Lords of Scotland

Have you ever played the White Elephant Gift Exchange Game?   Every time, without fail, there is always one or two gifts that everyone is fighting.  It's usually because they come in pretty packaging and bows.  Hilariousness ensues as people steal that same gift, over and over, making one sigh as they lose their prize yet again.  The whole time you know that your horribly wrapped gift, will be the one sought after when the gifts are finally opened.  "Lords of Scotland" is a lot like that poorly wrapped gift.  While everyone is fighting over the new hotness, this little diamond in the rough is given no attention. When everyone sees its full potential it will be the game to own.

Goal of the Game

Players are trying to be first to acquire forty strength worth of supporters and claim the throne.  They do this by winning skirmishes against their rivals.

Components

"Lords of Scotland" comes with 98 clan cards, 1 Initiative Card, and one Rules Sheet. Each card contains the following information:  the cards strength, bloodline, rank, and power.  

Rank:  Each card represents a clan of Scotland.  Its unique rank is found in the upper right corner of the card (lower corner for Clan Makgill).  This rank is used to break ties.  The Clan MacDonnell card is rank 3, while the Clan Makgill card is rank 2.

Bloodline:  Each clan belongs to one of the eight normal bloodlines or to the royal Bruce bloodline.  The name of a clan's bloodline, the portrait of its chief, its clan tartan, badge and color are displayed on each card.

During the game, armies composed of two or more clan from the same bloodline fight at double strength.

Strength:  A clan's strength is listed in the upper left hand corner of the card. (Both clan cards above are strength 1.)  At the end of each skirmish, the army with the highest total strength wins the right to claim the first supporter.  During the skirmish, strength determines whether or not you can activate the clan's power.  A clan's strength value also represents its value when claimed as a supporter. 

Power:  There are nine different powers in the game corresponding to the eight normal bloodlines and the royal Bruce bloodline.  When you play a clan from your hand, and there is no clan already in the skirmish area, with a lower strength, you may activate the clan's special power.  For example, Clan McDonnell cards are not discarded and Clan Makgill cards allow the player to muster another clan.

When a clan is played face-up, their clan power may be activated.   Most effects happen immediately and require you to make a choice after you play the clam.  Some powers, on the other hand, only take effect at the end of a skirmish.  Once activated, these powers take effect even if another clan with a lower strength than yours if played afterwards.  However, the effect will only occur for you, if you control the clan at the end of the skirmish, and if the clan remains in play.  If, unfortunately, your clan belongs to another lord's army at the end of the skirmish, then its effect will occur for that lord instead.  Clans which are played face-down do not activate powers.

List of Clan Powers

Discard another clan:  discard one other clan in the skirmish
Swap with a Supporter:  switch this clan with one of the clans in the supporter pile
Swap with another Clan: switch this clan with another clan in the skirmish
Draw a Card: allows players to draw from the draw pile
Do not discard this Clan:  allows players to not discard the card at the end of the skirmish
Muster another Clan:  muster an additional clan immediately after this clan
Copy another Power:  copy the power of any face-up clan in this skirmish
Join each Bloodline:  This clan counts as the same bloodline as all other clans
Claim Two Supporters:  If you control this clan at the end of the skirmish, claim two clans in the supporter pile instead of one.  This power is not cumulative

Set-up

The oldest player is given the Victor's Initiative card. Shuffle the cards and deal each player five cards.  A draw pile is created with the remaining cards.

The top five cards from the draw pile are placed face down, side by side, to the right of the draw pile.  These cards are now the "Recruit Pile."


Cards equal to the number of players (2 for 2 players, 3 for 3 players) are placed face-up, side by side, horizontally, to the left of the draw pile.  These cards are now the "Supporter Pile."  If two supporters of the same number are put out discard both and draw again.

Space is needed for a discard pile next to the draw pile.  The lord with the Victor's Initiative goes first.





Game Play

Players gain support by winning skirmishes against their opponents.  A skirmish is five consecutive rounds of play.  During each skirmish, a player may either build up their army by playing cards from their hand or recruit clans to fight by drawing cards from the recruit pile.  At the end of five rounds, each lord gets to claim a supporter in order of highest strength army to lowest.  All mustered clans are discarded and a new skirmish is begun.

The player with the Victor's Initiative card goes first.  They first turn over one face-down card, in the recruit pile, before they take their action.

Recruit a Clan:  If a player has fewer than ten cards in hand, they may recruit a clan member.  The player may draw any card from the recruit pile.  If the card was face-up a replacement card is placed face-up as well.  If the card was face-down the replacement is placed face-down.

Muster a Clan:  A player may play a card to their area face-up or face-down to add it to their army, for the current skirmish.  If the card is placed face-up and there is no lower strength card than that card, the player may immediately activate the power described on the card.


After the player has recruited or mustered a clan and / or activated its power their turn is over and it is the next lord, in clock-wise order, turn.


The End of a Skirmish

At the end of each skirmish, flip over all face-down clans in the skirmish and total up the strength of all clans in each lord's army.  Double the total of any army, if the army contains more than one clan, and all clans in the army are from the same bloodline.  If your army has the highest total strength, you win the skirmish.

Collect one of the clans in the supporter pile, and set that card aside in your victory pile to keep track of how many points you have.  Then, in the order of the second highest value army to the lowest value army, each other lord claims a supporter and places it aside in their victory pile.


If there is ever a tie between two or more lords, the lord who controls the highest ranking clan in the skirmish wins the tie.  Once all clans in the supporter pile have been claimed, discard all the cards in the recruit pile and the cards which were mustered into the skirmish.  Then, replace the cards in both the supporter and recruit piles with new cards from the draw pile.




These will be arranged as they were at the beginning of the game.  If the draw pile runs out, reshuffle the discard pile.  The lord who won the skirmish is given the Victor's Initiative card and takes the first turn in the next skirmish.

The End of the Game

Continue taking turns and completing skirmishes until someone accumulates forty or more strength worth of supporters.  At that point, the lord with the most strength of support wins.  If two are more lords are tied, then the lord who placed higher in the final skirmish wins. 

My Thoughts

I admit, I'm guilty.  This game sat on my shelf for months because I could not get past the artwork.  When it finally got to the table I sat there, shaking my head, asking myself why I didn't play it sooner.  This is an amazingly fun, light, quick game.  There is a lot packed in to it.  With better graphics and "Lords of Scotland" would be a lot more must have lists.

Being a card game there is going to be a lot of luck involved.  There is also a lot of strategy and tension.  Since players can place cards face-up and face-down decisions can become quite a gamble.  Do you muster your best clans or put out a lower card so you can use its power or block opponents' powers?  Could your opponent have all one clan with those face down cards?

You can watch what clans your opponents recruits and try to guess their strategy but it isn't easy to determine.  At the same time you have to balance recruitment to make sure you don't run out of clans and get the clans that would work with your own strategy. 

Supporters also play a role in the strategy.  Sometimes numbers are close together and sometimes one card is much higher.  It seems like our supporters are always one of two numbers off of each other.  When supporter numbers are low or close players may not risk using their best cards or they may bluff and try to ensure a victory that skirmish. 

"Lords of Scotland" was a surprise game from me.  I was not expecting it, but I have found a wonderful little card game that I would highly recommend.  Game play is smooth, fast paced and captivating.  The rules are well written and easy to learn.  The quality is wonderful (love the linen-finish cards) if the artwork isn't.  If "Lords of Scotland" came out with another theme or different art I would definitely be per-ordering.

Quick Stats:

Designer:  Richard James
Artist:  Gabrielle Levion
Publisher: Evertide Games, Z-Mann Games
Number of Players: 2-5
Game Length:  35 minutes