Taj Mahal (board game)

German Games Award 2000: 1st Place Essen spring 2000 Game of the Year 2000: shortlist Gamers' Choice Award 2001: multiplayer strategy Finalist Dutch Games Award 2007: Nominated

Taj Mahal ( Taj Mahal also ) is an author of game Reiner Knizia, published in 2000 by Ravensburger daughter Alea as Taj Mahal and was awarded the German game prize and the Essenes spring for the best rules in the same year.

Franz Vohwinkel has created the graphics for the game and the manual. The regular game is playable with 3-5 players. 2006 Knizia has rules for 2 players, published for a third player is simulated by a dummy player.

The playing time varies, officially be 60 and 100 minutes specified. The game is recommended for ages 12 .

A prototype of the game was on the international game fair on show in Essen in 1999. It plays in the 18th century, in which the Mughal Empire loses power and thus the players can expand their influence on the provinces as maharajas.

More Issues

Rio Grande Games licensed the game and put the game in 2000 in English as a Taj Mahal out. In 2006, a four -language edition (English, German, French, Dutch) of the party game as Taj Mahal at Rio Grande Games, which was also illustrated by Franz Vohwinkel. In Germany this edition of Abacus games in Austria by Piatnik, Switzerland Carletto, in France by Ystari Games and in the Netherlands by QWG Games is sold.

Awards and nominations

Besides the German game prize and the Essenes spring Taj Mahal has also been included in the same year in the selection list of the game of the year, and there was one of the finalists of the 2001 Gamers' Choice Award in the multi-player strategy. The new edition was 2007 on the nominees for the Dutch Game Award.

In the last issue of the Internet Top 100 Games List of October 2008 Taj Mahal was ranked 18th BoardGameGeek When the game was on September 30, 2011 at the 89th.

Materials

The play materials are rather extensive, including several plates or brands, which also differ in their shape.

Game play

The aim of the game is, after visiting 12 provinces in northwestern India to have so much influence ( in the form of Influence Points ) as possible. The provinces are traveled consecutively and match play rounds, but these are divided again.

Subdivision of the game board

The game board shows inside 11 provinces, each with 4 cities in the twelfth province, there are in addition to these four cities in addition, the city of Agra (where the Taj Mahal is also true ). Between the towns are roads, 16 cities are marked with the color purple as fortresses. At the edge of the board is called the scoring track where the players can mark their influence points with their rating stones. Top right is the court of the Great Mogul.

Construction

The twelfth province tile is placed in the province with 5 cities, the other will be randomly distributed among remaining. The provinces are now visited 1-12 in the order of the platelets. The bonus tiles are distributed to the forts, so that the Taj Mahal bonus tile is the field of the city of Agra and the other bonus tiles are randomly distributed. The stones display show the current province and the current start player. In the court of the Great Mogul of the ring are placed ( as a crown ) and 4 different brands influence. The remaining influence brands and special cards are placed next to the open field, mixed the remaining cards. On them the symbols of the impact marks are displayed that are available for the control of a specific area, or the Great Mogul, or an elephant. Now, each player receives 6 cards face down.

During the game

Depending on the number of players at the beginning of the province visit 5, 7 or 9 cards face up. Now players can play several rounds open in either cards or withdraw, which he is unable to continue playing in this province.

Play cards

If you play a card, so must all the other player played out in this province cards are the same color, also a white card or a special card can additionally be placed.

Special cards

The four special cards have the following effects depending on the map to cast: You are either a white Mughal - or elephant card, give 2 influence points or allow the playing of a different color in the train in which the special card is played

Retreat

If a player moves back, he may ever build a palace in a free city, if it on the discard pile has more than all the other players of a symbol type, and receives the respective influencing brands. For a fortress he receives the respective bonus tiles. In Mughal - symbols, an additional palace can be set, which is independent of other palaces ( with the ring marked), the elephant symbol he gets the current province of platelets. Apart from the special cards all face cards are discarded. In addition, he receives two of the cards on the table ( the last player only ) and Influence Points depending on his plate and palaces. If a player moves back already in the first round, he gets another card from the deck. Stone positions are then updated if necessary ( starting player token to the left), refilled brands and come to the ring, and then visited the next province. For 2 of the same brand influence to obtain the corresponding special card, even if a player already has this.

Platelets and distribution of impact points

The bonus tiles bring the player either 2 influence points ( the Taj Mahal 4), another card or as many influence points, as he already has plates that have the same goods as the symbol drawn platelets.

After that, the province of platelets are evaluated, also give additional platelets with the same merchandise as symbols on the wafer influence points.

If a player has at least a palace in a province, he receives an impact point; also for any other province with its own palace, when it is connected to a road, with the current province. However, to the cities of the road always own palaces stand.

End of the game

Were all provinces visited, yet more influence points are distributed for the cards in hand. Each white card or special card is a bonus point, as each card of the color of the player owns the most cards. The player with the most influence points wins.

Reviews

Taj Mahal was mostly well received in the reviews. It is often referred to as a typical Knizia game that is a good combination of cards and board game. Since players often quickly suffer from scarcity cards, it is recommended not to focus too much on a province, but to make a few points everywhere. However, criticized the coloring that is less suitable for color defectives and darker places.

759616
de