Gem Merchant Rules

Play a Renaissance gem merchant: gather resources, buy cards, attract nobles, and accumulate prestige. You take only one action per turn, so priority and efficiency matter.

• 5 gem tokens: white, blue, green, red, black. Pile size depends on player count (2p: 4 each; 3p: 5; 4p: 7).
• Gold tokens: fixed at 5; act as wilds. Gain 1 when you reserve a card.
• 3 card tiers: Lv1 (cheap, low points), Lv2 (mid), Lv3 (expensive, high points). 4 cards face-up per tier.
• Noble tiles: players + 1 in play (max 5). Each grants 3 points when its color requirement is met.

1. Take 3 different colors: Take 1 token of each of 3 different available colors.
2. Take 2 of the same color: Only if that pile has at least 4 tokens.
3. Buy a card: Pay a face-up or reserved card's cost using tokens, permanent bonuses, and gold (wild).
4. Reserve a card: Take a face-up card or the top of a deck into your hand (max 3) and gain 1 gold.

At the end of your turn you may not hold more than 10 tokens — return any excess.

When a player reaches 15 prestige points, finish the current round, then end the game. Highest score wins; on a tie, the player with fewer purchased cards wins.

• Buy lots of Lv1 cards early to stack permanent gems for cheaper Lv3 purchases later.
• Look at the nobles up front and focus on the colors needed to claim a +3 bonus.
• Gold is a wild — preserve it, but don't lean on it; it's inefficient on its own.
• Reserve cards your opponents need to block them.