7 Wonders Duel
7 Wonders Duel Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
CONTENTS
- 1 Game Board
- 23 Age I cards
- 23 Age II cards
- 20 Age III cards
- 7 Guild cards
- 12 Wonder cards
- 4 Military tokens
- 10 Progress tokens
- 1 Conflict pawn
- 31 coins (14 value 1, 10 value 3 and 7 value 6)
- 1 Scorebook
- 1 Rule book
- 1 Helpsheet
OVERVIEW & OBJECT OF THE GAME
In 7 Wonders Duel, each player is leading a civilization and will construct Buildings and Wonders. All of the Buildings constructed by a player together with their Wonders are called a “city”.
A game plays out over 3 Ages, each Age using one of the 3 decks of cards (first the cards from Age I, then Age II, and finally Age III). Each Age card represents a Building.
These Ages are played out in a similar fashion, with each player having the chance to play approximately 10 cards per Age to earn coins, strengthen their armies, make scientific discoveries, and develop their city.
In 7 Wonders Duel, there are 3 ways to claim victory: military supremacy, scientific supremacy, and civilian victory.
Military and scientific victories can happen at any time and end the game immediately. If, by the end of the third Age, no one has yet won the game, the players add up their victory points, and the player with the highest score is declared the winner.
GAME ELEMENTS
Wonder card
Each large card represents a Wonder from the Age of Antiquity. Each Wonder consists of a name, a construction cost, and an effect.
Military Tokens
The Military tokens represent the benefits a city earns when it manages to gain the upper hand, militarily, over its opponent.
Progress Tokens
The progress tokens represent effects which you can obtain by collecting identical pairs of scientific symbols.
Conflict Pawn
The Conflict pawn indicates on the board one city’s military advantage over the other.
Board
The board represents the military rivalry between the two cities. It is divided into zones (9) and spaces (19). The last space on each end represents the player’s capital. It also holds the Military tokens and the Progress tokens available for the current game.
Coins
Coins allow you to construct certain Buildings, and to purchase resources through commerce. The Treasury, the accumulated coins, is worth victory points at the end of the game.
Guild and Age cards
In 7 Wonders Duel, all of the Age and Guild cards represent Buildings. The Building cards all consist of a name, an effect and a construction cost.
There are 7 different types of Buildings, easily identifiable by their colored border.
- Raw materials (brown cards), these Buildings produce resources: Wood, Stone, Clay
- Manufactured goods (grey cards), these Buildings produce resources: Papyrus, Glass
- Civilian Buildings (blue cards), these Buildings are worth victory points
- Scientific Buildings (green cards), these Buildings allow you to score victory points and grant a scientific symbol.
- Commercial Buildings (yellow cards), these Buildings are worth coins, produce resources, change the trading rules, and are sometimes worth victory points.
- Military Buildings (red cards), these Buildings increase your military power.
- Guilds (purple cards), these Buildings allow you to score points based on specific criteria.
Note: The Age III deck contains no Raw materials (brown cards) or Manufactured goods (grey cards), but it contains the Guild cards (purple cards).
Cost of cards
The area located under the color strip on Age cards indicates the construction cost. If that area is empty, the Building is free and requires no resources to be constructed.
Starting in Age II, some Buildings have both a cost and a free construction condition: if the player has previously constructed the Building indicated via a symbol in the cost area, the construction is free.
PREPARATION
- Place the board between the two players on one side of the play area.
- Place the conflict pawn on the neutral space in the middle of the board.
- Place the 4 Military tokens face up, on their spaces.
- Shuffle the Progress tokens and place 5 of them randomly, face up, on the board. Return the rest to the box.
- Each player takes 7 coins from the Bank.
Wonders Selection Phase
- Choose a first player
- Shuffle the 12 Wonders tiles
- Place 4 random Wonders, face up, between the two players
- The first player chooses 1 Wonder
- The second player chooses 2 Wonders
- The first player takes the remaining Wonder
- Place 4 more Wonders and repeat the selection, but this time, start with the second player.
Once this step is complete, each player will have 4 Wonders for the game, which they place in a column, to the left of their play area.
For your first game, ignore the Wonders Selection phase and take the following Wonders tiles:
Player 1:
- the Pyramids
- the Great Lighthouse
- the Temple of Artemis
- the Statue of Zeus
Player 2:
- Circus Maximus
- Piraeus
- the Appian Way
- the Colossus
One deck per Age
Return to the box, without looking at them, 3 cards from each Age deck. Then randomly draw 3 Guild cards and add them to the Age III deck without looking at them. Return the remaining Guilds to the box.
CONSTRUCTING IN 7 WONDERS DUEL
Throughout the game, you will construct Buildings and Wonders. Most of the Buildings have a resource cost. Some are free and others have a coin cost. Finally, some have a resource cost but also a free construction condition. The Wonders all have a resource cost.
Free Construction
Some cards have no cost and can be put into play for free.
Resource Cost
Some cards have a resource cost. To construct them, you must produce the corresponding resources AND/OR buy them from the bank via the trading rules.
Production
A city’s resources are produced by its brown cards, its grey cards, some yellow cards, and some Wonders.
If you have in your city all of the resources indicated on the Building, then you can construct that Building.
Important: resources aren’t spent during construction. They can be used each turn, for the entire game. Unless there’s an exception, a city’s production is never reduced.
Trading
Often, you will want to construct a Building while you’re missing one or more required resources. In that case, you can always purchase the missing resources from the bank. The cost of each missing resource varies over the course of the game. It is calculated as follows:
COST = 2 + number of symbols of the same resources produced by the brown and grey cards of the opposing city
Clarifications
- Note that the purchasing cost is calculated according to the resources present in your opponent’s city, but the purchases are paid to the bank.
- There is no limit to the number of resources you may purchase on your turn.
- The resources produced by yellow cards and by Wonders aren’t factored into trading costs.
- Some commercial Buildings (yellow cards) change the trading rules and set the cost of some resources to 1 coin.
Cost in coins
Some cards have a cost in coins, which must then be paid to the bank when they are constructed.
Cost in coins and in resources
Some cards have a cost in coins and in resources. To build these cards, you must pay the coin cost to the bank and must either produce the resources, or get them through trading.
Free construction condition (chains)
Some Buildings grant a chain symbol (white).
Some Buildings in Ages II and III contain, under their resource cost, a white symbol linked to a Building from a previous Age.
If you have the Building containing this symbol in your city, you can construct the new one for free.
GAME OVERVIEW
A game begins in Age I, continues in Age II, and ends with Age III. In case of a supremacy victory (either military or scientific), the game ends immediately.
Overview of an Age
Preparation of the structure
At the beginning of each Age, shuffle the corresponding deck, then display the 20 cards according to the structure of the current Age (see Game Aid on the last page of this rulebook). Be careful, some cards are displayed face up, while others should be face down.
Game Turn
In 7 Wonders Duel, the players each play in turn. The first player begins Age I. On your turn, you must choose an “accessible” card in the card structure and play it. An accessible card is a card which isn’t partially covered by other cards.
You can play the card you’ve chosen in one of three different ways:
- Construct the Building
- Discard the card to obtain coins
- Construct a Wonder
After having played your card, you must reveal any cards which may have been hidden and which are now accessible.
Note:
- Some Wonders allow you to play again. You start your new turn after having revealed the newly accessible cards.
- If a player has a replay effect that would allow them to take another turn at the end of an Age (when the structure is empty), the effect is lost.
1. Construct a Building
To construct a Building, you pay the cost of the Building and place it in front of yourself. This Building now belongs to your city.
As the game progresses, sort your Buildings by color in order to help you read your city.
2. Discard to obtain coins
You discard the card and take 2 coins + 1 coin per yellow card in your city from the bank. The money is added to your city’s treasury.
The discarded cards are placed face-down next to the board. Players are free to consult the discard pile at any point.
3. Construct a Wonder
You pay the cost of the Wonder (not the one of the Age card), then place your Age card face down partially covered by the Wonder card which is being constructed. The used card has no effect, it is simply used to show that the Wonder has been built.
7 Wonders, not one more!
Only 7 Wonders may be built over the course of the game. As soon as either player constructs the game’s 7th Wonder, the last Wonder, which has not yet been built, is immediately returned to the box.
END OF AN AGE
An Age ends when all 20 cards from the structure have been played.
Prepare the next Age’s structure.
The player with the weakest military chooses which player begins the next Age. A player has a weaker military if the Conflict pawn is on their side of the board. In a situation where the pawn is in the middle of the board, the player who begins the next Age is the last active player (meaning whoever played the last card of the previous Age).
MILITARY
Each shield represented on the military Buildings (red cards) or Wonders allows its owner to immediately move the Conflict pawn one space in the direction of the opposing capital. The Conflict pawn is therefore likely to move back and forth on the track.
When the Conflict pawn enters a zone (defined by dotted lines), the active player applies the effect of the corresponding token, then returns it to the box.
Military Supremacy
If the Conflict pawn enters the space of your opponent’s capital, you immediately win the game via military supremacy.
SCIENCE & PROGRESS
There are 7 different scientific symbols in the game.
Each time you gather a pair of identical scientific symbols, you may immediately choose one of the Progress tokens on the game board. That token will be kept in your city until the end of the game.
Clarification: the scientific symbols are found on the scientific Buildings (green cards) and on a Progress token.
Scientific Supremacy
If you gather 6 different scientific symbols, you immediately win the game.
END OF GAME AND VICTORY
A game ends immediately in the case of a military supremacy, a scientific supremacy, or at the end of Age III.
Civilian Victory
If no player has won a victory through supremacy before the end of Age III, the player who has the most victory points wins the game.
To determine your total, add:
- Your military victory points (0, 2, 5, or 10 depending on the position of the Conflict pawn).
- Victory points from your Buildings (blue,green,yellow, and purple cards).
- Victory points from your Wonders.
- Your victory points from Progress.
- Your city’s treasury: each complete set of 3 coins is worth 1 point.
In the case where both players are tied, the player who has the most victory points from their Civilian Buildings (blue cards) wins the game. If this is also a tie, then both players share their victory.
Note: a scorebook is present in the box to help you total your points, or keep a record of your memorable games!
DESCRIPTION OF THE SYMBOLS
Military Token
Looting 2 or 5 coins
Your opponent loses 2 or 5 coins depending on the token. They are returned to the bank. Then the token is returned to the box. If your opponent doesn’t have enough coins, they lose all of their coins.
Progress Token
Agriculture
Immediately take 6 coins from the Bank. The token is worth 4 victory points.
Architecture
Any future Wonders built by you will cost 2 fewer resources. At each construction, you are free to choose which resources this rebate affects.
Economy
You gain the money spent by your opponent when they trade for resources.
Be careful, this is only for the money spent obtaining resources, not for the coins which are part of Building costs.
Clarification: the trade discounts of your opponent (Stone Reserve, Wood Reserve, Clay Reserve, and Customs House cards) change the purchase price, but the Economy Progress token allows you to gain the actual money spent by your opponent.
Law
This token is worth a scientific symbol.
Masonry
Any future civilian Buildings (blue cards) constructed by you will cost 2 fewer resources. At each construction, you are free to choose which resources this rebate affects.
Mathematics
At the end of the game, score 3 victory points for each Progress token in your possession (including itself).
Philosophy
The token is worth 7 victory points.
Strategy
Once this token enters play, your new military Buildings (red cards) will benefit from 1 extra Shield.
Clarification:
- This Progress does not apply to Wonders which have the Shield symbol.
- This Progress has no effect on military cards built before it came into play.
Theology
All future Wonders constructed by you are all treated as though they have the “Play Again” effect.
Be careful, Wonders which already have this effect are not affected (a given Wonder cannot have the “Play Again” effect twice).
Urbanism
Immediately take 6 coins from the Bank. Each time you construct a Building for free through linking (free construction condition, chain), you gain 4 coins.
Guild cards
Builders Guild
At the end of the game, this card is worth 2 victory points for each Wonder constructed in the city which has the most wonders.
Moneylenders Guild
At the end of the game, this card is worth 1 victory point for each set of 3 coins in the richest city.
Scientists Guild
At the time it is constructed, this card earns you 1 coin for each green card in the city which has the most green cards. At the end of the game, this card is worth 1 victory point for each green card in the city which has the most green cards.
Shipowners Guild
At the time it is constructed, this card grants you 1 coin for each brown and each grey card in the city which has the most brown and grey cards.
At the end of the game, this card is worth 1 victory point for each brown and grey card in the city which has the most brown and grey cards.
Clarification: the player is forced to choose one, and only one, city for both colors of cards.
Traders Guild
At the time it is constructed, the card grants you 1 coin for each yellow card in the city which has the most yellow cards. At the end of the game, this card is worth 1 victory point for each yellow card in the city which has the most yellow cards.
Magistrates Guild
At the time it is constructed, this card grants you 1 coin for each blue card in the city which has the most blue cards. At the end of the game, this card is worth 1 victory point for each blue card in the city which has the most blue cards.
Tacticians Guild
At the time it is constructed, this card grants you 1 coin for each red card in the city which has the most red cards. At the end of the game, this card is worth 1 victory point for each red card in the city which has the most red cards.
Clarifications:
- For all guild cards which grant coins, the coins are taken from the bank, once and only once, at the moment in which the card is constructed.
- At the end of the game, the city chosen for the victory point gain can be different from the one previously chosen for the coin gain.
Wonders
The Appian Way
You take 3 coins from the bank. Your opponent loses 3 coins, which are returned to the bank. Immediately play a second turn. This Wonder is worth 3 victory points.
Circus Maximus
Place in the discard pile a grey card (manufactured goods) of your choice constructed by your opponent. This Wonder is worth 1 Shield. This Wonder is worth 3 victory points.
The Colossus
This Wonder is worth 2 Shields. This Wonder is worth 3 victory points.
The Great Library
Randomly draw 3 Progress tokens from among those discarded at the beginning of the game. Choose one, play it, and return the other 2 to the box. This Wonder is worth 4 victory points.
The Great Lighthouse
This Wonder produces one unit of the resources shown (Stone, Clay, or Wood) for you each turn. Clarification: This production has no impact on the cost of trading. This Wonder is worth 4 victory points.
The Hanging Gardens
You take 6 coins from the bank. Immediately play a second turn. This Wonder is worth 3 victory points.
The Mausoleum
Take all of the cards which have been discarded since the beginning of the game and immediately construct one of your choice for free. Clarification: The cards discarded during setup are not part of the discard. This Wonder is worth 2 victory points.
Piraeus
This Wonder produces one unit of one of the resources shown (Glass or Papyrus) for you each turn. Clarification: This production has no impact on the cost of trading. Immediately play a second turn. This Wonder is worth 2 victory points.
The Pyramids
This Wonder is worth 9 victory points.
The Sphinx
Immediately play a second turn. This Wonder is worth 6 victory points.
The Statue of Zeus
Put in the discard pile one brown card (Raw goods) of your choice constructed by their opponent. This Wonder is worth 1 Shield. This Wonder is worth 3 victory points.
The Temple of Artemis
Immediately take 12 coins from the Bank. Immediately play a second turn.