Virgin Queen Learn before game night

Deep dive · Before Turn 3

Espionage

How do spies work, and when should you start to worry about them?

12:31 · running time

Ticks itself once you've watched nearly all of it.

In a nutshell

  1. Plant an informant (2 CP): +2 dice against that rival from your next go; two in all, one per rival
  2. Assassination (once a turn, a die per CP): win by his rating + 1 (at least 2) and he dies, +1 VP; Elizabeth counts as 2
  3. English Catholic Rebellion (Spain only): win by 4 or more and Spain wins
  4. England may be holding Walsingham (Home card from Turn 3)
Spain's power card: a French informant sits in its grey Informants Spying on You box (ringed), tagged +2 dice and plant now, strike later. From France's next go, every spy action France aims at Spain rolls two extra dice. At 1:31.
Spain's power card: a French informant sits in its grey Informants Spying on You box (ringed), tagged +2 dice and plant now, strike later. From France's next go, every spy action France aims at Spain rolls two extra dice. At 1:31.
The English Catholic Rebellion's results on the Espionage Table, with the line card beside it: win by 4 or more and Spain wins the game (10 dice against 5 is about 1 chance in 6); win by 2 or 3, conversions in England (by 3, a rising too); win by 1 (ringed), England only shows Spain its hand, with no reroll. At 9:22.
The English Catholic Rebellion's results on the Espionage Table, with the line card beside it: win by 4 or more and Spain wins the game (10 dice against 5 is about 1 chance in 6); win by 2 or 3, conversions in England (by 3, a rising too); win by 1 (ringed), England only shows Spain its hand, with no reroll. At 9:22.

Check yourself

No marks, no pressure. Finish the questions and watch the video, and the lesson is ticked whatever your score.

Rules covered

6.1 · 8.2 · 10 · 11 · 19 · 19.1 · 19.2 · 19.3 · 19.4 · 20.8 · 21.1 · 23.3 · 25.1 · 25.2 · Card #36 · Card #81 · Espionage Table · Map · SB p.11 · SB p.12 · SB p.6 · SB p.7