# Inventors of the South Tigris: Era of Experts ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2025 - **BGG Rating**: 8.6 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 1-4 - **Duration**: 90-120 min - **Weight**: 4.50 / 5 - **Designers**: S J Macdonald, Shem Phillips - **Artists**: Mihajlo Dimitrievski - **Publishers**: Garphill Games, Pixie Games, Portal Games - **Categories**: Arabian, Dice, Expansion for Base-game, Medieval - **Mechanics**: Area Majority / Influence, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, Hand Management, Solo / Solitaire Game, Track Movement, Worker Placement, Worker Placement with Dice Workers ## Verdict Perfect for those who already love the base game and crave more asymmetry and strategic depth.12 new characters with high asymmetryAbilities that refresh the overall strategyDrastically increases replay valueSeamless integration with base mechanicsRequires the base game to playIncreases complexity for new playersRECOMMENDED ## Description If you were already immersed in the House of Wisdom, get ready, because things just got more complex and interesting. In Inventors of the South Tigris: Era of Experts, the city of Baghdad remains the epicenter of knowledge, but it now welcomes the arrival of even more brilliant minds. We're not talking about amateurs, but true specialists and design masters bringing inventions capable of leaving any citizen of the city speechless. It's the perfect chance for those who want to leave an eternal legacy through monumental devices. But what does this actually change on the table? The highlight of this expansion is the introduction of 12 new playable characters. Forget the idea that these are just cosmetic skins; each of these geniuses brings their own baggage. We are talking about unique special abilities, starting bonuses that can completely shift your opening strategy, and specific motivations that shape how you pursue victory. While the base game already required balancing dice-based worker placement and hand management, you now have extra layers of asymmetry. Each character forces you to think differently, exploring new synergies within your deck and resource pool. It's the kind of content that refreshes the gaming experience, turning the match into a strategic puzzle where character selection is the first step toward victory. If you enjoy heavy 'euro' games with deep mechanics and that feeling of 'building an efficient engine,' Era of Experts is the upgrade you need to take your influence in the Tigris to the maximum level. ## How to Play Game Objective In Inventors of the South Tigris: Era of Experts, players take on the roles of brilliant thinkers and masters of design who have come to the House of Wisdom. It is an age of specialists, where these great minds bring new inventions to impress the inhabitants of the city. Players aim to create their greatest devices yet and leave their mark on this era. Setup Before placing their Starting Workshop, each player is dealt 3 random Character Boards. They must select 1 to keep, placing it to the right of their Player Board. The unchosen Character Boards are returned to the box. Players also gain their chosen Character’s associated Workshop Tile, which they place before or after their Starting Workshop Tile. These tiles can be in the same row (paying 1 Silver for placing the second tile) or in different rows. All Character-specific rules can be found on the backside of each Character Board. Era of Experts uses a shorter 3-Round version of the game. Instead of placing their left-most Tent on their Setup Card, players must place it onto the top space of their Character Board, carrying out any steps shown there. Setup Cards can be returned to the box after Setup. 1-2 Player Rules: During Setup, reveal 1 additional Dummy Card, moving their Ship and adding the indicated 3 Influence. 1 Player Rules: Follow all the original rules, but reduce the game to 3 Rounds. Also use Goals as described below. Use the increased difficulty rules (3 additional Silver and 1 more of each Influence during Setup, plus 1 more of each Scheme Card each Round). Place an opponent Tent on the first space of the centre Tent Area, gaining them 1 Black Influence immediately. Place a Published Device into play with a random Device Card and Neutral Invention Tile. Place your opponent’s Influence to indicate them as the Builder and Publisher. Skip Round 1 when forming their Scheme Draw Pile. This means they should be using: Round 1 = 6 Dice Schemes + 3 Worker Schemes Round 2 = 6 Dice Schemes + 4 Worker Schemes Round 3 = 7 Dice Schemes + 4 Worker Schemes Goal Cards: How Goals are fulfilled has changed slightly. Previously, players would move their Tent down on their Goal Card immediately after fulfilling the next Goal. Now, players may instead move it down as they please. This should be treated like any other Free Action that they may take on their turn. Game Flow The game progresses over three rounds. The specific structure of turns, rounds, or phases is not detailed in the provided context, beyond the adjustment of Scheme Cards used in each round for the 1-player variant. Actions and How to Play The provided context does not detail specific player actions or how to play the game turn by turn. It mentions Free Actions in relation to Goal Cards, but does not elaborate on what constitutes a Free Action or other available actions. Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção. End of Game and Scoring The provided context does not specify the trigger for the end of the game, how points are counted, or the criteria for victory or defeat. Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção. Tips for Winning When fulfilling Goals, players now have the flexibility to move their Tent down on their Goal Card at any time during their turn, treating it as a Free Action. ## 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 harder with the expansion? The game's weight is already high (4.5/5). The expansion adds asymmetry, meaning you'll need to learn each character's abilities, but it doesn't change the basic rule complexity. ### How many new characters are included? There are 12 exclusive characters, each with their own bonuses and motivations. ### Does the expansion change the playtime? Playtime remains in the 90 to 120-minute range, though the initial planning phase might take a bit longer due to character selection. ### Who is this content intended for? For hardcore gamers who enjoy deep strategy, resource management, and want to vary their experience every time they play. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 28.72 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6594272&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 40.38 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6574856&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/116073/erfinder-des-sudtigris-ara-der-experten?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com