Burning Banners — How to Play

Game Objective

The objective of Burning Banners is to achieve victory in a campaign divided between two factions: Invader and Resistance. Each player or team represents a Realm, and the game is won when one of the factions eliminates all of the opponent's forces. Victory is collective, meaning all players on one side win or lose together, unless specific campaign rules indicate otherwise. The rulebook does not detail victory points, only the victory conditions as defined in the Campaign Book.

Setup

To begin, follow these steps:

• Choose a Campaign: Consult the Campaign Book to select the map, Realms, starting forces, and victory conditions.
• Prepare the Season Display: Place the Season marker and the Campaign End marker in the positions indicated in the Campaign Book. Distribute Income markers for each Realm.
• Assemble Playmats: Each Realm receives a playmat with gold, units, and Control markers. Ignore advanced game sections if playing the basic version.
• Prepare the Map: Place Control, Razed, and Lair markers as per the campaign instructions. Keep Arcane Study markers separate (used only in advanced play).
• Perform Initial Build: Each Realm builds units with the gold indicated in the Campaign Book. Beast or Fragile units may be added at no cost.

Game Flow

The game progresses through Year, Season, and Turn:

1. Year: The campaign lasts between 1 and 3 years. The season begins with the Season marker's position on the Season Track.
2. Season: Each Realm takes one turn at a time, following the order of the Turn markers. After all turns are completed, the season ends. If the Season marker reaches the Campaign End, the game concludes.
3. Turn:
   1. Income Phase: The active Realm gains gold according to its Income level. Shashka Realms do not accumulate income.
   2. Activation Phase: Units may move, attack, or perform actions. If all of the Realm's cities are Razed or under enemy control, it collapses (see End Game).
4. End of Season: If the Season marker enters a Winter space, skip to the spring of the next year. Move the Turn markers and restart the next season.

Actions and How to Play

Players can perform the following actions during their turn:

• Attack: Use the Combat Rating to attack enemy Settlements, units, or Lairs. Units with Stealth may declare an Ambush (9.6).
• Movement: Units move using movement points (MPs) based on their Movement Rating. Terrains such as rivers or mountains modify movement cost (8.1).
• Recover: Fragile or Beast units can be restored by paying the Recovery cost in an Entry Hex or friendly Settlements (10.4).
• Ship Movement: Fjordland units can use Ship Movement to cross rivers or seas, paying 1 MP per hex (8.1.4).
• Loot: Upon entering an enemy Settlement, the Realm gains gold (4.8). Beast units can only Loot if stacked with a Hero.
• Place Markers: Control markers are placed on conquered Settlements, increasing income (4.9). Razed markers are used for abandoned Settlements (4.10).

End Game and Scoring

The game ends when the Season marker reaches the Campaign End. Victory is determined by the specific campaign rules in the Campaign Book. Shashka Realms collapse if they have no Control markers or cannot pay 1 gold for each marker during the income phase (7.7). The Eastern Empire collapses if it suffers a Revolt in a critical position (12.4.7). Scoring is not detailed in this context; consult the Campaign Book for specific criteria.

Tips for Winning

1. Use Stealth for Ambush: Units with Stealth can attack first in combat, increasing the chances of eliminating enemies (3.1.2).
2. Manage Control Markers: Place Control markers on Settlements to increase income and avoid collapse (4.9). Shashka need to maintain markers to avoid collapsing (7.7).
3. Utilize Siege Engines: Siege Engines are essential for attacking Fortified Settlements, as they neutralize terrain modifiers (9.11).

For details on specific mechanics, refer to the manual provided in the Campaign Book.