Overview

Welcome to the Unofficial Alchemists Handbook1!

This tutorial, created from materials posted on Alchemist forums,
meant to expand the game manual. Please read the manual first!

March 2020
This is fan-made document.
Pictures are all copyrighted ©2014 Czech Games Edition
CGE give me explicit permission for the pictures in this document.
Thinking you don't need this? Try exercises from page 15 and test
your skills, you can start reading from any page
Sections:
 Observation: examine your deduction grid
 Knowledge: find out what to do
 Good to know: Debunking, Stats and Game Flow
 Unlock a mind: want a challenge? I dare you to resolve
these exercises.

How to choose the best ingredients to make our experiments?

After years spent in the laboratory, Observation ───────────────────
all the pieces seem to fit into place.
Now that I have that knowledge,
Unanswered question and basic deduction …page 2

I hold the key to Alchemists itself!

Share the same alchemicals …page 3
(applause)
So come to my lab, and see what's on the slab… Fantastic 4 …page 4

From Observation to Knowledge RGB rules …page 5

Knowledge ───────────────────

RGB deduction …page 6

Two ingredients share the same result …page 6

RGB deduction and Fantastic 4s …page 7

RGB deduction and Fantastic 4s part 2 … page 8

RGB Sells to gain information …page 9

RGB Sells worst scenario and RGB Cube …page 10

Good to Know ──────────────────

Mastering Debunk …page 11

Debunking to gain information …page 12

Lesson with this icon can be verified with the app!
Use the game-code DEMO Stats …page 13

Game Flow …page 14

Unlock a mind, unmind a lock ───────────

Exercises …page 15

A Project by UtterMarcus Exercise with double difficulty level …page 19

Special Thanks to: M. Kotry - V. Chvatil and CGE team ; BGG admins
Thanks to the following Alchemists colleagues for they efforts:
Ben and Rafael Cosman (bmcfluff) ; Mike K (Coyotek4) ; Daniel Corban (dcorban) ; Eric Postpischil (Eric) ; Alessandro Cingolani(Galandil) ;
Tomas Inguanzo (hrhtomas) ; Sophia Lechner (JemL) ; sonny sonny (letsdance) ; Cameron McKenzie (MasterDinadan) ;
Paulo Renato (Muse23PT) ; Nushura (Nushura) ; Paul Grogan (PaulGrogan) ; Tim Courtney (RichardMNixon) ; Robert Stewart (rmsgrey) ;
Zeek LTK (ZeekLTK) ; Frédéric MOULIS (bretonducalvados) for porting the game on boiteajeux.net ;
Quality Department: Chris Wilczewski (alenen) ; Francisco Longobardi (Francisco Arena) ; Garfield Cat (GarfieldKlon) ;
Santiago Acosta y Lara (iRonth) ; Do L (Le Canard fou)

Page 1
 ─── Unanswered question

Let's resume where we left

Quiz solution from page 19, core manual https://czechgames.com/en/alchemists/downloads/

We know that Toad and Fern make blue+ or red+

As Fern has red-,

Toad and Fern can't make red+
They make blue+

We can cross both blue- from Toad

─── Basic Deduction

Mushroom and Toad make

Fern and Toad make
They match in colour and sign We cross all alchemicals
with the aspect. that don't have the

We don't know which has the small size, 2 alchemicals remain for Toad.
but we can cross out the alchemicals that They both have B+
don't have (Big Blue+ size aspect)

Toad: So Fern must have b+

(small blue+ size aspect)

Toad:

Remember: to figure out what potion is created when two ingredients are mixed,
look for a match in sign and colour between a big aspect in one alchemical and a small aspect in the other.

Page 2
 ─── Sharing the same alchemicals

Try yourself
When two ingredients share the same two alchemicals,
I can exclude these two alchemicals from all the other ingredients.

Keep this in mind and try exercise on the left by yourself,

below is the final state of the matrix and the solution step by step.

Check Solution

Explanation log
We already found Mushroom Alchemical R+g+b-
Note that Scorpion and Feather share the same green+ with Mushroom, Apply water between Toad and Claw
so they have green+ of the same size

watch Toad and Claw also share the same alchemicals

Scorpion and Feather share the same 2 alchemicals

Scorpion is A or B / Feather is A or B other ingredients cannot be A or B we discover Root and Lotus and then Fern

Page 3
 ──── Fantastic 4 ────

Explanation log
4 Red+ and 4 Red- 4 Green+ and 4 Green-

4 Blue+ and 4 Blue- 4 Neutral Potion (water)

In Alchemists there are a total of 28 Potions

Note that every ingredient makes 2 red, green, blue and 1 water

We have already discovered Claw and Toad alchemical

Watch Fern, it is blue+ or blue-
Try yourself

b- b? b- b- b-
4 ingredients have blue- so Fern must be blue+
Apply water between Scorpion and Root to discover Mushroom
alchemical (with b-).

Check Solution

Than Lotus (with his B-).

Then Root, Scorpion and Feather

Page 4
 ─── From observation to knowledge - RGB rules

The 6 alchemicals with one Big aspect are uniquely

identified by their Big aspect. We can describe these
A+ R+ G+ B+ alchemicals by their Big aspect: R+; R-; G+; G-; B+; B-

We describe a single aspect as R+ for big size or r+ for

small size.

A- R- G- B- Note that each of these alchemicals have small aspects

with opposite polarity/signs.

The first small aspect moving clockwise from the big size
Those with three big aspects will be identified A+ or A- aspect has a sign that is opposite from the big aspect.
Every alchemical is plus-minus-plus or minus-plus-minus
starting with the big aspect and moving clockwise

─── When you mix 2 alchemicals they may have zero, one, or two aspects in common

Zero aspects in common Is when Water (Neutral Potion) is created

A+ mixed with A- ; R+ mixed with R- ; G+ with G- and B+ with B-

One aspect in common with different size:

create a potion of that colour and sign

Two signs in common: one is identical including size too,

result is a potion of the colour that follow the R -> G -> B -> (R)
sequence

and = R+ in common make Green+ Rule 3

If the common aspect has large size the potion

and = G- in common make Blue- will have the same sign of the common aspect.
This happen when mix an A with a non-A

and = r+ in common make Green- A common aspect with small size instead will
create a potion with opposite sign

and = b- in common make Red+

Page 5
 ─── RGB Deduction

from Observation to Knowledge

We learn with basic deduction, page 2, that we can Toad + Mushroom = Red+
cross 2 more alchemicals because Toad is B+, so Toad + Fern = Blue+ and they have Red of opposite signs.
Fern must be b+ We know that Toad is Red+, so Fern must be Red-

─── 2 ingredients share the same result with a third ingredient

Two ingredient have the same size if they both give the same result when mixed with a common partner.

Two-colour rule: Toad and Root share the same aspect, so they make

If Mushroom is R+ than Toad and Root are r+ and they make green-

If Mushroom is r+ than Toad and Root are R+ and they make green+

Same but with red- We already know that Involved alchemicals

Big R- make G- Claw and Scorpion
Small r- make G+ make green

─── Sell or not to sell, this is the question. RGB recap

Two-colour rule
Toad and Feather share the same Toad and Feather share a common blue aspect: they make blue or red.
result with Fern. They cannot make blue because they share the same blue size aspect.
So they must make red!
If Fern is B+, they must be b+
RGB rule 1
If Fern is b+ they are B+ Fern and Toad have reds aspects with opposite signs.
Fern and Feather have reds aspects with opposite signs.
So Toad and Feather must have reds aspects of the same
sign and they make red!

RGB rule 3
If they have Big Blue they make red of the same sign of the
blue (R+)
If they have small blue they make red with the opposite
sign of the blue (R-)

Since we know that they make another colour that is the

same sign of the blue, this means that blue aspects are
both Big Blue

So this time we waste an action we already know that Toad and Feather make Red,
we don’t know if plus or minus but is not important at this time, maybe later.

Page 6
 ─── RGB Deduction and fantastic 4s
Try yourself Before start we already know
that Toad and Root share Check Solution
the same red result with
Feather (and that they
make green with
unknown sign)
Tip: Toad have
green minus!

r+/- r? r+ r+/- r+ r? r+
Now the trick is to find the 4th Red+: we know that Mushroom
Explanation log and Claw make blue- so they differ in red,
this way we can count 4 red+ ; thus Fern and Scorpion are red-
We just discovered the Feather alchemical

We made 4 experiments and still no sale, no good

We decide to sell Fern and Mushroom as red-
(Fern and Scorpion are the ingredients with less information)
and the guarantee result of water. D'oh!

Feather green is opposite from Toad/Root green

Apply water between Mush and Fern

Toad and Root share the same 2 alchemicals

So we have discovered all the alchemicals associated to the ingredients

Page 7
 ─── RGB Deduction and fantastic 4s exercise 2 (TNT for the brain)

Try yourself Explanation log

continue

Check Solution
g+ g+ g- g- g+ g+

Now count 4 Green+ Fern and Toad must have green-

Apply two-colour rule to Mushroom and Claw, that share

the same result with Scorpion, they make Blue.
They can only make Blue- so cross Blue+ from both and
Claw is big B- so Mushroom must be small b-
(and as expected they share the same small green+)

Explanation log

We find Mushroom, Claw and Scorpion

That neutral+ between Toad and Mushroom must be red+

Initial state
All alchemicals are now discovered

Root alchemical is already discovered and so for Lotus and

Feather too

Page 8
 ─── RGB Sells to gain information

Selling Potions action might seem the best ways to get money but you are just cashing in on information you already
know.If selling for 4 gold then you aren't getting information, it’s all about weighing risk against benefit.

But look at the hidden costs: you must have the two ingredients to do the potion the adventurer wants (and must have done
the experiment in advance to know the result), spend two cubes, you need to bid higher discount than other players and/or
probably you must bid for early turn resolution. This is time consuming and certainly not cheap!

Remember if you buy an artefact it's unlikely you will buy another artefact next round because of money
Experience say that a strategy based on artefacts points is looser against experienced players that know how to publish and
debunk correctly. (this is for the core game! with golem expansion is another story! ;) )

What sell to do, with the results described above that produce more information? Several factors are involved:

 Ingredients in hand: We have to think in advance in the previous rounds and pick more ingredients, maybe of the same ingredient.

 Previous experiments results: for the RGB rules if I saw that 2 different mix with 4 different ingredients make blue with different
sign, I could try to find which pair of those ingredients make also green (RGB rule number 3: I know that when 2 ingredients make
green, they must have blue of opposite signs) Maybe they don't. But now I have a path to follow for my next experiment or sell.
Or if we want to follow a safer path it's easier to predict the result of a sell when 2 ingredients share the same result with a third
ingredient (remember the lesson on page 5)

 Potions asked by the hero: Unless they are all of the same sign, it should be easy to overcome obstacle of different requests if
Merchant and Barmaid are available

 When one of the 2 ingredients is A+ or A- we can guarantee the sign and earn 3 coins

I recommend you use Sell Action for confirming theories. Maybe sell a potion with low certainty to gain
only 1 gold but also get information Much better than testing on a student, right? if Barmaid is nearby we
can bet on a higher guarantee level to gain more gold

In this example we know that Lotus + Root = green ; But we don't know the sign ; I choose to risk and sell them for green+ with full guarantee.
If I'm right I gain 4 gold. If I'm wrong I gain nothing and lose 1 PP but I know what to publish next.

..and I'm wrong

Lotus and Root --> 2 ingredients share the same but now I discover Mushroom and Fern
result with a third ingredient. They must share the
same size aspect. Apply the two-Colour rule

Page 9
 ─── RGB Sells worst scenario

Our distinguished colleague BMCFLUFF calculate the number of

experiments , that is possible to do, without discover at least 1
ingredient and this number is … 11!

Here's an example of 11 tests where the result of each is *not* known from
any previous, yet no ingredient can be known for certain:

1) Feather + Mushroom = Green+

2) Toad + Root = Green-
3) Feather + Toad = Red+
4) Feather + Root = Red+
5) Toad + Mushroom = Red+
6) Scorpion + Lotus = Red-
7) Claw + Lotus = Red-
8) Scorpion + Claw = Green+
9) Feather + Lotus = Neutral
10) Toad + Scorpion = Neutral
11) Feather + Claw = Green+

Look there's no blue! We have to find him with reds of opposite sign or
with greens of same size!

We can broke this unfortunate chain by sell a potion every time we

have 2 ingredients that share the same result with a third ingredient,
following the RGB rules (page 5)

─── RGB Cube

A visualization aid mapping alchemicals, aspects, and potions to

vertices, faces, and lines on a cube. Useful for understanding
the underlying structure of the game, and the "two-colour rule"
in particular.

Want to build your own RGB cube?

Download template here
https://bgg.cc/filepage/141895/alchemists-cube-v10

Thanks to Ben Cosman (bmcfluff) and Rafael Cosman

Page 10
 ─── Mastering Debunk
Try yourself use game-code DEMO

Suppose we have
the following
situation on the
theories board

There are 3 ways to debunk (remember that your reward for a successful debunking attempt is still only 2 points)

I prove that Fern make with another Theory about Fern is wrong; Reveal the seal/s.
Debunk 1 theory*
Ingredient (Claw for example) *required at least 1 published theory

I prove that Fern make with Scorpion Both theories are wrong, reveal the seals.
Debunk 2 theories
(with expert players this case is rare)

I prove that Fern and Lotus make Mark both theories with a pair of conflict
Conflict!
At least one of the two theories is wrong.. tokens and the seals remain face down
Reveal one experiment (page 15 on manual)

I prove that Fern don't make with Lotus Mark both theories with a pair of conflict tokens
Conflict!
At least one of the two theories is wrong.. and the seals remain face down
Reveal less information

Use a correct theory to create a conflict

Conflict!
I prove that Fern don't make with Feather Mark both theories with a pair of conflict tokens
Debunk a correct theory! Feather theory is correct but I debunked it! and gain 2PP
Enjoy this aspect of the game
to slow down your colleague

There's no way to remove a seal from a correct theory

but can be debunked by creating a conflict on purpose

Reward for a successful debunking attempt is always 2 prestige points,

regardless the number of theories debunked

When a theory has a conflict token:

• No one can endorse a theory that is in conflict
• Seals do not count for grants
• Seals do not count for top alchemist award
• Seals do not count for conferences
• BUT seals DO count for final scoring

"if you cannot convince them, confuse them"

Page 11
 ─── Debunking to gain information

Scenario:
Three players game, end of round 2
My colour is yellow, we made 4 experiments and publish 1 theory
At the beginning of round 3 I decide to do a debunk action
followed by a publish theory action.

Option1: double debunk Scorpion and Claw, they make green+ ,

gain 2 points and the possibility for immediate publication,
but this way I reveal useful information to my colleagues.
I decide to keep this chance for a later round and do something different
to gain 2 prestige point now and 2 later.

We choose to discover more information now,

so I try debunk Mushroom with Claw (published by green player)
and if they make green+ I discover more information and get points as well.
Also my seal remain in place for the conference and best alchemist rewards.

In case I'm wrong I still will get information about that blue- at 1 prestige
point cost

With the App debunk Mushroom and Claw that make

App says ...

They don't do green+ so I lose 1 prestige point

but discovered Fern, Mushroom and Claw alchemicals

Debunk action do not use ingredient cards and its best used
on the earlier rounds when player counter on the prestige
points track is not in the Blue or Green Zone (page 12 of the
core manual)

Page 12
 ───── Stats

If you like play the game with stats in mind here we go

First test: in order to get the most information we need to get a coloured Combine Mushroom with Toad
potion result. So we want to find any of the 6 potions but not water right?
This is equal to 6/7

Keep Mushroom and combine it with Scorpion

Second test: in order to get the most information, we need to get a
different coloured potion from the first one. Let's say that we keep using
one of the same ingredient, Probability is 4/6

So, after two tests, we have a combined probability of Now we know that Mushroom is or
(6/7) * (4/6) = 0,5714 that is 57,15% to get two different coloured
potions as a result. Almost a coin flip.

If we go with a third test keeping the same ingredient, trying to find out
its third aspect, probability is down to 2/5

So to discover one ingredient alchemical using only 3 test we have a

probability of 22,86% (6/7)*(4/6)*(2/5) = 0,2286 Combine Toad with Scorpion

With a 22% is very unlikely that we discover the third aspect, better to
concentrate on the two remaining ingredients

So, we can conclude that, in order to discover the most possible

information about 3 ingredients:

1) We need to have 3 ingredients, 2 cards for each ingredient

2) We need to make 3 tests

3) The first two tests must give two different coloured potions
(57,15%) keeping one ingredient for both tests

4) The third test is done combining the 2 remaining ingredients

Final results:
Scorpion have big Green+, so Mushroom must have the small one
Case a) in which you can get the exact alchemical of one of these two
(From observation to RGB deduction lesson)
and narrow down the other one to 2 possible choices (14,29%)

Case b) Narrow down in the end all the 3 ingredients used to 2

possible choices each.

But the lesson above presume that we get 3 result with 3 different colour, usually this not happen :)
If instead of Blue+ from Toad and Scorpion the mix was Neutral Potion the result would be the same
But if the mix give another red or green you are in trouble.. until the next lesson… go ahead one page..

Page 13
 ───── Game Flow

Now what could be my next experiment? All depends by result I got from the previous mix and by ingredients available

First test could be coloured or neutral, second test could be another neutral, or another colour, or the same colour.
All depends from the ingredients I have in my hands, please to think about what you have to do in the next round in advance
(take cards, if make mix tests or sells and what to sells to gain information and more). A custodian favour could help here too.

If mixing two ingredients result in a Neutral Potion, I'm sure that I cannot make another Neutral Potion by keeping one of the two ingredients
for further tests. Use this information to get or not to get neutral potion with RGB acknowledgment to choose what actions to take.

Also if any player make a B+ test and a G+ test and publish a theory about an ingredient, probably that 2 aspects for that ingredient are
correct.

R=Result ; NP=Neutral Potion ; as usually you can verify by using the App and game code DEMO
First Test Second Test Third Test Sell What to do next Example
Scenario Ingredients AB AC BC
Apply basic deduction to narrow A=Toad
S1 Result R1 R2 R3/NP 3 ingredients down to 2 alchemicals each B=Mush
OR we discover 1 alchemical C=Fern
Apply RGB Rule 2 ASAP A=Toad
S2 Result R1 R1 Now we are looking for the 4th B=Mush
ingredient with the same aspect C=Feather
Apply Lesson "two ingredients share A=Toad
S3 Result R1 R1 RGB sell the same result with a third" B=Mush
C=Feather

Ingredients AB CD
Rare, apply fantastic 4 lesson A=Toad
S4 Result R1 R1 Don't look for this for you very B=Mush
first 2 test C=Root
D=Feather
Mixing A or B with C or D A=Toad
S5 Result NP1 NP2 will NOT make another Neutral Potion B=Claw
for sure C=Mush
D=Fern

That's all folks!

There is more to talk about, I know, for example favours and artefacts but how and when to use them to
enhance your Alchemists experience, is up to you.

I personally consider artefacts a way to facilitate new players, if you are experienced you will hardly spend
actions and money to buy one if not towards the end, but publishing or supporting a theory makes more
points for sure than a poorly used artefact

I spent years on this project and now it's time to move on.

I will always play Alchemists in the years to come with my friends and keep follow the forum
and be part of the Alchemists community

If you want to know more about favour, this lecture by Ramalingam Raghavan(rams1984) could be of your interest
https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1451264/brief-about-favor-cards

Page 14
 ─── Exercises 1 - easy

Exercise 1
Difficulty: easy

Solution for exercise 1

(Tip: page 3)

Page 15
 ─── Exercise 2 - easy

Exercise 2
Difficulty: easy

Solution for exercise 2 (Tip: page 4)

Page 16
 ─── Exercise 3 - easy

Exercise 3
Difficulty: easy

Solution for exercise 3 (Tip: page 4)

Page 17
 ─── Exercise 4 - easy

Exercise 4
Difficulty: easy

Solution for exercise 4 (Tip: page 3)

Page 18
 ─── Exercise 5 - hard

Exercise 5
Difficulty: hard
Find all alchemicals

Solution for exercise 5

(Tip: page 8)

To know how to resolve this

exercise by observation, without
RGB deduction, check
bgg.cc/thread/1718909/solitaire-
deduction-puzzle-2

Page 19