this purpose. There is no requirement to replace units on the map in preference to
units in delayed-entry mode.
6b. Trade and progress
At the very beginning of a trade and progress action (if there is an active empire), there is an
event phase for a Failed Negotiation event. The target is the active empire. If a Failed
Negotiation event is confirmed, no further events are possible in that event phase.
Failed Negotiation (N): Delayed effect: No trades are allowed in the current action228. No
Bargain events are allowed in the current action.
6c. Manoeuvre
The events of this subsection can be played in any manoeuvre – whether it takes place in a
manoeuvre action or as a “free manoeuvre” in an empire-starting procedure. The target is the
active empire, and the effects apply to the current manoeuvre (only).
At the very beginning of a manoeuvre (before the first movement phase, and before the placement
of units in delayed-entry mode), there is an event phase for any Blitzkrieg, Breakthrough, Forced
March, or Mass Migration events. Any number of events can be played in this event phase.
(However, there is no reason to play more than one Mass Migration or more than one Blitzkrieg.)
At the beginning of each stack’s movement in any movement phase, there is another event phase
226
HR041214.
227
HR051201 (for both this point and the following one about maintenance).
228
According to the text on the card, the effects of the event last for the entire turn, not only for the action
in which it is played. There will usually be no difference, since an empire normally gets only one action in
a turn. But surely an extra trade and progress action from Rare Conjunction or Time Wrinkle should be
able to escape the effects of a Failed Negotiation applied to an earlier action! Granted, I don’t have a solid
argument here, but I find it hard to believe that “turn” rather than “action” was really intended.
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in which a Mass Migration event can be played (if such an event has not already been confirmed
in that manoeuvre) and in which further Breakthrough events can be played. In any conflict that
takes place during a manoeuvre, if a Reinforcements event is in effect (see subsection 8c) for the
benefit of the attacking side229, then just before any reinforcing move in that conflict, there is
another event phase for a Mass Migration event (if such an event has not already been confirmed
in that manoeuvre).
Blitzkrieg (N): Delayed effect: For the duration of the current manoeuvre, all leaders of the
active empire are treated as strategists and tacticians (over and above their other abilities), for all
purposes. The addition of an ability to a leader that already has that ability has no effect.
Breakthrough (N): Delayed effect: For each applicable Breakthrough event, the active player
may designate any empire (other than the active empire) as more easily penetrable than usual.
Such a designation can be made at any moment during the present manoeuvre; it does not have to
be done immediately. After the designation is made, and for the rest of the current manoeuvre,
the following effect applies: Whenever an active unit (or stack) enters an area controlled by an
affected empire, if at least one active unit is already in the area (or drops out of the moving stack
to remain in the area), the moving unit (or stack) is not forced to stop by the presence of the
affected empire’s units. (Of course, it may be forced to stop for other reasons, such as by having
used up all of its movement points.)
Forced March (N): Delayed effect: For the duration of the current manoeuvre, the movement
allowance of every active infantry and missile unit is increased by one, and the movement
allowance of every active cavalry, naval, and (non-star-wars) aircraft unit is increased by two, for
each applicable Forced March event.
Mass Migration (N): Delayed effect: For the remainder of the current manoeuvre, the active
empire230 is exempt from the restriction on abandoning its own land areas with non-aircraft units.
This effect applies both to regular movement and to reinforcing moves (see Reinforcements).
6d. Destiny: bonus event opportunity
At the very beginning of a destiny action (before cards are discarded, and before any special
Korean income), there is an event phase for a Favour of the Gods event. If such an event is
confirmed, no further events are allowed in that event phase.
Favour of the Gods (N): If there is an active empire, the target is that empire. Otherwise, the
target is the active player. Immediate effect: An event phase is performed, in which the active
player (only) can play any number of standard events. (This is not equivalent to the “playing
cards” step of a civilise action, because no artefacts can be played, and the Assassins are not
entitled to a free assassination attempt.)
6e. Destiny: modifications to card-drawing procedure
During a destiny action, after cards are discarded but before cards are drawn to replenish the
active player’s hand, there is an event phase for events that modify the card-drawing step of the
action (New Administration, Corrupt Administration, and Kismet!). In each case, if there is an
active empire, that empire is the target; and otherwise, the target is the active player. There is no
limit to the number of events that can be played in this event phase. Immediately before each
card (other than the first) is drawn (as part of the main procedure of a destiny action), there is
229
One could argue for removing the restriction of this phrase. (See the next footnote.)
230
The text of the card suggests that any empire, not only the active empire, can be targeted to receive this
benefit. For a non-active empire, this event would be effective only when a Reinforcements event applies
to the defender in a conflict. HR050304 allows this trick, but admits that Mass Migration was intended to
apply only to the active empire. My description of the event follows the original intent.
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another event phase in which further Kismet! events can be played231. (If other Kismet! events
apply, this event phase takes place after the active player has discarded, or decided not to discard,
the most-recently-drawn card. If the player’s hand is full at this time, then the action is over, and
the extra Kismet! event phase does not take place.)
New Administration (N): Delayed effect: The active player’s hand limit (i.e., the number of
cards up to which the player draws in the current action) is increased by 3 for each applicable
New Administration event232.
Corrupt Administration (N): Delayed effect: The active player’s hand limit (i.e., the number of
cards up to which the player draws in the current action) is decreased by 3 for each applicable
Corrupt Administration event.
Kismet! (N): Delayed effect: Cards that are drawn by the active player, as part of the main
procedure of the current destiny action, may be discarded, within the following restrictions: Up
to three newly-drawn cards may be discarded for each applicable Kismet! event. As each card is
drawn, the newly-drawn card becomes the only card that can be discarded due to Kismet! events.
If a newly-drawn card is discarded (or played as an event), no further discards can be made until
the next card is drawn. (If any cards are drawn at all, the player will always end the card-drawing
step with as many cards in hand as the hand limit – regardless of Kismet! events.)
6f. Interference with leader promotion
At the start of any leader promotion procedure, before the event phase for leader time-warp
events, there is an event phase for a Loyal Mercenary event. (This event phase does take place in
the “named leader only” promotion that precedes the building of initial units in an empire-starting
procedure – even for an empire with no named leaders233.) (Exception: This event phase does not
take place if all 22 unnamed leaders are in play.) If such an event is confirmed, no further events
are possible in that event phase.
Loyal Mercenary (C): The target is the active empire. Immediate effect: The controller of the
event searches through the contents of the unnamed leader cup and selects one unnamed leader
for promotion. The active player must place that leader. (Note that the choice to play Blowback
or not would have been made without knowing which leader the event’s initiator would have
selected.) The choice of where to place the promoted leader still belongs to the active player, not
the event controller. Delayed effect: The leader promotion procedure is considered complete234.
(The active empire cannot promote another leader as part of the same promotion procedure.)
231
The Kismet! card says “during destiny”, while the New Administration and Corrupt Administration cards
are more specific about when they can be played. HR050101 specifically insists that Kismet! can be played
in the same destiny action in which its card is drawn.
232
A strictly literal reading of the card would be more complicated. For example, suppose that one New
Administration event and one Kismet! event are in effect (and no other modifiers apply). By the literal
reading of the former card, the player would only be able to draw three more cards after her/his hand
reaches six cards, regardless of whether she/he discards one of those three cards due to the Kismet! event.
But HR050118 confirms this simpler interpretation, whereby New Administration simply modifies the hand
limit. (The wording on the cards could be improved.) Similar comments apply to Corrupt Administration.
233
The card does not say “if the empire is allowed to promote an unnamed leader”; it says “if the empire is
allowed to promote a leader”. Therefore this event can be used to bring in an unnamed leader even when
the usual procedure allows only a named leader.
234
HR050407. (This is not clear from the card. One could interpret this leader as additional.)
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7. Trade procedure modifications

7a. Card choice
After the played cards are revealed (and after extra cards due to scientists and/or Capitalism are
returned to the applicable player’s hand), but before trade totals are calculated, there is an event
phase for Eureka! events. Any number of these events can be played in the same event phase.
Eureka! (T): The target is one of the empires involved in the trade. Immediate effect: The
target empire’s player may pick up her/his played card and replace it with another one from
her/his hand. The replacement card is then revealed.
7b. Progress awards, part one
After trade totals are calculated, and after any special money or glory awards (due to Capitalism
or empire special rules), but before progress levels are awarded, there is an event phase for an
Industrial Espionage event. (Exception: No such event phase takes place if the trade totals are
equal235.) If one such event is confirmed, no further events are possible in this event phase.
Industrial Espionage (N): Delayed effect: In the current trade, the winning side does not gain
any progress levels. The losing side (if an empire) is treated as if it had won the trade, for
purposes of progress level advances236.
7c. Progress awards, part two
During a trade, after the event phase for Industrial Espionage237, and after choices are made
regarding which optional progress awards will be claimed, but before progress level advances are
actually made, there is an event phase for a Joint Venture or Blind Alley event. Joint Venture can
be played only if Industrial Espionage is not in effect238. Blind Alley can be played only if one of
the empires involved in the trade will advance, according to all applicable factors that are in place
at the start of this event phase. If one of these events is confirmed, no further events are possible
in this event phase.
Joint Venture (N): Delayed effect: In the current trade, the usual rules for determining progress
level awards are ignored. Instead, each empire involved in the trade gains exactly one progress
level (unless already beyond level 49). Feudalism has no effect in this case. If two empires
advance, the progress adjustments are considered to be simultaneous.
Blind Alley (N): The target is the empire that is apparently about to gain one or more progress
levels in the current trade, considering all factors other than the Blind Alley event. (This can only
be true of one of the empires in the trade, because Blind Alley and Joint Venture cannot apply to
the same trade.) Delayed effect: No progress levels are awarded in this trade239. This event
overrules all other rules and events.
235
The event would not make sense in this case, since the card text refers to a winner and a loser.
236
A literal reading of the card (according to which the loser advances as much as the winner would
normally have advanced) would sometimes lead to different results. For a particularly bizarre example, a
winner’s proximity to the top of the progress chart could limit the number of levels gained by the loser.
These implications were probably unintended.
237
Both Joint Venture and Blind Alley specify “when a trade concludes”, while Industrial Espionage says
“when cards are revealed”. The implication seems to be that Industrial Espionage has priority (in terms of
play opportunity).
238
This restriction is not given on the cards, but it ought to be. There is no obvious way to combine the
effects of Joint Venture and Industrial Espionage.
239
The way the procedure is described on the card, there is an assumption that the progress levels have
already been awarded, and the event is then played to reset the empire’s progress level to where it was at
the start of the trade. A literal interpretation leads to the following question: Is the affected empire treated
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7d. Disposition of cards

After progress awards (and all immediate effects thereof) are complete, but before the trade-value
cards are picked up, there is an event phase for a Rare Commodity event240. If such an event is
confirmed, no further events are possible in this event phase.
Rare Commodity (T): The target is one of the empires that is involved in the trade (and has not
been discarded as a result of the trade). Immediate effect: The target empire’s player decides
whether the trade-value cards will be exchanged or not. Delayed effect: If the decision is that
cards are exchanged, then they are exchanged according to the usual rules for a trade. If the
decision is that cards are not exchanged, then each empire’s played card goes back to its own
player’s hand, and if there is a card representing the deck, that card is discarded. (Either way, the
special rule for the Amazons and the Srivijayans/Javanese does not apply.)
8. Conflict procedure modifications
8a. Retreat before conflict
If neither the Vietnamese special rule nor the Phoenician special rule leads to a retreat before
conflict, the next step in the conflict resolution procedure is an event phase for a Treachery event.
If such an event is confirmed, no further events are possible in that event phase.
Treachery (T): The target is one of the sides involved in the conflict241. Immediate effect: The
target side retreats. (No rounds of conflict are played. The non-target side wins the conflict.)
8b. Manipulation of opposing forces
Immediately following the Treachery event phase, if no Treachery event is confirmed, the next
step in the conflict resolution procedure (before setting up units on the battle layout) is an event
phase for a High Command event. If such an event is confirmed, no further events are allowed in
that event phase.
High Command (T): The target is one of the sides involved in the conflict. Delayed effect: In
each round of the current conflict, after randomiser cards are drawn but before each side chooses
its own commitments242, the player controlling the target side may examine the opposing
uncommitted units, and may then select up to three of those units which immediately change their
status from uncommitted to (newly) committed. (This is step 9 according to the outline below.)
If any units are committed in this way, then the side to which those units belong is not required to
commit any additional units that round, since the minimum of one committed unit is already
fulfilled. If any nukes are committed in this way, the resulting glory penalty will still be incurred
as if the progress levels had never been awarded, or is it treated as if its increase (and subsequent decrease)
in progress level were “real”? In the latter case, the empire could (for example) lose leaders and artefacts
for changing its age, but in the former case, it could not. I feel that the former case is more faithful to the
spirit of the card. And if that answer is correct, then my reinterpretation of the event’s effects gives a
simple, tidy way to resolve the question implicitly. (As evidence, consider that the timing of Blind Alley is
the same as the timing of Joint Venture, according to the wording of the cards’ text; but Joint Venture does
not treat the progress levels as already awarded. I take the different wording of the Blind Alley procedure
as an indication that this event can combine with (and overrule) Industrial Espionage.)
240
The card fails to specify exactly when the event is played, but HR080330 confirms that this event is
played after the trade-value cards are revealed. (This ruling does not specify the timing any more precisely,
but it does remove any reason to play the event earlier than the moment stated here in the main text.)
241
As worded, the card does not refer to a “target”; it simply allows the controller of the event to decide
who wins. My change forces the initiator to declare the result as part of the event announcement – and also
makes the “take that!” rule (if used) applicable to Treachery.
242
The card ought to (but does not) specify the timing of this procedure.
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by the player who is nominally in control of the side to which the nukes belong, in spite of the
fact that the decision to commit them was made by the other side’s player.
Interlude: Sequence for a round of conflict
The following outline of the procedure for a round of conflict will facilitate the description of the
event phases of subsections 8c through 8f. (Note: An overall result for the conflict could be
obtained at any point marked with an asterisk. If so, the rest of the round is skipped – except for
the discarding of randomiser cards.)
1. Event phase for Reinforcements (not allowed in the first round) (see 8c)
2. Voluntary destruction of nukes*
3. Renewal of units (to uncommitted status) and addition of conflict disorder
4. Voluntary retreat declaration*
5. Reinforcing move (if Reinforcements is in play)
6. Draw conflict randomiser cards
7. Event phase for I Spy! (see 8d)
8. I Spy! effects (if applicable)
9. High Command effects (if applicable)
10. Event phase for Deserter (see 8e)
11. Commit units (and tacticians)
12. Event phase for generic conflict events (see 8f)
13. Reveal commitments and randomisers, apply glory penalties for nukes
14. Remove nukes due to star wars units*
15. Nuke effects* (if applicable)
16. Declare who uses which card (if Mesmeriser is in play) 243
17. Calculate conflict totals and discard randomiser cards
18. Apply losses* and move surviving units aside (to “previously committed” status)
19. Forced retreat declaration (due to elephant loss)*
8c. Moving during conflict
At the very beginning of each round of conflict (step 1 according to the outline above), if no
Reinforcements event is already in effect, there is an event phase for a Reinforcements event.
(Exception: This event phase does not take place in the first round of a conflict.) If such an event
is confirmed, no further events are allowed in that event phase.
Reinforcements (T): The target is one of the sides involved in the conflict. Delayed effect: In
each round for the remainder of the current conflict, if neither side announces a voluntary retreat,
the target side may perform a reinforcing move just before the conflict randomiser cards are
drawn244 (that is, in step 5 according to the outline above). A reinforcement move consists of
moving any number of units into the embattled area from any one adjacent area that contains only
units of the empire making the move. Units can only move if the same move would be allowed
during a movement phase of a manoeuvre action performed by that side’s empire245. (This move
is considered independently of all other moves that have already taken place. In particular, if the
current conflict is taking place during a manoeuvre, it does not matter whether any units of the
attacking side had any unused movement points at the end of the preceding movement phase.
243
Željko Šokčić argues that it would be more fun to make the Mesmeriser declaration happen just before
commitments and randomisers are revealed (i.e., between steps 12 and 13 according to this outline).
244
The card ought to (but does not) specify the timing of this procedure.
245
The point of this rule is simply to encompass all the “physical” constraints of movement, such as the
prohibition on moving naval units across land. (The use of the past tense on the card, “…must have been
able to make the move…”, is confusing.)
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Also, there is no requirement for a strategist to accompany the reinforcing units, regardless of
what restrictions may have applied in the immediately preceding movement phase246.) If the
embattled area is a land area and at least one of the moving units is neither a nuke nor a star wars
unit, then any number of leaders can move with the units. Reinforcing units arrive as
uncommitted units (and are added to the battle layout). Reinforcing units have no effect on
amphibious modifiers. (Amphibious modifiers are always based on the attacking units that were
present at the start of the conflict.)
8d. Spying on randomisers
After conflict randomiser cards are drawn (that is, in step 7 according to the outline on the
preceding page), if no I Spy! event is already in effect, there is an event phase for an I Spy! event.
If such an event is confirmed, no further events are allowed in that event phase.
I Spy! (T): The target is one of the sides involved in the conflict247. Delayed effect: In each
round for the remainder of the current conflict, after randomiser cards are drawn but before any
unit commitments are made, the player controlling the target side may peek at the opposing
randomiser card. (This is step 8 according to the outline on the preceding page.)
8e. Spying on units
Immediately before the participating players choose their own unit commitments (that is, in step
10 according to the outline on the preceding page), if no Deserter event is already in effect, there
is an event phase for a Deserter event. If such an event is confirmed, no further events are
allowed in that event phase.
Deserter (T): The target is one of the sides involved in the conflict. Delayed effect: In each
round for the remainder of the conflict, the participating sides choose their commitments
sequentially instead of simultaneously. The non-target side chooses its commitments first, and
then the target side’s player can examine all opposing newly-committed units before making
his/her own commitments.
8f. Generic conflict events
Immediately before commitments and randomisers are revealed (that is, in step 12 according to
the outline on the preceding page), there is an event phase for the events of this subsection248. If a
Mesmeriser event is confirmed, no further Mesmeriser events can be played in that event phase,
nor in any later round of the same conflict. Otherwise, any number of events can be played in
this event phase.
246
HR070303. (See footnote 106.)
247
The card actually says nothing about a target. As written, the benefit of the event goes to the initiator –
with the implication that Blowback cannot have any effect on this event. But there does not seem to be any
compelling reason, related to game-play, for this restriction on the playability of Blowback. (Moreover, Mr
Rowland himself has often encouraged players to interpret event effects, where possible, in such a way as
to maximise the applicability of Blowback – within the constraints implied by the essential principle of
Blowback (see footnote 188).) My (small) modification to this event thus brings I Spy! into line with most
other conflict-related events.
248
This timing follows from the most straightforward reading of the conflict rules: In the absence of any
explicit statements to the contrary, the steps in a conflict are performed in the order in which the rules are
presented. I Spy! is an exception, because it has to be played earlier in the round in order to be useful in the
round in which it is played. I have put it in its most natural place. Similarly for Deserter. The other
exceptions are those events whose card text explicitly dictates a different timing. Thus, I am rebelling
against the statement of HR060529, according to which events can be played at any moment during the
round unless they say otherwise. An early attempt to make the present document conform to that ruling
resulting in this section becoming overly complicated.
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Mesmeriser (C): Delayed effect: In each round for the remainder of the conflict, after
commitments are revealed, the controller of the event declares either that each side will use its
own randomiser card value (as usual) or that each side will use the opposing randomiser card
value. For that round, conflict totals are calculated in accordance with that round’s declaration.
(See the outline on page 96. The Mesmeriser declaration is made in step 16. In the rare case
where the removal of nukes (due to star wars units) leaves a side with no newly-committed units,
no such declaration is made, since the outcome of the round is already determined.)
Charge! (T): The target is one of the sides involved in the conflict. Delayed effect: For the
current round of conflict (only), the front line value of each cavalry unit of the target side is
doubled. Multiple Charge! events in the same round have cumulative effect.
Schwerpunkt (T): The target is one of the sides involved in the conflict. Delayed effect: For the
current round of conflict (only), the front line value and the support value of each unit of the
target side is doubled. Multiple Schwerpunkt events in the same round have cumulative effect.
Barrage (T): The target is one of the sides involved in the conflict. Delayed effect: For the
remainder of the conflict, the support value of each missile unit of the target side is doubled.
Multiple Barrage events in the same conflict have cumulative effect.
Outflanked (T): The target is one of the sides involved in the conflict. Delayed effect: For the
remainder of the conflict, the front line value and the support value of each unit of the target side
is halved. Multiple Outflanked events in the same conflict have cumulative effect.
Alpine Training (N)249: Delayed effect: If the conflict is taking place in a mountain area, then
for the remainder of the conflict, the +3 terrain modifier to the defender’s conflict total is
cancelled. (The -1 modifier to the front line value and support value of certain participating units
still applies.) There is no effect if the conflict is not taking place in a mountain area.
Amphibious Training (N): Delayed effect: For the remainder of the conflict, the amphibious
modifiers (if any) to the defender’s conflict total (i.e., the +1 for rivers, +1 for crossing arrows,
and +2 for invasion) are cancelled.
Local Guides (N): Delayed effect: For the remainder of the conflict, any modifiers to the
defender’s conflict total due to the embattled area’s terrain type are cancelled. (Modifiers to the
participating units’ front line and support values, if any, still apply.) Moreover, amphibious
modifiers are also cancelled (as in the Amphibious Training event).
Sappers (N): Delayed effect: For the remainder of the conflict, any modifiers to the defender’s
conflict total due to a city and/or a fort are cancelled.
8g. Retreat procedure
When a retreat is announced, but before the retreating units are moved (and before the pursuit
rule is invoked), there is an event phase for a Rout event. (Exception: This event phase does not
take place for a special retreat due to the Vietnamese or Phoenician special rules250.) If such an
event is confirmed, no further events are possible in that event phase.
Rout (N): The target is the retreating side in the conflict. Immediate effect: All the retreating
units are removed from play.
249
HR051201 tentatively suggests that Alpine Training, Amphibious Training, Local Guides, and Sappers
should also be playable in a disorder removal step, for analogous effects. This is an interesting idea, but it
does not seem to harmonise with other rulings on the applicability of events.
250
HR100318, upholding HR050506 (but contradicting HR060918). The wording of that ruling hints that a
Treachery event would be another exception, but in my opinion a Rout ought to be possible in that case.
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9. Standard events
The initiator of a standard event is always the active player. Standard events are usually played in
a civilise action. (See the General Rules for Events, especially the section pertaining to the
“playing cards” step of a civilise action, page 76.) See Favour of the Gods (subsection 6d of this
catalogue, page 92) for a way to play standard events in a destiny action.
As indicated in the preamble to this catalogue, events in this section are organised thematically,
not procedurally. Different subsections do not indicate different event phases.
9a. Beneficial events
Glorious Pity (T): The target is any player251. Immediate effect: If no other player has more
glory than the target player, there is no effect. Otherwise, let G1 be the current glory of the target
player, and let G2 be the (unique) amount of glory with the properties that G2 is greater252 than G1,
at least one player’s glory is exactly G2, and no player has glory between G1 and G2. The target
player gets an amount of glory equal to (G2 – G1) / 2 (fractions rounded up).
Vital Heir (T): The target is any empire. Immediate effect: Each existing city in that empire’s
territory increases its level by one increment (e.g., from 3 to 5), provided that it could conceivably
be increased according to the urbanisation rules – taking into account the empire’s age (and
possible barbarian status) and the number of builders currently in each city’s area.
Karma (T): The target is any empire. Immediate effect: If the target empire has Religious
Strife, then the controller of the event may remove that artefact, in which case the event has no
further effect. Otherwise, all disorder in the target empire is removed.
Land Reforms (T): The target is any empire. Immediate effect: If the target empire has
Concentrated Ownership, then the controller of the event may remove that artefact, in which case
the event has no further effect. Otherwise, all disorder in the target empire is removed.
New World (T)253: The target is any 4th-age or 5th-age empire that has Christianity but neither
Socialism nor Religious Strife. Immediate effect: The controller of the event chooses a
connected set of up to four neutral land areas in the Americas. These are the “destination areas”.
Then the target empire’s player254 moves units (of that empire) to the destination areas, one at a
time, with no more than one unit moving to each destination area, until either every destination
area has a unit or no more moves are possible, within the following restrictions: Each unit is
picked up and placed on its destination, without regard for the distance travelled or for any
intervening spaces. A non-aircraft unit cannot be removed from a land area if no non-aircraft
units would remain there (unless the empire’s special rules allow it to abandon land areas). A
naval unit cannot be placed on a non-coastal land area. If a naval unit is placed on a dual-
coastline land area, the placing player can choose either coastline for it to occupy. Each moving
unit takes control of its destination area, with the usual effects. (Any city in the area has its level
reduced by one increment.) Leaders cannot accompany the units that are moved by this event.
251
The card refers to a “target empire”, but the effects belong to that empire’s player, so the distinction
makes no difference.
252
The card refers to the player with the “next highest” amount of glory, which in typical usage would
indicate an amount that is less than the target player’s glory. (For example, if the target player is 3 rd
highest, then the “next highest” means 4th highest.) But my interpretation of the card (following a hint in
the qualifier “unless they are already top”) is upheld by HR041119.
253
HR050419 confirms that the reference to the Pope in the card text is merely for flavour. The Pope
artefact does not have to be in play in order for this event to be playable.
254
The card text appears to give the event controller the choice of which units to move as well as the choice
of destination areas, but that interpretation leads to awkward questions about the “fog of war” rules. In any
case, HR081225 confirms that the controller has the choice of destination areas.
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Tribute (T): The target is any pair of mutually adjacent areas, where one is neutral and the other
is not, and there is not already a tribute marker on the boundary between those two areas. (These
areas do not have to be land areas.) Immediate effect: A tribute marker is placed on the
boundary between the two areas of the target pair.
* Effects of tribute markers: (1) All tribute markers are removed from an area’s boundaries when
it changes from neutral to controlled, or changes from controlled to neutral, or changes control
(from one empire to another) by liberation or conversion. (2) If a tribute marker is on the
boundary between a neutral area and an area controlled by the active empire during production,
that neutral area also earns income for the empire, as if the empire controlled it. This benefit does
not apply to the special Korean income during destiny.
9b. The Big Five
These events are all subject to possible censure by the United Nations. If a censure is rejected,
the active player loses one glory point, and the event’s effects are then implemented normally. If
a censure is accepted, the event has no effect.
Rebellion (T): The target is any empire that does not have Just Rule. Immediate effect: All
units255 of that empire that are in disordered areas are removed.
Empire Collapses (T): The target is any empire that does not have Just Rule. Immediate effect:
First, all units of that empire that are in disordered areas are removed. Next, disorder is placed in
every area that is still controlled by that empire and is eligible to gain disorder. (The second step
applies even if nothing happened in the first step.)
New Dynasty (T) can only be played if the active player has fewer empires in play than the
allowed maximum. The target is any empire that controls at least two disordered areas and does
not have Just Rule. (If there is no available set of empire counters that is suitable for the active
player, then the target must also be using a colour that is suitable for the active player256.)
Immediate effect: The empire now belongs to the event’s initiator. Its card goes among that
player’s empire cards. The card keeps all markers other than its action marker (if any). If the
initiator has an action marker (in play) without an empire card under it, she/he may (but is not
required to) put the target empire’s card under any such action marker257. If the empire already
belongs to the initiator and is under an action marker, she/he may leave the card where it is.
Otherwise, the card will have no action marker. The initiator must choose a colour for the
empire, in the same way as in an empire-starting procedure, but treating the empire’s present
colour as if it is not currently in play. The empire changes to the chosen colour (if it is not
already in that colour). If the new colour’s counter mix does not allow all units to change, the
excess units (selected by the event initiator) are simply removed. All aspects of the empire’s
history for which no markers are provided in the game remain unchanged (except that the empire
loses any “marriages” imposed by it or on it258). Finally, disorder may be placed in every land
area in the target empire that is eligible for disorder, at the option of the player who owned the
target empire at the start of the event.
Empire Fragments (T): The target is any empire that controls at least two areas and does not
have Just Rule. Immediate effect: The controller of the event declares a number of factions into
which the target empire will be divided, and specifies which of the empire’s controlled areas will
255
The card’s reference to the removal of leaders, forts, and artefacts is unnecessary. These removals, as a
side effect of the removal units, are already covered by applicable rules. (Crusade and Jihad are not
removed.) The same comment goes for Empire Collapses.
256
HR050102: A suitable colour must be available, but the target empire’s colour is treated as “available”.
257
HR050125.
258
The card does not say this, but it seems to be implied by the title of the event.
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belong to each. (Each area goes to one faction, and each faction gets at least one area.) Then the
controller draws and discards a randomiser card. If the value of that card is less than or equal to
the number of factions, then the faction designations are ignored, and the event has no further
effect. Otherwise, the owning player of the target empire chooses one faction to be retained.
There follows a series of faction takeovers, as follows: The first opportunity to take over a
faction belongs to the player to the left of the owner of the target empire, the next opportunity to
the next player to the left, and so on. A player who already has the maximum allowed number of
empires in play cannot take over a faction. A player can take over a faction only if a set of
empire counters suitable for that player is available. The retained faction cannot be taken over.
Otherwise, a faction can be taken over as long as the original (target) empire controls at least one
of that faction’s designated areas. (A faction that has already been taken over cannot be taken
over again.) A player is never forced to take over a faction. Takeover opportunities continue
until no more factions are available, or none of the players is eligible to take over a faction, or
every player has declined an opportunity. (The faction takeover procedure is described in detail
later in this subsection, after the description of the Civil War event. A faction takeover causes a
new empire to be created.) Following all faction takeovers, any remaining faction designations
within the territory still controlled by the original (target) empire become irrelevant and can be
ignored. Finally, money is distributed among all the surviving participating empires, as described
at the end of this subsection. (The “participating empires” are the original empire and all new
empires created in this event.)
Civil War (T) can only be played if the active player has fewer empires in play than the allowed
maximum, and only if a set of empire counters suitable for that player is available. The target is
any empire that controls at least two areas and does not have Just Rule. Immediate effect: The
target empire is divided into two factions (the “retained faction” and the “rebel faction”), as
follows: Every area controlled by the target empire, one at a time, is assigned to a faction. The
first area to be assigned is chosen by the empire’s owner, and is assigned to the retained faction.
The second area is chosen by the event’s controller, and is assigned to the rebel faction. The third
area is chosen by the empire’s owner – and so on, alternating, until every area in the target empire
is assigned. (An already-assigned area cannot be re-assigned.) The event’s initiator takes over
the rebel faction, using the procedure detailed below. (A faction takeover causes a new empire to
be created.) Following the takeover, money is redistributed between the surviving participating
empires, as described at the end of this subsection. (The “participating empires” are the original
empire and the new empire created in this event.) Finally, each surviving participating empire
loses one progress level. (These progress losses are simultaneous.)
* Faction-takeover procedure (for Civil War and Empire Fragments): A new empire is created,
belonging to the player doing the takeover. A “virtual” (i.e. imaginary) card is created to serve as
the empire’s card. The new empire has all the same national characteristics as the parent empire
– as if the virtual card were a copy of the original. If the player doing the takeover has an action
marker (in play) without an empire card under it, that player may (but is not required to) put the
new (virtual) card under any such marker259. Otherwise, the (virtual) card does not go under any
action marker. The player doing the takeover chooses a colour for the new empire, in the same
way as in an empire-starting procedure. The new empire starts with zero money (though it may
end up with money due to the redistribution at the end of the event). The new empire starts with
the same progress level as the parent empire. (If the empire is beyond the 49th level, there is no 7
point glory award for the new empire.) All units and leaders in areas belonging to the designated
faction now belong to the new empire, changing colour where necessary. (If the new empire’s
counter mix does not allow all units in the faction to change colour, the excess units – chosen by
the player doing the takeover – are simply removed.) If the new empire gets the old empire’s
259
HR050125, reversing an earlier ruling (HR050119), but upholding one still earlier (HR041206).
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capital, it becomes the new empire’s capital. Artefacts, forts, disorder, and tribute markers are
retained (except where an area becomes neutral due to counter mix limits). The new empire gains
the same number of elite markers as the parent empire. The new empire shares all aspects of the
parent empire’s history for which no markers are provided in the game: It has the same starting
area(s) as the parent empire260; it has any “no cavalry” or “no naval” restrictions that the parent
empire has; it is considered to have the same history of having attacked (or having been attacked
by) certain other empires; etc. (Exception: No “marriages” apply to the new empire). If the
parent empire has a religion for which another marker is available, the new empire gets the same
religion (with no immediate effect). If the parent empire has a government for which another
marker is available, the new empire gets the same government (with no immediate effect)261. The
new empire does not get any red artefacts, nor does it get any units in delayed-entry mode (see
Secret Mobilisation). At the end of each faction takeover, elephant area control effects are
applied. (Areas belonging to still-unclaimed factions, in an Empire Fragments event, are still
controlled by the original empire.)
Example: A Time Wrinkle event is in effect, on a wild card marker. Ivy’s Steppe Nomads conquer a land
area from Claire’s Byzantines during a manoeuvre action, causing the latter to lose one progress level (by
vandalism – see page 67). Later that turn, Zachary starts a civilise action with a wild card marker having
no empire under it. He plays Civil War on the Steppe Nomads, and puts the “virtual card” of that empire
under his wild card. After his “playing cards” step, he does the rest of his civilise action as an empire
action – so his (splinter) Steppe Nomads promote a leader, adopt a religion, etc. During the extra action
round of the same turn, he uses his wild card to do a manoeuvre, and his (splinter) Steppe Nomads conquer
a land area from the Byzantines. This time, the Byzantines do not lose a progress level, because the history
of having already conquered some Byzantine territory this turn is inherited by the splinter empire. But the
two Steppe Nomads empires have independent histories following their split; so on the following turn, they
could each cause the Byzantines to lose one progress level, if they both conquer Byzantine territory.
* Effects of “virtual cards”262: A virtual card functions as an empire card for all purposes, for as
long as its empire remains in play. The existence of a virtual card modifies the procedure for
discarding an empire, as follows. A discarded empire’s card only goes into the discard pile if it is
a real (non-virtual) card and no virtual cards of the same nationality are currently in play. If an
empire’s card is a virtual card, then (if and when that empire is discarded) that virtual card simply
ceases to exist. If an empire’s card is a real card, but a virtual card for an empire of the same
nationality is in play, then (if and when that empire is discarded) the real card is swapped for the
virtual card, which then ceases to exist. (If there is more than one matching virtual card, any one
of these virtual cards can be replaced by the real card; it does not matter which one is replaced.)
* Money redistribution in Civil War and Empire Fragments: Let X be the amount of money that
the original empire had at the start of the event, let N be the number of participating empires that
are still in play at the end of the event, and let L be the number of participating empires that (still)
have at least one leader in play at the end of the event. (These money redistribution rules are
written according to the assumption that no instant-money events (such as Copper Mine) were
played while the Civil War or Empire Fragments event was underway. If such events were
played, then of course the target empire of each such event retains all money resulting from those
events, in addition to the money granted by the following rules.) If one of the participating
empires now has a capital, that empire ends the event with X money, and the rest of the
260
HR050210.
261
HR050323 confirms that the new empire copies the original empire’s religion and/or government, if
possible (as does HR050126), and that the new empire gets no red artefacts. It could also be read as
confirming that the new empire gets the same number of elite markers as the original empire. HR091227
confirms that the new empire inherits any history of having recently lost territory to an empire of another
player, for the sake of the unit purchase benefit of Democracy.
262
HR050125 (and arguably implicit in HR041216).
- 102 -
participating empires are left with zero money. Otherwise, if L > 0, each participating empire
that has at least one leader ends the event with X/L money (with fractions rounded as usual),
while each participating empire with no leaders is left with zero money. If none of the
participating empires has a capital or a leader, then each surviving participating empire ends the
event with X/N money (with fractions rounded as usual).
9c. Other social problems
Uprising (T): The target is any empire. Immediate effect: The event’s controller draws cards
from the deck, one at a time, looking at each card and deciding whether it will be the last one. If
a third card is drawn, in the case of the weaker version of the event (card 90), that card must be
the last. If a fourth card is drawn, that card must be the last. In each case, if the card is not the
last one, it is discarded immediately before drawing the next one. The last card (the “uprising
randomiser”) is kept face-down. The owner of the target empire draws cards similarly, but now
the maximum number of cards drawn is equal to the leader rating of that empire, and the last card
(the “police randomiser”) need not be kept face-down. Then the two randomiser cards are
revealed and discarded (the uprising randomiser first). If the value of the uprising randomiser is
less than the value of the police randomiser, then nothing happens. If the two randomisers have
the same value, then one area controlled by the target empire gains disorder (if any are eligible for
disorder). Otherwise, the number of areas controlled by the target empire that gain disorder is
either twice the difference in the values of the two randomisers, or the total number of areas in the
target empire that are eligible for disorder, whichever is less. The event controller chooses the
areas to become disordered. (Areas are chosen all at once, before disorder resistance due to
Confucianism is determined. If an area successfully resists disorder, another disorder marker
cannot be placed in the same area as part of the same event.)
Chaos (T): The target is any empire with at least one green or red artefact marker. When the
event is announced, the initiator must also specify which artefact marker will be affected. (It can
be any green or red263 artefact marker that is on the empire’s card or in an area controlled by that
empire. The affected artefact marker can be changed by a Blowback event, as if the artefact itself
were the target of the Chaos event.) Immediate effect: The designated artefact marker is
removed. The target empire loses one progress level.
Currency Crisis (T): The target is any empire. Immediate effect: The target empire loses all its
saved money.
Urban Riots (T): The target is any empire. Immediate effect: For this event, the “affected
areas” are all the areas controlled by the target empire that have cities of level 3 or higher. All
affected areas that are eligible to gain disorder do so264. In each affected area that does not have a
builder, the city level is reduced by one increment.
Barracks Revolt (T): The target is any empire that does not have Just Rule. Immediate effect:
The controller draws a card from the deck and discards it. If the value of the card is equal to or
less than the leader rating of the target empire, nothing happens. Otherwise, the difference
between those two numbers is the nominal number of internal conflicts imposed by the event.
The controller of the event selects any area (controlled by the target empire) with at least two
units, and an internal conflict takes place there. (The procedure for an internal conflict is
described in detail below.) Then, the controller selects another such area, and so on, until either
the required (nominal) number of internal conflicts has taken place, or there are no more eligible
areas. The same area cannot be selected twice.
263
I was tempted to say that this event can only affect a green artefact marker (based on a natural
interpretation of HR050114), but HR060918 explicitly says otherwise.
264
A builder’s protection from city reduction does not prevent disorder.
- 103 -
* Internal conflict procedure: The units in the affected area are revealed. The event controller
divides the units and leaders of that area into two factions, each of which must have at least one
unit. The empire’s owner chooses which faction is the defender; the other is the attacker. For the
duration of the conflict, the attacking faction is controlled by the event controller, while the
defending side is controlled by the empire’s owner. A special retreat may occur, due to the
Vietnamese special rule or the Treachery event. If there is no special retreat, then one or more
rounds of conflict are performed, as in the usual conflict procedure. (The attacking side plays the
role of the “active” empire in the conflict rules.) If the target empire has Radio, tacticians in
adjacent areas help the defender (only). Elite markers contribute equally to both sides (so they
make no difference to the results). The glory penalty from committing a nuke applies to the
player controlling the side to which that nuke belongs. There are no amphibious modifiers.
When the conflict result is decided, the aftermath is simplified: There is no elite loss265 (except as
caused by the Roman special rule). There are no glory awards. The target empire does lose its
money if the empire loses its capital as a result of the conflict266. There is no liberation; even if
the attacker wins, that side still belongs to the same empire. Leaders of the losing side that fail to
retreat are treated as abandoned, and hence removed (unless saved by Miracle Cure – see below).
If the attacker wins, forts are still removed, and the city (if any) in the embattled area is still
reduced by one increment (unless protected by a builder belonging to the attacking side), but a
capital remains a capital (unless removed entirely), and artefacts and tribute markers remain.
* Reinforcing and retreating in Barracks Revolt: All areas controlled by the target empire are
friendly to both sides, as sources of reinforcements (see Reinforcements) or as destinations for
retreat. If the attacker is reinforcing, that player is entitled to examine adjacent units of the
affected empire in order to decide which units to move. For purposes of assessing the legality of
moving aircraft units into a sea/ocean area, naval units of the opposing side are disregarded.
However, a land area that is still controlled by the affected empire is not disregarded for purposes
of allowing losing-side galleys to retreat into nearby sea/ocean areas267.
* Leaders in Barracks Revolt: During an internal conflict and its immediate aftermath, every
leader in the embattled area treats units of the opposing side as units of a different empire, but
units of the affected empire that are in other areas are considered to be friendly to both sides, for
the purpose of determining the effects (and the playability) of Miracle Cure events268. If an
adjacent leader is abandoned due to a reinforcing move, and that leader is saved by a Miracle
Cure event and relocated into the embattled area, then that leader joins the defending side.
9d. Espionage and assassination
It was an accident, officer, honest! (T) can only be played if there is an active empire. The target
is any leader that does not belong to the active empire, but belongs to an empire that is within
range of the active empire (even if the “take that!” rule is not being used). Immediate effect:
See the rules for assassinations. The cards drawn for the strength of the assassination attempt (up
to three for the card 89 event, and up to four for card 63) are drawn by the event controller.
Busted! (T): The target is any player. Immediate effect: Two cards from the target player’s
hand (or all the cards he/she has, whichever is less) are discarded. The discarded cards (and the
order in which they are discarded) are selected randomly. Those cards are considered to be
discarded by the event initiator. (This can matter if the event is taking place in a destiny action.)
265
HR060427.
266
HR090904 together with HR090527. See also footnote 58. This can also happen when the attacking
side wins (without a Builder) in an area with a level 1 capital.
267
Notice also that abandoning a land area to reinforce a sea/ocean area can cause galleys in the latter area
to disappear – which can even end the conflict, if one side had only galleys.
268
HR080401.
- 104 -
Counterspy (T): The target is any player269. Immediate effect: If the target is the initiator,
nothing happens. Otherwise, the initiator and the controller look at the target player’s cards in
hand, and the initiator takes one of them (if there are any). The controller chooses which card the
initiator takes270.
9e. Natural disasters
Fires (T): The target is any controlled non-desert land area. Immediate effect: For this event,
the “affected areas” are the target area and every adjacent controlled non-desert land area. All
affected areas that are eligible to gain disorder do so.
Storms (T): The target is any controlled sea or ocean area. Immediate effect: For this event, the
“affected areas” are the target area and every adjacent controlled sea or ocean area. In each
affected area, the event controller looks through the units in the area and removes one naval unit
(if any are there), without rearranging the remaining units (if any).
Flood (T): The target is any empire in play that controls at least one land area that is adjacent to
a river. When the event is announced, the initiator must also specify which river system will be
affected. (The target empire must control at least one land area that is adjacent to the designated
river system. Rivers are considered to belong to the same river system if they are depicted on the
map as connected to each other. A canal is not a river. The designated river system can be
changed by a Blowback event, as if the river system itself were the target of the Flood event271.)
Immediate effects: For this event, the “affected areas” are all land areas that are adjacent to the
designated river system. All affected areas that are eligible to gain disorder do so.
Earthquake (T): The target is any controlled mountain area. Immediate effect: For this event,
the “affected areas” are the target area and every272 adjacent mountain, jungle, or forest area
(except forest areas that are controlled by 6th-age or 7th-age empires273). First, all affected areas
that are eligible to gain disorder do so. Then all empires lose as many progress levels as the
number of affected areas they control274. (These progress losses are simultaneous.) Finally, if at
least one affected area has a city, the event controller selects one such area, and its city is reduced
by one increment. Exception: The city is not reduced if its area contains a builder. (Such an area
can still be selected, to satisfy the event requirement.)
269
HR050314. (Version 1.0 of this document erroneously excluded the initiator from the possible targets.)
270
HR061211 confirms that the controller chooses which card is stolen, but the stolen card goes to the
initiator. An ambiguity remains: One could argue that the controller is not eligible to look at the target
player’s cards, implying that the selection is random if the controller is neither the initiator nor the target.
But my interpretation is in keeping with the principle that the controller is generally entitled to whatever
information is necessary to make the decisions involved in the execution of an event. For a point of
comparison, consider the exceptions to the “fog of war” rule that are found in several event descriptions
(such as Plague). This principle also accounts for the fact that the controller cannot look at the initiator’s
hand. (If the initiator is the target, then there is no decision for the controller to make.)
271
It would make more sense if the river system were in fact the target of the Flood event, since it does not
matter which empire is the target.
272
The card specifies controlled areas. Of course, neutral areas will not become disordered. But surely the
neutrality of a city should not protect it from being reduced! (Moreover, HR080526 indicates that if the
cards are re-done, they may be changed such that a neutral area will be permitted as the target area for
Earthquake, Storms, and Fires.)
273
I cannot imagine how deforestation can protect you from an earthquake, but this exception follows from
the card instructions, together with the note on the Terrain Effects Chart about forest areas. I would
propose to extend the effects of an Earthquake event to all land areas that are adjacent to the target area,
regardless of terrain.
274
If an area is protected from disorder (e.g. by being already disordered), that does not stop it from being
an “affected area” and thus causing progress loss.
- 105 -
Volcano (T): The target is any controlled mountain area. Immediate effect: All units are
removed from the target area, and the empire losing those units loses one progress level. (There
is no effect on any city in the area275, other than removal of capital status.)
Tsunami (T): The target is any controlled sea area. Immediate effect: The event controller
looks through the units in the target area and removes all naval units from there, without
rearranging the remaining (i.e., aircraft) units (if any).
Equine Fever (T): The target is any controlled land area. Immediate effect: The event
controller looks through the units in the target area and removes all cavalry units (except tanks276)
from there, without rearranging the remaining units (if any).
Plague (T): The target is any controlled area (land or otherwise). Immediate effect: The effects
of the event consist of a series of outbreaks, each applied to one area. The target area gets the
first outbreak. The procedure for an outbreak is described in detail at the end of this subsection.
If the nominal amount of damage caused by an outbreak is zero or less, the event ends.
Otherwise, the event controller selects another area for the next outbreak, if possible. An area
cannot receive two outbreaks in the same event. After the first outbreak, the area selected for
each outbreak must be a controlled area that is adjacent to the area that received the previous
outbreak. If no eligible area exists, the event ends. Outbreaks continue until the event ends in
one of the two ways specified here.
Pestilence (T): The description of Plague above applies equally to Pestilence. (There is a small
difference, but that difference is covered in the description of the outbreak procedure below.)
* Outbreak procedure: The event controller draws a (randomiser) card from the deck and
discards it. The nominal amount of damage done by the outbreak is determined by the value of
the randomiser card and the age of the empire that controls the affected area: In a Plague event, it
is equal to the age minus the card value, while in a Pestilence event, it is equal to the card value
minus the age. If the nominal damage is zero or less, nothing happens (and the event ends).
Otherwise, the event controller assigns damage to the contents of the area (and can look through
the units therein for this purpose277). One point of damage can be assigned to each unit in the
area. One point of damage can be assigned to each leader in the area. If there is a city in the area,
damage can be assigned to it up to its number of increments (i.e., half of its level, rounding
fractions up) – but no damage can be assigned to a city if there are any builders in the area to
whom no damage is assigned. The total amount of damage assigned (to everything in the area)
must be equal to the nominal damage, if possible. Otherwise, maximal damage is assigned to
everything in the area. Every unit that receives a point of damage is removed. If at least one unit
remains in the area, then all leaders to whom damage was assigned are removed (unless saved by
Miracle Cure, of course). If no units remain, then the usual rule for abandoned leaders applies,
and any damage assigned to leaders is irrelevant. If there are now no builders remaining in the
area278, then the city (if any) loses as many increments as the number of points of damage
assigned to it. At the end of each outbreak, elephant area control effects are applied.
275
HR080513. But I propose that any city in the area should be removed, or at least reduced.
276
Given the title of the card, I would prefer to treat elephants as another exception (since there is no
possible sense in which elephants are “equine”). However, HR080822 confirms that elephants are cavalry
“for all purposes”, and the card instructions do not mention elephants as an exception.
277
HR041207.
278
Previous versions of this document removed this restriction, claiming that the ability of a builder to
protect a city was covered by the restrictions on assigning damage, as described above. But Željko Šokčić
was right when he tried to persuade me, all those years ago, that the builders’ protection should be absolute.
- 106 -

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Nit-Pickers’ Guide to 7 Ages, version 2.

Nit-Pickers’ Guide to 7 Ages

Commentary on the Rules

Playing the game7

Building new units

attacker sits here

Glory from your homeland

Commentary on the Player’s Guide

Guide to Empire Special Rules

Catalogue of Empire Special Rules

strategists. However, a “free manoeuvre” is not considered to be an “action”. In particular, a

2c. Unit progress thresholds

3d. Glory from trade

4c. Generic conflict modifiers

4h. Removing disorder

2b. Action marker preparation

4. Procedure repetition events

7. Trade procedure modifications

7d. Disposition of cards

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