Playbook — A Vote for the King of the Romans

This playbook teaches the game by example, sets the historical scene and explains the history behind every card. It follows Rules v0.27.4 and Prototype Values v0.5.1 (the card tweaks of 27 Oct: clearer texts, better timing and a few small buffs, among them a reworked Battle of Mühldorf; the new Crécy timing: the battle ends the round it comes up in; and one word, "counter", for every cancelled Deed or event).

Part 1 plays one full round between the two houses, move by move, then sets up the second round so you can see what holding battlegrounds does. Part 2 tells the real story behind the game, from Mühldorf to Crécy. Part 3 has a short historical note for every card, with rule clarifications where a card raises a question at the table. The rulebook always wins over this playbook.

Part 1 — Example of play

Setup and opening hands

Both wallets start at 0, John of Luxembourg sits in the Wittelsbach deck on Ludwig 1, and Wittelsbach plays first in round 1. Round 1 is in the Early phase: each side draws 5 cards and has 4 plays. Nobody holds a battleground yet, so there are no bonuses.

The market row shows five cards: Castruccio Castracani, Peter of Rosenberg, the Imperial Cities, Bolko II of Świdnica and Pope John XXII. Every card costs 4 or more, so nobody can buy on the first play.

Round 1, play by play

The sides alternate, Wittelsbach first. Every play starts the same way: the card's currency goes into the wallet, then the player picks Numbers or the Deed. After each play the player may buy one market card.

Play 1 — Wittelsbach: Teutonic Order. Wittelsbach gains 2 German and 1 Eastern. The Order has no Deed, so it is played for Numbers: all 3 military go into Lower Bavaria. Lower Bavaria is a play battleground, so holding it at round end means one extra play next round. Wallet: 2 German, 1 Eastern; too little to buy anything.

Play 2 — Luxembourg: Charles IV. Luxembourg gains 2 currency of any type and takes 2 Church. Charles uses his Deed, Rex Romanorum: he places 1 influence each in Bohemia, Saxony and Brandenburg, and every later political Numbers play by Luxembourg this round gets +1. That is one point less than his 4 political as Numbers, but a single later political Numbers play makes up the difference.

Play 3 — Wittelsbach: Margaret of Holland. Wittelsbach gains 2 Western and 1 German, then uses her Deed, Favor: the next purchase this round costs 2 less. Wittelsbach buys straight away: the Imperial Cities cost 4 German, minus 2 = 2 German, leaving 1 German in the wallet. The card goes to the bottom of the draw pile, so it will arrive before the next reshuffle.

The row refills from the market deck and reveals the Battle of Sluys, a battle event. Nobody holds the Low Countries, so nothing happens; the event is spent and the row refills again, this time with the Flemish Cities.

Play 4 — Luxembourg: Baldwin of Trier. Luxembourg gains 2 Church and 1 German. Numbers would give 3 political plus 1 from Rex Romanorum, so 4 influence anywhere. The Deed, Rhineland Diplomacy, gives 5 influence among the church electors, and Luxembourg prefers it: 4 in Mainz, 1 in Trier. The Rex bonus does not apply, because a Deed is not a Numbers play. Baldwin is a Church card, so Marsilius of Padua could counter this Deed, but Marsilius is still in Wittelsbach's draw pile.

Mainz has a stability value of 4, and Luxembourg now leads there by 4 (4 to 0). While that lead holds, Wittelsbach must pay 2 political for each influence it places or removes in Mainz with Numbers; as soon as the lead drops below 4, the normal cost applies again (Rules v0.16.0).

Play 5 — Wittelsbach: John of Luxembourg. John yields nothing and costs 3 currency of any type to use; Wittelsbach pays 2 Western and 1 German. His Deed, Royal Adventurer, places 6 military in Lombardy, a draw battleground. Because Wittelsbach used him, his loyalty marker moves 1 step away from Ludwig: from Ludwig 1 to Neutral.

Play 6 — Luxembourg: Raimondino Lupi. Luxembourg gains 1 German and uses the Deed, Knight of San Felice: 5 military in Lombardy. Battlegrounds use displacement, so each Luxembourg point cancels one Wittelsbach point. Wittelsbach's 6 drop to 1, and Luxembourg keeps none there.

Play 7 — Wittelsbach: William of Ockham. Wittelsbach gains 1 Church and 1 Western. Its 2 political would buy only 1 influence in Mainz because of the double cost, so it answers Charles instead: 1 influence each in Saxony and Brandenburg, tying both.

Play 8 — Luxembourg: Elizabeth of Bohemia. Luxembourg gains 2 Eastern. This time it plays Numbers: 2 political plus 1 from Rex Romanorum = 3 influence, placed as 2 in Cologne and 1 more in Trier. Wallet: 4 Church, 2 German, 2 Eastern. Peter of Rosenberg costs 4 Eastern; exchanging 3 Church for 1 Eastern still leaves Luxembourg one short.

Both sides have used their 4 plays. Wittelsbach still holds Louis IV, Luxembourg still holds Blanche de Valois.

Round 1 end

Wittelsbach turns its two battlegrounds into influence and a tie, but Luxembourg's church investment still wins the round 3 votes to 1.

1. Supply lines. Wittelsbach holds Lower Bavaria, so it adds 2 influence to the Palatinate (now 2). It also holds Lombardy with its last military point, so it adds 2 influence to Mainz or Trier, its choice. Mainz (Luxembourg 4) would still be lost, but 2 in Trier ties Luxembourg's 2. Supply ignores stability, so Luxembourg's lead in Mainz would not have doubled the cost either.
2. Countries. Mainz goes to Luxembourg (4–0), Cologne to Luxembourg (2–0), the Palatinate to Wittelsbach (2–0). Trier is tied 2–2, so no vote. Bohemia goes to Luxembourg (1–0). Saxony and Brandenburg are tied 1–1, so no votes. Each vote goes into an empty box, so no opponent vote is removed yet; from now on, a side that wins a box the other side holds removes one of its votes instead of adding its own (net pool). Luxembourg leads Mainz by 4, its stability value, so it keeps 1 foothold influence there; everything else is cleared. Wittelsbach's lead of 2 in the Palatinate is below its stability value of 5, so no foothold.
3. Battlegrounds. Wittelsbach holds Lower Bavaria (+1 play next round) and Lombardy (+1 card drawn). Then each side loses 1 military everywhere: Lower Bavaria drops to 2, and Lombardy to 0. Control was checked before decay, so the Lombardy bonus still counts for round 2, but nobody holds it afterwards unless someone reinforces it.
4. John's loyalty. Either side could now pay 3 currency to move his marker 1 step (Wittelsbach, which played first this round, would decide first), but both keep their money.
5. Market. The oldest card in the row, Castruccio Castracani, leaves the game. The row refills one card, with no event (had the Battle of Crécy come up now, the game would have ended at once, after only one round).
6. Hand and play area. Wittelsbach keeps Louis IV and Luxembourg keeps Blanche; any other unplayed cards and the play areas go to the discard piles. No shuffle: each side reshuffles its discard pile only when its draw pile runs out.
7. Advance the round marker to round 2.

Setting up round 2

Wittelsbach starts round 2 behind on votes but ahead on cards: 6 in hand and 5 plays, against Luxembourg's 5 and 4.

Initiative. Wittelsbach controls fewer electors (1, the Palatinate, against Luxembourg's 3: Mainz, Cologne and Bohemia), so it chooses who plays first. Empty boxes such as Trier count for nobody. Going first lets it set the board; going second lets it answer Luxembourg's plays. With one extra play in hand, Wittelsbach chooses to go second and keep the last word.

Hands and plays. Round 2 is still Early: a base hand of 5 and 4 plays.

Drawing. Wittelsbach kept Louis IV, so it draws 5 more. Its draw pile holds Louis V, Marsilius, Frederick IV and four Ducal Retinues, with the Imperial Cities bought in round 1 at the bottom. It draws Louis V, Marsilius, Frederick IV and two Retinues; the Imperial Cities wait one more draw. Luxembourg kept Blanche and draws 4: Pierre de Rosières, John Henry and two Royal Retinues. The Retinues bring only money, which is exactly what both sides will need for the market.

What carries over.

• Luxembourg's foothold in Mainz: 1 influence already on the board.
• Lower Bavaria still holds 2 Wittelsbach military; if they survive the round, the extra play repeats.
• Lombardy is empty. Its draw bonus is lost after round 2 unless someone sends troops.
• John stands on Neutral. One more Wittelsbach use pushes him to Charles 1; two would flip him to Luxembourg. Either side can also pay 3 currency to move him 1 step, at most once per round, at round end after military decay.
• Pierre de Rosières can be played for Numbers, but his Deed waits until the Clement VI shield is in the Papal Curia.

The lesson of round 1: Luxembourg won the votes, but Wittelsbach's two battlegrounds bought a tie in Trier, an influence boost in the Palatinate, and a bigger round 2.

Part 2 — The historical setting

In July 1346 five of the seven electors chose Charles of Luxembourg as King of the Romans while Louis IV of Wittelsbach still sat on the throne. The game plays the twenty-odd years of rivalry that led there, from Louis's victory at Mühldorf in 1322 to the Battle of Crécy in August 1346.

The Empire and its electors

The King of the Romans was the elected king of Germany and the Empire. He became emperor only when crowned in Rome, and the popes claimed the right to approve him first. The crown was not inherited: it went to whoever won a majority of the Prince-Electors.

By the 1340s the electors were seven: the three archbishops of Mainz, Trier and Cologne, and four secular princes, the King of Bohemia, the Count Palatine of the Rhine (the Palatinate), the Duke of Saxony and the Margrave of Brandenburg. Their votes could be won with land, money, marriages and favours, and both houses spent all four freely. Charles IV fixed their number and rights in law with the Golden Bull of 1356, ten years after his own election.

Two houses

Wittelsbach. Louis IV, Duke of Upper Bavaria, was elected in 1314 in a double election against the Habsburg Frederick the Fair. He settled the dispute in battle at Mühldorf in 1322, then gathered lands for his family: Brandenburg for his son in 1323, Lower Bavaria in 1340, Tyrol through his son's marriage in 1342, and Holland and Hainaut through his wife in 1345. Every gain made the other princes more nervous.

Luxembourg. A small house from the western edge of the Empire, raised high by Emperor Henry VII (died 1313). His son John married the Přemyslid heiress Elizabeth in 1310 and became King of Bohemia, the richest crown in the east thanks to the silver of Kutná Hora. John's son Charles grew up at the French court in Paris, where the abbot Pierre Roger taught him, and from 1334 governed Bohemia and Moravia for his restless father. The family's great political mind was John's uncle Baldwin, Archbishop of Trier.

Emperor against pope

The Avignon popes never accepted Louis. John XXII excommunicated him in 1324, and Louis answered by having himself crowned emperor in Rome in 1328 by the Roman people, with his own antipope, Nicholas V. Rebel thinkers fled to his court in Munich: Marsilius of Padua, William of Ockham and the Franciscan leader Michael of Cesena. In 1338 the electors meeting at Rhens declared that a king they elected needed no papal approval.

The turn came in 1342. In May, Charles's old tutor Pierre Roger became Pope Clement VI. In February, Louis had married his son Louis V of Brandenburg to Margaret of Tyrol, who had thrown out her first husband, Charles's brother John Henry, without any annulment. The marriage won Tyrol for the Wittelsbachs but scandalised the Church and angered the Luxembourgs. Clement renewed the ban on Louis, raised Prague to an archbishopric in 1344, and in April 1346 deposed Heinrich of Virneburg from Mainz in favour of Gerlach of Nassau.

The election of 1346

On 11 July 1346, at Rhens on the Rhine, five electors voted for Charles: Baldwin of Trier, Walram of Cologne, Gerlach of Mainz, John of Bohemia and Rudolf of Saxony. The two Wittelsbach electors, the Palatinate and Brandenburg, did not take part. Louis's supporters mocked Charles as the Pfaffenkönig, the priests' king.

Six weeks later, on 26 August, father and son fought for France at Crécy. The blind King John rode into the English lines and died there; Charles was wounded and escaped. Charles was crowned at Bonn in November, because Aachen stayed loyal to Louis.

What came after

The rivalry ended without a decisive battle. Louis died of a stroke while hunting in October 1347, and the Wittelsbach counter-king Günther of Schwarzburg gave up in 1349. Charles was crowned again at Aachen, as emperor in Rome in 1355, and ruled until 1378, making Prague the capital of the Empire.

The game is a "what if". Both houses can court any figure in the market, so Louis may win over Clement's favourites and Charles may hire Louis's captains. The cards show who these people really were; the result is yours to decide.

Part 3 — Card notes and clarifications

Each card gets a short note on the real person, group or event, followed by any rule clarifications. A card with a passive says "When acquired: place [shield] in your [location]"; this happens whenever you gain the card, bought or taken for free, and the passive works while the shield is there.

Luxembourg starter cards

Charles IV (1316–1378). Born Wenceslas in Prague, he took the name Charles at his confirmation in Paris, where he grew up at the French court. On 11 July 1346 five electors chose him King of the Romans at Rhens, while Louis IV still reigned. He was crowned in Bonn because Aachen stayed loyal to Louis. Clarification: Rex Romanorum places 1 influence in each of up to 3 different countries (a Deed, so it ignores stability), then gives +1 to each later political Numbers play this round. The +1 does not apply to military, to Deeds, or to cards with 0 political such as the Retinues (Rules v0.14.4).

Blanche de Valois (1316–1348). A daughter of Charles of Valois and half-sister of Philip VI of France, she was married to Charles as a child in 1323. The marriage tied the house of Luxembourg to the French crown. Clarification: Counsel draws 3 cards and keeps 1; each of the others goes to the bottom of your deck or to your discard pile. If your draw pile runs out, shuffle your discard pile as usual. The John step applies only while Wittelsbach holds John (his card is in the Wittelsbach deck).

Elizabeth of Bohemia (1292–1330). Eliška Přemyslovna, daughter of King Wenceslas II, brought the Bohemian crown to John of Luxembourg by marrying him in 1310. She was Charles's mother and died sixteen years before the election. Clarification: her Deed places 4 influence in Bohemia at face value, even if Wittelsbach leads Bohemia by its stability value (Deeds ignore stability). Elizabeth Richeza can counter it.

Pierre de Rosières (c. 1291–1352). Pierre Roger, a Benedictine abbot and celebrated preacher, was the young Charles's mentor in Paris. In 1342 he became Pope Clement VI, deposed Heinrich of Virneburg from Mainz and backed Charles's election. Clarification: he can always be played for Numbers. His Deed, Papal Favor, can be chosen only once the Clement VI shield is in the Papal Curia.

Baldwin of Trier (1285–1354). Archbishop and Elector of Trier for 47 years, brother of Emperor Henry VII and great-uncle of Charles. He was the shrewdest politician of the Rhine and organised the 1346 election. Clarification: the 5 influence may be split among Trier, Mainz and Cologne in any way, including all 5 in one country.

Raimondino Lupi. A condottiero from Parma who served the Luxembourgs in Italy; according to tradition Charles knighted him on the field of San Felice in 1332. Clarification: his Deed places 5 military in Lombardy using normal displacement.

John Henry of Luxembourg (1322–1375). Charles's younger brother was married at eight to Margaret, heiress of Tyrol. In 1341 she and the Tyrolean nobles locked him out of his own castle, and the next year she married Louis V of Brandenburg. Clarification: his card has no status line; the Tyrol Marriage event says it discards him, and only if he is in Luxembourg's hand. If he is in the draw or discard pile, nothing happens to him. Count of Tyrol places 6 military in Tyrol (values v0.4.8; it was 8).

Royal Retinue (×4). The stewards, notaries and treasurers of the Bohemian court, paid in Prague groats struck from Kutná Hora silver, the richest mine in Europe. Clarification: no political, military or Deed; play it for its 3 currency. Retinues are the natural targets of deck thinning (Dream at Terenzo, the Kutná Hora Silver Mines).

Wittelsbach starter cards

Louis IV (c. 1282–1347). Duke of Upper Bavaria, elected King of the Romans in the disputed double election of 1314 against Frederick the Fair. He won the throne outright at Mühldorf in 1322, was excommunicated by John XXII in 1324, and was crowned emperor in Rome in 1328 by the Roman people rather than the pope. He died in a hunting accident in October 1347, a year after Charles's election. Clarification: Imperial Ban removes up to 5 Luxembourg influence from one elector country, ignoring stability; there is no lockout. Its paid boost, ⊕ 2 any, splits the removal between two elector countries.

Margaret of Holland (1311–1356). Louis's second wife, Countess of Hainaut and Holland in her own right from 1345. Her inheritance drew the emperor into the Low Countries and against the French interest there. Clarification: Favor reduces your next purchase this round by 2 in total, in any currencies you choose; a cost never goes below 0. If you buy nothing more this round, the discount is lost.

Louis V of Brandenburg (1315–1361). Louis IV's eldest son, made Margrave of Brandenburg in 1323, which gave the Wittelsbachs a second electoral vote. His 1342 marriage to Margaret of Tyrol scandalised the Church and drove Clement VI further toward Charles.

Marsilius of Padua (c. 1275–1342). Physician and scholar whose Defensor Pacis (1324) argued that power in church and state comes from the community, not the pope. He fled to Louis's court in 1326 and helped shape the Roman coronation. Clarification: Defensor Pacis removes up to 3 Church from the opponent's wallet; it never goes below 0. For each Church point they actually lose, you gain 1 Western, Eastern or German, choosing for each point (they hold 2 Church: you gain 2). His Counter: discard him from your hand to counter the Deed of a Church card your opponent announces; they play the card for its Numbers instead. It can't counter anything while the opponent's John IV of Dražice shield is in their half of the Papal Curia.

William of Ockham (c. 1287–1347). Franciscan philosopher summoned to Avignon to answer for his teaching. In 1328 he fled with Michael of Cesena to Louis and spent his last two decades writing against the papacy in Munich. Clarification: the removed card leaves the game. Ockham cannot remove himself, as he is being played. John of Luxembourg can't be removed from the game at all (his own cards say so), so he is never a target.

Teutonic Order. The crusading order ruled Prussia from its brick fortress at Marienburg. In 1337 Louis granted it the right to the Lithuanian lands it might conquer, binding it to the emperor. Clarification: no Deed; it is played for Numbers only.

Frederick IV of Nuremberg (c. 1287–1332). The Hohenzollern burgrave led the cavalry whose attack decided Mühldorf in 1322 and won Louis his throne. Clarification: Flank Attack places 4 military split between two different battlegrounds, in any split (for example 3 and 1). Each placement uses normal displacement.

Ducal Retinue (×4). The officials of the Bavarian dukes, who ran the salt trade from Reichenhall and the revenues of the duchy. Clarification: no political, military or Deed; play it for its 3 currency.

John of Luxembourg (two cards)

John the Blind (1296–1346). King of Bohemia from 1310 and the most famous knight-errant of his age, John spent more time on campaign across Europe than in Prague. He fought for Louis at Mühldorf in 1322 but later turned against him as his own son's prospects grew. Blind from about 1340, he had himself led into battle at Crécy on 26 August 1346, his reins tied to his knights', and died there six weeks after Charles's election. His loyalty swings on the card's track because his politics really did swing.

John is two cards, one per side; only one is in play, the other is set aside. Ally of the Emperor (the Wittelsbach card) shows John at the height of his career at Louis's side. Father of Charles (the Luxembourg card) shows the blind king handing his cause to his son. Each card has its own Deed: Royal Adventurer places 6 military in any single battleground; Kingmaker places 5 influence in any one elector country. Clarification: both cards say "John of Luxembourg can't be removed from the game, except by the Battle of Crécy." Ockham's Razor and Dream at Terenzo can't take him, even when his own side holds him.

Clarifications:

• Using John, for Numbers or his Deed, costs 3 currency of any type. He yields nothing. If you cannot pay, he cannot be played and stays in your hand.
• Each use moves his marker 1 step away from the side that used him. Either side may also pay 3 currency to move it 1 step, at most once per round, in its own round-end step right after military decay; if both sides buy, the side that played first this round goes first.
• When the marker reaches the far end (Charles 2 while Wittelsbach holds him, Ludwig 2 while Luxembourg holds him), John goes to the other side's discard pile: his card is set aside and the other side's John card goes into that discard pile.
• The side holding John is the side whose deck he is in. He needs no shield. Some Deeds also move his marker: Philip VI and Blanche de Valois toward Charles, Margaret "Maultasch" and Pope Benedict XII either way (the player chooses). These are not purchases, so they don't count against the one bought step per round.
• At Crécy John dies and leaves the game at once. If Luxembourg holds him, Luxembourg gains 1 vote on Bohemia (removing a Wittelsbach vote there first, if any).

Market cards: the Church and the electors

Heinrich of Virneburg (c. 1295–1353). Archbishop of Mainz from 1328 and one of Louis's few loyal electors. Clement VI deposed him in 1346 to clear the way for Charles; Heinrich ignored the sentence and held on to much of the diocese until his death. Clarification: while the Clement VI shield is in the Papal Curia he yields only his 1 German. He stays a Church card, because a card's type is what's printed on it (Rules v0.23.0).

Gerlach of Nassau (c. 1322–1371). A young cleric whom Clement VI named Archbishop of Mainz in 1346 in Heinrich's place. He cast his vote for Charles at Rhens. Clarification: set aside at setup. When Clement VI Elected fires he goes straight into the market row, on an extra sixth spot, so no card is pushed out. The round-end rotation takes the oldest of the other 5 cards, so he stays until someone acquires him. When he is bought (or taken with Coronation in Rome), his spot is not refilled and the row goes back to 5 cards.

Walram of Jülich (c. 1304–1349). Archbishop of Cologne from 1332 and brother of William of Jülich, who stood on the other side. Promises and payments from the Luxembourgs secured his vote for Charles in 1346.

Rudolf I of Saxe-Wittenberg (c. 1284–1356). The Ascanian Elector of Saxony never forgave Louis for giving Brandenburg, once an Ascanian land, to his own son in 1323. He voted for Charles at Rhens. Clarification: if your opponent has no influence in Brandenburg, the removal does nothing; the 4 influence in Saxony is still placed.

The Counts Palatine. Rudolf II and Rupert I, Louis's nephews, received the Rhine Palatinate in the Treaty of Pavia (1329), which split the Wittelsbach lands into a Bavarian and a Palatine line. Clarification: Treaty of Pavia places 4 influence in the Palatinate, then you draw 1 card, which you may play this round.

Pope John XXII (pope 1316–1334). The formidable Avignon pope refused to recognise Louis, excommunicated him in 1324 and placed his lands under interdict. Clarification: Excommunication removes up to 4 opponent influence, split as you like among the three church electors, ignoring stability. His Counter: discard him from your hand to counter an opponent's Deed that places influence in Mainz, Trier or Cologne.

Pope Benedict XII (pope 1334–1342). A Cistercian theologian who genuinely sought peace with Louis, but every settlement failed under pressure from the French king. He began the Palace of the Popes in Avignon. Clarification: Papal Mediation may move John's marker toward either side, and can trigger his flip; then you draw 1 card.

Antipope Nicholas V (antipope 1328–1330). The Franciscan Pietro Rainalducci, set up by Louis in Rome in 1328 to answer the pope in Avignon. He submitted to John XXII two years later. Clarification: Imperial Pope places 3 influence in one of Mainz, Trier or Cologne and gains 1 Church. Its boost (⊕ 2 Church) also removes 2 opponent influence in that same country.

Michael of Cesena (c. 1270–1342). Minister General of the Franciscans, who defended the order's ideal of poverty against John XXII. He fled Avignon by night in 1328 and joined Louis. Clarification: Flight to Pisa places 2 influence in Mainz, Trier or Cologne, then takes 1 Church card from your discard pile into your hand; you may play it later this round. With no Church card in your discard pile you still place the influence.

Hermann of Lichtenberg (died 1335). Louis IV's chancellor, who ran the imperial chancery through the years of the papal ban, and Bishop of Würzburg from 1333. Clarification: Imperial Chancellery places 2 influence in any one elector country; each of your later German cards this round gets +1 to its political Numbers.

John IV of Dražice (c. 1260–1343). The last Bishop of Prague before the see became an archbishopric. Accused of obstructing the inquisitors in his diocese, he spent eleven years at the papal court in Avignon (1318–1329), then came home to build the stone bridge and Augustinian priory at Roudnice. Clarification: Bishop of Prague places 2 influence in Mainz, Trier or Cologne; each of your later Church cards this round gets +1 to its political Numbers. When acquired: place the Dražice shield (the vine branch) in your half of the Papal Curia. While it is there, the Deeds of your Church cards can't be countered.

Arnošt of Pardubice (1297–1364). Charles's closest adviser in the Church, educated in Bologna and Padua. When Clement VI raised Prague to an archbishopric in 1344 he became its first archbishop, and later the first chancellor of Charles's university. Clarification: late entry, shuffled into the bottom half of the market deck at setup. Archbishop of Prague places 2 influence in Bohemia, Mainz, Trier or Cologne, then puts 1 card from your discard pile on top of your draw pile.

Nicholas of Brno (died 1347). A Moravian cleric in the Luxembourg service, Prince-Bishop of Trent from 1338. His see bordered Tyrol, the land the Luxembourgs lost when Margaret threw out John Henry in 1341. Clarification: Banner of St Wenceslas places military in Tyrol equal to your influence in Bohemia (up to 5), then you draw 1 card; with no influence in Bohemia you still draw. His numbers, yield and cost are provisional.

Market cards: the West, Italy and the Low Countries

Edward III of England (1312–1377). At Koblenz in 1338 Louis named him Vicar of the Empire, binding the emperor into Edward's war against France. Louis dropped the alliance in 1341, but Edward's victory at Crécy in 1346 still shaped the year of the election. Clarification: Vicar of the Empire places 8 military in the Low Countries; its boost, ⊕ 2 Western, also places 2 influence in Cologne. When acquired: place the Edward III shield (the English lion) in your Court. If it is in the Wittelsbach Court when Crécy is revealed, Wittelsbach gains 1 vote on an elector of its choice; Luxembourg can buy him to keep the shield out of Louis's Court.

William of Hainaut and Holland (c. 1286–1337). Count of Hainaut and Holland and the great matchmaker of the Low Countries: his daughter Margaret married Louis IV, and her sister Philippa married Edward III. Clarification: first place 2 military in the Low Countries, then move up to 2 of your military there from one other battleground.

Louis I of Nevers (c. 1304–1346). Count of Flanders from 1322 and a loyal ally of the French crown. Philip VI's victory at Cassel (1328) restored him against the Flemish rebels, but the cloth towns turned to Edward III under Jacob van Artevelde and drove him out in 1339. He fell at Crécy in 1346, fighting for France on the same field as John of Bohemia. Clarification: Victory at Cassel places 3 military in the Low Countries, plus 1 for each opponent military there (up to +2), counted when the Deed resolves: against 2 or more opponent military it places 5, which cancels them and leaves you with the rest.

Philip VI of France (1293–1350). The first Valois king and Blanche's half-brother. His long rivalry with Edward III opened the Hundred Years' War, and his army broke at Crécy with John of Bohemia in its front line. Clarification: Valois Alliance places 4 military in any single battleground and moves John's marker 1 step toward Charles, whichever side plays it. If you play Blanche de Valois later this round for political Numbers, she gets +2.

The Flemish Cities. Ghent, Bruges and Ypres lived on English wool. Under Jacob van Artevelde they sided with England from 1338, defying their French-backed count. Clarification: Wool Trade gains 3 Western on top of the card's normal yield, and your next purchase this round may use Western currency as any type and costs 1 less (taken off any currency in the cost). It adds up with Margaret of Holland's Favor on the same purchase.

William of Jülich (c. 1299–1361). Raised to margrave by Louis in 1336 and Edward III's brother-in-law and ally in the Low Countries. His brother Walram, Archbishop of Cologne, voted the other way.

The University of Paris. The greatest school of Christendom, where Pierre de Rosières taught. Charles later modelled his own university in Prague (1348) on it. Clarification: Studium Generale places 2 influence in any one elector country. Each of your later Church or Western cards this round gets +1 to its political Numbers, only once for a card with both types.

Castruccio Castracani (1281–1328). Lord of Lucca and the best general of the Ghibelline cause. Louis made him Duke of Lucca in 1327 during his Italian expedition; he died the next year.

Mastino II della Scala (1308–1351). Lord of Verona, whose league of Italian lords drove John of Bohemia's short-lived lordship out of northern Italy in the early 1330s. Charles defeated the league's army at San Felice in 1332. Clarification: Scaliger League places 3 military in Lombardy plus 1 for each opponent military there (up to +3), with normal displacement. When acquired: place the Mastino II shield (the Scaliger ladder) in your Court. If it is in the Wittelsbach Court, the Battle of San Felice does nothing.

Pietro de' Rossi (1301–1337). A Parmese captain who served John of Bohemia in Italy and then changed sides, as many Italian captains did. He died at the siege of Monselice in 1337. Clarification: Turncoat Captain works only while your opponent controls Lombardy: place military there equal to twice their military, up to 4, with normal displacement.

Bertrand du Pouget (c. 1280–1352). Papal legate in Lombardy, who fought the Ghibelline lords for the Avignon popes and briefly allied with John of Bohemia in 1331. Clarification: Papal Legate places 3 military in Lombardy, +1 for each other Church card already in your play area.

Robert of Naples (1277–1343). The Angevin king called "the Wise", leader of the Guelph party in Italy and Louis's chief opponent there. Clarification: Guelph Alliance places 3 military in Lombardy, then you draw 1 card. His Counter: discard him from your hand to counter an opponent's Deed that places military in Lombardy; they play the card for its Numbers instead.

Market cards: the East, the Empire's lords and orders

Henry XIV of Lower Bavaria (1305–1339). A Wittelsbach cousin who married John of Bohemia's daughter Margaret and wavered between Louis and the Luxembourgs. His line died out in 1340 and Lower Bavaria passed to Louis.

Henry XV "of Natternberg" (1312–1333). Son of Otto III, he ruled Lower Bavaria together with his cousins Henry XIV and Otto IV. In the partition quarrels of 1331–1333 he took Louis's side against Henry XIV, John of Bohemia's son-in-law, and held Natternberg and Deggendorf. He died in 1333, aged 21. Clarification: Feud of the Dukes places 3 military in Lower Bavaria, or 5 if your opponent controls it (has military there) when the Deed resolves; the first 3 or 5 points cancel the opponent's military there as usual.

Peter of Rosenberg (c. 1280–1347). High Chamberlain of Bohemia and head of the mightiest noble house in the south of the kingdom, whose red rose still marks its towns. Clarification: High Chamberlain places 2 influence in Bohemia; each of your later Eastern cards this round gets +2 to its political Numbers.

The Silesian Dukes. Between 1327 and 1329 most of the Piast dukes of Silesia did homage to John of Bohemia, and in 1335 Poland gave up its claim to them.

Władysław I the Elbow-high (1260–1333). The small, stubborn king who reunited Poland and was crowned in 1320. In 1326 Polish and Lithuanian troops raided Brandenburg, the Wittelsbach march. Clarification: Raid on Brandenburg removes up to 3 opponent influence there (influence, not votes), ignoring stability, then you draw 1 card. Its boost, ⊕ 2 Eastern, also places 2 military in Silesia / Lusatia.

Casimir III the Great (1310–1370). Władysław's son, who traded claims for peace: Silesia to Bohemia at Visegrád (1335) and Pomerelia to the Teutonic Order at Kalisz (1343). Clarification: Peace of Kalisz removes up to 3 military from one battleground, whoever's they are. Its boost, ⊕ 2 Eastern, then places 2 of your military in that same battleground: if the removal emptied it, you take control; if opponent military is left, your 2 displace it as usual. Without the boost it can empty a battleground but never gives you control.

Bolko II of Świdnica (c. 1312–1368). The one Silesian duke who never bowed to Bohemia. Charles later won his lands by marrying his niece Anna in 1353. Clarification: Defiance removes up to 3 opponent military in Silesia / Lusatia, then puts 1 card from your discard pile on top of your draw pile.

Charles I Robert of Hungary (1288–1342). The Angevin king who hosted the kings of Bohemia and Poland at Visegrád in 1335, where they settled their quarrels and agreed new trade routes. The gold of his Kremnica mines made the Hungarian florin the soundest coin in the east. Clarification: Congress of Visegrád places 4 influence split as you like between Bohemia and Brandenburg, then you look at the top 3 cards of your draw pile and put each into your discard pile or back on top, in any order: send the Retinues away and keep your best card for next round. Looking is not drawing, so with fewer than 3 cards in your draw pile you look at those and don't reshuffle. When acquired: place the Charles I Robert shield (the Hungarian bars) in your Court. While it is there, you gain 1 Eastern at each round end, but not after the final round.

The Hanseatic Towns. Lübeck and its partner towns ruled the Baltic trade in furs, grain and herring. Clarification: Baltic Trade gains 3 Eastern on top of the card's normal yield; then you may put 1 card from your discard pile on top of your draw pile (skip it if your next draw is already good).

Henry of Lipá (c. 1275–1329). Marshal of Bohemia and the most powerful baron of John's early reign, at times stronger than the king himself. The Domažlice agreement of 1318, mediated by Louis IV, ended his feud with the king and shared power between crown and barons. Clarification: Domažlice Agreement places 5 influence in Bohemia, but only if you don't lead there (a tie counts as not leading). While you lead, the Deed can't be chosen; he can still be played for Numbers.

Elizabeth Richeza (1288–1335). A Piast princess of Greater Poland and twice-widowed queen of Bohemia (widow of Wenceslas II and of Rudolf of Habsburg), who held court in Brünn (Brno) and founded a Cistercian convent there. She was the great rival of Queen Elizabeth Přemyslovna. Clarification: she has 1 military since values v0.5.1, so she can also be played for a small raid. Queen Dowager removes up to 3 opponent influence in Bohemia. Her Counter: discard her from your hand to counter an opponent's Deed that places influence or military in Bohemia or Silesia / Lusatia. When acquired: place the Richeza shield (the eagle of Greater Poland) in your Court. While it is there, a tie in Bohemia at round end (at least 1 influence each) gives you the vote, after the final round too. Discarding her for the Counter keeps the shield in place.

Albert II of Austria (1298–1358). The Habsburg duke, lame from early life, known as "the Wise". He kept Austria out of most of the great quarrels and gained Carinthia in 1335. Clarification: Habsburg Neutrality blocks every military placement in the chosen battleground for the rest of the round, from Numbers, Deeds and events, and nobody may move military into it. Removals, moving military out and supply lines are not affected. Then you draw 1 card.

Margaret "Maultasch" (1318–1369). Countess of Tyrol, who threw out her husband John Henry in 1341 and married Louis V of Brandenburg without an annulment. Her unflattering nickname comes from hostile chroniclers. Clarification: Countess of Tyrol places 4 military in Tyrol and moves John's marker 1 step in the direction the player chooses.

The Swiss Confederates. The forest cantons destroyed a Habsburg army at Morgarten in 1315, and Louis confirmed their freedoms the next year.

The Knights Hospitaller. The Order of St John, ruling Rhodes from 1310 and enriched by the lands of the suppressed Templars. Clarification: Crusading Order places 2 military in each of two different battlegrounds, then you gain 2 Church (values v0.5.1; the old "+2 where you already have military" is gone). Each placement uses normal displacement, and a blocked battleground (Habsburg Neutrality) can't be one of the two.

Peter of Zittau (c. 1275–1339). Cistercian abbot of Zbraslav near Prague and author of the Chronicon Aulae Regiae, the main chronicle of John's reign. Clarification: Royal Chronicle places 1 influence in any elector country, then you look at the top 3 cards of the market deck and may buy one of them for 2 less; events among them are neither resolved nor bought, and the rest goes back in any order. This is an extra purchase. Writing History: when an event is revealed, you may discard Peter from your hand to counter it: it has no effect and leaves the game, and the row refills again. The Battle of Crécy and Clement VI Elected can't be countered (their own cards say so). Discarding him uses no play, like a Counter, and an event revealed in the round-end market rotation still finds your unplayed cards in hand (hands are discarded in the next step). The countered event did happen, but the chronicles don't record it: the victors write the history.

The Imperial Cities. Free cities such as Nuremberg and Frankfurt stood by Louis through excommunication and interdict, and paid for his wars. Clarification: City Revenues gains 1 currency of your choice, then 1 German for each German card in your play area, this one included (alone, it gains 1 of your choice + 1 German on top of its yield).

The Kutná Hora Silver Mines. The richest silver mines in Europe, whose ore was struck into Prague groats from 1300. Their revenue paid for John's campaigns and much of Charles's election. Clarification: Silver of Kutná Hora removes a Retinue in your hand or discard pile from the game and gains 4 currency of any type. With no Retinue there, the Deed can't be chosen.

The Reichenhall Salt Trade. The brine springs of Reichenhall made salt the Bavarian dukes' richest trade, carried along the salt roads to Bohemia, Swabia and the Alps. Clarification: Salt Road gains 1 currency of any type for each different currency type among the cards in your play area, this one included. Retinues and the kings have no type, so they add nothing. Then you draw 1 card, which you may play this round.

Events and battle events

All events resolve the moment they are revealed while the market row refills (unless Peter of Zittau counters one); then the row keeps refilling, so events never shorten the game. The opening market row is dealt without events, so no event fires before the first card play. "The side controlling" a battleground is always the side with military there; with no military there, no one controls it.

Dream at Terenzo (1333). In his autobiography Charles tells how, camped at Terenzo near Parma, an angel showed him in a dream the judgment of the Dauphin of Vienne, who died soon after. He took it as a warning to turn from worldly ambition. Effect: Luxembourg removes up to 2 cards from its hand or discard pile from the game and gains 2 Church. John of Luxembourg can't be removed, even when Luxembourg holds him.

Coronation in Rome (1328). On 17 January 1328 Louis was crowned emperor in St Peter's by representatives of the Roman people, in open defiance of the pope. Effect: Wittelsbach takes any market-row card for free, to its discard pile; Luxembourg loses 2 Church. Clarification: the free card is not a purchase, so it doesn't use up Margaret's Favor. Everything that happens when a card is acquired still happens: a card with a shield places it in Wittelsbach's Court or half of the Curia, and the card counts for Court Prestige.

Battle of San Felice (1332). On 25 November 1332 the sixteen-year-old Charles defeated the army of the Italian league near Modena. Effect: Luxembourg places 5 military in Lombardy, unless the Mastino II shield is in the Wittelsbach Court.

Battle of Mühldorf (1322). On 28 September 1322 Louis defeated and captured his rival Frederick the Fair of Austria, with John of Bohemia fighting on his side. Effect: if Wittelsbach holds John, it places 5 military in Lower Bavaria. If not, it places 3 military there and John's marker moves 1 step toward Ludwig: the victory reminds John whom he fought for. Either way, Luxembourg then places 2 influence in the Palatinate: Louis's own brother Rudolf, Count Palatine, had backed Frederick the Fair, and the Palatine line stayed estranged until the Treaty of Pavia (1329).

Clement VI Elected (1342). Charles's old mentor Pierre Roger became pope on 7 May 1342 and turned the Avignon papacy decisively against Louis. Effect: place the Clement VI shield in the Luxembourg half of the Papal Curia (its effects are the same for both sides); Pierre de Rosières' Deed becomes usable; Heinrich of Virneburg loses his Church yield; Gerlach of Nassau goes into the market row; John's marker moves 1 step toward Charles. This event cannot be countered (Peter of Zittau's Writing History can't stop it).

Tyrol Marriage (1342). In February 1342 Margaret of Tyrol married Louis V of Brandenburg without the Church dissolving her first marriage; Louis IV's own scholars wrote to justify it. Effect: Luxembourg discards a card (John Henry if he is in hand; nothing if the hand is empty); Wittelsbach places 3 military in Tyrol and loses 2 Church; John's marker moves 2 steps toward Charles.

Declaration of Rhens (1338). On 16 July 1338 the electors met at Rhens on the Rhine and declared that a king they elected needed no papal approval: a victory for Louis against Avignon, and the first time the electors acted together as a body. Eight years later the same electors chose Charles at the same place. Effect (neutral): each side loses 2 Church (never below 0); then each side places 2 influence in one of Mainz, Trier or Cologne, first the side that controls fewer electors (on a tie, the side that plays first this round).

The Holland Inheritance (1345). When William IV of Hainaut and Holland fell in Frisia in 1345, Louis gave Hainaut, Holland and Zeeland to his own wife Margaret, William's sister. The princes of the Empire, alarmed at how much land Louis was gathering for his family, turned to Charles. Effect (neutral): the side controlling the Low Countries gains 3 Western; the other side places 2 influence in one elector country other than Bohemia. If no one controls the Low Countries, nothing happens. Clarification: event influence ignores stability and can't be countered; influence placed during the round-end market rotation stays until the next round's scoring.

Battle of Crécy (26 August 1346). Edward III's longbowmen destroyed the French army; the blind John of Bohemia rode to his death in the charge. Effect: John dies and leaves the game; if Luxembourg holds him, Luxembourg gains 1 vote on Bohemia; if the Edward III shield is in the Wittelsbach Court, Wittelsbach gains 1 vote on an elector of its choice. It ends the game in the round it comes up in. Revealed during a round, both sides play out their remaining plays, then only supply lines and countries are scored, Court Prestige is counted and the final vote is held. Revealed in the round-end market rotation, the round has already been scored, so Court Prestige and the final vote follow at once. A card bought after Crécy is revealed is never played, but it still counts for Court Prestige. This event cannot be countered (Peter of Zittau's Writing History can't stop it).

Clarification: if nobody holds the battleground when a battle event is revealed, nothing happens.

Staged events. Two more events are designed but not yet in the market deck; they will be added later as a pair. Treaty of Trenčín (1335): Casimir III gave up his claim to Silesia, and John his claim to Poland; Luxembourg places 4 military in Silesia / Lusatia. League of Ferrara (1332): the Italian lords, Mastino II della Scala among them, united against John's Italian lordship; Wittelsbach places 2 military in Lombardy, plus 1 more for each Luxembourg military there (up to +3).