Contents
- 1 Welcome to the World of Caverna!
- 1.1 Objective
- 1.2 Components
- 1.3 Gameplay
- 1.4 Scoring
- 1.5 Strategy
- 1.6 Conclusion
- 1.7 What’s in the Game?
- 1.8 Setting Up the Game
- 1.8.0.1 Create Your Own Playing Space
- 1.8.0.2 The Game Boards With Action Spaces
- 1.8.0.3 The Boards for Supplies and Tiles for Furniture
- 1.8.0.4 Welcome to the Action Space Cards
- 1.8.0.5 Now let’s talk about the landscape tiles.
- 1.8.0.6 Lastly, we have the building materials, animals, and weapon strength markers.
- 1.9 Your Goal in the Game
- 1.10 How the Game Works
- 1.11 A Round of the Game
- 1.12 The Five Phases
- 1.13 1. Introducing a New Action Space
- 1.14 2. Replenish Accumulating Spaces
- 1.15 3. Time to Get Busy
- 1.16 4. Return Home
- 1.17 5. Harvest Time
- 1.18 The Actions
- 1.19 End of the Game
Welcome to the World of Caverna!
Hey there! I’m excited to introduce you to the amazing world of Caverna. Whether you’re new here or a veteran player, these game rules will help you understand how to navigate and conquer this incredible game. So let’s dive in!
Objective
The goal of Caverna is to lead your family of dwarves to prosperity and success. You’ll do this by mining and farming, expanding your family, and exploring the vast cave system. But remember, it’s not just about accumulating resources; you’ll need to strategize and make smart decisions to outwit your opponents and come out on top.
Components
Caverna comes with a plethora of game pieces and components that bring the world to life. From the game board and player boards to the dwarf tokens and resource tiles, each piece plays a vital role in shaping your adventure. Make sure to familiarize yourself with all the components before jumping into the game.
Gameplay
Now that you understand the objective and components, it’s time to talk about gameplay. Each round of Caverna is divided into several phases, where you and your opponents will take turns. You’ll harvest resources, expand your farm, mine for ore, and breed animals to build a thriving community.
Throughout the game, you’ll face various challenges and decisions. Should you focus on farming or mining? Will you risk exploring the dangerous caves for valuable treasures? The choices you make will shape the course of your game, so choose wisely!
Scoring
In Caverna, the ultimate test of success is the final scoring. Your accomplishments throughout the game will be measured, and the player with the most points will emerge victorious. Points are awarded for a variety of factors, including the size of your family, the number of resources you’ve accumulated, and the types of buildings you’ve constructed.
Strategy
Crafting a winning strategy in Caverna requires a delicate balance of resource management, exploration, and tactical decision-making. You’ll need to adapt your strategy to the ever-changing game state and opponents’ moves. Keep an eye on what they’re doing and seize opportunities to outmaneuver them.
It’s important to think ahead, plan your moves, and make the most of every action. Don’t be afraid to take risks, but be prepared for the consequences. Remember, in Caverna, fortune favors the bold!
Conclusion
So, whether you’re new to Caverna or a seasoned player, these game rules will set you on the path to victory. With careful planning and a bit of luck, you’ll lead your family of dwarves to greatness. So gather your resources, sharpen your tools, and let the adventure begin!
So here’s the deal: you’re a dwarf, living in a cozy cave, deep underground. It’s your job to dig for shiny rocks and precious gems, and create a comfortable living space for yourself and your dwarf buddies.
Why do you need these rocks and gems, you ask? Well, let me tell you. First off, you need the rocks to make weapons. You’re not just any ordinary dwarf, you’re an adventurous one! You’ll be heading out on expeditions, searching for treasure and excitement. And you can’t go on these quests unarmed, can you?
Now, let’s talk about those gems. Rubies, to be exact. They’re like gold down here. You can trade them for all sorts of things – goods, land, you name it. They’re the key to getting what you want, whenever you want.
But it’s not all about living underground. You’ve got to take care of yourself too! That means going outside, chopping down some trees, raising some farm animals, and maybe even growing your own food. It’s like having your own little farm, right in the midst of your mining adventures.
When all is said and done, the dwarf with the most riches will be declared the winner. So get out there, work hard, dig deep, and claim your place as the wealthiest dwarf in town!
What’s in the Game?
- 300+ wooden pieces for animals, resources and dwarfs
- 60+ acrylic nuggets for ore and ruby
- 7 large Home boards
- 1 small and large basic game board
- 1 small and large additional game board
- 1 two-sided basic game board
- 4 longish supply boards
- 16 punchboards with over 400 pieces
- 30 cards
- 1 score sheet
- 1 rulebook
- 1 appendix
Setting Up the Game
Create Your Own Playing Space
Choose your color and get your Home board, as well as 5 Dwarfs and 3 Stables of that same color.
Put 2 out of your 5 Dwarfs next to each other in the “Entry-level dwelling” on your Home board. Keep the remaining 3 Dwarfs and Stables near your Home board for your own use.
Hey there! Let’s talk about how to set up the game. First, let’s clean up and put away any leftover Dwarf, Stables, and Home boards from previous games. We want a fresh start!
Next, grab two different Overview cards. These cards will give you a good summary of the game rules and goals. Pretty handy, right?
Now it’s time to decide who goes first. Just pick a player randomly, and they’ll get the Starting player token. The player to their left will also get to start with 1 Food, and the player after that will get 2 Food. Everyone else will start with a nice 3 Food. We want to make sure everyone has enough to get started!
#image.jpg
Let me tell you about the importance of covering the Dwarfs in your supply with Stables. It’s a crucial step that will prevent you from accidentally using them before you’re supposed to.
When it’s my turn to play, I get a certain amount of Food. The amount I receive depends on where I am in the turn order.
The Game Boards With Action Spaces
To start the game, I place the two basic game boards next to each other. Each board has different spaces for different rounds, numbered from 1 to 3 and 4 to 12.
Next, I shuffle the 7 Harvest markers and place them face-down on the Round spaces 6 to 12. Each space gets one marker. The markers have a grey rune symbol on them and are used for events during the Harvest.
Lastly, I place the “Harvest events” card next to the game boards.
Hey there! Let’s talk about this cool game I know. It’s a game for two people, and I’ll explain how to set it up.
First, take out one of the Harvest markers with a green leaf and put it aside. We won’t be using it in this game.
Now, we’ve got 6 markers left. We need to place them on the Round spaces from 6 to 12, but we’ll leave space 9 empty. That means we’ll have markers on spaces 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12.
That’s it! Now you’re ready to start playing. Have fun!
When setting up the game, you’ll need to place the third basic game board on the left side of the first two. Make sure to turn it the right way, depending on how many players there are – either 1 to 3, or 4 to 7 players.
There are two more game boards to consider.
- If you have 5 to 7 players, you’ll use the larger additional game board. Turn it to the appropriate side based on the number of players (either 5, or 6 to 7 players).
- In games with 3 or 7 players, you’ll use the smaller additional game board.
Remember to place the necessary additional game boards to the left of the basic ones.
The Boards for Supplies and Tiles for Furniture
These boards have two sides. One side is for the Introductory game, and the other side is for the Full game. In the Full game, you get more tiles for furniture. Remember to put the unused tiles back in the game box when playing the Introductory game.
If you’re playing with 6 or 7 players, it’s best to start with the Full game to ensure there are enough tiles for furniture.
Put the furniture tiles on the spaces marked on the supply boards. There are multiple “Dwelling” tiles. Place some on the board and keep the rest nearby as a reserve.
Hey there! So, there’s this cool game called “[INPUT]”. In the game, there are these tiles called “Dwelling” tiles that you can use to, well, build your dwellings. These tiles are pretty affordable, costing just 4 wood and 3 stone. But here’s the thing – you don’t need to put all of them on the supply board right away. Instead, you can add them gradually whenever you need more.
It’s sort of like having a stash of these Dwelling tiles and using them whenever you want to build new dwellings. You can keep replenishing your stash as you go along, adding more tiles as and when you need them. Cool, right?
By the way, don’t worry about not having enough Dwelling tiles for your game. The game comes with plenty of them, so you’ll always have enough to build your dwellings and create your own little world.
So, go ahead and play “[INPUT]!” Get those Dwelling tiles and start building your dream dwellings. Have fun!
Welcome to the Action Space Cards
Let’s get started by shuffling the 12 Action space cards. Just mix them up, but make sure not to peek at them!
If you’re playing with 2 players, we only need 11 of the Action space cards. Take out the “Exploration” card, which has the “Level 4 expedition” on it. Instead, cover up Round space 9 with a Dwarf card.
Now, it’s time to rearrange the shuffled Action space cards. Do this without looking at them. You can either fan them out or keep them stacked up – it’s up to you!
Take a look at the picture below to see how the 12 Action space cards should look after shuffling:
Let me explain how to set up the game. It’s actually pretty simple! Don’t worry, I’ll guide you through it.
First, gather all the cards and separate them into different stages. There are four stages in total. Take the three stage 4 cards and place them at the bottom of the stack. On top of those, place the three or two stage 3 cards. Finally, place the two ordinary stage 2 cards on top.
Next, grab the card for round 4 and put it on the very top. This card has “Wish for children” written on one side and “Urgent wish for children” on the other side. For now, it doesn’t matter which side is facing up.
Last but not least, take the three stage 1 cards and place them on top of the stack.
Now let’s talk about the landscape tiles.
You need to sort the landscape tiles according to their type. There are two types: single tiles and twin tiles. Make sure to put each type in its own stack.
Lastly, we have the building materials, animals, and weapon strength markers.
So here’s the deal – you need to sort out the remaining components that are left, and keep them organized in separate piles next to the game boards. It’s pretty simple actually. Just gather all the animals and put them in one pile, and then collect all the building materials and put them in another pile. Easy peasy! Oh, and by the way, you don’t have to worry about sorting the Weapon strength markers by number. You can just leave them be. Got it?
During the game, I will put down single and twin tiles on my Home boards. I can place Fields and Meadows (which can be upgraded to Pastures) on Forest spaces. I can also put down Caverns and Tunnels (which can be upgraded to Mines) on Mountain spaces.
Your Goal in the Game
Hey there! Let me explain the different parts of your Home board. We’ve got two sections to talk about. You’ve got a Forest on the left side, and a Mountain on the right side with an entrance to your cave system.
Now, let’s take a closer look at that Forest. Throughout the game, you’ll be cutting down the trees in the Forest. It’s like your own little lumberyard!
And on the right side, we’ve got the Mountain. Inside the Mountain, you have a cave system. Right now, you’ve got two Caverns in there. One of them is already furnished and can house 2 Dwarfs and a pair of animals. But the other Cavern is empty and ready for some furniture!
Your first two Dwarfs are living in the entry-level room of your cave system. If you want to expand your Dwarf family, you’ll need to add more Dwellings. Lucky for you, we’ve got some Furnishing tiles that you can use for this purpose. You probably noticed them during the setup.
Hey there! Let’s talk about the game mechanics in “Dwarfs: Digging Deep.” I’ll break it down for you in simple terms!
So, in this game, you control a group of Dwarfs. Each Dwarf can take one action per round. The available actions are shown on the game boards. Cool, right?
Now, here’s how it goes. Players take turns placing their Dwarfs on the Action spaces. You do this one Dwarf at a time, going clockwise, until everyone has placed their Dwarfs on the game boards. Got it so far?
Alright, let’s talk about the goal. Your actions should aim to do two things: collect Food for your Dwarfs and develop your Home board to score a lot of Gold points at the end of the game. It’s all about building up your Home board, my friend!
Now, let’s dive into your Home board. It’s like a little cavern that you can furnish. Imagine it like the illustration. At the bottom, you have a furnished Cavern, and at the top, it’s empty. Dwellings are a special type of furnished Cavern, but you can furnish your Cavern in different ways. Get creative!
I hope this gets you started on your journey in “Dwarfs: Digging Deep.” Have fun exploring and building your Home board!
When you’re setting up your Dwarfs on the game boards, you’ll sometimes find yourselves getting in each other’s way. Each Action space can only be taken by one Dwarf. The Dwarfs will only go back home once they’ve all been placed. Then they’ll be placed again in the next round.
As you’re reading the rules, you might want to refer back to this section every now and then to get a clearer picture of what’s going on. This section isn’t necessary for understanding the rules. Anything you find here is also explained in other parts of the rule book.
Understanding what happens on your home boards
When you’re at home, you can chop down trees to gather wood and mine mountains to collect stone. These materials are essential for building and filling the empty spaces inside your mountain. And don’t worry, the land outside your mountain can be used for farming and raising animals to provide food for your family.
Weapons And Expeditions
Introduction:
Hey there! Have you ever wondered about the fascinating world of weapons and expeditions? It’s a subject that has captivated people for centuries. Today, I’m going to dive into this captivating topic and explore the significance of these tools and adventures. So, let’s get started!
The Power of Weapons:
Now, let’s talk about weapons. It’s incredible how something so small and simple can have such a profound impact. Weapons can come in many different forms, from swords and bows to guns and missiles. They are designed to protect and defend, but they also have the capability to do great harm. It’s important to understand the responsibility that comes with wielding such power.
Expeditions: A Journey into the Unknown:
Next, let’s move on to expeditions. Have you ever dreamt of exploring unknown lands, diving deep into uncharted waters, or venturing into the vastness of space? Expeditions offer us the chance to satisfy our curiosity and push the boundaries of what we know. They can lead us to discover new things, learn about different cultures, and even expand our knowledge of the universe. But they also come with risks and challenges that must be faced with courage and preparedness.
The Connection:
Now, you might be thinking, what’s the connection between weapons and expeditions? Well, my friend, this is where it gets interesting. Throughout history, weapons have played a crucial role in expeditions. They have provided exploration teams with the means to protect themselves, secure their resources, and even survive in hostile environments. Having the right weapons can make all the difference when you’re out there facing the unknown.
A Double-Edged Sword:
However, it’s essential to remember that weapons are a double-edged sword. While they can provide a sense of security and help us overcome obstacles, they also have the potential to cause destruction and harm. It’s our responsibility to use them wisely and discerningly, ensuring that their power is harnessed for the greater good rather than for unnecessary violence or aggression.
In Conclusion:
In conclusion, my dear friend, weapons and expeditions are both captivating and powerful concepts. They have shaped the course of history and continue to influence our lives today. By understanding the significance of weapons and embracing the wonder of expeditions, we can appreciate the immense potential they hold. So, go out there, explore the world around you, and remember to use your power wisely!
If you’re a fan of the game “Agricola,” you might be curious about the purpose of Weapons in Caverna. In this game, your Dwarfs collect Ore in order to create Weapons. The strength of a Weapon is determined by the amount of Ore used during the forging process, and it increases by 1 after each Expedition.
During an Expedition, you may receive anywhere from 1 to 4 loot items, depending on the level of your Weapon. The type of items you receive is influenced by the strength of the Weapon you used (refer to the Overview card).
When you first create a Weapon, its initial strength can’t exceed 8. However, you have the opportunity to increase its strength throughout the game, up to a maximum of 14.
#image.jpg
When you play the game ‘Cave Farmers’ with a large number of players, something interesting happens: two distinct groups emerge. One group focuses on obtaining weapons, while the other group takes a more peaceful approach.
It’s important to note that members within the same group will be competing for the same resources. So, it’s crucial for you to stay vigilant and not let the competition within your group cause you to lose against the other one.
How Many Components Are There?
Hey there! Today, I want to talk about something really cool – the awesome components in this game! You know, there are these special Dwarfs and Stables that only come in limited quantities. Every player gets 5 Dwarfs and 3 Stables, and that’s it. But don’t worry, everything else is unlimited! If you ever run out of any other component, you can use these handy Multiplication markers or even get creative and improvise. Just put a token on a Multiplication marker to show that you’ve got 4 of that type.
Oh, and did I mention the animals? There are markers for 8 animals of a specific type. You can use these markers on the Large pastures that have Stables. And if that wasn’t enough, there are also markers for 10 units of a specific building material or 5 shiny Rubies. How awesome is that?
Oh, and get this – you can even “multiply” animals! Check out this Large pasture right here, it’s currently holding a whopping 4 Wild boars. Talk about a farm full of amazing creatures!
Now, let’s take a look at something else – the Scoring Pad. It’s pretty important, so pay attention. We’re gonna score some serious points with this thing!
When the game is over, the player who has accumulated the most Gold points emerges as the victor. Let’s explore the various methods by which you can earn points. The numbers in parentheses indicate the point values obtained in the example.
How the Game Works
Let’s dive into the exciting world of Caverna! This game is divided into two main parts. First, we’ll explore how a round unfolds. Then, we’ll break down the actions you can take.
A Round of the Game
Each session of Caverna is made up of 12 rounds. These rounds consist of five different phases that happen in a specific order.
If you’re playing with just two people, you’ll only have 11 rounds to complete.
For those who are familiar with Agricola, don’t worry! Just focus on the brown sentences. Most of the rules in Caverna are the same as in Agricola.
The Five Phases
Now, let’s take a closer look at each phase of a turn:
1. Add a New Action Space
2. Replenish Accumulating Spaces
3. Work Phase
4. Return Home
5. Clean Up
These five phases are the key to mastering Caverna. Pay attention to each one as you navigate through the game. Good luck!
Once all of the Dwarfs have been placed on the Action spaces, it’s time to return them back to their Dwellings.
Harvest time
1. Introducing a New Action Space
Take the top Action space card from the stack and place it on the Round space with the lowest number that is currently empty. The Round spaces are numbered from 1 to 12.
The new Action space increases the total number of available actions. During the Work phase of this round and all subsequent rounds, any player can utilize this space.
Starting from round 6, turn the Harvest marker on the Round space where the new Action space card is located to its face-up side. Keep the marker on the grey rune space.
When I came across the first round space, it made me stop and wonder. It’s like a little reminder telling me to take a moment and see if I need more game boards. It’s a simple message, but it’s important.
You’ll notice that each Harvest marker has a grey rune symbol on its back and either a green leaf or a red question mark on its front.
If the marker displays a green leaf, that means there will be a regular harvest at the end of the round.
However, if it shows a red question mark, the harvest will be handled in a unique way.
Exceptions for Adding a New Action Space
When it comes to the “Wish for children” Action space card, you’ll always see it in round 4. At first, place it on the game board with the “Wish for children” side facing up. As soon as you add the “Family life” Action space card in stage 3, flip it to the other side that says “Urgent wish for children”.
That’s how it works for small families: over time, a wish for children becomes an urgent wish.
In the 2-player game, the last round of stage 3, which is round 9, is skipped because the “Exploration” Action space card is no longer in the game.
2. Replenish Accumulating Spaces
Hey there! Let me tell you about these special Action spaces in the game. You’ll notice that some of them have a fancy arrow and a cool background illustration. Well, those are called “accumulating spaces.”
These accumulating spaces need to be replenished every round, whether or not there are any goods left on them from previous rounds. So, if you see “3 Wood” and an arrow, that means you add 3 Wood to that space every round.
But wait, there’s an exception! If you see “3 (1) Wood” and an arrow, it means you add 1 Wood to that space every round. However, if the space is empty, you put 3 Wood on it instead. Make sure to read the icons on other Action spaces in a similar way. For example, if you see “1 Grain (1 Vegetable)” on the “Sustenance” Action space, you add 1 Grain if the space is empty, but if it’s not empty, you add 1 Vegetable instead.
- When restocking, just grab what you need from the main stash.
- There’s no limit to how many items you can store in a designated area.
- If you happen to run out of a particular item, you can use the Multiplication markers or get creative (check page 5 for ideas).
3. Time to Get Busy
When we start the game, it’s your turn first. After that, we go in a circle, taking turns in a clockwise direction. The objective is to select one Dwarf from your cave and put it on an Action space that is not already occupied. Then, you must immediately do the action shown on that space. This process continues until all players have placed all their Dwarfs.
Remember, you must place your Dwarfs in a specific order. Start with the Dwarfs who do not have a Weapon, arranging them in ascending order based on their Weapon strength. After that, place the armed Dwarfs, again in ascending order.
Hey there! Let’s chat about action spaces and how they work for a Dwarf in a round.
First things first: each action space is exclusive to only one Dwarf per round. This means that you have to choose wisely when deciding where to place your Dwarf, because once an action space is taken, it’s off-limits for the other Dwarves.
So, imagine this scenario: you have a group of Dwarves, and each one wants to take their turn. They all have their eye on the available action spaces, but they can’t all go to the same spot. It’s like a game of musical chairs, but with Dwarves and action spaces instead.
Knowing this, you have to think strategically. You need to consider what actions each Dwarf can take, what resources they need, and what their goals are. It’s a lot to juggle, but that’s all part of the fun!
Remember, the goal is to make the most efficient use of your Dwarves’ actions. You want to maximize their potential and get the greatest benefit for your team. But be careful not to hog all the action spaces for one Dwarf, or you might find yourself at a disadvantage.
Ultimately, it’s about finding a balance. You want to distribute your Dwarves among the available action spaces in a way that optimizes their abilities and sets your team up for success.
So, as you plan your strategy, keep in mind that each action space can only accommodate one Dwarf in a round. Choose wisely and make the most of your Dwarves’ actions to secure victory!
Whenever you gather building materials, grain, vegetables, food, or rubies, you add the tokens to your own personal supply for everyone to see. However, animals cannot be added to your supply. Instead, they must be placed directly on your Home board.
The Work Phase in Detail
- If you acquire animals during the Work phase but don’t have the space or desire to accommodate them on your Home board, you have the option to immediately convert them into food. The conversion rates can be found on your Home board.
- You can only place Dwarfs from your cave. Dwarfs in your personal supply cannot be used since they haven’t been born yet. However, you can introduce them later.
- During your turn, you’re only able to place one Dwarf at a time.
- You cannot place a Dwarf on an Action space without performing at least one of its actions.
- When playing the “Family growth” action, some players may end up with fewer Dwarfs in their caves than others. If this happens to you and you run out of Dwarfs during a round, don’t worry, you’ll be skipped for that round. The players who still have Dwarfs in their caves will continue playing them one by one as explained earlier.
- In some Action spaces, you’ll have to make a choice between different options, such as “either this or that”.
- Other Action spaces give you the flexibility to take any number of available actions, like “and/or” or “and then/or”.
- There are two Action spaces that require you to perform a mandatory primary action first, followed by an optional follow-up action. For example, the “Urgent wish for children” Action space demands that you use the first action in order to unlock the second one.
4. Return Home
It’s time to wrap things up. Take your Dwarfs off the game boards and return them to their Dwellings.
Returning Home: What You Need to Know
- When it comes to distributing the Dwarfs in your cave system, you have the freedom to arrange them however you like.
- But remember, you can only have as many Dwarfs as there are available spaces in your cave. So, you’ll always find a cozy spot for your tired Dwarfs to rest.
- For strategic purposes, it’s a good idea to place your Dwarfs next to each other in a line. This way, your opponents can easily see which Dwarfs are armed and how strong their Weapons are.
5. Harvest Time
When it’s time to harvest, we need to make sure our families are taken care of. Some rounds won’t end with a harvest, but others will. When a harvest happens, there are three sub-phases that we go through in a specific order.
Sub-phase 1: The Field phase.
Sub-phase 2: The Feeding phase.
During the Feeding phase, you have to give food to your Dwarfs. Each Dwarf in your cave needs 2 pieces of Food. If any Dwarfs were born this round because of a “Family growth” action, they only need 1 piece of Food for now, but they’ll need 2 pieces in future harvests. If you don’t have enough Food, you can turn other goods into Food, or you’ll have to take Begging markers.
Begging Markers
If you can’t or don’t want to make the Food we need, you have to take 1 Begging marker for each missing Food. You can’t get rid of Dwarfs to avoid feeding them. At the end of the game, you’ll lose 3 Gold points for each Begging marker. Once you take the markers, you can’t give them back.
If you have two or more Farm animals that are the same, you’ll get a bonus – one extra baby animal of that type. However, there’s a catch – the new baby animal needs to have enough space on your Home board. You can’t turn baby animals or parent animals into Food right away. First, you have to find a place for them on your Home board. In this example, the player has a Stable in the Forest near their cave. This means they can keep up to three Wild boars. So, even though the Wild boars don’t seem interested in each other right now, they can still have a piglet.
All About Breeding
- You get all of your baby animals at once, not one by one.
- In each harvest, you can only get one animal of each type at most.
- Dogs aren’t considered Farm animals, so they don’t breed.
The animals on your Home board keep reproducing, no matter where you put the parent animals. They can be in different areas.
Now, let’s talk about which rounds end with a Harvest.
Rounds 1 to 4 always end with a Harvest.
For rounds 5 to 12, there is usually a Harvest at the end. However, this can change if a Harvest marker shows a red question mark. During setup, Harvest markers are placed on Round spaces 6 to 12. The change in the Harvest depends on how many question marks have already been revealed.
Here’s an important rule: If the first question mark is revealed during a round (like in rounds 1 and 2), there won’t be a Harvest at the end of that round. This is explained on the “Harvest events” card.
Alright, listen up! When we get to the end of the round and that second question mark pops up, things change, my friend. Instead of just reaping the rewards, you gotta fork over 1 Food for each Dwarf in your cave. Yeah, even those little offspring Dwarfs. It’s like a tax, man, and it happens every round from round 4 onwards.
Now, when that third question mark shows its face, you’ve got a choice to make. You can either go for the Field phase or the Breeding phase of the Harvest time. It’s a personal decision, so you gotta think about what’s best for you.
But keep track of how many question marks have popped up, alright? Stick ’em on the “Harvest events” card in the order they appeared, after you’ve dealt with ’em.
Now, I gotta be real with you. You’re gonna need a lot of Food for your hungry Dwarfs in this game. There’s a whole bunch of harvests going on, so stock up, my friend.
But hey, here’s the flip side. You’re gonna be racking up those crops more often, and your animals will be breeding like crazy. So if you can figure out the right moves to feed your family early on, it won’t be as tough as it sounds.
So there you have it. Keep an eye on those question marks, prepare for a lot of hungry Dwarfs, but enjoy the benefits of bountiful harvests and breeding. You got this!
Let’s look at this example. The first question mark has been solved already. Once the next one is uncovered, we all need to give up 1 Food for each of our Dwarfs.
Food Conversion Rules
Feeding my Dwarfs is crucial, and luckily, I can convert goods into Food whenever I want. No need to worry about any limits. Just take a peek at the Food conversion table on the bottom right of my Home board for these simple rules:
- If you want to get some Food, you can use your Gold. Just pay one more Gold than the amount of Food you want. For example, 1, 2, 3, or more Food cost 2, 3, 4, or more Gold, respectively. You can change your Gold anytime you like. But remember, you can’t use the Gold points you get at the end of the game for things like Mines or Meadows. Each Gold is worth 1 point at the end of the game.
Moreover, you have another option to get Food. You can convert animals and crops into Food.
- You can feed yourself by collecting Sheep, Wild boars, Cattle, and Donkeys. Each Sheep is worth 1 Food, Wild boars are worth 2 Food, and Cattle are worth 3 Food. A single Donkey is worth 1 Food, but 2 Donkeys are worth 3 Food.
- You can also gather Grain and Vegetables to add to your Food supply. Each Grain is worth 1 Food, and Vegetables are worth 2 Food.
- If you have Rubies, you can exchange them for Wild boars and Vegetables, which are each worth 2 Food. This means you can convert Rubies directly into 2 Food.
- However, Dogs, Wood, Stone, and Ore do not provide any Food. (By the way, Dwarfs don’t either).
The Food conversion table on your Home board will help you remember these rules.
Now that we know how to collect Food, let’s talk about the other important actions you can take to become a wealthy dwarf. Let’s explore the Action spaces and learn the remaining rules.
Hey there! I’m excited to help break down the rules for you in a way that’s easy to understand. Let’s jump right in!
The Actions
At the start of the game, some Action spaces are already available, while others will unlock as you progress. Certain Action spaces are only accessible based on the number of players.
Now, let’s go through the different types of Action spaces in the following order:
- Spaces for twin tiles
- Spaces for family growth
- Spaces for goods and mines
- Spaces for animals
- Spaces for weapons
- Starting player
- Imitation
End of the Game
Hey there! Let’s talk about how the game ends and how to determine the final scores. It’s pretty cool, so stay with me!
The game ends after round 12, and that’s when things get exciting. To figure out who wins, we use something called a scoring pad. It’s like a secret recipe for calculating the scores. Trust me, you’ll love it!
Now, there are different categories in which you can earn Gold points. Gold points are like little shiny treasures that add up to victory. The player with the most Gold points is the big winner! But wait, what happens if there’s a tie? No worries, my friend. In that case, there can be multiple winners. How cool is that?
Let me break it down for you:
- 1 Gold per Farm animal and Dog: This is where things get interesting. Each animal, including Dogs (but Dogs aren’t considered Farm animals), is worth 1 Gold point at the end of the game. So, make sure you have those furry friends and other animals on your team to score big!
- -2 Gold per missing type of Farm animal: Ah, yes, this is a tricky one. At the end of the game, you need to have at least 1 Sheep, 1 Donkey, 1 Wild boar, and 1 Cattle on your Home board. If you’re missing any of these, you lose 2 Gold points for each missing type. But hey, don’t worry too much about it. You don’t need to have any Dogs for this part!
And there you have it! The end of the game, the final scores, and the path to victory. Just remember, it’s all about those Gold points and having a good mix of animals on your Home board. So go out there, have fun, and may the best player win!
1/2 Gold per Grain (rounded up): Count all your Grain tokens – both the ones you have in your supply and the ones still on your Fields. Divide this number by 2 and round it up. You will earn this number of Gold points for your Grain. 1 Gold per Vegetable: Count all your Vegetable tokens – both the ones in your supply and the ones remaining on your Fields. You will receive this number of Gold points for your Vegetables. 1 Gold per Ruby: At the end of the game, each Ruby you possess is worth 1 Gold point. 1 Gold per Dwarf: At the end of the game, each of your Dwarfs is valued at 1 Gold point.
Let me break down a couple of important things for you:
Firstly, for every empty space on your Home board – spaces without a tile or Stable – you lose 1 Gold point. Keep in mind that the two pre-printed Caverns in your cave system are already considered used, meaning they have a Stable on them. The same goes for any unfurnished Caverns you have.
Secondly, you can earn Gold points by furnishing your tiles, Pastures, and Mines. Take a look at the Gold point values on all your tiles. Small pastures are worth 2 Gold points, while large pastures are worth 4 Gold points, regardless of the type and number of animals on those tiles.
Now, let’s dive into the details about bonus points:
- Let’s talk about earning bonus points in the game! There are several chambers – the Weaving parlor, Milking parlor, Fodder chamber, Food chamber, and Treasure chamber. You can earn bonus points by using these chambers, and they can be added to other categories too. But first, let’s note that the Writing chamber helps to reduce minus points in specific categories.
For example, if you have the Weaving parlor, you will earn points for Sheep twice. Once in the “1 Gold per Farm animal” category, and again in the “Bonus points for Parlors” category.
If you have the Writing chamber, it will lessen the negative points you receive for “-2 Gold per missing type of Farm animal”, “-1 Gold per unused space” and “Begging markers”.