# Architects of the West Kingdom ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2018 - **BGG Rating**: 7.7 - **BGG Rank**: #130 - **Players**: 1-5 (Best with: 4) - **Duration**: 60-80 min - **Weight**: 2.76 / 5 - **Designers**: S J Macdonald, Shem Phillips - **Artists**: Mihajlo Dimitrievski - **Publishers**: Garphill Games, Angry Lion Games, Banana Games, CMON Global Limited, Fever Games, Korea Boardgames - **Categories**: City Building, Economic, Medieval - **Mechanics**: Area Movement, Contracts, End Game Bonuses, Events, Kill Steal, Loans, Open Drafting, Solo / Solitaire Game, Static Capture, Tags, Take That, Track Movement, Variable Player Powers, Variable Set-up, Worker Placement ## Verdict If you're looking for a worker placement game with a unique twist on resource management and a compelling moral dilemma, Architects of the West Kingdom is a fantastic choice that will keep you strategizing from start to finish. Innovative worker placement mechanism Engaging moral choices impact gameplay Satisfying engine building and construction High replayability with varied strategies Player interaction can be aggressive Theme might not appeal to everyone HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ## Description In 'Architects of the West Kingdom', we're whisked away to the late Carolingian Empire, around 850 AD. As royal architects, our goal is simple yet challenging: impress the King and maintain our noble status by constructing incredible landmarks throughout his new domain. To do this, we'll need to roll up our sleeves, gather raw materials, hire skilled apprentices, and, of course, keep a close eye on our workforce. After all, the competition is fierce, and other architects won't hesitate to use questionable tactics to hinder our progress. The game places us at a constant moral crossroads: will you follow the path of virtue or venture into the black market and its tempting offers? Ultimately, points are what matter. We earn points by constructing buildings and contributing to the magnificent Archbishop's Cathedral. But beware! Your ethical choices will only be judged at the very end. Small deviations might seem harmless, but if you delve too deep into corruption, the consequences will be severe. The game concludes once a predetermined number of constructions are completed, revealing who was the most efficient architect... and perhaps the most 'virtuous'. Get ready for tough decisions and a race against time and your rivals! ## How to Play Game Objective Set at the end of the Carolingian Empire circa 850 AD, you take on the role of royal architects competing to impress the king and maintain your noble status. Your goal is to be the player with the most Victory Points (VP) at the end of the game. You earn these points by constructing various Buildings and advancing work on the Cathedral. Throughout the game, you must balance your moral decisions; while underhanded deals can help you progress, your Virtue will be judged at the game's end, and low Virtue will lead to punishment. Setup Place the Main Board in the center. Shuffle Black Market Cards and place them on the left Black Market space, "Small Market" side faceup. Shuffle Reward Cards and place a pile face-down to the right of the Cathedral (2 cards per player, plus 1). Place Debt Cards near the Guardhouse, "unpaid" side faceup. Place Multiplier Cards near the board. Shuffle Apprentice Cards and place them in a face-down pile. Reveal 8 cards face-up in the spaces to the right of the Workshop. Shuffle Building Cards and place them in a face-down pile to the left of the Workshop. Place Clay, Wood, Stone, Gold, Marble, and Silver in a Supply. Place 4 Silver in the space above the Tax Stand. Each player takes a Player Board (side 1 face-up) and 20 Workers of their color. Place one Player Marker under the Cathedral and the other on number 7 of the Virtue Track. Building Card Draft: Deal 4 Building Cards to each player. Each player chooses 1 to keep and passes the rest to the left. This process repeats until each player has a starting hand of 3 Building Cards. Randomly choose a starting player. The 1st player receives 3 Silver, the 2nd receives 4, the 3rd receives 5, and so on. Game Flow Players take turns in full, proceeding clockwise from the starting player. On your turn, you must place 1 of your Workers from your Player Board onto a chosen location on the Main Board. Special Rule: If you start your turn with no Workers on your Player Board, your entire turn is spent returning any 1 Worker from the Main Board to your Player Board (excluding those in the Guildhall, Black Market, Prison, or on an opposing player's board). You cannot place this Worker until your next turn. Black Market Reset: This is triggered if all 3 Black Market spaces are filled or if a Worker is placed in one of the left-most spaces on the bottom 2 rows of the Guildhall. The following happens: All Workers in the Black Market move to the Prison. The top Small Market Card is flipped and placed on top of the Large Market. Players with Black Market Reset based Apprentices take their actions. Players with 3 or more Workers in Prison lose 1 Virtue. The player(s) with the most Workers in Prison each take 1 Debt Card. Actions and How to Play Worker Placement Locations Resource Locations: Placing a Worker at the Quarry, Forest, Mines, or Silversmith grants resources. The amount gained is determined by the number of your own Workers present after placing the new one (e.g., the 1st Worker in the Forest gives 1 Wood, the 2nd gives 2 Wood, etc.). In the Mines, you must choose either Clay (1 plus 1 per Worker) or Gold (1 for every 2 Workers). King’s Storehouse: Take 1 action for each Worker present. Actions include trading 2 pictured resources (Clay, Wood, or Stone) for 1 Virtue, or 3 pictured resources (Wood or Stone) for 1 Marble. Workshop: Hire an Apprentice: Pay 4 Silver (2 as Tax to the Tax Stand). You can only hire from columns based on how many Workers you have placed there (1st Worker = 1st column, etc.). You may spend 1 Silver to skip a card to reach further columns. You cannot hire more than 5 Apprentices. Building Plans: Gain 1 Building Card, plus 1 additional card for every 2 Workers you have at the Workshop. Hand limit is 6 cards. Town Centre: Spend 1 Silver (the first is Tax) and 1 Worker to capture a group of Workers of a single color from a "large open circle" location. Captured Workers go to your Player Board. Tax Stand: Take all Silver from the Tax Stand and lose 2 Virtue. Black Market: Place a Worker in one of 3 spaces to perform a specific action (e.g., paying Silver and losing Virtue for resources or cards). You cannot use this if you have 10 or more Virtue. Guardhouse: Take 1 action for each Worker present: Send captured Workers to Prison (gain 1 Silver each). Release your own Workers from Prison. Pay 5 Silver (2 Tax) or take 1 Debt and lose 1 Virtue to release your Workers from other players' boards. Pay 6 Silver (3 Tax) to pay off 1 Debt (gain 1 Virtue). Guildhall: Place a Worker (laid flat) to either construct a Building or advance the Cathedral. Constructing Buildings and the Cathedral Buildings: Pay the resource cost and ensure you have the required Apprentice skills (Carpentry, Tiling, or Masonry) if indicated. Buildings may have immediate effects or end-game effects. The Cathedral: To advance, pay the indicated resources, discard 1 Building Card, and move your Player Marker up. You then reveal a Reward Card. You cannot work on the Cathedral if you have 4 or less Virtue. The Virtue Track Virtue affects your game: Above 14: Excess Virtue can destroy unpaid Debt. 10 or more: Cannot use the Black Market. 4 or less: Cannot work on the Cathedral. 3 or less: You may ignore Tax based on "avoid Tax" icons. Below 0: For each Virtue lost below 0, take an unpaid Debt Card. End of Game and Scoring The game ends when the last Worker space in the Guildhall is filled. After the current player finishes their turn, every player takes 1 final turn. Final Scoring: Gain VP for constructed Buildings (including end-game bonuses). Lose 2 VP for each unpaid Debt. Gain VP based on your level in the Cathedral. Gain 1 VP for each Gold and 1 VP for each Marble. Gain or lose VP based on final position on the Virtue Track. Gain 1 VP for each set of 10 Silver. Lose 1 VP for every 2 Workers in Prison. The player with the highest total score wins. Ties are broken by highest Virtue, then by most remaining Silver. Tips for Winning Manage your Virtue: While low Virtue allows you to skimp on Taxes, ending the game with high Virtue awards Victory Points, whereas low Virtue causes you to lose them. Worker Investment: Remember that the more times you visit the same location, the more you benefit from it (e.g., your third Worker in the Forest rewards 3 Wood). Prison Management: Be mindful of how many Workers you have in Prison; having 3 or more during a Black Market Reset results in losing Virtue. ## FAQ ### What is the average playtime for Architects of the West Kingdom? A game typically lasts between 60 and 80 minutes. It's a great length for a strategic experience without overstaying its welcome. ### How many players can play? The game accommodates 1 to 5 players. Yes, there's a solo mode for when you want to build your kingdom in peace! ### What is the complexity level of the game? It's considered a medium-weight game (2.76/5 on BGG). It's accessible for those with some board game experience, but offers enough depth for more seasoned players. ### Are the components of good quality? Yes, the West Kingdom series is known for its quality components, featuring sturdy meeples and wooden pieces, along with great artwork that immerses you in the medieval theme. ### Who is 'Architects of the West Kingdom' recommended for? It's ideal for those who enjoy worker placement games with interesting moral decisions and a touch of player interaction. If you like building and optimizing your actions, you'll have a lot of fun! ### Is there a language dependency to play? Not much! 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