Tips & Strategy
Pick a route through the west and make your action dice serve more than one goal.
Choose a scoring plan early
Your Goal Card links shield variety and improved Guild Seals. Keep both conditions in mind while choosing cities and collecting seals. A post that opens a recurring bonus or a useful City Card can be worth more than a short detour for one-time resources.
Match costs before placing dice
Calculate the complete route cost, including its movement fare and every printed connection cost. 
Jade can replace 
Coins or 
Camels, but not 
Pepper, 
Silk or 
Gold needed for a Contract. Use your lowest die as the action strength; on occupied blue spaces, the lowest die also sets the coin fee, regardless of the dice already there.
Make the Books offers work twice
Check the visible offer before using each Book. The third Book has two separate action spaces; you can use both in one round with your color dice. Low dice can still be useful when the free offer fits your route or Contract plan.
[Caravans] Turn goods into route rewards
A Caravan must carry at least one Good. Select a route that brings it toward your figure and a useful destination; movement after a Book action is free except for the matching Guild Seal requirement on water. Complete the route only after the current action finishes. Selling Gold, Silk and Pepper uses the printed six/four/two values; doubling or improving may be more useful when a Contract needs the resources.
Videos
- Marco Polo II videos on BoardGameGeek — includes rules explanations, strategy and playthroughs.
- The English rulebook and supplement are the source for action costs and final scoring.