To do that, you need the two players’ tuarple. I love how this game brings a brilliant meta-game of getting into your opponent’s head, to a solid set collection and trading game. The robber blocks off the card he stands on, moving one card clockwise each round. Yes, there is certainly luck involved. It is one of the few strategic games that works very well with only two players. I love the game’s box size; it is perfect for what is inside. The tuarple tribes have very strict traditions where they can and cannot stand, restricting the available space further still. I’m happy with the 45-minute-ish game length. Thematically full of atmosphere, this 2-person game has simple rules and easy-to-learn mechanics and has even earned a nomination for the Kennerspiel des Jahres 2012 in Germany. It’s a really good idea to use goods cards in good positions this round, even if you have to discard the goods you gain because of the resource limit, because this makes sure that tribe extension cards show up in those spots, and you can arrange for tribe extensions to show up in a way that your opponent can not block you from all of them. Every setup is different so replayability is no issue. Classic ‘German-games’ illustrations and components. It is nominally themed around two nomadic tribes gathering resources and expanding their territories. If you continue we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Meople's Magazine website. Most of the tribe cards give players special privileges that are good for one turn immediately, at game’s end, or permanently. Since they aren’t moved during gameplay, I would like to have seen the border cards printed on something like a Carcassonne tile. The writer: As someone who dabbles with game design, Targi impresses me technically. A great 2-player worker placement game. This is always faced with the dilemma to make the best move for yourself or block Your opponent. Many crucial decisions that add up to a fantastic game without simultaneously adding unnecessary complexity. This means that with every placement you have to think, “what do I need? It’s easy to see what you want. The realization that shocked Izri ibn Ali was the first thing I learned from playing Targi. The tableau consists of 25 cards, arranged in a 5 x 5 play area. Scoring is relatively simple and primarily determined at end-game. So far, everything happened at the border of the desert. Meople's Magazine has updated its cookie policy. As I mentioned above this game isn’t a strongly thematic game. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Finally, no tuarple can stand in the corners – those are the raiders hideouts, and he hates visitors. Phenomenal sandy landscape, itty-bitty living space, that sort of thing. Players alternate placing their three pawns on one of the 16 border cards. Additionally, the color of the robber pawn is not distinctive from that of the white pawns. You can win only if you plan shrewdly and always keep some gold in your pocket. Set collection, recipe fulfilment and scoring are bog standard. Instead, Targis may only be placed on 12 of the 16 border permanent Border cards. It’s really a very small area. The remaining cards consist of a small deck of Goods cards and a larger deck of Tribe cards, both of which are used throughout play. As well as pointing out potential pitfalls as they arise. The other cards are tribe extension cards: they go to your personal display which can hold up to twelve cards in three rows. Or doing a little of both. Targi is simple to learn and easy to play. But blocking your opponent and avoiding being blocked yourself is only the first layer of strategy. My better half likes it too and is now picking it on game nights. When each players’ pawns are placed, they use the vertical and horizontal coordinates to see where the paths of their pawns intersect. He starts out on the first border card – The Noble – and walks around the board. For others it won’t be. While there is nothing over-the-top or particularly note-worthy regarding the production quality of the game, therein lays a hidden truth: the simplicity of the art and iconography gives Targi a degree of elegance that might otherwise have suffered from excess. There are a few key elements that must be considered with any Targi strategy: First and foremost – tribal acquisition. The card stock is acceptable, though not exceptional, and the art is simple and unobtrusive. Yes, the components are drab and and look as boring as the box cover. Or if the robber (see below) makes it all the way around the outside card grid. That said, it does have a very well regarded expansion that changes things up a lot. But it’s also incredibly simple, widening the potential appeal and reach. Behind the desk sits a man in shirts and trench coat, his hat on the wardrobe next to the door. At first it is just a resource or victory point. Place the Robber (grey figure) next to the space no. It’s an elegant balance of combative abstract and euro mechanisms. But later, it may be three resources or a gold coin. Choosing actions is not hard by itself, you can easily come up with a combination of actions that will let you get the card you want. If the start player is always getting what they want, you’re letting them. Goblins need bombs. It is intense and hits that nerve I love where you nervously awaits your opponent’s move. It is a tight game where every action matters and you sit with a knot in your stomach while you silently wait for your opponent to place their worker, intensely hoping that they won’t see the obvious move they can take that will foil all your plans. One particular Goods card grants an immediate victory point, and one of the permanent Border cards permits a player to trade goods or gold for victory points, but the majority of VPs will come from the Tribe cards acquired by the players during play. But the denial it creates with two-players makes the game sing. 4 Tribal pawns, 2 blue and 2 white. As cards are acquired, Goods cards are replaced with Tribe cards, and vice versa. Targi has three basic resources (pepper, salt and dates), plus gold. The inner 3 x 3 play area is comprised of random, alternating Goods and Tribe cards. The Robber is placed on card #1. They can not stand opposite an enemy tuarple – the tuarple are great marksmen, you don’t want to stand in a straight line from someone who has a grudge against you. Choosing which Tribe cards to include in your tableau (and which to prevent your opponent from acquiring) is crucial. There are just six action spaces. I guess these things are true. Knowing how he ever only plays with 2 players, Rahdo of cause did a run through of this gem. Targi is a worker placement game that uses a “board” made up of 16 fixed border cards and nine ever-changing center “goods” and “tribe” cards. Players take on the roles of tribal leaders seeking to gain resources and form alliances with neighboring tribes. The Robber does not stop on these spots, but merely passes through, triggering their effects. But those are not all he does, he’s equally skilled at small and deceptively simple looking games. Instead, they just control parts of the desert from the border: when you have tuarple controlling a row and a column of the desert, then you place a control marker where those two intersect. Which always leave a blocking move for your opponent. And after each set of three rounds, he moves over a corner space of the outer grid – taxing both players. Find what your opponent wants most, then make sure they can’t get it. The intersection concept and blocking possibilities makes this game challenging. Looking up, he not only saw the camel’s rider, another Tuareg, but also that he was only the head of a caravan that stretched almost to the horizon. And that’s without having picked up the expansion. The robber commits a “raid” on the corner tiles, and players must give up goods at each raid. But it would be like criticising something blue for not being red enough. On top of that, you’re still considering your own display, how to get the bonuses for the rows and how to use the special abilities you already have to greatest effect. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Furthermore, by placing a Targi figure at either end of a row or column, the player lays claim to that entire line of cards, for an opponent cannot play a Targi on the same row or column. Or maybe a caravan will bring the merchandise you desire. And I don’t agree the ‘Fata Morgana’ action space is problematic. Coins - worth their weight in gold. This can be frustrating, but it’s not enough to put me off. When he turned his head to see where the strange man was going, but instead found himself staring into the face of a camel that bad-naturedly – and halitotically – roared at him. Additionally, you can win extra points by having four cards of the same type or four cards of all different types in a row of your display. “Whom the gods wish to destroy, they first drive mad,” as the saying goes. Players cannot simply place their Targi on the Goods or Tribe cards they desire. Even if there is a ‘best’ card, you’ll need two meeples in the right spots to get it. Tribes must be placed from left to right in a given row, and cannot normally be moved after placement. Though it lacks visual flair, it is not without charm, and the austere artwork promotes the desert atmosphere and theme. This includes cookies from third party social media websites if you visit a page which contains embedded content from social media. These in turn bring advantages during the game and victory points at the end. But Targi can also work well as a gateway game. Players compete by strategically placing their action pawns (called Targi) to acquire gold and goods and to “purchase” tribes, with the goal of obtaining the most victory points by game’s end.