Medici Board Game Review - Still Worth It?

Join us as we take a look at the Reiner Knizia auction game Medici.

[@XCM666]

I read the rules to my 18 month old (her reading is still shit) and she explained it like this: As the player creating an auction, you can select a set of cards larger than what you yourself can hold, as long as there is at least one player who can hold that many cards. Essentially what this boils down to is this: If no player has more than 2 slots available, you can't create a 3 card auction, because nobody could bid on it.

[@udancer]

The unclear point is that you can create a lot of two/three cards even if you can’t bid on the lot cause you don’t have room on your ship, as long as someone else has room on there ship for all the cards.

[@dougadamsau]

Phew. Glad you got the correct conclusion! It’s been around since it was called Mercator and keeps coming back into print since the early 90’s. Has to be worth it. Good stuff.

[@AllinWhenPlaying]

As always, solid review! I have to ask though, was wandering about the intro "story" for years so let's solve it now. It is due to the standard moment wen you all sat around the table to play, and obviously you forgot to switch the light off after you brought the game downstairs and you go "bollocks" and run up to switch it off? That's how I explain it to my sense, my my brain apparently needs to give it a backstory - and this one seems quite fitting. So, close enough or nope?

[@BoardGameBollocks]

I needed a poo and had to hurry

[@AllinWhenPlaying]

@@BoardGameBollocks Ah, perfect in nature and spirit. Wouldn't expect nothing less!

[@keithshapley2298]

Glad to say I didn’t guess that

[@Paul-ro6py]

Great review. Think I'll stick with my coveted copy of RA; Ian O'Toole artwork.

[@gaucholaw1]

Totally agree. Can’t wait to see what he does with Colosseum

[@keithshapley2298]

Medici still worth having in your collection as a different auction game from the master, Herr Knizia.

[@AndrewWatsonChangingWay]

I played Medici yesterday, for the first time in many years. It's still a great design. I disagree that it needs player powers or any other rules change or variant. The main problem is the horrible graphic design of every edition I've played. Your Steamforged edition looks great. Maybe I should finally buy this classic.

[@BoardGameBollocks]

It saying it needs player powers, rather they could’ve thrown some in to make the updated version different from the others. People who own the originals aren’t going to buy this just for the cost of paint.

[@BrianMarcus-nz7cs]

🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[@Suprsim]

I think the critical part about the rules is they don't strongly make it clear that "bid on a lot" is not the same as "select a lot". If I'm not mistaken, rule 3 has to do with the drawing of the cards, meaning the player drawing cards CAN draw more than can fit on their ship (meaning they CANT bid on it), but they cannot draw so many than NO ONE can bid. Right?

[@harryd.4400]

I’m thinking the same. You cannot bid on a lot that exceeds your capacity. You cannot create a lot that exceeds everyone’s capacity. You CAN create a lot that you cannot bid on, as long as some else can buy it. Why would you do that? Maybe to force someone else to buy garbage?

[@whittaker007]

@@harryd.4400 I've never played the game, but that would be my guess

[@gomezthechimp1116]

@@harryd.4400 Because you must keep flipping cards, even if your hold is full. The rule prevents a player whose ship is full from flipping 2 or 3 cards to deliberately stop players from gaining the last card or cards for their ship.

[@chrisperrien7055]

I keep wondering which "Euro-trash" game will have the most "Euro-trash" sounding name. "Medici" is obviously up way there on the list. 👌 IMO, "Catan" still tops the list. I think it means " hair-ball" in German.🤔

[@bornofashes]

That rule about lot selection contains a subtle double negative that makes it confusing, “cannot…at least one”. It would be much clearer to say, “cannot select a lot larger than any player can hold.” You’re not stupid, it’s stupidly worded.

[@wrath231]

Definetly a love/hate affair for me. I think I've won once in 20 games, but the runaway victory crap is a huge turn off for me.