Tech for Village; Tech from craftsman is a powerful bonus action that has more effect the earlier you play it. The more turns it is on the board the more you will be able to use it. Getting tech starts with a tech that will cover a farmer – that farmer should be the one for the village. If that’s not immediately obvious, I see it as key because this farmer is one of a three piece set and because this action will be the one that allows you to get more tech. Time is always a pressing issue. The cathedral must be completed in the third round at the latest, and if a tile can no longer be placed elsewhere with an action, it must go into the bell tower, with that tower’s toll ending the round. There’s also two new Beneficial Deeds boards. It’s a double-sided board, each providing cool new rewards and bonuses. You send Followers here to go on permanent ‘placement’. (Thinking of Orléans as having worker placement traits to it; you place the Followers here, to gain the stated reward.) I like, “point salad” games. That is, games that have multiple paths to acquiring victory points. Games like Pulsar 2849 or Rajas of the Ganges. Before receiving theInvasionexpansion, we hadn’t played a whole lot of Orléans, but the games we did play were really enjoyable two -player experiences.Orléans Invasionis a big box expansion forOrléans which contains lots of scenarios designed by both the original designer and by Inka and Markus Brand who are also really well renowned designers.

For those who enjoy the base game, Orleans offers several expansions and variants that can further enhance the gameplay experience.

I love the complexity of the puzzle provided by both the cooperative game and the duel scenario. Both give you a reason to decide to go about an action in a certain way. You might travel round a board in a slightly circuitous route to collect more resources to pay your dues in the duel scenario. Or in the Invasion scenario you might travel to the next location for a fortified town, via a spot you need to go to for your personal objective. The puzzle is all about efficiency (and I love efficiency!). Both the scenarios have resulted in really tight games for us and it really gives us an appetite to play more. The game takes place in the Loire region in medieval France, with Orleans being at the heart. You’ll aim to move around the area from town to town, whether that’s by canal or by road. Can you build trade houses along the way? (If so, you’ll get rewarded in the form of ye olde victory points!) Orleans is a Euro-style strategy game, so whoever has the most points at the end of 18 rounds wins. In Orleans, players assume the role of powerful leaders seeking to expand their influence and fortune in the bustling city of Orleans and its surrounding provinces. The game is played over a series of rounds, with players taking turns to perform various actions such as recruiting followers, constructing buildings, and gathering resources. Prosperity : An extensive scenario introducing new Events and a Carpenter that all players may use to build Structures for victory points, designed by Inka and Markus Brand.

During medieval Orléans, you must assemble a following of farmers, merchants, knights, monks, etc. to gain supremacy through trade, construction and science in medieval France. Orleans: Invasion – This cooperative expansion requires players to work together to defend the city of Orleans from outside threats, adding a new layer of strategy and cooperation to the game. The expansion includes a new scenario for 2-5 players, a co-operative scenario, a two-player only duel scenario and a number of solo scenarios. We never play any solo games, so the focus of this expansion for us was the duel scenario and the co-operative scenario. We didn’t really feel likeOrléansneeded any expansion content, given that it plays extremely well with two players and is the style of competitive game that doesn’t get very in-your-face, but let’s see ifOrléans: Invasionis a must have for us. Orléans Invasion Gameplay – Invasion This game is quite simply, amazing. It’s very easy to learn but can become quite the brain twister as you try to determine what “townsfolk” you want to put into your bag for the next round. You’ll have 28 rounds to pull it all off. Those 18 rounds are determined by (3X)6 tiles that are randomly shuffled before the game. Maybe in the second round you’ll have to pay 1 coin for the goods you just acquired? Maybe everybody else will get one coin for every trade house they built on the map while you failed to do it because...THATS JUST NOT YOUR STRATEGY!. At it’s heart, Orleans takes place on your player mat. You can send the Followers that you draw each round to locations to accomplish certain deeds. Send the right quantity – or specific combination – of Followers to locations, and you could earn more Followers.

Replay Value

Orleans can be a little overwhelming at first as you try to get to grip with the options.The gameplay is straightforward though, and everything on your player board makes sense. It's especially important to have everything out and set-up as you explain how to play. Set-up is going to take a while too. I've upgraded my copy with the fan kit which lets you use meeples instead of the cardboard chits for characters, and technology, plus a fifth player. Orleans: Stories – This narrative-driven expansion adds a campaign mode, where players can progress through a series of scenarios with evolving objectives, rules, and components. Want more gold? Recruit boatmen, more resources, farmers. Craftsmen offer technology which can be permanently added to one space on your player board - making it cheaper forever. The trader gets you a choice of extra buildings, which are basically extra action spaces for you. The monks act as a wild follower and I've already mentioned the knights and scholars. Randomness of the workers. That’s to say, you randomly unveil workers that you then have to distribute in the best way possible. Games like Alien Frontiers.

New Beneficial Deeds : a new Beneficial Deeds board providing completely new rewards for sending away your Followers The game isn’t necessarily a, “real time” game but drawing from your bag and assigning townsfolk can be done simultaneously to speed up play. Monks; Monks can be anything. Get as many of them, as early and with as little else in your bag. This is the way to be flexible. this is the way to always maximise your actions. Don’t end up with more monks than you need, but in reality this is almost impossible as everyone will rush for the monks.

Categories

Cull; The late game is all about thinning the bag. It’s time to take out everything you don’t need as you go, and putting it into the central board that scores points. You will make it more efficient to draw for the final rounds and ensure you get the right pieces at the right time. Also, in the base game, the Town Hall Beneficial Deeds board is a bit boring, but it's the only way to thin your followers from your bag, so you will use it.Player interaction is mid-range with it mainly be racing to get the citizens or build in the nearest areas on the map. Orleans: Trade & Intrigue – This expansion introduces new actions, events, and intrigue cards, adding more depth and variety to the gameplay. These expansions introduce new mechanics, additional components, and alternative ways to play, ensuring that even the most seasoned Orleans players will continue to find new challenges and excitement in the game: For me, the co-operative Invasion scenario is the stand-out in the expansion box. The duel was also great, but I did win it on the first play-through, which gives us less motivation to play it again. It seemed like we were both going to lose it, and if you did, I think you’d be desperate to play again to try and win. We also need to try the additional 1-5 player competitive scenario.

Orleans features high-quality components that truly immerse players in the game’s medieval setting. The artwork on the game board, player boards, and cards is beautifully illustrated and evocative of the era. The tokens and wooden pieces are sturdy and well-crafted, ensuring that the game will withstand countless playthroughs. In the city of Orléans, you can take trade trips to other cities to acquire coveted goods and build trading posts. You need followers and their abilities to expand your dominance by putting them to work as traders, builders, and scientists. Knights expand your scope of action and secure your mercantile expeditions. Craftsmen build trading stations and tools to facilitate work. Scholars make progress in science, and last but not least it cannot hurt to get active in monasteries since with monks on your side you are much less likely to fall prey to fate. Also, in the base game, the Town Hall Beneficial Deeds board is a bit boring, but it’s the only way to thin your followers from your bag, so you will use it.Player interaction is mid-range with it mainly be racing to get the citizens or build in the nearest areas on the map.

Orleans Overview

Action selection. Everyone has the same player boards in front of them and (unlike a-symmetrical games like Scythe) it’s about trying to acquire workers for your unique strategy. Though you all have the same options, what road you go down is your own.