Lords of Waterdeep

Name: Lords of Waterdeep
Brand: Wizards of the Coast
Price: 55.0 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock

Out of stock

$55.00

$55.00 ~~$140.00~~

SAVE $85.00

Lords of Waterdeep is a Dungeons & Dragons-themed worker-placement strategy game for 2–5 players, recommended for ages 12+, with games typically lasting 60–120 minutes. As a masked lord of the City of Splendors, you recruit adventurers, complete quests, raise buildings and play Intrigue cards to outmanoeuvre rival lords.

Players: 2–5 players
Play time: Up to 2 hr
Age: Teens
Complexity: Medium

Sold out

About the Game

As one of the masked Lords of Waterdeep, you will dispatch agents across the City of Splendors, recruiting adventurers to complete quests on your behalf while Intrigue cards help or hinder your rivals. Constructing new buildings opens extra actions on the board — and pays you whenever an opponent uses them. After eight rounds, the lord with the most points claims control of the city.

Lords of Waterdeep plays with 2–5 players in roughly 60–120 minutes. A medium-complexity strategy game recommended for ages 12+, it blends worker placement, set collection, hidden scoring roles and light take-that card play, rewarding careful planning and well-timed interference.

Designed by Peter Lee and Rodney Thompson and published by Wizards of the Coast in 2012, Lords of Waterdeep adapts the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms setting into a Euro-style design, and remains a modern gateway classic.

History

Designed by Peter Lee and Rodney Thompson and published by Wizards of the Coast in 2012, Lords of Waterdeep brings the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms setting to a Euro-style strategy design. It has since become a widely recommended introduction to worker-placement games.

Shipping

$15 flat shipping · FREE over $150

Shipping details

Watch: How to play

Rules of Lords of Waterdeep

Setup: Give each player a set of agents (the number depends on player count), a hidden Lord card, and starting Quest and Intrigue cards; place adventurers, gold and tiles within reach.
Your Lord card is secret — it scores bonus points at the end for completing particular quest types, so keep it in mind all game.
On your turn: place one agent on an empty building space and take its action, such as gaining adventurers or gold, drawing Quests or Intrigue cards, or constructing a new building.
After placing an agent and resolving the space, you may complete one Quest by spending the required adventurers and gold, then claim its rewards.
Constructed buildings open new action spaces; when an opponent uses a building you own, you collect its owner bonus.
Intrigue cards can be played at the Waterdeep Harbour space to help yourself or hinder rivals, including sticking them with Mandatory Quests.
Game end: after eight rounds, reveal Lord cards, add end-game bonuses to completed quest points, and the lord with the most points wins.

Strategy

Prioritise quests that match your hidden Lord card's favoured types — those end-game bonuses often decide close games.
Take quests steadily rather than hoarding them; an uncompleted quest is worth nothing, and a full hand limits your options.
Match your resource gathering to the quests you actually hold instead of stockpiling adventurers you may never spend.
Consider building early: each building you own pays you whenever a rival uses it, and the income adds up over eight rounds.
Watch what adventurers opponents are collecting to guess which quests they are about to complete and where they will place agents.
Save a well-timed Intrigue card or Mandatory Quest for a rival who is pulling ahead, rather than spending it on the first turn.
Don't ignore the Harbour spaces late in a round — replaying agents there can squeeze extra actions out of the final rounds.