The initiative

In each phase you have to determine which player has the initiative. Who has the initiative is used to decide who carries out any actions first in the phase, so it can be of vital importance in grabbing an important location or getting the first shots off in an engagement. Just who has the initiative is determined by drawing an Initiative counter from a cup or mug.

At the start of the turn five counters are placed in the mug: three for the player whose army has the higher Strategy Rating (see Strategy Rating), and two for the player whose army has the lower Strategy Rating. Whenever the initiative needs to be determined a counter is drawn from the mug, and the player whose counter is drawn out has the initiative from then until another counter is taken. Any counters drawn from the mug are left out until the end of the turn.