- BGG rating
- 7.8
Dwarven Smithy: Masterforge Expansion
- 2–4 players
- 90–120 min
- 2021
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,773
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Dwarven Smithy
2018
Rules assistance for Dwarven Smithy
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 60–90 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.6/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Dwarven Smithy
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Dwarven Smithy is a board game released in 2018 for 2–4 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Mike Warth and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Trading.
Expansions
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #18
- BGG rating
- 8.4
The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,434
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Aquatica: Duellum
- 1–2 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #12,336
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Nanaki
- 1–4 players
- 30–45 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,057
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Dragon's Gold
- 3–6 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2001
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,645
- BGG rating
- 5.9
Book of Dragons
- 1–8 players
- 15–60 min
- Complexity 1.3/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #9,550
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Syncanite Foundation
- 2–4 players
- 60–180 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 2025
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,121
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Catan: On the Road
- 3–4 players
- 15–30 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 2026
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,058
- BGG rating
- 8.6
Níjar
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2026
- BGG rank
- BGG #18,256
- BGG rating
- 7.9
CityTriXX
- 3–5 players
- 75–150 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #204
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Jaipur
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.5/5
- 2009
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,271
- BGG rating
- 6.8
The Great Heartland Hauling Co.
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,077
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Rewild: South America
- 1–4 players
- 45–60 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2025
About the game
Dwarven Smithy is 2-4 player, richly themed card crafting and hand/area management card game. Players work to gain gold by utilizing limited space in their workshop. Player craft items, gain special abilities and tools using a variety of resources. Players choose to draw resources and/or guild cards but the cards can also be purchased from other players or players can purchase resources from a warehouse. Use abilities to change the rules, tools to use fewer resources in making orders or sell crafted items. Special King's Items made for the King are revealed at the end of the game. There are three types of Resources (metals, gems, and runes) and four types of Guild cards(Apprentices, Tools, Items and King's Items). Metals and Gems must be refined into resources before they can be used to craft orders. Guild cards are crafted on the 3rd phase of your turn and then completed on the 2nd phase of the next turn. There are four phases of the game; Refine Resource cards, Complete Guild card, Actions (6), Draw cards. Refine metal and gem cards by turning cards 180 degrees into refined resources. Then, all Guild cards crafted on the player’s previous turn are now complete and can be used. There are six repeatable Actions in the game: Play a card, Craft a Guild card, Move or Swap a card, Buy a card from another player or from the warehouse, Discard a Guild card and Sell Resource cards. At the end of the player’s turn, the player must draw four cards but cannot exceed their hand limit. Lastly, straighten any tilted cards placed into the player's market on their turn. Play continues until one Player has completed four King's Orders, or either the Guild or Mine decks run out, and then all players get one last turn. Resources are sold from the player's market and then the King's Orders are revealed, bonus coins are given for the highest valued King‘s Item (for each subtype). Count up your coins and the player with the most coins at the end of the game wins.
Designers
Publishers
- Flatworks Gaming, LLC.
Questions and answers
Dwarven Smithy supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Dwarven Smithy is 60–90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Dwarven Smithy for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Dwarven Smithy has a complexity rating of 2.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Dwarven Smithy belongs to these categories: Card Game and Fantasy. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Set Collection, and Trading. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Dwarven Smithy are: Mike Warth. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Dwarven Smithy as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.