The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus

Raid the discard pile and claim the card everyone else threw away.

Hard

Background

The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was a monumental tomb built for Mausolus, the Persian satrap of Caria, by his grieving wife Artemisia. Situated in what is now the coastal city of Bodrum in Turkey, it was so magnificent that Mausolus's name entered the common vocabulary — a 'mausoleum' still means any grand funerary monument today.

In 7 Wonders, Halicarnassus begins with a Loom (manufactured good), reflecting the textile traditions of ancient Caria. Its Wonder board carries a power as unusual as the structure itself: the ability to pluck a card from the discard pile and build it for free.

How you win

Halicarnassus's stages award 3 VP (Stage 1), the ability to pick any card from the discard pile and build it for free (Stage 2), and 7 VP (Stage 3). The stages total 10 direct points.

The Stage 2 ability is what makes Halicarnassus genuinely unique. Every card that any player discards — either to collect 3 coins or at the end of an age — goes into the discard pile. When you build Stage 2, you can rifle through the entire pile and take any one card, paying nothing. That might be an expensive Blue palace someone couldn't afford, a Green science card that was passed over, a military Red that was cut from a neighbour's hand, or a Guild from an age that just ended.

How they play

Halicarnassus is the most opportunistic and reads-the-table board in the base game. Its power is in proportion to what ends up in the discard pile — so the more cards get discarded (either for coins or at age-end), the more valuable Stage 2 becomes.

Typical arc:

Age I — focus on building your production base and watch what your neighbours discard. Draft normally; build Stage 1 if you have the resources.
Age II — aim to build Stage 2 during this age, ideally after the age-end discard has happened. At the end of each age, every player discards their remaining hand card — meaning a fresh batch of cards enters the pile right when you need to pick.
Age III — build Stage 3 for the 7 VP and spend your final card drafts on Blue buildings or Guilds to round out your score.

The ideal Stage 2 target is usually a Guild or an expensive Blue civilian building that someone couldn't afford. Sometimes it's a Green science symbol that completes a set. Pay attention to what gets discarded throughout the game — treat the discard pile as a slow-building treasure chest.

Strengths

✓
No other base-game board gives you access to the discard pile. Every age-end discard and every coin-for-card sacrifice feeds your pool of targets. In a typical game with 5–7 players, that pile can grow surprisingly deep, giving you real choices when Stage 2 triggers.
✓
Opponents who discard a card because they 'can't use it' have no idea you'll pick it up later. Halicarnassus often secures cards that were intentionally passed away as a hate-draft — and suddenly gets them for free.

Weaknesses

!
Your Stage 2 power is only as good as what's in the discard pile. In a tight, experienced game where players rarely discard for coins and pick efficiently, the pile may contain nothing better than a basic Age I resource card — and your key stage fires for minimal value.
!
If you build Stage 2 too early — before the pile has filled — you waste it on cheap targets. Build it too late and you've lost ages of potential. Finding the right window requires reading the table, which is harder for newer players.

Tips & tricks

Tip
The richest moment to trigger Stage 2 is immediately after an age-end discard. Each player's leftover card goes into the pile, often including expensive Age II or III cards that weren't worth building but are definitely worth stealing. Time your construction to exploit that flush of new additions.
Tip
Guilds (purple Age III cards) are the premium target. They're expensive to build normally, and their scoring is often 5–8 VP depending on your neighbours. If a Guild hits the discard pile — even early from a coin-discard — note it and plan to claim it.
Tip
Make a mental note of every card any player discards for coins during the game. You're allowed to look through the discard pile when you build Stage 2, but having a rough sense of what's there ahead of time lets you plan your build timing more confidently.

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