Components

• 75 Influence Cards
• 2 General Action Cards
• 25 Role Action Cards
• 8 Role Tokens
• 50 Coins
• Rulebook
• 25 Role Dividers
• 2 Dividers

Setup

• Take the 2 General Action cards and place them in the center of the table.

• Separate Role Action Cards into 4 piles by type. Choose 5 Role Action cards to play with by randomly taking 1 from each of the Finance, Communications and Force piles and 2 from the Special Interests pile.

  These are the only roles that will be in play for the game. Only include advanced roles if all players are experienced at the game. For your first game we suggest using: Banker, Politician, Guerrilla, Director and Peacekeeper.

• Place the 5 chosen Role Action cards into the center of the table, face up and visible to everyone. Together with the General Actions these define the only actions available this game. Pass around the Role Action cards for each player to see.

  Players should familiarize themselves with all the roles and their actions before starting the game.

• Place the corresponding Role tokens (if applicable) into the center of the table , face up and visible to everyone. Roles that have tokens are: Mercenary (Disappear), Peacekeeper (Peacekeeping), Foreign Consular (Treaty) and Customs Officer (Tax)

• Take out the 3 copies of each Influence card matching the 5 chosen Role Action cards. These are the only Influence cards used in this game. Shuffle these Influence cards and deal 2 to each player.

  Players can always look at their cards but must keep them face down in front of them. Place the remaining cards face down in the middle of the play area as the Deck.

• Give each player 2 coins. Each player's money must be kept visible. Place the remaining coins in the middle of the play area as the Treasury.

The person who won the last game starts.

Object of the Game

To eliminate all other players and be the last survivor.

Lives and Influence

Face down Influence cards in front of a player represent the players lives and who they influence. The roles printed on their face down cards represents who that player influences and their abilities.

Every time a player loses a life they have to turn over and reveal one of their face down Influence cards. Revealed cards remain face up in front of the player visible to everyone and no longer provide influence for the player. Each player always chooses which of their own cards they wish to reveal when they lose a life.

When a player has lost all their lives are eliminated.

Game Play

The game is played in turns in clockwise order. Each turn a player chooses one action only. A player may not pass.

After the action is chosen other players have an opportunity to challenge or counteract that action. If an action is not challenged or counteracted, the action automatically succeeds.

Challenges are resolved first before any action or counteraction is resolved.

When a player has lost all their lives and have no face down cards in front of them, they are immediately out of the game. They leave their cards face up and return all their coins to the Treasury.

The game ends when there is only one player left.

Actions

The Role Action cards and the General Action cards define the available actions a player may take in the game. A player may choose any action they want and can afford.

General actions are always available and do not require a specific Influence card.

To choose a Role Action, a player must claim that the required role is one of their face down Influence cards. They can be telling the truth or bluffing.

They do not need to reveal any of their face down cards unless they are challenged.

If they are not challenged they automatically succeed. If a player starts their turn with 10 (or more) coins they must launch a Coup that turn as their only action. If there are not enough coins or cards to fully take an action you may partially take it.

There is no limit to coins in the Treasury, if none remain use any additional counters.

General Actions

Always available and cannot be challenged or counter-acted.

Income: Take 1 coin from the Treasury.

Coup: Pay 7 coins to the Treasury and launch a Coup against another player.

That player immediately loses a life. A Coup is always successful. If you start your turn with 10 (or more) coins you are required to launch a Coup.

Role Actions

A player may claim to influence any of the Roles in play and take the Role action as defined on any of the 5 Role Action cards in the game.

If challenged a player must show they have the relevant Influence card for the role they were claiming. A quick summary of the actions available to each role is on the Influence card.

If multiple role actions are claimed, they are resolved in a clockwise order starting with the active player.

Counteractions

Counteractions can be taken by other players to intervene or block a player's action.

Counteractions operate like role actions. Players may claim to influence any of the roles and use their abilities to counteract another player. They may be telling the truth or bluffing.

They do not need to show any cards unless challenged. Counteractions may be challenged, but if not challenged they automatically succeed.

If an action is successfully counteracted, the effect of the counter-action is applied, but in all other respects the action succeeds. For instance if an action says pay 4 coins to kill another player and that is counteracted by the player to stop the kill, the life is not lost but the 4 coins are still paid.

Unless otherwise specified, counteractions can only be taken by the target of an action in their own defense.

Influence cards with the word "Block" usually mean that they counteract the same card and prevent the loss of life or coins that that same card's action provides. The corresponding Role Action cards specify the Counteraction for that role.

If multiple counteractions are made, they are taken in clockwise order starting with the active player.

Challenges

Any action or counteraction (excluding General Actions) can be challenged. Any other player can issue a challenge to a player regardless of whether they are the involved in the action.

Once an action or counteraction is declared other players must be given an opportunity to challenge. Unless otherwise specified any challenge has to be made before the next claim.

Once play continues challenges cannot be retro-actively issued.

If a player is challenged they must prove they had the required influence by showing the relevant role is one of their face down cards. If they can't, or do not wish to, prove it, they lose the challenge. If they can, the challenger loses.

A challenge is fully resolved before returning to play.

Whoever loses the challenge immediately loses a life.

If a player wins a challenge by showing the relevant character card, they first return that card to the Court deck, re-shuffle the Deck and take a random replacement influence card.

(That way they have not lost a life and other players do not know the new influence card they have). Then the action or counteraction is resolved.

If an action is successfully challenged the entire action fails. For instance any coins paid as the cost of the action are returned to the player.

If multiple challenges are issued, they are prioritised by who made the challenge first and if in doubt in clockwise order from the active player.

Order Of Actions, Challenges & Counteractions

1. Claim action and declare any target. (If challenged, resolve now)
2. Additional claim(s) of the action. (If challenged, resolve now)
3. Counteraction(s) claimed. (If counteractions are challenged, resolve now) Counteraction(s) taken.
4. Action(s) taken.

Glossary For Card Terms

Pay: pay a coin to the Treasury.

Active player: player whose turn it is.

Target: the player(s) targeted by the action of another player.

1 2 3 4 5 : These icons represent coins with the value indicated.

Note: Double Dangers Of Using Force

It is possible to lose 2 lives in one turn if you unsuccessfully defend against an attack. For example, if you challenge a Guerrilla used against you and lose the challenge, you will lose 1 life for the lost challenge and then 1 life for the successful Execution by the Guerrilla.

Or if you bluff having a Guerrilla as a counter-action to the Execution attempt and are successfully challenged, you will lose 1 life for the lost challenge and then lose 1 life for the successful Execution.

Total (Lack of) Trust

Any negotiations are allowed, but none are ever binding. Players are not allowed to reveal any of their cards to other players.

No coins can be or lent to other players. There is no second place.

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