Charterstone

2017

Charterstone is a competitive legacy board game where players colonize lands, build and populate a unique village. With every game your village evolves, offering endless variability.

75
minutes

1 - 6
player(s)

14+

Medium

About the game

Welcome to a thrilling exploration of Charterstone, a game that’s sure to capture your imagination and strategic prowess like no other. Charterstone is a competitive legacy game where your decisions and strategies will persist and influence future games in exciting and unexpected ways.

Set in a Greengully Kingdom under the Forever King’s rule, Charterstone presents a vibrant world ready for your discovery. As a player, you will find yourself as a citizen chosen by the Forever King to create a new village within the kingdom, and the goal is to make it the most prosperous one. The game’s theme is richly woven with elements of exploration, strategy, and a dash of competition, making it a delightfully immersive experience.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Charterstone is a unique and engaging legacy board game. Here is a detailed description of each component included in the game:

1. Game Board:

The game board is the main area where players construct buildings and generate resources. It is divided into several charters, each of which is controlled by a specific player.

2. Rulebook:

The rulebook contains the basic rules for Charterstone. As the game progresses, new rules will be added or existing ones will be modified.

3. Card Index:

The card index holds the game’s cards. During the game, new cards will be drawn from the index as instructed by the rules.

4. Advancement Cards:

These cards represent different types of buildings, objectives, and personas. Players can use these cards to gain various advantages in the game.

5. Charter Chests:

Each player has a charter chest to store their personal components between games. This includes their buildings, tokens, and persona cards.

6. Coins:

Coins are the main currency in Charterstone. Players can earn coins through various actions and use them to construct buildings, open crates, and more.

7. Influence Tokens:

Each player has a limited number of influence tokens. These can be placed on the board to claim objectives, vote in the council, and more.

8. Resource Tokens:

There are six types of resource tokens: grain, pumpkin, wood, coal, iron, and brick. Players can generate resources by using their workers on buildings.

9. Worker Tokens:

Each player has two worker tokens, which can be used to take actions. When a worker is used, it is placed on a building and the player performs the action associated with that building.

10. Assistant Cards:

Assistant cards provide players with ongoing benefits. Each player starts with one assistant card and can gain more throughout the game.

11. Building Cards:

Building cards represent the different structures that can be built in a charter. Each building provides a unique action that can be used by the workers.

12. Objective Cards:

Objective cards provide players with specific goals to achieve in exchange for rewards. Objectives can be completed by meeting certain conditions during the game.

13. Persona Cards:

Persona cards represent the different characters that players can play as. Each persona provides a unique ability that can be used during the game.

14. Crate Tokens:

Crate tokens represent crates that can be opened to reveal new cards. Opening a crate allows players to add new buildings, assistants, and more to their charter.

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

Charterstone is an engaging and competitive village-building board game. This game is designed for 1-6 players, and each player will control a unique charter. Follow the steps below to set up your game of Charterstone.

Step 1: Player Roles

Each player will have their own charter within the village. The charter will be represented by a specific color. Players will have various roles which include building, populating the village with workers, and interacting with the village board. The objective is to earn the most victory points (VP).

Step 2: Board Placement

Place the game board at the center of the play area. Each player should sit near the charter they are controlling. Make sure that the index is facing the most experienced player as they will have additional responsibilities during the game.

Step 3: Initial Resources

Each player should take the five workers of their charter’s color. Additionally, they should receive a charter chest and a personal supply of 12 tokens in their charter’s color. These tokens include influence tokens, capacity tokens, and a progress token.

Step 4: Random Elements

Shuffle the advancement cards and place them on the designated space on the board. Draw six cards and place them face up on the six spaces next to the deck. Then, shuffle the objective cards and draw one, placing it face up on the designated space on the board. This will be the objective for the first game.

Step 5: Preparing the Market

The market setup is determined by the number of players. For example, with 6 players, the market should contain 4 random building cards, 3 random persona cards, and 5 random crate cards. These cards are placed face up in the market.

Step 6: Constructing Buildings

Each player will start with the same set of 6 basic building cards. These buildings will be constructed during play and placed in the player’s charter.

Step 7: Start Playing

Once all the above steps have been completed, you may begin the game. The player with the highest number on the die roll will go first.

Note: The rules for game setup may change slightly for subsequent games as the village evolves.

Game flow Round and round we go

Charterstone is a competitive legacy-style board game where players are tasked with building a shared village. The game is played over a series of campaigns, each campaign consisting of multiple games. Each game, in turn, is divided into a set number of rounds or phases. The objective of each player is to have the most victory points at the end of each game.

Preparation Phase:

Setup: At the start of each game, players choose a character and a charter. They also receive five workers, 12 influence tokens, and a personal supply of resources.
Building: Players can construct buildings on their charter by using the building cards. These buildings provide various benefits and can be used by any player.
Objective Card: Players also draw an objective card which sets a specific goal for that game.

Gameplay Phase:

Turns: Players take turns in clockwise order. On their turn, a player can either place a worker on a building to perform its action, or retrieve all of their workers from the board.
Actions: Actions include collecting resources, building structures, opening crates (which add new rules and components to the game), or completing objectives.
Progress Track: Each action moves the progress token along the progress track. The game ends when the progress token reaches the final space on the track.

Scoring Phase:

Victory Points: At the end of the game, players receive victory points based on the buildings they’ve constructed, the objectives they’ve completed, and the reputation they’ve gained. The player with the most victory points wins the game.
Legacy Points: The winner of each game also receives legacy points, which are used to determine the overall winner of the campaign.
Campaign Advancement: After scoring, players update the campaign log, mark off any buildings they’ve constructed, and prepare for the next game.

In essence, the game of Charterstone evolves over time, with each game building on the last, and players shaping the village and its rules with their actions. The game ends when the campaign has been completed, and the player with the most legacy points is declared the overall winner.

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

Charterstone is a thrilling and competitive legacy board game where players construct buildings and populate a shared village. The game ends after a series of 12 games, and the winner is determined by the total victory points accumulated across all games.

Each game within the series ends when the Progress Track is filled. This track is filled when certain actions are taken, such as opening crates, constructing buildings, or achieving objectives. Once the final space of the Progress Track is filled, the game ends immediately after the active player finishes their turn.

Before final scoring, players need to perform the following actions:

Calculate Game Points: At the end of each game, players tally up their individual scores based on the victory points they have earned during that game. This includes points from constructed buildings, achieved objectives, and leftover resources.
Record Points: Players record their points on the Chronicle, a cumulative scoring sheet. The points from each game are added to the player’s total from previous games.
Prepare for Next Game: Players will need to reset the game board, keeping any buildings or workers placed during the game in their current positions. New objectives and personas may be drawn depending on the results of the finished game.

At the end of the 12th game, the final victory conditions are as follows:

Total Victory Points: The player with the highest total victory points across all 12 games is declared the winner.
Ties: In the event of a tie, the player with the most total resources left at the end of the final game wins. If there is still a tie, the player who was not the start player in the final game wins.

These victory conditions ensure that every decision and action in each game can have long-term effects, adding to the strategic depth and replayability of Charterstone.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Charterstone’, players accumulate victory points throughout the game in various ways. At the end of the game, these points are tallied and the player with the most points wins. Below is a detailed explanation of how points are awarded in ‘Charterstone’:

During Game:

Building Structures: Whenever a player constructs a building in their charter, they immediately score the number of points indicated on the building card.
Completing Objectives: Each game has a unique objective. When a player completes this objective, they earn the points stated on the objective card.
Using Buildings: Some buildings award points when used. The number of points is specified on the building card.
Reputation: Players can earn reputation tokens during the game. Each token is worth one point.

End of Game:

Persona Cards: Players score points for each persona card in their personal supply.
Unused Advancement Cards: Players score points for each advancement card they have not used during the game.
Cash on Hand: Every 10 coins in a player’s possession is worth one point.

After all the points have been counted, the player with the most points is declared the winner. If there’s a tie, the tie-breaking rules are followed.

Tie-breaking rules:

The player with the most stars on their score marker wins.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most coins wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who is further along the reputation track wins.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most unused influence tokens wins.
If a tie still persists, the player who last placed a worker wins.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Charterstone is a competitive legacy game where you construct buildings and populate a shared village. Given its complexity, it’s essential to understand the rare or special rules, rule exceptions and clarifications. Here are some:

1. The “Ghost Rule”:

In Charterstone, a player might end up playing a game without all six charters filled with players. In such a case, the “Ghost Rule” comes into play. This rule allows the use of “ghost workers” in empty charters. Ghost workers are placed in the buildings of empty charters during setup and cannot be bumped.

2. Player Mat Actions:

On each turn, players either use a building action or take a player mat action. It’s important to remember that players cannot perform both actions on the same turn. The player mat actions include retrieving all of the player’s workers or opening a crate.

3. Minion Rules:

Minions are a special type of worker that could be unlocked during the campaign. They follow similar rules as workers but with some exceptions. Minions are not bumped by other workers and they cannot bump other workers. They also provide a benefit when used on a building.

4. Persona Cards:

Persona cards represent characters that provide special abilities to players. Players can only use one persona card per game, but they can change the persona they use between games.

5. End of Game Scoring:

At the end of the game, players score points based on various factors. However, there is an exception for the “capacity” rule. Players do not lose victory points if they have more resources or cards than their capacity.

6. Rule Clarifications:

Building over constructs: Players cannot build over constructs. Constructs are buildings that are permanently added to the board and cannot be removed.
Opening crates: Players can only open crates they own, and they must have the crate card in their hand.
Glory: Glory is not spent. Instead, it is a tally of each player’s progress and success throughout the campaign.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Charterstone is a competitive legacy game where players construct buildings and populate a shared village. The game is rich in strategy and offers a unique experience with every play. Here are some advanced strategies, beginner tips, common mistakes to avoid, and ways to optimize gameplay.

Advanced Strategies:

Focus on Buildings: The cornerstone of success in Charterstone is the effective use of buildings. Try to construct buildings that complement each other and create a strong engine for your Charter.
Long-Term Planning: Unlike many other board games, Charterstone rewards long-term planning. Try to plan a few moves ahead and think about how your current action will affect future turns.
Adaptability: The game changes as new buildings are constructed. Being able to adapt your strategy in response to these changes can give you the upper hand.

Beginner Tips:

Learn the Basics: Spend some time familiarizing yourself with the game’s rules and mechanics before you start playing. This will help you make more informed decisions during the game.
Experiment: Don’t be afraid to try different strategies. The beauty of Charterstone is that there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy.
Use Your Influence Wisely: Influence is a valuable resource in Charterstone. Be judicious in how you use it, and remember that it can be more beneficial to save it for later rounds.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Ignoring the Advancement Track: The advancement track is crucial to winning Charterstone. Neglecting it can put you at a significant disadvantage.
Spending Influence Too Early: As mentioned earlier, influence is a precious commodity. Spending it too early can leave you with few options in later rounds.
Forgetting About Persona Cards: Persona cards can provide powerful bonuses. Forgetting to use them can result in missed opportunities.

Optimizing Gameplay:

Understand the Game’s Pace: Charterstone is a game of tempo. Understanding when to push the pace and when to slow down can drastically improve your performance.
Manage Resources Effectively: Being able to efficiently manage and utilize your resources is key to winning Charterstone. Make sure to balance gaining new resources with spending them on useful actions.
Use Buildings Strategically: Buildings not only provide resources but also can manipulate the game’s rules. Using them strategically can give you a significant advantage.