Rattus Game Rules

Introduction:

Hey there! Are you ready to become a master strategist and conquer the world of Rattus? Well, look no further because I’ve got you covered. In this guide, I’m going to walk you through the rules of the game step by step, so you can jump right in and start your epic journey. Get ready for an adventure filled with cunning moves and unpredictable outcomes!

Setup:

First things first, let’s talk about setting up the game. To begin, place the game board in the center of the table. Make sure everyone has enough space to strategize and plot their next move.

Choosing Characters:

Now, it’s time to choose your character. Each character has unique abilities and strengths. So, take a moment to read through the character cards and pick the one that resonates with your playstyle. Remember, every choice you make will have consequences, so choose wisely!

Placing Action Cards:

Once you’ve selected your character, it’s time to place the action cards in their respective spaces on the game board. These cards will determine the actions available to you during the game. Pay close attention to the different abilities and use them strategically to gain an edge over your opponents.

Spreading the Plague:

Alright, now let’s unleash the plague! Place the rat tokens on the cities according to the setup card. These rats symbolize the deadly plague that will spread throughout the game. Keep a close eye on them, as they can drastically change the course of the game.

Gameplay:

Now that everything is set up, it’s time to dive into the gameplay. On your turn, you can take one action card and perform the action listed on it. These actions range from placing cubes on the board to manipulating the rat tokens. Be strategic and make each move count!

City Actions:

Some action cards allow you to perform actions in specific cities. When you use these cards, choose a city where you have presence. This is your chance to influence that city’s outcome and gain valuable resources.

Managing Resources:

Speaking of resources, they play a crucial role in Rattus. You’ll need resources to expand your influence, defend against the plague, and ultimately claim victory. Watch out for resource shortages and plan your moves accordingly.

End of the Game:

The game will continue until the rat tokens cover all the cities on the game board or until the deck runs out. At that point, players will tally up their victory points. Points are awarded based on the number of cities controlled and the characters’ special abilities. The player with the highest score wins the game!

Conclusion:

And that’s a wrap! You now have a solid understanding of the Rattus game rules. It’s time to gather your friends, set up the board, and let the battle for dominance begin. Remember, strategy and adaptability are key to coming out on top. Good luck, and may the best player prevail!

Imagine Europe in the year 1347. In the midst of this historical setting, disaster looms as the menacing Black Death approaches with devastation on its path. The Knights of Europe, renowned for their courage, find themselves in the throes of a relentless battle. Over the course of the next 4-5 years, the population of Europe will be slashed in half.

You and your fellow players take on the roles of noble warriors, settling in different regions of Europe, each tasked with facing the terrifying spread of the plague. As the deadly disease engulfs the continent, it shows no mercy, indiscriminately affecting all who stand in its way.

In this challenging game, you will enlist the help of various characters from the Middle Ages:

• The resilient Peasants, representing the backbone of society, aid in population growth.
• The wise Monks employ their knowledge and wisdom to keep the rats, carriers of the disease, at bay.
• The resourceful Merchants, adept at navigating the trade routes, inadvertently spread the plague to new areas.
• The mysterious Witches, skilled in the art of magic and witchcraft, control the spread of the disease through their supernatural abilities.
• The mighty Kings, seeking safety within their fortified palaces, employ strategies to avoid the deadly grip of the plague.

However, when the rats arrive, no one can truly feel safe. The plague strikes fear into the hearts of all it touches, leaving death and devastation in its wake.

As the plague eventually withdraws and the game reaches its conclusion, the victor will be determined by the player with the highest surviving population.

Components

• I have a really exciting game for you today. It’s called “Plague!”
• Before we get started, let me tell you what you’ll need:
• First, a game board. This board is a map of Europe during the middle ages, divided into 12 regions.
• You’ll also need some small wooden cubes. There will be 20 cubes in each of the four player colors.
• Next, you’ll need 49 rat tokens. These tokens have a rat on one side and a plague event on the other.
• Don’t forget the class cards. There are 6 different ones: Peasantry, Bourgeoisie, Church, Chivalry, Magic, and Royalty.
• Lastly, you’ll need the Plague piece.

Now that we have everything we need, let’s get ready to play!

Start by laying out the game board on the table. It’s a beautiful map of Europe during the middle ages.

Next, place the six class cards beside the game board. These cards will play an important role in the game.

Each player gets to choose a color. Once you’ve chosen a color, you’ll receive all the wooden cubes of that color. These cubes will represent your influence throughout the game.

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When I start a game, I mix up the twelve rat tokens, the ones with the purple circles. Each token represents a rat and I place one in each region of the board, face down. The board is divided into regions, and in a game with two or three players, we only use eight or ten of those regions. So, I only place eight or ten rats on the board to start the game, depending on how many players there are.

Hey there! Let me break it down for you. So, we’ve got these rat tokens, right? They’re all shuffled up and kept aside from the board. But hold up! If there are less than 4 players, we gotta remove some of those rat tokens. Like, for 2 players, we take out 12 rat tokens, and for 3 players, we remove 6. Easy peasy, right?

Now, the rat tokens that are left, along with the starting rats, are all mixed up together. No more separation, they’re all one big happy family now.

Oh, and we can’t forget about the Plague Piece. That little troublemaker needs a random region to call home. Just pick one, any one.

Alright, let’s get the game started! The youngest player goes first. Everyone takes turns, placing their cubes in the regions on the board. The starting player and the players after them go clockwise, and then it’s the last player’s turn, who goes anti-clockwise.

Got it so far? Good! Now, the starting player takes the first turn, and then we all follow along, going clockwise around the table.

Time to Play!

When it’s my turn to play, I go through a few different steps:

1. I can choose to pick a new class card (if I want to)
2. I place new cubes on the board
3. I move the Plague Piece

I can do steps A and B in any order I want, but step C (moving the plague piece) always has to be done last.

A. Choose a new class card (if you want to)

When I play the game, I can choose a class card. I have two options: I can take a card that hasn’t been chosen yet, or I can take a card from another player. I place my class cards in front of me on the table so that everyone can see them.

Each of the six cards gives me certain advantages (I’ll explain those later), but having more cards also increases the chances of my cubes getting killed by the plague. I have to keep my class cards until another player takes them away from me. Once they’re taken, I can’t get rid of them anymore.

Even if I already have one or more class cards in front of me, I can still take another card on each of my turns. So it’s possible for me to have more than one card at the same time. If that happens, I get to enjoy all the advantages of all the cards I have.

Place new cubes on the board

Alright, let’s talk about putting some fresh cubes on the board. Here’s what you need to do.

First, grab some new cubes and get ready to add them to the game. Place the cubes strategically on the board, considering where they will make the most impact.

Remember, the position of the cubes is important. You want to think about how they will interact with the existing cubes on the board. Sometimes it’s best to place them next to each other to create a chain reaction. Other times, it might be better to spread them out for maximum coverage.

But be careful! Adding new cubes can be a double-edged sword. While they can help you progress, they can also complicate the game. You’ll need to think ahead and anticipate how the new cubes will affect your strategy.

So, take your time and consider your options. Think about the best placement for each cube. Look for opportunities to connect them and create powerful combos. And always keep in mind the overall goal of the game.

Adding new cubes is an important part of the game. It’s a chance for you to elevate your play and regenerate response. So, take a deep breath, trust your instincts, and place those cubes with confidence. Good luck!

When you play the game, you have the power to add your own colored cubes to any region on the board. The number of cubes you can add is equal to the number of rat tokens already in that region – except if it’s the “Peasant” card.

In the different regions of Gallia, Germania, and Italia, there are currently three rat tokens. It’s my turn as the red player, and I have a decision to make.

I can choose to add one of my cubes to Germania. If I decide to add cubes to Gallia instead, I would be allowed to add three cubes. However, in Italia, I wouldn’t be allowed to add any cubes at all.

C. Moving the Plague Piece

Alright, let me explain what needs to be done here. You need to move the Plague Piece to a different region, not the one it’s currently in. You can choose any neighboring region to move it to, but leaving it where it is isn’t an option. We’ll call the region that the Plague Piece moves to the “Plague Region.”

Now, let’s talk about what happens after the Plague Piece has been moved:

1. First, the Plague spreads.

If the Plague Region doesn’t have any rat tokens, then nothing happens. But, if the Plague Region has one rat token, then you need to place a new rat token from the supply in any region that’s neighboring the Plague Region.

If there are two or three rat tokens in the Plague Region, the player taking their turn puts TWO new rat tokens from the supply in any region(s) next to the Plague Region. This can be either two rats in one region or one rat each in two different regions.

2. The Plague wreaks havoc in the Plague Region.

If the Plague Region has at least one wooden cube and one or more rat tokens, those rat tokens are revealed and examined one by one. This continues until all rat tokens have been revealed or all the cubes in the region have been removed. All the revealed rat tokens are taken out of the game, while any remaining face-down rat tokens stay in the region.

Just a reminder: Rat tokens are placed face down, and players cannot see what’s on the front side!

Note: You can never have more than three rat tokens in any one region at the same time! So, if there are already three rats in a region, you have to choose a neighboring region instead. And if all the neighboring regions already have three rats, no new rats are added.

The fronts of the rat tokens show two important things:

A limit value. If the total number of wooden cubes in the Plague Region is equal to or greater than the given limit value, the Plague will have an outbreak. But if the number of wooden cubes is lower than the limit value, the rat token is removed from the game and there are no further consequences.

Let’s talk about symbols. Symbols are important because they tell us which classes are infected with the plague. Each symbol represents a different class, and if you have that class card, you need to remove one cube from the Plague Region and put it back in your supply. Don’t worry if you don’t have any cubes in the Plague Region – you won’t be affected.

But wait, there’s more! Sometimes, instead of class symbols, you might see the symbols (�Majority�) or (�All�). These symbols have a special meaning. If you see (�Majority�) with a letter H, it means that the player with the most cubes of his color in the Plague Region has to remove one cube. If there’s a tie for the most cubes, all tied players have to remove one cube each.

When it comes to the game, there’s one important rule: symbols always come first. That means they have the power to affect the player who has the most cubes in the region when the rat token is revealed. Even if other symbols on the rat token would give another player more cubes, it’s always the player with the majority who is affected. And that’s not all – when a symbol A appears, all players with cubes in the Plague Region have to remove one cube each.

Here’s an example to illustrate how it works. Let’s say there are three players – Alice, Bob, and Carol – and they all have cubes in the Plague Region. Alice has 5 cubes, Bob has 3, and Carol has 2. When the rat token is revealed and a symbol appears, it’s Alice who’s affected because she has the most cubes. Even if the symbol would have given Bob or Carol more cubes, it’s Alice who has to remove one cube because she had the majority to begin with.

Now, what happens when there are no more rat tokens or wooden cubes in the Plague Region? That’s when the current turn ends, and it’s time for the next player to take their turn.

So, remember this rule: symbols are always evaluated first, and the player with the most cubes in the region is the one who’s affected. It’s a simple but important concept that adds an extra layer of strategy to the game.

Example

Hey there! Let me paint you a picture of the current game situation. I’m the yellow player, and I’ve got the “Knight (Chivalry)” card. The green player has two cards: “Peasant (Peasantry)” and “Merchant (Bourgeoisie)”. Lastly, the blue player has three cards: “Monk (Church)”, “Witch (Magic)”, and “King (Royalty)”.

Now, it’s the red player’s turn, and they’re entering phase 3: “Move the Plague Piece”. Exciting stuff, right?

The red player has a bold move in mind. They’re going to move the plague piece into Gallia. Right now, Gallia is packed with three rat tokens, two green cubes, and one yellow cube.

So, first things first, the plague spreads. With three rat tokens in Gallia, the red player has to place two more rat tokens in neighboring regions. They’ve chosen to put both of them in Hispania for some reason.

Then, the plague takes its toll on Gallia. One by one, the three rat tokens are revealed. Here comes the first one. It’s got a limit value of 1. Since Gallia has three cubes, there’s going to be an outbreak. Uh-oh!

The rat token shows one symbol for “Bourgeoisie” and one symbol for “Church”. The green player, who happens to have the “Merchant (Bourgeoisie)” card, has to remove one of their cubes and return it to their supply. Tough break!

But hey, the blue player has the “Monk (Church)” card, and luckily for them, they don’t have any cubes in Gallia, so no cubes for them to remove. Phew!

Next up, we reveal the second rat token. It’s got a limit value of 3, but unfortunately, it’s not going to have any effect because Gallia only has two cubes at the moment. Close call!

Lastly, we uncover the final rat token. Surprise! It’s got a limit value of 2, which means we’re in for another outbreak. Oh no!

This rat token has some interesting symbols: “Majority”, “Bourgeoisie”, and “Church”. Right now, both the green and yellow players are tied for the majority, so they both have to remove one cube from Gallia. Tough luck!

So, in the end, Gallia is completely devastated. According to the last rat token, the green player (with the Bourgeoisie card) and the blue player (with the Church card) should remove one cube each, but they already don’t have any cubes left in Gallia.

And that wraps up the red player’s turn! Here’s a visual of how things are looking now:

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The Amazing Class Cards

Hey, listen up! I’ve got something super cool to tell you about class cards. These babies have some seriously awesome powers, but you’ve gotta be the one in control to use them. Yup, only the player who’s turn it is can access the special abilities of their class card(s). And hey, guess what? You can only use each ability once per turn. Oh, and just so you know, you’ve gotta use these powers before phase C is played (well, except for the Knight, they’ve got a little exception going on). So, are you ready to unleash your class card’s magic? Let’s do this!

The King: The Distinguished Royalty

Hey there! Did you know that as the game unfolds, there’s a special card known as the King? I’m going to tell you all about it. So, listen up!

Picture this: You’re playing the game, and it’s your turn. Now, with the King card, you have the power to move one of your cubes to the grand palace area. But here’s the kicker – you can only do this if the region you’re taking the cube from is rat-free. Gotta keep it squeaky clean!

Once your cube makes its way to the palace area, it’s like a royal retreat. It’s safe and sound for the rest of the game. Plus, when it’s time to tally up the final score, this special cube counts just like the regular ones. How cool is that?

Now, go out there and dominate the game like true royalty. Long live the King!

Church Monk Ability

If you have the Church Monk card, you can move a rat token from one region to an adjacent region during your turn. You have the flexibility to do this before or after adding new cubes

Remember, each region can only have a maximum of 3 rat tokens. So if a region already has 3 rats, you cannot move another rat into it.

Knight Card (Bravery)

If you have this special card, you can use it to strategically move the disease piece up to two spaces during Phase C, right before we see the consequences of the disease.

What’s more, you have the power to make a choice before the rat tokens are exposed. You can decide to treat the disease piece as if it were two ordinary cubes in the area that’s affected. This comes in handy when we need to determine how many rat tokens can be present.

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Peasant (peasantry)

If you have this card, you can put an extra cube on the board when you add cubes to a region in phase B.

Here’s how it works: Let’s say there are already 3 rat tokens in a region. With the Peasant card, you can add 4 cubes instead of the usual 3. And if there are no rat tokens in a region, you can still add 1 cube with this card.

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Merchant (bourgeoisie)

Hey there! If you have the Merchant card, you’ve got some special powers! On your turn, you can move up to 3 cubes of your own color from one region to one of its neighboring regions. You have the power to rearrange things and make strategic moves!

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Witch (Magic)

Hey there! When I have the Witch card, I get a cool power. I can choose to look at any one of those rat tokens on the board, you know, the ones that are scattered around the place. And get this, I can even check out another rat token from a different region if I want to. It’s like I have the Rat Token Telescope!

But wait, there’s more! If I feel like it, I can even swap those two rat tokens that I looked at. Of course, that only really works if I checked out rat tokens from two different regions. It’s a pretty neat trick!

End of the Game

So, the game comes to an end when one of two things happens:

• All the rat tokens are used up – no more left for me to look at.
• I manage to have all my cubes on the board at the end of my turn, which doesn’t happen very often, to be honest.
• Okay, here’s the thing. After that, there’s one last round where everyone except the player who had the last regular turn gets to use their class card abilities one more time. It’s like a final hurrah!
• This final round is played in the opposite direction, starting with the player to the right of the player who took the previous turn.
• In this final round, you can only use the abilities of the cards you currently have. You can’t get new cards, add cubes (except for Peasant), or move the plague piece (except for Knight). The cards work as they usually do, with the exceptions listed in the sidebar.
• Lastly, the plague affects all 12 regions. This means that one by one, all the rat tokens are revealed and assessed.

After that, the player with the most cubes still on the board (including any cubes in the palace area) wins the game.

Let’s say that there is a tie between two or more players in the game. In that situation, the player who would have had the next turn if the game hadn’t ended is the one who wins. It’s an interesting rule that adds some excitement to the game!

Here are a couple of notes about the game:

If a player has the Peasant card, they can put one of their color cubes in any region. This gives them a little boost and can help them in their strategy.

The Knight card is another special card. If a player has this card, they can move the plague piece up to two steps. This can be a powerful move, especially when it comes to the end of the game. The plague piece is considered as two neutral population cubes in the affected region.