Tribune: Primus Inter Pares Game Rules

Hey there! Welcome to the Tribune: Primus Inter Pares game rules page. I’m here to walk you through the ins and outs of this exciting game. So, let’s dive right in!

First things first, Tribune: Primus Inter Pares is a board game that offers an immersive Roman-themed experience. It’s a game where you get to step into the shoes of an influential figure in ancient Rome, vying for power and prestige.

As you play, you’ll find yourself faced with a multitude of choices. These choices will shape your destiny and determine whether you rise to the top or fall into oblivion. It’s a game that combines strategy, diplomacy, and cunning, making every decision you make crucial to your success.

To start, each player takes on the role of a powerful Roman family. Your goal is to gain influence and control over Rome’s seven factions. You’ll do this by maneuvering your supporters, or “clients,” in key positions within these factions. By doing so, you’ll gain influence and earn victory points.

Now, let’s talk about the different phases of the game. Tribune: Primus Inter Pares is divided into four distinct rounds, each consisting of a Senate Phase and an Assembly Phase.

During the Senate Phase, players take turns proposing and passing laws. These laws can benefit you and help you gain an advantage over your rivals. But be careful! Your opponents will have a chance to voice their opinions and try to block your proposals.

Next up is the Assembly Phase. Here, players take turns recruiting clients, engaging in bribery, and making deals to secure their positions within the factions. The moves you make in this phase can make or break your chances of winning the game.

As the game progresses, you’ll have to adapt your strategies and tactics. Your rivals will be watching your every move, looking for opportunities to undermine your progress and gain the upper hand. It’s a constant battle of wits and skill, where only the most cunning and resourceful will emerge victorious.

So there you have it. That’s a brief overview of the Tribune: Primus Inter Pares game rules. I hope you’re as excited to play this game as I am to guide you through it. Remember, every decision counts, and the fate of ancient Rome is in your hands. Let’s dive in and see who will be hailed as the Primus Inter Pares – the first among equals!

Welcome to Rome, the ancient world’s most complex metropolis! Over 2,000 years ago, Rome was a bustling town filled with diverse inhabitants who all shared one thing in common – being Roman.

In Tribune, you will step into the shoes of powerful and ambitious patrician families in Rome. Your ultimate goal? To attain the prestigious position of tribune by leveraging your influence over various factions in the city.

Can you gather the support of the legions, earn the favor of the gods, and secure the laurel wreaths that symbolize victory? Prepare yourself and deploy your followers throughout the streets of Rome to build a network of influential allies. It’s time to make history!

Now, let’s talk about the components of the game.

When you open the box for the game, you’ll find everything you need to get started:

• 1 Game Board
• 100 Faction Cards
• 26 Victory Condition Cards
• 10 Reference Cards
• 6 Tribune/scroll Tiles
• 6 Eternal Favor of the gods Tiles
• 2 Temporary favor of the gods tiles
• 42 Faction Markers
• 60 Denarii (various Values)
• 30 Legion Tokens
• 40 Laurel Tokens (various values)
• 5 Family Sheets
• 30 Followers (6 per color)
• 1 Proconsul Piece
• 1 Starting Player Coin
• 2 Chariots

Now that you have everything you need, it’s time to set up the game and get started!

I’m going to walk you through the steps for setting up the game board. Here’s what you need to do:

1. First, lay out the game board exactly as shown in the diagram below.

2. Take the faction markers and sort them by type. Then, place each type of marker on the corresponding area of the faction fields.

3. Next, take the laurel wreaths and place one in the laurel area of each faction field. The remaining laurel wreaths should be placed on the Field of Mars area.

4. Now, you’ll need to gather all the game pieces and place them next to the game board. This includes the legion tokens, denarii, scroll/tribune tiles, eternal favor of the gods tiles, temporary favor of the gods tile, chariot, and proconsul piece. These pieces make up the “stock” of the game.

5. Once the game board and pieces are set up, each player will need to choose a color. Then, depending on the number of players in the game, each player takes a certain number of followers of their chosen color. Any remaining followers should be returned to the box, as they won’t be used in the game. Here’s how many followers each player should take based on the number of players:

– 2 to 3 players: 6 followers

– 4 players: 5 followers

– 5 players: 4 followers

That’s it! The game board is all set up and you’re ready to start playing. Have fun!

• First, I want to choose my color and take the family sheet that matches.
• Next, I grab an overview card and a scoring card.
• Now it’s time to shuffle the faction cards and deal six to each player. But here’s the twist – we get to choose and discard two of them face down. Once everyone has done that, we shuffle the discards back into the deck and place the deck face down near the game board as our draw pile.
• We also need to choose a victory condition card. We can either pick one or select it randomly. It’s important to choose a card that matches the number of players in the game. Each player takes a copy of the card and puts it next to their family sheet. If we pick the “Alea Iacta Est” card, we have to decide between a long game with a red hourglass or a short game with a green hourglass. Any unused victory condition cards go back in the box.

I want to share with you the process of starting a game and understanding the objective. It’s important to follow the steps closely to ensure a fair and fun experience. Let’s get into it.

To begin, we need to randomly select a starting player. This player will take the starting player coin, which signifies their role. It’s an exciting way to determine who goes first!

Next, it’s time to distribute the starting money. The starting player will receive 12 denarii from the stock. Then, the player to their left will receive 13 denarii, and this pattern continues until each player has their starting money. It’s a clever system that gives everyone a fair share.

Now, let’s talk about the object of the game. The victory condition card chosen during setup will define the individual objectives that each player must pursue in order to win. It’s like a personalized mission!

Depending on which card is chosen and how many players are participating, the number of objectives that must be achieved to win will vary. Some objectives are obligatory, meaning they are a must-do for victory. These objectives are essential to your success.

To help you understand it better, take a look at the diagram on the right. It breaks down the elements of a victory condition card and describes each one. It’s a useful reference to keep in mind as you dive into the game.

Remember, the starting player coin, the starting money, and the victory condition card are all pieces that make this gaming experience enjoyable and strategic. By following these steps and understanding the objective, you’ll be fully prepared to embark on an exciting adventure!

Note that there are six sets of victory condition cards for Tribune. Four of them are for games played by two to four players, and the other two sets are for games played by five players. If you decide to play Tribune with a point-value variant, you won’t need a victory condition card. Just the scoring cards are enough for that version of the game.

How to Play

Tribune is divided into rounds, each consisting of six phases:

• Phase 1: Card Placement
• Phase 2: Placement of Followers
• Phase 3: Region Evaluation
• Phase 4: Faction Take-overs
• Phase 5: Faction Benefits
• Phase 6: Chariot Auction

The order in which players take their turns only matters in Phase 2. Play begins with the player who has the starting player coin, and then it goes clockwise around the table.

Once all six phases are finished, I’ll pass the starting player coin to the person sitting next to me in clockwise order, and then we’ll start a new round. We’ll keep playing rounds until someone meets the game’s victory conditions.

Phase 1: Placing Cards

In Phase 1, we’ll place cards from the draw pile onto the game board’s rectangular card fields. The specific rules for each region are explained below. You can also refer to the “Card Placement Example” diagram on the previous page to see how it’s done correctly.

We should place the cards on the game board in the order of the regions listed below. As a general rule, place face-up cards in the lighter card fields and face-down cards in the darker ones.

1. Thermae: Put one face-up card in each card field.
2. Forum Romanum: Put one face-up card in each card field.

Latrine: I place a card facedown. Curia: For each of the three card fields, I place cards faceup, one at a time. I keep placing cards until the sum of their values in a field reaches 5 or more, or until I place a leader card, after which no more cards are added to that field. Atrium Auctionorum: I place a card facedown on each of the three card fields. Catacombs: I place five cards facedown in a pile. Pantheon: I place a card facedown. Field of Mars: I don’t place any cards.

If the draw pile runs out of cards during the Card Placement phase, I immediately shuffle the discard pile to create a new draw pile.

Cesura Magna

Hey there! Let me tell you about this cool thing called a “cesura magna.” It’s like a special event that can happen in a card game when there are no cards left in either the draw pile or the discard pile. Pretty rare, but it can happen during Card Placement or at other times.

So, when a cesura magna occurs, anyone who has more than seven cards in their hand has to do a quick clean-up. They have to choose and get rid of enough cards from their hand until they’re down to just seven. Gotta keep things fair and balanced, you know?

Oh, and there’s something extra for players who control factions. If you have a display set of four or more cards, you’ll need to toss out the two cards with the lowest values. And if you have a three-card set, you only have to get rid of the lowest-value card. But don’t worry, if you have a two-card set, you get to hang onto both of them.

Now, onto Phase 2: Placement of Followers!

When it’s time to place our followers on the game board, we take turns doing so, starting with the first player and going around the table in a clockwise direction. Each of us can only place one follower at a time until we’ve placed all of them.

We have a few options when it comes to where we can place our followers. We can put them on follower spaces in a region, on follower spaces in a faction field, or in the coin bowl in the upper left-hand corner of the game board. Just keep in mind that follower spaces in regions and faction fields can only hold one follower each. If a space already has a follower on it, we can’t put another one there.

There’s one special condition to consider when placing a follower on the Pantheon, which is explained later on. Apart from that, just remember that we should take turns and place our followers strategically to make the most out of our moves. Now let’s move on to the next section to learn more about placing our followers in regions.

When playing this game, you have the freedom to choose where and how you place your followers in different regions. However, there are a few rules to keep in mind. You can only place one follower per follower space, and there are some regions where you cannot place any followers.

In most cases, you can place followers on multiple spaces within the same region, as long as you follow the one-follower-per-space rule.

Placing a follower on a region’s follower space allows you to use the special abilities or cards associated with that region. These abilities and cards are explained in “Phase 3: Region Evaluation.” Keep in mind that using these abilities may require you to pay denarii or discard cards from your hand during Phase 3.

During Phase 2 of the game, nothing significant happens in the regions except for the placement of followers. However, there are two exceptions to this rule.

• Exception I: Atrium Auctionorum has two spaces for followers labeled “1”. and “2”., in the specific order they must be filled (“1”. first, “2”. second). These numbers do not represent Phase 3 denarii costs, unlike the numeral-less follower spaces in other regions. It is not allowed for a player to place their followers on both spaces of Atrium Auctionorum. When a player places a follower on the “1”. space, they must flip two of the three Atrium Auctionorum cards faceup. If another player places a follower on the “2”. space, the third card is revealed.

Your Journey to the Pantheon

Hey there! I want to share something really cool with you. It’s all about the Pantheon – a special place in the game that holds some amazing secrets. But before we get into the details, I have a few important things to tell you.

• Exception II: Pantheon – Only if you have a Vestal Virgin faction marker, can you place a follower in the Pantheon. And guess what? When you do, you get to reveal the facedown card right there and then!

Putting Followers on Faction Fields

Now, when it comes to placing your followers, you have some strategic choices. You see, you can place them on the follower spaces of the faction fields. And why would you want to do that? Well, it’s because you’re showing your interest in taking over that particular faction during Phase 4: Faction Take-overs. Exciting, right?

Here’s how it works. When you decide to place a follower on a faction field, you have to start with the follower space marked “1”. Only after that space is taken can another player place a follower on the space marked “2”. But hold on, once both spaces for a faction are filled, no one else can play followers on that faction’s field. It’s exclusively yours!

Let’s talk about some important rules when it comes to placing followers on the faction fields:

• First, I can’t put a follower on a faction field that I already control. That’s against the rules.
• Second, I can’t place my own followers on both spaces of the same faction field. I can place them on spaces related to different factions, though.

Coin Bowl Story:

Once upon a time, in a game of strategy, I am the yellow player. I eagerly place my follower on the coin bowl, ready to claim my reward. As the first player to do so this round, I am thrilled to receive 7 denarii. What a fortunate start!

As the game progresses, other players join in on the action. The two red followers and the white follower make their placements on the coin bowl. Each of them is equally happy, as they each receive 5 denarii for every figure they place.

The coin bowl is a valuable spot to place followers, as it allows us to collect precious denarii. It’s a simple concept – the first player to place their follower on the coin bowl reaps the highest reward, gathering 7 denarii. The rest of us who follow suit receive 5 denarii for each figure we place. It’s a fair system that keeps us engaged!

There’s no limit to how many followers we can place on the coin bowl in a single round. As I strategize, I consider the potential for even greater riches. The coin bowl is a treasure trove waiting to be explored!

Phase 3: Region Evaluation

When all of us players have put our followers in their places, we move on to Phase 3: Region Evaluation. Don’t worry, I’ll explain what that means! It basically means that we need to see what happens to the cards in the different regions. Each region is evaluated one by one, in a specific order.

So, let’s say a region is being evaluated. If there are no followers in any of that region’s spaces, the cards from that region’s card field are put in the discard pile instead of being taken by any player.

Now, here’s the important part: as soon as a region has been evaluated, the followers in its spaces are given back to their owners right away. So, you don’t have to worry about losing your followers forever!

Hey there! Let’s talk about the different areas where followers can hang out in the ancient Roman city. We’ve got the Thermae, the Forum Romanum, and the Curia. Normally, we look at all these places together, but sometimes we have to do it in a certain order.

When we need to do it in a specific order, we start with the left side and then move down from the top. You can see an example of this in the Forum Romanum Evaluation Sequence scroll on this page.

Now, there’s no limit to how many cards a player can have in their hand, unless something called a cesura magna happens. But let’s not worry about that for now.

Forum Romanum Evaluation Sequence

I. Roman Baths

Hey there! I want to tell you about Roman baths, also known as thermae. They were really popular and became a big part of ancient Roman society way back in the first century BC.

These thermae were like fancy buildings with beautiful pillared hallways and bathrooms. You could usually go in for free or pay a small amount.

If you placed your followers in the Thermae region, you had to give up 1 denarius for each follower. But don’t worry, in return, you got to take the cards next to those follower spaces with you. If you couldn’t pay for a card, it was okay. It just got thrown away.

II. Roman Forum

The Roman Forum was like the heart of politics in the Roman Empire. It was built on ground that used to be all swampy. In the Forum, a bunch of important Roman things came together.

Let me tell you about the Forum in ancient Rome. It was a big deal back then. Under the rule of Augustus, it was completely rebuilt and adorned with beautiful marble. People would gather there every day for important public discussions. They also had public speaking platforms and a bunch of squares nearby.

Now, if you were playing a game and decided to place your followers in the Forum Romanum region, you’d have to fork over 3 denarii for each follower. Those denarii would go to the stock. But wait, there’s a sweet deal in return! You would get to take the cards next to the follower spaces into your hands. However, if you didn’t have enough denarii to pay for a particular card, tough luck! You wouldn’t get to take it, and it would be discarded instead.

III. Latrine

Ah, the latrine. Rome was famous for its fancy latrines. They were more than just places to relieve oneself. People would hang out there and chat about all sorts of things – business, everyday life, you name it. These latrines were super fancy too, with mosaic flooring, paintings, and walls made of marble. Talk about luxurious!+

When I think about going to the toilet, I can’t help but wonder about its connection to health care and hygiene. You see, the buildings back in the day were quite spacious, with up to 80 seats sometimes. Can you imagine that? And what’s even more intriguing is that these buildings were regularly cleaned using water from the thermal baths and aqueducts.

Latrine Example:

Phase 2 was when I put one of my followers on the Latrine. Then, in Phase 3, the Latrine gets resolved, and that’s when I flip over the card that’s in the Latrine’s card field. The card I revealed happened to be a Plebeian with a value of 6.

Now, I’m faced with two options. I can either pay 6 denarii to the stock and take the card, or I can just throw away the card and take 6 denarii from the stock. Since I don’t have enough money, I decide to discard the Plebeian and grab the coins instead.

If you’re the player who put a follower on the follower space of the Latrine region, here’s what happens next:

1. You can take the value of the card in denarii from the stock and then throw away the card.
2. You can keep the card by paying the stock an amount of denarii equal to the card’s value. It’s important to remember that you can get a leader with a printed value of 0 for free.

IV. Curia

The “Curia” was the hub of activity in a Roman town. It was a grand building crafted by Gaius Julius Caesar, where the senate gathered for meetings. Known as the “Curia Julia,” it sat close to the Forum Romanum and had enough space for approximately 300 senators to convene.

If you place your followers in the Curia, you have the option to discard a card from your hand for each follower you position. In exchange, you can claim all the cards adjacent to each follower space where a card was discarded.

If you choose not to discard a card or don’t have one to discard, you won’t receive any of the corresponding cards from the game board. Instead, they will be set aside.

V. Atrium Auctionorum

Long ago, in ancient Rome, they would have these things called auctions. It’s kind of like a big sale. They would have these auctions after a war was over and they wanted to sell all the cool stuff they took from the bad guys. They had a special place just for these auctions called the Atrium Auctionorum. It was like an auction hall where they would sell all the things. Sometimes, they would even have really special auctions where they would sell stuff from the emperor’s house.

Here’s something important to remember: When you put one of your people on the “1” spot, they flip over two cards from the Atrium Auctionorum. But if you put someone on the “2” spot, they’ll flip over three cards instead of just two. It’s a pretty good deal if you ask me.

Mia’s Example: In Phase 2, I put one of my green followers on the first Curia follower space, and another on the third. Sarah put a yellow follower on the second follower space.

When it’s time to evaluate the Curia in Phase 3, I start by getting rid of one card from my hand so I can take the cards on the first cardfield of the Curia. Then, Sarah picks one of her cards to discard and gets the three cards on the second card field. It’s a win-win situation!

Next, it’s my turn again. I get rid of the worthless 0 value legate card I just picked up a moment ago, and I take the Senator card from the third card field. Because the Curia is always resolved from left to right, I can discard the Legate card, which I don’t need, instead of having to discard a more valuable card.

There are two situations when the Atrium Auctionorum might be evaluated:

If I have a follower on the “l”. space but not on the “2”. space, I must pay 1 denarius, but then I get both faceup cards and add them to my hand. I discard the facedown card.

If both the “1”. and “2”. follower spaces are occupied, then the two of us with followers in those spaces have to bid against each other in a closed-fist auction to decide who gets the three cards. Here’s how it works:

1. Each of us hides our coin pile from the other person and puts any number of denarii in a closed fist. We do this secretly so the other person can’t guess how much money we’re holding in our hand.

When we’re playing a game called “Denarius Auction,” here’s what happens: both players keep their hands over the game board and reveal their bids at the same time. The one who bid less gets to keep their bid, but the one who bid more takes the three cards from the Atrium Auction selling area. If there’s a tie, the player whose follower is on the “1” follower space wins. Now let’s talk about another part of the game called “Catacombs.”

I want to tell you about the Catacombs. They got their name from the Romans who used to call the special volcanic land at the Via Appia “ad catacumbas.” The Catacombs were built as underground burial vaults. Some of them even had special burial chambers carved into the rock.

The Catacombs got bigger as Christianity spread. You see, back in ancient Rome, people weren’t allowed to bury their dead within the city walls. So they used the Catacombs as a place to bury their loved ones.

Now, when Phase 3 starts, there are five cards facedown on the Catacombs. The player who has a follower on the “4” follower space gets to look at those five cards first. It’s like a secret peek! They can choose to buy one of the cards for 4 denarii, which they put on the Colosseum next to the Catacombs.

Now it’s my turn to explain how the Pantheon works. The player who has their follower in the “3” follower space gets to see the remaining cards and can choose to buy one of them for 3 denarii. The denarii are also put on the Colosseum. Then, the player with their follower in the “2” follower space gets to do the same, but they can only buy a card for 2 denarii. These denarii are also placed on the Colosseum. If there are any cards left over, they are thrown away.

Remember, you don’t have to buy a card if you don’t want to. And when you do buy a card from the Catacombs, the denarii you pay always go to the Colosseum area, not to the side where the other denarii are. Also, if a follower space is unoccupied, we just move past it when we look at the Catacombs.

So that’s how the Pantheon works!

Hey there! Let’s talk about the Pantheon in Rome. It was this really fancy building with a super round dome that was almost perfect. You know what’s cool? It wasn’t just a regular building, it was dedicated to all of the Roman gods. How awesome is that? It even had some other purposes too, like being a court building and a place for the emperor to meet up with people. They built it way back in AD 120 to replace another temple that was all about the planets. Pretty cool, huh?

Let’s dive into a real-life example: the Catacombs. Here’s how it all goes down:

Phase 2: I place my red figures on the “4” and “2” follower spaces of the Catacombs. You, on the other hand, put your white figure on the “3” follower space.

Phase 3: I’m up first. I get to look at the stack of five facedown cards on the Catacombs card field. I pick one that interests me, add it to my hand, and pay 4 denarii to the Colosseum (not the stock).

Now it’s your turn. You check out the remaining four cards, but none of them catch your eye. So you decide to pass on taking any and don’t pay anything.

Finally, it’s my turn again. Since you didn’t take any of the cards, there are still four left. I choose one and add it to my hand, but this time I only have to pay 2 denarii to the Colosseum.

Remember this: during Phase 5, the person in control of the Gladiators will have the chance to take all the denarii from the Colosseum. If that person happens to be me, I’ll end up taking back exactly the same amount of money I paid during Phase 3.

Remember: In order to place a follower on a Pantheon follower space, you need to have a Vestal Virgins faction marker on your family sheet. You can’t place followers on both follower spaces of the Pantheon. When you place a follower on a Pantheon follower space, you can immediately (and secretly) look at the facedown card on the Pantheon card Held.

When the Pantheon is evaluated, the card on its card field is first turned faceup. Then, if you have a follower on a Pantheon follower space, you can choose to sacrifice a card from your hand. The sacrifice must match the faction of the turned-up card, but it can be any card value. After each player has decided whether to sacrifice a card or not, the turned-up card is discarded.

So, here’s what happens next – if you made a sacrifice, you get to take an eternal favor of the gods tile. But if you didn’t make any sacrifices, tough luck, you don’t get anything. Oh, and if you already had a temporary favor of the gods tile and you snatch up one of these eternal ones, you have to toss out the old one. Bummer!

VIII. Field of Mars

Now, let me tell you about the Field of Mars, or as the Romans called it, “Campus Martius”. It was basically a big square of land that belonged to the whole city. This is where the awesome triumphal marches would begin and where they would do all their cool field exercises. And guess what? It was also where all the fancy foreign ambassadors would chill out while they were visiting the city.

Hey there! If you’ve ever played a game where you get to place a follower on the Field of Mars region, then I’ve got an interesting rule for you to consider.

When it’s time to evaluate the Field of Mars, you have a choice. You can discard a pair of cards of the same faction from your hand if you want to. And here’s the twist – all players get to make these discards at the same time! It’s like a synchronized card-dropping party! Just place your pairs facedown on the table and wait for everyone to do the same. Then, and only then, can you all flip your cards over.

So, if you’re playing a game and you find yourself in this situation, remember that you have the option to discard a pair of cards of the same faction. And don’t forget to do it at the same time as everyone else! Happy playing!

Field of Mars Example:

So, let’s say there are two players in our game – John, who is the yellow player, and Michelle, who is the green player. In Phase 2, both of them decided to put their figures on the Field of Mars. Now, here’s something interesting: when it’s time to evaluate the Field of Mars, John and Michelle can both choose to get rid of a pair of cards from the same group. They have to be careful, though, because they need to reveal their chosen cards at the exact same time.

Let’s see what happens next. John shows his cards – he has a Senator with a value of 6, and another Senator with a value of 4. On the other hand, Michelle reveals her Legate with a value of 4, and a Legate with a value of 2. Since both of them got rid of a pair of cards that is allowed, they each get one laurel. But here’s the twist: John gets an extra laurel because the sum of his pair’s values is 10, while Michelle’s sum is only 6.

Now, here’s a little bonus tip: if any player decides to get rid of a pair of cards, they can take one laurel wreath from the Field of Mars area. And get this – if a player has placed more than one follower on the Field of Mars, they can discard a pair of cards for each follower they have placed and take even more laurel wreaths.

When I’m playing this game, I also get the chance to take an extra wreath. How? Well, it’s simple. The player who gets rid of the pair of cards with the highest sum of values gets that extra wreath. Let me give you an example. Imagine I discard a Gladiator card with a value of 3, and another Gladiator card with a value of 4. The total sum of those values is 7. If only one player has placed a follower on the Field of Mars and they happen to discard a valid pair, they automatically get the additional wreath. But if there’s a tie between two or more players, no extra wreath is given.

Phase 4: Faction Take-overs

In Phase 4: Faction Take-overs, I’ll tell you how players try to take over factions. It’s pretty simple. They do it by playing sets of cards from their hands.

Now, the order of take-over attempts follows the order the faction fields are printed on the game board, from left to right. This means that first, all Gladiator take-over attempts are made, then all Legate take-over attempts, and so on.

Here’s the important part: Only players who placed followers on a specific faction’s field during Phase 2 can attempt to take over that faction in Phase 4. Keep in mind, they’re not obligated to make a take-over attempt if they don’t want to. They can simply decline when the time comes.

To try and take control of a group, I need to play a set of cards from my hand. All the cards in my set must match the group I’m trying to take over, and I must have at least two cards in my set. There’s no limit to how many cards I can have in my set.

If no one else controls the group, I can take it over with any legal set of cards.

But if someone else already controls the group, my new set must meet one of two requirements to take control:

1. My new set must have more cards than the current controller’s set, regardless of the values of the cards.

2. The total value of my new set must be greater than the total value of the current controller’s set, regardless of the number of cards I play.

When I have enough cards to dominate a faction, I place them faceup on the table to let everyone know that I control that faction. This set of cards becomes the target for other players who want to take over the faction in the future. They’ll have to beat my set to succeed.

Note: If I have enough followers, I can try to take over multiple factions in a single turn. I just need to use different sets of cards for each attempt.

If I lose control of a faction, I have to get rid of the set of cards that I used to control it.

Note: Once I control a faction, I can’t try to take it over again. I also can’t add more cards to the set that I originally used to take it over.

Taking Over in a Two-Player Game

If two players have placed followers on the same faction’s field, the player with their follower in the “2” spot goes first.

As always, they can choose not to play a set. If they decline, the player with their follower in the “1” spot can attempt a takeover as normal.

However, if the player with the “2” follower does play a set that successfully seizes control, the player with the “1” follower can then play an even better set before the takeover is finalized. If they can’t or choose not to, the player with the “2” follower takes control and the previous controller (if there was one) discards their beaten set immediately.

If I, the “1” player, manage to play a better set than my opponent, the “2” player, I’ll take control of the faction. The “2” player will then retrieve their set, but they also have to discard one of the cards as a penalty.

If there was a previous controller of the faction, they must immediately discard their beaten set.

Successful Take-overs

When a new player takes over a faction, they instantly receive the faction’s take-over benefit. This benefit is shown on each of the faction’s cards. If a leader card was played during the take-over, the player will also gain the advantage of the leader’s special ability.

Furthermore, if the player doesn’t already have one, they will take one of the faction’s faction markers. The player who lost control of the faction will keep the faction marker they already had.

And here’s the final twist – if you happen to be the very first player to take control of a faction, you get a special reward. You get to snatch the starting laurel wreath from that faction’s field, marking your ascension to power. It’s a small but meaningful token of your achievement, a symbol of your newfound authority.

Phase 5: Faction Rewards

When we reach Phase 5, called Faction Benefits, we get to enjoy the perks of the factions we control. It’s essential to understand the difference between a “faction benefit” and a “take-over benefit”.

Faction benefits come in a specific order, following the arrangement of the faction fields on the game board from left to right. This means that the controller of the Gladiators faction receives their benefit first, followed by the Legates, and so on.

It’s helpful to know that each faction’s benefit is summarized on the family sheets. On the game board, you’ll find symbols representing these benefits, and you can find more detailed information about them starting on page 13.

Some faction benefits are conditional, meaning they can only be received if certain requirements are met. Others give players a choice between different options when they receive the benefit.

Once all controlling players have received their faction benefits, we move on to Phase 6: the Chariot Auction.

Phase 6: Chariot Auction

When we reach Phase 6, called Chariot Auction, we have an interesting decision to make. We are bidding to secure a chariot, and the winner of the auction gets to place the chariot on a faction field of their choice. This means that if I win the bid, I can prevent another player from taking control of that faction in the next round.

So how do we bid? It’s quite simple really. Each player hides any number of their denarii in a closed fist and holds it out over the game board. It’s important to note that you can bid zero denarii if you choose. Once everyone has made their bids, we all reveal our hands at the same time. The player with the highest bid wins the chariot, and they have to pay their bid to the stock. The other players get to keep the denarii they bid with. It’s a fair system that keeps things interesting!

So, here’s the deal. If you win the auction for the chariot, you’ve got two choices. First, you can plop that chariot right onto any faction field that you control, blocking that faction from doing anything. Or, if you prefer, you can decide not to block any faction and just keep the chariot off the game board altogether. This second option could come in handy if you want to prevent someone else from blocking a faction that you’re trying to control.

Now, let’s say there’s a tie in the bidding for the chariot. In that case, everyone keeps their bids, and the chariot doesn’t block any faction. It just hangs out on the sidelines, not causing any trouble.

If a faction gets blocked by the chariot, it’s off-limits. No followers can be placed on it, and nobody can take it over. But here’s the kicker – the person who controls that faction can still get the faction benefit in Phase 5. So, even though the chariot is a bit of a nuisance, it’s not all bad news.

When Phase 6 comes to a close, the starting player coin is passed to the next player in a clockwise direction. Any cards that are still on the game board are thrown away, and then a new round starts.

What happens at the end of the game?

A game of Tribune comes to an end when a player completes the required number of objectives. This number is determined by the victory condition card chosen at the start of the game, and it can also be influenced by the number of players in the game.

While certain objectives are labeled as “obligatory” and must be fulfilled in order for a player to meet the victory condition requirements, it doesn’t matter which objectives from the list are accomplished. What’s important is that the total number of objectives is met. The obligatory objectives are counted the same as any other objectives in terms of meeting the requirement.

Once you’ve accomplished enough victory objectives, it’s time to utter those famous words, “Veni, vidi, vici.” However, the game isn’t over just yet. We keep playing until the round is finished, giving other players a chance to meet the victory conditions as well.

If multiple players fulfill the required number of victory objectives in the same round, we then compare the point values of their respective achievements. The player with the highest total becomes the winner. You can find the point values for different achievements below, as well as on the scoring cards.

Note: Even if you have completed your objectives but have fewer points than other players, it’s still important to announce your accomplishment and end the game.

The Importance of Achievements in a Game

When I play a game, one of the things I love to do is strive for achievements. Achievements are special goals or tasks that I can complete while playing the game. They provide an extra layer of challenge and satisfaction. It’s like a game within a game that adds excitement and purpose to my gaming experience.

So, why are achievements important? Well, they serve a few different purposes. First, achievements give me something to aim for. They provide clear objectives that I can work towards, giving me a sense of direction and progression. This makes the game more engaging and motivates me to keep playing.

Second, achievements add replay value to a game. Once I finish all the main objectives or storylines, achievements provide additional tasks that keep me coming back for more. They give me a reason to continue playing even after I’ve completed the main content, ensuring that I get the most out of my gaming experience.

Third, achievements can serve as a measure of skill or accomplishment. By earning difficult or rare achievements, I can demonstrate my mastery of the game or show off my accomplishments to other players. This adds a competitive element that fuels my desire to improve and achieve more.

Lastly, achievements can unlock bonuses or rewards within the game. They can grant me special items, abilities, or recognition that enhance my gameplay or provide bragging rights. This makes achieving the objectives even more gratifying and gives me a tangible benefit for my efforts.

Now, when it comes to choosing the right achievements, there are a few factors to consider. First, I look for achievements that align with my interests and playstyle. If I enjoy exploring, I’ll focus on achievements related to discovering hidden locations or completing side quests. If I prefer combat, I’ll aim for achievements tied to defeating powerful enemies or clearing challenging dungeons.

Next, I take into account the difficulty of the achievements. I like a mix of easy, medium, and hard achievements to keep things interesting. Easy achievements provide quick wins and a sense of progress. Medium achievements offer a reasonable challenge that pushes me to improve my skills. Hard achievements, on the other hand, test my limits and offer a significant sense of accomplishment when I finally succeed.

Finally, I consider the rewards or benefits that come with each achievement. While the achievement itself is rewarding, I appreciate additional incentives like in-game currency, exclusive items, or unique titles. These bonuses make the achievement even more enticing and worthwhile to pursue.

In conclusion, achievements are an integral part of my gaming experience. They provide clear objectives, add replay value, showcase skill, and unlock rewards. By choosing the right achievements based on my interests, difficulty preferences, and potential benefits, I can enhance my gaming journey and make it even more rewarding. So, if you’re like me and enjoy a good challenge, then you’ll love the thrill of pursuing achievements in your favorite games.

The Victory Conditions

Each victory condition card lists six different objectives that need to be fulfilled in order to win the game. Here, I’ll provide more information about how each type of objective can be achieved.