There’s been a long hiatus of the B&T Warpath Chronicles. It was caused by the shift of all efforts to the game itself. As all the graphic files are now completed, I can share again some of the game’s content. This is the Game Year example as it appears in the playbook, except for a few additions to facilitate understanding without a copy of the game. Rules reference numbers remain in the text to avoid editing. A glossary of the acronyms used in the article has been added at its end. Enjoy!

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Introduction

This example is an overview of what takes place during a game Year. It focuses mostly on the card draw mechanics of the Action Rounds (ARs). It also covers key aspects of Logistics rounds (LRs).

Excerpt from the rules book (4.0):

A game of B&T is measured in Years (4.1); a scenario may last one or more Years. Each Year is composed of nine Action Rounds (ARs) and three Logistics Rounds (LRs). The game board contains on its right edge a Year track and a Round track, with corresponding markers. On the Round track, ARs are yellow (Buildup) and white (Campaign), and LRs are grey.

During an AR (4.2), players draw and play cards and perform Actions. Resulting Battles are then resolved. The first three ARs in a Year constitute the Buildup Season, in which players receive cards with limited Action Points (APs). The remaining six ARs constitute the Campaign Season, in which players receive cards with more APs.

There are also three LRs (4.3) in a Year; each takes place at a set time during the Year and includes various procedures:

• Fleets Arrive LR (after AR2): Fleets as well as British and French reinforcements are drawn and placed onto the map (15.0).
• Colonials Enlist LR (after AR3): Draw Colonial reinforcements and put Disbanded Colonial Brigades back in play (16.0).
• Winter Quarters LR (after AR9): Victory Check to determine if a player has won. Units return to Colonies and Indian Villages. Perform end-of-Year administrative tasks (17.0).

Scenario Setup (5.0)

This game Year example takes place during scenario 2 “Loudoun’s Gamble”, after both factions’ units have been placed on the board (5.1) and units pools have been prepared (5.2), using the British and French setup sheets specific to the scenario plus the Indian units setup sheet (used by the French in all scenarios).

As indicated on scenario 2’s setup sheets, the Victory marker starts at position 2 on the French side (blue squares) of the Victory track at the top of the board. Other relevant markers have also been placed on the board (5.3).

Card Decks Preparation (5.3)

British and French cards with no Year tag (6.0) are used in all scenarios. To these, the cards with the ‘1757’ Year tag (three for each faction) have been added (as indicated on scenario 2’s setup sheets). Each player separated these cards to form a Buildup deck with the cards that have a ‘Buildup’ tag (six for each faction), and his Campaign deck with the remaining cards used in that scenario (no Indian card in either deck). In addition, the French player took all Indian cards to form a separate deck. All five decks have been shuffled. Each faction’s Campaign deck has been set aside (enters play in LR2).

For this example: Prepare the following decks in the indicated order (top to bottom): British cards #2-5-1-10-4-3, French cards #23-35-25-26-22-24, and Indian cards #49-52-54.

AR1 Begins — Reserve Card Draw (7.1)

Each player draws two cards from his Buildup deck (no Indian card). The British player draws cards #2 and #5. He chooses card #5 with the “Disease in French Camp” Event (7.4) as his Reserve card (6.0.1). The French player draws cards #23 and #35. He chooses card #23 with the most Action Points (7.3) as his Reserve card. Players discard the other card they drew (starting their respective discard piles). Cards are not revealed to the other player when drawn, chosen or discarded.

*** Reserve card is drawn only at AR1:Each player will hold a single Reserve card at all times (that card may change as ARs unfold — read on). ***

Steps of AR1 Are Performed

*** AR STEPS:Other than the Reserve card draw (at AR1 only), all ARs follow the same 10 steps (table 7.1). There is no hand management in B&T: at each AR, a player will draw a single card from his faction’s active deck (Buildup AR1-3 or Campaign AR4+) and choose to play either this card or his Reserve card. The non-played card becomes (or remains) the Reserve card for the next AR. Thus, the Reserve card gives each player a tiny amount of control on the APs and Event he will get at each AR. In addition, the French player draws one card from the Indian cards deck at each AR and must play it with the French card in play. ***

AR step #1 – Card draw: Both players draw one card from their Buildup deck: the British player draws card #1, and the French player draws card #25. He also draws one Indian card (#49).

AR step #2 – Choose card to play: The British player chooses to play the card he just drew (#1) and places it face down on the board. He keeps his current Reserve card (#5) for next AR. The French player, after inspecting his three cards (drawn, Reserve and Indian), decides to play his Reserve card (#23) and places it on the board alongside the Indian card, both face down. The French card he just drew (#25) becomes his Reserve card for next AR.

AR step #3 – Reveal cards in play: All three cards on the board are revealed. Reserve cards remain undisclosed.

AR step #4 – Determine First Player: Initiative is determined by the dice icons on the cards (7.1 #4). The French wins it and chooses to play second in the AR (if tied, he would also have won it).

AR step #5 – Resolve ‘AR Start’ Events: This Event type must be resolved before Action Phases (next step). But both faction cards played have no Event (7.4), and the Indian card Event is not a ‘AR Start’ Event (it will be playable during the French Action Phase).

In steps #6-9 of this example: Actions, etc. are simply outlined.

AR step #6 – First Player’s Action Phase: The British player performs his Action Phase (7.2). In this example, he has no units to Land (7.2 #1) so this step is skipped. The next step (Indian card APs) is relevant for the French Action Phase only. In step #3 of the British Action Phase, he chooses to hold the Army AP (7.3.1) of his card in play as a Reaction AP (7.3.6). It will allow him to react after the French player completes his own Action Phase. A corresponding Reaction marker (7.3.6) is placed on the selected British AP.

Finally, at step #4 of the British Action Phase, the remaining two APs of the British card in play are used to perform Actions with British units, each AP allowing to activate one stack (3.0.3) of units. The British Action Phase is now completed (British Reaction may take place at step #8 of the Action Round).

AR step #7 – Second Player’s Action Phase: The French player follows with his own Action Phase. He has no units to Land (7.2 #1). At Action Phase’s step #2, he can use the APs of the Indian card in play. He thus performs one Raid Action (9.0) with each of his two Indian APs. As one Raid roll fails (9.3), the “Pursuit of Elevated Status” Event on his card (#49) allows him to reroll. Step #3 (Reaction AP) is not applicable as he is the Second Player. At step #4 of his Action Phase, the French activates one stack (3.0.3) with each of the two APs of his French card in play. The French Action Phase ends as these units complete their Actions.

*** Card Event: ‘AR Start’ events must always be resolved if applicable (7.4). Other events may be optional, as indicated in the event’s text (e.g. rerolls). ***

AR step #8 – Reaction (First Player only): The British player uses his Reaction AP to counter a French move on a Victory space (2.1.9). The activated British stack performs an Army Movement (10.4) to reach that space. As units of both factions share the same space, a Battle marker (13.0) is added to it.

*** Unused APs: Are forfeited if not used in the relevant AR step. ***

*** No Battle can take place until AR step 9: During both players’ Action Phases and the First Player’s Reaction, simply add a Battle marker on each space where units of both factions finish their move. ***

AR step 9 – All Battles are resolved: The only Battle marker on the board is the one on the Victory space the British reached during their Reaction. Players resolve that Battle (13.0). The British suffer a Rout (13.8) and the French keep that space.

AR step 10 – End of AR: Played cards are discarded (face down), players keep their Reserve card (British #5, French #25), markers relevant to Actions (Spent, Landing, Marshal) are removed from the board, Supply (14.1) is checked, the Routed British stack attempts to Rally (14.2). Then the Round marker is moved to ‘AR2’ on the Round track.

GLOSSARY

AP: Action Point (on card)

AR: Action Round

LR: Logistics Round

VoW: Vagaries of War (token)

VP: Victory Point

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NEXT ARTICLE: From Action Round 2 to Winter Quarters Logistics Round