Overview

Falling Sky is a COIN Series (Volume VI) game about the Roman conquest of Gaul. One to four players control Factions: the Roman Republic (securing Caesar’s conquests), the Arverni confederation (anti-Roman Celts led by Vercingetorix), the Aedui confederation (pro-Roman Celts), and the Belgic tribes (led by Ambiorix). Players issue Commands, exploit Special Abilities, and respond to Events to build forces, influence tribes, and achieve faction-specific victory conditions. Cards regulate turn order, events, and periodic victory checks during Winter rounds.

Components

• 1 Mounted 17”x22” game board (map of Gaul with Regions, Tribes, Cities, tracks)
• 77 Playing cards (Event cards and Winter cards)
• 200 Wooden pieces (Legions, Auxilia, Warbands, Allies, Forts, Citadels, Leaders)
• Markers sheet
• 5 Available Forces displays
• 4 Faction player aid foldouts
• 2 Sequence of Play / Germanic Tribes sheets
• Battle Procedure / Non-Player Guidelines foldout
• 2 Non-Player flowchart foldouts (2nd Edition)
• 4 Six-sided dice (red, green, blue, yellow)
• Playbook and rulebook

Setup

Varies by scenario. The game includes multiple scenarios of different lengths and complexity. Each specifies starting positions of forces, resource levels, and victory conditions on the map and tracks.

Turn Structure

Cards are drawn one at a time with one card ahead always visible. Each Event card shows the order in which Factions become Eligible.

Card Resolution

1. Reveal the next card from the deck (always one ahead showing).
2. Eligible Factions (in the order shown on the current card) choose either:
   • Execute the Event (the card’s special text), OR
   • Execute a Command (from their Faction’s menu), optionally combined with a Special Ability
   • Pass (gaining resources)
3. Executing an Event or Command makes that Faction Ineligible for the next card.
4. At most 2 of the 4 Factions act per card (1st and 2nd Eligible).

Winter Cards

When drawn, trigger:

• Victory check
• Harvest/income
• Supply/attrition
• Seasonal activities per faction
• Reshuffle and continue

Actions

Roman Commands

• Recruit: Place Legions and Auxilia in friendly Regions
• March: Move forces between Regions
• Battle: Attack enemy forces in a Region
• Build: Place Forts
• Seize: Take resources from Regions

Arverni Commands

• Rally: Place Warbands and Allies
• March: Move Warbands
• Battle: Attack enemies
• Ambush: Hidden attack

Aedui Commands

• Rally: Place Warbands and Allies
• March: Move forces
• Battle: Attack enemies
• Suborn: Manipulate tribes and resources

Belgic Commands

• Rally: Place Warbands and Allies
• March: Move Warbands
• Battle: Attack enemies
• Enlist: Bring in Germanic Warbands

Special Abilities (one per Command)

Each Faction has unique abilities that modify or enhance their Commands (e.g., Caesar’s Siege, Vercingetorix’s Devastate, Aedui’s Trade, Belgic Rampage).

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Each Faction has unique victory conditions checked during Winter rounds:

• Rome: Control + Allied Tribes in Senate-track threshold Regions
• Arverni: Allied Tribes + Citadels exceed a threshold
• Aedui: Allied Tribes + number of specific controlled Regions
• Belgae: Control of Belgica Regions + Allies meets threshold

If no Faction wins during the game, conditions are checked at the final Winter card. If still no winner, each Faction’s distance from victory is compared.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Control: A Faction Controls a Region if its forces there exceed all other Factions’ forces combined.
• Tribe status: Subdued, Allied, or Dispersed; affects victory and operations.
• Hidden/Revealed forces: Some pieces can be hidden (face-down), affecting Battle and other interactions.
• Germanic Warbands: Arrive via Belgic Enlist or Events; can act independently.
• Britannia: Adjacent to 3 coastal Gaul Regions; restrictions on March/Scout across it.
• Rhenus (Rhine): River border between Gaul and Germania; halts March.
• Non-Player system (2nd Edition): Detailed flowcharts for solo and fewer-than-4-player games.
• Eligibility: Using an Event or Command makes a Faction Ineligible next card; Passing keeps Eligibility.

Player Reference

Faction	Force Types	Victory Focus
Rome	Legions, Auxilia, Forts	Control + Allied in threshold Regions
Arverni	Warbands, Citadels	Allied Tribes + Citadels
Aedui	Warbands, Allies	Allied Tribes + controlled Regions
Belgae	Warbands, Allies	Belgica Control + Allies

Item	Details
Players	1-4
COIN Volume	VI
Cards in deck	77
Factions acting per card	Up to 2
Victory check	During Winter cards