In the year of our Lord 1589, the northern Rhineland was swept by a tide of savage persecutions and summary trials for heresy and witchcraft.

The County Tribunal, led by the controversial Prior Erastinuz Wetzel, launched numerous proceedings, accusin —primarily—young women of witchcraft, black magic, and lycanthropy.

During one such trial, the young Magdalena Roth, under pressure from the devout matrons of Blutfurt (The Pure), was accused of being a werewolf and sentenced to burn at the stake.

Her execution was set for the evening of the second day of November… but Powerwolf—sons of the Legends of the Night and the Armenia Savage Army, defenders of the Real Truth—are determined to stop this injustice and break the bloody cycle unleashed by the Priory’s fanaticism and its most feared servant: the relentless witch hunter Sebastian Rabenklaue, known as the Devourer of Heretics!

1589 is a cooperative game!
The players must guide the actions of Powerwolf to save the wrongfully condemned maiden before the hour of Vespers (in 8 game turns). They must gather evidence of the Prior’s fanaticism, act from the shadows to sabotage the execution—by extinguishing torches or stealing bundles—lure the Hunter away from the pyre by drawing him into the forest, and sway the Pure to return to their homes, convincing them of the girl’s innocence.

But beware: both the Pure and the Hunter are deeply suspicious. Any false step may reveal Powerwolf as accomplices to the accused… and earn them a place at the stake!

A game by
Paolo Vallerga and Erik Burigo

Cover art by Péter Sallai

Illustrations by
Zsofia Dankova / Paolo Vallerga

Miniatures sculpted by
Gaston Santibañez

Artwork: Paolo Vallerga

Author's hints

I - Strategy Guide

II - Expansion "Faster than the Flame"

III - Expansion "Vargamor"

Part I - Strategy Guide

Erik Burigo

“To keep your first few games from being too challenging, here are some tips and tricks that might be helpful.”

Communicate

While you can’t discuss the cards you have in hand, you can openly strategize about the general line of play to take each round.
If the Hunter is close to the Pyre Square, you can point that out and suggest either to avoid drawing him closer or, conversely, jump on him with many Powerwolf to lure him deeper into the Woods.
If the Torches are close to being all lit, you can suggest to play as many cards with the Extinguished Torch icon as possible this round and momentarily ignore other matters.

Focus the Actions

In general, having more than 1 Powerwolf perform the same action at the same time leads to a better overall result. This is especially true for the Steal Bundles and Lure the Hunter actions, so keep an eye on synchronizing your plans for the round, when the luck of draw allows for it.
However, remember that on some action spaces there will be consequences if that action has not been carried out at the end of a turn.

Avoid Playing Cards

Many Action cards also bring negative consequences. This might seem counterintuitive, but sometimes the best choice for a particular turn is to bide your time and keep a card in hand for later turns. In particular, keep an eye on the Action Line, count the number of icons that would advance the Hunter or the Pures, and try to assess if playing an Action card that would put more pressure on the board is a good idea now. Also remember that you have two opportunities to assess the situation: before the Wolf’s Instinct step and before the Human’s Insight step. Sometimes the overall board state changes dramatically.

Path to Victory

You can immediately win the game if you collect enough Pieces of Evidence against the Prior, but this is not always possible and depends on the luck of the draw. So, be prepared for the possibility of a long game by keeping an eye on the amount of Bundles in the Pyre Square. With most Setup cards you only need to steal 6-7 of them to secure a victory at the end of the VIII turn. Also, if you are near the end of the game but there are still too many Bundles in the pyre, consider keeping in hand Action and Stratagem cards that will help you extinguish all Torches at the very last moment.

Focus on one Pure

The game mechanics drive all the Pures at the same time. If you spread your Sway the Pure cards trying to even out their distance from the Square Pyre, the consequences in Phase 3 will counteract your work. Try to pick one of them and push her back at every occasion: as long as she doesn’t reach the space 0 of her track you can’t suffer a defeat from the Pures. Also, if you have more than 1 Powerwolf doing the Sway the Pure action, consider sending one of them to block the advance of a Pure on her street instead of gaining 1 Blood Point.

Part II - Lower the difficulty

If you still find the game too challenging, you can adopt one of these ideas.

Extra Choices

During step 12 of setup, each player draws 1 extra Action card (so 5 cards in a two- or three-player game, 4 cards in a game with four or five players).

Likewise, during step 3 of Phase 4, draw Action cards until you reach the modified number of Action cards (5 or 4).

This gives the entire team more control on which actions they can perform and a better chance of covering missing Powerwolf members during the step 2 of phase 1 (Human’s Instinct).

Non-Accelerating Hunter

During setup, skip step 7: don’t pace the “Turn IV” and “Turn VI” tokens in the Woods and, consequently, you don’t need to flip them during step 7 of phase 3.

This keeps the rush of the Hunter in check during the central and late part of the game, giving you more time to focus on other actions.

Easier Setup

During the step 8 of setup, instead of drawing a Setup card, use these guidelines:

Place Bundles on the Turn Track as follows: 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 3 (13 total)
Use these initial positions for the Pures: 9 7 5 8 6
Place the Hunter on space 6 of his path
Use 10 lit Torches and 5 extinguished Torches (put the rest in the game box)

Part III - Solo Mode

GIOCO IN SOLITARIO

Se sei un lupo solitario e vuoi affrontare il Priore, il Cacciatore, le Benpensanti e, nel caso tu abbia l’espansione Faster than the Flame, anche il Borgomastro, guidando da solo i Powerwolf... queste sono le semplici regole da seguire!

All’inizio della partita: pesca 5 carte Azione e 5 carte Stratagemma.
Ad ogni Fase 4: pesca 2 carte Stratagemma in più.
Fase 1: Piano di Salvataggio:
- Sottofase A: L’Istinto Selvaggio
  - Gioca una carta Azione dalla tua mano, eventualmente associata ad una carta Stratagemma.
  - Rivela le prime 2 carte del mazzo Azione. Dalla tua mano puoi associare a ciascuna di esse una carta Stratagemma correlata, se lo desideri.
  - Assegna le 3 carte Azione alla Linea d’Azione.
- RICORDA: Un Powerwolf può fare massimo un’azione per turno, quindi in caso di conflitto devi decidere quale Azione assegnargli. Scarta le carte Azione non assegnate.
- Sottofase B: L’Acume Umano
  Questa fase funziona esattamente come le partite a più giocatori, ma hai 2 possibilità di giocare carte Azione e Stratagemma dalla tua mano anziché 1 sola.

SOLO PLAY

If you are a lone wolf and want to face the Prior, the Hunter, the Pure, and — if you own the Faster than the Flame expansion — even the Burgomaster, guiding the Powerwolf all by yourself… these are the simple rules to follow!

At the start of the game: draw 5 Action cards and 5 Stratagem cards.
At every Phase 4: draw 2 additional Stratagem cards.
Phase 1: Rescue Plan:
- Step A: Wolf’s Instinct
  - Play 1 Action card from your hand, optionally paired with a Stratagem card.
  - Reveal the top 2 cards of the Action deck. From your hand you may assign to each of them one related Stratagem card, if you wish.
  - Assign all 3 Action cards to the Action Line.
- REMEMBER: A Powerwolf may perform only one action per turn. In case of conflict, you must choose which Action to assign. Discard the unassigned Action cards.
- Step B: Human’s Insight
  This phase works exactly as in multiplayer games, but you have the possibility to play 2 Action + Stratagem cards from your hand instead of only 1.

JOGO SOLO

Se você é um lobo solitário e deseja enfrentar o Prior, o Caçador, as Devotas e — caso possua a expansão Faster than the Flame — até mesmo o Burgomestre, guiando sozinho os Powerwolf… estas são as regras simples a seguir!

No início da partida: compre 5 cartas de Ação e 5 cartas de Estratagema.
Em cada Fase 4: compre 2 cartas de Estratagema adicionais.
Fase 1: Plano de Salvação:
- Etapa A: Instinto do Lobo
  - Jogue 1 carta de Ação da sua mão, opcionalmente combinada com uma carta de Estratagema.
  - Revele as 2 primeiras cartas do baralho de Ação. Você pode associar a cada uma uma carta de Estratagema da sua mão, se desejar.
  - Atribua as 3 cartas de Ação à Linha de Ação.
- LEMBRE-SE: Um Powerwolf só pode realizar uma ação por turno. Em caso de conflito, decida qual ação atribuir. Descarte as cartas de Ação não atribuídas.
- Etapa B: Perspicácia Humana
  Esta fase funciona exatamente como nas partidas multijogador, mas você tem a possibilidade de jogar 2 cartas de Ação + Estratagema da sua mão em vez de apenas 1.

SOLO-SPIEL

Wenn du ein einsamer Wolf bist und den Prior, den Jäger, die Reinen und — falls du die Erweiterung Faster than the Flame besitzt — auch den Bürgermeister herausfordern willst, während du die Powerwolf allein führst… folge einfach diesen Regeln!

Ziehen zu Beginn des Spiels: 5 Aktionskarten und 5 Listkarten.
In jeder Phase 4: ziehst du 2 zusätzliche Listkarten.
Phase 1: Rettungsplan:
- Schritt A: Wolfsinstinkt
  - Spiele 1 Aktionskarte aus deiner Hand, optional mit einer Listkarte.
  - Decke die obersten 2 Aktionskarten des Stapels auf. Du darfst aus deiner Hand je eine passende Listkarte zuordnen.
  - Ordne alle 3 Aktionskarten der Aktionsreihe zu.
- HINWEIS: Ein Powerwolf darf nur eine Aktion pro Runde ausführen. Bei Konflikten entscheidest du, welche Aktion zugeordnet wird. Nicht zugewiesene Aktionskarten werden abgelegt.
- Schritt B: Menschenverstand
  Diese Phase funktioniert genau wie im Mehrspielermodus, aber du darfst 2 Aktions- + Listkarten aus deiner Hand spielen, anstatt nur 1.

JUEGO EN SOLITARIO

Si eres un lobo solitario y deseas enfrentarte al Prior, al Cazador, a las Moralistas y — si tienes la expansión Faster than the Flame — incluso al Burgomaestre, guiando tú solo a los Powerwolf… ¡estas son las sencillas reglas que debes seguir!

Al inicio de la partida: roba 5 cartas Acción y 5 cartas Estratagema.
En cada Fase 4: roba 2 cartas Estratagema adicionales.
Fase 1: Plan de Salvación:
- Subfase A: El Instinto Salvaje
  - Juega 1 carta Acción de tu mano, opcionalmente acompañada de una carta Estratagema.
  - Revela las 2 primeras cartas del mazo Acción. Puedes asignar a cada una una carta Estratagema relacionada desde tu mano, si lo deseas.
  - Asigna las 3 cartas de Acción a la Línea de Acción.
- RECUERDA: Un Powerwolf solo puede realizar una acción por turno. En caso de conflicto, deberás decidir cuál acción asignarle. Las cartas de Acción no asignadas se descartan.
- Subfase B: Perspicacia Humana
  Esta fase funciona exactamente igual que en las partidas multijugador, pero puedes jugar 2 cartas Acción + Estratagema de tu mano en lugar de solo 1.

JEU EN SOLO

Si vous êtes un loup solitaire et souhaitez affronter le Prieur, le Chasseur, les Pieuses (les Bienpensantes) et — si vous possédez l’extension Faster than the Flame — même le Bourgmestre, en guidant seul les Powerwolf… voici les règles simples à suivre !

Au début de la partie: piochez 5 cartes Action et 5 cartes Stratagème.
À chaque Phase 4: piochez 2 cartes Stratagème supplémentaires.
Phase 1 : Plan de Sauvetage:
- Sous-phase A : L’Instinct du Loup
  - Jouez 1 carte Action de votre main, éventuellement accompagnée d’une carte Stratagème.
  - Révélez les 2 premières cartes du paquet Action. Vous pouvez associer à chacune une carte Stratagème de votre main, si vous le souhaitez.
  - Assignez les 3 cartes Action à la Ligne d’Action.
- RAPPELEZ-VOUS : Un Powerwolf ne peut réaliser qu’une action par tour. En cas de conflit, vous devez choisir quelle Action lui attribuer. Les cartes Action non assignées sont défaussées.
- Sous-phase B : Le Jugement Humain
  Cette phase fonctionne exactement comme en multijoueur, mais vous avez la possibilité de jouer 2 cartes Action + Stratagème de votre main au lieu d’une seule.

DOWNLOAD PDF SOLO MODE

Erik Burigo

“This expansion introduces the Bourgmaster. Have you noticed any similarities?”

Expansion I - Faster than the Flame

Fists up in the air tonight
Leave the sane, unleash the wild
This is our time, this is our fate
Pyres will inflame the night
Restless is the world alight
This is our war, the last crusade

“Faster Than The Flame“, espansione per il gioco “1589”, contiene 3 moduli di gioco diversi, che possono essere utilizzati insieme o singolarmente.

Per la terminologia delle azioni, fare riferimento alle “note prima di iniziare” a pagina 3 del manuale base.

“Faster Than The Flame“, expansion for the game “1589”, contains 3 different game modules, which can be used together or individually.

For the terminology of actions, please refer to the “notes before starting” on page 3 of the base rulebook.

“Faster Than The Flame“, expansión para el juego “1589”, contiene 3 módulos de juego diferentes, que pueden usarse juntos o individualmente.

Para la terminología de acciones, consulte las “notas antes de comenzar” en la página 3 del manual base.

“Faster Than The Flame“, extension pour le jeu “1589”, contient 3 modules de jeu différents, qui peuvent être utilisés ensemble ou individuellement.

Pour la terminologie des actions, veuillez vous référer aux “notes avant de commencer” à la page 3 du manuel de base.

“Faster Than The Flame“, Erweiterung für das Spiel “1589”, enthält 3 verschiedene Spielmodule, die zusammen oder einzeln verwendet werden können.

Für die Terminologie der Aktionen siehe bitte die “Notizen vor dem Start” auf Seite 3 des Grundregelwerks.

“Faster Than The Flame“, expansão para o jogo “1589”, contém 3 módulos de jogo diferentes, que podem ser usados juntos ou individualmente.

Para a terminologia das ações, consulte as “notas antes de começar” na página 3 do manual básico.

Erik Burigo

“This Expansion add more interaction with the The Action Line, where cards can be played during the game”

Expansion II - Vargamor

Queen of the moors and the fields,
crowned as the pact
With the wolves had been sealed.
Vargamor witch of the night to your honour we’re kneeling! Vargamor, Mother of the Wolves,
safe the pack from the harm of the light!

Questa espansione per il gioco 1589 contiene 17 carte Missione. Ogni carta indica i requisiti, le ricompense e le conseguenze della Missione.

This expansion for the game 1589 contains 17 Mission cards. Each card indicates the requirements, rewards, and consequences of the Mission.

Esta expansión para el juego 1589 contiene 17 cartas de Misión. Cada carta indica los requisitos, las recompensas y las consecuencias de la Misión.

Cette extension pour le jeu 1589 contient 17 cartes Mission. Chaque carte indique les conditions requises, les récompenses et les conséquences de la mission.

Diese Erweiterung für das Spiel 1589 enthält 17 Missionskarten. Jede Karte gibt die Anforderungen, Belohnungen und Konsequenzen der Mission an.

Esta expansão para o jogo 1589 contém 17 cartas de Missão. Cada carta indica os requisitos, as recompensas e as consequências da Missão.

🇮🇹 I regolamenti di entrambe le espansioni sono scaricabili qui
🇬🇧 The rulebooks of both expansions can be downloaded here
🇪🇸 Los reglamentos de ambas expansiones se pueden descargar aquí
🇫🇷 Les règles des deux extensions peuvent être téléchargées ici
🇩🇪 Die Regelwerke beider Erweiterungen können hier heruntergeladen werden
🇧🇷 Os regulamentos de ambas as expansões podem ser baixados aqui