Viticulture Essential Edition

#44BGG8.0RATING

Consulted 6 times·Updated Sep 12

1–6

PLAYERS

45–90

MINUTES

BEST WITH

2.9

MEDIUM

Ask Mira about Viticulture Essential Edition

ERRATA6

Rulebook page 9 vine-value example is a typodesignerpublisher
RULING
"You're right, this appears to be a typo in the rulebook--my apologies. The field on page 9 has a total value of 5 (you add together all the values on the vine cards)."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(3 replies, 5 thumbs)DATE: 2017-01-02
The "one-way conversion" arrow icon does not exist in the gamedesignerpublisher
RULING
"I can't think of anywhere in the game where we use it. [...] we're removing references to the icon [...] That includes the icon itself, plus all references to it in the rulebook on two different pages." Ignore the one-way-conversion paragraph entirely; no card in Viticulture Essential Edition uses that icon.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(19 replies, 5 thumbs)DATE: 2021-01-14
Homesteader: the 3-lira version is the correct carddesignerpublisher
RULING
"Good catch! The new version is correct." The Essential Edition Homesteader (3-lira structure discount) supersedes the older 1-lira printing.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(17 replies, 2 thumbs)DATE: 2015-12-19
Promoter: the revised card reads "grape OR wine token"designerpublisher
RULING
"The revised version reads: Discard 1 grape or 1 wine token to gain a victory point and a residual."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(3 replies, 4 thumbs)DATE: 2015-10-10
Automa setup: the VP marker goes on the 20 space, not a "Win" spacedesigner
RULING
"The 20 space on the victory point track used to be labelled 'Win', but it was changed to 'End' in Essential Edition [...] but the Automa rules were not updated to reflect this. [...] the victory point marker of the Automa goes on the space that gives it 20 victory points (unless you play the Aggressive Variant or amp up the difficulty)."
AUTHOR: mortenmdk (Morten Monrad Pedersen, designer of the Automa solo mode)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(8 replies, 2 thumbs)DATE: 2016-01-19
Essential Edition has no starting Pinot carddesignerpublisher
RULING
"That rule is just for the first and second editions--please ignore it and just follow the setup instructions as noted in the Essential edition." Players do not begin with a Pinot vine card; starting cards come from Mama and Papa only.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(5 replies)DATE: 2018-03-18

DESIGNER CLARIFICATIONS26

A grande worker never shares an action spacedesignerpublisher
CONTEXT
Players repeatedly assume the grande worker is stacked onto an occupied action space, and therefore inherits that space's bonus.
RULING
"The grande worker can't share an action space with another worker. Rather, you place it on the general area of the action, and you only take the action (no bonus)."
SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(3 replies, 4 thumbs)DATE: 2025-11-15
The grande worker is a normal worker unless every space is fulldesignerpublisher
RULING
"The way the grande worker works is it's a regular worker that follows all rules for regular workers. OR, if all available action spaces are taken (based on player count), you can place your grande worker on the art for the action to take the action. [...] The only time you ever get a bonus is if you place a worker on a bonus action space."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(8 replies)DATE: 2018-06-12
There is no limit to how many grande workers use the same actiondesignerpublisher
RULING
"There is no limit to the number of grande workers that can use an action."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(13 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2019-12-19
Your workers ignore each otherdesignerpublisher
RULING
"Just as a general rule of thumb in Viticulture, workers don't care about what your other workers are doing. If you already have a worker on an action space, if there's another action space available on a future turn, you can place another worker or grande worker there."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(15 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2017-09-12
The action is mandatory, the bonus is optionaldesignerpublisher
RULING
"The action itself is mandatory, but the bonus is always optional. [...] You do have to complete the action to take the action--for example, you can't put a worker on the 'plant 1 vine' action if you don't or can't plant a vine. But the bonus is separate--it's optional."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(18 replies)DATE: 2016-01-11
You may take the bonus before or after the actiondesignerpublisher
CONTEXT
With 3 lira and the +1 lira bonus on "Build a structure", players asked whether the bonus lira can fund the build.
RULING
"You can gain the bonus before or after the action, so both are correct."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(11 replies)DATE: 2018-06-10
A bonus space can be claimed directly while it is opendesignerpublisher
RULING
"You can go on a bonus spot suitable for number of players anytime it is open. So you do not have to (and usually wouldn't) place on the empty first spot."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(11 replies, 4 thumbs)DATE: 2025-04-09
There are no action-space bonuses in a 2-player gamedesignerpublisher
RULING
"An action space can only have at most 1 worker. However, even if the one action space available in a 2-player game is occupied by a worker, the grande worker can still be placed on the action (the general area of the action, not one of the other spaces). There are no bonuses on action spaces in a 2-player game."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(5 replies, 3 thumbs)DATE: 2026-01-18
All players advance through the seasons togetherdesignerpublisher
RULING
"All players are always in the same season in Viticulture. If you passed out of summer, you'll wait until all players pass out of summer. Turn order for each season follows the wake-up chart."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(5 replies, 3 thumbs)DATE: 2025-01-25
Fall requires no workerdesignerpublisher
RULING
"There's no worker placement in the fall season of the Viticulture board. Each player just draws a visitor card of their choice in wake-up order. [...] you're only DRAWING a visitor card in the fall, not PLAYING it."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(23 replies)DATE: 2016-05-29
Aging at end of year is mandatorydesignerpublisher
RULING
"Yes, grapes and wine must age if possible."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(6 replies, 4 thumbs)DATE: 2026-04-05
Multi-step aging happens all at once and may leapfrogdesignerpublisher
CONTEXT
Cards such as Cellar Dweller that age a single wine several times — can the token pass a wine already occupying an intermediate value?
RULING
"My ruling is that when an ability allows for the same token to be aged multiple times, the aging happens all at once, allowing the possibility for you to leapfrog over another token. [...] Pick up a wine token. Put it down in a legal place that is 1, 2, or 3 spaces beyond where it was when you picked it up."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(20 replies, 3 thumbs)DATE: 2022-08-01
Overvalued tokens are created, then devalued to an open spacedesignerpublisher
RULING
"You can create or age a grape or wine token that is overvalued and simply devalue it to an available space. [...] You're gaining the full benefit, but the wine token only actually ends up moving forwards 2 spaces." A card whose full effect would overshoot your cellar is still legal to play.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(6 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2023-12-08
Blush and sparkling wines devalue the same waydesignerpublisher
RULING
"The intended meaning is that when you create a blush or sparkling wine for which there isn't an available spot in your cellar, you would devalue it until you find an open spot." Only the wine token being created is devalued — the grapes are spent at their printed values.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(9 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2017-08-29
Each field is harvested at most once per yeardesignerpublisher
RULING
"You can only harvest each field once per year (the entire year, not once per season)." Using the Yoke on a field in summer therefore rules that field out of the winter harvest action.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(11 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2018-11-01
Same-colour grapes on a field always combinedesignerpublisher
RULING
"Indeed, you must always combine same colors on a field. The sum represents the overall quality of the grapes off the vine." You may not choose to harvest a red 1 and a red 2 as two separate tokens.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(5 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2022-08-06
Taking an action always requires placing a workerdesignerpublisher
RULING
"To take an action in Viticulture, you must place a worker. So to train a worker, you place a worker on an available action space (or the Grande worker on the art near the action if the action spaces are full), pay the $4 (or $3 if you're on the middle action space), and then place the newly trained worker nearby on the board."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(4 replies)DATE: 2017-09-02
Visitor effects resolve in wake-up orderdesignerpublisher
RULING
"You do it in player order (the wake-up track, starting at the top of the track). [...] whenever 'player order' is mentioned, it equates to wake-up order." Only the player who played the visitor places a worker; the others simply respond in turn.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(4 replies)DATE: 2019-05-30
Making wine from a card follows the normal wine-making rulesdesignerpublisher
RULING
"Page 15 applies to anywhere in the game where it says 'make wine.' The process of making wine in Viticulture is the same, whether it's written on the board or on a visitor card. You cannot [...] make wine out of thin air."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(17 replies)DATE: 2018-02-10
Solo/2-player: a bonus action token only unlocks the bonus of the space you placed ondesigner
RULING
"The bonus action tokens can only give you the bonus of an action on which you place a worker. Since only one normal worker can be on an action in solo/2-player you must use your grande + bonus action token to get the bonus of an action the Automa has a worker on."
AUTHOR: mortenmdk (Morten Monrad Pedersen, designer of the Automa solo mode)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(8 replies, 3 thumbs)DATE: 2025-11-10
One bonus action token per worker placement, and a placement is a turndesigner
RULING
"Each of your worker placements is a separate turn. This is important because you can spend 1 bonus action token per turn." Tokens accumulate, so a player can spend several in one year across several placements — but never two on the same placement.
AUTHOR: mortenmdk (Morten Monrad Pedersen, designer of the Automa solo mode)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(9 replies, 4 thumbs)DATE: 2025-03-18
The grande worker may take a bonus on an Automa-occupied actiondesigner
RULING
"Yes, you can place your grande worker on an action where the Automa is and pay a glass token to take the bonus action in addition to the normal action."
AUTHOR: mortenmdk (Morten Monrad Pedersen, designer of the Automa solo mode)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(20 replies, 3 thumbs)DATE: 2020-09-19
In multiplayer, the grande must physically occupy the bonus spacedesignerpublisher
RULING
"For multiplayer Viticulture, the grande worker MUST be on the actual bonus action space (just like any other worker) to gain the bonus." Bonus action tokens exist only in the solo mode.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(11 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2016-05-17
You decide on a bonus action token after seeing the result of the main actiondesigner
RULING
"You choose whether to use the bonus token after seeing the result of your primary action." This is deliberately different from the multiplayer bonus timing.
AUTHOR: mortenmdk (Morten Monrad Pedersen, designer of the Automa solo mode)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(11 replies, 2 thumbs)DATE: 2020-03-30
The Automa places one worker per directive; the player makes no choices for itdesigner
RULING
"If it is a card with 3 directives for summer, Automa places one worker on each of the three spots. You don't make choices for the Automa, the card does and you fully resolve all actions on the card."
AUTHOR: mortenmdk (Morten Monrad Pedersen, designer of the Automa solo mode)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(10 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2020-01-10
Solo: remove visitor cards that depend on opponentsdesigner
RULING
"Remove any visitor cards that only give you a benefit if another player takes an action. Alternatively you can keep them in the deck and just redraw when you draw one of them." In Viticulture Essential Edition the affected cards are Swindler, Governor and Queen.
AUTHOR: mortenmdk (Morten Monrad Pedersen, designer of the Automa solo mode)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(14 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2021-06-16

Q&A23

Does the residual payment tracker reset at the end of the year?designerpublisher
QUESTION
After collecting residuals at year end, does the residual payment tracker return to 0?
ANSWER
No. Residuals are collected each year and the tracker keeps its position.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(3 replies)DATE: 2017-02-23
Is 25 victory points a hard cap?designer
QUESTION
The victory point track ends at 25 — can a player score beyond it?
ANSWER
Yes. 25 was a hard limit in earlier editions, but Essential Edition removed that limit (stated in the "Goal" section on page 1 of the rulebook). Track any excess separately.
AUTHOR: mortenmdk (Morten Monrad Pedersen, designer of the Automa solo mode)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(7 replies, 2 thumbs)DATE: 2016-05-02
Can a newly trained worker be used in the same year?designerpublisher
QUESTION
The Governess lets you train a worker "that you may use this year" — is that a one-year worker or a permanent one?
ANSWER
"By default, when you train a worker, you cannot use them until the next year. So whenever you see on a card that you may use the worker this year, that's an exception to the rule (and the worker is permanent)."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(8 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2016-02-24
Does the Professor's train action work differently from the board action?designerpublisher
QUESTION
Can a worker trained via the Professor be used immediately?
ANSWER
"It's the same action, just a different cost. By default, whenever you train a worker, you cannot use that worker until the next year."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(10 replies)DATE: 2018-02-10
What counts as "a total of 6 workers"?designerpublisher
QUESTION
For cards such as the Uncertified Teacher and the Professor, when does a player "have" 6 workers?
ANSWER
"If a player has 0 untrained workers, they have a total of 6 workers (5 regular and 1 grande)." A worker counts as soon as it is trained, even though it cannot act until the following year.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(9 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2016-02-22
Does the generic worker icon on a card include special workers?designerpublisher
QUESTION
Can a card that retrieves "a worker" retrieve a special worker or the grande?
ANSWER
"The worker icon reads 'any worker,' so it applies to any type of worker."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(9 replies)DATE: 2018-02-09
Does the Assessor count itself?designerpublisher
QUESTION
The Assessor gains 1 lira per card in hand — does the Assessor itself count while being resolved?
ANSWER
"Once you play the card, it's no longer in your hand." The Assessor does not count itself.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(6 replies)DATE: 2019-04-16
Can the Innkeeper draw itself back?designerpublisher
QUESTION
Does the Innkeeper hit the discard pile in time to be one of the two cards it draws?
ANSWER
"The key clause is 'As you play this card,' which means that you're in the act of playing the card--you haven't discarded it yet--when you draw the top card of 2 different discard piles." The Innkeeper cannot draw itself.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(6 replies)DATE: 2016-08-28
What exactly does the Innkeeper give you?designerpublisher
QUESTION
Does the Innkeeper place cards on the discard piles or take them?
ANSWER
"The Innkeeper lets you gain 2 cards (the top cards of 2 different discard piles on the board). They go to your hand."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(3 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2018-05-27
Does the Letter Exporter grant 2 VP on every option?designerpublisher
QUESTION
"Produce up to 2 wine, fill 1 order, or discard 1 wine and gain 2 VP" — do the 2 VP attach to all three options?
ANSWER
"Each benefit is separated by commas, so you only gain 2 VP if you choose the 'discard 1 wine' option."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(3 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2018-05-27
Does the Cheesemonger count every wine type?designerpublisher
QUESTION
Does "1 residual per wine token in your cellar" include blush and sparkling wines?
ANSWER
"It looks at all wine tokens in your cellar, regardless of type."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(13 replies)DATE: 2016-05-04
What does the grey wine glass icon mean?designerpublisher
QUESTION
On visitor cards, does the grey glass mean red or white only?
ANSWER
"A grey wine token (similar to a gray card icon) means 'any wine token'."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(3 replies)DATE: 2017-12-17
Does the number on a grape icon mean quantity or value?designerpublisher
QUESTION
On cards like the Premium Vintner, does "5" next to a grape icon mean five tokens or a value-5 token?
ANSWER
"If the 5 is to the left of the icon, it indicates the quantity (i.e., 5 different grape tokens). If it's inside of the icon, it indicates the value (i.e., a 5-value grape token)."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(4 replies)DATE: 2017-06-22
Does the Uncertified Architect also charge the lira cost?designerpublisher
QUESTION
Do you pay the structure's lira cost in addition to losing 1 or 2 VP?
ANSWER
"The cost of building the structures is listed on the visitor cards (1 VP or 2 VP)." The VP is the entire cost; no lira are paid.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(6 replies)DATE: 2017-01-14
Do discounts stack with the full price rule on the Crush Expert?designerpublisher
QUESTION
When a card offers a benefit and an option, do you get both halves?
ANSWER
"It's noted in the rulebook that you always pay full cost unless the card specifically indicates otherwise." Read the card's OR as a genuine choice between the two halves.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(6 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2019-05-13
Does the Overseer let you build a prerequisite and then plant?designerpublisher
QUESTION
Can the Overseer's build step provide the trellis or irrigation that its plant step requires?
ANSWER
Yes, but the whole card must be resolvable: "For visitor cards in Viticulture, you must do all of the things on the card (or else you can't play them)."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(4 replies)DATE: 2018-10-09
Does "all players" include the player who played the card?designerpublisher
QUESTION
Can the player who plays the Motivator also retrieve their own grande worker?
ANSWER
"Yes, if a card says 'all players,' it includes the player who played the card."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(5 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2021-06-04
Who chooses on the Queen, and can a partial option be taken?designerpublisher
QUESTION
If the targeted player only has 1 card, may they give 1 card instead of 2?
ANSWER
"You must choose one of those options. Choosing 1 card is not an option." The targeted player picks among the options they can fully satisfy, and also chooses which cards to hand over (https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1701703).
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(7 replies)DATE: 2018-03-27
Must Jack of All Trades pick two different actions?designerpublisher
QUESTION
Can the same listed action be chosen twice?
ANSWER
"You do have to choose 2 different things."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(6 replies)DATE: 2016-05-02
Can the Influencer be played with no stars left to place?designerpublisher
QUESTION
If a player has no stars in supply, may they still play the Influencer to move stars?
ANSWER
"For this specific card, if you can't place a star (specifically, place, not move), you can't play this visitor."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(7 replies)DATE: 2018-06-24
Are cottage cards drawn face down?designerpublisher
QUESTION
In the fall, does the cottage's extra card get chosen after looking?
ANSWER
"When you draw cards with the cottage, you draw without looking at the card. This is to prevent someone from slowing down what is a very quick part of the game."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(7 replies)DATE: 2018-03-29
Does the Architect's "£4 structure" mean exactly 4?designer
QUESTION
Does "gain 1 VP for each £4 structure you have built" include structures costing more than 4?
ANSWER
"It's only the structures that have an exact cost of £4 that gives 1 VP." In the base game that is the Medium Cellar and the Cottage.
AUTHOR: mortenmdk (Morten Monrad Pedersen, designer of the Automa solo mode; Stonemaier Games)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(7 replies, 4 thumbs)DATE: 2015-12-16
Does the Zymologist's wine keep aging?designerpublisher
QUESTION
The Zymologist makes wine too valuable for the current cellar — does that wine then age normally?
ANSWER
"It'll age within the cellar it ends up in, but not out of that cellar." The card allows tokens of up to value 9, since "4 or greater" spans the printed cellar numbers.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(9 replies, 3 thumbs)DATE: 2018-07-23

EDGE CASES9

Taster: "most valuable wine in any player's cellar" includes your owndesignerpublisher
SITUATION
A player holds the single most valuable wine in the game and wants to discard a lesser wine to the Taster while still claiming the 2 VP.
RULING
"You must discard the most valuable wine in the game ('any player' includes you) to gain the 2 VP. So in this example, you must discard the 8-value wine to gain the bonus 2 VP."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(12 replies, 4 thumbs)DATE: 2025-03-20
Uncertified Teacher counts a temporary workerdesignerpublisher
SITUATION
An opponent has 5 trained workers plus a temporary worker when the Uncertified Teacher is played.
RULING
"A temporary worker currently in the possession of a player counts towards that player's worker total." The Uncertified Teacher triggers for that opponent.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(8 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2017-01-07
Landscaper: drawing a vine you cannot plant is legaldesignerpublisher
SITUATION
A player plays the Landscaper with no trellis, so the drawn vine cannot legally be planted.
RULING
"You have to try to fulfill the visitor card's instructions, but if you cannot plant a vine card even after you draw one, that's fine."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(14 replies, 2 thumbs)DATE: 2016-01-27
Planter: the uprooted vine and the discarded vine need not be the same carddesignerpublisher
SITUATION
Choosing the Planter's "uproot and discard 1 vine to gain 2 VP" option with other vine cards in hand.
RULING
"You will pick up 1 vine card from your fields, then discard any 1 vine card from hand." Confirmed against the Sharecropper example, which reads the same way.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(16 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2018-02-15
Planner: a spot reserved for a future season may end up unusabledesignerpublisher
SITUATION
The Planner reserves a winter action space that the player may not be able to use once winter arrives.
RULING
"It must be a valid spot based on player count, but it could be a spot that you're not sure if you'll be able to use it until you reach the winter. If it isn't valid by the time you reach the winter, the worker does nothing." The bonus, if any, is gained when the action is taken, not when the worker is placed (https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1912186).
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(8 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2018-11-03
Manager cannot be used to play the Plannerdesignerpublisher
SITUATION
A player uses the winter Manager to take a summer action, and uses that action to play the Planner.
RULING
"You can only choose actions in the current year, so given that there is no season after winter in the current year, you would not legally be able to play the Planner after playing the Manager."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(5 replies, 3 thumbs)DATE: 2016-03-06
Manager cannot return to the spring wake-up selectiondesignerpublisher
SITUATION
A player wants the Manager to re-take a wake-up chart position.
RULING
"Choosing a wake-up time isn't an action--an action is a place with worker-placement action spaces." The Manager cannot reach the spring chart.
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(5 replies)DATE: 2017-10-16
Son-in-Law triggers off a Virtuoso-granted first actiondesignerpublisher
SITUATION
The Virtuoso is played as the first winter action and grants a free earlier-season action; the Son-in-Law is then played and refers to "your first action".
RULING
"This is my ruling as the designer, not a house rule: [...] given that it's a bit nebulous and you're still within that first winter action, I think the more fun answer is that you can use the benefit of the Son-in-Law during the current turn."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(5 replies, 3 thumbs)DATE: 2022-07-31
Blocking with an unusable action is not allowed, but harvesting with a full crush pad isdesignerpublisher
SITUATION
A player wants to harvest when there is no room on the crush pad for the resulting grape token.
RULING
"For harvesting, even if there isn't room for a grape token, you're still making that token." The rule against placing a worker on an action you cannot perform exists only to stop pure blocking: "you don't place a worker on an action simply to block other players from doing it."
AUTHOR: jameystegmaier (Jamey Stegmaier, designer + publisher)SOURCE: boardgamegeek.com(5 replies, 1 thumb)DATE: 2019-07-13

Last researched: 2026-08-09

Not an AI guessing rules. A curated archive.

Every answer Mira gives is grounded in an official rulebook — not in what a language model thinks the rules probably say. Our team reads, structures, and curates each game's rulebook before Mira can answer a single question about it.

An opponent's settlement blocks your road network — your road cannot be built through or past an occupied intersection.

◆ Catan — Roads & Building, p. 7

At the end of each round, the player with the most of the goal trait scores points equal to their amount; the player with the second most scores fewer.

◆ Wingspan — End of Round, p. 11

Null cards deal 0 damage regardless of base value or any bonuses applied.

◆ Gloomhaven — Attack Modifier Deck, p. 23

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