“Quarantine” Century Solo Variant

by BGG user mattlowder

Original design by Emerson Matsuuchi, published by Plan B Games

CONCEPT
Imagine a world that couldn’t possibly exist where a “magical” pandemic has swept across the land, forcing all into an anxiety-
ridden existence causing some to cope with humor and board games. What’s that? No imagination required? Well, okay then!

In this quick-playing solo variant, your name is Governor Foresight, caravan master tasked with the nearly impossible. You must
collect the necessary crystals to brew wizard vaccines to save 6 Golems from their illness. You must do this before the “Illusive
Sickness”, represented by the Automa Caravan, can infect 6 Golems. If the Automa claims 6 Golems before you do, you
immediately LOSE. However, if you acquire 6 Golems, the Automa gets one last turn, and then you may compare points exactly
as you would in a normal game. Will the Golems be wiped out entirely in a mass fantasy extinction, or will they be saved by you,
Governor Foresight, with your cart of minerals and miracles?

SET-UP
Prepare the game exactly as you would for a 2-player game. Put three yellow crystals in your Caravan. Take your start cards.

Place a dummy/automa caravan off to the side near the crystal supply. This represents the Magical Sickness draining the life
force from the Golems. It starts with zero (0) crystals. You will need a d6 (six-sided die).

PLAYING YOUR TURN

You always go first. On your turn, you will take two actions which may be the same or different: Play a card, Take a Merchant
card, Rest to recall all played cards, or Claim a Golem by reviving it with a hit of some dope ass crystals. At the end of your turns
if you have ten or more crystals, you discard to 10. If a card in the Merchant Row ever has 6 crystals, remove the card from the
game once the current action is complete, return the crystals on it to the supply, refresh the row. Now it’s the Automa Phase.

COMPLETING THE AUTOMA PHASE

Roll a d6 to randomly determine which Card the Automa takes from the Merchant Card Row. Card #1 being closest to the
crystals, and card #6 being closest to the draw decks. The Automa places crystals from the supply on each card it passes over
like a human player, with the following special crystal rules:

roll a 1 – take first card.

roll a 2 – place yellow on card 1. Take second card.
roll a 3 – place yellow on cards 1 and 2. Take third card.
roll a 4 – place yellow on cards 1, 2, 3. Take fourth card.
roll a 5 – place yellow on cards 1, 2, 3. Place green on card 4. Take fifth card.
roll a 6 – place yellow on cards 1, 2, 3. Place green on card 4. Place blue on fifth card. Take sixth card.

When the Automa takes a card, add any crystals sitting on that card to its Caravan. Next, trigger the drafted card = take from
the supply all the crystals shown beneath the arrow and add them to the Automa caravan. If there is no arrow, simply take the
shown crystals on the white banner. Discard the card from the game. (side note: The single Merchant card showing a triple
Upgrade does nothing for the Automa if he takes it. It’s the only card in the whole deck where the Automa gains nothing.)

WHEN DOES THE AUTOMA CLAIM A GOLEM?

At the end of any Automa turn when it has 10 or more crystals, it claims 1 Golem it can afford. There are caveats: it always buys
the highest point card, including (if possible) gaining a silver/copper. For example, if there is an 11-point Golem with no coins
above it, and a 9-point golem with a 3-value coin above it, the Automa will always buy the “net” 12-point if it can make it
happen with the crystals in its caravan. If two cards are tied, like a 12-point Golem with a 1-value coin and a 13-point Golem
with no coin, it will take the Golem with the coin. If two cards are equally valued with no coins above, take the rightmost.
Important: The Automa also has special flexibility with crystal payment here. When choosing which Golem to claim, it is
allowed to freely trade in 2 yellows for a green, 3 yellows for a blue, and 4 yellows for a pink when making a decision of what it
can afford. After it claims a Golem this way, return all remaining Automa crystals to the supply so it has zero. In the near-
impossible scenario it can’t claim a Golem, end its turn but leave all crystals. It will try to claim again at the end of its next turn.

GAME END
If the Automa infects 6 Golems before you can claim 6, the game is immediately lost!
If the human player revives 6 Golems first, however, the Automa takes one last turn. Then compare scores.
Harder Game? Variant: Game ends when Automa gets 5 golems, but you still need 6.