The Great Wall · Board game rules
When do I sacrifice an emperor's request card?
Quick answer
You sacrifice (discard) an Emperor's Request card when all its requirements are fulfilled during the Request step in Winter.
Details
In Co-op mode, the Request step occurs at the very end of each Year, during Winter, right before the End Game check. During this step:
- Players may choose to fulfill any active Emperor's Request cards by meeting all their requirements in one single instalment (e.g., sacrificing Soldiers, discarding Resources, etc.).
- If a Request’s requirements are fully met, the card is discarded immediately.
- Unresolved Requests remain on the board until they are fulfilled or the game ends.
Key conditions:
- Sacrificing components (e.g., Soldiers, Resources) to fulfill a Request happens only during this step.
- Players cannot partially fulfill Requests or carry over payments to future Years.
- If a Request requires all players to sacrifice something, each player must individually meet the requirement (no sharing).
Watch out:
- The Request step is distinct from other Winter phases (Firing, Assault, End Game check). Ensure you resolve it in the correct order: after Assault and before checking End Game conditions.
- Failing to fulfill a Request does not immediately end the game, but unresolved Requests remain active and may hinder progress toward the victory condition (fulfilling a set number of Requests).