The Colossus of Rhodes

Stand astride the harbour and let your military might do the talking.

Easy

Background

The Colossus of Rhodes was a towering bronze statue of the sun god Helios that once watched over the entrance to the harbour of Rhodes — a proud symbol of Rhodian victory over a Macedonian siege. Although it collapsed in an earthquake less than sixty years after completion, ancient writers celebrated it as among the most awe-inspiring structures of the age.

In 7 Wonders, Rhodes opens on the front foot: your starting production is a single Ore, the backbone of military hardware, and every stage of your Wonder nudges you toward battlefield dominance.

How you win

Rhodes doesn't hand you a separate victory condition — like every player, you race to accumulate the most victory points by the end of Age III. Your Wonder stages contribute 3 VP (Stage 1), 2 Military Shields (Stage 2), and 7 VP (Stage 3), for a total of 10 direct points plus whatever military bonuses those shields earn you.

The shields from Stage 2 are the real prize. Winning each of the three military conflicts earns you 1, 3, or 5 VP respectively, so a strong shield count can quietly pile on 9 VP or more over the course of the game — on top of the direct point stages.

How they play

Rhodes rewards an aggressive, military-forward game. Your starting Ore feeds the heavy Red military cards you want to draft in Ages I and II, and completing Stage 2 early gives you a shield advantage that deters neighbours from picking fights.

The pattern most Rhodes players fall into:

Age I — prioritise Red military cards and cheap Brown resource cards; aim to build Stage 1 for the 3 VP cushion.
Age II — complete Stage 2 as early as possible for the 2 Shields; keep drafting military cards to stay ahead of your neighbours.
Age III — build Stage 3 for the big 7 VP payoff, then round out your hand with Guilds or civilian Blue cards.

Because your Wonder stages do not award coins or science, Rhodes works best when you focus your card drafts narrowly: military for the shield race, Blue civilian cards for raw VP, and just enough production to pay for everything.

Strengths

✓
Stage 2 drops 2 Shields directly onto your total, giving you military momentum without spending a card slot. This is one of the most efficient shield gains in the base game and makes it very hard for neighbours to out-muscle you without dedicated effort.
✓
The combination of 3 VP, 2 Shields, and 7 VP is straightforward and reliable. No complex timing, no conditional scoring — if you build all three stages you walk away with a solid point base before counting a single card.

Weaknesses

!
Your Wonder stages give you nothing in the way of coins, resources, or commerce. Every resource you need to pay construction costs must come from your own tableau or from trading with neighbours — and trading costs coins you may not have.
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Starting with Ore and leaning on Red military cards makes your strategy obvious from turn one. Opponents who see you building a shield lead may pivot their own Red drafts to race you, or target your incomplete Wonder with aggression.

Tips & tricks

Tip
Complete Stage 2 — and claim those 2 Shields — before the Age II conflict resolution if at all possible. The military bonus pays dividends for the rest of the game, and neighbours who see your shield count will be less tempted to commit Red cards of their own.
Tip
Once your military position is secure, shift your Age III drafts toward Blue civilian cards. They stack directly on top of your Stage 1 and Stage 3 VP, and nobody expects the military player to close out with a string of palaces and courts.
Tip
Military is resolved against both neighbours, but cards pass to your left. Pay attention to what your left neighbour is drafting — if they're accumulating Red cards, pass them fewer military options and keep the good ones for yourself.

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