Dungeons & Dragons: Lords of Waterdeep - Tips & Strategies

Larissa Neathal is the most complicated Lord to play as – she scores through building rather than completing quests, and it’s much easier for your opponents to stop you from building than it is to keep all quests of the type you require away from you.

I have seen a few players have runaway victories playing her, but it’s entirely dependent on staying below the radar… said players can make it to round 6 or 7 without being spotted, and already have the necessary buildings/first turn marker to hold on for the win. But much more often I see people get crushed because their opponents realize by round 3 at the latest that they need to build to win; then they just make sure they keep first turn away from the player stuck with Larissa and play Builder’s Hall first.

Having had this happen to me once, it’s about the only way to NOT enjoy Lords of Waterdeep. The game will be no fun for the next hour as you watch your opponents stack up completed quests you know will bury you in the end.

We’ve implemented a house rule that allows any player randomly assigned Larissa at the beginning of the game to announce it and draw the next Lord from the top of the pile. This way, you can CHOOSE to play her and try to keep everybody else off your trail long enough to win (and probably win big), or you can cash her in for a more normal game. I like this better than removing Larissa from the deck entirely because everybody can still be suspicious at each building purchased provided nobody cashed her in at the beginning.

While it is best, generally speaking, to focus on completing quests that will garner you additional points through your Lord card, pay attention to the various rewards all the different quests provide. Completing quests that provide you with more resources frequently makes it easier to complete more quests more quickly, even if the resource-granting quest won’t directly get you extra points at the end of the game.

Quest reward synergy is especially important if you find yourself in a game where one or more of the resources remains critically low. (I played one game where the only place to get fighters off the board for the first six rounds was at the Field of Triumph. Quests and Intrigue cards that gave fighters were in high demand.)

Mandatory Quest cards are probably best used as late in the game as possible. That way, you can use it on the leader, or at least someone who is ahead of you (or immediately behind). All while hitting them with it at a most crucial time in the game.

In order to add more theme to the game, here is a great idea I picked up from Chris “Myoman” Wood at BGG. At the beginning of the game only, have each faction start with an appropriate lead in a certain category (players must select their faction before being assigned a Lord when using this set-up):

Starting Faction…………………….Starts the Game With
City Guard………………………….2 Fighters in their Tavern
Harpers…………………………….1 Wizard in their Tavern
Red Sashes………………………….2 Rogues in their Tavern
Silverstars…………………………1 Cleric in their Tavern
Knights of the Shield………………..4 Extra Gold

I think the thematic element is obvious and fun with this as the “lead” makes sense to the stories of these factions. (The advantages gained are also minor enough not to be game determinative even in the luckiest of faction, leader, quest combos that might arise…and if you are really worried about that then just play it the normal way!)

By now, most of us understand that focusing on your lord’s quest types of choice is a good idea. The bonus four points per completed quest is huge. The plot quest’s that earn you an additional two can help extend this lead even further. During the first few turns, if you don’t see either of the two you need already in someone’s possession, I recommend a few random digs through the quest deck to procure them.

Use the last action space on Cliffwatch Inn to clear all quests and reveal four new ones. Even if you don’t locate the specific plot quests you are looking for, you my find others that can help set your strategy. You will usually pick up a few quests that you can complete later anyway. This also tends to disrupt others by ripping past quests they may need.

Silly little rule that’s made a couple of the buildings much simpler to manage lately. Since nothing in the game needs five-gold increments, but plenty need four, this helps speed things up.

A building stockpiles four gold per round? Crescent.
Landed on the Market? Crescent.
Turning in a huge quest? Two Crescents.

And then at the end of the game, a Crescent is worth two VPs.

Minor tweak to an otherwise fantastic game.

As we played this game we found that there were occasions where one player would receive a phenomenal starting set of cards (quests, intrigue, and lord). In order to balance it we play with a passing start. It goes like this:

First, pass the following to each player to view: 2 Lord cards, 3 Quest cards, and 3 Intrigue cards

Second, each player will select 1 quest and 1 Intrigue card from those provided and pass 1 of each to their left and one of each to their right. (in two player games this will be the same person)

Third, each player will select 1 quest and 1 Intrigue card from those passed to them and discard the other.

Fourth, each player will select a lord from their two and discard the other.

Overall we find that this insures that you receive top pick of your initial hand but will not receive a mind blowing combo unless the people you have passing to you are also receiving a good setup. It simply removes some of the starting luck.

Additionally, we typically do a switchback on the player order allowing each player from last to first select one resource as if they had played an agent (i.e. 2 orange, 2 black, one purple, one white, or 4 coin) with no two players getting the same resource. This provides some balance on the player order beyond that single coin.

Combined we have found these house rules to remove a lot of the start game luck and give you a chance to customize your initial direction. The only downside is mixing brand new players with experienced will potentially give the experienced players an even greater edge.

While seeking a particular resource, there are many times when the decision is between a standard or an advanced building. The advanced provides a bonus, but it also helps an opponent. Often I choose to go for my minimum requirements in an effort to deny the builder his reward.

It is important to watch for situations when you know that a third player will select the advanced building anyway. In this case, your denial plan will only be shorting yourself as that location’s payoff was triggered despite your avoidance.

Example: You need two fighters. You KNOW that Player A also needs fighters. Player B owns “Fetlock Court” (Select to gain two fighters and one wizard, but B will get one of his choice also). If you choose “Field of Triumph” (Select to gain two fighters), Player A will still activate the Court and gain the extra wizard that you could have had!

If you feel like your game of Lords of Waterdeep is over a bit too quickly, add a couple of extra rounds at the end of the game – there are enough victory point counters in the box for them and still enough room for one building to be built per round.

If you end up as the build lord, in my experience the finance quests are the most useful, not only do they generate the money you need to buy buildings in Waterdeep but they also contain chances to get new buildings as rewards for completing the quest.

Because your first agent should be used to create a building you will then have the rest of your agents free to either:
a) complete finance/other quests which focus on point yield so the 20-25 point quests in any category
b) sabotage your fellow players – by using intrigue cards that alter play or which give you cash for wizards/rogues/etc returned to the tavern or by specifically blocking agents you know someone needs for a high scoring run. By blocking the buildings within waterdeep proper you can force people to use your buildings and thus mine rewards from building use