A Feast for Odin

2016

Immerse in A Feast for Odin, a strategic board game where you'll trade, explore and conquer as a Viking. Battle crop shortfalls and strategize to amass wealth for victory.

120
minutes

1 - 4
player(s)

12+

Medium Heavy

About the game

Welcome to the enthralling world of ‘A Feast for Odin’, a strategic board game that transports you back to the time of the Vikings. Designed by Uwe Rosenberg, the game offers an intricate blend of worker placement and resource management mechanics, all underpinned by a richly detailed historical theme.

In this game, you take on the role of a chieftain of a small Viking tribe, striving to lead your people to prosperity through exploration, trading, raiding, and hunting. The setting is as expansive as it is immersive, ranging from the frosty landscapes of Scandinavia to the farthest reaches of the European continent.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

A Feast for Odin is a complex, worker-placement game with various components. Here’s a detailed list of each component and their functions in the game:

1. Game Boards:

Main Game Board: This is the central hub of the game where players place their Vikings to perform actions like hunting, trading, crafting, and exploring.
Four Home Boards: Each player has a home board representing their Viking village. Players place goods here to generate income and fill spaces to score points.
Four Exploration Boards: These represent different islands that players can discover for more space to place goods and additional bonuses.

2. Vikings (Worker Tokens): Each player has 12 Vikings to place on the main game board to perform actions. The color of the Viking matches the player’s color.

3. Goods Tiles:

Orange Goods: Represented as peas, flax, and beans. These are the basic goods that can be used for various purposes, such as trading or upgrading.
Red Goods: Represented as meat, milk, and pelts. These are typically gained through hunting and can be upgraded into better goods.
Green Goods: Represented as various types of equipment and luxury items. These are usually received from crafting and can be used for trading or crafting other goods.
Blue Goods: Represented as various treasures. These are the most valuable goods and are typically found through exploration.

4. Cards:

Occupation Cards: These cards provide players with unique skills or abilities that can be used throughout the game.
Weapon Cards: These are used in hunting actions to increase the effectiveness of the action.

5. Ships:

Knarr: This type of ship is used for trading actions.
Longship: This ship is used for exploration actions, allowing players to discover new islands.

6. Silver Coins: These are the currency used in the game. They can be used for various actions such as purchasing goods or hiring additional Vikings.

7. Start Player Moose: This token determines the first player for each round.

8. Sheds and Stone Houses: These are buildings that players can construct on their home board for extra points and space to place goods.

9. Game Round Track: This track on the main game board indicates the current round and triggers certain events.

10. Island Exploration Tiles: These tiles represent the various islands that can be discovered by players. They provide additional space for placing goods and may offer special bonuses or abilities.

All of these components interact together to create a rich and strategic gaming experience in A Feast for Odin.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

A Feast for Odin is a complex and engaging board game that requires careful setup. Follow these steps to ensure the game is correctly prepared for play:

1. Unfold the Central Game Board:

Place the central game board in the middle of the table. This board has various action spaces and will serve as the focal point for much of the game’s activity.

2. Set Up Player Boards:

Each player should take a home board and place it in front of them. The number of players ranges from 1-4, and each player’s home board represents their Viking settlement.

3. Prepare the Goods:

All goods tiles should be sorted by color and type, then placed within easy reach of all players. Goods include various resources such as wood, stone, livestock, and luxury items.

4. Shuffle the Occupation Cards:

Shuffle the occupation cards and deal a certain number to each player – this number may vary depending on the number of players. These cards can provide players with unique abilities or benefits throughout the game.

5. Organize the Vikings:

Each player receives a set of Vikings in their chosen color. The number of Vikings each player starts with is determined by the number of players in the game.

6. Set Up the Islands:

There are several island boards which should be shuffled and placed face up next to the central game board. These islands can be colonized by players during the game for additional resources and benefits.

7. Prepare the Mountain Strips:

Shuffle the mountain strips and place them face down in a pile. Draw and place three mountain strips face up next to the central game board. These strips will provide additional resources during the game.

8. Arrange the Silver and Ore:

Silver and ore tokens should be sorted and placed within easy reach of all players. These resources are used for various actions throughout the game.

9. Random Elements:

Many elements of A Feast for Odin involve randomness, including the draw of occupation cards, the arrangement of mountain strips, and the availability of islands. These elements add to the strategic depth and replayability of the game.

Once all these steps are completed, you are ready to begin your Viking adventure in A Feast for Odin!

Game flow Round and round we go

A Feast for Odin is a complex, strategy-heavy board game that progresses in a series of rounds. Each round is made up of 12 structured phases, where players gather resources, place workers, and build settlements in an attempt to generate the most points.

Phase 1: The Harvest
At the start of every round, except for the very first round, players receive goods from the harvest. The type and quantity of goods change depending on the round.

Phase 2: Turn the Viking Ship
During this phase, players turn the Viking ship on the game board to indicate the current round.

Phase 3: Draw a new Weapon
Each player gets to draw a new weapon card, which can be used in later phases for hunting, whaling, or raiding activities.

Phase 4: The Actions
This is the main phase of the game. Players take turns placing their Vikings on the action spaces on the board and carry out the associated actions. Actions may include gathering resources, hunting, trading, crafting, building, and upgrading settlements.

Phase 5: Return Vikings
Once all players have placed their Vikings and completed their actions, the Vikings are returned to their owners.

Phase 6: Update Mountain Strips
In this phase, goods are removed from the mountain strips on the board, and new strips are added if necessary.

Phase 7: Draw a new Mountain Strip
A new mountain strip is drawn and added to the board, replenishing the available resources.

Phase 8: Actions with Ships
During this phase, players can use any ships they’ve acquired to take special actions, such as trading or exploring.

Phase 9: The Feast
Players must now feed their Vikings by placing goods on their banquet table. Failure to provide enough food results in negative points.

Phase 10: Update Bonuses
Any bonuses on the board are updated at this time.

Phase 11: Remove Placed Goods
All goods placed on the banquet table during the feast are now removed from the game.

Phase 12: Income and Animal Breeding
Finally, players receive income based on their income track and any animals in their possession have the chance to breed.

After Phase 12, a new round begins starting from Phase 1 again. The game continues in this way until the final round, after which points are tallied and the player with the highest score wins.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

‘A Feast for Odin’ is a complex and strategy-filled board game with multiple potential actions each turn. Understanding these actions and their implications can significantly impact how you play and your overall success in the game.

1. Placement Phase:

Placing Vikings: Each player begins their turn by placing their Vikings on the action board. The number of Vikings needed per action varies, and more valuable actions require more Vikings.
Sequential Placement: Players place their Vikings sequentially, starting with the first player. This continues until all players have placed all their Vikings.

2. Action Phase:

Performing Actions: Actions are performed in the order they were placed on the action board. Actions can include acquiring resources, upgrading resources, raiding, pillaging, trading, hunting, and building.
Strategic Choices: Players must choose actions strategically based on their current resources and long-term strategy. For example, hunting might be a good choice for players with a lot of weapons, while trading could be beneficial for players with surplus resources.

3. Income Phase:

Income Calculation: Players calculate their income based on their home board’s occupation squares. More occupied squares mean more income.
Strategic Choices: Players must decide how to use their income strategically. They could use it to acquire more resources, invest in buildings, or save for future turns.

4. Feasting Phase:

Feasting Requirement: Players must feed their Vikings by placing food from their supply onto their feast tables. If they can’t provide enough food, they receive negative points.
Strategic Choices: Players must balance their resource management between acquiring enough food for feasts and investing in actions and buildings to score points.

5. Bonus Phase:

Bonus Acquisition: After the feasting phase, players may receive bonus points based on their actions during the turn. For example, they might receive bonuses for certain buildings, successful raids, or upgraded resources.
Strategic Choices: Players should consider potential bonuses when deciding their actions. Pursuing actions that yield bonuses can significantly boost their scores.

6. Update Phase:

Game Board Update: At the end of the turn, the game board is updated. New resources are added to the action board, and the first player marker is passed to the next player.
Strategic Choices: The changing resources on the action board can influence players’ strategies. Players need to adapt their plans based on the available resources and their opponents’ actions.

Mastering the intricacies of ‘A Feast for Odin’ requires understanding these actions and making strategic choices. The key to success is balancing resource acquisition, management, and investment with the pursuit of points through actions and bonuses.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of ‘A Feast for Odin’ ends after the seventh round. This is a deterministic game, which means that no event in the game can trigger an early ending. Each game lasts exactly seven rounds, no more, no less.

At the end of the seventh round, final scoring occurs. All players calculate their scores based on various factors. Here’s a detailed list of what contributes to the final score:

Uncovered spaces on home board: Each player loses 1 point for each uncovered square on their home board.
Occupied Island boards: Each player gains points equal to the value marked on their occupied island boards.
Emigrations: Each player gains points for their emigrations. The amount of points depends on how many emigration actions the player has taken – the more emigrations, the more points.
Ships: Each player gains points for their ships. Knarrs are worth 4 points, longships are worth 8 points, and whaling boats and merchant ships are worth 0 points.
Animals: Each player gains points for their animals. Sheep are worth 2 points, cattle are worth 3 points, and horses are worth 4 points.
Green, blue, and red tiles: Each player gains points equal to the value marked on their green, blue, and red tiles.
Silver: Each player gains 1 point for each silver in their possession.
Occupied exploration boards: Each player gains points equal to the value marked on their occupied exploration boards.
Ore: Each player gains 1 point for each ore in their possession.

After all points are calculated, the player with the highest total wins the game. In the event of a tie, the player with the most leftover silver wins.

Before scoring, players must make sure to feed their people. For each food they cannot provide, they lose 3 points. It’s also important to note that players can use silver as a substitute for missing resources, including food. Each silver can substitute for 1 resource.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘A Feast for Odin’, players accumulate points through a variety of actions. Each player’s score is calculated at the end of the game, based on the point values of various game elements.

Scoring:

Points are awarded as follows:

Occupied Spaces: Each occupied space on a player’s home board, islands, and exploration boards grants points according to the value printed on the space. Unoccupied spaces deduct points.
Goods: Each type of good (green, red, blue, and orange) on a player’s home board and on their exploration boards earns points. The point value depends on the type and quantity of goods.
Animals: Players earn points for each set of different animals they own. The more diverse the set of animals, the higher the points.
Ships: Ships earn points according to their type: Knarrs, longships, and whaling boats all have different point values.
Emigrations: Each emigration card is worth a certain amount of points, depending on the number of emigrations a player has made.
Buildings: Players earn points for each building they own. The point value depends on the type of building.
Exploration Boards: Players earn points for each exploration board they have, according to the value printed on the board.
Final Income: Each silver coin a player has at the end of the game is worth 1 point.

Tie-Breaking Rules:

If two or more players have the same score at the end of the game, the tie-breaking rules are applied in the following order:

The player who has the most remaining silver coins wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who has the most valuable goods wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who has the most occupied spaces wins.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most buildings wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who went earlier in the turn order wins.

Note: In ‘A Feast for Odin’, having a negative score is possible. If this happens, the player with the least negative score wins.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

A Feast for Odin is a complex board game with several unique rules and exceptions. Here, we will discuss some of the rare or special rules, exceptions, and rule clarifications that are important to understand for a smooth gameplay.

Special Rules

Occupation Cards: Occupation cards can be played during any action phase, but only once per round. If a player has more than one occupation card, they can play them all in the same round, but they must pay the required cost for each one.
Animal Breeding: Animals are bred during the animal breeding phase, but only if a player has at least two of the same type of animal on their home board. The exception to this rule is sheep, which breed even if there is only one.
Island Spaces: When a player places a worker on an island space, they must also pay the required goods to take the island. If a player cannot pay the goods, they cannot place a worker on the island space.

Exceptions

Placing Goods: Goods must be placed on the home board from left to right, top to bottom. However, the exception to this rule is during the feast phase, where players can place food anywhere on their banquet table.
Upgrading Goods: Normally, goods can only be upgraded once per round. However, if a player has a special tile that allows them to upgrade goods, they can upgrade the same good multiple times in the same round.

Rule Clarifications

Emigration: When a player chooses to emigrate their Vikings, they should be removed from the player’s home board and placed on the emigration board. The Vikings are then unavailable for the rest of the game.
Special Tiles: Special tiles can be used at any time during a player’s turn. They are not limited to the action phase in which they were acquired.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

A Feast for Odin is a complex, strategy-based board game that allows players to explore various avenues to amass wealth and prestige. Here are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay in ‘A Feast for Odin’.

Advanced Strategies:

Focus on Income Early: Building up your income early in the game can provide a significant advantage, allowing you to obtain more valuable resources and actions later on.
Plan for the End Game: It’s crucial to keep the endgame in mind and strategize accordingly. Make sure you have enough resources to feed your people and cover negative points on your home board.
Embrace Specialization: Specializing in one or two strategies can be more beneficial than trying to be a jack of all trades. Whether it be farming, raiding or trading, a focused approach often yields better results.

Beginner Tips:

Learn the Basic Actions: Understanding the basic actions and how they interact is key. Spend the initial turns experimenting with various actions to see what works best for you.
Start Small: Don’t rush to expand too quickly. Start by covering your negative points on your home board before branching out into larger territories.
Pay Attention to Other Players: Keep an eye on what other players are doing. This can give you clues about what strategies might be effective and what resources may become scarce.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Neglecting the Viking Tracker: Not keeping track of your Vikings can lead to a shortage of manpower when you need it most. Always ensure you have enough Vikings to perform necessary actions.
Ignoring the Feast: Forgetting to plan for the feast can lead to severe penalties. Make sure you have enough food resources to feed your people each round.
Spreading Too Thin: Trying to cover too many areas at once can lead to inefficiency. Concentrate on a few key strategies rather than diluting your efforts.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Utilize Occupations: Occupations can provide significant advantages if used correctly. Be strategic about which occupations you choose to pursue.
Plan Your Turns: Pre-planning your turns can save valuable time and prevent last-minute decision-making pressure.
Balance Resource Acquisition: A balanced approach to resource acquisition can ensure you have what you need when you need it. Don’t focus solely on one type of resource.