How to Learn Glory and Empire First Victories Core Rules

Quick answer

Learn the Glory and Empire First Victories Core Rule Book in passes, not in one sitting. Read the Core Rule Book once for the shape of the system, set up Rolica or Vimeiro from the companion book, then play a small portion of a scenario with the book open. The rules are written to be referenced during play, so treat your first game as a learning exercise rather than a competition.

Read the Core Rule Book in three passes

The Core Rule Book defines the whole Glory and Empire system: formations and what each can and cannot do, command and control, morale, artillery effectiveness, and the cavalry charge. That is a lot to hold at once, so split it. First pass: read only the headings and the formation descriptions to understand what the game is modeling. Second pass: read command and control and morale together, because an order takes time to reach anybody and morale decides more engagements than firepower does. Third pass: read artillery and cavalry, then go back to formations with those in mind.

Do not try to memorize modifiers on the first pass. The book is a reference, and the fastest way to learn it is to know where a rule lives, not to recite it.

Set up a scenario before you feel ready

Pick Rolica or Vimeiro from the First Victories Companion Book and set up the terrain and troops exactly as printed. Setup teaches you the scale of the game faster than reading does. As you place units, say out loud what formation each one is in and what it can do from there. Infantry in line or in square, cavalry looking for the moment the square is not there yet, and artillery working on whichever of them is standing still: that sentence is the whole tactical problem of the period, and setup is where it becomes concrete.

If a scenario calls for something your collection does not have, substitute a similar unit type and note it. The point of the first setup is orientation, not fidelity.

Play one turn slowly with the book open

Play a single turn and stop. Resolve command, then movement, then combat, reading each section as you go. The common mistake is playing a full scenario on day one and spending the whole time flipping pages. One slow turn with the book open teaches more than three fast turns with arguments.

Checkpoint: after the turn, close the book and explain to yourself why each order took the time it did. If you can do that, you understand command and control well enough to continue.

Learn solo by playing both sides honestly

Glory and Empire works solo if you commit to the plan each side would actually make. Write the order for one side before you move the other, and do not revise it once you see the board. Combined arms is not a bonus in this system; it is the baseline, so a solo game where you only push infantry forward will teach you the wrong lesson.

The common solo mistake is favoring the side you find more interesting. Alternate which side you write orders for first, and keep a short log of why each order was given.

Add the companion book when the core feels automatic

Once you can run a turn without opening the Core Rule Book for formations or morale, bring in the First Victories Companion Book for the full Rolica and Vimeiro scenarios from either side. The companion assumes you already know the core system, so using it too early creates confusion about which book answers which question.

If you are still unsure whether a rule is core or scenario-specific, the answer is almost always in the Core Rule Book. Keep it within reach even after you graduate to the companion.

Your first five sessions

1. Session 1: Skim the Core Rule Book: Read headings, formation descriptions, and the command and control section. Do not take notes on modifiers yet. Checkpoint: you can name the formations and say what each cannot do.
2. Session 2: Set up Rolica or Vimeiro: Place terrain and units from the companion book, naming each formation as you go. Substitute similar units if your collection is short. Checkpoint: you can point to one infantry line, one square, and one artillery battery and say what each is waiting for.
3. Session 3: Play one turn with the book open: Resolve command, movement, and combat in order, reading each section as you reach it. Stop after one turn. Mistake to avoid: rushing a full scenario before you can explain why an order took time to arrive.
4. Session 4: Play solo with written orders: Write each side's order before moving the other side, and do not revise it after seeing the board. Alternate which side goes first. Checkpoint: your log shows at least one combined-arms attack, not just infantry pushes.
5. Session 5: Add the companion scenarios: Move to the full Rolica and Vimeiro scenarios from either side, keeping the Core Rule Book within reach for rules questions. Next step: play the same scenario from the opposite side to see how the formation problems change.

What each book does

• Glory and Empire - First Victories Core Rule Book: The Core Rule Book defines the whole Glory and Empire system, including formations and what each one can and cannot do, command and control, morale, artillery effectiveness, and the cavalry charge. This is the book you learn first and keep open during your early games; everything else in the series assumes you know it.
• Glory and Empire - First Victories Companion Book: The First Victories Companion Book covers Rolica and Vimeiro from either side, with infantry in line or square, cavalry waiting for the moment the square is not there yet, and artillery working on whichever is standing still. Use it after the core rules feel familiar, because it puts the formation and combined-arms decisions into specific scenarios rather than abstract examples.