The Oracle of Delphi

2016 · Mythology

The Oracle of Delphi

Players command ships across a modular hex board of Aegean islands to complete twelve legendary tasks set by Zeus, such as delivering colored offerings to matching temples, erecting structures, and slaying colored monsters. Each turn the player rolls three colored oracle dice that determine which color-dependent actions are available, then takes three actions that may include sailing, visiting islands, performing tasks, hiring companions, or gaining favors from the gods. Variable ship abilities, special tokens, and a changing board setup influence strategy and movement, while dice results and acquired powers allow players to adapt their plans as they race to finish all twelve tasks.

Players
2–4 best 3
Playing time
70–100 min
Age
12+
Complexity
3 / 5
5.9 on Ludoyafrom $36.84NauticalAncientDice RollingPush Your LuckGrid Movement

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On Ludoya's tables

Full stats in Ludoya
103
Plays logged
118
Players
1h 33m
Average play
46
In collections
12
On wishlists
1
Pre-ordered

5.9/10

from 20 Ludoya reviews

  • Benjamín Amorín8.0

    My favourite Feld game until date. Original, thematic, fun, interactive and with a great theme and great art.

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Rules questions

Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.

When do I have to Recover for Injury Cards — how many of a color or total, and what happens?

At the start of your turn, if you have 3 equally colored Injury Cards or 6 Injury Cards in total you must use your turn to Recover: discard 3 Injury Cards of your choice and end your turn without Consulting the Oracle (page 5). You can also discard Injury Cards as an action on a later turn (page 11).

When I Consult the Oracle at the end of my turn, can I advance my own Gods with those colors?

No — when you Consult the Oracle other players may advance one of their Gods that matches the announced colors, but you may not advance any Gods at that moment (page 5).

Do I get a Zeus Tile's reward immediately when I complete its task, or only when the tile is returned?

A Zeus Tile's reward is only given when the Zeus Tile is returned to the box, so you must return the completed tile to receive its reward (page 6).

Can I use my Oracle Dice and also play an Oracle Card in the same turn?

Yes — during phase 2 you may use your Oracle Dice for actions and you may additionally use one Oracle Card per turn (place it next to your board to show it's used and discard it at end of turn) (page 5; Oracle Cards on page 7).

When moving my Ship, must the destination match the die color and can I cross shallows or islands?

You may move up to 3 water spaces (pay 1 Favor per extra space) and your movement must end on a water space matching the used die color; you may not cross or stop on island spaces or shallows unless a Ship Tile, Companion or Equipment Card specifically allows it (movement rules page 10; equipment that affects shallows page 9).

How does fighting a Monster work — rounds, injuries, and Favor token use?

Each Monster starts at strength 9 reduced by your Shield, you roll the Battle Die each round and defeat the Monster if your roll is equal or higher than its current strength; rolling a 0 draws an Injury Card, and after a lost round you may pay 1 Favor Token to reduce the Monster's strength by 1 and continue (or surrender without further penalty) (page 10).

Opens Ludoya's rules assistant, which reads this game's rulebook.

Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.