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1) Overview
b.
Realms,
Provinces/Seas &
Armies/Fleets
c. Fog of War
2) Encyclopedia of Game Features
3) Turn Events
6) Game map
Strategy & Conquest: DarkAges is a turn-based strategy war-game set in medieval Europe (c. 870 AD) following the death of Charlemagne. The Frankish Empire has been divided among his three grandsons, leading to the disintegration of central and western Europe. Nobles are carving out their own kingdoms in the midst of declining Frankish authority.
The game is turn-based, with everyone’s orders processed
together at the same time. This makes the diplomatic aspect of the game even
more important because one can never be sure if another player will actually do
what they said they would do. Orders are processed in a certain order, and that
order is important.
The game is about conquest. Victory comes from gaining territory. More territory means more revenue, and more revenue means bigger armies with which to gain even more territory.
Each of the 35 players in the game starts with four
provinces worth 70 – 95 gold in total. The game ends when victory is declared
by a coalition of no more than six players who own provinces with a total,
combined value of at least 2,709 gold (that being one more than half the total
value of all the provinces on the map).
Battles
Provinces are conquered by declaring war on the owner of the province, moving an army into the province and defeating any opposition. Opposing armies are defeated through battles, which occur any time the forces of realms at war are in the same province or sea at the same time. A battle between two enemy forces ends only when one of them is wiped out or retreats.
Battles have no effect on movement, the exception being when an army retreats from battle. Retreats result in a loss of all remaining move points.
The strength of a force in battle, whether an army or a fleet, is determined by the individual units that make up the force. Each unit has an Attack factor and a Loss factor. The Attack factor is a unit’s percentage chance of inflicting damage on the enemy during one round of battle. For example, Archers have an Attack factor of 42, meaning that each has a 42% chance of inflicting damage on an enemy each round of battle, with each battle having at least one round. The Loss factor is the amount of damage can sustain before being killed. For example, Saracen Infantry have a Loss factor of 2.0, meaning a unit of such infantry will be eliminated if it takes two points of damage from an enemy.
There are modifiers that can increase or decrease the Attack and/or Loss factors of an army. They are:
Amphibious modifier: Armies that fight after being disembarked from a fleet onto a coastal province have their Attack factor modified downward by the amphibious modifier. Attack factors are reduced by 30% for archery and infantry, and by 60% for cavalry. This modifier does not apply to Housecarls or siege equipment (Battering Rams and Catapults).
Troops-fighting-at-sea modifier: Armies embarked on fleets assist in battles at sea, but have their Attack factor modified downward by the troops-fighting-at-sea modifier. Attack factors are reduced by 20% for archery, by 30% for infantry and by 65% for cavalry. This modifier does not apply to Housecarls.
Fort modifier: Troops defending a fort have both their Attack factor and their Loss factor modified upward. The level of the fort determines the number of troops that can take advantage of this modifier and the extent to which they benefit from the modifier. One type of unit gets a special bonus when fighting from a fort in addition to the fort modifier: Crossbowmen defending a fort have their Attack factor increased from 38 to 45. If Crossbowmen are in a province with a fort and their realm has the fort advantage then the Attack factor of the Crossbowmen will be 45 regardless of the garrison size for that fort.
Commander modifier: Armies or fleets being led by a Commander have their Attack factor modified upward. With each battle, the Commander modifier improves. As a result, more experienced Commanders provide a better modifier as compared to recently recruited Commanders.
Loyalty modifier: Each 1% increase in loyalty above 100% results in an increase of the Attack factor of all troops, ranging from 0.1% to 0.2%. Lower loyalty will decrease the performance of troops, with each decrease in loyalty below 100% resulting in a 0.2% decrease in the Attack factor of all troops.
Tactics modifier: Each army and fleet is assigned a tactic that modifies their Attack and/or Loss factors. Players have a choice of four tactics:
· Normal: No change
· Defensive: Increases the Loss factor of all the troops in the army by 10% but also decreases the Attack factor by 10%.
· Offensive: Increases the Attack factor of all troops by 10% but decreases the Loss factor by 10%.
· Do or Die: Increases the Attack factor by 20% and decreases the Loss factor by 15%, but the army cannot retreat. It fights a battle until either it or the enemy is wiped out.
The first four (Amphibious, Troops-fighting-at-sea, Fort and Commander modifiers) are all applied at the unit level, with different types of units having different modifiers. The last two (Loyalty modifier and Tactics modifier) are applied at the army/fleet level.
Movement
Each type of unit has a different movement allowance. The movement allowance for each type of unit is provided in the Table of Troop/Ship Types. When different types of units are combined into an army, the movement allowance for the combined army is that of the unit with the lowest movement.
The cost of moving through seas and one’s own provinces is one move point. It also only costs one move point to move through provinces owned by a realm that has granted passage rights. It costs two move points to move through provinces belonging to a realm that has not granted passage rights. There is no movement cost if an army or fleet holds position during a phase.
Armies and fleets can only move outside their own realm if there is a commander leading them. The exceptions to this rule are Counter-spies and Spies, which move independently. Commanders can lead more than one army or fleet during the course of a turn by transferring from one to another and then leading the one to which it has transferred.
There are six movement phases in a turn. This not only allows armies and fleets to move through multiple provinces or seas during a single turn, but also provides the added dimension of time to the planning of tactics and moves.
Each player owns and controls realms, provinces and armies/fleets.
Realms
There are 35 realms (one for each player) in the game. Each is based on a historical political entity in the late 9th century AD (see List of Realms).
Each realm starts with four provinces from which revenue is derived. That revenue is used to pay for armies: the greater the revenue the greater the forces that can be recruited and maintained.
The revenue gained each turn from the provinces owned by a player is determined by the tax rate. The value of provinces owned multiplied by the tax rate equals the revenue received. The tax rate can be as low as 75% or as high as 125%. Players must be wise in selecting their tax rate. If the rate is too low, the revenue potential will not be maximized; if the rate is too high then loyalty will fall and provinces may rebel.
The tax rate is reset to 100% at the start of each turn, so players need to set the tax rate each turn to the desired level. If the tax rate is left at 100%, revenue will not be optimized.
Each realm has a leader, and the Nobility rank of that leader is determined by the value of the provinces owned. All players start at the lowest rank: Knight. The goal is to reach the rank of Emperor. Each increase in Nobility brings with it some slight advantages.
Diplomacy and relations with other players/realms are very important. Growth comes as much from alliances with other players as from good strategy and tactics. There are four levels of diplomatic status between each realm: War, Neutral, Non-aggression pact and Alliance. A downgrade in status can be done unilaterally; an upgrade in status requires agreement by both parties. Other realms can only be attacked if the diplomatic status is war. Effectively, this means that if a realm has Alliance status with another realm it will need two turns of downgrading status before it can attack that realm.
Each realm has a name, Nobility
rank, a tax rate, a loyalty level
and a diplomatic status with other realms.
Provinces/Seas
The goal of the game is to expand one's realm by conquering provinces. Adding provinces means greater revenue, an increase in one's Nobility and, eventually, victory. Each province has a value that remains the same throughout the game. The value of provinces cannot be changed. However, the revenue gained from provinces each turn can be adjusted plus/minus 25% by adjusting the tax rate.
Ownership of a province is determined after movement and battles, but before revenue is allocated. So, in order to conquer a province one must have an army there at the end of the six movement/battle phases. Ownership changes either as a result of the province being gifted or the province being conquered.
Seas have no value but are important as a means of attacking coastal provinces.
There are 323 provinces and 54 seas.
Each province has a name, value, owner, harbor level (which is zero for provinces without a harbor) and fort level (which is zero for provinces without a fort). Each province also has a different set of troop/ship types that can be recruited in that province.
Each sea has a name.
Armies/Fleets
There are two types of forces: armies and fleets. Armies consist of troops that move on land, but can also be transported by fleets. Fleets consist of ships and move on seas, although they can also move to coastal provinces that have a harbor.
Land troops are recruited in provinces that have a fort. The higher the level of the fort the greater the number of troops that can be recruited each turn.
Ships are produced in provinces that have a harbor. The higher the level of the harbor the greater the number of ships that can be recruited each turn.
The Vikings have Longboats and Dragon Ships, which have the most move points and lowest maintenance of all ships. However, they also have the lowest attack capability. Realms in the Mediterranean have the widest range of ships, ranging from the Light Galley to the Heavy Galley. The Heavy Galley and Dromon are the strongest of the ships available. The realms in the west have the Fragata and Galeota, which offer the best attack/gold ratios.
For all realms, the lighter ships are cheaper and offer better attack/gold ratios than the heavier ships. But, the lighter ships also have higher maintenance costs relative to the heavier ships. Players must weigh their options carefully when building their fleets.
Both the troops and ships that combine to form armies and fleets are organized into ranks. There are six ranks. The ranks determine the order in which units are eliminated in a battle. Those in the first rank are eliminated first; those in the sixth rank are eliminated last.
Each army/fleet has a name, location, retreat level and tactic.
Each unit within an army/fleet has an Attack factor, a Loss factor, a recruitment
cost, a maintenance cost, move
points and rank (see “Table of Troop/Ship Types”).
Each player’s view of the game map, and events in the game, is limited by the reach of their realm. Players can see information on all the provinces they own and those that are adjacent, as well as all provinces/seas in which their troops/fleets are located at the end of a turn. They will also see information on provinces/seas their troops move through during the course of a turn.
The fog of war feature means that each player will have a different view of what is happening in the game. They will have good information on what is happening near their realm but limited information on what is happening across the map.
Spies are useful in gathering
information on distant regions. They are invisible to other realms – unless
revealed by Counter-spies – and are better able to
provide information on provinces next to their location while regular forces
can only provide information on provinces they are in.
Players are able to order the following actions during their turn, using the game interface. The actions are categorized according to the game interface tab where the action is executed.
Map Room
Set tax rate: The tax rate can be set as high as 125% or as low as 75%. The tax rate will inversely affect Loyalty, and if Loyalty falls below 100% there is the risk of rebellion.
The tax rate is changed by using the arrows next to the current tax rate to raise or lower the rate. Once it is at the desired level, click “update” to set the new tax rate.
Forts, Harbors & Review
Upgrade or raze harbor: Harbors can be increased or decreased one level each turn. Increasing a harbor costs gold (see “Harbors”). If there is no harbor then none can be built there. A harbor cannot be razed lower than level 1.
Harbors are upgraded or razed by selecting one or more harbors (those with a “H” in the Type/Level column) then clicking “upgrade” to upgrade the harbor or “raze” to raze the harbor.
Upgrade or raze fort: Forts can be increased or decreased one level each turn. Increasing a fort costs gold (see “Forts”). Forts cannot be razed lower than level 1.
Forts are upgraded or razed by selecting one or more forts (those with a “F” in the Type/Level column) then clicking “upgrade” to upgrade the fort or “raze” to raze the fort.
Undo orders: Orders once submitted can be cancelled, as long as it is done before the turn deadline. Some orders, such as movement and transfers, might impact other moves made in later phases. These must be rolled-back one by one. Orders that can be cancelled are highlight under “Review Orders”. To cancel an order, select an order and click the “undo” button.
Reset orders:
Players can also cancel all submitted orders and reset
the game interface to where it was at the start of the turn. Please note orders
can only be reset prior to the turn deadline. To cancel all orders, click the
“reset” button and then click “OK” to confirm.
Diplomacy
Change diplomatic status: There are four diplomatic status levels: War, Neutral, Non-aggression Pact and Alliance. Both parties must make an offer to increase the diplomatic status between their realms, but diplomatic status can be lowered unilaterally by either player.
Orders to change diplomatic status are placed by first selecting a realm the clicking “change status”. Then, select the desired status and click “confirm”.
Grant/revoke passage rights: A player’s armies can move through the lands of others without passage rights, but with a higher cost in move points. The granting of passage rights allows the troops of the designated realm to move through one’s lands at a movement cost of one per province.
To grant or revoke passage rights, select a realm then click “change passage”. If a change in passage has been ordered that turn, it will be noted in the information box for the relevant realm next to “Passage granted?”.
Give a province to another realm: A realm can gift a single province to any other realm, regardless of the status between the two realms. Only one province can be gifted by a realm each turn.
The order to give a province to another realm is placed by first selecting a realm and clicking “give province”. Then, select the province that is to be given and click “confirm”.
Give gold to another realm: A realm can gift gold from the realm’s treasury to any other single realm, regardless of the status or distance between the two realms. However, no more than 35% of a realm’s treasury at the start of a turn can be given to another realm and gold can only be gifted to one realm each turn.
Gold is gifted to another realm by selecting a realm and clicking “send gold”. Then, enter the amount of gold to be sent and click “confirm”.
Change Battle Cry: A realm’s Battle Cry is a short message that can be changed each turn. It appears in the upper left-hand corner of the Diplomacy screen, with the Battle Cry of other realms appearing in the upper right-hand corner.
To change the Battle Cry, type the new Battle Cry and click “update”.
Command Center
Change name of army/fleet: Each army and fleet has a name. The player has the option of changing the name of an army or fleet. This is done by clicking on the name of the army in the listing of armies/fleets and typing the new name.
Change name of commander: Each Commander has a name. The player has the option of changing the name of a Commander. This is done by clicking on the name of the Commander in the listing of Commanders and typing the new name.
Move army/fleet/spy: Armies and spies can be ordered to move to an adjacent province; fleets can be ordered to move to an adjacent sea or harbor.
Armies, fleets and spies are ordered to move by clicking the drop-down list in the “Location” column for the relevant army/fleet/spy, then selecting a new location. The drop-down list will only provide valid move locations.
Hold position (increase phase): Armies, fleets and spies can be ordered to hold position for a phase. This is done by clicking the drop-down list in the “Phase” column for the relevant army/fleet/spy and increasing the phase of the army or fleet by one.
Change tactics for an army/fleet: There are four tactics: Normal, Offensive, Defensive and Do-or-Die. The player has the option of changing the assigned tactic of an army or fleet during any phase of a turn.
New tactics are assigned by clicking the drop-down list in the “Tactic” column for the relevant army/fleet/spy, then selecting a new tactic.
Change retreat level for an army/fleet: Each army and fleet has a retreat level (see “Retreat (level)”). The player has the option of changing the assigned retreat level during any phase of a turn. The default retreat level for new armies/fleets is three.
Retreat levels are changed by clicking the drop-down list in the “Retreat” column for the relevant army/fleet/spy, then selecting a new retreat level.
Change rank of a unit within an army: Each unit within an army or fleet is assigned a rank, indicating the order in which casualties will be assessed. The player has the option of changing the assigned rank of a unit during any phase of a turn.
Unit ranks are changed by clicking the “change ranks” button. Players then select the army/fleet, the type of unit and current rank as well as indicating the quantity to be changed and the new rank assigned.
Transfer units from one army/fleet to another: The player has the option of transferring units from one army to another or from one fleet to another during any phase of a turn as long as both armies, or both fleets, are in the same location at the same time. Even if armies or fleets are in the same location but not at the same time, a transfer can still be made, with the game interface adjusting phases so the transfer is synchronized.
Transfers are made by clicking the “transfer” button. Players then select the army or fleet from which units are to be transferred, and the type and rank of units to be transferred. Then, select the quantity of units to be transferred, their new rank and their new army or fleet. If units are to be transferred to a new army or fleet created as part of the transfer process, select <Create New Army> or <Create New Fleet>. Click “confirm” to complete the process.
Transfer Commander from one army/fleet to another: The player also has the option of transferring Commanders from one army to another or from one fleet to another during any phase of a turn as long as both armies, or both fleets, are in the same location at the same time. Even if armies or fleets are in the same location but not at the same time, a Commander can still be transferred, with the game interface adjusting phases so the transfer is synchronized.
Transfers are made by clicking the “transfer commander” button. Players then select the Commander they want to transfer and the army/fleet to which the Commander is to be transferred. Click “confirm” to complete the process.
Create new army/fleet: Armies and fleets are used to move groups of units. There is no limit to the number of armies and fleets a player can have, and a player has the option of creating a new army or fleet during any phase of a turn. If an army or fleet has no units at the end of a turn, it is eliminated.
New armies or fleets are created by clicking the “create army/fleet” button. Players then select whether an army or fleet is to be created, give it a name and then select its location, tactics and retreat level. Click “confirm” to complete the process.
Please note that new armies and fleets can also be created as part of the transfer process.
Recruit troops: Players can add additional troops, ship, siege equipment, Spies, Counter-spies and Commanders, depending on the available gold in their treasury and the size of the forts owned by their realm. This is done by clicking the “recruit” button. The province where the troops are to be recruited is then selected, as well as the type and quantity. Click “confirm” to complete the process.
Embark an army on a fleet: Armies can be ordered to embark on a fleet and then transported by that fleet across seas. It costs one move point for an army to embark onto a fleet. Armies can move and then embark fleets during a turn if they have enough move points. If an army moves before embarking then the earliest they can embark is in the second movement phase. Troops can only board fleets belonging to their realm. They cannot board foreign fleets.
To embark an army, click the “embark” button. Select the army to be embarked and the fleet onto which it is to be embarked. Make sure the weight does not exceed the load. Click “confirm” to complete the process.
Disembark an army from a fleet: Armies can be ordered to disembark from a fleet onto an adjacent coastal province. No move points are used by the fleet when disembarking troops, but disembarking from a fleet uses up all an army’s move points for that turn. If a fleet has the available move points, it can embark and disembark troops to/from multiple locations during a single turn.
To disembark an army, click the “disembark” button. Select the army to be disembarked or the fleet from which it will disembark. Then, select the other and the province onto which the army is to disembark. Click “confirm” to complete the process.
Messages
Archive messages: Players can archive messages so that only the more important messages are presented in the Messages tab. Archived messages are shown in a separate Archives screen.
To archive messages, select the messages to be archived by checking the boxes in the far right-hand column. Then click the “archive” button.
Delete messages: Players can delete messages. To delete messages, select the messages to be deleted by checking the boxes in the far right-hand column. Then click the “delete” button.
Reply to messages: Players reply to a message by highlighting a message then clicking the “reply” button. The player will then be taken to the Compose Messages screen with the subject and text of the message being replied to already in their respective boxes.
Archives
Delete messages: Players can delete archived messages by selecting an archived message then clicking the “delete” button.
Un-Archive messages: Players can move archived messages back to the messages screen by selecting an archived message then clicking the “un-archive” button.
Reply to archived messages: Players reply to an archived message by highlighting a message then clicking the “reply” button. The player will then be taken to the Compose Messages screen with the subject and text of the message being replied to already in their respective boxes.
Compose Messages
Send a message to another player: Communication and diplomacy between players is important. Players communicate with each other through the game interface messaging system. Players will be entirely anonymous, and all communication between players will be done through the game site. Players are never to reveal their identities or email addresses to other players during the game. They will be allowed to share such information at the end of the game through end of game (EOG) messages.
There may be games offered where all participating players agree to reveal their identities at the start of the game. In such special situations, players will be allowed to reveal their identity but will still be expected to communicate with other players through the game interface messaging system.
The Compose Messages screen is reached by clicking the “to compose” button at the top of the Message screen. Once in Compose Messages, players select the realm(s) that are to receive the message as well as any that are to be blind-copied. The subject of the message is typed into the box next to “Subject” and the text of the message is typed into the box next to “Message”. To send the completed message, click “send”.
Please note that a
player’s orders for each turn are submitted automatically with each specific
move made in the game interface. Orders can be reviewed by clicking the Fort,
Harbors & Review tab, where specific orders can also be cancelled if
mistakes were made. Orders cannot be submitted or cancelled after the turn
deadline has passed.
Realms can attack the coastal provinces of enemy realms by disembarking troops from ships. Provinces without a coast or with a barrier on its coast cannot be attacked amphibiously. When making an amphibious attack the attacker’s forces will have their Attack factor reduced to account for the disadvantage of trying to fight while disembarking from ships. The Attack factor is reduced by 30% for archery and infantry and by 60% for cavalry. There is one exception: Housecarls have no reduction in their Attack factor when attacking amphibiously.
Please note that the amphibious landing modifier will only affect a disembarking army for two phases: the phase it is disembarked and the following phase. After that, the amphibious landing modifier is no longer applied.
Players have the option of archiving their in-game messages by selecting the relevant messages in the Messages tab and clicking the “archive” button. Archived messages can be viewed in a separate Archives screen, which is reached by clicking the “archives” button in the Messages tab.
Players also have the option of permanently deleting messages. This is done by selecting the messages to be deleted and then clicking the “delete” button.
This is the amount of damage that a ship or troop unit can inflict on the enemy during each round of a battle, expressed as the percentage chance that one point of damage will be inflicted. For example, a unit with an Attack factor of 50 has a 50% chance of inflicting one point of damage during a round of battle. The higher the Attack factor the greater the amount of damage that can be inflicted during each round of battle (see also “Battles” and “Loss factor”).
The goal of the game is to expand your realm by conquering provinces. Those conquests usually involve a fight, so battles are an important and integral part of the game. If your forces have the greater Attack and Loss factors, then you are likely to win the battle. Each player has a wide variety of options and tactics available in planning their battle strategy.
If units belonging to realms whose status is War are in the same province or sea at the same time then those units will engage in battle. Spies and Counter-spies are an exception. Spies and Counter-spies that have not been detected will not engage in battle even if they are in the same province as enemy forces. A battle continues until only one of the realms has units left in the province or sea, with all the units of the other realm(s) having been eliminated or retreated.
As a battle progresses, casualties are assessed after each round of battle.
In each battle, the Attack factor of the troops involved determines the amount of casualties that will be inflicted each round of battle and the Loss factor determines the amount of casualties that can be taken before troops are killed (see “Attack factor” and “Loss factor”).
There are a number of modifiers that can affect the Attack and Loss factors. For example, the Attack factor of troops is lowered if they are attacking amphibiously or at sea but is raised if they are defending a fort (see “Amphibious landing”, “Forts” and “Troops fighting at sea”).
If enemy armies/fleets seek to cross the border of a province or sea at the same time then the army/fleet with the lower Attack factor will follow the army/fleet with the greater Attack factor, and they will then engage in battle in the province or sea to which the army/fleet with the greater Attack factor was moving. This does not apply to invisible Spies or Counter-spies.
This will happen regardless of whether the enemy armies/fleets are moving in the same direction or in opposite directions. If the army/fleet with the lower Attack factor is forced to change direction, then it will have used up its move points. In the event that both armies/fleets have the same Attack factor, the Loss factor will determine which are the larger of the forces.
The number of ships that can be produced each turn in a province is based on the level of the harbor in that province (see also “Harbors”):
|
Harbor
level |
Maximum
number of ships that can be built each turn in that province |
|
0 |
None |
|
1 - 2 |
5 |
|
3 - 5 |
10 |
|
6 - 10 |
25 |
|
11 - 14 |
35 |
|
15 |
45 |
The Command Center tab in the game interface is where players rename, move, transfer and create both armies and fleets. It is also where armies are embarked and disembarked from fleets, new troops and ships are recruited and Commanders can be hired and renamed.
Commanders provide a bonus to the armies and fleets they are leading. The bonus level will improve as a result of winning battles.
Every Commander starts with their Infantry, Cavalry and Naval modifiers at 8%. Those modifiers improve by 0.5% with each battle, depending on the troop type being led by the commander.
If two or more Commanders are in the same army or fleet, the Commander whose modifiers are used in a battle will be randomly determined.
Armies and fleets must have a Commander leading them in order to move into or through provinces not owned by their own realm. Spies are the exception to the rule, and move without a Commander leading them.
Armies can embark and disembark from fleets if there is a Commander leading the army being embarked or if there is a commander leading the fleet on which the army is embarking. This means that a fleet can disembark armies even if those armies are not led by a Commander.
At the start of the game, each player can have a maximum of five Commanders. This increases to six on reaching the rank of Baronet, to seven on reaching the rank of Viscount, to eight on reaching the rank of Marquis, to nine on reaching the rank of Prince and to 10 on reaching the rank of Emperor (see “Nobility (rank)”).
Once a Commander is recruited, the bonus level provided to armies and/or fleets being led can only be changed as a result of battle-related improvements.
Commanders can be killed. They are always in rank 6 of an army or fleet, so they are only eliminated if the rest of the army or fleet they are leading is eliminated.
A Commander’s name can be changed, and his current modifiers viewed, in the Command Center tab. Players can only see the modifiers of their own Commanders.
The Compose Messages screen is accessed from the Messages tab by clicking the “compose” button.
To compose a message, the player selects the realms that are to receive the message and has the option to also select realms that are to be blind-copied on the message. The subject and message are then typed in the designated areas. The message is sent by clicking the “send” button.
Players return to the Messages tab by clicking the “messages” button.
Like Spies, Counter-spies provide the means for players to gather information on troops and activity beyond the borders of their realm. Counter-spies and Spies are visible only to the player leading the realm, unless revealed by a Counter-spy. If a Counter-spy has been revealed, this will be noted in the information provided on the Counter-spy in the Command Center and by the color of the graphic representing the Counter-spy on the game map.
As with the Spy, a Counter-spy will provide information on
provinces he moved through, provinces adjacent to those he has moved through,
the province he is in at the end of a turn and provinces adjacent to the one he
is in at the end of a turn.
In addition, a Counter-spy can assist in both revealing and killing Spies
belonging to another realm.
There
is a 60% chance of revealing a Spy and a 40% chance of killing a Spy if a
Counter-spy is in the same location at the same time as a Spy or another
Counter-spy. A Counter-spy located in his own lands will have a 15% advantage
versus other Counter-spies and Spies when attacking or being attacked.
If a
Counter-spy is revealed, he can be killed by any troops at war with his realm.
A Counter-spy is useful in its ability to both reveal and kill a Spy. It is
important to note that a counter-spy will reveal or kill a Spy belonging to
another realm regardless of whether the realms are friend or foe, except for
those belonging to a realm with Alliance status.
A Spy or Counter-spy belonging to an ally will not be killed but may be
revealed.
Counter-spies
that have been revealed will have a 50% chance of becoming invisible again each
turn. Counter-spies becoming invisible will be part of the Post-Movement
events, happening just before recruitment. This avoids situations where a
Counter-spy becomes visible and then is immediately revealed by a Counter-spy.
Counter-spies
will not be able to become invisible
again the same turn they are revealed.
All troops and ships owned by a realm must be part of an army or fleet. There is no limit to the number of armies and fleets that a player may have, though players will find it easier to manage their forces by minimizing the number of armies and fleets. New armies and fleets are created in the Command Center tab by clicking the “create” button (see “Command Center”).
Important: When different types of units are combined into an army, the movement allowance for the combined army is that of the unit with the lowest movement. Even after an army/fleet has used up its available movement points, there may be units within the army/fleet with available movement points. Creating a new army/fleet and transferring units with available movement points to that new army/fleet will allow for the continued movement of those units.
Diplomacy is an important element in the game. You win by expanding and you expand by conquering the lands of your enemies, assisted by your allies.
Diplomatic relations are managed in the Diplomacy tab. The names of the other 34 realms are displayed on pennants, with the color of the pennant signifying one’s status with that realm. Alliance is shown as green, Non-aggression Pact is shown as blue, Peace is shown as orange and War is shown as red (see “Diplomatic status”).
When a realm is selected, then information on the realm is provided, including status, loyalty, rank and passage rights (both granted and received).
Orders to change status, offer passage, give provinces and send gold are made by clicking the relevant buttons.
The Diplomacy tab in the game interface is where players manage diplomatic relations with other realms. This is where players may change diplomatic status with other realms. It is also where passage rights are changed, gold is gifted and provinces given to other realms.
There are four levels of diplomatic status between realms:
v
Alliance
v
Non-aggression pact
v Neutral
v
War
Armies will only fight, and provinces of another realm can only be conquered, if the realms are at war.
Both parties must make an offer to increase the diplomatic status between their realms, but diplomatic status can be lowered unilaterally. For example, a change in status from non-aggression pact to neutral could be made by only one realm, but a change in status from non-aggression pact to alliance would require simultaneous orders by both realms.
It is important to note that declarations of war occur in the pre-movement events, allowing realms to declare war on a realm and then attack that realm in the same turn. But, other changes in diplomatic status do not occur until the post-movement events. So orders to end a state of war will not take place until after movement/battles. This means that realms that have ordered an end to their state of war will still do battle that turn if their forces should be in the same province or sea at the same time.
A realm’s status with other realms can be viewed and changed on the Diplomacy tab (see “Diplomacy”).
Armies can only be disembarked onto coastal provinces (see “Amphibious landing”). No move points are used by the fleet when disembarking troops, but disembarking troops requires one phase. As a result, if a ship disembarks troops it cannot take any other action that phase. If a fleet has the available move points, it can embark and disembark troops to/from multiple locations during a single turn.
Disembarking from a fleet uses up all the army’s move points, so armies cannot move during the remainder of the turn after disembarking.
Orders to disembark troops are made in the Command Center tab by selecting the fleet that is to disembark an army and clicking the “disembark” button.
To exit the game interface, players click “exit” in the blue shield located in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. This takes the player to the game management page, where they can log onto another game, manage their account or return to the Strategy and Conquest Games home page.
It costs one move point for an army to embark onto a fleet. Armies can move and then embark fleets during a turn if they have enough move points. If an army moves before embarking then the earliest they can embark is in the second movement phase.
No move points are used by the fleet when embarking troops, but embarking troops requires one phase. As a result, if a ship embarks troops it cannot take any other action that phase. If a fleet has the available move points, it can embark and disembark troops to/from multiple locations during a single turn.
Fleets in a sea can embark an army located in the same sea or an army located in a province adjacent to the sea. Fleets in a harbor can only load armies that are also located in that province.
Troops can only embark fleets belonging to their realm. They cannot embark on foreign fleets.
Orders to embark troops are made in the Command Center tab by selecting the fleet that is to embark an army and clicking the “embark” button.
Important: When transferring ships from one fleet to another players should consider whether armies need to be embarked from one fleet to another. For example, say that Army A is embarked on Fleet B. If you transfer all the ships from Fleet B to Fleet C then Army A needs to be embarked on Fleet C. Otherwise, Army A will be left embarked on a fleet with inadequate storage and will be drowned.
Information as to ownership of a province and the troops located in a province is limited by the extent of a player's realm and the disposition of forces. The same applies to seas, except that seas are not owned so there is no information on ownership available.
Players can see information on all the provinces they own and all provinces/seas next to those they own. In addition, they can see all the provinces in which their troops/fleets are located at the end of a turn. They will also see information on provinces/seas that their forces have moved through during the turn or adjacent to those their Spies have moved through.
Provinces that can be “seen” through the fog of war are colored on the game map, with the color indicating the owner of the province. Provinces that cannot be “seen” through the fog of war are white.
Forts are important both for defense and also for their ability to produce troops. The higher the level of the fort in the province the greater the fort strength modifier for troops defending that province and the greater the number of troops that can be recruited in that province.
The cost of upgrading a fort is:
|
To
upgrade to fort level |
Cost
per level raised |
|
1 |
50 |
|
2 - 5 |
15 |
|
6 - 10 |
20 |
|
11 - 14 |
25 |
|
15 |
30 |
Thus, to upgrade a fort from level 5 to level 6 would cost 20 gold.
Important: The cost of upgrading a fort is high, so players should give careful consideration before investing in a fort upgrade. That investment might better be put into recruiting troops or building ships. Remember that the objective of the game is to conquer provinces, not to build forts.
The number of troops that can be recruited each turn in a province is based on the level of the fort in that province:
|
Fort
level |
Maximum
number of troops that can be recruited each turn in that province |
|
0 |
None |
|
1 - 2 |
5 |
|
3 - 5 |
10 |
|
6 - 10 |
25 |
|
11 - 14 |
35 |
|
15 |
45 |
The troops receiving the fort bonus are determined by rank, starting with the first rank. If troops getting the fort bonus are eliminated during a battle then other units in the same army, if available, will get the bonus.
The fort modifiers provided to troops defending a fort, as well as the number of units that can take advantage of that modifier, are:
|
Fort
Level |
# of units defended by the fort |
Attack bonus given to infantry |
Loss bonus given to infantry |
Attack bonus given to cavalry |
Loss bonus given to cavalry |
|
1 |
4 |
25% |
1.0 |
8% |
0.4 |
|
2 |
6 |
27% |
1.1 |
10% |
0.5 |
|
3 |
8 |
29% |
1.2 |
12% |
0.6 |
|
4 |
10 |
31% |
1.3 |
14% |
0.7 |
|
5 |
12 |
33% |
1.4 |
16% |
0.8 |
|
6 |
14 |
35% |
1.5 |
18% |
0.9 |
|
7 |
16 |
37% |
1.6 |
20% |
1 |
|
8 |
18 |
39% |
1.7 |
22% |
1.1 |
|
9 |
20 |
41% |
1.8 |
24% |
1.2 |
|
10 |
22 |
43% |
1.9 |
26% |
1.3 |
|
11 |
24 |
45% |
2.0 |
28% |
1.4 |
|
12 |
26 |
46% |
2.1 |
29% |
1.5 |
|
13 |
28 |
47% |
2.2 |
30% |
1.6 |
|
14 |
30 |
48% |
2.3 |
31% |
1.7 |
|
15 |
34 |
49% |
2.4 |
32% |
1.8 |
Note: Each battering ram attacking a fort
has a 25% chance of reducing the fort by one level and each catapult attacking
a fort has a 10% chance of reducing the fort by one level; forts cannot be
reduced below level 1.
Strategy and Conquest Games intends to make a profit by offering a great gaming experience and excellent support at a reasonable fee. Strategy and Conquest Games prefers to avoid giving paying players an advantage over non-paying players. So, all players will need to pay a fee for each turn using game turn credits. Each non-refundable game turn credit costs about US$1.00, with the actual amount dependent on the number of turn credits purchased.
Players who enter a game as replacements will only be charged half a turn credit for each turn, providing an incentive for players to be replacements.
Players will not be charged a turn credit if they have less than four provinces.
The Dark Ages game interface is where turn results are viewed and orders made. To reach the game interface, players must first log on to the game management page. There, they select the game and turn, and the game interface then opens with the selected game/turn loaded.
The game interface is a Silverlight application. To run the game interface you will need to download and install Silverlight 4 as a plug-in for your browser. This is a free download from Microsoft. If you do not have Silverlight 4 installed, you will see a prompt notifying you of this and providing a link to download this add-on.
The Dark Ages game application opens showing the Map Room tab. There are five other tabs that are reached by clicking tabs at the top of the screen: Messages, Reports, Command Center, Diplomacy and Forts, Harbors & Review (see “Messages”, “Reports”, “Command Center” and “Diplomacy”).
Players can access the online rule book and get additional game information by clicking the red “help” shield in the upper left hand corner of each tab. Players exit the game interface by clicking the blue “exit” shield (see “Exit”).
A realm can gift gold from the realm’s treasury to any other single realm, regardless of the status or distance between the two realms. However, no more than 35% of a realm’s treasury at the start of a turn can be given to another realm each turn. Realms can only gift gold to one realm each turn.
Orders to gift gold to another realm are made by clicking the Diplomacy tab, selecting the realm that is to receive the gold and clicking the “give gold” button.
A realm can gift a single province to any other realm, regardless of the status between the two realms. This is done by going to the Diplomacy tab, selecting the realm that is to be given the province and then clicking the “give province” button. Only one province can be given by a realm each turn.
Harbors are important for their ability to produce ships. The number of ships that can be produced each turn in a province depends on the level of the harbor in that province.
Ships can only be built in provinces with harbors. The level of a harbor can be increased, but only in provinces that have harbors at the start of the game. Harbors cannot be built in provinces that have no harbor.
Ships can only enter a harbor if the harbor is owned by the player or if passage has been given. If fleets belonging to two or more realms at war are in a harbor at the same time they will fight a battle. Armies embarked on fleets located in a harbor will fight sea battles but will not fight land battles.
If a province with a harbor is conquered, any fleets belonging to a realm at war with the new owner will be destroyed, together with any armies embarked on those fleets. About a third of the ships belonging to those destroyed fleets will be captured by the new owner of the province.
The cost of upgrading a harbor is:
|
To
upgrade to harbor level |
Cost
per level raised |
|
2 - 5 |
15 |
|
6 - 10 |
20 |
|
11 - 14 |
25 |
|
15 |
30 |
Important: The cost of upgrading a harbor is high, and usually must be upgraded several levels before an increase in ship production is gained. Players should give careful consideration before investing in a harbor upgrade. That investment might better be put into building ships or recruiting troops. Remember that the objective of the game is to conquer provinces, not to build harbors.
The number of ships that can be produced each turn in a province is based on the level of the harbor in that province is:
|
Harbor
level |
Maximum
number of ships that can be produced each turn in that province |
|
0 |
None |
|
1 - 2 |
5 |
|
3 - 5 |
10 |
|
6 - 10 |
25 |
|
11 - 14 |
35 |
|
15 |
45 |
Players can access the online rule book at any time from the game interface by clicking “help” in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. This opens a new window in the browser and takes the player to the online game help file.
Armies, fleets and spies can be ordered to hold position for
a phase. This is done by increasing
the phase of the army or fleet phase by one.
Each ship can carry troops that can be used to enhance the ability of the fleet to fight at sea or used for an amphibious attack on a coastal province.
Each type of ship has a specified amount of space available for troops and each troop type has a weight reflecting the amount of space it takes on a ship. Infantry have a weight of 1, cavalry have a weight of 2 and siege equipment (battering rams/catapults) have a weight 3. Commanders, spies and counter-spies have a weight of zero. So, for example, a Dragon Ship, which can carry a load of 3, is able to carry 3 infantry units (3 x 1), or 1 cavalry unit + 1 infantry unit (2 + 1) or any other combination of troops whose combined weight does not exceed 3 (see “Weight”).
This is the amount of damage that a ship or troop unit can take in battle before being eliminated. The higher the Loss factor the greater the damage that can be sustained (see also “Battles” and “Attack factor”).
Loyalty is affected inversely by the tax rate. If the tax rate goes above 100% then loyalty for the realm will fall; if the tax rate goes below 100% then loyalty will rise. Loyalty is helped slightly by ones rank in nobility.
If loyalty is below 100% there is a chance of rebellion (see "Rebellion"). The further below 100% that loyalty falls the higher the chance of rebellion.
Higher loyalty will improve the performance of troops. Each 1% increase in loyalty above 100% and below 151% results in a 0.2% increase in the Attack factor of all troops. Each 1% increase in loyalty above 150% and below 201% results in a 0.15% increase in the Attack factor of all troops. Each 1% increase in loyalty above 200% results in a 0.1% increase in the Attack factor of all troops.
Lower loyalty will decrease the performance of troops, with each decrease in loyalty below 100% resulting in a 0.2% decrease in the Attack factor of all troops. As noted above, if loyalty is below 100% then there is also the risk of rebellion.
Once they have been recruited, armies and fleets needed to be paid gold each turn as maintenance. The amount of maintenance that each troop or ship must be paid each turn varies from a low of 0.1 for Peasants and Conscripts to a high of 0.7 for Knights. The maintenance cost for each type of unit is provided in the Table of Troop/Ship Types.
If a realm does not have enough in its treasury to pay for the maintenance of its armies/fleets then a random number of units will disband. The chance that units will disband due to a lack of maintenance is influenced by the loyalty level of the realm: higher loyalty means less chance that units will disband.
The game map can be found in the Map Room and Command Center, and can also be opened as a separate window by clicking the “map” button in other tab.
The game map as a PDF or graphic file is also available by contacting the Game Master (mailto:gm@strategyandconquest.com?subject=Game Map).
The game map shows all the provinces and seas. Information on each province or sea, including the troops located there, is shown to the right of the map when the cursor moves over the respective province or sea. You can zoom in to see particular parts of the map in greater detail using the “z” key to scroll in and the “x” key to scroll out.
The red lines on the map show barriers. The inland barriers prevent troops moving from one province to another; those on the coasts prevent troops from landing amphibiously. Some of these barriers are loosely aligned with natural barriers, such as the Alps. But, they are primarily designed with game play in mind, rather than natural barriers such as mountain ranges or rivers. As a result, in many cases there are barriers shown on the map that do not reflect natural barriers.
Reflecting the map of Europe at the time, there are large areas (particularly in Asia Minor, the Balkans and northeastern Europe) with a large number of independent provinces at the start of the game. Realms near those areas will need to rush to grab those provinces while dealing with the pressure of expanding realms in western Europe, Italy and Scandinavia.
The names for provinces are based on a key city or town within that area in the 9th century. Europe in the Dark Ages was not divided into provinces as we think of them today, so it was all but impossible to come up with historically accurate province names. Hence, the decision to go with historical city/town names to identify the province containing them.
When referring to the game map, please note:
v the Red Sea is shown on the map, but not named, because ships cannot reach it. The province of At Tur can only be reached from Laris and Akaba.
v land forces can move directly from Heraclea to Constantinople, and ships can also move directly from the Thracian Sea to the West Euxine Sea.
v land forces can move directly from Malmo to Copenhagen as well as from Viborg to Copenhagen.
v land forces can move directly from Cherson to Tamatarcha, and ships in the North Euxine Sea can reach the province of Azak.
v Eelwyck has a coast on Hardanger Fjord, but not Geiranger Fjord; Berghen has coasts on both; Dronthem has a coast on Geiranger Fjord.
v Groning has coasts on both the Frisian Sea and Liber Sea; Antwerp has a coast only on the Liber Sea.
The game map (see “Map (game)”) includes graphics to help players see the strategic situation at a glance. Only one set of graphics is shown for each province or sea, representing the largest force (based on attack factor) in that location. Each player will only see graphics for armies/fleets that are visible through the fog of war (see “Fog of War”).
The type of graphic shown will depend on whether the force is
an army or fleet. If a fleet, the silhouette of a ship will be shown.
If the army consists entirely of cavalry then the silhouette
of a mounted warrior will be shown.
If an embarked army has the
highest Attack factor among the forces in that
location, then the embarked army will be shown. So, it is possible to see
silhouettes of cavalry or infantry in a sea.
The silhouettes also differ by region, with realms in the
north, west, east and south each having different graphics. For example, realms
in the north have Viking silhouettes.
The owner of an army or fleet is shown by a 2-letter abbreviation of the realm’s name placed over or next to the silhouette (see “List of Realms”).
The color of the silhouette indicates the identity of the
commander (see “Commanders”) leading the force. Each
Commander has a color and the silhouette color will be that of the Commander
leading it. The color of each Commander is shown in the listing of Commanders
in the Command Center.
Foreign armies and fleets without a commander will be shown,
but with the color of the silhouette being gray to show the absence of a
commander. Also, all forces without a commander use the same set of
silhouettes, regardless of region.
Independent and rebel forces will not include the 2-letter realm identification.
For a player’s own forces, only armies/fleets led by a Commander will be shown. When a player submits orders to move (see “Movement”) the graphic of the army or fleet, if led by a Commander, will also move. However, graphics of a foreign army or fleet will not be updated. So, if there is a graphic of a foreign army or fleet in the new location it will NOT be updated to show the player’s own army.
Spies and Counter-spies are shown as white with a black
outline if they are invisible and as black if they have been revealed and are
visible.
Map room
The Map Room tab in the game interface is the first tab one sees when logging on to a game, and is where players can view a large version of the game map (see “Map (game)”). The realm’s nobility ranking, treasury and loyalty level are also shown here. It is in the Map Room tab where the tax level for the realm is set.
Communication and diplomacy between players is important. Players communicate with each other through the messaging system that is part of the game interface.
Players will be entirely anonymous, and all communication between players will be done through the game site. Players are never to reveal their identities or email addresses to other players during the game. They will be allowed to share such information at the end of the game through End of Game (EOG) messages.
There may be games offered where all participating players agree to reveal their identities at the start of the game. In such special situations, players will be allowed to reveal their identity but will still be expected to communicate with other players through the game interface messaging system.
Messages are viewed by going to the Messages tab.
It costs one move point to move through one’s own provinces or through provinces in a realm where passage has been granted. It costs two move points to move through another realm’s provinces where passage has not been granted. Passage rights are automatically cancelled if a state of war exists.
It costs one move point to move through a sea. There is no cost in movement points for an army or fleet to hold position during a phase. Movement points are used up if an army or a fleet retreats or an army embarks on a fleet. Note that if an army embarks on a fleet the movement points are used up for the army, not the fleet.
Battles have no effect on movement, the exception being when an army retreats from battle. Retreats result in a loss of all remaining move points.
Important: When different types of units are combined into an army, the movement allowance for the combined army is that of the unit with the lowest movement. Even after an army/fleet has used up its available movement points, there may be units within the army/fleet with available movement points. Creating a new army/fleet and transferring units with available movement points to that new army/fleet will allow for the continued movement of those units.
As the leader of a realm grows in power, his or her position in the ranks of nobility will also rise. The title each player has earned will depend on the total value of provinces owned by the player.
|
Title |
Total
value of provinces owned |
|
Knight |
0
- 100 |
|
Baronet |
101
- 150 |
|
Baron |
151
- 200 |
|
Viscount |
201
- 250 |
|
Count |
251
- 300 |
|
Marquis |
301
- 350 |
|
Duke |
351
- 425 |
|
Prince |
425
- 500 |
|
King |
501
- 750 |
|
Emperor |
751
+ |
The graphics to identify each of the ten nobility ranks is shown below.
Each increase in rank within the nobility will provide a slight increase in loyalty.
A player’s orders for each turn are submitted automatically with each specific move made in the game interface. Orders can be reviewed by clicking the Forts, Harbors & Review tab, where orders can also be undone if mistakes were made.
A player’s armies can move through the lands of others without passage rights, but with a higher cost in move points. The granting of passage rights allows the troops of the designated realm to move through one’s lands at a movement cost of one per province.
Passage rights are given to another realm by going to the Diplomacy tab, selecting the pennant of the realm to which you want to give passage and then clicking “change passage”.
Passage rights are cancelled with a realm if a state of war exists.
There are six movement/battle phases during which armies and fleets can move, hold, embark, disembark or transfer, as long as they have the move points to do so. There is no cost in move points to hold, disembark or transfer. So, an army moving to a neighboring province has the option of doing so in any of the six movement phases simply by holding during the phases prior to the phase in which it wants to move.
During each phase, and following the movement of either fleets or armies, battles take place between the units of realms that are at war and located together in the same province or sea (see “Turn Events”).
The goal of the game is to expand one's realm by conquering provinces. Adding provinces means greater revenue, an increase in one's rank (see "Nobility (rank)") and, eventually, victory. Each province has a value that remains the same throughout the game. The value of provinces cannot be changed.
The names for provinces are based on a key city or town within that area in the late 9th century AD. Europe at that time was not divided into provinces as we think of them today. As a result, the game uses historical names for cities or towns to identify the province containing them.
There are 323 provinces.
Ownership of a province is determined after movement and battles (see “Turn Events”), but before revenue is allocated. Ownership changes either as a result of the province being gifted or the province being conquered. In order to conquer a province, a player will need to be at war with the owner of that province and have troops located in that province at the end of the six movement/battle phases.
It is important to note that enemy forces moving through a province does not result in a change of ownership. There is only a change in ownership if a realm at war with owner of the province has the largest army in that province at the end of the six movement/battle phases.
Troops are organized into six ranks. These ranks indicate the order in which troops within an army will take casualties rather than a chain of command. Not all ranks need to be filled, and it is fine if some ranks are empty.
Casualties will be delegated on the basis of rank, with the lower ranks receiving casualties before the higher ranks. For example, if there are troops in all six ranks then the troops in the first rank will take the casualties first and troops in the second rank will take casualties only after all the troops in the first rank have been eliminated. Troops in the third rank will only take casualties once those in the second rank have been killed, and so on.
The ranking of troops also impacts when an army will retreat from battle, since the retreat level of an army or fleet is tied to troop ranks.
Forts and/or harbors can be razed (that is, reduced to a lower level) by going to Forts & Harbors (reached by clicking on the Forts, Harbors & Review tab). Check the harbors/forts to be razed and click the “raze” button. Note that forts and harbors can be razed only one level per turn. Also note that forts and harbors cannot be razed below level 1.
Orders to raze a fort or harbor will be carried out even if ownership of the province changes that turn.
Each player controls one of 35 realms in the game. Each realm is based on a historical political entity in the late 9th century AD. Each realm starts with four provinces from which revenue is derived. The goal of the game is to expand one’s realm by conquering province. For more information on each realm, see “List of Realms”.
If loyalty is below 100% then there is a chance of rebellion. The further below 100% loyalty falls the higher the chance of rebellion. If there is a rebellion, then rebel armies will appear in one to five randomly selected provinces owned by the player, depending on the total number of provinces owned.
The rebel armies will appear at the end of the turn (after movement and battles), so they will not fight that turn. This will give the owner of those provinces a chance to plan and react to the rebellion.
The rebel army will be at war with the owner of the province(s) and neutral with all other realms. That status cannot be changed. This means that the rebel army will only fight the armies of the realm against which they are rebelling. Other realms can attack provinces where rebel armies are located without fighting the rebels.
At the end of the turn after they appear, if there are rebel armies in any provinces owned by the realm they are rebelling against then the province will become independent. Any other realm can take ownership of the province by sending troops into it. As noted above, the rebel army will only fight the armies of the realm they are rebelling against.
Each turn that loyalty is below 100% there is a chance of rebellion, so a player might have to deal with new rebel armies appearing even as he is trying to deal with rebel armies that had appeared in previous turns.
The number of troops that can be recruited each turn in a province is based on the level of the fort in that province, per the following table (see also “Forts”):
|
Fort
level |
Maximum
number of troops that can be recruited each turn in that province |
|
0 |
None |
|
1 - 2 |
5 |
|
3 - 5 |
10 |
|
6 - 10 |
25 |
|
11 - 14 |
35 |
|
15 |
45 |
Orders to recruit troops are processed in the order they were made, with recruitment of land units, ships and siege equipment occurring after the recruitment of commanders and spies (see “Turn Events”).
Occasionally, players will leave a game. Other players who take over an abandoned position and enter a game as a replacement will only be charged half a turn credit for each turn, providing an incentive for players to be replacements.
In the event of sickness, vacation or other unforeseen events, a player can temporarily arrange for another player to submit moves on his or her behalf.
Please note that players should never give their user ID and password to other players. Instead, contact the Game Master (gm@strategyandconquest.com) who will arrange for the temporary replacement to be able to access the realm from their own game management page.
Reports on battles and events that happened during a turn are provided in the Reports tab. Reports are only available for provinces that can be 'seen' through the fog of war (see "Fog of war").
Each turn’s report is divided into seven sections, covering events related to
· Diplomatic Relations
· Movement/Transfers
· Battles
· Treasury
· Recruitment
· Forts/Harbors
· Ranks of Nobility
Players can cancel all submitted orders and reset the game interface to where it was at the start of the turn by clicking the “reset” button in the Forts, Harbors and Review tab. Please note orders can only be reset prior to the turn deadline.
Each army and fleet has a retreat level which determines if and when it will retreat from battle. The six retreat levels are closely related to the six ranks that determine the order in which troops take casualties. The retreat level specifies the rank that, when empty of troops, will cause the army or fleet to retreat from a battle.
For example, if the retreat level of an army is set at 2 then the army will retreat from battle once the troops in the 1st and 2nd ranks of the army have been killed.
Retreat levels are assessed after each round of battle. So, even an army with a retreat level of 1 and no troops in the 1st rank will still fight one round of battle. An army or fleet will not retreat until every troop in the designated rank has been eliminated. Even if there is only a single troop left in a rank at the end of a round of battle the army will not retreat and continue to fight.
If an army retreats, then it moves to the province in which it was previously located; if a fleet retreats, then it moves to the sea or harbor in which it was previously located. An army that has been disembarked will retreat to a randomly determined adjacent province.
An army cannot retreat to a province belonging to a realm at war. If there no province to which an army can retreat, it will not retreat and continue in the battle.
When an army or fleet retreats, all move points are used up and any further orders for that army or fleet are invalid.
Revenue, in gold, is gained at the end of each turn and is determined by multiplying the value of all the provinces owned at the end of a turn by the tax rate (see “Taxes”). For example, if a realm owns provinces with a combined value of 100 and the tax rate is 105% then the revenue gained that turn would be 105 gold. If the tax rate is 95% then the revenue would be 95 gold.
The Review Orders box in the Forts, Harbors & Review tab of the game interface is where players can view the orders they have placed, and cancel orders that may have been mistakenly made (see “Undo(orders)”). All orders for the turn can be deleted by clicking the “reset” button.
Unlike provinces, seas cannot be owned, provide no revenue and have no fortifications. However, they play an important strategic role as a means for players to attack and defend coastal provinces.
Only ships, organized into fleets, can move on seas. However, fleets can embark armies, transport them across seas and then disembark them on a coastal province (see “Transporting armies”).
There are 54 seas.
There are two types of siege equipment to assist armies in attacking a fort: Battering Rams and Catapults. Each Battering Ram attacking a fort has a 25% chance of reducing the fort by one level and each Catapult attacking a fort has a 10% chance of reducing the fort by one level. Note that forts cannot be reduced below level one.
Although Catapults are less effective in reducing forts, they have the advantage of being able to inflict damage on the enemy’s Battering Rams and Catapults. Each Catapult has a 30% chance of inflicting damage of one against an enemy’s Battering Rams and Catapults, with the damage inflicted first against Battering Rams and then Catapults.
Siege equipment has no attack capability when embarked on ships and the amphibious modifier does not apply to siege equipment.
Spies provide the means for players to gather information on troops and activity beyond the borders of their realm. Spies are visible only to the player leading the realm, unless revealed by a Counter-spy. If a Spy has been revealed, this will be noted in the information provided on the Spy in the Command Center and by the color of the graphic representing the Spy on the game map.
As with the Counter-spy, a Spy will provide information on provinces he moved through, provinces adjacent to those he has moved through, the province he is in at the end of a turn and provinces adjacent to the one he is in at the end of a turn.
If a
Spy encounters a foreign Counter-spy there is a 60% chance that the Spy will be
revealed by the foreign Counter-spy and a 40% chance that the Spy will be
killed by foreign Counter-spy.
It
is important to note that a Counter-spy will reveal or kill a Spy belonging to
another realm regardless of whether the realms are friend or foe, except for
those belonging to a realm with Alliance status. A Spy or Counter-spy belonging
to an ally will not be killed but may be revealed.
A
Spy located in his own lands will have only a 45% chance (instead of a 60%
chance) of being revealed and only a 25% chance (instead of a 40% chance) of
being killed.
Spies
that have been revealed will have a 50% chance of becoming invisible again each
turn. Spies becoming invisible will be part of the Post-Movement events, happening just before recruitment. This
avoids situations where a spy becomes visible and then is immediately revealed
by a counter-spy.
Spies
will not be able to become invisible
again the same turn they are revealed.
Spies
and Counter-spies are each in an army by themselves. Troops cannot be
transferred into or out of an army containing a Spy or Counter-spy. Unlike
other armies, an army containing a Spy can move without a commander leading it.
Players assign a tactic to each army/fleet to be used in the event of a battle. Tactics will act as a further modifier for armies/fleets, allowing players to adjust the overall Attack/Loss factors to the expected battle situation.
Players have a choice of 4 tactics:
v Normal: No change
v Defensive: Increases the Loss factor of all the troops in the army by 10% but also decreases the Attack factor by 10%.
v Offensive: Increases the Attack factor of all troops by 10% but decreases the Loss factor by 10%.
v Do or Die: Increases the Attack factor by 20% and decreases the Loss factor by 15%, but the army cannot retreat. It fights a battle until either it or the enemy is wiped out.
Tactics are shown for each army/fleet in the Command Center tab. The default tactic is “Normal”. Tactics are changed by clicking on the tactic for the respective unit and then selecting the new tactic from the drop-down menu.
Players will have the option of increasing or decreasing the revenue from their realm by increasing or decreasing the tax rate. The tax rate can go as high as 125% or as low as 75%. The tax rate will inversely affect loyalty (see "Loyalty"). If the tax rate goes up then loyalty goes down; if the tax rate goes down then loyalty goes up. Higher loyalty will provide a slightly improved performance of troops. Lower loyalty will decrease the performance of troops but also runs the risk of rebellion (see "Rebellion").
Important: The tax rate is reset to 100% at the start of each turn. To maximize revenue, players should adjust the tax rate each turn. If the loyalty rate rises above 150%, players will be warned that their loyalty rate is high and encouraged to raise the tax rate so as to achieve a better balance of loyalty and revenues.
Troops/ships are transferred from one army/fleet to another, or to another rank within the same army/fleet, in the Command Center by clicking the “transfer” button. Commanders are transferred by clicking the “transfer commander” button. Additional information then appears allowing the player to complete the transfer.
Transfers can occur during any movement phase. However, if troops or ships that have moved are transferred to another army or fleet that has moved then the combined army will assume the move allowance of the unit with the least available move points.
For example, say that some infantry in an army that has used one move point is transferred to an army of cavalry with four move points that has not used any of its move points. Once that infantry is transferred, the army of cavalry will now have one move point available (the move points available to the infantry that was transferred) instead of the four previously available to it.
Important: It is important to avoid situations where land forces are drowned because of a lack of ships to carry them. If ships in a fleet with one or more embarked armies are transferred to another fleet then the embarked army, or armies, may need to be embarked to the other fleet as well.
A new army or new fleet can be created during the transfer process by designating <Create New Army> or <Create New Fleet> as the “To Army/Fleet”. If the “From Army/Fleet” is an army embarked on a fleet then the newly created army will be automatically embarked on the same fleet.
Please note that having a newly created army be automatically embarked only applies to armies created during the transfer process. If a new army is created in a sea by clicking the “create army/fleet” button that new army it is not automatically embarked and must be embarked on a fleet or it will be eliminated due to drowning. That is true even if troops from an embarked army are transferred to it.
Armies can be transported on fleets to attack or reinforce across seas. This is done by embarking armies on a fleet and then disembarking them onto the desired coastal province.
Note that embarking and disembarking armies each requires a phase to complete. Fleets embarking an
army cannot move or disembark until the next phase. Likewise, fleets
disembarking an army cannot move or embark until the next phase. (See “Embarking armies” and “Disembarking armies”)
Armies and fleets are recruited and maintained by paying gold. The amount of gold in a player’s treasury, the amount of gold spent during a turn and the amount still available are shown in both the Map Room and in the Command Center.
Troops embarked on ships that engage in battle with enemy ships will assist in that battle, except for siege equipment. The Attack factor for archery when fighting at sea is reduced by 20%; the Attack factor for infantry is reduced by 30%; and, the Attack factor for cavalry is reduced by 65%. Siege equipment have no Attack factor when embarked on ships. The Loss factor for all troops is not affected when fighting at sea.
In naval battles, troops that are in the same rank as ships will take casualties before the ships. Armies embarked on fleets located in a harbor will fight sea battles but will not fight land battles.
If all ships in a fleet are sunk, the remaining troops embarked on that fleet will die from drowning.
Reflecting the historical situation in the late 9th century AD, each realm has different types of troops and ships available to it at the start of the game. The type of troop or ship that can be recruited depends on the location, meaning that as a realm expands new types of troops will be available. Each troop type has certain capabilities in terms of its ability to attack (Attack factor), to take casualties (the Loss factor) and to move. In addition, each troop type has a cost to initially recruit the unit and an ongoing maintenance cost. Details on each troop type are provided in Table of Troop/Ship Types.
Note that:
v When embarked on ships, infantry have a weight of 1; cavalry have a weight of 2; and, siege equipment have a weight of 3.
v The Attack factor of troops when fighting at sea is reduced by 20% for archery, by 30% for infantry and by 65% for cavalry.
v The Attack factor of troops when making an amphibious landing reduced by 30% for archery and infantry, and by 60% for cavalry.
All orders for all the realms in a game are carried out at the same time. This happens once the deadline set for the next turn has been reached.
Orders are processed in a set sequence of turn events. It is important to understand the sequence of turn events in planning your moves. For example, fleets move and do battle before land forces move. This means that reinforcements being transported by sea may need to fight the enemy at sea before they can disembark and reinforce troops on land. As another example, ownership of a province is determined after movement and battles. So, if you intend to conquer a province you will need to ensure that your army is in control of that province at the end of phase 6.
Turn events are divided into three parts: pre-movement events, movement/ battles, then post-movement events. It is important to note that there are six phases in the movement/battles events, adding a time dimension to events. For example, an army might decide to hold for three phases and then attack a province in the fourth phase, hoping that defending forces will have moved elsewhere. Or, a player might attack a province in a later phase so that additional forces can participate.
A complete listing of all turn events is provided in “Turn Events”.
Orders submitted by a player are shown in the “Review Orders” box on the right-hand side of the Forts, Harbors & Review tab. Mistaken orders can be deleted by selecting an order then clicking the “undo” button.
Orders involving armies/fleets, such as movement, transfers, embarking, disembarking, etc., are often dependent on previous orders. For example, take a scenario where a player orders an army to move to province A in phase 1, province B in phase 2 and province C in phase 3. If the player were to delete the order to move to province A in phase 1 the other orders would fail. As a result, moves that are likely to impact other moves must be deleted in the sequence they were made. Only the most recent of such moves is highlighted in gray and available for deletion. The rest are in white and cannot be selected.
Forts and harbors can be upgraded (that is, increased to a higher level) by going to Forts & Harbors (reached by clicking on the Forts, Harbors & Review tab). Check the forts/harbors to be upgraded and click the “upgrade” button. Note that harbors cannot be built in provinces that have no harbor at the start of the game and that forts/harbors can be upgraded a maximum of one level per turn.
If the level of a fort/ harbor has reduced due to battle or razing, the cost of upgrading that fort/harbor is half the normal cost (rounded downwards) until the fort/harbor reaches its previous level.
Orders to upgrade a fort or harbor will be carried out even if ownership of the province changes that turn.
Important: The cost of upgrading a fort or harbor is high, and usually must be upgraded several levels before an increase in recruitment or production is gained. Players should give careful consideration before investing in a fort or harbor upgrade. That investment might better be put into recruiting troops or building ships. Remember that the objective of the game is to conquer provinces, not to build forts and harbors.
Victory is achieved by a coalition of no more than six players gaining ownership of 2,709 worth of provinces (that being one more than half the total value of all the provinces on the map). Also, all the players in the winning coalition must have reached the rank of at least Count (see “Nobility”).
Each member in the victory coalition needs to send an email
to the Game Master (gm@strategyandconquest.com) indicating
• The game number,
• Their realm,
• The other members of the victory coalition, and
• Their agreement to be part of the victory coalition.
If the coalition meets the victory conditions then victory is declared and the game ends. The game is immediately over and another turn is not played.
Each troop type has a weight reflecting the amount of space it takes on a ship and each type of ship has a specified amount of space available for troops. Infantry has a weight of 1, cavalry has a weight of 2 and siege equipment (battering rams/catapults) has a weight 3. Commanders, spies and counter-spies have a weight of zero. So, for example, a Dragon Ship, which can carry a load of 3, is able to carry 3 infantry units (3 x 1), or 1 cavalry unit + 1 infantry unit (2 + 1) or any other combination of troops whose combined weight does not exceed 3 (see “Load”).
· War declared
· Passage rights changed
· New armies/fleets formed
· Renaming of armies, fleets, commanders and spies
· Tax levels changed
· Loyalty levels changed
· Transfers made
· Tactics changed
· Retreat levels changed
· Sea Movement
o Fleets embark armies
o Presence of commander checked
o Cross-border check and retreat
o Fleets move
o Available move points adjusted
· Sea Battles
o Sea battles fought
o Retreats made
o Elimination of movement points due to retreat
o Commander bonus updated
o Elimination of troops due to drowning
· Land Movement
o Armies disembarked
o Presence of commander checked
o Cross-border check and retreat
o Armies move
o Available move points adjusted
o Spies uncovered
· Land Battles
o Battles by counter-spies
o Battles by siege equipment
o Forts attacked by siege equipment
o Army battles fought
o Retreats made
o Elimination of movement points due to retreat
o Commander bonus updated
· Province ownership changes
· Troop/fleet maintenance paid
· Attrition due to lack of maintenance
· Gold gifted
· Commanders & spies recruited
· Troops, Ships & Siege Equipment recruited
· Provinces gifted
· Forts/Harbors upgraded
· Forts/Harbors razed
· Revenue gained
· Changes in diplomacy status (other than War)
· Nobility rank changed
· Check for rebellion
· Rebel armies created
· Change Battle Cry
Following the death of Charlemagne, the Frankish Empire has been divided among his three grandsons, leading to the disintegration of central and western Europe. Nobles are carving out their own kingdoms in the midst of declining Frankish authority.
The Abbasid Caliphate, which once controlled the Muslim world, is also in decline and disintegrating into a string of emirates and caliphates stretching from Spain to India. Only the central provinces remain under the direct control of the Abbasids.
In the north, the Vikings are unleashing their fury on Europe. Norwegian raiders mercilessly plunder Scotland and Ireland while Danes loot England and northern France. Longboats from Sweden sail down the Volga and Dnieper rivers, setting up fortified towns along the way. The most important of these – Novgorod and Kiev – are now principalities in their own right.
Kingdom of Galiza [GA]
Founded by the Visigoths in the sixth century, the Kingdom of Galiza held back the Moors when they invaded Spain in the early eighth century. Toughened from defending against Moorish attacks and Viking raids, Galiza is ready to expand beyond its corner of Iberia.
Home provinces: Santiago, Portu, Ovieda and Leon (value: 80)
Initial treasury: 100
Cordoba Emirate [CO]
The Emirate of Cordoba was created by Abd-ar-Rahman in 756 by uniting local fiefdoms. The emirate is now in a period of prosperity. Al-Hakam II has taken over as emir following the death of his father and seeks to expand the emirate’s territory and influence.
Home provinces: Cordoba, Granada, Cadiz and Lagos (value: 80)
Initial treasury: 100
Idrisid Caliphate [ID]
The Idrisid Caliphate was founded in the late ninth century by Idris ibn Abdallah, who traced his ancestry back to Ali ibn Abi Talib and his wife Fatima, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. Under his descendents, the Idrisids seek to extend their lands through campaigns to become the dominant power in their corner of the known world.
Home provinces: Fez, Ksar, Sala and Taza (value: 72)
Initial treasury: 100
County of Barcelona [BA]
After conquering the lands north of the river Ebro, Charlemagne created a series of counties called the Spanish March as a barrier between his empire and the Moors. Even before the death of Charlemagne, the Count of Barcelona began gaining primacy over other counts in the Spanish March. With the death of Charlemagne, bonds to the Frankish overlords have been loosened and the county of Barcelona is free to pursue all avenues of expansion.
Home provinces: Barcelona, Larida,
Turtusha and Valencia
(value: 80) Initial treasury: 100
Kingdom of Pamplona [PA]
The area that became the Kingdom of Pamplona was inhabited by the Vascones, a tribe who managed to maintain their separate Basque language and traditions even under the Roman rule. The area was never fully subjugated either by the Visigoths or by the Arabs. The Kingdom of Pamplona was formed around 820 AD when the chieftain Iñigo Arista was chosen King of Pamplona and led a revolt against the Franks. Under his son, García Íñiguez, Pamplona is now continuing its expansion through diplomacy and force of arms.
Home provinces: Pamplona, Zaragoza, Bilboa
and Soria (value: 80)
Initial treasury: 100
County of Aquitaine [AQ]
Angoulême (Angoumois) in western France was part of the Carolingian empire as the kingdom of Aquitaine. Under Charlemagne's successors, and taking advantage of diminished Carolingian authority, the local count of Aquitaine gained autonomy. Now, Aquitaine must expand its lands and realize its full potential as a major European power.
Home provinces: Bordeaux, Petrocario, Santoni and Limoges (value: 86) Initial treasury: 100
Duchy of Brittany [BR]
Nominoe, the Duke of Brittany, has steadfastly resisted Frankish control. He recently secured an independent Duchy of Brittany in a series of victories over the Franks. Now, he must secure future victories to extend his realm and ensure Brittany's dominance of western Europe.
Home provinces: Brest, Quimper, Vanetio
and Redonnes (value: 86)
Initial treasury: 100
Kingdom of Wessex [WX]
Wessex is on the rise. In the early ninth century, King Egbert overturned the political order of England by decisively defeating King Beornwulf of Mercia at Ellendun, seizing control of Sussex, Kent and Essex from the Mercians, and helping East Anglia break away from Mercian control. As a result of his conquests, he became the Bretwalda, or high king of Britain. Now, his descendents must build on Egbert's successes while fighting off Viking raiders from the east.
Home provinces: London, Bath, Taunton and Harwich (value: 77)
Initial treasury: 100
Kingdom of Fortriu [FO]
Kingdom of Fortriu is the kingdom of the Picts. The Picts have become the dominant power in Scotland, but face threats from Anglo-Saxons to the south and Vikings to the east. The king of Fortriu must overcome these threats and expand his kingdom if Fortriu is to be remembered in the annuls of history.
Home provinces: Aberdeen, Orkney, Inverness and Glasgough (value: 78) Initial treasury: 100
West Francia [WF]
West Francia, or the West Frankish Kingdom, encompassed the lands of the western part of the Carolingian Empire that came under the undisputed control of Charlemagne's grandson, Charles the Bald, as a result of the Treaty of Verdun of 843. As with Middle and East Francia, West Francia quickly disintegrated as nobles sought autonomy and turned their provinces into independent duchies and kingdoms. Charles was left with only a small rump of his original inheritance under his effective control. He must now take back control of his inheritance and build his realm into a major European power.
Home provinces: Paris, Troyes, Evreux and Amiens (value: 97)
Initial treasury: 120
Kingdom of Burgundy [BU]
The recently formed Kingdom of Burgundy was created by the unification of Upper Burgundy (which was centered in what is now western Switzerland, and included some neighboring territories now in France and Italy), and Lower Burgundy (which covered a large part of what is now the south eastern corner of France). As with the other new kingdoms spun out of the former Frankish empire, the newly crowned King of Burgundy must consolidate and then expand his newly formed kingdom.
Home provinces: Dijon, Geneva, Basel and Seduno
(value: 92)
Initial treasury: 120
Kingdom of Provence [PR]
After the division of the Carolingian Empire by the Treaty of Verdun of 843, the first of the fraternal rulers of the three kingdoms to die was Lothair I, who divided his middle kingdom in accordance with the custom of the Franks between his three sons. Out of this division came the Kingdom of Provence, given to Lothair's youngest son, Charles. As the new king of a new kingdom, Charles must now use his skills and prowess to make Provence a great power in Europe.
Home provinces: Arelate,
Marseilles, Vivario and Vap
(value: 84)
Initial treasury: 100
Aghlabid Emirate [AG]
The Aghlabid Emirate was founded in the late eighth century when a provincial leader, Ibrahim ibn al-Aghlab, put down a rebellion that threatened Arab rule in northern Africa. The political peace and stability brought by the Aghlabids was followed by economic expansion and prosperity with a blossoming culture that included grand construction projects. Economic expansion led to military expansion, with the Aghlabids looking to the rich lands of Italy. Their invasion of Sicily is the first step towards their planned conquest of Italy.
Home provinces: Tunis, Salda, Kayrawan and Maza (value: 80)
Initial treasury: 100
Duchy of Benevento [BE]
During the reign of Charlemagne, Benevento was forced to submit to Frankish suzerainty. The dismemberment of the Frankish empire and waning of Carolingian authority has allowed the Duchy of Benevento to reassert its autonomy. The Duke of Benevento sees opportunity in the power vacuum created by diminished Frankish power in Italy and intends to take full advantage to build his realm into a great Mediterranean power.
Home provinces: Benevento, Taranto, Foggia and Cassino
(value: 84) Initial treasury: 100
Papal States [PS]
In the eighth century, the de facto Frankish ruler, Pepin the Short, made a gift (called the Donation of Pepin) of the properties formerly constituting the Exarchate of Ravenna to the Pope. In 781, Charlemagne codified the regions over which the Pope would be temporal sovereign: the Duchy of Rome was key, but the territory was expanded to include a number of Italian cities. It is now up to the Pope to prove himself not only a spiritual shepherd but also a leader of armies and a builder of empires as he seeks to extend his temporal realm.
Home provinces: Rome, Viterbo,
Siena and Urbino (value: 86)
Initial treasury: 120
Kingdom of Italy [IT]
After the division of the Carolingian Empire by the Treaty of Verdun of 843, the first of the fraternal rulers of the three kingdoms to die was Lothair I, who divided his middle kingdom in accordance with the custom of the Franks between his three sons. Out of this division came the Kingdom of Italy, given to Lothair's eldest son, Louis II. For the first time since the Lombards were conquered by the Franks a century early, northern Italy is now ruled as a distinct unit. As the new King of Italy, Louis must now build Italy into a great European power.
Home provinces: Milan, Genoa, Verona and Ravenna (value: 72)
Initial treasury: 120
Lotharingia [LO]
Lotharingian territory appeared as the result of the division of Carolingian lands that had been effected at the Treaty of Verdun of 843. The name derives from the Latin "Lotharii Regnum", or Lothair's realm. It will later be known as Lorraine. Lothair II was twenty when he inherited Middle Francia upon his father's death. As with West and East Francia, Middle Francia quickly disintegrated as nobles sought autonomy and turned their provinces into independent duchies and kingdoms. Lothair was left with only Lotharingia under his effective control. Lothar must now take back control of his inheritance and build his realm into a major European power.
Home provinces: Aachen, Hubrt,
Liege and Antwerp (value: 91)
Initial treasury: 140
Kingdom of Norway [NR]
Norway has been unified by Harald Fairhair following the Battle of Hafrsfjord. King Harald is now looking to build his kingdom into the dominant power of northern Europe, leveraging the mighty warrior spirit of the Norsemen.
Home provinces: Stavanger, Tonsberg, Berghen and Eelwyck (value: 78) Initial treasury: 100
Kingdom of Sweden [SW]
This is the golden age of the Swedish Vikings as they expand to the east and incorporate the Geats to the south. The principalities of Novgorod and Kiev have sprung from the fortified towns established by the Swedes as they raided down the Volga and Dnieper rivers. Now, the Swedes need to consolidate their far-flung trading empire to create a military empire that will dominate and control northeast Europe.
Home provinces: Birka, Linkoping, Sigtuna and Visby (value: 78)
Initial treasury: 100
Kingdom of Denmark [DE]
The Danish Vikings are conquering and raiding across the north. They have discovered and settled Shetland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, and Vinland (probably Newfoundland) while attacking parts of England, Ireland and northern France. Now, the Danes need to consolidate their gains while adding new conquests to build their kingdom into a mighty European empire.
Home provinces: Copenhagen, Malmo, Viborg
and Ribe
(value: 84) Initial treasury: 125
Duchy of Saxony [SX]
Following the Treaty of Verdun of 843, Saxony became a province of East Francia, the kingdom of Louis the German. But, provinces within East Francia, including Saxony, have been taking advantage of waning Carolingian authority to exert their autonomy. Now, Saxony needs to exert its independence and expand its borders to become Europe's dominant Germanic power.
Home provinces: Hamburg, Bremen, Osnebrux
and Brauno
(value: 94) Initial treasury: 120
East Francia [EF]
East Francia (Regnum Francorum orientalium) was the realm allotted to Louis the German by the 843 Treaty of Verdun. As with West and Middle Francia, East Francia quickly disintegrated as nobles sought automony and turned their provinces into independent duchies and kingdoms. Louis was left with only East Francia under his effective control. Louis must now take back control of his inheritance and build his realm into a major European power.
Home provinces: Branibor, Goslar, Erpesfurt and Halloren (value: 92)
Initial treasury: 120
Duchy of Alamannia [AL]
Following the death of Charlemagne, nobles in Alamanni sought autonomy with bloody feuds between the Alamannic and Rhaetian nobility vying for dominion over the area. Following the Treaty of Verdun of 843, Alamannia became a province of East Francia. Now, Alamannia, like Bavaria and Saxony, has taken advantage of dominished Carolingian power to gain autonomy for itself. Vying with Bavaria and Saxony, Alamannia seeks to make itself the dominant Germanic power.
Home Provinces: Mannheim, Strassburg,
Ulma and Furt (value: 95)
Initial treasury: 140
Kingdom of Bavaria [BV]
In the sixth century AD, kings of the Franks placed the border region of Bavaria under the administration of a duke who was supposed to act as a regional governor for the Frankish king. Following the Treaty of Verdun of 843, Bavaria became a province of East Francia. Now, Bavaria, like Alamannia and Saxony, has taken advantage of dominished Carolingian power to gain autonomy for itself, with the former duchy now styling itself a kingdom. The new king of Bavaria must now consolidate and expand his new kingdom, building it into a mighty Germanic empire.
Home provinces: Munich, Kufstein, Saltzburg and Linz (value: 92)
Initial treasury: 120
Principality of Poland [PO]
Poland has only recently emerged as a principality in the east, and the leading realm among the Slavs. Now, the newfound Polish principality must expand and grow, uniting the Slavs in the process, if it is to take its place as the ruler of the east.
Home provinces: Gnizno, Grodno, Carrokow and Wolodimir
(value: 83) Initial treasury: 100
Kingdom of Great Moravia [GM]
Great Moravia was recently founded by Mojmír I, who unified by force two neighboring principalities of Nitra and Moravia. The kingdom has since expanded under the reign of Rastislav, despite threats from the Franks to the west, the Bulgars and Magyars to the south, and the Slavs to the north and east. Rastislav not only needs to consolidate his gains but also to continue his territorial conquests if Great Moravia is to be the dominant power in the east.
Home provinces: Praga, Brynn, Bratis and Nitrava (value: 86)
Initial treasury: 100
Bulgar Khanate [BG]
In 681, the Bulgars founded a powerful state which played a major role in Europe and specifically in southeastern Europe. In 718, the Bulgars decisively defeated the Arabs near Constantinople, and their ruler Khan Tervel became known as "The Savior of Europe". Now, the Bulgars face the threat of barbarian tribes to the east that covet Bulgar lands, as well as the growing power of the Byzantines to the south and the Moravians to the north. The Bulgars' continued role as a powerful European state requires that they overcome these threats and expand their lands.
Home provinces: Varna, Dristra, Kopsis and Sliven (value: 80)
Initial treasury: 100
Byzantine Empire [BZ]
The term "Byzantine Empire" was never used during the Empire's lifetime. The Empire's name in Greek was Basileia ton Rhomaion or "The Empire of the Romans".
The Byzantine Empire faced serious threats from the Muslims to the east and the Bulgars to the west in the latter half of the eighth century and the first half of the ninth century. Now, a new dynasty founded by Basil the Macedonian has taken the throne and the empire has stabilized its position in both the east and the west. The emperor is now planning wars of re-conquest to restore the power and prestige of the Byzantine Empire.
Home provinces: Constantinople, Nikaia, Heraclea and Athens (value: 88) Initial treasury: 100
Tulunid Emirate [TU]
A Turkish officer, Ahmad ibn Tulun, has taken advantage of problems within the Abbasid Caliphate and established himself as an independent governor of Egypt, founding the first independent dynasty in Islamic Egypt. Tulun is now set to expand his newfound emirate to become a major player on the Middle Eastern political stage.
Home provinces: Alexandria, Paraetonium, Asyut and Farma (value: 70) Initial treasury: 100
Abbasid Caliphate [AB]
The Abbasid Caliphate was the third of the Islamic Caliphates of the Islamic Empire. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphs from all but Al Andalus. In recent years the caliphate has been shrinking as result of local governors only nominally acknowledging Abbasid control and creating their own independent emirates. The Abbasids now need to reassert their authority and demonstrate that they are truly the leaders of the Islamic world.
Home provinces: Harran, Sura,
Antioch and Bir (value: 71)
Initial treasury: 100
Emirate of Armenia [AR]
The Emirate of Armenia emerged in the 7th century as an autonomous emirate within the Abbasid Caliphate, reuniting Armenian lands previously taken by the Byzantine Empire as well. Interestingly, the rule of the Emirate called himself a prince rather than emir.
With the central authority of the Abbasid Caliphate weakening, Armenia has asserted its independence. The prince of Armenia wants to be a king and to have his realm recognized as a kingdom. He is determined to exert his independence, expand his realm, control his neighbors and be recognized as a major power.
Home provinces: Erakhani, Trapezos, Domana and Nicopolis
(value: 72) Initial treasury: 100
Khazar Khanate [KH]
Founded in the 7th century, the Khazar Khanate reached its zenith in the 8th century when it controlled much of the territory to the north and east of the Black Sea. The Khazars have lost much of the territory they once owned due to pressure from the Rus to the north, Arabs to the south, the Byzantine Empire to the west and nomadic Turks migrating from the east. Now, the Khanate must reclaim its former glory and then expand into Europe, transforming themselves from an Asian power to a European power.
Home provinces: Tanais, Tamatarcha, Sarkel and Saray (value: 72)
Initial treasury: 100
Magyars [MG]
The Magyars are on the move. Since the fourth century AD, the Magyars have been moving steadily westward from their original home east of the Ural Mountains. Now they find themselves in the lands west of the Don River, pressed between the Bulgars and the Khazars with a growing threat from the Slavs and Vikings to their north. They have been raiding neighbors successfully, but now is the time for the Magyars to turn those raids into conquests and their nomadic tribe into a powerful nation.
Home provinces: Tighina, Perekop, Asprokastron and Jassy
(value: 74) Initial treasury: 110
Principality of Kiev [KI]
The Principality of Kiev, the so-called Kievan Rus, has just been founded by Prince Oleg from fortified towns built by the Vikings. Oleg and his warriors must now subdue the various eastern Slavic and Finnic tribes while also keeping an eye on the expanding Magyars, Bulgars, Khazar, Poles and Moravians.
Home provinces: Kiev, Pereyaslavl,
Tcherigov and Tula (value: 69)
Initial treasury: 100
Principality of Novgorod [NV]
The Swedish Vikings have been the dominate force in northwestern Russia for a century now. A Viking named Rurik has recently created the principality of Novgorod, with its capital being the fortified town of Novgorod, or "New Town". From his new capital, Rurik seeks to extend his authority and his new realm.
Home provinces: Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Torzhok
and Pskov
(value: 68) Initial treasury: 100
|
Unit |
Attack |
Loss |
Cost |
Maint. |
Move |
Comments |
|
Peasants |
10 |
0.7 |
2 |
0.1 |
2 |
|
|
Conscripts |
10 |
0.7 |
2 |
0.1 |
2 |
|
|
Militia |
19 |
1.1 |
3 |
0.2 |
2 |
|
|
Saracen Infantry |
33 |
2.1 |
5 |
0.2 |
2 |
|
|
Afariq Warriors |
34 |
2.2 |
5 |
0.2 |
2 |
|
|
Pikemen |
34 |
2.5 |
5 |
0.2 |
2 |
|
|
Almogavars |
35 |
2.1 |
5 |
0.2 |
2 |
|
|
Spearmen |
35 |
2.1 |
5 |
0.2 |
2 |
|
|
Crossbowmen |
38 |
1.0 |
4 |
0.2 |
2 |
Attack factor of 45 when in a fort,
excluding any fort modifier |
|
Mercenaries |
40 |
2.5 |
6 |
0.3 |
2 |
|
|
Archers |
42 |
1.0 |
4 |
0.2 |
2 |
|
|
Longbowmen |
46 |
1.0 |
4 |
0.3 |
2 |
|
|
Varangian Guard |
49 |
2.8 |
7 |
0.3 |
2 |
|
|
Housecarls |
50 |
3.0 |
7 |
0.3 |
2 |
No reduced Attack factor when making
amphibious landing or fighting at sea |
|
Light Cavalry |
51 |
1.2 |
5 |
0.4 |
4 |
|
|
Muslim Light Cavalry |
53 |
1.2 |
5 |
0.4 |
4 |
|
|
Asiatic Lancers |
55 |
1.3 |
5 |
0.4 |
4 |
|
|
Mounted Archers |
66 |
1.5 |
6 |
0.4 |
4 |
|
|
Heavy Cavalry |
88 |
2.1 |
8 |
0.5 |
3 |
|
|
Armored Cavalry |
96 |
2.4 |
9 |
0.5 |
3 |
|
|
Cataphracts |
99 |
2.5 |
9 |
0.6 |
3 |
|
|
Knights |
112 |
2.7 |
10 |
0.6 |
3 |
|
|
Spy |
2 |
0.5 |
20 |
0.3 |
4 |
|
|
Counter Spy |
4 |
0.5 |
35 |
0.4 |
4 |
60% chance of revealing a spy; 40% chance of
killing a spy |
|
Battering Ram |
5 |
1.0 |
8 |
0.2 |
2 |
25% chance of reducing the level of a fort
by 1 level; no Attack factor when loaded on ships |
|
Catapult |
25 |
1.0 |
10 |
0.3 |
2 |
10% chance of reducing a fort by 1 level; 30%
chance of inflicting damage of 1 against attacking battering rams/catapults;
no Attack factor when loaded on ships |
|
Longboat |
50 |
2.0 |
7 |
0.3 |
4 |
