# Scholars of the South Tigris: Body of Books ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2025 - **BGG Rating**: 8.5 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 1-4 (Best with: 3) - **Duration**: 60-90 min - **Weight**: 4.00 / 5 - **Designers**: S J Macdonald, Shem Phillips - **Artists**: Mihajlo Dimitrievski - **Publishers**: Garphill Games, Pixie Games, Portal Games - **Categories**: Arabian, Expansion for Base-game, Medieval - **Mechanics**: Action Retrieval, Area Majority / Influence, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, Dice Rolling, Hand Management, Tech Trees / Tech Tracks, Worker Placement with Dice Workers ## Verdict A must-have for those who love optimizing combos and want more strategic depth in the base game.Intriguing new medicine trackSatisfying engine building combosHigh-quality componentsIncreases strategic depthSteeper learning curveRequires base game to playHIGHLY RECOMMENDED ## Description Get ready to dive deeper into ancient knowledge with 'Scholars of the South Tigris: Body of Books'. In this expansion, the Caliph has decreed that medicine is the priority of the hour, drawing doctors and scholars from far and wide to share revolutionary scrolls and discoveries. If you already enjoyed the base game's vibe, things just got more interesting: the expansion introduces the concept of publishing books, allowing you to turn your research into permanent works. What changes in practice? The biggest addition is the black Medicine Research Track, which brings new challenges and paths of progression. Additionally, new black dice enter the fray, adding more strategic layers to the worker placement. The focus here is clearly on engine building; the goal is to create clever combinations between your retired translators and your published works. It's the kind of expansion that doesn't just add content but refines the experience, providing more depth for those who love to plan every move and optimize knowledge production. If you enjoy the feeling of building an intellectual empire, where every published book opens doors to new possibilities, Body of Books is the perfect upgrade. The interaction between hand management, dice rolling, and technological progression makes the game denser and more rewarding. It's your chance to turn your library into a center of medical and scientific excellence, consolidating your legacy in the heart of the medieval Arab world. Can you coordinate your scholars to publish the most influential works of the era? ## How to Play 1. Objective of the Game In Scholars of the South Tigris: Body of Books, the Caliph has called for a greater focus on the study of medicine. Doctors from near and far bring books and scrolls, wishing to share their latest discoveries. With this recent influx of knowledge and understanding, there seems no better time to start publishing our latest findings across all fields of science. Players compete to become the most renowned scholar by publishing Page Cards, advancing on the Medicine Research Track, and collecting XP and other victory‑point resources. The game ends when the final Caliph Card is revealed; the player with the highest total score wins. 2. Preparation (Setup) Set up Scholars of the South Tigris as described in the original rulebook, then apply the following changes: Place the Main Board Extension at the right end of the original Main Board, and put all XP Tokens and the Black Dice into the Main Supply. Shuffle the new Starting Translator Card, all Translator Cards, and all Scroll Cards into their respective piles. Shuffle the 8 Upgraded Action Cards (grey backs). Place 6 face‑up above the Main Board Extension, arranged into 2 rows of 3. Put 1 XP on each card in the top row and 2 XP on each card in the bottom row. Return the remaining 2 cards to the box. Place 1 XP on space 3 of each of the 7 Research Tracks. Place 1 XP per player on the first Caliph Card space. Shuffle the 52 Page Cards into a facedown Draw Pile near the Main Board Extension. Reveal the top card and place it face‑up into each of the 6 Book spaces of the Main Board Extension. Give each player: Their new Action Card, added to their hand of Action Cards. An extra Research Marker, placed on the zero space of the Medicine (black) Research Track. 1 Black Die, added to their Bag (before selecting Starting Translators and Resource Cards). 1 XP from the Main Supply. 1 Starting Page Card, 1 Row Reference Tile, and 1 of each Row Bonus Tile. Place these below their Player Board as shown, respecting the order from top to bottom. 3. Flow of the Game The game proceeds in turns, each consisting of the following phases in order: Action Phase – The active player chooses and resolves one of their Action Cards (Recruit, Deliver, Research, Translate, or a Black variant). They may also use any Retired Translators or Tucked Page Cards that are available. End‑Turn Tucking – After the action, the player may tuck any eligible Page Cards or Retired Translators beneath their Player Board, following the costs dictated by their Row Reference Tile. If a row becomes fully filled, the player slides the Row Reference Tile down one row, resolves the highest Row Bonus Tile, flips it to its gold side, and places it above the Row Reference Tile. Event Phase – If the game includes any global events or enemy turns (not detailed in the provided context), resolve them here. Otherwise, proceed to the next player. The game continues until the final Caliph Card is revealed, triggering the End of Game step described in section 5. 4. Actions and How to Play Recruit Actions Black Recruit Action – Increase the action’s value by 3. Players can Employ Translators into Room 11 by paying 4 Silver. This allows them to gain 1 Page Card or 2 XP (see the reminder above the Medicine Research Track). Deliver Actions Black Deliver Action – Gain 1 XP if the player stops on or moves past the Neutral Marker (starting on the same space does not grant XP). Delivering a Medicine Scroll advances the player up the Medicine Track, just like delivering Scrolls of other colours. Moving beyond space 7 immediately earns 1 XP. Research Actions Black Research Action – Advance up the Medicine Research Track. All costs are the same as advancing up other Research Tracks. Each player has a new Action Card that may be used to harvest the Medicine Track when Resting. Translate Actions Black Translate Action – The player does not translate a Scroll from the House of Wisdom; instead, they aim to gain a Page Card from those available. With a Black action value of 6 or higher, the player must place 1 Gold onto any 1 Translator. After doing so, they gain 1 XP and 1 Page Card. With a Black action value of 10 or higher, the player must place 2 Gold onto any 2 Translators (not on the same Translator). After doing so, they gain 3 XP and 1 Page Card. Players may always choose to gain 2 XP instead of a Page Card if they wish. Gold placed must come from a player’s personal supply. If the Translators receiving Gold do not belong to the player placing it, they must also pay Silver to the owners, just like any other interaction with Translators. Black Dice and Upgraded Action Cards Each player starts with 1 Black Die in their Bag. They can gain more throughout the game. Black Dice have values 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6 and take priority over all other colours. When a player gains a Black Die but none remain in the Main Supply, they may instead gain a Primary Die or Destroy a White Die. Any time a player gains a Black Die, they may upgrade 1 of their Action Cards. The upgrade process is described in the Black Dice section of the manual. 5. End of Game and Scoring When the final Caliph Card is revealed, the following steps occur before final scoring: In turn order from the First Player Marker, each player may resolve their End Game Page Cards (gold banners). During their turn, they can resolve the effects of these Page Cards in any order they choose. If any effect results in retiring more Translators or gaining more Page Cards, those cards must be tucked immediately, not at the end of the turn. After all End Game Page Cards are resolved, players calculate their Dice Sum, counting Black Dice as colours (positive). Then they add the following components to their score: Tucked Page Cards Facedown Row Bonus Tiles The position of their Research Marker on the Medicine Track Remaining XP is not worth anything. The player with the highest total score wins. 6. Tips for Winning Use Black Dice strategically: because they take priority over all other colours, they can unlock higher‑value actions and grant extra XP or Page Cards when combined with Black actions. Focus on completing rows of Tucked Page Cards and Retired Translators to slide your Row Reference Tile down, lowering future costs and unlocking powerful Row Bonus Tiles. Plan your End Game Page Cards carefully: resolving them in the right order can allow you to tuck additional cards and trigger extra row completions before the final score is tallied. ## FAQ ### Do I need the base game to play? Yes, this is an expansion. You need Scholars of the South Tigris to use this content. ### Does it make the game much more complex? Complexity increases slightly due to the new tracks and publishing mechanics, but if you've mastered the base game, the transition is smooth. ### How long does a game take with the expansion? Estimated playtime is between 60 and 90 minutes, depending on the number of players and the group's experience. ### Who is this game for? For those who enjoy heavy 'euro' games, focusing on resource management, engine building, and historical themes. ### Does the expansion significantly change the scoring? Yes, publishing books creates new ways to score and new synergies with translators, shifting the victory dynamics. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 28.72 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6594274&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 28.78 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6490981&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 40.38 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6574850&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/116072/gelehrte-des-sudtigris-bestand-an-buchern?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com