Merkator Variant Rules

Hey, folks! Today, I want to talk to you about a super cool game called Merkator. Now, this game has some new rules that I’m really excited to share with you. So, if you’re a fan of strategy games, then keep on reading because this is definitely something you don’t want to miss.

To start off, let’s dive into the meaning behind these variant rules. You see, game designers are always looking for ways to keep things fresh and exciting. They want to make sure that players like you and me never get bored. With Merkator, they’ve come up with some special rules that add a whole new layer of complexity to the game. It’s like taking your super cool base game and kicking it up a notch. How awesome is that?

Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty details of these variant rules. One of the key things you’ll notice is that they change up the way you place workers on the game board. Instead of just placing them next to each other, these rules allow you to stack your workers on top of each other. Yeah, you heard that right – stack ’em up like pancakes! This opens up a whole new world of possibilities and strategies. It’s going to make your brain work overtime to figure out the best way to stack your workers to maximize your points. Talk about a challenge!

But wait, there’s more! These variant rules also introduce new actions that you can take. For example, you’ll have access to special actions that let you steal resources from other players. I mean, how awesome is that? It adds a whole new dimension of interaction and competition to the game. You’ll have to be on your toes and keep an eye on your opponents because you never know when they might swoop in and steal your hard-earned resources.

Now, I know what you’re thinking – “But wait, won’t these variant rules make the game too complicated?” And hey, I get where you’re coming from. Sometimes, adding too many rules can be overwhelming and take away from the fun. But trust me, the designers of Merkator have thought about this. They’ve made sure that these variant rules are balanced and add just the right amount of complexity. They’ll challenge you, but not to the point where you’ll want to flip the game board in frustration.

So, there you have it. The Merkator variant rules. They’re like a breath of fresh air that takes this already amazing game to a whole new level. If you’re a fan of strategy games and love a good challenge, then these variant rules are definitely worth checking out. They’ll keep you on your toes, make you think outside the box, and add a burst of excitement to your gaming sessions. Get ready to stack those workers, steal some resources, and have an absolute blast!

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When playing with 3 or 4 players, we make a few changes to the standard game setup. First, we flip the Time chart onto its backside. If there are 4 players, we fill the entire chart; if there are 3 players, we only fill the third line. When playing with 2 players, we use the ULTIMO side and fill the chart, except for the upper row. To indicate the long version of the game, we place additional Time counters where the long outline symbol is.

• In this setup, we don’t place any cubes on the Supply tile.
• We also don’t use Bonus cards.
• For the Contract cards, we only include one with a value of 2 and one with a value of 3.
• Finally, we don’t add any extra Time counters to account for the starting player’s advantage.

During the game, when playing with 3 or 4 players, once the backside of the Time chart has no more Time counters, we flip it over and completely refill it with Time counters. We disregard the 3-player logo.

2-player Game

When playing the 2 player game, it can be smoother if we agree not to join travels. However, keep in mind that your experience may vary. To add more depth and give yourself more time to think, try not using coins like in the regular version of the game.

Expert Rules

Here are some expert rules to make the game more challenging. Each player can only have 1 card in their hand at a time. During your turn, you can choose to take one of the open cards from the stacks. These cards can be Bonus cards, Building cards, or Contracts with a value between 3 and 10.

• The Peace of Westphalia card cannot be held in your hand.
• It is a valid tactic to take a Contract to gain access to the card below it.

When you have a card in your hand, you can use it to block other players from accessing that card. You have the option to buy a Building card or a Bonus card from your hand when it’s your turn to invest. If you have a Contract card in your hand and you meet the requirements for a Contract of a lower level, you can choose to take the topmost Contract from the stack or keep the card in your hand. Remember, you can’t discard cards from your hand. Having cards in your hand at the end of the game doesn’t do anything special.

Now, let’s talk about some additional options you can consider. If you want to reduce the element of luck in the game, you can ignore the rule about losing goods. In this case, the flip side of the Time counters won’t have any effect.

The standard rules say that you can only have up to 15 Taler in cash. But here’s an alternative rule: whenever someone buys a Building card, all of us have to check how much money we have. If someone has enough to buy the most expensive Building card available, they have to buy it right away. Then we reveal a new Building card and check everyone’s money again. We keep doing this until nobody can afford the most expensive Building.

And about the Bonus cards, we can change the value. If you buy a Bonus card, you immediately get an extra good of that kind. So it’s like a little bonus for buying the card.

To optimize Contracts, here’s a helpful rule: When a player gets a new Contract card and another card is revealed from the stack, anyone can offer the active player coins and/or Time counters. This will make it easier for everyone to participate and make the game more dynamic.

Check out this image of Lower Contract Cards:


These cards provide additional opportunities for strategy and decision-making in the game.