From: Doug Murphy Subject: 30 Years War: helpful info Victory is determined in S&T 173's new game 30 Years War by comparing VPs to Resource Value of the Major Powers NOT including the Treasury Pts which begin the game in their respective treasuries: Here are those numbers for the Scenarios 1 & 3 so you don't have to add 'em up. HB *Habsburgs: 115 + 20 in Poland if SW begins the game active FR *France: 55 PL *Protestant League: 55 SW *Sweden: 15 Instead of using the Major Power forms to track TPs, DIPs, et al, cut out chits out of cardboard or use blank chits from another game for each Major Power: TP, TP +10, DIP, DIP +10 and use them on the status track. Here is a turn flow chart which can speed your play: Scenario 1 order of play: PL, HB, FR, SW Each Major Power: - collects income (Gold Bar: 10, else: 5) (multiply RV of area by political skill of leader in area) (SW gets 10 TPs: treasury pts) - purchases DIPs (diplomatic pts) (expend 3 TPs for 1 DIP) (can have max of only 20 DIPs at any time) - conduct 1 DIP attack (all attacking DIPs - all def. DIPs, then roll on table) (DIP attack only influences independent units) - roll on events chart and on reichstag chart if you own 4 of the 7 purple areas. - spend TPs to recruit (place 1 unit per area), maintain (inf: 2, cal: 3, arty: 2, marshal: 3, militia: 1), or disband units. (if unpaid, check for mutiny) (can recruit independ. units if control at least one) - ascertain Op Pts per force: roll die, add military skill of any 1 leader (move, besiege, combat) - combat (divide separately: attacker and defender strength points by 3, note defeat marker) (roll die, add mil skill of 1 leader: higher number goes first) (fire once per strength point in order by chart) (fire on all units once before twice on a unit) (note losses, if defeat enemy, conduct pursuit fire, trade arty) (defeated force retreats to fort or adjacent area.) (if force eliminated, capture leader, else, roll d2: 11, 12 dead) (in siege, fort breached if arty rolls 5,6, then attacker fires again per pt.) (add/lose 1 DIP per strength point lost) Doug Murphy (dmurphy@wppost.depaul.edu) From: Doug Murphy Subject: 30 Years War: Questions to resolve before play All answers are our opinion having played the game and unofficial. If the setup chart calls for units in a certain provice, can they be setup in any fort within the province? We said no. They may move into the fort during their turn, but it seems that the chart indicates clearly those units that begin the game in certain cities/forts. Do you collect income on turn 1? We said yes. Do you pay maintenance per unit or strength point? We said unit. This makes it to your advantage to bunch strength points together to avoid paying 3 TPs to support 3 militia of 1 strength pt each as opposed to paying 1 TP for 1 militia of 3 strength pts. If combat loss causes you to lose DIPs and you don't have any, what do you do? Nothing. DIPs can't go below zero. Suggestions: To speed setup and play was to leave all independent units off the map until someone enters a province for the first time. Be careful when handling units if you drop one, one of you better remember which strength point side was "up." Doug (dmurphy@wppost.depaul.edu) From: Doug Murphy Subject: 30 Year War errata The only things wrong we could find thus far is reference to Denmark in the events table as DN instead of DM as on the map, and the control markers used to indicate which power controls what independent units are screwed up: Swedish markers are correct: the 3 crown graphic and SW: yellow French markers are correct: the fleur d lies (sorry for SP) and FR: blue Habsburg markers are incorrect: noted as AU instead of HB. double headed eagle: seems to be red Protestant League markers are marked HRE (Holy Roman Empire?) and consist of an orange shield with a black diamond. Even though the Protestant League doesn't have a country code, I use PL for the markers. Remember the long discussion about color and color blindness etc. Color is very very very important in this game. Units are identical and differentiated only by color. Important map areas (electorates are purple, etc) are also designated by color. Doug (dmurphy@wppost.depaul.edu)