Altay: Dawn of Civilization
Altay: Dawn of Civilization Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
Wooden Tokens
- Earthfolk, Elvenfolk, Firefolk, Smallfolk — 60 settlements, 15 for each player.
- Food, wood, metal, stone, culture — 80 resource tokens, 16 each of 5 different types.
Cards (63 x 88 mm)
- 40 initial action cards, 10 for each player: Earthfolk, Elvenfolk, Firefolk, Smallfolk starting decks.
- 88 action cards, 8 each of 11 different types.
- 50 achievement cards, 4 each of 10 different level 1 and level 2 cards, and 1 each of 10 different level 3 cards.
Tokens and Markers
- 6 victory point markers.
- 33 conquest markers: value 1 (12x), value 2 (12x), value 3 (9x).
- 1 starting player token.
Other Components
- 1 game board.
- 1 score pad.
- 1 rulebook.
- 52 coins (used with the Trading optional rule): value 1 (40x), value 5 (12x).
Setup
The setup below applies to a 4-player game. If you play with 2 or 3 players, see 2 and 3 Player Setup.
Game Setup
- Place the game board in the middle of the table.
- Prepare the resource reserve, separating the different resource tokens (food, wood, metal, stone, culture).
- If you use the Trading optional rule (see Produce Resources), prepare the coin bank using all the cardboard coins.
- Create the action card display. Place the action cards next to the game board, ordered according to their type. Use 2 cards of each type per player — for example, 6 cards per type with 3 players — and return the remaining cards to the game box. Always include the cards with the highest victory point (VP) values and place them on the top of each stack. For example, the Chariot card with a VP value of 2 will be on top, followed by the Chariot with a VP value of 1, then the rest.
- Prepare the level 1 and level 2 achievement decks using one card of each type per player. You always use all level 3 cards. Shuffle the three achievement decks separately. Level 1 and level 2 achievements are called technologies; level 3 achievements are called wonders.
- Create the achievement card display, revealing 3 cards of each level. If you reveal a card of the same type as a card already in the display, stack them together, and draw another one, until you have three different cards visible.
- Place a conquest marker on each territory. Place 5 conquest markers with a "3" value on the mountain territories (gray), and place the "1" and "2" conquest markers randomly in all other territories. Return any remaining markers to the game box.
- Place a victory point marker in each of the three mountain territories in the middle of the board.
Player Setup
- Randomly decide the starting player, who takes the starting player token.
- In clockwise order, starting with that player, each player chooses a faction (Earthfolk, Elvenfolk, Firefolk, Smallfolk) and takes the 10-card starting deck of that faction and 15 settlements of the matching color.
- In the opposite order, starting with the last player, each player chooses one of the farmland territories (green) as their starting territory. The player places one of their settlements in the chosen territory, and discards the conquest marker in it, ignoring its value (and resource icon, if present).
- Each player shuffles their cards to form their draw deck, and draws 5 cards to form their initial card hand.
- Give to each player one random level 3 achievement card — this is the secret wonder that player is trying to develop. Keep this card hidden from the other players.
Note: In your first game, you can use the Recommended Setup shown in 2 and 3 Player Setup instead of choosing territories as indicated above.
2 and 3 Player Setup
Recommended Setup
When you play with 2 or 3 players, we recommend you reduce the playable area on the game board as indicated in the setup diagrams. The blacked-out territories are not in play. After you place the conquest markers, flip the ones which are in those territories to the side without a number, as a reminder.
These diagrams also show where to place victory point markers, and a recommended placement for the initial settlements, which you can use in your first games instead of choosing territories as indicated in Player Setup.
- 2-player setup: P1 and P2 start in opposite corners of the reduced board, each with one victory point marker (value 1) on a nearby mountain territory.
- 3-player setup: P1, P2 and P3 start around the reduced board, each with a nearby victory point marker (value 1).
- 4-player setup: P1, P2, P3 and P4 each start in a corner of the full board, each with a nearby victory point marker (value 1).
Action Cards
Action cards represent the capabilities of your faction, and compose your playing deck. Each action card shows:
- Title.
- Effect.
- Dual effect (some cards show different effects, separated by a vertical line; each time you play such a card, you must choose one of them, the other effects are ignored).
- Cost to acquire the card.
- Victory point value.
- Resource placement icons.
Achievement Cards
Achievement cards represent permanent advancements in the capabilities of your faction, and end-of-game goals. Each achievement card shows:
- Title.
- Level.
- Victory point value.
- Variable VP value.
- Resource placement icons.
- Settlement icon.
- Effect.
- VP value at the end of the game.
The Game Board
The game board is divided into territories. Some territories have a victory point value, and all territories have a type:
- Farmland (green).
- Forest (brown).
- Hill (black).
- Mountain (gray).
Territories are recognized by their different color. If two territories are in contact with each other, they are considered adjacent.
Note: Two territories separated by a river are still considered adjacent. The two territories connected by a "strait" in the middle of the board are considered adjacent.
The board also has two Sea zones and two island territories. These zones and territories are only used when playing with the Seafarers expansion.
Abbreviations
Keywords
- Archive: Keep one action card for later use, as if you had it in your hand.
- Build: Place one of your available settlements on the board.
- Collect: This card can be played on the table. You can place one or more resources on it, and when all resources are placed, the effect is resolved and the card is discarded.
- Consume (a conquest marker): A consumed conquest marker cannot be consumed again, but it is still counted during the final scoring.
- Discard: Put a card in your discard pile.
- Draw: Take a card from your draw deck.
- Fill: Place all resources required to complete a card.
- Gain: Add the indicated number of victory points at the end of the game.
- Produce: Take a resource from the reserve.
- Resettle: Move a settlement from one territory to another one, occupied by the same player or not occupied.
- Spend: Return the resource to the reserve.
- Store: This card can be played on the table. You can place one or more resources on it to use in a later turn. When you use the resources on the card, whether or not it is full, you must use all of them and discard the card.
- Trash: Remove a card from the game.
- Use (a type of territory): If you have a settlement in that territory, you can use it to produce more resources. Each territory can only be used once in a turn.
Icons
Resource: food, wood, metal, stone, culture.
Wild resources: wood, metal, or stone; any resource.
Other: settlement, attack, defense, conquest marker.
Timing Icons
- Continuous: This ability has an effect anytime it can be applied.
- Once per turn: You can use this ability once per turn, anytime during your turn.
- End of turn: You can use this ability once per turn, at the end of your turn.
- Instant: This ability is only used once when the achievement is completed and is ignored afterwards.
The Golden Rule
If a card effect breaks one of the game rules, the card effect takes precedence.
Gameplay
After setup is completed, the game begins. Gameplay proceeds in clockwise order, starting with the first player.
In your turn, you can play the cards in your hand for their effect, in any order. You can also activate effects from play-on-the-table cards and achievements, and spend (or place on certain cards) your resources.
Some cards show different effects, separated by a vertical line. Each time you play such a card, you must choose one of them; the other effects are ignored.
At the end of your turn, you must discard any resources you have not spent or placed, discard all the cards left in your hand, and draw 5 new cards.
When you must draw a card — during your turn, or at the end of your turn — and the deck is empty, the discard pile is reshuffled to form a new draw deck.
Note: Reshuffle only when you need to draw — do not reshuffle just because the deck is empty.
The Game Turn
In your turn, you can play the action cards in your hand (or use the effect of any card you previously played on the table) to perform any of these activities, in any order you want:
All cards you play go to your discard pile, unless their effect requires them to be played on the table.
Play-on-the-Table Action Cards
Some of your action cards can be played on the table, if indicated by certain keywords in their text (such as "Collect" or "Store"), or if they have one or more resource placement icons on them. These cards are discarded when you use their effect.
You can only have one play-on-the-table card with the same title in play at the same time.
Produce Resources
You can produce resources using the effects of action cards and achievements with the produce keyword or just showing a resource icon.
Produced resources are indicated by a specific icon or by a wild resource icon.
Resources are used during the game to perform certain action (acquire new cards, build settlements, or develop achievements).
- When spent (normally, to buy new cards) they are put back in the common reserve.
- When collected or stored, they are placed on an appropriate card in front of you.
You must spend or place all resources you produced in your turn. Any resource not spent or placed at the end of your turn must be discarded.
Trading — Optional Rule
At the end of your turn, do not discard your unused resources: return them to the reserve and take 1 coin for each of them. Anytime during a later turn, you can use 5 coins to take one resource of your choice from the reserve.
Matching Cards and Territories
Several action cards produce more resources when you have a settlement in the appropriate territory. For example, a Stonecutter produces 2 Stone, instead of 1, if you have a settlement in a mountain territory. You can use this type of bonus only once in a turn for each territory of that type you control.
Example: You play 2 Stonecutters in your turn.
- If you control 2 mountain territories, you produce 4 stone, as you can use the full effect of both cards.
- If you control only 1 mountain territory, you will produce 2 stone with the first Stonecutter, and just 1 stone with the second Stonecutter, for a total of 3 stone.
Acquire New Action Cards
You can spend resources to acquire new action cards from the display, according to their cost. The cost may be indicated by specific resource icons (if a specific type is required) or by a wild resource icon. In a single turn, you can only buy one copy of a given type of card.
Note: Resources collected on your play-on-the-table cards or achievements cannot be spent!
Place any card you acquire in your discard pile.
Build Settlements
You can play on the table any settlement card (Village, Town, City) from your hand to start building a new settlement.
Settlement cards show the resources required to build them. These resources can be collected on the settlement card over one or more turns — you do not need to collect them all in the same turn.
When you have collected all the required resources on a settlement card, return all of them to the reserve and discard the card; then, place one or more of your settlements, as indicated on the card (if you place more than one settlement, place them one at a time).
You can place your settlements on the game board in two ways:
- in a territory with one or more of your settlements (up to a maximum of 4), or
- in a free territory (without a conquest marker or opponent's settlements) adjacent to at least one territory with one or more of your settlements.
If you built a settlement but you cannot place it on the board legally, the settlement is removed from the game.
Combat
You can begin a combat by playing cards with an ATTACK icon to launch an attack from one of your territories to an adjacent one.
In the same turn, you cannot attack more than once from any one territory to the same target territory.
Attacking a Neutral Territory
You can attack a territory with a conquest marker on it. You must choose an attacking territory with one or more of your settlements, and an adjacent territory with a conquest marker; then, you must play one or more cards with an attack icon from your hand.
The number of settlements in the attacking territory plus the attack icons on your cards must exceed the defense value of the conquest marker in the attacked territory. Take the conquest marker and place it in front of you. If the conquest marker has a resource icon, you immediately produce one resource of that type. Keep the captured conquest marker in front of you: it will be used in the final scoring.
Attacking an Opponent
To attack an opponent, you must choose an attacking territory with one or more of your settlements, and an adjacent territory with one or more settlements of the opponent you want to attack. Then, play one or more cards with an ATTACK icon from your hand.
The attacked opponent now can decide to surrender or fight.
- If the attacked opponent surrenders, they automatically lose the combat (see below). They can choose to discard from their hand one or more cards, up to the number of cards played by the attacker.
- If the opponent fights, they can play from their hand as many cards with a DEFENSE icon as they want.
- The strength of each player is the number of settlements in the attacking or attacked territory plus the ATTACK or DEFENSE icons on played cards. The player with the lower strength loses the combat. In case of a tie, nothing happens.
The losing player must remove one of their settlements in the involved territories and give it to the winning player. The winner keeps the captured settlement as a reminder: it will be used in the final scoring.
At the end of the combat, the defender refills their hand, drawing one card from their deck for each card they played or discarded (no matter if they won or lost the battle).
Hint: Sometimes, it's useful to discard cards! In this way, you might improve your hand in the next turn, and gain some benefit from the military defeat.
Attacking a Neutral Territory — Example
The Firefolk player has two Warrior cards in hand and a territory with one settlement. They can choose to use both cards for a single attack, resulting in a strength of 3 (1 settlement + 2 attack icons), to exceed the value of the "2" conquest marker, conquering that territory and also producing a wood resource. Alternatively, they could use the two Warrior cards to conduct two distinct attacks, targeting each of the two territories with a "1" conquest marker. Each attack would have a strength of 2 (1 settlement + 1 attack icon each), enabling them to conquer both territories.
Attacking an Opponent — Example
The Earthfolk player decides to begin combat against his Smallfolk neighbors. The Earthfolk attack from a territory with two settlements, playing one Warrior and one Cavalry card, against an adjacent Smallfolk territory with three settlements. The attack has a strength of 5 (2 settlements + 1 attack icon + 2 attack icons). The Smallfolk player has only one Warrior card in hand, so she cannot equal the strength of the Earthfolk attack — her maximum strength would be 4 (3 settlements + 1 defense icon). She decides to surrender, discarding the Warrior and a Craftsman card — two cards, matching the number of cards played by the Earthfolk player — so that she can draw two new cards. The Earthfolk wins the combat, removes one of the three Smallfolk settlements, and keeps it for the final scoring.
Develop Achievements
During the game, players will develop achievements, starting with level 1 technologies.
To start developing a new achievement, you must take it from the card display, place it in front of you, and place at least one resource on it. If it is a level 1 or level 2 technology, also place one of your available settlements on it (if you still have one).
If there are now less than three different achievements of that level in the display, reveal a new achievement card of the same level and add it to the display. As you did during the setup, if you reveal a card of the same type as a card already in the display, stack them together, and draw another one, until you have three different cards visible.
Completing an Achievement
All achievement cards have several resource placement icons, showing the resources required to develop them. These resources can be placed on the achievement card over one or more turns — you do not need to place them all in the same turn.
When all required resources are placed, the achievement is completed. Return all the resources on the card to the reserve, then:
- place the settlement on the achievement card, if any, on the game board, following the normal rules for placing settlements (see Build Settlements);
- the effect of the achievement now is in play (the effect can be used immediately, if applicable).
When you complete an achievement, you keep it in front of you, and you can start a new one, either one of the same level (place it beside the previous one) or one of the next higher level (place it above the previous one).
Restrictions on Developing Achievements
- You can only develop one achievement at a time.
- You cannot take a new achievement from the display if you do not currently have at least one appropriate resource to place on it.
- If you want, you may discard a technology you are developing and all resources placed on it (normally, because you want to start developing a new one).
- You can never have (completed, or in development) more achievement cards of a higher level than of a lower level: you cannot have more level 2 than level 1 achievement cards, or more level 3 than level 2 achievement cards.
- You cannot choose to develop the same achievement twice. All the achievements you develop must be unique.
Wonders
Level 3 achievements are called wonders. You can start developing a wonder after you have completed a level 2 technology.
Wonders follow the same rules as level 1 and level 2 achievements, with the following differences:
- You receive a secret wonder card at the beginning of the game. You can start developing it by revealing it and placing at least one resource on it, if you completed at least one level 2 achievement.
- Instead of starting the development of your secret wonder (or after you have completed your secret wonder), you can decide to start developing a wonder from the achievement card display.
- You do not gain a settlement when you complete a wonder, so you should not place a settlement on a wonder when you start to develop it.
- Unlike technologies, you can never discard a wonder after you start to develop it.
Typically, wonders give you victory points, rather than effects like technologies do.
End of the Game
The game ends at the end of the round in which one of the players has no more settlements to place (settlements on an achievement must be placed, too).
The game also ends if a player remains without any settlement on the board.
Continue to play until the round is completed (that is, all players have played the same number of turns).
Scoring and Winner
At the end of the final round, players sum up their victory points (VP), with the help of the scorepad:
- VP value of each developed technology; VP value of each developed wonder (up to a maximum of 7 points), plus 3 VPs if the player completed their secret wonder;
- VP value of the action cards in the player's deck;
- 1 VP for each territory with at least one of their settlements, plus the value of the VP marker in that territory, if present;
- 1 VP for each captured opponent's settlement;
- 1 VP for each 3 points of captured conquest markers (sum their value, divide by 3 and round down).
The player with the most VPs is the winner of the game. Break ties using the scores in categories in the order indicated above (that is, technologies first, then wonders, and so on).
Icon Summary
Factions: Earthfolk, Elvenfolk, Firefolk, Smallfolk.
Cards: Additional action cards; Level 1 achievement (technology); Level 2 achievement (technology); Level 3 achievement (wonder).
Resources: Food, Wood, Metal, Stone, Culture; wild resources: wood/metal/or stone, any resource.
Other: Settlement, Attack, Defense, Conquest marker.
Timing: Continuous, Once per turn, End of turn, Instant.