THE CASTLES OF BURGUNDY

ALL ABOUT THE CASTLES OF BURGUNDY

Hey there! Let’s explore the exciting world of the Castles of Burgundy, where you get to grow your estates in the magnificent 15th-century Loire Valley. It’s a captivating game of trade and commerce that puts you in the driver’s seat. You’ll be presented with a variety of actions, but the choice is yours! The real question is, will you make wise decisions?

With so many different paths to choose from, your decisions will determine whether victory is within your grasp. So get ready to trade, buy, build, and invest as you navigate your way through five thrilling rounds, all in pursuit of earning the most victory points!

GETTING STARTED

First things first, each player will need to collect one project card, one storage card, and one estate card. These cards are to be placed right in front of you. Now, in your storage, you’ll want to keep one good card, one animal card, and one silver card.

So here’s what happens next: first, I take all the good cards and shuffle them. I divide them into two stacks, facing up, near the end of the table. Same goes for the animal cards. Then, I place the silver cards and worker cards on the edge of the table.

But who gets to start the game, you ask? Well, it’s the youngest player. We give them the starting player card and place it next to their estate card. The two players to their left get one worker card each from the pile, while the final player gets two worker cards. All these cards are placed in the players’ storage area.

Now, let’s talk about the display cards. We organize them in rows from one to six, right in the center of the table. As for the bonus cards, we put all seven of them on the upper side of the display cards. And here’s a cool tip: stack the bonus cards in a pile above the display cards, but remember to arrange them in decreasing order. Finally, if you want, you can place the fifteen victory point cards on the edge of the table.

Hey there! Let me break down the gameplay for you. First, we gather all the round cards and place them in a single pile, in the order A, B, C, D, and E. Then, we shuffle the action cards and deal six of them to each player. Now, here’s the catch: those cards need to stay face-down until it’s time to draw them.

The action cards are put face-up next to the display cards. The number of cards dealt will vary depending on the number of players. For example, if there are two players, we use seven cards; three players, ten cards; and four players, thirteen cards. The first six cards are placed in a vertical row one at a time. If there are four players, we do the same thing with the other six cards.

Ready for some gameplay?

Now, let’s get into the exciting part. The game consists of five rounds, and each round has six turns. Starting with the starter player, we go clockwise around the group. Each player gets to collect the two action cards on top of their card pie. Here’s a tip: only pay attention to the number on the die for now; you can ignore everything else on the card.

When you play this game, the number on your card determines what you can do next. There are six different actions you can take, and it’s always exciting to see which one you get! Once you’ve taken your turn, it’s time for the next player to go. When everyone has had a turn, the round is over.

But don’t worry, the fun isn’t over yet! Each player gets to draw another action card, so they have two cards to use for their next turn. And then, the game continues just like before, with each player taking turns and using their cards strategically. The round keeps going until it’s time for the very last one.

Now, it’s time to start a new round! All the cards from the previous round are placed aside, and new ones are brought out. You’ll get six fresh cards from the draw pile, and you’ll place them in front of you, ready for action. The player who holds the start card gets to begin the round, and the excitement builds all over again.

The Actions

Action 1: Choose a Card

I can pick a card from the display. The die number on the action card tells me which row I can choose from. After I take a card, I need to place it under one of my project cards. But remember, I can only place three cards under a project.

Action 2: Place a Project

To add a project to my estate, the die number on the action card must match one of the cards in my projects. It’s best to have three cards of the same type, as that earns more victory points.

Action 3: Sell Goods

Now it’s time to sell goods. The die number on the action card determines which goods I can sell. All goods cards with the same number can be sold. For each good I sell, I earn one silver. And as a bonus, the seller gets the starting player card.

Action 4: ???

When I take this action, I get to restock my workers regardless of the number on the die. It doesn’t matter if I have one or zero workers left, I can always restock them to two. How convenient!

Action 5

Now this one is easy. No matter what number shows up on the die, I get to collect one silver. Simple as that!

Action 6

No need to worry about the die number here either. I can always take this action. Here’s how it works: I add up all my worker cards and silver cards, divide that total by three, and collect that many victory point cards. It’s like a little math puzzle!

Workers

Worker cards are pretty handy. I can use them to change the number on the die. Talk about being flexible!

Silver

With three silver cards, I can purchase three action cards. Then, I get to choose one of those cards to use as a new project or as another action card. It’s like a two-for-one deal!

Projects

Ah, the mines. Whenever I place a mine, I get to take two silver cards. It’s like digging for treasure!

Here’s what you need to know:

When you play a knowledge card, you get two worker cards.

For each ship you place, you get one good card.

If you place a pasture, you can take one animal card.

Buildings

When you build a building, you can use its bonus right away.

With the Carpenter’s Workshop, you can choose any building or knowledge card from the display and turn it into a project.

If you have the Church, you can turn any castle, mine, or cloister from the display into a project.

The Market allows you to turn any ship or pasture from the display into a project.

When you have the Watchtower, you can take a victory point card and place it on the left side of your real estate card.

The Bank lets you take three silver from the supply and put it in your storage.

If you have the Boarding House, you can take one good or animal from the four open decks and put it in your storage.

In the warehouse, you can sell one item from your storage.

At the City Hall, you can place another project in your estate.

Castles are special because after you place one, you get to take a free action.

Cloisters don’t have an immediate bonus function, but they can act as another card when paired with one throughout the game. If you have three cloisters, you get six victory points!

END OF GAME

The game ends after the fifth round. Along with the normal victory points, players also earn points for any animals they have. If you have four different animals, you earn four points. Three animals get you three points, and two animals get you two points. The start card is worth one point. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins!