How to Play Alhambra: The Vizier's Favor

Objective of the Game

"Winning the Vizier's favour" is a module that allows the normal order of play to be interrupted for a special move: the purchase of a building tile. This extension contains four additional modules for the original game (the Palace of Alhambra); they can be used either singly or in any combination. Play is still based on the rules of the original game.

Preparation (Setup)

The Vizier's Favor Module

• Each player receives one wooden vizier piece in their color and places it face up in front of them.
• Any vizier pieces not needed are removed from the game.

The Bureaux de Change Module

• The 6 bureau de change cards are playing cards, each showing two different currencies.
• When the Palace of Alhambra money cards are divided into five piles at the start of a game, two bureau de change cards are concealed in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th piles.

The Bonus Cards Module

• The 10 bonus cards are shuffled and dealt face down to all players:
  • With 2 or 3 players, each player receives 3 bonus cards.
  • With 4 or 5 players, each player receives 2 bonus cards.
  • With 6 players, each player receives 1 bonus card.
• Bonus cards that have not been dealt out are set aside face down.

The Workers' Hut Module

• The 24 workers' hut building tiles are sorted according to their color.
• Each of the 6 piles of workers' huts is shuffled and placed face down next to the building market.
• The top workers' hut of each pile is turned face up.

Flow of the Game

Play is still based on the rules of the original game. Rule changes, additional rules, and new equipment are explained on separate sheets for each module.

The Vizier's Favor

Each time a player has completely finished their turn, any of the players may interrupt the normal order of play and make a Special Move by buying a building tile from the building market and positioning it. However, they can only do so on the following conditions:

• Their vizier piece must be in play (face up).
• They must (be able to) pay for the building tile with the exact money.

A player who makes this special move does not get the extra go they would normally get by paying exactly.

The player then turns their vizier piece over (face down) - it is now no longer in play. The player takes the building they want, pays the exact price, and positions it according to the building rules or places it on their reserve board. The player does not have an extra go.

The building market is then refilled so that there are 4 buildings.

The normal order of play then resumes with the player who would have been next.

If several players want to use their vizier at the same time, the player who would be next in the order of play comes first. (The player due to play next would be the first - the player who has just finished their turn would be last.) The other players may then decide again whether they want to use their vizier piece.

When the last building tiles are being shared out at the end of the game, the vizier piece can no longer be used.

The Bureaux de Change

When the top card taken from the money pile is a bureau de change card, you lay it (like any other card) face up next to the building market. There are always a maximum of four cards showing, no matter whether they are bureau de change cards or money cards.

At the end of each turn, any cards which have been removed are replaced with new ones so that there are four in total - even if this includes one or more bureau de change cards.

When all the cards in the money pile have been used, the discarded cards - including the used bureau de change cards - are shuffled and placed face down to make a new pile.

When the last building tiles are shared out at the end of the game, the bureau de change cards can no longer be used.

Actions and How to Play

Each player normally has three different options when it is their turn (Take some money • Buy and position a building tile • Redesign their Alhambra). Now there are additional options depending on the modules used:

Bring the Vizier Back into Play

The vizier piece is turned over so that it is face up. It can now be used at any time for the special move.

Using the vizier piece does not allow a player to take a workers' hut.

Take a Bureau de Change Card

The player whose turn it is may now take a bureau de change card instead of money. You can have as many bureau de change cards in your hand as you like.

Use a Bureau de Change Card

A building tile usually has to be paid for with the currency shown directly next to the building tile in the building market. If the bureau de change card also shows this currency, it can be played, and the player can buy one building tile using any combination of the two currencies on the card. After that, it is placed on the discard pile. You are not allowed to use your bureau de change card twice.

Play a Bonus Card

A player who adds a building tile to their Alhambra during the game and also has the matching bonus card can play this bonus card by laying it face up in front of them at any time. Once a bonus card has been played, it counts as an extra building of that particular kind during the scoring rounds.

You can only play a bonus card when you have added the building pictured on the card to your Alhambra.

If a player removes a building tile from their Alhambra after having already played the matching bonus card, the player must pick up the bonus card again. Neither the bonus card nor the building tile on the reserve board would then count during a scoring round. Only when the building tile has been added to the Alhambra again can the matching bonus card be played and then count as an extra building in a scoring round.

Once you have added the building tile to your own Alhambra, you can play a matching bonus card at any time, including during a scoring round.

Build a Workers' Hut

You can take any one of the upturned workers' huts from the six piles. Then the next workers' hut in the pile is turned face up. If all the tiles have been taken from a pile, this kind of workers' hut is no longer available.

A workers' hut does not cost any money (and cannot therefore be paid for exactly, which means there is no extra go). At the end of a turn, the workers' hut (together with other building tiles if the player has just bought them) is added to the player's own Alhambra or placed on their reserve board according to the building rules. Each player is allowed a maximum of three workers' huts, including those on their reserve board. The rules for redesigning the Alhambra also apply to the workers' huts.

End of Game and Scoring

Scoring with the Workers' Huts

When scoring, a workers' hut may count as nothing or as up to a maximum of three extra buildings of the same color, depending on its position. If a workers' hut is joined to one building of the same color it counts as one additional building of this kind, if it is joined to 2 or 3 buildings of the same color, it counts as 2 or 3 buildings of this kind, as long as in each case there is no wall between the workers' hut and the neighboring buildings of the same color.

The walls on the workers' hut tiles are scored in the same way as usual.

Bonus Cards in Scoring

Bonus cards which have been played count as building tiles in the scoring rounds.

Tips for Winning

• It may well be a good idea to only play a bonus card later on, for example to leave other players in the dark as to who really has the most of that particular kind of building. You may then perhaps be able to spring a surprise during the third scoring round when there are the most points to be won.
• If a workers' hut is positioned skillfully, it can count as a maximum of three buildings of the same kind. But the workers' huts are not only important for getting the most buildings; they also help players to plan their walls better.