Serica: Plains of Dust Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• The 5 Types of Game Cards
• Setup
• Anatomy of the Game Cards
• Play
  • Phase 1: Production
  • Phase 2: Buy/Build/Defend
  • Phase 3: Trade
  • Phase 4: Discard
• Game End
• Co-Op Rules
• Index of Card Abilities
• Player Aid Sheet

Overview

Win: Players gain Victory Points (VP) by sending trade caravans across the Silk Road Trade Map and buying/building cards on their side of the Map. The game ends when one player builds 10 cards. At that point the player with the most victory points is the winner.

Needed to Play:

• The deck of 54 cards (53 game cards and 1 Player Aid card).
• The game board showing the Silk Road map.
• 15 eurocubes in each of 6 colors (blue, red, yellow, green, white, purple) to represent the Trade Goods, plus 1 additional red and yellow eurocube for the Victory Point track.
• 15 gray/black eurocubes to represent Artisans.
• 3 pawns each in red and yellow to represent the Trade Caravans.

The 5 Types of Game Cards

Citizen (red cards): Allow a player to draw extra cards to their tableau or help with production. These cards can be bought from the Crossroads with a mix of trade goods.

Trade (gold cards): Allow a player to ship extra goods and gain victory points throughout the game. These cards can be bought from the Crossroads with a mix of trade goods.

Military (blue cards): Allow a player to gain defensive military strength to defeat Enemy cards and protect Trade Caravans. These cards can be bought from the Crossroads with Roman Empire trade goods.

Court (white cards): Affect card costs and choices in the Crossroads. These cards can be bought from the Crossroads with Han Dynasty trade goods.

Enemy (brown cards): These cards attack Trade Caravans and can be defeated only with a strong military defense along the trade routes. Successfully defeating Enemy cards will gain bonus rewards for players.

Setup

Decide who will be the Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire and place the Silk Road Trade Map between both players. This map allows players to track their Trade Caravans across the Silk Road through Asia. It also designates areas for players to build fields of cards in the game to gain Victory Points.

Map key (as printed on the board):

• Supply: area to place Trade Goods purchased from those the other player has shipped.
• Areas to place Trade Goods during game phases.
• Victory Point score track.
• Designated areas for building cards in fields.
• Trade Route track.
• Shipment: area to place Trade Goods not yet purchased from those the other player has shipped.

These areas also list costs to produce each trade good type as well as victory point values for each type.

Next, place the 3 red and yellow pawns next to each corresponding player. These will be used in the game to track players' Trade Caravans as they are sent across Asia along the Silk Road.

Place a yellow and a red marker near the beginning space on the Victory Point track.

Next, give players the following starting cards:

• Roman Empire Player: 1 Guard, 1 Warehouse, 1 Soldier, 1 Artisan.
• Han Dynasty Player: 1 Guard, 1 Warehouse, 1 Oasis, 1 Artisan.

From the remaining deck of cards, each player now draws 2 random cards and adds them to their starting cards. If an Enemy card is drawn, it is shuffled back into the deck and a new card is drawn. Players will then shuffle their 6 cards placing them face down as their individual player deck. Deal 4 of these cards face up as a Player's Empire.

Place all remaining cards face down as a draw pile and deal 4 of these cards face up between both players, this tableau is referred to as the Crossroads.

Players decide who will go first.

See the next page for an example setup diagram. (The rulebook's page 3 example game setup diagram shows the Silk Road Trade Map between the two players, the Han Dynasty (yellow) and Roman Empire (red) player fields and empires, the trade goods and artisan markers, the Crossroads, and each player's draw and discard piles.)

Anatomy of the Game Cards

Cards in Serica have a series of icons designating different values in the game.

• Card Stacking Level: Cards must be adjacent in the same field, built out in increasing numerical order, and in a matching color of the same type, for additional stacked victory points.
• Victory Point Value: Victory points are only gained once a card is built to a player's field.
• Stacked Victory Point Value: Additional victory points gained when a card is correctly stacked in a player's field.
• Defensive Strength: Once cards are built to a player's field they gain defensive strength to ward off attacks by Enemy cards in the Crossroads.
• Build Cost in Artisans.
• Buy Cost in Trade Goods: A series of trade goods types are listed. Players may use any of these to buy this card from the Crossroads. This icon is always matched with 2 numbers designating how many of each type and how many different types of goods will be needed. Examples: 2/2 = 2 trade goods each of 2 different types; 1/2 = 1 trade good each of 2 different types; 1/4 = 1 trade good of each of 4 different types.
• Card Ability: These abilities work only while the card is in a Player's Empire. Once a card is built to a player's field the ability is no longer available.
• Enemy Ability: The ability is applied during Phase 3 as long as the card is in the Crossroads.
• Enemy Strength Value: A player's Defensive Strength must be equal to or greater than this number to defeat this card.
• Enemy Victory Point Value: Victory points gained after defeating this card in the Crossroads.

Play

Each round of the game consists of 4 phases. Each player will complete all phases in turn. Player 1 going first, followed by Player 2.

Note: Card abilities in a Player's Empire may be used at any time during phases 1-3, and all card abilities are cumulative. However, each card ability may be used only once during a round.

Phase 1: Production

During Phase 1, the active player has 8 Production Points (PP) to spend. Production points are used to produce trade goods and hire artisans, which are in turn used to buy cards, build cards and send Trade Caravans across the Silk Road for VP.

A player may spend their production points to only buy trade goods of a player's own type.

The Roman Empire's Trade Goods and Cost:

• Glassware: cost - 1 production point per trade good
• Wine: cost - 2 production points per trade good
• Gold: cost - 3 production points per trade good

The Han Dynasty's Trade Goods and Cost:

• Spices: cost - 1 production point per trade good
• Porcelain: cost - 2 production points per trade good
• Silk: cost - 3 production points per trade good

Both players may hire Artisans at a cost of 1 production point per artisan.

If trade goods have been successfully shipped by the other player across the Trade Map, these trade goods are available to the current player at a cost of 1 PP for each opposing player's trade good.

Example 1: Player 1 (Han Dynasty) uses 8 production points to take the following: 2 Spice Trade Goods (2PP), 1 Porcelain Trade Good (2PP) and 4 Artisans (4PP) = 8PP.

Example 2: Player 2 (Roman Empire) uses 8 production points to take the following: 1 Glassware Trade Good (1PP), and 6 Artisans (6PP) = 7PP, and then pays 1 PP to purchase 1 (Han Dynasty) Silk Trade Good previously shipped by Player 1 = 8PP.

Place all trade goods and artisans next to your Player Empire as your supply.

Phase 2: Buy/Build/Defend

The active player may now do any of the following 3 actions. Actions must, however, be in the following order:

A. Buy: Buy one or more cards from the Crossroads by discarding the correct number and type of trade goods listed on the card, from the player's supply. After buying a card, the player places this card on their discard pile next to their Player Empire (unless a card ability in a Player's Empire states otherwise), and replaces the card just purchased with a new card from the Crossroads draw pile. If there are no more cards in the Crossroads draw pile, cards cannot be replaced.

B. Build: Build one or more cards from your Player Empire by discarding the correct number of artisans equal to the build cost as listed on the card. Place this card in one of the 4 fields located to the left or right of the Silk Road Trade Map as designated by the player's color (Note: a player may only build cards to their side of the Trade Map). Built cards gain victory points for the player. Add these victory points to the player's total on the Victory Point Track. Built cards no longer have their card abilities available to the player; they are now worth only victory points and, in some cases, defensive strength.

Players may not switch cards in any field once built, nor may they build a card more than 3 cards in distance out from the Silk Road Trade Map.

Cards in fields do not have to match in name, type or color. Cards must be adjacent in the same field, built out in increasing numerical order, and in a matching color of the same type, for additional stacked victory points.

C. Defend: Defeat one Enemy card from the Crossroads if the total defensive strength in your player field is equal to or greater than the Enemy card's strength. Remove the Enemy card from the game and replace the empty space with a new card from the Crossroads draw pile. Gain any victory points and awards as listed on the Enemy card.

Stacking Examples:

Example 1: The Encampment card is a Level 1 card and the Outpost Card is a Level 2 card. Both cards have been correctly stacked adjacent to each other, matching card types, and built in ascending order outward. Building the Outpost card gains 3VP for the card and a 1VP Stacking Bonus for the Roman Empire player. (Diagram: cards must stack outward in ascending order from the border of the Silk Road Trade Map.)

Example 2: The Oasis card is a Level 1 card and the City Card is a Level 2 card. These cards have been incorrectly stacked for additional VP. While card types match, they were not built in ascending order outward. Building the Oasis card gains 1VP for building the card but no bonus stacking VP for the Roman Empire player. (Diagram: cards not stacked outward in ascending order from the border of the Silk Road Trade Map.)

In the above diagram the Roman Empire player currently has a total score of: Encampment (1VP) + Outpost (3VP) + Stacking Bonus (1VP) + Warehouse (1VP) + City (2VP) + Oasis (1VP) = 9VP.

Phase 3: Trade

Any Enemy abilities are now applied for any Enemy cards in the Crossroads (even if the player chooses not to do anything in Phase 3). These may result in the loss of Trade Goods or entire Trade Caravans. Trade Goods have the following values when determining which to lose: Gold and Silk (3), Wine and Porcelain (2), Glassware and Spices (1). If a player must lose an entire Trade Caravan, they may choose which to remove.

The active player may now do only one of the following:

A. Begin a new Trade Caravan: A player may ship up to 4 trade goods at any one time in a single Trade Caravan. They may ship fewer if they choose to. The Guard can add an additional Trade Caravan and the Warehouse and Trading Post cards can add extra trade goods to an existing Trade Caravan. Players may only ship trade goods of their own type (i.e. Glassware, Wine and Gold for the Roman Empire; Spices, Porcelain and Silk for the Han Dynasty).

Players may only begin 1 Trade Caravan during any one round. Players may have no more than 3 Trade Caravans in total crossing the Silk Road Trade Map at the same time during the game.

Place the trade goods being shipped in the large Trade Good circle located nearest to that player's side of the Trade Map to keep track of them during shipping. There are 3 trade routes in total. A player should place new Trade Caravans and trade goods in numerical order.

Then place a matching colored Trade Caravan Pawn on the smaller, numbered circle directly adjacent to the Trade Good area.

B. Move Trade Caravans: A player may move all of their Trade Caravan pawns one space towards the opposing player. (Note: Each Trader card in your Player Empire allows Trade Caravans to move one additional space during this phase).

Moving forward 1 space along the Silk Road Trade Map.

If a player has successfully moved a Trade Caravan all 4 spaces on the Trade Map they add 2VP for a successful Trade Caravan and victory points equal to the worth of each good to their total: Gold and Silk (3VP), Wine and Porcelain (2VP), Glassware and Spices (1VP).

Return the Trade Caravan pawn to your supply.

Example: The Han Dynasty player has successfully moved their Trade Caravan to the Roman Empire over the course of 3 rounds.

In this example the Han Dynasty player would receive 10VP: Spices (1VP), Porcelain (2x2VP=4VP), Silk (3VP) + 2VP for a successful Trade Caravan.

Successfully shipped Trade Goods are placed near the Roman Empire player's supply and may be purchased by them in Phase 1 by paying 1 PP per trade good purchased.

Phase 4: Discard

The active player must now discard all cards from their Player Empire to their discard pile and deal out 4 new cards from their draw pile to their Player Empire. If there are not enough cards left to draw from, shuffle the discard pile and create a new draw pile. If there are still not enough cards to deal out 4 new cards the player will not have 4 cards in their Player Empire in the next round.

Any Crossroads cards that have been discarded (not those that have been defeated during Phase 2) should be shuffled back into the Crossroads draw deck. The player may keep any Trade Goods and Artisans they have in their Supply.

It is now the next player's turn to complete all 4 phases.

Note: a player may choose not to do anything in Phases 1, 2 and 3 if they wish. Players must, however, always complete Phase 4.

After both players complete all 4 phases the round is over and a new round begins.

Game End

The game ends immediately after a player has built 10 cards to their respective fields. The player with the most victory points at game end is the winner.

Co-Op Rules

Serica can be played as a cooperative game. To win, both players must build at least 5 cards of the following types to their respective Stack areas:

• The Roman Empire player must build at least 5 Court Cards.
• The Han Dynasty player must build at least 5 Military Cards.

before all the cards in the Crossroads draw pile is exhausted. Cards in the Crossroads itself do not count towards this end condition. Once the last card has been drawn from the Crossroads draw pile the game ends.

If players are successful they win cooperatively. Players should total their combined Victory Points for a shared score. If they are not successful the bandits and barbarian tribes win and the Silk Road is no longer considered a profitable means of trading goods.

In subsequent games players may try and beat their combined high score.

In the co-operative version of the game, Trade Caravans become very important. Trading goods allows players more opportunities to build the Court and Military cards.

Index of Card Abilities

All card abilities are cumulative in a Player's Empire. Each card ability may be used once during Phases 1-3 in a round.

Citizen Cards

• Artisan: Add 1 Artisan during Phase 1.
• Laborer: Add one additional production point when producing trade goods during Phase 1.
• Scholar: Draw 1 card to your Player Empire at any time during Phases 1-3.
• Settler: Draw 2 cards to your Player Empire at any time during Phases 1-3 or build 1 card from the Crossroads at its Artisan cost without first buying it.
• Smith: 1 Artisan equals 1 Trade Good when buying 1 card from the Crossroads. A player may use as many Artisans as needed but may only use them to substitute for 1 Trade Good type.

Trade Cards

• Guard: Add 1 VP to your total VP or you may begin an additional Trade Caravan during Phase 3.
• Marketplace: Each built Warehouse card in your field is worth +1VP to your current total VP.
• Merchant: Buy 1 card from the Crossroads at reduced cost. Cost equals 1/2 of the total Trade Goods types needed (rounded down) (ex. a card costing 2/3 will now cost 2/1, a card costing 1/4 will now cost 1/2).
• Trader: Move all Trade Caravans during Phase 3 one additional space. Each additional Trader card is cumulative.
• Trading Post: Add 1 extra Trade Good to an existing Trade Caravan, if you have one or swap 1 Trade Good in one caravan with 1 from your supply.
• Warehouse: You may ship 1 extra Trade Good during Phase 3 when starting a new Trade Caravan for each Warehouse card showing in your Player Empire.

Military Cards

• Encampment: Add +2 to your current Defense Strength for the round.
• Fort: 1 less trade good is lost during all enemy attacks in Phase 3. The player may choose which. This ability has no effect when the Chieftain attacks.
• General: If your total Defense Strength is greater than your opponent's you may view the top 3 cards on the other player's draw pile, choosing 1 of these to place on your discard pile. Place the remaining 2 cards back in any order on your opponent's draw pile.
• Governor: Rearrange up to 2 cards in two of your player fields. Cards do not have to be adjacent or in the same field.
• Outpost: All Enemy Strengths are reduced by 1 for the round.
• Soldier: Add +1 to your current Defense Strength for the round.

Court Cards

• Ambassador: Choose the top card on either player's discard pile and place it on top of your draw pile.
• Capitol: Discard 2 cards of the player's choice from the Crossroads and replace with 2 new cards from the draw deck. Enemy cards may be discarded in this manner.
• City: Swap 1 card from the Crossroads with 1 card currently showing in your Player's Empire.
• Diplomat: Discard 1 card of the player's choice from the Crossroads and replace with 1 new card from the draw deck. Enemy cards may be discarded in this manner.
• Envoy: Copy the ability of any 1 non-Enemy card in the Crossroads.
• Oasis: The cost to buy 1 Court Card from the Crossroads is reduced by one Trade Good type (ex. a card costing 2/2 will now cost 2/1). If the Trade Goods are reduced to zero, the card may be taken for free.

Enemy Cards

• Bandit: Remove 1 Trade Good from one existing Trade Caravan of the most valuable type currently being shipped. If you defeat this card in Phase 2 you may, as a bonus, add 1 Trade Good to your supply (either Glassware or Spices) or add 1 Trade Good, depending on which empire is yours, (Glassware - Roman Empire or Spices - Han Dynasty) to an existing Trade Caravan.
• Chieftain: Remove 1 Trade Caravan, player choice. If you defeat this card during Phase 2 you may, as a bonus, build 1 card from the Crossroads to your field without paying any Artisan cost or first buying the card with Trade Goods.
• Pirate: Remove 2 Trade Goods from one existing Trade Caravan of the least valuable type currently being shipped. If you defeat this card in Phase 2 you may, as a bonus, add 2 Trade Goods to your supply (either Wine or Porcelain) or add 2 Trade Goods, depending on which empire is yours, (Wine - Roman Empire or Porcelain - Han Dynasty) to an existing Trade Caravan.

Player Aid Sheet

The printed player aid sheet summarizes the turn sequence and icons:

• Phase 1: Production. Types of trade goods [production point needed]. Roman Empire trade goods: Glassware [1], Wine [2], Gold [3]. Han Dynasty trade goods: Spices [1], Porcelain [2], Silk [3]. Artisans [1].
• Phase 2A: Buy. Trade goods needed to buy a card from the Crossroads are shown as a number needed and the types needed. Examples: 2/2 = 2 trade goods each of 2 different types; 2/1 = 2 trade goods of one type; 1/2 = 1 trade good each of 2 different types; 1/3 = 1 trade good each of 3 different types; 1/4 = 1 trade good of each of 4 different types.
• Phase 2B: Build. Artisans needed to build a card in the player's field.
• Stacking level, Victory Point value, and Stacked Victory Point value are shown on each card.
• Phase 2C: Defend. Strength value of a card.
• Phase 3: Trade.
• Phase 4: Discard.

Note: The credits, copyright statement, and designer's afterword printed on the final pages of the rulebook have been omitted from this transcription.