A
More Wargame-like Version of Sea
Kings:
War Viking
I don’t want people confused into
thinking Sea Kings is
something that
it is not.
It is not a highly strategic game.
It is a light adventure
game,
playable in less than an hour by up to seven.
(Pieces included for six, but it has been tested with seven.)
It works very well with people who
are only accustomed to party and family games, that is, as a kind of
gateway
game. (The look on someone’s face when another player played a card directly against them was
priceless.)
And it works well with teenagers (mostly boys) who want to have a fun
go at one
another (the Rogue Viking version).
It’s Educational. (Keep it
quiet?) It may be the most “realistic” Viking game on the
market. It can be
used to teach a short Viking history class.
It is NOT a wargame. It’s an avatar-based
adventure game. There are
two versions, and the “Rogue”
version is more war-like, but it’s still difficult to directly oppose
another
player.
But now there’s a more wargame-like version.
The rules
below achieve that. I started working on these soon after the game was
published, then got sidetracked by new games. But I had sent a copy to
Jim
Lawler, and he has completed the project. He says about 75% is what I
sent him;
as we all know, it’s usually the last 20% that makes or breaks a game,
so let’s
give Jim the credit.
Lew Pulsipher
Sea Kings “War Viking” optional rules
Jim
Lawler
Intro: This
War Viking version of Sea Kings
adds war game like elements to the game. This game is a bit more
complex but
are here for those who prefer more conflict in their games.
Rules
for War Viking: Rules
for “Rogue Viking” apply with
the following additions and changes. Always play with three actions. Use the Meeples as
settlements, and you must supply player colored (FA) and neutral colored armies (NDA)
as well as pieces for slaves.
Sequence
of Play:
Add the following to your choices of action:
1)
To
move a non-player defensive army (NDA)
(one
action)
2)
To
create a non-player defensive army,
(one
action plus you pay one wealth or fame)
3)
To place a defensive
army (NDA)
4)
To move or remove your Faction Army (FA),
a free action but only one per turn.
5)
To
place a Faction Army (one action)
Initial
Placement of Defensive
Armies:
Place one (NDA)
in each area other than the Icelandic Seas and
Scandinavia. These
13 armies are the maximum (NDA)
in
the game. You can create one only if a dead one is available.
Raiding: You can raid without use of a raid card, at 0 instead of +4,
in the same way you can settle in Rogue Viking. Yes this is tough but
helps
reflect that the places with weaker defenses were raided A LOT! (You
can still
use the Danegeld or Weak Territory
Defense cards with
a free raid or in a weak territory.)
Settling: Add one to
the strength of an area when you attempt to settle.
(This includes attempting to take over
another player’s settlement.) This was the rule originally in Sea
Kings but was
simplified for publication. Think about it, Settling
was more difficult then merely Raiding.
Slave
Trade: You get a
slave piece when you raid successfully. It moves with your ship
(though more
likely you will place them in front of you rather than on the board).
When you
trade with Iberia, Middle
East, Rus, Ireland or Miklagard,
you can trade in any number of slave pieces for one extra wealth per
slave.
(The “There’s a War On” card, can stop the trade, the player retains
the
slaves). Slave Points are always wealth.
Slaves
can
be sold to another Viking
if you
occupy the same area and both parties agree to the deal. Slaves are
sold for ½
wealth each.
Slaves
were the most valuable commodity
that Vikings could get, especially after they raided all the
portable,
accessible gold and silver (mostly from monasteries). The Muslim
world needed slave
labor and
paid for it in good silver Why Ireland? Dublin was the entrepot
for the slave trade to Iberia and other Muslim lands, Rus
sold their slaves to Muslims and Byzantium.
Faction’s Armies: (FA) The two
faction armies each player now has represent Vikings already settled
in an
area, mercenaries, or other forces allied to the Vikings. If an army
is present
in a land that a faction is attempting to Raid, Settle, or defend
their settlements,
each army grants a +1 DRM in each battle they are in. Only a faction’s
own army
can help defend a Viking settlement. You can move or remove one
Faction Army each turn for free,
this does not cost an Action. It does
cost an action to place a Faction Army.
Neutral
Defensive Armies: (NDA) Defensive
armies grant the non-Viking defender a +1 DRM when defending against a
Viking
Raiding or Settling attempt.
You
can’t attack an area if you have moved
a neutral defensive army out of that area on the same turn. You have to plan ahead.
Placement
and Movement:
You can place a NDA in any eligible area for the cost of one action. You cannot
place a NDA in any area
that
contains a Viking settlement.
An NDA can be moved into an
area that
contains a Viking settlement, just not on the same turn it is built.
A FA can be placed in an area
that
contains any Viking Settlement.
NDA and FA
cannot cross seas. This includes Scotland to the Isles and Britain to
Ireland.
Hence the FA are divided
up quite
extensively.
Defensive
Armies defending against a
Raid or Settlement attempt: Add one to the defensive strength of an area for each
Defensive Army in that area when it is raided or settled. (so
in high value areas they are more likely to survive.) A successful
settlement
forces a retreat, a successful raid does not. If there is no area to
retreat to
all defending units are lost.
Margin
of loss:
1 or 2
Survive
and retreat if settlement is successful.
3 or more
One NDA or FA dies, the rest retreat if
a settlement is built and if there is a valid area to retreat to.
The
successful attacker decides where to retreat the defensive armies,
(they may be
split up.) They must go to an adjacent area. They may not retreat
across water.
Viking
Settlements:
You cannot use a free (no card) raid
against a Viking settlement, you must use a card. *Exception,
Viking settlements can be attacked by NDA armies without a raid card
by
spending actions.
Settling
or Raiding a Viking
settlement:
When you
settle in an area that contains a Viking settlement, you can choose to
attack
the Vikings or the Natives. Remember,
NDA
only help the Natives. If there are two Viking settlements, you must
choose
which to attack. If you successfully attack a Viking settlement,
replace that
Viking meeple with your own. If you
attempt to settle
a Viking settlement and fail, either you
lose
a fame or the defender gains a fame,
attacker’s
choice.
Defensive
Armies attacking a Viking
settlement:
DA’s may
attack Viking settlements. This requires a player to expend an action
to make
the attack. Vikings add +4 to their die. DA’s add +2 for each
attacker.
If
attacker
wins the settlement disappears. If they lose, depends on the margin.
1 or
2
All Armies Survive
3 or
more One army dies,
the defender
retreats all remaining armies.
KingShip: A Viking can
attempt to claim Kingship in an area. A successful King scores Fame
Points. You
must
be in the area. This is a Free Action if you play a
Raid or Settle card for the area (which does cost the usual action),
otherwise
it costs one action. Your Faction Armies can help you become King.
Outside
of Scandinavia: You
must have two settlements in an
area. You must overcome opposition in that area with a die roll. Dice
roll as
for a raid but with a +4 if you don’t play a Raid or Settle card, +5 if you do
have a card. Gain an additional +1 for each FA.
To indicate Kingship,
lay a meeple on it’s side.
When
you
become King you score Fame
points
for the area. If you lose a settlement in this area, you lose one
Fame Point. If you lose the second
settlement you lose two
additional Fame
Points.
Kingship
in Scandinavia: This
attempt counts as an action. You
must be in Scandinavia. There can be no settlements or FA in
Scandinavia. Kingship
here is more difficult, more risky. Add
one to your die roll for each category if
you have more or are tied for the most, Fame, Wealth or Land than any
other
player. Subtract one from each category if you have the least amount
or are tied
with the fewest points than any other player.
Roll
two
dice (the only two dice roll in the game). You must achieve a total of
nine or
higher. If you succeed gain five
points
divided between Fame and Wealth. If your sum is less then seven
you lose
two fame. If you total 7 or 8, you neither lose or gain any Wealth or
Fame.
Each
player may attempt this once per
game.
End
of Game: When a player
wants to draw with no card available, finish the round and play one
more full
round. There is a lot more that can be done in this game without cards
than in
the other versions.
Slaves
still
in hand are worth nothing at game’s end.
Note: if you successfully Hijack
another Viking’s Trade, ( See Rogue
Viking Sea
Kings Rules) You capture all his slaves as part of the loot you
capture.