Western Empires: The Special Buildings Expansion
Western Empires: The Special Buildings Expansion Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 18 Miniatures, one for each special building historically associated with a civilization (see the list at the end of this rulebook)
- 1 double-sided Special Buildings board
Set Up the Game
There is one unique, historically associated building for each civilization. Select all special buildings, or any preferred number, at least including the buildings associated with the civilizations used in the game, and place them on the Special Buildings board. These buildings are considered to be in the general supply during the game. Put the rest of the miniatures back in the box.
Definitions
Region
The civilization's regions are shown in the region division images in the basic rulebooks (Chapter 5). It does not mean the total of areas currently occupied by the player.
To Own a Special Building
A player may only construct a special building within their own region. A player is always considered to own the building located in their region, regardless of whether or not they control the building.
To Control a Special Building
A player who has a city or token majority in any area on the board containing a special building is considered to control that building and may use its benefits. Players may control more than 1 building this way, but cannot own more than 1 building. If there are no player units or there is no player token majority in an area with a special building it is not controlled by any player.
To Sacrifice a Special Building
When a player chooses to sacrifice a special building for any effect, it is removed from the board and set aside and is no longer owned or controlled by the player.
Rules
Constructing a Special Building
During the Civilization Advances acquisition phase, in the same transaction as acquiring Civilization Advances, each player may choose to acquire 1 special building, provided that there is a building available in the general supply, there is not already a building located in their own region and that they have at least one city within their own region.
The cost of a special building depends on the era on the A.S.T. in which the succession marker of the constructing player is situated:
- Early/Middle Bronze Age: 30 trade points
- Late Bronze Age: 40 trade points
- Early/Late Iron Age: 50 trade points
Acquiring a special building this way is done as if it was a Civilization Advance. When doing so, a player may choose any special building currently available in the general supply; this is not restricted to the building historically associated with the player's civilization. Special buildings sacrificed in the current turn are set aside and are not available this turn.
Order of Choosing a Special Building
The Civilization Advances acquisition phase is resolved in on A.S.T.-Progress order as described in the basic rulebook (page 9).
Players may decide to take their action before their turn, however, any player may insist that the exact order is respected if this could impact their decisions in choosing which building they acquire. This may result in players to reconsider their choice of a specific building, but does not revert their decision whether or not to acquire a building.
Placing a Special Building
The acquired building is placed in the player's starting location, provided that this area contains one of their cities. Otherwise the player must place it in any area within their own region that contains one of their cities.
Special Buildings on the Board
Once built, special buildings remain on the board in the area where they were constructed. Areas with a special building can be attacked by other players or The Barbarians, selected during calamity resolution or selected for special abilities as any other area, following the normal rules.
If a tax revolt, successful city attack, calamity effect or the special ability of a Civilization Advance would result in annexation, destruction or reduction of a city with a special building, the building remains on the board in the same area. Control over a special building can be lost or taken over this way if a player loses a city or token majority in the area.
If a player prematurely leaves the game, the special building owned by the leaving player is set aside and available for all players at the beginning of the next turn.
Benefits of a Special Building
1. Tax Collection Bonus
During the Tax Collection phase, players collect tax for each special building they control as if it were a city, applying the same tax rate. If this results in a tax revolt, cities must be selected for annexation. Cities in an area with a special building can be selected, but a building itself will not revolt. If a city with a special building is annexed this way, any tokens in the area are also annexed.
2. Population Bonus
Cities with a special building can support 1 additional token during checks for surplus population, following similar rules as Public Works. Both effects are cumulative and may result in the support of 2 additional tokens in this area this way.
If the area contains no city and has a population limit of 1 or 2 as printed on the board, the population limit is increased by 1, following similar rules as Agriculture. Both effects are cumulative and may result in the support of 2 additional tokens in this area this way.
The benefit of supporting an additional token, either in a city or for increasing the population limit, counts irrespective of ownership of the special building. The Barbarians do not benefit from the population bonus of special buildings.
3. Calamity Reducing Effects
During the Calamity Resolution phase, a player who owns a special building and controls it may sacrifice that building to reduce impact of a single calamity (either as a primary or a secondary victim) as described below. Only 1 option can be chosen each time.
- Prevent up to 10 damage.
- Prevent the reduction of up to 2 cities.
- Prevent the effect of Regression for 1 step.
This does not prevent annexation of units, directed destruction of a city, city reduction as a consequence of insufficient city support, or barbarian attacks.
The calamity reducing effect is cumulative to any reducing or aggravation effects from Civilization Advances held by the player.
If a calamity or a special ability destroys or annexes a city in an area with a special building, any tokens in the area are also destroyed or annexed this way.
4. Trade Points Bonus
During the Civilization Advances Acquisition phase, a player may choose to sacrifice any number of special buildings they control to use as a substitute for 1 commodity card each when turning in an incomplete set of commodity cards. Each building sacrificed this way counts for 1 commodity this way. This effect may be applied in addition to the effect of Trade Empire.
- 4x Resin + Special Building = 175 Trade Points
- 3x Resin + 2x Special Building = 175 Trade Points
(The rulesheet shows these two examples as pictures; the text above is the printed caption.)
Players cannot acquire a special building and sacrifice it for this effect in the same turn.
Sacrificed buildings are set aside and are only returned to the general supply during the A.S.T.-Alteration phase.
During phase 13b (Return Trade Cards to Stacks) of the A.S.T.-Alteration phase, all special buildings that were set aside in this turn are returned to the general supply. They are available for acquisition in the next turn.
Example (see image in the rulesheet)
- Joel plays Hellas, Rob plays Hatti and Linda plays Minoa.
- Joel (Hellas), owns and controls the Parthenon. Joel is awarded 2 Victory Points for owning a special building, 1 Victory Point for controlling 1 special building, plus 2 additional Victory Points for controlling the one building historically associated with his civilization. Joel is awarded 5 Victory Points in total.
- Rob (Hatti), owns the Hattusan City Walls, but does not control it as the city of Hattusa was annexed by Minoa during the resolution of Treachery. Rob is awarded 2 Victory Points in total.
- Linda (Minoa), owns the Great Palace but does not control it as the city where it is located (Knossos) was destroyed. However, Linda does control the Hattusan City Walls in the region of Hatti. Linda is awarded 2 Victory Points for owning a special building and 1 Victory Point for controlling 1 special building. She is awarded 3 Victory Points in total.
- If Joel and Linda would have had equal Victory Points, Joel would be the winner over Linda, because Linda owns but does not control The Great Palace.
5. Victory Points
During Victory Determination, players are granted the following bonus Victory Points:
- 2 Victory Points if they own a special building.
- 1 Victory Point for each special building they control.
- 2 (additional) Victory Points if they control the special building historically associated with their civilization.
If during Victory Determination two or more players have the same number of Victory Points, the following tiebreakers take priority over any tiebreaker in the rulebook:
- I. The player owns and controls the building associated with their civilization.
- II. The player owns a special building.
Special Buildings by Civilization
Each miniature represents a special building historically associated with one civilization in the game.
| Civilization | Special Building |
|---|---|
| Minoa | The Great Palace |
| Saba | The Mahram Bilqis |
| Assyria | The Ziggurat of Dur-Sharrukin |
| Maurya | The Ashokan Pillar |
| Celt | Stonehenge |
| Babylon | The Giant Ziggurat |
| Dravidia | The Shore Temple of Mamallapuram |
| Carthage | The Great Harbor |
| Hatti | The Hattusan City Walls |
| Kushan | The Bhamala Stupa |
| Rome | The Colosseum |
| Persia |