Here I Stand 500th Anniversary 2nd Reprint (2024)

Here I Stand – 500th Anniversary Reprint Edition (2nd Printing)

Here I Stand: Wars of the Reformation 1517–1555 is the first game in over 25 years to cover the political and religious conflicts of early 16th Century Europe. Few realize that the greatest feats of Martin Luther, Jean Calvin, Ignatius Loyola, Henry VIII, Charles V, Francis I, Suleiman the Magnificent, Ferdinand Magellan, Hernando Cortes, and Nicolaus Copernicus all fall within this narrow 40-year period of history. This game covers all the action of the period using a unique card-driven game system that models both the political and religious conflicts of the period on a single point-to-point map.

There are six main powers in the game, each with a unique path to victory:

The Ottoman player needs to bring Christian Europe to their knees, either through a dominant military victory in Central Europe or by naval conquests and piracy in the Mediterranean. Their corsairs, based initially along the Barbary Coast of Africa, are the only units that can steal resources (cards, fleets, or victory points) from other players through piracy.

The Hapsburgs begin the game in a dominant position, with Charles V inheriting lands in Castile, Aragon, Burgundy, the Netherlands and Austria. As the newly-elected Holy Roman Emperor, Charles is also in charge of the defense of Germany. However, the Hapsburgs are spread thin and threatened on all sides, tasked with defending Europe from the Ottomans, protecting Italy from the interests of the French, and cleansing Germany of the rapidly developing Lutheran heresy. Only through diplomatic finesse and the establishment of a New World empire will they be able to continue in their ascendant position.

The English player, taking the role of Henry VIII, is tasked with securing his dynasty and raising the stature of England in European politics. The English start the game with the fewest cards of any power but can increase that through conquest of Scotland or colonizing the New World. They often serve as the swing player in the struggle between the Hapsburgs and French. The English player has to balance these interests with Henry's need to spend time securing a male heir (gained through rolls on the Henry's Wives' Pregnancy Chart). In the end, Henry is the key, for he is the one dynamic military leader the English possess but he can not marry a new wife if he is captured or under siege.

The Valois dynasty of France, led by Francis I, also participates in the race to the New World. Like the English and Hapsburgs, France gains both victory points and additional cards through conquest, colonization, and exploration. Francis is also a great patron of the arts, taking a great interest in Italian art and architecture while starting the long succession of French châteaux. French strategies in Here I Stand vary widely, for victory can come through any combination of points from New World exploits, châteaux-building, and conquest of European city-states.

The Papacy and the Protestants fight the religious struggle that occurs concurrently with the rest of the action. The initial move of the game sees Martin Luther posting his 95 Theses on the church in Wittenburg, typically flipping religious control of several nearby spaces to the Protestant player. Religious conflicts use a proximity system to model the likelihood of religious conversion. Protestant spaces, reformers, and armies adjacent to a city increase the chance of that city adopting the new faith. Catholic spaces, armies, and Jesuit universities allow the Papacy to halt the spread of the “heresy” and counter-reform spaces back to the Catholic faith. The religious conflict system includes biblical translations in one language at a time, the impact of the printing press, and landmark events such as the Diet of Worms and the Council of Trent. If one side is blocked, they can call a theological debate where leading reformers meet Papal legates in a battle of words, with “hits” rolled to determine winners. Lopsided results can lead to disgrace or death by burning at the stake. Progress toward victory for these two powers is measured by the number of areas under religious control and the number of enemy debaters burned or disgraced.

Here I Stand is the first card-driven game to prominently feature secret deal-making. A true six-sided diplomatic struggle, the game places a heavy emphasis on alliance-building through negotiations during the pre-turn Diplomacy Phase. Set during the era in which Niccolò Machiavelli published The Prince, backstabbing is always possible, especially because the deck is full of events and responses that any power can play to disrupt others.

The lineage of Here I Stand descends from SPI’s A Mighty Fortress (1977) and GMT’s The Napoleonic Wars (2002). Reusing the theme of A Mighty Fortress, this game offers a much deeper system for religious conversions, adds New World exploration and Mediterranean piracy, and explicitly includes minor powers that can be pulled into the conflict through card play. From The Napoleonic Wars it borrows the use of important cities to determine economic strength and elements of land combat, avoid battle, and interception. Many mechanics were simplified to ensure fast play despite the breadth of factors. The design adds unique 16th-century features: heavy reliance on short-term mercenaries, explicit wintering of armies, and the unpredictable nature of sieges, especially against targets resupplied by sea.

Here I Stand integrates religion, politics, economics and diplomacy in one card-driven design. Games vary in length from 3–4 hours for a tournament scenario up to full campaign games lasting twice that time. Rules are included for 3, 4, or 5 players, with the 3-player variant particularly balanced, exploiting natural alliances of the period.

Game Context & Scale

Here I Stand dramatizes the struggle for religious and political dominance in early 16th-century Europe. A card-driven design facilitates gameplay that blends diplomacy, negotiation, and military conflict across the continent.

Game Details

• Players: 2–6
• Playing time: 360 minutes (full campaign)
• Designer: Ed Beach
• Publisher: GMT Games

Error Notice (Errata)

This 2nd Printing was shipped without five counters that should have been included. GMT apologizes, is printing replacements, and has halted shipping until replacements are ready. Patrons who pre-ordered will receive replacements free of charge. JPG images of the five missing counters (front and back) are linked on the product page.

Enhancements in This Edition

• Six brand-new cards added: Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Rough Wooing, Imperial Coronation, and more
• Revisions to over 15 existing cards (including Copernicus, Master of Italy, and Machiavelli) for expanded diplomatic and gameplay options
• New Château construction table for resolving France’s Patron of the Arts home card
• Virgin Queen rule updates: minor power activation, piracy, spice trading, and foreign wars

Components

• Four and a half full-color counter sheets
• 116 Strategy Cards
• One 22" × 34" Mounted Mapsheet
• Player Aid Cards (11" × 17" & 8.5" × 11")
• Rules / Scenario Book
• 10 six-sided dice