Imperial Settlers: Rise of the Empire Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• The Goal of the Campaign
• Components
• Components Overview
  • Provinces
  • Inventions
  • Quests
  • Empire Sheet
• Gameplay
  • Preparing for the Campaign
  • Setup
  • Campaign Gameplay
  • Maintaining Provinces
  • Quests
    • Quests of Stature
    • Quests of Status
    • Ties
  • End of the Game
    • Example of End of the Game
  • Changing the Era
  • Losing the Campaign
• Modes and Terms
  • Solo Mode
  • Terms
• Iconography and Rules Summary
  • Start Bonuses
  • Token Bonuses
  • End Game Bonuses
  • At the Beginning of the Game
  • During Your Turn (In Addition to Basic Actions)
  • At the End of a Game
  • Your Empire Crumbles If

Overview

Imperial Settlers: Rise of the Empire is an expansion that introduces an Open World Campaign in the Settlers universe. During the course of the game, empires advance their military, economy, and cultural aspects as well as race to complete various quests. Being the first to complete these quests is crucial. At the end of each game, players progress on tracks connected to the quests, invest in new inventions, and take on newly acquired provinces. If player's reach the end of a progress track they enter a new era that gives them access to new impressive inventions and skills—but as always, there is a cost to progress, and provinces are lost when entering a new era.

The Goal of the Campaign

The goal of the campaign is to consecutively grow your Empire game by game while achieving Quests, conquering new Provinces while maintaining your expanding Empire to avoid crumbling, and most importantly, Progressing to reach the Modern Era of the Imperial Settlers universe!

Components

• 163 Cards (63x88mm):
  • 55 Provinces
  • 42 Quests
    • 14 Military & Diplomacy Quests
    • 14 Economic & Administration Quests
    • 14 Science & Cultural Quests
  • 66 Inventions
    • 22 Ancient Inventions
    • 22 Middle Age Inventions
    • 22 Industrial Inventions
• 48 Empire Sheets
  • 16 Ancient Sheets
  • 16 Middle Age Sheets
  • 16 Industrial Sheets
• 12 Quest markers
  • 4 Military & Diplomacy markers
  • 4 Economic & Administration markers
  • 4 Science & Cultural markers
• 32 Progress tokens
  • 8 Dove tokens
  • 8 Workaholic tokens
  • 8 Wall tokens
  • 8 Bribe tokens
• This Rulebook

Components Overview

Provinces

Provinces represent new lands you have conquered and will provide you with Goods. Some rules related to them are:

• They cannot be removed and spent as a Foundation.
• They do count as a card of their color in your Empire.
• They enter your Empire during Setup.
• At the end of the game, instead of providing points, they cost you 5 points.
• You gain 1 Province card at the end of each game.

Inventions

Inventions represent an advance in various fields of your Empire and will provide you with Features. Some rules related to them are:

• They enter your play area during the Setup.
• You are limited to 1 Invention of each color.
• You may gain new Inventions at the end of the game by spending Knowledge points.

Quests

Quests represent crucial agendas that all Empires must face during a particular game. Players who achieve them first will gain a significant boost on the progress of the corresponding category as well as a small in-game bonus (more about Quests on page 3).

Empire Sheet

Empire Sheets represent your Empire throughout 3 Eras—all players start in the Ancient Era. Each Empire sheet will be personalized, which means you will write on it, and change it as you Progress.

The Empire sheet contains space for you to write your Faction and the name of your personal Empire (A). It also tracks the cost of supporting your Provinces (B), your Progression in categories (C), spaces to write your Final score (D), leftover Knowledge points (E), and the current state of achieving Quests on your Quest tracks (F). The Progress tracks contain certain icons (G)—these represent bonuses that you unlock for upcoming games as you reach them. When you reach the last space on any of these Progress tracks, you proceed to the next Era (H) (more about changing the Era on page 5).

NOTE: When you reach the end of a Progress track, any remaining spaces you would have advanced are ignored (i.e. if you are on the 14th space and advance 3 spaces, you advance 2 spaces to the end of the Progress track, but the final space you would have advanced is ignored).

Gameplay

Preparing for the Campaign

Before your first game, each player takes one of the Ancient Empire sheets and begins by writing the name of their Empire and the Faction they are playing with.

If you want to jump right into the campaign take the 30 standard cards of your Faction.

NOTE: At the beginning of each game, you may always choose to explore more advanced strategies and create your deck according to any Imperial Settlers deck building rules—it is up to your group. We strongly recommend all players follow the same rules. So if you decide to play with tournament decks let every player prepare one, and when you feel like adding cards from chosen expansions let every player add those ten cards.

Setup

Set up the game as you normally would, but with these additions:

• Place all your Provinces and Inventions in your play area (gain any Building Bonuses they provide).*
• Gain all unlocked starting bonuses and Progress tokens provided by the Progress tracks on your Empire sheet.*
• Place your Quest markers for each category on space 0 of the Quest tracks.
• Divide all Quest cards into decks of the same Category, shuffle each deck separately, then draw 1 card from each, and place them in the center of the play area on their Progress value 3 side. We suggest that you read them aloud before beginning so that everyone is familiar with them.

* Skip these steps during the first game in the Campaign.

Campaign Gameplay

Campaign games only last 4 rounds—instead of the normal 5.

Maintaining Provinces

At the end of each game, you gain a new Province. These come with new cards that grant you some new Productions or actions, but also require you to cross out 1 space on the Province map. The crossed out areas will indicate the Goods you must pay in order to maintain your Provinces.

Anytime during your turn, you may permanently place any number of Goods from your supply on the Province map matching the depicted Goods of the crossed-out Province spaces.

If you do not, or are unable to, place the indicated Goods on the crossed-out Province spaces by the end of the game, you gain 0 points this game.

Quests

There are 2 types of Quest in the game:

1. Quests of Stature
2. Quests of Status

Quests of Stature

Quests of Stature are Quest that you mark with your Quest markers. Each time you resolve an action associated with a Quest card, you must advance the position of your marker on the Quest track.

For Example: Kate Razed a GREY card, and since "Prudent like Caesar" Quest is in play, she must progress her marker on the Military & Diplomacy track by 1.

If you reach the required number to achieve a Quest, immediately mark it on the Progress track of the matching category (cross out the spaces from left to right).

You must cross out the number of spaces indicated on the corner of the specific Quest card (3 for the first player and 1 for the rest). Also, if you are the first player to gain the bonus indicated on the card, you must flip the Quest card to the other side.

For Example: Later, Kate Razes more GREY cards. Once she Razes the 4th, she achieves "Prudent like Caesar" Quest. Since she is the first to achieve it, she crosses out 3 spaces on her Military & Diplomacy track. She then resolves the bonus by drawing 3 Common cards and Razes 1 for free. Lastly, she flips the Quest card to its other side. During the next game, she starts the game with an additional Common card in her hand.

Quests of Status

Quests of Status require you to have a certain number of various components.

When a Quests states, "Have X in your Empire" or "Store X" you do not move any Quests markers. Instead, when you fulfill one of these Quests, show the other players that you have fulfilled the requirements, and resolve the effects of the Quest.

NOTE: With these Quests, you do not use Quest markers. When an Invention instructs you to move your Quest marker 1 space, you instead count the Invention as fulfilling 1 of the requirements for the Quest.

For Example: TRIỆU THỊ TRINH - Quest: Have 3 Deals of the same type. INTERCHANGE - Feature: Each time you make a Common card or Gold Deal, move your Quest marker by 1. Mark makes a Deal, and resolves the Feature, "Interchange" by moving his Quest marker by 1. Deals are not tracked by Quest markers, so in order to achieve Triệu Thị Trinh's Quest, Mark now needs only 2 Deals of the same type to fulfill the requirements of the Quest.

Ties

If 2 or more players complete a Quest at the same time, they each gain the reward, and the card is then flipped over as normal.

End of the Game

At the end of the game do the following:

1. Subtract any points from your Province cards to calculate your Final score, and write it down in the appropriate space on your Empire sheet.
2. The player with the most points crosses out 1 additional space on any of their Progress tracks (in case of the tie check tie-breakers).
3. All players must check if they change Eras. If they do, see Changing the Era on the following page.
4. Gain a number of Knowledge points equal to your Final score. (The [grey icon], [brown round icon], and Knowledge points unlocked on the Progress tracks also provide Knowledge points.)
5. Starting with the winning player, and continuing by score, each player takes the Inventions from the current Era and chooses which to purchase:
   • To buy an Invention spend a number of Knowledge points indicated in the upper right corner (you may spend just gained Knowledge points as well as ones left from the previous games).
   • Each player must buy at least 1, and they are limited to 1 of each color. If you are unable to buy an Invention, your Empire Crumbles (see Losing the Campaign on the following page).
   • If you wish to replace an Invention with another of the same color, you may do so, but you do not gain the difference in Knowledge points, and you must pay the full cost of the new Invention.
   • Any Invention that is replaced is placed back into the Invention deck.
   • On your Empire sheet, write down how many Knowledge points you have left.
6. Each player draws 1 Province card (unless otherwise stated) and chooses to cross out any available space on their Province map.

In case of a tie, the tied player with the most Workers and Resources left is the winner. If the players are still tied, the winner is the tied player with the most cards left in their hand. If there is still a tie, the tied players share the victory.

Example of End of the Game

Rob starts to resolve all end of the game points. He has earned 48 points during the game, but he has 1 Province so his final score is 43 points and it's the highest score so he decides to cross out [icon] from his Empire sheet. He gains 43 Knowledge points (as many Knowledge points equal to the points of his Final score). He also has 13 Knowledge points left from the previous game, so he can spend up to 56 Knowledge points on a new Invention card. He wants to buy a 'Pottery' Invention card, but he already has 'Archery,' which is the same color, so he would have to discard it, so instead he buys 'Engineering' which is a color he does not have yet and costs 45 Knowledge points. He then writes that he has 11 Knowledge points left to spend for future Inventions. Lastly, he draws 1 Province card and crosses out 1 space on his Province map.

Changing the Era

At the end of the game, if you have reached the last space of any Progress track in either Ancient or Middle ages, you must change your Empire sheet to the next Era.

Keep the name and Faction of your Empire, as well as your Inventions, leftover Knowledge points, and Final scores (to track the potential Crumbling of your Empire). You lose all Province cards, all your upkeep costs on the Province map, and any bonuses provided by unlocked Progress on your Quest tracks. Finally, resolve the remaining End of Game steps.

The new Era provides new bonuses on the Progress tracks as well as access to new Inventions, and different costs on the Province map.

If you reach the Modern Era, congratulations, you have completed the entire Campaign! If you and another player reach the Modern Era during the same game and you still want to indicate the Winner, the player farthest along the Progress tracks becomes the winner.

Losing the Campaign

Your Empire Crumbles if any of the following conditions occur:

• Eclipse of the Civilization: your score decreases 3 games in a row.
• Lack of Invention: you are unable to gain a new Invention.

If your Empire Crumbles, you may create a new one for your next game in the Campaign.

Bonuses on the Progress Track

If you unlock any special space on the Progress track, it will be active for each of the upcoming games. There are 3 types of bonuses you may unlock:

• Start Bonuses: This type of bonus provides Goods during the setup.
• Token Bonuses: This type of bonus provides Progress tokens which you may place on appropriate card to upgrade them. Progress tokens are not discarded during the Cleanup phase, and if a card with any Progress tokens is Razed / Removed, the tokens return to you to be used again.
• End Game Bonuses: This type of bonus activates during the end of each game.

Each Progress bonus is described in detail on the last page (see Iconography and Rules Summary).

Modes and Terms

Solo Mode

Prepare the game as you normally would—including the Campaign setup— with the following changes:

• Do not divide Quest cards. Shuffle them together and then draw 4 to place in the center of the play area with their Progress value 3 side faceup.
• Your new Goal is to Achieve at least 2 Quests during the game. If you do not, your Empire Crumbles.
• All other normal Campaign and Solo rules remain.

Terms

(X) Deal: This term requires you to have a particular type of Deal.

For example: You have 2 Deals with [wooden piece] in the Deal field. This means that you have 2 Wood Deals.

New Pair: This term indicates a bonus you gain when a card uses the phrase, "New Pair" and you Build a pair of cards of the indicated color(s). When you complete a New pair, place a wooden piece on the FEATURE with the phrase "New Pair" to indicate you have received the bonus. You may only receive the bonus once per pair. If the pair is later broken by being removed or Razed, you do not gain the bonus again until you Build a different pair.

For example: You have the Steam Power Invention (ROTE110) and you Build 2 GOLDEN cards and gain 2 Gold and place a wooden piece on the Steam Power Invention to indicate the New Pair. Later on you remove a GOLDEN card and then build another GOLDEN card. Since this is only 1 Pair in your Empire, the Steam Power Invention does not activate. You must build 2 more GOLDEN cards—4 total in your Empire—in order to activate the Steam Power Invention again for the 2nd time. When this happens you will place a 2nd wooden piece on the Steam Power Invention, and the next time it activates you must have 6 total GOLDEN cards and will place a 3rd wooden piece on the Steam Power Invention.

Consecutively:

Avicenna: Whenever you resolve the build action you must Build a card of the same color.

For example: during your first action you Build BROWN card, then you spend 2 Workers to draw 1 Common card, and you Build a 2nd BROWN, then you Raze a Common card, and Build a 3rd BROWN card, thus Achieving the Avicenna Quest.

Charlemagne: Whenever you resolve the Raze action you Raze a card / Common card of the same color.

For example: during first action you Raze BROWN card, then you spend 2 Workers to draw 1 Common card and Raze a 2nd BROWN card, then you Build a Common card and Raze a BROWN card—the 3rd Razed BROWN card—thus you Achieve the Charlemagne Quest.

Iconography and Rules Summary

Start Bonuses

Start the game with unlocked Bonuses:

• [flag]: 1 random Faction card built in your Empire.
• [scroll]: 1 additional Common card in hand.
• [raw meat]: 1 random Deal.
• [sword]: 1 [sword].
• [coin]: 1 Gold.
• [foundation]: 1 Foundation.

Token Bonuses

Start the game with unlocked tokens. During your turn you may place a Progress token on any appropriate card.

• Dove token: when a card with a Dove token is Razed, gain 1 [sword].
• Workaholic token: an Action card with a Workaholic token may be activated an additional time.
• Wall token: a card with a Wall token may not be targeted by any enemy (they may not Raze it, remove it, block it, or use it).
• Bribe token: Production card with a [gold Bribe token] produces twice and then the card with the [Bribe token] is removed (the [gold Bribe token] is returned to the owning player).

End Game Bonuses

Resolve unlocked Bonuses at the end of the game.

• [grey icon]: gain 1 Knowledge point for each of your FACTION cards at the end of the game.
• [brown round icon]: gain 1 Knowledge point for each of your COMMON cards at the end of the game.
• Knowledge point icon: gain 1 Knowledge point for each of your cards at the end of the game.
• [trophy]: if you win the game, cross out 1 additional space on any of your Progress tracks.
• [heart]: you may ignore the upkeep costs of 1 space on your Province map.
• [Province icon]: draw 1 additional Province card, keep 1 and discard the others.

At the Beginning of the Game

1. Place all your Provinces and Inventions in your play area.
2. Gain all starting Bonuses provided by the Progress tracks.
3. Shuffle the Quest decks of each Category and draw 1 from each deck.

During Your Turn (In Addition to Basic Actions)

1. You may place any Good(s) from your supply onto the Province map.
2. You may place any Progress token(s) on the appropriate card.
3. You may Achieve any Quest if you meet the requirements.

At the End of a Game

1. Subtract points from the Province card to calculate the Final score.
2. The Winner crosses out 1 additional space on any Progress track.
3. Players check if they change their Eras.
4. Players gain Knowledge points equal to the Final score.
5. Players buy Invention card(s) from the Era they are currently in.
6. Each player gains 1 Province card and crosses out 1 space on their Province map.

(Remember your End of Game Bonuses)

Your Empire Crumbles If

1. It's your 3rd consecutive game with a decreasing Final score.
2. You are unable to buy an Invention.