El Capitán Alatriste, designed by Antonio Catalán – Rules Translation

The game of Capitán Alatriste’s adventure shows the rise of a nobleman in the villa of Madrid
during Felipe IV’s time. The objective of the players is to gather enough fame to be introduced to
the King’s favourite, count-duke of Olivares, and be taken into his Royalty’s service in the Royal
Palace.

GAME RULES

Objective
Each player will have to move through the streets of Madrid (which is the Court of the Spanish
Monarchy), represented in three different zones, enjoying the fortunes and surpassing the
difficulties found in the different boxes of the board, enabling them to enter the Palace as a
courtesan.

The objective is to obtain enough points of Fame (Fama) to be introduced to the Count-Duke of
Olivares, King’s Favourite in order to be taken into his Royalty’s service in the Royal Palace.

Players: 2 to 6
Approximate duration of the game: 90 minutes.

It is highly recommended to read the instructions before beginning to play, as well as to have the
rules at hand to clear the doubts that may arise throughout the game. The game’s mechanics are
simple once they are learned.

Components
- one board with Capitan Alatriste’s Madrid, divided in boxes
- a pile of 96 cards
- 2 dice
- 6 individual boards (1 per player)
- 6 pawns (1 per player)
- 1 Patrol (Ronda) pawn.
- 6 colour plastic tokens
- chips to mark points
- this booklet of instructions

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 El Capitán Alatriste, designed by Antonio Catalán – Rules Translation

Preparation of the game

Each player receives one game board, a pawn and a token of its colour, chips adding to 12 points to
mark the Vigour (Brío – life points) and chips adding to 10 points to distribute between Fencing
(Esgrima) and Money (Dinero), which the player can divide as he/she wishes, but using a minimum
of 2 in each one of these boxes.

The box of Fame has no chips at the beginning of the game.

A player who will act as the bank to control point chips and payments, apart from shuffling the
cards when the card pile is empty is chosen at random.

The cards are shuffled, dealing 3 to each player. A die is rolled to define who starts the game; the
player who gets the highest die roll starts, followed by the player at his/her right, keeping this order
during the whole game.
The Patrol chip is placed in the box of the town’s jail (Cárcel de la Villa).

In the first turn of the game, the first player places his pawn in the Puerta de Alcala and begins his
turn: rolls one die and moves in the direction of the Main Square (Plaza Mayor); then the remaining
players follow in the same direction. After all the players have played for the first time, the game is
played according to the game’s sequence.

Game Sequence
In every turn the player follows the following process:
- Receives money from the bank (depending on the points of Fame)
- Plays any card he has in his hand
- Verifies if he must perform an action ordered by attack cards, which are in his game board
- Verifies if he must lose a turn by some box, card or for being in jail
- Rolls a die to move
If he gets a 6, he will roll another die to move the Patrol
- Do whatever the box where he has arrived indicates; if he does not have enough money he goes
to jail
- Draw a card if the box has a “C”
- Accept or reject the duel with a player who is already in the box, or propose a combat against
him.
- Resolve the duel or combat
- Play any card in his hand, ending his turn and the next player follows.

Note: a brief version of this sequence is written on the individual game board.

Game Mechanics
Each player in his turn receives money from the bank:

1 ducado if he has less than 15 Fame points

2 ducados if he has between 15 and 29 Fame points
3 ducados if he has 30 or more Fame points

The player in turn is able to play as many cards as he wishes, both of Possessions and Characters,
to place in his game board, as well as Attack to the rest of players. A card is not considered played
until it is on his individual board or another player’s.

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 El Capitán Alatriste, designed by Antonio Catalán – Rules Translation

A player cannot have more than 3 cards in his hand when he ends his turn, and if that were the case,
he will either have to use or discard the remaining cards.

If a card is played against another player, it will be placed on top of the other player’s individual
board. If this player has any card which prevents the action of the card received, it will be
considered played and placed in the discard pile.

The player will verify if he must perform an action ordered by attack cards in his game board. A
player cannot have more than three cards in his zone of Attack cards and will have to perform the
actions in order, starting from the first one received until the last one. Some attack cards have
immediate effects as soon as they are played.

More attack cards can be placed once the previously played ones are solved. In case the player is in
FLANDERS (FLANDES), TRAVELLING! (¡DE VIAJE!), AT SEA (EMBARCADO) or in any
action which makes it impossible to obey an attack card, its effects will be postponed until the
player is back in the game normally.

The player will roll one die to move by the game zone, freely if he has no obligation, or in the
direction indicated by the attack card which must be resolved.

The player will move his pawn in the direction he wishes, respecting the zones of the board by
points of Fame, following the instructions indicated in the next box.

- If the box has a “C”, the player will be able to draw a card from the pile.
- If another player is in the arrival box, the one who was already there can challenge him to a
duel; if the newly arrived accepts, both will move to the Councilman’s Garden (Huerta del
Regidor) (see Duels) where it will be solved. Both players will stay in this box after ending the
duel.
- If a duel does not take place, either player can challenge the other to a combat, the opponent
being unable to deny it (see Combats).

If turns are to be lost due to an action required by a box, the player’s pawn will be placed in his
game board and a colour token will be placed on the board to indicate that the character is out of the
board.

The pawn will move in the game board to represent the lost turns. The player will always wait until
the last lost turn to draw the box. Once this is done, the corresponding turn can be played.

Until the end of the lost turns, the player can collect his ducados at the beginning of the turn, play
his cards and receive attack cards. He will not be able to have duels or combats and will not be
affected by the Iglesia (Church) and Plaza Mayor (Main Square) boxes.

Board Route
The players will move in turns rolling one die. They can move in any direction, clockwise or
counter clockwise, using all the points of the die roll in the same direction. It is not necessary to
arrive with the exact points when they move into an obligatory box.
The board is divided in three box zones.

In the first zone, formed by 28 light edged boxes, all players are allowed to move (without
restriction of Fame points).

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 El Capitán Alatriste, designed by Antonio Catalán – Rules Translation

The second zone formed by 10 cream coloured edged boxes, represents the places vetoed to
players without sufficient Fame. These boxes offer other actions and better possibilities to obtain
fame. All players who have 15 or more Fame points and a carriage, horse or sedan chair can
move through this zone.

The third zone, formed by 5 brown edged boxes represents the places frequented by the nobility.
All players who have 30 or more Fame points and a carriage, horse or sedan chair can move
through this zone.

As can be observed, there is a common zone for all the players, which represents the cosmopolitan
Madrid of the different social levels. This allows all players to interact with each other, even though
they have a different amount of Fame points.

The players of a superior level can move around in inferior levels if they wish to, but of course, at
their own risk…

On the other hand, a player of an inferior level can never circulate by the superior level, unless he
has a card which allows it.

If at some time the player does not have the necessary Fame points (adding his point chips and
cards of Characters and Possessions) he must leave this level in the following turn taking the
shortest route indicated by the die.

Most of the boxes on the board have indications regarding what has be done on them; they are
therefore self explanatory, and will only be modified by the cards. In any case the criterion of the
cards prevails over the boxes on the board.

If at any time a player is left without chips of Ducados (money) and has to make a payment, he will
be transferred immediately to the Cárcel de la Villa (town’s jail).

Individual Board
The individual board has several zones:

A central zone to place the Attack cards which are received from the rest of the players. It is not
possible to have more than 3 in this zone.

An inferior zone, to place the Characters to the left and the Possessions to the right. An unlimited
amount of cards can be placed in this zone, but never 2 equal cards.

Four zones to place the point chips of:

Ducats (Ducados) The money the player has.

Fame (Fama) Social recognition points to win the game.
Fencing (Esgrima) The ability for duels and combats.
Vigour (Bríos) A player’s life points, never more than 12.

There are chips of 1, 5, and 10 points which can be used for any box of the game board. Negative
points are not allowed in any box.

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 El Capitán Alatriste, designed by Antonio Catalán – Rules Translation

The cards
The pile consists of 96 cards:

24 cards for Characters – number in black From 1 to 24

24 cards for Possessions –number in green From 25 to 48
36 cards for Attack – number in red From 49 to 84
12 cards for Help – number in blue From 85 to 96

Cards are obtained in the boxes marked with a “C”, or by circumstances of the game. There is a
place on the board for the pack of cards and another for the discard pile. They can be used at the
beginning and at the end of the player’s turn (see Game Mechanics), never in another player’s turn,
except when indicated in the card, or to counteract another player’s attack card.

The Character cards represent the friends the player has as allies during the game, who will help
him increase his points (either Fame or Fencing), or to avoid dangers during the game. They remain
in the player’s individual board until any problem of the game eliminates them, and are then
discarded.

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 El Capitán Alatriste, designed by Antonio Catalán – Rules Translation

The Character and Possessions cards can have up to three values, increasing Fame, Vigour or
Fencing. When they are played, point chips will not be placed in the corresponding box, but they
add to the value of the characteristic cards.

The player can not have character cards who are enemies between themselves. For example, it is not
possible to have Quevedo and Pacheco together.

When a card increases the Vigour, this will be added to the player’s characteristic meaning that this
card prevents the player from dying in a duel or combat. These are extra points which are not
eliminated by the result of the combat (see Combats).

When a card increases Fame, this will be added to the player’s characteristic for the die roll or
moving throughout the other zones of the board. When eliminated, the points which are represented
by it are lost.

There are only two cards which reduce Fame points: PISTOLAS DE SILLA (carbines, also called
seat pistols) and DADOS TRUCADOS (loaded dice), representing the owner’s bad reputation for
having them.

When a card increases Fencing, it is added to modify the die roll in the duels and combats.

An unlimited number of cards are allowed in the possessions zone, but never two equal cards.

The Character and Possessions cards have special abilities which are to be read thoroughly and
kept in mind as they modify board boxes or avoid Attack cards.

The Attack cards, with the number in red, will be used during a player’s turn against other players;
many of them will force a player to perform tasks, or lose actions which will make the game
difficult for him.

These cards are kept in the player’s hand, and he will use them against other players during his turn.
They can never be placed on their own individual board.

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 El Capitán Alatriste, designed by Antonio Catalán – Rules Translation

The Help cards allow the players to solve actions of the game and to obtain benefits. Many of them
are of immediate action, and can be played at any time.

A player cannot have more than three cards in his hand at the end of his turn, having to discard the
surplus cards. An unlimited amount of cards can be played in a turn. A player can discard
Character or Possessions cards from his individual board whenever he wants which will go
directly to the discard pile.

The cards in the player’s hands (not in the individual board) can be freely exchanged, given away or
sold between the players in exchange for other cards, promises or Ducados at any time of the game,
independently of the player’s turn. They can never be changed by Fame, Vigour or Fencing points.
The validity of these pacts will depend on the players.

The Duel
If a player arrives at a box where there is another player, the one who was there can challenge the
newly arrived to a fencing duel.

The player who challenges automatically wins a Fame point, the other player, if he accepts it, also
automatically wins a Fame point; if he rejects it, he loses two Fame points.

If the duel is accepted, the confirmation of the Patrol’s action must be verified (see Patrol). Then,
the player’s pawns will be transferred immediately to the Councilman’s Garden (Huerta del
Regidor) box, where the duel will be solved.

The players will count their Fencing points plus their weapons (not pistols). 2 dice will be rolled by
each player and their points added, the one with the highest result will win the duel. Any player who
wins or loses the duel, if he gets a 6 in any dice gains a Fencing point; if he gets a 1 or 2, he will roll
an extra die and lose that amount of Vigour points (he wins or loses only once, even though he gets
a double a 1 or a double 6).

The player who wins the duel will obtain 1 extra Fame point and if he wants to he can discard a
card from his hand, or a card from his adversary’s individual board, which he can keep or discard at
his convenience. If the loser does not have any cards, he will lose 1 extra Fame point.

Combats
A player can decide to combat with another without the formalities of the duel. This happens if any
player meets another one in a board box, either in his turn when reaching a box or when another
player arrives.

The player who initiates the combat will automatically lose 1 Fame point. A combat cannot be
rejected and takes place in the same box where the players are. No combats are allowed between
more than 2 players.

First, the Patrol’s action must be verified (see Patrol), the players will add their Fencing points, his
character’s Fencing points, plus his weapons (including pistols), they both roll 2 dice and add their
points. The one who obtains the highest result will win the combat.

Any player, if he gets a 1 or 2, will roll an extra die and lose that amount of Vigour points (he wins
or loses only once, even though he rolls a double 1 or a double 2). If the opponent has pistols,
Vigour will be lost if he rolls a 1, 2 or 3 in any die. In a combat no one gains Fencing points. The

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 El Capitán Alatriste, designed by Antonio Catalán – Rules Translation

player who loses the combat will lose 2 cards from his hand or individual board (the loser chooses),
discarding them directly to the discard pile.

Patrol
Carries out the functions of a policeman during the game, trying to avoid combats and duels which
take place.

The Patrol pawn will move across the board with a die roll in the direction the player who at that
turn is in charge of its movement wishes.

It will move if a 6 is die rolled by any player. When a duel challenge or combat takes place, a die
for Patrol will be rolled, and if the result is equal or higher to the distance to the box where the
challenge takes place, the players’ pawns will be sent to the Cárcel de la Villa (town’s jail),
preventing the combat. The Patrol pawn will not physically move from where it is. The Patrol will
not act in case of duel in the Councilman’s Garden (Huerta del Regidor), nor in the boxes
FLANDERS (FLANDES), TRAVELLING! (¡DE VIAJE!), AT SEA (EMBARCADO), Church or
Jail boxes, because no duels or combats are allowed there.

Death of a player
If by chances of the game, a player loses all his Vigour points, he will be dead, his cards will be
discarded and his point chips will return to the bank. He will be able to reinitiate the game from
scratch if he wishes to, in the following turn, as he did at the beginning.

If a player has friends or possessions which add Vigour points to him, this means he will be saved
from death, but will have to recover a minimum of 3 points to be able to continue playing.
Therefore, at his turn he will have to go immediately to any board box which allows him to recover
points, remaining there until he reaches the minimum.

If a player has 3 Vigour points or less and is challenged to combat (either a duel or combat), he will
die, even though he has cards adding Vigour.

To take refuge in a church and to escape justice

If a player kills another during a challenge, or challenges him to a combat when he has 3 or less
Vigour points, he will be prosecuted by justice.

During 3 turns, if he coincides in a same box with another player or Patrol, he will be captured and
transferred immediately to the Court jail (Cárcel de la Corte), remaining there as a prisoner until he
can leave.

He can evade his faults if he “takes refuge in a church” (acogerse a sagrado), or goes to
FLANDERS (FLANDES), TRAVELLING! (¡DE VIAJE!), or AT SEA (EMBARCADO) boxes
(meaning he escapes from Madrid until the matter is forgotten). He will have to arrive at any box
rolling the dice in his turn. While he remains there, he cannot be captured by Patrol or by another
player, but he will receive money from the bank and can play his cards normally. This will be
marked placing his pawn on his individual board and the colour token on the game board.

The game of dice

When a player reaches this box, he will have to play a game of dice against the bank. The player
will decide the bet, with a minimum of 5 ducados, and the bank will equal the amount. He will roll
two dice and add the score. Any player will roll for the bank, and the one who gets the highest roll

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 El Capitán Alatriste, designed by Antonio Catalán – Rules Translation

will keep all the money. Any player, if he wishes to do so, can enter the game before the dice are
rolled, placing the same amount of ducados as those bet. This gives the player the right to roll the
dice.

Special results in the Main Square (Plaza Mayor)

Bullfight
If a player reaches this box and die rolls the result “Bullfight (Juego de Toros)”, all the other
players must move to the same box. Then, all players will roll two dice adding their Fencing points
(card points are not considered) and the winner will obtain 3 Fame points for being the best player
in the bullfight.

Act of Faith
If a player reaches this box and die rolls the result “Act of Faith (Auto de Fe)”, all the other players
must move to the same box. Then, players will roll two dice adding their Fame points and those of
their Character cards of (not considering the Possession cards) and the winner will get 4 Fame
points for obtaining the best place and being seen by all Madrid. If any player has the card of
Emilio Bocanegra, he will win this event while he has it in his individual board.

The duels or combats in this box are prohibited if the encounter of the players takes place due to a
Bullfight or an Act of Faith.

End of the game

The game will be played by turns. The players will be accumulating Fame points, until one of them
gets to EL VALIDO (the King’s Favourite) box with a minimum of 30 or more Fame points,
adding all his cards. He will roll two dice and will apply all the positive modifiers he has in his
cards for EL VALIDO box. If he gets the roll to enter the King’s service in the Royal Palace
(Alcázar), he will have won the game.

If the players wish to, they can end the game at any time. In this case, the winner is the player who
has the highest number adding his Fame points (considering both his chips and the character and
possession cards in his individual board) and half the money (Ducados).

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