How to Play Time of Crisis: The Age of Iron and Rust

Game Objective

This expansion for Time of Crisis adds new options to the base game. Players can choose to play with any combination of these additions, which include new Influence Cards, new Emperor Rules, and Non-Player Faction Rules. The overall objective of the game, with the expansion rules, is to expand deck-building choices, introduce new ways to gain Legacy and manage risks, and allow 1, 2, or 3 players to enjoy a full 4-faction game against "artificial intelligences" (AI bots).

Setup

Setting up the game with the expansion involves the following steps, in addition to the base game setup:

1. Card Replacement: First, replace the base game's Damnatio Memoriae cards with the new version provided in the expansion. The old cards can be returned to the box.
2. Choosing Expansion Influence Cards: Choose one of the following three options to use the expansion cards in your game:
   • Option 1 - Fixed Setup: Place both the original influence cards and the expansion influence cards next to the board in 18 face-up piles, organized by name. All cards will be available for purchase during the game.
   • Option 2 - Variable Setup: For each card category (color/value), create a pile by shuffling the base game and expansion cards together. Place the nine shuffled piles face-down next to the board. Flip the top card of each pile face-up to start the game; only this card is available for purchase. Whenever a card is purchased from a pile, immediately flip the new top card face-up.
   • Option 3 - Selective Setup: For each card category (color/value), choose to use either the base game cards or the expansion cards in that slot. You can select the piles of your choice or randomize the selection. Place the 9 selected piles face-up next to the board and return the other cards to the box. Only the cards from these selected piles will be available for purchase during this game.
3. Optional Emperor Rules: If using these optional rules, each player adds their two Emperor tokens (one round, one square) to their Available Leaders box.
4. Optional Non-Player Faction Rules (AI Bots): If playing with fewer than 4 players, follow these additional steps before normal player setup:
   • Select a different AI mat for each non-player faction and place them in a convenient location for the human players.
   • Select an unused set of player tokens (including the corresponding Emperor tokens, if using the optional Emperor rules). Place the starting Governor and General tokens (and Emperor tokens) in the AI's Available Leaders box.
   • If using more than one AI bot, randomly choose a turn order for them. All AI bots will perform their setups before the human players.
   • Place markers on each AI bot mat as follows:
     • Place the AI’s mode marker, portrait side up, in the portrait box.
     • Place an AI pawn on the "0" (zero) circle in each of the 3 colored influence areas.
     • Place 3 AI cylinders, one of each color, in the Available Cylinders box next to the influence areas.
   • In turn order, each bot selects the first available province from the list (Gallia, Macedonia, Syria) as its starting province and places starting units exactly like a human player.
5. All other game settings remain unchanged from the base game.

Game Flow

The game progresses in turns, with the AI bots (if present) taking their turns first, followed by the human players. Each AI bot's turn follows the usual player turn steps, with specific modifications:

1. AI Crisis Phase:
   • Roll on the Crisis Table as normal.
   • If Pax Deorum is rolled: Flip all AI mode markers to the "+2" side.
   • If the Palmyra Allies event is drawn by an AI bot: The active AI bot will remove barbarians from any provinces it governs first, with ties broken by the province with the fewest barbarians. If it governs no impacted provinces, it will remove barbarians from the homeland first. When removing barbarians from the board, it will remove any leaders first.
   • If the Ludi Saeculares event is drawn and an AI bot is Emperor: Add 4 Legacy to the AI bot's score that is Emperor, but then subtract 4 from the amount of secondary influence it has to spend on its next turn, with a minimum of 0. Any event granted by secondary influence is lost if it is reduced to 0. Place the Ludi Saeculares marker on the bot's mat as a reminder.
2. AI Take Actions Phase:
   1. Determine Available Influence and Events:
      • Set the AI bot’s mode marker for the turn according to the following priority:
        • If there are two cylinders in the "0" box of the Influence Point Track: Mode 4.
        • If the AI is not Emperor and has 50+ Legacy: Mode 1.
        • If the AI has any Troubled Provinces or is Emperor and has no army in Italia's provincial capital: Mode 2.
        • If the AI has Mobs in any of its governed provinces: Mode 3.
        • If none of the above: Mode 1.
      • For the Primary influence type indicated by the selected mode box: Move the corresponding AI cylinder to the top box under the pawn in the corresponding colored influence area.
      • For the Secondary influence type indicated by the selected mode box: Move the corresponding AI cylinder to the bottom box under the pawn in the corresponding colored influence area.
      • For both Primary and Secondary influence types, the larger number to the left of the box containing a cylinder indicates the number of influence of that type available for the AI bot to spend this turn.
        • If the bot's mode marker is on the "+2" side, add 2 to the amount of Primary influence for this turn.
        • If the Ludi Saeculares marker is on the bot's mat, reduce the amount of Secondary influence by 4 to a minimum of 0 for this turn.
        • After determining the correct number of influence points available to the AI, move the two cylinders placed to the corresponding numbers on the Influence Point Track on the AI's mat.
      • For both Primary and Secondary influence types, if a smaller circled number is present to the left of the box, it indicates that the AI will use an event of that number in the corresponding influence type during its turn.
        • When using both expansion and base game influence cards, randomly determine which event of the appropriate type and cost the AI will play. Roll 1d6: On 1-3, the AI will play the base game event. On 4-6, the AI will play the expansion event.
        • For a more difficult challenge, choose which event the AI will play for its greatest advantage.
        • If playing with expansion card setup Option 3 (Selective Setup), the AI only has access to the cards in play.
        • If the Ludi Saeculares marker is on the bot's mat and Secondary influence is reduced to 0, then the bot cannot use the Secondary event, if any, this turn.
   2. Spend Available Influence: The AI bot will attempt to spend all its available influence using the AI Action Priority List on the AI instruction sheet. Start at the top of the list and proceed action by action, performing each in order if the AI bot meets the criteria and has sufficient influence points. Subtract the cost of any action performed from the bot's available points and continue until the end of the list or until the bot runs out of points to spend.
   3. Using Events: The AI bot will have up to two events to use during its turn, depending on what is indicated on the AI mat. Apply the provided AI Event Guidelines for each on the AI instruction sheet.
   4. Becoming Emperor (if using optional rules): If using the optional Emperor rules, the AI bot will select the type of Emperor (3.3) that corresponds to its preferred influence area. For a more difficult challenge, choose the type of Emperor that will most benefit the AI.
3. AI Buy/Trash Cards Phase: Instead of determining specific cards for the AI bot to buy or trash, the bot's deck improvement is represented by determining if it can increase the value of one or more of its influence areas.
   • Any influence points the AI may have remaining are lost. Move all cylinders on the Influence Point Track to the "0" box.
   • If the AI mode marker is on the "+2" side, return it to the portrait side and remove the Ludi Saeculares marker, if present.
   • Count the AI bot's available political points to spend based on its position on the board as normal.
   • In the top (preferred) influence area on the AI bot's mat, move the pawn one circle to the right if it can spend political points equal to the value in that circle.
     • IMPORTANT EXCEPTION: If the AI's Senate Influence pawn is on the initial zero-cost circle, it will first check if it can improve Senate Influence.
     • Subtract the political points spent from the bot's total for this turn.
   • If political points still remain, repeat this check for the other (non-preferred) influence area that is least developed (i.e., the pawn is furthest to the left). Ties are broken in favor of the influence area higher up.
   • If political points still remain after that, repeat this check for the third influence area.
   • If the AI bot does not have enough political points to advance any of its three pawns, flip its AI mode marker to the "+2" side.
4. AI End of Turn Phase: If all 3 cylinders are in the "0" box of the Influence Point Track, this indicates that the AI has "exhausted its Available Pile." Return all cylinders to the Available Cylinders box next to the influence areas, indicating that the AI bot's deck has been reset.

Actions and How to Play

Actions and game flow are modified by the expansion rules, especially regarding Emperor tokens and AI bot behavior. The basic game actions are the same, but with the following additions and modifications:

Becoming Emperor (with Optional Emperor Rules)

There is still only one way to become Emperor: during your turn, you must perform a successful Place Governor action in Italia, according to the base game rules (modified by applicable cards). You must still have an available Governor token to place in Italia.

Upon succeeding in a Place Governor action in Italia, perform the base game steps, and then the additional step:

• Choose one of the following locations to place your Emperor token:
  • In Italia: Place your round Emperor token on top of your Governor token in Italia. Your Emperor is a Senate Emperor.
  • In a non-Italia Province: Place your round Emperor token on top of your Governor token in a province you govern that is not Italia. Your Emperor is a Populace Emperor.
  • With an Army: Place your square Emperor token on top of your General token with an army you command. Your Emperor is a Military Emperor.

You can only have one of your Emperor tokens on the board at a time.

Limitations

You cannot attempt a Place Governor action in Italia if you have already been Emperor at any point during your current turn (e.g., if you were a Military Emperor who was killed in battle this turn).

Emperor Types

Each of the three Emperor types has its own benefits and risks:

Senate Emperor

When an Emperor token is placed with a Governor in Italia.

• Gain Legacy: During the Gain Legacy phase of your turn, you gain Legacy equal to Italia's support level minus the number of Pretender provinces, treating a negative number as zero.
• Special Advantages: No player can attack you with the Damnatio Memoriae event when you are replaced as Emperor.
• Special Disadvantages: None.
• Removal: You are removed as Emperor only when another player performs a successful Place Governor action in Italia.

Populace Emperor

When an Emperor token is placed with a Governor in a province other than Italia.

• Gain Legacy: During the Gain Legacy phase of your turn, you gain Legacy equal to double the support level of the province containing your Emperor token minus the number of Pretender provinces, treating a negative number as zero.
• Special Advantages: No player can attack a province you govern with a Mob event. Additionally, at the moment you become Emperor, you can immediately remove all Mob tokens from provinces you govern.
• Special Disadvantages: Opponents' Place Governor attempts against you in Italia add 2 to the number of votes gained when rolling the dice.
• Removal: You are removed as Emperor when another player performs a successful Place Governor action in Italia OR in the province where your Emperor token is located.

Military Emperor

When an Emperor token is placed with a General.

• Gain Legacy: You double all Legacy gained for each battle won by the army with which your Emperor is placed. (Any bonus received for playing a Triumph event is not doubled.) During the Gain Legacy phase of your turn, you must subtract Legacy equal to the number of Pretender provinces. The subtracted value cannot be greater than the total Legacy.