Objective of the Game

In The White Castle: Matcha, players take on the roles of clans striving to increase their influence within the court of Himeji. The theme centers around the Japanese tea ceremony, representing hospitality, respect, and Zen philosophy. Your goal is to have members of your clan in the most prestigious seats within the Chashitsu (tea room) to achieve a greater level of influence and ultimately earn the most Clan Points.

Preparation (Setup)

Before starting the normal setup of the base game, follow these steps:

• Shuffle all expansion cards into their respective decks.
• Mix the 4 Training Yard tiles with those from the base game.
• Place the expansion board up against the lower edge of the main board.
• Place the green Bridge on the expansion board with the number of players + 1 on top of it.
• Place 3 random Water Lily tiles in the Pond.
• Shuffle the Flower Arrangement and Calligraphy decks separately and place them face up in their respective spaces on the board. (Note: If playing with only 2 players, remove the cards marked with the specific icon).
• Mix the Ceremony tiles and place them randomly:
  • 3 tiles in the Tea House showing their yellow side.
  • 1 tile in the Pond Overlook showing its blue side.
  • Mix the remaining Ceremony tiles and place 1 random tile below each pair of Starting cards, showing its blue side.
• Place your Geishas of your color on your Personal Domain board and put your Chasen marker on 0.
• Set up the game as you would normally, but use the Personal Domain boards from the expansion instead of the base game, and do not choose a pair of Starting cards yet.
• Each player takes their Starting cards along with the associated Ceremony tile, which is placed in the space indicated on their Domain board.

Game Flow

The game is played over 3 rounds. Unlike the base game, each round now consists of 4 turns per player. A round ends when all players have completed 4 turns each and there are 4 dice left on the Bridges.

The end of a round triggers the following:

1. New order of turns: Determined the same way as the base game.
2. Gardens: Resolved as in the base game, but the green Bridge must also be taken into account.
3. The Pond: If there are green dice left, any player with a Geisha at the Pond Overlook may take the 3 Water Lily rewards or, by paying 3 coins, perform the action on the Ceremony tile.
4. Prepare the next round: Resolved as in the base game, accounting for green dice.

Actions and How to Play

Players can place dice of any color in new locations like the Tea Fields or The Outskirts of Himeji. Green dice cannot go to the castle but can go to the Well, Outside the Walls, and the green line on your Domain.

Geisha Actions

A Geisha action allows you to perform 2 different actions, only 1 of them, or both actions once each, possibly using different Geisha pieces. The Geisha move from your Domain to the Tea Garden entrance by paying 2 coins. Once in the Tea Garden, you may Walk the Path of Tea by paying 2 or 5 Chasen to advance 1 or 2 steps. Once they reach a destination, they perform the action indicated:

• Pond Overlook: Perform the Pond action (3 Water Lily rewards) OR pay 3 coins to perform the action on the Ceremony tile.
• Outskirts of Himeji: Take the top Flower Arrangement or Calligraphy card. Perform the action on the yellow curtain (and take the card) OR perform the action on the blue curtain (without taking the card).
• Tea House: Choose 1 of the 3 rooms to place the Geisha and perform the action on the Ceremony tile in that room.

Other Key Actions & Resources

• Daimyo Seals: You may pay 2 Daimyo Seals at any time to gain any Resource or a Chasen.
• Chasen: A new resource used to advance Geishas on the Path of Tea.
• Outskirts of Himeji: When placing a die here, you may perform the actions on the 2 curtains aligned with that space in any order.
• Personal Domain (Green Die): When placing a green die, you gain the resources shown. If you pay 1 Daimyo Seal, you may perform the action on your chosen Ceremony tile.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends after the 3rd round. Final points are calculated using the following criteria:

• Remaining Resources: 1 Clan Point for every 5 coins and/or Daimyo Seals. For each Resource (Food, Iron, Mother-of-Pearl, and Chasen), you get 1 Clan Point if you have between 3 and 6 units, and 2 Clan Points if you have 7 units.
• Passage of Time: 3 Clan Points if the Influence marker is in the 2nd season; 6 Clan Points if in the 3rd season; and the specific value indicated on the space if in the 4th season.
• Clan Members in the Castle:
  • Courtiers: 1 Clan Point at the Gate; 3 Clan Points on the 1st floor; 6 Clan Points on the 2nd floor; 10 Clan Points on the 3rd floor.
• Warriors in Training Yards: Multiply the total value of your Warriors in the Yard by the number of Courtiers you have inside the Castle (excluding those at the Gate).
• Gardeners in Gardens: Each Gardener grants Clan Points as shown on their card.
• Geishas in the Tea Garden:
  • 2 Clan Points if at the Pond Overlook.
  • 1 Clan Point if at the entrance to the Tea Garden.
  • 2 Clan Points for each Geisha on the 1st step of the Path of Tea.
  • 3 Clan Points for each Geisha on the 2nd step of the Path of Tea.
  • 2 Clan Points for each Gardener, Warrior, or Courtier (including those at the Gate) for each of your Geishas in the corresponding Tea House room.

The player with the most Clan Points wins. In case of a tie, the player higher in the turn order wins.

Tips for Victory

• Consulte el manual para detalles sobre esta sección.
• Consulte el manual para detalles sobre esta sección.