In Unhappy King Charles, both sides want to gain political control of the main towns and cities of the country. In the example below – taken from the Playbook that comes with the game – the Royalists have played the Charles Cavendish Event to take control of two areas in the North, including seizing the important lead mining town of Sheffield from the Parliament.

In Unhappy King Charles, a Local Notable can be used to Raid, changing the political control of an area. A Local Notable is a family or bigwig with regional political clout. In this example, the Parliamentary loyalist Massey, a Local Notable based in Gloucester, Raids to take the nearby Forest of Dean and its important iron industry. Affronted, the Royalist plays Raising the Royal Standard, an Event meaning war is now formally declared.

In Unhappy King Charles, control of the country’s Fortresses is critical. None more so than Royalist Oxford: the bridge between London and the west. Fortresses need to be made to surrender, usually by siege and bombardment. Oxford, being a medium-sized Fortress, requires at least a couple of Bombardments before it raises the white flag. The leading godly General Lord Essex begins the siege, with Parliament playing an Operations card to Bombard the city.

In Unhappy King Charles, the Battles can be unpredictable and bloody. Sometimes the best option is to Disperse and Reform in the subsequent turn. In this example, Lord Fairfax does not fancy his chances against the King. He disperses, allowing the King to take control of Wakefield, a Parliamentary recruitment area for the North.

In Unhappy King Charles, the more able Generals can Intercept less adept opponents on the move. If Battle ensues, a die is rolled by each side and the Brigade strength and Battle Ratings of the Generals applied. In this example, the smaller Royalist army of General Hopton prevails. The victory is indecisive, but the Parliament General Bedford loses a Brigade and must Retreat.

In Unhappy King Charles, a lower level General will Subordinate to a more senior colleague. This can create a larger, more potent army, but reduce a side’s flexibility to respond to the enemy. In this example, the Royalist combines the armies of the King and Prince Rupert to relieve the Parliamentary siege of Oxford. The King succeeds, but is frustrated that Lord Essex is able to Evade a decisive engagement outside the university town.