Graenaland Rulebook

Table of Contents

Setting Up the First Game
Course of Play
Resource Production
Movement of Heroes
Distributing Resources
Buildings
End of Round
End of Game
Adjustments for Playing with Three
Advanced Rules
End of Game (Advanced Rules)
Strategy Tips
Credits

Setting Up the First Game

For your first games you should use the starting layout described below. Later you can try other layouts according to the rules at the end of this booklet.

Number of Players

The game works best for four to five players. If you play with only three, you should use the adjustments for playing with three described on page 9.

Game Board

Assemble the terrain pieces according to the picture that matches the number of players. If you are four, two pieces are left unused (marked "5" and "3.5" in the corner); if you play with only three, four pieces are left over (marked "5" and "4.5"). This game board represents Greenland, and each terrain piece forms one territory.
(Diagram: Layout for 3 players — terrain pieces are arranged and numbered 1, 2, 3 to show settling order.)
(Diagram: Layout for 4 players — terrain pieces are arranged and numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 to show settling order.)
(Diagram: Layout for 5 players — terrain pieces are arranged and numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 to show settling order.)
Shuffle the supply deck (cards with a ship pictured on the back) and place it next to the game board. Turn the top four cards of the supply deck face up into a row next to the deck. These cards represent supplies that ships bring to Greenland from home.
Sort the resource cards by terrain type (hills, plains, forests, and mountains). Shuffle each deck separately, then place all four in front of the player who will be placing resources on the territories. These cards represent resources gathered in the territories of Greenland.
Place the public building tokens next to the game board. They represent roads, marketplaces, palisades, and various improvements that increase resource production on the territories.
Next to the game board, place the army strength track and the card showing the victory conditions.
Set the victory point cards back in the box — you will not need them in your first game.

(Photo: the prepared game for 4 players, showing discard piles and the spaces where produced resources are placed next to each territory.)

Players

Each player chooses a different Viking clan (one of five colors). Each clan has 14 settlements (colored wooden houses), 6 hero tokens, and one overview card, all in the same color.
Each player places their house on the first space of the army strength track. At the start of the game, their army therefore has strength 1.
Each player takes their compass tile and places it into the cutout on the overview card so that it has the same orientation as the game board.
The player who lives farthest north chooses the player who starts the game.
Place the ship marker in front of the starting player. This player places two settlements and one warrior token on the game board, on the spaces marked with the number 1 in the layout picture.
The player to the left of the starting player places two settlements and one warrior token on the spaces marked with the number 2. The other players continue in the same way, until every player has two settlements and one warrior token on the game board.
Each player takes two resource cards, one from each deck corresponding to the terrain on which they placed their settlement. Resource cards and supply cards are held hidden by each player, so that other players see only their backs.

Course of Play

The game is played in rounds, until a player achieves victory.
The player with the ship marker is the so-called main player for that round. Only the main player may build during this round. The other players (but not the main player) may move their heroes and make proposals for dividing resources.
At the end of each round, the ship marker moves to the player on the left, so that each player becomes the main player in turn.
A round consists of five phases:
1. Resource production
2. Movement of heroes (does not apply to the main player)
3. Distribution of resources (does not apply to the main player)
4. Building (main player only)
5. End of round

Resource Production

There are five kinds of resources in the game: grain, cattle, wood, stone, and gold. Resources are divided into four decks by terrain type: plains, forests, hills, and mountains. Each terrain type provides several kinds of resources in the ratio shown on the backs of the cards.
Every settled territory (a terrain piece with at least one settlement) usually provides one resource each round: take the top card from the corresponding deck and place it face up next to the terrain piece. If there are already cards there from previous rounds, add the new card to them.
The amount of resources a territory can produce is affected neither by the number of settlements placed on that terrain piece nor by the number of players who have settlements there. Resource production can only be increased through so-called public buildings (see below).
The total number of resource cards available at a given territory can be at most 1 greater than the number of settlements on that terrain piece. So if a territory with two settlements already has three resource cards next to it, no further card can be added there this round.

Movement of Heroes

Warrior — your first hero

Each player has one warrior, represented by a token with a helmet. At the start of the game you have only this one hero. You may also think of it as your army.
After the new resources have been drawn, the main player should remind everyone that it is time to move heroes. However, the main player's heroes must remain in place. You determine the warrior's movement by covering your compass tile with your hand and placing the second warrior token on the spot that shows which direction it will move.
A hero may move to any adjacent territory. Heroes on the coast (the row of terrain pieces on which the coastline is shown) may move up to two territories along the coast. Keep in mind that you are choosing a direction of movement, not a new location. A hero may also stay in place (place the token in the middle of the compass tile).
Once all players have determined the movement of their heroes, everyone reveals their compass tiles at the same time.
All heroes move as shown by the compass tiles. If the movement shown is not valid (i.e. if the hero would move off the game board, or attempts to move two terrain pieces without being on the coast), the hero stays in place.

Additional heroes

During the game you can gain two more heroes: a priest and a skald (see Buildings). As with the warrior, one token represents the hero's position on the game board and the other is used to show its movement.
In the movement phase you may move only one hero, even if you have all three in play. You show which hero moves by using the token that indicates the direction of movement.
Two heroes of the same color may never stand on the same terrain piece. If you choose a movement that would bring one of your heroes onto a terrain piece where another of your heroes already stands, these heroes swap places. This is the only way two heroes can move during a single round.

"Yesterday the jarl's ship, with two dozen men aboard, sailed away from the settlement and went along the coast. The jarl said he wanted to visit his sister to the east. Ha! Everyone knows he decided this right after learning that jarl Knut was heading there with his men."

Distributing Resources

Every player except the main player may make one proposal per round to divide the resources from one territory. The player to the left of the main player begins, and play continues clockwise. A submitted proposal is voted on immediately. If the proposal gets a majority of votes, it is approved and the resources are divided according to it. If the proposal is not approved, the resources remain in place. In either case, it is now the next player's turn, who may make their proposal. Resources that are not divided in a given round remain in place and may be divided in a later round.

Number of Votes

On the designated territory, you have 1 vote for every settlement (colored house) standing on that terrain piece.
On a territory where you have a warrior token, you gain additional votes — as many as the strength of your army. (At the start of the game, your warrior token therefore represents 1 vote.)
Priests do not add any votes for players. Instead, they cancel the votes provided by all warriors on that territory. (That is, as if all armies on that territory had a strength of 0.)
A skald gives you 1 vote for every other hero on that territory. (Note that if your skald is alone, it brings you no votes. Because you cannot have two heroes of your own on the same territory, you gain votes through a skald only for other players' heroes.)
You gain votes for your heroes even on territories where you have no settlements.
Tip: At the start of the game, warriors are the strongest heroes. As players strengthen their armies, it becomes time to call upon priests. And once there are many priests and warriors in play, there is an opportunity for skalds.

Proposals

If it is your turn to make a proposal, you may propose a division of resources from one territory on which you have at least 1 vote.
Your proposal must unambiguously state which player receives which resources. You do not, however, have to divide the resources fairly. You may even propose to keep all the resources for yourself.
You must propose a division of all the resources on the given territory. You may divide them only among those who have at least one vote on that territory.
You may not discuss your proposal with the other players. For example, questions such as "Which of you would agree to…?", "Would you vote for my proposal if…?" or "Would you rather have cattle or wood?" are forbidden.
While other players are making proposals, you may not indicate what you are interested in. Remarks such as "Let's split these resources fifty-fifty" or "I need wood" are forbidden.

"We Vikings do not like to haggle, but we know how to give a speech. Yesterday jarl Thorvald spoke in the Great Hall, and his words were like stones, hard and forceful. He convinced all the elders and his proposal was accepted without further hesitation. Perhaps it had some influence that the hall held nearly twenty of his fully armed men."

"It seemed that the old man's new God gave him courage and strength; although he was nearly a head shorter than the mighty warrior and stood alone against him and his men, he showed no fear. It was a strange encounter and it will make a great story. Tomorrow I will sing of it in the great hall."

Voting

Everyone (including you) who has at least 1 vote on the given territory announces whether they agree with the proposal or reject it.
Discussion about the vote is allowed, but the proposal cannot be changed. You may say, for example, "If you agree, I will use the wood to build a palisade here" or "If you agree, I'll leave you the wood next time." You may not, however, say: "Fine, let's do it the other way around. I'll take the cattle and you keep the wood."
If more than half the votes approve the proposal, the resources are divided according to it.
If only half or fewer of the votes are for the proposal, the resources remain in place.
In one round a player may submit only one proposal, whether or not it was approved.
You may make a proposal to divide resources from a territory even if a previous proposal concerning the same territory was not accepted. (You may even make the same proposal again, but do not be surprised if the same people vote against it.)
If you are the main player, you cannot make proposals, but you may vote, and other players may propose that some resources go to you.

Buildings

You may only build while you are the main player.
Building costs you the appropriate amount of a certain kind of resource. Sort the used resource cards by terrain type (i.e. by the pictures on the backs, not the fronts) and place them on the discard piles next to the corresponding four resource decks. When a resource deck is exhausted, shuffle its discard pile to form a new deck.
Gold is a "wild" resource; you can use it in place of any resource. When building, you may use any number of gold cards, with each gold card replacing one resource.
You may build as many buildings as you have resources for. If you decide not to use some resources, you keep them.

Supplies

If you are the main player, you take 1 supply card during the building phase. (You may take it before you start building, or you may wait until you know more precisely what resources you need. Do not forget to take a card before the end of the round, though.)
A supply card shows two resource symbols. You may use it in place of one of the shown resources, or as a pair of resources.
You may use a supply card for only a single building. You cannot use one resource from it for one building and the other resource for another building. If you decide to use only one resource from the card, the unused resource is lost.
You may keep supply cards, just like resource cards, and use them in later rounds.

Settlements

Colored wooden houses represent settlements. These are of two different types: villages and buildings. A settlement of either type gives you one vote on the territory where it stands.

Villages

You may build a village only on a territory where you already have at least one settlement, or which is adjacent to such a territory.
The cost of building a village is shown on the corresponding terrain piece — 4 resources on coastal terrain, 5 resources on terrain not on the coast, 6 resources in the mountains.
Your village is represented by a house of your color, which you build on the chosen terrain piece. Any number of villages belonging to any number of players may stand on one territory.
When voting, you gain 1 vote for each village you have on the given territory.

Buildings

Buildings are of three types: fortresses, churches, and halls.
You may build a building only on a territory where you have at least one village.
You will find the cost for each type of building on the overview card.
After paying the appropriate resources, place one of your houses on the chosen terrain piece, on the symbol of the building you want to construct there. Only one building of each type may stand on a single territory. Buildings cannot be built in the mountains.
You may have more than one building on a given territory, but each must be of a different type. You may build several buildings of the same type, but each on a different territory.
Each building gives you 1 vote on its territory.
A fortress allows you to expand your army more cheaply (see below).
A church allows your priest to enter play. Place one of the priest tokens on the territory where you built your first church. If another of your heroes is already there, you must wait until it moves elsewhere. As soon as you have no hero on that territory, place your priest there (after the movement phase, but before the first proposal is made in that round). If you build another church while your priest is already in play, you may move it to that territory instead, if you wish — provided none of your other heroes is there.
A hall allows your skald to enter play. The rules for placing the skald are the same as for the priest.
Keep in mind that you can never have more than one warrior, one priest, and one skald. The second token of each hero type is used to show the movement of the corresponding hero.

Army

Your army always follows your warrior. Each time you expand your army, the number of votes represented by your warrior increases by 1.

At the start of the game, you gain soldiers inefficiently — for 1 grain, 1 ore, and another 3 grain (see overview card). After paying this cost, move your house up 1 space on the army strength track.
If you have a fortress, you can increase your army's strength more efficiently: recruit archers thanks to a forest fortress, foot soldiers thanks to a hill fortress, and riders thanks to a plains fortress. This costs you 1 grain, 1 ore, and 1 resource shown beneath the fortress symbol.
It does not matter which type of unit you gain; a fortress only affects the cost of increasing the strength of your army by 1.
Example: If you have a fortress on a plain and a fortress in a forest, you can expand your army by paying 1 grain, 1 ore, and 1 cattle, or 1 grain, 1 ore, and 1 wood, or 4 grain and 1 ore.
During the same building phase you may expand your army several times, if you can afford it.

Public Buildings

Just like settlements and the army, public buildings are built by the main player, but these buildings belong to the territory — they do not belong to the player who built them.

You may build a public building only on a territory where you have at least one settlement.
You will find the cost of the various public buildings on the overview card.
If you build a public building, place the corresponding token on that terrain piece. Several public buildings may stand on a territory, but only one of each kind.

Roads

A territory with a road produces one extra resource.
Unlike other resources, this additional card is not turned face up. It is placed face down next to the corresponding terrain piece. Resources placed face down are divided in the same way as ordinary resources; the only difference is that no one knows what resource it is. If you receive it through an accepted proposal, you may look at it.

Improving Yield

Every territory can have its yield improved in a certain way, shown by the square in the middle of the terrain piece.
The symbol in this square shows what the improved terrain produces. When you pay to improve the yield of a territory, place the corresponding token on the square in the middle of the terrain piece.
When, during the production phase, a territory with improved yield produces resources, turn over one extra card from the appropriate resource deck. If the turned card matches the symbol on the yield-improvement token, add it to the resources on that territory; otherwise, discard it. (Do not turn another card.)
The card for the territory itself is drawn first, then the card for the road (if built there), and then the card for the yield improvement. Once the limit on the number of cards (number of settlements + 1) is reached, no further cards are drawn.
Example: A territory has two settlements and a road, and has improved yield. If there are no resources next to it at the start of the round, place one card from the appropriate deck face up next to it (the ordinary card), one card face down (for the road), and one more card if it matches the resource produced by the yield improvement (if it does not match, discard this card). If one resource was already lying there, add one card face up and one face down. If two resources were already lying there, add only one card face up. If three resources were already lying there, do not draw any further resource card.

Marketplace

Every player who has at least one settlement on the relevant territory may use a marketplace once during their building phase.
If you have settlements on several territories with marketplaces, you may use each marketplace once. It does not matter how many settlements you have on a territory with a marketplace; what matters is the number of territories with marketplaces on which you have at least one settlement.
A marketplace allows you to substitute any other resource or a supply card in place of one resource needed for a building; for example, instead of paying 2 wood and 2 cattle for a village, you may pay 2 wood, 1 cattle, and 1 card of any kind.
You cannot use this to substitute for only one resource on a supply card. If you wish, you may substitute the entire supply card (both resources) with a single resource of any kind.
A marketplace you built in the current round may be used for your next building already in this same round. Likewise, you may use a marketplace already built on the territory where you have just built your first village.

Palisades

Players who have no settlement on a territory with a palisade get one fewer vote for their warrior there. In our example, the yellow player has 1 vote (for a settlement), the red player has 2 votes (settlement + army), the white player has 2 votes (army − 1), and the purple player has 3 votes (a palisade has no effect on skalds). The blue player has no votes.
If a player wants to build a village on a territory with a palisade where they do not yet have any settlement, they must, in addition to the normal building cost, give one resource card to every player who already has a settlement on that territory. A player who already has a settlement there may build further settlements as usual.

Jointly Building Public Buildings

Once per round you may propose the construction of one public building, in which the other players may also take part.

State what kind of building you propose to build and where. Before you make the proposal, you may not discuss it, and the other players may not suggest anything to you. You simply say: "Let's build this public building on this territory."
Other players may contribute resources to this building if they wish. It is possible to discuss who will contribute which resources, but once you have announced the building, you cannot change its location or type.
If the players cannot reach agreement on the proposed joint public building, you do not have to build it. In that case, players keep the resources they offered.
Whether or not the other players help you with the proposed building, you cannot build any further public building with their help in this round. You may, of course, build as many public buildings as you are able to pay for yourself.

End of Round

When the main player finishes building, move the ship marker to the player on their left, and the round ends.
Turn over one card from the supply deck (so the new main player will again be able to choose from four cards).

End of Game

When the main player finishes their building phase, they check the victory conditions card and may, if applicable, announce that they have won.

Victory Conditions

To win, a player must fulfill at least three of five possible goals. These goals are shown on the victory conditions card.

Number of settlements: To fulfill this goal you must have at least 8 settlements (villages or buildings) built on the game board in total.
Number of territories: To fulfill this goal you must have two or more settlements on at least three territories.
Largest territory: To fulfill this goal you must have at least four settlements built on at least one territory. (If you have two such territories, it still counts as only one fulfilled goal.)
Buildings: To fulfill this goal you must have built at least two buildings.
Army: To fulfill this goal you must have gained an army with strength at least 3.

Final Building

At this point every other player may use one building phase, starting with the player next to the one who announced victory.
The rules for building at the end of the game are the same as if you were the main player (including use of marketplaces), except that no one takes a supply card.
No public buildings may be built during these final building phases.

Winner

The player who announced their victory is the winner.

Adjustments for Playing with Three

In this game, interaction between players and their cooperation plays an important role. With three players, however, there is not as much room for diplomacy. We recommend the following adjustments, which instead strengthen the tactical elements. They can be used with both the basic and the advanced rules.

All heroes bring you one extra vote on their territory beyond their usual abilities. A warrior therefore gives you one more vote than the strength of your army. A priest gives you one vote and reduces the votes of all warriors to one. A skald gives you one vote for himself and one for every other hero on the given territory.
A palisade does not take votes away only from warriors, but reduces the votes of all heroes by 1. This means that a palisade cancels out the effect of the previous rule. The second effect of a palisade (if you build your first village on a territory with a palisade, give one card to each player who already has a settlement there) remains unchanged.
Your first building does not count when evaluating the Buildings victory condition (nor toward earning victory points for Buildings under the advanced rules). This means that to fulfill this condition you must build three buildings instead of two. The other victory conditions remain unchanged. (Your first building still counts toward the Number of Settlements, Number of Territories, and Largest Territory conditions.)

Note: A three-player game is faster than a four- or five-player game, but offers a somewhat different play experience. To truly enjoy Graenaland, you should try a four- or five-player game at least once.

Advanced Rules

Once you have played several games with the basic rules, you can try these advanced rules. They have two parts: an optional layout (allowing each player to choose their starting position) and the use of victory point cards (allowing each player to pursue their own goals and keep them secret from the other players).

We really do not recommend using the optional-layout rules for your first games — the starting positions described earlier are carefully balanced and give all players comparable chances. If, however, you are experienced players, you can already use the victory point cards in your first games. Keep in mind, though, that using these cards makes the game last a bit longer.

Custom Game Board

Even with the advanced rules, you can use the original layout of terrain pieces described at the start of the rules; the terrain there is evenly distributed.

You can, however, also build your own island. The pieces can be assembled in a different order, and if fewer than five players are playing, you may also use different pieces than recommended. It is not advisable, however, to change the size and shape of the island.

All players should agree on the shape of the island. If they cannot agree, use the original layout.

Starting Positions

Place two face-down resource cards of the appropriate terrain next to each coastal territory.
The first player chooses a coastal territory and places their village and warrior on it. They take into their hand one of the cards placed at that territory.
Then the other players, in turn, going clockwise, place their villages on coastal territories (whether empty or already having other players' villages). Each player places one village and one warrior of their own on a territory and takes one of the cards lying at that territory.
It is usually not wise to place a third village on a territory. A player may still do so. They receive no card for it (because none remain). In addition, the first player who built a village there may immediately "weigh anchor" and move their village to a less crowded territory (and take an additional card there instead of the player whose turn it is now). If they do not wish to do this, the second player who settled there may do so, and so on. A newly arrived player, however, cannot now change their decision; if no one wishes to leave the territory, all the villages on it remain.
After every player has placed their first village, a second round begins in the reverse order — the player who placed a village last now places their second village first, and the others continue counterclockwise.
In the second round, players place only their villages (not their heroes). The same rules apply as before (including taking resource cards and the right to leave an overcrowded territory).
No player may place both villages on the same territory.
The player placing the last village must not be forced to overcrowd a territory by doing so: there must be at least one free card lying at another territory besides the one where they placed their first house. A player placing or moving the second-to-last village must take this into account.
After all players have placed two villages on the board, any remaining resource cards are set aside.

Victory Point Cards

After the initial placement, players may choose their victory point cards. The card with the simple victory conditions is not used; return it to the box.

Each player receives three victory point cards. They choose one and set the rest aside face down.
A player holds this card of theirs hidden from the other players, but may look at it at any time and should adapt their strategy to it.
Each victory point card has five columns containing the same goals as the victory conditions card used in the basic rules: Number of Settlements, Number of Territories (with at least two settlements), Largest Territory, Buildings, and Army.
Each of these goals has three levels shown on the card. For each level fulfilled, the player earns one victory point; for example, if a player has 8 settlements in total and owns the card pictured above, they earn two victory points for the Number of Settlements condition (they fulfilled two levels in the first column of their card).
Some goals have a darker background on the card, others a lighter one. This tells the player how difficult their task is. A darker background means that other cards have easier versions of this task; conversely, a lighter background means that harder versions exist.
To win, a player must earn 6 victory points. It does not matter how many different tasks they complete — only the sum of the levels fulfilled matters.
Example: If a player owns the card pictured above and reaches the situation shown in the following picture, they earn 6 victory points:
- 2 victory points for Settlements (they have 8 houses on the board)
- no victory point for Number of Territories (this player has at least two houses on only two territories)
- 1 victory point for Largest Territory (they have 5 houses on one territory)
- 2 victory points for Buildings (they have 3 buildings on the board)
- 1 victory point for Army (their army has strength 3)

Alternative for Five Players

Playing with five takes longer before you become the main player and can build something. If you often cooperate during play and usually reach agreement, you can try the following optional rule:

During the building phase, the main player has the option to allow another player one building. They do this instead of making their proposal for a joint public building.
As with a joint public-building proposal, the main player may not arrange this with other players before announcing the offer, nor may any of them ask to be the one chosen. The main player may, of course, make the offer based on earlier agreements or simply as a gesture of goodwill.
The main player designates the player who may build. They may recommend what this player should build, or state what they expect in return for this favor, but the designated player is not obligated to comply. Once the offer is made, it cannot be taken back.
The designated player may build one village, building, or public building, or increase their army once. They must build independently — they may not use a marketplace, nor do they take a supply card.
Whether or not the designated player built something, the main player has used up their offer for this round. They cannot make another offer this round, nor can they make a proposal for a public building.

End of Game (Advanced Rules)

If you are using victory point cards, also use the alternative rules for the end of the game. A player may thus win even during another player's round.

Once the game has progressed sufficiently, players should periodically check whether they have a chance to win.
After the distribution of resources, but before the main player's building phase begins, any player may announce that they are able to win — that is, that they can achieve 6 victory points if given the opportunity to build.
Even the main player may announce their victory in this way. They must, however, be able to achieve 6 victory points without taking a supply card, because victory must be announced before their building phase.
If more than one player is able to achieve victory in the same round, the player closest to the main player (going clockwise, starting with the main player) goes first, unless another player announces that they can achieve more than 6 victory points; the highest number of victory points takes priority.
Any player may ask the main player not to begin their building phase until the players have checked whether they have a chance to win.
The player who announces victory begins the final building (as in the basic version). They also reveal their victory point card, to prove that they achieved the announced number of victory points.
Then the other players may build. The number of victory points they achieve determines their placement.

Strategy Tips

General Tips

If you manage to judge whether the game will be based more on cooperation or, on the contrary, on rivalry, it can help you a great deal. You should adapt your strategy to this in time. Be prepared, though, that the character of the game may change during play.
If some players cooperate and others do not, you should join the former. Well-chosen cooperation is an advantage in this game.
Public buildings are more useful if you build them early enough. Building them in the last or second-to-last round rarely pays off.
Keep in mind that the length of the game depends on the number of roads and yield improvements built. More of these buildings mean more resources gained during a single round, and therefore more building opportunities.

A Cooperation-Focused Game

With this style of play, you should behave honestly, fairly, or even generously, so that other players choose you as a partner when they need company for dividing resources or a public building.
Do not, however, let others merely exploit you. Try to remember how others behave, and do not be too accommodating toward those who do not deserve it.
You should agree early with your neighbors (players on the same territory) on building public buildings soon, especially those that increase production. This will give you an advantage over those who do not.
Think carefully, though, before investing too much in public buildings — you might find that, due to the resources spent, you cannot keep pace with your neighbors in the number of votes.
It can be advantageous to agree with a neighbor, if they propose a fair division of resources on your territory — you do not then need your heroes there and can devote yourself to expanding your influence instead of concentrating votes on one territory. Do not, however, take advantage of your neighbor's good nature, and always reckon that they may change their mind.
As the end of the game approaches, be more cautious. Sooner or later, someone may decide they no longer need to maintain good relations with you.

A Rivalry-Focused Game

If players are competing with each other rather, a strong position is more important than gestures of goodwill, or you need to secure an adequate supply of resources.
Do not expand your influence too quickly. It is better to get all the resources from one territory than to get no resources from five territories.
Do not build public buildings alone unless you are sure you will remain the strongest on that territory in future rounds as well.
Keep in mind that no game can be purely competitive. From time to time, some player will need a partner to divide resources. Even if cooperation happens only rarely during a game, it does not hurt to act fair and accommodating.
If several players start building public buildings on some territories and cooperating, you cannot do much about it by force. You should instead try to find some partners yourself and cooperate with them.

Note: Every group of players has a somewhat different playing style. These tips will most likely not help you win, but they may help you understand why you did not.

Credits

Authors

Game designer: Vláďa Chvátil
Box cover art: Milan Vavroň
Game board: Milan Vavroň
Illustrations: Milan Vavroň, Vláďa Chvátil
Layout and graphic design: ALTAR

Special thanks to: Alena Blažková, Markéta Dlouhá, Johanka Pavelková, Jason Holt, Jiří Klouda, David Kotin