The craftsmen are utilized near the end of each round for cathedral building.

On the lower picture edge of the card a formula shows how a craftsman can transform resources into victory points. The number in the resource symbol (on the left) indicates how many resources are required.

The number in the arch (on the right) indicates how many victory points are awarded. The number in the arrow determines the capacity of the craftsman. The number indicates the maximum number of times a craftsman may be used in a round.

Example: The woodworker that each player begins the game with transforms 2 wood into 1 victory point. He has a capacity of 4, which allows him to at most transform 8 wood into 4 VPs during any given round.

As the game progresses, better craftsmen emerge, each with a better resource-to-VP scoring ratio and/or more capacity.

Example: The starting stonecutter can transform 2 stone into 1 victory point. A mason only needs 1 stone for 1 victory point, and a sculptor makes 2 victory points from a single stone.

Besides the normal craftsmen who turn resources into victory points, there are several craftsmen with special abilities that only come into play at the end of each round:

• The Goldsmith changes 3 gold into 1 victory point.

  Example: The player reduces his gold score by 12 and receives 4 victory points.

  
  
  

• The Architect earns 1 victory point.

  Note: No resources are used or needed. He does take up one of your craftsman cottages, which another craftsman could use.

• The Tool Maker awards 2 gold to an owner that has at least 1 metal at the end of the round. The metal is not consumed (so you do not return it to the metal supply).

  
  
  

• The Master Woodworker can transform 1 wood into 4 gold. This can be done twice per round, transforming at most 2 wood into 8 gold. Return the wood to the supply.

  
  
  

• The Bellmaker, Glassblower and Organ Builder all use metal to produce victory points. The Glassblower also needs sand, and the Organ Builder consumes wood in addition to metal.

  
  
  

Remember: Each player can engage only 5 craftsmen!

Requirements For Craftsmen

The three types of craftsmen that the players start the game are not as efficient at converting resources to victory points when compared to craftsmen available later in the game.

Since players may only engage 5 craftsmen at a time, old craftsmen are often exchanged during the game for new ones. However, these three beginning craftsmen (which are marked with an exclamation point on the cards) have some important additional functions that must be considered:

• Without a stonecutter, a player cannot sell stones at the resource market!

• Without a woodworker, a player cannot purchase wood at the resource market!

• Without a mortar mixer, a player cannot earn victory points with a mason!

Note that there are craftsmen available in round one with the same name that also have the T symbol on them. You may upgrade your craftsmen to these versions without losing the above benefits.

Note: You have to decide if replacing a basic craftsman is worth losing the extra benefits, compared to the formulas the advanced craftsmen provide.

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