![\"Junta\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.westpark-gamers.de\/Ressourcen\/junta_t.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Publisher<\/b>: ASS<\/p>\n
Author<\/b>: Vincent Tsao (original design); Ben Grossman \/ Eric Goldberg (revised
\nrules)<\/p>\n
Tested<\/b>: German edition, 1986<\/p>\n
Tester<\/b>: Walter Sorger<\/p>\n
Scenario<\/b>: A Republica of Los Bananas somewhere in the world. The players
\nrepresent political powers within a state and try by hook or by crook to divert the main
\npart of the public budget to their own private Swiss bank account.<\/p>\n
The Game<\/b>: The game board shows the important political quarters of a modern
\ncapital (presidential palace, parliament, police districts, barracks, embassies, central
\nbank etc.). The game takes 9 to 11 rounds, in each round cash is put into circulation.
\nWhen the whole stock of money is exhausted the game is over. Winner is the player with
\nthe highest amount of money in his bank account.<\/p>\n
One player is El Presidente, an office in which he is elected democratically. The
\npresident assigns the remaining 6 positions (Ministry of Internal Security, Air Force,
\nNavy or one of 3 Generals) to the other players. He is free in his decision, each player
\ngets at least one and at most two offices.<\/p>\n
This demonstrates the first partiality of the president. The president assigns the
\npositions not uniformly among the players, but prefers those, who seem to be loyal; those
\nplayer with which he attempts to feather his nest.<\/p>\n
His “feathers” are the randomly drawn 8 to 24 million Pesos Foreign Aid,
\nwhich form the public budget. The president distributes this money amongst all the
\nplayers in an absolutely arbitrary manner. He may keep all the cash for his own or he may
\ngive all or part of it to one or several other players. This demonstrates the second
\npartiality of the president and is called his budget proposal. It is voted on, and of
\ncourse the hurt players vote against it. If the budget passes, it is divided up amongst
\nthe fortunate players. If it fails, the Minister can force it through with gun power.<\/p>\n
Such a proceeding does not make friends. But Junta is not a game for friends.
\nEverybody plays at his own bill. Alliances are concluded for short-dated aims only, and
\nthey last only so long as no other profitable goals are found. These may be an
\nassassination attempt against a rich ally or a coup attempt against the governing
\njunta.<\/p>\n
Any player may initiate an assassination attempt against one other player. This
\nhappens by ordering an assassin to a specific location (bank, head quarter, home, lover,
\nnight club) to kill the denominated office person. The assassination attempt is
\nsuccessful, if the wanted person really moves to the chosen location. In this case the
\nagent gets all the cash on hand of the victim.<\/p>\n
A coup attempt may be initiated by any player. Before the coup starts each player must
\ndeclare whether he chooses the rebel or the loyalist faction. Thereupon is a little war
\ngame, consisting of 6 turns, in which each side struggles to gain control over the
\nmajority of the 5 ‘key’ areas of the capital. After the appropriate number of
\nturns the coup is terminated and the result is counted.<\/p>\n
If the coup is successful, the declared rebels vote on a new El Presidente. If the
\ncoup fails, the governing junta remains in power. The winning side can execute one
\nperson. An executed victim looses all his collected political influence and the president
\ngets the cash in his hand.<\/p>\n
The money the players get during the game doesn’t count for the winning balance at
\nthe end of the game. To determine the winner, only the money on the Swiss bank account is
\nevaluated. And how do you manage to it get there? In going to the bank and crediting your
\ncash to your Swiss account. This sounds quite simple, but it isn’t. In political
\nturbulent times the bank is closed or takes lunch hour and is inoperable for your
\ntransaction. Additionally the assassins lie in ambush in the bank, and there is no more
\nlucrative target than a partner with much cash.<\/p>\n
Playing time<\/b>: 3 hours, plus rules explanation<\/p>\n
Similar games<\/b>: Republic of Rome, Kreml, Risiko<\/p>\n
Westpark Gamer’s Opinion<\/b>: As preparation for a junta session the game
\ninstructions give the advice to write 100 times “Junta is only a game”. This a
\nvery useful advice because Junta is really only a game. A good game – for good players,
\npermitted for players over 18 years (like love). It is an ingenious transformation of the
\npolitical intrigues in a Republica of Los Bananas into a game scenery. You need sense of
\nhumour (and esprit) to enjoy the immorality and anarchy of this outlined society. Your
\ncompanion in storming the president’s palace immediately points to you to be executed
\nafter his election for president, if your are worth to be inherited. Such is life.<\/p>\n
The mechanisms of the game are mature and well proportioned, even if fortune (the
\npresident) may distribute the wealth of the state very inequitably. The player, who
\nobviously was favoured by fortune is immediately a target of the envy. He is closer to
\nthe brink of death than the harmless ‘have-not’, who may gain sudden richness by
\ncommitting an assassination or a rebellion.<\/p>\n
And how do you win this game? Peter tried it as president with psychical pressure,
\nwith terror against everybody – and often he was successful. Moritz trusted in the
\nMinister of the Internal Security; in this position he may commit one additional
\nassassination attempt per round. I don’t know (exactly) which are the principles of a
\nwinning strategy. I dream of a great coup de main, a screened waiting for the
\nopportunity, where my turn is the last and I can assassinate a rich play mate, who just
\nassassinated a rich mate … . And this of course in the bank, where I can immediately
\nmove all my booty to my Swiss account, before I have no chance to do this against the
\njoined gang in the next round. For this I must be able to determine the turn order. And
\nfor this I have to be president and nominate the player left to me as Minister of the
\nInternal Security …<\/p>\n
Walter’s Rating<\/b>: 9 (out of 10), because of the ingenious mapping of a junta
\ndemocracy.<\/p>\n
Westpark Gamers Rating<\/b>: 8.8<\/p>\n