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Rules assistance for Shaolia: Great Houses
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 30–60 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Shaolia: Great Houses
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Shaolia: Great Houses is an expansion for Shaolia: Warring States released in 2021 for 1–4 players, 30–60 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Gunho Kim and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Worker Placement with Dice Workers, and Open Drafting.
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About the game
Shaolia: Great Houses is an expansion to Shaolia: Warring States which brings not only new cards, but also new mechanics and game modes to give the players more options in pursuing their paths to victory. The expansion introduces the titular Great Houses. There is also a solo mode new to Shaolia which introduces a Boss for the player to battle. A game of Great Houses proceeds much the same as one of Warring States, but with the addition of the Noble House tiles and Quest cards. These two new components work in tandem. Noble House Tiles These tiles can be purchased during the purchase phase of the game. The currency to purchase them are Quest cards that players have earned in the game. After a Noble House tile has been purchased, it is immediately replaced by another from the deck. Noble House tiles are placed near the player’s territory board, and function the same as Level 1 & 2 cards, with one important exception: They cannot be attacked, blocked, or destroyed, so a player will benefit from their abilities until the end of the game. Quest Cards If a player completes the requirement listed on a Quest card during their turn, they get to take the quest card into their hands. Another Quest card from the deck is immediately drawn to replace the one taken. As mentioned previously, Quest cards can be used to purchase Noble House tiles. Alternately, you may sell one a Quest card for 2 gold. There are two types of Quest cards: ones that are immediately achieved by meeting their requirements, and ones with 2–3 open slots that require players to repeat the action listed on the card that many times before they complete the quest. Cards with these repeating quests can only be completed by whoever does the action first, claiming it with one of their quest trackers. A game of Shaolia: Great Houses ends the same turn that someone either gains 18 culture, or does 12 damage to their opponent’s palace. Additionally, there will be that previously-mentioned third victory path achieved through completing quests.
Designers
Publishers
- Bad Comet
Questions and answers
Shaolia: Great Houses supports 1–4 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 Shaolia: Great Houses is 30–60 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 Shaolia: Great Houses for ages 13 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.
Shaolia: Great Houses has a complexity rating of 2.0 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.
Shaolia: Great Houses belongs to these categories: Fantasy, Dice, and City Building. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Worker Placement with Dice Workers, and Open Drafting. 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 Shaolia: Great Houses are: Gunho Kim. 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 Shaolia: Great Houses as an expansion for Shaolia: Warring States. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Shaolia: Warring States to use it. Check that your edition of Shaolia: Warring States is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.