Playing Viscounts of the West Kingdom on Your Own

Hey there! Are you a fan of the game Viscounts of the West Kingdom? Me too! But what if you don’t have anyone to play with? Don’t worry, because I’m here to tell you all about playing this awesome game solo.

So, let’s dive right in and talk about how to set up the game for solo play. When you’re playing solo, you’ll need to take on the role of both the virtuous Viscounts who are vying for power in the kingdom. The good news is that the game comes with an autonomous or automated opponent to play against. It’s like having a virtual opponent who will challenge you and keep things interesting.

Before you start the game, you’ll need to set up the board, just like you would for a regular game. Place the Kingdom cards in their designated spots on the board, shuffle the Advisor cards and draw 3 of them face-up. Don’t forget to place the appropriate game pieces on the board as well.

Now, let’s talk about how the automated opponent works. They have their own deck of cards known as the Automa deck. These cards will dictate their actions during the game. At the start of each round, you’ll draw a certain number of cards from the Automa deck and follow the instructions on the cards to determine what actions the automated opponent will take.

During your turn, you’ll take your actions just like you would in a regular game. However, you’ll also need to consider the actions of the automated opponent. They might take over certain locations on the board, or they might compete with you for resources. You’ll need to strategize and think several steps ahead to outwit the automated opponent and come out on top.

It’s important to keep an eye on the automated opponent’s progress and adjust your strategy accordingly. If you see that they’re accumulating a lot of points, you might want to focus on blocking their actions or stealing their resources. On the other hand, if they’re falling behind, you can take advantage of that and maximize your own points.

Remember, playing Viscounts of the West Kingdom solo is all about finding the right balance between your own strategy and countering the actions of the automated opponent. It can be a real challenge, but that’s part of what makes it so fun and rewarding.

So, if you’re a solo gamer looking for a new and exciting experience, give Viscounts of the West Kingdom a try. With its engaging gameplay and strategic depth, you’re sure to have a blast playing it on your own. Have fun and may the best Viscount win!

Setting up the AI player is a breeze! Just follow these simple steps:

First, let’s talk about the AI player. It’s a cool feature that can make your gaming experience even more fun and exciting. But how do you set it up?

Well, don’t worry, because it’s really easy to do. Just follow these steps:

1. Step 1: Open the game settings
2. Step 2: Look for the AI player option
3. Step 3: Enable the AI player

That’s it! You’re all set. Now you can enjoy playing against the AI player and see how well you can challenge it. It’s like having a real opponent, but without the pressure!

So go ahead and give it a try. You’ll be amazed at how much fun it is to play against the AI player. And who knows, you might even learn some new strategies along the way. Happy gaming!

1. First, choose one of the Player Boards and flip it over to the AI Player Board side. Look at the top-left corner of the AI Player Board to get an idea of their strategic focus, such as placing Workers or constructing Buildings. For this example, let’s use the Cleric AI.
2. Just like with the regular Player Board, you’ll need to place the 9 Buildings onto the AI Player Board. Notice that the positions of the Trading Posts and Guildhalls are reversed. Make sure the AI opponent has their 20 Workers, Virtue and Corruption Markers, Viscount, and AI Reference Card. They won’t need the Townsfolk Cards.
3. Now it’s time to give yourself the Start Player Marker.
4. First, let’s separate the Starting Schemes from the Future Schemes. Look at the left card space on the AI Player Board to see which Scheme Cards need to be removed. Put them back in the box. Take the Starting Schemes and shuffle them. Place the shuffled pile face-down to the left of the AI Player Board. Shuffle the Future Schemes and keep them somewhere off to the side of the AI Player’s Board, so you don’t mix them up with the main Scheme Draw Pile.
5. During Step 8 of the standard Setup rules, reveal one fewer pair of Player Cards and Hero Townsfolk Cards. For a regular solo game, you choose two pairs first. Then, place the AI’s Viscount on the space indicated on the Main Board, above the unselected Player Card. You can put that Player Card and Hero Townsfolk Card back in the box.

Playing the Solo Game

Playing the solo game is similar to playing the standard game. Your turns work the same way. When it’s your opponent’s turn, you’ll flip over one Scheme Card from their Draw Pile and take care of several effects. This makes it feel like you’re playing against a real opponent.

Here are some basic rules to keep in mind when making choices for the AI opponent. You’ll find reminders of these rules on the AI Reference Card:

Hey there! So, here’s the deal – the AI Viscount is a pretty interesting character. They’ve got their own little way of doing things. You see, when it comes to moving around the Main Board, they’ve got a specific pattern they follow. They always go in a clockwise direction along the outer path, never using the inner one.

When you and the AI both land on the same space as your Viscount, both of you will be given a Rearrange ability. This is according to the AI Reference Card, which states that the AI can choose any resource as their reward.

When I want to get a resource, I usually follow the chart on my Player Board. It’s this area with a green background where I decide what type of resource I want to focus on. The other AI opponents do the same thing, except for the Card-focused AI, which treats all resources as one.

Let me give you an example. The Cleric AI is really into collecting Ink Wells. But if they already have 6 or more, they switch it up and go for Stone instead. And if they already have 4 or more Stone, they go for Gold. It’s all about making smart choices!

Hey there! Let me walk you through the AI Reference Card. It’s like a handy guide that tells you what the AI will do in certain situations, so you’ll always be prepared.

First, let’s take a look at Column 1. Whenever the AI gets a Rearrange effect or 2 Silver, something interesting happens. Instead of getting those things, they actually get to choose 1 resource that they want. Pretty cool, right?

Now, onto Column 2. When the AI gets a Destroy effect or when their Future Scheme Draw Pile is empty and they need to get a card, they get a Card Flip. It’s like they’re flipping a card to change their luck.

Lastly, we have Column 3. If the AI gets a Card Flip but they don’t have any cards left to flip, they get 1 Virtue. It’s like a little bonus for them. They also get 1 Virtue when they’re told to Discard or when they get a free Castle Move. They must be living a charmed life!

When I have to decide which card to flip, the AI tries to flip the one that has been flipped the least. If both cards have the same number of flips, the AI will choose to flip a Debt card. If there is only one type of card available to flip, the AI will just flip one of those.

Have you ever wondered what those icons do in the game? Well, let me explain. When I come across one of these icons, I know it means that I can add a card from the top of the Future Scheme Draw Pile to my discard pile. It’s really simple!

Hey there, let me explain what this little icon means. It’s a handy signal that shows the AI’s plan to get rid of a Townsfolk Card next to their Viscount. When they do this, the card is taken out of the game, and they get the cool effect shown in the top right corner of the card.

But hold on, there’s a key difference between AI and human players. See, when a human dismisses a Townsfolk, they can keep the Icons on the card and use them to fuel their actions. But that’s not the case with the AI. They can’t get those Icons to help them out.

Hey there! Let’s talk about this cool icon called the “Primary Focus.” When I say “Primary Focus,” I mean this special icon that’s in the top left corner of the AI’s Player Board. It’s a pretty important thing to know about.

Hey there! Let’s talk about what happens when the AI’s Draw Pile is empty. At that point, the AI will have already played 1 card from their Player Board, which means they will only have 2 cards left on their Player Board while shuffling. Don’t worry, it’s supposed to be like that. It’s all part of the game!

Time to Make a Move!

When I’m building my Buildings, I always try to place the one on the left side of my Player Board onto the available Building Spot that is closest to me on the Main Board, going in a clockwise direction.

I get benefits from the Building Spots and Links, just like you do. But I can’t go across the River to place my Buildings.

If I have a special ability that lets me build a Building for free, I’ll try to put it on the available Building Spot that is closest to me on the Main Board, going in a clockwise direction, where my Viscount is standing.

If the Building Spot I want is already occupied, I’ll keep looking for another spot clockwise around the Main Board. I might even have to cross rivers to find an available spot. But if all the spots are taken, I’ll have to give up on this effect.

When I decide to do something noble and place my workers in the Castle, I can do that from outside. All I have to do is put my workers into the first tier of the Main Board Segment where my Viscount is standing.

I always want to place as many workers as I can. Take a look at my Player Board, you’ll notice that I never try to place just one worker. Oh, and when I have the chance to move workers around, I always target you.

I can get the Castle Leader Card for a bonus of 5 VP at the end of the game, but I don’t benefit from the increased hand limit. If I have multiple groups of 3 or more workers on the first tier that need to be resolved, I always do it in clockwise order, starting from the section next to my Viscount.

If I have a choice of rewards on the second tier of the Castle, I always pick the first option.

So here’s the deal: when you’re trying to figure out where to put those free Workers, like when you use a Manuscript, the rule is that they always go into the same tier of the Main Board Segment where your Viscount is hanging out.

When I transcribe Manuscripts, I can do it from the outside path. I focus on the Manuscript from the Main Board Segment where my Viscount currently stands. If I gain a Cleric Bonus Card, I collect it just like a human player would.

When I have to transcribe a Manuscript for free (such as from a Manuscript), I will first try to transcribe the Manuscript from the Main Board Segment where my Viscount currently stands.

If I can’t take that Manuscript because of the restrictions of the effect, I will keep moving clockwise around the Main Board until I find a Manuscript I can collect. I will only give up on this effect if none of the Manuscripts can be taken.

Game Turns

When it’s my turn in the game, I start by shifting all the cards on my Player Board to the right, just like in the regular game. Then, I flip over the top card from my Scheme Card Draw Pile and place it on the left side of my Player Board.

Once that’s done, I simply follow the instructions on the card from top to bottom. The Icons at the top of each card don’t actually do anything; they’re just there to help me keep track of my actions.

Ending the Game

The game ends the same way as the regular version, except I always get the final turn.

Hey there! Did you know that the AI in this game scores Victory Points just like us humans do? But here’s the interesting part: it also gets 1 Victory Point for each extra resource it has. So, keep in mind that the AI is always trying to rack up those points!

Now, if you want to beat the AI, you’ll need to score more Victory Points than it does. And if you’re up for a challenge, try taking on all 4 different AI opponents.

And here’s a little tip: if you want to make the AI even tougher to beat, you can shuffle 1, 2, or 3 Future Scheme Cards into its Scheme Draw Pile during Setup. That will really test your skills!