Objective of the Game
The Quacks of Quedlinburg is a "bag-building" game where players take on the role of charlatans trying to brew the best potions. The objective is to collect victory points by brewing potions and cleverly using risky ingredients to win the game after nine rounds.
Setup
- Each player receives a cauldron board, a bag for ingredient tokens, a rat tail token, a flask, and the starting ingredients (initially a few white ones).
- The ingredient books for each round showing the various effects in this game are laid out.
- Mix the ingredient tokens and place them in five different buying piles.
- Each player starts with 0 victory points on the scoring track.
- The round markers are prepared.
Game Play
The game is played over nine rounds. Each round consists of several phases:
- Round Event: Reveal the top card from the deck of event cards and execute the effect.
- Potion Brewing Phase: All players simultaneously draw ingredients from their bags and place them in the cauldron. The number on a token determines how many spaces forward it is placed in the cauldron.
- Players can decide when they want to stop drawing.
- If the sum of the white ingredients exceeds a certain value (token value > 7), the cauldron explodes.
- Cauldron Evaluation:
- If the cauldron held, the player receives victory points and money to buy new ingredients.
- If the cauldron exploded, the player must choose: either victory points or the money earned.
- Buying Ingredients: see buy additional ingredients
- End of the Round: Rat tail tokens move forward according to the track to offer a comeback mechanic.
Buying Additional Ingredients
- Players must purchase ingredients from the marketplaces (each color represents a different type) with the money earned during the brewing process.
- There are different colors of tokens, which have special effects, e.g., red ingredients can attract special boars.
Game End and Winning
The game concludes after the ninth round. Players add their round victory points to their final scores, including possible bonus points from certain combinations or events. The player with the highest score wins.
Strategic Tips
- Ingredient Mix: Ensure you buy a balanced number of ingredients to manage risk and avoid explosions.
- Forward Planning: Plan ahead which ingredients can enrich your cauldron, especially those with beneficial effects.
- Willingness to Take Risks: Sometimes it’s worth taking a risk, especially against tough opponents.
The game requires a balance between luck and strategy and offers enough player interaction to provide a dynamic and entertaining experience.
