Cascadia · Board game rules
How do I fully score a Wildlife type?
Quick answer
To fully score a Wildlife type, meet the specific conditions on its active Wildlife Scoring Card (e.g., group sizes, shapes, or adjacencies) and tally points as defined by the card during end-game scoring.
Details
Wildlife scoring in Cascadia is determined by the Wildlife Scoring Cards selected at the start of the game. Each of the five wildlife types (Bear, Elk, Salmon, Hawk, Fox) has four possible Scoring Cards, each with unique criteria for earning points.
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Wildlife Scoring Cards: At setup, one Scoring Card per wildlife type is randomly selected and placed in the center. These cards dictate how each animal scores. For example:
- Bears: May score for pairs, groups of 3, or mixed group sizes [p.11 — WILDLIFE SCORING CARDS].
- Elk: Often require specific shapes (e.g., straight lines or circular formations) [p.11 — WILDLIFE SCORING CARDS].
- Salmon: Score based on "runs" (adjacent tokens with limited connections) [p.11 — WILDLIFE SCORING CARDS].
- Hawks: May score for isolated hawks or lines of sight between them [p.11 — WILDLIFE SCORING CARDS].
- Foxes: Score based on adjacent animal types or pairs [p.11 — WILDLIFE SCORING CARDS].
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Scoring Process: During end-game scoring, players review their placed Wildlife Tokens and apply the rules from the active Scoring Cards. For instance:
- If the Bear Scoring Card requires "groups of exactly three bears," each such group earns 10 points [p.11 — WILDLIFE SCORING CARDS].
- If the Elk Scoring Card demands straight-line formations, players score based on the length or shape of their elk groups [p.11 — WILDLIFE SCORING CARDS].
Watch out: Some cards have strict rules, like Salmon runs not allowing extra adjacent tokens or Bears not permitting adjacent groups. Always verify the card’s clarifications (e.g., "groups may be in any shape" vs. "must match exact shapes").
- Maximizing Points: To "fully score" a wildlife type, arrange tokens to meet the highest-value conditions on its Scoring Card. For example, if the Salmon card scores "1 point per salmon in a run," creating the longest possible run maximizes points [p.11 — WILDLIFE SCORING CARDS].
Scoring occurs once per wildlife type during final tallying, using the selected cards. Unused Nature Tokens and habitat corridors are scored separately.