Rules for Playing Junta with Two or Three Players
Hey there! Are you interested in playing Junta, but you only have two or three players? No worries, I’ve got you covered! While Junta is typically played with more players, you can still have a blast with just a few friends. Let me break it down for you.
Setting Up
Before we dive into the rules, let’s quickly go over the setup. Grab the game board, the marker pen, eight city cards, a black marker pen, and some money. Now, follow these steps to get started:
- Place the game board in the center of the table.
- Take the eight city cards and randomly choose three of them. These cities will be the ones your players control.
- Each player receives a city card, a screen, $10, and a military card.
- Randomly select a President, a finance minister, and a general for the first turn.
The Gameplay
Now that we’re all set up, let’s get to the fun part – gameplay! In two or three-player mode, the game will differ slightly from the original rules. Here’s how:
1. Individual Decisions: Each player makes decisions for their city independently. You are now responsible for managing your city’s economy, rolling the dice for revenue, and deciding how to spend your money. This makes the game even more challenging and intense!
2. Coalition Decision: When an event or decision requires the players to make a joint decision, all players will participate. Each player secretly chooses between “yes” or “no” for each decision. If all players choose “no,” the decision fails.
3. Simulated Opposition: Without more players, you need some challenge, right? Don’t worry, the game’s got you covered. There will be a simulated opposition numbered 4-7. These opposition members will vote according to specific rules and can influence the outcome of decisions.
4. Adjusting the Revolution Track: The Revolution Track is an essential part of Junta. Without many players, we need to make adjustments. If a successful counter-action occurs (a roll of 12), the Revolution Track is advanced by one. If a successful action for progress occurs (a roll of 6), the Revolution Track is reduced by one. Keep an eye on that track!
Winning the Game
In Junta, the goal is simple – stay in power! Now, remember, in two or three-player mode, the game can sometimes swing in your favor a bit too much. To balance things out, we’ll make a slight adjustment. Each player must have a minimum of $12 to win, while the President must have at least $14.
Now that you know how to play Junta with two or three players, it’s time to gather your friends, set up the game, and see who can become the ultimate dictator! Have fun!
In the version of JUNTA that is played with two people, there are also three straw men who participate. The rules are the same as in regular JUNTA, but with a few differences.
Politics Cards
At the start of the game, each player gets four face-down Politics cards. Both real players can see the straw men’s cards and put their Influence cards face up.
The real players can make deals with each other like normal. They can only make deals with the straw men if they are in the same faction, which is determined in Phase 4: The Budget.
The real players can then secretly look at a straw man’s cards again and trade one of their cards for one of the straw man’s cards. You can only make a deal with one straw man at a time, and only one straw man per round, at most.
Straw men don’t make deals with each other. But sometimes, a straw man’s card might end up in the possession of another straw man through a real player’s hand.
When we start the game, the person who owns the game gets to be the first Presidente. As the game progresses, the player with the most votes in their faction gets to decide who wins each election.
Only real players have the chance to become Presidente.
In the first phase of the game, we draw cards. If a straw man ends up with too many cards after the Politics cards are drawn, the real player in their faction gets to choose which cards to discard.
Real players can look at the hidden cards of the straw men in their faction and use their Influence cards.
In the second phase, we assign offices.
When I become El Presidente, I automatically receive the prestigious position of Almirante in the Navy. And you know what? The other players get to be both Comandante of the Air Force and General of one of the army brigades. How cool is that?
Now, for the three remaining offices, I get to assign them to three straw men. It’s like playing dress-up, but with government positions!
Phase 4: the Budget
Here’s where things get interesting. I, as El Presidente, have to propose a budget. And you know what’s even more interesting? I can promise those straw men some cash to buy their loyalty. Talk about power plays!
But here’s the catch: I can only follow through on my promise if I roll a number that’s equal to or lower than the promised sum. The total number of votes the straw man has also comes into play. Take a look at the table below to see how it works:
Influence Cards Votes
When you play the game, there’s a mechanic called Ministro’s Influence cards. These cards add five votes to the votes of the players. Let me give you an example: El Presidente promises to allocate four million pesos in his budget to a straw-man Ministro for Internal Security. This Ministro is supported by an Influence card, which gives them 10 votes from The Church. El Presidente adds his five additional votes to the Ministro’s votes, making a total of 15 votes. The outcome depends on a dice roll – if El Presidente rolls a 1 or 2, he successfully buys the Ministro’s loyalty.
The Ministro cards that are not bought off by El Presidente join the opposition’s faction. When that happens, the opposition gets automatic failures. These straw men will remain loyal to their faction until the next Budget Phase starts.
During the Budget Phase, the budget is put to a vote. All the players in El Presidente’s faction automatically vote for the budget. This means they support it without having to take any action.
Phase 5: Choose Locations
Now it’s time for me to choose where each of my straw men will be placed in my faction.
Exile
Only I can send my own people into exile. El Presidente’s Cousin doesn’t have any power to take over any offices.
Phase 6: Assassination Attempts
If I have the Ministro of Internal Security in my faction, I can use the Secret Police to try and assassinate someone from another faction. But I can’t try to kill my own faction members.
El Presidente’s Cousin has no control over any of the offices.
If I successfully assassinate someone from another faction, I get to take all the money they had with them.
Phase 7: Bank Transactions
First, I need to finish any banking transactions I have. Then, any money that belongs to the straw men goes to me, the real player who’s controlling the faction.
When it comes to the money earned by straw men, it’s important to know the ins and outs. If the relevant straw man is in the bank and the bank is open, the money goes straight into the player’s Swiss Bank Account. But if the bank is closed or the straw man isn’t in the bank, the money is added to the player’s faction’s cash.
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But what happens if the straw men can’t access their money? Well, in most cases, they can’t. Straw men are limited in their financial transactions and cannot receive money, except during the Budget phase.
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A Twist of Fate: Coup D’etat
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During a coup d’etat, each real player has the power to draw for the straw men of their faction. This means only real players have the opportunity to go into exile, while the straw men remain in the game.
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Three Players
Now, let me explain the changes in the rules for the game when we have three players:
- When we’re deciding who the first Presidente will be, we use the same rules as when there are 4-7 players. The straw men don’t get a vote.
- The third player automatically becomes the Ministro of Internal Security. That’s their job.
- Here’s an important change: neither of the real players from either faction can tell the locations of their straw men before the game starts. It’s a secret!
- When it’s time for El Presidente to get money from the Bank in the Banking Phase, his straw men don’t give him any cash. Instead, he gets it all at the end of the turn. But he can use the money from his faction’s straw men to play Politics cards.