Contents
- 1 Discovering the Game Rules of Architects of the West Kingdom
Discovering the Game Rules of Architects of the West Kingdom
Welcome, fellow game enthusiasts! Today, I want to introduce you to the captivating world of Architects of the West Kingdom. This immersive game will challenge your strategic thinking and decision-making skills, all while providing hours of entertainment.
Let’s dive right in and explore the game rules together!
Basic Gameplay
The objective of Architects of the West Kingdom is to amass the most victory points by constructing buildings, recruiting workers, and acquiring resources. The game takes place over several rounds, where each player takes turns performing a variety of actions.
On your turn, you have a range of choices. You can collect resources, hire workers, construct buildings, or even capture opponents’ workers. The decisions you make will have a direct impact on your progression and ultimate success in the game.
Worker Management
In Architects of the West Kingdom, workers are crucial for executing your plans. You start with a limited number of workers, but as the game progresses, you can recruit more. You must manage your workers wisely, assigning them to different tasks and optimizing their abilities to gain an edge over your opponents.
Building Construction
The construction of buildings is a fundamental aspect of the game. Each building offers unique advantages, such as granting additional resources, providing special abilities, or increasing your income. Utilize your resources and workers efficiently to construct the most beneficial buildings and gain an advantage over your rivals.
Moral Dilemmas
Architects of the West Kingdom presents players with moral dilemmas. The decisions you make in the game may lead to criminal actions, such as capturing opponents’ workers or supporting the King’s ambitions. These actions can result in negative consequences and may even force you to face the consequences of your choices.
Victory Points
In this game, victory points are the key to success. You can earn victory points by constructing buildings, developing your cathedral, arresting opponents’ workers, and completing other various actions. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game emerges victorious.
Final Thoughts
Architects of the West Kingdom is an exciting, thought-provoking game that offers an immersive and strategic gaming experience. With its engaging gameplay mechanics and moral dilemmas, every decision you make matters and can lead to either triumph or defeat.
Now that you have an overview of the game rules, it’s time to gather your friends, set up the game board, and let the battle of architecture and strategy begin. Good luck!
- 1 Main Board
- 5 Double-sided Player Boards
- 40 Apprentice Cards
- 40 Building Cards
- 35 Clay
- 40 Wood
- 40 Stone
- 50 Silver
- 25 Gold
- 30 Marble
- 10 Player Markers (In 5 Colors)
- 100 Workers (In 5 Colors)
- 22 Debt Cards
- 10 Black Market Cards
- 11 Reward Cards
- 6 Multiplier Cards
Object of the Game
In Architects of the West Kingdom, your goal is to have the most Victory Points (VP) when the game ends. You can earn points by building various structures and making progress on the Cathedral.
Throughout the game, you’ll have to make many choices about what’s right and wrong. But it’s not until the end of the game that your character’s goodness will be evaluated. It might not seem like a big deal to make a few sneaky moves, but be careful not to go too far or you’ll face consequences. The game will come to an end once a certain number of tasks have been finished.
Getting Ready
Hey there! Let me walk you through the steps of setting up Architects of the West Kingdom:
1. First, place the Main Board right in the middle of the playing area.
2. Next, take all the Black Market Cards, give them a good shuffle, and put them in a stack on the left side of the Black Market space. Make sure they are face-up, showing the “Small Market” side.
3. Now, grab all the Reward Cards and stack them face-down to the right of the Cathedral. The number of cards in the stack should be 2 per player, plus 1. Let’s say you’re playing with 4 players, so you’d have 9 cards. Any extra cards go back in the box.
4. Take all the Debt Cards and place them in a pile near the Guardhouse. Make sure they are face-up, showing the “unpaid” side.
5. Don’t forget about the Multiplier Cards! Put them in a pile near the board.
6. Finally, shuffle the Apprentice Cards. Place them face-down to the right of the board. Now, starting from the top of the pile, reveal one Apprentice Card, and put it face-up in each of the 8 spaces to the right of the Workshop.
That’s it! You’re all set up and ready to dive into the world of Architects of the West Kingdom. Enjoy the game!
I’m going to give you step-by-step instructions on how to set up the game Workshop. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Start by shuffling all the Building Cards and placing them in a facedown pile to the left of the Workshop.
2. Next, take all the Clay, Wood, Stone, Gold, Marble, and Silver and place them in a Supply near the board.
3. Now, from the Supply, put 4 Silver in the space above the Tax Stand.
4. Each player will need a Player Board. Choose side 1 and place it faceup, unless you want to use the Variable Setup rules. Each player also gets 20 Workers in their chosen color.
5. Each player will place 1 of their colored Player Markers underneath the Cathedral and the other on number 7 of the Virtue Track.
6. Now it’s time to deal the Building Cards. Take 4 cards from the pile and give them to each player. Each player chooses 1 card to keep and places it facedown in front of them. Then, all players pass their remaining cards to the player on their left. Players choose 1 card from the new set and pass on the rest.
That’s it! You’re ready to start playing Workshop. Have fun!
When playing the game, you’ll need to make some decisions. You’ll receive two cards at the end, and you can only keep one of them. The other card should be placed face down under the Building Card pile. After that, you can pick up the three cards you have chosen to form your initial hand of Building Cards.
Now, let’s talk about the Main Supply. There are certain items that you have unlimited access to, such as Debts, Clay, Wood, Stone, Gold, Marble, and Silver. However, if any of these items run out, you can use the Multiplier Cards.
For a more exciting game, each player should use side 2 of their Player Boards. This will give each player a unique ability throughout the game. Additionally, it determines the amount of Silver, Virtue, and other items they start with. If you need more information, you can refer to the Appendix.
If you’re new to the game, don’t worry! We’ve got you covered.
When you start playing or teaching others how to play, there are three important things to understand:
- Worker Investment – You have 20 Workers in the game. Each turn, you can place one Worker on the Main Board. The more times you visit the same location, the more benefits you’ll receive. For example, if you place your first Worker in the Forest, you’ll get 1 Wood. If you place a second Worker there, you’ll get 2 Wood. With each additional Worker, you’ll receive even more Wood.
- Capturing Workers – When you’re at the Town Center, you can recruit locals to help you capture groups of Workers. Sometimes, these locals may think that your Workers are being greedy or involved in shady things. The captured Workers will then be placed on your Board. On a later turn, you can choose to throw them in Prison. This will earn you 1 Silver for each Worker you capture. But don’t worry, the opponent you targeted can release their Workers for free by visiting the Guardhouse. This is the main way to return Workers during the game.
- Virtue – Your choices will have an impact on your position on the Virtue Track. If you end the game with a lot of Virtue, you will earn Victory Points. On the other hand, if your Virtue is low, you will lose Victory Points. But don’t worry, being a little devious can have its advantages too. If you have low Virtue, you can get away with paying fewer Taxes during the game.
A Guide to Playing the Game
When you’re playing the game, it’s important to know how the game play works. So let me break it down for you.
First, we need to talk about the turn order. Each player takes their turn in a clockwise fashion, starting with the first player. It’s important to pay attention to whose turn it is so that you don’t get confused.
On your turn, you have to do one important thing: place one of your Workers from your Player Board onto a location on the Main Board. This is how you take your actions and make progress in the game.
Now, let’s talk about the overall game structure. The game continues with players taking turns until a certain number of constructions have been completed. You might be wondering, how do we know when the game is about to end?
Well, it’s actually pretty simple. The number of constructions required to trigger the end of the game is determined by the Worker spaces in the Guildhall. You’ll notice that some spaces are only used when there are more players, indicated by the icons that say 3+, 4+, or 5+.
But wait, there’s more! Before the game ends, all players get to take one last turn. It’s a final chance for everyone to make their moves and try to secure their victory.
So, now that you know the basics of how the game play works, it’s time to jump in and start playing. Have fun!
Remember: If you don’t have any Workers on your Player Board at the start of your turn, you need to spend your entire turn returning 1 Worker from the Main Board to your Player Board.
You won’t be able to use this Worker until your next turn. Keep in mind that you can’t take the Worker from the Guildhall, Black Market, Prison, or another player’s Board.
The Places to Put Workers
There are 3 types of places where you can put your Workers.
When you look at most locations, you’ll notice a big open circle. You don’t have to worry about any limitations on the number of players who can use a location or the number of Workers they can have there.
If you want to capture something, you can use the Town Center action from any of these locations.
When it comes to finding smaller open circles, the Black Market is the place to go. It’s important to remember that only one Worker can be placed at each of these spaces. And if you’re looking for a way to remove these Workers, you’ll have to wait for a Black Market Reset. Using the Town Center action won’t help you capture Workers from the Black Market. It’s a double-edged sword, the Black Market is. It can elevate your strategy, but you have to be careful not to overdo it. So, in this regard, it’s important to understand the meaning of the Black Market and the role it plays in the game, its purpose is to regenerate response, in a way.
When you visit the Guildhall, you’ll find a few spots marked with the shape of a Worker. It’s important to remember that when you put your Workers in these spots, you should fill them up starting from the left and going across to the right, and then from top to bottom. And just a little tip: when you place your Workers here, lay them down on their side.
Once your Worker is in place, it’ll stay there for the entire game. You won’t be able to use the Town Center action to capture Workers from the Guildhall, so choose your spots wisely!
Hey there! Let’s talk about the Prison. It’s a place where Workers can go, but you can’t just put them there whenever you want. The only way to send Workers to the Prison is through the top Guardhouse action, during Black Market Reset, or by using certain cards.
It’s important to know that you can’t capture Workers from the Prison using the Town Center action. That action won’t work here.
Here’s a tip for new players: Keep an eye on how many Workers you have in the Prison. If there are too many during the Black Market Reset, you might lose Virtue or end up with a Debt Card.
Discover Exciting Board Locations
Explore the Quarry, Forest, Mines, and Silversmith
Hey there! Today, I want to talk to you about some awesome places you can visit on the board. Have you ever wondered what lies beyond the familiar squares on your game board? Well, let me tell you about four unique locations that will take your gaming experience to a whole new level!
First up, we have the Quarry. It’s like stepping into a world of wonders! Imagine massive rock formations, sparkling gemstones, and the sound of chisels echoing through the air. When you land on a Quarry, you’ll get to dig deep and uncover precious resources. It’s like becoming an archaeologist on a treasure hunt!
The Forest is another enchanting destination. As you stroll through the towering trees, you’ll hear the chirping of birds and feel the calming embrace of nature. But watch out for hidden surprises! From magical creatures to hidden paths, the Forest is full of unexpected adventures. Who knows what secrets you’ll uncover here?
Next, we’ll dive into the mysterious Mines. Can you picture yourself exploring dark tunnels and discovering hidden treasures? That’s what the Mines have in store for you! As you explore their depths, you’ll encounter valuable ores and rare minerals. Just be careful of the occasional cave-ins! It’s a thrilling journey into the unknown.
Lastly, we have the Silversmith. Imagine a bustling workshop with molten silver and skilled artisans crafting exquisite jewelry. When you land on the Silversmith, you’ll have the chance to create unique items using your collected resources. It’s a place to let your creativity shine and see the tangible results of your hard work!
So, there you have it! These captivating board locations will inject your gaming experience with excitement and adventure. Whether you’re unearthing gemstones in the Quarry, wandering through the enchanting Forest, exploring the depths of the Mines, or creating beautiful items at the Silversmith, each location offers a unique and thrilling experience. Are you ready to embark on this board game journey? Start rolling the dice and discover these extraordinary destinations today!
These are the 4 main places where you can gather resources. When you send your Workers to one of these places, you will receive the specified resource. The amount you receive depends on how many of your own Workers are already there.
It’s important to know that the number of opposing Workers does not affect the amount of resources you receive at any location.
When you send your Workers to the Mines, you have a choice between getting Clay or Gold. You cannot divide your Workers to collect both resources. You must choose to get either Clay (1 plus 1 for each Worker) or Gold (1 for every 2 Workers).
For example, if you send your fifth Worker to the Mines, you can either get 6 Clay or 2 Gold.
It’s worth noting that your first Worker can only get 2 Clay because you need at least 2 Workers to collect Gold.
When I go to the Silversmith and place my Workers there, I get rewarded. It’s really simple – I earn 1 Silver as a base reward, and then I earn an extra Silver for each Worker I place. Let me break it down for you: if I place my fourth Worker at the Silversmith, I’ll gain 5 Silver in total. Isn’t that awesome?
Let’s Talk about the King’s Storehouse
This place is a great spot for players to get things done. You can do as many actions as the number of workers you have here. What can you do? Well, you can trade 2 resources (Clay, Wood, or Stone) for 1 Virtue, or trade 3 resources (Wood or Stone) for 1 Marble. Isn’t that cool? And guess what? There are some special helpers called Apprentices, who give you even more actions to take here. So, you can do the same action over and over if you want! Let me give you an example. Let’s say Yellow has 5 workers at the King’s Storehouse. They decide to trade 2 Clay for 1 Virtue (that’s action number 1), then 1 Wood and 2 Stone for 1 Marble (that’s action number 2). Yellow is on a roll! They use their Merchant Apprentice twice and pay a total of 4 Silver for 2 Gold (that’s actions number 3 and 4). Then, they use their Trader Apprentice to exchange 3 Clay for 1 Marble (that’s action number 5). Wow, that’s a lot of action! And that’s what the Workshop is all about.
When you visit the Workshop, you have two options: hiring an Apprentice or developing new Building Plans.
Apprentices are helpful assistants who provide you with extra actions or special abilities. To hire an Apprentice, you need to pay a total of 4 Silver. Out of these, 2 are Tax, which you place in the slot above the Tax Stand. The remaining Silver goes back into the Supply.
When you place your first Worker in the Workshop, you can only choose an Apprentice from the left-most column. However, if you place your second Worker, you have the option to hire from either the first or second column. And when you place your fourth Worker, you can choose any of the available Apprentices. You’ll find Worker icons between the two rows of Apprentice Cards that remind you of this restriction.
Did you know that there’s a clever tactic for hiring Apprentices with fewer Workers than you need? You can do it by placing 1 Silver on an Apprentice Card to bypass it. But here’s the catch – when you place a Silver, it always has to go on the left-most card in a row. And if you want to skip more than one card, you’ll need to place the next Silver on the card next to it.
Let me give you an example. I’m Blue, and I just put my second Worker in the Workshop. I really want the Pickpocket, but I can only choose from the first two columns. So, I decide to put 1 Silver on the Woodcutter, which lets me hire from the first 3 columns in the bottom row. Then, I put another Silver on the Swindler, which allows me to hire the Pickpocket.
Once you hire an Apprentice, you need to put them faceup in front of you. Make sure to fill the empty space on the Main Board as well.
Now, here’s what you do next. First, you shift any Apprentice Cards (along with any coins on them) to the left, if they’re currently sitting to the right of the empty space. After that, you fill the right-most space by revealing the top card from the Apprentice Card Pile.
- Remember, the two rows of Apprentices are independent of each other, but they work in the same way.
Let’s talk about Apprentices in the game. You can’t have more than 5 Apprentices, but you can get rid of them anytime to make room for new ones. Just put the discarded Apprentices face down under the Apprentice Card Pile. Some of the Apprentices have special effects called Virtues, which are shown on the right side of their card. When you hire an Apprentice, their Virtue effect takes place right away. But if you discard an Apprentice, the effect doesn’t get reversed. If there’s any Silver on an Apprentice, you get to collect it later on when you hire them. If a player keeps skipping an Apprentice, they can put multiple Silver coins on that card. And yes, you can hire more than one of the same Apprentice if you want to.
When you’re at the Workshop, you have two options for what to do next. One of those options is to start working on new Building Plans. If you choose this action, you’ll get Building Cards from the pile.
You always get one card, but you’ll get an extra card for every two Workers you have at the Workshop.
For example, if you’re the Blue player, you’ll draw a total of two cards.
Now, there is a limit to how many Building Cards you can have in your hand. You can only have six cards at a time. If you have more than six at the end of your turn, you’ll have to choose some to discard until you have six or fewer. The discarded cards should be placed face-down under the pile of Building Cards.
Town Center
The Town Center is a place where you can recruit locals to help you capture Workers from the “large open circle” spots on the Main Board.
If you have Workers at the Town Center, you can spend 1 Silver to capture a group of Workers from a single location. In games with 2-3 players or solo games, you can capture from up to 2 locations. In games with 4 or more players, you can only capture from 1 location.
- Each capture requires 1 Worker and 1 Silver. The first Silver you spend is taxed.
- You can choose to make fewer captures than the number of Workers you have at the Town Center.
- You can capture Workers from the Town Center, including the ones you just placed.
- You cannot capture Workers from the Guildhall, Black Market, inside the Prison, or from another player’s Board.
Example 1: I just put my 2nd Worker at the Town Center. I have to pay 1 Tax to take all 3 Workers from the Forest. To make it even better, I pay 1 more Silver to make a second capture. Since there are 4 players in this game, I have to capture again from the Forest. I decide to capture both Green Workers from there.
Example 2: I placed my 3rd Worker at the Town Center. I have to pay 1 Tax and 2 extra Silver to the Supply to make 3 captures. And guess what? I capture all 3 groups of Workers from the Silversmith, including my own.
When I capture Workers from the opposing team in the game, I need to remember to put them in the top left section of my Player Board. Later on, I can choose to send them to Prison and get 1 Silver for each Worker. But it’s important to note that if I capture my own Workers, they go back to my own supply.
Grabbing the Tax
Hey there! This spot is a special one – it lets me nab all the Silver sitting on top of the Tax Stand and add it to my stash. Sounds pretty sweet, right? But here’s the catch: for every haul I make, my Virtue takes a hit and drops by 2 points. Bummer!
Just a little reminder: I can only send one of my Workers to the Tax Stand if there’s actually some Silver to snatch. Can’t have empty hands now, can I?
Consider this scenario: Let’s say I, the Red player, decide to send my trusty Worker to the Tax Stand. What happens next? I scoop up all 11 Silver pieces and, unfortunately, my Virtue drops by 2 points. Tough luck, but hey, at least I got the Silver!
Hey there! Just a quick reminder: those red coins you see? Yeah, those are taxes. And when it comes time to pay up, make sure you put them in the little slot above the Tax Stand.
The Dark Side
When it comes to getting things done, people have different approaches. Some believe in the value of hard work and doing things the right way, while others are willing to take shortcuts to get ahead. In the game of Black Market, there are three spaces where players can place their Workers to take actions. However, once a Worker is placed on a space, no one else can use that space.
In this scenario, you have a few choices available. Let me break them down for you:
1. You can pay 1 Silver, lose 1 Virtue, and in return, get 1 Marble and 1 Stone.
2. Another option is to pay 2 Silver, lose 1 Virtue, and then decide between hiring an available Apprentice (and collecting any Silver that comes with it), or drawing 5 Building Cards, keeping one and discarding the others.
3. Lastly, you can pay 3 Silver, lose 1 Virtue, and receive 1 Gold, 1 Stone, and 2 Wood.
Remember, when you gain the resources as shown on the cards, you don’t interact with the Black Market Cards in any way. They will have their own reset later on.
In this location, you can do a lot with your Workers. For each Worker you have, you can take an action. Here are the actions you can choose from:
- Send all of your captured Workers from your Player Board to the Prison. For each Worker you send, you get 1 Silver.
- Release all of your own Workers from Prison. You can put them back on your Player Board.
- If you pay 5 Silver, you can release all your Workers from other players’ Boards. You can put them back on your Player Board. You can either pay 2 Silver as tax or take 1 Debt and lose 1 Virtue.
Let me give you an example: Imagine you’re playing as the Red player and you’re at the Guardhouse. You can take up to 3 actions here. First, you send 3 Yellow and 2 Green captured Workers from your Player Board to the Prison. This means you get a total of 5 Silver. For your second action, you decide to release your 2 Workers from Prison and put them back on your Player Board. Finally, for your third action, you choose to do nothing.
When it’s my turn to play, I can do things in any order I want. If I have multiple Debts to pay off, I can take care of them all in the same turn. Just remember to handle each Debt separately.
When I’m ready to pay off a Debt, all I have to do is flip the Debt Card and keep it in front of me. As soon as I do that, I earn 1 Virtue. And if I have any Apprentices that are related to Debts, I can also enjoy some extra benefits.
Guildhall
Welcome to the Guildhall! This is where we put our Workers to build Buildings or make progress on the Cathedral. Take a look at the images below to get an idea of what I’m talking about:
is an example of a Building that you can construct using your cards.
is the Cathedral, and you can advance work on it too.
When you place your Workers at the Guildhall, make sure to lay them flat and start from the left side, going to the right, then top to bottom.
Keep in mind that not all columns are used when playing with less than 5 players. In the example here, the right-most column is not used. So, if you’re playing with 4 players like in this case, the next Worker you place will go on the second row, to the right of the Blue Worker.
Over the next page, I’ll explain how to construct Buildings and make progress on the Cathedral. Stay tuned!
When you put a Worker in the Guildhall, you have two options. You can either build a Building from the cards you have in your hand, or you can make progress on the Cathedral.
Building a Building
When I’m building a structure, I always make sure to place the card faceup on my Player Board. This lets me see all of the important information before I start constructing. The card has a lot of different things to consider – costs, requirements, rewards, and effects.
When it comes to building construction, there are certain skills that you need to consider. Some buildings require specific skills, such as carpentry, tiling, and masonry. If you want to construct a building that displays one or more of these icons at the top left, you will need to have at least one hired apprentice with a matching skill.
Keep in mind: The apprentices you use to construct a building will not be discarded.
All buildings require resources to be constructed. To build a building, you need to spend the resources stated on the left side of the card. Don’t worry, though! Any resources you spend will be returned to you.
Buildings can have a big impact on your Virtue!
Did you know that some Buildings will instantly change your Virtue? It’s true!
When you see a building with a symbol, you’ll get an immediate boost in Virtue. Exciting, right?
On the other hand, if you come across a building with a symbol, your Virtue will take a hit. Uh-oh!
But don’t worry, it’s easy to keep track of these changes. Just move your Player Marker up or down the Virtue Track to show the increase or decrease. Simple as that!
So, be prepared for these building surprises. They have the power to change your Virtue in an instant!
When you play Architects of the West Kingdom, you’ll notice that every Building has either an effect that happens at the end of the game or an effect that happens immediately. These effects can have a big impact on your strategy and can make a big difference in how you play.
End-game effects happen right before the final scoring takes place. They can give you a boost in points or provide some other benefit that helps you score more points. These effects can be really powerful and can completely change the outcome of the game. It’s important to keep an eye on these effects and plan your moves accordingly.
On the other hand, there are also immediate effects. These effects happen as soon as the Building is constructed. They can give you resources, allow you to take special actions, or have other effects that can help you in your game. These effects are usually smaller in scale compared to the end-game effects, but they can still be quite useful. They can be a great way to get a quick boost or to give you an advantage over your opponents.
Understanding and making the most of these Building effects is key to success in Architects of the West Kingdom. By paying attention to the different effects and planning your moves accordingly, you can maximize your chances of winning the game.
So, when you’re playing Architects of the West Kingdom, be sure to consider the Building effects and how they can help you in your quest for victory. Whether you’re going for end-game effects or taking advantage of immediate effects, these Building effects can make a big difference in your strategy and ultimately determine the outcome of the game.
Building a Well is a simple task that doesn’t require any special skills. All you need is 2 Wood and 2 Stone. It’s an affordable construction, and before you know it, you’ll have your very own well.
So why would you want to build a Well? Well, once it’s complete, you’ll be rewarded with 4 Clay. That’s right, you’ll get a nice boost to your resources. And that’s not all! At the end of the game, your Well will also earn you 3 VP, helping you secure victory.
Constructing the Keep is a crucial task that demands a combination of three Apprentice skills, along with the collection of five Wood, two Stone, and two Gold.
Once you have successfully built the Keep, there are consequences you must face. You, as the current player, will lose two Virtue. Furthermore, at the end of the game, the Keep will grant you 12 Victory Points. But there’s more! For every three Workers you capture, you will gain an additional Victory Point.
Progressing with the Cathedral
If you’re tired of working on your own projects, you might want to consider helping build the Cathedral instead. It’s a great way to contribute and it’s not as complicated as it may seem. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Pay the required resources to the left of the Cathedral, just above where your Player Marker is. Keep in mind that everyone starts below the lowest level.
2. Remove one Building Card from your hand and place it face-down at the bottom of the Building Card Pile.
3. Move your Player Marker up one level on the Cathedral.
4. Flip over the top card from the Reward Card Pile and enjoy the benefits it brings. Once you’re done, remove the Reward Card from play.
Remember, if there are no more Reward Cards left in the pile, you’ll still gain 1 Virtue. So why not lend a hand and help make the Cathedral a magnificent structure?
When the game is over, you will earn Victory Points based on the number displayed on the yellow flag next to your current level in the Cathedral.
Let’s take a closer look at how the game works. Picture this: I’m playing as Yellow, and right now, I’m at the lowest level in the Cathedral. In order to move forward and reach the next level, I need to do a few things.
First, I place one of my Workers in the Guildhall. Then, I pay 1 Gold and discard 1 Building Card. These actions allow me to progress in the game. Once I’ve taken care of that, I reveal the top Reward Card, which gives me 1 Virtue and 1 Gold. Nice, right?
But here’s the catch: I can only move forward in the Cathedral if there’s space available. So, let’s say I’m ready to keep going, but Green, Red, or Blue haven’t advanced yet. In that case, I’ll have to wait until they make their move. It’s all about timing and strategy.
And here’s an important rule to remember: only one player can work on the Cathedral at a time. So, if there’s no room for me to make progress, I have to be patient and wait for my turn.
In the end, if I manage to stay on this level till the game’s over, I’ll score 2 VP (Victory Points). It’s all about putting in that hard work and reaping the rewards.
Hey there! Just so you know, the cost for the materials is either 4 Stone or Wood, or a combination of both. And if you want to upgrade the Cathedral to the 4th level, you’ll need 8 Stone or Wood, in any combination.
Tracking Your Virtue
Don’t worry, I’ll help you keep track of your Virtue! You see, your Player Marker is what we use to record your Virtue on the Virtue Track. So, whenever you gain some Virtue , or even lose some Virtue
, all you have to do is move your Player Marker up or down the Virtue Track. Easy peasy! Now, here’s something cool: at the end of the game, depending on how much Virtue you have, you can gain or lose Victory Points. You’ll find the numbers on those yellow flags
next to the upper and lower levels of the Virtue Track.
Let’s take a look at the icons on the Virtue Track and what they do:
If you have more than 14 Virtue, you can get rid of 1 unpaid Debt you have. Destroying a Debt doesn’t give you any extra benefits, like gaining Virtue or activating Apprentice abilities. The Debt just goes back to the Debt Card Pile.
When your Virtue score dips below 0, you’ll have to deal with a Debt Card. It’s not pleasant, trust me. You’ll take a card from the Debt Card Pile and place it in front of you, with the “unpaid” side facing up. Ugh, not a good feeling, I tell ya.
Hey there! Let me break down this information for you in a fun and easy way. So, when you have only 3 or less Virtue points, you become more careful with your Taxes. Here’s how it works:
If you have any “avoid Tax” icons at your current Virtue level, you can use them to dodge 1 Tax on all future expenses. Pretty cool, right?
When you have accumulated 10 or more Virtue points in the game, you will not be able to assign Workers to the Black Market. However, if your Virtue points fall below 10, this restriction no longer applies.
When I have 4 Virtue or less, I can no longer work on the Cathedral. But if I manage to go above 4 Virtue, then it doesn’t matter anymore.
Let me give you some examples to help you understand this better. Imagine that I am playing a game called “Yellow” and currently, I have 13 Virtue. Unfortunately, I cannot visit the Black Market at the moment, which is a bit frustrating. However, if I choose to end the game now, I will still score 5 VP, which is not too bad. But guess what? On my turn, I decide to take an action that gives me 3 Virtue. This allows me to move my Player Marker up by 1 space on the Virtue Track. And you know what’s cool? I have 2 extra Virtue, and I use them to destroy 2 Debts that I have in front of me. So, things are looking up for me in this game!
Now, let’s talk about another player called “Red.” Currently, Red has 11 Virtue. And you know what they decide to do? They want to steal from the Tax Stand, which unfortunately leads to them losing 2 Virtue. But hey, don’t worry! As a result of this action, Red now has less than 10 Virtue, which means they can visit the Black Market on their next turn. So, even though they lost some Virtue, they have a chance to benefit from the Black Market. Sometimes, you have to make tough choices in games, right?
Lastly, let me tell you about a player named “Green.” Green is in a bit of a tough spot. They only have 1 Virtue, which means they cannot work on the Cathedral. If they end the game with such low Virtue, they will lose 8 VP. That’s not good at all! However, on their turn, they come up with a clever plan. They decide to place a Worker in the Workshop to hire an Apprentice. But here’s the interesting part: because of their low position on the Virtue Track, they actually ignore the Tax on this action. So, they only have to pay 2 Silver to the Supply. It’s a smart move that helps them out despite their limited Virtue. Sometimes, you have to think outside the box to succeed!
Now, what happens when the Black Market resets?
It’s funny to think that the King doesn’t always know what’s happening in his kingdom. But every so often, he wants to make sure everyone is doing their job.
So, let’s talk about how a Black Market Reset can happen. There are two ways it can be triggered, and I’ll explain both to you.
- The first way is when all three spaces at the Black Market have Workers placed on them. When this happens, it’s like a signal that something needs to reset.
- The second way is when a Worker is placed in the Guildhall on one of the left-most spaces on the bottom two rows. This action also triggers a Black Market Reset.
Regardless of how the Black Market Reset is triggered, we need to make sure we handle it properly. The first thing we do is resolve the action that caused the reset. Once that’s taken care of, we move on to the next steps:
- Firstly, I want to mention that all workers who are currently in the Black Market will be moved to the Prison.
- After that, we need to turn over the top Small Market Card on the left and place it on top of the Large Market Card on the right.
- If you have any Black Market Reset based Apprentices, you can take your actions in any order you choose.
- It’s important to note that if you have 3 or more Workers in Prison, you will lose 1 Virtue.
- Furthermore, the player or players with the most Workers in Prison will each take 1 Debt Card and place it faceup in front of them.
Let me give you an example: Imagine that Red just placed a Worker in the Black Market. Since all 3 spaces are now filled, this will trigger a Black Market Reset at the end of Red’s turn. As a result, both Red Workers and the single Blue Worker will be sent to the Prison, and the Black Market Cards will be refreshed.
Hey there! So, here’s what happens: Blue can use their amazing Gatekeeper’s ability to release 2 out of their 3 Workers from the Prison. Luckily, no one has 3 Workers in Prison, so nobody loses any Virtue. Phew! But get this, both Yellow and Red now have the same number of Workers in Prison (2 each). Because of that, they both receive a cool 1 Debt Card. Not too shabby, right?
Now, picture this scenario: if there ever comes a time when there aren’t any cards left in the Small Market Pile for us to turn over during the reset, not to worry! We’ll simply grab all the cards from the Large Market Pile, give them a good shuffle, and boom! We’ve got ourselves a spanking new Small Market Pile.
And that’s a wrap, folks!
When the last Worker is put in the Guildhall, the game will come to an end. My turn will be done, and then everyone else, including me, will have one more turn before it’s over.
In this game with three players, we ignore the two right columns of the Guildhall. So, when I, as Blue, put my last Worker in the bottom-right slot of the Guildhall, that triggered the end of the game. Now all players, including me, get one final turn before we tally up the scores.
It’s important to remember that in this last round, we can still place Workers in the Guildhall. However, these Workers will go to the side of the Guildhall, not in the usual slots.
Keep Track of Your Points
After the game is over, you should take care of any final effects from your constructed Buildings right away. Keep in mind that any abilities you have as an Apprentice and any effects on the board are still active at this time. For instance, if you have earned enough Virtue to go beyond the top of the Virtue Track, you can use it to get rid of any unpaid Debts.
Next, it’s time to calculate your score in different categories:
If you want to enhance your progress in the game, there’s an important feature you should consider – gaining VP for all constructed Buildings, which includes end-game bonuses.
If you’ve been working hard to build the Cathedral, I have some great news for you – you can earn 6 Victory Points (VP) for each level of construction you advance! Isn’t that incredible?
Gaining or losing Virtue Points (VP) based on your final position on the Virtue Track is a key aspect of gameplay. As I progress through the game, my actions and choices will affect my standing on the track, which in turn affects the VP I earn or lose.
But what exactly are Virtue Points? VP represent the moral standing and character of my character in the game. They reflect the choices I make and the paths I take during the game. So, the higher my VP, the more virtuous and moral my character is considered to be.
On the Virtue Track, there are different positions that indicate different levels of virtue. A higher position means greater virtue and more VP. On the other hand, a lower position means lower virtue and the risk of losing VP.
As I make decisions and progress through the game, I need to consider how my choices will impact my position on the Virtue Track. I can make choices that align with virtues like compassion, honesty, and bravery, which will elevate my position and increase my VP.
Alternatively, I can make choices that go against these virtues, leading to a decrease in my position and a loss of VP. This creates a dynamic and challenging element to the game, where I must carefully consider the consequences of my actions.
Ultimately, I want to strive for a high position on the Virtue Track, as this will result in a higher VP. This not only reflects positively on my character’s moral compass within the game but also provides a strategic advantage, as VP can be used to gain various benefits and bonuses.
So, as I play the game, I must always keep in mind the importance of the Virtue Track and how it affects my VP. By making virtuous choices and consistently maintaining a high position, I can maximize my chances of success and achieve a victorious outcome.
When you have unpaid Debt, you will lose 2 VP (Victory Points) for each one.
If you have Gold and Marble on your Player Board, you will earn 1 Victory Point (VP) for each of them. This means that the more Gold and Marble you have, the more VP you will receive. It’s like getting a reward for having valuable resources in your possession.
Hey there! Did you know that you can earn 1 VP (victory point) for every group of 10 Silver on your Player Board? Pretty cool, right?
Let’s break it down. Imagine you have 20 Silver on your Player Board. That means you have two sets of 10 Silver. So you’ll get 2 VP for that. If you have 30 Silver, you’ll have three sets of 10 Silver, so you’ll earn 3 VP. And so on!
This rule can be a bit confusing at first, but don’t worry! I’m here to help you make sense of it. Just remember, for every group of 10 Silver you have, you’ll earn 1 VP. It’s like a little reward for collecting lots of Silver. How awesome is that?
When you have Workers in Prison, you’ll lose 1 VP for every 2 of them. Having just 1 Worker in Prison doesn’t have any effect on your score.
To determine the winner, we look at the total score of each player. The player with the highest total score is declared the winner. In the event of a tie, the player with the highest Virtue becomes the winner. If there’s still a tie, we then compare the remaining Silver among the tied players. If there’s still a tie, all the tied players share the victory.
Let me give you an example. If Red has the following scores: