# Concordia: Salsa

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2015
- **BGG Rating**: 8.3
- **BGG Rank**: —
- **Players**: 2-5 (Best with: 4)
- **Duration**: 90 min
- **Weight**: 3.05 / 5
- **Designers**: Mac Gerdts
- **Artists**: Dominik Mayer, Marina Fahrenbach
- **Publishers**: PD-Verlag, Cranio Creations, CrowD Games, Ediciones MasQueOca, Egmont Polska, Korea Boardgames, Matagot, New Games Order, LLC, Playfun Games, Rio Grande Games
- **Categories**: Ancient, Expansion for Base-game
- **Mechanics**: Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, Hand Management, Open Drafting, Point to Point Movement, Variable Player Powers

## Verdict
The perfect spice to make your Concordia economy much more dynamic and strategic.Useful new wild commodityDeep strategic Forum cardsNew maps for varietyCompatible with all expansionsRequires base game to playNew mechanics demand more focusRECOMMENDED

## Description
If you're already a Concordia fan, get ready to spice up your gaming table! The Salsa expansion arrives to elevate the strategic depth of the base game, introducing elements that will make you rethink your entire resource economy. The name isn't just for show: 'Salt' (Salsa in Latin) is the star of the show here. It acts as a wild commodity—you can exchange it for any other resource you might be missing, providing incredible flexibility to solve bottlenecks in your commercial expansion.

But it's not just about salt! The expansion also introduces 'The Forum' module, featuring a deck of cards with unique abilities and bonuses. Some of these cards provide permanent effects, shifting your playstyle for the rest of the game, while others are used and then return to the reserve, demanding perfect timing. It's exactly the kind of addition that adds depth without breaking the elegance we all love in the original Concordia.

For those who crave geographical variety, Salsa also brings two brand-new maps: Byzantium and Hispania. The best part is the versatility: you can use the new salt rules and Forum cards with the new maps or the old ones (from the base game or the Britannia expansion). This means your Concordia sessions will never feel the same twice. It is the perfect upgrade for players seeking more planning options and genuine replayability. Just a heads-up: since the cards introduce new dynamics, your strategic planning will need to be sharper than ever!

## How to Play
Objective of the Game  
In Concordia: Salsa, players compete to expand their trade networks across the Roman Empire by building houses, producing goods, and playing strategic personality cards. The game introduces three new elements: salt (a wildcard resource), forum cards (offering unique abilities), and two new scenarios (BYZANTIUM and HISPANIA). The winner is the player with the most victory points (VP) at the end of the game, earned through card abilities, controlled cities, and provinces.  

Preparation (Setup)  
Setup follows the base Concordia rules with these additions:  
  
  Place the forum tableau and shuffle the 27 forum cards (13 blue patricians, 14 green citizens). Display 4 face-up.  
  Add salt city tokens to the board (A, B, C, D) and give each player a salt player aid.  
  Replace the start city: Byzantium for BYZANTIUM or Saguntum for HISPANIA (instead of Roma).  
  Each player starts with one blue patrician forum card (assigned randomly or via auction).  
  
Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção.  

Flow of the Game  
Players take turns performing actions by playing personality cards from their hand. Key phases:  
  
  Play a card: Execute its action (e.g., Prefect to produce goods, Architect to move/build).  
  Use forum cards: Combine abilities with played cards (if applicable).  
  Discard used citizens: Green forum cards are discarded after use; blue patricians remain.  
  
The game ends when a player plays their last personality card or builds their 15th house. Trigger final scoring.  

Actions and How to Play  
Salt Mechanics  
  
  Salt is a wildcard: Exchange 1 salt for any good (but cannot buy/sell salt for sestertii).  
  Building salt cities: Costs 1 tool + 1 wine + 5 sestertii (+5 more per existing house in the city).  
  

Forum Cards  
  
  Acquired by playing the Tribune: Choose a card based on the number of played personality cards (e.g., 4–5 cards = 1st card only).  
  Patricians (blue): Permanent abilities. Citizens (green): One-time use.  
  Examples: MARCUS lets you build in a salt city for 1 tool; AUGUSTUS exchanges goods for salt.  
  

Personality Cards  
Base game actions apply, with these adjustments:  
  
  Tribune: Now lets you take a forum card.  
  Colonist: Replace "Roma" with the scenario’s start city.  
  

End of Game and Scoring  
Final scoring is based on:  
  
  JUPITER (temples): Count all cities with your houses, including salt cities.  
  SATURNUS (provinces): Count provinces with your houses, including salt cities.  
  MINERVA (specialists): Salt cities count as one type of good (chosen per card).  
  MERCURIUS (goods): Salt cities do not count toward goods diversity.  
  

Tips to Win  
  
  Prioritize salt cities: Their wildcard flexibility helps fulfill building costs and card bonuses.  
  Time forum cards: Combine patricians with personality cards for powerful combos (e.g., MAMILIUS + Architect to build without bricks).  
  Balance expansion: Spread houses across provinces for SATURNUS points, but focus on key goods for MINERVA.

## FAQ
### Can I play Salsa without the base game?
No, Salsa is an expansion and requires the Concordia base game to play.

### Can salt replace any resource?
Yes! Salt acts as a wild commodity that can be exchanged for any other resource.

### Are the Forum cards permanent?
Some are, but others are used and then return to the reserve, affecting your timing.

### Can I use the new maps with the Britannia expansion?
Absolutely! Versatility is one of the strongest points of this expansion.

### Does the game become much harder?
It becomes deeper. Salt helps, but the Forum cards require more careful planning.

### How many players can play?
The expansion follows the base game's player count (2 to 5 players).

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