Fantasy Games Unlimited, Inc., publishes this game of diplomacy, strategy and greed in Europe, 1494-1560. It comes in a 12" x 16", clear plastic, zip-lock bag and consists of: a 22' x 22", multi-colored, light cardboard mapsheet; an 11 1/2" x 13 1/2" sheet of multi-colored, 1/2"-square, die-cut unit counters (about a third of which are blank); an 8 1/2" x 11", 20-page rules book; and six 3" x 6", clear plastic, zip-lock bags for storing the unit counters.

The map covers most of Europe exclusive of Scandinavia and the British Isles, plus the coast of northwest Africa from Morroco through Tunisia. Also on the mapsheet are the CRTS (one for sieges and one for open combat) and a table showing movement costs for each type of unit. This is an area movement game and each of the eleven turns represents six years. Units represent an unspecified force of various kinds of troops (pikes, artillery, fleet, light cavalry, genitor, stradiot, medium cavalry, hussar, reiter, heavy cavalry, light infantry, crossbow, men-at-arms, arquebusiers, halberds and janisseries). Some of these types are not available to various nations until certain turns, if at all.

The object of the game is for the players (from 1 to 5), called "merchants", to amass the largest amount of money (measured in "crowns") by the end of the eleventh turn (1560). The Game map depicts five major powers (France, Spain, Austria, Turkey and Poland), twelve minor powers and two purely mercenary areas (Switzerland and the Hapsburg dominions). Each Game Turn consists of 20 State Phases, beginning with the major powers, which are usually the only ones that need to be used. Each State Phase has four sub-phases: Collection of internal and external taxes; the buying and paying for mercenaries; movement and combat; and intermarriage and bribery. At the beginning of the game each "merchant" receives 25 crowns, which he uses to buy himself control of a country at the price given in the "National Profiles" in the back of the rules book. He can move to another state any time he wants by paying a third of that state's current total income. A merchant must leave his state if he is defeated twice or is pillaged twice in one phase. No two merchants can ever be in the same state at the same time.

Units move from area to area by the payment of "crowns" at rates that vary according to the type or types of units moving, going as far as they like until they meet opposition they can't defeat or run out of money. Every major power unit on the board is given some mission to perform, whether to remain stationary or advance, by the National Profiles. A merchant can override these instructions for the state he's controlling but states without merchant/players must follow these instructions as far as possible until they run out of money, fail to defeat an enemy or come to the end of their route. There are no stacking limitations.

When two forces, not dominated or controlled by or allied to each other, are present in a single area combat must take place. When the defender is in a city the siege CRT is used, otherwise the open warfare CRT is used. However, I could find nothing in the rules or on the map to distinguish which areas are considered cities and which aren't! Before every open battle the die is thrown by the attacker, and if a 6 is rolled surprise is achieved and his attack strength is increased by 50%. On both CRTs the columns are not for odds ratios but for absolute differences between attackers and defenders (attackers strength minus defenders strength). When units are destroyed they are placed on their home town face down and are turned right side up at the end of that state's next phase.

Merchants can also hire mercenary units from the minor powers that are not controlled or dominated by a major power. On a separate sheet is a device known as the Diplomatic Scale by which means the 5 major states seek to bring the smaller countries (whose initial positions are written on the scale) under their power. A minor country's diplomatic counter can be moved along the Diplomatic Scale by bribery or by the capture of towns (areas) in that country. As it nears a given major state it first enters the area called Influence (must give 1/2 its income to the major power), then the area called Domination (1/2 of income and will not resist invasion by the major power) and finally Control (must give up all its income and the major power may move and use the units of the minor state).

At the beginning of a state's phase it receives income for its own territory and for controlled, dominated and influenced minor states. These crowns are used for moving units, bribery, upgrading units, hiring mercenaries and adding to the merchant's personal fortune. Cooperation and diplomacy among merchants (players) is wide open. Almost anything goes: trading towns, money for services rendered, bribery, you name it.

This is a unique game which will appeal to lovers of Diplomacy, Kingmaker, Machiavelli and Warlord. It sells for $10.00, or for $12.00, it comes in a 11 3/8" x 21 3/8" and 1 5/8" box, and is also available from Lowry Enterprises.

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