# Five Tribes: The Artisans of Naqala

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2015
- **BGG Rating**: 8.1
- **BGG Rank**: —
- **Players**: 2-4 (Best with: 3)
- **Duration**: 40-80 min
- **Weight**: 2.80 / 5
- **Designers**: Bruno Cathala
- **Artists**: Clément Masson, Cyrille Daujean
- **Publishers**: Days of Wonder, Asterion Press, CrowD Games, Korea Boardgames, Maldito Games, Rebel Sp. z o.o.
- **Categories**: Arabian, Expansion for Base-game, Fantasy, Mythology
- **Mechanics**: Area Majority / Influence, Auction / Bidding, Modular Board, Open Drafting, Set Collection

## Verdict
Essential for those seeking more depth and new tactical layers in the base game.New scoring possibilitiesMagic items shift the dynamicsMore dynamic and challenging boardNew Djinns bring fresh gameplayIncreases game complexityRequires base game to playRECOMMENDED

## Description
If you already enjoy the dynamics of Five Tribes, get ready to upgrade your struggle for the Sultanate. 'The Artisans of Naqala' arrives to shake up your strategy by introducing the sixth tribe: the Artisans. Represented by purple meeples, these folks aren't here to fight for territory in the traditional way, but rather to create. With them, you can craft magic items and precious goods that can grant valuable victory points or special abilities that can shift the tide of the match.

To make the most of the Artisans' talent, you'll need to explore new board tiles. The expansion introduces Workshops, where the magic of creation happens, and Specialized Markets, where you can secure that specific item your strategy is missing. But don't think it's a walk in the park; the expansion also adds geographical obstacles, such as impassable chasms and mountain markers, forcing you to rethink your meeple movement and adapt your plans to the new terrain of the map.

In addition to the crafting and terrain elements, you also get two new Djinns, adding more layers of powers and tactical possibilities to the table. This is the ideal expansion for those who feel the base game has become too predictable and want more depth in resource management and interaction between tribes. Essentially, it transforms the race for power into something more sophisticated, where having the right item at the right time can be just as decisive as having the largest army in a region.

## How to Play
Objective of the Game  
In Five Tribes: The Artisans of Naqala, players compete for control of the Sultanate of Naqala after the death of the old Sultan. Inspired by 1001 Arabian Nights, you’ll maneuver the Five Tribes (represented by colored meeples) across the board, invoke powerful Djinns, and claim tiles to gain influence. The game ends when either:  
  
  A player places their last Camel (including their Tent if playing with the Artisans expansion), or  
  No legal meeple moves remain.  
  
The player with the most Victory Points (VPs) at final scoring wins!  

Preparation (Setup)  
  
  Distribute Camels and Turn Order Markers:  
      
      2P: One player takes 11 blue camels + 2 markers; the other takes 11 pink camels + 2 markers.  
      3P/4P: Each player gets 8 camels + 1 marker in their color. Return extras to the box.  
      Artisans expansion: Each player also receives a Tent in their color.  
      
    
  Starting Gold: Each player gets 50 Gold Coins (face down—secret until game end).  
  Tile Setup:  
      
      Base game: Shuffle 30 tiles into a 6x5 grid.  
      Artisans: Mix 10 base tiles + 6 expansion tiles, then lay them in a 4x4 grid. Surround with remaining 20 base tiles to form a 6x6 grid. Place Mountains on workshop tiles’ darkened edges (2 per tile). Reshuffle if any tile is fully surrounded by mountains.  
      
    
  Meeples: Place all 90 meeples (plus Purple Artisans if using Artisans) in the bag. Draw 3 meeples per tile (none on the Chasm tile).  
  Other Components:  
      
      Place Bid Order and Turn Order Tracks next to the board.  
      Shuffle Resource Cards (draw 9 face up) and Djinn Cards (draw 3 face up).  
      Shuffle Item Markers into a face-down stack.  
      Place Palm Trees, Palaces, and spare gold in supply.  
      
    
  

Flow of the Game  
Each round consists of three phases:  
  
  Bid for Turn Order: Players pay gold to claim turn order spots (lowest bid goes first next round).  
  Action Phase: Players take turns completing six steps:  
      
      Move Turn Marker to Bid Order Track  
      Move Meeples (orthogonal paths, following placement rules)  
      Check Tile Control (claim empty tiles with Camels)  
      Tribe Actions (based on collected meeple colors)  
      Tile Actions (resolve tile effects)  
      Optional Merchandise Sale (trade resource cards for gold)  
      
    
  Clean Up: Refresh Resource and Djinn card displays.  
  

Actions and How to Play  
Bid for Turn Order  
Players bid gold to place their Turn Marker on the Turn Order Track. Bidding 0 pushes others back; highest bidder acts last this round but first next round.  

Move Meeples  
Pick all meeples from a tile, then drop one per tile along an orthogonal path (no diagonals). Rules:  
  
  Last Meeple, Same Color: Final meeple must land on a tile with a matching-color meeple.  
  No Backtracking: Can’t immediately reverse direction (unless looping with 5+ meeples).  
  Mountains/Chasm: Impassable.  
  

Tribe Actions  
Triggered by the color of meeples collected:  
  
  Yellow Viziers: Keep for end-game VPs.  
  White Elders: Spend to buy Djinns or keep for VPs.  
  Green Merchants: Return to bag; take Resource Cards (1 per merchant).  
  Blue Builders: Return to bag; earn gold based on adjacent blue-valued tiles.  
  Red Assassins: Return to bag; kill meeples on the board or in opponents’ collections.  
  Purple Artisans: Keep for VPs or spend to draw Item Markers (Precious/Magic).  
  

Tile Actions  
Resolve the action of the tile you started from (if no red arrow, it’s optional):  
  
  Oasis: Place a Palm Tree.  
  Village: Place a Palace.  
  Markets: Pay gold to take Resource Cards.  
  Sacred Place: Spend Elders to buy Djinns.  
  Workshop: Spend Artisans or Slaves to take Items.  
  

End of Game and Scoring  
The game ends when a player places their last Camel or no legal moves remain. Final scoring includes:  
  
  Viziers (1 VP each + 10 VP per opponent with fewer).  
  Elders (2 VP each).  
  Djinns, Tiles, Palm Trees (3 VP each), Palaces (5 VP each).  
  Gold (1 VP per coin) and Resource Card sets (converted to gold).  
  Tent VPs (tile value + 1 VP per adjacent red tile).  
  Artisans (3 VP each if you have the most; otherwise 2 VP).  
  Precious Items (revealed VP values).  
  

Tips to Win  
  
  Control Key Tiles: Claim tiles with high VP values or frequent actions (e.g., Sacred Places for Djinns).  
  Balance Meeples: Prioritize Viziers and Elders for end-game scoring, but use Merchants/Assassins to disrupt opponents.  
  Time Your Camel Placement: Ending the game when you’re ahead can catch others off-guard.

## FAQ
### Do I need the base game to play?
Yes, absolutely! This is an expansion, so it adds content to the original game and cannot be played standalone.

### Does the game become much more complex?
It increases depth slightly due to the items and new terrain rules, but nothing that drastically changes the learning curve.

### What do the Artisans do differently?
They focus on crafting. Instead of just fighting for influence, they create items that provide points or powers.

### How much longer does a game take?
The average time remains similar (40-80 min), but the planning phase might take a bit longer due to the new options.

### Who is this expansion for?
For those who have already mastered Five Tribes and want new ways to win and more board interaction.

## Price Comparison
### Best International Offers
- **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 32.24 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6897483&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com)
  - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/15235/five-tribes-the-artisans-of-naqala?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com