Lacrimosa
Lacrimosa Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview
In December of 1791, on his deathbed at the age of 34, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote the last eight bars of his life: the Lacrimosa of the Requiem in D minor. His widow, Constanze, has decided to contact up to four of the late composer's most generous patrons to help her employ the right composers to complete the work and leave it finished.
This game relates the tale of these meetings that Constanze (may have) had with Mozart's patrons after his death. The players of Lacrimosa take on the role of the composer's patrons, who, through a series of interviews, tell their stories of travels across Europe and the works they funded and agree to financially support the musicians who will collaborate to complete the Requiem. All of these memories are told from the storyteller's own subjective point of view, and as more parts of the Requiem are funded, the more spectacular and intriguing the biographical notes of each patron become. The patrons sponsor the writing so that Mozart's final work may be completed, but each one seeks to make their own part in his story as impressive as possible so that they might appear in Constanze's memoirs as the most significant patron of the musical genius.
A game of Lacrimosa is played over five rounds, each of them corresponding to a period set in a different stage of the composer's life, in which players will carry out their turns. During your turn, you will have to choose which cards to play from your hand in order to carry out actions and which to use to acquire story points for the next round. Meanwhile, active participation in the funding of the composition of the Requiem will provide you with advantages that will help you bring the narration of your experiences to life.
Thanks to your work as patrons, you will accumulate appreciation in the form of victory points (VP) in several different ways:
- Commissioning works by the composer, that you can then have performed or sell;
- Remembering the memories you shared and adding them to your own deck of cards;
- Remembering the trips you took, accompanying Mozart to the cities and courts of Europe; and
- Helping Constanze complete the unfinished Requiem.
At the end of the fifth round, the game is finished and the patron with the most victory points will be the winner.
Components
- 4 personal boards
- 4 game summary tiles
- 1 First Player marker
- 1 main board
- 4 scoring shield tokens
- Money: 10 five-ducat coins and 20 one-ducat coins
- 45 Story Point counters (15 Mozart's Talent counters, 15 Journey counters, and 15 Composition counters)
- 1 Mozart's Journeys marker
- 4 generic Requiem markers (neutral colour)
- 5 Constanze cards and 10 Constanze counters
- 40 starting cards (10 × 4 players). Each player receives 1 Opus and 9 Memory starting cards.
- 4 Composer portrait tiles
- 48 player pieces (12 per player): 7 Requiem markers, 3 Story markers, 1 Funds marker and 1 shield
- 11 Soloist cards (for the Solitaire module, see page 19)
- 60 Composer tiles (Eybler x16, Stadler x15, Süßmayr x16, Freystadler x13). The composers who will help complete the Requiem are represented by these tiles.
- 15 City tiles. Mozart visits many cities across Europe, to have his works performed or to visit colleagues to learn and share experiences.
- 34 Memory cards. These represent the memories you have of moments together with Mozart. They allow you to perform actions and earn victory and Story Points.
- 46 Opus cards. These are the works of the maestro that you can sponsor over his lifetime.
- 15 Period Bonus tiles (3 for each of the 5 periods). These tiles mark the passage from one period of Mozart's life to the next and indicate the bonus that is active during the round currently in play.
- 16 Royal Court tiles. It is not easy to get the attention of the most important courts in Europe, but doing so is always worth the effort.
Setup
- Place the main board in the middle of the table.
- Place the Mozart's Journeys marker on the Map, in Salzburg.
- Separate the starting cards from the rest of the deck and set them to one side. Then divide the rest of the Opus cards and Memory cards into the five different periods (rounds). If there are two players, remove 2 Opus cards and 2 Memory cards at random from each period. If there are three players, take out 1 Opus card and 1 Memory card from each period. After that, shuffle the cards for each period separately and put the five decks of cards face down beside the board.
- Take 1 random Bonus tile for each of the periods and place them with their rewards side facing down on top of the corresponding deck of cards. Put the remaining Bonus tiles back in the box.
- Stack the five decks in order so period 5 is on the bottom and period 1 is on the top.
- Place the first Bonus tile face-up in the Period bonus space on the board. Then, turn over the first 7 cards from the deck and fill the card row along the upper edge of the board. Place any Opus cards so they cover the lower edge of their space and Memory cards so they cover the upper edge.
- Choose 2 of the 4 composers to use in the game and return the tiles for the other 2 to the box. For your first game, we recommend Eybler and Stadler. You can also choose them randomly by placing their portraits facing down and choosing two of them blindly. Place the portraits of the two chosen composers on the leftmost spaces in the Requiem area of the board. Then pick all the Composer tiles corresponding to each of them.
- If there are only 2 players, remove all the Composer tiles that show 3 or 4 points and return them to the box. If there are 3 players, just remove those that show 4 points. You do not need to remove any tiles if there are 4 players.
- Separate the tiles that remain for each composer by movement, putting them with their portraits facing down and in order by cost, so the most expensive are at the bottom of each stack. Place the stacks in the matching spaces for that movement on the main board so all the tiles belonging to the same composer are in the same line (top to bottom). That way, each composer will always be identified by the same symbol: eighth-note or sixteenth-note.
- Shuffle the Constanze cards and choose 1 at random. Place the Constanze counters so that they cover the fragments of the Requiem marked on that card while taking into account the number of players. Leave all the Constanze cards and counters that you do not need in the box.
- Shuffle the Royal Court tiles and randomly place 3 of them on the map in the matching spaces so the side with the gilded frame is down. Leave the rest of the tiles in their space on the board.
- Shuffle the City tiles and randomly place them on their spaces on the map so the side with the gilded frame is down. Leave the rest of the tiles in their space on the board.
- Leave the Coins and the Story Point counters next to the board where everyone can reach them.
- Give each player a personal board and one Game summary tile. Place the tile in the matching space on your personal board.
- Each player places their shield on the top left space of their personal board (with the +50 facing down), and takes the starting Opus card and the 9 starting Memory cards that match their shield, placing them near their personal board. Then they place the 7 Requiem markers of their color in the Instrument spaces of their personal board and the neutral colored Requiem counter in the Horn Instruments space (the top one).
- Players place their Story markers on the "2" space of each Story Track of their personal board and place their Funds marker on the 2 ducats space of the Finance Track.
- Randomly select who will be the first player and give them the First Player marker. The turn plays clockwise.
- Players receive ducats and place their scoring shields on the Scoring Track on the main board as indicated:
- 1st Player: 10 ducats + 0 VP (leave their shield next to the 1VP space)
- 2nd Player: 11 ducats + 0 VP (leave their shield next to the 1VP space)
- 3rd Player: 10 ducats + 1 VP
- 4th Player: 11 ducats + 1 VP
- Each player shuffles their starting Memory cards and places the resulting deck face down next to their own personal board. Finally, each player draws 4 cards from their own deck to make up their starting hand.
Playing the Game
Each game of Lacrimosa is played over 5 game rounds (or periods) that visit Mozart's different creative stages. The players take turns interacting via the main board, the cards, and their personal boards in order to weave a tale that will secure their place in posterity as the principal sponsors of the composer, and thereby win the game. Each round of the game is split up into a Main Phase, in which the players play their turns (4 turns each round), and a Maintenance Phase.
1. The Main Phase
At the start of each round, all players simultaneously draw Memory cards from their own deck until they have 4 cards in their hand. Except for the first turn of the game, the players will begin each round with 1 card that is left over from the previous one.
During the game, you will play from your own deck of nine Memory cards. Any time you are told to draw a card, always draw it from your own deck. When you discard cards during the game, these will not be used again, so they can be placed back in the box in a common discard pile. Note that the total number of Memory cards that you will have at all times during the game is nine. You will be able to discard weaker Memory cards from your deck during the game by replacing them with better ones, but never going beyond or below a total of nine cards.
Starting with the first player, take turns going clockwise until every player has played four turns. Then, move on to the Maintenance Phase and then the next round of the game.
2. Player Turns
When it is your turn, you must play 2 cards from your hand and slide them into your personal board:
- A. One card is placed in the Experiences section at the top of your board. This card determines what actions you may take this turn (see "Actions"). If the card shows more than one action, you may take them in the order you prefer. If the card shows a reward in the top section, you also receive that reward at this time (see "Memory cards").
- B. The other card is placed in the Story section at the bottom of your board, in the space just below the card that you played in the Experiences section. This card grants Story Points for the next round (see "Maintenance Phase").
Once the 2 cards have been laid down, carry out the action (or actions) of the card you placed in the Experiences section.
Then, if you played "Document Memories" or "Commission a Composition," move the cards remaining at the top of the main board to the right so they occupy the empty spaces and fill the now-empty spaces with cards drawn from the deck. If the Bonus tile for the next period appears, do not fill any remaining empty spaces until the next round begins (see "Maintenance Phase").
Finally, draw cards from your deck until you have 4 in your hand. Except: At the end of your third turn in each round, you will draw just 1 card (as it is the only one that is left in your deck). You will play your last turn of each round with only 3 cards, and end the round with 1 card in your hand.
Story Points
During the game, you will earn Story Points of 3 kinds: Mozart's Talent, Journey, and Composition. Story Points help you tell your tale to Constanze and, more practically, allow you to pay for your actions in the game.
Story Points can be gained as counters or by advancing the matching Story Track marker on your personal board, depending on how you earn them. When you spend Story Points, you can use the counters and/or the value on your Story Track in any combination you choose. But, remember that during the Maintenance Phase your Story Tracks will all return to zero, while Story Point counters can be kept from one round to the next.
- Spend 2 Mozart's Talent Story Points by either returning markers to the common reserve or moving the marker down on this track, in any combination of the two.
- Advance your Journey Story Points Track 2 spaces.
- Gain 1 Composition Story Point counter.
Optional Exchanges
At any time during your turn, you may exchange:
- 3 ducats for 1 Story Point counter of your choice.
- 1 Story Point counter for 1 ducat.
After laying down your cards, but before taking any action: Instead of receiving any reward and carrying out any action indicated on the Memory card you played, you can take as many ducats from the bank as the number of the round you're currently playing (you can find the number on the Period Bonus tile on the board for quick reference). You may choose this option if you cannot or do not wish to use the actions on the card you just played.
Money
There is a bank next to the main board. During the game, you will receive money from the bank or pay money to it. Players never exchange money between them during the game. At any time, you can exchange 5 one-ducat coins for 1 five-ducat coin and vice-versa.
Actions
The five actions you will find on the Memory cards are detailed below.
Document Memories
Make an entry in your personal diary to log the experiences you lived alongside the genius.
- Choose 1 Memory card from the main board.
- Pay the cost in ducats and Story Points (as shown on the space the card occupies on the board).
- Discard the card you placed in your Story section from the game and replace it with the card you just purchased.
- Slide the cards to the right and fill the empty spaces in the card row on the board.
Commission an Opus
Mozart was a very prolific composer who wrote more than 620 different works over the length of his short life. Commission him to compose a new work for you and pay him his fee. Your prestige as a patron of his genius will grow as never before.
- Choose 1 Opus card from the main board.
- Pay the cost in ducats and Mozart's Talent Story Points that is shown at the top of the card plus any additional cost shown in the space that the card occupies on the board.
- Place the Opus card in front of you.
- Gain the VP indicated on the card.
- Earn additional VP if any of the Composer tiles you have on your personal board matches the type of Opus you just commissioned.
- Slide the cards to the right and fill the empty spaces in the card row on the board.
Perform or Sell Music
Once the music has been delivered, you are fully within your rights to take advantage of it, sharing Mozart's talent with everyone who is willing to pay the price.
- Choose an Opus card that you have in front of you that you have not used yet this round (that is not rotated) and decide whether you wish to perform or sell the work.
- Pay the cost for your choice in Mozart's Talent Story Points:
- If you have chosen to perform, you earn the money indicated on the card and then you must turn the card 90° to indicate that you cannot perform or sell that card again during this round.
- If you have chosen to sell the Opus, update your Finance Track and scoring shield according to the values on the card. Then, discard the card from the game (you may not perform or sell it again).
- Earn additional VP if any of the Composer tiles you have on your personal board matches the type of Opus you performed or sold.
Travel
Mozart visits the principal courts of Europe to perform before the nobility and elite. He also visits theaters, monasteries, and colleagues in the various cities of the Old Continent, at times to make money, while other times to learn from other maestros.
- Decide which City or Court you would like to move the Mozart's Journeys marker to. You can choose any destination, moving through any number of Cities and/or Courts as you like, but you must pay the total combined costs shown on all of the roads the marker crosses and you can only carry out the actions at the final destination (not any locations you move through).
- Keep in mind that it may be desirable for Mozart to "travel" to the same location where the marker currently sits. In this case, you don't need to pay for any road costs.
- Once the Mozart's Journeys marker has reached the destination, you must also pay the cost in Journey Story Points that is shown on the destination tile. Right after that, you gain the rewards and are able to carry out the indicated actions. Then remove the tile from the board:
- Royal Courts: Once the reward has been granted, keep the Royal Court tile in front of you. These tiles show a goal (royal favor) that, if achieved, will grant you VP at the end of the game.
- Cities: Once the reward has been granted, leave the City tile to the side of the main board.
Requiem
It has been assumed that Count Franz von Walsegg was the one who commissioned the musician to write his mass for the dead. Mozart's widow, Constanze, did everything she could to ensure the composition was completed following the death of her husband, in order to collect the fee for the work he had done.
- Choose an empty instrument space in a movement of the Requiem on the main board that you wish to commission.
- Remove the matching Requiem marker from your personal board, and receive the reward shown in its space. Place it on the movement of the Requiem, on the empty instrument space with the side matching the composer you wish to hire facing up.
- You must pay the cost shown on the top Composer tile for the chosen composer and movement using ducats, Composition Story Points and, in some cases, by updating your Finance Track.
- Finally, collect the reward on the Composer tile and place it face down on your personal board in the space you removed your Requiem marker from. Keep in mind that if the Composer tile shows a reward on the back, you will receive it when appropriate for the remainder of the game.
At the end of the game, you will determine which of the composers made the greatest contribution to each movement of the Requiem, and the players will earn points according to who sponsored those instrument parts (see "End of the Game").
Victory Points
Victory Points (VP) represent Constanze's level of commitment with the story told by the players. The more VP you score, the more you will shine in the first Mozart biography ever written.
When you score them, move your shield forward on the track of the board. If at any time you go beyond 50 points, flip the Shield on the top left space of your personal board to its +50 side. If you go beyond 100 VP, remove it.
The Maintenance Phase
Once all players have completed all 4 turns (all spaces for cards on their personal boards are full), the Main Phase for that round is finished. Next you must clean up a bit and put the boards in order so they are ready for the next round, or if the last round has just been finished, for the end of the game.
3. Personal Boards
Story Point Tracks. The first step is to return the various Story Point tracks on your personal board to zero (Mozart's Talent, Journey, and Composition). Then, update them according to the icons shown on the cards you've played in the Story section of your personal board. If you have a card that grants you victory points, then update your shield's position on the Score Track also.
Composer Rewards. If any of the composer tiles already placed on the Instrument spaces of your personal board shows a Story Points reward, you receive it at this moment, advancing as many spaces on the indicated tracks as needed.
Finances. Depending on the position of your marker on the Finance Track, you also receive:
- Money: the number of ducats indicated.
- Wildcard: move 1 of your Story markers (whichever one you choose) forward 1 space on the track on your personal board.
- VP: move your shield forward on the Score Track of the main board the number of spaces corresponding to the number of VP.
Period Bonus. Check which action appears on the Bonus tile on the main board and take the reward shown for each time that action's icon appears on the cards you played in the Experiences section of your personal board.
Clean up. Rotate any Opus cards that were performed during this round back to their original alignment. Remove all Memory cards from the Experience and Story sections of your personal board and shuffle them to create your deck for the next round. Be careful! When you do this, you must NOT include the card that remains in your hand in the new deck.
4. Main Board
Map. Make sure all the City and Royal Court tiles currently on the main board are showing the side with the gilded frame (if they don't, turn them over). After that, fill any empty City and Royal Court spaces with tiles from the appropriate deck with the gilded frame facing down, following the order indicated by the numbers of the empty spaces. If you run out of City tiles, shuffle the ones that have been used already to create a new stack.
Row of Cards and Bonus tile. Remove from the game:
- the Bonus tile for the period that just ended;
- the 4 cards located in the spaces farthest to the right in the card row; and
- any cards from the deck that are on top of the Bonus card for the next period (if any).
Place the Bonus tile that is now on top of the deck in the Bonus tile space on the board, with its reward facing up (it will be applied at the end of the next round). Move the cards remaining in the row of cards to the right and fill all the empty spaces with cards from the new period.
The first player passes the First Player marker to the player on their left.
End of the Game
Once you have completed the fifth round of the game, after finishing the Personal boards step of the Maintenance Phase, carry out the final count of VP by following these steps:
Royal Court Tiles Obtained
Check the conditions of the Royal Court tiles you obtained. Note that each Opus and each instrument part of the Requiem can only be used to fulfill the requirements of one Royal Court tile. So, if you have multiple Royal Court tiles that require the same item, you must have a separate "copy" of that item for each Royal Court tile you want to complete. If you do not have enough, you may choose which Royal Court to complete. For each Royal Court you fulfilled, you get the VP indicated on the card.
- Some Royal Court tiles grant VP so long as you have at least 1 Opus card of each of the indicated types in front of you. Sold works are not counted, since they are not in front of you any more. Each Opus can only be used to earn VP once.
- Other Royal Court tiles grant the indicated VP if you have at least 1 Requiem counter on each of the indicated instrument parts or movements on the main board. Each Requiem counter can only be used to earn VP once.
Score the Requiem
There are two VP values for each movement of the Requiem. Each Requiem marker you have on that movement will score one of those values. First, determine which composer contributed the most instrument parts to that movement, adding up everyone's markers (including the neutral coloured markers). Note that the neutral markers count for the majorities, but they do not award points to anyone. Each of your Requiem markers that matches the composer who contributed the most to that movement awards you the higher VP value. Each of your markers that match the other composer awards you the lower VP value. If there is a tie between the 2 composers, they both award the lower value.
Conclusion of the Story
You get 1 VP for every 2 Story Points you still have, including the sum of the tracks on your personal board and any counters you have left.
Money
You get 1 VP for every 3 ducats you have left.
Once you have added up all your victory points, whoever has the most VP wins the game! If there is a tie score, whichever one of the tied players contributed more of the Requiem wins. If there is still a tie after that, the one who has more Opus cards wins. If there is still a tie after that, then the victory is shared between the tied players.
The Components in Detail
The Main Board
The main board is the backbone of the game and is made up of the following elements:
Row of Opus and Memory Cards. Opus cards must be placed so they cover the lower edge of their space, while Memory cards must cover the upper edge. These spaces may have a cost (or a reward) in Mozart's Talent Story Points, other types of Story Points, and/or ducats, which you must add to the cost of the cards before taking them.
Deck. The deck of cards is divided into different periods by the Period Bonus tiles.
Period Bonus Tile space. This is where the current period's Bonus tile is placed so that the reward the players will get at the end of the round can be seen.
Victory Points (VP) Track. Each player moves their score shield forward as they gain VP. If a player exceeds 50 VP, they flip the indicator on their personal board to the "+50" side and continue counting VP from the start of the track. If they pass the final space again, the indicator is simply removed from their personal board.
Map of Central Europe with the Journeys of Mozart. Players can invest ducats and Journey Story points to have Mozart move across Europe and perform in the most important courts and theaters of that time. At the start of the game, the Royal Court and City spaces are randomly filled with Royal Court tiles and City tiles, respectively. The stacks of Royal Court tiles and City tiles that are not in play remain in their respective spaces.
The Requiem. In this part of the game, the patrons must help Constanze and invest in the work of other composers who will help complete those parts of the Requiem that Mozart was not able to finish. Mozart's Requiem is divided into five sections called movements. Each movement includes parts for at least 2 different instruments. Here, the Requiem is shown divided into the following movements: 1 Kyrie, 2 Sequentia, 3 Offertorium, 4 Sanctus and 5 Agnus Dei. Each movement shows the instrument parts that still must be composed, although some may be covered by Constanze counters depending on the number of players. The movement is complete as soon as every instrument's part is written.
When you sponsor a composer with the Requiem action, you will choose an instrument part in one of the movements and place your Requiem marker on the matching space of the game board. You can only choose an empty space. If there is no matching empty space, you must choose a different instrument or movement.
The lower part of this section has spaces to place the composer tiles for each movement of the Requiem, the eighth and sixteenth notes that identify each composer, and the rewards (greater or lesser) for their contributions to the work.
The Personal Boards
Each player organizes the cards they play during each of the game rounds on their Personal Board, and uses it to keep track of their Story Points and finances:
Experiences section. Spaces to play cards for actions. These spaces include a reminder of how many cards you need to draw from your deck at the end of each player turn.
Story section. Spaces to play cards to get Story Points.
Story Point Tracks. For recording your Story Points. If there is ever a need to move a marker beyond the maximum limit of their track, you get 1 ducat from the bank for every space beyond the limit instead.
Personal reserve. Place your money and any Story Point counters in this space.
Game Summary and free actions reminder.
Finances Track. If there is ever a need to move the marker beyond the maximum limit of this track, you get 2 VP for every space beyond the limit instead.
Instrument Spaces. When you remove Requiem counters from this area to put them on the main board, you get the reward indicated on the space you have left empty. Then, you must fill the empty space with the Composer tile you have chosen. Some of these tiles can provide rewards that pay during different moments in the game.
Deck of Memory cards and Opus cards. Leave these near your personal board.
Cards
You can obtain Memory cards and Opus cards by using the "Document Memories" and "Commission a Composition" actions.
Memory Cards
These cards represent the passages that the patrons have noted down in their diaries regarding the assignments, voyages, and, more generally, the experiences they shared with the composer. These cards make up your deck, with which you will play the game. You can improve your deck by using the "Document Memories" action.
The Memory cards show the following:
- Reward. When you play a Memory card in the Experiences section of your personal board, you receive the reward indicated on the card. The reward can be money and/or advancement along a Story Track on your personal board. Not all Memory cards have a reward.
- Actions. These icons show which actions you can carry out when this card is played in the Experiences section of your personal board.
- Period. This shows which period the card belongs to, so they can easily be separated during setup. The starting Memory cards of each color have player shields instead.
- Story Points. These icons show the Story Points and/or Victory Points you earn during the Maintenance Phase if this card is played in the Story section of your personal board.
Opus Cards
Commissioning these works from Mozart has a cost, but you will gain prestige and, if you have them performed or sell them, you will receive other benefits and gifts in compensation.
The Opus cards show the following:
- Cost. These cards can only be obtained with the "Commission a Composition" action. In addition to the cost shown in the space that the card occupies on the main board, you must also pay the cost indicated on the card itself in ducats and/or Mozart's Talent Story Points.
- Immediate Reward. Opus cards immediately grant you a benefit in VP that you earn as soon as you obtain the card.
- Title. The name and type of Opus, and the year in which it was composed.
- Type. Opus cards can be one of 4 types: Opera, Religious Music, Symphony, or Chamber Music. The four starting Opus cards show the portrait of Maria Anna Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus' sister. A composer herself, she saw her career ignored only because she was a woman at that time, but the fact that she was very influential in the learning years of her younger brother still remains.
- Period. This shows which period the card belongs to so they can easily be separated from the others during setup and to help calculate the Royal Favors at the end of the game. The four starting Opus cards have player shields instead.
- Performing. The cost to be paid and the reward obtained each time this Opus is played by using the "Perform" action.
- Selling. The cost to be paid and the reward obtained when this Opus is sold using the "Sell" action.
Be careful: When sold, cards are removed from the game and are not taken into account when the VP granted by the Royal Court tiles are calculated.
Tiles
Period Bonus Tiles
These tiles mark the passage of time and show which bonus is active during the round currently in play. They are interspersed within the deck between the cards of the different periods. At the start of each round/period, the corresponding tile is placed on the main board in order to indicate the bonus that the players will receive based on the actions carried out during the Main Phase of that round.
The period bonus tiles show the following:
- Period. This part of the tile shows the number and dates of the period it belongs to so they can easily be separated for setup.
- Illustration.
- Reward. The action icon and the rewards that are awarded during the Maintenance Phase. You receive the reward as many times as the indicated Action icon appears on the cards you played in the Experiences section of your personal board.
Royal Court Tiles
These tiles are earned by using the "Travel" action, and you keep them in your playing area until the end of the game when the VP they grant are calculated.
The Royal Court tiles show the following:
- Cost. To gain a Royal Court tile, a cost must be paid in Journey Story points.
- Immediate Reward. At the moment that the tile is obtained, you immediately receive the indicated ducat, VP, and/or Story Point counters.
- Gilded Frame. One of the faces of each tile shows a frame that is gold in color. When this face is visible, the immediate reward they offer is more generous than the one on the other face.
- Reward at the End of the Game. You receive VP at the end of the game for the Opus works you have funded or for your participation in the completion of the Requiem.
City Tiles
The City tiles show the following:
- Cost. To reach a city, you must pay a cost in Journey Story Points and/or Mozart's Talent Story Points.
- Immediate Reward. At the moment that the tile is obtained, you immediately receive the indicated Story Point counters, additional actions (which can be carried out right away as usual, paying any corresponding costs), ducats, and/or VP. Once the reward has been collected, discard the tile next to the main board.
- Gilded Frame. One of the faces of each tile shows a frame that is gold in color. When this face is visible, the immediate reward they offer is more generous than the one on the other face.
Composer Tiles
After the musical genius passed away, his widow Constanze, with the help of her husband's patrons, dedicated herself to commissioning trusted composers to complete the movements of the Requiem that Mozart was unable to finish. Franz Jakob Freystädtler, Joseph Eybler, and Franz Xaver Süßmayr had all been disciples and privileged students of Mozart. Then there was also Abbe Maximilian Stadler, who was an intimate friend of Mozart and of Haydn.
The Composer tiles show the following:
- Name and Portrait. The composer's name and likeness appear on the back of the tile while on the other side there is just the name as a reminder.
- Movement. The Composer tiles are spread over the different movements of the Requiem that you can compose.
- Cost. In order for the composer to write a score for the Requiem that needs completion, a cost must be paid in ducats, Composition Story Points and, possibly, lowering your Finances Track.
- Immediate Reward. You immediately receive the reward indicated on the tile, then you must place the tile face down in the instrument space of your personal board that was just emptied.
- Repeating Rewards. Some Composer tiles have a repeating reward that can be obtained in certain moments during the game. This is indicated on the back of the tile, and on the front of the tile with the symbol as a reminder.
There are three types of repeating rewards:
- Sequentia rewards: They provide 1 advance on the indicated Story Points track during the Maintenance Phase.
- Offertorium rewards: They provide VPs every time you Commission, Perform, or Sell an Opus card of the indicated type.
- Agnus Dei rewards: Every time you take an action of the indicated type, you can take that same action one additional time (paying all relevant costs as normal).
Number of players. Some of these tiles will have dots on the front. They are used to tell which tiles to remove during setup (step 7) depending on the number of players.
Schikaneder's Tale — Solitaire Module
Emanuel Schikaneder was a friend of the family, as well as a famous actor, producer, and playwright, who collaborated with Mozart on the creation of one of his greatest works: The Magic Flute. Schikaneder competes against you as the "Soloist." Your goal is to do the best possible job telling the tale of your life with Mozart and to make a generous contribution to the composition of the Requiem in order to outshine Schikaneder. When the text refers to the "Soloist," it is talking about Schikaneder, your virtual opponent.
Solitaire Setup
When getting ready for a solitaire game of Lacrimosa, you must follow the usual steps for the setup of a normal game with two players, with a few differences that are explained below.
- Step 3. Separate the starting cards from the rest of the deck and set them to one side. Then divide the rest of the Opus cards and Memory cards into the five different periods. Since there are two "players," remove 2 Opus cards and 2 Memory cards at random from each period. After that, shuffle the cards for each period separately and put the five decks of cards face down beside the board.
- Step 7. Choose 1 of the 4 composers and put the tiles for the other 3 back in the box. There is no need to set aside any tiles belonging to the chosen composer. Separate the tiles for the chosen composer into stacks by movement, and put them in order according to cost so that the most expensive are at the bottom of each stack. Place each stack face up on the movement of the Requiem it corresponds to, with all of the tiles for the chosen composer in the top row, so they are identified with the eighth-note.
- Step 8. Shuffle the Constanze cards and choose 1 at random. Place the Constanze counters so that they cover the fragments of the Requiem marked on the card as you would in a two-player game. Leave all the Constanze cards and counters that you do not need in the box.
- Steps 12, 13, 14. Set up your personal area as normal. For the Soloist, take a personal board and set up his Requiem markers. The Soloist does not use Story Points, so you can ignore those tracks on his personal board. Then, create the Soloist's 9-card deck by choosing the level of difficulty you want to attempt:
- Easy: Use the Soloist cards numbered 1 to 9 and put cards 10 and 11 back in the box.
- Middle: Use the Soloist cards numbered 1 to 7, 9, and 10, and put cards 8 and 11 back in the box.
- Difficult: Use the Soloist cards numbered 1 to 7, 10, and 11, and put cards 8 and 9 back in the box.
- Step 15. Take the first player marker. You will never pass it to the Soloist: You will be the first player throughout the game.
- Step 16. On your personal board, place your Story markers on the "2" space of each Story Track, but the Soloist doesn't need these. Put your scoring shield and the Soloist's next to the Scoring Track on the main board (both players have 0 VP at this point). Take 10 Ducats. For the Soloist, place his Funds marker depending on the degree of difficulty you wish to play: Easy = 0 ducats space; Middle = 2 space; Difficult = 4 (with a -1 -1) space.
- Step 17. Shuffle your starting Memory cards and place the resulting deck next to your personal board. Draw 4 cards from your deck to make up your starting hand. For the Soloist, shuffle the Soloist cards and leave the deck face down next to his personal board, without drawing any cards for a hand.
Playing the Solo Game
When you are playing by yourself, you play your turns as you would normally, but you must take into account the following changes when it is the Soloist's turn to play.
Soloist Cards. The soloist plays with a specific deck of cards that show the following:
- Actions. These icons show which actions the Soloist will carry out when this card is played in the Experiences section of his personal board.
- Action details. The lower part of the card is divided in three columns. The leftmost column indicates which of the available Opus or Memory cards from the main board (left or right) he will take when performing the "Document Memories," "Commission an Opus," or "Perform or Sell Music" actions. The middle column indicates in which direction Mozart's Journeys marker will move and the number of Royal Court tiles to visit when performing the "Travel" action. The rightmost column indicates which movement (1-5) and the instrumentation priorities (top to bottom or otherwise) when performing the "Requiem" action.
Soloist Actions
The Soloist does not draw cards to add to his hand, but instead plays the top card from his deck into his Experiences section and the second card into his Story section. Once the soloist has played his 2 cards, carry out the action on the card he played in the Experiences section according to the following rules:
Document Memories. Look at the arrow in the leftmost column of the card the Soloist placed in his Story section to determine which Memory card he will take from the main board: either the one furthest to the right or the one furthest to the left. If the selected card gives VPs in its Story Points section (bottom), the Soloist receives them immediately. Without paying any costs (in either ducats or Story Points), he carries out the actions on the chosen Memory card. Then the Memory card is removed from the game.
Commission an Opus. Look at the arrow on the leftmost column of the card the Soloist placed in his Story section to determine which Opus card he will take from the main board: either the one furthest to the right or the one furthest to the left. He takes the card without paying any costs (in either ducats or Mozart's Talent points). The Soloist gains the VP indicated in the Opus card and moves his score shield on the main board accordingly. Then, the Opus card is discarded from the game.
Perform or Sell Music. Look at the arrow in the leftmost column of the card the Soloist placed in his Story section to determine which Opus card on the main board he will sell: either the one furthest to the right or the one furthest to the left. The Soloist never "performs" and always chooses to sell. Update the Soloist's Finance Track and score shield according to the values on the Opus card. Then, the Opus card is discarded from the game. Remember: If the Soloist's Funds marker moves past the end of his Finance Track, he earns 2 VP for each space beyond the limit instead, just like a normal player.
For these three actions, if there are no Memory cards (for "Document Memories") or Opus cards (for "Commission a Composition" and "Perform or Sell Music") on the main board at that moment, then the Soloist does nothing and the action has no effects.
Travel. Look at the arrow in the middle column of the card the Soloist placed in his Story section to determine which direction on the map Mozart's Journeys will move. The number beside the arrow determines the number of Royal Courts the Soloist will visit (0, 1, or 2), in the numerical order of the arrow (ascending or descending). The Soloist accompanies Mozart to the different royal Courts, passing through various Cities, without ever paying any cost. Find the location the Mozart's Journeys marker is in, and from there move the marker from Court to Court following the numbering of cities and royal courts in ascending or descending order as shown until it has visited the number of Courts indicated, only counting those that still have a Royal Court tile (ignoring the empty Court spaces). If the Mozart's Journeys marker reaches 11-Munich (München) it will continue to 1-Salzburg and vice versa.
If the Mozart's Journeys marker ends its movement on a Court with a Royal Court tile, the Soloist takes that as the first "visit", if a minimum of at least 1 visit is required. If it passes over 1 or 2 Courts with a tile on them in the case of more than 1 required visits before its final destination, the Soloist takes all the Royal Court tiles he crosses.
- Royal Courts: Take the Royal Court tile and leave it next to the Soloist's personal board (these tiles will be scored at the end of the game).
- Cities: When the Soloist moves through one or more Cities, discard any City tiles he finds there without applying any effects.
Some cards indicate that the Soloist will visit zero Courts. In that case, the Mozart's Journeys marker does not move and no action is taken. If, at any moment during the action (either at the start or after visiting the first Royal Court, if the card indicates that 2 are visited), there are no Royal Court tiles on the board, then the action comes to an end immediately.
Requiem. Look at the arrow in the rightmost column of the card the Soloist placed in his Story section to determine which Instrument the Soloist will add to the Requiem: either the available one closest to the top or closest to the bottom in the Requiem area of the board. The number beside the arrow determines which movement (1-5) the Soloist will contribute to. Without paying any costs (in either ducats, Story Points, or Finance Track adjustments), he places any of his Requiem counters on the movement and instrument part that is indicated, with the side showing the sixteenth-note up. If there is no empty space in the chosen movement, choose the next movement to the right with empty spaces (or the previous movement to the left if there are no spaces in any of the following movements). The Soloist immediately gets the VP indicated for the lower reward for the movement his counter was placed in: adjust his score shield on the main board. Bear in mind that he will also score the Requiem as normal at the end of the game. If the Soloist has no Requiem counters left (he has already used all 7), then the action does not have any effect.
Solitaire Maintenance Phase
The Soloist does not perform any maintenance on his personal board, other than removing and shuffling his deck of cards. Only you need to do maintenance as indicated in the usual rules.
Solitaire End of the Game
Calculate your score following the usual rules. The Soloist only counts the points he earned during the game plus:
- Royal Court tiles obtained: he scores all of the Royal Court tiles that he has accumulated during the game, whether the requirements on them have been fulfilled or not.
- Score the Requiem as normal.
The Soloist does not count sections 3 and 4 of the final score ("Conclusion of the story" and "Money"), since he did not use Story Points or ducats at any point in the game.
Icon Glossary
- Commission a Composition. This action appears on Memory cards. Some Composer tiles also show this icon to grant this action as a reward.
- Document Memories. This action appears on Memory cards. Some City tiles also show this icon to grant this action as a reward.
- Requiem. This action appears on Memory cards. Some Composer tiles also show this icon to grant this action as a reward.
- Perform or Sell. This action appears on Memory cards. Some Composer tiles also show this icon to grant this action as a reward. The icon will be broken down into Perform and Sell icons on Opus cards and certain City tiles.
- Travel. This action appears on Memory cards. Some Composer tiles also show this icon to grant this action as a reward.
- Experiences. The area on your personal board with spaces where you play Memory cards to take actions and obtain rewards.
- Story. The area on your personal board with spaces where you play Memory cards to obtain Story Points.
- Story Points. Mozart's Talent, Journey, and Composition Story Points, and Wildcard.
- Story Point Counters. Obtain counters for Mozart's Talent, Journey, and Composition Story Points. Wildcard: You may choose what type of Story Point counters you prefer.
- Story Point track updates. Update (up or down) the marker on the Story Point Track on your Personal Board for the indicated Mozart's Talent, Journey, or Composition Story Points. Wildcard: You may choose which Story Track you prefer to advance. Any time that Story Point marker must be moved beyond the maximum limit of any of the tracks, you get 1 ducat from the bank for each space you would move beyond the limit.
- Finances. Update (up or down) the marker on the Finance Track on your Personal Board. Any time that the marker must be moved beyond the maximum limit of your Finance Track, you gain 2 VP for each space you would move beyond the limit.
- Opus types. An Opus can fall into one of four different types: Opera, Religious Music, Symphony, Chamber Music.
- Instruments of the Requiem. Horns, Percussion, Strings, Voice, Organ.
- Victory Points (VP). Move your shield forward as many VP as indicated by this reward.
- Money. The number in the icon shows how many ducats must be paid (red) or collected (black), whichever applies.
- Numbers. When an icon does not have any number next to it, that indicates only 1 unit of whatever it is. When the icon has a red number next to it, that means you must spend that many units. When the icon has a black number next to it, that means you obtain that many units.
- Eighth/Sixteenth note. You will find these icons on the Requiem counters and in the area for the Requiem composers on the main board. The Eighth note identifies the composer who is in the top row of the Requiem composer area. The Sixteenth note identifies the composer who is in the bottom row of the Requiem composer area.
Credits
A game by Gerard Ascensi and Ferran Renalias. Illustrated by Enrique Corominas, Jared Blando and David Esbrí. Graphic design: Meeple Foundry. English translation: Andy Campbell. Wood and cardboard components: BG FX. Proofreaders: Marià Pitarque and William Niebling. Editor and development: David Esbrí. Musical supervisors: David Sisó and Ana Puche.