TM

Overview

D
uring the Renaissance
Era, Italy was divided into
numerous independent city-
states. While bursting with
trade and wealth, the city-
states’ growing concern over jealous neighbors
invited the rise of the Condottieri, ambitious
leaders of powerful mercenary armies.

In Condottiere, 2–6 players vie to establish

their influence and control over the cities and
regions of Italy. Fight with skill and daring and
use every tool at your disposal to reshape the
political and military landscape of Italy for
generations to come.

Components

118 Cards 30 Control Markers

(6 colors, 5 of each)

1 Game Board 1 Battle Marker 1 Favor Marker

1
Setup
1. Place the board in the center of the table.
Playing the Game

I
n Condottiere, players
2. Return all 8 cards marked compete in numerous battles
with the classic version icon over the different regions
(fruit) to the box. Shuffle the of the board. In each battle,
remaining cards and deal players fight over a contested
10 facedown to each player. region, taking turns playing cards to increase
Place the deck facedown near the board. their strength and trigger special effects.

3. Each player chooses a color and takes the At the end of each battle, the player who has
six control markers of that color. the highest strength based on the cards he or
she played wins the battle and gains control
4. The youngest player takes of the contested region. The game ends when
the battle marker. He or she a single player controls either three adjacent
initiates the first battle and regions or a total of five regions anywhere
takes the first turn of the game. on the board.

Redrawing After Battle

You might play several cards in a given
battle, but you do not automatically
draw new cards after the battle ends.
Instead, after all players are out of cards,
the deck and all player hands are reset.

This can happen after a single battle or

several; carefully managing cards and
keeping aware of how your opponents
are managing their own cards is critical
to claiming victory.

Battle
To initiate a battle, the player with the battle
marker chooses an empty region (a region
with no markers on it) and places the battle
marker in that region. This marks the region
as contested, and the winner of the battle will
gain control of it.

2
 Pass
Player Turn If you do not wish to play a card, or if you
Player turns are taken in clockwise order are out of cards, you pass. For the rest of this
starting with the player who initiated the battle, you cannot play any more cards, and
battle. When you take your turn, you can your turn is skipped.
choose to either play a card or pass.
Any cards you already played during the
Play a Card battle stay in your row, and their values and
effects still apply; regardless of when you
Playing a card allows you to increase your
pass, you can still have the highest strength at
strength, hinder opponents, or trigger other
the end of the battle.
effects. There are two types of cards:
mercenary and special cards. If all players except you have passed, you can
take as many consecutive turns as you wish,
Mercenary cards
playing cards until you also pass.
form the backbone
of your army and are
marked by a shield
icon and value (top
left). Each mercenary
you play contributes Strength and Mercenaries
its value to your
After you play a card, add up your
strength. If you have
current strength (the total value of
the highest strength
the mercenaries in your row plus any
among all players at the end of the battle, you
modifications from special cards) and say
win the battle and gain control of the
it aloud to the other players. This keeps
contested region.
everyone aware of the state of the battle.
Special cards
The deck contains 58 mercenaries:
affect the battle in
10 of the 1-value mercenaries, and 8
powerful ways, such
each of the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10-value
as forcing an early
mercenaries.
end to the battle
or multiplying a
player’s strength.
Each special card
is marked with a
unique icon (top
left) and a scroll (bottom) that indicates the
card’s effect. For each card’s full effect, see
“Special Cards” on pages 5–6.

When you play a card, place it in your row

(faceup in front of you). If you played a
special card, resolve its effects.

All cards in your row remain visible to all

players until the battle ends.

3
End of Battle
After all players have passed, the battle ends.

Determine Winner Hand Management

Players compare the strength of their armies, Always carefully consider how much
and the player with the highest strength you wish to commit to each battle,
wins the battle. The winner gains control of including when you want to discard
the contested region, placing one of his or your hand.
her control markers in it. The winner also
takes the battle marker (and will initiate the • If you play too much in the first battle
next battle). or two, you might have minimal
influence in future battles until the
If there is a tie for highest strength, no one deck is reset.
wins the battle, and a control marker is not • If you conserve your hand across too
placed. Randomly decide among the tied many battles, you might be the last
players who takes the battle marker. player with cards: forced to discard
everything you have saved.
Note that the Spy special card can change
who takes the battle marker (see “Special • If you do not discard your hand
Cards” on pages 5–6). after a battle (or are unable to do so
because you still have mercenaries)
Cleanup and Reset you might give an opponent who
still has numerous cards a significant
After the winner is determined, discard all
advantage in the next battle.
cards in player rows faceup to the discard
pile. Also, if a Winter or Spring special card is
on the board, discard it.

Then, follow all of these steps in order:

1. If you have no mercenaries in your hand,

Initiate the Next Battle
After resolving all “End of Battle” steps, the
you can choose to discard your remaining
player with the battle marker initiates the
hand of cards. Players each make this
next battle.
choice in clockwise order starting with the
player who has the battle marker.

2. If you are the only player with cards in

Winning the Game
If you control three adjacent regions or a
hand, you must discard your hand even if
total of five regions anywhere on the board,
you still have mercenaries.
the game ends, and you win!
3. If all players have no cards in hand, reset
In the rare case that a battle cannot be
the deck and player hands. Shuffle the
initiated because there are no empty regions,
discard pile into the deck, then deal each
the game ends, and the player who controls
player 10 cards plus one bonus card for
the most regions wins. If there is a tie, the
each region he or she controls.
tied players share victory.

4
Special Cards Turncoat (3)
When you play a

E
ach special card has a unique Turncoat, the battle
effect that can change the immediately ends. The
state of the battle. These rules for who wins, who
effects are summarized by a takes the battle marker,
group of icons on the bottom etc., are all resolved as
of each card. Each card (and its quantity in normal.
the deck) are explained in greater detail in
the following section.
Winter (3) & Spring (3)
Bishop (6) The seasons of Winter and Spring alter the
mercenaries’ effectiveness for all players, but
When you play a Bishop, only one season can be in play at a time.
check which mercenary
has the highest value When you play Winter or
among all player rows. Spring, place the card on
Discard all copies of that the season space of the
card from all player rows. board. If there is already a
card in that space, discard
Then, take the favor marker (from the board it and replace it with the
if necessary). Choose and place it in an empty new card. After a battle
region on the board; it remains on the board ends, if Winter or Spring is
(even across multiple battles) until another on the board, discard it.
Bishop is played. Battles cannot be initiated in
the favor marker’s region. Winter: While Winter is
in play, the value of each
mercenary in all player
rows is “1.”

Spring: While Spring

is in play, check which
mercenary has the highest
value among all player
rows. Add “3” to the
value of all copies of that
card in all player rows.
Scarecrow (16) Note that the mercenary
affected by Spring can
When you play a
change during the battle.
Scarecrow, take one of
the mercenaries from Winter and Spring affect
your row back into your only mercenaries and not
hand (if possible). The any special cards (not
scarecrow cannot be used even those that increase overall strength,
to take back special cards. such as the Heroine and the Spy).

5
Drummer (6)
While you have a
Drummer in your row,
double the value of each
Strength and Special Cards
mercenary in your row. Special cards whose effects relate to
You can play additional mercenary values are resolved in this
Drummers, but they have order:
no effect.
1. Bishop
2. Winter
Spy (12) 3. Drummer
For each Spy in your row, 4. Spring
add 1 to your strength.
5. Spy and Heroine
Also, after each battle,
the player with the most This means that the Bishop affects
Spies takes the battle mercenaries at their normal values
marker instead of the (before calculating Winter, Spring, or
player who won the battle. If players are tied the Drummer).
for most Spies, the battle marker is taken as
The Drummer doubles values after
normal.
Winter (each mercenary is effectively
worth 2 instead of 1), but before Spring

Heroine (3) (the increase of 3 is not doubled).

For each Heroine in The Heroine and Spy are not

your row, add 10 to your mercenaries, so their values are not
strength. affected by the Bishop, Winter, the
Drummer, or Spring), but their added
strength is applied last to avoid any
confusion.

Credits
Game Design: Dominique Ehrhard
TM
1995 County Rd B2 West
2-Player Game Design: Justin Kemppainen Roseville, MN 55113 USA
651-639-1905
Producer: Justin Kemppainen [email protected]
Editing: Andrea Dell’Agnese & Julia Faeta
Graphic Design: Samuel R. Shimota Proof of Purchase
© 2018 Z-Man Games. Z-Man Condottiere ZM008
Cover and Card Art: Tomasz Jedruszek Games and the Z-Man logo are TMs
of Z-Man Games. Fantasy Flight
Board Art: Samuel R. Shimota Supply is a TM of Fantasy Flight
Games. Actual components may
Art Direction: Bree Lindsoe with Samuel R. Shimota
vary from those shown. Made in
Publisher: Steven Kimball China. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT A
TOY. NOT INTENDED FOR USE BY
Playtesters: Beth Erikson, Dan Gerlach, PERSONS AGE 9 OR YOUNGER.
Monica Helland, Kate Kemppainen,
Alexandar Ortloff, Jasmine Radue, Michael Silsby

6
Classic Version Setup Changes
Create two identical decks

I
ncluded in this edition using only the cards marked
of Condottiere are the with 2-player game icons.
components and rules to Each deck contains 14
play the original version of mercenaries (2 of each, values
the game. 1–6 and 10), 3 Scarecrows,
and 1 each of the Bishop (new
version), Drummer, Heroine,
Setup Changes Turncoat, Winter, and Spring.
Before shuffling the deck, modify it as follows: Each player takes one of the
decks (23 cards), shuffles it,
Remove all 22 cards marked and draws eight cards. Gather five control
with the new version icon markers of any color. Randomly determine
(flower) from the deck: all which player takes the battle marker.
Spring cards, Bishops (new Return the board, the favor marker, and all
version), and Spies, and one unused cards and control markers to the box.
Scarecrow. They are not used in the 2-player game.
Include all 8 cards marked
with the classic version icon
(fruit): five additional 1-value
Rule Changes
There are a few rule changes:
mercenaries and three
Bishops (classic version). • When a battle ends, the winner takes a
control marker. Then, players return all
played cards to the box (players cannot
Bishop (3) look at them) and draw back up to eight
cards (if possible).
When you play a Bishop
• The first player to win three battles (have
(classic version), the battle
three control markers) wins the game.
ends immediately with no
winner. Randomly decide • If you are completely out of cards (both
who takes the battle your deck and hand are empty), your deck
marker, then resolve the is not reset; you are forced to pass in the
remaining “End of Battle” remaining battles.
steps as normal. • If both players are out of cards after a battle
ends and neither player has won three

2-Player Game battles, whoever has won more battles wins

the game. If you are tied, the game is a draw.
• The favor marker is not used. Ignore the

W
hen playing Condottiere with related effect of the Bishop (new version).
two players, each player uses
an identical deck, fighting • If Winter or Spring is played, place it in the
several battles head to middle of the play area instead of on the
head to determine who can board. Resolve its effects as normal.
achieve supremacy.

7
 Special Card Quick Reference
Bishop (New) Spring

Discard all copies of the highest-value Add “3” to all copies of the highest value
mercenary in play. Place the favor marker in mercenary in play. This card replaces the
an empty region. current season.

Bishop (Classic) Drummer

The battle ends with no winner. Randomly Double the value of each mercenary in
decide who takes the battle marker. your row.

Scarecrow Spy

Take 1 mercenary from your row back to Add 1 to your strength. At the end of the
your hand. battle, the player with the most Spies takes
the battle marker.
Turncoat
Heroine

The battle ends immediately with the winner

determined as normal. Add 10 to your strength.

Winter

The value of each mercenary in play is “1.”

This card replaces the current season.