How to Play

Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road

1-4 players 90-90 min 7.5 Board Game Geek Rating

Players compete for power and wealth in the historic Silk Road city of Merv through court politics, mosque donations, and strategic trading. This economic strategy game requires balancing personal advancement with city defense against approaching Mongol invaders. Neglecting the walls means destruction, but focusing on them sacrifices opportunities for prosperity and influence.

Published 2020

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Game Duration

The game is played over 3 years (rounds), with 4 turns per year, totaling 12 turns

Year Structure

After Year 1: Scoring Phase → After Year 2: Mongol Invasion then Scoring Phase → After Year 3: Mongol Invasion then Scoring Phase then Final Scoring

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Move to Position

Following turn order, move to an unoccupied blue space and designate 1 city in your row/column

Activate Designated City

Determine the city's status:

Choose 1 of 3 Actions

Select one action to perform:

Camel Market (Optional Action)

Place 1 camel to execute a function OR collect all camels

Complete Contracts

During your turn, when requirements are met, pay N resources of any color to complete N contracts; immediately score points and execute reward actions; completable contract level depends on influence; books and goods on contracts count in scoring phase

Caravansary (Spices)

Pay N same-colored resources to buy N spice cards (max 8); can buy cards with camels and the next card with camels; earning 2 identical spices grants bonus rewards; refill to 8 after purchases

Palace (Courtiers)

Deploy any number of courtiers (one at a time); deploying the Nth courtier costs N specified resources (cumulative across palace); first courtier in each area grants +1 power; scoring: scrolls, spices, goods, mosques × courtiers (-1 power)

Library (Scrolls)

Pay N different-colored resources to buy N books (max 4); accumulating 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th books allows selecting corresponding breakthrough cards; books on contracts count in scoring

Marketplace (Goods)

Build only 1 trading post per turn; must build in inner market before adjacent outer market; first to place receives bonus (camel, power); each market's goods can only be bought once per turn; place 1 camel on path to buy from adjacent market; camels move to spice cards, then camel market clockwise, then removed from game

Mosque (Faith)

Pay sufficient resources to advance; can share spaces with others; immediately receive corresponding rewards; placing upgrade tiles on soldier locations returns soldiers; reaching top grants +4 points immediately

Wall (Defense)

Pay sufficient resources to buy any number of walls/gates; each wall/gate protects two spaces in front (+1 influence in your city, +2 influence in others' cities)

Select Starting Position

Player furthest from next corner chooses first; placement begins from last position in order

Spend Camel to Move

Place 1 camel at current position to choose next position (camels can stack)

Skip Occupied Spaces

If next position has a player, jump to the following position without spending camel

Accept Position

Receive all camels at that location

Invasion Targets

Cities without walls or soldiers in each row/column's edge two positions are invaded (upgraded resources are not removed)

Defense Option

Pay resources matching the city's production to defend against one invasion