In Sheriff of Nottingham, each player takes the role of this vile, suspecting Sheriff while the other players attempt to enter the castle gates with their goods. If the Sheriff decides that the villager is untrustworthy, he can do an inspection, and if the player has lied, not only will the Sheriff confiscate his contraband goods, but he will also find the villager before allowing him to enter. But beware the Sheriff at the gates! He will ask each villager as they enter what items they have in their bags to sell. However, if the peasant merchant can sneak spices, mead, crossbows, and other contraband past the Sheriff, they will surely bring in a season’s worth of income. With all merchants selling the same types of goods, these will barely make a profit. Villagers are only allowed to sell apples, cheese, chickens, and bread. Also known as goods the King wishes to keep for himself. The King has stationed his loyal brute, the Sheriff of Nottingham at the gates to make sure and confiscate any goods that he deems “contraband”. Market Week at Nottingham Castle, where the King opens the gates for merchants of the surrounding areas to come visit, sell goods, drink, and party like it’s….errmm, 1199? But as with any decent King of the 12th Century, corruption and greed run deep. Three years later, Arcane Wonders ( Mage Wars) would come together with Tom Vasel’s Dice Tower and his new Dice Tower Essentials line, to retool Close to the Border/Robin Hood yet again, this time keeping the theme of the Robin Hood legend, but focusing more on the Sheriff of Nottingham himself, as well as streamlining rules such as allowing the Sheriff to check any player’s bag and dropping some of the flimsier mechanics found in the previous editions. Robin Hood would include many of the original mechanics found in Close to the Border, but also added the ability for the Sheriff to use a deputy token to inspect a 2nd player’s bag, along with being able to send Robin Hood himself out to steal items for you. In 2011, Portuguese publisher Galapagos Jogos would overhaul Close to the Border and re-themed it to Robin Hood. Of course, the player can bribe the Sheriff to let him through, and will be allowed to if the Sheriff accepts. One player takes the role of the Sheriff each Round, and after hearing the declarations from the opposing players as to the contents in their bag, is allowed to choose and inspect one of the players luggage to see if they are lying. In Close to the Border, players attempt to cross the country’s border with legal and/or illegal goods in their luggage. Hart an der Grenze, or in English, Close to the Border, was released by Kosmos in 2006 (a Spiel des Jahres recommendation that year) and designed by Sergio Halaban and Andre Zatz. “Truth is truer these days….truth is man-made….”
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