STORY
=====
In a world ruled by swords and sorcery, a long, violent warring period was finally brought to rest and the land unified under an imperial empire.
However, before this peace could become stable, the great emperor was struck by a severe illness and passed away, without being able to nominate a successor.
Without someone to lead the kingdom, the land will surely fall back into chaos and disarray!

As a person of importance in the empire, you wish to quickly decide the new successor and protect a peaceful future.
There are a total of 7 candidates vying to become empress, including 2 daughters of the royal bloodline.
Now, select a princess to support, and lift her to the throne!

WINNING
=======
Get the princess you support to ascend to the throne!

To accomplish this, you must first earn enough money to select a princess to back.
Afterward, earn a total of 20 "inheritance points", which represent the support of the people and politicans.

Once you accomplish this, the "coronation ceremony" begins.
After one round, if your princess is the only one with 20 or more inheritance points or more, you win!
If you fall below 20 points, the ceremony is cancelled and play continues.

OVERTIME
========
If other princesses also reach 20 points, the game goes into "overtime".
In overtime, the first princess to reach 30 points immediately ascends to the throne.
Players whose princesses have less than 20 points at the start of overtime drop out of the game and skip their turns.

ENDING THE GAME
===============
Aside from the coronation ceremony and overtime described under "WINNING" and "OVERTIME", the game ends immediately if there are no more Princes in the Basic Market.
In this case, the princess with the most inheritance points ascends to the throne.
There is no tie-breaker if multiple princesses have the same amount of inheritance points.

CARD TYPES / SUBTYPES
=====================
There are 7 different types of cards.

Princess cards
The unique challengers for the throne.
When you choose to support a princess, they are placed in your play area but are not part of your deck.

Action cards
Cards that can be played on your turn for various effect.

Attack cards
A subset of action cards, that can be played on your turn to affect other players.

Defense cards
A subset of action cards, that can be used to react to attack cards, or played on your turn.

Territory cards
Cards that can be played on your turn, that primarily generate coins for you to use.

Succession cards
Cards that give your princess inheritance points needed to ascend to the throne and win the game.
You usually aim to set these under direct control of your princess during gameplay.

Curse cards
Cards that obstruct your deck and act as a bother.

Cards may also have a subtype in addition to a type.
The five possible subtypes are: Magic, Military, Merchant, Maid, and Strategy.
Not all cards have a subtype.
Subtypes will sometimes affect whether a card can interact with another, depending on their effect.

TERMINOLOGY
===========
http://www49.atwiki.jp/hatokura/pages/70.html


game tips http://www49.atwiki.jp/hatokura/pages/163.html


SETUP
=====
1) Separate out the princess cards face-up into the "Princess Pile".

2) Separate out the curse cards face-up into the "Curse Pile".

3) Create the starting deck for each player, consisting of 7 Villages and 3 Apprentice Maids.

4) Create the "Basic Market", consisting of 30 Towns, 20 Cities, and 12 each of the Royal Maids, Councillors, and Princes. These should be all of the cards for each type. All the cards in the Basic Market have their own face-up pile.

5) From the 30 types of common cards, select 10 types to compose the "Supply" of this game.
The 10 types can be selected randomly, as according to a preset Supply build (see "SUGGESTED STARTING SETS"), or via any other method.

6) Take 5 copies of each type of card selected to be in the Supply, and add to them the two rare cards, Imperial Capitol Karikuma and The Emperor's Crown. Shuffle the Supply and leave it face-down.

7) Create the "Random Market" by revealing cards one at a time from the Supply until you have 8 different types of cards face up.
If you reveal a card which is already in the Random Market, stack it on top of the previously-revealed cards and continue.
Together, the Basic Market and Random Market are collectively known as the "Market."

8) Some cards require you to use counters to keep track of additional inheritance points, uses remaining of an ability, and so on.
Have a stock of counters ready for these cases.

9) Determine who goes first, using whatever method you feel is appropriate.

10) Each player shuffles their deck, draws their starting hand of 5 cards, and play begins clockwise with the first player.

2 PLAYER VARIANT
================
When adding the rare cards to the Supply, do not add Imperial Capitol Karikuma.
Otherwise, follow the standard 3-4 player rules.

ALTERNATIVE START
=================
For a more strategic beginning of the game, you may play with the "alternative start" variant rules after completing step 8 of the setup.

In this, instead of shuffling their starting deck of 10 cards, players look at their starting deck and pick which 5 cards they wish to be their starting hand.
The other 5 cards become the deck and therefore the second hand the player draws.

To decide turn orders, all players put their starting hands face-down, then reveal them simultaneously.
The player with the most Apprentice Maids (i.e. the least Villages) in their starting hand goes first.

The table should rearrange itself in descending Apprentice Maid count, clockwise from the first player.
All ties are to be broken in standard, random fashion.

TURN OVERVIEW
=========
1) Main Phase
You may play one action or territory card from your hand.
These cards may allow you to draw additional cards, earn coins, or perform other actions. Follow the effect written on the card.
* Coins are the currency used in the second phase to buy cards, and can only be used during the turn they are acquired.
* For cards that instruct you to draw a card, if you have no cards in your deck, shuffle your discard pile to create a new deck.
* If a card instructs you to pay coins, you must have already earned the coins required; otherwise, the effect does not occur.
* When you are instructed to "acquire" a card, you acquire it into your discard pile.
* When you are instructed to "banish" a card, remove it from gameplay.

A card may have a yellow arrow on its right edge or bottom edge. This is known as a "link symbol".
For each link symbol a card has, you may play one additional action or territory card.

Some cards have abilities that can be activated once per Main Phase, including some princesses and the Witch of Curses.
These do not count as playing a card and do not consume links.

If you play an attack card, the effect resolves for each player in clockwise (i.e. turn) order.
Players may respond with defense cards; for more on this, see "USING DEFENSE CARDS".

If you are supporting a princess, you may also perform these actions at any time during your turn:

* You may "keep" an action card by placing it on top of a equal-or-higher-cost territory under your princess's direct control.
This card is not discarded during the cleanup phase.

* You may "recall" an action card that was kept on earlier turns and place it into your hand.

2) Second Phase
You do not play any cards in the second phase.
Perform only one of the following actions:

* Purchase as many cards from the Market as you like using coins earned this turn.
You can buy multiples of the same card if they are available.

* Select a princess to support from the remaining princesses, paying the cost of 6 coins.
You must also take the 3 highest-cost territory cards you played this turn, and set them under the princess's direct control.

* If you are supporting a princess, set as many succession cards as you like under her direct control.

3) Cleanup Phase
Discard your hand and all cards you played this turn.
Any leftover coins earned are lost.

Any cards set under direct control of the princess, in addition to cards "kept" on a territory under direct control are not discarded.

4) Hand Replenishment
Draw 5 cards to create your hand for next turn.
If your deck runs out, shuffle your discard pile to create a new deck.

5) Market Replenishment
If there are less than 8 different cards in the random market, flip cards face-up from the Supply until there are 8 different cards showing.
Similar to the start of the game, place identical cards on top of each other and continue.

If the Supply is empty, the game continues without replenishing.

OPENING CARDS
===============
There are many attack and defense cards that refer to "opening" cards from the deck or other locations.
To "open" a card means to flip it face up so that it is visible. When a card is revealed, it stays face-up until it is removed from its location or otherwise instructed to be flipped.

USING DEFENSE CARDS
===================
When you are targeted by an attack card, you may react with defense cards from your hand or kept under direct control.
You may react with as many defense cards as you wish.

If you do so, follow the effects written on the defense cards before resolving the attack card.

You must choose to react with defense cards before the attack card's effect is resolved.

SUGGESTED STARTING SETS
=======================
BASE SET ONLY
First Play
A build ideal for people learning the basics of Heart of Crown.
Scout / Fountain of Wishes / Swift Horse / Trading Ship / Government Purveyor / Supply Unit / Library / City Development / Adventurer / Alchemist

For Beginners
An introductory build featuring all elements of the game.
Scout / Swift Horse / Fountain of Wishes / Rampart / Battering Ram / Trading Ship / City Development / Infantry Battalion / Government Purveyor / Alchemist

For Beginners #2
An introductory build featuring all game elements. Includes curses and the ability to thin your deck.
Offering / Scout / Fountain of Wishes / Rampart / Battering Ram / Slash-and-Burn Farming / City Development / Royal Guard / Adventurer / Alchemist

For Veterans
A build with more advanced cards for people who have gotten used to Heart of Crown.
Scout / Offering / Magic Talisman / Supply Unit / Library / Stargazing Witch / Demon Banishing / Government Purveyor / Imperial Territory / Witch of Curses

For Veterans #2
A build which introduces some of the other advanced cards. At this point, you should be comfortable enough with the game to build your own starting set or use a random generator.
Swift Horse / Fountain of Wishes / Bribery / Draft Notice / Trading Ship / Hideout / Shinobi / Moneylender / Infantry Battalion / Rumor-Spreading Duchess

Big Business
Earn tons of coins!
Fountain of Wishes / Scout / Bribery / Supply Unit / Trading Ship / Library / City Development / Bank / Moneylender / Alchemist

The Great War
Strategy will determine whether you succeed or fail. Focusing on defense as well as offense is important!
Scout / Swift Horse / Rampart / Battering Ram / Trading Ship / Supply Unit / Infantry Battalion / Shinobi / Hideout / Royal Guard

Adventure-bound
Let's see what treasures there are to be discovered!
Offering / Fountain of Wishes / Buried Treasure / Supply Unit / Demon Banishing / Stargazing Witch / Library / Alchemist / Adventurer / Imperial Territory

Walpurgis Night
A witch's banquet. Have your magic talisman ready.
Offering / Scout / Fountain of Wishes / Magic Talisman / Witch of Curiosities / Library / Stargazing Witch / Demon Banishing / Hideout / Witch of Curses

Royal Politics
There's a rumor that the royal court is trying to exert their influence over who takes the throne.
Fountain of Wishes / Bribery / Draft Notice / Magic Talisman / Witch of Curiosities / Stargazing Witch / Royal Guard / Alchemist / Imperial Territory / Rumor-Spreading Duchess

BASE SET + EASTERN BORDERLANDS
First Play (Eastern Ver.)
Scout / Fountain of Wishes / Swift Horse / Trading Ship / Library / Government Purveyor / City Development / Adventurer / Alchemist / Port City

Battle of the Port City
Money-Loving Fairy / Archer / Port City / Kunoichi / Swift Horse / Hideout / Trading Ship / Demon Banishing / Alchemist / Royal Guard

Trade and Prosperity
Carrier Pigeon / Trader / Taxation / Mining Town / Samurai / Port City / Kunoichi / Charm of Two / Swift Horse / Trading Ship

Mining Era
Money-Loving Fairy / Archer / Mining Town / Offering / Rampart / Swift Horse / Battering Ram / Library / Infantry Battalion / Alchemist

Town Rebellion
Carrier Pigeon / Archer / Port City / Mining Town / Samurai / Charm of Two / Fountain of Wishes / Swift Horse / Infantry Battalion / Alchemist

Development Scandal
Money-Loving Fairy / Mining Town / Charm of Two / Fountain of Wishes / Swift Horse / City Development / Imperial Territory / Alchemist / Bank / Rumor-Spreading Duchess

Battleground Bonds
Carrier Pigeon / Archer / Alliance / Scout / Rampart / Battering Ram / Bribery / Infantry Battalion / Supply Unit / Royal Guard

Guild Rebellion
Money-Loving Fairy / Carrier Pigeon / Trader / Archer / Apprentice Witch / Mining Town / Samurai / Alliance / Trading Ship / Stargazing Witch

Kunoichi Training
Carrier Pigeon / Archer / Trader / Port City / Kunoichi / Alliance / Swift Horse / Offering / Trading Ship / Infantry Battalion

Gold Without Color
Money-Loving Fairy / Archer / Taxation / Samurai / Fountain of Wishes / Offering / Moneylender / Shinobi / Witch of Curses / Alchemist

Landing Operations
Rampart / Fountain of Wishes / Supply Unit / Infantry Battalion / City Development / Battering Ram / Bank / Alchemist / Archer / Port City

Tabletop Warfare
Swift Horse / Scout / Fountain of Wishes / Slash-and-Burn Farming / Trader / Library / Adventurer / Apprentice Witch / Charm of Two / Carrier Pigeon

Noble Tactics
Swift Horse / Scout / Rampart / Trading Ship / Library / Shinobi / Alchemist / Royal Guard / Carrier Pigeon / Trader

Warrant Written in Blood
Fountain of Wishes / Scout / Hideout / Draft Notice / Shinobi / Demon Banishing / Alchemist / Adventurer / Witch of Curses / Mining Town

The Way to the Crown
Swift Horse / Fountain of Wishes / Scout / Trading Ship / Government Purveyor / Rumor-Spreading Duchess / Witch of Curses / Taxation / Charm or Two / Alliance


FAQ
===
General FAQs
Q: Can I support more than one princess, or change the princess I support?
A: You cannot.

Q: Can I choose to place territories under direct control before I have supported a princess?
A: You cannot.

Q: Can I place territories under direct control after I have supported a princess?
A: You cannot, with one exception. The cards Imperial Capital Karikuma and The Emperor's Crown are both territory and inheritance cards, so you can place them under direct control in your second phase, and keep action cards on them in future turns.

Q: If an attack card instructs to open a card (such as the one on top of your deck) which is already opened, what do I do?
A: You can open the card again (keeping it face-up), and the effect of the attack card is resolved as normal.

Q: If before the coronation ceremony ends, I reach 30 inheritance points, what happens?
A: The game ends immediately if a princess gains 30 inheritance points, no matter when this occurs.

Base Set
Twin Princesses, Rain & Shion
Q: If I use my extra turn on the turn Rain & Shion reach 20 inheritance points and the coronation ceremony begins, does the game end at the end of my extra turn?
A: It does not. All other players must complete one turn before the coronation ceremony ends.

Princess of the South Sea, Klam-Klam
Q: Does the -1 modifier to a card's cost apply to every card I buy on a single turn?
A: It does. For example, with 4 coins, you could buy two cost-3 cards (effectively cost-2 each).

Know-it-All Princess, Bergamot
Q: Can I use Bergamot's power if I have no action cards in my discard?
A: You can, but you won't be able to put any action cards into your hand.

The Second Princess, Raolily
Q: If at the time I choose to support Raolily, there are less than 5 Royal Maids in the Market, do I just take whatever's remaining?
A: You do. You're free to take as many Royal Maids (up to 5) from the Market as you want, even if there are more available.

Shogun Princess, Flamaria
Q: If I would have been forced to put a Village under Flamaria's direct control when choosing to support her, what happens to that Village?
A: It is discarded during the cleanup phase like any other card.

Village / Town / City:
Q: When I choose to support a princess, can I choose not to put territories under her direct control?
A: You cannot. You must place the three highest-cost territories under her control, if you can.

Curse
Q: Can I buy Curses during the second phase?
A: You cannot. They are not part of the market.

Base Set Action Cards
Adventurer:
Q: After using Adventurer, can I still choose to set cards under direct control in my second phase?
A: You can.

Bribery
Q: Can I use Bribery to buy cards from an opponent, and then set then under direct control in my second phase?
A: You cannot. Since Bribery takes place when you are buying cards, you have already selected to buy cards as your second phase action, and thus cannot set.

Q: Does Klam-Klam's cost-modifying effect stack with Bribery's?
A: It does. Therefore, the +1 effect of Bribery would be canceled out by the -1 effect of Klam-Klam.

Buried Treasure
Q: If there are no cards in the Supply, can I play Buried Treasure?
A: You can, but it will have no effect.

City Development
Q: If there are no Towns left in the Market, can I still use City Development to banish a Village? (or likewise with Cities and Towns)
A: You can.

Draft Notice
Q: Can I choose to pay 0 coins?
A: You can.

Fountain of Wishes
Q: Can I choose to discard 0 cards from my hand?
A: You can. You would then draw 0 cards.

Goverment Purveyor
Q: On the turn I use a Government Purveyor, does it apply to every card I buy that turn?
A: It does. Of course, you must consider whether to put the card in your discard or at the bottom of your deck immediately upon purchasing it.

Hideout
Q: When I reveal Hideout as a defense card, can I put it on top of my deck as well?
A: You can.

Q: When I use Hideout as an action card, can I take cards opened on top of my deck not as a result of Hideout as well?
A: You can.

Q: When I use Hideout as an action card, can I take cards opened from the bottom of my deck (as a result of Library or others)?
A: You cannot. You only take the cards revealed in one continuous sequence on top of your deck.

Imperial Territory
Q: If I use Imperial Territory's ability, can I still choose to buy cards in my second phase?
A: You can.

Library
Q: Can I use Library to return cards from my discard that contain succession as a type but are not pure succession?
A: You cannot. The cards you return to the top of your deck must not be succession at all.

Magic Talisman
Q: If I'm targeted by Infantry Battalion or other cards which would not be affected by the use of Magic Talisman's effect, can I still use Magic Talisman as a reaction?
A: You can. Any defense card can be used to respond to any attack card.

Q: Since Magic Talisman can be used as a curse card, can I banish it when I use Adventurer?
A: You cannot.

Moneylender
Q: If I have debt counters remaining, can I use the effects of cards that require me to pay coins?
A: You cannot. Any coins you earn pay off the debt counters first before anything else.

Rampart
Q: If I reveal more than one Rampart when targeted by an attack, do their effects stack?
A: They do.

Scout
Q: If a card is already revealed on top of someone's deck when I play a Scout, do I still get to choose whether it is discarded?
A: You do.

Slash-and-Burn Farming
Q: If I play multiple Slash-and-Burn Farmings in the same turn, do their effects stack?
A: They do not. Slash-and-Burn Farming changes Villages to produce 2 coins, it does not add 1 to the amount they produce.

Q: If I play Slash-and-Burn Farming and there are no Curses left, do Villages still produce 2 coins?
A: They do not. There must be Curses left in order to gain the effect of Slash-and-Burn Farming.

Shinobi
Q: If I use a Shinobi to imitate an attack card, can my opponents react with defense cards?
A: They can.

Supply Unit
Q: If I play more than one Supply Unit during a turn, can I use the effect of one to return the other to the top of the deck at the end of a turn?
A: You cannot. You can never return a Supply Unit to the top of the deck using a Supply Unit's effect.

Witch of Curses
Q: When can I banish a Witch of Curses in order to force everyone else to take a Curse?
A: You may use it anytime during your Main Phase.

Witch of Enchantments
Q: If I use Witch of Enchantments and discard multiple cards as a result of its effect, can I acquire more than one card?
A: You cannot. You always acquire at most one card from Witch of Enchantments.

Q: If I use Witch of Enchantments and only discard cards which aren't in the Market right now, what do I do?
A: You do not acquire any cards if there are no cards with matching names in the Market.

Eastern Borderlands currently does not have an FAQ.
Far East Mathematician Priness, Ouka:
Q: What happens if there is no Market card with the correct cost after I banish two cards from my hand using Ouka's power?
A: You do not gain any cards. You may still banish those two cards.

Money-Loving Fairy
Q: Can I use the copy-counter effect to add to piles with no counters in them? (i.e. if I am using Rain & Shion and have no extra-turn counters)
A: You cannot. You have to add to an existing pile.

Q: Can I use the copy-counter effect to add "coin counters" beyond its maximum of 3 counters?
A: You can. The maximum of 3 coin counters is only for counters added directly through Money-Loving Fairy's first effect

Carrier Pigeon
Q: Can I add a card I acquired this turn, through cards like Adventurer, to my hand?
A: You can, as long as it's in your discard.

Taxation
Q: Does the "taxation token" affect the cost of cards when using Adventurer?
A: It does not. It only affects the cost when purchasing in your second phase.

Q: Does the "taxation token" affect the cost of cards when purchasing from others using Bribery?
A: It does not. It only affects the cost of cards in the Market.

Trader
Q: If I don't have 2 cards in my deck, what do I do?
A: Shuffle your discard to create a new deck, then discard until you have discarded 2 cards. Then pick a card from your discard to place on top.

Q: Can I pick the two cards discarded by Trader to put on top of my deck?
A: You can.

Archer
Q: Does Archer's effect give a coin for every attack card, or just military ones?
A: It gives a coin for every attack card played this turn.

Q: If I play a Shinobi and imitate an Attack card, do I gain a coin from Archer?
A: Yes. Shinobi imitates a card's type as well.

Apprentice Witch
Q: Can players defend against Apprentice Witch using a Magic Talisman?
A: Yes, since Magic Talisman can be treated as a curse card.

Kunoichi
Q: Can I keep an action card, play Kunoichi to copy it, and then recall that action card, all in one turn?
A: You can.

Samurai
Q: Can Rampart be used to defend against Samurai?
A: It cannot. Samurai's ability does not force you to reveal or discard cards, so Rampart's ability does not apply.

Q: Can I use Carrier Pigeon or Bergamot's power to get the cards put out of play by Samurai back?
A: You cannot.

Mining Town
Q: Can I remove "ore counters" to activate Mining Town's effect whenever I want?
A: You cannot. You can only remove ore counters when playing a Mining Town.

Alliance
Q: Can I select "no subtype" as well when playing Alliance?
A: You cannot. You must pick one of the five subtypes.

Q: Do Shinobi, Kunoichi, and similar cards copy their card's subtype as well?
A: They do.

Q: Can I earn inheritance points before supporting a princess?
A: You cannot.