Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King

Overview

A tile-laying and economic game where 2-5 players are chieftains developing their clan territory on the Isle of Skye. Each round, players draw landscape tiles, secretly set prices and discard choices, then buy from each other. Four randomized scoring tiles determine how victory points are earned each round, ensuring high replayability. After 6 rounds (5 in a 5-player game), the player with the most victory points becomes king.

Components

• 1 Double-sided game board (2-4 players / 5 players)
• 16 Scoring tiles
• 73 Landscape tiles (green backs)
• 5 Landscape tiles with castles (colored backs, 1 per player)
• 6 Player screens (1 spare)
• 6 Discard markers (1 spare)
• 5 Scoring tokens (1 per player color)
• 1 Round token
• 1 Starting player marker
• 1 Cloth bag
• Gold coins (various denominations)

Setup

1. Place the game board in the center (front side for 2-4 players, back side for 5 players).
2. Shuffle 16 scoring tiles; place 1 random scoring tile face up on each of the spaces marked A, B, C, and D. Return the rest to the box.
3. Place the round marker on the first space of the round track.
4. Place coins in a general supply.
5. Put all 73 landscape tiles in the bag and shuffle.
6. Each player takes a player screen, castle landscape tile, score token, and discard marker in their chosen color.
7. Place score tokens on space 0 of the scoring track.
8. Place your castle tile face up in front of you (first tile in your clan territory).
9. The youngest player takes the starting player marker.

Turn Structure

Each round has 6 phases:

1. Income

• Receive 5 gold for your castle.
• Receive 1 additional gold per tile with barrels of whisky connected to your castle via roads.
• Starting in round 3: receive additional gold for each player whose score token is ahead of yours. The amount per player increases each round (shown on the round track).

2. Draw Tiles and Set Prices

• Draw 3 landscape tiles from the bag; place them face up in front of your screen.
• Behind your screen, simultaneously:
  • Assign your discard marker to 1 of the 3 tiles.
  • Assign at least 1 coin to each of the other 2 tiles (setting their price).
  • Keep remaining gold hidden in your hand.
• Remove screens.

3. Discard a Tile

• Return the tile marked with your discard marker to the bag. Shuffle.

4. Buy a Tile

• Starting with the starting player, clockwise, each player may buy exactly 1 tile from another player:
  • Pay the assigned gold amount from your supply to the selling player.
  • The seller also takes back the gold they assigned to that tile.
• If you cannot or do not want to buy, you must pass.
• After all players have bought or passed, you receive your remaining unsold tiles but lose all gold assigned to them (returned to supply).

5. Build

• Add all tiles received this round to your clan territory.
• Placement rules: each new tile must share an edge with an existing tile, and matching edges must have the same terrain type (pasture, mountain, water).
• Roads do NOT need to be continued.
• If a tile cannot be legally placed, it goes back in the bag (no refund).

6. End of Round and Scoring

• Score victory points according to the scoring tiles active for this round (indicated by letters A-D on the scoring track). Each scoring tile is used 3 times during the game.
• Pass the starting player marker clockwise.
• Advance the round token.

Actions

Players do not take individual actions beyond the phase structure described above. The key strategic decisions are:

• Which tile to discard vs. keep
• How to price your tiles (high enough to profit from sales, low enough to not lose gold on unsold tiles)
• Which tile to buy from opponents
• Where to place tiles in your territory

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Round Scoring (examples of scoring tiles)

• 2 VP per square of 4 landscape tiles
• 1 VP per completed area
• 1 VP per sheep
• 3 VP per completed area of 3+ tiles
• Brochs in mountain areas: 1/3/6 VP for 1/2/3 brochs
• 5 VP for each set of broch, farm, lighthouse
• Majority scoring: 5 VP most whisky / 2 VP second most (minimum 1 required)
• Majority scoring: 5 VP most ships / 2 VP second most
• Majority scoring: 5 VP most gold / 2 VP second most
• 2 VP per cattle connected to castle via roads
• 1 VP per tile connected to castle via roads
• Various area and terrain scoring

Final Scoring (after last round)

• Score tiles with scrolls placed in your territory:
  • 1 VP per 2 sheep, per cattle, per 2 whisky barrels, per broch, per 2 ships, per farm, per lighthouse
  • Scrolls in completed areas score double
• 5 gold = 1 VP
• Most victory points wins. Tiebreaker: leftover gold.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• In majority scoring ties for 1st place: the tied players each receive 5 VP; the 2 VP for 2nd is not awarded.
• Ties for 2nd place in majority: each tied player receives 2 VP.
• You must have at least 1 of the relevant item to receive any VP from majority scoring tiles.
• Completed areas: fully enclosed by different terrain types. Roads do not count for area completion.
• You must assign at least 1 gold to each non-discarded tile.
• Fractional VP from scrolls (e.g., 5 sheep / 2 = 2.5) are rounded down; you do not receive 0.5 VP.

Player Reference

Phase	Action
1. Income	5 gold + whisky tiles + catch-up gold
2. Set Prices	Draw 3 tiles, assign discard + prices
3. Discard	Remove discarded tile to bag
4. Buy	Buy 1 tile from another player
5. Build	Place all received tiles
6. Scoring	Score active scoring tiles

Rounds

2-4 players: 6 rounds

5 players: 5 rounds

Tile placement: Matching terrain on shared edges required. Roads need not connect.