CHEOPS is scenario for 3-4 players Settlers where the layout is sup-plied on a map of Egypt instead of the normal tiles. Each player beings with 3 Settlements which are all situated along the banks of the Nile. There is a distinct shortage of Wood and Rock as these spaces are out of reach (except for one Wood-hex) in the first half of the game.

A big Desert functions as a building site for the Great Pyramid where all players can build Stones (these are bought for 1 Clay and 1 Rock). The players who at any time has built more of the Pyramid than any one other player receives a +3 VP card while the player(s) with the fewest blocks on the Pyramid each receives a -2 VP card. This means that the game very often is won by the Pharaoh's favorite.

You don't need to have an actual Building Site next to the Pyramid to build, and you don't have to own a Harbour to trade. If you can trace a route from one of your Settlement/Cities to any Site/Harbour you may pay the owner 1 Gold and use his facilities without his consent. The Gold is coming from 2 Gold-hexes which produces 1 Gold coin when its number is rolled. Gold is a Resource but doesn't count as a Card when the Robber comes...

The Pharaoh himself builds a Stone on his Pyramid every time the dice shows 7, and when all 15 Tiles from the Pharaoh has been placed the game ends with the highest scorer winning the game. This is why you don't need to build new Settlements as long as you have the +3 VP card.

I really like this Scenario which is among my favorites. It plays totally differently from any other Settlers Scenarios.

A final tip: I hope the Mayfair edition has printed the latest rules. The game can end very quickly because the Pharaoh only has 15 tiles to play and 7 is the easiest number to throw. Klaus Teuber has changed the rules slightly: The Pharaoh doesn't begin to build until the first player tile has been placed on the Pyramid. This means that players can expand their Settlements without the fear of the game closing before the game has even begun...

The Woods-hex in the Nile-delta is the only available Wood in the beginning at the game. There are at least two good Settlement-spaces on the hex. The final one isn't so attractive but we quite often build there just to be able to receive the valuable wood. As Wood and Rock is so difficult to get at, don't forget that you can trade using any available Har-bour (as long as you can trace a route to it). This makes the Gold-hexes very valuable as they provide the necessary payment for using the trade-route. Don't be without Gold unless you have everything you need with-in reach.