Lords of Scotland is strategy card game designed by Richard James. Set in the interregnum period of Scottish history players are Lords of Scotland who attempt to ascend to the throne by winningthe favor of the clans by triumphing in 5-round skirmishes with their rivals. During each round a player can either build up his army by playing cards or recruit clans to fight by drawing cards from the recruit pile. At the end of the five rounds each Lord gets to claim a supporter in order of the highest strength army to the lowest. Then players discard all the clans they have mustered and begin a new round of skirmishes. The game ends when one Lord has accumulated 40 or more points and claims the throne. Typically games take about 35 minutes to play.

 

As designer Richard James admits, Lords of Scotland, which is designed for 2-5 players, borrows elements of its gameplay from Condotierre, Three-Dragon Ante, and Havoc: The Hundred Years War. Throughout the game there is a nice balance between a general pressure to use resources to make immediate gains and a need to husband and build those same resources for long-term strategic advantage.

 

Z-Man Games plans to release Lords of Scotland here in the U.S. in March or April.