The Feudal Game: Battle of the Barons

The Feudal Game: Battle of the Barons

The Simulation:This simulation is about feudal Europe from 700 AD - 1200 AD, the late Middle Ages. The simulation is not set in any specific part of Europe, and the term "baron" is used to refer to nobles. It is intended to familiarize players with some of the basic characteristics of life in the Middle Ages: the feudal system, the church, the crusades, castles, and political marriages.

Battle 1:Life can be short in the Middle Ages, as one of the Barons learned on the first turn - he contracted the pox and died. Another Baron immediately married a minor noble, giving him a quick head start. All the Barons started with a conservative strategy - strengthening their home castles and declining to go on the attack. One Baron spent all his gold building churches in every hex. When the Pope called for a crusade the Barons tried several strategies. One Baron went all out, sending a large army and personally leading it. Unfortunately he died in the Holy Land. Another Baron sent a smaller army and fared much better, returning with a large amount of loot which was spent on building projects. A third Baron sent the smallest army he could get away with and used his remaining forces to attack the depleted garrisons of one of his neighbors. The battle continued with no clear winner for a long time. One unfortunate Baron's family seemed to be living under a curse of some kind. Four consecutive Barons died in a short time, sapping the family's strength. The other Barons were quick to take advantage. The two strongest families arranged a marriage that boosted both of them into the lead. Then they went to war against each other. The victor of that struggle emerged as the strongest Baron, and became the new King.

Objective:The goal of each noble family is to become the most powerful baron. This is measured by their fame. Fame represents the reputation and status of the baron. Another important measure of a baron's power is how many hexes he/she controls. This will determine how large an army he can call up for battles, and how much gold he will collect in taxes from his territory. When the Queen dies without an heir, the most powerful noble family rises to become ruler, and wins the feudal game!

Initial Set-Up:The Queen selects 6 nobles to rule under her.The noble leads the family, and must keep track of their fame and their fiefdom on the hex map. Each noble selects their “family” to fit the following roles:

• Cleric- keeps record of gold, hex map, & pays taxes
• Knight(s)- keeps record of fame, delivers messages, and errands, unless called out on a crusade.
• Maiden- makes sure everyone is doing their part and are working together, unless married off.

The Queen selects two volunteers:

• Cleric(s)- keeps track of hex map and gold
• Bailiff- enforces rules, collects taxes, issues summons (event cards)

Each team will be given control of a fiefdom. This consists of their home hex and the six surrounding hexes. The home hexes are labeled A - F on the map. Each baron starts with a fame of 14 and 0 gold. Each baron begins the simulation with a wooden wall (palisade) to protect his home hex, which counts as a castle with a strength of one point. This castle can be improved.

Pay taxes / varies each turn (usually 4)
Build new castle, university, monastery, church, or burg / 2
Improve castle / 1
Attack rival's hex / 2
Action / Fame
Can't pay taxes / -1
Build new castle, university, monastery, church, or burg / +1
Improve home castle / +1 per 2 pts improvement
Win battle / +1
Lose Battle / -1
Baron dies / lose 1/3
Marriage / add 1/3 of other baron's total
Action / Death of Baron (draw 1 card)
Plague, went to war, crusade, participate in a battle / Ace or 2
None of the above / Ace

Sequence of Play:
1. Draw Event Card
2. Gold
3.Building
4. Battle
5. Death
6.Marriages
7. Add Hexes

Draw Event Card:One of the barons will draw an event card. The effects of the event card are applied immediately to all barons.

Gold:Each baron adds one gold to his bank for each hex he controls. Then he subtracts the gold he must pay in taxes to the king. If the baron is unable to pay his full tax bill then he loses all his money and also loses one fame point. Taxes are 4 gold unless the event card for this turn says otherwise. Barons should be advised to save some of their gold in case they need it to deal with a crisis (plague, war, etc.).

Building:Each baron can spend some of their remaining gold on building projects. Barons can improve the strength of their home castle, build and improve new castles, and build churches, monasteries, universities, and burgs (towns).

Home Castle:Each gold spent improves the strength of the home castle by one point, and represents a physical improvement of the structure - adding a tower keep, a stone curtain wall, gatehouse, moat, towers, etc. A castle may only be improved by one point per turn. The home castle protects the hex in which it is built, and the six surrounding hexes. If one of the protected hexes is attacked the castle's strength will be added to the defender's score when determining the winner of the battle. An impressive home castle is a status symbol among nobles. A noble's fame is increased by one for every 2 strength points of his castle. For example when a baron improves his castle to strength 2 he gains one fame point. When he improves it to strength 4 he gains another fame point.

Additional Castles:Once a baron expands his territory beyond the original seven hexes his castle will no longer be able to protect all his land. The new hexes will be vulnerable to attack by rival barons. The baron can build additional castles in these hexes to protect them. Additional castles only protect the hex they are in. The cost is 2 gold to build a new castle, and it can be improved on following turns just like the home castle. Each additional castle adds one fame point to the baron's score (regardless of its strength). Additional castles operate the same as the home castle in combat, but only protect the hex in which they are built.

Monastery, Cathedral, University, Burgs:Each baron can build one monastery, one church, one university, and one burg in each hex they control. The cost to build each is 2 gold, and boosts the baron's fame by one point.

Battles:Each baron can launch one attack against another baron. The cost of the attack is 2 gold. If a baron doesn't have 2 gold then they can't attack this turn. The baron that is attacked doesn't have to pay anything. When a baron decides to attack he must declare which of his opponent's hexes he will attack. Each baron decides if he will personally take part in the battle. If he does there is an increased chance that he will be killed, but it will improve his chances of winning the battle. Shuffle the deck of cards. A baron's strength in the battle is calculated as follows: total the number of hexes the baron currently controls + strength of any castle that is protecting the hex being attacked, then divide by two (round down). Each baron draws one card for each strength point, and draws a bonus card if the baron is personally fighting in the battle. Whichever baron draws the highest card is the winner. If it's a tie compare the second best card each baron drew (continue comparing cards until someone wins). The winner adds one fame point; the loser deducts one fame point. If the attacker wins then any castle in the defender's hex is completely destroyed, and the loser must deduct the fame points he had gained from building the castle. The attacker, if he wins, may also destroy any and all buildings in the losing hex, and the loser deducts any fame points he had gamed from them. If the attacker wins and the hex he attacked is adjacent to one of his own hexes then he takes control of the opponent's hex. Any buildings on the captured hex are automatically destroyed and the loser deducts any fame points he had gained from them. Each baron may attack only once, but each baron may be forced to defend himself more than once each turn.

Death:Each turn there is a chance that the baron will die. Each baron draws one card from the deck. The baron will die if he draws an ace during a normal turn. The baron will die if the card is an ace or a two if one of the following conditions applies this turn: there is a plague, the baron goes to war, the baron takes part in a battle, or the baron goes on a crusade. If a baron dies, a member of the noble family will inherit his territory and continue the simulation. The heir keeps 2/3 of the baron's fame, the other 1/3 is lost.

Marriage:Marriages during this time period had little to do with love. Marriages were arranged based on business and political considerations. A marriage could bring peace to rival families. A marriage also might be arranged to increase a baron's wealth, land, or status. Each baron may arrange a marriage with the family of another baron once per game. Both barons must agree to the match. If no barons are available or willing the baron can marry some unnamed petty noble. A marriage will increase the fame of both parties. Each baron gets to increase his fame by a score equal to 1/3 of the other baron's fame. For example if Baron A with fame 14 arranges a marriage with Baron B with a fame of 10 then baron A gains 3 fame (1/3 of 10) and baron B gains 5 fame (1/3 of 14). If a baron arranges a marriage with a petty noble he gains 2 fame. The Maiden must then move to her new fiefdom, and is integrated into the new family. Maidens can only be married once.

Add Hexes:Each baron is able to control a number of hexes equal to half his fame score (round down). If the baron had too many or too few hexes he will gain or lose one hex. Barons can only gain or lose ONE hex per turn during this phase. For example the barons start with a fame of 7. When their fame rises to 9 they can take control of another hex (fief). The addition of hexes takes place at the end of the turn. The baron with the highest fame gets to choose which hexes he adds first, then the baron with the second highest fame, and so on. When a baron gains control of a hex he may choose to add any hex that borders his territory. He may not select a hex already controlled by another baron. If there are no uncontrolled hexes adjacent to his territory he doesn't get to add a hex. He must fight a battle with a neighboring baron to seize control of some of his land. When a baron loses control of a hex any castles and buildings in the lost hex are destroyed, and his fame is reduced accordingly. Once all the hexes on the map have been controlled by one of the barons you can skip this part of the turn.

Ending the Simulation:Tragically, the Queen will die without an heir. One of the barons will become the new king or queen. Divide each Baron's fame by 3 (round down, but the minimum is 1), this is the number of cards they can draw to determine the winner. A Baron may, if he chooses, decide to donate his cards (before they are drawn) to any other Baron. The Baron that draws the highest card wins. If it's a tie the Barons with the highest cards play their second best card (if they have one) to break the tie. Long live the new King or Queen!