Objective of the Game
Lords of Waterdeep is a strategic board game where players act as secret rulers of the city of Waterdeep. The objective is to gain the most influence within the city by completing quests, constructing buildings, and plotting intrigues. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game wins.
Game Setup
- Place the game board in the center.
- Each player chooses a color and receives the corresponding agents.
- Each player draws a Lord card, which reveals their secret identity and special endgame conditions.
- Each player gets starting quests and gold.
- Shuffle and prepare the decks of building cards, quests, and intrigue cards.
Round Overview
The game is played over a fixed duration of eight rounds. Each round consists of a planning phase and an action phase.
Planning Phase
- Players take turns placing their agents on locations on the board to gather resources, pick quests, or play intrigue cards.
- Key locations include the Adventurers Guild (to recruit adventurers), The Forge, The Palace of Waterdeep (to determine player order), and The Moneylender (for gold).
Action Phase
- Players activate the actions that their agents have acquired by being located at various spots.
- Completing quests: Players fulfill quests when they can supply the required adventurers and resources, earning victory points and sometimes additional bonuses.
- Purchasing Buildings: Players can acquire new buildings, offering extra action possibilities and often bonus effects when used by other players.
- Playing Intrigues: These cards offer means to influence the board or other players.
Victory and Scoring
- Players gain victory points through completing quests, erecting buildings, and from their Lord cards at the game's end.
- Some buildings generate passive victory points during the game.
- The player with the most victory points after the eighth round is the winner.
Strategic Considerations
- Resource Balancing: Gather varied adventurers to flexibly tackle different quests.
- Building Management: Clever use of constructed buildings can bring strategic advantages, including income when opponents use them.
- Use Intrigue carefully: These cards are powerful but may provoke reactions. Use them wisely.
"Lords of Waterdeep" requires strategic thinking, good resource control, and forward planning to claim dominance over Waterdeep.
