A Gest of Robin Hood

Highlights:

An ideal entry point to the COIN system and the ICS series: a two player, relatively low complexity game with a family friendly theme that plays in one hour and introduces all of the key concepts found in the COIN series.

A new hidden movement mechanic: The Sheriff will chase Robin Hood across Nottinghamshire to prevent him from organizing peasant revolts, but Robin can sneak away and hide amongst his Merry Men.

A second new hidden movement mechanic: Carriages serve as a simple twist on Lines of Communication, transferring wealth back to Nottingham while providing a target for robbery by the Merry Men—but some of them might be a trap, containing concealed Henchmen!

Random encounters with rich travelers: Robin Hood draws from the Travelers Deck when conducting a Rob action, then decides whether to play it safe or demand a larger ‘donation’ with potentially negative consequences.

A streamlined sequence of play: Further developing the two-player sequence of play first found in Colonial Twilight, this new sequence of play is easy to understand while still presenting difficult tactical decisions.

Player Factions:
Robin Hood and the Merry Men: Robbing from the rich to give to the poor. An archetypal insurgency faction focused on undermining the Sheriff’s authority by inciting peasant revolts, robbing carriages and travelers, and building a network of camps across Nottinghamshire.
The Sheriff of Nottingham and his Henchmen: In charge of maintaining order and collecting taxes for Prince John. A proto-counterinsurgent faction focusing on suppressing peasant revolts and securing roads to ensure the safe travel of wealth confiscated from the parishes.

Historiography of Robin Hood:
The year is 1192. Richard I “Lionheart” is held captive by Duke Leopold of Austria, interrupting his return from the Crusades. Meanwhile, the King’s brother Prince John rules England as his regent. Prince John uses his temporary powers to increase taxes and pass laws in favor of loyal members of the nobility and clergy. Sir Robin of Locksley, a young and courageous minor noble, has recently returned from the Third Crusade to see his family dispossessed of its wealth by the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham. He decides to revolt against what he perceives as an illegitimate authority and takes to the forest where he finds unlikely allies: rogue yeomen, poachers, and other bandits.

• Read more information at BoardGameGeek website .
• Players: 2
• Playing time: 90 min.
• Language: English
• Language dependence: HIGH
• Age: 14+