Overview

Celtica is a set-collection game set in 11th-century Ireland. Players move five shared druid figures along paths to visit monasteries, castles, and other locations to collect amulet pieces. By completing amulets (collecting all pieces of one type), players score toward victory. Ruins force players to lose amulet pieces but gain experience cards that provide extra movement and end-game flexibility. The player with the most completed amulets wins.

Components

• 1 game board (19 locations connected by paths)
• 5 druid figures (shared by all players)
• Druid cards (in 5 colors matching the druids)
• Experience cards
• Amulet tiles (multiple types, each divided into several pieces)
• Rules sheet

Setup

1. Place the board in the center of the table.
2. Place all 5 druid figures on the start space. Druids are shared; any player may move any druid.
3. Shuffle the druid cards and deal 5 to each player (kept secret).
4. Shuffle experience cards and place as a face-down pile next to the board.
5. Shuffle amulet tiles and place in several face-down piles next to the board. Take any 9 tiles and lay them face-up in the display spaces at the top of the board.
6. Each player draws 2 amulet tiles from the face-down piles and places them face-up in front of themselves.

Turn Structure

The game is played over several rounds. The youngest player begins; play proceeds clockwise.

On your turn:

1. Play druid cards and/or experience cards of one color to move the matching druid.
2. Carry out the action at the druid’s destination.
3. Discard played cards.

A round ends when all players have played all their druid cards. Deal 5 new cards to each player for the next round.

Actions

Moving Druids

Play any number of druid cards of one color from your hand. The matching-colored druid moves forward that many spaces. Spaces moved over are ignored; only the landing location matters.

Experience cards of the matching color may be played alongside druid cards to increase movement. At least one druid card of that color must be played; you cannot play experience cards alone.

Location Actions

Strongholds (Castles, Monasteries, Villages, Journey’s End): Take the number of amulet tiles indicated at the stronghold from the face-up display. Place them in front of you in the correct pattern. If a new tile matches a type you already have, it must start a separate new amulet (you cannot combine duplicates). Restock the display to 9 tiles.

Ruins: Vikings steal amulet pieces. Discard the number of tiles shown at the ruin (your choice which tiles, even from completed amulets). Even if you have no tiles, you still receive 1 experience card from the draw pile. Discarded tiles go to a separate face-down pile.

Shrines: You may (optionally) draw 1 druid card from the display. This card must be played during the current round. Taking extra cards gives more movement options but may force undesirable moves.

Experience Cards

Gained at ruins. Can be played from your next turn onward, combined with matching-color druid cards to extend movement.

End-of-game uses (after the final round):

• Spend 1 experience card to swap one of your amulet tiles with one from another player’s display.
• Spend 2 experience cards to draw 1 additional amulet tile from the 9-tile display.

These actions can be combined in any way.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game ends when:

• The first druid reaches the Journey’s End location (finish the current round), OR
• All druids have reached Journey’s End, OR
• The amulet tile supply (display and draw piles) is exhausted.

After the final round, players spend remaining experience cards (starting with the player to the left of the one who triggered the end).

Winner: The player with the most completed amulets wins. Ties broken by the largest incomplete amulet, then the next largest, and so on.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• If a druid has already reached Journey’s End, playing cards of that color has no effect (cards are discarded).
• If the druid card draw pile is exhausted, shuffle the discard pile to form a new draw pile.
• If the experience card draw pile is exhausted, shuffle its discard pile for a new draw pile.
• If the amulet tile supply runs out, shuffle discarded tiles to form a new face-down supply.
• If only one player has druid cards remaining in a round, they take consecutive turns until all cards are played.
• A player with only experience cards and no druid cards cannot play them; the round is over for that player. Experience cards are retained for future rounds.

Player Reference

Turn: Play druid cards (+ optional experience cards) of 1 color, move matching druid that many spaces, perform location action.

Location	Action
Stronghold	Take amulet tiles from display
Ruin	Lose amulet tiles, gain 1 experience card
Shrine	Optionally draw 1 druid card

End-game experience card uses:

• 1 card = swap 1 of your amulet tiles with another player’s
• 2 cards = draw 1 amulet tile from display

Win: Most completed amulets.