A quick one today as I look at the new Wonder Pack for 7 Wonders. This expansion for the 2010 game by Antoine Bauza (published by Repos Productions and Asmodee) contains four new wonders to use in the game – The Great Wall, Abu Simbel, Stonehenge, and Mannekin Pis.
As a refresher, 7 Wonders is a civilization building card game where you draft the cards you play – you choose a card from a hand, pass the rest, choose one from those you were passed, pass the rest, and so on. Cards you’ll see include resources used to play other cards, money producing cards, points, military, science, and guilds. The interaction level is fairly low as what you do can affect the player on your left and your right, but no one else (the game plays up to seven). The game plays over three ages, and you’ll add up all your points to find the winner at the end of the third age. The first two expansions, Leaders and Cities, added more elements to the basic game.
Throughout the game, you’ll have the opportunity to work on your wonder. This consists of a number of stages where you must be able to pay virtual resources in order to get the benefit. Each wonder has an A side and a B side, with the B side more complex. Wonders are the focus of this expansion, so let’s see what we’ve got.
THE GREAT WALL: Side A has 4 stages. The first stage gives you 8 coins when complete. The second stage gives you an extra science symbol of your choice. The third gives you 2 extra shields when determining military might. The fourth stage allows you to play a card from the discard pile to put into play for free.
Side B also has 4 stages. The first stage gives you 8 coins, and gives your adjacent neighbors 2 coins each. The second stage allows you to copy a science symbol that has been played by one of your neighbors. The third stage takes you out of the military conflict for the current age, meaning your neighbors fight each other as if you weren’t there. Also, everyone else in the game has to pay two coins to the bank. The fourth stage allows you to have the use of a resource you don’t produce.
ABU SIMBEL: This Wonder requires the Leaders expansion to play. Side A has 3 stages. The first and second stage give you 3 and 5 points, respectively. The third stage allows you to choose a Leader you’ve already played and place it facedown, meaning you no longer get the benefit of it. However, you gain points equal to double its cost at the end of the game.
Side B only has two stages, and each one is the same as stage three of Side A.
STONEHENGE: Side A has three stages. As with Abu Simbel, stages one and two are worth 3 and 5 points. Stage three gives you two VPs for each stone present on your brown cards at the end of the game.
Side B has two stages. The first gives you one coin per stone symbol on your brown cards when built, and gives you 1 VP per stone at the end of the game. Stage two lets you reveal the card used to build it at the end of the game, giving you one point per card of that color built by your neighbors.
MANNEKIN PIS: This wonder was previously released as a promo, but it’s been revamped for this release. Side A has three stages. The first gives you the first stage effect from the wonder to your left, while the second gives you the second stage effect from the wonder to your right. Stage three goes back to the left. The original stage three let you choose left or right.
Side B has one stage. When completed, you get 7 coins, an extra shield for your military, and 7 points. The original version required the winner of the game you buy you a beer.
So there you go. The wonders all seem pretty good. The Great Wall, particularly side A, looks like a mix of several different wonders, while side B looks like it offers some different interactions. Abu Simbel could be pretty powerful if you manage to get an expensive leader out. Stonehenge focuses on stone, but I like the secret color from side B, knowing that the card you choose is one your neighbors can’t build to help you out. Mannekin Pis allows you to piggyback off your neighbors, which could be fun.
Overall, it’s nothing new like Leaders or Cities, but more wonders is a good thing. Probably something a 7 Wonders aficionado should have. That’s all for today. Thanks for reading!
LINKS:
Boards and Bees 
You left out a vital rule change for Great Wall of China, it can be built in any order. Since it is a horizontal wonder and not a stacking wonder.
I missed that rule completely. Thanks for pointing it out!
I picked this up as soon as I could Great having more wonders. Have yet to try Abu Simbal yet.