7 Wonders Guild Cards: Scoring Tips
Guild cards in 7 Wonders can make or break your game in Age III. These purple cards score points based on your neighbors' city layouts, making them a powerful tool when chosen wisely. Here’s the key takeaway: observe your opponents' strategies early on to pick the guild card that maximizes your score. A well-played guild card can easily net 8–12 points, pushing you closer to the 60-point winning threshold.
Key Guild Cards and Their Potential:
- Magistrates Guild: Scores from neighbors' blue (culture) cards. Great if they’ve built many blue cards.
- Workers Guild: Capitalizes on neighbors' brown (resource) cards. Best when they’ve stockpiled raw materials.
- Craftsmans Guild: Targets gray (manufactured goods) cards. Works well if your neighbors rely on gray cards.
- Traders Guild: Benefits from yellow (commercial) cards. Ideal if neighbors have strong trade setups.
- Philosophers Guild: Scores from neighbors' green (science) cards. Perfect when seated between science-heavy players.
- Builders Guild: Rewards completed wonder stages. Dependable if neighbors focus on wonder-building.
- Shipowners Guild: Scores from your own brown, gray, and purple cards. A solid choice for resource-heavy strategies.
Tips for Success:
- Watch Opponents Early: Track their card choices in Ages I and II to predict which guild will score best.
- Balance Scoring and Blocking: Claim guild cards that help you while denying high-value ones to opponents.
- Timing Matters: Grab guild cards when they offer at least 6–8 points or more.
Guild cards thrive on your ability to adapt to the game state. Use them to amplify your score while leveraging your neighbors' decisions.
7 Wonders 2e: How to Play and Tips
1. Magistrates Guild: Culture Card Synergy
The Magistrates Guild gives you 1 victory point for every blue (culture) card in the cities of your neighbors to the left and right. Essentially, you benefit from your neighbors' decision to invest in blue cards.
Blue cards are worth keeping an eye on. On average, they score 2.5 points in Age I, 4 points in Age II, and 6.5 points in Age III. Players who focus on culture tend to collect a lot of blue cards, which can make this guild highly rewarding.
The guild’s scoring potential depends heavily on what’s happening in the game. If your neighbors are piling up blue cards, this guild can bring in 8–12 points. But if they’re ignoring culture and focusing on other strategies, you might only score a handful of points.
This guild works well alongside more aggressive strategies. For example, if you're going for military or scientific dominance, picking up this guild in Age III can earn you extra points without needing to chase blue cards yourself. Plus, it denies your opponents a scoring opportunity. By Age III, you’ll have a good sense of your neighbors’ strategies, making it easier to decide if this guild is worth grabbing.
Since blue cards generally score around 4.3 to 4.5 points per card, the Magistrates Guild enhances their value without requiring you to spend additional resources. It’s a smart way to capitalize on your neighbors’ culture-building efforts.
2. Workers Guild: Brown Card Exploitation
The Workers Guild gives you 1 victory point for every brown card in the cities of your neighbors - both to your left and right. Brown cards, which represent raw materials like wood, stone, brick, and ore, are most common in Ages I and II, with none appearing in Age III.
This guild thrives on what your neighbors build. If they focus on collecting resource cards, you benefit directly from their efforts. Brown cards themselves don’t generate points when played, but their value comes into play later through the synergy created by guilds like this one.
The number of points you can earn depends entirely on your neighbors' strategies. If both of them gather 4–6 brown cards each, you could earn a solid 8–12 points. However, if they lean toward strategies like military, science, or culture, your score might drop to just 2–4 points. Paying attention to their early choices can help you decide whether the Workers Guild is a good fit for your game plan.
This guild is especially effective if you’re not focused on collecting resources yourself. For example, if you’re pursuing a military or scientific strategy, the Workers Guild offers extra points without requiring you to invest in brown cards. Essentially, it allows you to capitalize on your neighbors' decisions while staying committed to your own goals.
Since brown cards stop appearing after Age II, your scoring potential is locked in by then. Keeping an eye on what your neighbors build during the first two ages is crucial to understanding the value of this guild.
The Workers Guild also pairs nicely with other guilds that depend on your neighbors' builds, such as the Philosophers Guild (which scores from green cards) and the Magistrates Guild (which scores from blue cards). Together, these guilds allow you to score points across multiple aspects of your neighbors' cities without having to specialize in any one area.
On the other hand, if you’re pursuing a resource-heavy strategy yourself, the Shipowners Guild might be a better choice. It awards 1 point per brown, gray, and purple card, making it a better fit for players who are stockpiling resources. The Workers Guild, however, shines brightest when you let your neighbors handle resource gathering while you focus on other strategies.
3. Craftsmans Guild: Gray Card Advantage
The Craftsmans Guild awards 1 victory point for every gray manufactured goods card played by your neighbors during Ages I and II .
On average, this guild generates 3–7 points. If each neighbor plays 2–3 gray cards, you can expect around 4–6 points. However, if fewer gray cards are played, the score drops to 1–3 points.
Gray cards serve a dual purpose: they act as essential building resources and contribute significantly to scoring. Pairing the Craftsmans Guild with the Shipowners Guild, which grants 1 point per brown, gray, and purple card, can result in a combined score of over 10 points .
To maximize its potential, keep a close eye on your neighbors' card choices during Ages I and II. If they heavily invest in gray cards, the Craftsmans Guild becomes a strong pick. Otherwise, its scoring potential is limited.
In Age III, this guild typically provides a steady 4–5 points, making it a reliable option for resource-focused strategies. While not the flashiest choice, its consistent scoring can complement a well-rounded guild strategy.
4. Traders Guild: Yellow Card Monitoring
The Traders Guild offers a unique way to score points by leveraging the yellow cards in your city and those of your neighbors. This setup allows you to benefit from your neighbors' commercial investments without needing to build those cards yourself. To make the most of this guild, you'll need to keep a close eye on your neighbors' strategies from the early stages of the game.
The value of the Traders Guild hinges entirely on how many yellow cards are in play around the table. If your neighbors have built up a strong commercial foundation, this guild can provide a hefty point boost. However, if yellow cards are sparse, its scoring potential drops significantly.
When your neighbors have robust commercial engines, this guild can easily deliver 7 or more points. The beauty of this card lies in its ability to reward you for the configuration of both your city and your neighbors' cities, offering bonus points without requiring you to invest in yellow cards yourself.
By Age III, take stock of your neighbors' yellow card counts. If each of them has accumulated 3–4 yellow cards, grabbing the Traders Guild early can give your score a healthy boost while also limiting their potential points. This strategy works especially well if you're focusing on other areas, like science or military, and need an extra scoring edge.
On the flip side, if yellow cards are scarce, this guild may not be worth prioritizing. In such cases, letting it pass could be the smarter move, allowing you to focus on guilds that better align with your strategy. Thoughtful timing and observation make the Traders Guild a flexible and rewarding option in the late game.
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5. Philosophers Guild: Green Card Targeting
The Philosophers Guild earns you 1 point for every green card played by the players sitting to your left and right. Its value hinges entirely on how your neighbors decide to play their hands throughout the game.
From Age I onward, keep an eye on the cards your neighbors are picking. If one or both start collecting green cards early, you're in a great position to rack up points from their scientific focus. This kind of careful observation can set you up to maximize the guild's scoring potential.
Science strategies often result in players collecting 7–8 green cards by Age III. If both of your neighbors are heavily investing in science - gathering around 5 to 6 green cards each - the Philosophers Guild can net you a hefty 10–12 victory points. That’s a big deal, especially when you need 55 or more points to win most games.
The guild is particularly effective when your strategy leans toward military or cultural development. It acts as a sort of backup plan, allowing you to benefit from your opponents’ choices without needing to adjust your own approach.
By the middle of Age III, if your neighbors are piling up green cards, it’s smart to secure the Philosophers Guild as soon as possible. On the other hand, if green cards are scarce, its value drops, and you might be better off focusing on other ways to score.
The guild is at its strongest when you’re seated between two science-heavy players. Even with just one neighbor moderately invested in green cards, you can expect 6–8 points. But if both neighbors fully commit to science, the guild’s potential skyrockets, making it a powerful tool in your scoring arsenal.
6. Builders Guild: Wonder Stage Rewards
The Builders Guild rewards you with 1 victory point for every completed wonder stage built by the players seated directly to your left and right. This scoring mechanism hinges entirely on how committed your neighbors are to constructing their wonders.
Its effectiveness can shift depending on the game's overall strategy. If your opponents are heavily investing in wonder development, the Builders Guild can become a solid choice. On the other hand, if the focus leans more toward military, science, or other scoring paths, its value diminishes significantly.
To gauge its potential, pay attention to your neighbors during Ages I and II. If they’re spending coins early on wonder stages, it’s a clue that they’re likely to continue this trend. Similarly, neighbors with plenty of resources are better positioned to complete multiple stages, increasing your potential points from the Guild.
The Builders Guild works best as a secondary scoring option, not a primary strategy. For instance, if each of your neighbors completes two wonder stages, you’ll earn 4 victory points. In the best-case scenario - if both neighbors finish all three stages - you could gain a maximum of 6 points from this card.
Timing is everything when deciding to claim the Builders Guild. By the middle of Age III, if your neighbors have completed a combined total of 4 or 5 wonder stages, this card becomes a strong contender. However, if only 1 or 2 stages are visible, you’re better off exploring other scoring opportunities. Keep your strategy flexible and weigh the Builders Guild against other available options.
This Guild pairs well with economic strategies that generate coins and resources. These strategies not only help you afford high-value Age III cards but also allow you to benefit from your neighbors’ wonder-building efforts.
While the Builders Guild doesn’t offer the flashiest returns, it provides steady and reliable points. In most games - where players typically complete 1 or 2 wonder stages each - you can expect to earn around 2 to 4 victory points. It’s not a game-changer, but it’s a dependable choice in the right circumstances.
7. Shipowners Guild: Diversified Scoring
The Shipowners Guild offers 1 victory point for every brown, gray, and purple card in your city - not your neighbors' - making it one of the most reliable and self-contained guilds to score points with. This independence from your opponents' actions makes it a straightforward and manageable option to integrate into your strategy.
The beauty of this guild lies in its simplicity: you focus entirely on your own tableau. By building brown (raw materials), gray (manufactured goods), and purple (guild) cards, you control your scoring without needing to predict or react to what your neighbors are doing. This level of control allows you to steadily accumulate points without worrying about being blocked or disrupted.
A balanced collection of 4–6 brown cards, 3–5 gray cards, and 2–3 purple cards can net you anywhere from 9 to 14 points with this guild. Considering you typically need around 60 points to win, that's a solid 15–23% of your total score. It’s a significant boost, especially since brown and gray cards - which are often necessary for resource production in Ages I and II - become "free" points when the Shipowners Guild is in play.
Purple cards play a dual role here. Not only do they contribute to the Shipowners Guild's scoring, but they also bring their own benefits, making them especially valuable. Keep in mind that the number of guild cards in a game is tied to the player count (number of players plus two), so securing 2–3 purple cards can add a few extra points to your Shipowners total while boosting your overall strategy.
The Shipowners Guild fits seamlessly into a variety of approaches. If you're focusing on military dominance, you'll likely already be collecting brown cards for resource production. Similarly, science and culture strategies require brown and gray cards as prerequisites, meaning the Shipowners Guild rewards you for building a solid foundation without forcing you to deviate from your broader goals.
Here’s a quick tip: if you’ve got 7 or more brown and gray cards combined, the Shipowners Guild becomes a strong choice, offering a dependable point boost. If you’re trailing in points and need 6 or more to stay competitive, this guild can provide the edge you need. And if you’ve already accumulated 8 or more brown and gray cards, claiming the Shipowners Guild is almost always a no-brainer - it guarantees at least 8 points with minimal extra effort.
Guild availability also varies with player count. In a 3-player game, there are 5 guilds; in a 4-player game, 6 guilds; and in a 5-player game, 7 guilds. Fewer players mean guild cards are more likely to appear, making the Shipowners Guild a more predictable option in smaller games. Additionally, with fewer neighbors, brown and gray cards tend to circulate more freely, increasing your chances of building a strong resource base.
That said, the Shipowners Guild works best as part of a broader, diversified strategy rather than as a singular focus. Avoid overcommitting to resource cards early on unless the guild appears in Age III. If you’ve been naturally collecting brown and gray cards during Ages I and II, you’ll be perfectly positioned to capitalize on the Shipowners Guild if it becomes available.
One thing to watch out for: if your neighbors are actively blocking resource production, it might be tough to gather enough brown and gray cards to make the Shipowners Guild worthwhile. In such cases, consider whether other guilds, like the Workers Guild or Craftsmans Guild, might score better based on the game state.
What makes the Shipowners Guild such a solid choice is its flexibility. Brown and gray cards are useful regardless of whether the guild appears in Age III, so you’re never locked into a losing strategy. Even if Shipowners doesn’t show up, those resource cards can still contribute to other plays or score points through alternative guilds. This low-risk, high-reward dynamic makes it a versatile option that complements almost any strategy you choose to pursue.
When to Claim Guild Cards
In Age III, guild cards take center stage as your primary scoring opportunity. Unlike the earlier ages - where the focus is on gathering resources and building military strength - Age III is all about racking up points. Timing your guild card plays just right can mean the difference between a decent score and a winning one.
By the time Age III rolls around, your neighbors will have largely locked in their strategies. This makes it easier to predict the value of each guild card based on their card collections. Take a close look at what your opponents have built and identify the guild card that can deliver the most points for you.
Play guild cards strategically, aligning them with the current board state. On average, guild cards can score more than 7 points when used effectively. A card that nets you between 8 and 12 points, depending on your neighbors' strategies, can be a game-changer. On the flip side, if a guild card only offers 4 to 6 points, it might be smarter to wait for a better opportunity later in the age. While boosting your own score is the main goal, sometimes denying your opponents a high-value card can be just as impactful. Letting an opponent complete a high-scoring set could swing the game in their favor, so patience and strategic blocking can set you up for stronger plays later.
If you're behind in points, consider an aggressive approach. Discard high-value cards early to build up your coin reserve. These coins can then be used to speed up wonder construction or secure a critical guild card. This tactic works especially well if you're targeting high-scoring guilds like the Philosophers or Shipowners Guild, based on what your neighbors have collected. Whenever possible, claim a guild card that provides a significant scoring advantage for you while minimizing its value to an opponent. Your wonder's progression also factors into this decision - if advancing your wonder offers a big point boost, weigh that against the potential gain from a guild card and pick the option with the higher payoff.
Ultimately, your decisions should hinge on the trade-off between claiming a guild card, advancing your wonder stages, or saving coins for future plays. In this high-stakes phase, aim to average around 6 points per card to hit a target of 60 total points. Carefully balancing these moves will help you maximize your score when it matters most.
Conclusion
From Magistrates to Shipowners, guild cards open up unique scoring paths that align with different strategies. To master their use, focus on timing, observation, and adaptability. Instead of sticking to a rigid plan, keep an eye on what your opponents are building during Ages I and II. This awareness allows you to capitalize on their patterns when guild cards surface in Age III. Since guild cards rely on your opponents' constructions for points, they offer an efficient way to boost your score without needing additional resources.
Flexibility is crucial - evaluate each guild card based on the current state of the board rather than clinging to specific cards or strategies. Instead of waiting for a particular card to show up, learn to assess the value of what’s already in play.
Guild cards aren’t just about scoring; they can also disrupt your opponents’ plans. Denying a key guild card to a neighbor can be as impactful as scoring points for yourself. Pay attention to which cards would benefit your rivals the most and consider whether taking or discarding those cards could prevent them from gaining an edge.
Think of guild cards as multipliers for your earlier efforts. By building a solid foundation in the early ages, you can use guild cards in Age III to significantly enhance your score. Aiming for around 6 points per guild card in Age III is a good benchmark to reach the winning threshold of about 60 points.
Each game is different, and your approach to guild cards should adjust to the evolving board state. Some games might call for focusing on the Philosophers Guild if science is dominant, while others might reward leveraging the Shipowners Guild for broader scoring opportunities. The more you play, the better you’ll get at spotting these chances.
Ready to test your skills? Visit 7 Wonders and other strategy games at Brain-Games.lv/en/ to grow your collection and refine your tactics.
FAQs
How can I choose the best guild card to maximize points based on my neighbors' strategies?
To pick the best guild card, keep a close eye on what your neighbors are building and the strategies they're using. Guild cards often earn points based on the structures your neighbors have, so knowing if they're focusing on military, science, commerce, or resources can help you choose the card that will score the most points.
For instance, if your neighbors are stacking up on blue (civilian) or green (science) cards, guilds like the Philosophers Guild or Builders Guild could bring in plenty of points. On the other hand, if they're heavily investing in military, the Strategists Guild might be your best bet. The trick is to watch their progress and adjust your choice to make the most of the situation.
What are some mistakes to avoid when choosing guild cards in Age III of 7 Wonders?
When choosing guild cards, a common misstep is overlooking how they fit with your existing strategy. Sure, guild cards can rack up points, but they only shine when they align with what you’ve already built - whether that’s science, commerce, or military structures.
Another mistake? Ignoring what your opponents are up to. Some guild cards earn points based on your neighbors’ accomplishments. If you’re not paying attention to their progress, you might miss out on valuable scoring opportunities.
The key is to think ahead. Select guild cards that not only enhance your own strategy but also take advantage of your opponents’ achievements. A little foresight can go a long way in boosting your score during Age III.
How do guild cards influence your strategy and help maximize points in 7 Wonders?
Guild cards are a game-changer in 7 Wonders, offering a unique way to score points by leveraging your opponents' progress. These purple cards let you benefit from what others have built, while also enhancing your own strategy.
To get the most out of guild cards, pick ones that complement your current setup or target the most prevalent resources and structures on the table. For instance, if your opponents have invested heavily in scientific structures or commercial buildings, choosing guild cards that award points for those can give you a serious boost. Timing matters too - drafting a guild card at the right moment can block an opponent or secure a crucial advantage for yourself.
With thoughtful choices, guild cards can become a powerful asset in the final scoring phase, helping you edge out the competition.
