Scholars of the South Tigris
Scholars of the South Tigris explained: combine colored dice with workers, recruit translators, research manuscripts, advance knowledge tracks and build influence in Baghdad.
Serve the Abbasid Caliphate by gathering scientific works from around the known world and translating them into Arabic through a network of scholars and translators.
Why We Love It
The dice-worker system makes action strength flexible. Dice color, worker color and translator placement all interact, so efficient turns often solve several constraints at once.
About Scholars of the South Tigris
Scholars of the South Tigris is a heavy strategy game published by Garphill Games and designed by Shem Phillips; Sam Macdonald. Its core systems include Dice Placement, Worker Placement and Translation, creating a mix of tactical timing and longer-term planning.
This guide focuses on the edition and rules scope identified in the source notes below, with the main decisions separated from the factual rules overview.
Game at a Glance
Dice Placement
Use dice values as action access, strength or timing constraints.
Worker Placement
Commit workers to contested action spaces and time placements around opponents.
Translation
Use this system efficiently and connect it to your broader scoring plan.
Track Advancement
Use this system efficiently and connect it to your broader scoring plan.
Who Scholars of the South Tigris suits
Scholars of the South Tigris suits players who enjoy Dice Placement and Worker Placement, with enough room to build a plan while still reacting to changing shared incentives. Its heavy weight makes it a better fit for groups comfortable tracking several connected systems.
Rules overview
Players roll dice and combine them with colored workers to take actions. Actions recruit translators, acquire scrolls, translate manuscripts, advance knowledge tracks and gain influence. Translators move through a shared translation system, and several scoring opportunities depend on matching colors, advancing research and building sets across the game.
Key decisions
Editorial analysis: Preserve flexibility in both dice and workers. A powerful action that consumes your only useful color can weaken the next turn, so sequence translations and track advances around the colors you can realistically support.
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Sources and edition notes
Facts checked September 17, 2026. This guide covers the base game.