VERRATER (Traitor)

Card game for 3 or 4 players - designed by Marcel-Andre Casanola Merkle & published by Adlung Spiele 1998.
Translation: Michael Svellov Lay-out and editing by K-ban
V2 adds color reference, rules clarifications; V3 adds Mercenary, 2008 revisions; V4 more correct translation
Conflict in the Highlands! Two feuding royal families (the Eagles and the Roses) try to conquer as much land as
possible. In order to gain the most victory points, a player sometimes fights for one family and sometimes for the other.
It is not uncommon to see a Traitor (Verrater) switch sides in the middle of a conflict. At the same time, another player
takes the role of the Builder (Baumeister) with Estate (Gutshof) and Trading Post (Kontor) cards, or enters as a
Diplomat changing the balance of power. As Farmer (Bauer) you attempt to stockpile resources for the coming
conflicts which the Strategist (Stratege) has so carefully planned.

Goal: In the conflicts between the two royal houses, the players attempt to conquer as much enemy land as
possible and claim the awarded victory points.

Contents:
6 Aktionskarte (Action cards = chosen role: Bauer, Baumeister, Diplomat 2, Diplomat 5, Stratege, Verrater)
4 Gesinnungskarten (Allegiance cards = current faction alignment, one per player)
12 Gutshof/Kontorkarten (Estate: + supply card / Trading Post: 1 VP x supply card, three per player)
1 Konfliktkarte (Conflict card)
12 Landschaftskarten * (Countryside cards, two each of the 6 types)
1 Startspielerkarte (Start Player card)
1 Strategiekarte (Strategist card)
23 Versorgungskarten (Supply cards, five each for values 2 to 5, two value 6, one value 8)
* Dorf (Town), Fluss (River), Odniss (Wilderness), Stadt (City), Wald (Woods), Weide (Meadow)

Preparation:
The cards are sorted and placed as follows:
The Allegiance cards show your affiliation with a royal family: Each player takes a card.
First Player card: Decide who is going first and place the Start Player card in front of him. His Allegiance card must
show the Eagle. The others alternate between Rose and Eagle.
Countryside cards form the playing area: Separate the cards into two sets each with one card of each type. Turn one
set Eagle-side up and the other Rose-side up. Shuffle the cards together without changing their allegiance and place
them in a clockwise fashion on the board. The cards are placed with the bottoms facing towards the center of the
circle.
Estate cards are important for the collection of Supply cards. Trading Post cards brings further victory points at the end
of the game. Each player receives the 3 Estate/Trading Post cards in his color. Beginning with the Start Player each
player places one of his Estate cards half way under any Countryside card that does not already have one. Estates
underneath Countryside cards of your own allegiance will later yield extra Supply cards. The other two cards are kept
underneath the player's Allegiance card for later use.
IMPORTANT: There may never be more than one card underneath any Countryside card.
Supply cards are important during conflict as they increase combat strength. Each player receives 3 cards: One each
of the cards showing 3, 4 and 5 Conflict Points. The remaining Supply cards are shuffled and placed as a draw pile
near the circle. 2008 revision: Each player starts with 3 randomly dealt cards.
The Strategist and Conflict cards are given to the player to the left of the Start Player.
The Action cards are placed backside up in the center of the circle.
One player needs paper and pencil to keep score.

 PHASE 1: Determine Place of Conflict

The player with the Strategist card determines the point
of conflict by placing the Conflict card on the sky portion of
two adjacent Countryside cards of opposite allegiances
(one Rose, one Eagle).

PHASE 2: Choose Actions

The current Start Player takes all 6 Action cards,
shuffles them and returns the top card to the center of the
circle without looking at it (backside up). This action is not
available during this turn. Then he looks secretly at the
remaining 5 cards and chooses one Action card which he
keeps hidden under his Allegiance card.
The remaining cards are given to the player to the left,
who chooses one card and so on until all players have one
card. The last card(s) is finally placed backside up in the
center of the circle.

The player with the Builder (Baumeister) card may play,

move (without flipping) or flip (without moving) one of his
Estate/Trading Post (Gutshof/Kontor) cards. A card is
played by placing half under a Countryside card in such a
way that it is easily recognized. An already played card
may be flipped to the other type (Estate/Trading Post) or
moved but not both at the same time.
IMPORTANT: No player may ever have more than 2
Trading Posts (Kontor) in play, and every played Trading
Post yields victory points at the end of the game, no matter
which allegiance the Countryside has.
A player may have 3 Estates (Gutshof).

Phase 8: The Strategists Action

Phase 3: Play Supply Cards

The player with the Strategist (Stratege) card (who

received 2 VP's in phase 6) takes the Strategist card which
grants him the right to choose the next place of conflict. He
will keep the card until a new player chooses the Strategist
Action card.

Beginning with the Start Player every player may place

0-5 Supply cards openly in front of him.

Phase 9: Discard Supply Cards

Phase 4 Reveal Action Cards

All players reveal their chosen action, but only the
Traitors (Verrater) action is carried out: The player with
this card changes allegiance by flipping his Allegiance
card to the other side. Until he changes allegiance again
(by choosing this action again) he will have this new
loyalty. 2008 revision: Diplomat 5 switches sides if all
players started the turn with the same allegiance.

Phase 5: Resolve Conflicts & Determine

Victorious Side
The winner is the side with most Combat points (CP's).
These are always depicted in a square.
Each side (Eagles vs. Roses) receives points from the
following three sources:
the Countryside card
Supply cards that have been played
the two Diplomat actions.
All points go to the faction of the players allegiance.
IMPORTANT: If the conflict ends in stalemate (both
factions have equal CP's) nothing happens to the
Countryside cards, and only the Strategist and the Traitor
receives any Victory points.

Phase 6 Distribute Victory Points

The players of the same allegiance as the winning
family receives the Victory Points noted on the
Countryside card of the defeated card. The number of
points received depends on the number of players on the
winning side. Victory Points that are scored are noted on a
piece of paper.
Traitor & Strategist: The player with the Verrater card
receives an additional +1 VP and the player with the
Stratege card receives +2 VP (the circled numbers on the
Action cards).
Finally the defeated Countryside card is flipped to the
allegiance of the winning side.

Phase 7: The Builders Action

All Supply cards played in the current round are

discarded to an open discard pile next to the draw pile.
When the draw pile becomes empty the discard pile is
shuffled and turned into a new draw pile.

Phase 10: Draw Supply Cards

The Farmer (Bauer) takes 3 Supply cards from the top
of the draw pile. Thereafter, all other players take,
beginning with the Start Player, one Supply card for each
Estate he has in play - but only if they belong to his current
allegiance (note that the Farmer does not receive any
cards for his Estates).
Neither Trading Posts nor Estates on Countrysides of
the opposite allegiance gives Supply cards.
Finally the player with the Diplomat 2 card draws one
extra Supply card. Players cannot draw more than 3 cards
in this phase or hold more than 5 supply cards. Supply
cards in hand must be discarded to make room for the
new cards to be received.

Phase 11: Return Action Cards

All Action cards are returned to the center of the circle.

Phase 12: New Start Player

The Start Player card is move one player to the left.

Phase 13: End of Round

When every player has had the Start Player card twice
(with 3 players three times) the game ends. There will be 8
turns in a 4-player game and 9 turns in a 3-player game.
The game may end sooner if all 12 Countryside cards
become the same allegiance. In any case the final round
stopped is after phase 10.

Final Scoring:
Each player may score up to 6 extra VP when the game
is over: Trading Posts x Supply cards = VP. Each Trading
Post (max. 2) a player has in play (under a Countryside
card) gives extra Victory points. They are multiplied with
the number of Supply cards (not value) in the players hand
(max. 3). The highest VP score player is the winner.

UBERSICHTSKARTE 1:
Shows the game setup

UBERSICHTSKARTE 5:
Game turn sequence

The 12 Countryside cards are laid in a circle with the

bottom of the card pointing inwards. The 6 Action cards
are placed in the center. The 23 Supply cards are kept in a
draw pile next to the circle. Each player keeps his
Allegiance card on the table in front of him with his unused
Estate/Trading Post cards underneath. When used a
Estate/Trading Post card is placed half under a
Countryside card (on the outer side of the circle).

Phase 1: Determine the place of conflict.

UBERSICHTSKARTE 2:
Shows a Countryside card
WEIDE = Meadow. The light background and the Eagle in
the right corner signifies a allegiance towards the Eagle
family (the Rose is depicted on the other side with a brown
(dark) background. The number in the left corner shows its
basic Conflict Points. The Roman numerals designate the
number of players with the same allegiance and the circled
number is the number of Victory Points given to these
players.

Phase 2: Choose actions.

Phase 3: Play Supply cards.
Phase 4: Reveal Action cards.
Phase 5: Resolve the conflict and determine the victorious
side.
Phase 6: Distribute Victory points.
Phase 7: The Builder (Baumeister) places a Estate or
Trading Post card.
Phase 8: The Strategist takes the Conflict and Strategist
cards.
Phase 9: Discard Supply cards.
Phase 10: Draw Supply cards.
Phase 11: Return Action cards to the center of the circle.

UBERSICHTSKARTE 3:
Shows a conflict
The Conflict card is placed on the sky portion of two
Countryside cards of opposite allegiances. If one player
affiliated with the Roses wins the conflict will he receive 5
VP's and the River card is turned Rose-side upwards. If
three players affiliated with the Eagles win, each will
receive 4 VP's and the City is turned to the Eagle side.

Phase 12: The Start Player card is given to the next

player.
Phase 13: End of round.
The game ends after 8 rounds (4 players) or 9 rounds (3
players).

Mercenary Variant
UBERSICHTSKARTE 4:
Shows the 6 Actions
Verrater (Traitor): Change allegiance and receive 1 VP
(Victory point).
Diplomat 2: Draw 1 Supply card plus receive 2 CP
(Conflict points).
Diplomat 5: Receive 5 CP (Conflict points). (2008 rev: also
change allegiance if all players started turn with same
allegiance)
Baumeister (Builder): Build a Estate or an Trading Post.
Stratege (Strategist): You may choose the next place of
conflict and receives 2 VP (Victory points).
Bauer (Farmer): Draw 3 Supply cards.

In this variant, the Mercenary offers his services during

conflict (Phase 3). A Mercenary card must be made which
shows the value 5 in a box.
At the start of the turn, the Mercenary card is placed
at the edge of the table.
During the conflict: When a player places his supply
cards, he has the opportunity to hire the Mercenary. The
Mercenary card is placed in front of that player, who
immediately loses 3 victory points (he may go negative).
During the conflict's resolution, the Mercenary counts as 5
Conflict Points.
There is only one Mercenary. Once a player has
chosen to hire the Mercenary, he is no longer available to
the other players.
At the end of the round, the Mercenary card is
returned to his place at the table's edge.

Phase 1 Determine the place of conflict

TRAITOR (VERRTER)

Phase 2 Choose actions

Change allegiance and

receive 1 VP

Phase 3 Play Supply cards

Phase 4 Reveal Action cards

DIPLOMAT 2

Draw 1 Supply card plus

receive 2 CP (Conflict Points)

Phase 5 Resolve the conflict and

determine the winning side
Phase 6 Distribute victory points

Supply Card
draw pile

Stratege
and Konflict
Cards

DIPLOMAT 5

Phase 7 The Builder (Baumeister) places

a Estate or Trading Post card
Phase 8 The Strategist (Stratege) takes
the Konflict and Strategie cards

Receive 5 CP (2008 rev: also

change allegiance if all
players started turn with
same allegiance)
BUILDER (BAUMEISTER)

Phase 9 Discard Supply cards

Phase 10 Draw Supply Cards

Build a Estate or an
Trading Post

Phase 11 Return Action cards to the center

of the circle

STRATEGIST (STRATEGE)

Phase 12 Start Player card given to the

next player

Action Cards

May choose the next place

of conflict and receive 2
VPs

Start Player
Card
Allegiance Card

Countryside
Cards
Estate & Trading
Post Cards

Supply Cards

Phase 13 End of round

Game ends after:
8 rounds (with 4 players)
9 rounds (with 3 players)

FARMER (BAUER)

Draw 3 Supply cards

COUNTRYSIDE CARDS

Dorf = Village
Fluss = River
dnis = Wilderness
Stadt = City
Wald = Woods
Weide = Meadow

CONFLICT EXAMPLE
If one player affiliated with the Roses wins
the conflict, he will receive 5 VPs, and the
River Card will be turned Rose side up.

Allegiance to the
Eagle (or Rose)
family
Basic
Conflict
Points
(CP)

Valuation Table
Number of players with
the same Allegiance
Victory Points (VP)
earned by each player

If three players affiliated with the

Eagles win, each will receive 4 VPs
and the City Card will be turned
Eagle side up.