$-FREE SUPREMACY

A simplified variant
by Derek Hohls

Version 1 - February 1999


BACKGROUND

Supremacy is termed "the game of the SuperPowers", and is a board game along the lines of Parker Brother's Risk, with the object being to bankrupt, capture or destroy your opponents. For information on the game, including on-line rules and map, see the WebSupremacy site or Mrk's Game Warehouse.

INTRODUCTION

The main change between this variant and conventional Supremacy (ie. Supremacy without the various expansions) is that no money is used in the game. Resources (and their associated cards) now act as the key "cost" indicator. This simplifies and reduces the transactions in the game, and (I think) makes it harder to acquire nukes through conventional purchase means. It also removes the problem perceived by many critics of the game that the market system is "broken".

CAUTION:

These rules have not been playtested. Use at your own risk!! Please let me know of any ideas or suggestions arising from playtesting.


KEY CHANGES

Stage 1: Salaries

No salaries and loans are paid.

Players must pay maintenance costs of:.

  • 1 grain for each 3 "occupying" armies.
  • 1 oil for each navy in an ocean

    "Occupying" armies are those in opponent's territories. Round up fractions to the nearest whole multiple of 3 (eg. round up 2 to 3, 7 to 9 etc.)

    If a player requires a company to produce resources during Stage 2 of the current turn, it must be tuned face-up, otherwise it is left face-down. Players can change which companies produce from turn to turn.

    Stage 3: Sales

    Players do not sell to the bank, but may exchange resources from their supply centre for resources or resource cards (face-down ones only) from other players.

    Stage 4: Attack

    If a player captures a territory where a player has a face-down company card, that card is returned to the deck. If a player captures a territory where a player has a face-up company card (ie. a company that was used to generate resources), that card is captured by the attacking player.

    Stage 5: Move

    There are now no costs for moving a army from one territory to an adjacent one. Moving a navy to or from an ocean now costs 1 oil; this is in addition to the costs of transporting armies.

    Stage 6: Build

    Building costs are paid for with resources only. Use the normal costs as per the original rules, except that building a Nuke or L-Star also each cost one extra set of resources.

    Stage 7: Buy/Prospect

    Buy

    Players cannot buy from the bank, but may "buy" from other players. Any resource, or combination of resources or cards may be used in a sale.

    Prospect

    Pay 1 resource to the Bank for each 3 (or fraction of 3) cards turned over.

    Building Nukes and L-Stars

    When researching for a First Nuke or L-Star, a player must pay 2 mineral, or 1 oil and 1 mineral, for each 3 (or fraction of 3) cards turned over, regardless of the outcome of the research.

    Building a Nuke or L-Star also each cost one extra set of resources.

    Winning the Game

    Use the following scoring system for Detente:

    Item Points(each)
    Supplies 2
    Companies "Spots"
    Armies/Navies 1
    Nukes 4
    L-Stars 8


    ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED CHANGES

    The following rules changes are not required, but work well with the above.

    Setup

    During setup, a navy can be placed instead of an army, in the sea adjacent to the territory where that army would have been placed. No more than one navy can be placed in a sea. A player must place at least one army on one of his territories. The following seas "belong" only to the corresponding nation - for setup purposes only:

    Sea of Japan China
    Caribbean USA
    Gulf of Panama South America

    Real World Decisions

    Participation in each stage decided simultaneously - each player secretly places an army in his/her closed hand to indicate desire to participate. All hands opened simultaneously. Roll for order of play as usual.

    Resource Exchanges

    During Stage 2 (after transferring production units) players may exchange supplies in their Supply centres as follows: 2 grain for 1 oil or 2 oil for 1 mineral.

    Variable Attack Costs

    Instead of using a full set of resources for units involved in a battle, use the following modifications:.

  • If only armies (from the player paying the cost) are involved, remove 1 grain and 1 oil;.
  • If only navies (from the player paying the cost) are involved, remove 1 mineral and 1 oil.

    L-Star Clash

    Each player rolls 2 dice, and adds the number of L-Stars under his/her command. The attacker also adds 1. For each 3 points difference between the highest and lowest result, the loser (with the lowest result) must remove one L-Star.

    Staggered Prospecting

    All players participating in the Buy/Prospect Stage must take turns to prospect for one resource at a time.

    Alternate Victory Conditions

    Decide before the game starts to allow for the following additional condition:

    Economic Superpower

    Win by capturing more than half of all the available resources; or more than two-thirds of two different resources. A resource is captured when a player controls the card for that resource (regardless of whether it is face-up or -down).


    The Board Gamesbook is maintained by:
    Derek Hohls (boardgamesbook@yahoo.com)