Five Tribes is a captivating board game set in the mythical land of Naqala, where players take on the roles of powerful leaders seeking to claim dominion over the desert realm.
The game is renowned for its intricate puzzle-like mechanics, which involve the placement and movement of colorful wooden meeples on a grid of tiles representing different tribes and resources.
Players must strategically maneuver the meeples, each with its unique ability, to gather resources, claim tiles, and earn points.
The game’s depth comes from its ever-changing board state, as the meeples’ positions and abilities create a dynamic and engaging puzzle that requires players to think several steps ahead.
With its beautiful components, rich theme, and challenging gameplay, Five Tribes has rightfully earned its place as a modern classic in the world of board gaming, offering endless hours of strategic enjoyment.
What’s included in Five Tribes
- Game Board: A grid representing the Sultanate of Naqala, divided into regions.
- Meeples: Different colored meeples representing the five tribes (Elders, Viziers, Builders, Merchants, and Assassins).
- Palm Trees: Indicate valuable resource tokens.
- Tiles: Unique tiles placed on the board, each with a specific power or scoring opportunity.
- Coins: Used as currency.
- Resource Tokens: Represent different types of goods (gold, wheat, silk, etc.).
- Turn Order Track: Displays the turn order and turn actions.
- Djinn Cards: Powerful cards with unique abilities.
- Palaces: Buildings you can construct for points.
- Score Track: Keeps track of players’ points.
How to play Five Tribes
Five Tribes is a strategic board game that combines resource management, worker placement, and area control mechanics. It is played with a modular board consisting of various tiles representing different tribes and resources, and players compete to score points by maneuvering colorful meeples and claiming tiles.
Setup
- Place the game board in the center of the table.
- Randomly distribute the meeples on the board. Each tile should have three meeples of the same color.
- Place the palm trees on designated spaces.
- Shuffle the Djinn cards and reveal three of them.
- Create a resource pool with coins and resource tokens.
- Each player starts with 50 coins.
- Randomly determine the starting player.
Rules for Five Tribes
Five Tribes is played over a series of turns, with each player taking one turn in clockwise order. A player’s turn consists of the following steps:
- Pick Up Meeples: Choose a group of meeples from a single tile on the board. The group must contain meeples of the same color and be adjacent orthogonally.
- Move Meeples: Move the selected meeples one by one to adjacent tiles in any direction (including diagonally). The final meeple placed must match the color of the last meeple on the tile.
- Perform Tile Action: The tile where the last meeple is placed triggers an action based on the tile’s type:
- Village Tiles: You collect the meeples you just placed on the tile and gain resources or coins based on the symbols present. You can also purchase tiles from the market.
- Oasis Tiles: You gain the resource shown on the tile.
- City Tiles: You claim the tile by placing one of your palaces on it, earning points and possibly gaining Djinn cards (see next section on how to gain Djinn cards).
- Djinn Abilities: If you have Djinn cards, you can use their abilities during your turn by paying the required resources or fulfilling their conditions.
- Bidding for Turn Order: Players can bid on turn order and the right to choose their starting position on the board for the next round.
- Scoring: Players earn points for various actions, including claimed tiles, Djinn abilities, and resources.
- Cleanup: Return all meeples to the bag, reset the resource markers, and replenish the Djinn display.
Winning the Game: The game ends when a certain number of rounds have been played or when a player places their last palace. Players then tally their scores, including points earned from Djinn cards, and the player with the most points wins.
Buying/Using Djinn Cards
In Five Tribes, Djinn cards are powerful cards with unique abilities that can provide significant advantages during the game. To acquire Djinn cards, you typically need to use your resources, specifically, you must spend a combination of coins and/or resource tokens.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to obtain Djinn cards in Five Tribes:
- Generate Resources: Before attempting to buy Djinn cards, you need to generate resources like coins and resource tokens. You can do this through various actions during the game, such as collecting goods, controlling tiles with resource-producing buildings, and earning coins from Djinn abilities or other sources.
- Visit the Whirlwind: The Whirlwind tile is where you go to acquire Djinn cards. It is a special tile on the board, usually marked with a swirl symbol and often found in the central or key locations on the board.
- Bid for Turn Order: At the beginning of each round, players bid for the turn order, with the highest bidder going first. Being the first player in a round can be crucial for acquiring desired Djinn cards, as it gives you first pick.
- Select a Djinn Card: When it’s your turn, you can choose to visit the Whirlwind and buy Djinn cards. The Djinn cards available at the Whirlwind are usually face-up and can be purchased in descending order of their cost (from left to right).
- Pay the Cost: To buy a Djinn card, you need to pay the specified cost listed on the card. The cost can vary, requiring a combination of coins, resource tokens, or other conditions, depending on the Djinn card’s abilities.
- Claim the Djinn Card: After paying the cost, take the Djinn card and place it in front of you. You can immediately use its special ability, and it remains in play for the rest of the game, providing you with ongoing advantages.
- Execute Djinn Abilities: Each Djinn card has a unique ability that can help you throughout the game. Read the card carefully to understand how it works and when you can use it.
- End Your Turn: Once you have acquired a Djinn card or taken any other actions you wish to perform, your turn ends. Play proceeds clockwise to the next player as described in the previous section.
Djinn cards can provide various benefits, such as earning extra points, gaining resources, manipulating meeples and tiles, and more. Choosing the right Djinn cards at the right time can significantly impact your strategy and success in Five Tribes.
Keep in mind that Djinn cards are limited in number, and once they are acquired, they are removed from the game, making them a valuable and competitive resource to pursue in your quest to become the most successful Sultan of Naqala.
For the official rules, see the link below:
How to win Five Tribes
- Meeples and Tile Selection: When selecting meeples to move, aim for groups that allow you to claim tiles with valuable resources, palace locations, or Djinn cards. Consider both the immediate benefits and the long-term advantages of your choices.
- Resource Management: Efficiently managing your resources is crucial. Try to collect sets of the same type of resource to maximize their value. Utilize the Marketplace to purchase tiles that provide ongoing resource income.
- Palace Placement: Placing palaces on the board early is essential for gaining points. Prioritize tiles with palace locations that grant bonuses, such as extra turns or Djinn cards. Expand your influence across the board to increase your scoring potential.
- Djinn Cards: Djinn abilities can be game-changing. Acquire Djinn cards that complement your strategy or provide unique advantages. Be mindful of the resources required to use Djinn abilities effectively.
- Bid Wisely: Consider the value of turn order and starting positions each round. Winning the bid allows you to select the best starting point on the board or secure a preferred turn order. Don’t overspend, as coins are a valuable resource.
- Marketplace Control: Controlling the Marketplace can be advantageous. It allows you to manipulate the board by placing meeples on valuable tiles before other players. Be cautious, though, as monopolizing the Marketplace may make you a target.
- Diversify Your Scoring: Don’t rely solely on one scoring method. Balance your strategy by earning points from various sources, such as tiles, Djinn abilities, and resource collections.
- Block Your Opponents: Keep an eye on your opponents’ strategies and try to block their moves when possible. Preventing them from completing valuable tile combinations or claiming strategic locations can be as important as advancing your own goals.
- Plan Ahead: Think ahead and anticipate how the board will evolve in subsequent turns. Planning your moves several turns in advance can give you a significant advantage.
- Flexibility: Be prepared to adjust your strategy based on the changing board state and your opponents’ actions. Flexibility and adaptability are key to success in “Five Tribes.”
- Claim Last Tiles: In the final rounds, prioritize tiles that grant extra turns. These can provide crucial opportunities to gain more points and outmaneuver your opponents.
- Scoring Tiles: Keep track of the scoring tiles in play, as they can drastically affect your final score. Adjust your strategy to take advantage of or counteract their effects.