Swords and Bagpipes

In the end of the 13th century English king Edward I occupied Scotland and the local nobility has brought him the oath, however, feudal lords raised the popular uprising. In the end, the northerners managed to defend their independence — after two bloody wars extending over fifty years. But the price of freedom could have not been as high as it was, because of the rivalry of the Scottish aristocrats who, in search of personal gain, at times even acted in concert with the British.

Swords and Bagpipes is a board game where players lead Scottish clans at the time of the English invasion. Players share a common goal — to stop King Edward. To reach this goal they assembled troops and send them to the battlefield. However, at the end of the game, when the war is over, only one player will be the new king of Scots. Surely, the richest player will be the winner! But if Scotland fades in people’s memory, only the most constant fighter for independence will abide.

Each round you gather troops under your banners, prepare your forces for coming battle, and then you choose: either to support Scotland and freedom... or to betray for gold. Sometimes joining the winning side is not cowardice but wisdom!

The game is based on a situation known as the prisoner's dilemma. To win the player must stand on the side of the common enemy (but if there are too many traitors - they will lose the game). In order to choose the right moment for betrayal and to obtain the greatest benefit from it, you will need not only the calculation and tactics, but also the ability to guess about the plans of the opponents. Swords and Bagpipes is a unique combination of social deduction and strategy game. In this war, the right choice is the key to victory!

Contents:

1 playing field

5 clan boards

10 choice tokens

1 honor token

9 English army cards

2 Edward’s army cards

29 bagpipe cards

6 dagger cards

64 unit tokens

80 gold tokens

1 defeat marker