Sailing Toward Osiris
Sailing Toward Osiris Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Goal
- Components
- Setup
- Chapter One: Acquire laborers to use for Pharaoh's glory
- Chapter Two: Spend the season performing actions
- Chapter Three: Haggle amongst yourselves to advance your goals
- Chapter Four: The season ends, the old Regent steps down, a new Regent rises, and Pharaoh's barge sails nearer to the king's glorious tomb
- Chapter Five: Pharaoh's barge reaches the Temple of Osiris and bonus glory is tabulated
- FAQ
- Quick Play Guide
Goal
The winner will be the Governor with the most glory points at the end of the game. Glory is earned by building monuments along the river, arranging monuments in certain configurations, and building monuments in certain locations.
Components
- 25 City Cards
- 25 Boon Cards (5 of each player color)
- 1 Draw Bag
- 5 Player Screens (1 of each player color)
- 1 Regent Token
- 3 Bonus Cover Tokens
- 1 Barge Token
- 30 Grain Tokens
- 30 Brick Tokens
- 30 Stone Tokens
- 4 Grain Laborers
- 4 Brick Laborers
- 4 Stone Laborers
- 1 Master Grain Laborer
- 1 Master Brick Laborer
- 1 Master Stone Laborer
- 10 Pylon Tokens (2 of each player color)
- 15 Sphinx Tokens (3 of each player color)
- 20 Obelisk Tokens (4 of each player color)
- 5 Withdraw Tokens (1 of each player color)
- 5 Score Markers (1 of each player color)
- 5 Camel Tokens (1 of each player color)
Setup
Throughout these rules, "Governor" refers to any player and "Regent" refers to the Governor in charge of the current season. All players are Governors, but only one Governor is Regent.
Put the supply of grain, brick, and stone resource tokens in a convenient location. The total number of resources available in the supply is determined by the number of Governors in the game (see figure 2 below). Return unused tokens to the box.
The total number of laborers and master laborers used is determined by the number of Governors in the game (see figure 2). Return unused laborers to the box. Place the laborers and master laborers for this game in the draw bag.
Figure 2: table of resources and laborers for setup
| Governors | Resources | Laborers | Master Laborers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 15 of each | 3 of each | 1 of each |
| 3 | 20 of each | 4 of each | 1 of each |
| 4 | 25 of each | 4 of each | 1 of each |
| 5 | 30 of each | 4 of each | 1 of each |
- Give each Governor a screen to hide their tokens and cards, then give each Governor 1 camel, 4 obelisks, 3 sphinxes, 2 pylons, a withdraw token and a set of 5 boon cards in their chosen color, as well as 2 grain, 2 brick, and 2 stone resource tokens from the supply.
- Place the score marker for each Governor on the score track start space.
- Shuffle the city cards and deal one city card to each Governor.
- Place the remaining cards of the city deck in a convenient location.
- Place the Pharaoh's barge token in the river segment closest to the right side of the board and move it up to the river rapids mark separating the first two river segments.
Select a Governor at random to be Regent for the first season.
Icons
The icon legend (figure 3) shows: stone, brick, grain, any resource, laborer, Pharaoh's barge, obelisk, sphinx, pylon, 2 player, 3 player, glory, card, any monument, and opponent.
Special Setup for 3-Governor Games
- Use 6 monuments from an unused color to occupy the map sections marked with an Ankh.
- Use 2 camel tokens of unused colors to occupy the two caravan sections marked with an Ankh.
Special Setup for 2-Governor Games
- In addition to the 3-Governor setup procedures, use 6 monuments of an unused color to occupy the map sections marked with a Scarab.
- Use 3 monuments of an unused color to occupy the first construction cartouche on the left in the sphinx, obelisk, and pylon areas on the lower edge of the game board.
Chapter One: Acquire laborers to use for Pharaoh's glory
The Regent checks to make sure that all of the laborer tokens are in the draw bag, then randomly draws out a number of laborers, places the laborers behind her player screen, then passes the bag to the Governor on her left. This is repeated until all Governors have drawn laborers and the Regent has the bag once again. The number of laborers each Governor draws from the bag is determined by the number of Governors in the game (see figure 7).
When all Governors have drawn their laborers from the bag, the Regent draws out all but 2 of the remaining laborers in the bag and places those laborers on the board in the labor pool cartouche. The number of laborers placed in the labor pool cartouche will vary depending on the number of Governors in the game.
The Regent may then look at the laborers remaining in the bag, gaining a little knowledge that the other Governors do not have.
Figure 7: table of laborers per Governor
| Governors | Draw each | Labor Pool | Left Over | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 12 |
| 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 15 |
| 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 15 |
| 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 15 |
Chapter Two: Spend the season performing actions
Starting with the Regent and moving clockwise, each Governor performs one action from the list below. A season consists of many turns and continues around-and-around until all Governors have performed all of the actions desired and have withdrawn.
Available actions are...
- Harvest Resources
- Visit a City
- Start or Join a Caravan
- Hire an Extra Laborer
- Trade at the Market
- Plan a Monument
- Build a Monument
- Play a City Card
- Play a Boon Card
- Withdraw from the Season
Action 1: Harvest Resources
Laborers come in three types and two skill levels.
- Farmer = solid tan
- Master farmer = tan & white
- Brickmaker = solid red
- Master brickmaker = red & white
- Stonecutter = solid gray
- Master stonecutter = gray & white
The type of laborer indicates what terrain spaces it can occupy (farm spaces, brickyard spaces, quarry spaces).
Basic laborers (farmer, brickmaker, stonecutter) may only be placed on terrain spaces that touch the river segment where the Pharaoh's barge is currently located or on terrain spaces that touch river segments where the barge has already been.
Master laborers (master farmer, master brickmaker, master stonecutter) may be placed on terrain spaces anywhere on the map. In the fourth season, when all terrain spaces are allowed for all laborers, a master laborer gains an extra resource when performing a harvest resources action.
To harvest resources, place a laborer on an appropriate terrain space to earn the quantity of available resources noted on that space. Take the resources from the supply and place them behind your screen.
Each terrain space on the map consists of two sections and each section shows a number of resource icons. If there are no monuments on a terrain space, one laborer will occupy both sections and will gather all of the resources noted on the terrain space.
If a monument is on one section of a terrain space, a laborer can occupy the other section and will gather only the resources noted on that section.
If both sections of a terrain space have a monument then no resources are available on that space and a laborer cannot be placed there.
Only one laborer may be on a terrain space, even if that space contains no monuments.
Resources are finite and tokens on the market and labor pool cartouches (see Action 4: Hire an Extra Laborer and Action 5: Trade at the Market) are "in use" and not available in the current season. If the stock for any resource is exhausted then no more of that resource may be harvested until the stock is replenished through game play.
Action 2: Visit a City
Place a laborer of any type or any skill level on any city space on the map to draw two city cards from the deck. Keep one city card for yourself and give the other to an opponent. All city spaces are available throughout the game, regardless of the location of Pharaoh's barge. No more than one laborer may be on a city space.
In a 3, 4, or 5-Governor game, a laborer may be placed on a city space containing a monument and, if that monument belongs to an opponent Governor, that Governor must receive the extra city card. Otherwise, the extra city card is given away as usual.
While you must give away one of the two city cards, the other Governors may find it fruitful to offer bribes (resources, cards, promises) to sway your choice (see chapter 3).
- In a 2-Governor game, you may discard one of the drawn city cards to receive 1 grain token instead of giving it away to your opponent. Of course, your opponent may try to sway your decision by offering a greater-value bribe to obtain the extra card.
Action 3: Start or Join a Caravan
There are 2 caravan spaces on the map and each is composed of two sections. Each section of a caravan space will accommodate one laborer of any type or any skill level. All caravan spaces are available regardless of the location of Pharaoh's barge.
- In a 2 or 3-Governor game, one caravan space is completely blocked.
When you place a laborer on one section of a caravan space, you immediately receive the resources noted on that section. If yours is the first laborer on a caravan space, place your camel token on the space along with your laborer to signify that you are the leader of that caravan. If you are the leader of one caravan you may not lead the other caravan on the opposite side of the river.
If an opponent places a laborer on the open section of a caravan space you are leading, that player takes the noted resources then must pay one of those resources as tribute to you, the caravan leader. If you place the second laborer on a caravan that you lead, you just collect the resources.
No more than one laborer may be placed on each section of a caravan space.
Action 4: Hire an Extra Laborer
To hire a laborer from the labor pool cartouche, pay any two resources (mix or match) to the labor pool cartouche then take a laborer of your choice from the labor pool and place it behind your screen.
Basic laborers and master laborers in the labor pool cost the same.
Resources paid to the labor pool are not available for harvest and remain on the labor pool cartouche until the end of the season.
Action 5: Trade at the Market
To make a trade at the market, pay one of the resource sets noted on a market cartouche to receive the other resource set.
The resources you pay remain on the market cartouche and block any other Governor from using that particular market cartouche for the rest of the current season. These resources are not available for harvest and remain on the market cartouche until the end of the season.
Action 6: Plan a Monument
There are three types of monuments you may plan: obelisks, sphinxes, and pylons. Each monument type has 2 or 3 planning formula cartouches available so that you can make the most efficient use of your resource tokens.
To plan a monument, select one of the planning cartouches, pay the resources shown in the cartouche to the supply, and place your appropriate monument token on the cartouche used. While your monument token is on a planning cartouche no other player may plan a monument on that particular cartouche.
You may have multiple monuments in the planning stage simultaneously, but only one monument may be on any individual planning cartouche.
Unless you have played a 'boon of Horus' card in the current season (see Action 9: Play a Boon Card), you may not withdraw from the current season's actions until you have built all of your planned monuments (see Action 7: Build a Monument, below).
Be sure you pay close attention to the valid locations available on the map while you have a monument in planning; in the event that you are unable to build or hold over a planned monument by the end of any season, you score ZERO points for it and the monument is REMOVED from the game.
Action 7: Build a Monument
Move one of your monument tokens from its planning cartouche to a valid position on the map and score the appropriate glory points as shown on the game board.
The suitability of any particular map position depends on the size of the monument, the production icons on the terrain section, and whether a laborer or other monument is already on that map position.
Each terrain space on the map is made up of two sections and each section may hold 1 monument within certain rules of placement. Each city space may hold only 1 monument.
- The terrain section or city space may not have a laborer on it. Remember that a laborer on a terrain space with no monuments occupies both sections.
- The terrain section or city space may not already have a monument.
- An obelisk may only be placed on a terrain section that shows two resource icons.
- A sphinx may only be placed on a terrain section that shows two or three resource icons.
- A pylon may only be placed on a terrain section that shows three resource icons or on a city space that is not already occupied by a laborer or another monument.
The first Governor to build all of a particular monument type earns an immediate glory point bonus.
- 1 glory point for the first Governor to build all of their obelisks.
- 2 glory points for the first Governor to build all of their sphinxes.
- 2 glory points for the first Governor to build all of their pylons.
Locations on which to build monuments are not limited by the position of Pharaoh's barge; the entire map is open to you when you build a monument. However, building a monument on a terrain section or city space that touches the river segment on which Pharaoh's barge is currently located earns you 1 extra glory point.
Monuments may not be built on a caravan space.
- In a 2-Governor game, when you move your monument off of a planning cartouche, move the placeholder monument onto the planning cartouche that you just vacated.
Action 8: Play a City Card
Every city card has two optional actions. It can be played to receive the resources noted on the upper left side of the card from the supply or it can be played to perform the special action described on the lower half of the card.
A city card may NOT be used for both resources and its special ability.
Once played, a city card is discarded. If you need to draw a card and one is not available, reshuffle the discards to form a new city deck.
Action 9: Play a Boon Card
At the start of the game, each Governor has an identical set of Boon cards. Each Governor may play one boon card each season and the played card may not be the same as any other boon cards already played by opponents in the current season.
Example: In the current season, orange has played 'boon of Bastet' and purple has played 'boon of Horus.' Blue may not play either of those cards in the current season.
Because duplicate boon cards may not be played in the same season, played boon cards are left face-up in front of a Governor's screen for all Governors to see.
At the end of each season, played boon cards are removed from the game.
Action 10: Withdraw from the Season
When you reach a point in a season where you are unable or unwilling to take actions, your final action is to withdraw from play for the remainder of the season. You may NOT simply pass and remain active. Once you withdraw for the season, you may not take any other actions until the next season begins.
The first Governor to withdraw will be the Regent in the next season and receives a bonus from the line of Regent cartouches in the lower right corner of the game board. The Governor places their withdraw token on the selected bonus, and receives that reward immediately. If there are insufficient resources in the supply, take the needed resources from the labor pool and/or market as needed.
The possible bonuses for first to withdraw are:
- 1 glory point + 1 brick
- 1 city card + 1 stone
- 3 stone
- 4 brick
- 5 grain
When other Governors withdraw, their withdraw tokens are placed in front of their Governor screen for all Governors to see.
You may barter and haggle with other Governors (see chapter 3, below) after you withdraw, as long as the object of the transaction does not require you to make a game action in the current season. Also, you may receive city cards from other Governors after you withdraw, but you may not play those cards during the current season.
The season continues, around-and-around, until all Governors withdraw.
Chapter Three: Haggle amongst yourselves to advance your goals
Governors may barter and haggle among themselves at any point in the game and for any items within their control, be they resources, unplaced laborers, city cards, future actions – anything at all.
The act of haggling, itself, does not count as a game action, but any regular game actions that result from the haggling, do count as actions.
The promise of future acts is not enforceable.
Withdrawn Governors may barter, but may not perform any game actions.
Chapter Four: The season ends, the old Regent steps down, a new Regent rises, and Pharaoh's barge sails nearer to the king's glorious tomb
At the end of seasons one, two, and three, when all Governors have withdrawn, a series of tasks are performed to ready the game for the next season.
- Advance Pharaoh's barge to the next river segment.
- Return played camel tokens to their Governors.
- Return all resources on the market and the labor pool to the supply.
- Use a bonus cover token to block the regent bonus taken by the Governor who withdrew first, then return all withdraw tokens to their Governors.
- Return all of the laborers to the draw bag. Be sure any unhired laborers in the labor pool and any unplaced laborers behind Governor screens make it back into the draw bag, too. Laborers MAY NOT be held over from season to season.
- Remove any planned but not-built monuments from the game (unless the Governor played the boon of Horus).
- Remove played boon cards from the game.
The season is now complete. The Governor who withdrew first takes on the role of Regent for the new season. Return to Chapter 1 and play out the next season, unless you just completed season four; in which case, move to Chapter 5.
Chapter Five: Pharaoh's barge reaches the Temple of Osiris and bonus glory is tabulated
Bonus glory points are awarded at the end of the game based on each Governor's success at achieving certain monument configurations during the game.
- Score 2 glory for each set of 3 monuments you built adjacent to each other.
- Score 3 glory for each set of 4 monuments you built on the same river segment.
Each monument in a single set must be unique to that particular bonus configuration, and cannot be used to reapeat the same bonus twice. However, you may use the same set to score two different bonuses.
Example: If you have five monuments adjacent to each other, you only score the 2 glory bonus once because there is only one unique set of 3 adjacent monuments.
After all Governors have added their bonus glory, the Governor with the most glory becomes the new Pharaoh.
If there is a tie, the tied Governor with the most remaining resource tokens is Pharaoh. If the tie persists, the kingdom is divided. One Governor is crowned Pharaoh of the Upper Kingdom and the other becomes Pharaoh of the Lower Kingdom. Play again in an attempt to re-unify the kingdoms.
FAQ
Where do I take tokens from when starting the game?
The starting resources each Governor receives at the beginning of the game come from the supply, not from the unused tokens returned to the box.
How can I gain resources once the supply is depleted?
If you need resources and are unable to acquire them through normal game actions, you are free to negotiate with other Governors to obtain the resources you need.
What happens if I hoard resources?
Resources are finite, so hoarding resources might seem like a good idea. However, since resources are not worth glory points unless you convert them to monuments, it is not usually an effective long-term strategy.
Can I access a city or caravan that is not adjacent to the Pharaoh's barge?
The Pharaoh's barge only controls laborer access to terrain spaces. All city spaces and all caravan spaces are ALWAYS available, regardless of where the barge is located.
Can I access both caravans at the same time?
If you are leading a caravan (i.e. your camel token is already in use) and the caravan on the other side of the river has no laborers on it, you may not place a laborer on that caravan until an opponent has become that caravan's leader.
Some card powers countermand the rulebook. What should I follow?
The text on city cards and boon cards takes precedence over the text in the rulebook. For example, only one monument is allowed on a terrain section, however, the Sculptor card allows you to build an obelisk on a terrain section that already has an obelisk on it.
How does the 'boon of Horus' work?
The 'boon of Horus' allows you to retain a planned monument and build it in the following season, possibly allowing you to score a bonus for building near the barge. However, this means that the card is useless in the fourth season. Don't wait too long to use this boon card!
When should I withdraw from a season?
When you are considering whether or not to withdraw from the season, consider this general rule: if there are still laborers in the labor pool cartouche, it is probably too soon to withdraw. It is easy to forget that laborers can be used in cities and caravans regardless of where the barge is located.
Can I score multiple bonuses on one series of monuments?
Monuments used to score bonus points for "3 adjacent monuments" may also be used to score bonus points for "4 monuments on the same river segment" if appropriate.
Quick Play Guide
1. Draw laborers from the bag and seed the labor pool.
2. Perform one action per Governor. (plus open negotiation if you choose)
- Harvest resources
- Visit a city
- Start or join a caravan
- Hire an extra laborer
- Trade at the market
- Plan a monument
- Build a monument
- Play a city card
- Play a boon card
- Withdraw from the season
Repeat #2 until all Governors have withdrawn.
First to withdraw receives:
- a regent bonus
- the regent token
- goes first next season
3. Perform end-of-season clean-up. (after 1st, 2nd, and 3rd seasons only)
- Advance Pharaoh's barge to the next river segment.
- Return played camels to their Governors.
- Return resource tokens in the labor pool and market to the supply.
- Block the chosen regent bonus and return all withdraw tokens to their Governors.
- Return all laborers and master laborers into the draw bag.
- Remove played boon cards and unbuilt planned monuments from the game.
(Return to #1 at the start of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th seasons)
4. After 4th season, award bonus glory and anoint the new Pharaoh.
- Receive 2 glory for each set of 3 monuments built adjacent to one another.
- Receive 3 glory for each set of 4 monuments built on the same river segment.
- The Governor with the most glory points is the new Pharaoh.
- If tied, the tied Governor with the most resources is the new Pharaoh.