Strategy Card

Strategy Card Selection
During every Strategy Phase, each player must choose one available Strategy Card from the common play area. The chosen Strategy Card grants its player a special ability during the upcoming Action Phase. At the beginning of every Strategy Phase, there are 8 possible Strategy Cards (or "strategies", or SCs) that players may choose from. These are: Leadership, Diplomacy, Assembly, Production, Trade, Warfare, Technology and Bureaucracy. (4, 7 and 8 player games use a ninth card called Prospect). Not only does the Strategy Card provide an important ability, but it also determines the order of play (during the Action Phase (as indicated by its number).

In a 3-4 player game, after all players have a selected a card, each player chooses a 2nd card (in the same order, beginning with the Speaker). The order of play for the player is determined by the lower of his two choices.

After all players have revealed agendas the players proceed to select Strategy Cards. The Speaker chooses first, after which the selections proceed in rotation order. When selecting a Strategy Card, a player simply chooses and takes an available Strategy Card from the common play area and places it before him (with the "active" side facing up). That card is now no longer available for selection by the other players.

Bonus Counters
After all players have selected a Strategy Card, the Speaker places a Bonus Counter on the two remaining Strategy Cards. In this way, should a Strategy Card not be picked for several consecutive rounds, multiple Bonus Counters will accumulate on it. The presence of Bonus Counters makes a Strategy Card more attractive in subsequent rounds.

When you select a Strategy Card with one or more Bonus Counters, each Bonus Counter may be traded in immediately for (i) 1 Command Counter (ii) 1 Action Card (iii) 1 Trade Good.

If there are multiple Bonus Counters, you may also acquire 3 Trade Goods for every 2 Bonus Counters.

The Strategy Cards

Leadership

Diplomacy

Assembly

Production

Trade

Warfare

Technology

Bureaucracy

Prospect