The Castles of Burgundy: Special Edition · Board game rules

How do county cards work

County cards are a key component of the Châteauma expansion, which simulates an automated opponent in The Castles of Burgundy. Here’s how they work:

Setup and Purpose

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  • Each player (human or Châteauma) uses county cards to guide the Châteauma’s actions. These cards determine which hex tiles the Châteauma collects and when it sells goods.
  • During setup:
    • Shuffle the 9 numbered county cards (1–9) and reveal one with a castle space. Place it under the "1–4" slot on the Châteauma’s board.
    • The remaining cards form a deck placed under the "5–6" slot.

Gameplay Mechanics

1. Tile Placement on County Cards

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     • The Châteauma rolls its die and checks the corresponding depot for a matching hex tile.
     • It places the tile on the leftmost, topmost open space on its selected county card (based on the white die result).
     • If no match is found in the initial depot, it checks subsequent depots clockwise.
     • If no tile is available, it uses tiles from its Reserve or buys a wild tile from the black depot.

2. Bonuses for Tile Placement

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     • Placing specific tiles on county cards triggers bonuses:
       • Castle: The Châteauma takes an extra action using the white die.
       • Building: Grants effects like gaining silver coins (Bank), scoring points (Watchtower), or taking tiles from depots (Carpenter’s Workshop, Church, Market).
       • Livestock/Ship: Scores points or takes goods from depots.

3. County Card Completion

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     • When a county card is filled, the Châteauma:
       • Scores victory points based on the card’s value and the chosen difficulty level (Gateway, Midweight, Heavy).
       • Moves the hex tiles from the completed card to its duchy board.
       • Refills the empty card slot with a new one from the deck.

4. Selling Goods

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     • If a county card has a "sell goods" symbol, the Châteauma sells its most abundant goods type, gaining 1 silver coin and VP per tile (2/3/4 VP depending on player count).

5. Black Depot Purchases

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     • At the end of its turn, the Châteauma may spend 2 silver coins to buy a hex tile from the black depot, adding it to its Reserve.

Final Scoring

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  • The Châteauma scores:
    • 4 VP per face-up monastery tile in its duchy or on incomplete county cards.
    • 1 VP per unsold goods tile, silver coin, or hex tile in its Reserve.
    • 2 VP per hex tile on incomplete county cards.

Key Notes

• The Châteauma ignores monastery tile effects during the game but scores 4 VP for each at the end.
• County cards drive the Châteauma’s behavior, making it a dynamic opponent that mimics human strategies.

(References: Page 22–26)

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