MILLE BORNES

MILLE BORNES Objective: My goal is to score 5000 points by playing according to the road rules.

Number of players: 2-6 players, but it’s even better with 4+ players in teams.

Materials needed: To play MILLE BORNES, you will require 112 Mille Bornes cards and a score sheet.

Type of game: It is a game of strategy.

Audience: Suitable for those 8 years and older.

So, What’s MILLE BORNES All About?

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The Lowdown on MILLE BORNES

• Number of players: You can play with 2-6 players.
• Objective: The aim is to be the first player to reach 5000 points.
• Age range: It’s perfect for those 8 years and older.

Imagine driving on a road in France, passing by small markers called “bornes kilometriques.” These markers tell you the distance to the next town, and their color indicates whether it’s a highway or a local street. This game is all about mileage. You have to follow the road rules, collect mileage, and avoid road hazards. At the same time, you can try to slow down your opponents by creating hazards for them.

Let’s talk about what you’ll need to play this game.

First, there are different types of cards you’ll use.

Distance Cards: These cards have milestones on them, representing distances of 25, 50, 75, 100, or 200 miles. You’ll add up these cards to keep track of how far you’ve traveled.

Hazard Cards: There are 10 Hazard cards in total. These include 3 flat tire cards, 3 out of gas cards, 3 accident cards, 4 speed limit cards, and 5 stop cards. These hazard cards can cause trouble for you or your opponents.

Hey there! Let’s talk about Remedy Cards, Safety Cards, and how to play with them. So, we’ve got a total of 38 Remedy cards in the game. These can be categorized into six types: Spare tire, Repair, Gas, End of limit, and Roll cards. Each type has six cards. Now, when it comes to Safety cards, there are a total of four. These include Extra tank, Driving ace, Puncture proof, and Right of way. So, not used during the game are the score cards and card guides. They’re just there to help keep track of things.

Now, to understand how these cards work together, here’s the breakdown: Hazards > Remedies > Safeties. This means that you use Remedy cards to tackle hazards. Makes sense, right?

Alright, now let’s get into the nitty-gritty of playing with the cards.

The Set-Up

• First things first, sit across from your partner.
• Now, decide who’s going to be the dealer.
• Next, remove the cards that won’t be used in the game. Then, the dealer shuffles the remaining cards and deals six face-down cards to each player, one at a time. The rest of the cards form the draw pile.
• Take a good look at your hand.
• Alrighty, it’s time to start! The player to the left of the dealer goes first.

HOW TO PLAY THE CARDS

Hazard Cards

Stop, Out of Gas, Accident, Flat Tire

When you encounter these cards, you can play them on your opponent’s battle pile. By doing so, you prevent your opponent from moving forward and continuing their journey.

Speed Limit

If you have these cards, you can play them on your opponent’s speed pile. The Speed Limit cards restrict your opponent to using either 25-mile or 50-mile distance cards.

Remedy Cards

Gas, Repair, Spare Tire

Whenever you come across a hazard card played by your opponent, you can play these remedy cards on your battle pile in response. These remedy cards correspond to the hazard played. If you successfully overcome the hazard, you earn the chance to play a distance card and continue your journey.

Roll

If your opponent plays a stop card against you, you can play a roll card in opposition. After playing the necessary remedy cards mentioned earlier, you must play a roll card to gain the ability to play more distance cards. The only exception to this rule is the Right of Way card.

End of Limit

When it’s time to play on your speed pile, grab these cards and place them on top of a speed limit card. You can continue driving at your normal speed and play any type of distance card.

Distance Cards

Once a roll card is placed on the battle pile or if Right of Way is in your Area of Safety, you can play distance cards. You can combine distance cards to reach a total of 1000 miles, but you can only play two 200 miles cards at a time.

Safety Cards

Right of Way, Puncture-Proof, Driving Ace, and Extra Tank

These cards are played in the Safety Area. When you play them, you enjoy a few advantages:

1. You can overcome any Hazard card that has already been played against you in the current hand.
2. You can prevent any Hazard cards from being played against you for the rest of the hand.
3. You get to draw another card and complete your turn.

Right of Way has its own special uses as well.

Safety Cards

Do you know what safety cards are? They are special cards that can protect you from hazards in the game. When you have a safety card that matches a hazard card played by your opponent, you can use it to nullify the hazard. This has some great advantages:

1. It cancels out hazards in play. So, any hazard cards already on the table are no longer a problem for you.
2. You can play distance cards of 75, 100, and 200 miles, even if there is a speed limit. That’s a significant advantage!
3. Your opponent cannot play a stop card or a speed limit card against you. Those cards will have no effect.
4. You can play distance cards without needing to reveal a roll card. It saves you time and keeps your strategy hidden.

Counterthrust – Coup Fourré

Ever heard of “coup fourré”? It’s a fancy French phrase that means “counterthrust.” This term is used to describe counterattacks in the game. When you have a safety card that can counter a hazard card, you can call “coup fourré.” You don’t have to wait for your turn to do this. Calling it gives you some great benefits:

• You can remove the hazard card from the battle or speed pile. That’s one less problem to worry about!
• You get an extra turn. This can be a game-changer!
• With a counterthrust, you are protected from hazards that match your safety card for the rest of the hand. This is a big advantage!

Earn yourself a score of 100 base and an extra 300 points if you play Coup Fourré, which adds up to a total of 400 points.

Now let me tell you how to play Mille Bornes. Each turn consists of two parts: draw a card and either play a card or discard one. You’ll always have 6 cards in your hand.

Here’s what you can do during your turn:

1. Place a roll card face-up on the battle pile. After that, it’s your opponent’s turn on your left.

2. If you have a safety card in your hand, you can play it face-up in the Safety area. Playing one of these cards allows you to take another turn. Draw another card and play as usual. If you happen to play another safety card, go ahead and repeat the process.

3. You can play speed limit cards in front of your opponent, on their speed pile.

4. If you find yourself unable to play in any of the above ways, simply discard a single card, face-up.

When playing as the second player, you have two additional options on top of the ones mentioned earlier. You can either play a hazard card on top of a roll card or play an end of limit card on top of a speed limit card.

To end a hand, there are two ways: either a team completes a single trip of exactly 1000 miles, or the draw pile runs out of cards. In the latter case, the game finishes after all the cards have been played in hand.

If you manage to reach 1000 miles after the draw pile is empty, it is called “Delayed Action.” Completing a trip in this way earns you an extra 300 points.

In a game with multiple hands, each hand is totaled up after it finishes. The first player or team to reach or exceed 5000 points wins. If both teams hit 5000 points in the same hand, the team with the most points wins.

Now let’s talk about scoring.

When you play the game, you’ll earn points based on the number of miles traveled. It’s like a race to see who can accumulate the most points. But there’s more to it than just miles. There are different bonuses you can earn along the way that can really boost your score.

First, if you complete a 1000 mile trip, you’ll earn a bonus of 400 points. That’s a pretty big reward for a long journey! And if you manage to collect all four Safety Cards, you’ll get a bonus of 300 points. It takes teamwork to accomplish that feat, so it’s well worth the effort.

There’s another bonus called the Coup Fourré. If you manage to play a Coup Fourré card at the right time, you’ll earn yourself 300 points. It’s a clever move that can really turn the game around in your favor.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. If you can complete a trip without using any of your 200 mile cards, you’ll earn a whopping 300 points. It’s called the Safe Trip bonus, and it’s a real challenge. But if you can pull it off, you’ll demonstrate your skill and strategy.

And finally, there’s the Shut Out bonus. This one is all about finishing your trip before your opponent finishes theirs. If you can beat them to the finish line, you’ll earn 500 points. It’s a sweet victory that really puts you in the winner’s seat.

So, as you can see, there’s more to this game than just traveling from point A to point B. It’s about making smart moves, playing strategic cards, and earning as many points as possible. Do you think you have what it takes to come out on top?