Overview
Attila is an area-influence game about the migration of Germanic tribes into the Roman Empire. Players play cards to place tribe markers on a map of Europe, gaining influence in the six tribes (Franks, Huns, Goths, Saxons, Teutons, Vandals). When provinces become overcrowded, conflicts erupt and the weakest tribe is expelled. Scoring occurs at the end of each century when peace tiles run out. The player who best manages their influence across the most successful tribes wins.
Components
- 1 game board (map of Roman provinces)
- 1 influence board (6 influence tracks, one per tribe)
- Tribe markers (6 types)
- 10 peace tiles
- Per player: 7 scoring markers + 1 player tile + 3 action tiles (Double Turn, Trade, 2 Influence)
- Deck of cards (one per tribe type)
- Scoring track on game board
Setup
- Place the game board, influence board, and tribal markers in the centre.
- Shuffle the cards; place face-down as the draw pile. Discards go face-up beside it.
- Place peace tiles on century spaces: 1 on 4th century, 2 on 5th century, 3 on 6th century, 4 on 7th century.
- Each player takes 7 scoring markers (1 on zero of scoring track, rest beside the board) and their player tile.
- Deal 6 cards face-down to each player.
- Each player takes 1 set of 3 action tiles.
- Youngest player starts; play proceeds clockwise.
Turn Structure
On your turn, perform these steps in order:
1. Play a Card and Place a Tribe Marker
- Play 1 card from your hand and place 1 tribe marker of the matching tribe.
- First marker of each tribe must go in one of the 6 red-bordered starting provinces.
- Subsequent markers may be placed in: a starting province, a province already containing that tribe, or a province bordering one with that tribe.
- Discard the played card.
2. Take Influence (or Place Another Marker)
Advance your scoring marker on the influence track for that tribe. The number of spaces depends on the current century:
| Century |
Spaces Advanced |
Condition |
| 4th |
1 space |
Peace tiles remain on 4th century space |
| 5th |
2 spaces |
4th century empty, tiles on 5th |
| 6th |
3 spaces |
4th & 5th empty, tiles on 6th |
| 7th |
4 spaces |
4th, 5th & 6th empty, tiles on 7th |
Alternative: Instead of taking influence, you may place a second tribe marker of the same colour using standard placement rules.
3. Check for Conflict and Peace
If a 5th tribe marker is placed in a province, conflict occurs:
Conflict Resolution:
- Starting with the active player (clockwise), each player may play any number of cards face-down matching tribes present in the province.
- Reveal all cards. For each tribe, total strength = markers in province + cards played for that tribe.
- The tribe with the lowest total strength has all its markers removed from the province. Ties for lowest: all tied tribes are removed.
- Players discard played cards (do not draw replacements until turn end).
Peace:
- Place a peace tile in the province (from the earliest available century).
- Remaining markers sit on the peace tile.
- No further markers may be placed in a province with a peace tile.
4. Check for Scoring
When the last peace tile of a century is placed, scoring occurs for all six tribes in order: Franks, Huns, Goths, Saxons, Teutons, Vandals.
End of Turn: Draw cards to replenish hand to 6.
Actions
Action Tiles (1 per turn maximum, discarded after use)
| Tile |
Effect |
| Double Turn |
Play a second card with full actions (place marker, take influence, etc.) then draw to 6 |
| Trade |
Discard any number of cards from hand and draw replacements |
| 2 Influence |
Advance any one influence track by 2, or two different tracks by 1 each |
Action tiles can be used at any point during your turn. Each player has 3 action tiles for the entire game.
Scoring / Victory Conditions
Century Scoring
When the last peace tile of a century is placed, score all 6 tribes:
| Position |
Points Earned |
| Most influence |
1 point per marker of that tribe on the board |
| Second most influence |
1 point per province that tribe occupies |
Ties for 1st place: Add marker points + province points together; divide among tied players (round up).
Ties for 2nd place: Share the province points among tied players.
Solo influence: If only one player has influence in a tribe, they receive both sets of points.
Game End
The game ends immediately (after the active player completes their turn) when any of these occur:
- The last peace tile is placed
- The last marker of any tribe is placed on the board
- Any player’s scoring marker reaches the top of an influence track
Final scoring occurs, then the player with the most total points wins.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
- Provinces with connecting arrows border each other.
- Sardinia and Corsica: No tribe markers may be placed there.
- Greece is treated as a single province.
- Scoring timing: Scoring happens after the last peace tile of a century is placed, not after each individual tile.
- Peaceful provinces still count as bordering provinces for placement purposes.
- Conflict that removes the triggering marker: The game does not end if the last marker of a tribe is placed but then removed by the resulting conflict.
2-Player Rules
- Each player plays 2 cards per turn (same or different tribes) with usual options.
- The Double Turn action tile allows playing a third card.
- To score 2nd place in a tribe, the trailing player must be no more than 2 spaces behind on the influence track.
Player Reference
Turn: Play card + place marker → Take influence (or place 2nd marker) → Resolve conflict/peace → Check for scoring → Draw to 6 cards
| Influence Gain: 4th century: 1 |
5th: 2 |
6th: 3 |
7th: 4 |
Province capacity: Max 4 markers; 5th triggers conflict
| Scoring: 1st = points per marker |
2nd = points per province |
| Action Tiles (one-time use): Double Turn |
Trade |
2 Influence |
Tribes: Franks, Huns, Goths, Saxons, Teutons, Vandals
Peace Tiles: 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10 total (across 4 centuries)