Objective of the Game

Step into the opulent world of Versailles between 1670 and 1690, where you play as a cunning courtisan vying for the King's favor! In Las Vegas, your ultimate goal is to amass the highest Charge score by the end of the sixth turn. It's a game of strategic dice placement and shrewd decision-making, where only the most influential noble will triumph!

Preparation (Setup)

Getting ready for a game of Las Vegas is quick and easy. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Print the Board: Make sure you have the game board printed and ready.
2. Gather Your Tools: You'll need a pencil (unless you're playing the "No Pencil" variant) and some 6-sided dice.
3. Player Dice: Each player chooses a unique color and takes 6 dice of their chosen color.
4. White Dice: Have a supply of regular white 6-sided dice readily available. These represent other courtisans.
5. First Player Determination:
   • Each player rolls a single die.
   • Place these dice on the board.
   • Eliminate any matching dice (if two players rolled the same number, remove both).
   • The player whose remaining die is closest to the King on the board becomes the first player.

The Turn of Play

A game of Las Vegas unfolds over 6 turns, with each turn consisting of several phases:

Beginning of a Turn

At the start of each turn, players receive dice for their hand:

• Each player normally gets 4 dice: 2 white dice and 2 dice of their color.
• If a player has an Influence score, they can get more dice, up to a maximum of 6.
• If a player has fewer dice due to Influence (meaning they have a negative modifier), they take white dice to ensure they have a total of 4 dice in their hand.

Throwing the Dice

Players take turns throwing their dice and placing them on the board:

1. The first player throws all the dice in their hand.
2. They then choose a number from their rolled dice and place all dice showing that number onto the corresponding character on the board. For example, if you rolled a bunch of 2s, you'd place all those 2s on the "King's Brother" spot.
3. The player keeps any remaining dice in their hand.
4. The player to the left then takes their turn, throwing their remaining dice and placing them in the same manner.
5. This continues around the table until all players have thrown and placed all their dice.

Collecting Favors (End of Turn)

Once all dice are placed, it's time to collect your favors! This phase starts with the Queen and proceeds down to the King:

1. Eliminate Matching Dice: For each character on the board, eliminate all dice of different colors that show matching numbers.
2. Awarding Favors: The favor goes to the player with the most dice of the character's corresponding number.
   • For example, if "Marie Anne d’Autriche" (number 1 on the board) has 3 blue dice, 3 green dice, 2 black dice, and 1 yellow die, the black player gets the favor from the Queen because they have the most dice (2) after eliminating matches.
   • If white dice are present, the same rules apply. If the white dice would win the favor, nobody gets it.
3. Choosing a Favor: A player can only receive one favor from a character per turn. If you win a favor, you choose which one you want from the options provided by that character.
4. Favor Limits: You cannot have more than 6 in any single favor category.

Types of Favors

When you win a favor, you can choose to increase one of your scores:

• Fortune: Add one to your Fortune score. This can be used later to gain Lands or Titles.
• Lands: Add one to your Lands score. You need Lands to get Titles.
• Influence: Add one die to your hand at the start of future turns. If your Influence score ever reaches 0, you are out of the court and out of the game!
• Reroll: Add one to your Reroll score. You can use a Reroll to reroll all or part of a throw (and then subtract one from your Reroll score).
• Titles: Add one to your Title score. You can only do this if your Fortune + Lands score is equal to your new Title score. If you use Fortune for Titles, you lose those Fortune points.
• Charges: Add one to your Charge score. You can only do this if your Fortune + Title score is equal to your new Charge score. If you use Fortune for Charges, you lose those Fortune points.

End of Game and Scoring

The game concludes after the sixth turn. It's time to see who truly captured the King's attention!

1. The player with the higher score of Charge is the winner!
2. If there's a tie in Charge, the player with the higher score of Titles wins.
3. If there's still a tie, the player with the higher score of Fortune wins.
4. If there's a tie again, everyone loses! This means no one managed to fully take advantage of the King's court favors.

Tips for Winning

• Prioritize Influence Early: Gaining Influence can give you more dice at the start of each turn, providing more opportunities to place dice and win favors. More dice means more power!
• Balance Fortune, Lands, and Titles for Charges: Remember that Titles require a combined Fortune and Lands score, and Charges require a combined Fortune and Titles score. Plan your favor choices carefully to build up these prerequisites efficiently, rather than focusing too heavily on one category too early.
• Watch Your Opponents' Dice: Pay attention to what numbers your opponents are rolling and placing. This can help you decide where to commit your own dice to either secure a favor or deny one to another player, especially during the "Collecting Favors" phase where matching dice are eliminated.