Living Play Book • December 2013 PLAY BOOK Table of Contents PB 1.0 Optional Rules ....................................................... 2 PB 5.0 Example of Play .................................................. 13 PB 2.0 Game Setup ........................................................... 4 PB 6.0 Historical Notes ................................................... 19 PB 3.0 Scenarios ............................................................... 4 PB 7.0 Expanded Sequence of Play ................................ 28 PB 4.0 Designer Notes .................................................... 11 This is the “Living Play Book” document for the game. It includes errata and clarifications to the original rules. To aid readability, errata is indicated in blue text. GMT Games, LLC • P.O. Box 1308, Hanford, CA 93232-1308 www.GMTGames.com 2 CROWN OF ROSES Play Book Example: On Turn 3, March is the Senior York Heir, but Rivers is currently not controlled by York; though York has influence placed on him, as well as Warwick. As such, York loses one Popular Support at the beginning of the King Phase but the IPs placed on Warwick are subject to no negative modifier. On Turn 4, assuming Rivers is still controlled by York, York will have to place at least one (1) IP on Warwick or lose him during the Parliament Phase (3 pro-York Roses – 4 [Game Turn] equals negative 1). PB 1.3 Distrustful Margaret Rule (Historical Rule) Queen Margaret was very distrustful of Henry Holland, the Duke of Exeter (Exeter Block), especially early in the conflict, as Exeter was Henry VI’s immediate Heir at the time. Because of this mistrust (which turned out to be misplaced), Exeter can- not Lead any non-Office Blocks for Movement or Combat while Margaret is In-Play in England (i.e., not in Exile). PB 1.4 Shared Estates Some Nobles/Heirs may treat Home Estates of some other PB 1.0 Optional Rules Nobles/Heirs as if they were their own Home Estate, in all respects and for all game purposes. They may share Estates PB 1.1 Force Exhaustion according to the following list: This rule simulates the possibility that both armies will be too • Henry VI and his Host Block, Margaret and her Host Block, exhausted and/or too weak to continue with a Battle. If, dur- and Prince Edward (Lancaster Block) may share Estates (this ing any Combat Round, both forces roll no hits, both sides are is in addition to being able to use the Red Rose Lancaster considered to be “exhausted”. The Battle ends and the Attacker Estates). must Retreat, if possible. If he cannot Retreat, the Defender may Retreat if he has a valid Retreat path. If the Defender chooses • Salisbury, Warwick, and Montague may share Estates if the not to Retreat, then the Attacker moves all his Blocks to his same Player controls the Blocks who are sharing. Undeclared Pool. This is in addition to any Nobles that share a shield icon on their Blocks. Placement is still subject to the restrictions in the PB 1.2 Woodville Rule (Historical Rule) normal rules (7.2.6). While March is the Senior York Heir, at the beginning of each King Phase (before resolving any actions of the King PB 1.5 Team Games Phase), the York Player must check to see if he controls the It is possible for Players to play the game as teams. In a four- Rivers Noble Block. player game, there will be two teams of two. A three-player If York does not control Rivers, York loses one (1) Popular game can also be used for team play, and this is especially Support. useful if one player is more experienced (the less experienced players each play one half of one team). Teams can consist of If York does control Rivers, York suffers the following pen- any two Houses (exception: Lancaster and York may never be alty: for each of the Warwick (blue background) Nobles, York on the same team, and Buckingham and Warwick may never is considered to have a negative influence modifier equal to the be on the same team). current Game Turn number. Team games use all of the standard rules, except as noted here: When resolving the Gather Supporter’s Phase, check the net bid amount for each Warwick Noble influenced OR controlled • Each Player in a team functions as a separate entity, with by York (even if no IP Markers are placed on those Nobles – this individual turns and separate hands. Each will have his own is different than in the normal rules!). If the net bid amount is pool of Influence Points. negative, York loses control of that Noble and places him next • Team members cannot engage in combat against their partner. to the game board as an Inactive Noble (obviously, if another They cannot Intercept, Evade, or otherwise avoid forces be- Player had successfully influenced the Noble, it would be placed longing to their partner (e.g., by Card play). Blocks belonging with that Player’s In-Play Nobles, instead). to a Player’s partner are considered Friendly. Remember: In a four-player game, Warwick Heirs cannot be influenced at all. © 2013 GMT Games, LLC CROWN OF ROSES Play Book 3 • Any Shire that is Friendly for either partner is considered An Economic Victory counts all areas held by the team (sum Friendly for both partners, except for the purposes of Influ- the values for each partner), but Automatic Victory is always ence and Military Victory. Each Player tracks his control of per the 2-player level (i.e. 14 VP’s). Political Victories require Shires separately for Economic Victory and for determining one (1) additional Turn as King for the team (note: Turns with new IPs. Control is determined by whichever partner has either partner being King count) and count all Nobles controlled the most Blocks in the Shire, ties resolved per the normal tie by the team (sum the number for each partner). breaking rules (10.5.1). Example: Lancaster and Buckingham are a team against York • In Combat, each partner may contribute some forces to the in a 3-player game. For them to achieve a Military Victory, active Battle. One Player must contribute the Leader Block, as they would need to control the six York-loyal Shires while he would with any Battle. Each Player decides which Blocks maintaining control of at least four Shires loyal to each of he is willing to contribute separately, but the total number of Lancaster and Buckingham. Blocks picked for the Main Force may not exceed the Com- mand Rating of the Leader Block. Blocks in excess of this • Each Player in a team can also win an individual Military, value are placed in the Reserves, as normal. Reinforcements Economic or Political Victory if he meets the criteria as set arrive as normal, but from both partner’s forces. forth in the scenario instruction. • Retreats in combat are at the discretion of the House con- • Remember: In team play, Lancaster can never partner with trolling the Leader Block, only. Each Player may Retreat to York, and Buckingham can never partner with Warwick. a different location, as long as he has a valid Retreat path. Remember: Blocks belonging to the Player’s partner are PB 1.6 IP Collection/Usage considered Friendly. If you find that you want even more voting, deal making and backstabbing among Players, make the following slight change • The decision to conduct a Battle Charge is at the discretion of to how IPs are collected and used. In the Influence Phase, when the House controlling the Leader Block (only), but is limited you calculate the number of IPs you are to gain, mark this with to one (1) Heir, per the normal rules. The Leader Block may your small cylinder as usual. However, do not collect these select a partner’s Heir to Charge, but the partner may decline new IPs at this point. to Charge if he desires. Next, calculate your total available votes and mark this total as • Each partner rolls the damage dice for his own Blocks. The normal. Then, collect a number of IP Markers from your Un- combined total is applied to the enemy force. claimed Pool equal to this total (important: keep these separate • Damage is distributed between the partners according to the from your Stock IPs!). Determine the King as normal, voting standard rules, with the House controlling the Leader Block based on your total votes recorded above. determining ties. After determining the new King, each Player uses these separate • In a joint combat force, each Player keeps his own Blocks in IP Markers as “Votes” during the upcoming Office Phase to front of himself. bid on the various Offices. I.e., true IP Markers are now only • In team play, each partner’s Heirs function normally. used for Influencing Nobles, while these “Votes” (temporarily represented by IP Markers) are used to vote on Offices. At the • Cards that affects combat can be played by either partner and conclusion of the Office Phase, return all unused “Votes” (IP affect all Friendly or Enemy forces (i.e., all partner forces Markers) to your Unclaimed Pool, and then collect your new, are affected by any applicable Cards). true, IPs based on the small cylinder you marked previously. • In Parliament, each Player casts his Votes independently, but may (obviously) cast his Votes for his partner by selec-tion of Example: York determines that he has gained 18 IPs this turn, his partner’s “Votes for” marker. Partners are free to discuss so places his small white cylinder on the “18” square of the supporting votes. Influence Track. He does not collect 18 points of IP Mark- ers yet, however. Instead, play proceeds to the King Phase • Military Victory requires the indicated number of enemy Shires where he calculates his total Votes—an astounding 24.