Victory Variant Rules

Author: Lutz Pietschker
Version: 2001

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Victory Espionage/Reconnaissance Rules

–experimental–

Espionage/Reconnaissance Points

Every player starts the game with a certain number of Espionage/ReconnaissancePoints (hereafter called E/RP). These points may be used for

• Espionage, i.e. the ability to gather information about the opponent's forces in a certain location (town or city),
• Counter-Espionage, a protective measure to strengthen a location against an espionage attempt (but not against battle reconnaissance), and
• Battle Reconnaissance, i.e. an attempt to gather information about enemy forces in a hex adjacent to or occupied by friendly units.

E/RP are no units; they are not represented by blocks or any other deviceon the game map. Rather, they are managed by hidden asset notes that mustbe revealed when necessary to prove their allocation and/or value. (It isrecommended to take notes on separate pieces of paper for each unit/location;this makes it easier to check them without revealing more information thannecessary.)

The Capital

For the purpose of these rules, each player should declare a capital. Thismust be the friendly city with the highest supply point rating, player'schoice in case of ties. If the capital is taken by the enemy (not just underattack), the player must choose a new capital (by the same rules as for theinitial capital). The capital automatically switches back to the originallocation if that is re-conquered, but existing E/RP allocations do not change.

Allocating E/RP

E/RP are allocated either to enemy towns or cities (in which case they actas spies), friendly towns or cities (as counter-espionage agents), or friendlyground units (as reconnaissance assets of a non-specified kind). Allocationmust be done during the player's set-up; non-allocated points are automaticallyallocated to the friendly capital as counter-espionage agents.

Since units do not have distinctive designations in Victory, recon assetsshould be noted as "armour, hex xxx", for example. They are then common assetsof all units of that kind (in the example, armour units) in that hex.

No location or unit may ever have more than 5 E/RP allocated; E/RP in excessare lost.

Using E/RP

As a principle, each E/RP may only "act" once in a player's turn. E/RP movementis not an action. There is no limit to the number of actions per hex; a luckyattacker could very well spy out units in one location first and then attackthem by sabotage.

No player is forced to reveal the presence of E/RP until they try to act.The attempt to use E/RP is always resolved like this:

• The player announces the attempt and his intention. Possible intentions are espionage or sabotage (for spies), or reconnaissance (for recon assets). He then reveals as many E/RP as he deems wise, but at least 1 E/RP. The player is not forced to reveal all E/RP actually at his disposal. All revealed E/RP are "at risk" now.
• He then rolls a die.
• Now the defender may reveal as many counter-attack asset E/RP as he wants; for each such point the die roll is modified by +1. Spies may counter-attack only espionage or sabotage attempts, recon assets may only counter-attack reconnaissance attempts.
• Now the attacker may, in a last-ditch attempt to make his attack a success, reveal more of his applicable E/RP. However, these additional E/RP are always lost.

Any modified roll equal to or lower than the attacker's total revealed E/RPstrength is a success. A success is always "yes" or "no"; there is no "degreeof success" for rolling especially well.

Spies

Spies may be activated at any time during the player's turn. The player announceshis intention and proves the existence of at least 1 E/RP. Possible intentionsare:

• Espionage; reveal 1/2 (rounded up) of the defender's units until the end of that game turn; the attacker chooses which units to reveal. Turn the units to face away from the owning player to mark them; the owning player may check them at any time, though.
• Sabotage; the defender reduces one unit of the attacker's choice (who chooses without revealing the unit!) by 1 CV step; he must then reveal the new value (but not the unit type). A unit can not be eliminated by sabotage; the attempt is regarded as a failure should no CV be lost after a sabotage attack.

Counter-Spies

Counter-Spies are just revealed as needed by the defender. Revealedcounter-espionage E/RP are "at risk".

Recon Assets

Their intention is to do reconnaissance in any hex adjacentto their "mother" unit. A successful reconnaissance reveals enemy units inthe target hex in the same manner as an espionage attempt.

Aftermath / E/RP "At Risk"

The attacker rolls 1 die. For each point of the die, one E/RP "at risk" maybe lost. For the first die point, eliminate one E/RP of the attacker; forthe next, one of the defender (none if no defender E/RP revealed), one againfor the attacker etc. until all die points are used or no E/RP "at risk"are left.

Example: E/RP "at risk" are 3 attacker, none defender, die roll is 3: Lose one E/RP for the attacker, none for the defender, one for the attacker.Die roll is now used up, attacker has lost 2 E/RP.
Example: E/RP "at risk" are 3 attacker, 2 defender, die roll is 6: Lose oneE/RP for the attacker, one for the defender, one for the attacker, one forthe defender, one for the attacker. No more E/RP at risk, attacker has lost3 E/RP, defender 2.

Moving E/RP

E/RP allocated to locations may be moved to one adjacent location (i.e. anotherlocation connected directly by some kind of road, without intervening locations)at the end of each game turn. Neither friendly nor enemy units hinder suchtransfers in any way. If a location changes the owner, the E/RP allocatedto it just switch their role from spy to counter-spy or vice versa, theyare not re-allocated.

E/RP allocated to units (recon assets) may be transferred between groundunits of the same type freely at the end of each game turn. This means that, for example, E/RP allocated to armour will stay allocated to armour allthrough the game; they may not be transferred to infantry, elite armour,or other unit types. Likewise, infantry recon assets must stay with infantryand may not be transferred to engineers, paratroops, mountain troops etc.Otherwise E/RP move inherently with the unit.
E/RP allocated to a unit that is destroyed are transferred to another unitof the same kind in that hex; when the last unit of its kind in that hexis destroyed, the allocated E/RP are lost.

Spies may never be changed into recon assets and vice versa. Note E/RP moveson your hidden log so they can be checked later.

Building E/RP

Each player may build 2 E/RP per turn, in the building phase. These pointsmust be allocated immediately and secretly to any friendly ground unit, otherwisethey are automatically added to the current capital's counter-espionage assets.From there, they may be re-allocated or moved as described above.

Players may also convert supply points of a city into recon assets directly(but not into spies). However, recon assets thus built must be immediatelydeclared and allocated openly. Further, they must be allocated to a groundunit present in that city hex; the unit must be revealed momentarily to show that the allocation is legal.

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, last change 2011-03-12