
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,187
- BGG rating
- 6.3
Germania Magna: Border in Flames
- 2–4 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2016

2013
Rules assistance for Rok 1863
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Rok 1863 is a board game released in 2013 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Piotr Krzystek and Łukasz Wrona and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Cooperative Game.
When the Civil War was taking place in America, an uprising broke out in Poland. The winter of 1863. Poland was captive, partitioned by three powers of that era – Austria, Prussia and Russia. Under the occupation of this last country, the embers of yet another revolt appeared and tore these lands for the next two years. Once again, the rebellious hearts of Poles were itching for a fight. This time there was no regular army. Armed with scythes and hunting weapons, Poles joined armed groups called parties to stand up to an unequal battle with the large Russian army. You yourself could stand at the head of one of these parties. 1863 is an unusually dynamic card game designed for 2-4 players, in which our task is to put you in the role of an insurgent party. The party, which may include Scythemen, Shooters or elite troops of the Zouaves of Death, will engage the Muscovites in the historic battles of the January Uprising. We must take care that we have the right amount of ammunition, and make sure that none of our fellow players gain too many glory points. They decide which player wins the whole game. One begins the game having five Command Cards and Ammunition Chips. Each round starts by drawing commanders and issuing a battlefield with the Muscovite’s card hidden beneath it. In each turn, players replenish their number of chips and cards. After this, the most important part of the game begins. It consists of adding the next military units and actions to battles or to other players, in order to break with military force all the units of the battlefield, along with the Muscovite card hidden beneath it. The battles are resolved when everyone has agreed not to add more cards. If players manage to surpass the total military forces of the battlefield and Muscovite, the skirmish has been won, and the players each receive glory points according to the size of their military contribution to it. So it pays to have the largest share in each battle. The game usually lasts until 6 skirmishes have been won. The glory points are then added up, and the winner of the game emerges. Zima roku 1863. Zniewolona Polska, pod zaborami trzech potęg tamtego okresu - Austrii, Prus i Rosji. Pod okupacją tego ostatniego kraju rodzi się zarzewie kolejnego buntu, który przez najbliższe 2 lata będzie targał tymi ziemiami. Niepokorne serca Polaków znowu rwą się do walki. Tym razem nie mają regularnego wojska. Uzbrojeni w kosy i broń myśliwską, Polacy łącza się w zbrojne grupy zwane partiami, by stanąć do nierównej walki z licznym wojskiem rosyjskim. Na czele jednej z partii możesz stanąć właśnie Ty. Rok 1863 to niezwykle dynamiczna gra karciana, przeznaczona dla 2-4 graczy, w której naszym zadaniem będzie wcielenie się w rolę partii powstańczej. Partia w której skład mogą wchodzić Kosynierzy, Strzelcy czy elitarne oddziały Żuawów Śmierci, będzie potykać się z Moskalami w historycznych bitwach Powstania Styczniowego. Musimy dbać przy tym o odpowiednią ilość amunicji oraz kontrolować czy któryś z naszych współgraczy nie zdobywa zbyt dużej ilość punktów chwały. To one zdecydują, który gracz okaże się zwycięzcą całej gry. Grę rozpoczyna się posiadając po 5 Kart Rozkazów i Żetonów Amunicji. Każda runda rozpoczyna się od losowania dowódców, oraz wystawienia pola bitwy wraz z ukrytą pod nią kartą Moskali. Gracze co turę uzupełniają również liczbę swoich żetonów oraz kart. Po tym rozpoczynają najważniejszą część gry. Polega ona na dokładaniu kolejno Kart Oddziałów i Akcji do bitew lub na innych graczy, tak by w miarę możliwości przebić Siłą Militarną wszystkich oddziałów Siłę Militarną Pola Bitwy i ukrytej pod nim Karty Moskala. Kiedy wszyscy już postanowią nie dokładać więcej kart, dochodzi do rozstrzygnięcia bitew. Jeśli graczom uda się przekroczyć sumę siły militarnej Karty Bitwy i Moskali, potyczka została wygrana a gracze przyznają sobie punkty chwały w ilości zależnej od tego jak duży był ich wkład militarny w nią. Zatem opłaca się mieć jak największy udział w każdej z bitew. Gra najczęściej trwa do momentu zwycięskiego rozegrania 6 potyczek. Wtedy podlicza się zdobyte Punkty Chwały i wyłania się zwycięzcę gry.
Rok 1863 supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Rok 1863 is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Rok 1863 for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Rok 1863 has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Rok 1863 belongs to these categories: Card Game, Wargame, and Educational. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Cooperative Game. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Rok 1863 are: Piotr Krzystek and Łukasz Wrona. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Rok 1863 as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.