[DUNE] - Game 2

Mordenthral

DUNE - the very name conjures up desolation. Desert sandscapes cover most of the planet surface, broken only by giant rock ridges. Giant worms a quarter mile long live beneath the sand and attack any who linger on it. Human life exists in a few scattered places where precious water is available, but even those settlements are buffeted by terrifying coriolis storms.

Yet the planet is crucial to the destiny of a galactic empire. Because only on Dune can spice be harvested.
Spice is the key to interstellar travel. Only by ingesting the addictive drug can the Guild Steersman continue to experience visions of the future, enabling them to plot a safe path through hyperspace. Spice is also a geriatric medicine which prolongs life. Only by assuring a stable supply of it throughout the galaxy can any Emperor avoid civil revolt. With spice, in short, one can buy whatever he wants.

Powerful forces struggle for control of Dune. Imperial troops, aristocratic families, Guildsmen, a secret sisterhood, and the nomadic native Fremen all vie for power on the planet. All are subject to the rigid economics of their joint merchant combine, CHOAM; resources are expensive, shipping is costly, excellence has a price. And that price must be paid in the universal currency, the measure of all value: spice.

All need spice. Some will harvest it directly when it blows in an isolated area of sand, risking the onslaught of worm and storm alike. But others will take it violently in battle, or quietly in taxes and fees. Those controlling large settlements will have access to ornithopters and cover great distances quickly. Other will have to pick their way slowly across sand and rock.

But all anxiously await the decision-making nexus signaled by the sudden appearance of the great sand worm “Shai-Hulud”.

You will be one of these characters:

• The youthful Paul Atreides (Muad’dib) — rightful heir to the planet, gifted with valiant lieutenants and a strange partial awareness of the future, but beset by more powerful and treacherous opponents.
• The decadent Baron Vladimir Harkonnen — master of treachery and cruel deeds.
• His majesty the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV — keen and efficient, yet easily lulled into complacency by his own trappings of power.
• Guild Steersman Edric (in league with smuggler bands) — monopolist of transport, yet addicted to ever increasing spice flows.
• Fremen ecologist Liet-Kynes — commanding fierce hordes of natives, adept at life and travel on the planet, and dedicated to preventing any outside control while bringing about Dune’s own natural regeneration.
• Gaius Helen Mohiam, Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood — ancient and inscrutable, carefully trained in psychological control and a genius at achieving her ends through the efforts of others.

RULES:

• The object
  • Each character has a set of unique economic, military, strategic, or treacherous advantages. The object of the game is to use these advantages to gain control of Dune. The winner is the first player to occupy at least three strongholds (red territories) with at least one of his tokens at the end of any turn in the game.
• Setup stuff
  • Each player will be sent a list of four random leaders from among all players' leaders and secretly select one of the opponents’ leaders (if he drew one) to be in his pay as a traitor.
  • Each player will receive one starting Treachery card.
• Storm Round
  • In the first storm round only, the players whose player dots are nearest on either side of the storm ‘at start' sector will independently choose a number from ‘zero' to ‘twenty' and IM the mod with their number. The two numbers are totalled and the storm marker moved from the ‘at start' sector counterclockwise that number of sectors around the map.
  • In the first turn during the storm round, the Fremen player will be notified which one of 6 possible amounts the storm will move. In the next storm round the number is revealed and the storm is moved counterclockwise that number of sectors. The Fremen player will then learn of the storm's movement for the round after. This is repeated each turn.
  • Any tokens in a sector of sand territory (except the Imperial Basin) over which the storm passes or stops are sent to the ‘Tleilaxu Tanks'. Any spice in a sector over which a storm passes or stops is removed to the spice bank.
• Spice Blow
  • During each spice blow, cards are turned over until a territory card appears and spice is placed. All turnovers are placed on discard pile 1. The same procedure is then repeated for discard pile 2.
    1. When a territory card is revealed, the amount of spice indicated on the card is placed from the spice bank onto the territory in the sector containing the asterisk. If the asterisk sector is currently in storm, no spice is placed that turn.
    2. If a worm card is revealed, all spice and tokens in the territory last turned up in the spice deck are removed to the spice bank and tanks, respectively, AND another card is turned over, and so on, until a territory card appears and spice is placed.
  • If a worm card appears, a nexus occurs immediately during which alliances can be formed and broken. (See Alliances). Any additional worm cards drawn that round are ignored. During the first turn's spice blow only, all worm cards turned over are reshuffled back into the spice deck.
  • On turn 8, only one territory card will remain in the Spice Deck. This will be placed on discard pile 1 when turned up and the spice placed at that location on the map. Any cards remaining in the spice deck are worm cards which must be turned over and will affect discard pile 2. Once the deck has been completely used up, all spice cards, including the territory card last turned up, are reshuffled to restock the spice deck and cards are turned over from the fresh spice deck until a territory card appears for discard pile 2. It can even be the same card that was last turned over for discard pile 1. In this case, the territory gets a second spice blow. Any worm cards turned over are not reshuffled back into the deck and do affect the last territory turned over in the previous turn.
• Bidding round
  • A number of cards equal to the number of players who are eligible to bid for treachery cards this round will be auctioned off. A player cannot bid for treachery cards if he already holds 4 treachery cards.
    1. The player whose player dot the storm next approaches begins the bid for the first card and is known as the "first player".
    2. The first player may bid one or more spice or pass. Bidding then proceeds to the player to his immediate right who may raise the bid or pass and so on around the table until a top bid is made and all other players pass. The top-bidding player then pays the number of spice he bid into to the spice bank and takes the card. No player may bid more spice than he has.
  • In subsequent bidding that round, the next player who can bid to the right of the player who opened the bid for the previous card begins the bidding for the next card. In this way every player gets a chance to open the bidding for a treachery card.
  • Bidding for treachery cards continues until all cards available for bid have been auctioned off or a card is not bid on by anyone. If a card is passed by everyone, all remaining cards are returned to the top of the treachery deck and the bidding round is over.
  • The number (not the type) of treachery cards each player holds must always be open to everyone during the bidding round. Nobody is allowed to hide the number of cards that he holds.
  • The rule that each player must bid within five seconds of the previous player or he is assumed to have passed obviously cannot be enforced in this format.
  • CHOAM Charity: At the start of the bidding round, any player who has no spice may collect two spice from the spice bank. In the actual game this is done by calling out "CHOAM Charity" but I'll take care of it on my end automatically.
• Movement
  • The ‘first player' makes the first move in a turn. If a storm is on the player dot, it is considered to have passed that player.
  • Token Revival: Before any movement is made, all players may revive up to three tokens from the ‘Tleilaxu Tanks'.
    1. A certain number of tokens are revived for free based on the player. Any additional tokens that may be revived must be done at a cost of two spice per token. All spice expended for token revival is placed in the spice bank. A player can never revive more than three tokens per turn except by treachery card. Revived tokens must be placed in the player's reserve.
  • Each player's move is composed of two segments.
    1. Shipment:
    • A player may make one shipment of any number of tokens from his reserves to any one territory on the map.
    • A player must pay spice to the spice bank for his shipment. The cost of shipping off-planet reserves is one spice per token shipped into any stronghold and two spice per token shipped into any other territory. The Fremen player does not have to pay as his reserves are on the far side of Dune.
    • No player may ship into a sector in storm or into a stronghold already occupied by two other players. Otherwise, shipments may be placed in any territory.
    • No player may ship tokens from the board back to his reserves.
    2. Token Movement:
    • Each player may move, as a group, any number of his tokens from one territory into one other territory.
      1) A player who starts his move with one or more tokens in either Arrakeen, Carthag or both has access to ornithopters and may move his token group through up to three adjacent territories.
      2) A player without a token in either Arrakeen or Carthag at the start of his move does not have access to ornithopters and can only move his token group by foot to one adjacent territory.
    • Each player may make only one move per turn.
    • Sectors have no effect on movement, i.e., tokens can move into or through a territory ignoring all sectors. As sector's only function is to regulate the movement and coverage of the storm and spice collection. No token may move into, out of, or through a sector in storm. Many territories occupy several sectors, so that a player may move into and out of a territory which is partly in the storm so long as the group does not pass through the part covered by the storm.
    • When ending a move in a territory lying in several sectors, a player must make clear in which sector of the territory he chooses to leave his tokens.
    • The Polar Sink is never in storm.
    • Tokens do not block movement with one exception. Like shipment, tokens cannot be moved into or through a stronghold if tokens of two other players are already there. Otherwise, tokens are free to move into, out of, or through any territory occupied by any number of tokens.
  • Leader Revival: If all 5 of a player's leaders are in the ‘tanks', a player may revive one leader per turn until all of his leaders have been revived. To revive a leader, a player must pay that leader's fighting value in spice to the spice bank. A revived leader can be played normally and is still subject to being a traitor. A player may revive a leader only at the end of his move. If a revived leader is again killed and sent to the ‘tanks', it cannot be revived again until all of the player's other revivable leaders have been revived, killed and all 5 are once again in the ‘tanks'.
• Battle round
  • Battles must occur between players whose tokens occupy the same territory. Battles continue until just one player's tokens or no tokens remain in all territories on the map with two exceptions: Players cannot battle one another in a territory if their tokens are separated by a sector in storm. Their tokens can remain the same territory at the end of the round; and players cannot battle in the Polar Sink. It is a free haven for everyone.
  • When resolving battles, the ‘first player' is named the aggressor until all of his battles, if any, have been fought. The aggressor chooses the order in which he wishes to fight his battles. Then the player to his immediate right becomes the aggressor and so on, until all battles are resolved. If three or more players are in the same territory, the aggressor picks who he will battle first, second, etc., for as long as he survives.
  • Battle Plan:
    • To resolve a battle, each player must secretly formulate a battle plan. Each combatant chooses a number from zero to the number of tokens he has in the disputed territory.
    • A player must choose the amount of spice he intends to expend in the battle. Each token is worth its full strength when calculating lost troops as a winner if spice is also spent in support of it. Otherwise, it is worth half strength. The spice used in the battle plan will go to the spice bank, win or lose.
    • One leader is selected.
    • He may play either a weapon or defence treachery card or both.
    • When both players are ready, the battle plans are revealed simultaneously.
  • Battle Resolution:
    • The winner is the player with the higher total of number selected plus leader's fighting strength.
    • In the case of a tie, the aggressor has won.
    • If the opponent played a weapon treachery card and the player did not play the proper defense treachery card, the player's leader is killed and cannot count toward his total. Both leaders can be killed and neither count in the battle. Any leaders killed are immediately placed in the ‘tanks'.
    • The winner immediately receives the value of any slain leaders (including his own leader, if killed) in spice from the spice bank. Surviving leaders are retained by their owners.
    • The losing player loses all the tokens he had in the territory to the ‘tanks' and must discard every treachery card he used in his battle plan. The winning player loses only the number of tokens he selected from the territory to the tanks. He may keep or discard any of the cards he played.
    • When the winner takes his losses he may do so in any manner as long as it agrees with the number of tokens selected and the spice expended. For example, the Fremen player has one Fedaykin (worth two tokens) and five ordinary tokens in a territory in battle. He chooses to use 3 tokens and expends one spice. He wins the battle. He may lose one Fedaykin token at full strength (2) and two ordinary tokens at half strength (1⁄2 + 1⁄2) or he may lose one ordinary token at full strength and four tokens at half strength(1⁄2+1⁄2+1⁄2+1⁄2). In one case, he loses a Fedaykin and two ordinary tokens and in the other case he loses five ordinary tokens. Either choice fulfills his spice/strength requirement. Clear? :winky:
  • Note that the loser does not lose his leader as a result of battle. Leaders are killed only by weapon treachery cards.
  • No player may use a surviving leader in battle in another territory during the same round. The leader may be played in another battle in the same territory, however.
  • If a player has at least one leader or ‘cheap hero(ine)' treachery card available, he must use one in the battle plan. A player cannot choose not to play a leader.
  • If a player cannot play a leader in battle, i.e., they are all in the ‘tanks' or have fought in another territory that round, he must still battle but he must declare that he is without a leader and he cannot play any treachery cards as part of his battle plan. His total is simply the number of tokens he selected.
  • Traitors:
    • If during a battle, the player's opponent displays a leader as part of his battle plan which the player selected as a traitor in his pay at the start of play, ‘treachery' will be declared. The player immediately wins the battle and the opponent must lose all of his tokens in the territory and the traitorous leader to the ‘tanks' and discards all cards he played.
    • The declaring player loses nothing, regardless of what was played in the battle plans. He also receives the traitorous leader's fighting strength in spice in addition to the usual spoils.
    • If a traitor comes up, the winner does not have to expend any spice.
    • If both leaders are traitors, each in the pay of his opponent, both players' tokens in the territory, their cards played and their leaders are lost. Neither player gets any spice.
• Spice collection
  • Any player with tokens in a sector of a territory in which there is spice may now collect that spice. The collection rate is three spice per token if the player occupies Carthag or Arrakeen. It is two spice per token otherwise.
  • Uncollected spice remains where it is for future turns.
  • Each occupant of Carthag and Arrakeen collects 2 spice and the occupant of Tuek's Sietch collects one spice. To qualify for collection, a player needs to occupy the stronghold only at the time of collection. If a player occupies two or all three of these strong- holds, he collects spice for each that he occupies.

Some other stuff - Alliances:

• Once a worm (Shai-Hulud) spice card is turned over on the second or subsequent turns, a nexus occurs and play stops immediately. All players have a chance to make, join or break alliances. Once players have had a chance to do so, play continues with the worm devouring spice and tokens.
• Forming an Alliance:
  • An alliance may contain a maximum of 2 of players. The members of an alliance must be revealed to all. Alliances cannot be secret.
  • Several alliance can be formed during a nexus but no player can be a member of more than one.
  • Once all players have had a chance to ally, no further alliances can be made until the next nexus.
• Breaking An Alliance:
  • Any player may break an alliance during a nexus. He just announces that he is breaking from the alliance. Players who break from an alliance have an opportunity to immediately join or form a new alliance.
• How an Alliance Functions:
  • Allied players' tokens are considered the same for purposes of victory. If, together, they hold *four* strongholds at the end of the turn, they have jointly won the game.
  • Allies may discuss strategy secretly at any time.
  • Allies may not enter any territory (except the Polar Sink) in which one of their allies already has a token(s) and, thus, may never battle one another.
  • Allies may assist one another as specified by their "race".

Bribery and deals:

• Players are never required to keep secret the strength of their reserves, cards, or spice held, or traitors selected although they are never obligated to reveal this information.
• Players can make any kind of verbal deals or bribes between one another. Once made, these deals and bribes must be honoured. A player cannot renege on a deal or bribe. Spice can be part of the bribe or deal.
• Any spice to be paid to other characters by way of deal-making is set aside in the tanks and will only be transferred during the Collection phase of the turn.
• A deal or bribe cannot involve the transfer or gift of treachery cards, leaders, tokens or character powers. A player cannot make a deal or bribe that would contravene the rules or his character's powers. These are the only limitations.

Turn Summary:

DUNE is played in turns to a maximum limit of 15 turns. Each turn is composed of six specific rounds that must be completed in the exact sequence presented below.

• A. Storm Round
  • The storm marker is moved around the map.
• B. Spice Blow
  • The top 2 cards of the spice deck are turned over and spice tokens are placed in the territories indicated.
• C. Bidding Round
  • Players bid spice to acquire treachery cards.
• D. Revival and Movement Round
  • First, players reclaim tokens from the ‘Bene Tleilaxu Tanks'. Then each player, in turn, lands and moves his tokens on the map.
• E. Battle Round
  • Players resolve battles in every territory which is occupied by two or more characters' tokens.
• F. Collection Round
  • Tokens in territories which contain spice may collect the spice.
  • The occupants of Carthag, Arrakeen and Tuek's Sietch receive bonus spice.

The map:

Mordenthral

jakobagger - Guild Steersman Edric
Capfalcon - Paul Atreides (Muad’dib)
admanb - Gaius Helen Mohiam
Tiphareth - His majesty the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV
Farangu - Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
Phyphor - Liet-Kynes

Reserve - Archy Crowshield, NotoriusBEN

House Atreides information:

• Starting army: 10 tokens in Arrakeen and 10 in reserve (off planet). Starting spice: 10. Revival: 2 per turn (you may buy one additional revival each turn for 2 spice).
• Leaders:
  • Lady Jessica 5
  • Thufir Hawat 5
  • Gurney Halleck 4
  • Duncan Idaho 2
  • Dr. Wellington Yueh 1
• Advantage: You have limited prescience.
  • During the bidding phase, you may look at each treachery card as it comes up for purchase before any player bids on it.
  • At the start of the movement phase, you may look at the top card of the spice deck.
  • During the battle phase, you may force your opponent to show you your choice of one of the four elements they will use in their battle plan against you; the leader, the weapon, the defence or the number selected. If you ask to see the weapon or defence and your opponent is not playing one, you may not ask to see another element of the plan.
  • After you have lost a total of at least 7 tokens in battle, take the Kwisatz Haderach counter. It cannot be used alone in battle but can add its +2 strength to any one leader or cheap hero(ine) per turn. If the leader or cheap hero(ine) is killed, the Kwisatz Haderach has no effect in the battle. The Kwisatz Haderach can only be killed if blown up by lasegun-shield explosion. A leader accompanied by the Kwisatz Haderach cannot turn traitor. If killed, the Kwisatz Haderach must be revived like any other leader.
• You may assist your allies by forcing their opponents to show you one element of their battle plan.

Fremen information:

• Starting army: 10 tokens distributed as you wish between Sietch Tabr, False Wall South, and False Wall West, plus 10 in reserve (on the far side of Dune). Starting spice: 3. Revival: 3 per turn (you may not buy additional revivals).
• Leaders:
  • Stilgar 7
  • Chani 6
  • Otheym 5
  • Shadout Mapes 3
  • Jamis 2
• Advantage: You are native to Dune and know its ways.
  • Your tokens can move two territories instead of one.
  • You can bring any or all of your reserves onto any territory within two territories of (and including) the Great Flat (subject to storm and occupancy rules) without payment. You may not move onto Dune in any other way than this.
  • If a worm appears in a territory where you have tokens, they are not devoured but, immediately upon conclusion of the nexus, may move to any one territory on the board (subject to storm and occupancy rules).
  • You may look at the next turn’s storm movement marker.
  • If more than one Shai-Hulud card is revealed during a spice blow, the second and subsequent worms are under your control. You may place them in any territory you wish. They cannot devour tokens if not in a sand territory.
  • If caught in a storm, only half of your tokens are killed (any fractions are rounded up). You may bring your reserves into a storm at half loss.
• Your three starred tokens (Fedaykin) have a special fighting capability. They are worth two normal tokens in battle and in taking losses. They are treated as one token in revival. Only one Fedaykin token can be revived per turn.
• If no player has won by the end of the last turn and if you (or no one) occupies Sietch Tabr and Habbanya Ridge Sietch and neither Harkonnen, Atreides nor Emperor occupies Tuek’s Sietch, you have prevented interference with your plans to alter Dune and you automatically win the game.
• Your allies are not devoured by worms. They win with you if you win at the end of the last turn.

The Spacing Guild information:

• Starting army: 5 tokens in Tuek’s Sietch and 15 in reserve (off-planet). Starting spice: 5 Revival: 1 per turn (you may buy up to two additional revivals each turn for 2 spice each).
• Leaders:
  • Staban Tuek 5
  • Esmar Tuek 3
  • Master Bewt 3
  • Soo-Soo Sook 2
  • Guild Representative 1
• Advantage: You control all transport to and from Dune.
  • Whenever one of your opponents pays to ship tokens onto Dune from off-planet reserves, the money goes to you.
  • You are capable of making one of three possible shipments each turn. You may ship normally from off-planet reserves to Dune, or you may ship any number of tokens from any one territory to any other territory on the board, or you may ship any number of tokens from any one territory back to your reserves.
  • You need pay only half the fee when shipping your tokens. The cost for shipping to your reserves is one spice for every two tokens shipped or fraction thereof.
  • You are not required to take your move when it occurs in the turn sequence during the movement round, but may take it at any time in the sequence you wish. The rest of the players must take their turns in the proper sequence. You do not have to reveal when you intend to take your turn until the moment you wish to take it.
• If no player has been able to win the game by the end of turn 15, you have prevented control of Dune and automatically win the game.
• In an alliance, your allies may use the same types of shipments as you, for the same costs. They win with you if no one else wins by the end of turn 15.

House Corrino information:

• Starting army: 20 tokens in reserve (off planet). Starting spice: 10. Revival: 1 per turn (you may buy up to two additional revivals each turn for 2 spice each).
• Leaders:
  • Count Hasmir Fenrig 6
  • Captain Aramsham 5
  • Burseg 3
  • Caid 3
  • Bashar 2
• Advantage: You have enormous wealth and superior warriors.
  • Whenever one of your opponents pays for a treachery card, they pay the spice to you instead of the spice bank.
  • Your five starred tokens (elite Sardaukar) have a special fighting capability. They are worth two normal tokens in battle and in taking losses against all opponents except Fremen (Sardaukar tokens are no better than any other troops against Fremen). They are treated as one token for revival. You may only revive one elite Sardaukar per turn.
• In an alliance, you may give spice to your allies to purchase treachery cards, to revive tokens and to make shipments. Their payment for treachery cards, even with your own spice, comes right back to you.

The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood information:

• Starting army: 1 token in any territory and 19 in reserve (off-planet). Starting spice: 5. Revival: 1 per turn (you may buy up to two additional revivals each turn for 2 spice each).
• Leaders:
  • Princess Irulan 5
  • Margot Lady Fenrig 5
  • Reverend Mother Ramallo 5
  • Wanna Marcus 5
  • Alia 5
• Advantage: You are adept in the ways of mind control.
  • At the start of the game (before traitors are picked) you write down the name of one other faction and the turn in which you think they will win (you can’t predict the automatic Guild or Fremen victories at the end of turn 15). If that player wins (alone or as an ally, even your own) on the turn you have predicted, you reveal the prediction and you alone have won. You can also win normally, of course.
  • You may use the VOICE against opponents in battle, forcing them to do as you wish with respect to one of the cards they play in their battle plan, i.e., to play or not play a projectile, shield, poison, snooper, lasegun or worthless card. You cannot voice a cheap hero(ine) card. If your opponent is unable to comply with your command, the Voice has no effect.
  • Your tokens may coexist peacefully with all other players’ tokens in the same territory. While coexisting, your tokens are treated as if they are not even on the board; they cannot collect spice, cannot be involved in combat, cannot prevent another player’s control of a stronghold, and cannot claim ornithopter movement bonus for occupying a city. They are still susceptible to storms, worms and lasegun/shield explosions. You must announce at the beginning of the movement round, before any movement is started, all territories in which you no longer wish to remain in coexistence. Anytime you end your move in an occupied territory in which you previously had no tokens or another player moves tokens into a territory only you occupy, you must announce immediately whether or not you will coexist there. Those territories in which you choose to be (or remain) in coexistence must stay in coexistence for the rest of the turn.
  • Whenever any other player ships tokens onto Dune from off-planet, you may ship 1 token free of cost from your reserves (spiritual advisors) into the same territory (you must coexist for that turn) OR into the Polar Sink. You may also ship normally, of course.
• Beginning on the second round, you always receive CHOAM charity.
• You may use the VOICE against your allies’ opponents in battle.

House Harkonnen information:

• Starting army: 10 tokens in Carthag and 10 in reserve (off planet). Starting spice: 10. Revival: 2 per turn (you may buy one additional revival each turn for 2 spice).
• Leaders:
  • Feyd-Rautha 6
  • Beast Rabban 4
  • Piter DeVries 3
  • Iakin Nefud 2
  • Umman Kudu 1
• Advantage: You excel in treachery.
  • At the start of the game, when traitors are drawn, you write down the names of all the leaders you draw, rather than just one. All are in your pay.
  • At the start of the game, you are dealt 2 treachery cards, rather than one.
  • You may hold up to 8 treachery cards.
  • Every time you buy a treachery card you get an extra card free from the deck.
  • Every time you win a battle you can randomly select one leader from the loser (including the leader used in the battle, if not killed, but excluding dead leaders and all leaders already used elsewhere that turn). You can immediately turn the leader into the tanks for 2 spice (sell them for their water), or use the leader once in a battle after which you must return him (or her) to the original owner. If all of your own leaders have been killed, you must return all captured leaders immediately to their original owners. Killed captured leaders are put in the Bene Tleilaxu Tanks from which the original owners can revive them (subject to the revival rules). Captured leaders always betray you if used against their original owner.
• In an alliance, leaders in your pay may betray your allies opponents, too.

TREACHERY cards:

• 4 Projectiles — Use as a weapon during battle.
• 4 Shields — Defends your leader against any projectile used by your opponent in battle.
• 4 Poisons — Use as a weapon during battle.
• 4 Poison snoopers — Defends your leader against any poison used by your opponent in battle.
• 1 Lasegun - A special weapon. There is no defense against a lasegun; it automatically kills an opponent’s leader. But, should you or your opponent play a shield in the same battle, a nuclear explosion occurs and all tokens and spice (even those not involved in the battle) in the territory are lost to the Bene Tleilaxu Tanks as well as all leaders played (no spice is paid for them). All treachery cards played in the battle must be discarded.
• 3 Cheap Hero(in)es — Play in place of a leader in battle. This is the only time a player may play 3 cards in a battle: cheap hero(ine), weapon and defence. This card has a fighting strength of zero. Discarded when played.
• 5 Worthless Cards — Kulon, Trip to Gamont, La La La, Baliset and Jubba Cloak. These have no value in play (except to the Bene Gesserit.) To get rid of them, play them in place of a weapon, defence or both.
• 2 Truthtrances — Play at any time against any player. You may ask that player one yes-or-no question concerning the game, and they must answer truthfully.
• 1 Weather Control — Play at the start of a storm round, before storm movement is revealed. Instead of the storm’s normal movement, you pick a number from 0 to 10 and move the storm that many sectors counterclockwise.
• 1 Hajr — Play during your movement round. You can make an extra on-planet group move, subject to the normal movement rules.
• 1 Tleilaxu Ghola — Play at any time. You immediately recover one leader from the Bene Tleilaxu Tanks, or revive up to 5 tokens from the Tanks to your reserves, free of charge.
• 1 Family Atomics — Play just after the storm movement is revealed, but only if you have one or more troops on the Shield Wall or in a territory adjacent to it. It destroys the shield wall (and all tokens there) so that the Imperial Basin, Arrakeen and Carthag are no longer protected from the storm.
• 2 Karama — This card can be used either to cancel one use of an opponent’s special advantage, or to empower one super-strong use of your own advantage, as follows.
  • Standard Karama uses:
    1. Prevent Atreides from seeing the future, or from using Kwisatz Haderach
    2. Prevent Harkonnen from taking a free Treachery, or from capturing a leader
    3. Prevent Bene Gesserit from accompanying a shipment, using the VOICE, or using a worthless card as a Karama
    4. Prevent Fremen from controlling a worm (their tokens in the territory are destroyed and sent to the Tanks), or from counting Fedaykin bonus
    5. Allows player to bid infinity for one Treachery card and not have to pay for it, or prevent the Emperor from counting Sardaukar bonus
    6. Allows player to make a shipment of troops at Guild cost with the spice going to the bank instead of the Guild. This takes the place of the player's normal troop shipment for that round. OR Prevent the Guild from choosing when to take their move, which must be taken in normal turn order.
  • Harkonnen: Take without looking any number of cards from a player of your choice. For each card you take you must give one of your cards in return.
  • Atreides: Look at any one player’s entire battle plan.
  • Guild: Stop one player’s off-planet shipment.
  • Bene Gesserit: You may use any “worthless” card as a Karama card.
  • Fremen: During the Spice Blow round, summon a worm to appear in any territory you wish. The worm is not drawn from the spice deck. A worm cannot devour tokens if not in a desert territory.
  • Emperor: Revive up to three tokens or one leader at no cost.

Mordenthral

I need to know the following:
- Location for the one Bene Gesserit, as well as (privately sent to me) the prediction of which opponent will win, and in which turn.
- Distribution of starting Fremen troops.

Then we'll determine traitors.

Mordenthral

We could also attempt bidding in eBay fashion. You can send me your maximum bid and I'll work it out.

admanb

I'll send my shit tomorrow because I am drunk as FUCK.

The Bene Gesserit know all.

Tiphareth

Would anyone want to be Atreides? I'd like to swap if possible, try new horizons etc.

Mordenthral

Spent a few hours modifying the Vassal module. Let me know if you have problems reading the new map, or understanding how many troops are in each territory.

jakobagger

I still think we should require alliances to control more strongholds, but allow 3-player alliances. 4 strongholds for 2-player alliances, 5 for 3 players.

eBay-style bidding might be a good idea. It would be rather different from the real game I guess, but would speed up the game considerably.

Mordenthral

I think having smaller alliances (or none) will increase negotiations and deal-making between non-allied players.

Farangu

I'm personally in favor of keeping alliances small.

Also that new map is rad as hell

jakobagger

Mordenthral wrote: »

I think having smaller alliances (or none) will increase negotiations and deal-making between non-allied players.

Well this is a good point. But either way, requiring alliances to control more strongholds to win than a solo victory would go a long way to balance them I think, and feels less arbitrary than outright banning them.

Mordenthral

jakobagger wrote: »

Well this is a good point. But either way, requiring alliances to control more strongholds to win than a solo victory would go a long way to balance them I think, and feels less arbitrary than outright banning them.

True, and we've already implemented requiring 4 strongholds for 2 players to win together. Having at least 2-player alliances allows alliance powers to still be used.

3-player alliances, however, make the other players feel like they have to form their own alliance to stand a chance and I wouldn't want to be forced into allying up.

jakobagger

Mordenthral wrote: »

we've already implemented requiring 4 strongholds for 2 players to win together.

...I did not realize this. Must be the spice trance. Carry on then.

Capfalcon

Question.
What are the swirly thingies on the map?

Mordenthral

Capfalcon wrote: »

Question.
What are the swirly thingies on the map?

When spice blows in a particular territory, that is the sector in which it resides.

jakobagger

Nice map. Clearer and cleaner than the old one. I liked the seventies-retro look but it was a bit hard to decipher.

admanb

Token in Arrakeen.

Prediction sent.

Tiphareth

Liking the new map btw, much cleaner.

admanb

The new map is super sexy. Did you make that, Mordy?

Phyphor

New map is awesome!

Let's go with:

4 normal tokens in Sietch Tabr
2 normal tokens in False Wall West, middle section
2 Fedayken & 2 normal tokens in False Wall South, southern section

Capfalcon

admanb wrote: »

The new map is super sexy.

Capfalcon

Tiphareth wrote: »

Would anyone want to be Atreides? I'd like to swap if possible, try new horizons etc.

If mord is willing, I wouldn't mind getting to be nigh all knowing in exchange for not being able to buy out the universe...

Tiphareth

Capfalcon wrote: »

Tiphareth wrote: »

Would anyone want to be Atreides? I'd like to swap if possible, try new horizons etc.

If mord is willing, I wouldn't mind getting to be nigh all knowing in exchange for not being able to buy out the universe...

I'm willing to swap, prescience is clearly beaten by hedonism, always.

Mordenthral

admanb wrote: »

The new map is super sexy. Did you make that, Mordy?

No, no. I'm notorious for just using other people's work. Scott Everts modified an OglBrutus design and it's the end result.

Tokens are by Ilya Baranovsky, and (when they are finally seen) Leaders are by Steve Domanski (based on Mike Doyle's art.)

e- I added the number by the troops and changed some of the Leader colours to match what we've been using.

Mordenthral

It will take some getting used to, but it is now Tiphareth and Capfalcon.

Sending out starting information.

Capfalcon

Tiphareth wrote: »

Capfalcon wrote: »

Tiphareth wrote: »

Would anyone want to be Atreides? I'd like to swap if possible, try new horizons etc.

If mord is willing, I wouldn't mind getting to be nigh all knowing in exchange for not being able to buy out the universe...

I'm willing to swap, prescience is clearly beaten by hedonism, always.

Well, it drew last time...

Tiphareth

Capfalcon wrote: »

Tiphareth wrote: »

Capfalcon wrote: »

Tiphareth wrote: »

Would anyone want to be Atreides? I'd like to swap if possible, try new horizons etc.

If mord is willing, I wouldn't mind getting to be nigh all knowing in exchange for not being able to buy out the universe...

I'm willing to swap, prescience is clearly beaten by hedonism, always.

Well, it drew last time...

Well, but only because you were busy snorting spice off of naked dead royal concubines, and really, I think we both know who is the real winner then.

Mordenthral

I decided to send out traitor choices instead of starting information.

After those are decided, we'll move along.

Mordenthral

While deciding on traitors, I will also need a number from 0 - 20 from both Fremen and Guild.

e- Secretly. So send the number with your traitor choice.

Farangu

Hahaha you have to choose traitors.

Mordenthral

Waiting on traitor choice and secret number from Phyphor.

Mordenthral

Dune, Turn 1

Storm Round

• Fremen:11 + Guild: 10 - Storm moved 21 sectors counter clockwise.
• Fremen predict weather for next turn.

Spice Blow

• Blow 1: 8 spice in Broken Land
• Blow 2: 6 spice in Wind Pass North

Bidding Round

• 1st card sent to Atreides

Trying eBay style.. send me your maximum bid and chime in here when you've sent it in.

Order will determine winner:
Bene Gesserit
Emperor
Atreides
Harkonnen
Fremen
Guild

Farangu

Sent.

admanb

Sent

Another one we could try is open bidding with an expiration time of 24 hours or so. Going once, going twice -- for play-by-post.

Mordenthral

Bid is also in from the Emperor.

admanb wrote: »

Another one we could try is open bidding with an expiration time of 24 hours or so. Going once, going twice -- for play-by-post.

We can give this a try on the next card. My only concern with the eBay style is that it's possible some people may bid or not bid based on whether/how much Atreides bids. With the closed bidding, that's not open information.

Tiphareth

Well, we can always put qualifiers in our bids to you. Like IF Atreides <1 THEN PASS. or IF Atreides >2 THEN OH FUCK EVERYTHING IN, or somethnig. I dunno.

Mordenthral

That's also a good idea.

admanb

Mordenthral wrote: »

Bid is also in from the Emperor.

admanb wrote: »

Another one we could try is open bidding with an expiration time of 24 hours or so. Going once, going twice -- for play-by-post.

We can give this a try on the next card. My only concern with the eBay style is that it's possible some people may bid or not bid based on whether/how much Atreides bids. With the closed bidding, that's not open information.

This is how I feel. Conditional bids technically break the idea of closed bidding, don't they? The example that Tiph suggested is reasonable, but

If Atreides bids 1, bid 2.
If Atreides bids 2, bid 3.
If Atreides bids 3, bid 4.
If Atreides bids 4, bid 5.
If Atreides bids 5, bid 6.
...
If Atreides bids 9, bid 10.

Would also technically be "legal" and could turn into a huge clusterfuck.

Darian

That's perfectly reasonable, though; it's equivalent to saying "out-bid Atreides up to 10; against others, bid #"

In the normal flow of play, you'd be able to see and react to the opponents bidding. With it being ebay style, you will win the bid at one + the next highest, regardless (ties broken by order of play), so you don't need the extra conditionals.

Mordenthral

Darian wrote: »

That's perfectly reasonable, though; it's equivalent to saying "out-bid Atreides up to 10; against others, bid #"

In the normal flow of play, you'd be able to see and react to the opponents bidding. With it being ebay style, you will win the bid at one + the next highest, regardless (ties broken by order of play), so you don't need the extra conditionals.

This.

Bids are all in. Give me a minute.

Mordenthral

Here's how it plays out:
Bene Gesserit - 1
Emperor - 2
Atreides - 3
Harkonnen - Pass
Fremen - Pass
Guild - 4

The Guild get the card and pay 4 precious spice to the Emperor's coffers.

I have sent the next card to Muad'dib.

Trying the open bidding format. Bidding begins when the first bidder (Emperor on the second card) makes their opening bid. This is to preserve the advantage/disadvantage of having a different bidding order on each card.

After 24 hours, the bidding will be closed with the highest bid taking the card. If the other bidders all submit 'pass' before 24 hours is up the bid can end early.