Kings & Castles (1980)

Kings & Castles is a strategic fantasy wargame. From 2-6 players each take one of the kingdoms on the map, are given a king, a prince, a castle, and points to build units, and try to conquer as much territory as possible. At the end of the game victory points are assessed primarily for owned manors and castles. At the beginning of each game year players receive production points from their manors and spend them on units - in the basic game there are 21 different units that can be purchased, including siege engines and the like. Players then plot the movement of their forces for the 15 turns constituting the year. Orders can be changed under certain circumstances (e.g., if your kingdom is invaded). Combat is conducted using a deck of cards, with the number drawn for each side being determined by their strengths. There are some optional rules, including rules for ambushes, capturing enemy leaders, a 7th and 8th player taking the roles of pirates or bandits, and wizards, a new type of unit who can cast a variety of spells and create magical creatures such as dragons. The game components are: 26-page rulebook 17" x 21.75" color map 50 combat resolution cards 112 very small cardboard chits (16 each in 7 colors, lettered A-P) 2 small black and white copies of the map 2 movement programming sheets 2 dice