Rule interpretations and clarifications

The Battleline/Avalon Hill rules are notoriously unclear on many points. This document contains suggestions on how to interpret these rules. The main body of this work draws on the clarifications and interpretations made by the playing community when using the nJudge. Main contributor was Bruce Duewer, with some minor additions by Sergio Lidsell and others.

Full classic rules can be found here, and additional rules for Mach2 here.

Suggested optional rules have been added at the end of this document.

Movement rules

The rules for moves, retreats, standoffs and dislodgement follow the Diplomacy or Judge rules where the Machiavelli rules are unclear.

  1. As movement is simultaneous a dislodged unit may still cut support or cause a standoff in any province except the one the attacker came from. Because attackers may never "switch provinces". Ex: (A) A Tyr M Mil, (A) A Trt S A Tyr M Mil, (A) A Aus M Tyr thus (I) A Mil M Tyr will not cause a bounce, while (I) A Com M Tyr will cause a bounce.
  2. Support is always cut if the supporting unit is dislodged or if the attacker comes from any province except the one support is given into. Ex: (A) A Trt M Mil, (A) A Tyr S A Trt M Mil thus (I) A Mil M Tyr will not cut support, while (I) A Com M Tyr will cut the support.
  3. If you attack an empty province with two different attacks the stronger force will succeed. As long as the province is unoccupied by any of your units normal attack rules apply and not the "self-dislodgement" rules. So do not expect a bounce in this case.  Ex: (A) A Tyr M Mil, (A) A Trt S A Tyr M Mil, (A) A Carin M Mil and (-) Mil. In this case there will be no bounce but the Tyr unit will move to Milan and not the Carin unit.
  4. You may never cut your own support by a "self-attack".
  5. Units convoyed by different routes may "switch provinces". Ex: (P) A Anc M LAS M Dal, (V) A Dal M UAS M Anc will succeed. (This is an exception to the "no-switch rule".)
  6. Alternate convoy routes are not allowed as any intermediate province must be specified. Ex: A2 (in Anc)-Dal, F1(in UAS) T-A2, F2 (in LAS) T-A2 must be specified as A2-UAS-Dal.
  7. Dual/alternate movement orders cannot be issued. See point 6 above.
  8. Convoyed units cannot cut support unless they dislodge the supporting unit.

Support cutting determination

The judge determines how support gets cut in the following manner:

  1. All non-convoyed supports are resolved.
  2. Units convoyed by fleets that still may be dislodged are flagged "maybe no convoy".
  3. Convoyed units not flagged with "maybe no convoy" cut support in their destination provinces.
  4. Units convoyed by dislodged fleets are flagged "no convoy".
  5. Any units still being flagged "maybe no convoy" cut support in the destination province.

Retreats

Multistrength units are treated as one (1) strength point units for retreat purposes.

Rebellion units can not and do not support retreats.

Automatic disband determination

If a player does not remove a unit it cannot maintain the judge will automatically disband a unit (usually the oldest built) not in a city/supply center province.

Venice rules

These clarifications were agreed upon by the "machfix" group (the Machiavelli Rules Clarifications Committee, MARC ;-)

  1. Only one unit may be in Venice at any time. Thus if there is a garrison there cannot be a fleet or an army or vice versa. This will also affect attacks and conversions as outlined in 3-9 below.
  2. In Venice you are not allowed to disband a unit of one type and build one of a different type.
  3. An army or fleet unit in Venice is always unable to retreat into the city in case of losing a combat (the loser will be eliminated as an attacker can only come from the lagoon).
  4. An army or fleet unit in Venice that is attacked by a unit of greater strength will be eliminated even if the unit attempted to convert to garrison (as no retreats are available). The attacker will gain Venice. If the attack is of equal or lesser strength, the conversion will succeed and the attacker will bounce.
  5. An attempted conversion to army or fleet by a garrison in Venice will bounce if Venice is attacked. This is regardless of strengths.
  6. A garrison in Venice can never be besieged (as there can only be one unit there).
  7. No rebellion may be placed in Venice if there is a unit in Venice (regardless whether the unit is an army, fleet or garrison).
  8. Only one rebellion unit is placed in Venice, and then always in the city.
  9. A rebellion in Venice can never be besieged by the affected player as the rebelling unit will bounce any of his units (as there can only be one unit). However, any other player will 'put down' the rebellion and thus be able to move into Venice.
     
  10. Machiavelli 2. Notice that, as Venice is a sea area with a city, no army units may be built, exist or enter into Venice.

Sieges

In the following cases the siege lapses and the besieging unit is free to issue other orders in what would be the second campaign of the siege (that is - need not issue hold, lift siege or 2nd besiege order):

  1. If the garrison is eliminated (whatever the cause).
  2. If the garrison is disbanded by a bribe or the owning player. (Do note that if the bribe fails you are stuck with a hold order.)

Self-sieges

As bribes are processed before moves you may issue a besiege order on your own garrison, but, if the garrison remains yours, the order will automatically be changed to 'hold'. Should a similar situation occur as a result of bribes the besieging unit will automatically have its orders automatically changed to 'lift siege'.

Conversion of a besieged unit

In the 2nd season of a siege an unsupported besieged garrison cannot convert regardless of unit strength. (Do notice that the 1995 2nd edition rules treat conversions as attacks, and thus a stronger unit always succeeds.)

Rebellion rules

These clarifications were agreed upon by the "machfix" group.

  1. Also see the section on Venice above.
  2. Control is not affected.
  3. Rebellions are always directed against the player controlling the province as they can never be placed in a garrisoned city, even if the garrison later on leaves or is eliminated.
  4. Rebellion units are placed in both the province and, if it's ungarrisoned, any fortified city or fortress (if in use) present in the affected province.
  5. Movement, conversions, retreats and builds
    a) Movement into a rebelling province is not restricted.
    b) The player who the rebellion is directed against can not retreat into a rebelling city.
    c) The player who the rebellion is directed against can not convert into a rebelling city.
    d) Conversion from garrison to a/f is allowed into a rebelling province. Note that besieged units can not convert. (Conversion from a/f to garrison into a rebelling city is only possible for a player who the rebellion is not directed against - the rebellion is liberated. This situation can never exist as it would only be possible if an a/f unit is bought after the rebellion has occurred, which in itself would immediately liberate any rebellions in the province and city.)
    e) You cannot build new units in rebelling cities or provinces.
    f) You may build a garrison in a non-rebelling city even if the containing province is in rebellion.
  6. Support
    a) Any player who the rebellion is not directed against will get one strength point in support when moving into a rebelling province.
    b) Rebels can never give more than one strength point in support even if there is a rebellion unit in both the city and the province.
    c) Support from rebels can never be divided between different players even if there is a rebellion in both the city and the province.
    d) If more than one player attempts to get the rebel support none gets it.
    e) A converting garrison not owned by the affected player will get support from the rebellion unit in the province.  (This means that a player in a city may cause a rebellion in the province to support his own units into the province.)  Note that besieged units can not convert.
    f) Rebellion units can not and do not support retreats.
  7. Income
    a) The controlling player receives no income from rebelling provinces or rebelling ungarrisoned cities.
    b) Garrisoned cities produce income (as rebellions can never be placed in those).
    c) Income is collected for a city within a rebelling province if the city itself is not in rebellion (even if the garrison was disbanded/removed/eliminated/bought after the rebellion event).
  8. How rebellions are removed
    Notice that removal occurs after the rebels have given any support.
    Also notice that cities may not be allowed to retreat/convert into, as explained in 5b/c above *regardless* of what is said in paragraph 8c/d.
    a) The player who the rebellion is directed against must besiege a rebelling city to "put down" the rebellion.  Any rebellion in the province is *also removed* at the completion of the siege.
    b) The player who the rebellion is directed against must "hold" for one campaign with an army or fleet to "put down" a rebellion in the province (note that a rebelling city must still be besieged).
    c) A player who the rebellion is not directed against will immediately "liberate" any rebellion upon entering a rebelling city or province.  If there is a rebellion in both the city and the province proper both rebellions will be liberated.
    d) A player who the rebellion is not directed against will immediately "liberate" any rebellion if it buys an army or fleet or garrison in the rebelling province (if the bought unit was owned by the affected player).
    e) Pay for expense B, pacify rebellion. Removes both in city and province.

Province control determination clarifications

  1. If you move away or disband or are eliminated from a province with an enemy garrison. The power controlling the garrison gains control over the province as well. (If the garrison is autonomous the province gets autonomous too.)
  2. If both a garrison and an army/fleet in the same province are simultaneously eliminated, control does not change.
  3. If control is divided because of 2) above, units may not be built in said province.

Home country control determination clarification

If a power simultaneously loses its only home country and gains a new home country, it is nevertheless eliminated as the most adverse event takes precedence.

Loans

Loans are repaid oldest first, beginning with the interest. You may not give money to another player if you are indebted to the bank.

Builds and conversions in multi-coastal provinces

Albeit there are none on the current Machiavelli map, you may have created one in a scenario. The nJudge  currently treats those as below.

All coasts are available for conversion or builds regardless of placement of city or anchor symbol.

Probable future rules (used at GM's discretion):

Version 1: Fleets may only be built or convert to garrison or vice versa from/to a sea area containing the anchor symbol. Would both coasts have the anchor then both coasts would be eligible for builds/conversion.

Version 2: Fleets may only be built or convert to garrison or vice versa from/to a sea area containing the anchor symbol. Only one anchored coast may exist.

Support from fleets into multi-coastal provinces

As in Diplomacy support is only successful if the fleet giving support can move to the coast that the supported fleet is on.

Straits rules

  1. As long as there is a fleet in either Messina or Piombino, no hostile fleet can move, support or convoy between the Gulf of Naples and the Ionian Sea or the Eastern Thyrrenian Sea and Pisa.
     
  2. An army unit or garrison in either of these provinces does not control the straits.
     
  3. If a fleet successfully advances into Piombino or Messina in the same turn as a hostile fleet attempts to use the straits, the hostile fleet suffers all effects described in 1) above.
     
  4. If a garrison successfully converts to a fleet it will block a hostile fleet the same turn it converted. The hostile fleet will suffer all effects described in 1) above.
     
  5. If a fleet moving away is bounced back into Piombino or Messina it will block a hostile fleet. The hostile fleet will suffer all effects described in 1) above.
     
  6. If a fleet converts to a garrison it will *not* block a hostile fleet in the same turn as it converts.
     
  7. A retreating fleet will suffer all effects described in 1) above. But a fleet *retreating into* Piombino or Messina, will *not* block other fleets retreating through the straits (in the same turn).
     
  8. Adjacency for bribe purposes is not affected by blocking fleets.

Note that in Machiavelli 2 rules 3-4) above are not applicable, as only fleets that are *already present* in the province (Messina only in this case) affect the straits.

Optional rules

Cavalry

These is a special unit of the elite type. Only one can be owned. It has the following characteristics:

Moves and retreats are resolved as follows:

  1. Success is only calculated for the target province. There is no way to block the move through the "middle" province in the case of a full (two province) move.
  2. If the target is occupied the unit will bounce.
  3. If another unit moves to the same target both will bounce.
  4. If a bounce occurs the unit must retreat to the preceding province in the movement path. That is: if the move was Cav M Mil M Pav M Mon (*bounce*) then the retreat must be to Pav.
  5. If the preceding province is occupied (regardless if by a holding unit or if by a unit that just moved there) the retreat must continue to the starting province. If Pav had been occupied in the example above, then the Cav would have had to move back to Mil.
  6. If the starting province is occupied (regardless if by a holding unit or if by a unit that just moved there) then the retreat will continue as per the standard rules.

Alternate movement rule for Cavalry.

Cavalry can coexist with other units in a province (like a rebellion unit). Cavalry does not automatically support like rebellion units, but must be ordered like any other unit. Cavalry can be destroyed like a rebellion unit if it holds in the province. If it supports another unit in the province, cavalry will be dislodged if the supported unit is dislodged.

Autonomous A/F units

Storms at sea

This is an optional disaster table. Occurs after the fall campaign (or if you wish a meaner version, after builds). A fleet in a sea area struck by a storm will be sunk and thus eliminated.

Variable province and sea area income

Instead of letting any sea area or province generate a fixed amount of 1 ducat, some provinces or sea areas may generate income between 0 (zero) and 9 ducats.

Forced taxation (plunder)

Double income from a province and/or city. Province/city will immediately rebel. Place a rebellion unit. (This actually has historical realism.) Order would be FORCE [PROVINCENAME], and given in the fall turn. Can only be done in the same province once per year.

Sub-option: order may be given in any season, and power gets the money immediately.

Sub-option2: the province (and city) cannot generate any income, nor be used for builds the following year even if the rebellion is lifted (more realistic). (In 'judge' play this would mean no income and builds in the adjustment phase of the same year, while for 'non-judge' play it would mean no income and builds in the following year.) In this case no player may force tax/plunder the same province until the 2nd year following.

Province trading

A power may give away control over one province he fully controls to another power. This is limited to non-home country provinces. Order would be GIVE [PROVINCENAME] TO [POWERNAME].

This would actually be historically very accurate and a great (?) tool for diplomacy.

New bribes

For autonomous units

Cause famine (scorched earth tactics)

A new bribe that puts a famine marker in a province in any season. The marker is placed during the seasons expenditure phase and removed after all other seasonal phases have been processed. Thus in fall it will be removed before adjustments ! Costs 3 ducats.

Sub-option: famine can only be removed by the Famine Relief bribe.

Cause and relieve plague

OK relieve plague may not be too realistic and cause plague a tad powerful as you may get two units removed when your catapults have thrown that corpse over the city wall.

"Realistic" plague

Sub-option 1: Plague stays put and expands to the adjacent land provinces (like waves on water) every year.
Sub-option 2: A dice is rolled to determine one 'seed' province and then another roll is made to determine how many surrounding provinces are affected. (A one would mean the adjacent provinces, a two the next 'circle' of provinces and so on.)
Sub-option 3: The usual roll is made to determine the plague affected provinces, but then another roll is made to determine how many surrounding provinces are affected.

No limit on assassination bribes

As the header says: you may spend how much you want on an assassination attempt.