Puzzle for January 2017

The Game: Lords of Waterdeep

by Marcy Morelli, Puzzle Editor

About the Game

Lords of Waterdeep is a worker placement game for 2-5 players which was released in 2012. It has become a standard at open gaming events and tournaments.

Players gain points or resources through completing quests, constructing buildings, playing intrigue cards or having other players utilize the buildings you have constructed. At the end of 8 rounds of play, the player who has accrued the most points wins the game.

Your position

You are playing: Red

 

Your Lord is: Khelben Arlinsun who rewards Arcana and Warfare.

Your buildings: None

On hand you have:

  • Four Intrigue cards, two of which are mandatory quests
  • 5 money
  • 2 white cubes and 1 orange cube

About the Game

You are playing a 4 player game, currently in the 5th round

Black has completed four quests, two of which are plot quests

Blue has completed one quest, which is a plot quest

Green has completed three quests, none of which are plot quests

Current score:

  • Green: 39
  • Red: 36
  • Blue: 20
  • Black: 20

The situation:

With your first agent, you have played on the middle slot of CliffWatch Inn, and collected your Intrigue card. You are deciding which quest to take.

Since your lord card rewards Arcana quests, you are looking at the two available Arcana quests and trying to decide which to choose.

Expose Red Wizard’s Spies requires one white cube, one orange cube, four black cubes, and two money. It pays out 20 VPs and an intrigue card.

Explore Arghairon’s Tower requires one purple cube, two black cubes, and two money.  It is a plot quest which gives an immediate reward of 6 VPs, but also lets you draw an intrigue card whenever you play a purple cube.

Do you choose?

  1. Expose Red Wizard’s Spies
  2. Explore Arghairon’s Tower

Discuss your rationale.

For more about the game, view the BGG page at: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/110327/lords-waterdeep

All images copyright Wizards of the Coast