Blood Royale

Blood Royale
Game data
author	Derek Carver & Paul Cockburn
graphic	Charles Dewberry, Elliot & Bil Sedgwick
publishing company	Games Workshop Design Studio
Publishing year	1987
Art	Board game
Teammates	4 to 5
Duration	> 240 minutes
Age	from 12 years

Blood Royale (Subtitle: Power is Wealth - Wealth is Power / Power is Wealth - Wealth is Power ) is an English board game for five people, the objective of which is to create five blue-blooded dynasties in the 14th century, including through military influence to shape the political map of Europe for a century .

The playing time is given by the publisher as 240 minutes, in fact, if you play through the specified sequence of 100 years (4-5 generations ), the playing time is over 50 hours. Blood Royale is one of the longest-running strategic board games in the world. Theoretically, the game can also be played by fewer people - however, 5 players are required for an occupation that meets the requirements of the game.

The game

A map of Europe serves as the game plan . Five kingdoms ( England , France , Germany , Spain and Italy ) are divided into several provinces, three of which produce raw materials each . Each player takes over a country and receives, in addition to some change, a royal couple and a child, which are handed out through small character sheets. Any name and a noble family are then entered by each player on these sheets . At this point the king is 25 years old, his queen 20 years and the child 5 years old.

The storyline of the game begins in 1300 and ends in 1400. Each game round lasts 5 years, in which armies can be moved twice. In their own country through three provinces ; in enemy territory only through one province at a time. The turn order is determined anew before each round by drawing lots, whereby the last person to draw has a clear strategic advantage. If armies are still in enemy territory after a basic period (2 years and 6 months) has expired, this area can subsequently be annexed. However, each country has only 20 armies at its disposal, if a battle with many losses occurs , the fallen are only available again after 10 years (2 full game rounds). Therefore caution is advised with regard to aggressiveness.

After the conquered provinces have been annexed, the raw materials can be traded. These are paid according to a block system, with certain blocks being paid differently. No country generates exchangeable blocks at the start of the game, so trading is absolutely necessary.

Then the dynastic sequence begins . The king can now try three times to impregnate the queen; this is cast with two dice: If the die roll is higher than 7, the attempt was successful. Pasch 6 means twins . Any attempt at impregnation has a negative effect on the constitution of the queen, which increases the risk of death if her subsequent survival throw. Unconceived children are recorded as having died prematurely, in this way attention is also paid to the high child mortality rate in the Middle Ages in this game.

Character sheet from Luci v. Stauffen. Born in 1335. No beauty but very malicious (+2). Marriage possible since 1350, still unmarried in 1370, probably not promised to marry because of her malice . The calculation could have been not to upgrade an opposing prince so much in terms of fighting power, or the bridal gifts offered were not dated appropriately. In 1370 the princess needed a 4 to survive if she was thrown two, if she had fathered 3 children in the last 5 years she would need a 7.

A character sheet is handed out for each child and then the gender and three character traits are determined by throwing 3 dice: constitution, charisma and strength (man) or cunning (woman). The original kings were given to the player with a 0 value on all properties. The children can achieve values from +2 to −2 here.

Throw result and character formation:

Litter 3–5 = −2
Litter 6–8 = −1
Litter 9-12 = 0
Litter 13-15 = +1
Litter 16-18 = +2

Positive values are of course beneficial in the marriage sequence that takes place for the first time from 1315 onwards. A good constitution increases the character's chance of survival. The charisma is only important for kings and crown princes, since a good charisma reduces the impact of the rebellion event card - a charismatic king can also allow himself a higher taxation without having to fear the worst excesses of a rebellion . By marrying a particularly pretty princess, a failing crown prince can also be nurtured a little. If a beauty (+1) or particularly pretty (+2) princess marries a king or is later crowned queen , there is a real jubilee, namely at the court of the bride's father, because there is a special bonus from the bank, which of course is also allowed to honor the coronation of a freak with deductions in this regard. The people too react in a bad mood to an unsightly or even ugly queen and in times of rebellion significantly more provinces will take up arms, which is why Luci v. Stauffen (−1 in Charisma), not the first choice for a king or crown prince despite their malice. But since the strength value is very decisive for the course of battles, if there is a lack of competition, it can happen that a weak heir to the throne (−1 on strength) still holds for Luci's hand, as his marriage to this malicious woman is more negative Would shift the strength value into the positive area and he would then be able to fight rebellions better.

Four marriage contracts from the 14th century

Every marriage is underpinned by a written contract that is absolutely binding. If such a contract cannot be kept (e.g. because you have promised a raw material that you will no longer have at some point), there are very high contractual penalties that will sooner or later drive you into ruin if the death of one of the spouses does not occur in time for the spouse. and the end of the contract. A widow travels back to her father's court and can then be passed on for profit at the next wedding sequence (wedding to a king earns more money than the small block of three raw materials). A woman with +2 on the constitution can leave behind several children in all four neighboring countries. It is also possible that a woman becomes queen of different countries several times, and later marriage to a self-conceived prince is not a violation of the rules. Children from such a connection also do not receive a negative inbreeding bonus (but can also be changed at will).

If you have a weak hereditary prince (-2 to strength) you absolutely have to find a princess who has +2 on cunning, because she then neutralizes his cowardice , which otherwise leads to even unguided enemy troops being able to defeat a group of troops under such a king.

The course of a battle

Coat of arms standards with stylized lilies of France

Since there are event cards that also contain epidemics , it is advisable not to concentrate large groups of troops in one province. Usually you gather your troops in groups of two to five armies. The king is indicated by a coat of arms standard with a crown , usually this is on the strongest troop formation. From 1320 up to five princes appear on the map, these are also indicated by coat of arms standards, these are numbered consecutively. Ruffians (+1 or +2 on their own strength or pushed by a cunning wife) are often entrusted to larger troop units, but cowards are not even brought onto the board if possible. But since there is compulsion, these good-for-nothing then roam the backwoods without troops or they become admirals at sea - in the hope a storm (event card) will have mercy on their uselessness. As a compulsory position it should be noted that every male member of the dynasty enters the board at the age of 20, this happens until all coat of arms standards have been assigned. The princes stay on the board until their death, the next coat of arms can then be freely chosen from your steadily growing dynasty. This hard rule sometimes results in very annoying game situations. If the first-born 5 sons were all cowards with a good constitution, then these aggressive and powerful princes of the second generation who are actually available block their historical appearance in the fields of honor .

Battle of Andalusia : Two Italian princes have invaded southern Spain, the Algarve province is annexed, the raw material province of Andalusia is occupied - Spanish troops are forming up for battle. On the left there are Italian and German troops in the cemetery.

If a larger enemy army advances into a resource-producing province of a neighboring country, a battle usually occurs. It is advisable not to fight with a large army, but to advance with several troop units, as each unit has its own clout. However, a single army is not particularly powerful, because it only destroys a single enemy army on a 1 roll. If, on the other hand, four armies have been drawn together, the striking force is increased by exactly this number - however, if the result was a 5 or 6, this combination was ineffective. If such an association is led by a prince, the striking power increases to 5, i.e. i.e., if this association rolls a 5, five opposing armies are promoted to the cemetery, from which they can only return after ten years. (As a reminder: a maximum of 20 armies are available.) If a king leads an army that has 6 or more units with him, the power increases to 6, that is, troops fighting under a king always have an effect. If his army is reduced to only three units in the course of the battle, this association is only successful with a 1–4 roll, a 5 or 6 fizzle out without any effect.

Accusatory German Prince Otto v. Staufen. The powerful prince (who had married a cunning princess (+1) and therefore had a strength value of +2) led German troops three times in major battles (over ten armies went to the cemetery) and won all three battles

As a special feature it should be noted that the strength of the leaders is compared before the battle. For example, if a king with strength 0 (e.g. The Original King) meets an aggressive prince +1 (married to a cunning princess +1 = +2), this aggressive prince is very reproachful and may roll the dice twice in advance. If he scores a 5 twice, the king has already lost half of his available troops before he can even take up his sword once .

If such a prince (+2 to strength) is attacked not only by the primordial king, but also by his crown prince (+1 to strength), he is also accused in this direction.

Every bearer of the coat of arms involved in a battle must make an additional survival roll after the battle. A king has the opportunity to flee during the course of the battle , so it is advisable to deploy troops in the adjacent provinces to capture the king. He then spent his imprisonment in the opposing capital .

You can buy out a captured king, but this is a matter of negotiation and rarely comes to a successful conclusion (as an example: the two best daughters are married to opposing good-for- nothing, and 1 or 2 provinces are given as dowry - humiliation is inevitable in any case) .

If a king remains in captivity, he is not only missing as a powerful defense authority in his country, but can also no longer participate in the dynastic sequence, which will have a very negative effect on his participation in the following marriage sequences in the early game phase.

Contracts

Marriage contract in 1340 between Lisbeth of York & Napoleon le Anjou. Since a division of the bride price is mentioned in the contract, Lisbeth marries a king.

Marriage contract in 1365 for the marriage of Bella v. Visconti and Crown Prince Karl II. Staufen. A ten-year non - aggression pact is agreed. Bella once brought wool as a dowry and the German province of Swabia, annexed by Italy . In return, the German Empire assures that Lisa v. Staufen will marry an Italian in 1375. It can therefore be assumed that the young lady is either very willing to give birth (+2 on constitution ) or very malicious (+2 on cunning) or even has both values.

Marriage contract of a good daughter from the von Kyffhausen family. Walburga goes to the Spanish court, her father is given the former French province of Dauphiné and 20 gold pieces as thanks for such a good daughter. In addition, it is agreed that Walburga's first cunning or malicious daughter will marry a German. It can be assumed that the Spaniard conquered the wine- producing French province as a wedding gift only recently and that Germany has a non-aggression pact with France. So the French king cannot recapture the Dauphiné.

A marriage contract written in royal blood from the King of England who has apparently married a good daughter. Arms assistance is guaranteed by Spain and a trade embargo is imposed on France. Most of the time disputes between France and England are about the English mainland province of Calais, which is very often the battlefield.

With every marriage, a contract is concluded that is negotiated beforehand, and care must be taken with the wording and of course with the content . Because the contract is absolutely binding until the marriage is dissolved through the death of a spouse. If a non-aggression pact has been agreed, the rules do not allow opposing courses of action. It is also possible to grant troop passage rights in the marriage contract, which is of great strategic importance, since in this case the troops can move through 3 provinces of the other country during the movement phase. Great care should be taken when contracting the regular delivery of raw materials, as some marriages can last long and the political map can change dramatically. If a king marries a princess, the bride's father receives 100 gold pieces from the bank, which roughly corresponds to the economic strength of a country within 3 years. A division of this sum can then also be agreed in the contract. Certain services can also be required, such as the province of Swabia recaptured for Germany by 1380. It is also possible to agree on a trade embargo against another king or even the country.

In the adjacent contract it is stated that Lisa v. Staufen will marry an Italian in 1375, a contract will be signed here too. The negotiating basis for the German Empire is extremely bad, because Lisa has to marry an Italian if the marriage between Bella and Karl II still exists. The non-aggression pact solemnly agreed at this wedding ends by chance in Lisa's wedding year, and should Lisa be very malicious, it would be possible that the newly crowned Charles II would then experience a bitter surprise.

All marriage contracts that have been concluded must be adhered to, but there are also agreements that are only made on word of honor and primarily concern trade. Trade goods are pushed across the border on trust after the movement phase has been completed ; the return trade only takes place and, if the king is a man of honor , after his movement phase. But if he refuses to deliver the promised good (e.g. iron), this is not a rule violation, but an understandable reason for war . But only if there is no contractually agreed non-aggression pact to the contrary.

But there is also a way of circumventing a non-aggression pact. The betrayed player offers the king, who moves immediately after the wordbreaker, on his word of honor, a treat (e.g. a province and the very best daughter) if the king moves into the enemy territory and annexes provinces. The betrayed then moves into these and annexes them in turn - those who break their word then lose out, because the non-aggression pact on which he had previously relied now prevents the recapture of these territories.

Breaking the word has a very long-term effect on diplomatic dealings and should be carefully considered. If you do not deliver a promised commodity, you can actually only trade with countries that follow in the train sequence and which have then already received the promised commodity. A fraudster is of course also happy to be cheated on himself, but according to observations, such fraud is hardly taken diplomatic offense, only the first fraudster is ostracized. The only exception to this rule is fraud against a tyrant who has nothing to fear through a non-aggression pact. If a country that is the only realm with powerful princes covers Europe with war and blackmails its best daughters by knocking on the capitals by military force, the deception of the tyrant will be seen as a true heroic deed by all oppressed countries and trade with the land of the broken will flourish afterwards especially good.

Strategic subtleties and special occurrences

Example of a good daughter from the Spanish house of derer de Osborno . At the age of 19, Carmen married her uncle, the German King Konrad von Kyffhausen , in 1385 - to whom she gave a total of 10 children, 6 of whom, including one identical twins (girls), reached adulthood .

Example of a daughter from the house of La Tortoloni who are certainly dearly loved . Alice was married to the 55-year-old Spanish King Lobo de Castillia in 1330 at the age of 13 . This fell 12 years later in the often contested Dauphine in a major battle against the young King of France. The Italian princess gave birth to the Spanish king a total of 10 children, 6 of whom reached adulthood. Three years later, in 1345, she married her brother, King Paolo II of Italy, to Philip le Monaco , the winner of the Battle of the Dauphine. The now matured queen gave her new husband 6 children, all but one of whom reached adulthood. The Spaniards, whose queen she was from 1330 to 1342, were hereditary enemies of France - whose queen she became in 1345. From then on, the French king used Alice's malicious advice to campaign against the land of her own sons from their first marriage. Alice died in 1370 at the age of 52, several of her daughters became queens and one son became king of France.

It goes without saying that good daughters (e.g. constitution +1, charisma +2, cunning +1) are only married to kings or crown princes without being forced. But since the bank dowry is only available for crowned heads, it is best to marry really beloved daughters (e.g. constitution 0, charisma +1, cunning +2) only to kings, because a passionate but impetuous crown prince could unnecessarily pass through the crown jewel of his own discipline The child's bed will be transported to the afterlife and the desired remuneration ( bride money ) will not be received.

It is also advisable to only agree on a contractual basis for weddings with women of good constitution that one wishes permanently. However, if the contracts contain advantageous details , e.g. a non-aggression pact with a neighboring country that suddenly has very reproachful princes due to marriage , it is recommended that the lady in this marriage no longer sleep in and allow her and thus also the non-aggression pact to survive longer.

If there was only one malicious but very sickly bride (+2 on cunning, -2 on constitution) on the bridal market for a feeble crown prince who had fallen into minnesong (−1 to strength) , a rather chaste marriage is also recommended. If there is a younger brother, he can then lovingly secure the dynasty - in this case the Hereditary Prince should be granted a celibate , long-lasting marriage - the throne will eventually be ascended by his brother or his first-born son. But if the feeble Hereditary Prince is the only male descendant, he will have to sleep on his sickly wife - but only praying will help with her survival throws. (A woman with a −2 on constitution must roll at least a 9 with 3 pregnancies with 2 dice in order to survive - a value that corresponds to the survival roll of a normal man at 65) Have 2 or 3 sons been born and the lady lives through Still a miracle, it is advisable to refrain from further cohabitation.

Events and event cards

Blood Royale event cards

In addition to the event cards, there are the following event options in each round (5 years) that are rolled:

1 = epidemic
2 = famine
3 = rebellion
4 = storm
5 = no effect
6 = roll again 1–3 = famine 4–6 = rebellion

Then the dice are rolled to determine which provinces are affected; if there is an epidemic, all armies there die - kings and princes must then make a survival roll. The rebellion has different effects depending on the taxation and charisma of the royal couple. Rebellions must be fought down before taxes can be returned there. Storms destroy all units at sea and are popular to let unloved coward princes bless the time. Fighting down a large-scale rebellion can take longer, especially if you have not had any luck in a battle and only have a few units. A rebellion can also be ended by paying (expensive). Contaminated and famine-ridden provinces cannot be taxed or entered. But also the starving provinces can be made accessible and taxable again through payment (expensive).

The event cards, on the other hand, are designed to be versatile. Choice: Setting up a university improves the charisma (+1) of the king, or good harvests bring a financial blessing to all grain provinces, a Russian prince offers his malicious daughter to the highest bidder, a duke title is awarded - this prince fights like a king from now on, a bastard claims the throne or two kings are asked to crusade by the Pope and are absent from the board for the next 5 years.

The administration of a dynasty

Provided that the first royal couple is long-lived, the dynasty grows very quickly, in the second and first real marriage phase in 1315 a child-friendly queen with an almost optimal birth yield (every litter a hit , once every 5 years twins) can have 13 children of them then 4 are of marriageable age (15). Daughters move to the foreign royal court , princesses by marriage form a married couple with a prince at their own court.

The guided by an inexperienced German King Karl Otto of Guelph came, even before his first participation in the dynastic sequence in Swabia in 1303 in French captivity . He only barely survived the battle that came as a surprise to him. In the subsequent imprisonment he died in 1305. Since he only had one daughter, his dynasty ended with his death (board record).

If the king dies at a young age, this is the greatest unfortunate misfortune that can happen. If he has already fathered a son, an impotent uncle takes his place on the board; if the deceased king only produced daughters, the game night is over for this player because his dynasty is then extinct. If he has only one son, the establishment of this dynasty is very difficult, the same applies to kings who are captured and have only one heir. Then not even said uncle comes along who is at least able to defend the national borders. The royal dignity is retained, even if the imprisoned king loses all lands. If he has 2 five-year-old sons at the beginning of his captivity, they will enter some province of the lost homeland after 15 years with 20 armies and the story will then be written again.

If a captive king has numerous powerful sons, one should definitely negotiate his release and, ideally, knit a double-woven non-aggression pact through a double wedding - so that these sons can let off steam in other countries. If such a king is left in captivity, his sons will very likely try to free the king, which will most certainly lead to numerous losses of his own troops and possibly even end with the capture of the capital and the liberation of the king. Foresight is very good advice! However, if a king has no powerful princes on the board, you can piss them off and squeeze out the royal blood according to all the rules of the art.

In this context, it is also possible to give a captive king a daughter who is otherwise hardly communicable and who is interested in minstrels (−1 on cunning) or even a sex addicted daughter (−2 on cunning) on his journey home, which he then gives to his most powerful son as a wife got to. If he had a strength value of +1 before the marriage, this turns into a -1 weakling value due to the long stays in bed. The only hope left for the released king is that a difficult child's bed will solve this problem as quickly as possible.

So that the overview is not lost in the dynastic sequence, it is advisable to attach the couple together with a paper clip and then to an A4 sheet on which 8 character sheets have previously been photocopied. The children of these marriages are then entered here. It has proven to be an advantage to draw a face on the coat of arms in order to be able to better follow the migration of individual princesses to the various courtyards (after a bereavement ). The fun factor is significantly increased if a good draftsman is available who can also reproduce the successful or unsuccessful mixing of the parents in a caricature . The administration of the dynasty is unfortunately very time consuming, but necessary for the course of the game. Not infrequently one has to manage over 10 married couples as early as 1350, who often have between 6 and 10 children. Survival rolls have to be made for each family member , the cohabitation has to be performed up to three times per couple and then the characters of the newly created family members have to be rolled. This sequence can take longer than half an hour for individual players. The game is therefore only recommended for very experienced players who are really crazy about board games .

The bride show

A wallflower from the Martell family . Laura died a virgin at the age of 45. She could n't find a suitor because of her lust (−2 on cunning) .

A charismatic gem from the home Winstor . The triple crowned Princess Ywonne . At the age of 15 she married the 55-year-old German King Siegfried v. Overstolz († 1339 at the plague ). Without fully waiting for the year of mourning , she married the 50-year-old Italian King Pedro da Vinci († 1347 in a battle in Lombardy ) in 1340 at the age of 25 . In 1350 the 35-year-old double widow married the 20-year-old Spanish Crown Prince Gonzo de Aragon . At the age of 40 she was crowned Queen of Spain. She gave birth to a total of 18 children, 13 of whom reached adulthood. The house of Winstor collected the coronation bridal money three times, which was particularly high due to its popularity. In 1400 England owned the greatest treasure trove and thus won Blood Royal . The English treasury consisted of 586 GS, of which Ywonne alone contributed 360 GS bridal money - that's what good daughters look like!

The Italian prince Eros Ferrari , second in line to the throne, married the crafty German princess Kiki v. Kyffhausen . He paid 50 GS bridal money and also delivered 1 × gems to the German Empire . In 1382 Kiki's brother Fritz v. Kyffhausen in the province of Venice for battle. Prince Eros was killed in this battle, the young widow Kiki returned to Germany and married the Spanish Crown Prince in 1385.

The bridal show and wedding phase immediately following the dynastic sequence are the most protracted . Each player now places his marriageable daughters in front of him, including the familiar faces of the wallflowers of recent years.

But new faces appear at every bridal show and if there is a malicious beauty with a child-friendly pelvis, especially unmarried crown princes or widowed kings will vigorously court these young women. Provinces are offered, good daughters of their own are proposed for double weddings, previously rather rare commodities - such as wine or even jewels are suddenly promised in a double pack, pieces of gold are suddenly jingled in a noticeable way or even banknotes are waved - weapons assistance guarantees for troubled dynasties are then also on the agenda.

The proud king from whose dynasty this great litter emerged, carefully chooses the best from the various offers and then usually says goodbye to his gem with a kiss and a heartfelt goodbye . Should the young lady have been given into the hands of an old widowed king, there is a relatively good chance that the favorite child of his own dynasty will soon return to the court and can be guaranteed to be mediated profitably in the next wedding phase. Therefore, old kings who are on the lookout for a bride are usually given preferential treatment regarding the conclusion of a contract.

It is also advisable to pass a courted favorite child only to crown princes or princes who have a negative constitution, so that the crown jewel of your own breeding is not exposed to the danger of cohabitation for too long in a foreign country .

If you did not agree to a non-aggression pact at the wedding with an ailing prince, you should hunt the “beloved” son- in -law in the next round , i. H. attack as often as possible in your own movement phase - because in every battle (even if only a single unguided army attacks) the prince who is susceptible to death throws must make a survival roll. If the prince falls , the beloved , newly widowed daughter can be auctioned off again with the highest bidder in the next round or, to put it more politely, look out for a bridegroom who can comfort the poor widow . But if a non-aggression pact is not agreed at this wedding either, the strategy described above will of course be applied again.

After all new couples have found each other at some point and all marriage contracts are sealed , the new game round begins and the newlyweds and thus improved princes try to redesign the political map for five years.

Accounting

A battle in the Eastern Alps is looming - next to it a player's manual.

It is also advisable that every player keep a book to accompany the game . The dynastic sequence always takes place in public, but with the number of births one quickly loses track of things. After the dynastic sequence, each birth is announced again and the other players then have the last opportunity to take a look at the character traits of the new family members created by a triple throw. If girls and boys are spotted who have + 1 or + 2 on strength / cunning, they should be entered in this book under the year of their marriageability (girls) or their possible appearance on the board (boys). This allows you to keep an overview of the future, according to which you can then weigh up your strategic actions.

It makes very little sense, in the face of one's own military superiority, to wrest a raw material province from a neighbor in 1330 when the plundered , very reproachful twin princes (+2 on strength) will be available on the board as early as 1335. In such a case it is advisable to marry a good daughter in this country in 1330 and to combine this marriage with a non-aggression pact.

End of game and win

Treasury - Blood Royale

Blood Royal: The favorite child of the Kyffhäuser dynasty: Princess Gundel (i)

The game ends after exactly 100 years. All resources located in the capital and the state treasury are added together, the winner is determined from the resulting total income.

Résumé

The long-term game is only something for permanent players or regular board game circles who also have a historical interest.
The execution of the game is detailed and designed with very good graphics .

The game sequence on the board is exciting and varied, mainly due to the fact that the balance of power is redesigned with the appearance of new characters for each new round. The course of battles is entertaining and, thanks to the dice option, contains a high chance of luck - or chance hit. Nevertheless, a strategic readability of the board is essential to be able to play this game successfully.

The dynastic sequence is drawn out through the lengthy roll of survival throws and new characters. If you intend to play the game more often, you can shorten this phase significantly, namely if you take the trouble to create a memory of characters that have been thrown out beforehand (example: 500 pieces - photocopied several times), from which you can then use the newly created characters Characters draws.

The bride show and wedding phase lives from the role-play of the players, so it is an active phase of the players, which is only really fun if you take the management of your dynasty " very " seriously and don't sell good daughters.

For winning this game because of the high dowry which is owned by good daughters much more important than the possession of good sons. The fact that the particularly pretty and clever or cunning ladies who never appear on the board and the fields of honor are so decisive in the game is a really polite and also very respectful bow of the inventor of this game, Derek Carver, to the female gender .

Web links

Blood Royale in the Luding games database

Blood Royale in the game database BoardGameGeek (English)

Interview with Derek Carver