Castles of Burgundy Endgame and Scoring Math

The Castles of Burgundy rarely ends with a surprise. There are no hidden objectives and no secret cards. Almost every point is visible on the table, and the game tells you exactly how many rounds are left. That makes the endgame a counting puzzle, and the player who counts best usually wins it.

What a region is worth, by phase

A completed region scores its size points plus the phase bonus. Here is the full table.

Two things stand out:

• Big regions hold their value. An 8-space region is worth 46 in phase A and still 38 in phase E. Most of its value is the size points, which never shrink.
• Small regions fade fast. A one-space region drops from 11 to 3. If a small region is still open in phase E, it is now a minor prize.

So the late game belongs to big regions. If you have a large region three tiles from done, phases D and E are when to finish it.

Finish or let go

An unfinished region scores nothing. Not half, nothing. That makes the late game a series of yes or no questions.

Count the tiles a region still needs, and the rounds left. You can see the rounds on the round spaces: each round, one goods tile leaves. A tile you do not hold yet usually costs two actions, one to take it and one to place it. So a region that needs three tiles you have not taken will rarely close in two rounds, however good it looks. Spend those actions on something that will.

When two regions compete for your last actions, compare what each is worth with the table above, plus any color bonus it would earn.

Bonus tiles at the end

Filling every space of a color earns a bonus tile: 5, 6, or 7 points for the first player by player count, and 2, 3, or 4 for the second. Late in the game, check who is close in each color. A tile that both completes a region and fills a color can score twice, plus the bonus tile on top.

What leftovers are worth

At the end, leftover resources score a little:

Tiles in storage score nothing, and that includes monasteries. A scoring monastery only counts if it is placed in your duchy.

Turning leftovers into points

Since leftovers are worth so little, convert them before the game ends.

Sell your goods. With 4 players, three goods tiles sold score 12 points and a silver, worth 13 in all. Kept, they score 3. Even a single tile is worth selling if you have a die to spare.

Spend your silver. Two silver is 2 points at the end. A black depot tile is worth buying only if you can place it, and its placement scores more than 2. In the last round, that usually means it completes something.

Spend your workers. Two workers score 1 point. The same two workers can turn a dead die into a completed region. In phase E, a worker you do not spend is nearly wasted.

The last round

Know your turn order going in. In the final round, every turn after yours is a turn you cannot answer. Make sure a rival cannot take the tile you need before you get to it. If they can, a ship placed in round 24 to move up the bridge may be worth more than its goods.

Remember the tiebreaker: the tied player with the most empty duchy spaces wins, then the player furthest back on the bridge. It rarely matters, but in a close game, know where you stand.

A last-round checklist

1. Which region can I still finish, and what is it worth now?
2. Can I sell my goods this turn?
3. Is my silver better spent or kept?
4. Are any workers left that could change a die?

If the counting itself is the part your table dreads, our piece on board game weight explains why a game like this sits where it does, and how to pick the right night for it.