Rulesplainer { Teotihuacan: City of Gods }
Ronda El 
Rule Question
The thread asks if the rule for “bumping” or unlocking another player’s worker from a locked Worship action spot (specifically, whether you pay 1 cocoa or gain 1 cocoa when doing so) was changed in Teotihuacan, or if this is an optional rule or a mistake in recent editions or the deluxe version.
Rulesplainer
The original rule in Teotihuacan required a player to pay 1 cocoa to the bank to bump (unlock) an opponent’s locked worker from a Worship action spot. With the new, officially published “Advanced Worship Rules” (found in the WIP rulebook for the Deluxe Edition), this is now an optional advanced variant: if you unlock another player’s worker, you instead gain 1 cocoa from the general supply (no cocoa changes hands when unlocking your own workers). This rule is intended to make the Worship action more appealing, as it was previously considered a weak and rarely used action, especially when it came at an extra cocoa cost. It’s not a standard rule or a required change for all versions—it’s suggested for more experienced players or those who want a different balance of strategies. Historically, these “advanced” rules represent the designer’s original intent before publisher development tweaks, and many fans now choose to use these variants as their default. However, when using the Advanced Worship Rules, certain priest/priestess powers must be excluded due to balance concerns. Overall, the consensus is that the new rule is a welcome variant, making worshipping a more viable and interesting part of the game.
Rule Question
When selecting the Cōātlīcue Priestess in the Teotihuacan: Late Preclassic Period expansion, how does her technology ability work? Specifically, is the technology immediately claimed and usable, and does it affect the technology tiles available on the board?
Rulesplainer
If you select Cōātlīcue as your priestess, after players choose starting tiles and then priest/priestess tiles, you draw two random technology tiles (not from the board, but from the supply), choose one, and place it in front of you—this technology is now yours for the entire game. You get this technology for free, without needing to send a worker or pay gold, and no other player may claim it. The chosen tech does not go on the main Alchemy board, so the board still starts with six standard technology tiles for other players to claim as normal. When you gain this special technology, you do not receive the standard temple advancement you would get from claiming a technology on the board, because your bonus tile is not adjacent to a temple symbol. Overall, as the Cōātlīcue player, you start with a unique, extra technology benefit, but other normal setup rules and choices for technologies remain unaffected for all players. There are now effectively seven different technologies in play: six public on the Alchemy board, and one private for you. This action happens during setup to ensure all players know which technology is unavailable before the game begins.
Rule Question
How do you play the game with fewer than four players, and what happens to the non-player (dummy) dice, especially during the eclipse phase?
Rulesplainer
The official rulebook explains how to set up and play with less than four players, with specific instructions located throughout the setup and rules sections (pages 3-8 for setup, and page 17, section 7 for non-player dice during eclipse). Non-player dice, also known as dummy dice, must be positioned on the board as described in the setup steps to simulate a full game. During each eclipse, you draw new starting tiles and relocate these dummy dice as instructed in the rulebook. Experienced groups sometimes use house rules to add more variability or simulate player actions, such as moving dummy dice more frequently or using dice rolls to determine which dice move and how far they go. These house rules are optional but can make the game feel more dynamic, particularly at lower player counts. For official play, simply follow the pages referenced in the rulebook for setup changes and dummy die handling. Several community variants are available, including automated movement for dummy dice, but these are not required by the rules. The main point is to follow the setup, initial placement, and eclipse rotation guidelines from the rulebook when playing with fewer than four players.
Rule Question
When setting up a 2-player game of Teotihuacan with all expansions, how should you handle the starting tiles that require placing neutral (dummy) workers, specifically when a starting tile suggests placing two workers on the same Action Board (such as two on location 7), which seems to contradict the rule about placing them on unique boards?
Rulesplainer
The rule question comes from mixing expansion tiles—specifically from the Shadow of Xitle expansion—into the base game. The base rules say to place dummy workers on three unique boards. However, some expansion tiles allow two workers to be placed on the same action board (like both on location 7). There was debate about whether to draw a new tile or adjust placement, but after consulting the actual expansion rulebook and the game developer, the consensus is as follows: It’s acceptable to place two dummy workers of the unused color on the same board (in this case, both on 7, and one on 4), even if this duplicates locations. The aim is to follow the tile instructions as printed, even if it contradicts the standard uniqueness from the base game. This approach is endorsed by the developers and matches the intent of the expansion’s added flexibility.
Rule Question
How does the Alchemy board work in Teotihuacan, especially regarding acquiring technology tiles and the use of reference tiles in the deluxe versus standard edition?
Rulesplainer
On the Alchemy board, players may acquire technology tiles by paying the indicated gold cost and placing their marker (such as a disc or cube) on the associated technology tile. In the standard edition, these tiles remain on the board and are simply marked by each player who acquires them. In the Deluxe Master Set, each player also gets a reference tile of the technology they acquired, which is a reminder placed on their own player board. The main wooden (or cardboard) technology tiles always stay on the Alchemy board and are never removed. All players can acquire any technology, but no one can get the same one twice. Whenever a player acquires a technology already taken by another player, the previous owner(s) immediately score 3 victory points. The reference tiles in the deluxe version are only personal reminders – the actual technologies are never removed from the board and can be acquired by multiple players. House rules or creative reminders, like extra tokens or homemade copies, are often used to make it easier to track which technologies each player has.
