Small World - How To Play

Summary

In this video, Rodney Smith provides a comprehensive guide to playing *Small World*, a strategy board game where players control various fantasy races and conquer territories. The tutorial covers game setup, including selecting race and power combinations, conquering regions, and deploying tokens. It explains the mechanics of scoring victory points, going into decline, and the strategic decision-making involved. Players will also learn about the dynamic nature of the game, with its 14 races and 20 powers offering endless combinations. With expansions available, *Small World* promises a constantly evolving gameplay experience.

Takeaways

• 😀 The game 'Small World' is a 2-5 player strategy game where players control various races with unique powers to conquer regions and earn victory points.
• 😀 Players set up the game by selecting a number of players, placing boards, arranging race banners and power badges, and setting up victory coins.
• 😀 In 'Small World', players begin by choosing a race and special power combination, with the first choice being free and later ones costing victory points.
• 😀 Conquering regions requires moving race tokens into adjacent regions, with the cost increasing if the region contains enemy tokens or special tokens like mountains or fortresses.
• 😀 Players can attempt a final conquest in a turn by rolling a die to determine if they can conquer a region with one remaining token.
• 😀 If a player has conquered a region with enemy tokens, those tokens are returned to the tray, and the active player can continue to expand their control.
• 😀 At the end of a turn, players score victory points based on the regions they control, with additional points for special race abilities.
• 😀 Players can choose to 'go into decline,' removing most of their race tokens from the board to prepare for a stronger comeback with a new race.
• 😀 Going into decline allows a player to still score points for the regions controlled by their previous race but without the special power bonuses.
• 😀 After going into decline, a player selects a new race and power combination to start their next turn, entering from any edge of the board.
• 😀 The game continues through several rounds, with players alternating turns until the round marker reaches the final space, at which point the game ends.
• 😀 The player with the most victory points wins the game, with ties being broken by the number of race tokens on the board and, if still tied, a shared victory.

Q & A

What is the objective of *Small World*?

The objective of *Small World* is to control regions using different races and special powers, earning victory points by conquering and holding territories. Players must also decide when to make their current race go into decline and start a new race to continue their conquest.

How do players set up the board for a 3-player game?

For a 3-player game, players use the double-sided board that corresponds to three players. They place the round track, set the round marker on the first space, and add Lost Tribe and Mountain tokens to designated regions. The race banners and special power badges are shuffled and placed in face-up columns.

How do players choose their race and special power combinations?

Players choose a race and power combo from the available face-up options. The first combo in the column is free, but if they choose a combo further down, they must pay 1 victory point for each race skipped.

What is the cost of conquering a region in *Small World*?

To conquer a region, players must move two of their race tokens into an empty space or a space with enemy tokens. Additional costs are added for special tokens like Mountains, Troll Fortresses, or enemy race tokens already occupying the space.

What happens when a player rolls the die during a conquest?

When a player has fewer tokens left and cannot normally conquer a region, they can roll the die to attempt a conquest. The total number of tokens they have left plus the die roll must meet or exceed the required number to conquer the region.

How does redeploying tokens work at the end of a turn?

After completing conquests, players can redeploy any remaining race tokens, placing them in regions they control. However, each region must still have at least one token, and the redeployment can be done to any of the regions that the player currently controls.

How do players score victory points during their turn?

Players score victory points by controlling regions. They earn 1 victory point for each region they control. Additionally, some races offer bonus points based on special conditions (e.g., controlling swamp regions).

What does it mean for a race to go into decline?

When a player's race goes into decline, they remove most of its tokens from the board and flip its race banner upside down. This means the player cannot conquer new regions with that race, but they continue to score points for regions controlled by that race, without receiving additional bonuses from its special powers.

Can a player have more than one race in decline at the same time?

No, a player can only have one race in decline at any given time. If they retire a race and already have one in decline, they must remove all tokens from the board and then place their new active race in decline.

What happens when the round marker reaches the final space?

When the round marker reaches the final space, players take their final turn. Afterward, they reveal their victory points. The player with the most victory points wins. If there is a tie, the player with the most race tokens on the board wins; if still tied, the victory is shared.