# Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar – Mini Expansion 1 ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2012 - **BGG Rating**: 7.6 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-4 (Best with: 4) - **Duration**: 90 min - **Weight**: 3.17 / 5 - **Designers**: Daniele Tascini, Simone Luciani - **Artists**: Milan Vavroň - **Publishers**: Czech Games Edition (CGE), IELLO, Rebel Sp. z o.o., W. Nostheide Verlag GmbH - **Categories**: Ancient, Civilization, Economic, Expansion for Base-game, Farming, Mythology - **Mechanics**: Set Collection, Worker Placement ## Verdict If you already enjoy Tzolk'in and want to add an extra spice without overcomplicating things, this mini-expansion is a great pick!Adds quick decisionsBonus corn and pointsSubtle early interactionEasy to integrateWorker reduction effectMinor starting disadvantageFOR GENRE FANS ## Description Hey there, board game enthusiasts! Ready to give your Tzolk'in game a little boost? This mini-expansion, straight from Spielbox magazine, brings two neat additions that can shake up your gameplay. First up, we have the Bonus Monument: the Granary. It's not just any old pile of stones, you know! As soon as you build this beauty, the game rewards you with 13 corn right away! And to top it off, at the end of the game, it's worth a solid 13 points. Talk about a strategic move! And to spice things up from the get-go, there's the Starting Wealth tile: the Cistern. With this one, you secure 10 corn immediately. But here's the twist: your opponents each get 1 less corn (unless their starting tile doesn't grant corn, then no harm done). It's a clever way to get ahead, but with a touch of 'look what you did, neighbor.' If you draw the Cistern when placing dummy workers, brace yourself: one of your dummy workers will be out of play, making the game a tad tighter. This expansion is for those who already master Tzolk'in and want to add an extra flavor, some quick decisions, and a bit of subtle negative interaction. It's like finding a hidden treasure that makes all the difference! ## How to Play Game Objective The objective of this mini-expansion is to introduce new strategic possibilities for your culture to evolve and thrive. By integrating new components into the base game, you seek to optimize your resources and scoring to outperform other tribes. Victory is achieved by accumulating the most points at the end of the game, utilizing the new capabilities offered by the Monument and the Starting Wealth Tile. Setup To include this content in your game of Tzolk'in, follow these steps: Monument: Shuffle the Monument (Granary) together with the other Monument tiles from the base game. Starting Wealth Tile: Shuffle the Starting Wealth Tile (Cistern) together with the other tiles of the same type. Game Flow The game flow remains the same as the base game. The inclusion of this expansion only alters the options available during the setup phase and the execution of specific actions when building or selecting the new components. Actions and How to Play The new components bring unique effects to your strategy: Monument – Granary: This Monument has an immediate effect. When you build it, you must immediately take 13 corn from the corn bank. Starting Wealth Tile – Cistern: When choosing this Starting Wealth Tile at the beginning of the game, you receive 10 corn. As a consequence, each of your opponents starts with 1 less corn (if an opponent has a Starting Wealth Tile that does not provide corn, they are not affected). Rule for Dummy Players: If you draw the Starting Wealth Tile (Cistern) when placing dummy workers, this indicates that you will play with one fewer dummy worker than usual (11 instead of 12 in a two-player game, or 5 instead of 6 in a three-player game). End of Game and Scoring The game ends according to the standard rules of the base game. Regarding the components of this expansion: Monument Scoring: At the end of the game, the Monument (Granary) grants 13 points to the player who built it. Consult the manual for details on the general victory and defeat criteria of the base game. Tips for Winning When building the Monument (Granary), take advantage of the immediate gain of 13 corn to sustain your actions or feed your workers at critical moments. Use the Starting Wealth Tile (Cistern) to gain a resource advantage right at the start, while simultaneously reducing your opponents' corn reserves, making their planning more difficult. ## FAQ ### Does this expansion significantly change the rules of Tzolk'in? No, it only adds two new tiles that mix with the existing ones. The impact is subtle but can influence your initial strategies and final score. ### How many players does this expansion support? It's for 2 to 4 players, just like the base game. The Cistern's effect might be felt a bit more in 2-player games. ### Does the game's complexity increase much with this expansion? The overall complexity of Tzolk'in remains the same. The expansion only introduces two new tile options, which are easy to understand and integrate into the game. ### What happens if I draw the Cistern tile and my opponents don't receive corn anymore? If an opponent doesn't receive corn from their starting wealth tile, they are not affected by the Cistern. The effect of subtracting corn only applies if they would have received corn originally. ### Is the Granary tile only for the end of the game, or does it have an effect during the game? The Granary tile has an immediate effect: as soon as you build it, you receive 13 corn. Additionally, it's worth 13 points at the end of the game. ### Is this expansion hard to find? As a mini-expansion released in a magazine (Spielbox), it might be a bit harder to find in regular stores. It's usually found through promotions or on the secondary market.