Stage II escalation

Frequently Asked Questions

Adversaries

• How does the Stage II escalation (flag) effect for Brandenburg-Prussia work? Which lands can I add a town to?
  First, you check each board (section of the map) to see if there is at least one Town or City. (Usually, there will be.) Then pick one land on that board that doesn't currently have a Town in it, and add a Town there.

  The land does not need to match the Explore Card.

  The new Town can be where the Invaders already are (with Explorers and/or Cities), or can be well away from any existing Invaders. If there are no lands without Towns on the board, then no new Town is added.

  This happens before the actual Exploration, so the Prussians might Explore from the Town that you just added.

  You can choose the position of the Town to be best for you (and it's expected you will – otherwise it would be too punishing).
  Tags: Stage II escalation, Kingdom of Brandenburg-Prussia
• How many Actions is the Habsburg Livestock Colony Escalation?
  One Action per board with 4 or fewer Blight followed by one additional Action per board with 2 or fewer Blight, for a maximum of 2 Actions per board.

  If you are able to move or destroy the first added Town with a triggered Action, it is possible to choose that land again for the second added Town.
  Tags: Actions, Stage II escalation, Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony)
• When the Kingdom of Sweden reveals an Escalation symbol, does the Escalation apply to all subsequent Explore Cards that turn?
  No, Swayed by the Invaders only applies to the card with the Escalation symbol, and not to any other Explore Cards.

  This also means that if the Escalation would happen when the card isn't an Explore Card (e.g., when combining with the Tsardom of Russia's Entrench in the Face of Fear), then the Escalation does nothing.
  Tags: Stage II escalation, Combining Adversaries, Kingdom of Sweden, Explorers are Reluctant, 2 more...
• Does the Kingdom of Scotland's Escalation trigger if there are no coastal Towns/Cities in any land?
  Yes. As usual, when there's a tie, players break it.
  Tags: Stage II escalation, Kingdom of Scotland
• How does "Invaders skip all actions" in a particular land interact with a Stage II Escalation affecting that land?
  If the Stage II Escalation is an Invader Action (i.e., Ravage, Build, or Explore), it's skipped. Otherwise, it is an Adversary Action and not affected.

  Specifically:

  • Directly skipped (Invader Actions): Kingdom of England, Habsburg Mining Expedition
  • Indirectly skipped (triggered by Invader Actions): Kingdom of Sweden
  • Unskippable: Kingdom of Brandenburg Prussia, Kingdom of France (Plantation Colony), Tsardom of Russia, Habsburg Monarchy (Livestock Colony), Kingdom of Scotland.

  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Skipping Actions, Stage II escalation, A Year of Perfect Stillness (Vital Strength of the Earth), Paralyzing Fright, 9 more...
• Does Sweden's Escalation effect happen if no Explorer was added?
  No, the Invaders have to successfully Explore in order to trigger the effect.

  It doesn't matter whether the Explore failed because of a lack of sources of exploration or from some other effect (eg, the Fear card Avoid the Dahan).
  (Discussion elsewhere) (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Stage II escalation, Explore, Wilds, Isolate, 2 more...

Invader Actions

• What does the symbol on most of the Stage II Invader Cards mean?
  It is an Escalation symbol [p. 10 sidebar], with an effect depending on the Adversary. If you are playing without an Adversary, as in an introductory game, ignore it.
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Stage II escalation
• When a Stage II card shows up at an unusual time, when exactly do you resolve the Escalation effect?
  Unless otherwise specified, when the Invader card is resolved for the first time (JE rulebook, p. 27).

  For instance, Russia Level 5 will put Invader cards directly in the Build space. When that card is resolved for the first time (usually Building on the next Invader phase), it will also trigger the Escalation effect.

  Explorers are Reluctant at Level III specifies different behavior on the card, so you should follow that.
  Tags: Stage II escalation, Tsardom of Russia, Explorers are Reluctant
• Do Stage II Escalations happen before or after the Explore?
  If it is not specified, it happens before the Explore.

  This means that, e.g., Brandenburg-Prussia can add a Town that then acts as a source for the Exploration that happens immediately afterwards.
  Tags: Stage II escalation, Kingdom of Brandenburg-Prussia, Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Scotland, 1 more...
• What does the "Coastal" invader card do? Is it worse than the other Stage II cards?
  It means that you Explore (and later Build and Ravage) in all Coastal lands on each board, 3 lands per board on the standard size.

  If you are playing against an Adversary, the flag effect on the other Stage II cards is meant to make them approximately equal. Without an Adversary, this card is worse than the other Stage II cards.
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Explore, Flag Effect, Stage II escalation, Coastal Lands invader card, 0 more...

Play Options

• When combining Adversaries, how do you handle Escalation on Stage 3 Invader Cards when the Escalation cares about terrain? (France, Sweden)
  Choose one of the two land types randomly. (JE p. 19) Don't use "top terrain" or "bottom terrain"; they not equally distributed. If there's no other convenient way, spin the card and use the terrain that's closest to pointing at the Adversary panel.

  If you just apply the Escalation to both Explored terrains, Sweden's Escalation becomes much nastier and France's becomes much more lenient.
  (Discussion elsewhere)  Tags: Combining Adversaries, Stage II escalation, Kingdom of France, Kingdom of Sweden, 0 more...

Power Cards

• If you use The Past Returns Again on a Stage II card, do you evaluate the Escalation effect again?
  Yes.

  It still counts as being resolved "for the first time" (JE rulebook p. 27), since it was turned face-down and returned to the Invader Deck; it has no "memory" of what it did the previous time it left the Invader deck.
  Tags: Stage II escalation, The Past Returns Again (Fractured Days Split the Sky)