Mapless Holy Roman Empire Campaign

The Holy Roman Empire (HRE) board game by Mark McLaughlin has elements, including a great map, which make it a good basis for a miniatures campaign. A Mapless Campaign is simple to run and encourages on-going participation by the players. This is my stab at combining the two.


Thirty Years War Flavour

The campaign has to capture the essence of the Thirty Years War.

  • Reflect the historical geography. The map of Holy Roman Empire Board Game is a good start.
  • Option for 2-6 players representing the major powers: Austria, Spain, Bavaria, France, Sweden and the Palatine.
  • Include the minor and/or peripheral powers, e.g. Denmark, Swiss Confederation, Brandenburg, Poland, Hanseatic League, Dutch Republic, Saxony, and a proportion of the hundred of tiny German states.
  • Give the minor states shifting loyalties through diplomacy / bribes.
  • Reflect historical religious and political allegiances.
    • Austria (RC), Spain (RC), Bavaria (RC), France (RC), Sweden (LU) and the Palatine (CV)
  • Mercenary forces outnumber national forces.
  • Make mercenaries risky with rules covering:
    • Mercenaries going on the rampage as “marauders”
    • Mercenary leaders are open to bribes
    • Mansfield, Saxe-Weimar and, in particular, Wallenstein, are greedy and require land to employ
  • Employers of mercenary leaders (but not other players) can attempt to assassinate the mercenary leader
  • Alliances are either the “Catholic League”, “Protestant Union” or “German Entente” but it is up to the players which name is used when.
  • Combat options include field battles and siege

Map

The Holy Roman Empire Board Game map is divided into provinces. Most states comprise one or more provinces. Many provinces contain cities. Sweden and the Hanseatic League have no provinces but do have cities.

Holy Roman Empire - 1984 version - Map with errata
Holy Roman Empire – 1984 version – Map with errata

In a Mapless Campaign the provinces as territories. I’m not sure yet whether the cities are significant or not.

The only major change I would make is to:

  • Divide Bavaria into Upper Bavaria and Lower Bavaria. Upper Bavaria is the western portion and contains Munch and Ingoldstadt. Lower Bavaria is the north-eastern section of the province on the Map.
  • For multi province states divide the income between the provinces.

Holy Roman Emperor (HRE)

One of players will be the Holy Roman Emperor (HRE). At the start of the game this is the Austrian player. It is possible that the HRE will die during the campaign. In that case the Electors, the players controlling Trier (RC), Mainz (RC), Cologne (RC), Saxony (LU), Brandenburg (CV), Lower Palatine (CV) and Upper Bohemia (RC), vote for a new HRE. The player with the most votes becomes the new HRE. Electors that are not controlled by a player will vote along religious lines, i.e. a RC elector will vote for a RC candidate. If there is more than one candidate of the same religion then a non-aligned elector will not vote. A non-aligned CV elector will vote for a LU candidate if there is no CV candidate; and vice versa.


Religion

The Thirty Years War had a religious element. The religions are:

  • RC: Roman Catholic
  • LU: Lutheran
  • CV: Calvinist (Reformed)
  • M: Muslim
  • Mixed: Responds to either religion shown, e.g. CV / RC

Battle Phase

Unlike in a normal Mapless Campaign where it doesn’t matter who is attacking and who is defending, for each battle randomly determine which player is the attacker. The attacker may optionally target a specific territory held by the enemy. This forces their opponent to field that territory in the resulting battle.


The Cards

A Mapless Campaign is based on a set of cards each of which represents a territory of interest. For this campaign I’ve added three other types of card: Event, Intrigues and Mercenary.

Event Cards

If an event is drawn in the post-battle phase:

  • Randomly allocate it to one of the players involved in the recent battle and . The effect of the event is applied immediately. If a player gets an event that cannot affect them then they ignore it.
  • Generate a another territory so that the correct number of territories are in play. Ignore further event, intrigue or mercenary cards and draw cards until a territory card is drawn.
Card Number Notes
Raiders, Brigands, Corsairs, Privateers 1 Lose one territory of your choice.  If you have less than three territories in total, generate a random territory to replace it.
Famine 1 Lose one territory of your choice.  If you have less than three territories in total, generate a random territory to replace it.
Plague 1 Lose one territory of your choice.  If you have less than three territories in total, generate a random territory to replace it.
Revolt 1 Lose one territory of your choice.  If you have less than three territories in total, generate a random territory to replace it.
Mutiny 1 Lose one territory of your choice from those providing mercenary troops, but not national troops.  If none then ignore. If you have less than three territories in total, generate a random territory to replace it.
Heresy 1 Lose one territory of your choice from those of a different religion.  If none then ignore. If you have less than three territories in total, generate a random territory to replace it.
Leader Dies 1 ?? TODO ??
Religious Conversion 1 One territory of a different religion of your choice is converted to your religion.
Economic Boom 2 Replace this event card with two territory cards rather than one.
Edict of Restitution 1 A Diet is called.  The Electors and the HRE each get a vote.  If the Edict of Restitution is passed all RC players draw one new territory.
Edict of Reversal 1 A Diet is called.  The Electors and the HRE each get a vote.  If the Edict of Reversal is passed all LU and CV players draw one new territory.
Ban on Foreign Troops 1 A Diet is called.  The Electors and the HRE each get a vote.  If the Ban on Foreign Troops is passed then territories providing Spanish, French and Swedish troops cannot be fielded in a battle within  a territory within the Holy Roman Empire.  The Holy Roman Empire is considered any territories controlled by Austria, Palatine and Bavaria.

Intrigue Cards

If an intrigue is drawn in the post-battle phase:

  • Randomly allocate it to one of the players involved in the recent battle. It is retained for use in later battles.
  • Generate a another territory so that the correct number of territories are in play. Ignore further event, intrigue or mercenary cards and draw cards until a territory card is drawn.

Intrigues are used in battle like territories. One intrigue, and only one, can be used instead of a territory in the pre-battle phase. If a player uses an intrigue but loses or draws the battle the intrigue is discarded. Generally player that win their battle retain any intrigue they fielded and can use them again in subsequent battles; the exception are two spy rings which cancel each other out. Return discarded intrigue cards to the pile.

Card Number Notes
Spy Ring 5 Spy rings are worked out before other intrigues.
If both players field a spy ring they cancel each out and both cards are discarded.
If one player fields a spy ring and the other player fields a different intrigue, the enemy intrigue is discarded but the first player retains their spy ring.
If one player fields a spy ring and the other player fields only territories and/or mercenaries, the spy ring negates one enemy territory or mercenary chosen by the other player. Both the spy ring and other card are retained by their players.
Spy Master 1 A spy master negates two enemy territories and/or mercenaries. The first is chosen by the spy master and the second by the other player.
Saboteurs 1 A saboteur negates the value of one enemy territory chosen by the saboteur.
Diplomat 1 If you you field a diplomat and win the battle, then in addition to the usual territory allocation, you can swap one of your territories for one of your enemy’s territories.  You are not limited to the territories used for the battle – you can swap any territory for any other. 
Religious Agitator 1 A religious agitator negates the value of one enemy territory or mercenary chosen by the religious agitator. The chosen enemy territory must be of a different religion to the other player.

Territory Cards

Many territories are single province states.

The state column is used for those territories which are part of a larger entity.

Location is from the Holy Roman Empire Board Game map.

All territories supply mercenaries unless national troops are explicitly mentioned.

Value is used for both the number of troops supplied and for victory points.

Value Example Value Victory Points Notes
3 Artois 3 points of troops if territory is fielded in a battle 3  
“3” Champagne Original owners gets full value (3) but other players get half value rounded up (2) 3  
(4) Friesland Only provides troops if the territory is attacked None  
12+ Sweden 12 points of troops if territory is fielded in a battle None Off the map. Cannot be attacked. A winning opponent cannot select this territory

Points values differ in different rules but as a guideline:

  • 1 point for light artillery
  • 2 points for Light Cavalry, Reiter, Regular Infantry
  • 3 points for Elite Cavalry, Elite Infantry, Heavy Artillery
  • 5 points for Gendarmes

The territory cards are:

Card State Location Religion Value Troops Alignment Cities Notes
Alsace   5-110 RC 1 Mercenary      
Anhalt   14-47 CV 1 Mercenary    
Anspach   11-14 LU 1 Mercenary    
Artois Spanish Netherlands 119-102 RC 3 Mercenary Spanish Control Dunkirk, Bruges, Brussels  
Augusburg   12-37 RC 1 Mercenary    
Austrian Hungary   25-39 RC 2 Mercenary HRE Control Pressburg  
Baden-Durlach   7-102 LU 2 Mercenary    
Bamberg   13-42 RC 1 Mercenary    
Bayeruth   14-43 LU 1 Mercenary    
Berg   5-102 CV I Mercenary      
Berry France 117-113 RC 1 Mercenary France Control    
Bourbonnais France 117-116 RC 1 Mercenary France Control    
Brabant Spanish Netherlands 1-102 RC 2 Mercenary Spanish Control  Antwerp  
Branbenburg Electorate Brandenburg 18-50 CV 3 Mercenary
Brandenburg
hereditary
Berlin  
Bremen   10-96 CV 1 Mercenary    
Brunswick-Luneberg   11-96 LU 2 Mercenary    
Brunswick-Wolfenberg   10-98 LU 2 Mercenary    
Burgundy France 120-112 RC 1 Mercenary France Control    
Carinthia   19-32 RC I Mercenary Aus. hereditary  
Carniola   20-30 RC 1 Mercenary Aus. hereditary  
Champagne France 120-108 RC “3” French France Control Rheims  
Cleves   4-100 CV 1 Mercenary    
Cologne (Electorate)   4-101 RC 1 Mercenary Aus Influence    
East Prussia Brandenburg 27-53 CV 1 Mercenary Brandenburg control Konisberg  
Franche-Comte   1-111 RC 1 Mercenary Spanish Control    
Friesland United Provinces (Dutch) 3-96 CV (4) Dutch pro-Palatine
anti-HRE/Spain
 Groninger  
Geldern United Provinces (Dutch) 2-97 CV (4) Dutch pro-Palatine
anti-HRE/Spain
Deventer  
Greater Poland Poland 26-47 RC (2) Polish pro-HRE pro-Brandenburg
Anti-Sweden
Warsaw  
Halberstadt   12-48 LU 2 Mercenary pro-Protestant
anti-Catholic
  HRE/Spain must garrison if conquered / influenced or it revolts.  Never controlled by Catholics
Hanseatic League   8-95
11-93
12-92
15-54
LU 4 Mercenary pro-Swedish / Danish Bremen, Hamburg, Lubeck, Straslund
Hesse-Cassel   9-101 CV 2 Mercenary pro-Swedish
anti-Catholic
 
Hesse- Darmstadt   8-102 RC 2 Mercenary pro-HRE  
Holland United Provinces (Dutch) 1-96 CV (4) Dutch pro-Palatine
anti-HRE/Spain
Amsterdam  
Holstein Denmark 12-92 LU 5 Mercenary Pal Influence
pro-France
pro-Protestant
anti-HRE/Spain
anti-Swedish
Copenhagen  
Ile de France France 118-105 RC “4” French France Control Paris  
Little Poland Poland 28-44 RC (2) Mercenary pro-HRE pro-Brandenburg
Anti-Sweden
Cracow  
Lithuania Poland 27-51 RC (2) Polish pro-HRE pro-Brandenburg
Anti-Sweden
   
Lorraine   2-107 RC 1 Mercenary   Nancy
Lower Austria Austria 22-36 RC “2” Mercenary Aus. hereditary Vienna  
Lower Bavaria Bavaria 18-38 RC “2” Mercenary Bavaria Hereditary    
Lower Bohemia Bohemia 22-42 CV “3” Mercenary Pal. control anti-HRE/Spain Budweis  
Lower Palatine (Electorate)   6-104 CV 2 Mercenary Pal hereditary Heidelberg
Lusatia   18-47 RC 2 Mercenary HRE Control
pro-Bohemia
Bautzen
Luxembourg   5-102 RC 4 Mercenary Spanish Control Luxembourg  
Lyonnais France 120-116 RC “3” French France Control Lyon  
Magdeburg   11-46 LU 2 Mercenary   Magdeburg
Mainz (Electorate)   9-104 RC 1 Mercenary Aus Influence Frankfurt  
Mark Brandenburg 7-100 CV I Mercenary Brandenburg Control    
Mecklenburg   13-53 CV I Mercenary pro-Danish Rostock
Metz   2-104 RC 1 Mercenary   Metz
Milan   8-116 RC 2 Mercenary Spanish Control    
Moravia   22-40 LU/RC 2 Mercenary pro-Bohemia Brunn
Munster   8-78 RC 1 Mercenary    
Nassau   5-103 CV 1 Mercenary    
Nivernais France 119-113 RC 1 Mercenary France Control    
Nurnberg   13-41 LU 1 Mercenary HRE Imperial city   Free Sanctuary. Any attacker pays double to influence German states until end of game
Oldenburg   7-95 LU 1 Mercenary    
Orleanais France 117-110 RC “3” French France Control Orleans Provides French national troops.
Osnabruck   8-98 RC 1 Mercenary    
Ottoman Hungary   26-34 M (10) Turkish pro-France
pro-Protestant
anti-HRE/Spain
   
Picardy France 118-103 RC “3” French France Control Amiens Provides French national troops.
Pomerania Brandenburg 20-55 LU 1 Mercenary Pro-Brandenburg
Brandenburg Influence
Stettin, Kolberg  
Pomeralia Poland RC (2) Polish pro-HRE pro-Brandenburg
Anti-Sweden
 Danzig Provides Polish national troops.
Poznan Poland 22-50 RC (2) Polish pro-HRE pro-Brandenburg
Anti-Sweden
 Thurn Provides Polish national troops.
Salzburg   17-35 RC 1 Mercenary    
Savoy   3-116 RC 4 Mercenary anti-HRE/Spain Geneva
Saxony Duchy Saxony 12-44 LU 2 Saxon Saxon control  
Saxony Electorate Saxony 16-45 LU 4 Saxon Saxon hereditary Leipzig, Dresden  
Schleswig Denmark 8-92 LU 3 Mercenary Pal Influence
pro-France
pro-Protestant
anti-HRE/Spain
anti-Swedish
   
Silesia   23-43 LU 2 Mercenary HRE control
pro-Bohemia
Breslau
Spain   RC 10+ Spanish Sp Reserve    Cannot be attacked.
Strasburg   5-107 RC 1 Mercenary    
Styria   20-34 RC 1 Mercenary Aus. hereditary Graz
Sweden   LU 12+ Swedish Sweden Reserve Stockholm  Cannot be attacked.
Swiss Confederation   7-118 RC / CV (5) Mercenary   Berne Provides Elite Infantry. Cannot be attacked
Transylvania   29-42 LU/CV 1 Mercenary anti-HRE/Spain   Provides Light Cavalry
Trier (Electorate)   5-103 RC 1 Mercenary Aus Influence Coblenz  
Tyrol   13-34 RC 1 Mercenary Aus. hereditary  
Upper Austria Austria 20-36 RC 1 Mercenary Aus. hereditary Linz  
Upper Bavaria Bavaria 15-38 RC “6” Mercenary Bavaria Hereditary Munich, Ingoldstadt  
Upper Bohemia Bohemia 19-42 CV “5” Mercenary Pal. control anti-HRE/Spain Prague  
Upper Palatine   15-42 LU 2 Mercenary Pal hereditary  
Val Telline   11-115 RC 1 Mercenary pro-Catholic   Only controlling player may move through. Others (including Conquer / Influence) must stop when entering.
Venice   15-30 RC 5 Mercenary Pro any player who opposes HRE or Spain anti-HRE/Spain  
Wurzburg   10-104 RC 1 Mercenary    
Wurtemburg   9-39 LU 2 Mercenary   Stuttgart

Mercenary Cards

Mercenaries are used in battle like territories. One mercenary, and only one, can be used instead of a territory in the pre-battle phase.

Card Religion Value Alignment Notes Replacement Religion Value Alignment
George von Arnim       halves maintenance costs Franz Albrecht      
Erich von Mansfield RC   pro-Palatine 1 card
1 x Crown income
halves maintenance costs
Geo V Brunswick      
Bernard von Saxe-Weimar     pro-France 1 card; halves maintenance costs  Schomberg      
Albrecht von Wallenstein     pro-HRE 1 card each turn; can raise his own army; free maintenance Goetz      

Initial Deployment

Campaign Game

?? TODO ?? at the moment this is straight from the original game. Needs to be reworked.

Player Controlled States Influenced States Mercenary Leaders Military Forces Special Rules Dynastic Bonus Points
France France     Paris: Crequi, 3 x Gendarmes

Picardy: 2 x Fleet

May not move French leaders/units outside of France on turn 1 or  unless France is invaded. May, however, bid for and mvoe mercenary units and bid for other cards. +1 per state adjacent to France occupied by French Units
+2 per channel/North Sea/OBZ occupied by French units
Spain Spain, Alsace, Luxembourg, Spanish Netherlands, Milan, France-Comte     Brussels: Spinola, 2 x EInf

Milan: Cordoba, 2 x EInf

Antwerp: 2 x Fleet

May not attack the united Provinces on turn one due to treaty. +1 per French province occupied by Sp units
+2 per Channel/North Sea/French OBZ or United Province province occupied by Sp units

+5 if the emperor is a Catholic power
+5 for the Spanish Road (an unbroken chain of controlled or influenced states between
and including the Spanish Netherlands and Milan)
Bavaria Bavaria     Munich: Maximillian, Pappenheim, Tilly, 1 x EInf, 1 x Merc RInf, 1 x Merc ECav   +2 per Protestant state card controlled/influenced
+3 per Catholic sate card controlled/influenced
+5 per electoral crown card controlled/influenced
+10 for the Imperial HRE card
Sweden Sweden Hanseatic League   Stockholm: Gustavus, Horn, Torstensen, 4 x EInf, 2 x ECav, 2 x LArt., 1 x Fleet

Hanseatic League:
Any Hanseatic League City: 1 x Fleet

Begins the game at war with Poland.  Swedish units may only enter Swedish
controlled/influenced states and Polish provinces (and the Baltic) until of the
following conditions has been met:
(a) Sweden conquers, influences, or controls Poland
(b) Swedish units/provinces/cards have been attacked or entered by non-Polish hostile
units, or
(c) non-Polish units hostile to Sweden have entered Poland
-1 per Polish province not occupied by Swed. units/markers
+1 per province bordering Baltic occupied by Swed units/markers
+1 if Baltic occupied by Swedish controlled fleets
+5 if the emperor is a protestant
Palatine Lower Palatine, Upper Palatine, Bohemia, Anhalt, Brunswick-Wolfenberg, Halberstadt United Provinces, Denmark Mansfield Prague: Thurn, 1 x EInf

Halberstadt: Christian of Brusnwick, 1 x Merc RInf

Anhalt: Christian of Anhalt, 1 x Merc RInf

Upper Palatine: Mansfield, 3 x Merc RInf, 1 x Merc Reiter 

Dutch:
Anywhere in United Provinces: 1 x Leader, 2 x Fleets, 4 x EInf, 1 x ECav, 1 x LArt

Danish:
Copenhagen: 1 x Leader, 1 x Fleet

Saxons:
Anywhere in Saxony: John George, 2 x RInf, 1 x Reiter

The United Provinces and Denmark may not be bid for or attacked on on Turn 1.  These states become controlled by Palatine in the maintenance phase of Turn 2, for free. +1 per Protestant state card controlled/influenced
+2 per electoral crown card controlled/influenced
+10 for the Imperial HRE card
Austria HRE, Moravia, Hungary, Styria, Silesia, Austria, Carinthia, Carniola, Lusatia, Tyrol, Poland, Nurnberg Mainz, Trier, Cologne   Vienna: Bucquoi, 1 x Merc RInf   -10 if not the emperor
Brandenburg       Berlin: George William, 1 x RInf    
Swiss Confederation       Geneva: Swiss Leader, 4 x EInf    
Poland       Warsaw: 2 x RInf, 2 x Reiter, 2 x LCav, 2 x ECav, 2 x Gendarme    

?? TODO ??

Nurnburg

Victory Conditions

Minor States, e.g. Poland and United Provinces. What happens when they are attacked? What cards can be used?

Decide how to treat cities on the map.

Think about assiging each territory as one of the types from Mapless Campaign e.g. farmland, town, etc. This would probably mean losing the points of the Holy Roman Empire Board Game.


References

Board Game Geek: Holy Roman Empire

Grognard: Errata for HRE

McLaughlin, M. G. (Sep 1984). Holy Roman Empire: A political-military game of the Thirty Years War. The Wargamer, 33, 21-36. 3W Inc.

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