2020 · Medieval
Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road
Players compete to amass power and wealth in a bustling Silk Road metropolis through economic maneuvering and political influence. Actions include manipulating court favor, donating to the grand mosque, and negotiating trade deals to convert city prosperity into personal advantage. Players also decide whether to invest in city defenses; building walls reduces short-term gains but protects long-term standing, while neglecting them risks devastation when invaders arrive. The game emphasizes tense resource management, timing, and risk assessment as each choice affects both personal fortunes and the city's fate.
- Players
- 1–4 best 4
- Playing time
- 90 min
- Age
- 14+
- Complexity
- 3.4 / 5
About the game
- Design
- Art
- Publisher
Where to buy it
Shop prices and second-hand copies, checked every day.
On Ludoya's tables
Full stats in Ludoya- 180
- Plays logged
- 249
- Players
- 1h 56m
- Average play
- 109
- In collections
- 8
- On wishlists
7.5/10
from 48 Ludoya reviews
Garfield8.0 2.1 Very nice game, I like the idea with the walls. But maybe the strategy with collecting the herb-cards is too strong? [c] Theme: :star::star::star::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Ok --> Gameplay: :star::star::star::star::nostar: <!-- size 7]Very good amount of choices --> Interaction: :star::star::star::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Interaction at different locations on the board --> Artwork: :star::star::star::star::nostar: <!-- size 7]Very nice --> Luck: :star::nostar::nostar::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]I would say no luck involved except the herb cards? --> Strategy: :star::star::star::star::star: <!-- size 7]Very strategic --> Components: :star::star::star::star::nostar: <!-- size 7]Very nice solid components --> Play duration: :star::star::star::star::nostar: <!-- size 7]Ok for such a game --> Easy to teach: :star::star::nostar::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]A lot to explain --> Rules quality: <!-- size 7]not read --> Setup time: :star::star::star::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Ok --> No downtime: :star::star::star::nostar::nostar: <!-- size 7]Ok --> Replay value: :star::star::star::star::nostar: <!-- size 7]Many different strategies possible --> [/c]
Mochilo7.7 Con este juego tengo el corazón dividido. Por un lado si lo juego con más personas y me olvido del solitario, la experiencia s muy agradable. Tiene una interacción picante donde estás atento en entre turno por si tienes que cobrar de las acciones de los demás. Es verdad que el centro del tablero es un poco multicolor y aunque es bonito, también es algo lioso. Donde peca para mi es en el apartado del solitario (que es mi asunto favorito). Tiene un automa que junta la gestión de dos jugadores: el ficticio de partidas a 2 y el automa en si. Directamente no me he molestado en jugarlo porque para mi, es too much. Por lo tanto, pincha en el automa porque es demasiado complejo. Odio jugar en solitario con el manual al lado!. Pero es tan bonito.... Si a Arabiaaaa tu vaaas !
Rules questions
Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.
Can I place a camel on a camel‑market slot that already has a camel (or stack camels there)?
No — when you place a camel in the camel market it must be placed on a slot that is not already covered by another camel; alternatively you may take the “collect all camels” option. (page 6)
If I activate a building site that has no building, can I take that tile’s action instead of placing a building?
No — if you choose a building site with no building you must place one of your buildings on it. (page 6)
What protects buildings from the Mongol invasion, and how does ransom work?
Buildings are protected by wall segments/gates or by a soldier on the building; if a building is attacked you either pay the ransom (one resource of the colour the site produces, or a resource allowed by an upgrade/white upgrade) or return the building to your supply. Middle row/column sites may need only a single gate while other sites can require protection from two directions. (page 7)
If my building is removed by the invasion, do any upgrades on that site get removed too?
Upgrades remain on the building site even if the building is removed by the invasion. (page 7)
When I take caravan cards, am I allowed to take any card or am I limited by spices I already have?
You spend same‑colour resources to take X caravan cards, but each card you take must either have a camel on it or be the next card after a card with a camel (you may always take the frontmost card); additionally you may only keep as many different spice types as your current influence level allows (1/2/3/4 types at the influence thresholds). (pages 9–10)
During scoring, do I have to spend favour for every courtier even if I don't have enough favour to cover them all?
Yes — for each courtier you must spend one favour to score; if you have fewer favour than courtiers you must spend all your favour and you choose which courtiers to score for, and you must still spend favour on a courtier even if it yields no points. (page 8)
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Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.