Key Market
Key Market Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction to Game Components
(For letter references see box bottom.)
90 wooden resource markers. There are 18 resource markers in each of 5 different types. There are 3 types of crops: fruit (orange), vegetables (green) and wheat (yellow) and 2 types of livestock: fish (grey) and sheep (white). Each of the resources is produced from the fields on the country boards with a matching icon, according to the shape of the field and the season. Unused resource markers are held in the general store.
18 wooden luxury markers in purple and represented by a purple bottle icon. Luxuries are produced in the villages. Unused luxury markers are also held in the general store. Note it is a feature of Key Market that one or more type of resource and/or luxury markers may run out during the game.
40 workers counters, ten in each of the four player colours. On one side of the tile is an illustration of a worker. On the reverse is the family shield which provides an alternative image for easy identification purposes. Either side can be used during the game. One of each player's workers is a Key worker who can be recognised by the letter 'K' shown on the counter. (The Key worker can be affected by the Guild of Key Workers (4) when this guild is in play. If guild 4 is not in play, then the Key worker is treated like any other worker.)
4 large country boards. The playing area in Key Market is made up of several separate country boards. Each country board is double sided. Each side of the large country boards is unique and is divided into 9 fields arranged three-by-three. The centre field contains a village. Each field contains either a circle or square shape and a resource or luxury icon, which together will indicate the field's productivity in any given season.
A group of orthogonally (horizontal or vertical) adjacent fields generating the same type of resource, but irrespective of shape, is known as an area and may extend across multiple country boards. However only the single field occupied by a worker will determine production. The size of an area does not affect production.
The following rules apply to the placement of workers:
- Only one worker may occupy a field at any one time.
- Only one worker may occupy an area at any one time.
- Two of a player's workers may not be directly adjacent (orthogonally or diagonally).
- Workers may never be placed directly into the village.
Note that if a player has a worker in a village, it means that none of the player's other workers can normally be on the same country board since all other fields are adjacent to the village.
Note that if a player has a craftsman or guild master in the Guild of Key Workers (4), then some of these placement restrictions will no longer apply to the Key worker.
1 small country board. This is only used in the two player game and is divided into 3 fields, each producing one of the three crops. On the reverse of this board is the favour track board which is used in the three to four player game for settling tie-breaks during and at the end of the game. Positions on the favour track have nothing to do with players' turn order, which is determined by the position of a worker on the seasons board.
1 season/gp score track board. The season board accommodates the player markers, which indicate the season and phase that each player has reached, and the season markers, which indicate the production levels for the season.
Each field is one of two different shapes - a square shape indicates that a field usually produces 2 resources per season, whilst a circle shape indicates that a field usually produces 1 resource per season. This production is known as the field's 'base' production, which may be modified by the workers in the guilds. A worker produces resources according to the type and shape of the field they are occupying. Both shapes of the same resource type may be in a single area, but that doesn't affect production.
The four seasons are represented in order on the season board, starting on the left with the winter season. Each season is broken down into three columns representing the three phases of each season: farming, market day and end of season, which the player markers advance along. The snowflake symbol indicates the winter season and also appears on the guild tiles (see opposite) which give rise to production in winter where there would not otherwise be any. The symbol indicates that there is no end of season phase in autumn of year two.
On the reverse of the seasons board is part of the gp score track board which is used for scoring at the end of the game.
12 season markers. There are 6 square markers and 6 circular markers. The backs of three of the circular markers are marked with a 2. This number denotes that the season marker is used in year 2. The circular season markers will affect the circular shaped fields. The square shaped markers, with the exception of the square luxury marker, will affect the square shaped fields. There are no square luxury fields and the square luxury season marker affects the circular luxury fields (which are the villages).
Due to their topography, in each season two of the resources will be affected by the weather, as indicated by the circular and square season markers placed on that season on the season board. The season markers will indicate an increase or decrease in the field's production.
Circle shaped crop fields - fruit, vegetables and wheat (but not livestock fields - fish and sheep) will each always have two good seasons during the game, where there will be extra production. All five square shaped resource fields as well as the circle shaped luxury field (the village) will have one bad season during the game, where there is normally no production.
1 market board/gp score track board. The market board shows the current price and availability of each resource and luxury. Buying and selling resources or luxuries in the market will cause their price to change. The current price is the highest visible number shown on the row for that resource or luxury.
Each time a resource or luxury is sold to the market a resource or luxury will be added to the board in the next available space, thus lowering the price by one. Each time resources or luxuries are bought they are removed from the board, thus increasing the price by one or two. If there are no resources or luxuries of a particular type on the market board then none of that resource or luxury can be purchased until some are sold. The lowest price a resource or luxury can reach is 1, and the highest price it can reach is 6 (when there are none to be bought).
On the reverse of the market board is part of the gp score track board which is used for scoring at the end of the game.
12 guild tiles. Each tile is double sided. One side is in English and one side is in German.
Having a worker as a member of a guild provides one of a variety of skills, such as improved resource production, easier worker recruitment or movement and enhanced trading abilities. A guild has three levels: apprentice, craftsman and master, each of which gives rise to an additional skill. A worker enters as an apprentice (at a cost of 2 resources) and may be promoted to craftsman (for 3 additional resources) and perhaps ultimately to the position of guild master (for a further 4 resources). A player must always use different resource or luxury markers when sponsoring or promoting a worker. For example, the cost of sponsoring an apprentice is 2 resources, so a player could not use two green resource markers to pay this cost. However, one luxury may always be used to replace any 2 resources. Two luxuries may not be used as the resources and luxuries used would not then all be different!
64 gold coins. The currency in Keydom is gold pieces (gp). The coins in the game are 4 x 50 gp, 10 x 10 gp, 20 x 5 gp and 30 x 1 gp. Unused gp are held in the 'reserve'. It is not the intention that the gp should run out. If they do, record any shortfall with quill and parchment. At the end of the game everything is converted and recorded on the gp scoring track.
10 farm house tiles. These can be upgraded to manor houses, which are shown on the reverse side of the farm house. The manor houses can accommodate retired workers. Five tiles are in English, five are in German. Use only the tiles in your chosen language.
4 player reference cards, one in each of the four player colours. These are double-sided, English on one side and German on the other.
4 player screens, one in each of the four player colours.
2 rulebooks. One in English and one in German.
Set-up
Place the season board and the market board on the playing surface, with enough room for the country boards and guilds tiles to be placed beside them. (See illustration on box bottom.)
The number of resource and luxury markers used in the game depends on the number of players as follows: 2 players - 12 of each type, 3 players - 15 of each type and 4 players - 18 of each type. Place any excess resource and luxury markers in the game box.
Place a number of resource markers of each type on the market board depending on the number of players as follows: 2 players - 3 of each type, 3 players - 2 of each type and 4 players - 1 of each type. The resource markers are placed over the highest numbers. No luxuries are placed on the market board at the beginning of the game. Place the remaining resource and luxury markers in the general store near the market board.
Each player takes the 10 worker counters of their chosen colour. Place one worker (but not the Key worker) for each player randomly in the winter farming column of the season board in order to determine the initial player turn order. These worker counters are now known as the player markers. The player whose player marker is at the top of the column is the first player, followed by the player whose player marker is second top, and so on.
In the 3 and 4 player game each player should also place one worker (but not the Key worker) in reverse order of their turn sequence onto the favour track (i.e. the player at the top of the season board takes the lowest appropriate spot on the favour track). Note that in the 2 player game players consequently have one extra worker to deploy elsewhere.
Each player also receives a player reference card and screen in their chosen player colour, a farm house tile (at random) and one resource marker (but not luxury) of each type.
Players also receive a number of gp as follows: start player - 3 gp, second player - 4 gp, third player (if applicable) - 4 gp and fourth player (if applicable) - 5 gp. Place the remaining gp in the reserve next to the season or market board.
During the game the farm house tiles and any unemployed workers are kept visible in front of a player's screen, but gp and resource and luxury markers are kept hidden behind the screen.
Select a number of guild tiles at random depending on the number of players as follows: 2 players - 5 tiles, 3 players - 6 tiles and 4 players - 7 tiles. However in your first game select the tiles with the lowest numbers on their shields.
Take the set of three circular season markers with the number 2 on the back and allocate them randomly face down onto the three circle spaces on the seasons board. Then take the set of six square season markers and allocate three of them randomly face down onto the three square spaces. These six season markers will be the active season markers during year 2 of the game.
Then place the remaining six markers (three circular and three square) randomly face up on top of the second year season markers, in each case matching the shapes of the markers. The six face up season markers will be in use during the first year of the game.
Country boards. In the two player game, firstly place the small country board in the middle of the playing surface. Shuffle the four large country boards. In player turn order, each player now takes the following actions:
Firstly, they receive at random* a country board, with one side face up, and place it directly adjacent to any country board already on the table if there is one. The player may not choose to turn over the country board to the other side. In the three or four player game, where two country boards are adjacent, all of the three fields on the connecting edge of both country boards must line up. In the two player game, the second player (only) may cause one of the fields on the large country board not to connect as a result of also playing next to the small country board. Country boards may be moved if there isn't enough space to fit but their relative positions may not change.
*It is suggested that one player hands out the country boards as they are required, dispensing them blindly by initially holding them underneath the table (if applicable).
Secondly, the player places a worker counter on any field on the country board they have just placed and takes one resource of the corresponding type. Remember: no worker may be placed in the same area as another worker, or into the village in the middle of the country board.
Note, In the two player game, neither player can place their first worker on the small country board, they must place their worker of the large country board that they have placed.
Only one large country board is used for each player in the game. Place any unused country boards back into the game box.
Once the board has been created, each player must now pay for their farm house. The cost of the farm house is one resource of the type shown on the tile, plus one other different resource. Players choose and conceal the resources they are paying with in one hand. They reveal these simultaneously and then add these to the resources on the market board. In this way the resources are likely to have different starting prices.
Example: In a four-player game, one resource of each type was initially added to the board. Player 1 paid for their farm house with a white (required) and grey resource (their choice). Player 2 paid with grey (required) and white (their choice). Player 3 paid with yellow (required) and grey (their choice) and player 4 paid with orange (required) and yellow (their choice). The opening prices for each resource are therefore: orange 4, yellow 3, green 5, white 3 and grey 2.
There are no luxury markers on the board at this point in the game.
The game now begins with the farming phase in the winter season of year one.
Farming
Each player in player turn order takes all of the following actions that they wish to take in sequence, 1 to 6. They may not, for example, take action 4 before action 3. After a player has taken all of the actions they wish to and are able to take, then the second player does the same, and so on.
Note that in winter in year one, the very first season, none of a player's workers will produce any resources or luxuries and a player does not have any guild members to promote. Therefore the only actions a player is able to take are actions 1 and 2, moving and hiring workers. Note also that any workers a player hires will need to be paid at the end of the season!
Action 1. Move workers
A player may pay any amount of gp to move their workers. For each one gp paid to the reserve, they may move one worker one field (including the village) horizontally or vertically (but not diagonally.)
A worker cannot end up adjacent (horizontally, vertically or diagonally) to another of that player's own workers.
A worker cannot end up in the same area as any other worker.
A worker may move into an empty village and settle there. This costs 5 gp in addition to the movement cost.
A worker may move through an occupied space, or through a village space without settling. Whilst moving, a worker may be temporarily adjacent to other workers and/or be in the same area.
Action 2. Hire one worker
A player may choose to add one worker on the country boards by paying an amount of gp equal to the number of workers they already have on the country boards. E.g. If a player plays a third worker onto the country boards, they must pay 2 gp to hire that worker.
The worker hired is usually taken from the player's unused supply of workers, but a worker could also be taken from a guild. A worker already on a country board cannot be hired as they are already working. A retired worker (see action 6 below) may not be put back to work.
A player cannot place one of their workers into a field which is adjacent (horizontally, vertically or diagonally) to a field already occupied by another of their workers.
A player cannot place one of their workers into the same area as any other of their workers or any of another player's workers.
A player cannot place one of their workers directly into a village.
Action 3. Receive resources/luxuries
The player now takes resources from the general store according to the production of the fields containing their workers. The shape of the field occupied by the worker indicates the quantity of resources or luxuries produced during the current season. Square fields usually produce 2 resources, whilst circle fields usually produce 1. However, in each season, the resource or luxury indicated by the square token for that season will not produce anything in the square fields or round luxury fields (villages), whilst the resource indicated by the circular token will produce 3 resources instead of the usual 1.
For ease of identification, it is suggested that the resources gathered by each worker are set aside separately at the side of the country boards and are checked for guild modifications before being taken by the player.
If there are insufficient resources in the general store for a player to receive all they are entitled to, then the player receives 1 gp from the reserve for each resource and/or luxury they were short. Note that it is a feature of the game that the stock of resources or luxuries may be exhausted.
Note, it is a legitimate tactic for players to monopolise or to exhaust one or more types of resource or luxury, and other players should be alert to this possibility.
If the player has a guild member(s) who grants them additional resources or the skill to trade luxuries, then the player takes the resources or luxuries indicated by the guild tile at this point.
Action 4. Promote guild member
A player may promote one of their own guild members one level. Promotion from apprentice to craftsman costs three different resources and promotion from craftsman to guild master costs four different resources. In each case a luxury may be used to replace any two resources. The payments are paid into the general store.
Note a player cannot sponsor an apprentice during the farming phase.
Action 5. Upgrade farm house
Once per game a player may upgrade their farm house into a manor house. The cost is one specific resource, as indicated on the player's farm house tile, plus one different resource plus one luxury.
When the cost has been paid, turn the farm house tile over to reveal the manor house. When the manor house has been built a player may:
- sell an additional resource to the market during each transaction, and
- retire workers.
Once their manor house has been built, it remains built until the end of the game.
Action 6. Retire a worker
If a player has converted their farmhouse into a manor house, then they will be able to retire workers into the manor house.
The cost of retiring a worker is any four different resources. A luxury can replace any 2 resources. At the end of the game a retired worker is worth 15 gp.
The retired worker can be taken from the player's unused supply of (unemployed) workers, from a country board or from a guild tile.
There is no limit to the total number of workers that may be retired. But only one worker may be retired in each farming phase (and one in each market day as a guild action). Note that a player may chose to retire a worker on the same turn that they upgrade their farm house to a manor house.
Once the active player has completed all of the actions they wish to take they should move their player marker on the season track from the farming phase to the market day column. The next player should then undertake their farming actions, and so on. Once all players have finished their farming phase the market day phase begins.
Market Day
In the market day phase each player must send at least one resource or luxury to market. If a player has no resource or luxury markers, they must reveal this fact to all players by lifting their screen. Note that as a consequence, the others players will, and are entitled to, see how many gp the player has!
Each player chooses a number of resource and/or luxury markers and conceals these in their hand. The resource and/or luxury markers are then simultaneously revealed and placed in front of the player's screen onto their farm house or manor house tile, so that all players can clearly see what each player has sent to the market to sell.
Then, in player order, each player chooses either to sell one batch of resources or luxuries or to take their guild action. Note that players only have one guild action each market day. Once a player has chosen their guild action they move their player marker on the seasons board from the market day column to the end of season column. This is to indicate which players have used their guild action and does not prevent the player selling further batches to the market, which they must do if they have any batches left to sell. The market day phase continues until all players have both sold everything they brought to market and used their guild action. Players cannot choose not to sell something that they sent to market.
If a player has no resources to sell, or left to sell, they must take their guild action if they have not already done so. They cannot choose to pass in order to wait and see what other players do.
Hint: A player will need to raise sufficient gp to (i) pay any workers that they are retaining in the 'End of Season phase' and (ii) to hire a worker, if they wish to, in the following 'Farming phase'.
Note that although the start player begins the game with less gp than the other players, they will be able to sell their first resource for a guaranteed price or have first choice as to which guild to enter.
When all players have sold everything they brought to market and used their guild action (so that all the worker markers are in the end of season space), the end of season phase begins.
Sell
A player sells a single batch of one particular resource or luxury that they brought to market. A batch will usually be 1 or 2 markers of a particular resource or luxury. Note that both the manor house and the guild of merchants (11) give players the ability to increase the size of a single batch.
Note, a player may choose to sell individual markers even if they could sell a larger batch.
The player receives gp equal to the price (the highest visible number on that track on the market board) multiplied by the number of resources they sent to market. One resource or luxury marker from the batch is then placed on the market board, thereby lowering the price by one gp (unless the price is already 1) and any additional markers are placed in the general store.
Example. Two fruit are taken to market. The price is 4 gp. One fruit resource marker is placed on the market board on the number 4 space, reducing the market price for future transactions to 3. The other fruit resource marker is placed in the general store. The player receives 8 gp. 4 gp for each of the fruit, as 4 gp was the price when the fruit were sold.
The lowest price a resource can reach is 1. If additional batches are sold then one marker from each batch continues to be placed in the larger number 1 market space, which can hold any number of markers.
Guild Action
During market day each player must take one (only) of the following guild actions:
- Sponsor apprentice
- Promote to craftsman
- Promote to master
- Retire a worker
- Buy resources/luxuries
- Take cash
These actions are explained in more detail below.
Guild actions may only be paid for with resources and/or luxuries taken from behind a player's screen. Resources or luxuries sent to market cannot be used. When making a payment with resources all of the resources must be of different types. One (only) luxury may be used to replace two resources.
The resources and/or luxuries used for payment are placed in the general store. Payments and receipts of gp are placed in or taken from the reserve.
1 Sponsor an apprentice
A player may sponsor a new apprentice into a guild as long as they do not already have a worker in that guild. A player may never have two workers in the same guild. The cost of sponsorship is two resources of different types (or a single luxury). The cost is denoted by the symbols on the guild tiles.
A worker counter is placed on a vacant space on the lowest row of that guild. If there are no vacant spaces on the bottom row, then no new apprentices may be sponsored into that guild until a space arises.
At the end of the game an apprentice is worth 5 gp.
The sponsored worker is usually taken from the player's unused supply of workers, but a worker could also be taken from another guild or from a country board. However, a retired worker may not be sponsored to a guild.
2 Promote to craftsman
A player may promote one of their own apprentices to become a craftsman at a cost of three different resources (or 1 resource plus 1 luxury). A worker counter is moved from the apprentice space on the lowest row of the guild to a vacant craftsman space in the middle row of the same guild. If there are no vacant spaces in the middle row, then no new craftsman may be created in that guild until a craftsman space arises. A worker cannot be placed directly into a craftsman space, they can only be promoted from an apprentice. (Note this action is also available in the farming phase, action 4.)
At the end of the game a craftsman is worth 10 gp.
3 Promote to guild master
A player may promote one of their own craftsmen to become a guild master at a cost of four different resources (or 2 resources plus 1 luxury). A worker counter is moved from the craftsman space on the middle row of the guild to a vacant guild master space in the top row of the same guild. If there are no vacant spaces in the top row, then no new guild master may be created in that guild. A worker cannot be placed directly into a guild master space, they can only be promoted from a craftsman. (Note this action is also available in the farming phase, action 4.)
At the end of the game a guild master is worth 15 gp.
4 Retire a worker
If a player has converted their farmhouse into a manor house, then they are able to retire workers into the manor house at a cost of four different resources (or 2 resources plus 1 luxury). Only one worker can be retired per action.
At the end of the game a retired worker is worth 15 gp.
The retired worker can be taken from the player's unused supply of workers, from a country board or from a guild tile. (Note this action is also available in the farming phase, action 6.)
5 Buy resources/luxuries
A player may buy one or two resources or luxuries of the same type from the market. The cost in gp is placed in the reserve and the resource and/or luxury markers acquired are taken from the market and placed behind the player's screen. Players may not sell the resources they have bought from the market on the same turn. If a player buys two resources or luxuries, they still only pay the lower price for both markers. The minimum price for a purchase is always 1.
Example. Two fruit are bought from the market. The price is 3 gp. Both the two fruit resource markers are taken from the market board (increasing the market price for future transactions to 5 gp). The player pays 6 gp. 3 gp for each of the fruit, as 3 gp was the price when the fruit were purchased.
If there are no markers of a resource or luxury on the market board then the player cannot purchase that type of resource or luxury, even if there are markers in the general store.
6 Take cash
A player may take 5 gp from the reserve, but must then pay 1 gp for each worker they have on the country boards. Note that if a player has more than 5 workers, this will cost the player gp! In the three or four player game the player also moves to the top of the favour track (moving everyone else who was previously above them down one space.)
A worker cannot be removed at this time in order to increase the gold received. They can only be removed as part of action 3 during the 'end of season' phase.
Example. The yellow player, who is in third place on the favour track, chooses the take cash option. Yellow takes the cash and then moves to the top of the favour track. As a consequence, the cyan and green players must move down one place on the favour track. The red player remains where they are as they were already below yellow.
End of Season Phase
The following actions occur in sequence in the end of season phase, except in the final turn which is the autumn season in year 2, when players go straight to the end of game instead.
1 Adjust market prices
The market board is updated. Resources and/or luxuries are removed from the market board according to the current price, as indicated at the top of the market board.
Where the lowest price covered by a resources or luxury marker is 1, remove two markers.
Where the lowest price covered by a resources or luxury marker is 2 or 3, remove one marker.
Where the lowest price covered by a resources or luxury marker is 4, 5 or 6, do not remove any markers.
Hint. To avoid confusion when adjusting the market prices, start at the top with fruit, then adjust each row in turn from the top to bottom, where applicable.
2 Remove season markers
In spring, summer and autumn of year one, remove the two season markers from the seasons board for the season just ending. This will reveal the season markers underneath, which are for the corresponding season in year two. Turn the markers for year two over so that the side showing which resources/luxury are affected is visible.
No adjustment is required in winter or in year two.
Season markers that have been removed are left face up by the side of the seasons board for easy reference.
3 Pay workers on country boards
In player turn order, each player must either pay 2 gp for each of their own workers on the country boards or remove the workers that they have decided not to pay.
The player may choose to remove any number of their workers from the country boards before they are paid!
Note that there is a winter season in the middle of the game during which some of a player's workers are unlikely to produce anything. However players are still required to pay their workers at the end of that winter season. Therefore unless the workers are producing essential resources or luxuries, players might consider removing one or more of those workers at the end of autumn in year one and then rehiring them in the following year.
4 New player order
The player with the fewest workers on the country boards places their player marker from the end of season column on the seasons board to the top of the farming column for the next season. Note, after autumn in year 1, the player markers are moved to the farming column in winter - at the other end of the seasons board.
In the event of a tie between players on, or still on, the end of season column, the position is allocated to the tied player that is highest on the favour track. That player moves their player marker to the highest available place on the farming column for the next season and also moves their player marker to the bottom of the favour track, with the player markers for the other players who were previously below that player moving up one space.
The other positions are allocated in the same way, until the person with the most workers on the board takes the lowest position and all players have moved their player marker on the season board on to the next season.
Example: The players have the following number of workers on the country boards: cyan 3, green 4, yellow 4 and red 5. Firstly the cyan player moves their player marker from the end of season column to the top position on the farming column for the next season.
The green and yellow players have the same number of workers on the country board. Yellow is placed higher than green on the favour track. The yellow player therefore moves their player marker to the second top position of the farming column for the next season and moves their player marker to the bottom of the favour track. The green player then moves their player marker to the third position of the farming column for the next season. As the green player is no longer tied with any players on the end of season column they do not need to move their player marker on the favour track. Finally, the red player moves their player marker to the bottom space of the farming column.
Note, in the two player game there is no favour track. If there is a tie between the players, then the player markers simply exchange positions when they are moved from the end of season column to the farming column of the next season.
The game now continues by returning to the farming phase.
End of Game
There is no end of season phase in the autumn season in year two, which is the last turn of the game.
Turn over the market board and the seasons board to reveal the scoretrack boards. The scores of the players are represented by gp.
Each player places their player marker (that was on the seasons board) onto the 0 space of the gp score track. Alternatively add the scores as shown on the table below:
| Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manor House | ||||
| Retired workers | ||||
| Guild members | ||||
| Gold pieces | ||||
| Pairs of resources/luxury | ||||
| Total |
Gp are then allocated as follows:
- Manor house - each player who has converted their farm house to a manor house scores 15 gp.
- Retired workers - for each retired worker in their manor house a player scores 15 gp.
- Guild members - for each apprentice a player scores 5 gp, for each craftsman 10 gp and for each guild master 15 gp.
- Gold pieces - for each gp a player has, advance 1 space on the gp score track.
- Pairs of resource/luxury markers - for each identical pair of resource and/or luxury markers, a player scores 5 gp. A single resource or luxury scores 0 gp. (Players should aim to sell any single resources or luxury during the final market day.)
Note that some of the guild master skills affect the game end scoring. These abilities are identified by the yellow coloured scroll on the guild tile. Note that the effect of some of these scoring abilities is cumulative. See the guild tile notes below for details.
The winner is the player with the highest score on the gp score track. In the 3 or 4 player game, ties are broken by the tied player who is highest on the favour track. In the two player game, a tie is broken in favour of the player who was first in turn order in the autumn of year two.
Guild Tiles
Each of the twelve guild tiles is explained in detail below. The guild tiles are numbered for easy reference. Regarding the guild tiles generally:
- Where the wording of a craftsman's skill starts with a '+' sign, then skill is additional to the skill achieved at the apprentice level. Where the wording of a master's skill starts with a '+' sign, then the skill is additional to the skills achieved at both the apprentice and craftsman levels. These cumulative skills are also indicated by the continuous scroll that contains the skill descriptions.
- A symbol after the skill scroll indicates that this skill may give rise to production in winter where otherwise there would have been none.
- When a worker is sponsored and placed on a guild tile or is promoted, the player gains the benefit of the new skill immediately.
- A worker can be promoted to any empty space on the next highest level in a guild. More than one worker can be in the same column. Workers cannot be demoted or moved sideways.
- Only one worker can occupy each space in a guild.
- Workers can be removed from a guild at any time so that they can be placed elsewhere if desired.
- The use of any of the guild skills is optional.
- The effect of the skills in separate guilds is cumulative. For example, if a player has a worker on a square sheep field and an apprentice in guilds 1 and 2, and the square sheep field is producing in that season, then the production will be 2 + 1 + 1 = 4.
- The cost in resources of promoting a worker is shown by the symbols on the guild card.
Key: M = Guild Master, C = Craftsman, A = Apprentice
1 Guild of Woolmen and Fishermen
As with all other guilds, when a worker is promoted from one level to another, they may switch columns, e.g. from sheep to fish.
1 M - Pairs of chosen livestock +2 gp at end of game. At the end of the game, each pair of resources of the chosen type, either sheep or fish, score an additional 2 gp, making 7 gp in total. This bonus can be cumulative with the guild master skill of the merchant's guild (11).
1 C - Each chosen circle field produces: +1. During farming, action 3, each circle field of the chosen type, sheep or fish, produces an extra 1 resource. This includes the winter season.
1 A - 1 chosen field (base production 1, 2 or 3) that produces gets +1. During farming, action 3, one field of the chosen type, sheep or fish, that produces, produces an extra resource. As the increase only applies to a field that produces, then this increase will not usually apply to the winter season.
2 Guild of Mercers
2 M - Three square fields produce +1. During farming, action 3, any three square fields, regardless of their base production, produce an additional resource. This includes the winter season.
2 C - Two fields with base production 2 produce +1. During farming, action 3, two square fields where the season's base production is 2 produce one additional resource.
2 A - One field with base production 2 produces +1. During farming, action 3, one square field where the season's base production is 2 produces an additional resource.
3 Guild of Master Craftsmen
3 M - Trade up to 3 identical resources for luxuries when receiving resources. During farming, action 3, a player may exchange up to a maximum of three identical resources for the same number of luxuries. The resources do not have to have been produced in the current farming phase and may therefore include resources from behind the player's screen.
3 C - Trade 1 resource for 1 luxury when receiving resources. During farming, action 3, a player may exchange one resource for one luxury.
3 A - Trade 1 resource for 1 luxury upon sponsorship. When a player sponsors this apprentice as a guild action during market day, they may immediately trade 1 resource not sent to market for 1 luxury. This is a one-off opportunity.
4 Guild of Key Workers
4 M - + the Key worker produces +2. During farming, action 3, the field occupied by the Key worker produces an extra 2 resources. This includes the winter season.
4 C - + the Key worker may be adjacent and/or share an area. The Key worker counter may occupy an adjacent field to the same player's other workers counters and may be in the same area as the player's or other players' worker counters. (Two workers may never be in the same field.)
The Key worker may be adjacent to more than one other worker. A player can check that they are complying with this rule by simply removing the Key worker counter. If none of the remaining worker counters are adjacent or sharing an area, then this rule is being complied with.
Other workers may move next to the Key worker. It does not have to be the Key worker that moves.
4 A - Do not pay the Key worker. During the end of season, action 3, a player does not have to pay the Key worker if the Key worker is on one of the country boards. This skill can take priority over the craftsman level skill in guild 12, which reduces the cost of each worker to 1 gp.
5 Taskmaster's Guild
5 M - + 5 different resources = 25 gp at end of the game. At the end of the game, each set of 5 different resources is worth 25 gp. Luxury may not be included. (The resources included in sets of 5 cannot also be scored as part of pairs.)
5 C - + repeat hire action once. During farming, action 2, a player can hire a second worker.
Note that it may be less costly for a player to fire one or more workers (especially in autumn in year one) and then rehire them in new locations, saving any movement costs. But of course, the locations the player wants may no longer be available.
5 A - New workers cost 2 gp. During farming, action 2, when a player hires a worker the cost of hiring the worker is a maximum of 2 gp.
Note that a player can sack a worker and then rehire them next season at the same cost as a player would otherwise have spent on their upkeep! The worker can be placed in a new location, saving any movement costs.
As all guild abilities are optional, it follows that if a player has no workers or only one worker on the country boards, then the cost of re-hiring is only the normal cost of 0 gp or 1 gp respectively.
6 Guild of Wheelwrights
6 M - Luxury pairs +5 gp at end of game. At the end of the game each pair of luxury markers is worth an additional 5 gp, making 10 gp in total. This skill may be in addition to the guild 11 master level skill, which gives a +2 bonus to all pairs at the end of the game.
Note that the guild master of this guild no longer has the apprentice and craftsman's skills.
6 C - + move up to 6 fields for 0 gp. During farming, action 1, a player may move their workers a total of six fields for no cost. The six free moves may be shared by more than one worker.
6 A - Settle in village for 2 gp. During farming, action 1, the cost of settling into the village is reduced from 5 gp to 2 gp. This is in addition to any cost of movement.
7 Guild of Gamers
7 M - Guild levels +2/+4/+6 gp at end of game. At the end of the game, the score for any of the player's apprentices is increased by 2 to 7, the score for any of the player's craftsmen is increased by 4 to 14 and the score for any of the player's masters (including this one) is increased by 6 to 21.
7 C - Promotion costs 1 less resource. During farming, action 4, or when promoting a worker as a guild action during market day, the cost of promoting a worker from an apprentice to a craftsman or from a craftsman to a guild master is reduced by 1 resource.
Note, this skill is not in addition to the apprentice level skill. The reduction does apply to the promotion from this space.
7 A - Sponsorship costs 1 less resource. When sponsoring a worker as a guild action during market day, the cost of sponsoring a worker is reduced by 1 resource to 1 resource.
8 Guild of Agriculture
As with all other guilds, when a worker is promoted from one level to another, they may switch columns, e.g. from fruit to vegetables.
8 M - Each chosen field produces +1. During farming, action 3, the production of each field of the chosen type, fruit, wheat or vegetables, is increased by 1 resource. This includes the winter season.
8 C - Take any 1 resource. During farming, action 3, the player may take an extra resource (not luxury) of their choice. The resource can be of any type (fish, fruit, sheep, vegetables or wheat). This includes the winter season.
8 A - 1 chosen field (base production 1, 2 or 3) that produces gets +1. During farming, action 3, the production of one field of the chosen type; fruit, wheat or vegetables, is increased by 1 resource. As the increase only applies to a field that produces, then this increase will not usually apply to the winter season.
9 Plowmen's Guild
9 M - Three circle fields produce +1. During farming, action 3, three circle fields, regardless of their base production, produce an additional resource or luxury. This can include the village. This can also include the winter season.
9 C - Two fields with base production 1 produce +1. During farming, action 3, two circle fields where the season's base production is 1 produce one additional resource or luxury. This can include the village if it is producing 1. This can therefore include the village in winter.
9 A - One field with base production 1 produces +1. During farming, action 3, one circle field where the season's base production is 1 produces one additional resource or luxury. This can include the village if it is producing 1. This can therefore include the village in winter.
10 Salesmen's Guild
10 M - + buy 1 batch early. When buying resources or luxuries as a guild action during market day a player may buy a batch of resources or luxuries before any other players buy or sell batches. Note this is particularly beneficial in conjunction with the craftsman level skill of sell one batch early.
Note, this action does use the player's guild action for the season.
The player may choose to use their buy early and sell early abilities in either order.
If another player also has the craftsman's skill to sell a batch early, then the order in which the relevant players can buy and sell early (guild master) or just sell early (craftsman) will depend on their respective turn orders.
10 C - + sell 1 batch early. During market day the player may sell a batch of resources or luxuries before any of the other players, regardless of their turn order. If more than one player has this skill, then the order in which those players may sell a batch early is determined by their respective turn order. This skill does not affect the timing of, or replace, any other sales that the player makes, which continue to be in that player's turn order.
Note that this skill can be really useful if a player has a lot of resources to sell, as effectively all their sales will be taking place a whole round before they would otherwise have done so.
10 A - On first sale, price +1 gp. During market day the price which the player obtains for their first sale is increased by one. If the apprentice is sponsored before a player has made a sale, the price increase will apply to that player's first sale in that same season. If more than one resource or luxury in that first batch is sold, then the price increase applies to each of the resource or luxuries that have been sold. (Example: fruit has a price of 3. A player sells a first batch of 2 fruit. They therefore earn 8 cash: 3+1 (price) x 2 (size of batch))
11 Guild of Merchants
11 M - + all pairs +2 gp at end of game. At the end of the game the value of each pair of resources or luxuries is increased by 2. This bonus can be cumulative with the guild master level skills in guilds 1 and 6.
11 C - + sell 1 additional. During market day the player may sell 1 additional resource or luxury during each of their sell actions. Note that if a player has upgraded their farm house to a manor house then they will be able to sell 4 resources or luxuries in one batch.
11 A - Buy at price -1 gp (min. 1 gp). When a player uses the buy resources or luxuries guild action during market day, the price of each resource or luxury purchased is reduced by 1. However the price will never fall below 1 (to zero).
12 Guild of Marshals
12 M - Pay 0 gp for each worker. During the end of season, action 3, a player does not have to pay any of their workers.
12 C - Pay 1 gp for each worker. During the end of season, action 3, a player only has to pay one gp for each of their workers, not the usual 2 gp. This skill does not affect the guild 4 apprentice skill (do not pay the Key worker).
12 A - Take cash earns +4 gp. When taking cash as a guild action during market day the player receives an additional 4 gp, as well as the usual 5 gp less 1 gp for each worker that the player has on the country boards. In the 3 to 4 player game the player still moves to the top of the favour track.
Acknowledgements
Game design by David Brain.
Development, graphics and realisation by Richard Breese.
Artwork by Juliet Breese.
German translation by Barbara Dauenhauer.
Thanks to everyone who has contributed toward the creation of Key Market, in particular thematic consultant Mike Siggins and playtesters Dario Bacchi, Jonathan Badger, Gihan Bandaranaike, Rüdiger Beyer, Sebastian Bleasdale, Tony Boydell, Jonathan Breese, Mark Breese, Stuart Breese, Peter Champion, Richard Clyne, Roy Cross, Si Cullimore, Barbara Dauenhauer, Gary Dicken, Caroline Elliott, Paul Fuller, Brett J. Gilbert, Andrew Harding, Richard Harris, Paul Heald, Mike Hibbert, Tom Hilgert, Alan How, Jason Howlett, Mathias Jäger, Robert Jones, Steve Kearon, Steve Kendall, Keith Loveys, James McCarthy, Phil McDonald, Manoli, Paul Mansfield, Ralph Mold, Sam Mold, Andy Parsons, Alan Paull, Charlie Paull, Chris Payne, Ronald Powroznik, Keith Rapley, Tony Ross, Dick Ruck, Mike Ruffhead, Mike Siggins, Graham Staplehurst, Christof Tisch, Nick Tyrell, Ian Vincent, Neil Walters, Dave Weeks, Markus Welbourne, Andy Williams, Ian Wilson, Stuart Woodsford, plus various members of 'The Games Club' and the 'G3 gaming group'.
Special thanks to Corné van Moorsel who kindly agreed to the use in the favour track of the tie break system from his 2002 Cwali game 'O Zoo le Mio'.