Learn Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road
Learn the game in 5 short steps. Everything links to the full rules.
Choose a line
A round begins with an unoccupied action slot. Choose a site in the active row or column; rounds one and three use columns, rounds two and four use rows. If it is empty, build there.
Collect the line’s resources
Take the activated site’s yield plus the yield from your buildings in that line. Upgrades change yields. If you activate an opponent’s building, they also gain resources from the activated site and their upgrades in the line.
Take one main action
Use the activated site’s action, gain favour, or deploy a soldier. If the camel market lies in your active line, you may also take its action before or after the main action. Contracts can be completed at any point in your turn.
Plan for the Mongols
Year one is safe. In years two and three, sites on attack paths need a wall, gate or soldier. Unprotected buildings are removed unless their owner pays the matching ransom.
Spend favour and score
After each year, courtiers cost one favour and score by hall. Then surviving buildings and scoring bonuses score. After year three, add caravan-set points; the highest score wins.