FAQ
69 answered questions49 official
Rules questions from the BoardGameGeek forum. Answers marked Official were confirmed by Placentia Games / Post Scriptum or the designers.
Common mistakes
- Treating an Outpost as untouchable — it is a Warrior: attack it and both Warriors are injured. Ruling · Rule
- Transferring Outposts only right after a move — you may transfer on any of your turns, outside an action. Ruling · Rule
- Revealing a Smallpox card when you only buy a Progress tile — only an Exchange triggers it. Ruling · Rule
- Counting Outposts as Guards in the Military action — only standing Guards count. Ruling · Rule
- Scoring your Home with no Warriors in it — a 0–0 tie scores nothing. Ruling · Rule
- Looking through the Turtle pile — you always take the top tile. Ruling · Rule
- Playing a pair on the “three different” Mask space — it needs three different Masks. Ruling · Rule
- [Allies] Counting Patrols as Guards without flipping an Alliance Progress tile in your own Military action. Ruling · Rule
Showing 69 of 69
My first tile this year is the middle of an edge. Which tiles can I choose next?
Only tiles in that tile's row or column: no diagonal passes through the middle of an edge. The rule to remember is that your three markers must form a straight line by the end of the year, so a second choice that leaves no line possible is not allowed.
Source: BGG thread
What counts as "an action" when the rules say I cannot do something in the middle of one?
Each line on an Action tile is one action. Between two lines of the same tile you may, for example, transfer an Outpost or use a Progress tile.
Source: BGG thread
Can the first player stay first forever by taking the first Turn Order space with their first marker? Official
They can, but it is a poor move: spending your first marker on turn order means everyone else acts before you this year, so you are effectively last every year. Sometimes it is even worth waiting to see what the others do.
Source: BGG thread
Do we still choose turn order and shift the grid in Year 7?
Yes. The turn order you set in Year 7 still matters: it breaks ties in the final score.
Source: BGG thread
Can I use the Sacred Fire on a tile that itself has a Sacred Fire action? Official
Yes. Everything is legal as long as you never activate the same tile twice in a year, so with several fire tiles you can chain them onto different tiles. The developers consider extra fire tiles weaker than other upgrades.
Source: BGG thread
Does the Ottawa power keep every Sacred Fire tile on its Action side?
Only the tile you start with — the Ottawa Fire tile, marked with its own symbol. The developer adds that most players never replace their starting fire anyway.
Source: BGG thread
How does the Ojibwa black Action marker work? Official
When you place the black marker you immediately place another marker too, so you take two turns in a row. You still have four markers in all, and both tiles must respect your line for the year. The black marker does not have to be your first one.
Source: BGG thread
In solo, can I take an Advanced Action tile every year?
Yes. Every player, in turn order, may swap one tile each year — the first player is only the first to choose.
Source: BGG thread
Does attacking cost a movement step? Official
Moving into a territory and attacking there costs one step in total. A Warrior that is already in the territory spends one step to attack. Each attack needs its own Warrior: one step, one injured Native.
Source: BGG thread
I have several Guards in a territory. Can they all attack? Official
Yes, but each attack is a movement step, and each fight is one Warrior against one Native.
Source: BGG thread
Can I attack an Outpost? Official
Yes. An Outpost is still a Warrior: both Warriors are injured and go to their Long Houses. That is why leaving an Outpost in place is stronger than swapping it for a Woman or Hunter too early.
Source: BGG thread
Can I turn an Outpost back into a Guard, or slide it to another Productive Area? Official
No. An Outpost cannot move; it can only be transferred Home (replaced by a Woman or Hunter, or leaving the area empty).
Source: BGG thread
Can I transfer an Outpost on a later turn, right before a Harvest or Hunting, without moving? Official
Yes — on any of your turns, as long as it is not in the middle of an action. The developers recommend exactly that.
Source: BGG thread
Can a Warrior move through a territory that holds an opponent's Guards?
Yes. Nothing stops you: you may keep moving, or stop there and choose whether to fight.
Source: BGG thread
Can a Guard on the map move back into my own Home? Official
Yes. Only an opponent's Home is closed to your Warriors.
Source: BGG thread
Some fields show two Woman or Hunter spaces. Is that one Productive Area or two? Official
Each space is a Productive Area and holds one Woman or Hunter. Only Home territories can stack several on one area.
Source: BGG thread
The Mohawk black Warrior shares a territory with a normal Warrior. Which one is attacked? Official
The rules do not say, so the attacker chooses.
Source: BGG thread
Does an Alliance tile help in a fight? Official
No. Alliance tiles only count during Military scoring. An attacked Native never survives a fight.
Source: BGG thread
Does the grey side of Women and Hunters mean anything? Official
No. It only shows which Natives are in the Long House, so nobody transfers from there by mistake. (The Tuscarora power is the one exception: its Hunters stay grey in play.)
Source: BGG thread
I have no Warriors at Home. Do I still win my Home in the Military action? Official
No. That is a 0–0 tie, and ties score nothing.
Source: BGG thread
Do Outposts count as Guards for Military majorities?
No. Only standing Warriors (Guards) count; Outposts lie in Productive Areas.
Source: BGG thread
Do I compare my Guards with each opponent, or with all opponents together?
With each opponent: you need more Guards than any single other player.
Source: BGG thread
Do I pick the Turtle tile I want, or take the top one? Official
The top one. Turtles exist so that nobody knows the final scores before the end; choosing would reveal too much.
Source: BGG thread
Can one Military action give me Turtles of different types? Official
Yes, one of each type per action (for example Hunters and Canoes), but never two identical Turtles.
Source: BGG thread
I already own the Level 5 Canoe Turtle. Can I still take the Level 3 or 4 one?
Yes, as long as you meet its requirement when you take a Military action; the rulebook's example on page 13 does the same with Hunters.
Source: BGG thread
With an Alliance tile, must I have a Warrior in my ally's territories to win them? Official
No. The extra Guard counts even where you have none of your own.
Source: BGG thread
Do I place my Flag tile on a territory? Official
No. You choose a Flag when you buy the tile and keep it. Each time you flip the tile during your Military action, every territory printed with that flag counts one extra Guard for you.
Source: BGG thread
I own the Level 1 Alliance tile and buy the Level 3 one. Can I switch ally? Official
No, you keep your ally. If the other Alliance tile's owner already took a Flag, you must take the remaining one.
Source: BGG thread
Does the Level 3 Alliance tile win ties only in my ally's territories? Official
In every territory, allied or not. In allied territories you also count one extra Guard.
Source: BGG thread
Do the Level 1 and Level 3 Alliance tiles add up?
There is no official answer. Read literally, both tiles add a Guard in allied territories when you flip them; one group that tried it found it very strong.
Source: BGG thread
Does the Shawnee power lower the requirement for one Turtle type or for all three?
For all three: one Woman, Hunter or Canoe fewer for every Turtle tile.
Source: BGG thread
What happens to the Shawnee's missing Warrior? Official
It starts in the Long House, so the Shawnee start with 4 Warriors at Home and 3 in the Long House.
Source: BGG thread
Can I fill the "three different" Mask space with a pair or three of a kind? Official
No. That space needs three different Masks.
Source: BGG thread
For the "three pairs" space, may two of the pairs be the same Mask? Official
No, the pairs must be different.
Source: BGG thread
When do my played Mask cards come back to my hand?
In the Restore phase at the end of the year. Cards you played with your first Mask Ceremony cannot be used again in a second one that year (unless a Progress tile says so).
Source: BGG thread
What is the Trade icon at the bottom of the Mask cards?
A reminder that the blanket on the card only matters for the Smallpox check after an Exchange. The blanket has no effect on the Mask Ceremony. (Some card pictures in the rulebook lack the icon; the real cards all have it.)
Source: BGG thread
With the Level 1 Progress tile that draws two Mask cards, can each come from a different pile?
Players report drawing each card from either the deck or the discard pile.
Source: BGG thread
Do I check for Smallpox when I only buy a Progress tile? Official
No. The Smallpox card is revealed only after an Exchange.
Source: BGG thread
Can I use two discount Progress tiles on the same purchase? Official
Yes. Different discount tiles stack, because each tile only has the limit of once per year.
Source: BGG thread
The Fox buy two Progress tiles in one Trade. Does a discount tile apply to both? Official
No. Each Progress tile works once per year with no exceptions, so one discount tile reduces one purchase.
Source: BGG thread
Is a bought Progress tile replaced? Official
No. The tiles laid out at setup are all there will be.
Source: BGG thread
Is there a limit to how many Progress tiles one player may own? Official
No, though spending everything on tiles is rarely better than raising your weaker tracks.
Source: BGG thread
Does it matter on which Lake I put my Canoes, and can I ever take them back? Official
In the base game the Lake makes no difference, and Canoes are never removed. Saving Canoe actions for late in the game is a valid strategy.
Source: BGG thread
The Level 2 and 3 Military tiles say "move them at the same time". What does that mean?
Use all the steps in one go. You cannot move one step, transfer the Warrior Home, then move again with the remaining step.
Source: BGG thread
What are the Multiplier tiles for?
Resources and Beavers are unlimited: when the wooden pieces run out, a Multiplier tile stands for several of them.
Source: BGG thread
I have 0 Warriors, 2 Women and 2 Hunters at Home and bring back 2 Women. What do I score?
Zero: Warriors are your smallest group. Bringing back 2 Warriors instead would score 2.
Source: BGG thread
How do Natives get from the Long House back into play? Official
Through the Ritual action, into your Home — plus the Level 3 Progress tile that brings one Native Home. Transfers only go from the map to your Home.
Source: BGG thread
Are the solo Objectives optional? Official
Yes. An Objective you miss simply gives no points (except at the New Allies Extreme level).
Source: BGG thread
Which Home should I take in solo, and what are the Ghost's "near" and "far" territories? Official
Either Home; they are equivalent. Near and far count in steps from the Ghost's Home: for both Homes the nearer English territory is the big one, the farther is the small one; the nearer French territory is the one on the Ghost's side of the map. "Near" is never the Home itself.
Source: BGG thread
Does the Ghost need a Warrior to attack my Women and Hunters? Official
No. The Ghost's Women and Hunters fight as in the normal rules without a Warrior. Its Warriors are only ever Guards and never attack.
Source: BGG thread
Where is the red or yellow oval on the Mask cards? Official
Under the blanket at the bottom of the card — its background colour is the oval (red English, yellow French).
Source: BGG thread
Is the Advanced tile above the Ghost's disk blocked for me? Official
No. But in even years the Ghost plays first and removes it, so take it the year before if you want it. If you take it, the new tile is the one the Ghost removes.
Source: BGG thread
The Ghost removes a Progress tile from an empty level. Which level then? Official
The next lower level (the English rules are right), and the disk then returns to Level 1.
Source: BGG thread
In solo, do I take my Tribe card's starting pieces, and does the Ghost get a Tribe?
You take the pieces on your Tribe card (Corn is your Vegetable on the 2-player map), or the identical back's pieces. The Ghost takes no Tribe card; its score is the total on its three Ghost cards plus what it gains in play.
Source: BGG thread
[Allies] Can the Canoe action move a Canoe that is already on a Lake? Official
No. Only the Alliance action (when you trade with a Ship) or the [Promo] 2018 Level 1 Canoe tile moves Canoes.
Source: BGG thread
[Allies] How do Patrols move, and when do they count for Military majorities? Official
Only the Alliance action moves Patrols, and it never moves Warriors. Your Patrols count as Guards for majorities only when you flip an Alliance Progress tile during your own Military action; opponents' Patrols never count when you score. Patrols in your Home are not Warriors for the Ritual.
Source: BGG thread
[Allies] Where do Patrols start? Official
In your Home, as soon as your Alliance disk reaches a "1" space.
Source: BGG thread
[Allies] My Patrol attacked and went Home. Can it move again with the steps left?
No. A Warrior or Patrol moves once per action; the rulebook's own example forfeits the leftover step.
Source: BGG thread
[Allies] Can my Patrol attack another player's Patrol of the same nation? Official
Yes. Playtests found it too strong as a defence otherwise.
Source: BGG thread
[Allies] Do I check for Smallpox when I trade Leather for Rifles with a Ship? Official
No.
Source: BGG thread
[Allies] Do another player's Alliance tile and Patrols count when I take the Military action? Official
No. An Alliance tile works only when its owner flips it in their own Military action. With your Alliance disk still in the centre, the tile gives you nothing.
Source: BGG thread
[Allies] A Turn card lets me use another unused Turn card. Do I get its Alliance action too? Official
Yes, both its Alliance action and its bottom effect — but you pay every cost the copied card asks for.
Source: BGG thread
[Allies] Solo: whose are the Patrols placed by "Europeans Arrive"? Official
The Ghost's. They are the Ghost's Guards in every respect: they protect only its Natives and never attack them.
Source: BGG thread
[Allies] Solo: does "Enemy Attack" place Guards only in the two flagged territories? Official
In every territory where the Ghost has no Guard.
Source: BGG thread
[Allies] Solo: the Ghost must move a Guard but has none left at Home. What happens? Official
Nothing moves and the Ghost scores 1 point.
Source: BGG thread
[Promo] How does the 4-point Action tile work?
It is shuffled in with the Level 1 Advanced Action tiles. On its Action side it does nothing (it flips to its Ritual side as usual); at the end it adds 4 points to your total, not to a track.
Source: BGG thread
[Promo] Where can I get the promo tiles? Official
They come free with Wendake or New Allies bought directly from Post Scriptum (fairs, their web shop or their BGG market store) and are also sold on their own.
Source: BGG thread
How are the Kickstarter "Advanced Fire" Action tiles used? Official
All 4 lie face up beside the 6 Level 1 tiles, so there are 10 to choose from. Keep 17/14/11 Advanced tiles as usual, and refill only when a tile is taken from the 6.
Source: BGG thread
How are the Kickstarter Level 4 Progress tiles used? Official
All 4 are put out whatever the player count, but each player may buy only one. Their rules came on a separate Kickstarter sheet, and they are no longer available.
Source: BGG thread