Grossinquisitor & Kolonien / Grand Inquisitor & Colonies

Published by Hans im Glück
Designed by Wolfgang Kramer & Richard Ulrich
Translated by an unnamed benefactor
Editted by Jay Tummelson of Rio Grande Games (CafeJay@aol.com)
Distributed from The Rules Bank by Mike Siggins
Further editted by Ken Tidwell
Revision date: 12/21/97

$15
2-5 players
ages 12 and up

Overview

Grand Inquisitor & Colonies is an expansion to El Grande. This expansion adds three regions and ship travel to the original game. It also adds the Grand Inquisitor, two more "action" card stacks, and gold and wares discs.

What's in the Box

Before You Start

Before the first game, carefully remove the pieces from the cardboard and unwrap the cards. Set up the basic game as described in the rules for El Grande, making the following changes:

Place France on the map where it belongs (the upper right corner) and place the three other new regions somewhere else near the board.

After the players' home regions and the King's region have been decided, draw two more regions and place two of the black Grand Inquisitor caballeros in each of these regions.

Draw another region card and place one of the limitation tables in that region. Use the 6 space table with 2 or 3 players and the 10 space table with 4 or 5 players.

The Grand Inquisitor card is the sixth "stack" of action cards. It is treated similarly to the King's card.

The remaining 11 new cards become the seventh action card stack.

Turn one card face up from each stack.

Each player takes 12 caballeros of his color, places one on the scoring track, and 2 in his home region.

Using the region wheel, the players each secretly choose a region, reveal them simultaneously, and place 2 of their caballeros in the region chosen. Naturally, the King's region may not be chosen; if it is chosen, the 2 caballeros remain in the court for that player. Place 1 gold disc in America and 2 ware discs in the Mediterranean.

The Grand Inquisitor and the remaining ware and gold discs are set aside with the two scoring tables from the original game. These will be used during the game.

The New Regions

The ship and the three new regions - are treated just as the original regions, except:

Caballeros from the castle cannot be moved directly to the new regions.

The King can only go to France and barred from moving to the other new regions.

France

There can be at most 3 caballeros in France, placed on the three spaces indicated for them in that region.

The player with a caballero in the ambassador space scores 2 additional victory points when the region is scored. The player with a caballero in the envoy space scores 1 additional point.

For example, if one player has placed caballeros in both the ambassador and envoy space, he receives 6 points when the regions is scored: 3 for having the majority in the region, 2 for the ambassador, and 1 for the envoy.

Caballeros can be placed in France when:

[Ken: The original German rules are just as confusing on this point. Are the first two conditions meant to be ANDed together and the last an OR? Unclear. What I think it means is that cabelleros can be placed in France directly from your court when the King is at Aragon or Catalonia. Cabelleros can be placed in France from the Ship at any time. Cabelleros can be placed in France using repositioning so long as the card applies no further restrictions (or those restrictions are met by France at that time).]

Ship

The ship symbolizes the Spanish sea trade and is similar to other regions. It is generally used to move caballeros to and from the Mediterranean and American regions since caballeros cannot normally move directly to and from these regions. Caballeros may, however, be repositioned to and from these regions directly.

Caballeros can be brought from the court to the ship when the king is in a coastal region (these are Catalonia, Valencia, Granada, Seville, Galicia, Baskenland, and France).

If a player has caballeros on the ship at the beginning of his turn, he can move them to America, France, the Mediterranean, or any coastal region of Spain, except, of course, the King's region. This is in addition to his normal actions. Similarly, he may move caballeros that were in the Mediterranean or America at the beginning of his turn to the ship in addition to his normal actions.

Thus, the process for moving caballeros using the ship is: move them to the ship in one round and then move them on to any of the possible regions in the next (or any subsequent) round.

When the ship is scored, only the player who has a caballero in the captain's space gets points. If the captain's space is empty when you move caballeros to the ship, you can put one on the captain's space. The space may be empty while caballeros are on the ship. Also, the Captain may leave the ship using the same rules as the caballeros. [Ken: When a cabelleros leaves one of the special spaces (captain, viceroy, ambassador, and envoy) you can not just move up other caballeros from within the same region. The position must be filled either by a newly arriving cabellero or by repositioning a cabellero that happens to reside within the region in question.]

America and the Mediterranean

The king never goes to these regions. Caballeros can only get there via the ship or through repositioning.

The cards of the 7th stack show gold and wares. For every picture on such a card a disc is placed in America or the Mediterranean. Gold is always placed in America and wares are always placed in the Mediterranean. How these discs find their way to Spain is explained below.

There is a spot for the Viceroy of the New World in America. It is worth 5 points when America is scored. The Viceroy can only be removed with the Intrigant card (he may be moved to another region or stay as a caballero in America).

The Viceroy is not counted when determining the majority in America. Only the caballeros (with or without gold) are counted.

Gold and Wares

The cards of the 7th stack show how much gold and wares are brought into play.

Gold and wares can be claimed by a player by putting one of his caballeros (in that region) on the disc. Once a caballero has claimed a disc, it cannot be taken by another player.

A player scores points for the discs only when they reach Spain. When a gold or ware disc reaches Spain, the points are scored immediately - 6 for gold, 4 for wares.

A player who brings gold or wares into play by claiming an action card from the 7th stack can lay claim to the discs on his turn if he either already has caballeros in the region in question or can move caballeros there. If he cannot, or chooses not to do so, the discs remain available for the next player with caballeros there to claim.

Moving a caballero on top of a gold Or wares disc to claim it does not count as repositioning.

Bringing Gold and Wares to Spain

Normally it takes 4 turns to bring a disc to Spain:

When a disc is delivered to Spain, set the disc aside with the others and score the points (6 for gold and 4 for wares) immediately.

It is possible, however to use repositioning with the action cards to bypass using the ship and, thus, move discs to Spain in 2 or 3 turns instead of four.

Special Rules for the Use of Gold and Wares Discs

Caballeros with discs in America or the Mediterranean count normally when determining majority.

Caballeros with discs cannot be Captain on the ship.

Caballeros with discs cannot be Viceroy in America.

Caballeros with discs cannot move to the King's region, castle or to the provinces. If a player moves one of his caballeros with a disc to the castle or the provinces, the disc is set aside with the unused reserves.

Grand Inquisitor

If you choose the Grand Inquisitor card, you can do the following:

Move the Grand Inquisitor to your court.

Bring up to 3 of your caballeros from court to regions adjacent to the King's region.

Reposition 2 caballeros of the Grand Inquisitor (the black ones) but not to the King's region.

For every round the Grand Inquisitor is at your court, you can bring an additional caballero from the provinces to your court or from your court to a region adjacent to the King's region.

The Grand Inquisitor stays until it is removed by another player who choses the Grand Inquisitor card. The caballeros of the Grand Inquisitor are counted as cabballeros of the player who has the Grand Inquisitor at his court for the purposes of determining majority.

The player with the Grand Inquisitor has additional duties relating to the Limitation Tables, described below.

Caballeros of the Grand Inquisitor

They are treated as normal caballeros.

They can be repositioned, put into the castle or onto discs in America or the Mediterranean.

They always belong to the player who has the Grand Inquisitor at his court. If the Grand Inquisitor is not at court, they belong to no player.

Limitation Tables (Begrenzungstafeln)

It limits (to the 6 or 10 spaces on the Limitation Table) the number of caballeros that are counted when scoring the region.

If there are free spaces on the Limitation Table, caballeros coming to that region are first placed on those spaces. Otherwise, they are placed elsewhere within that region.

The Limitation Table can be moved using cards from the 7th stack (see below). It can be moved anywhere except to France or the King's region. Also, it cannot be moved away from the King's region.

The Limitation Table can be moved to a region with more caballeros than spaces on the Limitation Table. In this case, the moving player decides who's caballeros are moved onto the free spaces. Limitation Table must be filled completely, if possible. [Ken: This means that the board scoops up cabelleros as it arrives and whisks them away when it leaves...]

Clarification on Repositioning Caballeros

When repositioning caballeros, you can take caballeros from the Limitation Table and put others there. You can also reposition caballeros within a region in this way.

Free Spaces

If through moving or repositioning, spaces on the Limitation Table become available and there are caballeros in that region not on the Limitation Table, the player who has the Grand Inquisitor decides which caballeros are moved onto the Limitation Table.

Jay: I found nothing to suggest what happens when no player holds the Grand Inquisitor. I suspect that this will be rare as the Grand Inquisitor will be quite popular. Therefore, I suggest that if no player holds the Grand Inquisitor, caballeros in the region, but not on the Limitation Table would remain, but could be moved by players normal actions in their turns.

Caballeros from the Castle

When moving caballeros from the castle, all are put in the Limitation Table if there is room. If not, the player with the Grand Inquisitor decides which caballeros go onto the Limitation Table.

Editors note: I found nothing to suggest what happens when no player holds the Grand Inquisitor. I suspect that this will be rare as the Grand Inquisitor will be quite popular. Therefore, I suggest that if no player holds the Grand Inquisitor, none go to the Limitation Table unless there is room for all.

Repositioning is Much More Important

You are allowed to:

Bring caballeros directly to the Mediterranean or America without using the ship. This works even with caballeros with discs.

Remove caballeros from the Limitation Table and move others onto it - even within the same region. If you remove a caballero and then move another onto the Limitation Table, you use two repositioning moves.

Move the Viceroy, the captain, the ambassador, and the envoy. As above, it takes two repositioning moves to move a caballero off and move another one into the vacant position.

Move caballeros of the Grand Inquisitor. If you move them out of play they can be brought back with the Grand Inquisitor card.

Scoring Tables

The additional scoring tables can be moved to the new regions or the ship.

Scoring Regions

When scoring regions, the new regions are counted as well. They count after Valencia in the order: France, Ship, America, the Mediterranean For example, when scoring all "4" regions, the Mediterranean and America would be counted.

In the special scoring "Only the first places are counted" points forthe Viceroy and Captain are not counted, but those for the Ambassador and the envoy are, if the player who owns them has the majority.

König & Intrigant

If you wish to play with König & Intrigant and Gro inquisitor & Kolonien, you should use the rules for König & Intrigant, add the pieces from Gro inquisitor & Kolonien, and use the following exceptions:

In each round the Grand Inquisitor card and a card from the 7th stack are available to be chosen.

When it is a player's turn to act, he may choose from the action on his card (or the king or intrigue, if he was first or last), the Grand Inquisitor card, or the card from the 7th stack. Of course, the Grand Inquisitor card and the 7th stack card may each only be chosen by one player each round.

If a player chooses the Grand Inquisitor or the 7th stack card, that card determines how many caballeros the player is allowed tomove to the regions. He does not use the card he played from König & Intrigant. The card "Auktionskarte umdrehen" in the 7th stack acts like aveto-card, if you use it to stop the special action of a player.

The Intrigantenkarte allows the repositioning from and to new regions. Discs are moved with the caballeros if they belong to them.

The New Cards

If there are gold or wares symbols on the cards, put that number in the corresponding region when the special action is taken. As some of these cards may be held until a later turn, the gold and wares are placed when the action is taken and not when the card is taken.

Grand Inquisitor

Move the Grand Inquisitor to your court.

Reposition up to two caballeros of the Grand Inquisitor into a region of your choice.

The caballeros of the Grand Inquisitor count for the player who has the Grand Inquisitor at his court.

As long he is at your court, bring one additional Caballero from yourprovince to your court or from your court to a region adjacent to the King's region.

Begrenzungstafel versetzen

Move the Limitation Table.

Verschwörung

Put the Grandes of the other players into the castle.

If a player has the majority in the castle and his Grande is there, he gets two more points when the castle is scored.

When moving the caballeros from the castle to a region, the Grandes in the castle go with their caballeros.

Transport

Reposition three of your caballeros.

As three discs are placed with this card, you may place the Cabalerros on them.

Doppelschlag

Lay the card in front of you. This card allows you to perform the special action used by another player after he has completed it. You perform the special action as you choose.

You can use only the special action of the card of the chosen player. You use the "move caballeros" portion of this card and not his. You also bring discs into play if this is part of the special action.

You do not bring caballeros into play a second time. The card is kept until used; after performing the special action, discard the card.

On the turn this card is used, the player takes two special actions - the special action on his turn and the special action "Doppleschlag".

This card is very strong. You can copy, for example, the King, Grand Inquisitor or Intrigant cards.

Aktionskarte umdrehen

Lay the card in front of you. This card allows you to turn face down an open action card. It cannot be used this turn.

The card is kept until used; after performing the special action, discard the card.

Sonderwertung Gro inquisitor

Take the Grand Inquisitor to your court.

Score all regions with caballeros of the Grand Inquisitor.

Sonderwertung New Regions

Score all four new regions.

Sonderwertung Beliegibe Region

Assign the card to a region of your choice. At the end of the next round, that region is scored.

If the next round is a scoring round, this special scoring is done first.

If the card is played in the 9th round, score the special region after the general scoring.

[Translator: The pictures of the previous two cards are switched in the German rules.]

Umsetzen vor der Wertung

After emptying the Castle, but before scoring the other regions, you can reposition two of your caballeros. This can even be caballeros with discs. Keep the card until you use it.

The Game Cabinet - editor@gamecabinet.com - Ken Tidwell