How to Play Conselho

Game Objective

In COUNCIL, players compete to become the King's new advisor in a game of medieval intrigue and strategy. The goal is to accumulate ascension points through three main actions:

• Spread your influence in the council chamber using markers
• Recruit court members by meeting their card requirements
• Fulfill the King's decrees

The game ends when the court member deck runs out. The player with the most ascension points at the end wins.

Setup

1. Place the council chamber board at the center
2. Shuffle the 28 court member cards: set aside 5 (for the final round) and form a deck with the rest
3. Place 6 cards face up around the board, aligned with spaces 1-6
4. Shuffle the 19 decree cards into a pile. Reveal 3 cards as the initial offer
5. Deal 2 decree cards to each player (face up)
6. Distribute alliance cards based on player count:
   • 2 players: 2 cards each
   • 3-4 players: 1 card each
7. Each player chooses a color and places 1 marker on any board space (the other 4 remain in reserve)
8. Determine the first player (who last drank from a goblet or by agreement)

Game Flow

The game plays in rounds until the court member deck is exhausted:

1. Starting player rolls all dice (5 dice for 2/4 players, 4 dice for 3 players)
2. Clockwise, each player takes their turn, choosing 1 die (mandatory) and optionally performing other actions
3. When only 1 unchosen die remains, the round ends
4. The player to the left of the current starting player becomes the new starting player
5. In the final round, use the 5 reserved cards. The game ends after the last turn

Actions and How to Play

Choose a Die (mandatory per turn)

• Take 1 available die and place 1 marker on the corresponding board space
• The marker can come from your reserve or be moved from another space
• If all dice show the same value, reroll until at least two different results appear

Recruit Court Members

• Check if your markers meet the desired card's requirements (e.g., 3+ markers on shield spaces)
• Remove markers equivalent to the card's ascension points (e.g., 3-point card = remove 3 markers)
• Allied family cards grant +1 extra point at the end

Use Court Member Abilities

• Each ability can be used only once per game (flip the card after use)
• Abilities include: reroll dice, move markers, alter die values

Fulfill Decrees

• Meet the requirements (e.g., have 1 marker on space 5 and 2 on 6)
• Flip the decree card and gain the points at the end
• Replenish your decrees (up to 2) and the offer (up to 3) at turn's end

End Game and Scoring

The game ends after the round when the court member deck is exhausted. Calculate:

1. Points from all recruited court member cards (even flipped ones)
2. +1 point per recruited member from allied families
3. Points from all fulfilled decrees

Tiebreakers: 1) Most members recruited; 2) Most decrees fulfilled; 3) Shared victory.

Winning Tips

• Prioritize allied family cards - Each grants +1 extra point at the end
• Manage markers wisely - You'll need them for both recruiting members and fulfilling decrees
• Use abilities at the right moment - Altering die values can block opponents' options