Overview

Here I Stand is a grand strategy game for 2-6 players covering the political, military, and religious conflicts in Europe from 1517-1555, the era of the Protestant Reformation. Each player controls one or more of six major powers: the Ottoman Empire, the Hapsburgs, England, France, the Papacy, and the Protestants. Players use cards for operations or events, conduct diplomacy, wage wars, explore the New World, debate theology, and maneuver for political and religious control. Victory is achieved through power-specific victory point conditions.

Components

• 1 game map (22” x 34”) of 16th-century Europe with cities, connections, sea zones, and tracks
• Power Cards for each of the 6 major powers
• Military units: leaders, regulars, mercenaries, cavalry, and naval squadrons
• Control markers (color-coded by power, double-sided for Catholic/Protestant religious influence)
• Strategy deck of cards (events and operations)
• Debaters for theological debates
• New World display and exploration markers
• Dice, Victory Track, Turn Track, Electorate Display, Diplomatic Status Display
• Henry’s Wives Pregnancy Chart
• Player Aid charts

Setup

Follow the scenario setup instructions. The standard scenario starts in 1517 (Turn 1). Each power receives starting military units, control markers, cards, and special assets as specified. The map shows initial political control through home space colors.

Turn Structure

Each turn represents several years and follows this sequence:

1. Card Draw Phase: Each player draws Strategy Cards (number varies by turn and keys controlled).
2. Diplomacy Phase: Players negotiate alliances, declare wars, sue for peace, ransom captured leaders, and address excommunication.
3. Spring Deployment: Players may redeploy military units within their home territories.
4. Action Phase: Players take turns playing cards (in impulses) for Operations or Events. This is the main phase of the game.
5. Winter Phase: Resolve end-of-turn maintenance including returning units home, replacements, mandatory events, and other upkeep.
6. Victory Determination Phase: Check if any power has achieved automatic victory or if the game ends (final turn).

Actions

Card Play (Action Phase)

Players take impulses in a set order. On your impulse, play one card:

• Operations: Use the card’s CP (Command Points) value for military operations, building units, translating religious texts, founding colonies, or other power-specific actions.
• Events: Play the card for its named historical event, following the card text.
• Home Card Events: Certain events are mandatory when drawn.

Military Operations

• Movement: Move a formation (leader + units) along connections. Number of spaces depends on CP spent.
• Interception: Enemy forces may attempt to intercept moving armies.
• Avoiding Battle: Defenders may attempt to avoid an approaching enemy.
• Field Battle: When opposing forces occupy the same unfortified space, a battle occurs. Each side rolls dice modified by leader ratings, unit types, and terrain. The loser retreats.
• Siege: To capture a fortified space (Key, Electorate, or Fortress), besiege it. Assaults risk casualties. Sieges can last multiple turns.

Naval Operations

• Move squadrons through sea zones. Naval combat when fleets meet.
• Naval transport moves armies across sea zones.
• Piracy disrupts enemy naval operations.

Political Control

• Spend CP to place control markers on spaces adjacent to friendly-controlled spaces.
• Keys grant victory points and additional card draws.
• Electorates are crucial for the German religious struggle.

The Reformation

• Protestant actions: Translate the Bible, publish treatises, call theological debates, make reformation attempts to convert spaces to Protestantism.
• Papal actions: Counter-reformation attempts, burn books, call councils, dispatch Jesuit universities.
• Theological Debates: Formal debates between Protestant and Papal debaters, resolved through a card-play sub-game.

The New World

• Colonies: Establish colonies for victory points.
• Voyages of Exploration: Discover new territories for glory.
• Voyages of Conquest: Conquer native empires (Aztec, Inca) for major rewards.

Diplomacy

• Alliances: Major powers can ally with minor powers (Genoa, Hungary-Bohemia, Scotland, Venice).
• Declarations of War: Required before attacking another major power.
• Suing for Peace: End wars through negotiated peace terms.
• Excommunication: The Papacy can excommunicate powers; affected powers suffer penalties until reconciled.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Automatic Victory

Each power has specific conditions that trigger an immediate win:

• Ottoman: Control enough keys in Europe.
• Hapsburg: Control keys across multiple regions.
• England: Navigate the political/religious landscape (Henry VIII’s marriages, succession).
• France: Control keys and châteaux.
• Papacy: Maintain Catholic dominance and control.
• Protestant: Spread Protestantism to enough spaces and electorates.

Victory Points

Each power earns VP from controlling keys, electorates (for some powers), completing power-specific objectives (New World conquests, building St. Peter’s, publishing religious texts, etc.). At the end of the game, the power closest to its VP goal (or that has exceeded it) wins.

Victory Determination Phase

After the final turn, compare each power’s VP to their target. The power closest to (or farthest above) their target wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Six Major Powers, Each Unique: Every power has distinct rules, units, special abilities, victory conditions, and historical events. This asymmetry is the heart of the game.
• England’s unique mechanics: Henry VIII’s marriages and quest for a male heir involve the Pregnancy Chart. Dissolution of the monasteries, Church of England formation, and political marriages are key English mechanics.
• Hapsburg dual capitals: Valladolid and Vienna. The Hapsburg player manages both Spanish and Austrian theaters.
• Foreign War Cards: Represent external conflicts (e.g., Persia vs. Ottomans) that draw powers away.
• Minor Powers: Genoa, Hungary-Bohemia, Scotland, and Venice can be activated/deactivated by major powers. They have their own units and keys.
• Language Zones: Five zones (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish) affect religious influence and certain events.
• Control markers are double-sided: solid = Catholic, bordered = Protestant. Religious and political control are tracked independently.
• Renegade leaders may occur when captured leaders switch sides.
• Mandatory events on certain cards must be played when drawn.

Player Reference

Major Power	Focus	Key Mechanic
Ottoman	Military conquest in Europe/Med	Naval supremacy, piracy, foreign wars
Hapsburg	Controlling keys across regions	Dual capitals, Holy Roman Emperor
England	Succession and religious policy	Henry’s marriages, Church of England
France	Keys and châteaux	Cultural achievements, Italian Wars
Papacy	Catholic dominance	Excommunication, counter-reformation, St. Peter’s
Protestant	Religious conversion	Bible translation, reformation attempts, debates

Turn Phase	Actions
Card Draw	Draw Strategy Cards based on keys controlled
Diplomacy	Negotiate, ally, declare war, sue for peace
Spring Deployment	Redeploy units in home territory
Action Phase	Play cards for Operations or Events (impulses)
Winter	Maintenance, replacements, mandatory events
Victory Check	Assess automatic victory conditions

Victory: Power-specific VP targets or automatic victory conditions