Game Rules for Russian Railroads

Hello there! Today, I’ll be explaining the rules for playing the exciting game known as Russian Railroads. Are you ready? Let’s get started!

In this game, I will guide you through the steps you need to take to play Russian Railroads successfully. We will go through the rules, strategies, and everything you need to know to emerge victorious.

Russian Railroads is a double-edged sword – it can be easy to learn but can also challenge even the most seasoned player. However, don’t worry! I’ll make sure to explain everything in a way that is easy to understand, even if you’re new to this game.

The goal of Russian Railroads is to construct a powerful and efficient railroad empire across Russia. You will take on the role of a railroad company director and make decisions that will help you achieve this objective.

The game is played over several rounds, and in each round, you will have the opportunity to expand your rail network and improve your technology. With each new round, your railroad empire will grow stronger and more efficient.

During your turn, you will have a few different actions you can take. You can do things like construct new rail lines, upgrade your technology, or even hire more workers. Each action you take will bring you closer to victory, so choose wisely!

One key element of Russian Railroads is the scoring system. At the end of each round, you will earn victory points based on the progress of your railroad empire. The more efficient and powerful your railroad becomes, the more victory points you will earn.

Additionally, you will also have the opportunity to earn bonus points by completing special objectives and achievements. These bonus points can give you a significant advantage in the game, so keep an eye out for them!

Now that you know the basics of Russian Railroads, it’s time for you to experience the excitement of this game firsthand. Gather your friends, set up the board, and get ready for an unforgettable journey across Russia’s railroads!

Remember, the key to success in Russian Railroads is strategic thinking and careful planning. By making smart decisions and using your resources wisely, you can build the most powerful railroad empire and come out on top.

So, are you ready to embark on this thrilling adventure? Grab your conductor’s hat and get ready to build the railroad empire of your dreams in Russian Railroads. Have fun and good luck!

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• You’ll find 1 game board
• 35 workers
• 8 pawns
• 48 tracks
• 8 Industry markers
• 4 player boards
• 37 locomotives
• 15 engineers
• 20 Doubler tokens
• 18 roubles (.coins)
• 28 ? tokens and 5 ? cards
• 4 Revaluation markers
• 4 Kiev Medals
• 1 Last Round marker
• 8 point tokens
• 10 End Bonus cards
• 4 Turn Order cards
• 4 Starting Bonus cards
• 4 Scoring Overview cards
• Rulebook

Setting it Up

1. Place the game board in the middle of the table. Put the 100/200 and 300/400-point tokens near space 100 of the scoring track.

You’ve got your hands on some valuable game components. Here’s what you’ll get – a game board, workers, pawns, tracks, Industry markers, player boards, locomotives, engineers, Doubler tokens, roubles (.coins), ? tokens and ? cards, Revaluation markers, Kiev Medals, a Last Round marker, point tokens, End Bonus cards, Turn Order cards, Starting Bonus cards, Scoring Overview cards, and a Rulebook. So, you’ve got everything you need to dive into the world of Russian Railroads!

Now, let’s set it all up. Start by placing the game board in the center of the table. Next, position the 100/200 and 300/400-point tokens near space 100 of the scoring track.

See, it’s all starting to take shape. The stage is set, and you’re about to embark on an exciting railroading journey. Get ready to strategize, plan, and make your moves – all aboard!

First, lay the 5 cards face up, just like this: . Take the 10 End Bonus cards and shuffle them. Then, remove two of the cards from the game, without looking at them. Now you have 8 cards left, which you should place face down to form a pile.

Next, take the 37 locomotives and place them next to the board. Make sure they are locomotive side up, with the purple side facing down. Sort the locomotives by number and create 9 distinct piles, as shown in the image below. One of the #9 locomotives doesn’t have a purple backside, so place it on its matching card.

You’re all set up to start playing Russian Railroads!

I’m going to walk you through the setup process for the game Russian Railroads. First, let’s take care of setting up the game board.

• Start by placing the 2 turquoise workers on the spaces on the board that show 2 turquoise workers. Then, place the black worker on the matching card.
• Each player should receive 7 workers in their color. Return 1 worker of each color to the box.

Next, we need to prepare the tokens and supplies.

• Grab the 20 Doubler tokens and create a supply using them. From now on, we’ll refer to them simply as “doubler” tokens.
• You’ll also need 18 roubles, which will form another supply.
• Sort the 48 tracks by color and form a track supply.

Now, onto the engineers. Here’s what you need to do:

• Separate the 15 engineers into “El” and “E” piles. One engineer doesn’t have a letter and should be placed on its matching 0 card, along with a single rouble.
• Shuffle the pile of engineers and the pile of engineers separately.
• Take the top 4 engineers from the pile and place them on the spaces marked on the board.
• Take the top 3 engineers from the pile and place them on the spaces marked on the board.
• Remove any remaining engineers from the game. The engineers that are placed horizontally should have the light side facing up, while the engineers that are placed vertically should have the dark side facing up. The engineers and their respective spaces have a distinct shape to help you remember which side should be facing up.

And there you have it – the game board is all set up and ready for some exciting gameplay!

The Last Round marker is a special marker that is placed near the game board. It has an important role to play in the final round of the game.

Now, let’s talk about the player board. It’s where each player will have their own space to play. First, you need to choose a color and place your player board in front of you.

To start the game, each player will receive a #1 locomotive from the supply. This locomotive should be placed on the upper left space of your player board.

Next, you will receive 3 black tracks from the supply. These tracks should be placed on the first space of each of the three railroads shown on your player board.

You will also receive 5 workers in your color. These workers should be placed in front of you. There are 2 additional workers that will be kept near the game board in a supply.

Lastly, you will receive 1 rouble from the supply. This will be your starting currency.

Now that you have your player board set up, you are ready to begin playing the game. Good luck!

As I dive into the intriguing world of Russian Railroads, let me guide you through the process of setting up the game. It’s an exciting journey that starts with a few key steps.

First things first, we each need our own Industry marker. Take yours and place it on space 0 of the industry track. This marker represents your progress and achievements in the game, so keep an eye on it!

Now, let’s gather a collection of seven distinct tokens. These unique pieces, along with a second Industry marker, a Kiev Medal, and a Revaluation token, will be essential for your strategies and actions throughout the game. Set all these items near your player board for easy access.

To establish the turn order, we’ll shuffle the four Turn Order cards. Each card has a different backside, so it’s important to mix them up and deal them out blindly. Once we’ve done that, place one card number-side-up in front of each player. This card will determine the order in which we take our turns. Pay attention to your card and plan your moves accordingly!

To further personalize our gameplay, we each need two pawns in our own color. One pawn goes on the 100 space of the scoring track, keeping track of our overall progress and points. The other pawn is placed on the space of the turn order track that matches our Turn Order card. This will ensure that we are lined up correctly for each round.

With these initial preparations complete, we are ready to embark on our Russian Railroads adventure. Get ready for an exciting and strategic gaming experience!

First, I will lay out the Starting Bonus cards. The person in 4th place takes one card, and they get to use its ability before removing it from the game. Then, the person in 3rd place does the same thing, followed by the person in 2nd place. The person in 1st place doesn’t get a Starting Bonus card. We’ll put the extra Starting Bonus card back in the box.

Now, each of us will get a Scoring Overview card.

Let’s Play the Railroad Game!

Hey there! So, we’re playing a really cool game where we get to be railroad moguls. Our job is to build the Trans-Siberian Railway and a couple more railroads. Sounds exciting, right?

But wait, there’s more! We’re not just building tracks. We also get to buy new locomotives, promote industrialization, and hire workers and engineers. All these things help us earn victory points. And trust me, victory points are the ultimate measure of our rail building skills!

Here’s how it works: we take turns, one after the other, until everyone has passed. Then, at the end of each round, we score points to see how well we’re doing. The player with the most points after seven rounds wins the game. Simple, right?

Time to Start Building!

When you play this game, it’s your turn to make a decision. You get to pick an empty spot where you can do something, and then you put your workers there. The number of workers you use depends on the spot. After that, you get to do the action connected to that spot.

When playing this game, there are several important things for you to keep in mind:

• You need to choose an action space that no one else has chosen.
• You need to use the correct number of workers for the action.
• You can only use workers from your personal supply.
• You need to use the chosen action right away.
• You need to complete the entire action.
• You can only perform one action per turn.

Remember: if there are exceptions to these rules, we will let you know.

Another thing to note: we use the word “must” to make sure you understand how to play the game. All actions are positive, and you should only take actions you want to perform.

Your Turn in the Game

When Gorbachev spoke those words, I’m not sure exactly what he meant. But here’s what I think: in this game, being the first player definitely gives you an advantage.

So, in this game, we don’t have to take turns in order. Instead, we use a turn order track to determine who goes first. The player in the first position plays first, then it’s the second player’s turn, and so on. Once the last player finishes their turn, it’s back to the first player again.

If a player doesn’t want to or can’t continue playing, they can pass. This means they won’t be able to play for the rest of the round. And to show that they’re out, they flip their Turn Order card and score the points on the back right away.

The other players keep playing, one after another, until everyone has passed.

Note: Don’t worry if you run out of workers. You can still keep going by spending roubles.

Want to go first on the turn order track?

Getting ahead on the turn order track is a key strategy in the game. Being the first to take actions can give you a big advantage. But how can you do it? Well, I’ve got some tips for you.

First, you need to understand how the turn order track works. It’s a track that determines the order in which players take their turns. The player at the front of the track goes first, while the player at the back goes last. Simple enough, right?

Now, let’s talk about the different ways you can move ahead on the track. One way is by spending workers. Each worker you spend will move you one space closer to the front. So if you want to get ahead, you’ll need to allocate some of your workers for this purpose.

But here’s the thing – you don’t have to pass right away when you run out of workers. Instead, you can use your roubles to keep taking actions. This gives you the opportunity to continue advancing on the turn order track even if you’ve run out of workers. It’s like a second chance to get ahead!

Another way to move ahead on the turn order track is by using special abilities or cards that allow you to do so. These abilities can be really powerful and give you a significant advantage over your opponents. So keep an eye out for them!

So, there you have it – a couple of ways to get ahead on the turn order track. Remember, being the first to take actions can make a big difference in the game. So think strategically, use your workers wisely, and use any special abilities or cards to your advantage. Good luck!

When playing the game, you have the option to assign one of your workers to either the first or second position on the turn order track. This will determine your position in the turn order for the next round.

Please note: You cannot place a worker on the action space that corresponds to your current position in the turn order. Additionally, you cannot occupy both turn order action spaces simultaneously.

How does the turn order get rearranged?

Once all players have passed, those who placed a worker under the turn order track will remove their pawn from that space. This allows the other pawns to shift to the right, closer to the end spaces of the turn order track. Afterward, players will place their pawn on the turn order space directly above their worker.

Attention: There is a special situation to consider. If the first player puts a worker on the second spot (which usually happens when they don’t want to move further back), and no other player puts a worker on the first spot, the turn order will remain the same.

Keep in mind: It’s really important to know who placed a worker on the turn order action spaces. So, if a player puts a worker that doesn’t match their color or a rouble, they must immediately swap it with one of their own workers from a different action space.

Putting a worker on a turn order action space has another benefit. After the turn order is rearranged, players who placed a worker on the turn order action spaces can then move their worker to an available action space.

Hey there! Let’s talk about how the game works. When it’s my turn, I’ll be the first to move my worker if it’s on the 2nd position. To do that, I’ll take my worker from the turn order action space and move it to any free action space I want. It can even be one of my engineers. Once I’ve done that, I can perform the action that corresponds to the space I moved my worker to.

For example, let’s say I’m playing as the Red player. I’ll take my worker from this space and move it to the “1 brown track advancement” action space. That’s where the fun begins!

Okay, here’s the deal. So, I put my worker on the first space, and now it’s your turn to do the same thing. Just follow the same rules as me, simple as that.

Now, when you move your worker, you gotta keep a few things in mind, alright? Here’s what you need to remember:

• You can only move your worker to a spot where exactly 1 worker is needed. No teaming up with other workers, temporary workers, or roubles, got it?
• If you’re left with no better options, you can always use the bottom track extension action. It’s a backup plan, so to speak.

Your Player Board

Alright, let’s dig into the nitty-gritty of your player board. Here’s the lowdown:

The Exclusive Spots on a Player Board

The special spaces highlighted in red provide you with different benefits. To obtain these advantages (displayed either below the space or next to it), you need to fulfill specific requirements.

Example: Imagine if I told you that to gain an advantage in this game, all you need to do is have the black counter reach or pass this particular space. You don’t even need a locomotive!

My Advice: When you’re faced with a decision, it can be tricky to figure out the best course of action. That’s why it’s important to take into account all the factors at play. In this case, the key factor is the position of the black counter. By getting it to or beyond this space, you’ll have an edge over your opponent. And the best part? You don’t need to worry about a locomotive!

For example: The brown path on this railway needs to reach this spot. And not only that, but a train also needs to reach this spot.

To put it simply, you have to meet both of these conditions to get this benefit.

The main rule: To get the advantage that a spot offers, you always have to at least get the path to that spot. Sometimes, you also need a train to reach that spot. The next few pages will show you these special spots divided into two groups: those that don’t require a train and those that do.

Without a Train

Benefit: New Paths

Hey there! Let’s talk about the Trans-Siberian railway. When you ride on spaces 2, 6, and 10 of this railway, you’ll come across the tracks that are shown below each space. Pretty cool, right? These tracks come with a bonus of 2 white track advancements. Neat!

Hey there! Let me tell you about Space 15. It’s a cool space on the track that gives you an edge. When you land on Space 15, you get a special white track and you can move forward up to 2 spaces. How awesome is that?

Awesome Advantage: Terminus

Hey there! Let’s talk about railroads. They’re pretty cool, right? So, here’s the deal: when you get to the end of a railroad with a black track, you score 10 points right off the bat. But hold up! You can’t add any more track beyond that last space. Gotta stay within the limits, you know?

Here’s a Little Tip: New Worker

When you make it to space 7 on the Kiev railroad using your black track, you get one worker of your own color from the general supply right away. This worker can be used right away and for the rest of the game.

If you use a locomotive:

With A Locomotive

Advantage: New Worker

When you reach space 3 of the Trans-Siberian with your brown track and a locomotive, you instantly gain a worker of your color from the central supply. You can use this worker right away and throughout the entire game.

Benefit: Doubled Value of this Railroad

If you manage to reach space 7 of the St. Petersburg railroad with your gray track and a locomotive, you’ll get a special advantage during the scoring phase. Every scored space of this railroad will have its value doubled. This means you’ll earn even more points for your hard work!

This advantage can be extremely beneficial to your overall score. By strategically building your tracks and placing your locomotive, you can maximize your points and secure a competitive advantage. It’s like finding a hidden treasure that gives you an extra boost towards victory!

Reaching space 7 of the St. Petersburg railroad is a goal worth striving for. It requires careful planning and efficient use of your resources. But the reward is well worth the effort. So, if you’re looking to gain an edge in the game, make sure to aim for space 7 and watch your points multiply. Your opponents won’t know what hit them!

So, remember this valuable strategy when playing the game. With the right moves and a little bit of luck, you can elevate your score to new heights. Take advantage of the double value of the St. Petersburg railroad and set yourself up for success. Happy gaming!

If you travel along spaces 1 to 4 or space 8 of the Kiev railroad using your black track and a locomotive, you will earn the points shown by the stars in future scoring phases. These points add up over time.

Now let’s talk about the advantages of different spaces. If you make it to space 13 of the Trans-Siberian, or spaces 4 or 6 of the St. Petersburg railroad with your black track and locomotive, you get to choose one of your 7 tokens. Each token has a special effect that you can apply. After using the token, you place it in the dashed space with a symbol, and you can’t use that space again to get another token.

Now let’s move on to the advantage of the Industry Track.

To get this advantage, you need to move your Industry marker to this specific spot on the industry track. You don’t need to have a track or locomotive for this space. Once you reach the spot, follow the same steps as you did for the spaces. Just remember, you can’t use this space again to get another token.

The Scoring Phase: Let’s Crunch the Numbers!

Alright, folks, it’s that time of the game – the scoring phase! This is when we tally up the points and see who’s been hustling and bustling on the railroads. So, let me break it down for you.

When we talk about scoring, we’re looking at two things: your railroads and how far you’ve come on the industrialization front. Those are the two elements we’ll be evaluating.

• First up, we’ve got your railroads. How well have you laid those tracks? We’ll be taking a close look at the progress you’ve made on your three railroads.
• Next, we’ll be crowning the king or queen of industrialization. How quickly have you jumped on the modernization train? We’ll be assessing your progress in this department as well.

So, picture this: you’ve got your flashy red player board in front of you, all laid out and ready for inspection. It’s time to see just how well you’ve been performing. Are you ready? Let’s get those calculators out and start crunching those numbers!

Reimagining the 3 Railroads: A Scorecard

I’m here to break down and rank the three railroads – the Burlington Northern, the Santa Fe, and the Union Pacific. Let’s dive right in and see how they stack up against each other, shall we?

The Burlington Northern

The Burlington Northern is a mighty force in the world of railroads. You may have heard of it before; it’s a big name. When it comes to passenger service, the Burlington Northern takes the top spot. They pride themselves on their excellent amenities and comfortable accommodations. You won’t be disappointed if you choose to ride with them!

Now, let’s talk about their freight service. The Burlington Northern is a key player in transporting goods across the country. They have a vast network and state-of-the-art infrastructure, ensuring that your goods will reach their destination in no time. Reliability is their middle name, and you can trust them to get the job done.

The Santa Fe

Next up, we have the Santa Fe. This railroad has its own charm and allure. Their passenger service is quite popular, and for a good reason. The Santa Fe offers breathtaking views of deserts, mountains, and landscapes that will leave you in awe. Their routes will take you on a journey you won’t forget.

But what about their freight service? Well, the Santa Fe holds its own in this department too. They have an extensive network that covers various regions, and they pride themselves on their cargo delivery. When you choose the Santa Fe, you can rest assured that your goods will be in safe hands.

The Union Pacific

Last but not least, we have the Union Pacific. This railroad may not always be in the limelight, but it has its strengths. Their passenger service may not have all the bells and whistles, but they get the job done. If you’re looking for a no-frills journey, the Union Pacific is the way to go.

When it comes to freight service, the Union Pacific is a force to reckon with. They have an extensive network that covers a wide area, making them a reliable choice for transporting goods. From small packages to large ones, they can handle it all.

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it – a breakdown of the Burlington Northern, the Santa Fe, and the Union Pacific. Each railroad has its own strengths and weaknesses, but they all play a crucial role in keeping our country connected. Whether you’re a passenger or a shipper, you can find the right railroad for your needs. Safe travels, my friend!

In theory, only spaces that a train can reach are worth points.

Every railroad track on the board can earn points. The value of each track is determined by its color, which you can see in the top right corner of the board.

A track earns points for the space it covers and all the empty spaces behind it. These empty spaces are considered to have tracks of the same color, even though they are not visible.

So, when you calculate the points for a railroad, keep in mind this mental picture:

In this article, I will explain how the railroads are scored in the game. We will go through the scoring process for each of the three railroads: Trans-Siberian, St. Petersburg, and Kiev.

Let’s start with the Trans-Siberian railroad. Here’s an example to help you understand the scoring. Suppose I have a red train and I have a number 6 and a number 2 locomotive on the Trans-Siberian. The locomotives allow me to reach space 8 on the railroad. So, I will score points for spaces 1 through 8 on the Trans-Siberian.

Let me tell you about these tracks I have. They’re pretty special, and they can earn me points. There are three spaces, and each one has a brown track on it. Two of the tracks are virtual, which means they’re not even real, but they still count for something. Each space with a brown track is worth 2 points, so that’s already worth 6 points in total. But here’s the really cool part – I have a doubler above one of the spaces, and that doubles the value. So, the space with the doubler is now worth 4 points on its own. When you add all that up, my brown tracks are actually worth 8 points! I think that’s pretty impressive, don’t you?

Hey there! Let’s dive into the exciting world of HTML markup together. I’m here to explain a specific part to you – spaces 4 through 7. Let’s break it down!

First off, spaces 4 through 7 are special because they are occupied by gray tracks. We have one real gray track and three virtual gray tracks. That’s pretty cool, right? But what makes these spaces extra special is that each one of them is worth 1 point. So if we add up all the gray track spaces, we get a total of 4 points!

Isn’t it fascinating how HTML can turn a plain space into something valuable? It just goes to show the power of coding and how it can elevate our online experiences.

I hope this little exploration of spaces 4 through 7 has sparked your interest in HTML markup. If you’re curious to learn more, there’s a whole world of coding waiting for you. So go ahead and have fun experimenting with different elements and creating amazing web pages!

In the game, there’s this empty space called Space 8. It doesn’t seem like much since it’s occupied by a virtual black track, and it’s only worth 0 points. But don’t underestimate it, because it will prove its worth eventually.

I managed to score a total of 12 points for the Trans-siberian railroad. Not bad, right?

Now, let’s talk about how to score the St. Petersburg railroad:

Did you know that the spaces on this railroad are marked just like the ones on the Trans-Siberian? It’s pretty cool, right!

Listen, here’s something important you should know about this railroad: once you reach space 7 with your gray rail and a locomotive, all the scored spaces on your St. Petersburg railroad double in value! How awesome is that?

Example: When it comes to the St.Petersburg railroad, there are no tracks for the color red (except for black), and no locomotives either. As a result, red scores 0 points.

Scoring the Kiev railroad:

The scoring for the Kiev railroad is the same as the other two railroads.

The special spaces on the Kiev railroad are spaces 1 to 4, and space 8. If a player reaches these spaces with their black rail and a locomotive, they will earn additional points as indicated by the stars.

Let’s dive right in: The red player has a #2 locomotive on the Kiev railroad. This means they will score points for spaces 1 and 2.

As for the black tracks, they’re not worth any points. Since the red player hasn’t built any other track colors, their tracks will be worth 0 points.

But wait, there’s more! The red player does get points for the first two special spaces. One point for the first space and two points for the second. So, in total, this railroad is worth 3 points.

Scoring The Industrialization

Now, let’s talk about scoring those industries. In addition to the tracks, you also get points based on the space your Industry marker is on. If a space doesn’t have any points shown (like the factories), it’s worth the same amount of points as the previous space that had points.

OK, let me break it down for you: Red has her marker on a factory, but this factory doesn’t earn any points. So, she checks the previous space that does have points, which means she gets 5 points.

Now you know how players score their railroads and progress with industrialization.

What Happens After Scoring

Once everyone finishes scoring, it’s time to prepare for the next round. Here’s what you need to do:

• Everyone puts their workers back in their personal supply.
• One player returns all the roubles they placed to the general supply.
• One player puts both turquoise workers back in their respective action space.
• Someone moves the engineers.

• Remember: Each engineer space has a number. That number tells you how many rounds are left to play.

Alright, let’s get into it!

You’ve made it to the next round!

Attention: This information is only relevant for the last round:

In the beginning of the last round, which is round 7 with 4 players, we place the Last Round marker on top of the turn order action spaces.

During this last round, those actions become useless and are replaced with a new action.

New action: You get to make 3 advancements on the industry track.

The Game Ends

After the scoring phase at the end of round 7, we have a final scoring and the game is finished.

The final scoring consists of 2 parts:

• The end bonus cards.
• The majority of engineers.

End Bonus Cards

At this time, each player reveals their End Bonus cards.

Note: Typically, every player will have one End Bonus card when the game ends. But, factories can help you get additional End Bonus cards.

It’s even possible to finish the game without any End Bonus cards, but I highly recommend against it.

Engineer Majority

When it comes to scoring points in this game, engineers play a crucial role. The player with the highest number of engineers earns a whopping 40 points, while the player with the second highest number gets a respectable 20 points.

If there’s a tie between players, things get interesting. In that case, the tied players compare the numbers displayed on their engineers. The player whose engineer has the highest number takes home the tiebreaker victory.

Keep in mind, though, that you can only score these bonus points if you have at least one engineer. If you don’t have any, well, tough luck.

But don’t fret! The game doesn’t end there. After the final scoring, the player with the most total points wins the game. It’s that simple. In the event of a tie, the tied players share the victory. No hard feelings!

Tactical Tips

1. Be mindful of the track extension actions. Don’t neglect extending your more valuable tracks whenever you have the chance – it’s a smart move!
2. Pay close attention to the locomotives you build. Make sure they can reach the special spaces on the board. You don’t want to end up with a locomotive that’s not very useful, like having a 2 locomotive on the St. Petersburg.
3. The engineers are a handy bunch, always adapting to the ever-changing action spaces.
4. Roubles are quite versatile, more so than temporary workers.
5. Make sure to aim for acquiring a minimum of 2 tokens.
6. Industrialization may seem valuable early on, but don’t fret, expanding your tracks will yield great rewards in the end.