Summary: Condottiere is a fun card game that will appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike. It lacks the depth to be a true masterpiece, but it will still entertain for many games.

The Components

My copy of Condottiere is the FFG ‘Silver Line’ version. It comes in a small and sturdy rectangular box (the same used in the current editions of Citadels and Anima: the Shadow of Omega for those familiar with them). Inside is a small fold-out map of Italy, 110 cards, a black and a white token and 36 small wooden cubes in six colours. Everything fits neatly back into the box using the organizer provided.

The cards are quite attractive. They are standard playing card size and the artwork on each of them is gorgeous and fits into the game’s theme well. They are white-bordered and don’t show much wear.

The board folds down at three seams to fit into the box. It is somewhat warped on account of the tight folding and does not lay flat very well. It is still functional though, and the board in this card is very much a sideshow. I really can’t think of anything to say about little wooden cubes.

Overall, the components do a great job of informing players of the theme and setting the appropriate mood.

Gameplay

Each player is dealt ten cards, from which they form a battleline with Mercenaries and other cards. The ‘Mercenary’ cards each have a value of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 10, which is added together. The player with the strongest battleline wins and claims the territory. The first player to win a certain number of territories or string together a smaller number of adjacent territories wins the game.

At the start of a round, a player places the black Condottiere token in an empty territory. He then plays the first card into his battleline. Play continues around the table with each player either playing a card or passing. Once all players have passed the battle is resolved. There is also a ‘Surrender’ card that can cause the battle to end immediately. The winner of the battle then places the Condottiere token in another empty territory and begins the next round.

The players keep their current cards until all but one player is out of cards. If at the end of a hand they have no ‘Mercenary’ cards (the basic ingredients of a battleline), they can discard their hands. This introduces a resource management aspect to the game as players are forced to decide how many battles their hand is worth, and whether to commit heavily in an initial battle, or hold back strength for later.

The game is also made more complicated by various special cards that add some tension and strategy to the game. The ‘Bishop’ card discards all of the highest strength mercenary cards in play. This makes players cautious about using their most powerful cards and helps add to bluffing. When a player plays a Bishop they may also reposition the white ‘Favour of the Pope’ token (who we just call the Pope), which prevents a territory from being attacked. This is usually done to prevent players from taking a string of adjacent territories.

The ‘Drummer’ doubles the printed value of Mercenary cards in its battleline. It is a very powerful card, but requires a heavy commitment of resources to gain its full effect.

The ‘Courtesan’ card only has a value of one, but if at the end of a round a player has more Courtesan cards in their line than anyone else, they get to reposition the Condottiere token rather than the winner. They can be used to prevent a player from winning a string of adjacent territories, or to throw one battle, and then try to win the next one in a place more convenient.

‘Winter’ makes all Mercenaries have a strength of one, regardless of their printed value. It is a great when you have a hand of mostly filler. It can also be combined with other cards to great effect.

‘Spring’ cancels Winter (and vice versa) and adds three to the highest strength Mercenary cards in play.

The ‘Heroine’ is always strength ten, but is unaffected by Winter, Spring and the Drummer. This means, for example, that the Heroine and Winter can be a very powerful combination since it would take a heavy investment of resources to defeat the combination.

Finally, there is the ‘Scarecrow’ card, which allows the player to return a Mercenary from his battleline back into his hand. It can be used to make a retreat, to bluff, or merely to buy time while waiting to see what other players decide.

It is very easy to learn this game. There is a limited number of card types, and the cards have no text on them besides the printed value or a symbol. I’ve had success introducing the game to non-gamers, and the learning curve is somewhat shorter than Bang! and other light card games.

The map also adds a metagame element. It’s fairly simple, but it does a nice job of conceptualizing the battles and establishing a winner after multiple rounds. The assessment of 30-45 minutes on the game box pretty much holds accurate. Like with Bang!, analysis paralysis can absolute kill any enjoyment in the game, so choose your players with that in mind. Most people shouldn't have any problem playing quickly though.

The randomness is the game’s main downside. All card games suffer from this problem to one extent or another, but Condottiere is quite prone to dealing out useless and godly hands. Fortunately, each game goes on for multiple hands and usually two or three rounds of cards, so the luck often balances out.

In my experience, the game plays best with 4, and 2 and 6 should be avoided since it's either too slow, or too simple.


Conclusion

Condottiere makes a good filler game into between more complicated games. It’s also easily approachable to non-gamers and can act as a good gateway into more complex card games. Despite the randomness, there are strong elements of bluffing and also elements of skill and territory control strategy. The game sells for a very reasonable price of $19.95, and it is a good value for the gameplay it offers. Overall, Condottiere warrants a 7/10.