Get Ready to Journey through the Eastern Wonders!
Welcome, adventurer! Today, I’m here to guide you through the intricate rules of the captivating game, Century: Eastern Wonders. Prepare yourself for an exciting journey full of strategic decisions and thrilling discoveries! By the time we’re finished, you’ll be ready to dive headfirst into this mesmerizing world and unleash your inner explorer.
Setting the Stage
First things first, let’s set the stage for our adventure. In Century: Eastern Wonders, you’ll find yourself in a world brimming with lucrative spices and bustling trade routes. Your mission is to establish your presence in these exotic lands and dominate the spice trade. It won’t be an easy task, but with a little perseverance and cunning, you might just come out on top.
Your Arsenal of Actions
Now that you’re familiar with the game’s backdrop, it’s time to delve into the mechanics. Throughout the game, you’ll have a handful of powerful actions at your disposal. These actions will allow you to sail your ships, discover new islands, establish trading posts, and even upgrade your ships to unlock further abilities. It’s up to you to strategically choose which actions to take and when to take them. Remember, each decision counts and can have a profound impact on your path to victory.
The Power of Trading
In Century: Eastern Wonders, trading is at the heart of everything. As you traverse the seas, you’ll encounter an array of valuable spices. These spices can be collected, traded, and used to fulfill contracts. However, you must prioritize your trades wisely to maximize your resources and gain the upper hand. Will you focus on accumulating a variety of spices, or will you specialize in a single type to reap greater rewards? The choice is yours, and it could be the key to your success.
Unleashing Your Strategy
Every great adventurer needs a solid strategy, and in Century: Eastern Wonders, it’s no different. As you progress through the game, you’ll need to carefully plan your moves, anticipate your opponents’ actions, and react accordingly. Will you rush to claim the most lucrative trading posts, or will you play the long game, patiently building your empire? There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, so trust your instincts and embrace the art of adaptation.
Embarking on Your Adventure
Now that you have a firm grasp of the game’s rules, it’s time to embark on your thrilling adventure through the Eastern Wonders. Remember, every decision matters, and the outcome of your journey is in your hands. Will you conquer the spice trade and etch your name in the annals of history? Only time will tell. So gather your wits, rally your crew, and set sail for glory!
Long ago, explorers from different countries embarked on perilous voyages across the vast oceans to find new routes to the lands where valuable spices were found. These spices were so highly prized that they were considered even more valuable than gold. The search for these precious goods led to the discovery of the Spice Islands, a place where these rare spices grew abundantly. This discovery resulted in intense competition and conflicts between nations vying for control over this lucrative trade.
This age of exploration and conquest is famously known as the Age of Discovery. As a proud representative of your nation, you find yourself sailing on the open seas, eager to claim your share of the exotic treasures that await you in the Far East. Your goal is to establish dominance over this region, ensuring both glory and profit for your homeland.
Setting up the Game
Here’s how to get Century Eastern Wonders up and running:
- First, I’m going to sort all the market tiles by their trade symbols. Then, I’ll randomly remove one tile of each symbol. The remaining market tiles will need to be shuffled for a fair distribution.
- Next, I’ll place the four port tiles at each corner of the map. This will create designated areas for trading.
- Now, it’s time to prepare the Victory Point (VP) tiles. I’ll start by shuffling them, excluding the Closed Port tile. Then, I’ll draw and place one face-up VP tile on each port. After that, I’ll shuffle the Closed Port tile and mix it among the first five VP tiles. Finally, I’ll put these six tiles on top of the pile. This VP tile pile will be placed next to the map for easy access.
- First, let’s organize all the bonus tiles. Take the VP bonus tiles and sort them by type – 6 VP, 5 VP, 4 VP, and 3 VP. Stack them in ascending order, with the 6 VP tile on top.
- Now, hand out a player board to each player. Make sure the Eastern Wonders side is facing up, just like in the picture. The player who was last on a boat goes first and takes the player board with the First Player Icon.
- Every player needs a boat and 20 outposts of the same color. Take the matching colored boat and outposts for each player. Then, place one outpost on each space of their player board.
- Okay, here’s what you do. Take the starting cubes and put them in the middle of the table. Now, it’s your turn to pick your own cubes and put them in your cargo hold. After that, just put your boat on any market tile you want. If there are any leftover cubes, just put them back in the supply. Got it?
Game Turn
So, in this game, we play a bunch of rounds. Each round, everyone takes a turn, starting with the first player and going around the table.
On your turn, you can move your boat and then do something cool.
Move
First, you can move your boat to a tile next to where it is now. And guess what? It’s totally free! Then, if you want, you can keep moving by putting a cube from your cargo hold on each tile you pass. You can keep doing this as long as you have cubes in your cargo hold.
When I finish moving to a market tile and there are other boats there, I have to give each boat’s owner 1 cube from my cargo. But if I don’t have enough cubes to pay everyone, I can’t stop on a market tile with other boats.
If there are cubes on the tile where I stop, I can put them in my cargo hold. But if there are both other players’ boats and cubes on the market tile where I stop, I have to pay the other players first before I can take any cubes.
Time to Take Action
Once you’ve decided where to move your boat, it’s time to take action. You have a few options:
- You can choose to visit a market tile and engage in some trading.
- If you’d rather, you can head to a port tile and see what opportunities await you there.
- Or perhaps you’re in the mood for some hard work. In that case, you can choose to perform a harvest action on any tile.
Market Adventures
Hey, if you’ve got your boat parked on a market tile A, you’ve got a couple of options available to you. First, you can choose to build an outpost on the adjacent tile B. This is a great opportunity to establish your presence and claim a stake in that market tile. But make sure you don’t already have an outpost on it, or you won’t be able to build another one.
Now, let’s talk about the cost involved in this outpost business. Placing an outpost will set you back by 1 cube for each outpost that’s already on that market tile. In a game with two players, it’s double that – 2 cubes for each outpost. But here’s the good news: building the very first outpost on a market tile won’t cost you any cubes. So you can go ahead and kickstart your empire without breaking the bank.
When I want to build an outpost, I have to pay for it by returning some cubes from my cargo hold to the supply. I get to choose which cubes to return, which is nice because I can use ones that I don’t need anymore. Once I’ve paid the cost, I can take the left-most outpost from my player board and put it on the tile that matches the market’s icon C. It’s like I’m expanding my territory and building a new outpost!
Oh, and there’s one more thing. If I happen to empty a whole vertical column, I get a bonus! I can choose a bonus tile from the supply and put it next to my player board. It’s like a reward for being so good at building outposts.
When I’m moving, I can freely move to a tile that is next to me.
Did you know that there is something incredibly important that happens at the end of a game? It’s called the Worth VP, and it’s something you should definitely take into account when playing.
So here’s the deal: when you put up an outpost, you have the chance to level up a cube by one right away. How cool is that? But wait, there’s more! This little outpost of yours, it’s not just some piece on the board. No way. It’s worth a mighty two victory points when the game comes to a close. That’s some serious value right there.
When you harvest, you’ll get an extra red cube. And guess what? That red cube is also worth 1 victory point (VP) at the end of the game!
Hey there! Guess what? You’ve got room for 3 more cubes in your cargo hold!
Oh, and here’s a little tip: if you want to level up, just return one of your cubes to the supply and grab one from the next level. Easy peasy!
Once you set up shop in a market, you can do the Market action. You can trade the cubes listed above the arrow for those below the arrow from the supply.
During a Market action, you can make as many trades in a row as you want, as long as you have the right cubes.
For example: Let’s say I have 9 yellow cubes and I use a Market action that lets me trade 3 yellow cubes, A, for 1 brown cube, B. I can trade 3, 6, or all 9 yellow cubes for 1, 2, or 3 brown cubes, respectively.
Port
If your boat is docked at a port, you can earn Victory Points (VP) by returning the cubes shown on the VP tile from your cargo to the supply.
Keep the VP tile and put it face down next to your player board. Then, take the next VP tile from the pile and place it face up on the port tile.
If the tile is a Closed Port tile, that port is closed. This means that VP tiles won’t be placed on the port tile while the Closed Port tile is there. If a VP tile is claimed at another port, move the Closed Port tile to that port and put a VP tile on the port where the Closed Port tile was before.
For harvesting, collect 2 yellow cubes from the supply and add them to your cargo hold.
There is a limit to how much your cargo hold can carry.
When I finish a turn, I need to make sure that I don’t have more cubes in my cargo hold than the spaces available. If I do, then I have to get rid of some cubes until I reach my limit. My cargo hold limit is initially set at 10.
The Game’s End
The game will come to an end once a player claims their 4th VP tile. This happens after the current round of play.
When the game ends, it’s time to tally up the points. I need to count the points from my VP tiles, any uncovered values from spaces on my player board, bonus VP tiles, and the remaining cubes in my cargo hold. Each non-yellow cube is worth 1 point.
The player who has the most Victory Points will be the winner.
If there is a tie, the player who took their turn last among those involved in the tie will be declared the winner.
Make Your Own Maps
When I play Century Eastern Wonders for the first time, I have the opportunity to make my own special maps.
To make sure that the tiles fit nicely, I should try to put them next to at least 2 other tiles whenever I can.