How to Play the Garum Game

Welcome to the exciting world of Garum! In this guide, I will walk you through the rules and strategies of this captivating game. So, grab your gaming buddies and get ready for a fun-filled adventure.

The Goal

The objective of Garum is simple: be the first player to reach 100 points. To do this, you will need to strategize, outsmart your opponents, and make calculated moves.

The Set Up

To start the game, each player begins with a score of 0. The player with the highest roll of the dice goes first. The game board consists of a track, with spaces numbered from 1 to 100.

The Gameplay

On your turn, roll the dice and move your game piece forward the indicated number of spaces. The spaces on the track are color-coded and have different effects. Here’s what each color represents:

• Green spaces are safe and have no additional effects.
• Red spaces are risky and can either propel you forward or set you back.
• Blue spaces are bonus spaces that award you extra points.

Throughout the game, you will encounter various obstacles and opportunities. You may face challenges that require you to make decisions or use special cards. It’s essential to stay alert and adapt your strategy accordingly.

Special Cards

Garum is known for its unique special cards that can significantly impact the game. Here are a few examples:

• The Double Dice card allows you to roll the dice twice on your turn.
• The Boost card lets you move forward an additional 10 spaces.
• The Reverse card forces your opponent to move backward 10 spaces.

Strategically using these cards can give you a competitive edge and bring you closer to victory.

Winning the Game

The first player to reach exactly 100 points wins the game. If you exceed 100 points, you’ll need to subtract the extra points from your score. Precise calculation and careful planning are crucial to claim victory.

Final Thoughts

Are you ready to embark on a thrilling journey through the world of Garum? By following these rules and employing your best strategies, you’ll have a blast competing for the top spot. So gather your fellow players, set up the game board, and let the adventure begin!

When you open the box, you’ll find everything you need to play the game:

• 1 board game
• 4 scoring charts
• 4 scoring tiles
• 20 vilicus (small workers)
• 4 dominus (large workers)
• 4 scoring markers (cubes)
• 1 first player token
• 16 aureus
• 64 fish tiles
• Rulebook
• “Privileges” mini-expansion

Setup

Alright, let’s get this board game started! Here’s what we need to do:

First, place the game board right in the center of the table.

Next, each player will need to pick a color and gather their pieces. Each player should have:

• 2a 5 villager tokens;
• 2b 1 lord token;
• 2c 1 scoring tile;
• 2d 1 scoring marker, which should be placed on the zero space of the scoring track on the board;
• 2e 1 scoring chart;
• 2f 16 tiles of their chosen color. These tiles should be shuffled and placed face down as a draw pile.

Once everyone is ready, shuffle the sixteen aureus coins and place them next to the board with their values facing down.

Now, each player should draw the top four tiles from their own draw pile. These tiles will be your starting hand.

Finally, let’s determine who goes first. The player who draws the amphora token will be the first player.

Now, for the Baelo Claudia Version

1. First, let’s start by placing the board with the Baelo Claudia version face up.
2. Now, it’s time for each player to remove the 4 tiles that are not used in this version. For example, if you’re the green player, remove your 4 tiles.

Hey there! Take a look at this awesome game I found called “Remove the following aureus.” In this game, it’s all about strategically placing your tiles in the cetarium (brine tanks) to create influence lines. If you control a line with your worker, you’ll score points based on how many of your colored tiles are in the line. Plus, you can also earn bonuses for even more points!

Your Turn

The game lasts for 16 rounds, and each round starts with the first player, who’s called the amphora holder, flipping an aureus face up. This aureus tells you which cetarium you will be using for the round. Turns then proceed clockwise. During your turn, you need to complete two or three actions in a specific order:

1. Place one of your tiles in the cetarium;
2. Put a vilicus or dominus on the board;
3. Draw a tile from the pile.

Actions 1 and 3 are required, but action 2 is optional.

Playing the Game

I’m going to tell you about a fun game called Aureus. In this game, the players take turns holding an amphora and revealing its value. The value of the amphora determines where the next tile can be placed.

Let’s start with step one: placing a tile in the Cetarium. The player must choose a tile from their hand that matches the value of the aureus revealed for that turn. They can place the tile in any of the areas defined by the boundaries of the cetarium and the dashed lines.

If you’re playing the Baelo Claudia version of Aureus, each player will have three tiles in their hand.

Now let’s talk about the bonus.

When you play the game, you have the opportunity to earn bonuses by landing on specific cetarium marked spaces.

These bonus spaces can reward you with 2 Victory Points.

Some bonus spaces may give you 1 Victory Point.

Example 1: I tossed the coin and it landed on heads, revealing the 10 face value to everyone.

It’s my turn, so I put a tile on the cetarium 10. By doing so, I earn a victory point for covering the joker bonus.

Since I don’t want to place a worker, I take a tile from my pile and my turn ends.

Now it’s Andrea, Peter, and David’s turn to play.

2. Placing a Vilicus or a Dominus

You can place either a vilicus or a dominus (only one worker per turn) on an influence line, either vertically or horizontally, that passes through the cetarium where you just placed your tile.

Once a worker is placed, it cannot be moved or removed. Remember, each influence line can only have one worker.

You know what’s interesting? Whenever there are already three filled cetarium along an influence area, and you place a tile in the fourth one, you can’t then place a worker over any influence line of that area. It’s like the fourth cetarium throws everything out of balance and disrupts the whole system.

Let me tell you about the two different types of workers and how they’re scored. We have the dominus, who is the big boss, and the vilicus, who is the apprentice. They each have their own way of earning points.

• The dominus, being the big shot, has a higher score. They act as the foreman and earn points based on their placement.
• The vilicus, on the other hand, is a smaller worker and scores differently. They work as apprentices and earn points based on their placement as well.

Now, let’s talk about the influence areas on the board. There are eight of them, divided into four vertical areas and four horizontal areas.

Within each influence area, there are cetarium and influence lines for worker placement. You’ll find four cetarium and four influence lines in each area.

Now, let’s take a look at the Baelo Claudia version.

In this version, the influence area is made up of three cetarium. When placing workers, players can only place them on the first and second cetarium after placing tiles.

Example 2: I added a tile to cetarium 14. Now, it’s my turn and I can place my workers on the horizontal influence area, which includes cetariums 13, 14, 15, and 16. I also have the option to place my workers on the vertical influence area, which includes cetariums 14, 3, 2, and 9.

Example 3: Alright, this turn I will be placing tiles on cetarium 2. Keep in mind that cetariums 14, 3, and 9 are already full, thanks to the previous turns. Unfortunately, I can no longer place my workers on the vertical influence lines that go through cetarium 2.

However, I can still place my workers on the horizontal influence area of cetarium 2. The only requirement is that at least one of the cetariums 11, 1, or 6 is not yet full.

3. Time to Draw a Tile

Now, I get to draw the top tile from my draw pile. It’s always exciting to see what tile I’ll get next! Just a quick note, I won’t be able to draw a tile if my draw pile is already empty.

The Round Comes to an End

I have to discard the aureus now because it won’t be used anymore. Oh, and don’t forget to pass the amphora to the player sitting next to me, in a clockwise direction.

I believe that understanding the concept of “End of the Game” is crucial. It is a term that refers to the final stages of something, whether it be a competition, a project, or even life itself. The idea of an ending can evoke various emotions, such as anticipation, sadness, or relief.

When we reach the end of a game, we often find ourselves reflecting on the journey we have taken to get there. We may feel a mix of emotions, ranging from satisfaction if we have achieved our goals, to disappointment if we fell short. It’s a time to assess our performance and learn from our successes and failures.

In the game of life, reaching the end can be both exciting and scary. It’s a time when we may question the choices we’ve made and wonder if we have lived our lives to the fullest. The end of the game forces us to confront our mortality and consider what legacy we will leave behind.

To navigate the end of the game successfully, it is important to take stock of our experiences and use them as a springboard for growth. By reflecting on what we have learned, we can ensure that we enter the next chapter of our lives with wisdom and clarity. It’s an opportunity to make peace with ourselves and others, and to let go of any regrets or grudges we may be holding.

In conclusion, the concept of “End of the Game” holds significant meaning and should not be taken lightly. It is a time for reflection, growth, and introspection. It is a reminder of our mortality and an opportunity to make peace with ourselves and others. By embracing the end of the game, we can live our lives with purpose and meaning. So, when you find yourself nearing the end of a game, remember to take a moment to pause, reflect, and appreciate the journey.

When I reach the end of the game (once the final tile finds its place on the board and all cetarium are filled up), it’s time to tally up my victory points and mark my progress along the score track.

As I count up my points, I need to consider the number of specimens in my color that I have placed in the lines on the board. If I have specimens in vertical or horizontal lines that I control, they will contribute to my score.

But I must be cautious! If I have workers placed on lines that don’t have enough specimens to score, I will suffer penalties. My vilicus worker will lose me 1 victory point, and my dominus worker will cost me 2 victory points. So it’s essential to strategically place my workers where they can gather enough specimens for a successful score.

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When you reach the highest point on the score track, you’ll receive a scoring tile with either a +25 or +50 face value.

After adding up all your victory points from your influence lines and bonuses, the player with the highest score is the winner.

If there’s a tie, the player with fewer vilicus on the board among the tied players is the winner. And if there’s still a tie, then all the tied players share the victory.

Here’s an example: Scoring a Horizontal Area

So, I’m going to talk about this game I played called Dominus. It’s a really fun game where you have to collect different specimens.

The game starts with three players named David and Peter. David, the green dominus, collected 9 specimens and got 22 points. David also played as the green vilicus and collected 6 specimens, earning 2 points. Peter, the red vilicus, collected 4 specimens but ended up losing 1 point.

Now, let me tell you about some different versions of the game:

Emperor:

In this variant, you don’t use aureus. At the beginning of each round, the first player gets to choose where the cetarium tiles will be placed. The general rules are the same as in the original version.

Haruspex (Roman Priest):

In this variant, all aureus are revealed during setup so that every player knows the exact order in which cetarium will receive tiles. Again, the general rules are the same as in the original version.