Die Säulen von Venedig
Die Säulen von Venedig Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Materials & Preparation
1 Game Board, 1 Gondola, 60 Pillars, 48 City Tiles, 31 Play Cards, and 9 Pillar Markers in 6 colors.
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Place the game board in the center of the table and the 60 Pillars beside the game board.
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Keep all the cards which indicate in the bottom right corner, a number equal to or less than the total number of players. The other cards will not be used.
The oldest player takes the Start Player Card and places it face up in front of himself.
Shuffle the cards and deal a hand of 5 cards to each player. These should be kept secret.
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Each player takes the nine Pillar Markers of their color. Place one from each player on the Startfeld.
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The Gondola is placed anywhere on the Canale Grande and is moved only if it obstructs the building of bridges over the Canale Grande or a player's view.
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Sort the City Tiles by shape, shuffle, and place in piles on the spaces provided.
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Beginning with the Start Player each player takes off the piles: One city tile with 2 stones and 2 coats of arms and One city tile with 4 stones and 7 coats of arms.
Each player puts his tiles openly in front of himself as his personal supply.
Game Object
To have the most points when the final pillar is placed on the game board, thus completing construction of the city!
Game Summary
1. Start Player action: (Start Player only!)
Before the beginning of the round, the Start Player may take a random card from any player (without looking at the player's hand) and then must give him a card from his own hand. The start player may choose to give the chosen player back the card he just took.
2. Cards are selected:
All players must simultaneously choose one of their cards — their action for that round — and place it face down in front of them.
3. Cards are revealed:
All selected cards are turned face up at the same time. Beginning with the Start Player and continuing in clockwise order, all players must carry out the action described on their card.
4. Cards are passed clockwise:
After all actions have been completed, at the same time, all players pass their played card clockwise. Players must always have 5 cards in their hands.
5. The Start Player card is passed clockwise (sometimes):
If at least one action card with the Start Player symbol was played, the Start Player card moves clockwise at the end of the round.
The City Develops
To score points, you will need to enlist the help of the card actions. The three basic action cards are:
- Councillor — Takes city tiles from the supply, up to the number of stones indicated.
- Pitch Dipper — Sets pillars and pillar markers on the board, in the numbers indicated.
- Master Builder — Builds city tiles upon the pillars, up to the number of stones indicated.
The City Tiles
The city tiles show buildings and fields. The stones show the cost of the city tile and the coat of arms shows the value of the city tile in victory points. In order to get victory points, the players must develop the city with the help of their cards.
Illustration: 1 City Tile with 2 Buildings and 2 Fields.
Obtaining City Tiles
When a Councillor Action Card is played, the player takes one or more city tiles from the general supply and puts them in his personal supply.
The following rules apply:
- The city tiles must be taken from the top of the piles and put in front of the player. These tiles are now his personal supply.
- The combination of taken city tiles, in stones, must be equal to or less than the stones shown on the Councillor card. Any remaining stones are lost.
Example: If a player plays a Councillor showing 4 stones, he may take the following combinations of city tiles. (Six alternative shape combinations totalling 4 stones are shown.)
Setting of Pillars and Placement of Pillar Markers
When a Pitch-Dipper Action Card is played, the player takes the indicated number of pillars from the general supply and places them on the board.
The following rules apply:
- The pillars cannot be placed directly on the Canale Grande.
- The first new pillar of the action must touch either the Canale Grande or another pillar on at least one edge.
- Subsequent placements during the action must touch at least one other pillar that was placed earlier in the action. That is, all pillars placed in an action must form a contiguous grouping.
- All pillars indicated on the card must be taken and placed.
Example: A player setting 4 pillars can either begin placing a) adjacent to Canal Grande or b) adjacent to a preexisting pillar. The 4th pillar may only be placed in any of the light blue fields since all pillars set by a player in a turn must all be in an adjacent grouping. It would not be allowed to place the first pillar of the group c) without a connection.
Placing Pillar Markers
After placing pillars, the same player takes the indicated number of pillar markers from his supply and places them on any empty pillar.
The following rules apply:
- The pillars may not be occupied with city tiles or pillar markers.
- The player may place on any open pillar including those just placed.
Hint: The players will want to place pillars and pillar markers in such a way that other players build upon them.
Building of City Tiles
When a Master Builder Action Card is played, the player takes one or more city tiles from his personal supply and places them on the pillars.
The following rules apply:
- All parts of the city tile must be placed upon pillars — with or without pillar markers — and must not cover existing city tiles. Exception: The middle of the bridge city tile must cross over the Canale Grande.
- City tiles may not be built diagonally.
- Pillar markers which are covered are returned to their owner.
- The combination of placed city tiles, in stones, must be equal to or less than the stones shown on the Master Builder card.
- If there is a place to legally place a city tile and you have enough stones left to build it, you must build the tile. That is, you cannot stop building if you still have a legal play.
Clarification: If you have a 3-stone city tile, a 4-stone city tile, and a 4-stone Master Builder, you may place either city tile. If you place the 3-stone city tile, you lose the remaining stone.
Example: A player has state tiles a, b, and c in his personal supply. He plays a Master Builder with 5 stone. If he first builds tile a, he then must also build tile b if there is a legal place to build it. If he first builds tile c, he does not have enough stone to build either remaining tile and loses the remaining stone.
Scoring of Victory Points
Obtained victory points are advanced immediately on the victory point track at the edge of playing field. Victory points can be obtained in the following ways.
1. When a Master Builder is played:
- For each city tile built, the person who played the Master Builder gains points equal to the value of the coat of arms on the tile.
- For the skillful neighbouring of city tiles (buildings beside buildings and fields beside fields), this person then gains 1 victory point for each matching edge on the city tile.
- The owner of a pillar marker covered by the city tile gains 3 points for each pillar marker covered. The person placing the city tile does not receive points for covering his own pillar markers.
Example: A player has placed the city tile with 4 stone and 7 points. He scores 11 points. 7 points for the tile itself and 4 points for the four matching edges.
Example: The blue player has placed a city tile. He scores 7 points. He does not score an additional 3 points for covering his own pillar marker, but takes it back into his supply. Since the red player had his pillar marker built upon by another player, he scores 3 points and takes his pillar marker back into his supply.
2. The Gondolier
When a player plays the Gondolier, he places one of his pillar markers on the Gongola. The player that currently has his pillar marker on the Gondola receives 2 victory points each and every time a new city is built with at least one edge touching the Canale Grande.
3. Playing the Inventor, Speculator or Dealer
The player who plays the Inventor gains 6 points if the Pitch Dipper is in play.
The player who plays the Speculator gains 6 points if the Master Builder is in play.
The player who plays the Dealer gains 6 points if the Councillor is in play.
The Other Action Cards
Lawyer: The player builds a city tile of 2 stones, giving no points to other players when covering pillar markers. A player with the pillar marker on the Gondola receives 2 victory points if the city tile that is built with the Lawyer is touching the Canale Grande.
Arsonist: The player removes any 1 city tile that has been played and puts it on the bottom of the general supply. He places 2 pillar markers of his color on 2 of the uncovered pillars.
Spy: The player chooses an opponent and looks at their remaining 4 cards. He must take one of the cards and play it as his action. He places the Spy card in the opponent's hand of cards.
Beggar: The player must copy one of the action cards in play. He may not copy the Spy.
Game End
The winner is the player with the most victory points when the game ends. The game ends immediately when:
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A Pitch Dipper is played and the last pillar from the general supply is set upon the board. If there are fewer pillars remaining than indicated on the card then all remaining pillars are set. Other cards left in this round are not played and no other victory points can be received. There can be more than one winner.
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A player reaches the last spot on the scoring track (80) and is declared the winner.