As the sun rises, casting a warm glow upon the vibrant tapestry of nature, a symphony of bird songs fills the air. Amidst this avian chorus, Wingspan emerges as a captivating game that invites players into the enchanting realm of ornithology. Drawing inspiration from the diverse ecosystems of North America, Wingspan offers an immersive experience where the pursuit of knowledge intertwines with strategic gameplay. Whether you are a seasoned birder or simply curious about the feathered wonders that soar above us, Wingspan promises an unforgettable journey through the skies.
In this comprehensive guide, we will embark on an expedition to unravel the secrets of Wingspan. From the meticulous selection of birds to the intricate mechanics that govern their behavior, we will explore every aspect of this enthralling game. Transitioning smoothly from the basics to advanced strategies, our guide will empower you with the knowledge and skills necessary to soar above your opponents and become a true master of Wingspan. Along the way, we will delve into the fascinating world of birds, discovering their unique characteristics and remarkable adaptations.
As we delve deeper into the nuances of Wingspan, we will uncover the intricate tapestry of strategies and tactics that can lead to victory. Transitioning seamlessly from bird selection to habitat optimization, we will provide invaluable insights and practical tips to maximize your chances of success. Whether you prefer to focus on building powerful chains of birds or outmaneuvering your opponents with clever cardplay, our guide will equip you with the tools you need to dominate the skies and achieve avian supremacy.
Gathering Your Materials
Before you embark on your feathered journey, it’s crucial to gather the essential tools that will guide you through the enchanting realm of Wingspan.
Essential Components
* Game Board: This beautifully illustrated panorama represents the diverse and captivating habitats where birds thrive.
* Bird Cards: These 170 cards are the heart of the game, featuring a wide array of avian species from across the globe, each with its unique traits and abilities.
* Food Tokens: These vibrant tokens represent the nutritional resources that nourish the birds in their habitats. Different types of resources have different values.
* Egg Tokens: These adorable tokens symbolize the next generation of winged wonders. They can be acquired through certain card abilities.
* Dice: Two standard six-sided dice are used to determine the availability of food resources and the number of nesting boxes available for eggs.
* Player Boards: Each player receives a personal board where they can track their birds, resources, eggs, and other game-related information.
* Round Tracker: This handy marker keeps track of the current round and the phase of the game.
* Automa Deck: For solo play, an optional deck of cards simulates the actions of other players.
Setting Up the Board
Now that you have a basic understanding of the game, let’s dive into the setup process:
- Choose a Habitat Tile: Randomly select a habitat tile and place it in the center of the table. This will serve as the starting point for the game.
- Build the Board:
- Randomly Deal Biodiversity Cards: Shuffle the deck of biodiversity cards and deal 5 cards to each player. These cards represent the actions players can take during the game, such as playing bird cards or drawing new cards.
- Create a Random Food Bag: Place all of the nectar, worms, and fish tokens from the food bag into a separate pile. Mix the tokens thoroughly and draw 5 tokens at random. Set these aside as the random food supply for the game.
- Distribute Habitat Tiles: Shuffle the remaining habitat tiles and place them facedown in a pile. Each player draws 5 habitat tiles and chooses 2 to keep, placing them in their playing area.
- Place Bird Cards: Determine which bird cards will be used for the game based on the number of players. Shuffle the selected bird cards and place them in a faceup deck in the center of the table. Draw 4 cards from the deck and place them faceup next to the deck, forming the row of available bird cards.
Determining Turn Order
In Wingspan, each game turn consists of four play-by-play phases. The order in which players take their actions depends on the value of their Bird’s Eye tokens.
1. Player with the Highest Value
The player with the Bird’s Eye token with the highest value goes first. They complete all four phases of their turn before moving on to the next player.
2. Ties
If two or more players have the same Bird’s Eye token value, they determine turn order by looking at the number of cards in their hand. The player with the fewest cards goes first, followed by the player with the second-fewest cards, and so on.
3. Breaking Further Ties
If there is still a tie after considering the number of cards in hand, the players compare the number of face-up and face-down Action cards they have played. The player with the most face-up cards goes first, followed by the player with the most face-down cards. If there is still a tie, turn order is determined randomly.
| Tiebreaker (in order) | Description |
|---|---|
| Bird’s Eye token value | Highest value goes first |
| Number of cards in hand | Fewest cards goes first |
| Number of Action cards played | Most face-up goes first, then most face-down |
Playing a Bird Card
Once you’ve drawn a bird card from the top of the deck, you have several options for what to do with it. You can:
1. Play the card to your table
This is the most common way to play a bird card. When you play a bird card to your table, you place it in one of the five habitat rows. The bird must belong to the type of habitat that the row represents. For example, if you play a Grassland bird card, you must place it in the Grassland habitat row.
2. Tuck the card under a bird you already have.
If you already have a bird in play that matches the type of habitat of the card you just drew, you can tuck the new card under the existing bird. This allows you to gain the abilities of both birds. For example, if you already have a Robin in play and you draw a Bluebird card, you can tuck the Bluebird card under the Robin. This will give you the abilities of both birds, including the Robin’s ability to gain food from the bird feeder and the Bluebird’s ability to lay two eggs per turn.
3. Create a new habitat
If you don’t have any birds in play that match the type of habitat of the card you just drew, you can create a new habitat by placing the card in one of the empty habitat rows. This will allow you to start attracting birds to that habitat type. For example, if you don’t have any birds in play and you draw a Forest bird card, you can create a new Forest habitat row by placing the card in that row.
4. Use the card’s special ability
Some bird cards have special abilities that you can use when you play them. These abilities can vary widely, so it’s important to read the card carefully to see what it does. For example, the American Robin card has the ability to gain food from the bird feeder. The Barn Owl card has the ability to hunt for mice. And the Bald Eagle card has the ability to steal food from other birds.
Using Bird Abilities
Each bird card in Wingspan features unique abilities that allow you to manipulate your habitat, attract more birds, or gain victory points. Understanding and utilizing these abilities is crucial for success in the game.
Common Bird Abilities
Many birds share common abilities, such as:
- Laying eggs: When activated, these birds allow you to place an egg cube in your habitat.
- Playing habitat cards: These birds let you play a card from your hand, providing habitat modifications or bonus actions.
- Drawing bonus cards: Some birds grant you additional card draws, allowing you to expand your options.
Advanced Bird Abilities
In addition to common abilities, birds also possess unique and often powerful advanced abilities, such as:
- Brown-headed Cowbird: Parasitizes other bird nests, laying an egg in their place.
- American Crow: Can discard any two cards from your hand to gain a food token.
- Peregrine Falcon: Can activate a second bird’s ability in the same turn, providing a versatile advantage.
Timing Bird Abilities
The timing of bird abilities is crucial. Abilities can be activated during various phases of the game, such as when you lay an egg, play a card, or activate another bird’s ability. Understanding the optimal timing for each ability is key to maximizing its effectiveness.
Combining Bird Abilities
Wingspan allows you to combine bird abilities in creative ways to create powerful combos. For example, you could use the American Crow to discard two cards and gain a food token, then use that token to activate the Pileated Woodpecker’s ability to draw two cards. This combination provides both resources and card draw, giving you a significant advantage.
Taking Habitat Actions
Habitat actions are the core gameplay mechanic in Wingspan. On your turn, you can choose to play one of your habitat cards to perform the action indicated on the card. There are four types of habitat actions:
- Play a bird card
- Gain food
- Lay an egg
- Draw a card
- Activate a round goal
- End Your Turn
- Collecting all 5 types of birds in a habitat
- Laying all 5 eggs for a bird
- Collecting 10 different bird cards
- Creating the largest flock of birds
- Having the most food in your bird feeder
- Income
- Play
- Gain Bird
- End of Round
- Bird Cards: Birds have point values printed on their cards.
- Bonus Cards: Cards provide additional points based on certain criteria (e.g., number of birds with certain traits).
- Habitat Completions: Completing habitats (e.g., forests, grasslands) grants points.
- End-Game Goal Card: Fulfilling the goal on the end-game card awards bonus points.
- Play a bird card from their hand into their habitat
- Activate the ability of a bird card in their habitat
- Gain a food token
- Lay an egg
- Draw a card
- Focus on building a diverse habitat with a variety of birds.
- Use your bird abilities wisely.
- Don’t be afraid to lay eggs.
- Draw cards whenever you can.
- Pay attention to what your opponents are doing.
This action allows you to play a bird card from your hand into one of your habitats. The bird card must meet the habitat requirements of the habitat you are placing it in.
This action allows you to gain food tokens, which can be used to pay for bird cards or other actions.
This action allows you to lay an egg in one of your habitats. Eggs can be hatched into birds later in the game.
This action allows you to draw a card from the bird deck.
This action allows you to activate one of the round goals. Round goals are special objectives that can earn you victory points.
This action ends your turn and allows the next player to take their turn.
Action Cost Effect Play a bird card None Play a bird card from your hand into one of your habitats. Gain food 1 food token Gain 1 food token. Lay an egg 1 food token Lay an egg in one of your habitats. Draw a card None Draw a card from the bird deck. Activate a round goal Varies Activate one of the round goals. End your turn None End your turn and allow the next player to take their turn. Gaining Food
In Wingspan, players can gain food in a variety of ways. One of the most common ways is to play bird cards that have the “gain food” ability. These cards will typically allow players to gain 1-3 food. Another way to gain food is to play habitat cards that have the “food token” symbol. These cards will typically provide players with 1 food per turn.
Laying Eggs
When a bird lays an egg, the player who played the bird card gains 1 food. Eggs can be laid in any habitat, but they can only be laid on a habitat that has at least one bird card in it.
Feeding Chicks
When a bird feeds its chicks, the player who played the bird card gains 1 food. Chicks can be fed in any habitat, but they can only be fed if there is at least one food token in the habitat.
Using the Bird Feeder
The bird feeder is a special card that allows players to gain food. When a player plays the bird feeder card, they can choose to gain 1 food or 2 food. The bird feeder can be played at any time during the game, but it can only be played once per turn.
Using the Food Die
The food die is a special die that allows players to gain food. When a player rolls the food die, they can gain 1-6 food. The food die can be rolled at any time during the game, but it can only be rolled once per turn.
Food Source Amount of Food Gained Playing a bird card with the “gain food” ability 1-3 Playing a habitat card with the “food token” symbol 1 per turn Laying an egg 1 Feeding a chick 1 Using the bird feeder card 1 or 2 Rolling the food die 1-6 Laying Eggs
To lay eggs, you must first have a female bird in your hand. You can do this by playing a bird card that has the female symbol on it, or by using the “Gain a Female Bird” action.
Once you have a female bird in your hand, you can choose to lay an egg by clicking on the “Lay Egg” button. This will open up the egg-laying menu.
In the egg-laying menu, you will see a list of all the available nests in the game. You can choose to lay your egg in any of these nests, but each nest has its own unique requirements.
Some nests require you to pay a certain number of food or energy tokens to lay an egg. Other nests require you to have a certain number of birds in your hand. Still other nests require you to have certain types of birds in your hand.
Once you have selected a nest, you can click on the “Lay Egg” button to lay your egg. The egg will be placed in the nest, and you will receive the benefits of the nest.
For example, if you lay an egg in a nest that requires you to pay two food tokens, you will receive two food tokens when the egg hatches.
If you lay an egg in a nest that requires you to have a certain number of birds in your hand, you will receive a bonus card when the egg hatches.
If you lay an egg in a nest that requires you to have certain types of birds in your hand, you will receive a habitat bonus when the egg hatches.
The following table summarizes the requirements and benefits of each nest in the game:
Nest Requirements Benefits Forest Floor None None Tree Cavity 1 Food Token 2 Food Tokens Shrub 2 Food Tokens 3 Food Tokens Grassland 1 Bird 1 Bonus Card Wetland 2 Birds 2 Bonus Cards Forest 3 Birds 3 Bonus Cards Woodland Edge 1 Bird of a Specific Type 1 Habitat Bonus Meadow 2 Birds of a Specific Type 2 Habitat Bonuses Lake 3 Birds of a Specific Type 3 Habitat Bonuses Ending the Game
The game ends once all players have passed consecutively. When this happens, each player’s final score is calculated.
Scoring
Each player’s score is calculated by summing the following:
Category Points Number of birds 1 point per bird Eggs 1 point per egg Food 1 point per 5 food Cards without abilities -1 point per card Bonus Points
Players can earn bonus points for completing certain in-game objectives, such as:
The player with the highest total score wins the game. In the event of a tie, the player who has the most birds in their habitat wins.
Scoring and Winning
In Wingspan, players aim to attract the best combination of birds to their wildlife preserves, scoring points for various achievements.
Gameplay Rounds
The game consists of four rounds, each with four phases:
Scoring
Players score points in the following ways:
Winning
The player with the most points at the end of the fourth round wins the game.
Wetlands Bonus Scoring
The wetlands bonus is a unique scoring mechanic that rewards players for strategically placing birds with the wetland trait in their preserve.
To receive the bonus, players must have at least one bird with the wetland trait in each of their four wetland habitats at the end of the round.
Number of Wetlands Habitats with Wetland Birds Bonus Points 1 5 2 10 3 15 4 20 The wetlands bonus is a significant scoring opportunity, so players should prioritize placing wetland birds in their preserves.
How To Play Wingspan
Wingspan is a competitive card game in which players take on the role of bird enthusiasts seeking to discover and attract the best birds to their wildlife preserves. The game is played over four rounds, each of which consists of three phases: the action phase, the end-of-round phase, and the cleanup phase.
During the action phase, players take turns performing one of the following actions:
The end-of-round phase occurs after all players have passed in a row. During this phase, players score points for the birds in their habitats, as well as for any eggs they have laid. The cleanup phase occurs after the end-of-round phase. During this phase, players discard all of the cards in their hand and draw five new cards.
People Also Ask About Wingspan
How many players can play Wingspan?
Wingspan can be played by 1-5 players.
How long does it take to play Wingspan?
A game of Wingspan typically takes about 45-90 minutes to play.
What is the goal of Wingspan?
The goal of Wingspan is to attract the best birds to your wildlife preserve and score the most points.
What are some tips for winning at Wingspan?
Here are some tips for winning at Wingspan:
