Machiavelli boardgame site edition differences overview

Differences between Machiavelli editions

Revision 3c. September 26th, 2004; by Sergio Lidsell.

Avalon Hill Machiavelli 1980 and 1983 editions

Below are the differences in the 1983 edition compared with the 1980 edition.

Main exception
There are no money lenders and no banks in the 1983 edition. This is so odd that I wonder if it is a misprint.

Map
As for the map it has small houses, instead of black blobs, indicating the various fortified cities, fortresses and unfortified cities. The map is coloured differently.

Units
There is the same types and numbers of units. There are 520 counters in both editions divided like this:
All powers got 12 army, 8 fleet, 4 garrison, 7 assassination and 12 control counters;
There are also 20 rebellion, 20 famine and 40 autonomous garrison counters;
And finally 40 one ducat counters, 20 five ducat, 10 ten ducat, 7 twenty ducat and 3 fifty ducat.

Rules
The rules are, except the above, exactly the same with some spelling corrections a couple of rephrasings and some clarifications of, well, no use.

Basic game
VB1f clarification: G may only be added in fortified city.
VB4 new para: build orders are also written secretely and revealed simultaneously.
VC: better written text.
VD3: rephrased to clearly point out that the map colors concern the Balance of Power scenario only.
VIIB1c clarification: garrissons may only hold, support or convert.
VIIIB3: rephrased.
VIIIB4: rephrased.

Advanced game
VBd4 addition (rather a clarification): variable income is only for the home country not city (or both) unless stated otherwise in the scenario.
VID12: additional note that a 3 d counter bribe would not have been enough to stop the buy.

Scenarios
Clarification that it is necessary to control both city and province to be able to gain the special city income.
Balance of Power: Tivoli is part of Papal home country. Control of Naples or Milan city and province awards 1d6 variable income roll.
Struggle for Dominance I: Control of Genoa or Florence city and province awards 1d6 variable income roll.

Avalon Hill Machiavelli 1980/1983 and 1995 editions

Below are the differences in the 1995 edition compared with the 1980/1983 edition. This is an expanded version, with corrections, of Alan Poulters overview.

Units are divided in this way (differs in design and type distribution from earlier editions):
All powers got 12 army, 8 fleet, 4 garrison, 7 assassination counters;
Control counters are divided into two types, home control (hc, "flags") and province control (pc), and differ in number between powers.
Naples has 8 hc and 14 pc counters. Turkey has 4 hc, 8 pc; Venice 8 hc, 14 pc; Papacy 7 hc, 11 pc; Austria 8 hc, 14 pc; Florence 6 hc, 10 pc; Milan 6 hc, 8 pc; and France 5 hc, 9 pc.
There are also 8 rebellion, 15 famine, 17 autonomous garrison counters.
And finally 15 one ducat counters, 15 two ducat, 20 three ducat, 20 five ducat and 10 ten ducat.
There are also 12 counters that look like colour print tests. Those are 4 blue-green, 4 blue-grey and 4 brown-green counters.

Change category	Change details	Notes	Rules ref.
Map	Fortresses have been eliminated	See map.
Map	North and south coasts are all eliminated. 1) Carniola borders Istria. Croatia north coast eliminated. 2) Marseilles borders Avignon. Provence north coast eliminated.
Map	Corsica is not a port anymore.
Map	Armies may move from Corsica to Sardinia and vice versa.		§6.2
Map	Armies may move from Otranto to Messina and vice versa.		§6.2
Map	Bergamo&Brescia=Bergamo.
Map	Fornova&Pontremoli=Fornova
Map	Piancenza&Parma=Parma
Map	Rome&Tivoli=Rome. Yes Rome borders TS!
Map	Urbino&Romagna=Urbino
Map	Venice&Lagoon=Venice. Only fleets and garrisson units are allowed in this		§4.3
Map	BOT=CM=Central Mediterranean.
Map	EGL=LS=Ligurian Sea.
Map	WGL=GOL=Gulf of Lyons.
Map	GON now borders from Palermo to Naples. Not Tivoli and Capua.
Map	WMED does not border Palermo anymore. Only Tunis, Sardinia, CM, TS, WGL
Map	WTS&ETS=TS=Thyrrenian Sea. Borders Naples in the south-east. Borders Piombino and not Pisa in the north-east. Borders Messina and not Palermo in the south.
Map	Piombino has no Elba island anymore.
Rules	Any country cannot buy any special unit. ATV: elite professionals. LIPV: citizen’s militia. LIPVNAF: elite mercenaries.		§14
Rules	Bribes. Adjacency calculated from units and controlled provinces (even if there is no unit in it).		§9.3 4th bullet
Rules	Control change of provinces is now pure Diplomacy style. I.e. you need to have one of your units present at the beginning of spring.		§4.3
Rules	Crusade=Excommunication directed against the Turk.	Pointless comment in the rules	§12
Rules	Disband order. Not mentioned anymore. In the retreat rules it is mentioned that units may disband instead of retreating if the retreat will result in a bounce with another retreating unit.	This is probably a "Diplomatization" of the rules (as the disband order in the previous version was included as a type of conversion).	§7.5 last two sentences
Rules	Excommunication. Pope may excommunicate one player before the diplomacy phase. This means that that player is forbidden to communicate with all the other players during that turn. If all players ignore the papal decree it is null and void but if at least one player does not ignore it then all other players that tried to talk will be excommunicated.		§12
Rules	Fleets on a coast (of province) may not convoy.	"Diplomatization"	§6.3.5
Rules	Loans. Loans excecuted as by the nJudge rules clarifications.
Rules	Notation change. "A" is changed to "-". "T" (transport) is changed to "C" (convoy). "C" (convert) is changed to "=". "L" (lift siege) has been dropped. "O" (disband) has been dropped.	See also separate entry on disbands.
Rules	Only cities count toward victory.		§3.2
Rules	Retreats into cities always allowed.		§7.5
Rules	Strategic movement. 2 units (a or f but never g) may move an unlimited number of consecutive friendly provinces. For armies this includs sea areas by convoy. For fleets this includes coastal provinces. Another player may allow you to enter/pass his areas. Occupied areas may obviously not be entered (but nothing is said in the rules about passing through friendly occupied areas). Player controlling most cities begins and then the move proceeds in order from most to least. Notice that this means that the 'weaker' players move after having seen the 'stronger' players moves.	N.B. this is not implemented simultaneously in the rules.	§15
Rules	Support. Support breaking for double ("two") strength units. Only one strength point cut by single ("one") strength point unit. Thus the 2nd strength point remains intact.	Important difference from the current interpretation.	Peronal communication from ben Knight of Avalon Hill
Rules	Conquest of home countries is an optional rule
Scenarios	Expansion of States 1385-1425 scenario has been scrapped.
Scenarios	Fixed amount of starting money. I.e. no rolls for income.	See scenario page for details.
Scenarios	Setup somewhat changed due to changes in the number of provinces.	See scenario page for details.
Sequence of Play	1. Control determination (incl. elimination), spring. 2. Famine, spring. 3. Income, spring. 4. Builds, spring. 5. Plague, summer. 6. Excommunication. Popal decree Other players reaction Press disallowed or not 7. Diplomatic interchange. 8. Pay due loans. 9. Take loans (borrow) 10. Orders. 11. Resolve expenses. 12. Resolve assassinations. 13. Resolve move/combat. 14. Strategic move (yes all turns) 15. Resolve famine, spring.
Tables	Assassination table is unchanged.
Tables	Famine table changed.	Due to less provinces.
Tables	Income table is unchanged.
Tables	Plague table changed	Due to less provinces.
Tables	Variable income table is unchanged, except for Rome that is deleted.	Rome is not included as that scenario has been scrapped.
Tables	Year chart uses 1d6 not 2d6. 1=no disaster. 2-3=row only. 4-5=column only. 6=row and column.