El Capitan Game Rules

Hey there! Are you ready to learn all about the rules of El Capitan? Well, you’re in the right place! I’m here to guide you through everything you need to know about this exciting game.

Now, let’s talk about the importance of understanding the rules before you start playing. Trust me, it’s crucial! By knowing the rules, you’ll be able to play the game with confidence and have a blast.

So, what is El Capitan all about? Simply put, it’s a game that challenges your strategic thinking and decision-making skills. The goal is to move your pieces across the board while outsmarting your opponent.

When it comes to choosing the right strategy, there are a few key factors to keep in mind. First, you need to carefully analyze the board and evaluate the possible moves. This will help you come up with a plan that maximizes your chances of winning.

But beware! El Capitan is a double-edged sword. While you’re making your moves, your opponent is doing the same. You have to stay one step ahead and anticipate their moves. It’s like a thrilling chess match where every decision counts.

Now, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of the game. Each player starts with three pieces that they can move in any direction. The goal is to get all your pieces to the other side of the board, while also trying to block your opponent’s path.

As you navigate the board, you’ll encounter different obstacles and challenges. Don’t worry, though! These obstacles are part of the fun. They add an extra layer of complexity to the game and require you to think creatively.

Remember, it’s not just about moving your pieces. You also have the option to regenerate a piece that has been captured by your opponent. This gives you a chance to turn the tide and keep the game going.

Overall, El Capitan is an exciting game that combines strategy, critical thinking, and a bit of luck. It’s all about making the right moves at the right time and outwitting your opponent. Are you up for the challenge?

So, whether you’re a seasoned El Capitan player or new to the game, don’t forget to keep these rules in mind. They will help you navigate the board with confidence and have an amazing time. Now, get out there and show off your strategic skills!

• 1 game board
• 5 wooden ships
• 90 wooden warehouses
• 15 fortresses
• 1 starting player token
• 54 sailing cards
• 3 proliferation bonus cards
• 30 loan cards
• 111 coins
• 3 additional city tiles
• 1 black pirate ship
• Instructions

Game Objective

Hey there! Welcome to this awesome game where you become a merchant in the 15th century. Your job is to sail to important cities in the Mediterranean, strategically building warehouses and fortresses to protect them.

The game is divided into three phases, and each phase ends with a payday. On payday, you’ll receive money for:

• The number of cities where you’ve built warehouses (proliferation)
• Each fortress you’ve built

I want to tell you about a game called “Settlers of America: Trails to Rails.” It’s a board game where you get to build railroads and cities in the United States. The game is played with a board and some pieces, and the goal is to earn the most money by the end of the game.

In the game, each player gets to be a railroad tycoon. You start off with a certain amount of money, and you use that money to build railroads and cities on the board. Each city has a different value, and you want to build in the cities that are worth the most points.

The game is divided into turns, and on each turn, you get to do different actions. You can buy and place railroads, connect cities with your railroads, and even build cities of your own. You can also earn money by delivering goods from one city to another using your railroads.

At the end of the game, after three paydays, the player with the most money is declared the winner. So, you need to make strategic decisions throughout the game to earn as much money as possible.

To set up the game, each player chooses a color and takes the corresponding pieces. The board is placed in the middle of the playing area, and the cities are randomly distributed on the board. Each player starts with a certain amount of money and a starting city.

I hope this gives you a good idea of what “Settlers of America: Trails to Rails” is all about. It’s a fun game that combines strategy and decision-making, and it’s a great way to learn about the history of railroads in the United States. So, if you’re interested in board games and history, you should definitely give it a try!

When I start playing the game, I get to choose a color. The color I choose will determine the components I receive, which are:

• 1 ship
• 6 warehouses
• 1 fortress

At the beginning of the game, I am given 20 Florin as my starting capital. I can use this money to buy things during the game.

I place my ship, warehouses, fortress, and coins in front of me on the table. Any extra warehouses and fortresses are placed next to the game board for everyone to use. I keep my money visible to all the other players.

Sailing Cards: There are two types of sailing cards in the game. They are divided into two separate decks. One deck is made up of destination/sea route cards, and the other deck consists of city interconnection cards.

Both decks are shuffled separately to make sure the game is fair.

When you’re playing the game, there are four destination cards and six city interconnection cards that are laid out face up on both sides of the game board. You can see them right there in front of you (check out the illustration on the following page).

Now, let’s talk about loans. The loans cards are placed face up in two separate decks. One deck has 10 Florin cards and the other has 16 Florin cards. They’re both placed on the two bank spaces. You can easily access them whenever you need to.

Oh, and we can’t forget about the banker. One player will be chosen as the banker and they’ll be responsible for handling all the coins and loans. Sounds like an important and busy job!

Here’s How to Play

The game is divided into three phases, with each phase having multiple rounds. At the end of each phase, it’s payday time! The youngest player goes first in the first phase. So, if you’re the youngest, congrats! You get to kick things off.

When I play the game, I start with the “El Capitan” token in front of me. On my turn, I have a few options to choose from:

1. Build a Warehouse (or Re-open):

To build or re-open a warehouse, my ship needs to be on a harbor space of a city. Before and after building, I can buy sailing cards. I’m allowed to build or re-open one warehouse during my turn.

2. Build a Fortress:

If I want to build a fortress, my ship must be on a harbor space of a city. Just like with building a warehouse, I can buy sailing cards before and after this action. During my turn, I can build one fortress.

3. Take a Loan:

To take a loan, my ship has to be in the bank harbor space. I can’t do any other actions during this turn. I’m only allowed to take one loan.

These are the actions I can choose from during my turn in the game.

What You Can Do

Buy Sailing Cards

Hey there! I want to share with you some cool things you can do. And one of those things is buying sailing cards. They’re like little tickets that let you hop on a boat and have an amazing adventure out on the water.

So, why would you want to buy sailing cards? Well, let me tell you. First of all, they give you the chance to explore different places. You can use your sailing card to visit beautiful destinations and check out all the wonderful things they have to offer. From sandy beaches to majestic cliffs, there’s so much to see and experience.

Not only that, but sailing cards also give you access to fun activities. You can try your hand at sailing, learn how to navigate the waters, and even go snorkeling or fishing. It’s an incredible way to try new things and discover talents you didn’t even know you had.

Another great thing about sailing cards is that they’re super easy to use. All you have to do is show your card at the boat dock, and you’re good to go. No need to worry about making reservations or dealing with complicated paperwork. Just grab your card, hop on board, and set sail for an adventure of a lifetime!

But wait, there’s more! Sailing cards also come with some awesome perks. You can get discounts on boat rentals, special access to exclusive events, and even freebies like snacks and drinks. It’s like being a VIP on the water, and who doesn’t love being treated like royalty?

So, if you’re looking for an exciting and unique way to explore the world, getting a sailing card is a no-brainer. With just a simple purchase, you open the door to endless possibilities and unforgettable experiences.

Don’t miss out on the chance to become a part of the sailing community. Grab your sailing card today and set sail for a world of fun and adventure!

Listen up, folks! I want to talk to you about a really important action in this game. It’s not mandatory, but it’s definitely something you should pay attention to. This action doesn’t count as one of the three actions you have to do during your turn.

Now, let me explain. There are always four destination/sea route cards and six city interconnection cards that you can see on the table. And here’s the cool part: during your turn, you can buy as many of these cards as you want or can afford. It’s all up to you!

When you buy these cards, you put them in your hand and pay the money to the bank. Easy peasy, right? Now, here’s the thing: you can use these cards right away or save them for later turns. It’s all about strategy and timing.

At the start of the game, everyone has to buy at least one card to bring their ship into play. It’s like a ticket to the adventure!

Once your turn is over, we need to keep things fresh. We take new cards from the decks and show them on the table. This way, everyone always has plenty of options to choose from. And if we run out of cards in one deck, don’t worry! We’ll just shuffle the discard pile and use it as a new deck.

Now, let’s talk about sailing!

When the game starts, we all have to buy at least one destination card and sail to a city with our ship. It’s up to us if we want to sail during the game, but if we do, we have to do it before building anything.

To sail, we need to play a sailing card from our current or previous turns. We can sail directly to the city on the card, or we can sail as many routes as there are seals on the card.

If the first harbor spot is taken, we have to put our ship on the second one. And if both harbor spots are already taken, we can’t stop in that city and have to keep sailing.

When you’re actively playing the game, you have the option to play as many sailing cards as you’d like. However, keep in mind that if you decide to play multiple cards in one turn, you’ll need to have a free harbor space available in the specific city where you plan to build a building.

Let me show you an example to make it clearer. Say you decide to sail to Tanger using a destination card, and then from Tanger to Alexandria using a city interconnection card. This is a valid play.

At the start of the game, and when sailing from the bank harbor, you can only use a destination card to sail. No card is required for sailing to the bank harbor itself because it’s a free journey. After playing a card, make sure to discard it properly on the designated discard piles.

Time to Build a Warehouse!

So here’s the deal: You can only build a warehouse in the city where your ship is currently docked at one of the two harbor spaces. BUT, in order to build that warehouse, you gotta pay the cost shown on the harbor space of your ship to the bank. Once you’ve done that, you can place your warehouse on the next available building site.

Now, remember, the first player to build a warehouse in a city gets to decide whether they wanna build it on the first building site (“0”-space) or the second one. It’s totally up to them.

Here’s the twist though: If the first warehouse is built on the second site, then the second warehouse in that city has to be built on the first building site. It doesn’t matter if it’s the same player building it or someone else. That’s just how the cookie crumbles, my friend.

So, here’s the deal. When it comes to building warehouses in a certain city, things get tricky after the second one. You see, the third warehouse and all the ones that come after it need to be built on the very next spot on this special path we call the U-track. It’s like a line of building sites, except the last spot is a no-go zone. Nope, no buildings allowed there, sorry. Now, pay close attention, because this is where it gets interesting – the numbers on these building sites only matter when it’s payday.

So, get this. I made my way to Marseille, all ready to set up my own warehouse. It cost me 4 Florin, but hey, it’s all worth it. Now, here’s the thing. I had two options for where to build it, and after giving it some thought, I went with the second site.

After Red, I arrived on the scene. I wasted no time in starting my construction projects. I built four warehouses and one fortress, strategically placing my first warehouse on the initial building site. However, there was a catch. If no other player had plans to construct a warehouse in Marseille, I would have to leave the city. It turns out, I was not allowed to own more than three consecutive warehouses.

In my next turn, I had a few options. I could choose to stay in Marseille and continue my building spree by adding another warehouse or a fortress. Alternatively, I could set sail for another city and establish some structures there. The last option was sailing to the bank and taking a loan, which could come in handy later.

It’s worth noting that if my ship was anchored in the more expensive harbor space, I couldn’t simply move to the cheaper spot if it became unoccupied. I had to stay put and make the most of my current location.

I want to give you some important rules about warehouses and fortresses in the game. It’s crucial to follow these rules to make sure everyone plays fair:

First, you can’t have more than three warehouses in a row in any city. If you’ve already built three warehouses in a row, you’ll have to wait for someone else to build one before you can build another.

Now, let’s talk about building fortresses:

You can only build a fortress in the city where your ship is currently anchored in one of the two harbor spaces. Keep in mind that building a fortress comes with a cost. You’ll need to pay the amount shown on an empty fortress building site to the bank. Once you’ve paid, you can place one of your fortresses there.

On your next turn, you have a few options. You can stay in the city where your ship is anchored and build a warehouse. Alternatively, you can set sail to another city and build a building there. You also have the choice to sail to the bank and take a loan. It’s up to you!

Just remember, you can’t have more than one fortress in any city. So plan your moves carefully!

Now that you know these rules, you’re ready to play!

Every time a dark-colored building site is used to construct a new warehouse, the first warehouse in the city is closed, regardless of who owns it. (When a warehouse is built on the first dark-colored building site, the warehouse on the “0”-space is closed).

When a warehouse is built on the second dark-colored building site, the warehouse on the second building site is closed, and so on. The closed warehouse is then removed from its current building site and placed on the central picture of the city.

Warehouses located on the central picture of the city do not contribute to the overall number of warehouses or determine the majority. They only generate income on each payday. Players can only build on these now vacant building sites once a warehouse has been constructed on the second-to-last space in this city.

So, here’s the deal: When it’s just you and one or two friends playing this game, things get a little different. You see, in each city, there’s an extra space that gets shut down. It’s like a temporary shutdown, you know? But don’t sweat it, because it actually adds a new twist to the game. The first warehouse, the one with the dark-colored triangle, is the first to be shut down once one of the players builds their warehouse on the building site. It’s kind of like a signal that things are kicking off and the game is about to get real.

A warehouse has been shut down. Yellow player decided to build a warehouse on a site where a dark-colored building already exists. The first warehouse has been closed and placed in the center of the city picture.

Reopening a Closed Warehouse

If you are the owner of a closed warehouse, you have the option to reopen it. You can do this by sailing back to the city where your warehouse is located, or if you are already in that city. Once there, you need to anchor your ship at a free harbor space. Reopening your warehouse is free of charge.

When you decide to reopen your warehouse, you must remove it from the city picture and place it next to the most recently built warehouse. However, keep in mind that if you choose to reopen one of your warehouses, you cannot build another warehouse or fortress during the same turn.

If your warehouse has been shut down and your ship is currently in the same city, you have the option to immediately reopen it when it is your turn to play.

So, here’s the story: Blue built a warehouse on the second dark-colored building site, which led to the closure of the second warehouse (Red). However, Red was able to reopen her warehouse without any cost. To make it possible, she had to sail back to Marseille.

A warehouse can only be built on the last possible site

Once a warehouse has been erected on the second-to-last space in a city, it opens up the opportunity to build or reopen warehouses on any unoccupied sites after shutting down existing ones.

The ordering of warehouse construction is reversed, starting from the first warehouse that is still in operation. This means that the “0”-space is used for the last warehouse. Once all 12 building sites have warehouses, it is no longer possible to construct new ones or shut down any existing warehouses in that city.

So, here’s the deal. When you’re constructing a building on a vacant lot that was already occupied before, you gotta keep in mind that you can’t have more than three warehouses of the same color lined up in a row. It’s a rule, and rules are rules, right?

Borrow Some Cash

Now, let’s talk about taking a loan. If you’re in need of some extra dough, you gotta sail from your current city to the harbor of the bank. But, hey, no need to worry about having a sailing card for this trip. Once you’re at the bank, you can take a loan. There are two types of loans you can go for:

10 Florin loan.

Hey there! So, I wanted to talk to you about something pretty important – a loan. I know, I know, loans can be a bit confusing sometimes, but don’t worry, I’ve got your back.

Let me break it down for you. So, you’re borrowing 10 Florin from someone. They’re giving you the money, and you promise to pay it back. Simple enough, right?

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. When you pay back the loan, you’ll need to give back 12 Florin. Why the extra 2 Florin, you ask? Well, that’s because of something called loan extension.

Loan extension is when you need a little more time to pay back the money. So, if you decide to extend the loan, you’ll have to give back 16 Florin instead of just 12. It’s like an extra fee for the extra time you need.

And that’s pretty much it! When it comes to loans, it’s important to understand how they work and what you’re getting yourself into. But don’t worry, as long as you keep your end of the deal and pay back what you owe, everything will be just fine.

So, if you’re looking to borrow some money, just keep in mind that a loan is like a double-edged sword. It can help you out when you’re in a pinch, but it can also cause some trouble if you’re not careful. So, make sure to think things through before you make any big decisions.

16 Florin loan.

When I borrow 16 Florin, I must repay 20 Florin. However, if I extend the loan, the repayment amount becomes 30 Florin. This information is written on the backside of the card.

Once I take the loan, I place the card face up in front of me to show the loan amount and receive the money from the bank. On my next turn, I have two options: I can stay on the bank space and borrow another loan, or I must sail to a city using a destination card.

Keep in mind, if I don’t want to build anything during my turn or if I’m unable to do so, I have to sail my ship to the bank’s harbor space and take a loan. This journey doesn’t require a sailing card. Remember, loans can’t be taken during the first round of the game.

There’s no limit to the number of ships allowed on the bank’s harbor space.

Hey there! Let’s talk about city building! When all the building sites in a city are taken, guess what? We can build on them again! But here’s the trick: we have to build backwards, starting from the last site and working our way towards the first one. The very last site, number “0”, is the final one to be built upon.

Now, here’s a fun fact: even if the last three houses in Marseille were all colored red, the player with the red houses can still build at the front of the chain. Why? Because not all of their houses would be in a row. Cool, right?

But wait, there’s more! If the player with the green houses decides to build in front of the chain, they can still put up a warehouse on space “8”. However, they can’t build on space “4” afterwards. Why? Well, that would mean they have four houses of the same color in a row. Can’t have that!

Payday

Once I’ve finished building all my warehouses and fortresses, the phase comes to an end. This happens at the end of the current round, so every player has had an equal number of turns.

After that, it’s time to get paid! I receive money based on my proliferation, majority, and the fortresses I’ve built.

Let’s Talk about Proliferation

The proliferation chart tells us how much money I’ll get. For example, if I own warehouses in three cities, I’ll receive 5 Florin. But if I have warehouses in all nine cities, I’ll get a whopping 60 Florin! To qualify for this, I only need one warehouse in each city.

Don’t worry about the fortresses and shut down warehouses – they don’t count towards the proliferation chart.

Proliferation Bonus

So, here’s the deal. The goal of the game is to be the first player to build a warehouse in all nine cities. And let me tell you, it’s not an easy task! But if you’re the first one to do it, you’ll get a bonus card worth 15 Florin. Nice, right?

But here’s the catch. If you have a bonus card and you have to shut down one of your warehouses, don’t worry. You won’t lose the card. You get to keep it, even if you’re not in all nine cities anymore.

Now, you might be wondering, what’s the deal with the bonus cards? Well, on the third payday, you’ll get paid the amount shown on your bonus card. It could be 15, 10, or 5 Florin, depending on which card you have.

The Power of Majority

Let’s talk about cities. In each city, something important happens. The game keeps a score for each city, but only the two players with the most warehouses on the U-track spaces will get paid. That’s right, those who dominate get rewarded.

If you have the most warehouses in a city, you’ll get a payment. How much? Well, just look at the next free space to the right, and that’s the amount you’ll receive. But wait, there’s more! The player who comes in second place gets paid too, but it’s only half the amount that the first-place player receives. It’s fair, right?

Let’s put this into perspective. Imagine the first player gets a payment of 15 Florin for having the majority of their warehouses. In this scenario, the second-place player would receive 7 Florin.

Now, what happens when two or more players tie for the same number of warehouses in a city? Well, it’s not as complicated as it seems. The player whose first warehouse was built before anyone else’s takes the lead. There’s always a first and a second player, and they are the ones who get the top rewards.

Imagine this: the city is fully developed, with all the buildings in place. But wait, there’s still one spot left on the side, and it shows a price tag. That price will stay the same until the game is over. It’s like a little mystery waiting to be solved!

So, get this. There are three people, Green, Blue, and Red. They each have a bunch of warehouses. But here’s the thing – Green, being the most ambitious of the bunch, finished building her first warehouse before Blue. And you know what they say, first is the best. So Green gets paid a cool 20 Florin for her accomplishment. Not too shabby. But poor Blue, always coming in second place. He gets paid half of what Green does, so he only gets 10 Florin. Talk about a bummer. Now, imagine if Red comes along and decides to build the next warehouse. Well, guess what? Red would take first place, and Green would be bumped down to second. Life’s tough like that sometimes. So, there you have it. Green and Blue own the most warehouses, but who’s on top is constantly changing. It’s a wild world out there, folks!

Hey there! The game is in a pretty exciting state right now. Red, Blue, and Yellow are all tied for the most warehouses. Well, not exactly tied since Blue has one shut down, but we won’t count that. So, because Red owns the first house in the chain, she gets to go first and she’s making bank with 16 Florin. Blue comes second and gets a solid 8 Florin. Unfortunately, Yellow doesn’t get any money from her warehouses. Tough break, Yellow!

Let’s Talk Fortresses

Now, fortresses are a big deal. For each fortress, all players get the same amount of money as they would if they had the second most warehouses in that city. Take a look at the picture up there. Both Green and Red have fortresses, so they’re both getting 10 Florin, which is half of 20. Nice little bonus there!

In a city with the most warehouses, I get paid the same amount as if I had the most warehouses. If the city shown in the picture has the most warehouses (no other city has more than 10), Green and Red each get paid 20 Florin for their fortress.

Warehouses on the central picture of the city don’t count when we’re counting the total number of warehouses in each city.

If there are multiple cities with the same highest number of warehouses, I get paid the amount for my fortress as if I had the most warehouses in all of those cities.

After I get paid, I have two options: pay back any loans I have or extend the loans.

After I Get Paid

Option 1: Pay Back Loans

Hey there! So, after a payday, it’s decision time for all of us. We need to figure out whether we want to pay back our loans or extend them. Sounds tricky, right?

If you choose to pay back, you just put your loan card back on the right bank spot and pay the amount shown on the card to the bank. It’s either 12 Florin if you borrowed 10 Florin or 20 Florin if you borrowed 16 Florin. Quite straightforward!

But if you decide to extend your loan, things get a bit more complicated. You flip the card over to the backside. But here’s the catch – you’ll have to pay back the loan on your next payday, and the amount will be higher than before. It’s written on the card, so you’ll know exactly how much you’ll owe. You can only extend a loan once, though. After that, you’ve got to pay it back one way or another.

Oh, and here’s the best part – you can take out loans whenever you sail to the bank. You can borrow as much as you want or need. Pretty convenient, huh? And the cherry on top – if you’re paying back or extending your loans, you don’t even have to sail to the bank. Easy peasy!

When you borrow this money, you’ll need to return 20 Florin on your next payday.

If you decide to extend this loan, you’ll need to pay back 30 Florin on your next payday.

Money Check

Once payday arrives, everyone counts their money. They subtract the value of any outstanding loans that they haven’t paid back yet. Then, they openly declare how much money they have. This lets everyone know where they stand in the money rankings after each scoring period.

The Starting Player for the Next Phase

The player with the least amount of money, after the money check, gets to decide who will be the starting player in the next game phase. The elected player receives the “El Capitan” token and becomes the starting player for the next phase.

New Warehouses and Fortresses

Each player gets six new warehouses and one new fortress of their color. These are taken from the common pool and added to any existing ones the player already has on the table.

End of the Game

Alright, folks! Listen up! I’ve got some important news about how our game works. Let me break it down for you.

The game goes on until we reach the third game phase. What happens then? Well, the showstopper is when one of us clever players has managed to build all of her warehouses and fortresses. It doesn’t matter if any warehouses are shut down. And don’t worry, we won’t be rudely interrupted in the middle of our current round. We’ll all have an equal number of turns before we wrap things up.

But hold on tight, because the third payday is when it all comes to an end. Yup, that’s right, it’s time to pay back all of our loans. So, make sure you’re financially prepared, my friends!

Oh, and guess what? Those clever ones among us who have a proliferation bonus card will receive some well-deserved cash. Nice!

But here’s the deal. The player with the most money in the bank is the ultimate winner! So, make those smart moves and stack up that dough!