The Castles of Tuscany
The Castles of Tuscany Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Overview
The players take the role of Tuscan nobles. In 3 rounds, they develop and expand their regions. Scoring takes place after each round. The player with the most victory points at the end is the winner.
Game Components
- 1 scoring board
- 120 hexagon tiles. The tiles backs are in 4 player colors. The fronts are listed below per player:
- 4x villages (orange)
- 4x agriculture (light green)
- 3x wagons (beige)
- 3x monasteries (yellow)
- 3x quarries (gray)
- 2x cities (red)
- 1x inn (blue)
- 1x fort (dark green)
- 1x starting castles (dark green, double-sided)
- 32x neutral beige backed tiles: (4 of each of above types)
- 25 square tiles: 5x each: +1 Resource card, +1 storage space, +1 marble, +1 worker, +1 Yield card
- 150 cards:
- 122x Region cards
- 27x Yield cards
- 1x starting player card
- 12 Region boards - 4x of each A, B and C
- 4 player boards (one per player)
- 42 wooden pieces:
- 12 marble (orange)
- 12 workers (blue)
- 10 hexagons (white)
- 8 player counters (2 of each color)
- 8 color bonus tiles
- 4 victory point markers (one per player)
If you are reading this manual for the first time, you can ignore the bold text in the margins. Those instructions serve as a quick reference for players who are already familiar with the rules and want a refresher to get back into the game quickly.
Game Setup
Play Area Setup
Assemble the scoring board and place it in the center of the play area.
Shuffle the 122 Region cards and place them in an easily accessible draw pile.
Shuffle the 27 Yield cards and place them in an easily accessible draw pile.
Sort the 25 square bonus tiles and set them in piles by type.
The 8 color bonus tiles are placed next to each other with the "1" side face up.
Place the 12 blocks of marble, 12 workers, and 10 blue hexagons near the scoring board.
Mix the 32 neutral hexagon tiles (beige-colored back) and set them face down in small stacks.
Each player
- 1 player board.
- All 22 hexagon tiles of their chosen color (back). Set the double-sided starting castle aside and mix the other 21 tiles face down. Now make 3 facedown stacks of 7 tiles each and place them on the three fields (1. / 2. / 3.) on the top of your player board.
- Both counters of the same color: Place the thinner marker on the 50 square of the inner scoring bar (red); the thicker one on the 50 field of the outer scoring bar (green).
- The 50/100 victory point marker of their chosen color.
Continue Setup in this order
Each player draws five Region cards from the draw pile, which they pick up so that the others cannot see them.
Note:
- All players should try and do the next two steps at the same time and without looking at their opponents.
- If there are fewer than 4 players, the unused pieces of the boards and player hexagon tiles, counters and markers are put back into the box.
Each player receives 3 random Region boards, one of each A, B and C. They are placed next to each other in any order and orientation, long edge to long edge. The boards cannot be offset by more than one hexagon up or down (see image). This is the Region for each player.
Each player then places their starting castle on any of the three dark green hexes on their Region board.
The youngest player becomes the starting player and receives the starting player tile that he places in front of him for the rest of the game.
The starting player takes any square bonus tile and places it to the right of the corresponding icon on their player board. All other players do this in turn, with no further restrictions. Anyone who has taken the bonus card +1 storage space also immediately advances his marker on the green scoring track by 2 spaces.
Finally, eight of the neutral hexagon tiles (beige-colored backs) are uncovered and laid out in two rows of four next to each other in the middle of the table.
The Player Board
Each player has a player board. It contains the following information:
- The three areas for your stacks of hex tiles (3 stacks of 7), labeled 1., 2. and 3.
- The victory points awarded for completing a zone on your Region board. Victory points earned by completing a zone are counted on the green scoring track.
- On the left side is a reference of the rewards given for placing each type of hex tile in your Region.
- On the right side are places to put bonus items and tiles.
Players may have more than one of any bonus tile type. The limit to bonus tiles is the number of tiles in the game. For example, if you have 3 +1 resource cards, you may take 5 cards on your turn, when you are drawing cards (2 from the standard action (see Draw Region Card) and 3 from your bonus tiles).
Player board spaces and bonus tiles
Draw Region Card: Players normally draw two Region cards. For each +1 Region card bonus tile placed next to their board they draw an additional card on their turn. This effect does not count when playing a Monastery hex tile (see "Monastery").
- +1 Region card: draw one extra card when you draw cards.
Hex Storage Space: Place an acquired hex tile in this location after choosing it and before placing it on your Region board. For each +1 storage space bonus tile, you can place an additional hex tile here before placing it on your Region board.
- +1 Storage Space: you can store an extra hex tile.
Marble Storage Space: Place marble tokens earned on this space. For each +1 marble bonus tile you also gain the bonus amount.
- +1 Marble: gain +1 marble when you gain marble.
Using Marble: Once per turn, a player may put a marble token back into the supply and take any action. The player can also duplicate an action just taken. For example, a player first draws new cards, then gives up a marble token and again draws new cards.
Worker Storage Space: Place worker tokens earned on this space. For each +1 worker bonus tile you also gain the bonus amount.
- +1 Worker: gain +1 worker when you gain workers.
Using a Worker: A worker counts as one of the two required playing cards when placing hex tiles on your Region board. If you use two workers, you can play a hex tile without using cards. Once used, place the worker back into the supply.
- Example: Anne uses a worker (replacing a red city Region card) and two light green cards, and then places a city tile on a red space on her Region board.
Draw Yield Card: Players normally draw one Yield card. For each +1 Yield card bonus they draw an additional Yield card and take its reward/bonus as well.
- +1 Yield Card: draw an additional Yield card when you draw Yield cards.
Note: Marble, workers, and blue hexagons are not limited. In the unlikely event that they run out, replace them with other tokens.
Playing the Game
The game runs over three rounds. At the end of each round there is a scoring phase. After the third scoring phase there is a quick final scoring to end the game. The player with the highest score after the final scoring wins the game.
Once the starting player has taken their turn, play proceeds clockwise.
Game Summary
Players continue around the table taking their actions (see Playing the Game).
The first round ends at the end of the turn when any player has removed all the hex tiles from the left most stack on their player board (see Take A Tile for how the round ends). Then play proceeds to scoring (see Scoring). Once scoring is over, the second round begins. Players do not empty their hex tile stacks after a round.
The second round ends at the end of the turn when any player has removed all the hex tiles from their middle stack (Stack 2) of their player board. Then play proceeds to scoring (see Scoring).
When a player has removed all their tiles in the right stack of their player board (Stack 3), each player is granted one more turn. Then the third round ends. Play then proceeds to scoring (see Scoring).
Player Actions
When it is your turn, you choose one of three options:
- Draw Region cards
- Take a tile
- Place a tile
Draw Region Cards
Take two Region cards from the draw pile into your hand. There is no hand card limit.
If the draw pile is empty, all discarded cards are shuffled and placed as a new face-down draw pile.
Take A Tile
Take any of the eight face-up hex tiles from the middle of the table and place it on the storage space of your player board. If your storage space is not free, first remove the tile there from the game (put it back into the box) and then place the newly chosen one on your player board. (Tip: This should be avoided if possible!)
After placing the hex tile on your player board, replace the missing tile in the middle of the table with one from your own stack. Take the top hex tile from the left most stack of hex tiles on your player board and place it face up in the middle of the table. If this is the last tile of this stack (the 7th one), the player must announce it and the round continues until the end of that turn. Then the game enters the scoring phase (see Scoring).
Players still must always take a tile from their left most stack, so you may end up playing stack 1 tiles during round 2. The only way to empty a stack is by playing hex tiles to the center.
Attention! When placing your hex tile to replace the one just taken, and it is the 5th tile of the same color, the game is halted. The five tiles of the same color are removed and placed face up next to the neutral hex tiles (beige back). Five new tiles from the neutral hex tiles are revealed and placed in the middle of the table. Continue until there are not 5 of the same type to choose from.
Place A Tile
Place a hex tile from your game board on to your Region board, following these rules:
- To place a hex tile, the player must discard two Region cards in the color of the tile that they are placing. Two other cards of the same color can replace one of the required cards (3 cards in total). This applies to two pairs of different colors, which then replace both required cards (4 cards in total).
- It must be connected to a previously played hex tile on your Region board. The first hex tile you play must be placed next to your own starting castle.
- It may only be placed in a zone on your Region board that matches the color of the hex tile you wish to place. For example, a village (orange hex) can only be played on an orange hex zone.
Hex Tile Scoring
Immediately after playing the hex tile, you need to check for victory points and effects. First, check whether a color area (a zone of like colored hexes in your Region board) has been completed. If this is the case, the player immediately receives victory points along the green track as follows:
- 1 VP for a one hex zone
- 3 VP for a two hex zone
- 6 VP for a three hex zone
Example: Ben discards two yellow cards and places his monastery on a yellow field. Since this is the second occupied field out of three connected yellow fields, he does not receive any victory points. Only when he places the third monastery in this zone he will receive 6 victory points.
Color bonus scoring tiles: When a player covers all zones of one color in their Region with hex tiles, they gain victory points along the green scoring track equal to the number shown on the bonus tile. Once scored, if the number showing on the bonus tile is a 1, the player flips the tile over so that it shows a 2. Once a player scores the 2nd place for that color, the tile is removed from the game. (Whoever is the first to occupy all spaces of one color receives the bonus indicated on the tile.)
Hex Tiles
Placing a tile awards a player a game effect based on the type of tile it is.
Castle (Dark Green)
Placing a castle hex (not counting the starting castle), allows you to take any of the eight tiles from the middle of the table and, following the placement rules, put it directly on your Region board without playing cards. Placing this new hex tile grants you the effect of the new tile as well.
City (Red)
Placing a city hex allows you to take any square tile and place it next to your board. If all five tiles of one type have been taken, you must take another type.
Inn (Blue)
Placing an inn allows you to take a blue wooden hexagon from the supply and place it on the hex staging area of your player board. In any future turn, you can place this hexagon on any colored space on your region board. You must play two cards of the same color for the space you want the tile to be when it appears in your Region board, using all the rules for tile placement (see Place A Tile). This "wild" hexagon counts towards victory points and any effects of the color hex tile it is representing. If a wooden hexagon is placed on a light green field, it is considered an additional type of agriculture, so it always scores!
Example: Clara discards two red and one light green card and places her wooden hexagon on a light green, agriculture space. Regardless of the other types already in this area, she receives one victory point (see below).
Important: There are more ways to gain a wooden hexagon. If a player receives a wooden hexagon and does not have any storage space for it, the player does not take the wooden hexagon and instead receives two victory points on the red scoring track.
Agriculture (Light Green)
Placing an agriculture tile allows you to collect victory points based on the types of agriculture in that zone. You gain one victory point on the green scoring track per agriculture type not in that area.
Note: Some hex tiles show two different agriculture types and may score you 2 victory points. The types of agriculture are: Olives, Grapes, Wheat and Livestock.
Example: Dan discards two light green cards and places his light green tile "Olives / Grapes" on a square in a light green zone. Another tile with Grapes is already there. Dan only gets 1 VP for the new tile (Olives).
Quarry (Gray)
Placing a quarry tile allows you to take a marble block from the supply and put it on your player board where the marble image is located.
Village (Orange)
Placing a village allows you to take a worker token from the supply and put it on your player board where the worker image is located.
Monastery (Yellow)
Placing a monastery allows you to take three Region cards from the draw pile in your hand. The +1 Region card tile bonus does not apply.
Wagon (Beige)
Placing a wagon allows you to draw a Yield card. You reveal that card and gain the reward shown. Discard the Yield card. If there are no more cards in the Yield deck, shuffle the discard pile and create a new Yield deck.
Scoring
When a round ends (see Take A Tile), the points each player has earned on the green scoring track are transferred to the red scoring track. Do not reset the green scoring track! As soon as you reach or exceed 50 on the red track, place your marker with 50 on the lion's head. If you reach 100 or more victory points, turn that marker over to the 100 side.
Example: After the first round, Anna's counter has 17 victory points on the green track. These 17 victory points are now transferred to the red scoring track. She was already at 4 on the red scoring track, so her red scoring track is at 21 and her green scoring track remains at 17. After the second round, she is at 32 points on the green scoring track and now at 23 on the red scoring track. Transferring her points, she is now at 55 victory points on the red scoring track and 32 on the green scoring track.
Game End
After the third scoring round, the following count as 1 victory point for you on the red scoring track: Each of your unplaced hex tiles, wooden hexagons, marble, and workers. Additionally you gain 1 victory point for every 3 cards in your hand.
Whoever has the most victory points on the red scoring track after the final scoring is the winner. Resolve ties as follows: the tied player with the most empty spaces on their Region board wins; if the players are still tied, the tied player with the fewest VP on the green scoring track wins; if the players are still tied, the tied player with the fewest remaining Region cards wins.
Credits
© 2019 Stefan Feld | © 2020 Ravensburger. Graphic Design: Antje Stephan. Illustration: Claus Stephan.