The Pillars of the Earth

To set up the game, place 4 gray temporary workers in their designated area. Shuffle the 10 event cards and place them face down on the board. Separate the 2 special privilege cards (marked with a golden circle) for use in the last turn, then shuffle the remaining 14 privilege cards and place them face down. Shuffle the 9 resource cards and keep them ready. Place the resource cubes (brown for wood, gray for stone, white for sand, and blue for metal) in their respective areas on the board. Each player chooses a color and takes 8 meeples (1 large representing 5 workers, 7 small representing 1 worker each) and 3 master builders. Each player starts with 2 victory points on the track and a varying amount of money based on turn order (20 for the first player, 21 for the second, 22 for the third). Each player also receives a player aid and 3 initial craftsman cards.

The primary objective of The Pillars of the Earth is to accumulate the most victory points by the end of the game. Players achieve this by strategically acquiring resources, hiring craftsmen, and utilizing their abilities to contribute to the construction of the cathedral over six rounds. The game emphasizes balancing resource management with efficient worker placement and long-term planning.

Each round begins with a setup phase where 4 new craftsman cards are revealed (2 placed on the board, 2 available for purchase), 7 resource cards are drawn (2 are discarded, 5 are placed on the board), and 2 privilege cards are revealed. The market spaces for wood, stone, and sand are filled with 4 cubes each, and 1 metal cube is placed at the top market space. The first half of the round involves players using their small workers to claim resource cards or purchase craftsman cards. The second half involves players using their master builders to claim action spaces on the board. Players take turns placing workers or master builders, or passing if they cannot or choose not to take an action. If a player passes, they draw a random pawn from a bag, which determines the cost of actions in the next phase.

At the end of each round, after all actions have been executed, players score victory points. This is primarily done by activating their craftsman cards. Each craftsman card specifies a resource cost and the number of victory points gained for spending those resources. Players allocate their collected resources to their craftsman cards to earn points. Some cards may also provide money or other benefits. Players track their victory points on the designated track on the board.

The game concludes after the sixth round. After all scoring for the final round is completed, the player with the highest total number of victory points is declared the winner. In case of a tie, the player with the most money wins. If there's still a tie, the tied players share the victory.