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Luthier
#557BGG8.2RATING
Consulted 8 times·Updated Jul 10
1–4
PLAYERS
90–150
MINUTES
3
BEST WITH
3.8
HEAVY
DESIGNER CLARIFICATIONS20
Apprentice timing: removed after the action completesdesigner
- CONTEXT
- A player used an apprentice to bring their worker chip to power 4, then performed an action that consumed the apprentice. Question: does the 4+ bonus fire, given the apprentice leaves?
- RULING
- "The apprentice is removed from the game after you've completed the action, so your skill remains at 4 and you gain the 4+ bonus." ---
Action ordering: main action resolves before the 4+ skill bonusdesigner
- RULING
- "you perform the location's action first and then get the 4+ skill bonus." ---
Performance/repair token stacking and majority first chairdesigner
- CONTEXT
- Players unclear on whether multiple tokens per spot are allowed and how first chair is determined among them.
- RULING
- "There is no limit on how many tokens can be in each spot in the orchestra pit. If you place a performance/repair token in a spot where another performance/repair token is already on the first chair, then your token simply goes below the line and you get either 2 money or 1 inspiration. If you place another token in that same spot and now have more performance/repair tokens than anyone else you steal the first chair and gain the first chair bonus." ---
AUTHOR: richardwoods (Richard Woods, designer); confirmed by paverson (Dave Beck, designer)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.comDATE: 2024-07-22Instrument marker permanently claims first chair, pushing out tokensdesigner
- RULING
- "The first instrument token to be placed in a spot will always claim first chair, pushing out any performance/repair tokens." ---
4+ skill bonus applies when apprentice brings chip to level 4designer
- CONTEXT
- Player asked whether adding an apprentice to a worker chip of value 3, reaching a combined value of 4, triggers the 4+ skill bonus.
- RULING
- "Yes" — the 4+ skill bonus applies whenever apprentices bring your total worker value to 4 or higher, exactly as if the chip itself were at 4. ---
Each inspiration token reduces the cost of one resource cube onlydesigner
- CONTEXT
- Players were unclear whether spending multiple inspiration tokens at the market discounted all cubes of a given type or only individual cubes.
- RULING
- "each inspiration spent reduces the cost of a single resource cube, not all resource cubes of that type. So if you buy 3 Wood at 3 money each, and spend 2 inspiration, it will cost you 7 money instead of 9." ---
Search action gives one card of the matching type from the deckdesigner
- CONTEXT
- Player asked whether the Search action (10 lira) gives an extra card on top of a normal draw, or just 1 card.
- RULING
- "Just the 1 card from the deck (first card of the type you are looking for)." The 10-lira cost buys the right to choose the type, not an additional card. ---
Specialty worker actions do not block the 4+ skill bonusdesigner
- CONTEXT
- Players asked whether using a specialty action (e.g., Clairvoyant, Forecaster) instead of the normal action prevents earning the 4+ skill bonus.
- RULING
- "It doesn't matter what action you do at the location, if your skill level is 4+ (including apprentices) you get the 4+ bonus." ---
AUTHOR: silent_ringleader (Abe Burson, designer); confirmed by richardwoods (Richard Woods, designer)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.comDATE: 2024-07-31Workhorse specialty card: full finishing cost with no discountsdesigner
- CONTEXT
- Workhorse reads: "After completing the Roughing Bench Action, you may also finish 1 Instrument on your Finishing Bench (the usual resource costs apply)." Players asked whether finishing action discounts apply.
- RULING
- "You pay the full finishing cost. The discounts apply to the action, so since you're not doing the finishing action (you're doing the roughing action), you don't get the discounts." ---
Clairvoyant specialty card: dice roll still requireddesigner
- CONTEXT
- Clairvoyant lets you draw 3 performance cards, complete one, and discard the others. Players asked whether this bypasses the dice roll.
- RULING
- "You still have to roll the dice for the performance you chose from the 3 cards drawn." ---
Solo: AI ignores repair cards it cannot legally completedesigner
- CONTEXT
- When the solo AI takes a Repair action, players were uncertain whether it considered display cards beyond its repair level.
- RULING
- "The AI ignores any repairs in the display that it cannot complete due to being at level 1 or 2 repair action card. Don't take these cards into account when determining which repair it will choose. So if the AI action card is at level 1, and the two repairs in the display are worth 3PP and 2PP, the only card it can choose is the one worth 2PP." ---
Solo: AI deck pull also too high — discard and end the actiondesigner
- CONTEXT
- Edge case where the AI cannot take any display card, searches the deck, but the first drawn card also exceeds its completion level.
- RULING
- "You'd simply discard the 4PP repair card that was pulled from the deck and end the AI's action. This mimics a human player looking through the deck for a repair they want, only to find they don't have the materials needed to complete it." ---
Rare Percussion/Keyboard first chair reward: top of the instrument deckdesigner
- CONTEXT
- Players unsure what the first icon in the Rare Percussion/Keyboard first chair reward means — whether it follows Guild action rules or works differently.
- RULING
- "Top Deck! It is a little callout on pg. 24, easy to miss!" The reward grants the top card of the face-down instrument deck, not a card from the face-up display. ---
Apprentice returns to market after the individual worker's action completesdesigner
- CONTEXT
- Players uncertain about when an apprentice used to boost a worker becomes available again for other workers at the same location.
- RULING
- The apprentice returns to the market after that individual worker's action is fully resolved — it is available to any subsequent worker visiting the same location during the same round. ---
Patron patience reset does not grant the gift bonusdesigner
- CONTEXT
- When a patron's secondary requirement is fulfilled and the patience track resets, players asked whether the gift bonus printed on the patron card is also awarded.
- RULING
- Resetting the patience track does not grant the gift bonus. Only performing the Salon (++) action grants the patron's gift. ---
Rep track award space recurs with each subsequent advancedesigner
- CONTEXT
- Players asked whether the rep track space that lets you score a public award can be triggered more than once.
- RULING
- "Yes, can be triggered multiple times. Usual award rules still apply, so can only score each award once, cannot score a level someone else has already claimed, can score max 3 awards." Each subsequent advance past this space scores 2 VP and may trigger the award again. ---
No limit to patron completions; tuck extras under another patron carddesigner
- CONTEXT
- Players asked whether there is a physical limit (e.g., 5 patron slots) on how many patrons can be completed in a game.
- RULING
- There is no limit to how many patrons you can complete. If you complete more than 5 patrons (exhausting your tableau space), tuck the additional completed card under any other patron card on your board. ---
Second instrument of same type is placed below the linedesigner
- CONTEXT
- Designer confirming how a second crafted instrument of the same type is placed in the orchestra when first chair is already occupied by the same instrument type (including the 2-player neutral start position).
- RULING
- "If [someone] makes another cello, do they also place an instrument piece in the same space, but below the line?" — Confirmed: yes, the second piece goes below the line and receives only the generic bonus (2 coins or 1 inspiration). It does not displace the first-chair instrument. ---
Instrument first chair cannot be displaced by another instrumentdesigner
- CONTEXT
- A player asked whether placing an instrument marker alongside a repair token in a spot already occupied by an opponent's first-chair instrument would displace the opponent.
- RULING
- "I think not, once the first chair has been taken with an instrument marker (the large wooden piece), it is permanent. Only the performance and mending tokens can be bumped down." ---
Solo: ties in final score go to the AIdesigner
- CONTEXT
- Player asked how to break a tie with the AI in solo mode.
- RULING
- Ties in final score go to the AI (Competitor). The human player must score strictly more points than the AI to win. ---
Q&A2
Rep track award space with all shield tokens already removedcommunity high-engagement
- QUESTION
- If a player has already claimed all 3 public award levels (all 3 shield tokens removed), what happens when they advance to the rep track space that lets them score an award?
- ANSWER
- They get nothing from that space. The rep track award space lets you claim a public objective you have not yet claimed (removing a shield token). If all 3 shields are already removed, the space has no effect for that player. (OP self-confirmed citing designer clarification from another thread; consistent with D16.) ---
Competitor specialty worker: reduces threshold, not a guaranteed level-upcommunity high-engagement
- QUESTION
- Does the Competitor specialty worker guarantee bumping up one full public award level when scoring at the Balcony, or does it only reduce each level's requirement?
- ANSWER
- Competitor reduces each award level's qualifying threshold by 1 (you need 1 fewer of the required criteria per level). It does not grant an automatic level-up — you still need at least some qualifying criteria to access any level. For an award with thresholds [1, 2, 3], Competitor makes them effectively [0, 1, 2], but you cannot claim level 1 if you have zero qualifying criteria.
Last researched: 2026-06-09
CATEGORIES
Age of Reason·Industry / Manufacturing·Music
MECHANICS
Area Majority / InfluenceAuction / BiddingDice RollingEnd Game BonusesOpen DraftingSolo / Solitaire GameTurn Order: Claim ActionVariable Phase OrderVariable Player Powers
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