At the end of his movement phase, a Noble may combat any unfriendly Noble(s) occupying the same square. He is termed the attacker and the Noble(s) that he is attacking are termed the defender. A Noble may make only one attack per round and only in his turn. A defending Noble may never be attacked more that once per turn.

Any number of Nobles in the same force may combine their strength for an attack. All Nobles defending in a force must be attacked together. Nobles in the same force cannot attack or be attacked separately. Combat is never required and is always voluntary. Ships are never involved in combat.

There are four basic types of combat: battles, siege, ambush, and town fighting.

A battle may be fought only between Nobles in the open (not in a town, city or castle). Five steps must be followed to resolve battle.

1. The attacking player designates which Noble(s) he is attacking and which Noble(s) he is using to attack.

2. Both players add the total strength in troops of their Noble(s) involved. These strengths are compared as a ratio in the Table of Odds.

3. The attacking player defines the combat result sending an e-mail to dice@pbm.com as described in the House Rules. The answer will contain a result with a number from 1 to 70 which determines the combat result on the Combat Result Table.

4. Ratio

a. If the ratio between the two forces is equal to or greater than that on the Combat Result Table, then the larger force is victorious and captures all defeated noble and royal heir counters with them.

b. If the ratio between the two forces is less than that printed on the Combat Results Table, then the battle is considered indecisive and there is no victor.

c. If the result on the Combat Result Table reads "Bad Weather Delays Attack," then no attack occurs and the Nobles remain where they are.

5. Also on the Combat Results Table  is a list of Nobles killed. All Nobles participating in the battle even if indecisive and named on the list are killed. Loss of Nobles incurred in this manner does not alter the battle or the results.

Each town, city and castle on the gameboard, except open towns, has its own permanent garrison. For a player to enter a town, city, or castle not under his control, he must capture it by siege.

Three steps must be followed to procure and resolve a siege.

1. The attacking player must allocate as many Nobles in a stack to the siege as needed to maintain at least an equivalent strength to the garrison of the defending town, city or castle. Any Noble(s) inside may add their strength to the garrison. If more than one player's noble(s) are inside, only one faction (defenders' choice) may add to the defense. If an attacking player cannot collect enough Nobles to match at least the defending strength of the town, city or castle, he may not besiege it.

2. The attacking player sends an e-mail to dice@pbm.com as described in the House Rules to determine if any of the participating Nobles are killed. The odds ratio is ignored.

A siege is always successful and the town, city or castle plus all Nobles and royal heirs inside are captured unless delayed by "Bad Weather."

In this case, the town, city or castle is termed "under siege."

Noble and royal counters inside a town, city or castle "under siege" may leave only if able to reduce the besieging force's strength to less than equivalency.

Noble(s) inside may sally forth and initiate or join a battle against the besieging Nobles. The garrison is used in defense only.

A faction that desires to besiege, relieve or enter any town, city or castle already "under siege" must first battle the original besieger. If successful they may either assume the place of the original besieger or enter the town, city or castle if friendly.

Any victorious Noble must end his turn inside the captured town, city or castle.

A captured town, city or castle immediately becomes controlled by and friendly to the faction of the capturing Noble(s).

The attacking player may call off combat anytime prior to drawing for a result. Once initiated all combat must be resolved. If the attacking player draws a "free move" or a "writ of summons to parliament" card, he keeps the card and must draw again.

When a force has a smaller troop strength than a force it wishes to attack, it cannot fight but it can ambush the opposing force. An ambush is conducted in the same manner as a normal battle except the attacking player must announce an ambush before the battle can take place. After an ambush has been announced, the attacking sends an e-mail to dice@pbm.com as described in the House Rules to obtain a Combat Result. The Noble at the bottom of the list is the only one killed, as long as he was part of the ambush either defending or attacking.

The ambushing force is automatically captured by the defending force. "Bad Weather" delays an ambush. Noble(s) in a town, city or castle cannot be ambushed.

This only occurs in the following three situations:

1. A Noble(s) inside a town, city or castle which has become neutral or unfriendly.

2. A Noble(s) forced into an unfriendly or neutral port that they are unable to siege.

3. Two forces in combat and both occupy the same town, city or castle.

Town fighting is always resolved as a battle. In situations 1 and 2, the affected Nobles must attack the garrison plus any unfriendly Noble(s) inside in their turn. If successful they capture the town, city or castle. If the result is unsuccessful or indecisive they are immediately expelled into the open.

In situations 2 and 3, the player controlling the town, city or castle may choose to attack the unfriendly noble(s) inside. This may be done with the garrison and any of his forces inside and/or moved into the town, city or castle. This attack frees the affected noble(s) from his obligation to attack in his turn.

Sea Battles:

Combat at sea is fought just like a battle on land. Each ship's combat strength is represented by its passenger capacity. The strength of any passengers is ignored. It is assumed that the difference between ship's capacity and the strength of its passengers is made up of sailors.

When ship(s) of one faction enter a square occupied by ship(s) of another faction (not in port), the moving ship(s) may choose to attack.

All ships in the same faction or alliance may defend together at the option of the controlling player(s).

The ratio of chips capacities of the opposing fleets are compared and a Combat Result is generated sending an e-mail to dice@pbm.com as described in the House Rules  to determine the victory as in land battle.

The "nobles killed" section is still utilized.

If one side is victorious, they capture all ships, nobles and Royal heirs of the defeated faction.

They may execute or ransom them as in normal combat.

Ship(s) named on "Ship" crown cards are immediately placed under the control of the capturing faction and the "Ships" card(s) given to one or more of the noble passengers.

A ship or ships of the Warden or Admiral remain under the control of the capturing faction, until it enters a port, then it immediately reverts back to the control of the Admiral or Warden.

The victorious fleet may choose to scuttle captured ships of the Admiral or Warden. If this occurs, the ships can be returned to play only within the conditions outlined in "Gales at Sea" card in the card section.

Blockade

 A ship may blockade a port by occupying a sea square adjacent to the port and naming the port being blockaded. If a ship(s) in the port leave that port to sail, they must stop in that hex and join battle with the blockading ship(s). A blockading ship or fleet which is forced into unfriendly port as a result of "Storms at Sea" and which are unable to successfully besiege the port are prisoners in the port and can leave only by permission of the player controlling the port.

Nobles Killed

When a Noble has been killed either by combat or by plague, his counter is removed from the board and his card plus all awards are returned to the appropriate place (Crown deck discard or Chancery).

Capture of Royal Heirs

A royal heir is captured by a faction when one or more noble counters of that faction occupies the same open area of a square, town, city or castle as the royal counter at the end of their move. If the royal counter is accompanied by another player's Noble(s), they must all be defeated by combat in order to make the capture. A captured royal heir may be executed and removed from play at any time by the controlling player.

A player may not control royal heirs of both royal houses for more than two consecutive rounds from point of capture. He must either execute or transfer to another faction all controlled royal heirs of one royal house.

Capture of Noble Counters

Any Noble(s) captured in successful combat may be ransomed back to the loosing player for some consideration (either by transfer or trade and gifts). A ransomed Noble must be returned with any title and office cards possessed prior to combat. Any Noble not ransomed in the negotiation phase following the turn of capture must be executed and removed from play.

Any Noble and Royal heir captured at sea and subsequently ransomed, still retain control of the ships that they occupy. They must return to a port on their next turn. As soon as the ship(s) touch port, the ransomed noble(s) relinquish control

Alliances

Different factions may ally without restriction for purposes of both offense and defense.

The following rules must be enforced to form and continue an alliance:

1. An alliance may be formed by two or more factions at any time. The allying factions must announce the alliance (no secret alliances are allowed) through an e-mail to the GM that once received the announcement from both the parties will publish the alliance notification in the Alliances topic of the Forum. All Nobles of the allying factions are considered allied. Allies can never attack one another.

2. Allied Nobles in the same square may combine their forces for combat and/or movement.

3. Allied Nobles together for combat and/or movement purposes must choose a commanding Noble in the faction of the player who will control them. The player controlling the commander may move and/or fight these Nobles in his turn. Nobles under a commander need not stay together, they are no longer under the commanders control when they separate. A new commander may be chosen at any time. If a commander is killed or executed, movement and combat of the Nobles under his command reverts back to the controlling players until a new commander is chosen.

4. An alliance may be terminated  any time by anyone of the allying players. One round of peace between the former allies must be enforced from the point of termination. They may not attack one another during this round.

5. Division of spoils is decided by the player controlling the commander. A Noble or Royal heir under a commander may use a free move card as long as the player controlling his faction provides the card.

Important     No counter (Noble, Royal heir, or ship) can ever move or attack in more than one turn in a round.