# Architects of the West Kingdom: Age of Artisans ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2020 - **BGG Rating**: 8.0 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 1-6 (Best with: 4) - **Duration**: 60-80 min - **Weight**: 2.85 / 5 - **Designers**: S J Macdonald, Shem Phillips - **Artists**: Mihajlo Dimitrievski - **Publishers**: Garphill Games, Banana Games, CMON Global Limited, Fever Games, Korea Boardgames, Lavka Games, Mosaico Jogos, Pixie Games, Portal Games, Primigenio, Reflexshop, Renegade Game Studios, Schwerkraft-Verlag, TLAMA games, White Goblin Games, Yayoi The Dreamer - **Categories**: City Building, Expansion for Base-game, Medieval - **Mechanics**: Open Drafting, Variable Player Powers, Worker Placement, Worker Placement, Different Worker Types ## Verdict The essential upgrade for West Kingdom fans looking for more tactical layers.Deeper strategic depthHigh-quality componentsNew gameplay possibilitiesSeamless integrationRequires base gameIncreases complexityHIGHLY RECOMMENDED ## Description Ever felt like your base game was getting a bit 'small' and you were craving more depth? Well, Age of Artisans is exactly the upgrade you've been waiting for! If you're already a fan of the West Kingdom trilogy, get ready to see the city from a much more detailed perspective. This time, we aren't just talking about ruling; we're talking about building and beautifying. The master craftsmen have returned to the city, and the Guildhall is absolutely buzzing! In this expansion, the focus shifts toward specialization. You'll have new apprentices to train and new buildings to adorn with luxurious tapestries and stunning stained glass. The big game-changer is the introduction of Craft Cards, which add a whole new layer of strategy to your planning. Additionally, the game gets a brand-new, dual-layered Guildhall board to keep things organized and elegant, along with new player boards and a variety of fresh components that level up the table presence. The worker placement mechanic gets a serious boost with different worker types and new ways to interact with the city. This isn't just 'more of the same' content; it's an expansion that expands the possibilities of every decision, making your turn-by-turn planning much richer and more tactical. If you love watching your city grow not just in size, but in prestige and beauty, these artisans will be your best allies. But watch out: amidst all the shimmer and luxury, not everything that glitters is gold, and the competition for the best spot in the Guildhall is going to be fierce! ## How to Play Game Objective In Architects of the West Kingdom: Age of Artisans, players take on the role of master craftsmen returning to the city. The goal is to adorn the city's buildings with fancy wares and upgrade apprentices with new tools. Players compete to gain the most Victory Points through construction and the acquisition of Adornments and Tools. Setup Set up the base game as per the original rulebook, applying the following changes: Place the Guildhall Board over the original Guildhall area of the Main Board. Place the Black Market Overlay Card in the middle space of the Black Market. Shuffle the new expansion cards into the Apprentice Card and Building Card draw piles. Shuffle all Craft Cards and place them facedown above the Guildhall. Reveal 4 Craft Cards and place them faceup in a row. Players may now choose Orange as a color. The Orange player can use either of the new Player Boards. If using Variable Setup, Side 2 of these boards provides new powers and starting configurations. Each player receives 1 Player Aid and 1 Artisan in their chosen color. In reverse turn order, each player hires 1 faceup Apprentice from the Main Board at no cost. Gain or lose Virtue based on the chosen Apprentice. Refill the empty spaces. This draft must occur before the Building Card draft. Note for 6 players: The game ends when all Guildhall spaces are filled with Workers. Use all available Reward Cards (if there aren't enough to meet the "2 per player, plus 1" rule). Game Flow The game follows the original structure, with the addition of new interactions within the Guildhall and Black Market. A key mechanic is the Apprentice reset: when a player places their first Worker over one of the specific Guildhall spaces containing the reset icons, the two Apprentices in the left-most column of the Main Board are discarded and refilled. This happens only after the current player has completed their turn in full. Any Silver on discarded Apprentice Cards returns to the Supply. Actions and How to Play The Artisan Each player has one Artisan, which functions like a Worker with special rules: Placement: When placed, the Artisan counts as 2 Workers. On future turns, it counts as a single Worker. Virtue: When placing an Artisan, the player may ignore 1 Virtue loss. Restrictions: Artisans may never be placed into the Guildhall. They can be captured and are worth 1 Silver in Prison. Crafting Adornments To craft an Adornment, follow these steps: Place a Worker from your supply on top of one of your previously placed Workers in the Guildhall. (Maximum of 2 Workers per space; you cannot stack on opponents' Workers). Pay 2 Silver to the Tax Stand and 3 Silver to the Supply. Select 1 of the 4 faceup Craft Cards (using only the top section). Tuck the Adornment under a previously constructed Building Card. You can only have 1 Adornment per Building. Resolve the immediate benefits or punishments. Replace the taken Craft Card from the draw pile. Crafting Tools To craft a Tool, follow these steps: Either place a Worker on top of one of your previously placed Workers in the Guildhall, OR place a Worker at the middle space of the Black Market (costing 2 Silver and 1 Virtue instead of committing a Worker permanently). Select 1 of the 4 faceup Craft Cards (using only the bottom section). Tuck the Tool Card under one of your Apprentices. You can only have 1 Tool per Apprentice. Replace the taken Craft Card from the draw pile. Tool Rules: Each Tool activates once per player turn or Black Market Reset. A player must be able to benefit from an Apprentice's ability to activate the Tool, though the Tool may be resolved before the Apprentice (acting as a reward or discount). Tools cannot be moved or removed. If an Apprentice is discarded, the Tool may be repurposed to another available Apprentice or discarded if no other Apprentice is available. End of Game and Scoring The game ends in the same way as the original game. In addition to original scoring, players calculate the following: Adornments: Score Victory Points as indicated in the top right of each Adornment card. Tools: Players score increasing Victory Points based on the total number of Tools acquired (e.g., 3 Tools = 4 VP; 5 Tools = 9 VP). Tips for Winning Strategic Pairing: Be careful when pairing Tools with Apprentices. For example, Tools that capture Workers when taking an action will not activate with Squires or Peddlers, as their abilities trigger during a Black Market Reset. Tool Utility: Use Tools as discounts. If you are short on Silver to pay a Debt, you can activate a Tool (like the Debt Collector) to gain the necessary Silver to then trigger the Apprentice's ability. ## FAQ ### Can I play this solo? Yes! The expansion includes components for solo play and even allows for an extra player. ### Do I need the base game? Absolutely. This is an expansion and cannot be played without the Architects of the West Kingdom base game. ### Does it make the game much harder? It makes it deeper. The new layers of decision-making require more planning, but the learning curve is smooth for those familiar with the system. ### How long does a game last with the expansion? Average playtime stays between 60 to 80 minutes, depending on player count and your tactical decisions. ### Who is this game for? For fans of worker placement games and mid-weight strategy enthusiasts who enjoy medieval themes and city-building. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 26.49 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4673208&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 27.97 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4805841&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 27.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4798020&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 27.99 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=4885301&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 29.44 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6718880&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 30.17 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=1837143&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 34.61 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=5611863&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 34.85 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=3433426&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 35.38 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6896451&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 35.72 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6075457&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/31595/architects-of-the-west-kingdom-age-of-artisans?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com