Iberia

2016

Immerse yourself in 1848 Iberia in Pandemic Iberia! Play as various roles to cure Malaria, Typhus, Yellow Fever, and Cholera, while travelling across the peninsula.

45
minutes

2 - 5
player(s)

Medium

About the game

Iberia is a captivating board game that transports players back in time to the picturesque landscapes of historic Spain and Portugal. As you navigate the lush olive groves, sun-drenched vineyards, and bustling marketplaces, you’ll experience the rich cultural and architectural heritage that the Iberian Peninsula is renowned for.

The game’s theme is deeply intertwined with the history and geography of the region. Players assume the roles of influential nobles striving to shape the destiny of their respective provinces. The goal is to expand your influence, amass wealth, and ultimately become the most powerful dynasty on the Iberian Peninsula.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

‘Iberia’ is an engaging board game that brings players into the historic landscape of Spain and Portugal. The game includes several components, each with a unique function and relevance to the gameplay. Here is a detailed list of these components:

1. Game Board:

The game board is a detailed map of Spain and Portugal, with marked cities, provinces and railways. Players move their tokens across the board, using the railway network to help patients and manage hospitals.

2. Player Tokens:

Each player is given a set of tokens, representing their presence on the board. Players move these tokens along the railway lines to transport patients to hospitals.

3. Disease Cubes:

These colored cubes represent the four different diseases that appear throughout the game. When a city gets infected, a cube of the corresponding disease color is placed on that city. Players must then work to remove these cubes and prevent outbreaks.

4. Player Cards:

Players draw these cards to determine their actions for each turn. Some cards allow players to move along railways, treat patients, or build hospitals, among other actions.

5. Event Cards:

These cards introduce unexpected events that can change the course of the game. They can alter the spread of diseases, provide additional actions to players, or create other unpredictable effects.

6. Hospitals:

These tokens represent the hospitals that players can build in different cities. When a hospital is built, it can treat patients of the corresponding disease color.

7. Player Pawns:

Each player has one pawn which represents their character in the game. Character pawns can move around the board, treat diseases, build hospitals, and perform other crucial tasks.

8. Infection Rate Marker:

This token tracks the current infection rate, determining how many new disease cubes are added to the board each turn.

9. Outbreak Marker:

This token tracks the number of outbreaks that have occurred. If the outbreak marker reaches the final space of the outbreak track, all players lose the game.

10. Cure Markers:

These tokens are used to track which diseases have been cured. When a disease is cured, its cure marker is placed on the corresponding space of the disease track.

Game flow Round and round we go

Iberia is a strategic board game that takes players through a historical journey of constructing and developing infrastructure in the Iberian Peninsula. The game is structured into rounds, each consisting of several phases that allow players to perform specific actions. The game continues until the construction deck is exhausted.

In each round, the game progresses through the following phases:

Card Phase: At the start of each round, players will draw three cards from the construction deck. These cards represent the resources available for that round. They will then decide which of these cards to keep and which to discard.
Construction Phase: Players will use the resources from the cards they kept to construct buildings, railways, or industries in the game’s map. The type and number of constructions possible depend on the resources available.
Action Phase: In this phase, players can perform one of several actions. These include upgrading their industries, expanding their rail network, or improving their buildings. The specific action chosen will depend on the player’s strategy and the current state of the game board.
Maintenance Phase: Here, players must pay maintenance costs for their constructions. If a player cannot afford the maintenance cost, they must remove some of their constructions from the board. The game then proceeds to the next round, starting again with the Card Phase.

Players must carefully manage their resources and make strategic decisions in order to win the game. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game, calculated based on the number and quality of their constructions, is declared the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In the strategic board game ‘Iberia’, each player’s turn consists of several potential actions they can take to advance their position on the board and ultimately, aim to win the game. The choice of actions and the strategy employed can significantly impact the gameplay.

1. Draw Cards

The first action in a player’s turn is to draw cards. The player may draw from either the face-up available cards or the face-down deck.

If a player chooses a face-up card, another one is immediately drawn from the deck to replace it.
If a player chooses to draw from the deck, the drawn card is kept secret from the other players.

The cards drawn provide resources and actions that can be used later in the player’s turn. The strategy here lies in choosing cards that align with the player’s overall game plan.

2. Play or Discard Cards

After drawing cards, the player can either play or discard cards from their hand. Each card in the player’s hand can be played for its action or discarded for its resources.

Playing a Card for Its Action: The actions on the cards can have a variety of effects, such as building structures, moving workers, or manipulating the game board in some way. The player must consider how the actions on their cards can contribute to their overall strategy before deciding to play them.
Discarding a Card for Its Resources: Each card also has a number of resource icons on it. By discarding a card, the player can gain the resources represented by these icons. The player must weigh the immediate benefit of gaining resources against the potential future benefit of the card’s action.

3. Build Structures

If a player has enough resources, they may choose to build structures. Structures provide a variety of benefits, including victory points, resource generation, and special abilities. The choice of which structures to build, and when, is a key strategic decision.

4. Move Workers

A player may choose to move their workers to different locations on the board. This can allow the player to control more territory, gather more resources, or block other players’ actions. The strategic choice of where and when to move workers can have a significant impact on the game.

5. End of Turn

At the end of their turn, the player must discard down to their maximum hand size if necessary. The player then draws a new card from the deck, and the next player takes their turn.

The strategic decisions made during a player’s turn in ‘Iberia’ can greatly affect the outcome of the game. As such, players must carefully consider their options and make the best use of their cards, resources, and workers.

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

The game of ‘Iberia’ ends when one of two conditions is met: Either all the tiles have been placed on the board, or a player reaches the score marker’s end on the track. Once either of these conditions are met, the game ends immediately and no further actions can be taken.

Victory Conditions:

Tile Placement: If all the tiles have been placed on the board, the game ends. The player with the highest score wins the game. In the event of a tie, the player with the most remaining resources is the winner.
Score Marker: If a player’s score marker reaches or passes the last space on the score track, the game ends immediately. That player is declared the winner. If more than one player achieves this in the same round, the player with the most remaining resources wins.

Before the final scoring, players must undertake the following actions:

Players must count the number of their buildings in the largest contiguous region they control. The player with the most buildings in a region scores points equal to the number of tiles in that region.
Players then score points for their remaining resources. Each leftover resource is worth 1 point.
Finally, players score points for any remaining action cards in their hand. The points are indicated on the cards themselves.

After these steps, players add their scores to their initial score on the score track. The player with the highest overall score is the winner of the game.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In the board game ‘Iberia’, players collect points through a variety of actions and strategies. The scoring system is designed to reward players for strategic planning and efficient use of resources. The full scoring system in ‘Iberia’ is detailed below:

End Game Scoring

At the end of the game, players calculate their final scores. There are several ways to earn points:

City Buildings: Players earn points for each building they have in a city. The points per building vary based on the type of building and its location.
Routes: Points are awarded for each route a player has completed. Longer routes typically provide more points.
Resources: Players earn points for each set of different types of resources they have collected.
Special Cards: Some cards provide additional points at the end of the game.

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 buildings in cities wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who has completed the most routes wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who has the most resources wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who has the highest total value of special cards wins.

These rules ensure that there is always a clearly defined winner, even if players finish with the same score.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies:

One of the most effective strategies is to focus on building railroads in the early game. High mobility across the map allows you to react faster to the outbreak of diseases and control the situation better.
Don’t forget that hospitals not only treat diseases but also serve as research centers. Constructing them in strategically important locations can give you a significant advantage.
Try to balance between the water projects and other activities. While water is important to control diseases, neglecting other aspects of the game for water projects can put you at a disadvantage.

Beginner Tips:

Start by getting familiar with the mechanics of the game, especially the roles of different characters and their abilities. Understanding these can greatly boost your efficiency in the game.
Be proactive in planning your moves. While the game does involve a degree of randomness, having a clear plan and strategy can help you stay ahead.
Remember to communicate with other players. Cooperation is key in ‘Iberia’, and sharing information can be very beneficial.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Not utilizing the character abilities to their full potential is a common mistake. Each character has unique abilities that can be game-changing when used correctly.
Another common mistake is not building enough hospitals. Hospitals are crucial for both research and treatment of diseases, and not having enough can lead to a quick loss.
Ignoring the importance of water projects is also a common pitfall. Water projects can drastically slow down the spread of diseases and provide a significant advantage.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Optimize your gameplay by planning your actions in advance and anticipating potential problems. This can save you valuable time and resources in the game.
Use your resources wisely. Instead of spending all resources at once, try to distribute them evenly to ensure a balanced development.
Finally, always be ready to adapt your strategy based on the current situation. The game is dynamic and requires quick thinking and adaptability.