How to Play Alhambra: The City Gates

Objective of the Game

In Alhambra: The City Gates, players continue the task of building their own Alhambra. This expansion introduces new modules—City Gates, Diamonds, Characters, and Camps—that can be combined with the original game and the 1st extension. The goal remains to build the most impressive city by strategically placing buildings, managing new currencies, and utilizing special abilities to score the most points.

Setup

Each module has specific setup requirements:

• City Gates: Give each player one wooden City Gate and one City-Gate card. When dividing the original money cards into five piles, insert the City-Gate cards face down into the 3rd, 4th, and 5th piles. Place the wooden gates ready for use.
• Diamonds: Shuffle the 11 Diamond money cards together with the original money cards. Players receive their starting money as usual.
• Characters: When dividing the money cards into five piles, place 2 Character cards face down in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th piles. Place the remaining Character cards face down to one side.
• Camps: Shuffle the 8 Camp tiles into the bag with the original building tiles.

Game Flow

Play follows the rules of the original game. The new modules integrate into the existing structure:

• City Gates: If a City-Gate card is drawn from the money pile, it is placed face-up. Players can pick this up instead of a money card.
• Characters: If a Character card is drawn from the money pile, the game is interrupted for an auction. The player next in turn acts as the auctioneer. Players bid using one currency; the highest bidder takes the card.
• Camps: These enter the game via the building market just like standard building tiles.

Actions and How to Play

City Gates

Using a City-Gate card is not a separate turn. It allows a player to place a building tile that is only connected by a double wall and otherwise unreachable "on foot." Place a wooden City Gate on the double wall to satisfy the pedestrian rule. The card is then removed from the game.

Diamonds

Diamonds are a fifth currency. They can be used to buy any building tile, regardless of the required currency. However, you cannot combine diamonds with other currencies in a single payment.

Characters

Character cards provide unique abilities. Symbols indicate usage: [❖] for once per round, [W] for scoring rounds, and [1x] for cards removed after one use. You cannot use Character cards if you use your vizier piece (from the 1st extension).

Camps

Camps are built on the outside of city walls. They must be oriented like the starting fountain, joined by their bastion to a city wall, and can only touch other camps on edges without bastions. The pedestrian rule does not apply to camps.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends according to the original rules. Scoring for Camps occurs in every scoring round: they award 1 point for every building tile connected in a straight, uninterrupted line in the direction of the arrow(s) on the Camp tile. Starting fountains and workers' huts count as buildings for this purpose. Diamonds do not count when distributing remaining building tiles at the end of the game.

Tips for Winning

• Strategic Gate Usage: Use City Gates to expand your Alhambra into areas that were previously blocked by the pedestrian rule, but remember that once a gate is played, neither the gate nor the two tiles under it can be redesigned.
• Character Management: Since you can hold any number of Character cards, prioritize bidding on those that align with your long-term strategy, such as Hakim Wahid or Yusuf E’Passuff for scoring rounds.
• Camp Placement: Maximize your Camp points by ensuring they are placed where their arrows point toward the longest possible straight line of existing buildings.