Borders of Kanta Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Setup
  • How many council tiles?
  • Setup example
• On Your Turn
• Scoring
  • 1. Alliance Rings
  • 2. Action Cards
• End of the Game
• Council Tiles
• Other Tiles
  • City
  • Plague
  • Islands
• States
  • Using the Resource Tracker
• Action Cards
  • Obtaining Cards
  • Using Actions
  • Card Types
• Using the Uprising Card
• Examples Using the Alliance Support Card
  • 3–6 Player Game
  • Two-Player Game
• Role Cards
  • Valley Clan
  • Water Clan
  • Desert Clan
  • Plains Clan
  • Forest Clan
  • Mountain Clan
  • Shore Clan (5–6 players only)
  • Night Clan (5–6 players only)

Setup

1. Place the City tile (City icon) where the city is shown on the game board.
2. Shuffle all 18 Island tiles (Island icon). Place them face-down (bordered side down) on the game board lakes.
3. Shuffle all 18 Plague tiles (Plague icon). Place them face-down (coin side down) on states marked as infected (infected icon).
4. Give 10 gold to each player. The remaining gold is the bank.
5. Collect the available clan role cards (see table below). Return the rest to the box.
6. Decide who will play first. Have that player select a role card indicating the clan they will lead. The remaining players select a role card in clockwise order. Return the rest to the box. New players will find the Desert, Forest, and Water clans the easiest to play.
7. Players take the council tiles and three resource markers for their clan. Based on the table below, players randomly select the correct number of council tiles and return the rest to the box.
8. Players shuffle their remaining council tiles face-down (grey side up). They then turn three face-up, representing three traveling councils. The remaining face-down tiles are councils-in-waiting.
9. Starting with the last player and going counter-clockwise, players take turns selecting one of Boat, Medicine, or Single Interpreter action cards. Continue until each player has three starting cards. Shuffle the remaining action cards and place the deck where marked on the game board.

Number of players	2	3	4	5	6
Number of council tiles	20/player	15/player	11/player	9/player	8/player

The printed table also shows the clan artwork under "Clans available" (the clan figures are not reproduced here; see the role cards below). Night Clan also takes the 4 Night Doppelgänger tiles.

Find one-player rules online: http://bit.ly/ChinookGames

How many council tiles?

Games with more people use fewer tiles per player to help maintain a standard playing time. For a shorter game, reduce the number of council tiles to as few as eight per person. For longer games and more strategy, use more tiles.

Setup example

• 1 Kanta City tile, placed at the white location.
• 18 Plague tiles, placed at the purple locations.
• 18 Lake tiles, placed at the yellow locations.
• Each player gets: 1 role card, 3 action cards, 3 resource markers, 10 gold.
• Council tiles: 3 face-up, 5–17 face-down (see the council tile table in Setup).
• Other components shown: resource track, action card deck, gold pool.

On Your Turn

1. The map on the game board is divided into hexagonal spaces that each represent a state in the realm of Kanta. On your turn, you must:
   • Place a traveling council on a state to claim it.
   • Adjust the resource tracker and claim any earned action cards.
   • Score new alliance rings.
2. You may buy up to two action cards for three gold each at any time during your turn. You may also use cards or cash them in for the gold value listed on them.
3. Signal the end of your turn by refreshing your pool of traveling council tiles with one of your councils-in-waiting.

A player's role card, value of gold coins, number of cards, and their traveling councils are always visible to other players.

Scoring

In Borders of Kanta, your score is equal to the amount of gold you have collected. The two main ways to earn gold are:

1. Be part of alliance rings.
2. Collect action cards.

There is an unlimited supply of gold. If the pool of gold coins runs out, track scores on paper.

1. Alliance Rings

An alliance ring is formed by any six council tiles that form a closed circle of claimed states. The state in the middle of the ring need not be claimed and is not a factor in scoring.

In each completed ring, your first council earns three gold. Your second council earns two gold. Each additional council earns one gold. This is best remembered as "3-2-1" scoring.

• Rings are scored on the turn in which they are completed. If a ring is noticed on a later turn, it does not score.
• A council tile may complete more than one ring at once. Score each ring separately.
• If you complete a ring entirely with your own councils, you also earn four action cards.
• Kanta City may be used in a ring, but it does not score gold or action cards.

Example (3 players): Water Clan completed two rings with a single tile (highlighted in pink). The blue ring scores Plains Clan 3 gold (one tile in the ring), Desert Clan 3+2 gold (two tiles in ring), and Water Clan 3+2+1 gold (three tiles). The green ring scores Water Clan 3+2 gold (two tiles), and Plains Clan 3+2+1+1 gold (four tiles). The Water Clan tile in the center of the blue ring doesn't factor in scoring.

Scoring alliance rings is easiest when you select one side of the just-placed council and visually trace the ring that would start from that border. If you find a finished ring, pay it out. Repeat for each the remaining five sides. The printed example shows a tile that has had three of its sides checked for scoring opportunities.

2. Action Cards

The second way to earn gold is to hold action cards until the end of the game. Each card has a gold value, shown in the card's top-right corner.

End of the Game

The game ends when all council tiles have been placed. The player who places the final tile has an opportunity to buy and use action cards after they place their tile and score any completed alliance rings.

Add up your gold pieces and the gold value of your action cards.

• The player with the most gold wins.
• In the case of a tie, the player with the most action cards wins.

Note printed beside this section: uprising cards used once by Shore clan, and medicine cards used once by Forest clan, are worth full value when scoring at end of game.

Council Tiles

As a clan leader, you send your best people to retake states and reopen borders. Start the game with a set of six-sided council tiles. Each side represents one member of your council.

Three languages are spoken in Kanta. They are represented by scrolls (three scroll symbols) appearing on the edges of council tiles. These refer to the languages spoken by your council members. Borders may only be shared and alliances formed if neighboring council members speak the same language.

1. Tiles must be placed next to at least one other council tile or Kanta City, sharing a border. This is because they are dispatched by you from the city to an unoccupied state, via the opened borders of occupied states.
2. Any language may be spoken at the borders of Kanta City. Council tiles may not be placed on Kanta City.
3. Scrolls at a shared border must match in color.
4. Tiles may be rotated when being placed. Tiles may not be rotated after being placed. Tiles may not be moved to another state after being placed. (They cease to be traveling councils after their first placement.)

Other Tiles

City

Alliance rings may be formed with Kanta City as it belongs to all clans, but players don't receive gold for the state.

Plague

Some states are still infected with the plague. Use a medicine action card to treat the plague when sending your council there. Remove the tile and place your council. Flip the plague tile over to reveal the reward given to you by the state in appreciation for medicine. Claim your gold and discard the plague tile.

Plague tiles cover fields. Once you have used medicine and placed your tile, score the field (see States). (Forest Clan does not need to use medicine to claim the state and score the field. See Role Cards.)

Islands

Island tiles conceal states that can only be reached by boat. Use a boat action card in order to place a council here. After discarding the boat card, flip the island tile to reveal:

1. Regular state (white border). Your council may safely be placed on the state. Discard the island tile.

2. Wealthy state (gold border). Your council may safely be placed on the state and you earn two action cards. Discard the island tile.

3. Plagued state (purple border). These islands are still have the plague. Play a medicine card to place your council tile. The state rewards you with five gold. Discard the island tile.

   If you have no medicine and do not manage to buy a medicine card, your council dies. Discard your council into the box. You may not place another council tile this turn. The island tile remains face up and still requires boat and medicine cards.

States

A grid on the game board divides Kanta into many states. All states may form part of an alliance ring. Some types of states also earn action cards. You earn no cards when you claim deserts, valleys, and islands.

Using the Resource Tracker

• Earn one action card for every third field, then reset your field token on the resource tracker.
• Earn one card for your second forest, two cards for your third forest, then reset your forest token.
• Earn one card for your first mountain, two cards for your second, three for your third, then reset mountain token.

Example: Water Clan has one council on a field state, councils on two forest states and none on mountain states. Mountain Clan has councils on two fields and two forests, and none on mountains. Plains Clan has councils on two fields, two forests and a mountain. On their turn, Plains Clan claims a third forest (council placement not shown). Having already earned a card when claiming the second forest, Plains Clan moves their forest marker to the last column, collects two more cards, and resets the marker.

Action Cards

Obtaining Cards

1. Buy up to two action cards per turn for three gold each.
2. Complete an alliance ring with six of your own tiles to earn four cards.
3. Claim resource-producing states to earn anywhere from one to three cards.

Using Actions

• Action cards may not be used on Kanta City.
• There is no limit to the number of action cards you may hold.
• Unless your role card says otherwise, you must discard action cards after use.
• You may not trade or sell cards to other players.
• You may sell action cards for the gold value listed in the top-right corner of the card. Discard to sell.
• You may combine action cards (e.g. boat plus interpreter to claim an island state), or play them sequentially (e.g. raid, then interpreter).
• You may use as many action cards per turn as you like, but may never place more than one council tile per turn.
• Action cards may only be played on your turn, except for alliance support and shield cards.
• When the card deck runs out, shuffle the discard pile into a new deck.

Card Types

• Interpreter: Place a council tile with up to as many mismatched borders as you have interpreters. A one-scroll card provides one interpreter, a two-scroll card provides two interpreters. You may use a two-scroll card when you only require one interpreter, but you still discard the card.
• Boat: Claim an island state.
• Medicine: Treat your council and the citizens of a state when your council is placed on a plagued state. You must place a council tile to use medicine on a state.
• Uprising: Claim a state held by another clan by starting an uprising there and shifting the people's allegiance in your favor. Place your council tile on top of the other player's tile. If the state was part of an alliance ring, take the gold it had earned from the departing clan. Normal tile placement rules for languages, boats, and medicine still apply. See the next pages for more details.
• Alliance Support: If someone tries to start an uprising in your state, immediately play this card to summon help from your neighbors. Pay every clan, other than the one inciting the uprising, one gold for each adjacent state they control (see the next pages for the 2-player rule). There must be at least one state to support you. If you are successful, the other player discards their uprising card and plays their council tile elsewhere or attempts another uprising. See the next pages for more details.
• Raid: Hire mercenaries to raid another clan. Claim three gold or one action card from one player.
• Shield: Hire mercenaries to defend your clan from a raid in progress. Raid cards cancel each other out.
• Beast: Send this beast to transport one of your previously dispatched councils to another state. Relocate one of your previously played council tiles. The tile must must not already belong to an alliance ring. Also place a new traveling council on the board as you would on any other turn.

Using the Uprising Card

Q: What is the value of a state if the original clan held several states in the same alliance ring? A: A state experiencing an uprising is always considered to have the lowest value among the opponent's states for each ring.

Example: Valley Clan plays an uprising against one of Water Clan's states. The state belongs to two existing alliance rings. In the first ring, Water Clan has two councils (which earned 3+2 gold). In the second ring Water Clan has three councils (which earned 3+2+1 gold). Valley Clan claims from Water Clan 2 gold from the first ring and 1 gold from the second ring.

Q: Can I use an uprising to change a previously scored alliance ring into a new single-player ring, thereby earning four action cards? A: No.

Example: Water Clan has five councils in a nearly finished ring. Valley Clan completes it to earn 3 gold; Water Clan earns 3+2+1+1+1 gold. Water Clan then plays an uprising against Valley Clan's state. Water Clan takes the 3 gold that Valley Clan had earned but cannot claim any action cards for a single-player alliance ring.

Q: Can I build a single-player alliance ring using states that I have claimed through prior uprisings? A: Yes. If the uprising happens before the state is part of an alliance ring, it is a normal, scorable state for whoever owns it after the uprising.

Example: Water Clan plays an uprising card against one of Valley Clan's states that doesn't belong to a ring. Water Clan earns no gold from Valley Clan. Eventually, Water Clan completes a single-player alliance ring using this state. Water Clan scores 3+2+1+1+1+1 gold and 4 action cards.

Q: Do I get the resource value from a state I gained from an uprising? A: No.

Examples Using the Alliance Support Card

3–6 Player Game

In this example, Water Clan plays an uprising card to claim a state held by Plains Clan.

Plains Clan immediately plays an alliance support card, forcing Water Clan to place their tile elsewhere or use another uprising card.

Plains Clan must pay one gold to the clan of each adjacent claimed state, excluding Water Clan (the instigator). Night Clan has two neighboring states and gets two gold. Desert Clan has one neighboring state and gets one gold.

Two-Player Game

In this realm of only two competing clans, players seek the aid of those living in unclaimed adjacent states. There must be at least one unclaimed state. The gold is placed on each state, as shown.

On future turns either player may collect the gold by claiming these states. Unclaimed states accumulate gold if there are multiple uprising attempts.

In the example, Desert Clan plays an uprising card to claim a state held by Plains Clan. Plains Clan plays an alliance support card and pays one gold each to two unclaimed adjacent states.

Kanta City, which borders the attacked state on the left, does not receive gold. Adjacent plagued states and island states, if unclaimed, would accumulate gold.

Role Cards

Valley Clan

Scholars who often serve abroad as interpreters but remain loyal to their home clan.

• Deny others the use of interpreters at your borders when you wish (does not apply if you experience an uprising).
• Your councils each have one interpreter available during placement of the tile.
• Earn one gold from the pool per interpreter card used by other players.
• You may discard one interpreter card per turn to draw a new card.

Water Clan

A clan at home in the water.

• Place council tiles on island states without a boat card (reveal island tile as usual).
• Keep any regular island states (white bordered tiles) you uncover.
• Flood unclaimed states with collected tiles on your turn.
• Other players need boats to claim flooded states.
• Floods destroy a state's resource value.
• Flood tiles may only be used once.

Desert Clan

A clan renowned for their resourcefulness.

• Start game with five action cards.
• When claiming action cards (buy, earn or raid), draw one more than you earned. Select one to discard or to return to the raided player.

Plains Clan

A well-organized clan, able to quickly mobilize their councils.

• Start with six traveling councils.
• Maintain six traveling councils.
• Earn four action cards with only five councils in a completed ring.

Forest Clan

A people immune to the plague.

• Use medicine cards twice before discarding. Place under role card after first use.
• Or, place a council tile on a plagued state without using medicine. You are not healing the locals, so don't flip over the plague tile to collect a reward. You may use a medicine card on this state on a future turn.

Mountain Clan

A mercenary clan with swords at the ready.

• Being raided costs you two gold, no cards.
• Claim five gold or two cards when you raid another player.
• Earn two gold from the pool each time other players conduct a successful raid against each other.

Shore Clan (5–6 players only)

A reputation for spreading unrest.

• Use uprising cards twice. Place under role card after first use.
• Earn three gold each time other players conduct a successful uprising against each other.
• Earn three gold for each of your states when being paid for alliance support.

Night Clan (5–6 players only)

Travelers must beware of doppelgängers in the night.

• On your turn, if one of your traveling councils has the same scroll pattern as another player's traveling council, you may command them to flip theirs over. It is now under your control. Continue your turn as normal, placing one of your three traveling councils.
• On that player's next turn, place their tile as your own, face-up (scrolls visible), with a doppelgänger tile on top. Claim any gold or resources the tile earns.
• Take control of up to four traveling councils on your turn that match any of your own.
• You must have a doppelgänger tile for each council you control, and each doppelgänger is used once per game.