Clans of Caledonia

In the past, some folks from my clan were successful merchants known as the “Tobacco Lords” in Glasgow. They made a tidy profit by importing tobacco from the United States and then selling it to mainland Europe. That’s where Buchanan Street in Glasgow got its name – after a wealthy Tobacco Lord named Andrew Buchanan, who owned the land where the street was built.

Let me tell you something cool about what I have. I’ve got an extra Export box, which means I can score one or two Export contracts in a single turn. Now, if I score just one Export contract per turn, I have to pay the usual cost for that round. But here’s the trick – if I manage to get two Export contracts in one go (either from the action “Obtain an Export contract” or from a Building bonus), I only have to pay the cost once instead of twice. Sweet deal, right?

If you have the Building bonus, you get to draw six Export contracts instead of three, and you can choose between 0 and 2 contracts. When you take the Export contract action, you have the option to fulfill up to two contracts per turn.

During the first round, if you manage to obtain two Export contracts in a single turn, you will only receive the +?5 bonus once. However, each turn in which you obtain an Export contract will still grant you the ?5. This means that even if you haven’t fulfilled the first contract yet, you can still gain ?5 by obtaining an additional contract in another turn.

When it comes to strategy, it’s more cost-effective for you to take two Export contracts in one turn during later rounds. Therefore, it’s recommended to focus on smaller Export contracts and fulfill most of them in the last two rounds.

Now, let’s talk about the Clan Campbell.

Colen Campbell was an innovative architect and writer from Scotland who is credited with being one of the founders of the Georgian architectural style.

This clan excels in constructing factories for processed goods and becomes even better with each new one they build.

The first factory of each type is ?3 cheaper, the second and third factory of each type is ?4 cheaper, and the fourth factory of one kind is ?5 cheaper. This encourages the clan to specialize in producing a large quantity of processed goods.

Strategy: Focus on producing a significant amount of one type of processed good that is in high demand for export contracts. Selling your processed goods can also be a lucrative source of income.

The Cunningham Clan

Did you know that Cunninghame is a part of Ayrshire, a fertile region in Scotland known for its agriculture? The name comes from the Gaelic word for milk pail and the Old English word for village.

You can make butter from milk. When the Production phase ends, you have the option to get rid of any Milk tokens in your possession without relying on merchants. For each Milk token you discard, you earn ?8. No need to worry about the Milk price.

Here’s a strategy: Focus on producing as much Milk as you can and buy some if the price is low. It’s best to avoid making Cheese since it uses up your valuable Milk!

Introducing Clan Fergusson

Clan Fergusson was spread all over Scotland, which was quite unusual. They went from Ross-shire in the north to Dumfriesshire in the south.

Putting down initial Workers: You begin with three starting Workers (which you still have to pay for). In addition, in a 3-4 player game, you get a free 2-loch Shipping level (1-loch Shipping in a 1-2 player game).

You place your third Worker after everyone else has placed theirs. All three starting Workers must be placed on border spaces of the active map. You still have to pay for all three workers and the land costs.

Strategy: Make the most of your Shipping reach and Port bonus tiles!

Clan Macdonald

I am a member of Clan MacDonald, one of the largest Scottish clans from the Inner Hebrides, a collection of islands off the western coast of mainland Scotland. Our motto is “by sea and by land,” symbolizing our strength and versatility.

When you play as Clan MacDonald, you place your Clan tile on top of the Miner/Woodcutter area of your Player board. However, you cannot perform the Technology upgrade action, so your Technology area will remain empty.

As a member of Clan MacDonald, I possess three unique abilities:

1. You can use all of your Workers as Woodcutters, Miners, or Fishermen. Each Worker costs ?6 and generates ?4 income. Fishermen can be placed on any empty loch spaces and Port bonus tiles, even in a 1-2 player game. There are no land costs for loch placements. Adjacent Fishermen are not allowed to prevent resource depletion.
2. Once per turn, you have the option to move a Fisherman to a neighboring loch space by rowing. This action can only be taken before your main Action.
3. In 1-2 player games, you will start with the ability to cross rivers for free.

When it comes to expanding my territory in the game, I need to make sure I have the right Shipping reach. This means being able to move across loch spaces and reach land spaces that are adjacent to Fishermen. These adjacent land spaces are considered neighboring, so I can expand into them even without any Shipping reach. It’s like having a shortcut!

But that’s not all. I can also take advantage of the Neighbourhood bonus when deploying a Fisherman. This bonus allows me to expand even further and claim more territory. However, the Neighbourhood bonus doesn’t apply when I’m rowing. I have to rely on my rowing ability to increase my reach and score points for my Settlement. It’s all about strategy!

Clan Mackenzie

In 1867, Clan MacKenzie made a wise investment and purchased the Dalmore Distillery, one of the oldest and most esteemed distilleries in the entire country of Scotland. Today, this distillery continues to thrive and is renowned for its exceptionally exquisite whiskies.

During the Production phase, you earn ?3 for each unit of Whisky that you produce. This is because the whisky that comes out of this distillery is truly exceptional, and people are willing to pay top dollar for it. The best part? You don’t have to throw away any of the Whisky that you produce. Instead, you get to keep it all and make some money in the process!

But that’s not all. As a proud owner of this distillery, you also have the luxury of owning a cellar. During each Production phase, the barrels of Whisky that are already in your cellar continue to age and move one spot to the right. The Whisky barrel that starts the Production phase in the rightmost position of the cellar is transferred into your stockpile. The great thing is that you have the flexibility to move any of the barrels from the cellar to your stockpile whenever you want. And here’s the real beauty of it – when you move an aged Whisky barrel out of the cellar and into your stockpile, you earn either ?7 or ?15, depending on the barrel.

When the Production phase comes to an end, I can take one freshly-produced Whisky barrel and place it in the cellar on the left spot. This will allow the Whisky to age and develop flavor in the subsequent Production phases. It’s important to note that, for Scoring tile #2, Whisky in the cellar does count towards the score.

Here’s a strategy tip: If the price of Whisky is medium or high, selling it will give you a good amount of money to reinvest. However, when the Whisky price drops, it’s better to let the Whisky age in the cellar or export it.

Introducing Clan Robertson

Let me tell you about Clan Robertson, one of Scotland’s oldest clans. Their clan district, called ‘Struan,’ sits at the meeting point of the Errochty Water and Garry rivers. The name ‘Struan’ comes from the Gaelic word ‘Sruthan,’ which means ‘streams.’

When you place a unit in a river delta, a space next to a river flowing into a loch, you’ll save ?3 on the total cost. In games with 1-2 players, the discount is ?2. This discount also applies when you place your first two Workers.

Here’s a strategy: It’s best to start near river deltas and expand into those spaces as much as possible. If you slaughter livestock on river deltas, you’ll have more opportunities to expand on them.

Now, let’s talk about Clan Stewart.

I’m part of Clan Stewart, a powerful Highland clan known for producing monarchs like Mary Stuart and Queen Anne.

When you join Clan Stewart, you get some great perks. First, you start with three extra Merchants, giving you a total of five. Plus, you get to cross rivers for free. That’s a big advantage for shipping your goods around.

But the benefits don’t stop there. Whenever you make a trade at the Market, you earn ?1. That’s right, every time you trade, you get some extra money. Even if you’re trading a bunch of different goods in one turn, you’ll still earn ?1 for each type of good. So, the more you trade, the more money you make.

Here’s a tip: Instead of trying to collect all kinds of goods, just grab a ?1 coin each time you visit the Market. It’s an easier way to earn some extra cash.

Now, let’s talk strategy: If you want to maximize your profits, focus on getting that +?1 bonus at the Market as often as you can. By selling and buying small amounts of each type of good, you can produce a little bit of everything. That way, you’ll always have goods to sell and keep your money flowing.