Fjords
Fjords Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Your Fjords Game Includes
- 64 landscape tiles (with green backs)
- 3 starting tiles (with blue backs)
- 80 vikings (20 each in 4 colours)
- 16 longhouses (4 each in 4 colours)
- 22 rune stones (used when playing the different variants at the end of these rules)
- 4 player aids
- 1 bag (to hold the tiles)
- rule books
(Pop out all the cardboard pieces from their frames before playing your first game. The rune stones and player aids are not used when playing Fjords with the basic rules.)
Goal of the Game
Fjords is a tile-laying game that takes place in two phases. First, the players will explore the landscape around them by laying hexagonal landscape tiles and placing their clan's longhouses upon them. Second, beginning from the longhouses placed during the exploration phase, players will walk the landscape, claiming as much of the plains as possible.
The winner of the game will be the player who has claimed the most land. Savvy placements and the ability to plan ahead while responding to your opponents' moves will be your most important tools...
Setting Up the Game
Setting up a game of Fjords is relatively simple:
- Each player chooses a colour of longhouses and vikings and places all the pieces matching that colour in front of themselves (if any colours are unused, return them to the box).
- Place the three starting tiles face-up in the centre of the playing area as shown.
- Place all the required landscape tiles into the bag (when playing with 4 players use all the tiles, when playing with 3 players remove all tiles marked with a "4" from the game, and when playing with 2 players, remove all tiles marked with a "3" or a "4" from the game.)
- Now draw 4 tiles from the bag and place them face-up in a row near the playing area.
- Randomly select a starting player and you are ready to go!
Playing the Game
Fjords is played in 2 phases. In the Exploration Phase, tiles are added to the play area and the players may choose to place their longhouses on the tiles. Then (once all the landscape tiles have been placed), in the Settlement Phase, the players place their vikings on the tiles, claiming the land around their longhouses.
Players take turns in order, clockwise around the table.
Taking a Turn During the Exploration Phase
On your turn, follow these three steps:
- Choose any tile from the row of 4 face-up tiles and add it to the play area.
- The tile must be placed so that it touches 2 or more tiles, and all terrain (mountain/plains/ocean) must match at the edges.
- The tile must not be placed so that it creates a second landmass (ie: two separate areas of land divided by water), even if the new landmass could possibly be joined to the mainland on a later turn.
- It is okay if the tile placement creates a "hole" in the play area, as long as the above point is followed.
- It is okay to create a new area of plains that is separated by mountains.
- After placing the tile, you may place 1 of the longhouses in your supply on top of the tile you just placed.
- Once placed, a longhouse may never be moved or removed.
- Thematically, the longhouses are placed on green plains. The all-mountain tile may never have a longhouse placed upon it (the greenery on that tile is for aesthetic purposes only).
- Finally, draw a new tile from the bag and add it face-up to the row.
- If there are no tiles left to draw, play continues with less than 4 tiles in the row.
- If the active player can find no legal placement for any of the 4 tiles, and no opponent points out a legal placement to them, then 4 new tiles are drawn to make a new face-up row, and the previous row of 4 tiles are then placed back into the bag. (This process is repeated if all the newly drawn tiles cannot be placed legally.)
Then the next player takes their turn.
The Exploration Phase ends when all the landscape tiles have been placed, or when all tiles in the row (and bag, if any are remaining) cannot be placed legally.
Note: Be aware that any longhouses remaining in the players' supplies at the end of the Exploration Phase will not be able to be placed in the second phase of the game!
Taking a Turn During the Settlement Phase
Once the exploration phase has completed (usually at the end of the turn in which the final landscape tile has been placed), the settlement phase commences. The first turn of the settlement phase is played by the player to the left of whoever placed the final tile of the exploration phase. (This means that if on a player's turn all remaining tiles were unplaceable, they would begin the settlement phase.)
Now a turn looks very different. On your turn during the settlement phase you must place a viking from your supply on a vacant landscape tile in the play area. The tile you choose to place your viking on must be:
- adjacent to a tile with one of your longhouses or one of your vikings on it, and,
- contain plains and be connected to a previously placed and adjacent longhouse or viking by plains (in other words, vikings are only ever placed on green grass).
Once a viking is placed it may never be moved or removed. Two vikings can never share a tile with a viking or a longhouse - only one longhouse or viking can be on any tile.
If a player cannot place any more vikings legally, they are out of the game and their turn is skipped from now on. The Settlement Phase ends when all players are out of the game.
Example (from the illustrated close-up in the rulebook): the tile marked D may only be claimed with a viking by the grey player. This is because it is adjacent to one of grey's longhouses, but not one of yellow's. The tiles marked B and C can be claimed by either the yellow or grey player as they are both adjacent to their longhouses. The tile marked A can currently only be claimed by yellow. However, if grey places a viking on C before yellow does, they will then be able to place on A because it will then be adjacent to one of their vikings! If yellow places a viking on C before grey, this will block off A from grey. Note that yellow cannot place a viking on D, even if they place a viking on B, because the path through grass from B to D passes through an opponent's piece (longhouse).
Winning the Game
Once the Settlement Phase has ended, players total their score to determine a winner. Players earn 1 point for every viking they placed in the play area. The player with the most points wins! (In the event of a tie you may wish to play another round and add your scores together to determine the winner.)
Note: To quickly determine a winner you can simply look at who has the fewest vikings left over at the end of the game.
While rare, it is possible that at the end of the game there could be uncontested tiles that a player could have placed vikings on, but they ran out. In this case, the player scores these tiles as if they had vikings on them. This only happens if it was impossible for an opponent to claim these tiles.
The Epic 2-Player Variant
When playing Fjords with 2 players you may prefer using this variant which gives players a longer, more strategic game (especially when playing with the rune stones - see later in these rules.)
The changes when playing the Epic game are:
- Use all the tiles in the game (including those marked for "3" or "4" players).
- Each player takes 20 vikings and 4 longhouses of one colour, and 10 vikings and 2 longhouses of another colour as their supply. The players treat both of their colours as their own pieces during gameplay and scoring. (However, when using rune stone variants that provide a rune stone to each player, only use one rune per player, not two.)
The Classic Variant
Players may wish to try playing Fjords with the rules of the original game (released in 2005).
The changes when playing the Classic game are:
- Don't use any of the rune stone expansions.
- Play the game three times, combining your scores across the three games together.
- Do not have 4 landscape tiles face-up to choose from. On your turn, simply draw a landscape tile and then attempt to place it. If a player cannot find a legal placement for the tile and their opponent does not point one out, simply set it aside face-up nearby. The player then draws a new tile, or chooses to place one that is already set aside. On a future turn, a player may now choose to place a set-aside tile instead of drawing a new landscape tile at the start of their turn (this is not mandatory - you may still draw a tile if you do not wish to place any set-aside tile).
- The exploration phase ends after the turn in which the final tile is drawn. This means some set-aside tiles may not be placed. If the final drawn tile is placed, the next player in turn order starts the settlement phase. If it can't be placed legally and is put aside, the player who drew it starts the settlement phase.
Playing Fjords with the Rune Stones
As the people traverse the land, they mark the very mountains with the mystic symbols shared by their people and the gods to petition their help and protection...
The rune stone mini-expansions add more variety to each game of Fjords. Players may choose to play a game with any number of rune stones. To get to know how each rune affects gameplay, we suggest adding them to your games in the following order:
- Game 1: Do not use any rune stones.
- Game 2: Strength. The strength rune brings your vikings a new way to score points in the mountains.
- Game 3: Strength, water. The water rune makes one coastline worth more points as your vikings prepare to travel across the sea.
- Game 4: Strength, water, journey, horse. Spend runes to give your vikings new ways to move across the land and find new places to settle.
- Game 5: Journey, horse, friendship. The friendship runes mark special sites in the plains. Score points by having the most vikings surrounding them.
- Game 6: Journey, horse, friendship, wisdom. The Wisdom rune provides a surprising new way to gain access to important land.
- Game 7: Journey, horse, wisdom, home. Make one of your longhouses your special home to score extra points around it. Just ensure you choose its location very wisely.
Find the combination of rune stones you enjoy playing with the most!
General Setup Changes
Before a game using one or more sets of rune stones, hand each player a player aid to help them remember the effects of each rune.
Place the rune stone(s) being used near the play area, unless the variant(s) used provide a copy of the rune stone for each player. In that case, the players can add the rune stones matching their player colour to their personal supply of pieces.
General Placement Rule
Unless otherwise stated below, no tile containing a rune stone may also have a longhouse or viking placed upon it. In other words, (unless specifically stated) only one piece (longhouse/viking/rune stone) may ever be on any one tile.
The Strength Rune (Thor)
May I live with the strength and power of the mighty Thor and may this unforgiving terrain not defeat me...
Leave the Strength rune stone off to the side during setup. In the exploration phase, when the tile depicting only mountains (marked with the strength rune symbol) is added to the play area, the player must place the Thor rune stone on it. During scoring, any viking on a tile adjacent to the Strength rune stone scores its owner 1 (additional) point.
The Water Rune (Laguz)
I am thankful for the water that surrounds us, giving us both sustenance and protection...
Leave the Water rune stone off to the side during setup. In the exploration phase when the tile marked the water rune symbol is added to the play area, the player must place the Water rune stone on it. During scoring, any viking on a tile that depicts part of the water region that the Water rune tile is on scores its owner 1 (additional) point.
The Journey Runes (Raido)
Keep me safe as I travel these unknown waters, seeking the food and land my people require...
Each player starts with 1 Raido rune stone in their supply. During the settlement phase, a player may discard their Journey rune stone, using it instead of taking a normal turn. They select any tile with water that has one of their vikings or longhouses on it. They then place a viking from their supply on any vacant tile that is 1-3 adjacent tiles away from their selected tile, as long as there is a contiguous region of water on all of these adjacent tiles. This may be used to "travel" along the coast or across open sea.
The Horse Runes (Ehwaz)
May my animal companion stay strong as we traverse these mountainous regions, and bring me safely home once more...
Each player starts with 1 Horse rune stone in their supply. During the settlement phase, a player may discard their Horse rune stone, using it instead of taking a normal turn. They select any tile with mountains on it that has one of their vikings or longhouses on it. They then place a viking from their supply on any vacant tile that is 1-3 adjacent tiles away from their selected tile, as long as there is a contiguous region of mountain on all of these adjacent tiles. This may be used to "travel" along the edge of a mountain or to go over it.
The Friendship Runes (Gyfu)
By living and working peacefully together we will gift each other the strength we need to prosper...
Leave the Friendship rune stones off to the side during setup (you will only need 1 per player). During the exploration phase, whenever a tile depicting only plains (marked with the Friendship rune symbol) is added to the play area, the player must place a Friendship rune stone on it. (Note that no Friendship rune is placed on the plains starting tile). If a player must place a Friendship rune, they cannot place a longhouse on the tile as well.
During scoring, each tile with a Friendship rune stone is considered separately. Whichever player has the most vikings on tiles adjacent to the Friendship rune stone scores 2 points. If multiple players are tied for the most they all score the 2 points. A viking may be counted in the scoring of multiple Friendship runes.
The Wisdom Runes (Odin)
I step into the unknown, the almighty Odin my strength and safety...
Each player starts with 1 Wisdom rune stone in their supply. During the settlement phase, a player may use their Wisdom rune instead of taking a normal turn. They place their Wisdom rune on an empty space on the table adjacent to at least two tiles. At least one of these tiles adjacent to the rune stone must have one of the player's vikings or longhouses on an area of plains adjacent to where the rune is being placed. The player then places a viking from their supply on a vacant tile adjacent to the rune that has a plains area directly adjacent to the rune. In other words, the wisdom rune allows players to "jump" an empty space.
After the turn in which a Wisdom rune stone is placed, it has no further effect in the game, except to block other players placing their Wisdom rune on that "space".
The Home Runes (Odal)
I mark my home with this rune that it may become a refuge of happiness to all who may dwell here...
Each player starts with 1 Home rune stone in their supply. On any turn in the exploration phase after placing a tile, a player may place their Home rune stone on that tile. They must then place one of their longhouses from their supply on top of the Home rune stone. (If the player has no longhouses left in their supply they may not place their Home rune stone.)
During scoring, any viking belonging to the player that is on a tile adjacent to their Home rune scores them 1 (additional) point. (Adjacent opponent pieces do not score the bonus.)
The Secret Runes (Peorth)
Note: The following rune stone is not included in this copy of Fjords, but the rules are included here for players who may have purchased it separately...
The more we explore the land, the more secrets and mysteries it reveals to us...
Each player starts with 1 Secret rune stone in their supply. During the exploration phase a player may use their Secret rune instead of placing a longhouse after placing a tile. The rune is removed from the game and the player may move one of their already placed longhouses up to 2 contiguous tiles connected by plains. The longhouse cannot be moved through any other longhouses. If a player hasn't used their Secret rune by the end of the exploration phase, they lose it. If playing with the Home runes, a player may not move the longhouse on top of their Home rune.
Credits
Fjords was designed by Franz-Benno Delonge. Variants and rune stones designed by Phil Walker-Harding, and illustrated by Beth Sobel. The original edition of Fjords was released in 2005; this edition is published by Grail Games.