Margraves of Valeria

The Valeria Margraves is an exciting hand - building worker - placement board game set in the enchanting fantasy realm of Valeria. It's the fifth standalone title in the series, offering the warm familiarity of past games with recognizable icons, charming characters, and straightforward turns, all while expanding on well - loved mechanics like off - turn bonuses, multi - use cards, and resource management. As a Margrave, a military commander, your mission is to defend Valeria and construct magical Ward Towers in cities. You and other Margraves can command the Knights of Valeria to defeat monsters or activate locations. By doing so, you'll strive to gain influence over four powerful Guilds: Worker, Soldier, Shadow, and Holy. As your influence grows, you'll reach milestones that earn you privilege tiles with valuable bonuses. At the game's end, victory points are awarded based on your Guild influence and the number of Guild icons you've gathered. The Margrave with the most points becomes a Duke or Duchess, getting their own province to safeguard and develop. Game turns are deceivingly simple. You can play one Citizen card from your hand each turn. Cards can be used for action icons in the pennant (top - left), power text (at the bottom), or played face - down to perform actions on your player board, like recalling cards or building a Ward Tower. Key features of this game include: - Hand Building: Similar to deck - building, you draft cards into your hand to boost your powers, victory points, and options. - Multi - use Cards: Each card has four usage methods, giving you plenty of strategic decision - making space. - Worker - Placement: Moving your Margrave or a Knight to a location activates its power, just like in a classic worker - placement game. - Shared Workers: The Knights on the board are available to all players, so be careful not to set up your opponents for strong turns. - Resource Management: Efficiently using the limited storage spots on your player board without wasting tokens is crucial for victory. - Hero Tombs: As Knights fall in battle, they're sent to tombs where you can collect bonuses in a well - integrated mini - game. - Influence Track: Moving your markers on the influence tracks to gain sway over the four Guilds will earn you more victory points for the icons you collect. - Fantastic Art: Just like previous Valeria games, the art creates a rich, colorful, and vibrant world.

To play The Valeria Margraves, first, each player takes on the role of a Margrave. At the start of your turn, you pick one Citizen card from your hand. You can use it for the action icons in the pennant, the power text at the bottom, or play it face - down for an action on your player board like recalling cards or building a Ward Tower. When you move your Margrave or a Knight to a location, the power of that location gets activated. Try to gain influence over the four Guilds by sending Knights to slay monsters or activate locations. As you cross influence thresholds, you'll get privilege tiles. Remember, the Knights on the board can be used by any player, so think carefully before making a move. Also, manage your resources well as you have limited storage on your player board. Don't waste tokens. When sending Knights into battle, know that they'll end up in hero tombs where you can collect bonuses. Keep moving your markers on the influence tracks to earn more victory points for the icons you collect. After playing, store the game in a cool, dry place. Keep the cards in their protective sleeves to prevent damage and keep the pieces organized in the game box.