Rulebook - Passport Game Studios

The rise and decline of the Serenissima
A strategy game by Marco Maggi & Francesco Nepitello
2
INTRODUCTION
In Venetia, 2 to 4 players compete to become the most
prosperous and influential noble family in the history of
the Serenissima Republic.
From its rise in the ninth century to its decline and
fall in the eighteenth, players take part in the golden
age that built the city that once was the Queen of the
Mediterranean.
Your aim in the game
Each player controls a patrician household of Venice, vying
for power against other influential families. To gain clout
and fortune (Victory Points), families extend
their influence outside the city, sending
representatives to foreign markets.
Venice starts the game in its Rise, and the game ends when
the Struggle epoch is completed.
Players score Victory Points (VPs) at the end of every
epoch.
The player with the highest VP score at the end of the
game wins!
Components list
The standard rules require the following components:
- 1 game board
- 7 Action dice
- 160 Influence tokens, in 4 colours
- 32 Podestà tokens, in 4 colours
- 24 Family cards, 6 for each family
As their authority spreads, the power
of Venice increases accordingly, and
distant towns and ports fall under
the sway of the Serenissima. At
the same time, players compete
inside the city for the coveted
title of Doge, the head of the
government, spending Ducats to
gain popularity.
Many threats
But the hegemony of Venice over the
Mediterranean is threatened by many enemies.
The Republic faces the rise of competing powers, such as
the rival seafaring Republic of Genoa and the Kingdom of
Aragon to the west, or the Byzantine Empire and then the
Ottoman Turks to the east.
Century after century, players will take part in the struggle
that will see the rise and fall of the Republic of Venice.
Rewrite history
The game is played across three epochs: Rise, Apogee and
Struggle. A Power track on the board is used to trigger
the passage of the various epochs, and an Epoch box and
marker are used to keep track of the current epoch.
- 45 Action cards
- 20 Threat cards
- 10 Battle tiles
- 18 VP tokens (Victory Points)
- 18 Doge tokens
- 12 Venice Control/Enemy fleet
tokens
- 42 Kingdom tokens (shields)
- 1 Infamy marker
- 1 Venetia marker
- 1 Enemy Powers markers
- 3 Epoch markers, 1 for each Epoch
The set of optional rules found at page xx require the
following additional components:
- 60 Ducat tokens, in 4 colours
- 24 Monument tokens, in 4 colours
- 7 Voting tiles
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STANDARD RULES
Most games of Venetia should be played using the rules
presented in this chapter.
Players looking for a higher level of historical accuracy and
strategy may consider the addition of the optional rules
presented at page xx.
STANDARD COMPONENTS
When using the standard rules, players do not make use of
a number of components (Ducat and Monument tokens,
and Sestiere tiles) and do not take into account the names
of the districts of the city of Venice (Sestieri) shown on the
board around the city diagram.
Players’ materials
At the start of a game, each player chooses a colour (among
white, red, blue and yellow) and takes all the components
related to that colour.
Family cards
Influence tokens
Each player gets 40 Influence tokens
(wooden cubes) in the selected colour.
Players place Influence tokens in sea areas
and colonies on the board, competing with
other players for predominance.
Podestà tokens
Players receive 8 Podestà tokens apiece
(wood pawns), representing the city
officials who govern a colony in the
name of the Serenissima.
Podestà tokens are placed on the board to mark when a
player has gained control over a colony.
Action dice
The game uses seven custom dice, divided in three sets by
colour. The colour indicates the type of action that a die
allows a player to undertake: military (silver), political
(bronze) and commercial (gold). Each die offers the same
set of icons, regardless of its colour:
Family cards are used by players to select their candidate
for the title of Doge when new elections occur.
The dice are rolled to generate the Action die pool, a set of
die results that are used by players to take actions. At the
start of his turn, each player selects one die result among
those available.
White player:
the Dandolo
Yellow player:
the Morosini
Red player:
the Gradenigo
Blue player:
the Venier
Action cards
There are 45 Action cards in
the game. Each card describes a
powerful special opportunity of
play inspired by historical events,
and shows a number of Ducats, to
be used for the elections of a new
Doge.
Players draw cards when a die result showing a card icon is
selected. Cards that have been used or discarded are placed
to form a discard pile. If the Action deck is ever exhausted,
shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.
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Threat cards
The game board
Threat cards introduce events
capable of changing the political,
economical and military
landscape of the Mediterranean.
(a section at the end of this
booklet illustrates the historical circumstances
introduced by each card - see page xx).
The gameboard depicts the Mediterranean Sea and its
coasts - the focus of the expansion of the Serenissima
Republic along its history.
The map is divided in ten regions and eight sea areas.
Regions
Players draw cards from the Threat deck at designated
moments - whenever the Action die pool is exhausted, and
when a player taking a military action triggers a Casus belli
- an incident that provokes the reaction of enemy powers.
Battle tiles
Regions are identified by a distinctive colour and name
(the numbers are keys to the board image at the bottom of
the page).
Ponente (a), Tirreno (b), Italia (c), Dalmatia (d), Grecia
(e), Romania (f ), Arcipelago (g), Tartaria (h), Levante
(i), Africa (l).
Battles in Venetia are resolved using
a set of ten Battle tiles. These large
cardboard tiles are kept aside until
needed, and must be shuffled each
time they are used.
Every region contains three minor colonies and one major
colony (smaller circles inscribed with a ‘3’ and bigger
circles with a ‘4’, respectively).
VP tokens
Finally, one or more dots are placed on top of each region’s
name - this is the value of a Victory Points bonus awarded
to players who have Influence tokens inside a major colony
(see Scoring, page xx)
A small shield box is placed beside each region’s name, and
will be used to hold a Kingdom token should it enter play.
Players gain VP tokens by removing
Enemy fleets and playing Action cards
specifically instructing them to draw
them. VP tokens are worth a variable
number of Victory Points - from 1 to 3.
These tokens are scored and then discarded at the end of
each epoch of the game (see Scoring, page xx).
o
q
Sea areas
Eight sea areas are distinguished by a name and by a large
white circle. Sea areas are separated from each other by
dotted borders.
r
h
p
d
b
a
f
c
g
e
i
l
n
m
Boxes and tracks on the board are used to keep
track of different activities.
(m)The Power track: Used to record the rise of
the power of the Serenissima, and the threat of
its enemies (using the Venetia and the Enemy
Powers markers, respectively).
(n) The Action die pool boxes: Where the Action
dice are placed after they have been rolled.
(o) The Family boxes: Where players place their
Action cards when they decide to run for the
next Doge elections.
(p) The Doge box: Where the Family card of
the current Doge is displayed, along with the
available Doge tokens.
(q) The Threat box: Where the deck of Threat
cards is placed at the start of the game.
(r) The Epoch box: Where an epoch marker
corresponding to the current Epoch is placed.
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SETTING UP THE GAME
1. Every player chooses a colour and takes all the
corresponding components (set of Family cards,
Influence and Podestà tokens).
2. Shuffle the deck of Threat cards and place it on the
Threat box on the board.
3. Place the Epoch marker numbered ‘I’ on the
Epoch box to the right of the Threat box on
the board.
4. Shuffle the deck of Action cards and deal 3 cards to
each player. Then, place the deck beside the board.
5. Place the Venetia marker on the leftmost step of the
Power track (white circle). Then, place the Enemy
marker on the opposite end of the track (black circle).
6. Place all Battle tiles face down and mix them. Keep
them near at hand.
7. Put all VP tokens inside an opaque container. Keep it
near at hand.
8. Proceed to elect the first Doge.
The first Doge
Now proceed to elect the first Doge of the game: all
players take part in the elections choosing one Family card
and one Action card. All players place both cards face
down on the table - then, all cards are revealed and their
values compared.
The first turn
Now, the Doge player rolls the Action dice to create the
first Action die pool (place the dice in their respective
boxes on the board). Then, the Doge takes the first action
of the game. The game proceeds with players choosing a
die and taking actions, alternating in clockwise order.
TURN SEQUENCE
The game is played in turns. Players alternate as the acting
player in clockwise order around the table. During each
turn, the acting player applies the sequence of phases
found below. When he is done, the sequence starts anew
with the player to his left.
Each phase is applied every turn, with the exception of the
first and the last phases in the sequence (Threat phase and
Election phase, in italics in the sequence).
1. Draw Threat cards
If the Action die pool is empty, the Doge player proceeds
to draw a number of Threat cards. (Skip this phase if the
Action die pool isn’t empty). The number of cards to draw
depends on the current epoch:
Draw 1 Threat card during Rise, 2 Threat cards during
Apogee, 3 Threat cards during Struggle.
The Doge draws one card at a time, and applies the effects
of each card before he draws another (see also Threat cards,
page xx).
Add up the value on the Family card and the number of
Ducats shown on the Action card played along with it:
the highest scoring player is the first Doge.
When the effects of all cards drawn have been resolved,
the acting player rolls all the Action dice to form the new
Action die pool.
In case of a tie, the player who played the Family card with
the highest value among those that tied is elected Doge
(break any further tie randomly).
2. Choose an Action die
The elected player places the Family card he played on the
Doge box on the board. The Family cards chosen by those
players who lost the elections are discarded (unless it was
the Family member with a value of 1 - see Doge Elections,
page xx), along with all the Action cards used for voting.
The new Doge takes a number of Doge
tokens, based on the number of players:
3 tokens with 3 or 4 players, 4 with 2
players (these tokens will be used to track
when the next election will take place).
The acting player chooses a die result among those
available in the Action die pool. If the result directs to
draw one or more cards, read the entry below.
Draw Action cards
If the acting player has chosen a (2 Card) die result, he
now draws one Action card. If he has chosen a (4 Card)
die result, then all the other players (but not the acting
player) in turn draw one Action card.
Players draw cards in clockwise order starting from the
player to the left of the acting player.
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When a player draws a card, he looks at it and chooses
whether he wants to:
a. Keep the card and add it to his hand (to use later its
special ability);
OR
b. Place the card face down on the board, on the box
corresponding to his Family (on top of other cards
eventually played there). The number of Ducats on the
card will be accounted for the next Doge election.
Players entitled to draw cards must do it before the acting
player starts using his Action points for the turn.
To be able to play it, the acting player must choose a card
of the same type of the Action die chosen for the turn.
For example, a player may play “Unique Trade” (a gold
card) only if he chose a commercial Action die for the turn.
A card showing the keyword ◆ Free can be played in
addition to the expenditure of Action points. Otherwise,
the action described by the card replaces the expenditure
of Action points. Read carefully the text on a card to apply
its effects.
4. Elect a new Doge
If the current Doge player is left without any Doge tokens,
proceed now to elect a new Doge. (Skip this phase if the
Doge player still has Doge tokens).
TAKING ACTIONS
The acting player has at his disposal a number of Action
points equal to the value of the die result he chose for the
turn.
For example, if the selected die result is a 3, the acting player
may spend up to 3 Action points.
Actions points are mainly used to establish naval routes
and place Influence tokens in colonies on the board.
N.B. Cards can be placed on a Family box only when drawn.
If a card is added to a player’s hand, it can then be played
exclusively for its special ability.
3. Take an action
The acting player now takes an action based on the
selected die type (military, political, commercial).
Actions are executed spending a number of Action
points equal to the chosen die result (see Taking Actions,
in the following column).
If the acting player is the current Doge, he must first use
up a Doge token (see The Power of the Doge, page xx).
Play Action cards
When it is his time to take an action, the acting player
may play one card from his hand (only one). Cards are
distinguished by type in the same way as the Action dice
(there are military, commercial and political cards).
Players may only place Influence in colonies that are
connected to the city of Venice by a valid naval route;
when a colony is not connected to Venice, the acting
player may spend points to establish a naval route.
1. Establishing a naval route
To be able to place Influence in colonies the acting player
must establish a naval route connecting those colonies to
Venice.
The acting player checks the board to see which sea areas
separate Venice from the colonies he intends to influence:
For every sea area that does not contain a Venice Control
token (uncontrolled sea areas) the acting player must
spend one Action point and place an Influence inside it.
When the acting player places an Influence token inside a
sea area, he gains control over it for the entire turn (and is
thus entitled to add the area to a naval route).
N.B. Players are not allowed to place more than one
Influence token in the same sea area during the same turn.
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2. Placing Influence in Colonies
The acting player may spend Action points to place
Influence tokens in colonies that are connected to Venice
by a naval route.
Based on the number of Action points available to buy
Influence and on the type of die, it is possible to affect one
or more colonies.
N.B. The rules concerning commercial and political actions
are very similar, while military actions differ the most, as
they require the use of Battle tiles.
Commercial Action (gold die)
To place 1 Influence token costs 1 Action point. It is not
possible to place more than one Influence in the same
colony (i.e.: the acting player cannot place more than one
Influence token in the same colony this turn).
In the previous example, the red player chooses a commercial
die result for 3 Action points. He establishes a naval route to
Mare Libico and is left with 2 Action points. Since he can
place a maximum of one Influence in the same colony, he
chooses to place one token in Corphu and one in Sicilia.
Political Action (bronze die)
For example, the blue player places Influence in Corphu. The
colony is separated from Venice by three sea areas (Golfo di
Venetia, Mare Adriatico and Mare Libico). Golfo di Venetia
and Mare Adriatico contain a Venice Control token: to reach
Corphu, the acting player must spend 1 Action point and
place one Influence token in Mare Libico. (If all three sea
areas were already controlled, the acting player would not
have needed to spend any Action points to establish a naval
route).
The Dominion of Venice over the Seas
A sea area containing a Venice Control token is part of the
dominion of Venice and can be included in any naval route
without the need to spend Action points.
A Venice Control token is placed in on a sea area when
the total number of Influence tokens placed inside it
reach the numerical rating printed on the board.
When an uncontrolled sea area becomes controlled, all
Influence tokens are given back to their respective owners.
To place 1 Influence token costs 1 Action point. All
Influence must be placed in the same colony (i.e.: the
acting player cannot place Influence tokens in different
colonies this turn).
In the example, the white player chooses a political die result
for 3 Action points. He establishes a naval route to Mare
Libico and is left with 2 Action points. Since he must place
all his Influence in one colony, he chooses to place two tokens
in Malta.
Military Action (silver die)
Instead of placing Influence in colonies directly, the acting
player spends Action points to draw Battle tiles.
For every Action point, the acting player chooses a colony
and draws a Battle tile; then, he places in the attacked
colony a number of Influence equal to the numerical value
on the drawn tile (see Battle tiles in the next page for
details).
The acting player may attack the same colony several times,
or may switch and attack different targets, as long as he has
Action points to spend.
8
To replicate the effects of battles and
military interventions, the game uses a set
of ten Battle tiles.
Whenever Battle tiles are used, apply the
effects of each tile before drawing another. Drawn Battle
tiles are left on the table - the tiles will be shuffled back
together only when all attacks are done.
Most Battle tiles show only a numerical
value, indicating how many Influence
tokens can be placed in the targeted
colony.
A number of tiles bear the following
icons:
For example, the yellow player has chosen a military die
for 3 Action points. He establishes a naval route to Mare
Libico and now has 2 Action points left. He first chooses to
target Corphu and draws one Battle tile - the tile shows a
numerical value of 2: the acting player places 2 Influence
tokens there. He decides to press militarily on Corphu, and
spends his last Action point to draw another Battle tile
targeting the island (he might have chosen to switch his
target, and attack Malta instead, for example): he draws a
zero. Better luck next time!
Infamy
If the acting player attacks a colony with a
Podestà token, he receives the Infamy token
(taking it from the current owner, if there is
one).
Casus Belli tiles
If one or more Casus Belli tiles are
drawn, at the end of the turn the Doge
player will proceed to draw and apply
a number of Threat cards equal to the
number of Casus Belli tiles (see also
Threat Cards).
Pillage
When the acting player pulls a Pillage icon
he gets to draw one Action card and place it
upon his Voting box on the board.
PODESTA’
The owner of the Infamy token cannot attack a colony
containing a Podestà (and suffers a penalty during the
elections of a new Doge, see Doge Elections, page xx).
Placing Influence tokens in colonies on the board
represents the opening of trading posts run by families of
merchants. When the number of Venetian trading posts
reaches a certain level, the Serenissima Republic takes
notice and elects an official representative, the Podestà.
Enemy fleets
A military action can be used to remove Enemy fleets from
the board (see Enemy fleets, page xx).
In gaming terms, placing Influence tokens in colonies
may gain a player Victory Points, and placing a Podestà
token even more.
N.B. A military action is less predictable than a commercial
or a political action. The values on the Battle tiles may allow
for the placement of 2 Influence tokens at a time, but may
also bear a result of zero, or even provoke a Casus belli - a
diplomatic incident causing the draw of a Threat card! Judge
carefully what you want to accomplish when you choose a
military die result.
Placing a Podestà
All the colonies on the board have a rating. Minor
Colonies have a rating of 3, while major colonies have a
rating of 4. Colony ratings are used to determine when a
colony falls under the control of Venice and a Podestà is
placed there.
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A Podestà token is put in play if, at the end of a player’s
turn, a colony contains a number of Influence of any
colour equal to or higher than its rating.
The player that gets to place the Podestà is the one who has
the majority of Influence tokens in the colony.
If no player has more Influence than his opponents, then
the Podestà is not placed.
Riots
If at any time the number of Influence tokens of any
colour placed inside a colony (either major or minor)
reaches or exceeds 6, a riot occurs.
Immediately remove from the colony one token for each
colour (i.e.: one for each player present in the colony).
If this is not enough to reduce the number of Influence
below six, again remove one token for each colour, until
the total number of tokens goes below the riot level.
b
a
a
For example, in Candia there are two Influence tokens,
one belonging to the yellow player and one belonging to the
white player. The red player places two Influence tokens in
the colony (a). Now, the total number of Influence tokens in
Candia matches its rating of 4, enough to place a Podestà.
The red player gets to place the Podestà (b), since he has more
Influence in Candia than the blue player and the white
player.
If for any reason the number of Influence tokens inside
a colony decreases below its rating, the Podestà token is
immediately removed.
For example, the red player has the majority in Candia (and
thus a Podestà). During his turn, the blue player places 4
Influence there (a): this brings the total Influence to 8, well
above the riot level of 6.
c
Ousting a Podestà
It is possible to remove a Podestà token of another player,
by placing enough Influence in a colony to reach a new
majority (a tie is not enough).
b
If a player achieves a new majority, he replaces the
Podestà in play with one of his own.
For example, in Corphu there is a Podestà belonging to the
red player - the colony contains a yellow token and two red
tokens. When his turn comes, the yellow player places in
Corphu two Influence tokens, bringing his total Influence to
three. Since there is now a new majority (3 yellow vs 2 red),
the yellow player replaces the red Podestà with one of his
own.
All players remove one token each (b), reducing the new
total to 4 Influence: 1 red token and 3 blue tokens - a new
majority! The blue player replaces the red Podestà with one of
his own (c).
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THREAT CARDS
Threat cards represent historical events of great import,
tied to the political, economical or military upheavals
that affected the Mediterranean. There is only one deck
of Threat cards, but each card contains information
concerning the three different epochs of the game.
When a Threat card enters play, players consider only
the information concerning the current epoch.
When an epoch ends and a new one begins, all the Threat
cards that entered play are shuffled back into the Threat
deck.
Drawing Threat cards
Threat cards are drawn in the following occasions:
a. If the Action die pool is empty at the start of a turn
(Draw Threat Cards phase), the Doge player draws
a number of Threat cards (one card in epoch I, two
epoch II, three in epoch III).
b. Whenever a player draws one or more Casus Belli
tiles, at the end of the turn the Doge player draws one
Threat card for every Casus Belli tile (regardless of
the current Epoch).
Threat cards are drawn one at a time; this means that
the Doge player must read each card and apply its effects
completely before he proceeds to draw another Threat
card.
Effects of Threat cards
Each Threat card depicts the consequences of the rise of a
foreign enemy power in a specific region of the board. The
name of the affected region is shown on the title block on
the card, while the region’s defining colour is featured on
the card background.
A Threat card may affect the presence of Venetian
Influence in a region (Kingdoms), its naval routes
across a sea area (Enemy fleets) and finally worsen the
relationships of Venice with other major nations of the
Mediterranean (Enemy powers advancement).
Kingdoms
The lower half of each card has three entries in a vertical
row, showing the name and flag of three kingdoms. When
a Threat card enters play, it provokes the emergence of the
kingdom corresponding to the current epoch.
(a) Affected region
a
(b) Affected sea area
(Enemy fleet)
b
(c) Epoch I Kingdom
c
(d) Epoch II Kingdom
d
e
f
(e) Epoch III Kingdom
(f) Enemy powers
advancement
Starting from the top, the first entry corresponds to epoch I
(Rise), the second entry to epoch II (Apogee) and the last
entry to epoch III (Struggle).
To put in play a kingdom, take the
corresponding Kingdom token (shield)
and place it on the board upon the
‘shield box’ beside the region’s name.
Then, apply the following consequences:
a. If the shield box on the board was empty (it wasn’t
occupied by a Kingdom token previoulsy placed there)
remove one Influence token of each colour from the
major colony of the region affected.
b. If the shield box already has a Kingdom token, replace
it with the new one and then proceed to remove one
Influence of each colour from all the colonies of the
region (minor and major).
For example, a Kingdom token of the Mamluk Sultanate is
in play in Africa. A new Threat card provokes the placing of
an Ottoman Empire token in the same region: the Mamluk
Sultanate token is discarded, and the Ottoman Empire token
takes its place. All players who have Influence inAfrica must
lose one of their tokens from each colony.
Effects of Kingdoms
The presence of a Kingdom token in a region prevents
players from placing Influence tokens in colonies
belonging to that region.
A Kingdom token may be removed spending 1 Action
point from a die of any type, provided that the acting
player can trace a naval route from Venice to any one
colony in the region.
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During their turn, players may remove any number of
Kingdom tokens, as long as they can trace a naval route
to the corresponding regions and that they spend the
corresponding Action points cost.
Treaties
Players get to keep any Kingdom token they remove from
the board as treaties: treaties will be worth Victory Points
at the end of the game (see Endgame scoring, page xx).
Enemy fleets
When a Threat card bearing the symbol of
an Enemy fleet is drawn, apply the following
consequences (regardless of the epoch currently being
played):
a. If the sea area indicated on the card does not contain
a Venice Control token, place one Enemy fleet token
in the sea area, removing any Influence tokens placed
there;
For example, there is an Enemy fleet in Mar Tirreno, and
the acting player intends to remove it. He has chosen a
military die result for 3 Action points, and has established a
naval route to Mar Tirreno leaving him with only 1 Action
point. He proceeds to draw one Battle tile, yielding a result
of (2 Casus Belli). The acting player succesfully removes the
fleet, places one of his Influence tokens in Mar Tirreno, and
finally draws a VP token as his reward. Now, a Threat card
will be drawn by the Doge player, and everyone will face the
consequences of the daring Venetian military action...
Enemy Powers advancement
Many of the epoch II and III entries on a Threat card are
followed by a number of ‘crosses’.
When a Threat card is drawn, the Doge player must
advance the Enemy Powers marker on the Power track
a number of steps equal to the number of crosses to the
right of the appropriate entry.
The Enemy Powers marker starts its course on the last step
b. If the sea area contains a Venice Control token, simply of the track (the black circle to the right) and advances to
the left, towards the white circle to the left end of the track
remove that token (but do not place an Enemy Fleet
(see The Power Track, page xx).
token);
c. If the sea area already contains one or more Enemy
Fleets, add another one.
DOGE ELECTIONS
Effects of Enemy fleets
The presence of one or more Enemy Fleet tokens in a sea
area prevents players from tracing a naval route across it
and from placing Influence tokens inside it.
All players in the game compete for the position of Doge
and the special opportunities of play that come with the
title. At the start of the game, all players receive six Family
cards, representing renowned members of their family who
will run for the election of Doge.
Players may remove Enemy fleet tokens using a military
die result. The acting player targets a sea area connected to
Venice by a naval route and spends 1 Action point to draw
one Battle tile.
If during phase 4:Elect a new Doge the current Doge
player is left without Doge tokens, it is time to elect a
new Doge.
Then, a number of Enemy fleet tokens equal to the value
on the tile is removed from the sea area (the various effects
of a Battle tile are applied normally, see page xx).
If an attacked sea area is left empty, the acting player may
place an Influence token there. The acting player may
target the same sea area several times, or switch and attack
different sea areas containg Enemy fleets.
Naval victories
Players removing Enemy fleets get to immediately draw
one VP token for each Enemy fleet token they remove.
The Family card currently placed
on the Doge box on the board
is removed and all players take
part in the voting process,
following the directions
found in the next page.
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Running the Elections
1. All players select one Family card from those still in
their possession, and place it face down on the table in
front of them.
The owner of the Infamy token (if there is one) must select
the Family card with value 1 and play it face up.
2. Then, all players pick up the Action cards they played
previously on their Family boxes on the board (if any)
and select three of them (discarding the others).
3. All cards (Family and Action cards) are then revealed.
Each player adds up the Ducati values on his Action
cards, together with the numerical value of the chosen
Family card.
4. Finally, players compare their totals: the player totalling
the highest score is elected Doge. In case of a tie, the
player (among those who tied) who played the Family
card with the highest value is the new Doge. In case of
a further tie, the former Doge player chooses the new
Doge among the tying players.
The Power of the Doge
The Doge player in charge must always open his turn by
using up a Doge token from those in his possession (this
mechanic will eventually lead to new elections).
Using up a Doge token allows the Doge to choose among
two possible bonuses:
1. The Doge player discards the
Doge token and receives 1
additional Action point for the
turn (regardless of the selected
type of die).
OR
2. The Doge player spends the
Doge token to score it as 1
Victory Point (he sets the token
aside as a reminder).
A Doge remains in charge until there are no Doge tokens
left in the Doge box at the end of a turn.
EPOCHS OF THE GAME
+
= 11
The new Doge
The Family card of the winner is placed on the Doge box.
Then, three Doge tokens are then placed upon it (four
tokens in a 2-players game).
The Family cards of the players who lost the elections are
discarded, with one exception:
The Family card with a value of 1 always
returned to its owner.
N.B.: The fact that the Family cards
numbered from 2 to 6 are discarded after
use means that players must carefully
consider their chances to win the elections,
based on the number of cards they have on their
voting boxes, or on their bluffing ability!
As previously explained, the game is articulated along
three distinct epochs, Rise (epoch I), Apogee (epoch II) and
Struggle (epoch III).
One of three Epoch markers is
placed on the box to the right of
the Threat deck on the board to
keep track of which epoch the
game is currently in.
The game starts with Venice in its Rise: the Epoch marker
numbered ‘I’ is placed on the board.
The Power track
The Power track and the markers placed upon it (the
Venetia marker and the Enemy Powers marker) are used
to trigger the end of each epoch and the beginning of the
next, across the three epochs until the fall of the Republic
and the end of the game.
The Venetia and Enemy Powers markers
At the beginning of the game, the Venetia marker is placed
on the full white circle to the left of the Power track, while
the Enemy Powers marker is placed at the opposite end of
the track, on the full black circle to the right.
13
Apogee ends, Struggle begins
The Apogee epoch ends when the Venetia marker and
the Enemy Powers marker meet on the Power track at the
end of any player’s turn or at the end of the Threat phase.
Remove the Venetia marker from the track.
The Venetia marker moves to the right along the Power
track.
It advances one step whenever a player places a Podestà
token on the board, and every time that a Venice
Control token is placed in a sea area.
In the same way, the Venetia marker moves back one
step to the left along the Power track whenever a Podestà
token or a Venice Control token are removed from the
board.
The second scoring phase occurs. Epoch III (Struggle)
begins. Replace the Epoch marker ‘II’ with Epoch
marker ‘III’ on the board. Then, play resumes normally.
Struggle ends, the Endgame phase begins
Finally, the game reaches its endgame phase when the
Enemy Powers marker reaches the end of the Power track,
entering the white circle to the left (at the end of a player’s
turn, or during the Threat phase).
The third scoring phase occurs, then the Endgame phase
begins.
SCORING
Players calculate their Victory Points scores at the end
of each of the three epochs of play, using a copy of the
Scoring sheet found at page 20 (permission is granted to
photocopy or print the sheet for personal use).
The Enemy Powers marker moves in the opposite direction
Sources of Victory Points
of the Venetia marker, starting from the right end of the
Scores are calculated by checking the tokens the players
Power track and going left.
placed on the board (Influence and Podestà) and by taking
It advances one step whenever a Threat card instructs to into account the VP tokens they gained so far and the
do so (see Threat Cards, page xx).
scored Doge tokens in their possession.
If the Enemy Powers marker meets the Venetia marker, the See Epoch Scoring at page xx.
latter is removed from the Power track, regardless of which
marker was moving (see Epoch progression below).
Endgame Bonuses
Epoch progression
This progression across three distinct phases of the game is
particularly important, as the passing of an epoch triggers
a scoring sequence and changes how Threat cards are
drawn and applied (see Threat Cards, page xx).
Rise ends, Apogee begins
The Rise epoch ends when the Venetia marker reaches for
the first time the eight step of the track (the white circled
step) at the end of any player’s turn.
The first scoring phase occurs. Epoch II (Apogee) begins
Replace the Epoch marker ‘I’ with Epoch marker ‘II’ on
the board. Then, play resumes normally.
Finally, at the end of the third epoch, all players receive
a supplementary VP bonus, based on the number of
Kingdom tokens they accumulated in the course of the
game (see Treaties, page xx) and as the result of a final
Doge election.
See Endgame Scoring at page xx.
14
Epoch Scoring
Endgame Scoring
Presence
Kingdom tokens
End of Epoch scores are recorded using the appropriate
boxes on the scoring sheet.
Players get a number of Victory Points for each region
where they have at least one Influence token.
The amount of points depends on whether their Influence
is found in a major colony, or only in minor colonies.
a. Major colony: if the player has at least one Influence
token inside the region’s major colony, he gains a
number of Victory Points equal to the region’s value
(the number of dots placed on top of a region’s name).
b. Minor colonies: if the player has placed Influence
exclusively in one or more minor
colonies of a region, he gains 1
Victory Point.
Endgame scores calculations are made using the
appropriate boxes on the scoring sheet.
Players now take into account hom many Treaties they
concluded during the game, counting the number of
Kingdom tokens in their possession.
Each player gains 1 Victory Point for each type of
Kingdom token (i.e.: 1 VP for every different ‘flag’).
For example, the red player ends the game
with four Kingdom tokens. Two belong to
the Ottoman Empire, one to Byzantine
Empire and one to the Republic of
Genova: he gains 3 VPs.
Last Doge
Elections
Players gain Victory Points for every
Podestà they placed on the board.
The last segment of the game is a final
voting phase, held to elect the Doge
who will negotiate the end of the
Serenissima Republic.
2 Victory Points for each Podestà
in a minor colony, and 3 Victory
Points for every Podestà in a major
colony.
But first, the current Doge player
resigns, scoring any Doge token still in
his possession as Victory Points (1 VP
for each Doge token).
Podestà tokens
VP tokens
Players now reveal all the VP tokens in their
possession.
Each player scores a number of Victory points equal to
the sum of the numerical values on the three tokens with
the highest values.
All VP tokens are placed back into the container at the
end of each scoring phase.
Players then resolve the last elections by
adding up the Ducat value of any cards played
in the Family boxes to the value of the selected Family
cards (as in a normal voting).
The player with the highest total is the last Doge in the
history of the Republic and gains a final Victory Points
bonus equal to the value of the Family card used in the
elections.
Scored Doge tokens
When this last voting phase is concluded, the final scoring
is calculated and victory is adjudicated.
1 Victory Point for each scored Doge token.
The game ends, and the player with the highest Victory
Points score is the winner. In case of a tie, the winner
is the player with more Influence tokens on the board
(among the players who tied).
Players gain Victory Points for every Doge token they
scored during their turns as the Doge (see The Power of the
Doge, page xx).
15
OPTIONAL RULES
The rules contained in this section offer additional
options, providing a higher degree of strategy and
historical accuracy - at the cost of a higher complexity.
Caliphate of Córdoba (Ponente)
In the 9th and 10th centuries, members
of the Umayyad dynasty ruled over the
greater part of the Iberian peninsula
from the city of Qurtuba.
Players are advised to apply them only when they feel
comfortable with the standard rules.
Their rule marked the heyday of the
Arab domination of Spain, and theirs
was the largest fleet to sail across the Mediterranean.
OPTIONAL COMPONENTS
Place also an Enemy Fleet token in Mar di
Ponente.
All players take the following additional components: 20
Ducat tokens and 6 Monument tokes for each player (in
their colour).
The seven Voting tiles are kept near at hand, close to the
board.
The Family boxes used to play cards for voting are not
used, as the new voting procedure uses the diagram of
Venice drawn on the board instead.
OPTIONAL SET-UP
When the optional rules are in place, the game starts with
three Kingdoms already in play.
OPTIONAL DOGE ELECTIONS
Under the standard rules, players affect the elections of a
new Doge by playing cards on their Family boxes.
These optional rules replace the use of Family boxes with
the use of the city diagram on the board, the placing of
Ducat tokens and the drawing of Voting tiles.
Placing Ducats on the City
The city diagram at the top left of the board shows the
names of the six quarters of Venice (the Sestieri), each
inscribed inside a cartouche.
Before the first Doge is elected, put on the board the
following tokens, in the area shown in brackets.
Abbasid Caliphate (Levante)
The Abbasid Caliphate ruled Islam from
Baghdad for many centuries, reaching its
apogee in the 9th century.
Eventually, administrative difficulties led
to the loss of entire provinces, and Syria
and Palestine fell under the sway of the
Fatimid Caliphate.
Byzantine Empire (Romania)
Between the end of the 9th century and
the beginning of the 11th, the Byzantine
Empire reached the peak of its power,
reaching as far as the entire Anatolia, the
Balkans, and part of southern Italy.
Costantinople was the largest and
richest city in the known world.
Every Sestiere is associated with one of the three colours of
the Action dice (silver, bronze and gold), corresponding to
the three types of actions in the game (military, political
and commercial).
San Polo and Santa Croce are associated with silver, San
Marco and Dorsoduro with bronze, and Castello and
Cannaregio with gold.
Using these optional rules, when a player draws an Action
card, he looks at it and chooses whether he wants to keep
it as under the normal rules, or he may discard it to place
on the board a number of Ducat tokens of his colour equal
to the Ducat value on the card.
16
When a player chooses to discard a card to place Ducats,
he is entitled to place tokens of his colour only on the
two Sestieri bearing the colour of the card he discarded.
Players are free to place all their Ducats on one Sestiere
among the two corresponding ones, or to divide them
among the two.
Running the Elections
New elections happen as described in the standard rules
(at the end of the turn of any player, if the current Doge
player is left without Doge tokens).
These optional rules change the way votes are accounted
for.
Voting tiles
There are seven Voting tiles in the
game. Six tiles bear the names of the
Sestieri of the city. One tile is marked
Quarantia (a vigilance body of the
Republic).
As explained previously, players place Ducat tokens on the
city diagram to gain popularity.
For example, the red player draws the ‘Stato da Mar’ Action
card. It is a commercial card (gold) with a Ducat value of 3.
The red player is allowed to place his tokens on Castello and/
or Cannaregio. He chooses to place 2 Ducats in Castello and
1 Ducat in Cannaregio.
There is no limit to the number of Ducat tokens that can
be placed in a Sestiere.
Players are free to place their tokens anywhere, regardless
of the presence or not of tokens of different colours.
When new elections occur, the popularity of the
different families of Venice are checked by drawing two
Voting tiles.
The two drawn tiles identify the Sestieri that will be
accounted for the elections. The drawn tiles will be then
set aside, and won’t be used in future elections until the
Quarantia tile is drawn (see below).
Elections Sequence
The aim of placing Ducats is to accumulate prestige and
potential votes for the next Doge election.
Follow the steps described below when running elections
using the optional rules.
Monuments
1. Select candidates. Players choose a candidate by
secretly selecting a Family card.
Whenever a Sestiere contains four Ducat
tokens of the same colour, it may be
replaced by a Monument.
The owning player takes the four Ducats back and replaces
them with a Monument, placing it on the coloured side.
Monument tokens keep their value as the Ducats they
replace during the next elections (4 votes) and will be
worth one vote in all the following elections (see Running
the Elections).
Additionally, players gain 1 Victory Point for every
Monument in play at every scoring phase.
Each player can have a maximum of six Monument
tokens in play at any time. If a player has already placed
six Monuments, he doesn’t get to replace Ducat tokens,
regardless of their number.
2. Draw Voting tiles. The current Doge shuffles the
Voting tiles and then draws two. If one of the two tiles
drawn is the Quarantia, then only one Sestiere will be
accounted for.
3. Count Votes. The tokens played upon the drawn
Sestieri are accounted for each player:
Each Ducat and Monument token on the grey side is
worth one vote for its owner; each Monument on the
coloured side is worth 4 votes.
4. Elections result. The number of votes coming from
the Sestieri for each player are added to the value of the
Family card selected as candidate.
The player totalling the highest score is the new
Doge. Break any ties as in the standard rules.
17
In addition to the standard follow-up procedures, apply
the following upkeep procedures.
Ducat and Monument tokens
Discard all Ducat tokens on the Sestieri that took part in
the elctions.
Monument tokens on the coloured side are flipped on
the grey side (Monuments already on the grey side are
unaffected).
Voting tiles
If the Quarantia tile has been drawn, all seven Voting tiles
are now shuffled back together, and will be available for
the next elections.
If the Quarantia has not been revealed, the tiles that have
been used so far are kept aside, and won’t be used in the
next elections.
credits
Game design
Marco Maggi & Francesco Nepitello
Illustrations
Matteo Alemanno
Development
fm game studio
Historical consultant
Davide Trivellato
Art direction and graphic design
Francesco Nepitello
Production manager
Silvio Negri-Clementi
THE DOGE POWER OF VETO
Under the optional rules, the Doge player gains a new
special ability.
Whenever the Doge draws a Threat card, he may look at
it and then spend a Doge token to veto and cancel the
Threat card.
The Doge may call upon his power of veto once for every
instance of drawing Threat cards,
For example, at the end of a player’s turn, the Doge must
draw two Threat cards, as the consequence of two Casus
Belli tiles. The Doge draws and applies the first card; then,
after having drawn and inspected the second Threat card, he
decieds to invoke his power of veto and cancel it. He discards
a Doge token, together with the canceled card.
A canceled Threat card is discarded and its effects are
not applied, with the exception of the Enemy powers
advancement, that is always enforced.
Playtesters
Amado Angulo, Martino Castellani, Giuliano Nepitello,
Davide Trivellato, Saverio Santarello, Roberta Montagna,
Marco Molin, Irene, Marianna and Riccardo Maggi,
Andrea ‘Beretar’ Costa, Filippo Vianello, Francesca
Canella, Elisa Vianello, Tomaso Borzato.
Playtest Play (Modena)
Pierluigi Colutta, Marco Signore, Piero Flaminio,
Andrea Ranieri.
Playtest Conpulsion (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Graeme Smith, Kieren Fortune, Sebastian Hickey.
Special thanks to Mark Rein-Hagen
Venetia is a © & ™ 2013 Giochi Uniti, licensed by Stratelibri srl.
All rights reserved. Stratelibri srl – Via Sant’ Anna dei Lombardi,
36 – Napoli 80134 Italy – www.stratelibri.it - info@stratelibri.it
Any reproduction or translation of this game – even partial – is
strictly forbidden.
Warnings: Not suitable for children under 36 months due to
small parts. Made in China
18
IMPORTANT TERMS
Venitian Nobles
The Venetian patrician class was
one of the three social groups
composing society - along with the
citizenry and the foresti (foreigners).
All adult male nobles could run for
any position in the government,
and were all lifelong members of the Maggior Consiglio, the
highest political organ of the Republic (the number of members
composing the council was restricted by the Serrata of 1297 and
by a law passed in 1320, barring the access to noble families of
recent make).
Venetian nobles were characterised by a strong mercantile and
seafaring vocation. As a consequence, the patrician class based
its power not on land property but on trading (especially with
the Orient), contributing for a very dynamic composition of
families (as opposed to the static nature of nobility elsewhere).
Colony
Venetian settlement on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
When a colony was part of a larger settlement in a foreign country, like a village or city, it was administered by a Consul. If the
settlement was subject to direct political control from Venice,
the colony was administered by a Podestà.
Podestà
A magistrate of noble birth, charged with the administration of
justice and the keeping of public order in the main settlements
of the Serenissima Republic. The title was first created in the
13th century.
Naval Route
Trading route for the shipping of goods across the sea. Along
these routes sailed convoys of ships called mude, composed of
government-owned ships, rented out to private merchants (the
patroni) by means of an auction (the incanto). Several routes
took their name from their destination, like the Muda di Siria,
the Muda d’Egitto, the Muda di Barbaria, etc.
Doge
The highest magistrate of the Serenissima Republic. In the beginning (7th century) the Doge was an officer of the Byzantine
Empire, subject to the Exarch of Ravenna. The term derives
from latin dux: duke, governor or commander. The Doge could
be referred to as Dux Venetiarum, Serenissimo Principe or Sua
Serenità.
From the election of the Doge Orso in the year 726-727, the
title changed from a local honorific to a kind of monarchy that
lasted until the 11th century. In fact, even if the local nobles
were involved in the exercise of power since the beginning, the
powers of the Doge were subject to limits only after the institution of a communal government - the Commune Venetiarum.
From that moment on, representatives of the richest mercantile families entered the government, and in the 14th century
the Serenissima Republic was born - an aristocratic republican
regime that would rule the city for more than three centuries.
The evolution in the political infrastructure of the Venetian
state robbed the Doge of any dynastic ambition, turning the
title into that of the supreme magistrate of the Republic, elected
by the highest ruling authority - the Maggior Consiglio. This reduction in stature notwithstanding, the title of Doge preserved
much value in the eyes of every patrician, enough to make
them all covet it, regardless of the enormous costs attached to it
(mainly tied to the expensive ceremonies the Doge was required
to take part in).
The Doge was also de facto the head of the Church in the city,
since when the body of Mark the Evangelist was taken to
Venice in 828 and the basilica was built by doge Giustiniano
Partecipazio to house the relics. The doge retained episcopal
prerogatives, separate from the authority of the legitimate representative of the Church in Venice, the Patriarch.
The doge displayed publicly several symbols of
authority, especially in the occasion of the great
ducal processions. The particular hat, the corno
ducale, stands out: it consisted of a stiff bonnet
made of brocade or cloth-of-gold, worn over a
white linen cap, the camauro.
Stato da Mar
Term used by the Republic to indicate their overseas dominions.
It was used especially to refer to Istria, Dalmatia, the Ionian
Islands, the Aegean Islands and Candia (Crete). It was one of
the three partitions of the Republican territory, along with the
Dogado (the Venetian lagoon and nearby areas) and the Stato da
Tera (mainland territories in the Italian peninsula).
The conquest of colonial dominions started around the
year 1000, with the conquest of Dalmatia, and reached the
maximum expansion with the acquisition of territories of
the Byzantine Empire, as stipulated at the end of the Fourth
Crusade (1204).
The Stato da Mar was a vital source of income, and was fundamental for the safekeeping of the naval routes of the Serenissima
(thanks to the many ports, fortresses and the patrolling of
coasts).
Rise
The Rise epoch can be indentified in the historical period going
from the establishment of the ducal power in Venice (9th century) to the Fourth Crusade (1204). Along these centuries, the
19
Republic became an international power and trading centre of
primary stature, through the creation of naval routes and commercial outposts in the Mediterranean and beyond.
Apogee
The Apogee epoch can be identified with the historical period going from the Fourth Crusade (1204) to the defeat at
Agnadello (1509) against the League of Cambrai. The epoch saw Venice expand its influence not only by commercial
means, but also by military conquest along the coasts of the
Mediterranean and Northern Italy.
Struggle
The Struggle epoch can be identified with the historical period
going from the defeat at Agnadello (1509) to the fall of the
Republic (12th of May, 1797). This period saw Venice diminish in the face of the rise of the major European countries - the
Serenissima Republic struggled to maintain its independence
and succeeded for almost three centuries, thanks to the diplomatic skills of its representatives and to the solidity of its
institutions.
Treaties
The diplomatic cunning of the diplomats of the Republic was
legendary. The treaties regulating the relationships between
Venice and the other powers of the Mediterranean were of
primary importance to secure those privileges that made trade
more profitable for Venetian merchants.
Quarantia
The Council of Forty, or the Quarantia, was one of the highest
constitutional bodies of the Republic of Venice, with both legal
and political functions. It was established in the year 1179, as
part of the constitutional reforms that gave Venice its communal form of government. Forty members assisted the Doge in
the administration of justice, and governed the state along with
the Senate.
Sestiere
Venice is divided in six partitions called Sestieri. This current
subdivision was first created in the 12th century.
Cannaregio: The name comes from the beds of reeds (canne)
that originally covered the area, before the urbanization process
reached the northern portion of the city.
Castello: The name comes from the Byzantine castrum (fortified
village, castle) that rose on the island of Olivolo, on the eastern
end of the city. The Arsenale, the renowned Venetian shipyards,
is located here.
Dorsoduro: The name originates with the sandy hillocks that
dotted the southernmost portion of the city. This sestiere includes la Giudecca, the largest island of the Venetian lagoon (the
current residence of the two designers of this game...).
San Marco: The name comes naturally from the basilica in St.
Mark’s square. The area was once the political centre of the city.
When diplomacy failed, Venice would intervene by sending the
fleet, or by sending money, when a war could turn into an excessively onerous affair.
San Polo: The name comes from the church with the same
name. Here is found the market of Rialto, once the centre for all
trading activities.
The Venetian Ducat
Santa Croce: The name comes from an ancient church and monastery that stood here until the year 1810 (church of the Holy
Cross). It was demolished by order of Napoleon Bonaparte.
The sestiere corresponds to the western portion of the city.
In the year 1284, the Venetian government decided to mint the ducat, a gold
coin (3,56 grams, 24 carats), after the
success of the fiorino of Florence. The coin
was later called zecchino (from the Zecca, the state
authority for the minting of coins) and became a prestigious currency across Europe and the Mediterranean. Silver
and copper coins were added to the gold version.
The Fall of Venice
On the 12th of May, 1797, the Doge Ludovico Manin decreed
the end of the Republic, after a last meeting of the Maggior
Consiglio. The decision was taken amidst rumours of conspiracy
and of an imminent attack by the French revolutionary army.
Monuments
Monuments are works of great artistic and historical value
(from latin monumentum, memory), like churches and palaces.
The patrician families funded the building and restoration of
many churches, chapels, altars and oratories, to commemorate
their most illustrious members, or simply for the acquisition of
prestige.
Their family palaces are also counted among the most precious
pieces of the cultural patrimony of the city.
On the 15th of May, the Doge left his palace for the last time,
retiring in his family’s residence and announcing with his last
decree the birth of a democratic government, inspired by the
principles of the French Revolution.
20
Players
Epoch I - Rise
Presence
Podestà tokens
VP tokens
Doge tokens (scored)
Monuments (optional)
Epoch I total
Epoch II - Apogee
Presence
Podestà tokens
VP tokens
Doge tokens (scored)
Monuments (optional)
Epoch II total
Current total
Epoch III - Struggle
Presence
Podestà tokens
VP tokens
Doge tokens (scored)
Monuments (optional)
Endgame bonus
Final total