How to Play Mosaic: Wars and Disasters

Objective of the Game

The story of civilizations is punctuated with wars and disasters. In Mosaic: Wars and Disasters, you must lead your civilization through these turbulent times. Your goal is to prove that your civilization is strong enough to weather the storm, surviving and continuing its journey toward greatness while others may falter. Victory is determined by your ability to manage your resources, expand your influence, and overcome the challenges posed by history.

Setup

This expansion requires the base game MOSAIC™: A Story of Civilization. To integrate the expansion, follow these setup adjustments:

• Wonders: Shuffle all Wonder Tiles and randomly select 9. Remove the rest from play.
• Civilization Achievements: Shuffle all Civilization Achievement Tiles and select 9. Remove the rest from play.
• Technology Deck: Add the new Technology Cards (marked with a star). Split the deck into 4 roughly equal piles and remove 1 pile. Shuffle the Empire Scoring Card and 2 Disaster Trigger Cards into the bottom third of the deck (for 4–6 players) or the middle third (for 2–3 players).
• Decks: Prepare the Population, Tax & Tariff, and Build decks per the main rules. Shuffle 2 Disaster Trigger Cards into each of these four decks in the same segment where the Empire Scoring Card was placed (totaling 8 Disaster Trigger Cards).
• National Powers & Leaders: Each player selects one National Power Card and one Leader Card. This selection starts with the player to the right of the starting player and proceeds counter-clockwise.
• Disasters: Shuffle the 12 Disaster Cards, draw 8, and place them face-up along the top of the board.
• Military Action Overlay: Place the Military Action Overlay Tile over the Military Action Space on the board to reflect updated costs.

Game Flow

The game proceeds according to the main rules, with the addition of Disaster mechanics and Empire Scoring phases:

• Disasters: When a Disaster Trigger Card is moved from the top of a deck into an empty Offer Space, the leftmost Disaster Card is triggered. The affected player(s) must pay the cost listed on the card. If they cannot pay the first cost, they must pay the second, then the third. If they still cannot pay, they pay nothing. Once resolved, the Disaster Card and Disaster Trigger Card are removed from play.
• Empire Scoring: When an Empire Scoring Card is revealed, National Powers take effect first, beginning with the starting player and moving clockwise. After all National Powers are executed, proceed with standard scoring.

Actions and How to Play

Players perform actions as defined in the base game, with the following additions and modifications:

• Military Action: You may now purchase Naval Units. They cost 10 Money to purchase and 3 Money to move. You must own a Port City to purchase them, and they must be placed in a region containing one of your Port Cities. You gain 1 Trade Good from that region upon purchase. You may build a maximum of 2 Naval Units per Military Action, which counts toward your total Military Unit limit for that turn.
• War Tiles: These are located on the Military Action Space. You may select and play a War Tile during a Military Action if you meet the requirements and pay the cost. Each War Tile can only be used once per game and is removed after use.
• Towns: Two new types are available:
  • Garrison Towns: Cost free. Gain 1 Military Unit in the same region. Other Towns may be built adjacent to them as if they were a City.
  • Amphitheatre Towns: Cost free. Gain 5 Ideas. They score 2 Victory Points (VP) per adjacent City and Wonder when placed.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends according to the triggers established in the base game. Once the game concludes, players may engage in "Telling Your Civilization’s Story," a narrative recap of their civilization's rise or fall, major accomplishments, and historical path. Consult the manual for specific details on how the final Victory Points are tallied based on the base game's scoring criteria and any expansion-specific bonuses (such as Wonders or Civilization Achievements).

Tips for Winning

• Manage Your Naval Presence: Naval Units count as 2 Influence during Empire Scoring. Use them strategically to dominate trade routes and influence regions.
• Mitigate Disasters: Keep an eye on the Disaster Cards at the top of the board. If you are the player most susceptible to a specific Disaster (e.g., the player with the most Cities for Exodus), try to diversify your assets or prepare resources to pay the costs if triggered.
• Synergize National Powers: Ensure you utilize your National Power effectively during the Empire Scoring phase. For example, the Roman player should focus on maintaining more Stone than others to gain free Build Cards, while the Greek player should leverage their Phalanx power to deter attackers.