Conquest of Paradise Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
  • Game Map
  • Island Group Tiles
  • Playing Pieces
    • Explorers
  • Markers
    • Discovery Markers
• Game Setup
  • Home Islands
  • Player Pieces and Markers
• Turn Sequence
• 1. Turn Order
• 2. Exploration
  • Pre-Move
  • Discovery
    • Exploring more hexes
    • Special Exploring Situations
  • Resolution
• 3. Movement & Battle
  • Transit
  • Movement
  • Canoe Carrying Capacity
  • Stacking
  • Rumors
  • Battle Resolution
    • Procedure
    • Retreating
    • Combat Example
    • Island Group Conquest
    • Independent Islands
• 4. Building
  • Turning Inward
  • Building Procedure
  • Villages
  • Arts & Culture Cards
• 5. Victory Step
  • Island Group Control
  • Winning the Game
• Advanced Rules
  • Variable Game Start Pieces
  • Saved Resources
  • Malaria
  • The South Island
  • Kumara (Sweet Potatoes)
  • Variable Game End
• Notes on Pronunciation
• Bibliography
• Credits

Components

A complete copy of Conquest of Paradise contains:

• Game Rules Booklet
• Designer's Notes Booklet
• One 22"x34" Game Map
• Four Player Aid cards
• 168 Playing Pieces (5/8")
• 4 Explorers (5/8" x 1 1/4")
• 140 Markers (1/2")
• 30 Island Group Tiles
• One six-sided die
• 27 Arts & Culture Cards

Game Map

The game map depicts most of the Pacific Ocean, divided into hexagons (called "hexes" from now on). The area generally east of Tonga and Samoa is shown with an open box in the center of each hex: the Unknown. The geographical locations for Island Groups in the Unknown are shown for your reference. However, to simulate the sense of wonder and discovery of the Polynesian explorers depicted in the game, the locations in which YOU will find these Islands is random – and therefore likely to be quite different!

The Polynesians found nothing useful near the Americas. These hexes are shown in Open Ocean blue to indicate that they can not be explored. The Americas themselves are off limits, except the box labeled "South America" (see the Kumara Advanced Rule).

The area generally west of Tonga and Samoa was known to the Polynesians, and occupied by others. These Independent Island Groups are already printed on the map with their Village sites, similar to Island Group Tiles. These hexes do not need to be Explored, but the Independent Island Groups there can be conquered by your Warriors. The area without hexes, west of these islands (including Australia), is off limits.

Island Group Tiles

Island Group Tiles are the lush Tropical Paradises whose possession allows a player to build Villages and achieve the wealth and power needed to win the game. You can read about each Tile in the Designer's Notes.

The green boxes indicate how many Villages may be built on the Island Group. A brown box, if present, indicates that if Improved Agriculture is built, another Village can be built there. Villages (or their Improved Agriculture side) are placed in these boxes during the game. The area with the Island graphic can hold Playing Pieces.

Several Island Group Tiles are uninhabitable atolls. These tiles have a dashed line box under their title. While these may not be used to establish villages, the atolls nonetheless have value if they are incorporated into your growing empire.

Playing Pieces

• Transport Canoe
• Colony
• Rumor
• Local Warriors
• War Canoe
• Warrior Band

A star in the upper left corner of a Playing Piece shows that it is a Battle Piece. Only War Canoes, Warrior Bands, and Local Warriors may Battle with your opponents.

A number in the upper right corner of a Playing Piece shows that it can move, and how far. Pieces with a "2" can move two hexes during the Movement and Combat Step. Pieces without numbers cannot move by themselves, but they may be transported by Canoes. Local Warriors are an exception: they don't move at all, and they appear when needed in Battle to defend one of your Island Groups.

Explorers

These are special Playing Pieces that can Explore a variable number of hexes during the Exploration Step. The names given are for historical flavor only; see the Designer's Notes for each Explorer's story.

Markers

Village / Improved Agriculture Markers are shared by all players. Discovered Island Markers indicate a player's discovery before it is revealed to others.

Discovery Markers

"Palm Tree" Markers show that an Island Group has been discovered in the hex. Plain blue markers show that Open Ocean has been discovered in this hex; these are placed on the map in the hex where they were discovered. Both types have a number of Knots on the back. Off Course Markers trigger a special event.

Game Setup

Place the Discovery Markers in a cup (or any container players want to use). Discovery Markers are randomly selected from it whenever needed.

Shuffle the Arts & Culture Cards and stack them face down in their holding box on the map.

Place any Island Group Tiles on the map needed for the number of players in the game (see below) and set aside the Te Waka Maui Tile (used with an Advanced Rule). Then scatter the remaining Island Group Tiles face down in the box top. Island Group Tiles are selected from here whenever needed.

Home Islands

Set up the initial Home Islands as follows:

TWO PLAYERS: use Tonga and Samoa, both printed on the map.

THREE PLAYERS: use Tonga, Samoa, and Hiva (Marquesas Islands). Place the Hiva Island Group Tile in its historic location on the map, facing the direction indicated. Then place the Flint Is. and Niue Island Group Tiles in their historic locations indicated on the map, facing the directions indicated. Reach into the cup and randomly remove Discovery Markers until you have three Island Group Markers and two Open Ocean Markers. Toss any excess draws back into the cup. Remove the three Island Group Markers from the game. Place the two randomly drawn Open Ocean Markers on the map (ocean side up): one in the hex between Niue and Flint Is., and the other in the hex between Flint Is. and Hiva (north of Tuamotu). These locations are indicated in red on the map.

FOUR PLAYERS: use Tonga, Samoa, Hiva, and Raiatea (West Society Islands). Set up for a three player game, as above. Then place Raiatea in its historic location on the map, facing the direction indicated. Finally, remove an additional randomly drawn Island Group Marker from the game.

Take out the Player Aid cards used for the number of players in the game. Decide upon the Home Island Group with which each player will begin the game. All players may simply agree where they wish to start. If not, then shuffle the above Player Aid cards. Each player randomly draws one and plays the Home Island Group described on the card.

Player Pieces and Markers

Each player chooses one of the four sets of colored Playing Pieces. Place the "generic" Village Markers in their holding box on the map.

Next, place the Village Marker in your color – your capital Village – in one of the green boxes of your Home Island Group. Place a second (regular) Village in another green box on your island. Then place two Warrior Bands of your color, face down, in your Home Island Group. The remaining Pieces of your color are your unbuilt pieces, and are available for building during the game.

Turn Sequence

Each game turn consists of the following Steps, played in this sequence:

1. Turn Order Step.
2. Exploration Step.
3. Movement & Battle Step.
4. Building Step.
5. Victory Step.

Each Step must be completed by all players before beginning the next Step. Players perform the Exploration, Movement & Battle, and Victory Steps by taking turns according to the order established by the Turn Order Step. However, they perform the Turn Order and Building Steps at the same time.

1. Turn Order

The player in last place on the Victory Point Track takes the Turn Order Marker. If there is a tie for last place, then give the Turn Order Marker to the first Island Group in the following list which is tied for last: Tonga, Raiatea, Hiva, Samoa.

The player with the Turn Order Marker then decides who will go first this turn, and if play will proceed clockwise or counter-clockwise. That player places the marker in front of the player who will go first, and points the arrow in the direction of play.

2. Exploration

Each player has one Explorer. This Playing Piece represents your island's young adventurers and experienced navigators, those seeking new horizons, dissatisfied with the status quo. Players take turns sending them into the unknown vast reaches of the ocean in hopes of discovering new islands, new promise, and new lives.

Only Explorers may enter a hex that is Unknown, and only they may enter a hex with a face down Island Group Tile.

If your Explorer begins its Exploration Step in the Lost Box, then remove it from the Box and place it in front of you. That's it for the Step; the Explorer does not Explore.

If your Explorer begins the Exploration Step in front of you, then it can Explore. Exploration consists of three stages:

• Pre-move: a free move in which the Explorer moves to the edge of the Unknown.
• Discovery: find new Island Group Tiles and Open Ocean.
• Resolution: remove or flip Discovery Markers.

Pre-Move

Begin the Exploration Step by placing your Explorer on any one of your Controlled Island Groups (that is, an Island Group on which you have a Village).

Next, you may move your Explorer across any Known hexes that are NOT Enemy hexes (Independent Island Groups, Island Groups Controlled by another player, or any hex that contains another player's Playing Piece) in order to reach a hex next to an Unknown hex.

Example: Tonga's Explorer may begin to Explore in any one of the Unknown hexes adjacent to Tonga, or Pre-move to Niue and begin its Exploration in any one of the Unknown hexes adjacent to Niue.

Discovery

After the Pre-move (if there is any) Explorers move into a hex in the Unknown. Draw a Discovery Marker from the cup, and look at both sides of it. One side of the Marker shows the type of Discovery made: an Island Group, Open Ocean or Off Course. The other side of the Marker shows Knots on a rope: one, two or three Knots on Island Group and Open Ocean Markers; zero Knots on Off Course Markers.

If you've drawn an Open Ocean Marker, place it in the hex where it was discovered. Leave the Marker with its Knot side up until you have finished Exploring.

If you've drawn an Island Group Marker, reach into the box top and randomly draw an Island Group Tile. Look at it with your best poker face! Then place it face down in its hex, hidden from the other players, and place one of your Discovered Island Markers on the Tile. Alternately, you may reveal the Tile immediately, by placing it face up on the map (orient it with your Home Island Group). Either way, place the Knot-side-up Discovery Marker on the Tile.

An Island Group Tile can be flipped right-side-up at any time by any player who discovered it. Return the Discovered Island Marker(s), flip over the Tile, and orient it in the same direction as the Home Island Group of the player who reveals it.

If you've drawn an Off Course Marker, you don't Explore the hex you were expecting to! The player sitting to your left moves your Explorer into an adjacent hex. This MUST be a hex that your Explorer can Explore: any hex in the Unknown (including a hex with a face down Island Group that another player has Explored).

Your Explorer then Explores that hex, by choosing another Exploration Marker. Remove the Off Course Marker from the game immediately after the new hex is chosen. The Exploring player might choose to back-track and Explore the hex later in the turn.

However, if you've drawn an Off Course Marker when your Explorer is in a hex with no Unknown hexes adjacent to it, then the Explorer stays where it is. Place an Explored Hex 2-Knot Marker as a penalty. You may choose to try again to Explore in that hex.

Exploring more hexes

The Knots on Discovery Markers symbolize the amount of wear and tear endured, or simply the time spent, by an Explorer investigating a particular hex. How far an Explorer may go before being compelled to return Home (or worse, becoming Lost) is up to the player's desire to keep looking – and the player's luck.

After Exploring a hex, check the total number of exposed Knots to see how many you have accumulated this turn:

• 4 or less Knots showing: you may Explore into another adjacent hex, or you may choose to Return.
• 5 Knots showing: your Explorer MUST Return.
• 6 or more Knots showing: your Explorer is Lost. After resolving the Exploration of this last hex, place your Explorer in the Lost Box on the map.

To Return your Explorer, simply place it in front of you.

Special Exploring Situations

You may examine a face down Island Group Tile with another player's Discovered Island Marker on it by moving your Explorer into the hex – either deliberately or through an Off Course result. It costs two Knots to do this: place an Explored Hex 2-Knot Marker in the hex. After examining the Tile, place one of your Discovered Island Markers on the Tile. Or, if you wish, flip the Island Group Tile face up right now. More than one player's Discovered Island Marker can be on a face down Tile. However, when all players have Discovered that Island Group, flip the Tile face up, orient it, and return the Discovered Island Markers to their owners.

You may have only three Discovered Island Markers on the map at one time. You must choose to reveal an Island Group (to free a Marker) if you wish to place one on a newly discovered Island Group. Alternately, you may choose to immediately reveal the newly discovered Island Group.

After Exploring a hex, you may wish to traverse a Known hex (that is not an Enemy hex) in order to get to another Unexplored hex. It costs two Knots to do this: place an Explored Hex 2-Knot Marker in the hex.

The blue hexes without open boxes in the eastern and western Pacific cannot be explored. These are automatically Open Ocean hexes.

Resolution

Finish your exploration for the turn by either declaring a Return, being forced to Return (with five Knots) or going to the Lost Box (with six or more Knots). At this time, examine each Discovery Marker with Knots showing:

• Flip Open Ocean Markers to their plain blue side and leave them in their respective hexes on the map.
• Remove Island Group Discovery Markers from the game (but not Discovered Island Markers or the Tiles under them!).
• Remove any Explored Hex 2-Knot Markers and set these aside for future use.

3. Movement & Battle

There are three stages to the Movement & Battle Step:

• Transit: a free move in which you may shift your Playing Pieces within your empire, along your Transport Canoe Chain.
• Movement: sending your Canoes out beyond your existing empire.
• Battle Resolution: settle any conflicts in hexes occupied by yourself and another player.

Transit

A player's Movement and Battle Step may begin with a Transit pre-move. If you have a Transport Canoe Chain, you may move as many of your Playing Pieces (Colonies, Warrior Bands, Transport Canoes, War Canoes, and Rumors) along it as far as you wish. Transport Canoe Chains have an unlimited capacity during Transit. However, any Transport Canoes serving as part of the Chain may not themselves move during this stage.

A Transport Canoe Chain is simply a line of FACE UP Transport Canoes, with one Canoe in EVERY hex, including each Island Group being connected and every Open Ocean hex between them. (Even your Home Island Group must have a Transport Canoe to be part of a Chain.) The Chain can connect with more than one adjacent hex. Transport Canoe Chains are necessary for the Transit pre-move, for optimum flexibility in Building, and for gaining Bonus Victory Points for your Controlled Island Groups.

You may NOT turn over any Transport Canoes to their face up side, or otherwise reveal any concealed Transport Canoes, until AFTER your Transit pre-move.

Example: Both Tuamotu and Kermadec Is. are connected by Transport Canoe Chain to Tonga; Pitcairn Is. is not.

Movement

After the Transit stage (if there is any) Transport and War Canoes can move one or two hexes. Each hex a Unit enters counts the same, regardless of what's in the hex. Moves may not be saved from turn to turn, nor transferred to other Canoes.

Transport and War Canoes may not enter a hex in the Unknown. For a Canoe to move into a hex, it must be Known. A Known hex is Open Ocean, or an Island Group printed on the map, or a face up Island Group Tile. You may flip up an Island Group Tile (that you have Explored) immediately before moving onto it.

Transport Canoes may not enter a hex containing an enemy Controlled Island Group or any enemy Piece, unless they are moving with at least one War Canoe in their stack.

Island groups printed on the Known part of the map – with Local Warrior symbols – begin the game Independent. These are considered enemy controlled by all players (until attacked and conquered).

War Canoes must stop moving if they enter a hex with an enemy Controlled Island Group, or if they enter a hex containing an enemy War Canoe. The Pieces must then attack the Island Group or enemy Canoe(s) after all movement is completed. War Canoes can move right through a hex containing enemy Transport Canoes, or they may stop their movement (and have a Battle there).

Canoe Carrying Capacity

Transport Canoes can carry one Warrior Band OR one Colony with them as they move. War Canoes can carry one Warrior Band. Warrior Bands MUST be carried by a War Canoe to take part in an attack. Any Warrior Band aboard a Transport Canoe may not participate in a Battle, whether defending in Open Ocean or in any attack anywhere.

Canoes may freely pick up and drop off Warrior Bands and Colonies as they move. A Piece may not be moved by more than one Canoe in a turn (after any Transit pre-move).

Stacking

There is no limit to the number of Playing Pieces that may be stacked in a hex. To show the relative uncertainty your people faced confronting the vast Pacific, Playing Pieces stacked together should be placed face down and may not be examined by other players. However, if there are any Transport Canoes in a hex, one may be placed face up at the top of that hex's stack in order for it to be part of a Transport Canoe Chain. Also, note that all players will have the chance to examine the Playing Pieces in a hex during a Battle.

Rumors

Each player begins the game with two Rumors, which may be "built" for no cost, and placed (face down) during the Building Step.

Players may move their Rumor pieces in any way they wish during their Movement & Battle Step. If a Rumor is revealed, it's removed; but it may be rebuilt during any following Building Step. You may remove it from the map at any time; it must be removed from the map if involved in a Battle. It was only a Rumor...

Battle Resolution

A Battle occurs when at least one of your War Canoes ends its Movement in a hex containing an enemy Controlled Island Group, or a hex containing enemy Canoes.

You must finish moving all of your Canoes before resolving any Battle. If there will be more than one Battle in your turn, you decide the order in which they will be resolved.

Procedure

Both players remove all of their Playing Pieces in the contested hex, and place them to one side. Place the Battle Marker in the hex. All players are allowed to inspect the Pieces involved in a Battle, so spread them out on the table. Return any Rumors to their owners and place the Pieces in the following order:

• Warrior Bands defending an Island Group, Warrior Bands on War Canoes (both the Warrior and the War Canoe), and empty War Canoes go in the front row.
• Warrior Bands that arrived in Transport Canoes, and all other (non-Battle) Pieces, go in the back row.

A sample battle setup for one player: Front Row – War Canoe, Warrior Band. Back Row – Transport Canoe, Warrior Band, Transport Canoe, Colonists.

The player who moves Pieces into Battle is the attacker; the other player is the defender. Only the Pieces in each player's front row are eligible to attack or defend.

If the defender is on an Island Group with one or two Villages on it, then place one of the defender's Local Warriors in the front row for this Battle. If the Island Group has three or four Villages, then place two of the defender's Local Warriors.

If the defender has no Battle Pieces (and is not an Island Group with Villages) then the attacker automatically wins. The defender must retreat from the hex.

If the defender has at least one Battle Piece, then the Battle begins. The attacker rolls one die and checks the result:

• 1: the attacker Removes one Battle Piece, which is placed with the player's other unbuilt Pieces.
• 2 or 3: one of the attacker's Battle Pieces Panics. The Piece may no longer be used in this Battle. Place it in the back row with any other non-Battle Pieces.
• 4 or 5: one of the defender's Battle Pieces Panics.
• 6: one of the defender's Battle Pieces is Removed.

When a player has more than one Battle Piece in a Battle, and one must be Removed or Panics, the owning player decides which Piece is affected.

The attacking player continues to roll until the Battle is resolved. Once Battle commences it may not be broken off until one side is victorious… such was the pugnacity of Polynesian warriors!

When all of one player's front-row Battle Pieces have been Removed or Panicked, then the Battle is resolved. That player must retreat any surviving Pieces from the contested hex.

Retreating

When Pieces must retreat from Battle, gather all of the Pieces that survived the battle: non-Battle Pieces and Panicked Pieces. Each Warrior Band and Colony must have a Transport Canoe or War Canoe to carry it in retreat; if not, it is removed.

Place the Retreating Pieces face down on the nearest friendly controlled Island Group. When two (or more) Island Groups are the same distance away, the owning player may choose which of the Island Groups to retreat to. However, these Pieces may not be placed in any hex currently containing enemy Battle Pieces.

Example: A Canoe is available to carry one Warrior Band (a) in retreat. No Canoe is available for the other Warrior Band (b). It is removed.

Combat Example

A force of one Warrior Band, two War Canoes and one Transport Canoe attacks an Island Group with two Villages. The defending Transport Canoe has one Piece under it, which is revealed as a Warrior Band. One Local Warrior is then added for the two defending Villages. After placing the Battle Marker on the hex, both players set their Playing Pieces aside; the attacker sets his Transport Canoe back behind the Battle Pieces, and the defender does the same on his side.

The attacker first rolls a 3, must Panic a Battle Piece; chooses to Panic the Warrior Band, and slides it back with the Transport Canoe (a). The attacker next rolls a 4; the defender chooses to Panic one Warrior Band (b). The attacker then rolls a 1, and must remove one War Canoe (c). The attacker then rolls another 4. The defender must Panic the Local Warrior (d) and must now Retreat from the hex, since the defender has no more un-panicked Battle Pieces in the front row. The Local Warrior is removed and placed back with the player's unbuilt Pieces. The defender's other Pieces are placed in the nearest controlled Island Group, with the Warrior Band riding on the Transport Canoe.

At this point the attacker could save one of the two Villages on the Island Group by removing the victorious War Canoe. However, the victorious attacker chooses not to remove his War Canoe, so both Villages are removed. The attacker picks up the Island Group Tile and turns it to face the same direction as the player's Home Island Group. The attacker's other Pieces, a Transport Canoe and a Panicked Warrior Band, then (rather sheepishly) join the victorious War Canoe on the newly conquered Island Group.

Island Group Conquest

If the attacker of an Island Group wins the Battle, then the attacker removes all Villages on that Island Group from play. Improved Agriculture is never removed by conquest, so if the Village is in a brown box simply flip the Village piece over to its Improved Agriculture side.

However, the attacker may "save" one Village for each surviving Battle Piece (either Warrior Band or War Canoe) that the player chooses to remove from play. The Piece(s) chosen for removal must be from those who did NOT Panic in the Battle. This decision must be made immediately. Only the bravest and most decisive of warriors get to rule the newly conquered Island Group.

A victorious attacker occupies the Island Group. The attacker also takes Control of the Island Group if at least one Village is saved there.

Pick up the Tile and turn it to face the same direction as the attacker's Home Island Group. If the conquered Island Group is printed on the map, the new owner must always keep at least one Piece in the hex – until another player successfully attacks that hex.

If a player's Home Island Group is lost in Battle, that player must immediately declare another Controlled Island Group to be his new Home Islands, and replace one of the Villages already on that Island Group with his capital Village.

Regardless of whether the attacker or defender was victorious, after winning a Battle (and, for the attacker, deciding on whether to "save" any Villages) the winning player's non-Warrior Pieces and Panicked Warriors join any victorious Warriors in the hex. These Pieces are placed face down; however, if at least one of the victorious player's Pieces is a Transport Canoe, then one Transport Canoe may be placed face up.

Always remove all Local Warriors after a Battle. Regardless of whether the defender wins or loses, Local Warriors are always available for the next Battle.

Independent Islands

When an attack is made on an Independent Island Group printed on the Known part of the map, place a Village in each green box in the hex. (Do not place Villages in brown or blue dashed-line boxes.) Place a number of blue Independent Island Group Local Warriors equal to the number of Local Warrior symbols printed on the map. If the attack fails, the Island Group remains Independent, and the full number of Local Warriors are again available for any later attack. If the attack succeeds, then at least one of the winner's Pieces must always be kept in the hex.

4. Building

Your ability to create or Build new Pieces depends on the number of Villages that you control. Each Village provides one Build Point every turn. Consult the Build Chart (on the Player Aid cards) to determine the number of Build Points needed to create each item. The facilities and talents inherent to a Village are used, either alone or in combination, to build your desired items.

Turning Inward

Prior to actual construction, you may receive one extra Build Point if you elect to skip your Exploration Step for the following turn. In effect, the people are turning their energies inward, and this extra production capability is its reward. During the Building Step, if you choose to Turn Inward in this manner, remove your Explorer and place it in the Lost Box. You receive one extra Build Point that may be used in your Home Island Group, or any Controlled Island Group connected to it by Transport Canoe Chain. On the following Exploration Step, recover your Explorer from the Lost Box in the usual way.

Building Procedure

Building occurs at the same time for all players. Players may not look at what (and where) the others Build before placing their own Builds. If there's a dispute, players may agree to hide their Builds in their hands and then place them on the map in turn order.

First, count the Villages you have. You receive one Build Point for each of your Villages.

All Villages on Island Groups connected by a Transport Canoe Chain may combine their efforts to Build things. In addition, the items Built may be placed in ANY Controlled Island Group on the Transport Canoe Chain. All new items must be placed in a hex that ALREADY contains a Village.

An isolated Island Group builds by itself: the number of Build Points that can be spent there is limited to the number of Villages there. This idea also applies to Island Groups that have their own Transport Canoe Chain which is not connected to the rest of the player's Island Groups. Such an enclave conducts its Builds separately from the remaining islands.

Once an item is Built, it can not be undone. The number of Pieces of each player's color is intended to be a limiting factor. However, if the Village pieces run out, then use coins or other markers in their place.

Villages

The number of Villages that may eventually be built on an Island Group is limited by the number of boxes printed on that Island Group. Villages can not be built on an Island Group with a blue, dashed line box. In a brown box, an Improved Agriculture Marker must be built — and placed on the brown box — before building a Village in the box (by simply flipping the Marker over). Both the Improved Agriculture and the Village may be built in the same turn.

A Colony must be moved to a newly discovered Island Group to build the first Village there. In your next Build Step, after you have completed all other Builds, you may then replace your Colony Pieces with Village Markers (at no additional cost in Build Points). A previously Controlled Island Group with no Villages remaining, as a result of Battle or Malaria, must have a Colony moved to it as if it were a newly discovered Island Group.

A Village may be built on a Controlled Island Group (that already has at least one Village on it) by spending two Build Points (see the Build Chart). There must be a box available on the Island Group to place the Village. You may also Build a Village on a Controlled Island Group by replacing a previously built Colony with a Village.

There is a limit to how quickly an Island Group can develop. Only one new Village may be Built per Island Group per turn.

Arts & Culture Cards

Players may choose to invest their resources in advancing the cultural environment and prosperity of their island empires. Use two (2) Build Points during the Building Step to draw an Arts & Culture Card. Each player may Build only ONE card per turn. If you purchase a card, draw the top card from the deck, and do not show anyone else. You may reveal it at any time: either right away, at any point during any player's turn, or at the end of the game. Once you reveal a card, it stays revealed.

The cards show various artistic and cultural achievements of the Polynesian people. See the Designer's Notes booklet for a full historic description of each card.

Most cards provide a Victory Point. Some of these provide an additional one-time bonus (blue VP number); others provide an additional bonus that stays in effect for the remainder of the game (red VP number).

Some cards provide a Battle bonus. A player with two or more of these cards may use each card in every Battle. However, each die roll may only be affected by ONE card. The player owning a card always chooses when to use – or not use – a card's ability.

5. Victory Step

Players check how many Victory Points they have during the Victory Step. Consult the Victory Point Chart on your Player Aid Card, and move your marker on the Victory Point Track (up or down, as required) to show your current number of Victory Points. (They are NOT added cumulatively each turn.) Victory Points for face down Arts & Culture Cards are not counted until they are revealed.

Island Group Control

Players occupy any Island Group where their respective Pieces are located. But an Island Group is Controlled by the player who builds a Village there, or by a player who has taken the Island Group in Battle, and saved at least one Village. An Island Group without a Village is not Controlled by anyone.

When you occupy an Island Group, face the Island Group Tile in the same direction as your Home Island Group. If you take an Island Group printed on the map in Battle, then you must always keep at least one Piece of your color in the hex.

Island Groups with a blue, dashed line box are uninhabitable atolls, which cannot be Controlled. However, you may gain a half (½) Victory Point by having the Island Group in a Transport Canoe Chain connected to your Home Island Group.

Winning the Game

The game ends during the first Victory Step in which a player successfully declares to have at least 28 Victory Points in a two player game, 25 in a three player game, or 22 in a four player game. To declare Victory, you must reveal all of your Arts & Culture cards bearing Victory Points.

If a recount shows a mistake, or if another player reveals the "Deforestation" card, and no one has the Victory Points required to win, then the game continues. But if any player DOES have enough Victory Points to end the game, then the game ends. All players reveal all of their cards, and tally their final Victory Points.

If more than one player has the required Victory Points in the same Victory Step, then the player with the most points wins the game. Ties are won by the player with the most controlled island groups. If a tie still exists, then the tied player with the most Arts & Culture Cards wins.

Advanced Rules

The following rules add an extra degree of realism (and complexity) to this simulation game. It is recommended that the basic game described in the Rules be played at least once before any Advanced Rules are added. After that, individual rules may be added as the players wish.

Variable Game Start Pieces

For experienced players who prefer to choose their own Pieces at the game's start.

In lieu of the usual At Start Pieces (two Warrior Bands), players place "free builds" of any Playing Pieces worth four Build Points on the map, at their respective Home Island Groups. This can be any combination of Transport Canoes, War Canoes, Colonies, Warrior Bands or Rumors adding up to four Build Points. For example, you can spend four Build Points on a War Canoe and a Transport Canoe, a Warrior Band and a Colony, or the original two Warrior Bands. As with the Basic Game, Rumors may also be added at no cost.

Saved Resources

Polynesian society had only primitive economic planning, and only a limited ability to store valuable resources. However, some small amount of "reserving" may be conducted.

You may choose to build nothing with one Village, and save a Build Point for another turn. To do so, place a coin in front of you during the Building Step to indicate this. You may use this Build Point in any future Building Step, either on your Home Island Group or any Controlled Island Group connected to it by a Transport Canoe Chain. You may not have more than one Build Point saved.

Malaria

Most of Melanesia suffered from endemic malaria (except New Caledonia, which is included with Vanuatu in the game). Anopheles mosquitoes never made it to Micronesia or Polynesia, so those areas are immune to Malaria.

This rule can take effect on the first turn after any player takes control of an Island Group in the Malaria Area of the map. These Island Groups are indicated with a mosquito graphic. The Samoan player rolls one die during the Turn Order Step. On a roll of 1 or 2, Bismarck Archipelago is struck with malaria. On a 3 or 4, it is the Solomon Islands. A 5 is Santa Cruz, and a 6 is Vanuatu. These results are printed on the map in the Island hexes.

If Malaria strikes an Island Group that is still Independent, there is no effect. If Malaria strikes an Island Group that is Controlled by one of the players, remove one Village from the affected hex. If the affected Island Group has no Village to be lost to Malaria, there is no effect.

The South Island

This Advanced Rule adds the South Island of New Zealand to the game. The player who discovers Aotearoa actually finds two tiles: the Aotearoa tile and the South Island tile. If the South Island is placed off the board– as it was historically– it is not in the game. But if it's in play, it can be a great asset to its owner – or a giant target for the other players!

Place the Te Waka Maui (the South Island) Tile to one side at the start of the game. Do not place it with the other Island Group Tiles that are ready to be discovered. If you find the Aotearoa tile during the course of play, place it face down in its hex, as usual.

When you choose to reveal Aotearoa, flip it face up and also take the Te Waka Maui tile. Carefully place the Aotearoa tile in its proper orientation. Then place the Te Waka Maui tile adjacent to Aotearoa, in the proper geographic relationship between the two. The island graphics will align.

The Te Waka Maui Tile takes the place of any Unexplored hex, any Open Ocean hex (either printed on the map, or previously explored) or any FACE DOWN Island Group Tile. Remove any Open Ocean Marker or face down Island Group Tile from the game. If there is a FACE UP Island Group Tile in the hex that the South Island belongs in, then remove the South Island from the game. Likewise, if the place that the South Island belongs in is off the map (i.e., there is no hex for the spot) then remove the South Island tile from the game.

Te Waka Maui acts like any other Island Group in all ways, except one. During the Movement & Combat Step, Warrior Bands and Colonies may move between Aotearoa and Te Waka Maui without Transport Canoes. Similarly, they may retreat between these two Tiles (after losing a Battle) without Transport Canoes.

If you take one of the two New Zealand Tiles in combat, then rotate the Tile to your direction. This will break the alignment of the graphics, but it is essential to always keep both Tiles in the hexes that they were first placed in.

Kumara (Sweet Potatoes)

During the period simulated by this game, the Polynesian people found a thing of great value outside the Polynesian triangle: kumara, or sweet potatoes. After a hazardous round-trip journey to South America, kumara's native land, it proved to be a rich agrarian boon to those who found them – or took them from those who found them!

Players may elect to send their Explorer in search of Kumara in lieu of any other activity during the Exploration Step.

To perform this search, you must be able to execute an Explorer Pre-move to one of the two hexes with the "To South America" symbol. These hexes are at the eastern end of the Polynesian Triangle. For this special Pre-move, Explorers can not traverse the pre-printed Open Ocean hexes on the East end of the board. If you are unable to reach one of these two hexes during the Exploration Pre-Move, you may not search for Kumara. But if you can reach either hex, then you may declare your search for Kumara.

From one of the two "To South America" hexes, you may attempt to move your Explorer into the "unknown" – for this rule, the pre-printed Open Ocean hexes – toward South America. Roll on the table below to see if your Explorer can Explore each hex. If you avoid rolling a Lost or Return result, you may move one hex. This continues until you are Lost, forced to Return, or are successfully able to Explore into the area labeled "South America".

Kumara Search Table

Die Roll Result	Effect
1	Lost
2	Return
3	Return
4	Off Course
5	Explore
6 or more	Explore

Explanation of Kumara Search Table Effects:

• Lost – Treated the same as any other Exploration.
• Return – Treated as any other Exploration.
• Off Course – You pick any hex adjacent to your Explorer that is NOT CLOSER to South America than the one it is currently in. Move the Explorer there.
• Explore – Move the Explorer to any adjacent hex, or into South America if the Explorer is already in a hex adjacent to South America.

Die Roll Modifiers for the Kumara Search Table:

• +1 if you have a "+1 Galapagos Islands" Marker from finding either the Unfortunate Islands or the Galapagos Islands (see below).
• +1 if you have at least one "Navigation", "Poi", or "Double Hulled Canoes" Arts & Culture Card face up. Having more than one card provides no additional modifier.
• If you have the "Ocean Chart" Arts & Culture Card face up, then Kumara Search Table results of "Lost" become a "Return" instead.

If your Explorer enters either the hex labeled "Galapagos Islands" or "Unfortunate Islands", then you have stumbled upon a desolate Island Group between the Polynesian Triangle and South America. These islands serve as a re-provisioning station on the journey to South America. Take a "+1 Galapagos Islands" Marker. This will add one to each of your future die rolls on the Kumara Search Table. You may only have one "+1 Galapagos Islands" Marker, regardless of which island group you find.

Once your Explorer has successfully reached South America, the Explorer is Returned. Immediately take one Kumara Marker and two Victory Points. Each player may acquire no more than one Kumara Marker.

If any player successfully attacks an enemy Island Group Controlled by a player that holds a Kumara Marker, and at least one Village on that Island Group is "saved" after the Battle to become a Village of the conquering player, then (if he does not already have Kumara) the victorious player immediately gets a Kumara Marker and its two Victory Points. The original Kumara owner does NOT lose either the Kumara Marker or its two Victory Points.

Polynesian farmers managed to turn a mere few of these valuable tubers seized from neighbors into whole fields, and their cultivation spread throughout Polynesia (as well as Micronesia and Melanesia).

Variable Game End

Players may prefer a game that ends quicker (if their time is limited) or one that lasts longer (so more extensive empires may be built).

Players may agree to end the game at any number of Victory Points. All players must agree to the Victory Point (VP) level, set before the game begins. It is recommended that no more than three VP's be added or subtracted from the standard game-ending VP levels.

Notes on Pronunciation

Polynesian languages are based on a limited number of sounds, with only seven consonants (h, k, l, m, n, p, and w). Every vowel is pronounced, as follows:

• a - pronounced ah as in father
• e - pronounced ay as in pay
• i - pronounced ee as in bee
• o - pronounced oh as in toe
• u - pronounced oo as in boot.

Words are grouped in syllables, none of which are accented. English speakers have problems with this concept, and thus have changed the Polynesian word Hawaii from "ha-why-ee" to "ha-WHY-ee." Think of popular depictions of how native Hawaiians speak (remember Hawaii Five-O?) when pronouncing place names in this game. Thus, Raiatea is not "ray-tea," but rather "rah-ee-ah-tay-ah." Moai is "moe-ah-ee." Aotearoa is "Ah-oh-tay-ah-row-ah." Try it; it's fun!

Bibliography

Caro, Niki (Director), Whale Rider, South Pacific Pictures, 2002. (Or the novel by Witi Ihimaera.) Set in modern New Zealand, a Maori girl struggles to fulfill her destiny. Fascinating depictions of traditional Polynesian arts and culture.

Diamond, Jared, Collapse – How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, Viking, 2005. A global thesis, spelling out patterns of catastrophe. There are two chapters set in Polynesia, including the story of Easter Island.

Emory, Kenneth P., "Coming of the Polynesians", National Geographic Magazine vol. 146, no. 6, December 1974. A survey of the Polynesian experience, beautifully illustrated with paintings by Herb Kawainui Kane.

Heyerdahl, Thor, Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific by Raft, Washington Square Press, 1950. The exciting story of Heyerdahl's voyage to show that his theories could work. Too bad his theories are dismissed by modern archeologists.

Howe, K.R., The Quest for Origins, Penguin Books (NZ) Ltd., 2003. An analysis of the changing theories that westerners have had about the origin of the Polynesians. They often say more about us than they do about the Polynesians!

Irwin, Geoffrey, The Prehistoric Exploration and Colonization of the Pacific, Cambridge University Press, 1992. A bit too scholarly for general reading, but it was an excellent resource for this game.

Kirch, Patrick Vinton, On the Road of the Winds, University of California Press, 2000. Well written and accessible, it clearly explains the latest theories of the Polynesian expansion.

Lewis, David, We, the Navigators, The University Press of Hawaii, 1975. A personal explanation of ancient Polynesian navigation techniques.

Margolis, Susanna, Adventuring in the Pacific, Sierra Club Books, 1996. Many travel guidebooks begin with an excellent short history of their topic. This one is my favorite.

Resture, Jane, Jane's Oceania Home Page, www.janeresture.com. An excellent resource on nearly every island in the Pacific, including everything from poetry and mythology to history and geography.

Sykes, Bryan, The Seven Daughters of Eve, W.W. Norton & Company, 2001. Sykes uses the mutations found in mitochondrial DNA to analyze the relationships of mankind. Two chapters look specifically at Polynesia, and include a blunt quote: "Heyerdahl was wrong."

Credits

• Game Design: Kevin McPartland
• Game Developers: Fred Schachter, Tony Nardo
• Lead Playtester: Jerry Shiles
• Playtesting: Erin Schram and the Christ the Servant Lutheran Church Game Group; Juan Soto and WMCRP Architects Lunch Hour Gamers; Kevin Caldwell and Meade Battlegaming Society; Mike Joslyn and the Gifted Warriors; Allen Hill and family; Josh Tempkin and Table Treasure Games; Jersey Association of Gamers.
• Art Director: Rodger B. MacGowan
• Production Coordinator: Tony Curtis
• Package Art and Design: Rodger B. MacGowan
• Map, Cards and Counters: Leland Myrick
• Rules Layout: Tony Nardo
• Proofreaders: Ron Krantz, Jonathan Mathews, Matt Miller, Mark Molus

Special Thanks to Richard Berg and David Whaples

Booklet and Box Cover Art by Herb Kawainui Kane; reprinted with permission.