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Rules assistance for The Pillars of the Earth: New Craftsmen
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 120 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.7/5
Rules assistant for The Pillars of the Earth: New Craftsmen
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Pillars of the Earth: New Craftsmen is an expansion for The Pillars of the Earth released in 2007 for 2–6 players, 120 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Michael Rieneck and Stefan Stadler and its main mechanics are Worker Placement.
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About the game
This expansion to the base game is available in the Spielbox magazine 6/07. They are also included in The Pillars of the Earth Expansion Set! (Mayfair Games edition only!) and in the German special edition The new craftsmen cards in this expansion are: Beggar (Bettler) Day Laborer (Tagelöhner) Tinsmith (Zinngießer) Goldsmith (Goldschmied) Market Warden (Marktwart) Gardener (Gartenbauer) From the publisher: "Here are six new craftsmen you can add to your Pillars of the Earth games! They are compatible with both the basic game and the expansion. These craftsmen are mixed together with the ones in the basic game (and the expansion if you are using it). But the number of craftsmen available is not increased. In 2-4 player games, only four craftsmen are available each round, as normal (two on the spaces in Shiring, and two below the board with the resource cards). In 5 or 6 player games, there are five craftsmen each round (three below the board). Before the game begins, randomly remove one craftsman from each round, and return them unseen to the box." Buy Microbadges Pillars of the Earth Fan
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Filosofia Éditions
- W. Nostheide Verlag GmbH
Questions and answers
The Pillars of the Earth: New Craftsmen supports 2–6 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 The Pillars of the Earth: New Craftsmen is 120 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 The Pillars of the Earth: New Craftsmen for ages 12 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.
The Pillars of the Earth: New Craftsmen has a complexity rating of 2.7 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.
The Pillars of the Earth: New Craftsmen belongs to these categories: Economic, Medieval, and Novel-based. Its main mechanics are Worker Placement. 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 The Pillars of the Earth: New Craftsmen are: Michael Rieneck and Stefan Stadler. 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 The Pillars of the Earth: New Craftsmen as an expansion for The Pillars of the Earth. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need The Pillars of the Earth to use it. Check that your edition of The Pillars of the Earth is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.