Kingdom Builder: Marshlands

Expansion for Kingdom Builder

Kingdom Builder: Marshlands Rulebook

Table of Contents

Game Components

4 game board sections - This expansion introduces a new terrain type found on all 4 game board sections that is suitable for being built upon: swamp. In addition, all 4 sections contain a new terrain type that cannot be built upon: the palace, which replaces the castle spaces. Finally, there are 4 new types of locations, one on each section.
16 location tiles
- 4 temple
- 4 refuge
- 4 canoe
- 4 fountain
4 summary cards for the location tiles
8 bonus action tiles
- 2 temple
- 2 refuge
- 2 canoe
- 2 fountain
4 summary cards for the bonus actions
6 new Kingdom Builder cards - Geologists, Messengers, Noblewomen, Vassals, Captains and Scouts. A detailed description of them is given under "The 6 new Kingdom Builder cards" below.
5 new terrain cards - swamp/grass, swamp/canyon, swamp/desert, swamp/flower field and swamp/forest.
1 rules booklet

Changes during Set-Up

Apply the set-up rules of the basic game, except for the following changes:

Shuffle the 4 new game board sections with the 8 game board sections of the basic game, then select any 4 of the 12 sections and assemble them into a rectangular game board.
If the assembled game board contains one or more sections from this expansion, place the summary cards for the corresponding locations and bonus actions next to the appropriate sections. Stack two location tiles on each corresponding location space, and place the bonus action tiles on the appropriate summary cards.
Shuffle the 6 new Kingdom Builder cards with those of the basic game, then randomly draw 3 cards. Place these cards face up next to the game board.
Shuffle the 5 new terrain cards with the terrain cards of the basic game, then place this deck face down next to the game board.

Note: If you want, you can combine all the Kingdom Builder expansions, leaving the new terrain cards in the terrain deck even when one of these game board sections is not in play. In this case, simply ignore the swamp pictured on these cards.

Changes in Game Play

New terrain cards: Swamps

If a player's terrain card shows a swamp and another terrain type that's suitable to be built upon, the player must place as their mandatory action either 2 settlements from their personal supply on unoccupied swamp hexes or 3 settlements on unoccupied hexes of the depicted terrain type. The usual building rules apply in both cases.

Note: If a player performs the oracle or barn extra action, they must choose the same terrain type for both their mandatory action and their extra action.

Example: Frank (orange) has drawn a swamp/desert card. He now chooses whether to build 2 settlements on swamp hexes or 3 on desert hexes.

Palace

The new game board sections feature palace hexes instead of castle hexes.

The player who has built the most settlements next to the palace earns 5 gold at the end of the game. In case of a tie, each of the tied players earns 5 gold.

Note: The palaces also count for the Kingdom Builder cards "Workers" and "Merchants".

Example: Frank (orange) has built the most settlements next to the palace and earns 5 gold. Jenny (white) and Ani (blue) do not earn gold.

Extra actions and bonus actions for the new locations - The usual building rules apply

In addition to the extra actions of the location tiles, this expansion introduces bonus actions. When a player takes a second location tile of the same type, they also take the bonus action tile from the corresponding bonus action summary card.

Now the player can not only perform that extra action twice during each game round, but they can also perform the additional bonus action as well.

As with extra actions, a bonus action may be performed before or after the mandatory action. Any exceptions are clearly mentioned below.

Extra action: Build an additional settlement from the supply - Canoe

Build one settlement on an unoccupied swamp or water hex, building adjacent to one of the player's own previously built settlements, if possible. However, this action can be performed only after any other player takes the last location tile from a location space.

That player's turn is briefly interrupted for this action. If more than one player owns a canoe tile, they perform this extra action in player order, starting with the player to the left of the active player.

Note: A player can pick swamp despite beeing adjacent to water and vice versa.

Example: Ani (blue) builds next to the refuge and takes the last refuge tile. Frank (orange) now builds one settlement on a swamp or water hex immediately. He has seven options where to build.

Note: If playing with Kingdom Builder: Nomads, this extra action also takes place when an opponent takes the last nomad tile from a nomad space.

Canoe bonus action

Build one settlement on an unoccupied swamp or water hex. If possible, this must be built adjacent to one of the player's own previously built settlements. This bonus action may be performed before or after the player's mandatory action.

Extra action: Build an additional settlement from the supply - Fountain

Build one settlement next to exactly one of your own settlements and next to none of any opponent's settlements on any unoccupied hex suitable to be built upon.

Note: In the example at right, you cannot build in the hexes marked with a grey X because those hexes are next to more than one of your own settlements.

Example: Frank (orange) wants to build next to the palace space in order to draw level with Jenny (white). There is only one possible space.

Fountain bonus action

The fountain extra action allows the player to build this bonus settlement on a mountain hex.

Important: The fountain bonus action does not allow for the building of an additional settlement; instead it modifies and improves the fountain extra action.

Extra action: Remove one of your previously built settlements for use in your next turn - Temple

Remove one of your own settlements from the game board; you must build this settlement during the mandatory action on your next turn in addition to your other required builds.

Note: This settlement must be built on the terrain type indicated on the card you play that turn.

Note: Place the removed settlement on the temple tile as a reminder that you must build it next turn.

Temple bonus action

During each of your turns, you may build the first settlement of your mandatory action in a hex not adjacent to one of your previously built settlements.

Example: Because of his 2 temple location tiles, Frank (orange) has 2 more settlements to build during his mandatory action. Thanks to his temple bonus, he builds the first settlement next to the fountain location to take that last tile. He must build his 4 other settlements adjacent to his previously built settlements.

Extra action: Relocate one of your own previously built settlements - Refuge

Relocate one of your previously built settlements to an adjacent unoccupied hex suitable to be built upon; this hex does not have to be adjacent to one of your previously built settlements.

Refuge bonus action

Relocate one of your previously built settlements in a straight line from its current location to the next unoccupied hex suitable to be built upon.

Example: Using his refuge bonus action, Frank (orange) relocates his settlement, jumping over the location space and Ani's settlements (blue) to land next to the temple location and claim his second temple location tile, thus gaining the temple bonus action.

The 6 new Kingdom Builder cards

Geologists

Card text: Connect mountains with one another. 2 gold for each mountain that is connected with another mountain by your own settlements.

Note: A mountain is a series of adjacent mountain hexes and may consist of only a single hex. If mountains are connected to one another through more than one hex, the player still scores for each mountain only once.

Messengers

Card text: Maximize the distance between your own connected settlements. 1 gold for each hex in the path between your own connected settlements separated by the greatest distance.

Note: Consider only the shortest path between the 2 connected settlements that are separated by the most distance, regardless of whether the hexes in this path have settlements on them or cannot be built upon. Include the hexes where these settlements are located.

Noblewomen

Card text: Castle, Capitol, normal and location spaces score additionally like Palaces. Each player who has built the most settlements next to these spaces earns 5 gold.

Note: Palaces are scored only once.

Player orange: 5 gold. Player blue: 5 gold. Player white: 15 gold.

Vassals

Card text: Build along the inner edges of the game board sections. 1 gold for each of your own settlements built next to at least one inner edge of a game board section.

Note: You can count these settlements more easily if you carefully pull the sections a little bit apart.

Captains

Card text: Build your settlements close to each other. 1 gold for each of your settlements next to at least 3 of your own settlements.

Scouts

Card text: Build next to the removed terrain type. 1 gold for each of your own settlements adjacent to the removed terrain type that is not itself on that terrain type.

Important: Prior to the first player's turn, reveal the top terrain card from the deck, then remove all terrain cards of this type from the game (including the one with swamp on it). If the revealed card shows a swamp, then you remove that card and all cards showing the other type of terrain. Shuffle the terrain deck once again.

During the game, players can build on hexes of the removed terrain type only by using extra actions.