The German Invasion of Spain ...
Euro style
El Grande is a multiplayer game of territorial control.
The map depicts Spain, divided into nine provinces into which
players place their forces. While there is no combat, players
select option cards which can rearrange the forces on the board
or make parts of the board off-limits.
Players bid for the order of choosing these option cards,
but the higher bids carry the penalty of giving fewer troops.
Thus, the game is a balance between resource acquisition and
use; players must know when to 'lay low' in order to restore
their forces. It is equally important to give other players good
reason to do things which help your cause while they optimize
their own scoring.
The tournament will have three Heats. Top 25 players will
advance to the semi-finals; be sure to check the event Kiosk
for your status following each Heat. Winners of semi-final games
will compete in a 5-player Final game.
All games will be limited to two hours, including semi-final
and Final Rounds.
This is a B level event. If you have not played the game
before, be sure and attend the teaching session before you sign
up to play. The game will NOT be taught during the tournament.
Tournament Format
1) No expansions - this tournament uses the base game only.
2) Game Size - the Default game size will be 5-players,
with 4-player games used only as necessary to accomodate the
size of the field at each session.
3) Table Assignments - players who have set up their
own games will play at their table
* To save time, all other players will be randomly assigned
to tables; however, please alert the GM if team members or acquaintances
are assigned to the same table. The GM will switch players as
necessary between games to prevent such conflicts of interest.
4) Seating Order and Start Player - Players at the
table may determine in any manner they wish.
5) Game Length:
* Rounds for ALL games will be two hours.
* If the game is starting to run long, the GM will remind
the players of the time limit. If the game will obviously not
finish in time, the GM may halt and adjudicate the game as he
sees fit. (Do NOT make me do this. No one will like it.)
6) Score Sheet: At the end of your game, complete
the top part of the table score sheet in its entirety. All information
is important for determination of tiebreakers and advancement.
* The bottom part of the score sheet is only needed if players
are tied in score:
* Most cabs in court
* Most cabs in provinces
* Highest unused power cards (compare each - thus a 13,
12, 7, 6, 5 beats a 13, 12, 4, 3, 1).
* Random
7) Advancement: - 25 players will advance to the semi-finals,
and five semi-final winners to a 5-player Final. (If fewer than
25 appear for the semi-final, the size and number of games may
be adjusted at the GMs discretion.) In recent years the number
of alternates that have advanced has ranged from 0 to seven.
* This is a "Heat, Most Wins" (HMW) event. Ranking
(tie-breakers) for advancement to the semi-finals will be as
follows:
1. Most Wins
2. Sorting factor that includes 100 points for each win,
20 points for second, 5 points for third (in 5-player games only),
plus a percentage of your highest opponent's score
3. Random
The GM will post a list on the Kiosk as soon as possible after
each heat to show the top player rankings. Be sure to check
the Kiosk if you are interested in advancing. No-shows for advancement
will be filled with the players next in order.
8) Unsportsmanlike Behavior - We are here to run a
fun and competitive tournament. If you witness anything that
may constitute unsportsmanlike behavior (which may include verbal
abuse, cheating, and even excessively slow play), please alert
the GM immediately. Outcomes may involve as little as a warning
up to ejection from the game and a ban from future tournaments.
9) Tie-breakers for sixth place finish (out of the five second
place finishes in semi-finals):
1. Smallest (point) gap behind first place
2. Best record according to advancement criteria in 7) above
Rule Clarifications:
1) The Default Ruleset will be the Decennial Edition, with
exceptions as listed below.
2) The correct total number of Caballeros for each color
is 31, which includes the cube used for scoring. At the beginning
of the game, you should have two on the board (plus your Grande),
seven in the court, 21 in your provinces, and one on the scoring
track. (NOTE: The Decennial Edition has extra pieces for the
expansions)
3) The number of Caballeros in players' provinces is not
open knowledge. Players are permitted to cover or otherwise
conceal their province pieces (usually, putting them in a pile
is sufficient). Number of pieces in court is open knowledge.
4) Veto cards: No "partial vetos" will be permitted.
A Veto, when executed, cancels the entire special action it
is applied to. LIMITED negotiation is allowed between the veto
card holder and the current player, provided it is brief and
does not hold up the game.
5) If, when required to remove Caballeros from a region by
means of the "secret" disk, the player chooses the
King's region (or a region with none of the player's pieces),
then the player who executed the special action gets to choose
the region from which the Caballeros get removed. This could
occur during the two stack action cards for removing two or all
pieces from a region. The same applies if two caballeros were
required to be removed, and the affected player chose a province
with only one caballero when another province with two or more
was available. |