Archives

Q: The rules say you can play the Rainbow Dragon “anywhere”. Does that include on top of the Silver Dragon, like an Action card, to change it back to wild?

A: Technically, we never intended for Action cards to be played on top of the Silver Dragon, however, some people do choose to play that way.
See: In Seven Dragons, can we put the discard pile on top of the Silver Dragon to easily see what color it is?

Whichever way you choose to play, the Rainbow Dragon is a panel card and not an Action, and as such, can be played anywhere a panel card can be played – which does NOT include the discard pile, wherever you happen to be keeping it. Note that we used to have a Shuffle Hands promo card (it was a peel-off postcard type) which was an Action that changed the Silver Dragon back to wild, but, unfortunately, we are all out of that.

Q: If I play Move A Card, turning the Silver Dragon green, can the moving of the card prevent that win?

Scenario: The Silver Dragon is connected to a group of six green dragon panels. Player plays Move A Card (the green action) which changes the Silver Dragon to green – but the card they move is one of the green ones, which they move away, to break up the group. Does Green win in the middle of the execution of NotGreen’s Action?

A: Unless this is the very first Action played of the game, NotGreen can choose to play the Move a Card to the bottom of the discard pile, utilizing it’s power to move a card, but not changing the color of the Silver Dragon at all. This would be the wisest way to play that card in this case. This is always an option unless it’s the first Action card played in the game, in which there is no discard pile yet to put the card under. Keep in mind a player also has the option of playing the Action to the top of the pile to change the color, but not utilizing the power of the card.

If, for some reason, NotGreen still wanted to change the Silver Dragon to green, we would still rule that Green does not win, since all effects of Actions are considered to be simultaneous. So JUST as you add another green dragon (in the form of the Silver) you simultaneously take one away, and the total remains six, never having actually reached seven.

If, by chance, this IS the very first Action played of the game, however… the question is actually moot. If no Actions have yet been played, then the Silver Dragon is wild, and Green would have already won when the sixth green card was played to the group connected to the Silver Dragon.

Q: If I use Trade Goals to get the gold dragon Goal and that changes the Silver Dragon so that gold is now winning, who wins, me or them?

A: What you’re asking about is essentially: which happens first, the completion of seven panels of gold via the Silver Dragon, or the exchange of the Goal cards.

The answer is that those things happen simultaneously, so after executing all of the results from the Action card, you see who’s meeting the win conditions. So it’s the person who ends up with the yellow Goal. If you traded to get it, that’s you. This a common winning strategy ploy.

The same question applies to similar moves with the Rotate Goals action (blue) where someone uses Rotate Goals to gain the blue dragon Goal while simultaneously changing the Silver Dragon to blue for the win.

Q: Does the Silver Dragon count towards your chain of seven dragons?

A: The Silver Dragon starts out Wild, just like the Rainbow Dragon. In this state, it counts as all colors all the time. Later it will reflect the color of the Action on top of the discard pile, at which time it is to be counted as a full panel of that color.

Either way, it certainly counts towards your win (as long as it is your color, or wild – obviously, if it is currently not your color, then it can’t be connected with any group of your color).

Q: Can I play an Action card in Seven Dragons and neither use it’s power nor change the color of the Silver Dragon?

… The rules say I can choose not to change the Silver Dragon color (as long as this isn’t the first Action played in the game) by putting it on the bottom of the discard pile. It also says I can choose not to use the Action’s power. Can I do neither?

A: You may not play an Action card to no effect whatsoever. Passing is an option if you don’t want to do anything, but you can’t waste an Action card. If you play it, at least one of the actions it provides must occur.

Q: In Seven Dragons, can we put the discard pile on top of the Silver Dragon to easily see what color it is?

A: Only if everyone in the group wants to play that way. It should be noted that the designer rejects this House Rule. According to Andy, “Part of the challenge is remembering that the Silver Dragon changes color, and keeping track of that change. Covering the Silver Dragon with the discarded actions is a memory crutch that some people may prefer, but for me it interferes with the aesthetic of the game.”