Exploring the Elements of the Fields of Arle Game

If you’re a fan of board games, you might have come across a fascinating title called Fields of Arle. This game is known for its rich gameplay experience and intricate mechanics. Today, I want to take you on a journey to discover the various elements that make this game truly special.

The Game Board

Let’s start with the game board itself. When you open the box, you’ll be greeted by a beautiful board that depicts the countryside of Arle. This board is divided into different regions, each offering unique opportunities and challenges.

The board is not just a static piece of cardboard; it’s a dynamic playground where you’ll make strategic decisions and chart your path to success. You’ll navigate through forests, pastures, and moorlands, each with its own characteristics and resources to leverage.

The Worker Placement Mechanic

Now, let’s dive into the heart of the gameplay – the worker placement mechanic. In Fields of Arle, you’ll have a set number of workers at your disposal. These workers act as your agents in the game, carrying out various tasks and actions on your behalf.

Your workers are your key to success. You’ll place them on different action spaces on the board to perform tasks such as clearing land, harvesting resources, or constructing buildings. Every decision you make with your workers has consequences, so choose wisely!

The Buildings

Buildings in Fields of Arle are more than just structures; they are the backbone of your progress. These buildings offer various benefits, from providing income and resources to unlocking new actions and abilities.

As you progress through the game, you’ll have the opportunity to construct buildings that suit your strategy. Whether it’s a bakery to produce delicious bread or a sawmill to process wood, each building contributes to your overall success.

The Time Mechanic

Fields of Arle introduces a unique time mechanic that adds a layer of complexity to the gameplay. Each round represents one week in the life of your farm, and you’ll have a limited number of weeks to achieve your objectives.

Managing your time effectively becomes crucial as you need to balance your actions with the passing weeks. The changing seasons and the availability of certain resources further challenge your decision-making skills.

The Solo Mode

If you’re playing solo, Fields of Arle offers a dedicated solo mode that provides a satisfying and challenging experience. The game comes with an AI opponent that mimics the actions of a human player, keeping you engaged and immersed in the game.

The solo mode is carefully designed to provide a balanced and enjoyable experience. You’ll face tough decisions and strategic dilemmas as you compete against the AI opponent. Can you outsmart the AI and become the master of Arle?

Conclusion

Fields of Arle is a captivating game that offers a deep and immersive experience. From the beautiful game board to the strategic worker placement mechanics, every element of the game is intricately designed to keep you engaged.

So, if you’re ready to embark on a journey through the fields of Arle, grab your workers and get ready for an unforgettable gaming experience!

When you play the game, you will need a special board called the Home Board. But that’s not all! You also get another board called the Travel Destinations and Barn Storage Board. This board is for storing your Travel Destinations and your Barn.

Now, let’s talk about the Travel Destinations. These are special cards that show different places you can visit. Each player will have their own set of Travel Destinations in their own color.

So, here’s what you need to do. Take your set of Travel Destinations and place them on the spaces on your Storage Board that match their types. For example, if you have a Travel Destination card for a beach, you would place it on the space labeled “Beach” on your Storage Board. Easy, right?

Now, let’s talk about the Barn. Your Barn appears below your Travel Destinations on your Storage Board. Right now, it’s empty. But don’t worry, you will fill it up as you play the game.

• First, you’ll receive an Overview Sheet that shows you all the actions in the game.
• Next, you’ll each get 4 Wood, 4 Clay, and 3 Peat. Keep them by your Home Board. There’s a reminder of the amounts on the Overview Sheet.
• Now, organize the rest of the Building Materials. Separate the “Wood/Timber” and “Clay/Brick” tiles. Also, put the wooden “Animal” and “Peat” tokens close by.
• You won’t need the Scoring Pad until the game is over.

Time to Begin

The moment has arrived for us to embark on our journey. We’re diving into a topic that holds a great deal of significance. Today, I want to discuss something that has both positive and negative aspects – it can be truly remarkable, yet incredibly perplexing. Are you ready? Let’s dive in and explore the concept of “Getting Started”.

When I say “Getting Started”, what comes to mind? It could be the initial steps of a project, the starting point of a new adventure, or the beginning of a fresh chapter in life. These moments are so full of potential and promise, but they can also leave us feeling overwhelmed and uncertain. It’s a balance, a tightrope we must walk to find success.

Now, let’s take a moment to consider the importance of “Getting Started”. It’s the foundation upon which everything else is built. Without those first steps, we cannot make progress and achieve our goals. As the saying goes, “Every journey begins with a single step”. It’s that initial leap that sets everything in motion.

But how do we know where to start? How can we ensure we are making the right choices? The answer lies in understanding ourselves and our desires. We must delve into our passions, our strengths, and our values. By doing so, we can align our actions with our true selves. This authenticity will guide us in choosing the right path forward.

When it comes to “Getting Started”, it’s crucial to remember that mistakes are inevitable. They are not signs of failure, but rather opportunities for growth and learning. Every misstep brings us closer to success. It’s okay to stumble and fall as long as we get back up, brush ourselves off, and keep moving forward. Embrace the unknown and the uncertainty, for that is where true growth lies.

So, my friend, if you are ready to embark on a new journey, remember this – “Getting Started” is not just about taking the first step. It’s about the courage to begin, the resilience to face challenges, and the determination to persevere. It may be daunting, but it is also a thrilling adventure waiting to unfold. So take a deep breath, gather your strength, and let’s get started together. The possibilities are endless, and the future is within your grasp.

Imagine yourself in a game where you get to create and manage your own village. It’s a fun and engaging experience that allows you to take care of not only your village but also the surrounding area. Let me show you what your goals are in this game. Take a look at the illustration below. It showcases the different achievements you can aim for, with the wind roses indicating the number of Victory Points you earn for each action. Keep an eye out for the yellow wind roses, as they represent extra Victory Points.

To make sure you have more fields, pastures, and building land, add a dike to your home board. Otherwise, you’ll lose points if you don’t finish this in time.

You can also earn victory points by building buildings. Each building has a set number of victory points.

Another way to earn victory points is by breeding animals in stalls and stables. At the end of the game, stalls are worth 2 victory points and stables are worth 6. Animals themselves are also worth victory points. Animals can either live in stalls and stables or graze outdoors. I’ll explain this in more detail below.

It’s important to have a similar number of animals of each type by the end of the game. This way, each animal will be worth 1 victory point. So make sure to manage your animals accordingly.

Imagine having an empty land space, also known as a pasture, where you can keep up to 2 stalls or 3 stables filled with animals of the same type. It’s like having your own little farm!

If you prefer something more versatile, you can have a park that can hold up to 2 animals of any type. And if that’s not enough, you also have 5 dikes where you can keep 1 animal of any type each.

Now let me tell you about your travel experience track. The more villages and towns you provide with goods, the more points you’ll earn. So make sure to distribute your goods wisely!

And here’s a cool trick for you: dehydrate the moor to cut peat. Once you remove the last peat token from a moor tile, you can start cultivating that section by removing the tile from your home board. But remember, until you do that, you’ll lose points for it.

Hey there! Did you know that linen, woolen, and leather are all made from different resources? Pretty cool, right? And here’s a fun fact: each of these upgraded goods is actually worth 1 Victory Point. Impressive, huh? But wait, there’s more! You can use these goods to craft clothing and double their value. Talk about a neat trick!

Now, let’s talk about wood, timber, clay, and bricks. These resources are represented by some nifty cardboard tokens. Oh, and did you know that the upgraded goods, timber and bricks, can actually snag you some Victory Points? Pretty sweet if you ask me. And let’s not forget about peat, which is represented by wooden tokens. Gotta love those tokens!

If you want to amp up your income of grain and flax, then plowing fields is the way to go. It’s like giving your crops a little boost, you know? So go ahead and plow away!

Oh, and speaking of upgrades, forests are worth 2 Victory Points. But here’s the cool part: you can actually turn them into fancy parks that are worth a whopping 6 Victory Points. Now that’s what I call an upgrade!

Now, some goods are represented by tiles, while others are tracked on your Goods Track using Goods Indicators. Food, grain, hides, flax, and wool all fall into this category. So keep an eye on that track to make sure you’re on top of your goods game!

Did you know that there is a limit to the number of goods you can have? The Goods Track determines how many of each type of good you can have, with a maximum of 15 pieces for each. However, there is an exception for Food, which is represented by 2 Goods Indicators. This means you can have up to 30 Food items.

When the game is over, you will earn Victory Points based on the number of each type of good you have. The wind rose symbols on the Goods Track indicate the required quantity for each type. If you turn one of your Stalls into a Depot, you can double the Victory Points you earn for your goods.

In addition to goods, you can also build Plows, Peat Boats, and other Vehicles. These equipment pieces are stored in your Barn and they are worth Victory Points at the end of the game.

Keep in mind that your Barn has limited space, so you need to manage your storage wisely.

In the game, the Game Board keeps track of the number of Tools you have. It’s also important to note that Tools are worth Victory Points.

Your Home Board

When the game starts, you have 2 empty Land Spaces on your Home Board. The rest of the Land Spaces are covered with tiles during setup.

You can use these spaces to construct Fields, Stalls, Buildings, and Forests. Just above the Land Spaces is your Dike Line, which consists of 3 Dike tiles arranged in a row. Beyond the Dike Line is the Tidal Flat Area.

You can’t build on the Tidal Flat Area because it’s flooded by the tide. However, as the game progresses, you have the opportunity to dike the Tidal Flat Spaces, reclaim land, and unlock more Land Spaces for construction.

So here’s what you need to do: you’re going to take those Dike tiles and move them up, little by little. And as you do that, something pretty cool is going to happen. The Dike Line, which is the border between the Tidal Flat Area and the Mainland, is going to start moving up too.

If you want more Land Spaces, there’s another way you can get them – by cutting peat. You can find peat in the Moor beneath your developed Land Spaces. As you play the game, you can flip the Moor Tiles over to reveal that they’re dehydrated.

Once you’ve done that, you can start cutting peat from the tile until it’s completely removed. Once the peat is gone, the tile will become cultivated and the Moor Tile will be taken off your Home Board.

After that, you’ll have access to either one or two new Land Spaces. If you want to know all the specific rules about land reclamation, you can check page 9.

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Welcome to Your Home Board

Your Home Board is like a canvas that you’ll use to create your own little world. It’s divided into two parts: the Tidal Flat Area and the Mainland.

The Mainland

When you start the game, you’ll have two empty spaces on the Mainland. These spaces are waiting for you to bring them to life by adding different types of tiles, such as fields, forests, stalls, and buildings. But don’t worry, there are already four spaces that are already filled with tiles, giving you a head start.

About Dike Building

Hey there! Let’s talk about building dikes in the game. When we start, we have 9 potential land spaces in the Tidal Flat Area. The Dike Line marks the boundary between this area and the Mainland.

You get 5 Dike tiles, and each tile fits between two spaces that are on top of each other. When you use the “+1 Dike” action, you can move a Dike tile from the bottom and put it between two spaces above it (check out the images below). Sometimes, you can move more than one tile at a time.

Here’s the cool part – whenever you create a new horizontal line with 3 Dike tiles, you unlock 3 new Land Spaces called “polder spaces.” This means you can now use those spaces for your strategy. Take a look at the pictures to get a clearer idea of how it works:

In the Tidal Flat Area and the Mainland, the presence of one or two Dike tiles does not affect the distinction between them.

Harvesting Peat in the Moor Area

In the lower part of your Home Board, you will find 3 Moor Tiles. To harvest peat in one of these Moor Sections, you can either use the “Dehydrate a Moor Section” action or the “Warden” action. By doing so, you can flip the Moor Tile over and place 4 Peat Tokens on it (refer to pages 12-13).

Later on, you can use the “Cut Peat” actions to remove the Peat Tokens from the Moor Tile and add them to your personal supply. The number of consecutive “Cut Peat” actions you can perform depends on the number of Spades you have.

When you remove the last Peat Token from a Moor Tile, immediately take that Moor Tile out of play. This will free up more Land Spaces on your Home Board for construction purposes.

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At the start of the game, I begin with a dried-up Moor Section that contains 4 Peat. To get even more Peat, I can dehydrate the other Moor Sections.

Now, let’s talk about the rules for Animal Husbandry:

In this game, there are 3 types of Animals: Sheep, Cattle, and Horses. I can obtain these Animals through different actions during the Work Phase, and newborns are also available at the end of each Winter Half Year.

But there’s a catch. I can only keep the newly acquired Animals if I have enough space for them on my Home Board. If I can’t accommodate them, I have the option to return them to the general supply, without getting any substitutes.

During the Work Phase, I have the flexibility to rearrange the Animals on my Home Board, following these rules:

– Each Dike I have can hold 1 Animal of any type.

– Each empty Land Space on my Home Board can accommodate up to 2 Animals of the same type.

By keeping these guidelines in mind, I can strategize and make the most out of my Animal Husbandry in the game.

I’m going to explain some important rules and strategies for this board game. Pay close attention, because understanding these rules will help you improve your chances of winning.

First, let’s talk about Stalls. These are important structures in the game, and there’s something interesting you should know about them. Double Stalls, which are found on the reverse side of Stables, are actually considered two separate Stalls. Remember this when you’re playing and planning your moves. You can obtain Double Stalls by taking the “Warden” and “Dike Warden” actions.

Next, let’s discuss Stables. Each Stable has the capacity to hold up to 6 Animals of the same type. It’s a good idea to try and have pairs of Animals in your Stables before Winter ends. Why? Well, this will increase the chances of newborn Animals appearing. You can obtain Stables by taking the “Carpenter” action during Winter.

Lastly, let’s talk about Parks. Parks are found on the reverse side of Forests and have a different purpose. Each Park can accommodate up to 2 Animals, regardless of their type. You can get Parks by using the “Warden” and “Dike Warden” actions.

These are the key rules and strategies you need to know to excel at this game. Remember them and use them to your advantage. Good luck!

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Moving Things on Your Home Board

You can move animals on your Home Board at any time during the Work Phase of a Half Year. Just make sure you have enough space for them. Dike tiles, on the other hand, can only be moved when certain actions are taken.

The rest of the tiles on your Home Board, including Fields, can only be placed, turned, or removed when specific actions are performed. You can’t change the position of the tiles on your Home Board, except for Dikes.

Since the space in your Barn is limited, you can always put Equipment back on the Supply Board whenever you want, without having to replace it with anything else.

Things in Limited Supply

Animals, Building Materials, Clothing, and Peat Tokens are considered to be a never-ending supply. But if you happen to run out of any of these goods, don’t worry! You can either improvise or use the Replacement Tiles.

When you play a game, there are certain types of tiles that have a limited supply. This means that if all of those tiles are taken, you can’t get any more of them. Some examples of these types of tiles are Grain/Flax Fields, Stalls, Stables, Peat Boats/Plows, and all the Vehicles.

But don’t worry! If another player returns one of these tiles to the supply, it becomes available again for you to use.

Managing Your Goods

Hey there! Let’s talk about managing your goods in the game. This is really important, so pay attention!

So, in the game, you’ve got these things called Goods Indicators. They keep track of how much Food, Grain, Hides, Flax, and Wool you have. Pretty cool, right?

Now, here’s the thing – you can’t have too much or too little of these goods. The Goods Indicators can only go from 0 to 15. Gotta find that sweet spot!

Here’s a nifty trick you can use with the Food Goods Indicators. You can move one indicator down on the track and move the other indicator up by the same number of spaces. It’s like magic! This way, you can distribute the food you have between the two indicators in any way you want.

Why would you want to do this, you ask? Well, let me tell you! At the end of the game, you want to get as many points as possible for your goods. So, by moving those indicators around, you can maximize your points. Pretty clever, huh?

So, remember, managing your goods is key to winning this game. Make sure to keep those Goods Indicators in check and distribute your goods wisely. Good luck!

Did you know that you have the ability to store up to 30 units of food and up to 15 units of every other type of good? It’s true!

Let’s Talk About Vehicles

Vehicles have a special role in this game, and you can purchase them from the Supply Board. Once you own a vehicle, you can use it once per Half Year, which is outside of the normal gameplay.

The game consists of 9 Half Years in total. Having a vehicle is crucial because it gives you access to important resources like Timber, Bricks, and Clothing. Additionally, vehicles allow you to sell goods at specific Travel Destinations.