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So there is some ambiguity in the rules about Boars where the example seems to conflict with the rule statement. This leads to the question:

Can Boars go inside the cave (For example in the base room or the mixed dwelling)?

Evidence that any kind of animal may live in the starter dwelling:

  • The text says 'pair of animals'

Evidence that only 'farm animals' may live in the starter dwelling:

  • p20 example says 'The entry level room of your cave can hold 2 Farm animals of the same type.'

These seem to contradict each other mildly (farm animals or any animal?). This inconsitency may indicate possible errors in rules diagrams.

More evidence for inconsitency in diagrams:

  • Dogs are counted as farm animals in the example on page 6
  • It is stated on page 10, 'Dogs are not considered farm animals'

These two pieces of information explicitly contradict. Therefore we must conclude there may be errors in the diagrams on the rules. However, if boars are explicitly farm animals, there is no issue. So this ruling depends on what is actually a farm animal.

Evidence for Boars as Farm Animals:

  • They are in the house diagram on p10.
  • On p10, they are indicates as breeding animals, and it is stated that only farm animals breed.
  • They are in pastures on pp 6,20

Evidence against Boars as Farm Animals:

  • They are called Wild Boars on Page 1 of the Rules book. Farm animals are not wild in the common language usage of the term farm and wild.
  • On Page 5, picture, states 'A forest stable can hold 1 Wild boar, but no other animals' This differentiates boars from the other animals.
  • There is no 'boar farming' action (which also true of cattle).
  • On p20, an explicit distinction is made between a stable in a meadow and a stable in a forest. 'Boars may be in forest' which is presented in the context of an exceptionary clause to farm animals being able to be stored.
  • It is not explicitly stated anywhere that 'wild boars are farm animals'

In summary:

  • There is an implication that boars are farm animals.
  • There is an implication that boars are not farm animals.
  • There are clear and explicit errors in exemplary diagrams which may weaken the strengths of either side of these implications, and also possibly, the authority of the diagrams as opposed to the text.

So, absent a clear, congruous and consistent set of words, the original question becomes valid:

Can Boars go inside the cave?

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  • Bret's comment may force me to revise the bold point. I'll come back and review it later.
    – Lighthart
    Commented Mar 3, 2015 at 17:26

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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The rules state explicitly that Wild Boars are Farm animals on page 6:

Each animal is worth 1 Gold point. There are Dogs, and the Farm animals Sheep, Donkeys, Wild boars, and Cattle.

As you can see, Dogs are not included in the set of Farm animals. There is no inconsistency.

Wild Boars are indeed differentiated several times from other Farm animals within the rules, but this is just because they have special rules that apply to them as opposed to Sheep, Donkeys, and Cattle. They are still Farm animals.

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  • Dogs are farm animals if the diagram on p10 is to be believed. There are 17 non-dog animals and 2 dogs, and the scoring text clearly indicates 19 'farm animals' are scored, so in fact, there is an inconsistency. However, this is certainly one more bit of evidence to consider when deciding which inconsistency should be ignored. You do point out an amusing comma splice.
    – Lighthart
    Commented Mar 3, 2015 at 17:25
  • @Lighthart if you check "Details of Breeding" under the harvest section, it explicitly says "Dogs are not consideredFarm animals", and the scoring text says that "19 animals are scored; 2 dogs and 17 farm animals".
    – Erik
    Commented Dec 11, 2016 at 17:29
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Can you explain the ambiguity you see? I'm not seeing any. Boars are allowed within any room that states that it can hold animals.

The example on page 10 clearly shows boars within the Entry Level Dwelling. I don't see anywhere that suggest a different interpretation is possible.

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  • Elaborations made to the original question, with a detailed list of where other interpretations might come from.
    – Lighthart
    Commented Mar 3, 2015 at 2:44

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