THE GAME: In Border Reivers, each player rules over one of the Marches as leader of one of the six major riding families of the border: Grey, Fenwick, Dacre, Maxwell, Kerr, or Hume. Your goal is to increase the wealth and fame of your clan throughout the reigns of Henry and Elizabeth to end the century as the most famous Border Reiver of all time. Players gain VPs from successful combats, amassing large herds of livestock, and by elevating their Notoriety above the other players in the regions of the map.

Here are some quick facts about the game:

• Number of Players: The game plays best with 4 or 6 players, though 2 and 3-player versions are also supported (where each player leads both an English and a Scottish family).
• Playing Time: 2 to 3 hours. The shorter 2-hour time applies to the 2 or 4-player games where two of the Marches are out of play. No matter the number of players, most game activities are performed simultaneously to ensure a minimum of down time.
• The Map: The 22 x 34” game map depicts each of the six historical Marches and the no man’s land sandwiched between the two nations known as “The Debateable Land.” Each March is home to a major town (with Gaol for captured reivers), a player’s Family Castle, and four Farm Regions where that player can raise sheep (to represent their wealth in livestock).

Basic Flow: A game of Border Reivers is divided into three turns, each representing a progressively more deadly segment of 16th Century Border history. Each turn is sub-divided into seasonal segments.

In Summer, players build their strength through a card-drafting system that lets you strengthen your March for the winter raids that follow. Players build fortified peel defense towers, garrison old castles, and build walls around their farmhouses (creating “bastles”) to guard against enemy raids. At the same time, you recruit famous reivers and wardens to your cause and ally with the most notorious clans of the time (including the infamous Elliotts, Scotts, Johnstones, and Armstrongs). And don’t forget to buy the favor of the most powerful office holders, whether it be the Bishop of Carlisle, the Keeper of Liddesdale, or the mighty Lord Warden of the Marches.

As the air cools and Fall arrives, players commit their defensive assets to the map to prepare for the raids and feuds that are soon to follow. At this time a set of events drawn from the history of the region are chosen, presenting the players with short-term opportunities that may gain them an advantage. Events include the battles of Flodden Field and Solway Moss, Henry VIII’s Rough Wooing to try and force a marriage alliance, Mary Queen of Scots’ tour of the Scottish borders, and the Catholic Rising of the North.

To initiate Winter combats, players select one of their Target cards to secretly designate their intended combat activity. Options include launching a Raid to steal precious livestock, joining their national army as light cavalry forces in one of the historical Battles, or representing their family against a specific target player with whom you have a Feud or Gaolbreak attempt that needs to be prosecuted. Careful play of cards that were drafted during the Summer can help these combats break favorably for your clan.

At last, Spring arrives and the raiding ceases. It’s time to count points and sing of the heroic exploits just witnessed. And on the final turn, that’s exactly what happens—players cash in one or more of the Border Ballad cards for extra VP, especially if the ballad aligns with the strategic path they have followed throughout the game. Which ballad will commemorate your deeds on the Border? May you fare better than Johnny Armstrong, the subject of the famous ballad “Armstrong’s Goodnight,” that captures the spirit of the Reivers:

Said John, Fight on, my merry men all

I am a little wounded, but am not slain;

I will lay me down and bleed awhile,

Then I’ll rise and fight again.