The Castles of Burgundy
The Castles of Burgundy Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
It is the 15th Century in Burgundy, Central France. As an influential duke it is your goal to lead your estates to prosperity through strategical expansion and trade.
Roll your dice to reveal your options and find a strategy that will lead you to victory. Whether trading or farming, building or research, many different paths lead to prosperity and prestige. There are many ways to gain victory points in this building game. Choose your strategy wisely! Thanks to the many different duchies, the game offers a lot of variation and remains challenging even for experienced players, since no two games play out alike.
The winner is the player with the most victory points at the end of the game.
Players take on the roles of dukes in 15th century Burgundy.
Over the course of 5 phases, players score victory points through trading, farming, building or scientific research.
The player with the most victory points at the end of the game is the winner.
Game materials
For the base game:
- 164 hex tiles:
- 7x 8 buildings (40 beige, 16 black)
- 7x 4 livestock (20 light green, 8 black)
- 26 monasteries (20 yellow, 6 black)
- 16 castles (14 dark green, 2 black)
- 12 mines (10 gray, 2 black)
- 26 ships (20 blue, 6 black)
- 42 trade goods tiles (square, 7 per color)
- 24 silver coins
- 26 worker chips
- 12 bonus tiles (1 small and 1 large in 6 colors)
- 4 victory point tiles (100/200 points in each of the 4 player colors)
- 8 playing pieces (2 each in the 4 player colors)
- 9 dice (2 each in the 4 player colors, plus 1 white)
- 1 game board (double-sided)
- 16 player boards (4x duchies 1 & 2, 1 each of duchies 3-10)
- 4 overview boards
For the expansions:
- 4 additional hex tiles
- 6 additional duchies (11a-11f): "The Border Posts"
- 9 additional hex tiles: "The White Castles"
- 5 additional hex tiles: "The Inns"
- 12 additional tiles: "The Trade Routes"
- 2x4 additional duchies (12a1 & 12a2 + 12b1 & 12b2): "The Team Game"
- 2 additional duchies (13a + 13b): "The Solo Game"
- 18 tiles: "The Shields"
Game Setup
Lay the game board in the middle of the table.
The 4-player side shows:
- "Victory point table"
- 5 "phase spaces" (A-E)
- 5 "Game round spaces"
- 6 numbered "depots" (1-6), each with four colored hex tile spaces and 1 large space for goods tiles
- 1 central "black depot"
- 1 "bridge" (= turn order track)
- 6 bonus tile spaces
- 1 victory point track (0-100)
The back side shows the game board for the 2* and 3-player game. The only difference is the number of hex tiles per depot, including the black depot. See page 11 for more details
Place the 24 silver coins and 26 worker chips as well as the white die next to the game board.
Divide the 164 hex tiles by the color of their backs and place them in face down piles (where possible) next to the game board.
Shuffle the 42 goods tiles (square tiles) face down. Then divide them into 5 face-down stacks, each consisting of 5 tiles. Place one stack each on one of the 5 phase spaces lettered A through E on the game board. Set aside the remaining 17 tiles in a face-down pile.
Place the 12 bonus tiles on their corresponding spaces on the game board (big tiles stacked on top of small ones).
Each player chooses a color and takes:
- Either a Number 1 or a Number 2 player board, (each player starts with the same number board; for more info about duchies 3-10, see page 16); place it in front of you.
- 1 castle (= dark green hex tile); place it on the dark green number 6 center hex space of your no. 1 (or no. 2) player board.
- 3 random goods tiles from the 17 remaining goods tiles; place them face up on the goods storage spaces in the bottom right of your player board. Stack any same color goods tiles on top of each other. (Put any remaining goods tiles back into the box, they won't be needed for this game.)
- 1 overview board; place it adjacent to the bottom edge of your player board. The overview board illustrates the benefits of placing specific tiles and the amount of victory points you score when completing an area.
- 2 dice in the color of your choice.
- 2 playing pieces; place one of them on the start space of the victory point track (0/100) on the game board.
- 1 silver coin; place it on the according space in the top right of your player board.
- 1 victory point tile (double-sided, 100/200) placed next to your player board.
Roll a die to determine the starting player (highest result wins). That player receives 1 worker and places it on the according space in the top right of their player board. The next player in clockwise turn order receives 2 workers, the third player gets 3, the fourth player gets 4.
The starting player now places his second playing piece on space 1 of the bridge (= turn order track) in the top right of the game board. The other players stack their playing pieces underneath in turn order (last player is on the bottom).
The starting player gets the white die.
Playing the Game (4 players)
The game consists of 5 phases, lettered A to E. Each phase consists of 5 rounds.
Before each phase
At the beginning of each phase, do the following:
- Remove any hex tiles that are still on the game board and put them back into the game box. (Skip this step at the beginning of phase A.) (Note: Don’t remove any goods from the depots!)
- One by one, replenish the hex spaces of the six numbered depots from the face down supply with random hex tiles of the corresponding color. Turn them face up.
- Replenish the eight spaces of the central black depot with random hex tiles with black backs.
- Take the stack of 5 goods from the current phase space and place them face up on the 5 "square round spaces".
THE FIVE GAME ROUNDS
After setting up the new phase, you play 5 rounds. Each round plays the same:
First, each player rolls their two dice. The starting player also rolls the white die. All dice must be visible for all players.
Note: Rolling all dice simultaneously allows players to plan their turn.
The starting player begins the round. First, they place the first face up goods tile from the round spaces on the depot that matches the result of the white die. The white die’s job is done for this round. The starting player may not use it for a game action during their turn (and its result cannot be changed by using a worker!).
Then, the starting player plays their turn. After the starting player’s turn, it’s the turn of the next player in turn order according to the playing pieces on the bridge (closer to the city center, and top to bottom if there is a stack).
When all players have finished their turns, the next round begins, and so on.
Since you start each phase with 5 goods tiles on the round spaces and each round, one of them is placed on a depot, you can always see what round you are in and how many are left during the current phase (and game).
A PLAYER’S TURN
During each of their turns, a player can take two game actions, one for each die. Used dice are placed on the duke’s portrait on the player board.
Worker chips: Workers can be used at any time to change the result of your die. To use a worker, return it to the supply next to the game board. Each worker you use increases or decreases the result by 1. You may use a worker to change the result from 1 to 6 or vice versa. You may use multiple workers to change a result.
Example: By using 2 workers, Anna changes a 2 into a 6, and then takes a hex tile from the 6 depot.
THE GAME ACTIONS
You have one action per die. Each of your 2 die actions per turn can be taken in any combination and order (you can also take the same action twice).
Action "Take hex tile from game board"
The result of your die tells you from which depot you may take one hex tile of your choice. The chosen hex tile is placed on an empty storage space (= the “key spaces”) in the bottom left of your player board (never directly in your duchy!). If you don’t have an empty slot, you must first create space by discarding a hex tile from your board (put it back into the game box). This is usually a bad idea and should be avoided.
Action "Place hex tile in your duchy"
Choose one of your hex tiles in your player board storage (bottom left) and place it on an unused hex space in your duchy that matches the die result and the tile color. You may only place the tile on a space directly adjacent to at least one previously placed tile. The hex tile’s color must always match the color of the hex space.
The very first time you take this action, you must place the tile on one of the six spaces next to your starting castle.
Depending on the hex tile you placed, one of the following will happen immediately after:
Monastery (yellow): There are 26 different monastery tiles. Their advantages are explained in detail on pages 9-11.
Ship (blue): Whenever you place a ship in your duchy, two things happen immediately:
- Choose any depot on the game board and grab all goods tiles from that depot, then place those tiles on your goods storage spaces in the bottom right of your player board.
Important: You can choose any depot! You don’t have to choose the one that matches the result of the die you used to place the ship.
Players may store up to three different types (= colors) of goods on their player board. Tiles of the same color are placed in stacks. Tiles of different colors are placed on different storage spaces. If, due to this restriction, a player is unable to place a goods tile on one of their storage spaces, that tile remains in the depot.
Example: Carla placed a ship. She now takes goods tiles from the depot: the turquoise one (stacking it on top of her other turquoise goods tile) as well as one more (either the pink or the brown one) which she places on her only empty storage space.
- Then, move your playing piece on the bridge forward by one space toward the center of the game board. If that space is already occupied, stack your piece on top of the other pieces. If you are now the next round’s starting player, you receive the white die.
Castle (dark green): Whenever you place a castle tile in your duchy, you immediately take an additional action, just as if you had another die with a result of your choice at your disposal. For example, you could immediately place another hex tile in your duchy, or take 2 worker chips, or …
Mine (gray): Except for a few monastery tiles, mines are the only tiles that have no immediate effect when they are placed. At the end of each phase you get one silver coin from the supply for each mine in your duchy.
Livestock (light green): Whenever you place a livestock tile in your duchy, you immediately score victory points. Each tile shows 2-4 livestocks, that’s the amount of victory points that player scores.
Additionally, if you already have at least one other tile with the same livestock on the same pasture (= a contiguous area of light green hex spaces), you also get victory points for those other tiles (see example below).
Note: Those other livestock tiles do not have to be adjacent to the new tile, they must only be on the same pasture. You don’t get additional victory points for livestocks on a different pasture.
Buildings (beige): Whenever you place a building in your duchy, you immediately – and only once – may use that building’s effect (as pictured by the symbols on the overview board).
Important: Each of the eight building types may be built only once per town (= a continuous area of beige spaces). Depending on duchy, there might be 2-6 towns of various sizes (1-8 spaces).
For example, duchy 1 contains 4 towns: one size 1 and one size 5 town, plus two size 3 towns.
The buildings
Market
When you place a market in your duchy, you may immediately take one ship (blue), or livestock (light green) tile from any of the six depots (except the central black depot!) and place it on an empty key space in the bottom left of your player board.
Carpenter’s Workshop
When you place a carpenter’s workshop in your duchy, you may immediately take a beige building tile from any of the six depots on the game board (except the central black depot!) and place it on an empty key space in the bottom left of your player board.
Church
When you place a church in your duchy, you may immediately take one mine (gray), or monastery (yellow), or castle (dark green) tile from any of the six depots on the game boards (except the central black depot!) and place it on an empty key space in the bottom left of your player board.
Warehouse
When you place a warehouse in your duchy, you may immediately (without having to use a die!) choose a type of goods you own and sell that pile, just as if you would take the “Sell goods” action (see page 9).
Boarding house
When you place a boarding house in your duchy, immediately take 4 worker chips from the supply.
Bank
When you place a bank in your duchy, immediately take 2 silver coins from the supply.
Town hall
When you place a town hall in your duchy, you may immediately place a second hex tile you own of any color. (Placing that tile will trigger that tile’s effect, as usual.)
Watchtower
When you place a watchtower in your duchy, you immediately score 4 victory points.
The following applies to every building you place:
- A building’s additional benefit is triggered by placing it. You don’t need an additional die result or action!
- If a player is unable to use a building’s effect right away (for example, when a player places a market but there is no light green or blue tile in any of the six depots), they may still place that building, but they won’t be able to use the effect later.
- Worker chips and silver coins are not intentionally limited. If you run out of these, please feel free to use substitutes.
Additional rules for placing hex tiles:
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Whenever you take a hex tile from the game board, you must always place it on one of your key spaces in the bottom left of your player board. This also applies if you then go ahead and use your second action to place that tile in your duchy.
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Any tiles that have been placed in a duchy are permanent. They may not be moved or removed or replaced.
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Whenever a player places the final tile of a colored area of any size, that area is considered complete and that player scores twice:
- Depending on its size (1 to 8 spaces), the completed area gains 1-36 victory points, and the player immediately moves forward that many spaces on the victory point track.
- In addition, a completed area gains 10 to 2 additional victory points, depending on the current phase: The empty phase space in the top left of the game board indicating the current phase shows how many additional victory points each completed area (regardless of size!) scores, ranging from 10 in phase A to 2 in the final phase E.
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The first player who manages to completely cover all spaces of one color in their duchy (for example by placing their third mine or sixth monastery) gets to take and immediately score the corresponding large bonus tile from the game board (5 victory points in the 2-player game, 6 in the 3-player game, or 7 in the 4-player game).
The second player who completes that same color in their duchy gets the small bonus tile and scores 2-4 victory points. The third and fourth players get no bonus.
Note: Once a player passes the coat of arms start space on the victory point track (0/100), they place their victory point chip on that space, with the 100 side facing up.
Turn that chip over when you reach that space a second time, after having scored a total of 200 victory points.
Action "Sell Goods"
Another possible use for your die is the sale of a stack of goods of the same type from your goods storage. The die result indicates which type (= color) can be sold. To sell goods, place all goods tiles of that color face down on the sold goods storage space on your player board. You will get:
- exactly one silver coin from the supply, no matter how many tiles you sold (= turned face down), plus
- 2/3/4 victory points for each sold goods tile (depending on the number of players (2-4)).
Note: When taking this action, you must always sell the complete stack of tiles of that type, even if you would rather keep some in reserve.
Action "Take 2 worker chips"
Finally, any player may choose to use any die result to take two workers from the supply. The die result is irrelevant.
The central "black depot"
During your turn, in addition to your two dice actions, you may buy one tile of your choice from the black depot in the center of the game board. This can be done at any time during your turn, i.e. before, during, between or after the two dice actions.
To buy a hex tile, pay 2 silver coins and move that tile from the black depot to an empty hex tile storage space on the bottom left of your player board.
End of a phase
Each phase ends after five rounds. Now, players receive 1 silver coin for every mine they currently have in their duchy. There might also be a few yellow monastery tiles that might have an effect at the end of a phase. Then the next phase begins (see page 3).
End of the Game
The game ends when the fifth phase (phase E) has been completed. Final scoring commences and each player receives a number of additional victory points for their leftover game materials:
- Each unsold goods tile: 1 victory point
- For each silver coin: 1 victory point
- For every two worker chips: 1 victory point
- For each placed yellow monastery tile that gains victory points (see pages 9-11) (Attention: Only check the hex tiles placed in your duchy. Hex tiles in your storage don’t count!)
The player who scored the most victory points is the winner. If there is a tie, the player with the fewest unused hex spaces in their duchy wins the game. If there is still a tie, the player who is farthest behind on the bridge is the winner.
The Monastery Tiles
The game features 26 different yellow tiles. Many of them have continuous effects that change the rules of the game after placing them in a duchy. Others have no effect until final scoring.
- If this tile is in your duchy, you are no longer limited to one building (= beige tile) per type in each of your towns. In other words: You may build more than one building of the same type within a single town.
- If this tile is in your duchy, for each mine you have placed, you get a worker in addition to the silver coin at the end of each phase.
- If this tile is in your duchy, you get 2 silver coins instead of 1 whenever you sell goods (either when taking the die action or when placing a warehouse).
- If this tile is in your duchy, whenever you sell a type of goods (either when taking the dice action or when placing a warehouse), you gain a worker in addition to the silver coin you normally receive.
- If this tile is in your duchy, whenever you place a ship tile, in addition to taking all goods tiles from a depot of your choice, you may also grab all goods tiles from an adjacent depot.
- If this tile is in your duchy, you may spend 2 worker chips instead of 2 silver coins to buy a hex tile from the game board, and you may choose a hex tile from all depots, not just the central black depot. You still may only buy once per turn, and only one hex tile.
- If this tile is in your duchy, whenever you place a livestock tile, in addition to the usual bonus for existing livestocks of the same type in the same pasture, you also gain 1 victory point for each livestock tile that scores at that time. Example: Ben places a 3 sheep tile on the pasture that already contains a 4 sheep tile: He gains (3+1) + (4+1) = 9 victory points. If he places a 2 pig tile, he gets 3 victory points.
- If this tile is in your duchy, whenever you use a worker to change the result of a die, you may add or subtract 2 instead of 1. Example: To change a 3 to a 6, Carla only needs to use 2 workers instead of 3.
- If this tile is in your duchy, whenever you want to place a building (= beige tile) in your duchy, you may change the die result by 1 (just as if you were using a worker).
- If this tile is in your duchy, whenever you want to place a ship or a livestock tile (blue and light green tiles) in your duchy, you may change the die result by 1 (just as if you were using a worker).
- If this tile is in your duchy, whenever you want to place a castle, mine, or monastery tile (dark green, gray, and yellow tiles) in your duchy, you may change the die result by 1 (just as if you were using a worker).
- If this tile is in your duchy, whenever you want to take a hex tile from the game board, you may change the die result by 1 (just as if you were using a worker).
- If this tile is in your duchy, whenever you use the "Take worker chips" action, you get 1 silver coin in addition to the 2 worker chips from the supply. Note: This and the next tile have no effect when placing a Boarding house.
- If this tile is in your duchy, whenever you use the "Take worker chips" action, you get 4 workers instead of the usual 2.
- At the end of the game, if this tile is in your duchy, you gain 2 victory points for each different type of goods you sold at least once during the game. Unsold goods are ignored. Note: You may look at your sold goods pile at any time during the game. Example: Dario has sold the following goods tiles: 4x red, 3x purple, 3x pink and 1x orange. He scores 4 types x 2 = 8 victory points. 16‒23 + 29. At the end of the game, if such a tile is in your duchy, you gain 4 victory points for each building of that type that you placed in your duchy. Example: Ben has placed the yellow #17 (watchtower) and #22 (bank) tiles in their duchy, and also 2 watchtowers and 4 banks: Ben scores (2x4) + (4x4) = 24 victory points.
- At the end of the game, if this tile is in your duchy, you score 4 victory points for each different livestock type that you placed in your duchy. Example: Anna has placed 3 sheep, 1 cow and 1 pig tile in her duchy. At the end of the game she scores 3x4 = 12 victory points.
- At the end of the game, if this tile is in your duchy, you score 1 victory point for each goods tile you sold. Unsold goods are ignored. Example: If Dario had placed this tile as well, he would get 11 additional victory points (see example for tile 15).
- At the end of the game, if this tile is in your duchy, you score 3 victory-points for each large and small bonus tile you own.
For the 2- and 3-player games
… flip the game board. In the 2-player game you only use the inner 12 hex tiles and the 4 central black depot spaces. In the 3-player game you also use the eight "3" spaces.
Expansions
4 additional hex tiles: These are shuffled into the matching piles (black and yellow).
Bridge (monastery/yellow #27)
If this tile is in your duchy, and your turn order piece is in a stack with other pieces, it is always placed on top. This applies both actively and passively (i.e. whenever another piece is moved onto the same space, yours is placed on top).
Workers (monastery/yellow #28)
If this tile is in your duchy, you can buy workers from the supply. 2 workers cost 1 silver coin
Crane (building/black)
When you place a crane in your duchy, you may immediately trigger the effect of any building (beige) you want even if that building is not in you duchy.
For example, you could sell goods (warehouse), or take 2 silver coins (bank), or grab a castle tile from the game board (church), or ...
Additionally, during final scoring at the end of the game, the crane counts as a building of your choice for the corresponding monastery tiles (16-23 + 29). This can be a different one from the one you triggered when placing the crane.
Geese (livestock/black)
When you place the two geese in your duchy, you score 2 victory points, plus victory points for one other type of livestock that is on the same pasture. Later, whenever you place another livestock tile in the same pasture, you score 2 victory points for the geese tile. In addition, geese count as additional type of livestock for monastery tile #24.
Example: Carla places the geese tile on a pasture that already has a 2 and a 3 cow tile. Carla scores 2+2+3 = 7 victory points. During a later turn, she places a 4 pig tile in the same pasture; she scores 4+2 = 6 victory points.
New duchies (nos. 11a - 11f)
If you want to play with these duchies, every player receives a no. 11 duchy. They offer the following special features:
When a player manages to connect two border posts in their duchy with hex tiles, they score victory points according to the current phase (i.e. 10, 8, 6, 4, or 2).
Additionally, whoever first connects all three border posts, they also get to score the usual “color bonus”, i.e. 5, 6, or 7 victory points (for 2-4 players). The runner-up receives 2, 3, or 4 victory points.
The White Castles
At the beginning of the game, all these tiles are mixed into their respective piles (buildings, monasteries or black depot).
When you place a “white castle” in your duchy, immediately take an action using the result of the white die. You are allowed to use workers to change the rolled number. (To avoid confusion, don’t change the actual white die result.)
The Inns
Each phase, place one inn next to the central black depot. Inns are not removed like other hex tiles from the game board each phase. If there is already one or more inn next to the central black depot, stack the new one on top.
Like every other hex tile from the black depot, inns can be bought by paying 2 silver coins, and placed on a key space on the player’s board.
An inn can be placed on any empty hex space on your duchy (according to the regular rules). However, you may only place up to one inn per color area!
The inn itself has no effect, its only function is to complete an area. Important: By placing an inn, you increase the size of that area by 1.
The Trade Routes
Each player receives a number of randomly selected trade route cards (4 players: 3 trade route cards per player, 3 players: 4 cards each, 2 players: 5 cards). Each trade route card has 3 spaces. Place your cards in random order above your player board to form a trade route.
Whenever you sell a stack of goods, instead of placing the sold goods tiles on the player board sold goods storage space, place them one by one and from left to right on the spaces of your trade route. If the color of a tile matches the color of the trade route space, you immediately get the corresponding bonus.
(Once your trade route is full, place any sold tiles on the sold goods tile storage space again.)
The Team Game
Form teams of 2 players, seated next to each other (if possible). All rules of the base game apply, except for the following changes:
GAME SETUP
The section that starts with "each player receives" in the base game rules is changed to:
Each team receives:
- a team board consisting of 2 board halves (12a1 + 12a2) (After you have gained more experience, feel free to try the advanced 12b team board on the other side.)
- a castle; place it on the central dark green 1 hex space. (When using 12b, each team chooses either the 1 or the 6 dark green hex space.)
- three random goods tiles; place them on the corresponding team storage spaces. As usual, stack tiles of the same color on top of each other.
- 3 worker chips (for team A) and 5 worker chips (for team B), plus 2 silver coins per team; place them next to the team board, visible to all players. Additionally, make sure each player receives the 2 dice, 2 playing pieces (victory points and turn order track) and the victory point tile in their color. These are used as usual by the individual players. For round 1, place the turn order track playing pieces according to the following turn order: A1, B1, A2, B2. All subsequent rounds are played according to the playing piece order on the bridge.
PLAYING THE GAME
Use the base game rules, except that each team has 2 shared hex tile storage spaces (down center of the team board), and each player has 2 private hex tile storage spaces.
All resources other than private hex tiles are shared (workers, silver coins, goods, shared hex tiles) and can be used by either team member.
You cannot use your team member’s dice or private hex tiles. Hex tiles may not be moved from one storage to another.
Notes:
- Other than private storage spaces, team members can interact with either half of the team board, not just theirs.
- Because it is possible for an individual player to place more than 6 ships, if your playing piece is on the final space of the bridge and you place a ship, and there is a stack of playing pieces, place your piece on top.
FINAL SCORING
Add up the victory points of both team members. The team with more victory points wins the game. If there is a tie, the team with more empty spaces in their duchy wins the game.
The Solo Game
All rules of the base game apply, except for the following exceptions and additions:
GAME SETUP
You start the game with 1 silver coin, 2 workers and 3 random goods tiles (place them next to your player board). Take a castle tile and place it on any dark green castle space in your duchy (side 13A is for beginning players, side 13B is for advanced players). In the solo game there is no restriction for the number of different types (= colors) of goods that you can collect.
In addition to the dice and playing pieces in your color, you get the white die. Place one of your playing pieces on the start space (0/100) of the victory point track (as "victory point counter") and the other as "target victory point marker" on space 50 of the victory point track. Follow the rules for the 2-player game for the rest of the game setup, so you play with the backside of the board (with 12 + 4 hex tiles each phase).
PLAYING THE GAME
You are playing 25 rounds. At the beginning of each round, throw all 3 dice:
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First, take the topmost goods tile and place it on the depot indicated by the white die.
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Then remove a hex tile from that depot from the game, starting from top to bottom (depots 2, 3, 5, and 6) or left to right (depots 1 and 4) respectively. If a depot is empty, remove a hex tile from the next depot in clockwise order, etc.
Next, perform your 2 dice actions as usual. Scoring works like in the base game, except for the following restrictions and changes:
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You can only expand to other regions via the rivers.
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Whenever you place a ship, take all goods from a depot of your choice, then immediately remove all other goods from all other depots from the game. In addition, you now (and only now!) have the option to exchange any 5 of your goods for a single hex tile from the central black depot (the 5 goods tiles are removed from the game). Place that hex tile face down (= black side up) on one of your three key spaces. A "black hex tile" can be placed on any color space in your duchy, as long as you follow the base game placement rules. Placing a black hex tile helps you to complete a region ( to gain victory points, a color bonus, and eventually for winning the game) but has no other effect (!). For example, a "black mine" won’t generate silver at the end of a phase. Placing a "black ship" doesn’t gain you goods tiles or allow you to pay 5 goods to take a black hex tile.
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Victory points from a monastery tile are added immediately after placing it (instead of at the end of the game). (When you place monastery tile #26, immediately advance your victory point counter by 3 points for each color you have completed so far.)
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You won’t gain a victory point bonus when you complete a color. Instead, choose a hex tile from the black depot and place it directly on your duchy (!), following the base game placement rules, and apply its effects. If placing that hex tile completes another color, you may take an additional hex tile from the black depot (if available) and place it in your duchy, etc.
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Whenever you gain victory points, move your victory point counter that many spaces (just like in the base game). Whenever you do, you may buy additional victory points. Each victory point costs 1 silver coin. When you reach the target victory point marker, place your counter back on the start space (any remaining victory points are lost), then move the target marker down 5 spaces (e.g. from 50 to 45, next time to 40, etc.). Immediately after resetting the victory point counter you may carry out a dice action of your choice (just as if you had added a castle to your duchy).
Note: You choose the order in which you take any (partial) game actions.
END OF THE GAME
You win the game if you managed to fill all 37 hex spaces of your duchy within 25 rounds.
If you find it too difficult to win, start the game with the target victory point marker on less than 50: 49, 48 … 45 (much easier!). If the game is too easy, do the opposite: 51, 52 … 55 (much more difficult!). You still reduce the number of victory points by 5 whenever you reset the counter.
The Shields
All rules of the base game apply, except for the following exceptions and additions:
GAME SETUP
Shuffle the 18 shields face down. Randomly place them on the goods spaces of the six depots on the game board based on the number of players (below). Once placed turn them face up.
| 2 players: | 3 players: | 4 players: |
|---|---|---|
| 1 shield per depot | 1 shield each in depots 1, 3, and 5; | 2 shields per depot |
| 2 shields each in depots 2, 4, and 6 |
Any remaining shields are not needed. Put them back into the game box. This also means that any shields collected from a depot won’t be replaced!
PLAYING THE GAME
Whenever you roll doubles, instead of taking your 2 game actions, you may take a shield from the depot with the rolled number. That shield must be placed on one of your castle tiles in your duchy. Either place it on a tile that doesn’t have a shield yet or replace an existing shield (the old one is removed completely from the game). From this moment, the shield is active for you (see below).
As usual, you may use workers to change the result of your dice to create a double. For example, you can pay 2 workers to change a 3 into a 5 to get two 5s.
Important! At the end of each phase, before receiving silver from your mines, you must pay tribute for your shields! Each shield costs 1 silver. If you cannot or don't want to pay, you must remove that many shields from the game!
List of shield abilities:
- As long as this shield is in your duchy, all pasture spaces count as connected, as if there was just one pasture in your duchy. Accordingly, livestock will gain many more victory points. At the end of the game, if this shield is in your duchy, you score 12 additional victory points.
- As long as this shield is in your duchy, whenever another player gets a worker, you also get a worker from the supply. (+12 victory points.)
- As long as this shield is in your duchy, you may pay tribute for your shields with workers instead of silver at the end of each phase. Any combination of silver and workers is allowed. (+12 victory points.)
- As long as this shield is in your duchy, you have an unlimited number of hex tile storage spaces in your duchy (instead of just three). (+12 victory points.)
- As long as this shield is in your duchy, whenever you place a ship, you may choose a type of goods. Take all additionally goods tiles of that type from all six depots. (+12 victory points.)
- After taking the shield, at any point in the game, choose one player. Any monastery tiles in that player’s duchy count as if they were in your own duchy. When that player places a new monastery tile, you also gain those benefits. You also gain points from any monastery scoring tiles that player may have if you have this shield still at the end of the game. (+12 victory points.)
- As long as this shield is in your duchy, your bonus tiles score double. (+8 victory points.)
- As long as this shield is in your duchy, double the pay out of your mines. (+8 victory points.)
- As long as this shield is in your duchy, you gain 1 silver for each goods tile you sell (instead of 1 silver for only each type of goods tile). (+8 victory points.)
- If this shield is in your duchy during final scoring, your victory point monastery tiles score double. (+8 victory points.)
- As long as this shield is in your duchy, whenever you place a castle you have the option of grabbing a shield as your additional action. (+8 victory points.)
- As long as this shield is in your duchy, double the amount of victory points you get for each goods tile you sell. (+8 victory points.)
- If this shield is in your duchy during final scoring, double the amount of victory points you get for each shield in your duchy (including this one). (+4 victory points.)
- As long as this shield is in your duchy, at the end of each phase, after all players have finished their two actions, take a hex tile from any of the six depots (if there are any left). Place it directly in your duchy and apply its effect(s). (+4 victory points.)
- As long as this shield is in your duchy, at the end of each phase, after all players have finished their two actions, take a hex tile from the black depot (if there are any left). Place it directly in your duchy and apply its effect(s). (+4 victory points.)
- As long as this shield is in your duchy, you may change on your turn the result of one of your dice to any number (and use it accordingly). (+4 victory points.)
- As long as this shield is in your duchy, whenever you complete an area, you score according to the next larger area (for example, a size 3 area (6 victory points) scores as 4-size area (10 victory points)). (+4 victory points.)
- As long as this shield is in your duchy, you are allowed to place hex tiles on any space in your duchy, not only adjacent to a previously placed tile. (+4 victory points.)
IF YOU ARE ALREADY VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE GAME
... we suggest the following change to the game setup: After all other preparations have been made and the player order has been determined, each player receives a random duchy. Each player chooses a side (front or back) and on which dark green hex space they place their starting castle. Players should all agree on whether this decision is made simultaneously or in turn order.