RULES OF PLAY
2.1 Playing Pieces
PLAY 5.0 INITIATIVE 6.0 ACTION CARDS 6.1 Events 6.2 Reaction Events 6.3 Operations Points 6.4 The Rule of One 6.5 Building 6.6 Villages 6.7 Pa (Fortified Villages) 6.8 Moa and Seals 7.0 IWI CONTROL 8.0 LAND MOVEMENT 8.1 Leaders 8.2 Stacking 8.3 Population Movement 9.0 SEA MOVEMENT 9.1 General 9.2 Canoe Portage 10.0 COMBAT 10.1 Procedure 10.2 Retreat Path 11.0 GAME LENGTH 12.0 LEADERS 12.1 Clan Elders 12.2 Tohunga 12.3 Paramount Chiefs 13.0 ADDITIONAL RULES 13.1 Scout Reconnaissance 13.2 Forest Depletion 13.3 Whare Purakau 14.0 VICTORY DETERMINATION 15.0 SOLITAIRE RULES 15.1 Iwi Control 15.2 Active Hostile Iwi 15.3 Combat 15.4 Action Cards 15.5 “Play this Card Now” Cards 15.6 Solitaire Game End
Each copy of Māori should contain a mounted map, five sheets of counters, 110 Action cards, four double-sided player aid cards, four 6-sided dice, and these rules.
1.0 INTRODUCTION 2.0 COMPONENTS 2.1 Playing Pieces 2.2 The Map 3.0 SET UP 4.0 SEQUENCE
The lower number is the Leader’s combat value. The upper left number is the cost (in Ops Points) to activate the Leader. The upper right number is the Leadership rating: it indicates the number of Units which the Leader may take with him as he moves, and attack or defend with him in combat. OF
2.0 COMPONENTS
All Units except Population are Combat Units. The lower number on each Unit represents its combat value. The upper left number on Population and Scouts is the cost (in Ops Points) to activate the Unit. The asterisk at the upper right of Royal Guard and Scouts indicates that they can not command any other Units, but will defend themselves from attack, even without Leaders, Villages or Pa in their Area.
The time: about 1450 AD. The place: the Polynesian island chain of Aotearoa, now known as New Zealand. The clan chiefs have always struggled for control of your island, since it was first discovered (totally uninhabited) many generations ago. But now, population pressures have added new impetus to these clashes, and the traditional divisions of the North Island are ready to collapse into the chaos of war. Will you succeed in becoming New Zealand’s sole paramount chief? Or will you and your warriors suffer a total defeat?
Māori is an historic simulation game for one to four players, depicting clan warfare typical in New Zealand before European colonization. Players build war canoes and train warriors to create a force to strike at their adversaries, while protecting their home village. The player himself is represented on the board as the Paramount Chief- if this leader is killed, the game is lost.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
-1LeadersUnits
B. Play one card for either:
I. Initiative (see rules section 5.0).
Before play begins, place a Moa marker on each Moa symbol on the map (three on the North Island, four on the South Island) and a Seal marker on each Seal symbol (one on the North Island, three on the South Island). Place the Game End marker in the Game Start box on the map. Also, place each player’s Clan Elders in separate opaque
1. Iwi Control (see section 7.0).
2. Operations (“Ops”) Points (see section 6.3): for Building (see section 6.5) or Movement (see sections 8.0 and 9.0).
C. Combat- if enemy Units occupy the same Area after Movement (see section 10.0).
Te Otukapuarangi, “Fountain of the Clouded Sky”
Each player places his Home Village, Paramount Chief, Tohunga, one Warrior and two Population in his Home Iwi. Next, randomly draw two Clan Elders, and choose one of them to place in your Home Iwi.
2. Broken Clan Elder recovery (see section 12.1).
3.0 SET UP
Finally, deal two cards to each player.
Each Round consists of the following steps, played in this sequence:
A. Beginning of Turn; check for the following:
5. Any on-board card effects.
3. Tohunga return (see section 12.2).
4. Scout reconnaissance (see section 13.1).
Movable
III. Additional Player Turns: Repeat step II for each player in the game. Then begin the next Round, and return to the Initiative step.
5.0 INITIATIVE
The order in which players go will vary each Round. In the Initiative step of each Round (i.e., at the start of each Round), each player rolls a die. Players must subtact 1 from their die roll for each Village that they have. The player with the highest result determines the Turn Order. (In the event of a tie, those tied roll again, without modifiers.)
To determine the Turn Order, choose which player moves first that Round, and whether play proceeds clockwise or counter-clockwise. Place the Turn Order marker in front of the player moving first, with the warrior pointing at the player moving second.
1. The Event: as described on the card played (see section 6.1).
each player’s Home Iwi. You may use the standard starting Iwi, indicated on the map with a 4 for four-player games, a 3 for three-player games, and a 2 for two-player games. Or, choose any starting Iwi you think are appropriate.
2.2 The Map
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II. First Player Turn:
D. Draw card(s) to bring your hand up to your allowable hand size (see section 6.0) and check for the end of any on-board card effects.
Each player controls only his Home Iwi at the start of a game; a randomly selected control marker of the appropriate color is placed in its box on the map at each player’s Home Iwi. Randomly selected Neutral markers are placed at the remaining Iwi. (It is useful to place your Neutral marker at the Iwi near your home Iwi.)
First,containers.determine
4.0 SEQUENCE OF PLAY
The lower number is the combat value of the Pa. The upper right number is the number of Combat Units that will defend in the Area containing the Village or Pa.
ImmovableMarkersMarkers
The map is divided into six Sea Zones and nineteen Iwi (or tribes). Each Iwi consists of one or two Areas. The names of the Iwi indicate tribal or regional names at the time of first European contact. This is a simplification of the complex political structure of Aotearoa.
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Before resolving the Event, the player also receives 1 bonus Ops Point. This Ops Point may only be spent for Building things- it can not be used for moving or activating a Leader. Even if the Event calls for more Events to be played, the player gets only 1 bonus Ops Point per Turn for Building. The player then resolves the Event.
Population, and Scout may only be Moved once per Turn. If a Unit has Moved (or has been Moved by a Leader) it may not engage in Building: neither Training nor Construction. Each Unit may only be Trained once per Turn. Each Population Unit may be involved in only one Construction, and it can not Move, be Moved by a Leader, nor be Trained in the same Turn. Each Pa and War Canoe can only be Constructed one step per Turn. If a Big Log is gathered, it can not be Moved nor used to Construct anything in the same Turn. If a Moa or Seal is Hunted, it may not be Moved nor Eaten in the same Turn.
Haast’s Eagle and the Moa were native to New Zealand at one time. Now they are extinct.
Most cards have an Event described on them. (Cards marked “No Event” have no Event.)
Cards with the word “Reaction” next to the Ops Points number (and have a red number with a black circle) are Reaction Cards. They may be played during your or another player’s Turn, at various times as indicated on the card. They may be played to stop another player, help your situation, or even to help another player. If you play any Reaction cards during another player’s Turn, then bring your hand of cards up to your allowable hand size at the end of that player’s Turn.
Action Cards have an Ops point value- the large number in the upperleft corner of the card. Cards that are not Reaction cards have a black number in a red circle. Players may use these points for either Building (both Training and Construction) or to Move their Leaders (with Combat Units), Population and/or Scouts- and possibly attack other players.
Alternatively, Reaction cards may be played for the Ops Points during your Turn.
At the end of your Turn, you will (usually) draw a card to replenish your hand of cards. Your hand size is equal to: ½ of a card for each Iwi you Control + ½ of a card for each Village you have +1 card for your Paramount Chief. Round any fractions up.
6.2 Reaction Events
The use of Ops points must obey the Rule of One. Each of your playing pieces may only do one thing during your Turn (typically, the play of one Eachcard).Leader,
6.4 The Rule of One
However, each Village can do two things in a Turn: it can Construct one item (a Pa or War Canoe) and Train one Unit. Also, see 6.8, Moa and Seals (which may break the Rule of One).
An Area with a Village can both Train one Unit and Construct one Piece with the same card. Once an item is built it can not be undone. (Exceptions: any Combat Unit may be converted to a Population for 1 Ops Point at any location; and see Villages below.) The counter mix is not intended to be a limiting factor; players may make extra counters as required (except each player may Train only one Royal Guard unit and only four Scouts).
Units can be Trained and Pieces can be Constructed throughout the course of the game. Consult the Build Chart to determine the resources needed, the appropriate locations and the steps required to create the desired item. In most cases, one item is exchanged for another, using the facilities and talents inherent to a Village. (Exceptions to this pattern include the gathering of Big Logs, Moa and Seals, and the construction of Villages themselves.)
During their Turn, each player plays one card, for either the card’s Event or the card’s Operations (“Ops”) points.
6.3 Operations (“Ops”) Points
If you draw a card that says “Play This Card Now!”, then play the card immediately; it takes effect right away. You may then draw another card to bring your hand of cards up to your allowable hand size. If the card says to advance the Game End marker, and the marker reaches the Game End space, then the game ends immediately; go to section 14.0, Victory Determination.
Ops Points may be mixed- some used for Building (Training and Construction), while others are used for Moving.
6.0 ACTION CARDS
Such exchange occurs by expending an Ops Point. Any item that meets all the requirements listed on the Build Chart at the moment that the Ops Point is spent may be exchanged for the desired item. Note that this often involves simply flipping the piece over.
6.5 Building
6.1 Events
Players may play a card for the Event during their Turn. Simply announce this, and place the card down for everyone to see, and apply the results.
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6.8 Moa and Seals
If Units attacked in an Area with a Village are forced to retreat, that Village is captured by the enemy. Replace it with a Part-built Village and a Population that retreats out of the Area with any other retreating Units. A Part-built Village that is attacked is itself unaffected; nor does it yield an extra Population to any retreating defenders. An undefended Village must be attacked to be captured; in this case, the Village’s owner defends with no modifier to his die roll (see 10.0 Combat) unless he has a Pa.
A Population or Combat Unit in an Area with a Moa or a Seal counter may flip the counter to its Hunted side, for one Ops point. If any Hunted Moa/Seal counters are in an Area with a Village, one may be removed (eaten) during the controlling player’s Round. The additional protein source provides two additional Ops Points that may be used for Building during your turn. These two Ops Points can break the Rule of One (see section 6.4): the same pieces can be Trained or Constructed two times (and even three times if a regular Ops Point was also used on the same piece).
Moa and Seal reproduction occurs by event. After a marker is Hunted off a map symbol, it will not be replenished until the appropriate event occurs.
Any one Combat Unit in the Area can defend a Village, in addition to any Units commanded by any one Leader and/or Pa in the Area.
6.6 Villages
EachVillage.Village
You take Control of an Iwi from an enemy player if, at the beginning of your Turn, you are the only player with Combat Units in the Iwi and there is no fully-built Village in the Iwi. Place the enemy Control marker with his other off-map markers, neutral-side-up. Put one of your markers in its place. No Clan Elder or Population are received if taking Control of an Iwi from another player.
Your Home Village is placed during game set up. If your Home Village is captured by the enemy or destroyed by an Event, you must designate another Village as your new Home Village. If you lose all of your Villages, the next Village you construct must be your new Home
must be supported by an agricultural area around it; therefore, each Iwi can contain only one Village- even if the Iwi has two Areas. A Village may only be built in an Iwi that the player controls (see 7.0 Iwi Control). Villages have one Population inherent within them (see the Build Chart). A Village may be exchanged for a Part-built Village and a Population at any time.
6.7 Pa (Fortified Villages) Pa (Maori fortified places) are immovable markers players may build. A Level 1 Pa is mainly earthworks. Level 2 adds a wooden palisade, thus the Big Log requirement (see the Build Chart). Each Iwi may have only one Pa. There must be a Village in the Area to Build a Pa or improve a Level 1 Pa to Level 2.
One additional Combat Unit can defend in an Area with a Level 1 Pa, while two additional Combat Units can defend in an Area with a Level 2 Pa. This is in addition to any Unit commanded by a Village, and those commanded by any one Leader in the Area.
If an enemy attack succeeds, then replace any Level 2 Pa with a Level 1 Pa; Level 1 Pa remain in place, unaffected. Level 1 Pa add their combat strength to any defenders in the Area while their Village remains Partbuilt- or if it’s gone. They may not be improved to Level 2 until after their Village has been re-built.
Iwi Control is important in tallying victory conditions. Also, a Village may only be built in a Controlled Iwi.
7.0 IWI CONTROL
Pa add to the Combat strength of their Area. Level 1 Pa add 1 Combat point, while Level 2 Pa add 3 Combat points. However, enemy Units may move through their Area just like unfortified Villages- if there are no Combat Units there. If the enemy Units choose to attack, the Village defends with the value of its Pa. (See 10.1 Combat.)
Most Iwi are neutral at the start of the game; each player Controls only his Home Iwi at that time. You can take Control of a neutral Iwi by moving your Paramount Chief or a Clan Elder, and at least one Combat Unit, into the Iwi. If no enemy Combat Units are in the Iwi at the beginning of your next Turn, you take Control of the Iwi. Flip the Neutral marker over, read the letter under the word “Control”, and apply the corresponding result from the Neutral Iwi Special Events Table. Replace the Control marker with one of your Control markers, if necessary. Unless otherwise directed by Special Events, place 3 of your Population in the Iwi- in either Area, if there are two. If you took Control of the Iwi with your Paramount Chief, then roll the die. Place one Clan Elder in the Iwi if you roll an even number. (Pick a Clan Elder from your opaque container: see 12.1 Clan Elders.) You do not roll for a new Clan Elder if you took Control of the Iwi with a Clan Elder.
8.0 LAND MOVEMENT
the only Combat Units that can move by themselves- for 1 Ops point each. All other Combat Units must be moved by a Leader. If you enter an Area containing enemy Combat Units, you must have Combat with the enemy Units in the Area.
When activated by the play of an Action Card, the Paramount Chief can move himself, his Tohunga, and up to 3 Units stacked with him, into an adjacent Area for 1 Ops Point. A Clan Elder can move himself and from 1 to 3 Units (depending upon his Leadership rating), into an adjacent Area for from 1 to 3 Ops Points (depending upon his Ops Points cost). Tohunga can only be moved by the Head Chieftain. Clear boundaries between Areas cost the indicated number of Ops Points to cross; Forest boundaries cost 1 additional Ops Point to cross. Movement is not allowed across Mountain boundaries- unless you play an Event to allow this. (See the Terrain Effects Chart on the map.)
There is no limit to the number of Leaders, Units and Movable Markers that may be stacked in one Area. There is a limit to the number of Units that may attack or defend in an Area (see 10 Combat).
9.2 Canoe Portage
Once activated for movement, the same Leader can not be activated again for movement with same Action Card, even if additional Ops Points are available. Those Ops Points must be used for activating other Leaders or Building (or they are wasted).
8.2 Stacking
9.0 SEA MOVEMENT9.1General
A War Canoe can carry one or two Units plus a Leader (plus a Tohunga, if with his Paramount Chief), plus up to two markers: Hunted Moa/ Seal, Big Logs, or Part-built War Canoes. In order to move, a War canoe must be activated by a Leader or a Scout. There must be at least one Combat Unit in each War Canoe (paddling!) for it to move. With one activation, a War Canoe can move from a coastal Area, into an adjacent Sea Zone; if the player wishes, it may then move to another adjacent Sea Zone; it then moves into any coastal Area on its Sea Zone. A War Canoe may not end its Round at sea: you must land in a coastal Area.
Population may be moved to an adjacent Area on land (on their own) or they may be moved by Leaders. (But not both in the same Turn.) They may carry one Big Log, Part-built Canoe or Hunted Moa/Seal marker with them as they move. Each of these markers may only be moved by one Population in a Turn. Each Combat Unit can carry one Hunted Moa/Seal marker. Completed War Canoes can not be carried; they may only move at sea by being paddled (see 9.0 Sea Movement).
Players may not examine the counters within an enemy player’s stack. Villages are placed at the top of their stack if there is one in the Area. If there is no (fully built) Village in the Area, then any Paramount Chief must be placed at the top of their stack; Clan Elders must be placed at the top if their Paramount Chief is not in the stack. All markers- except fully-built Villages- are kept to one side, out of the stack, viewable to all Scoutsplayers.may
The Paramount Chief can command up to 3 War Canoes and the Units in them; Clan Elders can command a number of Canoes equal to their Leadership rating. Scouts can each move one War Canoe. Each War Canoe can only be activated once per Round. After landing in a coastal Area, a Leader commanding a sea expedition must have Combat with any enemy Units in the Area, using his usual land Leadership rating. Any additional Units that may have arrived on the Canoe(s) do not take part in the attack.
The Paramount Chief may move the Tohunga in addition to 3 Units stacked with him. Any Clan Elders that might be in the same Area must be activated separately if they are to move (if the Ops Points are
Scoutsavailable).are
examine all of the enemy playing pieces in an Area adjacent to them (even across a Mountain border) at the beginning of their Turn (see 4.0 Turn Order). Each Scout may only examine one adjacent Area during their Turn.
8.3 Population Movement
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Leaders, Population, and Scouts are the only playing pieces capable of independent movement. Paramount Chiefs and Clan Elders are capable of moving other Units. Their Leadership rating indicates how many Units they are capable of moving with them.
8.1 Leaders
Any player that Controls Ngati Whatua Area can use the canoe portage there. For that player, the two Sea Zones to the east and west of Ngati Whatua are considered one Sea Zone. Other players must respect the Sea Zone boundary at the north end of the North Island, and use the two separate Sea Zones.
10.0 COMBAT
Example 2
Example 1
The attacker totals the Combat Values of the Units and Leaders involved. The defender does the same, also adding the strength of any Pa or whare purakau in the Area. The player with the larger number subtracts the smaller number, and arrives at his Combat Modifier. This is added to his die roll. Each player rolls one six-sided die, with one player adding his Combat Modifier to his roll. The player rolling the higher number (as modified) wins the Combat. If it is a tie, the defender is the winner (except see 13.3, Whare Purakau).
The winner of a Combat may pursue Retreating enemy Units, if they Retreat more than one Area. He may advance into each vacated Area as the loser Retreats. The winner must announce his decision whether or not to advance, before the loser rolls for possible Panic of Units Retreating from that Area. (see Example 2)
10.1 Procedure
When a Clan Elder Panics, flip his counter over to its Shaken side. He must now use these reduced values. If a Shaken Clan Elder Panics, he is captured by an adjacent opponent (follow the capture rule in 12.1 Clan Elders). Any Shaken Clan Elder that begins his Round in a friendly Village is flipped back to his full-strength side (see 4.0, Sequence of Play). Paramount Chiefs never Panic.
If a retreating Leader finds himself alone (i.e., unaccompanied even by a Population), next to pursuing enemy Units, he is captured by those Units. Move the captured Leader back into the attackers’ Area. See 12.1 Clan Elders and 12.3 Paramount Chiefs for how to handle their capture.
The loser then determines how many Units Panic. Each retreating Unit and Clan Elder rolls one die after it enters each Area that it must retreat to. If the die roll is even, the Unit does not Panic. If the die roll is odd, the Unit Panics. If a Royal Guard Panics, it is immediately converted to a Warrior. If Elite Troops, Warriors, or Scouts Panic, they are immediately converted to Militia. If a Militia Panics, it is converted to a Population. If a Population Panics, it is captured by enemy Units involved in the attack, providing they are in an adjacent Area when the Panic occurs. Move the captured Population back to the adjacent Area containing the enemy Units. After the Combat is resolved, replace it with one of the winning player’s Population Units.
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When a player ends his movement in an Area containing enemy Combat Units, he must attack those Units. Leaders may also be activated to attack enemy Units in the Area they are already in. Attackers may only use a number of Combat Units equal to one Activated Leader’s Leadership rating. Defenders may only use a number of Combat Units equal to the Leadership rating of any one Leader (that may be present) plus the Leadership rating of any Villages, Pa, and/or whare purakau in the Area. Tohunga, Scouts and Royal Guard always defend. If there are additional Combat Units in the Area, the owner choses which to use. Any number of other Leaders can also add their Combat Value. All Units and Leaders in the Area suffer the results of Combat.
Example 1: A force of two Elite Troops, one Scout and a Paramount Chief (4+4+2+2=12) attacks an Area containing two Warriors, a Militia unit, a Clan Elder (with a Leadership Value of 2 and a Combat Value of 0) and a Village. All three Combat Units can be counted, 3+3+1+0=7). The attacker adds a Combat Modifier of 5 to his die roll (12-7=5). He rolls a 3 (+5=8), the defender rolls a 3. All three defenders must Retreat two Areas (8-3=5, 5÷2=2, drop fraction). Also, the Village is flipped to its Part-built Village side, and a Population Retreats from it.
Example 2: Two Warriors, one Militia, one Population and a Clan Elder must retreat two Areas. In the first Area retreated to, the player first rolls a 1; the Population is captured. He then rolls a 5, the Militia is converted to a Population. Then he rolls a 2 and a 3; one of the two Warriors is converted to a Militia. He then rolls a 5; flip the Clan Elder over to its Shaken side.
The loser removes his Tohunga, if present (see 12.2). If the loser was defending a Village, then see 6.6 Villages. The loser must Retreat from the Combat Area. If the winner’s modified roll is 0, 1, 2 or 3 greater than the loser’s, then the loser must Retreat into an adjacent Area. If the difference is 4 or more, divide this number by 2 and drop fractions. The result is the number of Areas the loser will Retreat. (see Example 1)
When the Retreating Units and Leaders reach a player’s Village (or Paramount Chief as above) the Retreat ends. No further rolls for Panic are made, even if the Combat results called for them.
11.0 GAME LENGTH
10.2 Retreat Path
12.0 LEADERS
These pieces represent the leadership inherent to each Iwi. When they choose to join you in your quest to control New Zealand, a counter is placed in the Iwi. If they are against you, your show of force is enough to commandeer the Iwi’s resources.
Example 3
If the loser controls any War Canoe(s) in the combat Area, then he may choose to Retreat by sea. He may not split his retreating Units (some by Land and some by sea). If choosing to Retreat by sea, all Units that
At the start of the game, each player should place all of his Clan Elders in an opaque container, like a coffee mug. When Clan Elders are subsequently called for, the owning player picks them at random from the mug.
The game ends the moment there is only one player’s Paramount Chief in New Zealand, even if some Areas are still Neutral or Controlled by others- that player gains a Total Victory!
Also, players may agree to end the game when it becomes obvious that the resources left on New Zealand will not support further warfare. This requires the agreement of all remaining players. Alternatively, players may agree to a limit of time before ending the game.
War Canoes controlled by the winner may join Units advancing after Combat if the advance is along a coast.
The game may end before this. When directed to do so by Event, advance the Game End marker one space on the Game End Track (on the Game Map). When the marker reaches the Game End space, the game ends immediately. Go to 14.0, Victory Conditions.
In the unusual situation where Units and Leaders forced to Retreat are surrounded, and have no legal Area to Retreat to, they are all captured by the winning Units in the Combat. (If the losing force includes the player’s Head Chieftain, then he suffers a Total Defeat, as above.) Convert all captured Combat Units to Population Units of the winning player. See 12.1 Clan Elders for how to treat captured Clan Elders.
Retreating Units and Leaders must follow the most direct path back toward one of their Villages. At the owner’s option, Units and Leaders not with their Paramount Chief may instead retreat to the Area that their Paramount Chief occupies. If more than one route is of equal distance then the owner determines which way they will retreat. Retreating Units and Leaders may not cross Mountain boundaries, nor may they enter Areas occupied by enemy Combat Units. If Units and Leaders retreat through an Area containing friendly Units and/or Leaders, they join in the Retreat and are susceptible to Panics.
If Units with your Head Chieftain are forced to Retreat, and you have no Villages left on the map, then you have no legal place to Retreat. Your Paramount Chief is captured in Combat, and you suffer a Total Defeat. If there are other players still in the game besides the winner of the Combat, then see 12.3 Paramount Chiefs.
Example 3: The loser retreats another Area. The winner chooses to advance into the vacated Area. The loser rolls a 4 on the Warrior, a 6 on the Militia and a 2 on the Clan Elder, but a 3 on the Population. The Population Panics, and is moved back to and captured by the adjacent enemy Units. (If the enemy Units had chosen not to advance, the Population would have suffered no ill effects from Panicking.) After the Retreat is resolved, the captured Population will be replaced with one of his own Population; it will act in all regards as a ’native’ Population.
12.1 Clan Elders
do not have room on the Canoe(s) must be left behind (owner’s choice)each Unit is converted to a Population and captured by the winner. All retreating Units must roll for Panic as they flee into their Canoes. If they are required by the Combat result to Retreat two or more Areas, they must roll for Panic two times as they board their Canoe(s). Each Retreating Canoe must have at least one Combat Unit (paddling!) to continue the Retreat. They may Retreat by sea to any Controlled or empty Area that is closer to one of their Villages, or even Retreat all the way back to a Village.
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The North Cape, in Aupouri Iwi on North Island, was considered the religious center of the islands; all departed souls passed over this point on their way to eternity (Te Rerenga Wairua, the “pathway of the spirits”).
Each player begins the game with one Tohunga (a Māori shaman). The Māori believed that these men could direct the mana, or sacred power, of the Iwi’s war god against their enemies. This gave a psychological boost to the warriors, represented by the Tohunga’s Combat value.
When a player’s Paramount Chief is captured in Combat, he suffers a Total Defeat. If other players remain in the game, then roll one die for each Unit, Clan Elder, and Village on the map owned by the defeated player. On an odd roll, it is removed from the map. On an even roll, the piece is replaced by one of the capturing player’s pieces. All Movable
13.3 Whare Purakau
Your objective in the game is to take full control of the islands of New Zealand. If more than one player Controls Iwi at the end of the game (or if some Iwi remain Neutral), then the number of Iwi a player controls determines his level of Victory (or Defeat):
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Card Events and a Neutral Area Special Event may direct you to place a “Stump” marker in an Area. If an Area has such a marker, then Big Logs can not be extracted from the Area for the remainder of the game.
You are represented on the board by the Paramount Chief. The power of this Leader is tremendous: Leadership of many Combat Units, an unsurpassed Combat Value, and the ability to recruit Clan Elders from Neutral Areas. Your Tohunga will follow no one else!
Markers remain in place. The capturing player takes control of any Areas in which he gains control of a Village. Any other Area Control markers remain in place. They do not help the defeated player, but other players take Control of these Areas as if they were Controlled by an enemy player (see 7.0 Iwi Control).
is lost in a hex containing a player’s whare purakau, then it is removed and a Warrior is put in its place. This Warrior retreats from the hex and rolls for panics, as in normal Combat resolution.
12.3 Paramount Chiefs
0
Ifplayer.Combat
At the beginning of your turn, each Scout that you own can perform one Reconnaissance. You may examine all of the enemy Units in one adjacent Area, even across Mountains.
15-19 Iwi Controlled: Iwi Controlled: Iwi Controlled: Iwi Controlled: Iwi Controlled: Iwi Controlled: Total TotalSubstantiveMarginalMarginalSubstantiveVictory.Victory.Victory.Defeat.Defeat.Defeat.
14.0 VICTORY CONDITIONS
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Any Shaken Clan Elder that begins his Turn in a friendly Village is flipped back to his full- strength side (see 4.0, Turn Sequence). When a Clan Elder is captured in Combat, his counter is placed back in the owner’s coffee mug. The capturing player then rolls one die: on an odd die roll, the Clan Elder remains removed from play (he was either killed in combat or, more likely, he simply got disheartened and went home). On an even roll, the Clan Elder joins the capturing player’s side: replace him with a randomly drawn Clan Elder of the capturing side.
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12.2 Tohunga
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If the Tohunga’s efforts failed, however, he was obviously a fraud. Therefore, any time a Tohunga is involved on the losing side of a Combat, immediately place his counter with your unbuilt Units off the map. It would take a while for a new Tohunga to establish his authenticity with the Iwi. Every Turn that begins with your Tohunga off the map, roll the die. On an even roll, replace the Tohunga counter on your Home Village. This represents a new Tohunga having risen to power in the Iwi. On an odd roll, try again on your next Turn. (See 4.0 Turn Sequence.)
The Maori had a tradition of establishing a “house of learning warfare” or whare purakau. When this card is played for the Event, you may place your whare purakau in any Area. If a player has a whare purakau (anywhere on the map) and his opponent does not, then that player wins tie combat rolls, even when he is attacking. The whare purakau also defends with a combat value of 2 in the hex it occupies, and allows one addition Combat Unit to defend in the Area. Once they are built, they may not be moved nor removed by the owning
The Tohunga of the Aupouri clan is considered the head Tohunga for New Zealand. Any player who takes control of Aupouri (or begins the game with it as his Home Area) immediately flips over his usual 1 strength Tohunga to its 2 strength side. If control of Aupouri is taken by another player, the previous owner retains his 2 strength Tohunga until it is lost in Combat or by Event. In this case, there are two claimants to the head Tohunga title (one in “exile”). If the 2 strength Tohunga is lost in combat or by Event, it is replaced by another 2 strength Tohunga only if the player has control of Aupouri when the Tohunga reappears on his Home Village.
13.1 Scout Reconnaissance
A player whose Paramount Chief is captured suffers a Total Defeat. The winning player is the player with the highest level of Victory (or, the lowest level of Defeat). Ties can be broken: simply compare the precise number of Areas Controlled. If players are still tied, then the player with the most Villages wins.
13.0 ADDITIONAL RULES
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13.2 Forest Depletion
The Leaders and Combat Units of an Active hostile Iwi move immediately following each of your Turns (even without a Clan Elder). Population of an Active hostile Iwi remain in place. When they move, all Active Combat Units will move one Area toward your Home Village. They take the shortest legal route. If they enter an Inactive hostile Iwi, then that Iwi becomes Active. If they enter an Area with any of your Units or Villages, they have Combat there. If they win a Combat, hostile Combat Units always advance behind your retreating Units as far as possible. If they reach your Home Village, they will attack it and any Units in it. If they are successful, they will continue towards your newly designated Home Village. If you have no other Villages, you suffer a Total Defeat.
Before every Combat is resolved, pick up the accumulated cards and use every Reaction card that applies. This will sometimes require some interpretation: for example, when choosing between cards that will stop the Combat and those that give advantages in the Combat. Choose the combination of cards that are most advantageous to the hostile forces.
When eight or fewer Iwi in New Zealand remain neutral, you must subtract 2 from your die-roll. Treat a “zero” the same as a “2”. Treat a “negative 1” the same as a “1”, except add another Warrior to the hostile forces listed.
15.3 Combat
The following rules generate and control the activities of hostile Units. Pick a set of counters to use (you will likely need a second set later in the game) and another color for the hostile Units. Pick any Iwi to start in, and set up the game as usual. All normal rules apply, with these exceptions.
Also, roll your die. If you roll a 1, then pick the Neutral Iwi- with no hostile forcesthat is closest (by movement) to your Home Village. This Iwi acts as though you rolled a 1 on the Neutral Iwi table above in section 15.1. Place the hostile pieces and markers listed. However, the hostile Iwi is also fully Active: they will move towards your Home Village following this Turn.
Taking control of a Neutral Iwi can no longer be done by Clan Elders, and it is no longer automatic. Instead, when you meet the conditions for taking control of a Neutral Iwi, roll on the following table:
All Reaction cards that are not used, along with all regular non-Reaction cards, are discarded. Yes, this is sometimes awkward, as a real player would have surely played some of these discarded Event cards.
Cards that say “Play This Card Now!” are always resolved immediately, whether revealed before Combat or drawn by you. Resolve their event immediately- this might stop the Combat if revealed at that time. In the solitaire game, ALL such cards advance the Game End marker, whether it says to do so or not.
15.6 Solitaire Game End
5: Area is hostile but unarmed: place 3 hostile Population in the Iwi. Place a hostile Control marker.
15.1 Iwi Control
3: Area is hostile and armed: place 2 hostile Warriors and 1 hostile Population in the Iwi. Place a hostile Control marker.
15.4 Action Cards
Every time you win a Combat, you must roll for Panic for each of your Combat Units (and any Clan Elder that was involved). This special solitaire rule represents the wear-and-tear of continuous operations on your troops.
15.2 Active Hostile Iwi
The Solitaire Game ends when the Game End marker reaches the Game End square, or when you control every Iwi on the map. Determine the total number of Iwi you control at that time; see the table in rule section 14.0 Victory Determination to find out how well you did.
If hostile Units are defeated in Combat, they will Retreat towards any hostile Village on the map. If the defeated Units retreat to a Village belonging to an Inactive Iwi, they also become Inactive. If no Village was placed (or if you have destroyed it) they will Retreat toward the Area where they were originally placed. If hostile Units are defeated in the Area that they were placed (and they have no Village), then replace all hostile Units with your Population.
15.5 “Play This Card Now” Cards
1: Iwi is hostile, armed, and developed; place these hostile pieces in the Iwi: 1 Clan Elder, 1 Elite Troops, 1 Warriors, 1 Village and a Level 1 Pa. Place a hostile Control marker.
When there is more than one Area in the Iwi, hostile Combat Units and Villages are placed together in the Area you occupy. Hostile Population are each placed in a randomly selected Area.
If you roll a 3, then ALL Inactive hostile Iwi immediately become Active, and will move towards your Home Village following this Turn.
4: Area is very friendly: place 3 Population and a Clan Elder in the Iwi, and resolve the Neutral Iwi Special Event, as in the regular rules.
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At the end of your turn, when you replenish your hand of cards as in the regular rules, also place one card face-down on the map. Add another face-down card for each hostile Control marker on the map.
2: Area is friendly: place 3 Population in the Iwi and resolve the Neutral Iwi Special Event, as in the regular rules.
Your Paramount Chief and his troops may move directly out of a hostile Iwi the next time that they are activated for Movement (even if hostile Combat Units were placed in the Area that they occupy) to avoid Activating the Iwi. Inactive hostile Units will not move from where they were placed. However, if any of your Leaders with Combat Units are activated in the Area for Combat, or later move into any Area in an inactive hostile Iwi, the hostile Iwi becomes Active. All defending hostile Combat Units take part in Combat, regardless of their Leadership (or lack of it).
6: Area is very friendly (same as 4 above).
15.0 SOLITAIRE RULES
biggest change is central to the new design: Māori is a carddriven game. This introduced a tremendous level of uncertainty for players; they can never know the true capabilities of their opponents. Omens and curses, bad weather and great opportunities are all in the cards: 110 of them, and nearly all are unique. The cards allowed us to feature many unique aspects of Māori culture: everything from haka to whare purakau to various Māori gods, as well as the geology and biology of New Zealand. They keep players on their toes, never quite knowing what their opponents are capable of doing.
Royal Guard: an experienced warrior from a good family, wearing a feathered cape and carrying a pouwhenua, which is similar to a taiaha, but with a larger blade at the pointed end.
Always try to build a few War Canoes early in the game. This requires some advanced planning; other things always seem to have a higher priority for the resources. You’ll be surprised how handy they can beand your opponent will be even more surprised when you sail right around his frontier defenses and attack his Home Village! To defend against such a move, you must have a manned War Canoe, and the right Reaction Card.
APPENDIX
Tohunga: a charismatic and experienced healer who has risen to prominence. The graphic depicts the intricate tattoos on his face.
Butsystem.the
If you don’t have a spare Clan Elder to build the raiding party, then use two Scouts for the job. They don’t have as much combat strength, but they only need one War canoe to get behind your enemy.
Paramount Chief: an experienced and charismatic warrior from a leading family, wearing a heavily feathered cape and carrying a fue- a flywisk- a symbol of great authority.
Try to keep two (or more) separate, sizable forces on the board. Disaster can happen suddenly, and without the reserve of an additional force, one disaster will be fatal. It’s better to have two forces with a strength of six each than one force of twelve.
Always keep your Tohunga with your Paramount Chief. It may seem tempting to have that extra combat point stationed with some troops on your flank, but you have to come back to get him withyour Paramount Chief if things don’t work out as planned. And they seldom do! Your Paramount Chief will end up in places far from where you had planned him to be just two rounds earlier. Try to have him end each turn in a neutral area, especially early in the game. Your Paramount Chief is the key to the game. Even if you get totally discombobulated at the periphery, keep your attention focused on him. If you are able to maximize this piece’s potential each turn, you are likely to win the game.
Militia: a young man holding a patu onewa, a war club made of stone (typically basalt).
Scouts: a speedy young warrior with a taiaha, a fighting staff pointed and feathered at one end, used for stabbing, parrying, and striking.
Warriors: a strong young warrior, wearing a hei tiki neck pendant, and also carrying a taiaha.
Clan Elder: an experienced warrior from a leading family, wearing a cape and carrying a mere pounamu: a patu (war club) made from highly prized jade, another symbol of authority.
Elite Troops: an experienced warrior wearing a korowai, or cape, and carrying a taiaha and a wahaika, a wood hand weapon often carved with intricate designs.
The graphics on the counters Units and Leaders depict Maori with typical weapons and attire.
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Avoid having a large force stationed close behind a small force or an undefended Village. If an enemy attacks the small force, he is likely to make it retreat two or three Areas. It will sweep up your large force and make it retreat, too! Don’t put yourself in the position of hoping your Population panic (and therefore join the enemy) before they reach your large force and trigger their retreat.
DESIGNER’S NOTES
Capt. Cook, upon realizing how prosperous the area from Ngati Awa to Whanau Apanui was, named it the Bay of Plenty. The name stuck. Players will gravitate towards this region, since the close proximity of small areas allows for a dense Village placement. This creates efficiencies and “synergy”, which boosts production. It also creates a tempting target.
At first, Māori was going to be published by 3W; but they went out of business shortly after Tahiti was published. Another publisher finally took on the design in 2004, but it sat on a shelf for nine years. In 2013 the contract was revived, and the game was completely re-designed. But again, it sat unattended. What you hold in your hand is the result of the design finally encountering an outstanding game publisher.
The heart of this game’s system owes much to the Tahiti system, but with a complete overhaul. The core system of Māori- Initiative, Construction and Training, Land and Sea Movement, and Combatremains unchanged. The older system was simplified in many ways, most obviously by changing from a hexagon grid to an area movement
PLAYER’S NOTES
A very effective seaborne raiding force consists of a Clan Elder, a War Canoe or two, and a number of Combat Units that the Clan Elder can lead on land. Quietly gather these pieces on a Village, and then unleash them on your unsuspecting victim. Prime targets are Villages in his rear areas, often lightly defended and out of range of his major forces. Then get out of there! Their objective is to disrupt your enemy’s production.
The design for this game originated many years ago- not long after my design for Tahiti: Clan Warfare in Polynesia was published (in 1994!) by World Wide Wargames. Those of you who are familiar with it will note the similarities to Māori. Originally, Māori was simply taking the Tahiti system to a new location. Eventually, the game took on a life of its own.
Population: the man is wearing a piupiu, a kilt made of flax with an ornate waistband. The woman is wearing a kaitaka, a cloak/dress made from extremely fine flax, with a geometric patterned border.
Howe, K.R.; The Quest for Origins: Who First Discovered and Settled New Zealand and the Pacific Islands?; Penguin Books, Auckland; 2003. An interesting discussion of the changing attitudes towards the Maori people as archeology (and our preconceptions) changed over the last few hundred years.
SOURCES
A Note on Pronunciation
Polynesian languages are based on a limited number of sounds, with only seven consonants (h, k, l, m, n, p, and w). Every vowel is pronounced, as follows: a- pronounced ah as in father e- pronounced ay as in pay i- pronounced ee as in bee o- pronounced oh as in toe u- pronounced oo as in boot
One unique aspect of the Maori language is that w is typically pronounced like an f. Words are grouped in syllables, none of which are accented. English speakers have problems with this concept, and thus have changed the Polynesian word Hawaii from “ha-why-ee” to “ha-WHY-ee.” Thus, Taranaki is not “tar-ANA-key,” but rather “ta-rana-key.” Kahungunu is “ka-hun-gu-nu.” Try it; it’s fun.
Game Credits:
Vanished Species; Gallery Books, New York; 1981. Gives the concise story of the moas’ fate- excellent illustrations.
Caro, Niki (Director), Whale Rider, South Pacific Pitctures, 2002. (Or the novel by Witi Ihimaera.) Set in modern New Zealand, it is a window into Maori culture.
Development: Kurt Hoffman & Paul Brenner.
Game design situations specific to the situation on New Zealand center on the fact that the Māori took their warfare quite seriously. This is reflected in several rules. Royal guard units are available as highlytrained, extra-elite warriors. Villages can be fortified against attack with pa; they were an integral part of warfare. A subtle indication of Māori military acumen can be seen in the game scale: the Māori are covering a remarkable amount of ground in a short amount of time. Sea Combat is not in the game, because the Māori usually saw war canoes as a means to an end: getting at their enemies to engage in land combat.
When Captain James Cook first explored New Zealand for Europeans, he had traveling with him a native Tahitian. The scientists aboard Cook’s expedition were amazed to hear this man easily conversing with the local Māori. The linguistic and cultural similarities proved that, at some point, these people had journeyed the 2,400 miles between New Zealand and Tahiti. The accomplishments of the Polynesians- and more specifically, the Māori inhabitants of what we now call New Zealandare truly astonishing. I hope that this game will give you a sense of admiration and awe for the accomplishments of the inhabitants of the Land of the Long White Cloud.
Rice, Geoffrey W., editor; The Oxford History of New Zealand; Oxford University Press, Auckland; 1992. Best general overview.
The map for Māori covers only the North Island and one small part of the South Island. This is because, as is true to this day, over 90% of Māori people lived in this part of New Zealand. There was another small enclave of Maori on the southern end of the South Island, but they were quite isolated from the rest of their people, and did not take part in the warfare endemic to the lands further north. The most compelling evidence of this assertion is that hundreds of pa have been found all over the North Island and the northern tip of the South Island, but none have been found south of this.
Belich, James; Making Peoples: A history of the New Zealanders; Allen Lane The Penguin Press; 1996. A controversial (but unfortunately not well written) look at the development of New Zealand’s culture.
Game Design: Kevin McPartland & Jerry Shiles.
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Other improvements to the game include the Neutral Area Special Events table, which adds an unpredictable twist every time you try to convert a neutral iwi. My idea for this table was first published in John Kisner’s old gaming magazine, Zone of Control (issue number 4).
Shadbolt, Maurice; Monday’s Warriors; David R. Godine, Publisher, Boston; 1990. An excellent historic novel that explores the mind-set of the Maori warrior (although it is set after the colonists arrived).
The Moa in Māori represent several mid-sized species of flightless birds that were indigenous to New Zealand (like Pachyornis septentrionalis and Emeus huttoni). Unlike ostriches and emus, they had no vestigial wings at all, which is why their graphic in this game looks a bit odd. The Maori found these birds so tasty that they were driven to extinction by about 1500 AD. There were also other species of Moa in New Zealand. Dinornis maximus could grow up to thirteen feet tall (!), while Megalapteryx didinus was the size of a chicken. It took the introduction of fire arms in the nineteenth century before these species of moa were also hunted to extinction.
McKinnon, Malcolm (Editor); New Zealand Historical Atlas; David Bateman Publishers, Auckland; 2001. Excellent maps and illustrations, very useful for creating an accurate map of New Zealand before European contact.
Metge, Joan; The Maoris of New Zealand Rautahi; Routledge & Kegan Paul, London; 1976. Very useful map of Maori tribal areas.
Playtesting: Craig Cromwell, Dave Dentel, Tommy Elsea, Brian Goodwin, Rex Lehman, John Lapham, Eric Maule and Shawn VanSchuyer
Cook, Capt. James; The Explorations of Captain James Cook in the Pacific; Dover Publications, New York; 1971. Selections from his Day,journals.David;
Defense Mapping Agency Aerospace Center; Maps ONC R-15 and ONC S-13; St. Louis, Missouri; 1973. Your tax dollars at work.
Graphic Art: Bruce Yearian.