BrilliAnts Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Objective
• What's in the Box
• Setup
  • The Main Board
  • The Player Board
• Gameplay
  • The Round
  • The Actions
    • 1. Move an Ant
    • 2. Hatch an Ant
    • 3. Move a Predator
  • Objective Cards
• Game End
• Other Variants
  • Antermediate Variant
  • ExperiAntced Variant
  • ChildrAnts Variant
  • Solo Variant
• Ant Facts
• FAQ
• Special Cards and Species Cards

Objective

The objective of the game is to score the highest number of total points.

Points are represented by Golden Leaves and can be scored by:

• Revealing objective cards
• Placing pheromone tiles
• Placing nest hole tiles (apprAntice rules and higher)
• Specials Cards (Antermediate rules and higher)

What's in the Box

• 78 objective cards
• 60 special cards
• 3 bonus point cards
• 4 player boards (night for right-handed, day for left-handed)
• 6 species cards
• 4 rock, stump, log, and marsh tiles (large)
• 3 predator miniatures
• 12 underground entrance tiles
• 87 resource tiles
• 47 empty ground tiles
• 4 predator tiles
• 4 hatching tiles
• 1 day/night tile
• 1 weather die
• 4 point marker cubes
• 60 ant miniatures with 60 rotating tiles and bases
• 16 nest holes tiles
• 72 pheromone tiles
• 60 excavated nest tiles
• 6 quick reference guides
• 6 plastic bags
• 1 black bag for solo variant
• 1 game board (two sided)

How to assemble your ants: Clip all the 60 ants with the day and night tiles and their bases.

Setup

The Main Board

1. Place the main board in the middle of the table. For a 2-3 Player game, use the side showing 3 rectangles on the bottom left of the board; for a 4 Player or Solo game, use the side of the board showing 6 rectangles.

2. Cover zones on the play area using the large Rock, Stump, Log, and Marsh Tiles. You can cover zones on the play area, but never cover up the central tile with water on it. The number of tiles used to cover zones is based on the number of players:

   • 2 Players: 4 tiles
   • 3 Players: 3 tiles
   • 4 Players: 2 tiles
   • Solo game: 0 tiles (see setup rules for Solo game on p. 13)

3. Place the Hatching Tiles on the rectangles depending on the number of players:

   • 2-3 Players: 3 'Starter' Tiles (without a number) on all 3 spaces
   • 4 Players: 3 Starter Tiles on same spaces as above + tile marked '4' on the 4th space (use 4 player main board side)

4. Get the weather die ready at the side of the board.

5. Shuffle and place each deck of Objective Cards near the board, with each Bonus Point Card beside its deck.

   For a game with fewer than 4 players, remove all Objective Cards marked "4+" and place them in the box.

6. Put the Resource Tiles and Empty Ground Tiles in two supply piles near the board.

7. Place the three Predator miniatures near the board.

8. Give the Day/Night Tile to the Starting Player, who is the person who most recently ate fruit. Flip the tile in the air to determine the starting phase.

The Player Board

Each player must choose a Player Board and place it in front of them. (optional: night side up for right-handed players, day side up for left-handed players)

9. Place the team of 15 Ant miniatures of your color on the appropriate spaces:

   • Hunters on the top row
   • Farmers on the middle row
   • Diggers on the bottom row

10. Pile the 18 Pheromone Tiles and the 15 Excavated Nest Tiles of your color on the spaces at the top of the board.

11. Place the Predator Tile on its corresponding space at the bottom of the board, 'active' side up.

12. Place the Underground Entrance Tiles and their associated Nest Hole Tiles next to your player board.

13. Place your Point Marker cube on the '0' space on the scoring track on the main board.

14. Place your Nest Hole Tile #1 on the Nest Hole space closest to you on the main board.

15. Choose 3 Ants from your supply, place them in the Entryway on your player board (marked with the number 1), and adjust their day/night indicators so that they are the same as the Day/Night tile in front of the First Player.

16. Draw an Objective Card for each of the 3 Ants selected.

Keep these cards hidden from the other players!

For example: you have chosen one Farmer and two Diggers, so you take one green Farmer card and two yellow Digger cards.

Now you're ready to build your Ant colony!

Gameplay

The Round

1. Pass and Flip the Day/Night Tile (For the first round you flip the tile in the air to determine the starting phase)

   If this isn't the first round, the First Player passes the Day/Night tile to their left. This player becomes the new First Player, and flips the tile to its opposite side.

   For example: if the tile is showing 'Night' when it is passed to the left, the new First Player flips the tile to the 'Day' side.

2. Roll the Weather Die

   The First Player rolls the Weather Die to determine what the weather will be for that day or night, and places the die on the associated image on the weathervane on the Main Board.

   Each type of weather causes one Ant type to gain 1 movement point for that round. Clear skies are good for the Farmers in the fields, windy weather helps the Hunters smell their prey, and rainy weather makes Diggers' lives easier.

   The Question Mark face allows the First Player to choose the type of weather for that round. The die is turned to the desired face, and placed on the associated image on the weathervane on the Main Board.

3. The Round

   A Round consists of players taking turns in a clockwise direction doing one of the following actions at a time, in any order:

   • Move an ant
   • Hatch an Ant
   • Move a predator

   A Round is complete once every player has moved all of their Ants once, and done each of the other actions once.

4. The End of a Round

   Once every player has moved all of their Ants, moved a Predator, and Hatched an Ant, the Round is over.

   Players must flip their Predator Tile to its 'active' side, and replace the Hatching Tiles on the Main Board. A new round begins!

The Actions

1. Move an Ant

Moving is every player's main action. This is how you will collect resources to complete Objective Cards to score Victory Points (VP).

The most important thing to remember when moving is to change the Day/Night Indicator at the end of an Ant's movement, regardless of how many spaces they have moved. This shows which Ants have moved during this Round, and which still have to move.

Hunter and Farmer Ants may move up to three spaces on the main board, and may pass over any resources, during that movement. They may not move onto or over a space occupied by a Predator, the Pond, or an opponent's ant, Pheromone Tile or Nest Hole Tile. When they end their movement, the player may collect the resource on that space, if it's the right type.

Collecting Resources:

Hunters can only collect insects (on brown backgrounds).

Farmers can only collect fruits or mushrooms (on green backgrounds).

Once a resource is collected:

A Resource Tile of that type is taken from the supply and placed in the Store Room on the Player Board, and

A Pheromone Tile is taken from the Player Board and placed on the space on the Main Board where the resource was collected.

If a player has no Pheromone Tiles left, they simply collect the resource and place an Empty Ground Tile on that space.

You may place a pheromone Tile on every Empty Ground Tile that an Ant passes over or finishes its movement on.

Diggers may move up to three spaces (never diagonally) in the nest on the Player Board. Diggers may move freely through spaces occupied by Excavated Nest Tiles, but they may never pass over a space showing a soil type. They must end their movement on that space and collect that type of soil.

Collecting Soil: When a soil type is collected...

A Soil Tile of that type is taken from the supply and placed in the Store Room on the Player Board, and

An Excavated Nest Tile is placed on the space where that Soil was collected

Digging New Holes:

Diggers may open new Nest Holes on the Main Board by excavating soil from the spaces marked 2, 3, and 4 near the surface. The player collects the soil, then an Underground Entrance Tile is placed on that space, and a Nest Hole Tile with the same number is placed on the Main Board. Nest Hole Tiles must be placed within 3 spaces of another one of your own Nest Hole Tiles. Nest Hole Tiles can only be placed on a Pheromone Tile of your colour, or on an Empty Ground Tile.

Diggers can never collect Resources on the Main Board, but may place Pheromone Tiles on Empty Ground Tiles on the Main Board.

Movement inside the nest:

Moving from one chamber to another inside the nest (to the Library or the Entryway) counts as one movement point.

Leaving / Entering the nest

The Entryway is considered the same space as the Nest Hole Tile #1

• To move from the Hatching Room to a space beside Nest Hole Tile #1 takes 2 movement points.
• To move from a space 2 away from Nest Hole Tile #1 to the Library takes 3 movement points.

Movement in and out of the nest using the other Nest Hole Tiles follows these same rules.

Moving through the nest

Farmers and Hunters may also enter their own nest through one hole, move through the nest, and exit through another.

For example: This Farmer Ant started its movement on Nest Hole #2. It may enter the nest without spending a movement point, spend two movement points to pass from Underground Entrance #2 to #4, move to Nest Hole #4 on the Main Board without spending a movement point, and spend its last movement point to move onto the Raspberry which it may collect and place in the colony's storage! Clever move!

Except for the library, the nest entryway, and the interior and exterior nest hole spaces, two Ants may never occupy the same space at the end of their movement, but they may pass over spaces occupied by Ants of the same colour both on the Main Board and in the Nest.

2. Hatch an Ant

This is how players increase the population of their Ant colony. To hatch an Ant, a player takes a Hatching Tile from the Main Board and places it on the Queen's Chamber on their player board. The player then takes an Ant of that type and places it on that tile, with its Day/Night Indicator adjusted to be the same as the Day/Night Tile. The new Ant will have to move on subsequent turns. Moving from the Queen's Chamber to the Library or the Entryway costs 1 movement point.

3. Move a Predator

Competing for resources with Predators makes an Ant's life very hard.

Once per Round each player will move one of the 3 Predator miniatures. A Predator may be moved more than once in the same Round.

After this movement is completed, the player must flip the Predator Tile on their Player Board to the side showing the red circle.

Predators may not be placed on:

• The Pond
• A Pheromone Tile
• A Nest Hole Tile
• An Ant
• Another Predator

The Worm

The worm moves around underground and can be placed on any Nest space showing a Soil Resource, but not a numbered space; it's too close to the surface! When it lands on a Soil space, that space is covered with an Excavated Nest Tile and the Worm stays there.

The Grasshopper

The Grasshopper can jump onto any space on the Main Board. If it lands on a space with a fruit or mushroom, the Grasshopper eats it. That space is then covered with an Empty Ground Tile and the Grasshopper stays there.

The Spider

The Spider has access to any space on the Main Board. If it lands on a space with an insect, it eats it. That space is then covered with an Empty Ground Tile and the Spider stays there.

Objective Cards

Objective Cards are the reason you are collecting resources. All completed Objective Cards give Victory Points at the end of the game!

Each Objective Card shows both its cost in Resources, and the Victory Point reward it gives when completed.

Players are allowed a maximum of 4 Objective Cards in their hand, and cards may not be discarded.

Revealing Objective Cards

Players may reveal as many Objective Cards as they wish at any time; even during an opponent's turn.

To reveal an Objective Card, players:

• Place the card face-up in front of them
• Pay the required resources from their Store Room to the supply
• Advance their Point Marker Cube the number of spaces along the Point Track as shown on the Objective Card.

The Library

Education is very importAnt to understand the needs of your colony!

When an Ant moves into the Library, draw 2 Objective Cards of that type of Ant, select one, and return the other one to the bottom of the pile.

As this is considered its action, the Ant's Day/Night Indicator must be turned to its opposite setting.

Ants may stay in the Library and draw new objective cards for multiple turns, without moving. Don't forget to switch their Day/Night Indicator if they do so!

Game End

The game ends at the end of the day/night round in which one player has revealed an 8th Objective Card.

Scoring:

Award the Bonus Point Card to the players who have revealed the most Objective Cards for each type (Hunter, Farmer, Digger) and add those 3 points to the total on the Point Track.

• If there is a tie, the player whose Objective Cards of that type are worth more points gets the card.
• If there is still a tie, all players with the same number of points for that type are awarded the 3 points.

Add 1 point for every Pheromone and Nest Hole Tiles placed on the Main Board. Thus, tiles where you have a nest hole over a pheromone tile count as 2 points.

The player with the most points at the end is the winner!

In the case of a tie, the player with the most Pheromone Tiles on the board is the winner. If there is still a tie, all tied players share the victory!

Other Variants

Antermediate Variant

All of the same rules of the ApprAntice version apply for this variant, except that each player takes a Species Card and 6 Special Cards.

Species Cards can either be selected randomly, or chosen (either in a draft or by consensus).

Special Cards may only be played by the active player on their turn; they may not be played on an opposing player's turn.

Any number of Special Cards may be played at once and do not count as an Action. Their effects are explained on the last page of this rulebook, and always prevail over general rules.

ExperiAntced Variant

All of the rules of the Antermidate Variant apply to this game, with the following exceptions:

Setup

Objective Cards

Players do not receive Objective Cards at the beginning of the game. Instead, they are suffled in separate decks based on their types.

The following number of cards are drawn from the top of their decks and placed face-up beside the board:

• 2 Players: 2 Objectives of each type.
• 3 Players: 2 Objectives of each type.
• 4 Players: 3 Objectives of each type.

Special Cards

The Draft

After having chosen Species Cards, the players are each dealt 8 Special Cards.

Each player keeps one card and passes the rest to the player to their left. The players then keep one card from these 7 cards, and pass the remaining 6 to their left again.

This pattern continues until each player has 6 Special Cards in their hand. The remaining 2 cards are discarded.

Ant and Species Selection

Starting with the First Player, each player selects, one at a time in a clockwise direction, each of their 3 starting Ants and places them in the Entryway as they are selected. Players draft their respective Species card the same way.

Gameplay

Pheromone Tiles

Pheromone Tiles are not automatically placed to cover collected Resources; they may only be placed if the space is adjacent to a Nest Hole Tile or a previously placed Pheromone Tile.

If a Resource is collected from a tile that is not adjacent to a Nest Hole or Pheromone Tile, place an Empty Ground Tile instead.

If, later in the game, an Ant passes over or ends its movement on an Empty Ground Tile adjacent to one of their Pheromone or Nest Hole Tiles, a Pheromone Tile may be placed there.

Completing Objective Cards

To complete Objective Cards, players must send an Ant of the same type as the Objective Card to be completed into the Library.

Once that Ant has arrived in the Library, its movement ends, the Resources for the Objective are paid into the supply, and its Day/Night indicator is turned to its opposite setting.

The player receives that Objective Card, scores the points for it, and reveals a new Objective Card of the same type from the deck to replace the one taken.

Game End

The game ends at the end of the day/night Round in which a player plays an 8th Objective Card. Score victory points as normal.

Ties are broken between players in the following manner, in order of precedence:

• The most Pheromone Tiles on the board
• The most Bonus Point Cards
• The most Nest Holes placed
• The most Excavated Nest Tiles placed
• The most unspent Resources
• The player with the Worm in their Nest

ChildrAnts Variant

Setup

The setup for the ChildrAnts Variant is the same as the ApprAntice (first) variant, with these exceptions:

• Predators and the Predator Tile are not used
• The 2, 3, and 4 Underground Entrance and Nest Hole Tiles are not used
• The Hatching Tiles are not used
• The Bonus Point Cards are not used
• Species and Special Cards are not used
• Instead of placing the Ant miniatures on the Player Board, each player chooses 5 Ants and places them in the Entryway with their Day/Night Indicators adjusted to the same as the Day/Night Tile. All other Ants are left beside the board.
• Each player draws 7 Objective Cards of their choice.

Gameplay

Players simply move their Ants as described in the ApprAntice rules, collect resources, and complete the Objective Cards in their hands.

The Library and the Queen's Chamber are not used in this Variant.

Game End

The game ends at the end of the day/night round in which one player reveals a 7th Objective Card.

Scoring is done in the same way as the ApprAntice version, only without the Bonus Point Cards, and points for the Nest Hole Tiles.

Solo Variant

The rules for the Solo Game are the same as the ExperiAntced Variant with the following exceptions:

Setup

• The 4-player board is used, and Nest Hole #1 is placed over the Pond space
• Only the central hexagonal zone on the board will be used (the one with the water Pond)
• 6 objective cards are revealed, 2 of each type
• Select any 6 Special Cards from the deck
• Place 1 of each Resource in the black bag
• For each of the 3 Ants chosen at the beginning of the game, add their 3 corresponding Resources to the bag (Farmer: mushroom, strawberry, blueberry, etc.)
• To count the rounds, put a cube marker of another colour at the beginning of the score track on the main board and advance it 1 space at the end of every Day or Night round.

Gameplay

Every time an Ant is hatched, the corresponding 3 resources for that type of Ant are added to the bag.

The Predator action is not used.

When a Resource is collected, the player draws a Resource from the bag.

• The corresponding Predator is placed on the Resource of that type which is closest to any Ant on the Main Board.
  • If there are more than one of that resource equally close, the player chooses which one is eaten.
  • If there are no more of that Resource remaining, the Predator eats one of the other two resources it can eat, closest to the Ant.
  • If there are no more of that Resource remaining, the Predator moves to any empty space on the board.
• A Resource of that type is taken from the supply and placed in a pile next to the board.
• The Resource Tile is placed back in the bag.

At any time, when the Predators' Resource Tiles satisfy the cost of an Objective Card, that card is completed automatically and placed to the side. Reveal a new one of the same type.

Do 6 rounds, total your score, and compare it to this list of achievements:

• Over 100 points: IntelligAnt
• Over 110 points: BrilliAnt
• Over 120 points: FAntastic
• Over 130 points: MagnificAnt
• Over 140 points: You're a living Hive Mind!

Ant Facts

According to Wikipedia, as of today, more than 12 500 species of ants are known to exist, most of which are omnivorous. Scientists actually believe that a total of 22 000 species may exist on Earth! Most of them are red, black, brown, or yellow, and some of them are green or metalic blue. Ant colonies are usually separated in multiple castes, ranging from soldiers to workers or other groups that specialize in specific tasks, for example diggers of the nest! Just one ant can lift approximately 20 times its body weight, which makes them a really efficient species when comes the time to gather food or fight enemies. Many scientists describe ant colonies as being super organisms since they all operate as a unified entity. They all work to accomplish different objectives that will help develop their colony! Ants have colonized almost all landmasses on Earth, except for some islands and Antarctica. Altogether, they represent 15 – 25% of the animal terrestrial biomass. Finally, their division of labour, their communication between individuals, and their ability to solve complex problems make them a race that seems to behave a little like humans. Those facts have led to the development of BrilliAnts. Let's try to be a hive mind for a short time, we hope you'll enjoy the experience and have fun!

FAQ

Can I dig a hole on the other side of another player's line of pheromones?

Yes you can, as long as the Empty Ground tile is within 3 spaces of another of your nest holes. The hole cannot be dug directly under a tile containing the pheromone of another player.

If an ant gets stuck between another player's pheromones, can I move it over those pheromones?

No you can't. When it comes this ant's turn to move, you must change its day/night indicator without moving it. The only way to free an ant caught in this unenviable position is to dig a hole on its space, which will allow it to move through the nest to another location on the Main Board.

Can I dig a new nest hole under a tile where I have an Ant?

As mentioned in the answer above, yes you can.

Do I always have to do the hatching action as my first action of the round?

No, you can choose to do any action in any order you wish!

Can I combine the weather bonus with special power cards to give one of my ants a +3 bonus movement?

Yes, all movement bonuses can be added together -- You can combine any special cards with one another or the weather effect.

Does a Digger's movement bonus apply to the distance I can dig new nest holes?

No, they are independent, but there are special cards and a species card that allow you to dig new holes further than 3 spaces from one of your existing holes.

Can I move a predator even though one of my opponents has already moved it this round?

Yes, the same predator can be moved multiple times during the same round.

When I reveal a special card that gives 2 bonus points for gathering a resource, do I lose the resource?

No, you do not need to discard resources to get the bonuses for them.

Can I send multiple ants to the library during the same round?

Yes, you can have as many ants in your library as you like!

Special Cards and Species Cards

• All cards showing Resources/Soils grant +2 VP if played when that type of Resource is gathered. Keep the resources after revealing this card.
• Draw 1 card of the type shown. In ExperiAntced variant, complete an objective of that type without going into the library if you have the resources.
• • 4 VP if player has 5 Ants of that type at the end of the game
• • 2 Movement for one Ant of that type for 1 turn (usually for a total of 5)
• Look at 2 more cards (4 in total) and choose one when drawing from this deck. In ExperiAntced variant, look at the next two cards of the associated type in the pile.
• Move the associated predator without flipping the Predator tile
• Hatch this type of Ant. This card counts as your Hatching Action. (take any one hatch tile and hatch this type of ant)
• Hatch an Ant of your choice
• When digging a new Nest Hole, you can place it 2 tiles further than normal (usually at a distance of 5)
• Replace any player's Pheromone Tile, without an ant on it, with an Empty Ground Tile
• Add 1 of your Pheromone Tiles on an unoccupied Empty Ground Tile
• One of your Ants may cross an enemy Pheromone Tile, Ant, or Nest Hole this turn. It may not end its movement there.
• • 2 VP when you dig a Nest Hole
• One Digger may pass over one un-numbered soil tile before excavating
• • 3 VP if you have 4 Nest Holes dug at the end of the game
• • 3 VP if you have 18 Pheromone Tiles on the Main Board
• • 4 VP if you have 2 of every type of Ant in play
• This card can only be played during the Day
• This card can only be played during the Night
• Victory Points (VP). This symbol without numbers counts as 1 VP

Diplomat

Your Ants can cross enemy Pheromones, Nest Holes, or Ants, but can't end their movement there.

Strategist

When drawing new objective cards, look at 1 additional card. In the ExperiAntced Variant, you may look at the upcoming card of 1 type of your choice at the beginning of each of your turns.

Flyer

Once per Day Round you may place a Pheromone Tile on an unoccupied Empty Ground Tile. Flip this card until the following Day Round.

Predator

Once per Night Round you may move a Predator you haven't already moved this round. You may not move that Predator again during the same round. Flip this card until the next night round.

Architect

Your range for digging new Nest Holes is now 4 spaces instead of 3.

Insomniac

You may play cards at any time, ignoring the Day or Night symbol.