citadels game strategy

Alright, let’s talk about this Citadels game, you know, the one with all them fancy buildings and characters. Folks say it’s about strategy, but I just call it plain smarts. You gotta be thinkin’ all the time, like when you’re tryin’ to figure out who stole the last piece of pie.

What’s This Game All About Anyway?

Well, it ain’t rocket science, that’s for sure. You’re tryin’ to build the best darn city, better than your neighbors, see? You get cards, them cards are buildings, and you gotta use gold to build ‘em. Different buildings do different things, some give you more gold, some give you points, some let you mess with other folks. It’s like real life, only with less gossipin’.

The Characters, They’re a Sneaky Bunch

Now, this is where it gets tricky. Every round, you pick a character, see? Each character has a special power. Some let you get more gold, some let you build extra buildings, and some, well, they let you steal from others or even knock their buildings down! You gotta be careful who you pick, and you gotta try and guess what everyone else is gonna pick. It’s like tryin’ to figure out who’s bringin’ what to the church potluck, you don’t want three potato salads and no desserts.

• The Assassin: This fella, he’s bad news for someone. He gets to pick someone to skip their turn. Like when old man Johnson would hide the TV remote so no one could watch their shows.
• The Thief: He steals gold, plain and simple. Just like that time Mrs. Henderson’s cat swiped a whole chicken leg off the picnic table. Gotta watch out for them sneaky types.
• The Magician: He can swap hands with someone or ditch his own hand. Sneaky, huh? Reminds me of that time I swapped sugar for salt in the neighbor’s cookies. They weren’t too happy.
• The King: He’s all high and mighty, gets the best pick of characters next round. It’s like when the mayor’s wife always gets the best seat at the town meeting.
• The Bishop: This one, he makes his money off those religious buildings, and he keeps others from buildin’ ’em. Kind of like how the preacher always gets the biggest collection plate on Sunday.
• The Merchant: This fella, he gets extra gold. Just like how old Mr. Abernathy always finds a way to get a good deal at the market. Folks say he is the strongest character, I guess money makes the world go around, huh?
• The Architect: He gets to build extra buildings. Just like how my cousin could build a whole chicken coop in an afternoon.
• The Warlord: He can knock down other folks’ buildings. Just like that time a storm came through and blew down half the barns in town.

Winning the Game, That’s the Goal

So, how do you win? Well, you gotta be the first to build eight buildings, see? And them buildings gotta be worth enough points. You can get points from the buildings themselves, and you get extra points if you have one of each color building. It’s like tryin’ to bake a prize-winning pie, you gotta have all the right ingredients.

Some Smart Things to Keep in Mind

First off, you gotta pay attention to what everyone else is doin’. If everyone’s buildin’ lots of purple buildings, maybe you should too. Or maybe you should build something that stops them from building purple buildings! It’s all about readin’ the situation, just like knowing when to go to the store before the big storm hits.

Second, don’t be afraid to change your plans. Sometimes, you think you’re gonna be the Merchant, but then someone else takes him. You gotta be flexible, just like when you’re tryin’ to fix a broken fence with whatever you have on hand.

Third, don’t be greedy. Sure getting lots of gold is good, but if you got no buildings to spend it on, what’s the point? Just like that time old Mr. Fitzwilliam hoarded all them canned goods and they just sat in his basement till they went bad.

And finally, don’t get too attached to your buildings. Sometimes, someone’s gonna knock ‘em down, or steal your gold. You gotta roll with the punches, just like when the cows get out and you gotta chase ‘em all over the pasture. Managing your cards is important, just like keeping track of your recipes. You don’t wanna mix up the sugar and the salt now, do you? And you gotta adapt to whatever happens. It is like when the weather changes and you gotta change your plans for the day.

Those Extra Characters, They Can Be Fun

Now, some folks play with extra characters, more than the ones I talked about. I ain’t played with all of them, but they can sure spice things up. It’s like adding extra peppers to your chili – some like it hot, some don’t. But, the first set of characters are the best, not too much and not too little, just right. Just like my famous apple pie, everyone loves it, not too sweet and not too tart.

At the End of the Day…

Citadels, it’s a good game. It makes you think, it makes you laugh, and it makes you wanna beat your neighbors at something, even if it’s just building a pretend city. It’s better than sitting around gossiping all day, that’s for sure. So go on, give it a try. You might just surprise yourself with how clever you are. Or maybe you won’t, but at least you’ll have somethin’ to do besides watchin’ paint dry.