STEP 1 - SET UP

Initially we form the material deck according to the number of players. From this deck, 6 cards are drawn randomly from each player. In addition we deal 5 cards to form the market in a circle, where all players can reach and in the middle we place the first player token.

From the 24 art object cards we choose 20 of them and we prepare 2 decks of 10 cards each, following the rules. We place them in two separate stacks on the table so all players can reach them and we place between them the round card and the cube on the first round spot, to indicate the round of the game. The leftmost deck has more easy art objects to craft and the rightmost has more difficult art objects. In the first 6 turns of the game we use the left deck and we start using the right deck on the 7th round. We reveal 4 art objects randomly from the left deck and we also reveal the topmost object of the deck so players can see what is coming.

STEP 2 - PICK YOUR ARTISAN

There are 9 Artisan character cards in the game. Each Artisan has a unique ability that will help players form a strategy. The youngest player takes all 9 Artisans, picks one, places the Artisan face up in front of them and then passes the others to the next player clockwise. After all players have picked an Artisan, return the others to the box. They will not be needed for the rest of the game.

STEP 3 - CRAFT AN ART OBJECT AND/OR VISIT THE MARKET

Every game of Artisans is played over 12 rounds and every round has 2 phases. The youngest player starts and then we continue in clockwise order.

In the first phase players may perform any out of 2 actions.

They can either “CRAFT AN ART OBJECT”, once every round and only at their first turn, if they have developed their material skills on the right level.

OR

“VISIT THE MARKET” where players can collect or trade material cards. If players have less than 6 cards in their hand they can collect a material card. If they have 6 materials in their hand they choose one card from their hand and swap it with the desired card in the Market under one condition: The card they are placing into the Market may not be the same as the cards on either side of the card it is replacing (left or right).

Play continues until one player chooses to take the First Player token. In that point the market closes and all other players can visit the market one last time.

STEP 4 - DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS

In the second phase the player with the First Player token goes first and play continues in clockwise order. Players choose 1 type of material among the cards in their hand and play as many cards of that type as they wish in front of them, face up at level I. If they have already developed a material at level I and they wish to play the same material, they will place the cards at level II and so on. But when they develop a material to the next level, the cards they play must be equal or less in number, than the cards of the previous level of that material. At the end of the game, each material card scores points equal to their said level.

STEP 5 - END GAME SCORING

After 12 rounds players score points for all the art objects they crafted, plus points for each material card they played according to their level and additional points from their Artisan character. The player with the most points is the winner!

Congratulations! You are the best Artisan of all time!

Add-ons