Buru: Ambelau

Buru: Ambelau Rulebook

Table of Contents

Overview

The Ambelau expansion adds seven modules to expand and deepen your games of Buru. These modules may be used individually or in any combination, though we recommend using Ukum, Ambelau, Tokoh, Blessings, and Liaisons together for the most robust experience.

Included in this box are:

Fifth Player Module: This module includes all the necessary components to add a fifth player.
Ukum Module: The spirit Ukum represents justice and harmony on Buru. Players pay tribute to Ukum by exiling those who violate the natural order — especially Outlaws, a new Islander type.
Ambelau Module: The lush volcanic island of Ambelau is just a short trip from Buru. Players may send Explorers to this new region in canoes, where new action spaces await. Ambelau actions let you collect resources, gather fish, recruit Guides, and pay tribute to Ibu, the spirit of growth and life.
Lawan Module: Solo options are included for everything in this expansion.
Tokoh Module: Introduce leaders to your expeditions with asymmetrical starting positions and exclusive special actions for each player that may be taken in lieu of region actions.
Blessings Module: Seeking a strong bond with the newcomers, the inhabitants of the island offer support to those most in need — specifically, those with the lowest bid in each region.
Liaisons Module: The Majapahit King sends a special diplomat with each party, offering a chance at a second action in the same region — but only if the Liaisons don't undermine each other's efforts!

Fifth Player Module

No changes or special rules are required to introduce a fifth (red) player. Simply hand out the fifth player's components during setup and include them in each player step through the game.

Strategy (Five Players)

Buru is highly competitive with 5 players, especially without the Ambelau module in play. Here are a few things to consider in larger games.

During the Afternoon phase, the player with the lowest bid will have few if any choices. Consider bidding more aggressively to win crucial actions, and to deny your opponents those actions.
Expect fierce competition for Tribute cards before those decks run out. Pay tribute early and often!
Controlling totems is even more important because more players can translate to much more free Esteem. Triumph to control totems whenever you can.

Ukum

This module adds Ukum, the spirit of order and harmony, and the Outlaws, a new type of Islander known for their troublemaking ways. Paying tribute to Ukum lets you exile Islanders from Buru... and in the case of the Outlaws, earns you bonus rewards in the process.

Ukum Setup

In each of the following setup steps from the base game, take these additional actions.

Step 1: Place the round Decree cover token on top of the Triumph Reward spaces at the center of the board, with each section oriented toward its region. Now, a player who is Triumphant at the Sacred Lake claims the Ukum totem instead of gaining 1 Esteem.

Step 4: Add the Outlaw Islander cards to the Islander deck before shuffling. Outlaws are identified by an icon in the top left corner, and a second icon in the bottom right corner of the card.

Important: Unless you are also playing with the Ambelau module, return the Tyrant to the box. This Outlaw requires both the Ukum & Ambelau modules to function.

Step 5: Place the Ukum spirit altar at the Sacred Lake with either side face up (both sides are the same). Shuffle the Ukum Tribute deck and place it above this altar.

Step 6: Add the Ukum Elder and Elder Outlaw to the Elder deck before shuffling. If you are also playing with the Ambelau module, replace the Exalted Elder with the Wizened Elder.

Step 8: Add the Altar of Ukum Decree to the Decree stack before shuffling.

Paying Tribute to Ukum

You may use any Tribute action to pay tribute to Ukum. However, as the spirit of justice and order, Ukum is only interested in one thing — ejecting the unworthy. Thus, there is only one cost when paying tribute to Ukum: discard an Islander from your tableau. This represents the Islander being exiled or shunned for violations of the natural law of the island.

Ukum Tributes

Ukum is not as revered as the other spirits of Buru, so each tribute to this spirit is worth fewer Esteem than to Banyu, Gunung, or Manuk. The cost to pay tribute to Ukum can be negligible, however, when you have Islander cards in your tableau that you no longer need.

The Ukum Totem

Each round, the player who is Triumphant at the Sacred Lake claims the Ukum totem (rather than gaining 1 Esteem, as in the base game). The player who controls this totem gains 1 Esteem each time any player pays tribute to Ukum.

Outlaws

These thieves, pirates, and rogues threaten justice and order on Buru... in direct defiance of the spirit of Ukum.

Unlike other Islanders, Outlaws have no explicit utility when added to your tableau (remember: they're bad guys!). Instead, they have two functions:

When you task an Outlaw, you must immediately discard the tasked Outlaw to Pay Tribute to Ukum. There is no additional cost to pay tribute to Ukum in this way — discarding the tasked Outlaw pays the Tribute cost.
Whenever an Outlaw is discarded (as a result of being tasked OR to pay tribute to Ukum at the Sacred Lake), you gain the bonus shown in the black field of that Outlaw card.

Example (Ukum)

Becky tasks the Smuggler. First, Becky immediately pays tribute to Ukum by discarding the Smuggler from her tableau. She draws an Ukum Tribute card. Second, because she discarded the Smuggler, she also gains 2 clay. This is the discarding effect shown in the black field of the Smuggler card.

Strategy (Ukum)

Ukum introduces many new and interesting strategies for scoring Esteem, and different ways to capitalize on your Islanders as well. Here are a few things to consider.

Paying Tribute to Ukum converts Islanders you may no longer need into Esteem. This is especially helpful in the last few rounds of the game. Consider discarding Islanders that don't match your Elder goals, or those with abilities that don't support your evolving plan.
Paying Tribute to Ukum is cheap, as Islanders are recruited with fish. It's an excellent option when resources are tight.
Outlaws can be tasked to pay tribute to Ukum. This means you can pay tribute even if you don't compete at the Sacred Lake. Additionally, tasking an Outlaw to pay tribute to Ukum happens before the Sacred Lake is resolved. This lets you gain bonus Esteem from the Ukum totem before you potentially lose it.
The reward for discarding an Outlaw is equivalent in value to its fish cost. Paying Tribute with an Outlaw not only "pays for" the card, you gain a few bonus Esteem for the trouble!

Ambelau

Ambelau is a small volcanic island located about 20 kilometers from Buru. The people of Ambelau have their own language, culture, and even their own spirit: Ibu, a force of growth and life embodied by the island's lush forests and rich bounties. By sending your Explorers to the Ambelau region, you can net extra resources, recruit free Islanders, pay tribute to Ibu, and temporarily add local Guides to your party.

Ambelau Setup

Use these steps instead of those in the base game. To play with Ambelau & Ukum, add the Ukum steps to these instructions and add the Tyrant to the Islander deck in Step 4.

Place the Buru board within reach of all players. Place the Ambelau cover token over the arrow between the Village and Sacred Lake regions (below 60 Esteem). Place the Ambelau board against the Buru board with the cover token pointing to it. Place the supply of clay, palm, and ebony resources nearby.
All Players: Take a player mat. Choose a color and take the 5 Explorer tokens, 1 canoe, 1 Guide token, and 1 Esteem marker in that color. Flip your player mat to the Ambelau side. This side is identified by the icon in the bottom right corner. Place your Guide token face up on the Guide space of your player mat. Place your Esteem marker on the 0 space of the Esteem track. Place your Explorer tokens face down on your player mat. Take 2 Fish markers and place 1 of them on the 0 space of your player mat. Place the second Fish marker next to your player mat. Place your canoe in the starting space of the Ambelau region. This is the only time more than one canoe may occupy a space at the same time.
Place the 3 base game spirit totems in the Triumph Reward area of each of their corresponding regions: the Gunung (green) totem in the Forest; the Banyu (blue) totem at the Shore; and the Manuk (orange) totem in the Village. Place the new the Ibu totem on its space near the start of the canoe track on Ambelau.
Shuffle the Islander deck and place it face down near the Shore region of the board. Reveal 3 Islander cards to the right of this deck.
Place the Ibu spirit altar near the Ambelau board, and the other 3 spirit altars next to the Sacred Lake region of the Buru board. For each altar, choose or randomly select the face up side (both sides of the Ibu altar are the same). Shuffle each Tribute deck and place it in the notch on the matching spirit altar.
Add the Ibu Elder card to the Elder deck. This card is identified by the icon in the bottom right corner. Shuffle the Elder cards and place the deck near the Sacred Lake region of the Buru board.
Shuffle the Forest deck and place it face down near the Forest section of the Buru board.
Add the 2 Ambelau Decrees and the Altar of Ibu Decree to the base game Decrees. Randomly choose 10 of these tokens, shuffle them, and place them face down to form a stack in the center of the Buru board. Discard the remaining tokens to the box without looking at them.

The Ambelau Region

The Ambelau board presents a new region, situated between Buru's Village and Sacred Lake. The key features of the Ambelau board and region are:

A. Region Name and Summary: Acting in Ambelau lets you move your canoe a number of spaces along the Canoe track.
B. Totem Start / Triumph Rewards: Place the Ibu spirit totem on this space at the beginning of the game. When you are Triumphant in the region (i.e. when you bid Explorers with the greatest total Power in the region), take this totem.
C. Wilderness: The bidding area where you place Explorers face down in the Morning phase.
D. Starting Canoe Space: Each player's canoe token is placed here during setup. This space is not part of the canoe track, and cannot be re-entered once you move. Each time you pass over this space, you gain 2 bonus Esteem in addition to the benefits of the new space you move into.
E. Canoe Track: Canoes move around this track when Explorers are sent to Ambelau.

Resolving the Ambelau Region

Ambelau is resolved in the Afternoon phase of each round, after the Village and before the Sacred Lake. Follow these steps to resolve Ambelau.

a. Reveal Explorers. Flip over all Explorers in the region. Reveal and declare your Power as normal.

b. Winner is Triumphant. The player with the greatest total Power in Ambelau claims the Ibu totem and any Decrees in the region.

c. Move Canoes & Take Actions. Beginning with the Triumphant player, move your canoe up to a number of spaces along the Canoe track equal to your total Power, minimum 1 space. Follow these rules when moving your canoe:

You must move clockwise.
You may move less than your total Power, but you must move at least 1 space.
Count both occupied and unoccupied spaces when moving.
You must end your move in an unoccupied space. Canoes may never share a space.
If you cannot reach an unoccupied space (all spaces within your available movement are occupied), move clockwise to the first unoccupied space.
If you reach the end of the track, skip over the starting area, immediately gain 2 Esteem, and continue to the next clockwise space. No canoe may occupy the starting space after moving out of it.

Immediately resolve the action of your ending space. You may apply any, all, or none of the action's effect, in any order you wish.

Once the Triumphant player resolves their action, the player with the next highest Power in Ambelau moves their canoe and resolves their action. Play proceeds in order from highest to lowest Power, until all players with Explorers in Ambelau have moved their canoe and resolved an action.

d. Resolve the Next Region (Sacred Lake). When each player with Explorers in Ambelau has moved their canoe and resolved an action, resolve the Sacred Lake as normal.

Example of Resolving the Ambelau Board

Becky (pink player), Sonia (yellow player), and Kat (purple player) have all placed Explorers in Ambelau during the first round of the game. The players have just resolved the Village region, and now resolve Ambelau.

First, all players reveal their Explorers: Becky has bid 4 Power, while Sonia and Kat have both bid 3 Power. Becky is Triumphant and collects the Ibu totem. There are no Decrees here this round.

Next, the players move their canoes. Since Becky is Triumphant, she moves her canoe first. She must move 1 space, and may move up to 4 spaces clockwise on the track (since she bid 4 Power). Becky opts to move 4 spaces and places her canoe on the "pay tribute to Ibu and gain 1 palm" space. She collects 1 palm from the supply and draws an Ibu Tribute card. Since she holds the Ibu totem, she also gains 1 bonus Esteem.

Kat and Sonia both have 3 Power. Kat is the Emissary, however, so she moves her canoe next. Kat opts to move the full 3 spaces and places her canoe on the "gain your Guide next round and gain 1 clay" space. She immediately places her Guide face down on her player mat to remind her she can use it next round. Then she collects 1 clay from the supply.

Finally, Sonia must move her canoe up to 3 spaces. Kat is occupying the space Sonia wanted, and the first two spaces of the Ambelau track don't interest her either. She moves 3 spaces and since two canoes cannot occupy the same space, she jumps past both Kat and Becky. She ends her move on the "gain 1 palm, 1 clay, and 1 fish" space. Sonia gains 1 fish, and collects 1 palm and 1 clay from the supply.

With all Ambelau actions resolved, play continues to the Sacred Lake.

Ambelau Actions

Each space on the Canoe Track has a rating, just like action spaces in other regions. Use these to determine the utility of each space, and when playing with the Lawan Mode (see the Ambelau Lawan section). The rating is shown as gems: a space with no gems, one gem, two gems, or three gems.

Gems	Space Action
0 gems	Gain 3 fish
1 gem	Gain 1 fish + task an Islander
2 gems	Gain your Guide next round + gain 1 clay
3 gems	Pay tribute to Ibu + gain 1 palm
1 gem	Gain 1 palm, 1 clay, and 1 fish
2 gems	Gain your Guide next round + task an Islander
3 gems	Pay tribute to Ibu + gain 1 palm and 1 clay
1 gem	Gain 1 palm, 1 clay, and 1 ebony
2 gems	Gain your Guide next round + gain 1 ebony
3 gems	Pay tribute to Ibu + gain 1 ebony and 1 fish
2 gems	Gain 1 ebony + task an Islander + draw an Islander and add it to your tableau at no cost

Pay Tribute to Ibu

Ibu is highly revered by Ambelau's people, but not on Buru. Thus, you may only Pay Tribute to Ibu on Ambelau, not at the Sacred Lake.

To Pay Tribute to Ibu, end your canoe's move on an Ibu Tribute space on Ambelau.

The Ibu Totem

Each round, the Triumphant player on Ambelau claims the Ibu totem. Each time any player pays tribute to Ibu, the player who currently has the Ibu totem gains 1 Esteem. There is no limit to the number of times a player may gain this bonus in a round.

Strategy (Ambelau Tribute)

Paying tribute to Ibu has no cost other than moving your canoe to a particular space, but those spaces are few and far between. Bid aggressively and plan ahead to make sure you can reach these spaces.

Gain Your Guide

When playing with the Ambelau module, each player can periodically gain access to a Guide — a sixth, Power 1 Explorer representing a scout recruited from Ambelau. Your Guide has a silhouette on the number side to differentiate it from your normal Explorers.

During setup, place your Guide face up on the Guide space of your player mat.

You do not have access to your Guide every round. You only gain your Guide by taking the Gain Your Guide action in Ambelau, or by discarding the Tyrant Outlaw.

When you gain your Guide, flip the token face down on your player mat to indicate that you can use it in the following round. You will be able to place 5 Explorers in regions during the next Morning phase, rather than 4 as normal. If you place Explorers in every region, including Ambelau, you will take an additional action in the Afternoon phase!

You only keep your Guide for 1 round. In the Dusk phase, place your Guide face up in its space on your player mat. You may gain your Guide again by taking the Gain Your Guide action or discarding the Tyrant. It is possible to gain your Guide and use any Explorer while you have the Guide to gain your Guide again. In this way you can enjoy your Guide's assistance for multiple rounds in a row.

Strategy (Guides)

Guides are only Power 1 but provide significant strategic advantages by letting you place 5 total Explorers during the round. Here are a few ways to get the most out of your Guide.

In most rounds when you have your Guide, you will be the last player to place an Explorer during the Morning phase. Leverage this position by holding your most powerful Explorers for this last placement. This lets you see when and where your opponents have committed Explorers before making your strongest bid.
With 5 total placements, you have the chance to act in every region, including Ambelau. Exploit this by placing your Guide in a region where few or no opponents have Explorers.
Use Explorers as a reserve force, boosting your Power in regions where you are concerned about being outbid. Even a 1 Power boost to a Power 5 Explorer can make the difference between Triumph and second place.

Draw an Islander and Add It to Your Tableau at No Cost

When your canoe ends its move on a space with the Draw an Islander icon, draw the top card from the Islander deck and add it to your tableau. You pay no fish for this Islander.

Ambelau Lawan

This solo mode expansion includes 20 new Plot cards for use with the Ambelau & Ukum modules. You can use these new cards to round out your games to as many as 5 players. When playing the Lawan Mode with either Ukum or Ambelau, use these cards instead of the Plot cards from the base game.

The Plot card diagram marks four changes:

A. Morning Phase – Explorer Placement: The map now includes placements on Ambelau.
B. Afternoon Phase – Recruiting Preferences: This line now includes the Outlaw Islander cards.
C. Afternoon Phase – Tribute Preferences: This line now includes Ukum and a second Islander discard preference (see Ukum Tributes, below).
D. Double Placement Bonuses: This table now includes a bonus for the Ambelau region, as follows: When the Lawan acts at Ambelau, it gains the bonus shown (it pays tribute to Ibu OR draws an Islander card and adds the card to its tableau at no cost). If the Lawan pays tribute to Ibu and there are no Ibu Tribute cards left to be drawn, this bonus is ignored.

Note: Due to the Ambelau double placement bonus, the Lawan can pay tribute away from the Sacred Lake and / or out of turn. The Sacred Lake Esteem bonus for double placement on some Plot cards is in effect through the entire Afternoon phase and applies anytime the Lawan pays tribute, whether at an altar or through other means. Also, don't forget the Lawan gains 1 Esteem per Task, even at Ambelau.

Special Ambelau Lawan Rules

Guides: When playing with Ambelau, a Lawan always has its Guide. The Lawan draws 5 Plot cards and places 5 Explorers in regions during the Morning phase, rather than 4. If the Lawan would gain its Guide through any means (such as from the Ambelau canoe track), it gains 1 Esteem instead.
Moving a Lawan's Canoe at Ambelau: When a Lawan must choose between two equally-rated canoe spaces on Ambelau, it moves its canoe to the space furthest away from its current position (e.g. if the Lawan's movement would allow it to reach two different equally-rated spaces, the Lawan moves its canoe to the furthest one forward in clockwise order).
Ukum Tributes: When a Lawan pays tribute to Ukum, it discards an Outlaw Islander if it has one. If the Lawan has no Outlaws, it discards the Islander type shown next to the Ukum icon on its Plot card. If the Lawan does not have an Outlaw or this second Islander type, it continues to the next spirit in priority. When the Lawan has more than one Outlaw or Islander of a preferred type to discard, shuffle the qualifying Islanders and choose one at random for the Lawan to discard.

Playing without Ambelau or Ukum

When playing without Ambelau and placing a Lawan's Explorers, redraw any Plot card that places Explorers in the Ambelau region.
When playing without Ukum, skip over Ukum in the tribute priority line on all Plot cards.

All other rules from the Lawan Mode presented in the base game are unchanged (see Buru Rulebook, page 17).

Tokoh

The Majapahit expeditions to Buru are not all the same. Each expedition leader is unique, with their own individual style and advantages.

The Tokoh module represents your expedition's leader. This character grants each player an asymmetrical starting benefit and an exclusive special action you may use instead of acting in a region.

Tokoh Setup

After shuffling Decree tokens in Step 8, deal two Tokoh cards to each human player (Lawan never receive these cards). Each player chooses one of these cards and places it face up next to their player mat. Unchosen Tokoh cards are discarded to the box.

Immediately collect the benefits shown under "Start" at the top of your Tokoh card.

Tokoh Actions

Your Tokoh card also includes an exclusive action space — a special skill unique to your expedition's leader. You may use your Tokoh action any time you would choose an action during the Afternoon phase, instead of choosing an action in a region.

When it is your turn to take an action in a region, you may place the Explorer token(s) you bid in that region on the action space of your Tokoh card, then resolve the Tokoh action. If you do, you may not also take an action in that region. After you resolve your Tokoh action, play continues to the next highest Power in that region, as normal.

Each player's Tokoh action is exclusive, and no player may use another player's Tokoh action. Your Tokoh card contains an action space, and once this space is occupied by your Explorer token(s), you may not take the action again in the same round.

Blessings

The people of Buru are known for their great generosity in support of the fortunate and the unfortunate alike.

This module rewards a player who bids lowest in a region with that region's Blessing token. This represents the charity and help of Buru's residents. A Blessing token may be spent in a subsequent round to increase the player's Power in that region, giving them a competitive edge thanks to the people of Buru.

Blessings Setup

After placing the spirit totems in Step 3, find the five Blessing tokens — one for each region — and place each in the corresponding wilderness (e.g. place the Forest Blessing in the Forest wilderness, the Shore Blessing in the Shore wilderness, and so on). If you are not playing with the Ambelau module, return the Ambelau Blessing to the box.

Gaining a Blessing

During the Choose Actions step of each round, while resolving a region, the player who chooses their action last also collects that region's Blessing — either from the wilderness or from the player holding it, if the Blessing was not used this round. A collected Blessing token is placed next to your player board, in sight of all players. You may have any number of Blessing tokens at a time.

If you are the only player to bid in a region, you must choose to collect either the region's Triumph reward (for having the highest Power) OR its Blessing token (for having the lowest Power). You cannot be both the strongest and weakest in a region at the same time!

Also, you must bid at least 1 Power in a region to gain that region's Blessing token. Only the presence of your Explorers makes you eligible to receive a Blessing.

Using a Blessing

When you hold a region's Blessing and bid an Explorer into that region, you may place the Blessing token under the Explorer so the "+1 Power" text is visible to the sides of the Explorer. You may only use a Blessing token in the matching region (e.g. you may not use the Forest Blessing at the Sacred Lake).

When Explorers are revealed in the Afternoon phase, your total Power in a region where you used a Blessing increases by 1.

A Blessing token does not count as an Explorer, and cannot be placed in a region by itself. It only enhances the Power of an Explorer placed with it.

Example: Becky (pink) bids lowest in the Village, so she chooses her action last. She chooses the Village action, then collects the Village Blessing token from Sonia, who claimed it in a previous round but has not used it yet. Becky places the token next to her player board.

In the following round, when Becky places an Explorer in the Village, she places the Village Blessing under her Explorer and places both in the Village wilderness. During the Afternoon phase, Becky's Explorers are revealed — 2 Power and 1 Power — which are added together with the Village Blessing for a total of 4 Power.

Lawan and Blessings

When a Lawan has a region's Blessing token, it always places the Blessing token with its first Explorer during the Morning phase.

Strategy (Blessings)

A Blessing can really change the equation when considering your bids. Consider the following:

With a Blessing, you have an inherent advantage over other players — but only for a short time and only in one region. Use this advantage to secure an action you really need, or to avoid a tie, and remember to invest elsewhere the following round if you want to regain the same Blessing.
Use a Blessing tactically to make it tougher for opponents to second-guess your bids. For instance, by placing 5 Power in one region and 4 Power in another with a Blessing, you have two high-Power bids in a single round. Alternately, you could place 5 Power with your Blessing to win a crucial region or beat out an opponent who repeatedly relies on the Emissary to win ties. You could even use a Blessing to fake out the other players, committing it with a low-Power Explorer while you focus heavily elsewhere.
When an opponent holds a region's Blessing, you know they'll probably focus there in the next round. Use this knowledge when planning your own bids.

Liaisons

Your expedition includes a royal Liaison, sent by Gajah Mada himself to assist you. While these Liaisons are poor explorers, their skills at negotiation can sometimes create additional opportunities for your party... so long as they're not foiled by their court rivals!

When using this module, each player gains a Liaison token. This token represents a diplomat accompanying your party. Unlike other Explorers, your Liaison has no Power. Rather, they let you potentially take a second action in a region, after all other players have acted there. However, if more than one Liaison is revealed in a region, all Liaisons are immediately removed and no players take a second action in that region. Their competing efforts undermine each other and none are successful!

Liaisons Setup

During Step 2, each player also finds their Liaison token and places it face down on their player mat with the rest of their Explorers. Each player starts each round with 6 Explorer tokens instead of 5.

Using Your Liaison

A Liaison is used like an Explorer and follows all the same rules, except as follows.

2. The Morning Phase: Each player now places 5 Explorers rather than 4, keeping one back to fish as usual.

3. The Noon Phase: If the Explorer left on your player mat is your Liaison, you collect no fish (since Liaisons do not have Power).

4. Afternoon Phase

a. Reveal Explorers: Unfortunately, Liaisons get in each other's way. After revealing Explorers, if there is more than one Liaison in a region, immediately return all Liaisons in that region to their player mats. Those Liaisons have no further effect on the region, or in the round. No player benefits from them.

b. Winner is Triumphant: Since Liaisons do not have Power, they cannot be Triumphant in a region on their own.

c. Choose Actions: If your Liaison is the only one in a region, do not stack and place it with your other Explorers when you choose an action. Instead, after all players have resolved their actions in the region, you gain a special Liaison action. This action occurs after the normal action order, and so it triggers no other effects (such as awarding Blessings).

To take a Liaison action, place your Liaison on any remaining action space in that region, pay a number of fish equal to the gems shown under that action space, and resolve the action. If you cannot or choose not to pay this fish cost, skip your Liaison action and resolve the next region.

When resolving your Liaison action, if there are no unoccupied action spaces to choose from, you may take the rightmost action in that region. At the Forest, if there are no Forest cards remaining, you may gain the resources shown on the top card of the Forest discard pile (i.e. the last card chosen).

Example (Liaisons)

Sonia, Kat, and Becky are playing with the Liaisons module. When resolving the Village, it is revealed both Becky and Sonia placed their Liaisons there. These Liaisons are returned to Becky and Sonia's player mats.

Then, at the Sacred Lake, Becky's 4 Power Explorer and Liaison are revealed. No other Liaisons are here because Kat and Sonia already committed their Liaisons at the Shore. Becky acts once in Power order. After everyone has resolved their actions, Becky may take an additional action in the region. She chooses the action rated 1 gem. Becky pays 1 fish to take the action, and then play proceeds as normal.

Liaisons with Other Modules

Liaisons at Ambelau: Since Liaisons have no Power, they do not move your canoe on Ambelau. This means Liaisons have no effect when played into the Ambelau region. Placing a Liaison at Ambelau can still be handy for bluffing however!

Liaisons and Blessings: Liaisons do not benefit from Blessings (they have no Power to increase). A Blessing placed with a Liaison is ignored and has no effect.

Further, Liaisons are ignored when awarding Blessings. Liaisons are not counted when determining the lowest bid in a region, and their special action is taken after a Blessing is awarded. When a Liaison is the sole Explorer in a region, leave that region's Blessing where it is — as if no one had placed an Explorer in the region.

Liaisons and Tokoh: You may use a Liaison to take your Tokoh action as normal. Since Tokoh actions have no gems, using them with a Liaison costs no fish.

Liaisons and Lawan: When using the Liaison module with a Lawan, add the Liaison token to the Lawan's Explorers like normal. The Lawan draws 5 Plot cards and places 5 Explorers in regions during the Morning phase, rather than 4. The Lawan treats its Liaison as a normal Explorer with the following exceptions:

As Explorers are revealed in the Afternoon phase, Liaison tokens are ignored when determining whether the Lawan has placed 2 Explorers in a region. When the Lawan places its Liaison, it potentially gains a second action, rather than its region bonus.
When taking a Liaison action, a Lawan always chooses the lowest-rated available space. When the Lawan must choose between two equally-rated spaces for a Liaison action, it always chooses the rightmost space. This supersedes the normal Lawan rules for choosing an action.

Strategy (Liaisons)

Liaisons add a gambling element to Buru. It's common to "go bust," but when you manage to get that second action in a region it can make a huge difference.

With a Liaison you can theoretically place an Explorer in every region of the board, even when playing with Ambelau, but consider whether that's helpful to you. On its own a Liaison cannot be Triumphant, cannot earn a Blessing, and yields no actions in the region if any other Liaisons are present.
It's often superior to use your Liaison to maximize a region's yield. By placing it alongside another of your Explorers, you are guaranteed at least one action there, with a chance of two.
Use your Liaison as a way to hinder other players' strategies. When you can't see a particular use for your Liaison, consider placing it where you think an opponent has placed their Liaison to disrupt their chance of scoring a second action there.
Consider unorthodox placement strategies, like placing your Liaison alone so you can dedicate multiple Explorers elsewhere. If this bluff is successful, you stand to lose little and your opponents are surprised with a high-Power bid right where you need it.

Pronunciation Guide

Ambelau: ahm-bhe-laa-uu
Ibu: ee-bu (mother)
Ukum: oo-koom