Symphony
Symphony Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Orchestra
Take the board and, in a 2-4 player game, use the side with 25 Instrument seats. Otherwise turn it on the side with 30 seats.
Each rectangular seat is reserved to an Instrument. Except for the seats in the 1st row, every space contains 1 or 2 dots with specific positions and colours. The colour shows the Instrument category that plays better in that space. The Columns are labeled with letters A to E.
In front of the Orchestra there are also 2 black seats reserved to the Conductor and to the Concertmaster; ignore them for now.
Take the Instrument deck and remove the 2 black Instruments and all the Advanced Instruments (the ones with the small dark circle at the bottom left). Only the Basic Instruments are used.
The colour determines the category: Strings are purple, Woodwinds are brown, Brass are yellow, Percussions are green and Soloist instruments are white (besides Choirs, which are blue).
Each Instrument has a half-dot along the edge. When the half-dot of an Instrument matches with the dot of the seat where it is placed (if the seat has 2 dots, only 1 needs to match), the Instrument is said to be well-placed, and in this case the corresponding ability (connected to the dot through a thin white line) is unlocked and can be used (some dots are connected to more abilities).
On the Instruments there are white, grey and black spaces, called Note spaces, on which you place the Note discs: the white spaces are for discs the colour of the player who controls the Instrument, the black spaces are for black discs (that are not of anybody, score no VPs and are placed just to block other players), and the grey spaces are like the white, but they are unlocked by the dot of the Instrument (they can only be used if the Instrument is well-placed).
For now ignore the Clefs appearing in the bottom right corner.
Instrument Abilities
Each Instrument is uniquely identified by the little number within the small circle in the bottom left corner. Examples, one per category:
- The Violin (02) plays 2 Note discs: the +1 with white background means that each note is worth 1 extra VP. The +1 with the gray background means the same, but it is activated only if the Violin is well-placed.
- The Cor Anglais (15) plays 2 Note discs: the bottom right # symbol means that it can play the Sharp-notes on the Music Sheet. The disc on the gray circle can be placed only if the Cor Anglais is well-placed.
- The Harp (37) plays 2 Note discs. The dotted line around the circles means that both discs need to be placed in a single placement (usually you can place just one disc per placement). Sharp/Flat symbols (b/#) show that it can play the Sharp/Flat notes on the Music Sheet, but only if the Harp is well-placed.
- The Trombone (08) plays 1 black Note disc and 1 player colour Note disc: the Overwriting symbol means that the player controlling it can place the Note discs of his or her colour (not the black ones) over another player's Note discs (not over black ones or yours). An overwritten disc (which has already another stacked disc) can't be overwritten again. The third note (player's colour) is enabled only if the Trombone is well-placed.
- The Snare Drum (27) plays 1 black Note disc and 2 player colour Note discs: the Protection symbol means that when the player who controls it places Note discs of his or her colour, they are protected by putting a black disc under them (to prevent them from being overwritten). If the Snare Drum is well-placed, it gains the additional central black Note disc and all of them get the Chaining ability: they can be placed in a single placement but only on adjacent notes; each disc must play the Note just to the right or left of the previous one (chaining is not mandatory and you can even use it partially, on some of the remaining discs).
- The Choir (41) plays 4 Note discs split between 2 distinct Parts (one per player): 1st and 3rd are played by a player, 2nd and 4th by another player. Choirs cards have no dots (they play well anywhere) and are shared by 2 (or more) players. The first Part places its 2 discs protected by a black one and can play Sharp-notes (#). The other Part can overwrite with 2 discs of his or her own colour.
The Clefs of an Instrument (C-clef, F-clef, G-clef) are shown in the lower right corner. At the moment you don't need them.
Instrument Abilities Summary
- Virtuosity: every Note disc placed from this Instrument is worth 1/2 extra VPs.
- Flat: this instrument can place its Note discs on the notes with the Flat symbol (b).
- Sharp: this instrument can place its Note discs on the notes with the Sharp symbol (#).
- Soloist: Note discs inside the dotted line must be placed together, with a single placement. You can stack them in order to cover a Semibreve, or place them on any notes, even not adjacent to each other.
- Overwriting: you can overwrite, that is to place discs of your colour (not black discs) on top of your opponents' Note discs (not above those of your colour or the black ones), but you can't overwrite a disc that's already stacked.
- Black Overwriting: as above, but you are allowed to overwrite only using the black Note discs from the Instrument.
- Protection: non-black Note discs of this Instrument are placed with a black Note disc under them, in order to avoid others' overwriting (if it's not overwriting itself).
- Chaining: Note discs connected by the chains can be placed all together, on adjacent notes. Two chained Note discs can be stacked to occupy a Semibreve (if they are of different colours, the player can always put the black one under the other disc).
Preparing the Orchestra
According to the number of players, find in the last pages of this rulebook the appropriate initial setup: place the suggested Instruments in the seats of the Orchestra, then place on them the discs of the colour as mentioned (including black discs on black Note spaces).
Assign the colours to the players as you prefer: each one takes 6 cubes of his or her own colour and places them on the cyan starting spaces of the Score Tracks on the board: 3 of them are on the lower left and 3 on the lower right. Ignore the 7th Track, isolated in the far right, for now.
Each player places the 2 Scorekeepers (cylinders) of his or her colour down on the Victory Points Tracks, in the middle of the audience (the black seats are for dozens and start from 00, the red ones are for units and start from 0).
The Music Score
Take 3 random Music Sheets and place them next to each other on the side with the white dot in the lower center (Basic Sheet) up. Lay the 3 parts of the Movement Outline at the bottom of each Sheet and join them together.
If it isn't a 5 or 6-player game, cover every blue note with a black Note disc: these notes are active only with many players. If it's a 2-player game, also cover every orange note with a black Note disc.
Each 'row' of the Music Score is called a Voice: place the +3 Circle token left of the 1st Voice (the top one), the +2 one left of the 2nd Voice and the +1 one left of the 3rd Voice. Every time a player plays a (not black) note he or she scores the VPs shown by the Circle token, according to the Voice he or she played on. However, overwriting another Note disc scores 1 VP (in that case the Voice does not matter).
Each 'column' of the Music Score is called a Bar (the Music Score consists of 9 Bars, 3 per Sheet).
Place a +6 Sheet Score token on every Music Sheet (majority award, assigned at the completion of each Sheet: 6 VPs for majority in Note discs on the Sheet).
Place a +3/+6/+9 Voice Score token at the end of the 1st/2nd/3rd Voice (majority awards, assigned at the end of the game: 3/6/9 VPs for majority in Note discs on the Voice).
Sheet complexity (beneath the Movement Outline): a small white circle marks a Basic Sheet, a small black circle an Advanced Sheet.
The Movement Outline shows where each Column can play: i.e. Column D Instruments play on the 3 Bars labeled by the D.
Notes
There are 4 types of notes: Semibreve (without stem), Minim (with an empty head), Crotchet (with a full head) and Quaver (like Crotchet, but with a tail). Except for Semibreve, ignore these distinctions for now. Also ignore the tuplets (duplets, triplets, quadruplets, made up of several notes joined together by a thick bracket).
Each time an Instrument plays, it moves one of its Note discs from a Note space to the Music Score, in order to occupy a note: each move scores VPs.
Semibreves are an exception, because they can only be occupied by 2 stacked Note discs, taken from 2 close but distinct Note spaces (2 discs surrounded by a dotted line or chained), and moved with a single placement. This is the only case where 2 Note discs of the same colour can be stacked (if the 2 discs are of different colours, i.e. one is black and the other one is of the player colour, the black one can be placed above or underneath, but underneath is better).
Also keep an eye on the following Score areas, because you will score end game VPs with them:
a) the 3 Coloured Zones in every Sheet: this majority moves you forward along the related Track. b) notes with b and #, that can be played only by Instruments with the corresponding ability and of which each note moves you forward along the related Track. c) Semibreves, which move you forward along the related Track.
Playing the Symphony
Start with the Instruments in Column A of the Orchestra. First take the 2 Batons and place them vertically on the Music Score, in order to define the Placement Area. Column A plays on 1st and 2nd Bar, as shown in the Movement Outline (the letters under each Bar show which Columns play on the corresponding Bar).
Inside the Column, a Note disc from the lower Instrument is played first, then a Note disc from the Instrument just above it, and so on. Once you reach the top of the Column, you play again a Note disc from the lower Instrument, and so on, until all discs of the whole Column run out. An Instrument on its turn must always play its leftmost Note disc, freeing just a single Note space per placement (except for special abilities, like the dotted line of the Soloist ability or the chains of Chaining). If there are no more notes for a legal placement, just remove 1 Note disc from the Instrument and go to the next one.
Each Note disc shall be placed on one note of the Music Score, inside the Placement Area (Semibreves are exceptions, because they must be occupied by 2 stacked discs), running gradually out of discs on the Instrument. After you place a Note disc, you immediately score 1/2/3 VP(s) depending on the Voice (or 1 VP if you are overwriting) plus any other Instrument VP bonus. On a Semibreve the lower disc scores VPs according to the Voice, the one above 1 VP (it is considered overwriting).
Remember to place one black disc under your colour discs with the Protection ability (to prevent overwriting); discs with the Overwriting ability can be stacked on the others.
Black discs don't score VPs, but can be used to block other players (and are not overwritable).
After all the Instruments in Column A have been played, those from B play, and so on.
Playing Example
Column C is playing, so place Batons at the start and end of the central Music Sheet to define the Placement Area (formed by Bars 4, 5 and 6, with the C label on the bottom). Say this column is made only of 3 Instruments and that they are all well-placed.
Cello (04, purple) plays first and it can play Flat-notes, so it places its first Note disc on the Flat-note of the Orange Zone, on the 1st Voice and scores 4 VPs (3 VPs for the Voice + 1 VP for the Instrument).
Oboe (16, brown) also can play Flat-notes, and it immediately places a disc on the last Flat-note left in the 3rd Voice, scoring 1 VP (for the Voice).
Trumpet (07, yellow) could place 3 chained discs, but now it is not so useful, so it places just 1 Note disc in the Orange Zone, scoring 3 VPs (for the Voice).
As there aren't any other free Flat-notes, Cello places its last Note disc in the Blue Zone, on 2nd Voice, scoring 3 VPs (2 VPs for the Voice + 1 VP for the Virtuosity Instrument ability).
Oboe plays its second red note in the Orange Zone, scoring 3 VPs (for Voice).
Trumpet finally places 2 chained adjacent Note discs: at first the black Note disc on a red disc in the Orange Zone (the Overwriting ability of this Instrument allows it to overwrite only with the black disc), then it places the remaining blue Note disc, chained with the previous one, on an adjacent note immediately outside the Orange Zone, scoring 3 VPs (for the blue disc placement on the 1st Voice).
Note that the black disc could not overwrite the green Note disc in the Orange Zone, because the Trumpet can't play the Flat notes. You never score VPs for black discs (and, anyway, when you overwrite coloured discs you score only 1 VP, regardless of the Voice).
The last Oboe red disc is placed inside the Green Zone, scoring 1 VP (for the Voice).
As there are fewer than 5 players, blue notes were previously covered by black Note discs during the Setup.
When you play, do not forget to score the VPs from the Music Score, including the extra VPs for the purple (Strings) Instruments.
Scoring and Victory
After Columns B, D and E have been played, the Placement Area will overstep the 1st/2nd/3rd Sheet respectively, so these Sheets are completed, even if not every note on them has been occupied, and there is a Midgame Scoring (the symbol on the Movement Outline reminds of this: it is between A and B, between C and D and after the E).
- The player with the most Note discs on a coloured Zone advances 1 step on the corresponding Score Track (in case of a tie all tied players advance; do not count overwritten and black discs).
- Each player advances 1 step on the #, b and Semibreve Tracks, for each note of that type occupied on the just completed Sheet (again, overwritten and black discs don't count). There are 2 #, 2 b and 1 Semibreve on every Sheet, but, in a 2-4-player game, some of them could be disabled (if they are blue/orange and therefore covered by black discs).
- Finally, the player with the most Note discs on the just completed Sheet scores 6 VPs from the Sheet Score token (again, don't count overwritten and black discs). In case of a tie all tied players at first place score 6 VPs.
Example of a Midgame Scoring
At the end of Column D you evaluate the central Sheet (since no more notes can be placed on it).
Green controls 1 Sharp and 2 Flat notes, so he or she advances 1 step on the Sharp Track and 2 steps on the Flat Track. Red doesn't advance on the Flat Track, despite having played on a Flat note, since it has been overwritten by Green. However, Red advances 1 step on the Sharp Track, as it is still in control of one Sharp note.
Blue advances 1 step on the Semibreves Track, 1 step on the Blue Zone Track (tied majority) and 1 step on the Green Zone Track (absolute majority, overwritten discs don't count). Red advances 1 step on the Blue Zone Track (tied majority with Blue). Green advances 1 step on the Orange Zone Track (absolute majority: black and overwritten Note discs don't count), but doesn't advance on the Blue Zone Track (because the disc was overwritten by Blue) or on the Green Zone Track (to advance you need the majority: it is not enough to just have a disc in the Zone).
Finally, you score Note discs in the Sheet except for overwritten ones: Blue has 5, Green has 5, Red has 4. So Blue and Green score 6 VPs each (even though Red placed more Note discs than the others, for a total of 8; the 2 stacked Note discs from Blue count as 1).
Endgame Scoring
At the end of the game, after evaluating the 3rd Sheet, players with the most Note discs in each Voice score respectively 3/6/9 VPs, as shown by the related Voice Score tokens (overwritten and black Note discs don't count). In case of a tie, all the tied players score the VPs.
Finally, every player scores VPs from the 6 Score Tracks, according to the position of his or her cubes (VP awards are shown by the little number on the right in the box).
The player with the most VPs is the winner.
Second Game
Now introduce the (cyan) Musician Bonus: they represent the talent of the Musician who plays the Instrument on which he or she is placed.
During Setup, each player receives 2 random face-down Bonus tokens; then they reveal and keep them face up in front of them. In addition, when you set up the Music Score, place a Bonus token on the head (circlet) of each Minim note (there are 3 per Sheet).
When a player first places a coloured Note disc on a Minim note, he or she takes the Bonus token on it. Black Note discs can't be placed on a note with (still) a Bonus token on it.
When it is up to a given Instrument, its owner can place one of his or her Bonuses on it, right before he or she plays a Note disc. As they are not actually Instruments, you can't place a Musician Bonus on the Choirs (blue cards). Each Instrument can carry only one Musician Bonus.
Every unused Musician Bonus is worth 1 VP at the end of the game.
Musician Bonus
- Prolonged Bonus: the Instrument gains 1 extra disc (your colour or black). If you want, you can put it on a black or grey Note space (but not on one just unlocked). Otherwise, this is the note you have to play now. If the Instrument has the Chaining ability, also the extra disc is chained to the following one.
- Virtuosity Bonus: every Note disc placed by this Instrument is worth 1 extra VP.
- Protection Bonus: the Instrument gains the Protection ability (the Note discs of your colour, not the black ones, are protected, placing a black Note disc under them).
- Chaining Bonus: the Instrument gains the Chaining ability (with a single placement you can place discs from multiple Note spaces on adjacent notes).
- Overwriting Bonus: you can place it only on an Instrument with 2 or less Note discs of your colour left (ignore black ones): the discs of your colour (not black ones) gain the Overwriting ability.
- Flat/Sharp Bonus: the Instrument gains the Flat and the Sharp ability (it can place its discs on the notes with Flat or Sharp symbols).
- Eclectic Bonus: this Instrument counts as well-placed (even though it is in the first row) regardless of the position of the dot.
- Clef Bonus (Family Mode version): you score immediately 2 VPs per Clef (G, C or F-Clef) possessed by this Instrument.
Setup for 2 Players
In a 2 player game, in addition to using the small Orchestra (with 25 seats), cover 5 further Instrument seats, those in the third row, in order to use only 20 Instrument seats. Place the 5 Stage cards (those showing the stage parquet) to entirely cover the 3rd row of the Orchestra.
The printed diagram shows four rows of Instruments (top row first, columns A to E; the diagram does not label which row is covered):
- 35, 23, 26, 24, 35
- 04, 09, 08, 10, 05
- 02, 17, 15, 18, 03
- 02, 10, 38, 16, 03
Setup for 3 Players
- Row 1: 35, 32, 24, 27, 37
- Row 2: 04, 09, 08, 10, 03
- Row 3: 03, 15, 07, 22, 04
- Row 4: 02, 15, 17, 16, 05
- Row 5: 02, 42, 16, 41, 05
Setup for 4 Players
- Row 1: 35, 23, 26, 27, 38
- Row 2: 02, 07, 08, 10, 03
- Row 3: 05, 21, 07, 22, 04
- Row 4: 02, 15, 18, 16, 03
- Row 5: 04, 32, 16, 41, 05
Setup for 5 Players
- Row 1: 38, 32, 24, 27, 35
- Row 2: 35, 23, 07, 28, 37
- Row 3: 02, 09, 08, 10, 03
- Row 4: 05, 21, 07, 22, 04
- Row 5: 02, 15, 16, 16, 05
- Row 6: 04, 18, 17, 08, 10
Setup for 6 Players
- Row 1: 35, 32, 24, 26, 37
- Row 2: 38, 23, 07, 28, 35
- Row 3: 04, 09, 08, 10, 05
- Row 4: 03, 21, 07, 22, 02
- Row 5: 02, 15, 16, 16, 03
- Row 6: 04, 18, 17, 08, 10