Prelude to Revolution

The Russian Revolution was one of the most consequential events of the 20th century - it saw the fall of the last autocratic monarchy of the modern era, led to the rise of the Soviet Union, and created the social and political platform that gave us Josef Stalin, the Gulags, and the Cold War. But those critical days of 1917 were the culmination of more than a decade of political, social, and ideological conflict in Russia.

Prelude to Revolution is a card-driven game that immerses players in these tumultuous years. Players (the Revolutionary and the Government) try to spread their influence throughout the capital, persuade the masses, workers and soldiers to join their cause, and build grassroots organizations. They will fight political battles in the Duma (parliament) - both against their opponents and between the moderate and extreme parties of their own faction! All the while knowing that world events such as World War I will influence events, and that the growing threat of total revolution looms as time goes on. Can you navigate the competing pressures and priorities and lead your Faction to victory?

The game is divided into three major historical eras - The Troubled Years (1905-1913), The Great War (1914-1916) and The Collapse (1917). Each era has a custom deck of actual or potential event cards, as well as a generic deck. Cards can trigger events or provide action points to be used to mobilize influence (place cubes on tracks) in city districts or the Duma, purchase special actions, affect various game tracks, etc. Key events and personalities have a strong impact on the game. Politics in the Duma is tricky - each player has an extremist party (Bolsheviks for the Revolutionary, monarchists for the Government). The stronger the extremists are, the more danger they pose to their own faction!

To win, a Faction must score 20 victory points during the game, or have the most at the end of the last round. However, if the Bolshevik Coup track increases too much, then the unpredictable Red October sequence is triggered. Or, if the Tsar's prestige increases too much, then autocracy is reimposed and the game ends in a draw.

Prelude to Revolution is based on the system first published in Prelude to Rebellion. Many of the system's mechanics are reused, as well as some new ones.

Complexity: moderate.
Solitaire playability: low to medium.

Game Contents:

•     a 56 x 86 cm game board
•     two boards of counters
•     a pack of 125 cards
•     more than 300 red and blue plastic cubes
•     a cloth bag
•     one set of 4 special score dice
•     eight additional dice
•     four game aids
•     rule booklet