Discordia
Discordia Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Goal of the Game
To win the game prematurely, you need to have no workers in your reserve. Otherwise, you are victorious with the fewest workers after the end of the 4th year.
Game Materials
- 1 Game Board
- 6 Action Tiles
- 4 City Maps
- 14 Privileges
- 16 Towers (8 Military Towers, 8 Trading Towers)
- 86 City Tiles:
- 18 Ships (printed on both sides; the back of each Ship is a Market Stall with an identical dice value and 3 white Merchant figures, recognizable by the small anchor symbol in the center)
- 24 Barracks
- 20 Market Stalls
- 24 Farms
- 40 City Expansions:
- 8 Ports
- 8 Forts
- 4 Expeditions
- 8 Marketplaces
- 8 Farmlands
- 4 Developments
- 10 Manipulators
- 14 Decrees
- 20 Germanic Tiles
- 140 Workers (35 Sailors, 35 Soldiers, 35 Merchants, 35 Farmers)
- 3 Merchant figures (white)
- 3 Dice (red, yellow, blue)
- 1 Starting Player Marker
- 48 Stars
- 1 Seasons Boat
- 4 Supply Rings
- 1 Cloth bag (for the Workers)
- 14 Janus Tiles (only needed in the solo game)
Preparation
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Place the game board in the center of the table.
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Depending on the number of players, lay out certain tiles next to the game board, as well as Stars on the "Star Cult" space (top right of the game board). The quantities laid out for Ports, Forts, Expeditions, Military Towers, Decrees, Marketplaces, Developments, Trading Towers, Farmlands, Manipulators, Privileges, and Stars scale with the player count. Place all remaining tiles of these types — as well as remaining Stars — back into the game box.
Note: Ports, Forts, Marketplaces, Farmlands, Expeditions, Development and Manipulators are stacked separately according to their groups. All other tiles are placed next to each other.
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Sort the Germanic Tiles according to their backs (A, B, C, D), shuffling the 4 different types separately. Stack 4 of them face down (C A A A) on the left side of the board and 4 more (D B B B) on the right side of the board so that C and D are at the bottom of each stack, respectively. Place any remaining Germanic Tiles back in the game box.
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Place the Seasons Boat on the space of the first season (Spring) and reveal the top Germanic Tile of the left stack (A).
Fun Fact: The Romans included a 5th season, the "Saturnalia", which follows Autumn.
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Shuffle the 6 Action Tiles and randomly place them face up on the corresponding 6 spaces on the game board.
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Shuffle all the City Tiles and stack them next to the game board in multiple piles. It does not matter whether some are face up or face down.
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Starting with one pile of City Tiles, lay out as many rows of tiles as there are players, always from left to right and from top to bottom. A tile row always consists of 6 City Tiles. One tile is placed under each column of the printed dice values 1 - 6.
Note: All City Tiles are laid out face up. Always place the double-sided Ship Tiles with the blue side up (the market stall and blue anchor symbol on the back are face down).
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Put all 140 Workers in the Bag.
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Each of you takes a City Map board, a Supply Ring to place on space "0" of the Aqueduct, and take 6 Stars from the game board space "Star Cult" into your reserve.
The City Map is divided into different areas: the Storage Area for fulfilled Decrees, the Expedition Path, the Development Track, the Aqueduct for the Supply Ring, and the city itself for placing new City Tiles and Expansions. Some city Expansions are already pre-printed on the City Maps (1 Port, 1 Fort, 2 Marketplaces and 2 Farmlands).
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Each of you takes a Manipulator from the stack and places it in front of you with the yellow side facing up.
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Each player randomly draws 15 Workers from the bag and places them next to their City Map as their reserve.
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A starting player is chosen at random. This player receives the Starting Player Marker and the 3 dice.
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Starting with the player to the right of the starting player and continuing counterclockwise, each player takes one of the City Tiles from the game board (the starting player will choose last). Place this City Tile on a corresponding empty space in your city: a Ship on a Port, Barracks on a Fort, a Market Stall on a Marketplace, and a Farm on a Farmland. The starting player begins the game.
1. Gameplay
The game proceeds clockwise for a maximum of 4 years. Each year consists of 5 seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, the Saturnalia and Winter).
In each season, each player takes one turn performing actions.
One player is Maximus (lat. "the greatest"); in the first season, this is the Starting Player.
Maximus rolls the 3 dice and places them on the corresponding dice values on the game board (1 - 6).
Note: If multiple dice show the same value, they are all placed on the same corresponding dice value.
Maximus chooses one die, places it on the dice symbol at the top left of their City Map and uses it for their action(s). Then the next player clockwise chooses one of the other two dice to perform their action(s), but without taking the die. In this way, more than one of the remaining players may use the same die.
When choosing and using a die, that player may use one or more of his Manipulators (→ 3. Manipulators).
Once each player has used a die, move the Seasons Boat one space to the right. The next player clockwise from the starting player becomes the new Maximus, rolls all 3 dice again, and so on. The starting player only changes at the beginning of a new year.
When the Seasons Boat reaches the 4th season (the Saturnalia), refill all empty spaces in the City Tile rows below the game board with new City Tiles drawn from the pile. Then reveal the top Germanic tile from the stack on the right which has B and D tiles.
After the end of the 5th Season (winter), perform the end-of-year events (→ 7.).
Then a new year begins. If no one has been able to win the game early (→ 9. End of game), the game ends at the end of the 4th year.
2. Actions
Always use one of the available dice for an action (Maximus can choose from all 3 dice, everyone else only the 2 remaining dice).
The value of the die indicates which action options you have.
Note: Any action, or parts of an action, may be waived.
You have a maximum of 1 main action along with possible secondary actions. You are free to choose the order in which you want to perform your actions.
Note: All bonuses you receive in the game must be performed once and immediately, unless otherwise stated. If you cannot perform them, you forfeit the bonus.
2.1. Main Action
You have the option between the following main actions:
- Take a City Tile
- Deployment
- Take City Expansion
- Develop
- Take Star(s)
2.1.1. Take a City Tile
Take one of the City Tiles from the column below the chosen die, place it on a corresponding free space in your city, or replace an old tile of the same type.
Note: Each City Tile may be overbuilt later, i.e. replaced by a new tile of the same type. If there are Workers on the overbuilt tile, they go back into your personal reserve.
The City Tiles
To place a City Tile in your city, you always need a free space in the city or the corresponding City Expansion (Port, Fort, Marketplace or Farmland).
City Tiles are always placed without gaps from left to right.
Some City Tiles allow you to place a Star from your reserve on the Expedition Path or to take a step with the Supply Ring on the Aqueduct. If you lose or overbuild such a Tile during the game, it does not change the Expedition Path or the Aqueduct.
There are four types of City Tiles:
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a) Ships (blue): A Ship is placed on a Port. Each Port has space for one Ship. If all Ports are occupied by Ships, you first need a new Port, or you have to cover a previously placed Ship.
Ship special case: If a Ship is completely occupied with Sailors, these are returned to the bag at the end of your turn. Then turn the ship over to the Market Stall side and place it on a free Marketplace in your city. If you no longer have a free Marketplace, you can also overbuild an old Market Stall. This new Market Stall rewards you with one step on the Aqueduct. Note: You can only send Merchants to this new Market Stall starting in the next season.
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b) Barracks (red): A Barrack is placed on a Fort. Each Fort has space for one Barrack. If all Forts are occupied with Barracks, you first need a new Fort, or you have to overbuild an old Barrack.
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c) Market Stall (white): A Market Stall is placed on a Marketplace. Each Marketplace provides space for one Market Stall. If all Marketplaces are occupied by Market Stalls, you first need a new Marketplace, or you have to overbuild an old Market Stall.
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d) Farm (yellow): A Farm is placed on Farmland. A Farmland offers space for one Farm. If all Farmlands are occupied by Farms, you first need a new Farmland, or you have to overbuild an old Farm.
2.1.2. Deployment
You send Workers to a Ship, Barracks, Market Stall or Farm: The Action Tile in the column of the chosen die specifies which City Tile type you may send Workers to.
You must send the exact types of Workers printed on the Worker spaces of each City Tile. To do this, you take the correct Workers from your reserve and place them on one space of the appropriate City Tile. The space is then considered occupied. City tiles can have 1 - 3 Workers spaces, which may each be occupied by 1 - 3 Workers.
The first Worker space to be filled is always the top one on the City Tile. The other spaces must be filled in a clockwise direction.
If a gray Worker is shown, it may be filled by a Worker of any type (color).
If you do not have the required type or number of Workers in your reserve to fill the next Worker space on a tile, you may not perform this action.
2.1.3. Take City Expansion
Some City Expansions enlarge the city and provide more space for the corresponding City Tiles. Others extend your Development Track or your Expedition Path.
Choose a City Expansion and place it in the appropriate place: next to your city (without gaps from left to right), directly above the Expedition Path or above the Development Track. If you cover a bonus with the Expansion, you receive it immediately (→ Appendix Symbols). You can have as many identical City Extensions as you like, as long as they are available.
Note: City Expansions can also be placed to the right near the City Map.
2.1.4. Develop
You place a Star from your reserve on the lowest free space of your Development Track and gain the benefit from the corresponding bonus. Bonuses are always one-time and immediate, unless otherwise described (→ Appendix Symbols).
Normally, you need a die with a "6" to advance on the Development Track.
Note: If you have a Star on the Development Track space 1 with this symbol, you may now also develop with a "5".
2.1.5. Take Star(s)
This action allows you to take 1 or 2 Stars from the Star Cult space and add them to your reserve, if still available.
2.2. Secondary Actions
Secondary actions may be performed only under certain conditions.
2.2.1. Special Deployment
If the color and value of the chosen die is exactly the same as that of the City Tiles you own (Ship: blue die, Barracks: red die, Market Stall: any die, Farm: yellow die), you may then make exactly one special deployment to each of these tiles — even those you just acquired this turn.
Note: For the white Market Stalls, the value of the die is sufficient for the special deployment to this tile; the color of the die is arbitrary.
The red 1 allows you a special deployment to the Barracks (red 1) and to the Market Stall (gray 1).
2.2.2. Seasons Boat
If the value of the chosen die corresponds to the current location of the Seasons Boat, you receive the bonus shown there. You may choose one of the following:
- place 1 Star from your reserve on the Expedition Path,
- move 1 step on the Aqueduct,
- take 1 Tower,
- take 1 Star from the Star Cult space,
- or you may swap 2 Workers.
2.2.3. Bonus: Multiple City Expansions
If you take possession of your 4th or 6th City Expansion, you may take one of the privileges on display and use it either immediately or permanently, depending on the type (→ 5. Privileges). This is printed on the bottom right of your City Map as a reminder.
2.2.4. Expedition & Development
Certain spaces of the Development Track or Expedition Path give you a one-time or permanent bonus. Bonuses are always one-time and must be executed immediately, unless otherwise described (→ Appendix Symbols).
2.2.5. Fulfill a Decree
On your turn or through an end-of-year event (→ 7.1.), you can fulfill a Decree (→ Appendix Decrees):
Take the fulfilled Decree, flip it over, and use it to cover the lowest uncovered Decree space on the left side of your city. This may give you a bonus (→ Appendix symbols). You receive the bonus immediately.
If all of your Decree spaces are covered, you cannot fulfill anymore.
3. Manipulators
Every year, you may use each of your Manipulators 1 time. Use it to modify a die of your choice, without physically changing it, by increasing or decreasing the value by 1 for your action + all secondary actions (including 2.2.2.!). Then flip the Manipulator to the inactive (gray) side.
You may also use more than one Manipulator at the same time to increase or decrease the value of a die by more than 1. At the beginning of a new year, all Manipulators are turned back to the active (yellow) side.
Note: A Manipulator will not turn a 1 into a 6 or vice versa.
4. Towers
When you are allowed to take a Tower, you always have the choice between all Towers in the display. You place this Tower above a Port (a Port has space for one Tower). You may build a new Tower over an older one, the same as with a City Tile.
4.1. Military Tower
Military Towers can provide space for Workers. These Towers are occupied in the same way as the Barracks. The red 1 allows you to make a special deployment to this Military Tower.
Some Military Towers allow you to place a Star on the Expedition Path when you build them. This Military Tower gives you permanent strength 1 (→ 7.1.). You choose Deployment as your main action and send 2 Soldiers to this Military Tower.
Note: A Military Tower counts the same as a Barracks in fulfilling Decrees, and it can also be occupied by a special deployment.
4.2. Trading Tower
Trading Towers allow you to swap Workers if the value of the chosen die matches the value on the Trading Tower (the color of the die does not matter here):
You first draw 3 or 4 Workers from the bag, and then place the same number of Workers from your reserve back into the bag. These can also be Workers you have just drawn.
When you build a Trading Tower, you advance 2 steps on the Aqueduct.
The 1 allows you to swap 3 Workers. You draw 3 Workers from the bag and then discard any 3.
5. Privileges
Privileges either give you a permanent advantage: A certain type of Worker is a "wildcard" for all 4 types of Workers.
You own two permanent privileges: All Workers are wildcards for you.
Note: If you have 2 identical privileges with a permanent advantage, all of your Workers are wildcards.
Or they give you a one-time advantage: Place Stars from your reserve on the Expedition path or Development Track, move steps on the Aqueduct, or a Deployment to any tile + 2 Stars.
You can use these one-time Privileges either immediately or in a later turn. After you used them, flip the Privilege over to indicate that it has been used.
6. Aqueduct
Move your Supply Ring on the Aqueduct. Through the hole in the middle of the Ring, you can see the value by which your infrastructure shortage is reduced at the end of the year (→ 7.2.).
You can move up to step 10. For each additional step after that, you may swap 2 Workers, but the Ring remains on step 10.
7. Events at the End of the Year
After the Seasons Boat reaches the Season 5 space, and you have performed all your actions, the year ends. Starting with the starting player and continuing in a clockwise direction, 2 events are performed:
7.1. Germanic Raid
Check to see if you can repel the Germanic raid: Add up the strength of the two face up Germanic Tiles and compare them with your own strength.
Your strength is equal to the number of Workers on all your Barracks/Military Towers that are completely occupied.
If it is at least a tie, you receive the reward printed on the right Germanic tile.
If you are not as strong as the Germans, you suffer the damage printed on the left Germanic tile.
However, the damage does not affect you if you do not have the corresponding good.
Note: If necessary, you will get your reward in turn order.
Example: Germanic strength: 2 + 1 = 3, your strength: 1 + 0 = 1 — that is 1 (Military Tower) + 0 (the Barracks are not fully occupied): you lose one Star. If your Barracks were fully occupied (e.g. with the yellow Worker), you would have strength 5 (4 + 1) and would receive one Tower.
7.2. Infrastructure Shortage
Determine the value of your Infrastructure shortage. To do this, count all the Infrastructure symbols that are on your City Map. Decrees, City Expansions, City Tiles and Stars can cover some of them.
Each space on your City Tiles/Military Towers that does not have any Workers on it increases this value by 1.
Decrease this value by the current Supply Ring location on the Aqueduct.
Starting with the starting player in clockwise direction, you draw as many Workers from the bag as your value and add them to your reserve. If your Infrastructure shortage is less than "0", you may return that number of Workers (of any color) from your reserve back to the bag.
Then place all Workers from City Tiles/Military Towers that are completely occupied (Workers on partially occupied tiles remain there) into the bag.
Finally, in the rare case that there aren't enough Workers in the bag, draw as many as you can and add them to your reserve.
Example: There are 8 Infrastructure symbols left on your City Map + 3 spaces on City Tiles without Workers = 11. Your Supply Ring on the Aqueduct shows -2, so the Infrastructure value is 11 - 2 = 9. You must draw 9 new Workers from the bag.
8. New Year
If the 4th year is not yet finished:
- remove all the City Tiles from the top row from the game,
- move all the City Tiles remaining up one row and draw City Tiles to fill up those missing from the display,
- flip all of your used Manipulators to the active side,
- place the Seasons Boat back on the space of the 1st season (spring),
- remove the two face-up Germanic Tiles from the game and reveal the left Germanic tile.
Count the Workers in your reserve. Whoever has the most becomes the new starting player, takes the Starting Player Marker, and begins the new year by rolling the 3 dice.
If there is a tie, give the Starting Player Marker to the next player clockwise with the most Workers.
9. End of the Game
If you manage to have no Workers in your reserve at any time during the game, you win immediately. Otherwise, you win if you have the fewest Workers in your reserve after the end of the 4th year and its two end-of-year events (Workers on City Tiles/Towers are disregarded for this purpose). In case of a tie, you win with the fewest Workers placed on your City Tiles/Towers.
Solo Version
In the solo version, the task is to win the game at the latest after the end of the 4th year (including the two events at the end of the year), i.e. to have no more Workers in your reserve.
Game Preparation
To set up the game, lay out the number of tiles corresponding to the solo game. However, place the Privileges, Decrees, Military and Trade Towers one below the other so that it is clear which is the lowest tile.
Place the number of Stars (16) corresponding to the solo game on the Star Cult field and lay out 2 rows of City Tiles below the game board as in the two-person game.
In addition to the normal game components, you now also need the "Janus" Tiles. Shuffle them all face down and form the Janus stack.
As usual, you take a City Map, a Supply Ring, 6 Stars from the Star Cult space, a Manipulator, and draw 15 Workers from the bag to place into your reserve.
Then you choose any City Tile from the display and place it on a Port/Fort/Marketplace/Farmland of your City according to the usual rules.
Gameplay
On each turn, first roll all 3 dice. Then reveal the top "Janus" tile and execute it. Then you perform your regular action(s), move the Seasons Boat forward, and so on. The rest of the game does not change.
Janus Tile
A Janus Tile usually shows a die, which is now unavailable to you for your action(s). You may only choose from the other two dice.
If the Janus Tile shows a die, you also remove the bottom City Tile in the column that corresponds to the die value. If this is already gone, you take the other City Tile in that column. If both are gone, nothing happens.
Also, all Janus tiles show a specific City Expansion, Tower, Decree, Privilege, Star, or Manipulator. Remove this immediately from the game when the Janus tile is revealed. In the case of a Tower, Decree or Privilege, always remove the bottom tile first. If there are no more of the Tile/Star to be removed, nothing happens.
Example (a specific Janus Tile): You may not use the yellow die. Remove the City Tile from the bottom of the "5" column, and also the bottom Privilege from the display. Then use one of the other two dice for your action(s).
Example (reshuffle Janus Tile): When the Janus Tile pictured here is revealed, remove one Star from the Star Cult space, then perform your action(s) as usual, and finally reshuffle all the Janus Tiles to form a new stack.
Try to win the solo game quicker in future games.
Appendix: Decrees
The Decrees you can fulfill include:
- Own 5 different City Expansions
- Own 2 pairs of identical City Expansions
- Own 3 Manipulators
- Own 3 Towers
- Reach step 8 on the Aqueduct with the Supply Ring
- Reach space 6 of the Development Track
- Reach Space 6 of the Expedition Path
- Have a maximum of 2 different types of Workers in your reserve
- 12 Workers or more are placed on City Tiles/Towers
- At least 1 City Tile of each type are occupied by a total of at least 9 Workers
- 2 Ships are occupied by 3+ Workers
- 3 Farms are occupied by 7+ Workers
- 3 Market Stalls are occupied by 6+ Workers
- 3 Barracks/Towers are occupied by 5+ Workers
Appendix: Symbols
- Star on Expedition/Development: Place a Star from your reserve on the next space of the Expedition Path/Development Track.
- Deploy: Deploy to any City Tile, Ship, Barracks, Market Stall or Farm.
- Star Cult: Take a Star from Star Cult space and add it to your reserve, or place a Star from your reserve back onto the Star Cult space.
- Tear Down: Tear down any City Tile, Ship, Barracks, Market Stall, or Farm and remove it from the game. If there are Workers on that tile, they go back into your reserve.
- Aqueduct: Move your Supply Ring 1 step forward or backward.
- Tower: Take any Tower from the display and build it or tear it down and remove it from the game.
- Swap X Workers: first draw Workers from the bag, then put the same number from your reserve back into the bag. You may return Workers that you just drew.
- Workers to/from bag: Put X Workers from your reserve into the bag, or draw them from the bag and put them into your reserve.
- Manipulator: Take a Manipulator from the display.
- Privilege: Take any Privilege from the display.
- City Expansion: Take any City Expansion from the display.
- Permanent — Special Deployment: Special Deployment to a Ship, Barracks, or Farm with any die color.
- Permanent — Development: Development also at dice value 5, not only at 6.
Note: Permanent advantages remain even if you have reached a higher Development level.
Historical Background
The Roman Rhine Valley Road was one of the most important Roman roads in the north of the Roman Empire. It connected Italy along the Upper Rhine with the Roman provinces of Germania Superior (Upper Germania) and Germania Inferior (Lower Germania) and the legions stationed there on the Rhine. The previously military-dominated towns developed into civilian settlements and cities based on the Roman model.