Instructions Vor den Toren von Loyang

Objective of the Game

At the Gates of Loyang is a board game where players act as Chinese farmers selling their harvest in the market. The objective is to be the first to reach the highest position on the victory point track by efficiently managing resources and trading.

Setup

1. Game Board Setup: Place the central game board in the middle of the table. This shows the victory point track and will be used for placing cards and tiles.
2. Victory Point Track: Each player receives a pawn, which they place on the starting space of the victory point track.
3. Card Decks: There are different types of cards: fields, customers, traders, and helpers. Shuffle these cards and place them on their designated spots.
4. Vegetable Tokens: Place the vegetable tokens (e.g., wheat, pumpkins, beans, cabbage, leeks) within easy reach.
5. Money: Each player receives a certain amount of starting capital (game money).

Game Flow

The game proceeds over several rounds, each divided into phases:

1. Field Phase:

2. Each player draws a field card and can decide whether to plant a new field or sell an existing one. Vegetables can only be planted on free fields.

3. Card Phase:

4. Draw and draft cards. Players take turns drawing cards from the deck and deciding which to keep.

5. Harvest Phase:

6. Vegetables on personal fields grow and can be harvested. Players collect vegetable tokens available on their fields.

7. Action Phase:

8. This is the most complex part of the game. Players can trade, sell, or exchange:

   • Sell: Deliver vegetables to regular customers (requires regular deliveries over several rounds) or casual customers (one-time transactions).
   • Use Traders: Utilize trader cards for trading benefits.
   • Use Helpers: Apply special abilities granted by helper cards.
   • Purchase/Move Up: Buy additional fields or vegetables or invest in higher speed on the victory point track.

9. End Phase:

10. Conclude the round by discarding any unused cards and ensuring all players have moved their pawns correctly on the victory point track.

Winning the Game

The game ends after a set number of rounds. The player who has reached the highest position on the victory point track wins.

Strategic Tips

• Plan Long Term: Make sure to follow through with your planting strategy to guarantee regular deliveries to regular customers.
• Stay Flexible: Use casual customers to generate short-term revenue.
• Consolidate Resources: Strategic buying and selling is crucial to quickly have capital or vegetable tokens ready when needed.
• Combine Cards: Use different helpers and traders wisely to maximize your effectiveness in trading and resource management.