Hammer of the Scots Gameplay Overview

Actions

Card Phase

Both players secretly choose one card from their five-card hand and reveal simultaneously. The higher movement value becomes Player 1 for this Game Turn (English wins ties). An Event card may be played, but it has no movement value and forfeits turn order -- the player who plays an Event becomes Player 2 and the opponent moves. The only exception is when BOTH players play Events: then the English player is Player 1 (winning the tie) and the year ends after both events resolve. Players may also choose to pass -- the effect cannot be saved.

1. Each player secretly selects one card from their hand and places it face-down.
2. Both cards are revealed at the same time.
3. The player who revealed the higher movement value is Player 1; ties go to the English player.
4. If exactly one player played an Event card, the event resolves first, but that player forfeits turn order -- the opponent becomes Player 1 and takes the Move Phase. If BOTH players played Event cards, resolve both (English first, winning the tie), then the year ends immediately.
5. If both players played Move cards, proceed to the Move Phase.

• Players may examine cards their opponent has played earlier in the same year.
• Cards never carry forward into the next year. Unused moves are forfeit.
• An Event card may be passed as a Coronation (Bruce/Comyn) or Return of the King (Balliol) instead of its printed event, if conditions are met.

Move Phase

Player 1 completes ALL their Group Moves, then Player 2 completes all of theirs. A Move Card of value N allows N Group Moves; each Group Move activates one area's blocks. Moves cannot be saved.

1. Choose an area containing your blocks to activate -- ALL friendly blocks in that area form one Group (except the Norse block, which is always its own group).
2. Move any number of blocks from that Group to one or more adjacent areas, up to each block's Move Rating (2 or 3 areas).
3. Blocks may pass through vacant areas and friendly blocks but must STOP on entering an area containing enemy blocks (this starts a battle in that area).
4. Blocks must also stop immediately after crossing a red border, even with movement remaining.
5. Repeat for additional Groups, up to the card's value.

• Border Limits per Move Phase: 6 blocks may cross a green border, 2 may cross a red border. Limits apply per player and per individual border segment, regardless of direction of travel.
• Anglo-Scottish Border: each Group Move allows only 1 block to cross. A 3-Move card allows 3 separate Group Moves of 1 block each. Blocks entering England must always stop; blocks crossing the red dashed border into Teviot must also stop.
• Player 1's blocks can never be pinned -- pinning only affects Player 2 in Contested Areas (see Pinning action).

Norse Movement

The Norse block moves and attacks separately from all other blocks. One Group Move activates the Norse alone. It moves by sea from any coastal area to any other coastal area; no borders are crossed.

1. Spend 1 Group Move (the Norse is its own group).
2. Declare both the origin and destination coastal area before moving.
3. Move the Norse directly to the chosen coastal area -- no intermediate area, no border crossings.
4. If the destination is enemy-occupied, a battle begins (the Norse fights alone as the Main Attacker, or joins as a Reserve if other Scots already entered that battle).

• The Norse may move to an empty coastal area instead of attacking.
• Norse Retreats / Regroups must go to a FRIENDLY (not Neutral) coastal area. The Norse can never enter England, never use the Sea Move card, and never retreat to a vacant area.
• Because Norse movement does not cross any borders, it never closes a border for the English player. Norse moves must be declared so the opponent knows about them.

Battle Phase

After all movement is complete, resolve battles one at a time in any order chosen by Player 1. Each battle lasts up to 3 Combat Rounds.

1. Player 1 chooses which Contested Area to fight next (without examining enemy blocks first).
2. Both players reveal their blocks in that area by tipping them forward, maintaining current strength.
3. Roll for Celtic Unity on every Welsh/Ulster block revealed (1-4 no effect, 5-6 the block goes straight to the English Draw Pool).
4. Resolve up to 3 Combat Rounds. The attacker must retreat if not victorious by the end of Round 3.
5. When the battle ends, stand all blocks upright. The loser retreats; the victor may Regroup.
6. Player 1 then chooses the next battle. After all battles are done, check for end of year.

• Player 1 need not commit to a sequence of battles in advance -- they may decide the next battle after seeing the previous one resolve.
• Border Control: blocks may not retreat through a border that the enemy used to enter THIS battle. If both sides used the same border, only Player 2 (later mover) may retreat through it.

Combat Round

Within a battle, each block takes one Combat Turn per round to Fire, Retreat, or Pass. The order is strict: defending A blocks, attacking A blocks, defending B, attacking B, defending C, attacking C.

1. Defending A-rated blocks act first (Fire, Retreat, or Pass -- chosen per block).
2. Then attacking A-rated blocks act.
3. Then defending B blocks, then attacking B blocks.
4. Then defending C blocks, then attacking C blocks.
5. After all blocks have acted, one Combat Round is complete. Reveal Reserves at the start of the next round, then repeat up to 2 more times.

• Within a single A/B/C category, blocks may act in any order to obscure choices.
• Combat is NOT simultaneous -- hits resolve immediately, so a block reduced or eliminated by an earlier firer may have no chance to fire that round.
• A block may Pass instead of firing or retreating -- useful to avoid weakening an enemy noble before it goes home for Winter and switches sides.

Reserves & Main Attack

When attacking with multiple groups, exactly one is the Main Attack (fights in Round 1); all others are Reserves (arrive in Round 2). Player 2's reinforcements to an existing battle are also Reserves.

1. Before the battle, the attacker declares which group is the Main Attack: all blocks of that group must have started in the same area and crossed the same border.
2. Place Main Attack blocks in the battle area. Keep Reserves on the borders they crossed until they arrive.
3. Resolve Round 1 with only the Main Attack (and the defenders already present).
4. At the start of Round 2, reveal Reserves -- both attacking and defending -- and add them to the battle. Roll Celtic Unity for any newly revealed Welsh/Ulster Reserves.
5. Reserves take normal Combat Turns from Round 2 onward.

• Main Attack blocks cannot be voluntarily placed in Reserve. The largest single-area / single-border group must fight in Round 1.
• All blocks moved by Player 2 to a Contested Area arrive as Reserves -- Player 2 cannot fight in Round 1 of a battle they reinforced.
• If the Main Attack wins in Round 1 before defending Reserves arrive, area control flips: the original attacker is now the DEFENDER for Rounds 2-3.

Retreat & Regroup

A block may Retreat instead of firing on its Combat Turn, moving to an adjacent Friendly or Neutral area. When a battle ends, the victor may Regroup to adjacent Friendly or Neutral areas.

1. RETREAT: on its Combat Turn, a block may choose to Retreat instead of firing. Move it to any adjacent Friendly or Neutral area (not Contested or Enemy).
2. Retreats follow A-then-B-then-C order. Blocks of the same letter may retreat together to hide who went where. Stand them upright before moving.
3. Border Limits reset each Combat Round and apply separately for the mandatory retreat after Round 3 and for Regroups.
4. REGROUP: when a battle ends in your favor, victorious blocks (including Reserves) stand up and may move to any adjacent Friendly or Neutral area (or stay put). Subject to Border Limits.

• English blocks may NEVER retreat or regroup into Scotland; Scottish blocks may NEVER retreat or regroup into England. Norse may only retreat/regroup to Friendly (not Neutral) coastal areas.
• Blocks cannot retreat to an area with another unfought battle. They cannot retreat through a border the enemy used to start this battle (Border Control -- see Battle Phase).
• Blocks that cannot retreat when required are ELIMINATED (the strongest die in combat -- normal blocks return to the Draw Pool; black-cross blocks are permanently dead).

Capturing Nobles

When a noble is eliminated in combat (or by Pillage), it immediately switches sides at Strength 1 and is placed in Reserve. The captured noble fights for its new side starting next Combat Round.

1. When a noble's last step is removed, replace its block with the opposite-colored twin at Strength 1.
2. Place the newly captured noble in Reserve for this battle.
3. The noble fights for its new owner starting in the next Combat Round.
4. If the battle ended this round, the noble simply joins its new side's available forces from now on.

• MORAY NEVER changes allegiance. If killed in combat, Moray is PERMANENTLY eliminated (removed from play). If eliminated by Pillage, Moray goes to the Scottish Draw Pool.
• Pillage that eliminates a noble triggers defection the same way as combat (except for Moray).
• Captured nobles in their own Home Area defend at B3 even though they just changed sides.

Pinning

When attacked, defending blocks become pinned in their area. Each attacking block (including Reserves) pins one defender. Player 2 (the defender) chooses which of their blocks are pinned.

1. Count the attacking blocks (including any that will arrive as Reserves) in the Contested Area.
2. Defender chooses that many of their blocks in the area to be pinned -- they cannot move.
3. Any remaining defenders ('unpinned' blocks) may move normally and may even attack -- but they cannot cross any border that the enemy used to enter this battle.
4. Pinning is one-sided: only Player 2's blocks can be pinned. Player 1 already moved before pinning was triggered.

• Adding reinforcements to a Contested Area does NOT unpin already-pinned blocks. Reinforcements simply become Reserves themselves.
• EXAMPLE: 6 Scots in Buchan are attacked by 3 English from Angus and 2 from Strathspey (5 attackers). The Scots pin 5 blocks; 1 unpinned block may move out -- but only via Badenoch or Mar (the borders the English did not use).

Border Raid

The Scottish player may invade England (except during a Truce). Costs 1 movement point per block to cross the Anglo-Scottish Border. Forces the English to bleed off blocks every Game Turn while occupied.

1. Spend 1 movement point per block crossing the Anglo-Scottish Border into England (blocks may start anywhere, not just adjacent to England).
2. If England is occupied by English blocks, fight a battle there -- defenders cannot retreat (no retreat into Scotland), so they must win or be eliminated.
3. At the end of EVERY Game Turn while any Scots block occupies England, the English player must disband 1 non-noble block of their choice (not revealed to the Scots). English nobles cannot be chosen.
4. Scots raiders cannot Winter in England -- they must leave or disband at year's end.

• The Scots cannot initiate a Border Raid during a Truce. Scots already in England may remain (and the English still loses 1 non-noble per Game Turn).
• If the English have ONLY noble blocks on the board, no block is forced to disband (English nobles are protected).
• Sea Move can be used by Scots blocks to reach English coastal areas more efficiently (Norse cannot).

Event Cards

The deck contains 5 Event cards: Sea Move, Truce, Herald, Pillage, Victuals. Events resolve first in the Card Phase; the Event player is Player 1. If both players play Events, both resolve (English first) and the year ends.

1. When revealed, the Event card's printed effect replaces normal movement for that player.
2. Resolve the event in full. The Event player is Player 1 for any battles or defections that result.
3. If both players played Event cards this Game Turn, resolve the English event first, then the Scottish event, then the year ends -- skip any remaining unplayed cards.

• Players may pass on an Event card. Effects cannot be saved.
• A Scottish Event card may be announced as a Coronation or Return of the King in place of its printed effect, if conditions are met (see Coronation actions).
• If the English ALSO play an event the same turn, the Scots may wait to see the English resolution before deciding whether to use their card as Coronation or its printed event.

Coronation

The Scots crown Bruce or Comyn as King by playing any Event card and announcing 'Coronation' in place of its printed event. Triggers immediate defection of the rival faction.

1. Verify prerequisites: Wallace must be dead, and the candidate (Bruce or Comyn) must currently be located in Fife.
2. Play any Event card and announce 'Coronation' instead of the printed event.
3. Place the King block in Fife at full strength. The original candidate block remains in play as a normal noble (representing a family member).
4. If BRUCE is crowned: all Comyn-faction nobles EXCEPT Moray immediately defect to the English. If COMYN is crowned: all Bruce-faction nobles immediately defect to the English.
5. Fight any resulting battles immediately as normal 3-round battles -- defecting noble(s) are the attacker. Player 1 (the Coronation player) chooses battle order.

• Coronation is once per game. If the King is later eliminated in combat, the English win a Sudden Death victory.
• If the English ALSO play an Event card the same turn, the English event resolves first; the Scots may then decide whether to use their card as Coronation or its printed event.
• Defection battles caused by Coronation are normal battles: 3 rounds max, victor can Regroup, etc.

Return of the King (Balliol)

King John Balliol may return from exile via Event card, replacing its printed event. Brings the French Knights into play and triggers Bruce-faction defection.

1. Verify ALL four prerequisites: year is 1301 or later; no other king has yet been crowned; the French Knight block is on the map; Wallace may be alive or dead (either is allowed).
2. Play any Event card and announce 'Return of the King' instead of the printed event.
3. Deploy the King block at full strength with the French Knight (same area).
4. All Bruce-faction nobles immediately defect to the English.
5. Fight any resulting battles immediately as normal 3-round battles -- defectors are the attacker. Player 1 chooses order.

• Same Sudden Death rule applies: if Balliol (as the Scottish King) is killed in combat, the English win immediately.
• The French Knight must already have entered the game via the 8-Noble threshold rule (see Winter Builds) before Return of the King is legal.