Tips architectsofthewestkingdom

The aim of Architects of the West Kingdom is to be the player with the most victory points (VP) at game's end. Points are gained by constructing various buildings and advancing work on the Archbishop's cathedral. Throughout the game, players need to make a lot of moral decisions. However, only at game's end will their virtue be judged. A few underhand deals here and there might not seem like much, but fall too far and you will be punished. The game ends once a set number of constructions have been completed.

—description from the publisher

To me there are two basic ways to play this euro game. The first is to work on your drafted buildings for victory points. Ideally you will select buildings that share a common theme, whether it be on apprentice and resource requirements, end game bonuses, short term bonuses to chain future buildings, or manage reputation. When looking at your buildings you should have a plan on how many apprentices you will want and will need depending on your play style, usually 2-4. Some give a straightforward bonus for resource collection and other will provide various in-game benefits. It is the apprentice that you use that make you more efficient which is the underlying base strategy in the game. You see, the game only progresses when a play builds with either their own buildings or through the guildhall. Some players will get what you need to build and construct right away and other will get everything to build all that you have and build 3-4 turns in a row to really push the pressure and tempo.

The second basic strategy is to push up the cathedral by collecting resources and selling your building cards in exchange for points at the cathedral. It is a similar process but you will exchange overall points for speed. If the game moves fast then the cathedral rush is very competitive, but if the other players decide to be more relaxed and capture through the town center more often you will struggle with a lack of flexibility for the greater points and bonuses that come from buildings.

Ultimately this, like most euro games, is an efficiency puzzle. You must decide how to use your positioning to leverage your apprentices, buildings, captures, black market, and find the tempo to achieve victory.