HIS-English: Assault of Scotland

Goal: Scotland

Attacking and defeating Scotland is possible on the first turn.  It is not difficult, but it does require the expenditure of several command points.  The goal is to capture Edinburgh as quickly as possible.  The required steps for this plan are as follows:

General Plan

1. During negotiations with France, DO NOT offer an alliance with France.  You cannot declare war on Scotland if allied with France.
2. Spring Deploy troops from London to Berwick.
3. Move both navies to the North Sea (2 cp).
4. Play English Home Card to Declare war on Scotland.
5. Move troops to Edinburgh and lay siege to it.

York vs Berwick

It is possible to launch an attack from either York or Berwick.  If launched from Berwick, it will be necessary to spend at least 1 cp for a mercenary and then spend 1 cp to move into Edinburgh.  The other option is to Spring Deploy to York and move all troops to Edinburgh.  This also takes 2 cp of movement.

The Berwick approach is the better option.  Both options require 2 cp, but replacing the York regular infantry would cost 2 cp whereas the loss of the mercenary effectively brings the player back to their starting pieces.

Average Losses & Winning the Combat

On average, it takes 9 dice rolls to eliminate the units in Edinburgh.  Mustering enough troops to reach these 9 dice rolls will require at least 8 troops.  With only three cards, and the 4 cp required to lay siege to Edinburgh, getting the additional 5 cp of troops needed to meet this in one die roll is highly unlikely.  Therefore, England will need to combat Scotland at least twice.

England can expect between 2 and 4 losses.  Therefore, England should begin the invasion with at least 2 mercenaries, with 3 being preferable.

Benefits and Challenges

If successful, England conquers Scotland and controls Edinburgh.  This gains them one Key and an additional card draw per turn.  Given Edinburgh's remoteness, it is unlikely anyone will be able to retake Edinburgh.  This makes conquering Scotland an attractive target for England.

The worst case for England is if France intercedes on Scotland's behalf.  In this case, the French could spend resources tying up England in a War in England.  This essentially places England in the unenviable position of fighting a war both on their island and near Calais.

HIS - English - Turn 1

Scotland, New World, or Preparation?

On the first turn, the English player cannot use their Home Card to advance their marriage.  This leaves the question of "Marriage" for the next turn.  Still the player needs to decide on Scotland, the New World or simply Preparation.

Given the few cards the player has to begin with, it is necessary to choose one of the three and then focus on that goal till it is achieved.

Goal: Scotland

Scotland is Light Blue Minor Power
in the Game

Attacking and defeating Scotland is possible on the first turn.  It is not difficult, but it does require the expenditure of several command points.

Rewards

• 2 VP with the new Key,
• Immune to the "Scots Raid" card (which is loss of English troops), BlueSecure the Northern Border from a possible French activation of Scotland later,
• An additional Card Draw.

Challenges

• Not having enough Command Point cards in hand,
• Revolt in Ireland will disrupt English Troops,
• France could decide to intervene and actually attempt an early war with England,
• Scots Raid,
• Gout,
• Poor Die Rolls will leave the Scottish in place.

Goal: New World

New World

Exploring the New World can grant some Victory Points and cards.  Both of these are items which England needs.  There are three ways to complete this goal: Conquer, Exploration and Colonization.  Each has unique benefits and risks.

Rewards

• Permanent Victory Points
• Conquer (1-2 VP)
• Exploration (1-4 VP)
• Potential of additional card 
• 28% - Colonization
• 83% Conquer

Challenges

• "Loss" of spent command points for no gain 
• Colonization (2CP): 17%
• Exploration (3 CP):   33%
• Conquer (4 CP): 72%
• with Smallpox: 42%
• Delayed through card play
• Exploration
• Colonization

If the New World is chosen, Conquering is the least likely opportunity for England.  If successful, however, the reward is both a Card and permanent Victory Points.  This costs a whopping 4 Command Points, however.

Goal: Preparation

Preparing England

Preparation consists of simply building up your forces.  This should consist of building both a naval force and land troops.  Both of these types of units should be placed in Calais.  The most "safe" strategy, it does permit the player to focus on a Marriage/New World for the following turn.

Benefits

• Gain military units

Challenges

• Revolt in Ireland can delay, but not stop, the build up.

Review

Of the strategies, the most likely to succeed is the capture of Edinburgh.  If disrupted, however, it can leave England fighting a war on its island.  However, France is already at war with two other forces, and if either the Hapsburgs or the Papacy can be convinced to attack France, France will most likely ignore England.

France may also opt to ally with Scotland, thus providing France one of its two keys needed to gain another card.  If Scotland holds without France's assistance, France can find itself in a better position.

If going the Preparation route, it is recommended to spend the Home Card on an Exploration and a Colonization action.  The potential gains generally outweigh the potential risks in a long term gain.  In this scenario, England should hold one card for the following turn.

HIS - English - Overview

The English

The English are the Red forces in Here I Stand.  Like the Ottomans, the English have a few fairly straight forward decisions to make.  Unlike the Ottomans, the English decisions begin on the first turn and greatly impact their ability to achieve various goals.  Forutnately for beginning players, the initial decisions are "cut and dry" and only occur after other events in the game happen.  In my opinion, this makes the English one of the more "Strategically effective" factions to play, but still easy enough for new players to grasp the various areas of play.

Strengths

The English are the most versatile of the nations, capable of amassing an army for military conquest, explore the New World, and even actively participate in the Protestant Reformation.  This flexibility permits them to garner points in a variety of ways, but none so potentially quickly as the "Creation of an Heir".

The English Home Card, King Henry VIII, grants the powerful ability to declare war against a Power outside of the diplomacy phase.  However, it is also the only way the English King has of achieving a suitable Heir to the throne.

Weaknesses

The English have several serious shortcomings.  Like the Ottomans, their starting position on the "island nation" is a liability, but it is also a benefit.  The island nation is unlikely to be attacked"by an enemy nation, but it is relatively easy to blockade the English ports, preventing the creation of large armies.  Fortunately, the English can raise an almost unbeatable navy, but at great expense in Command points.

Again similar to the Ottomans, the English have a "War Card" worry, which can cripple their plans, particularly if it comes out early.  The worst timing is if it comes out on Turn 1 or 2, just after the player declares war using their Home Card.  It is only 4 troops, but 4 troops is enough to halt an English offensive in its tracks.

"Fortress England": Difficult to Assail, Difficult to Leave

The last major weakness of the English is their lack of cards.  The English player, more so than any other player, is tempted to go in all avenues for Victory Points.  The New World and its riches await, Conquering Scotland seems a necessity, and the player still needs to go for an Heir.  Later, there is the Protestant Reformation to support.  All of these require cards, however, and the English player is extremely limited in this regard.  Therefore, the English player needs to focus on one or two

"The Heir Issue"

English Home Card

Historically, King Henry VIII's desire for a male heir drove many of the events, decisions, and (ultimately) changed the history of not only England, but of the world.  Representing this, the English player's additional concern is about acquiring a male heir to the throne.  There are two major impacts on the English player's game revolving the quest for an heir: Victory Points and Successors.  This is an important enough discussion it will be handled in a later post.

Home Card

The English Home Card is one of the most powerful cards in the game.  Not only does it grant the ability to advance the Marriage marker, but it also grants the ability to declare war during the Action Phase.  The use of the English home card can seriously disrupt the plans of any of their nearby neighbors.  The Spanish and French players must be particularly aware of a build up of English forces in Calais, as they represent a potential threat which should not be ignored.

HIS - Ottomans - Turn 2: Another Option

The Hungarian Buffer

A reader submitted an alternative Turn 2 approach I hadn't thought of and one which deserve serious consideration.  Thanks to reader Dan for this interesting look on the Ottomans!

Turn 2 - Declare War!(?)

The idea behind this approach is to prepare for a full naval and piracy assault by the Ottomans.  This is done by ignoring the ground battles, other than the taking of Szegedin, and concentrate on capturing all the fortresses through the Mediterranean.  The theory behind this is to permit the Ottoman player near undisputed control of the Mediterranean where they may commit piracy and later launch attacks against targets of their choice.

Leaving Mohacs Untouched

By leaving Mohacs alone, the Ottomans create a "buffer zone" controlled by the Hungarians which the Hapsburg player cannot enter.   This state cannot change until the Ottoman player attacks Buda.  This protects the Ottomans from attacks by the Hapsburgs over land, essentially removing the majority of their Hapsburg army from Ottoman control.

The Ottoman player then builds naval units.

If not taken, Mohacs, Pressburg and Agram act as a buffer zone.

Later Turns

Later turns the Ottoman player declares war on Venice (and probably the Papacy).  They then declare war on the Hapsburg on Turn 3 and assault Malta and Tunis.  Although slower, the loss of these fortresses and keys prepare the Ottoman player for an eventual assault on Italy.

Viability

This is not something I have tried.  The Ottoman armies are spread out among many fortresses and the cost in CP is great, but their main land territories are free from attack.  The Ottoman player will definitely have an easier time of piracy, but I'm not certain if this is a viable winning strategy.  However, they can get their piracy VP and then concentrate on assaulting Italy from the south

Has any tried this approach and, if so, what was the experience?

HIS - Ottomans - Turn 2 Preparing for the Rest of the Game

Turn 2 - Preparatory Work

Ottoman Position

By turn 2 the Ottomans should have taken Belgrade and, once completed, ended their turn immediately, This should leave them with a sizable army and an extra card in hand to begin the turn.  They may, or may not, have pirates in play which can be used to "raid" non-war players, or as a threat to focus players' attentions to their naval units.

The question is: Now what?

Tempting Buda

Like Turn 1, Turn 2 should be a preparatory turn for the Ottomans.  Many players will immediately want to attack Buda.  It is there and seems an easy to grab target.  However, conquering Buda will place the Ottomans at war with the strongest European power in the game: the Hapsburgs.  Depending on how things are going with France, England, and the Protestants, this may not be ideal.

The Danger of an Early Buda Attack

If the Ottoman player attacks Buda on Turn 2 they have two potential routes: through Szegedin or Mohacs.  Of the two, Szegedin is the "safest" in the sense the Hapsburgs cannot access it and cut it off, permitting the armies in Buda to retreat if attacked.  Mohacs, however, provides more strategic flexibility, allowing the Ottoman player more access routes to Europe.  Both options will require 3 cp.

Assaulting Buda through Mohacs or Szegedin.  Szegedin is unassailable,
but if Mohacs is not taken, it will revert to Hapsburg control allowing for a rapid counterattack by the Hapsburgs on Belgrade

Ideally, the Ottoman player would take both cities and then capture Buda, but this requires more CP (5 cp) of movement and requires splitting the Ottoman army.  Keeping the army together is possible, but requires an even greater amount of CP (6 cp).  Even at full power the Hapsburg Power can a quick response, and stiff resistance, from the Hapsburg player.  Depending on how the battles go, the Ottoman player will find himself facing a parity in forces with the Hapsburg player and a long grinding war whose outcome is uncertain.

"Buda Can Wait" Strategy

Instead, I prefer for the Ottoman player to not rush the attack.  Instead, the player should consolidate all the Hungarian lands on Turn 2 and focus on diplomatic efforts.  If the cards in hand permit it, give up a card to the French to support their efforts, which will most likely be against either the Hapsburgs or the Papacy.  This is fine for the Ottoman player as both are direct enemies the Ottomans must face eventually.  In this strategy, the French helps wear down the Hapsburg/Papacy player without risking your forces.

If diplomacy fails, or if sufficient cards permit, the Ottoman player can assault the Knights of St. John at Rhodes.  Success means the Knights are no longer a threat and the Ottoman naval units may be moved to Coron where they may lend support by sea.

In this approach, the Ottoman player should end Turn 2 not at war with any power, in a consolidated position to launch attacks against the Papacy, Hapsburg or Buda, have 2 extra cards in hand to begin the next turn, and weaker opponents due to other player's wars.

An Ideal Turn 2 for the Ottomans.  Whom and how will the Ottoman's attack?
Buda from Belgrade?
Naval assaults to capture fortresses along the Mediterranean (making Piracy easier)?
Or Naval Assaults into Italy (against Papacy or Hapsburg)?

One other benefit of delaying the attack on Buda is the Piracy card.  The fall of Buda to the Ottomans is virtually inevitable.  In any field battle the Ottomans should be able to crush Buda, and given their special "war loss" conditions, they are easier to beat than a normal city-state.  If the Ottoman player waits until Piracy comes out, the Ottoman player will be one step closer to drawing another card, making the fall of Buda even more appealing.

The Ottoman player can even move (or place with their Home Card) armies on the fortress at Scutari, threatening a naval invasion of Italy or an overland invasion through Venice.

Conclusion

For me the Ottoman's Turn 2 seems as predetermined as Turn 1.  The Ottomans should consolidate their territory, build their army, remove unnecessary threats (knights), and threaten attacks from multiple angles.  I feel this position is stronger for the Ottomans than the direct attack on Buda.

So, for me, the real decisions of play for the Ottomans occur on Turn 3: Who and where to attack?

What is your opinions?

HIS - Ottomans - Strategy - Piracy

Piracy is the Ottoman's "special VP ability".  As abilities go, it is useful but with serious drawbacks.  It is best to gain at least a few points in Piracy.  Furthermore, piracy threatens three of the other players in the game with possibly ill effects, leaving only the Protestants and England untouched.

Must be played by Winter of Turn 3

When Does Piracy Begin

Piracy begins when the Barbary Pirates mandatory card comes into play.  At its earliest this is Turn 1.  At the latest is the end of Turn 3.  Its entry into the game should have no impact on the plans for Turn 1 (see Ottoman's First Turn).

I believe Turn 2 or 3 is an ideal time for Barbary Pirates to enter play.  This gives the Ottoman player plenty of time to Capture Belgrade on Turn 1.  Turn 2 should be spend either consolidating territory, removing the Knights of St. John.  Preferably, the Ottoman player should do both on Turn 2, leaving Turn 3 as the big decision point as to where to proceed.  More on that in the next article.

Drawbacks of Piracy

Piracy comes with two drawbacks.  The first is the temptation to dive into piracy if it arrives early on Turn 1.  Many players dealt Piracy on Turn 1 will play it right away.  It is tempting to begin immediately spending CP on Piracy or build corsairs.  The Ottoman player must overcome this temptation and instead concentrate on taking Belgrade.  Yes, the gain of Algiers immediately gives the Ottoman's an extra card, but as long as Belgrade remains in Hungarian hands, the Hapsburg doesn't need to worry about a possible attack from the Ottomans, and one of the goals is to keep the Hapsburg player worried about as many things as possible.

The second draw back of piracy is its unpredictability of results.  When it is successful, the target of the piracy gets to determine the rewards: a random card draw, target loses a naval unit, or Ottoman's gain a victory point.  The Victory Point option is most common, until the chart begins to reach high levels, then the player's would rather lose naval units.  This means timing and target of Piracy can be critical to success.

Julia Gonzaga
Italian Noblewoman who famously
avoided capture by Barbarossa

Timing Piracy

Ignoring Julia Gonzaga, who gives a 1 VP bonus if Piracy is successful, timing who and when to pirate can be critical.  Ideally, the target of Piracy should be a player who has no remaining cards available to give should the Piracy be successful.  Furthermore, if the player has no adjacent naval units, then every successful piracy will yield a VP.

France makes a great target for this type of approach, particularly since the French player only has a single naval unit and is likely to have fewer cards than you.  The Papacy makes another great target as they have few cards beyond their two home cards, which they can't give you.  If possible, threaten the French with Piracy if they don't yield to your demands during the Diplomatic phase.  The same tactic may work with the Papacy, but be careful as you will need them to keep the Protestants from running away with the game.

The Hapsburgs is the other, and the most likely, target of piracy.  Your piracy on them will be a major threat.  They are much more difficult to threaten, however, as they can easily force you into a land war rather than a sea war.  Furthermore, many of their forts and sea units can actively work against your piracy and force the loss of corsairs, which must be replaced.  When push comes to shove, you must yield your naval activities to defend against a Land War.

Max of 10 VP from Piracy
At the cost of 2 CP, plus cost to move and build the corsairs

Diplomatic Status

You may commit piracy without declaring war.  Ideally, you remain at peace (not at war) with all players, leaving you free to commit piracy.  If, however, war is declared against you, focus your corsairs against your wartime enemy.  Your wartime enemy always gets to attack your pirate ships, even when they are not the target of the piracy.  Gaining a VP can become an expensive option if this is not followed.  In the worst situation, Hapsburg and Papacy both declare war on you.  In this scenario, expect to lose corsairs at an alarming rate.

How Many VP from Piracy?

In general, I believe most Ottoman players will receive around 5 points from Piracy.  Any more and players will begin to destroy their naval units rather than give out VP.  Many players will also keep a card in their hand which is "not great" or is unimportant to their plans in case they are pirated.  Thus, they lose little of value while costing the Ottoman's 2 or 3 CP.

Success Rate of Piracy

Piracy has a good success rate, as long as the Ottoman is rolling at least 2 dice.  The odds of success are detailed below:

Escorts

The Ottoman player must be prepared to lose and replace corsairs.  The Ottoman player should expect an enemy "At War" with them to engage their fleet.  If the fleet does not have an escort of regular naval ships, expect to lose large portions of the fleet.

Conclusion

Piracy is an important Ottoman ability but not to the point everything else should be ignored.  Piracy should complement the player's strategy, not become the sole means of gaining VP.  When combined properly with land assaults, piracy forces the enemy to choose between building expensive ships or confront the land units.  I rarely see the Ottoman's gain their full potential of 10 VP from Piracy, but it can constitute a respectable 5 or 6 VP.

HIS - Ottomans - Strategy - Knights of St John

While the Knights of St. John remain in play there is a constant possibility of another player playing the Knights of St. John card.  If the Knights of St. John are in play when the card is played, the Ottomans will lose 1 card from their hand.  Additionally, after Piracy is played, the Knights roll 1 die to sink corsairs if the piracy is in an adjacent sea zone.

The odds of the Knights appearing in an opponent's hands is roughly around 30% or less.  Thus, the Knights results in the loss of three cards per game on average.  The problem here is they can seriously disrupt any plans the player attempts in the middle of the Ottoman's turn.

Dealing with the Knights

The main way to deal with the Knights is to assault their position take over Rhodes.  Removing the Knights effectively requires a full two impulses and 4 cp:

• Move ships to a sea zone - 1 cp
• Move 5 troops, and a leader, to Rhodes - 2 cp
• Assault Rhodes - 1 cp

Consequences of Removing Knights of St. John

Removing the Knights adds a degree of certainty to the Ottoman's turns.  It makes it easy for the Ottoman player to ensure any plans they have will proceed as expected.  Additionally, if a player wants to bring the Knights back into play it will cost the player 2 cp.

Opinion

In my opinion, I prefer to remove the Knights rather than have them remain in play.  If played against the Ottomans, the loss of a card can seriously disrupt the Ottoman's plans.  This can leave the Ottomans in a seriously weakened position at the most inopportune time.  It is possible to leave the Knights alone throughout the game and they may have no effect.  But their threat is something to consider.

HIS - Ottomans - The First Turn

The Ottomans have a very specific action for their first turn: Attack Belgrade.  No other option makes sense.

Why take Belgrade?

At the start of the turn, the Ottomans gain 3 cards (plus Home Card).  To gain a 4th card they only need one key.  From their territory there are only two keys to attack: Belgrade and Buda.

Buda: Not an Option

Deciding to attack Buda first is suicidal for the Ottoman player.  First, Buda requires 4 CP  minimum to initiate the combat:

• 2 cp to cross the pass to Sezgedin, 
• 1 cp to convert Sezgedin to Ottoman control,
• 1 cp to move and siege Buda

Unlike most spaces, there will be a field battle to control Buda before there is an assault.  The Ottomans should have no trouble taking Buda if they bring all their armies (reinforced with their Home Card).  This is, however, an expensive option compared to Belgrade.  Furthermore, Buda cannot be reinforced during the Spring Deployment phase as it is across a Pass.

The other reason is the fall of Buda will cause a war with the Hapsburgs on Turn 1, who will gain all the Hungarian spaces as friendly allies: including Belgrade.

This puts the Ottomans at a war with the militarily strongest power in Europe.  Furthermore, troops left in Buda are isolated with expensive reinforcement costs.  Lastly, with control of Belgrade, the Hapsburgs not only have the Ottomans contained, but are able to begin launching attacks directly into Ottoman territory.

On Turn 1, with the worst cards played against them, the Ottomans have an 80% chance of Success at taking Buda.  Long term, however, attacking Buda before Belgrade is unsound.

Belgrade

Belgrade on the other hand is only 1 cp away.  It will take another card to initiate the siege, but with a full assault of Ottoman troops, Belgrade will almost certainly fall.  Lastly, the fall of Belgrade will not cause the Hungarians to ally with the Hapsburgs.

Optimum First Turn

The optimum first turn for Ottomans is as follows:

• Spring Deploy all troops from Istanbul to Nezh (or Nicopolis)
• Round 1- Play Home card to add 4 regulars to troops to Nezh/Nicopolis (bringing total army size to 12 Regular and 1 Cavalry).
• Round 2 - Play any card to place Belgrade under siege (If 3cp or higher, can build more units)
• Round 3 - Play a card to Assault Belgrade.

Optimum Attack Path

If the above method is used, the assault will have at least strength 8 during the assault to Belgrade's 2.  Facing only one enemy, this assault will succeed 96% of the time.  If it fails, a second assault needs to be made which, even with maximum casualties, will succeed 91% of the time.  Thus, the odds of success in this methodology is greater than 99%.

With these odds, Belgrade will fall!  The Ottomans now draw an additional card each turn.  The problem now becomes, what to do on the following turns now that the door to Europe is open.

Obstacles

This opening move is so standard no other player should feel threatened by it.  However, there are three possible cards which might disrupt the Ottoman plans:

• Knights of St John
• War in Persia
• Revolt in Egypt

War In Persia and Revolt in Egypt

 War In Persia and Revolt in Egypt both remove armies from Ottoman forces, but the Ottoman player may choose the armies.  In this case, the first three armies can come from Athens, Salonika and Edirne.  If the Ottoman Home Card is not played for armies (like it should be), the Ottomans will find themselves attacking Belgrade with 4 troops.  This still leads to a 80% chance Belgrade ill fall on the first assault if both are present.

Knights of St John

The other card is Knights of St. John, which causes a loss of 1 card from the Ottoman hand.  This simply reduces the number of turns the Ottomans have to capture Belgrade from two to one.  Still, the odds are 96% of taking Belgrade if the Home Card is played for armies.  If not played for armies, the Home Card provides odds of taking Belgrade to 92%.

With the above, Ottomans should always take Belgrade on the first turn.

HIS - The Ottomans - Strength and Weakness

Suleiman - Leader of the Ottomans

The Ottomans

The Ottomans are the Dark Green forces in Here I Stand.  Like all factions in the game, they have particular strengths and weaknesses.  Of the factions, the Ottomans have the most straight forward of goals: Military Domination.  Furthermore, the Ottomans have an "optimal route" in their first turn, something the other factions do not exhibit.  In some ways this makes them rote in their play style for the first turn or two.  After that, the strategy really begins to open up for them.

In my opinion, this makes the Ottomans the easiest faction to play for new players.

Strengths

Ottoman Home Card

The greatest strength of the Ottomans is their ability to amass a great army and raise troops quickly.  Sulieman, by himself, can move up to 12 armies, and with Ibrahim Pasha this brings the total to 18.  The Hapsburgs could achieve a maximum of 16, while France and England could bring a maximum of 14 armies, Protestants 12, and Papacy 4.

The other powers are less likely to achieve their maximum number than the Ottomans.  The Ottomans Home Card allows them to raise 4 troops per turn (at a cost of 5 cp), and should be used almost exclusively for this purpose every turn.  Adding to their strength is the fact the Ottomans are immune to all the "Mercenary" cards.

Weaknesses

The Ottomans have two major shortcomings: Their starting position and their "External Concerns": the War cards.  The War cards are an annoyance.  At the most inopportune times they can result in troops being sent "off board" to fight some battle.  A total of 9 armies can be lost to the War cards in this way. It is up to the player to determine if they need the troops or not.  In some ways, it is better to not resolve the War cards so that they cannot be played again, but if both cards are played it can result in a loss of 9 troops, which can take a full turn to regain.

Perhaps the major issue of the Ottomans is their positioning and the terrain surrounding them.  The only effective land route the Ottomans have is through Belgrade.  This creates a natural choke point which limits their movement.  The Ottomans must defeat Belgrade to advance on the Hapsburgs or into Italy.  Furthermore, any offensive they launch can quickly grind to a halt if Belgrade falls, so it must be defended.

Choke Point Belgrade

Piracy 

Once Barbary Pirates comes into play the Ottomans have the option of Piracy.  Although Piracy is effective, it is not a guaranteed Victory point gain.  However, Piracy can, and should, generate a few victory points for the Ottomans.  We will discuss Piracy, and other options, in more depth later.

HIS - Card Driven Game

Sample Basic Card

Anatomy of a Card

Cards in Here I Stand have a few important features: primarily the card text and the command points.  The command points are located in a shield icon in the upper left corner.    Command Points (CP) are the "currency" in the game, used to perform any action: from building troops, to moving armies, to sending explorers to the New World.  When a player plays a card for CP, any points not spent are lost.

Sample Mandatory Card
with Turn Availability

The second major use of a card is for the text effect.  The text outlines specific events or modifies outcomes.  Normally, a card can only be used for one or the other, either CP or text.   But there are some cards which are "Mandatory", as shown to the left.  These cards have three  effects.  First, when played, the card text must take effect.  Second, the card provides its CP to the player who played the card.  Mandatory cards, as the names implies, must be played during the players turn.

Lastly, some cards have a "Turn X" written in their upper right.  These cards are shuffled into the draw deck starting on the given turn.  If a card is played for its effect, the card may leave play.  These cards have the words "Remove from play" at their bottom.

Home Cards

Hapsburg Home Card

Every player has a 'Home' Card.  These cards, unlike the others which are drawn randomly, are available every turn to their player.  Every player holds a single Home Card, with the exception of the Papacy which has two Home Cards.  These cards are Mandatory cards, they must be played every turn.

Passing

During the game players may "pass" their turn.  This allows the player to hold on to key cards until their next turn.  However, players may not pass until three conditions are met:

1. All the player's cards saying "Mandatory Event" the player has in hand are played,
2. The player's Home Card has been played,
3. The player has no more cards in hand than their leader's "Admin Rating".

Effects on the Game

This system has several effects on the game and game style.  First, the more cards the player has, the more likely they are to have more CP to spend on performing actions.  Second, more cards leads to more options, particularly with text effects.  Lastly, the more cards a player has the longer the player may "delay" events or actions till other players have no or few cards.  This lets the player perform actions with a reduced probability of them being interfered with by the other players.

Running out of cards before the other players can be a risky proposition.  It leaves the player effectively defenseless against the player's other options.  A player must balance when it is a good decision to run their hand out of cards in order to achieve their goals, letting the other player's carry on with no danger.  Similarly, it is sometimes beneficial to hold on to a card as a "bluff", forcing the other player(s) to decide if preceding with their course of action may result in their action being interrupted, or plans foiled.

Next Game Coming Up: Here I Stand

The next game we will take a look at is Here I Stand:Wars of the Reformation designed by Ed Beach and published by GMT Games.  Commonly called by just the first three words: Here I Stand and is often abbreviated HIS.

Box Art

HIS is a wonderful game which captures the sweep and grandeur of the history of the 1500's.  It covers the complex political, religious, and fundamental changes going on at this time.  It is by no means a simple game, but it is one which leaves you with a better understanding of what happened and why.

When I saw this game sitting on the shelf, I read the title and said to myself, "Wars of the Reformation? Now that sounds unexciting".  Months later, seeing the game laid out on the table with all of the counters and cards, it hearkened back to the hex-and-counter games of old.  I passed it up as an "Advance Squad Leader" style in the 1500s.  ASL was a game I enjoyed when a teenager, but it quickly became a "game of mathematics" as opposed to a "game of fun".

A buddy of mine continued to promote Here I Stand as a great game and so I agreed, having forgotten what it was.  He spoke of asymmetrical objectives, multiple win conditions, and to that I agreed.  Seeing the game laid out did not entice me too much, but after my first two turns I was hooked!

Appeal

Europe: a hotbed of Intrigue, double cross, and deception

The appeal of HIS involves the interactions of the various players and sides.  Each side is attempting to gain victory points, but they do so in different ways.  Protestants want to spread their reforms, while the Papacy is trying to keep things the same.  The Hapsburgs are a superpower controlling almost all of Europe, with the exception of France and England.  Their size is both their strength and their weakness.   France is fighting a war to regain the city of Naples and finds itself at war with a weakly unified Italy.  England just wants an heir to his throne.  Meanwhile, the Ottoman empire has risen to power in the East and threatens to consume all of Europe.  And then there was the discovery of the New World and with it came the possibilities of untold wealth and glory.

It is on this tapestry the players find themselves controlling their nation, vying to maintain a balance between their various enemies while seeking an edge.  Each player must use everything in their bag of tricks to win.  Diplomacy, deception, and military might all play their part, as does the very geography of the country.

In short, HIS will take all day to play.  But after a single play I left with a hunger not only to play it again, but to learn more about the characters, events and history behind this incredibly mesmerizing and involved game.