PLAYERS:
Each Player is 1 Warlord of China. The available Warlords, in initial order of Phase movements, are:
1. Shi Xie (dull red)
2. Han Sui&Ma Teng (yellow-green)
3. Liu Biao (dark green)
4. Liu Zhang (cyan)
5. Sun Quan (bright red)
6. Yuan Shao (orange)
7. Cao Cao (blue)
Each starts with certain amount of Supply Centers and Armies:
1. Shi Xie (2): JAZ, JIO
2. Han Sui&Ma Teng (2): TIN, WWU
3. Liu Biao (2): SWJ, JNG
4. Liu Zhang (3): LIA, CGQ, CHD *Capital*
5. Sun Quan (3): CHB, HNZ, JIA *Capital*
6. Yuan Shao (4): ZHN, FAN, QNG, JIH *Capital*
7. Cao Cao (5): XPI, YAN, XCH, WAN, LUO *Capital*
TURNS AND PHASES:
Each Turn represents one Year. Each Year is divided into 3 phases:
1. Spring Movement phase, separate for each Player.
2. Fall Movement phase, separate for each Player.
3. Winter Build/Disband phase, simultaneous for all Players.
During Spring and Fall phases, each Player has their own time to move (capped at 24 hours).
They can move their Armies from territory to territory, or support their other Armies.
During Winter Build/Disband phase, each Player builds new Armies or disbands their current Armies so that amount of Armies is equal to amount of Supply Centers they own.
So if you own 3 Supply Centers and have 1 Army, you can Build 2 Armies. If you have 4 Armies but have only 2 Supply Centers, you must disband 2 Armies.
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THE MAP:
Map of the CHINA is divided into named Territories, each name shortened to 3-letter abbreviations. You can find entire list in 'Territories' spoiler.
SUPPLY CENTERS:
There are 29 Supply Centers on the map, each marked with a black 'dot'.
Supply Centers determine how many Armies you can have. You can build new Armies at Supply Centers only.
Neutral Supply Centers can be taken by having an Army at a Supply Center at the end of the Fall Phase.
CAPITALS:
These are important centres of Imperial administration; being large, fortified cities, they also grant +2 to rolls of the Army stationed within.
At start of the game, Liu Zhang, Sun Quan, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao control 1 Capital each, with the fifth one at Yong being occupied by Independents.
Controlling Capital(s) is also part of victory condition. After all, how can there be an empire without a capital?
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WINNING THE GAME:
To win the game, you must:
1. Have 15 Supply Centers, including
2. At least 1 Capital, and
3. You must have more Capitals than any other Player
If all these are true at the end of a Year, victory goes to you!
LOSING THE GAME:
If, at the end of any given Fall Phase, you do not own any Supply Centers, you must disband all your Armies, and you lose.
ARMY MOVEMENT AND COMBAT:
Armies are represented as squares with Chinese spear symbol ('Máo') on the field with a color representing their owner.
During your time to move at Spring/Fall Phases, you can move your Armies around, from one Territory to another adjacent to it. There can be only 1 Army inside any Territory at any given time.
An easy-to-use format goes like this; if you want to move Armies, one from Fng to Tai and other from Qng to Xpi, just write:
Army in FAN to TAI.
Army in QNG to XPI.
If your Army wants to enter a territory where an enemy Army is already stationed, a Combat occurs. Both Armies roll 1d6 dice; if there's a tie, the dice are re-rolled.
The Army that has the higher roll wins the combat; the loser is destroyed. If the attacking Army wins, it also moves into the territory previously occupied by the loser.
You can also Support your Armies:
1. One Army moves into territory occupied by an enemy Army, and other, adjacent to the territory you wish to conquer, Supports. Supporting Army grants a second 1d6 to your target Army's roll. No matter the outcome of the combat, the Supporting Army is not affected.
2. One Army does NOT move; and other, adjacent to the territory the first Army is occupying, Supports. Supporting Army grants a second 1d6 to you target Army's rolls whenever attacked, until your next Turn.
Supporting Army that is targeted and destroyed no longer provides bonus dice.
You cannot Move and Support; an Army that is Supporting during a Phase cannot Move in the same turn, and vice versa.
Example:
Yuan Shao has 2 Armies, 1 in Jizhou and 1 in Fangzi, Cao Cao has 1 Army in Yan.
Yuan Shao sends Army in Jizhou to attack Cao Cao in Yan, and commands Fangzi Army to Support.
If Yuan Shao wins the combat, Cao Cao loses hiss Army in Yan, Yuan Shao's Army in Jizhou moves into Yan, while the Army in Fangzi remains there.
If Yuan Shao loses the combat, he loses Jizhou Army, Cao Cao's Army remains in Yan, and Yuan Shao's Army in Fangzi remains there.
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INDEPENDENTS:
At start of the game, several Supply Centers (Liaodong, Hangzong, and Yong with its Capital) are held by Independents.
These Independents are neutral armies that must be fought against for control over the Province they're stationed in.
Additional Independents might 'appear' if a Player drops from the game; his lands turn neutral and all armies in his lands become Independents.