Bootleggers Rulebook

Table of Contents

Game Play Overview
Summarized List of Game Components
Detailed Play (Da Rules)
Game Ending and Winning
Optional (Advanced) Influence Placement Rules
Optional Shorter Game Rules
Detailed Description of Game Components
Detailed Listing of Thug Cards
FAQ/Rule Clarifications
Credits

Game Play Overview

Bootleggers is a supply-chain strategy game based on the manufacture, transportation, and sale of bootlegged whiskey. The game is played over 12 years (Rounds), and the Mobster (Player) with the most dough at the end of the game wins. The Rounds are divided into six Phases:

Phase 1: Muscle (Bidding & Driver Graft phase)

Mobsters don't sit around waiting for something to happen, ya big lug. They go out and make things happen. Bidding is done via the Muscle cards, which show your mob's hired strength for the Round. The stronger they are the better your resource choices, but the more payroll costs. Since you have only so many men to spare on roughing up the competition, you must choose when to send your best men, and when to collect the leftovers. The resources you will acquire are Influence, Improvements, Thug cards, and Trucks.

Speaking of Trucks, a good Mobster wouldn't be able to deliver if he didn't keep his drivers happy. A little Driver Graft is all that is needed for the drivers of little Trucks, but the drivers of the big Trucks expect more.

Phase 2: Send in the Boys (Influence placement phase)

When you're a Mobster, you've got to make people "see things your way". Mob bosses send their trusted men to the Speakeasies to insure that the owners are buying the right whiskey: that is to say, your whiskey. The Mobster with the most Influence in a Speakeasy sells his whiskey first. Those with less Influence get to pick up the scraps–if there are any.

Phase 3: Fire up the Still (Production phase)

The Family Still is fired up and out comes the finest backwoods whiskey in the county. Sometimes you produce a lot, other times not so much! You can run Remote Stills to avoid the law, but those are harder to protect from sabotage. The number of Stills and Still Improvements are used to determine how many dice you roll for whiskey production. If you produce the most and are a bit unlucky, your Family Still will get shut down by the Copper.

Phase 4: Run the Whiskey (Shipping phase)

Crates of whiskey bottles are placed on waiting Trucks and raced to nearby Speakeasies. Each Mobster must decide to which Speakeasy his Truck(s) will go. Pick right, and it can pay off handsomely. Pick wrong, and your driver may be dumping your whiskey in the alley to make a fast getaway. If you're short on Trucks, you may be able to borrow, rent, or buy one … for a price. If you've got more Trucks than Crates, maybe you can convince another Mobster to sell you what you need.

Phase 5: "What's the Password?" (Selling phase)

Crates of whiskey bottles are purchased from the Trucks and loaded into the Speakeasies where thirsty customers await their arrival. The bigger Speakeasies turn a better profit for the Mobster in charge, but the smallest Speakeasy in town is always open (the Police Chief runs it). Whiskey from the Mobster with the most Influence is preferred, but others might get to sell theirs as well. Speakeasy Improvements increase the whiskey consumption.

Phase 6: The Heat! (Long arm of the law phase)

Pretty soon the Copper gets wise to all this activity. He knows which Mobster made the most whiskey at his Family Still, so he stakes out the place.

Summarized List of Game Components

Game Board with Offer Spaces and Speakeasies [1]
Family Still mini-boards [6]
Remote Still location mini-boards [6]
Stand-up Copper figure [1]
Speakeasy Improvement markers [12]
Small Trucks (black) [12]
Medium Trucks (silver) [5]
Large Trucks (gold) [3]
Influence markers for each player (6 colors) [20]
Men of Action cards [82]
Truck cards (6 Small Truck, 5 Medium Truck, and 3 Large Truck) [14]
Muscle (Bidding) cards, numbered sequentially from 1 to 72
Wood Cubes representing crates of whiskey bottles, 20 per player color plus 20 natural to be used as x5 crates by all players. [140]
Play money in denominations of $1000, $5000, $10,000 and $50,000 (Commonly referred to as 1G, 5G, 10G, and 50G's by most Mobsters)
6 Sets of Different Colored Dice [36 Total]

Detailed Play (Da Rules)

Preparation

Place Main Board in center of table. Place a Crate in the first Round Position of the Round Track.
Select one Mobster to act as the Banker.
Place Remote Still mini-boards, Speakeasy Improvement markers, Trucks, Crates, and dice within reach of all Mobsters.
Shuffle Men of Action deck together and place face down on Men of Action deck space on Main Board.
Shuffle Truck cards together and place face down on Truck Offer Space on Main Board.
Separate Muscle cards into the four color-coded decks. Shuffle each deck separately and deal each Mobster three cards from each deck (total of 12 Muscle cards for each Mobster, one Muscle card for each Round in the game). Return undealt Muscle cards to the box. (1-18 red, 19-36 green, 37-54 yellow, 55-72 blue)
Each Mobster selects a color, takes the Family Still mini-board, one of the dice of his color, all the crates of whiskey (wood cubes) of his color and Influence markers in his color, and places them in front of himself. Return any unused Family Stills and Influence markers to the box.
Each Mobster takes an Influence marker from his supply and places it into the Back Room of his Family Still.
Each Mobster takes one Small Truck (black).
Distribute starting dough of $10G (one $5G bill and five $1G bills) to each Mobster. Place the remaining dough, sorted by denominations, near the Banker. Money is kept secret throughout the game except for Phase 6 of rounds 4 and 8, and the end of the game.
Influence markers from the supply may be used to temporarily designate ownership of trucks during the shipping phase. Influence markers used this way are not for use in the Mobsters' Back Rooms or Speakeasies, and are not considered as controlled by any Mobster.

Speakeasies — the row of six varied-size Speakeasy locations on the board.

Truck Cards — the face-down Truck Offer Space.

Men of Action offer Spaces — one Offer Space per Mobster where a Men of Action card is dealt face up each Round.

Men of Action Cards — cards drawn from the Men of Action deck and placed into the offer spaces.

Crate for Round Track — a Crate marker used to track the current Round on the Round Track.

Each Mobster Starts with:

1 Family Still with 1 die
1 Small truck (black) of 4 crate capacity
$10Gs
12 Muscle cards
1 Influence marker

Each Round, Perform These Actions in Order

Phase 1: Muscle (Bidding & Driver Graft Phase)

Turn over top Truck card. (This Truck card will be available until it is purchased. If a Truck card is already turned over from a previous Round, skip this step).
Place one card from the Men of Action deck in each Offer Space up to the number of Mobsters in the game. The Truck Offer Space will always be used, but only the number of additional Offer Spaces equal to the number of Mobsters will be used. For example, a four-Mobster game will use the Truck Offer Space and four Men of Action Offer Spaces.
Each Mobster then chooses a Muscle card from his hand and places it face down on the table in front of him.
Muscle cards are revealed simultaneously after all Mobsters have selected a card. The Muscle card must remain in front of the Mobster through the remaining Phases of the Round. Muscle cards will determine the order of play and are used as tiebreakers throughout the Round (exception: Big City Boys Thug card).

Example: Alice's Muscle card is 72 ("Us goin to cost ya $4G's"), Bob's is 57 ($3G's), Charlie's is 43 ($2G's), David's is 1 ("Nothin!"). Alice goes 1st, Bob goes 2nd, Charlie goes 3rd, David goes 4th.
In Muscle card order (that is, beginning with the Mobster with the highest Muscle card). Each Mobster does the following: a. Pays Driver Graft of $1G per Small (black) or Medium Truck (silver) and $2G per Large Truck (gold) and the required dough (listed on the card) to exercise his Muscle card. This cost represents the Mobster's payroll for the Round.

Note: if a Mobster cannot pay this, he pays what he can (that is, all the dough he has!) and then plays as usual without penalty or debt.

b. Chooses one of the face-up cards in an Offer Space (either the Truck card or a Men of Action card).

These cards include:
- Influence cards (must be played immediately): The Mobster takes the number of Influence markers indicated by the card, from his supply, and places them in the Back Room of his Family Still. These represent new recruits into his mob. Discard the Influence card.
  
  Example — Single Influence: Redeem immediately for 1 Influence Marker.
  
  Example — Double Influence: Redeem immediately for 2 Influence Markers.
- Improvement cards (must be played immediately): a. Single Still Improvement card: the Mobster takes one die and places it on an Improvement square of either his Family Still or a Remote Still (or if the Mobster does not have an available space for the die on his or her Still, he places the die in the Back Room of the Family Still for later use). Single Still Improvement cards cannot be used to start a new Remote Still. Discard the Improvement card.
  
  Example: Redeem immediately for 1 Production Die.
  
  b. Double Still Improvement card: the Mobster takes either two dice for placement on Improvement squares of his Family Still or Remote Still (or places them in the Back Room of the Family Still for later use), or starts a new Remote Still mini-board with one die. Discard the improvement card.
  
  Example: Redeem immediately for 2 Production Dice OR Start a New Remote Still.
  
  c. Speakeasy Improvement card: the Mobster takes a Speakeasy Improvement marker and places it on an Improvement square of any Speakeasy (or places it in the Back Room of the Family Still). Discard the Improvement card.
- Truck cards (must be played immediately): The Mobster pays the amount indicated for the new Truck ($1G for a Small (black) or Medium Truck (silver) or $3G for a Large Truck (gold)), takes a matching miniature, and places it in his active play area. Discard the Truck card. If a Mobster cannot afford to buy a Truck, he may not select the Truck card. Payment of Driver Graft is not required for this Truck in this Round (but will be required next Round!).
- Thug cards (may be played immediately or held for later use): The Mobster either plays the Thug card immediately or takes the Thug card into his hand for use when desired. Thug cards may be played at any time that Mobsters are displaying their Muscle cards (unless indicated otherwise on the Thug card itself). Thug cards are discarded when used (exception: Friendly Union Boss).
After the first Mobster completes step 5, the Mobster with the second highest Muscle card goes next, and so forth.
If a Men of Action card remains unchosen at the end of this Phase (i.e., if one Mobster chose the Truck card rather than a Men of Action card), it is discarded.
If a Truck card remains unchosen at the end of this Phase (i.e., if no Mobster chose the Truck card this Round), it remains face up.

Hints on bidding and buying

Improvement markers do not have to be placed immediately on Speakeasies or Stills, and can be taken to prevent another Mobster from acquiring them. Note that Improvement cards must be played immediately, but the Improvement markers/dice can be held in the Back Room of the Family Still. They may be moved from the Back Room to the Speakeasy or Still at any time that Muscle cards are displayed face up in front of all Mobsters.
A Mobster with no money cannot buy a Truck, nor can he exercise any Thug card which requires spending money (e.g. Politics or Big Payoff).
Influence and Improvements do not affect O'Malley's. It will always have unlimited consumption (exception: G-Men-Bust a Speakeasy Thug card).

Phase 2: Send in the Boys (Influence Placement Phase)

In Muscle card order, each Mobster may now place any or all of his Influence markers from his Back Room into any of the Speakeasy Influence locations. He may choose to place some or none, instead holding onto this Influence for a future turn. However, he must make his complete placement before play proceeds to the next Mobster.

Hints on placing Influence

Once the number of Influence markers in a Speakeasy is greater than or equal to the number of shaded Influence circles, that Speakeasy opens for business.
Refer to section on Controlling, Majority, and Minority Influence for more on Influence placement.
In this Phase, having a smaller Muscle card may be beneficial, since you get to watch where other Mobsters are placing Influence before you need to make your choice.

Example: Alice places 1, Bob passes, Charlie passes, David places 1.

Controlling, Majority, and Minority Influence

Controlling Influence: You have Controlling Influence in a Speakeasy if you have as much Influence in that Speakeasy as all other Mobsters combined (or if you are the only Mobster with Influence in that Speakeasy). Only one Mobster may have Controlling Influence in a Speakeasy. If two Mobsters are tied for Influence, the Mobster with the higher Muscle wins. Note that a Speakeasy can have either a Mobster with Controlling Influence or a Mobster with Majority Influence (see below), but not both at the same time.

If you have Controlling Influence in a Speakeasy:

you get the Profit Margin on all Crates sold in that Speakeasy
you (and only you) line up at the Majority Dock
the Speakeasy must purchase your Crates first to meet demand
you decide whether Mobsters with no Influence may sell their Crates
all other Mobsters with Influence markers in the Speakeasy have Minority Influence

Majority Influence: You have Majority Influence in a Speakeasy if you have more Influence in that Speakeasy than any other Mobster but less than all other Mobsters combined. Only one Mobster may have Majority Influence in a Speakeasy. Note that a Speakeasy can have either a Mobster with Controlling Influence (see above) or a Mobster with Majority Influence, but not both at the same time.

If you have Majority Influence in a Speakeasy:

you (and only you) line up at the Majority Dock
the Speakeasy must purchase your Crates first to meet demand
you decide whether Mobsters with no Influence may sell their Crates
all other Mobsters with Influence markers in the Speakeasy have Minority Influence

Minority Influence: You have Minority Influence in a Speakeasy if you have at least one Influence marker on the Speakeasy but do not have Controlling or Majority Influence. Note that it is possible for all Mobsters in a Speakeasy to have Minority Influence.

If you have Minority Influence in a Speakeasy:

you (and all other Mobsters with Minority Influence) line up at the Minority Dock in Muscle card order
the Speakeasy must purchase your Crates if there is demand for them, after it first purchases the Crates from the Mobster (if any) having Majority or Controlling Influence
Crates are purchased from the Minority Influence dock in the order the Trucks are lined up (i.e., Muscle card order)

No Influence: You have No Influence in a Speakeasy if you do not have any Influence markers on that Speakeasy.

If you have No Influence in a Speakeasy:

you (and all other Mobsters with No Influence) line up at the Public Dock in Muscle card order
the Mobster (if any) with Controlling or Majority Influence in the Speakeasy chooses whether to purchase your Crates to meet demand

Example — Texas Lil's Diner: Charlie has one Influence marker; David has one Influence marker. Texas Lil's is not yet open because not all of the shaded Influence circles are covered (see "What's the Password" phase rules).

Example — Mother's Dry Goods: Bob has 2 Influence markers for Minority Influence; Charlie has 3 Influence markers for Minority Influence; David has 4 Influence markers for Majority Influence (he has more Influence than Bob or Charlie but less than Bob and Charlie combined). Mother's is open because all of the shaded Influence circles are covered.

Example — Barleycorn's Feed & Grain: Alice has 3 Influence markers for Controlling Influence (she has at least as many Influence markers as Charlie and David combined); Charlie has 1 Influence marker for Minority Influence; David has 2 Influence markers for Minority Influence. Barleycorn's is open because all of the shaded Influence circles are covered.

Phase 3: Fire Up the Still (Production Phase)

Each Mobster rolls the dice from each Still (Family and any Remotes) to determine the number of Crates produced this round. The number of Crates equal to the die roll is placed in the Back Room of the Family Still. (Note: Players should leave the dice on the Still mini-boards, showing the Crate production, they will be referred to when moving the Copper.)
If a Mobster has the Copper figure at his Family Still (in Rounds 5 and later) and rolls a 5 on any one of the Family Still production dice, the Family Still does not produce any whiskey this Round. The Copper can only be placed at the Family Still. Remote Stills are unaffected by the Copper and still produce the appropriate number of Crates. (Note: The Remote Stills are never counted towards Crate total in determining where the Copper goes.)
Move the Copper (in Rounds 4 and later) to the Family Still of the Mobster who produced the most whiskey at his Family Still this Round. Ties are resolved in favor of the Mobster(s) with more Muscle (i.e., the lowest Muscle gets the Copper!). Remote Still production never counts toward this total.

Example: Alice starts with the Copper and rolls 5-3 on her Family Still, and 5-2 on her Remote Still. The Family Still production is zero (because she rolled a 5) but her Remote Still produces 7 Crates (because it is immune from the Copper) which she places in the Back Room of her Family Still. Bob rolls 6 on his Family Still and places 6 Crates in his Back Room. Charlie rolls 5 on his Family Still and 6-3 on his Remote Still, and places 14 Crates in his Back Room. David rolls 4-3 on his Family Still and places 7 Crates in his Back Room. The Copper moves to David because he produced the most Crates in his Family Still. Charlie produced more in total but only Family Still production counts toward the Copper. Alice rolled higher on her Family Still but her actual Family Still production was zero because it was shut down by the Copper.

Phase 4: Run the Whiskey (Shipping Phase)

Mobsters may have more Crates than Truck space or vice versa. They may now attempt to sell their extra Crates to another Mobster or rent (or buy) an unused Truck from another Mobster. This occurs through open negotiation. Truck rental/sale and Crate sales may be paid for in cash, Thug cards, and/or promises of future considerations (e.g. "I'll sell you my whiskey if you will take it to Mother's"). Mobsters may never trade or sell Influence markers. Payment in cash is irrevocable; however, reneging on promises is allowed ("Why I aughta … ").
After all deals have been made, Mobsters load their Crates on their Trucks. Once a Crate has been placed on a Truck, it cannot be moved (exception: "Hijack" Thug card). Mobsters are not required to load all their Crates on Trucks nor are they required to completely fill their Trucks. They may allocate their Crates however they like amongst their Trucks, but they cannot store Crates for later use. All Crates that are not loaded on a Truck by the end of Phase 4 are lost (exception: "Warehouse" Thug card).

Example of deals and Truck loading: Alice has 7 Crates but only has a Small Truck (black), so she has 3 Crates that she cannot ship. She sells the 3 Crates to Bob for $2G and loads the other 4 onto her Small Truck (black). Bob has the 6 Crates he produced plus the 3 he bought from Alice. He has two Small Trucks (black) and a Medium Truck (silver). He loads 6 crates onto his Medium Truck (silver), 3 Crates onto one of his Small Trucks (black), and rents the other Small Truck (black) to Charlie for $2G. Charlie has the 14 Crates he produced. He has a Small Truck (black) and a Medium Truck (silver), plus the extra Small Truck (black) he rented from Bob. He loads 4 Crates onto his Small Truck (black), 6 Crates onto his Medium Truck (silver), and 4 Crates onto his rented Small Truck (black). He puts an Influence marker next to the rented Truck to indicate that he is renting it for this Round. David has the 6 Crates he produced but only a Small Truck (black). He is unable to sell his extra Crates or rent a Truck. He loads 4 Crates onto his Small Truck (black) and returns the 2 Crates he is unable to ship to the Crate supply.

Trucks are moved to Speakeasies in the order of highest to lowest Muscle cards. Mobsters who have Majority or Controlling Influence (see section on Controlling, Majority, and Minority Influence) pull their Trucks up to the Majority Dock. Mobsters with Minority Influence in a Speakeasy (i.e., one or more Influence markers) pull their Trucks up to the Minority Dock. Mobsters with no Influence in a Speakeasy pull their Trucks up to the Public Dock.

Example of shipping to Speakeasies: Alice has Controlling Influence in Barleycorn's so she sends her Small Truck (black) to the Majority (three star) dock there. Bob has Minority Influence in Mother's so he sends his Medium Truck (silver) to the Minority (two star) dock there. He has no Influence in Barleycorn's but sends his Small Truck (black) to the Public (one star) dock there. Charlie has Majority Influence in Mother's and Minority Influence in Barleycorn's. He sends his Medium Truck (silver) to Barleycorn's Minority (two star) dock, his rented Small Truck (black) to Mother's Majority (three star) dock, and his Small Truck (black) to O'Malley's. David has Minority Influence in Mother's. He sends his Small Truck (black) to Mother's Minority (two star) dock, where it lines up behind Bob's Medium Truck (silver) (because David has a lower Muscle card displayed). He also has Minority Influence in Barleycorn's but does not have a Truck to send there.

Hints on shipping

Mobsters may not rent a partial Truck or carry another Mobster's Crates.
If a Mobster rents a Truck from another Mobster that Truck acts exactly as if it were owned by the renter (i.e., it pulls up to the Majority or Minority Loading Dock of any Speakeasy where the renter has Majority or Minority Influence). Rented Trucks are returned to the owner at the end of Phase 5 after all Crates are sold.
Speakeasies may be closed if their Influence markers drop below the number of shaded circles. In that case, no whiskey is sold at the Speakeasy this Round. Trucks already in front of the Speakeasy are not allowed to "re-route".

Phase 5: "What's the Password?" (Selling Phase)

Buying and selling of whiskey occurs in order of the smallest to the largest of the open Speakeasies. At the beginning of the game, only the smallest Speakeasy (O'Malley's) is open to sell whiskey. As the game proceeds, additional Speakeasies will open when the Influence in each Speakeasy meets or exceeds the required level as indicated by the shaded circles. Speakeasies may also close if the Influence drops below the required level.

The buying and selling process for each Speakeasy is:

One Mobster rolls the specified number of dice to determine demand. Each Speakeasy Improvement adds +1 to each consumption die for that Speakeasy.
The Speakeasy will buy up to enough Crates to fulfill demand. a. The Speakeasy will buy Crates from the Truck(s) at the Majority Dock first, paying the Wholesale Purchase Price to the Crate supplier. If the number of Crates available at the Majority Dock exceeds demand, the extra Crates go unsold and are lost. [Note: The money comes from the Bank–the Speakeasy itself does not have any cash.] b. If the demand has not been fulfilled, the Speakeasy must continue buying Crates from the Truck(s) at the Minority Dock, again paying the Wholesale Purchase Price to the Crate supplier. The Trucks are lined up in Muscle card order, so Mobsters with higher Muscle cards are more likely to sell their Crates. Any Crates in excess of demand go unsold and are lost. c. If there is still demand left, the Mobster (if any) with Majority or Controlling Influence may then choose whether to allow the Speakeasy to purchase Crates from any other Mobster's Trucks that are waiting at the Public Dock. These Mobsters do not have any Influence at the Speakeasy and will only be allowed to sell at the discretion of the Mobster with Majority or Controlling Influence. The decision is made Truck by Truck in the order that they are lined up. Again the Crate supplier receives the Wholesale Purchase Price from the Speakeasy. Whiskey is sold from Trucks in the order that they are lined up (which is, of course, Muscle card order). Once a Truck is turned down, shipping to that Speakeasy stops. If no Mobster has Majority or Controlling Influence, then no Crates will be purchased from the Public Dock. d. If demand exceeds total available supply, the excess demand goes unmet.
Profits ($) are paid only to the Mobster with Controlling Influence at the Speakeasy. Recall that Controlling Influence is defined as having as much Influence in the Speakeasy as all other Mobsters combined, (see the section on Controlling, Majority, and Minority Influence). That Mobster collects the Profit Margin on EVERY Crate that passes through the Speakeasy this Round, including those sold by other Mobsters (he has his hand in the till!). If two Mobsters in a Speakeasy are tied (this can happen if there are only two Mobsters with Influence in the Speakeasy), then Muscle breaks the tie [The Mobster with the highest Muscle Card that round gets the Profit).
Play now proceeds to the next largest open Speakeasy.

Example — O'Malley's: No dice roll. Consumption at O'Malley's is unlimited. Charlie sells all 4 Crates from his Small Truck (black) and collects $1G Wholesale Purchase price on each Crate (for a total of $4G).

Example — Mother's: Charlie rolls a 3-2 for a total of 5. Charlie sells all 4 Crates from his rented Small Truck (black) and collects $2G Wholesale Purchase Price on each Crate (for a total of $8G). Bob sells 1 Crate from his Medium Truck (silver) and collects $2G Wholesale Purchase Price. David sells no Crates from his Small Truck (black). There is no Profit Margin at Mother's because no Mobster has Controlling Influence.

Example — Barleycorn's: Alice rolls a 3-5-6 for a total of 14. Alice sells all 4 Crates from her Small Truck (black) and collects $2G Wholesale Purchase Price on each Crate (for a total of $8G). Charlie sells all 6 Crates from his Medium Truck (silver) and collects $2G Wholesale Purchase Price on each Crate (for a total of $12G). Although there is additional demand that could be fulfilled by Bob's Small Truck (black) at the Public (one star) dock, Alice chooses not to allow Bob to sell his Crates. Alice also collects an additional $1G Profit Margin on all 10 Crates sold (for a total of $10G on top of the $8G she has already collected).

When this Phase is complete, rented Trucks are returned to their owners and all Crates of whiskey are returned to the supply.

Hints on buying influence in a Speakeasy

All Mobsters may negotiate openly, but no deals are binding! Reneging on any deal reached through table talk is legal (and encouraged … "You lookin' for a game where opponents don't double-cross each other? Find a game about nuns. This one's about Mobsters.")
There is no Majority Influence in the smallest Speakeasy and therefore no Profit Margin paid. O'Malley's is never closed (exception: if the "G-Men-Close a Speakeasy" Thug card is played on O'Malley's).
A Mobster with only a Majority Influence (not a Controlling Interest) does not collect the Profit Margin.

Dealmaking

Dealmaking is an important part of being a Mobster. The most common deals involve selling Crates of whiskey and buying/renting Trucks, but that's just a start!

For example, you don't necessarily have to play your Thug cards to make use of them. Sometimes it's enough to use them as a threat (or counter-threat) to another Mobster. You can also use them to extort cash, Crates, Trucks, or favors from other Mobsters ("Pay me $5G or I'll play Mob War on you").

Deals occur through free-form negotiation. Payment can be in cash, Thug cards, Crates of whiskey, Trucks, or promises of future considerations (which can of course be reneged on). Deals can not involve selling your Influence markers (your mob is loyal) or any placed Still or Speakeasy improvement markers. They can, however, involve promises on placement of your Influence markers. Transactions are binding. Promises are not and may be reneged upon.

Phase 6: The Heat! (Long Arm of the Law Phase)

At the end of Rounds 4 and 8 only, each Mobster takes one Influence Marker from his supply and places it in the Back Room of his Family Still.
Also at the end of Rounds 4 and 8, the Mobster in last place (the Mobster with the least amount of money), receives an extra Influence marker. (In the case of a monetary tie, lowest Muscle is considered to be in last place.) Note that this means that you must announce how much money you have to the table at the ends of Rounds 4 and 8! You cannot avoid the requirement to announce your total by forfeiting your claim to the "bonus" Influence marker (if you think you're winning but don't want to tip your hand, tough luck!). This is the only time you must announce your total to other Mobsters, though.
For all Rounds, discard all played Muscle cards, and move the Round marker on the Round Track to the next Round position.

Thug Card Usage

Thug cards can only be played when Muscle cards are displayed face up in front of all Mobsters. Some Thug cards have additional play rules (e.g., the Hey, Free Truck Thug card cannot be played until all Crates are loaded on Trucks). These special restrictions are always printed on the Thug card. Also refer to the FAQ/Rule Clarifications section for details on specific Thug card rules.

Game Ending and Winning

The game ends after the "What's the Password" Phase of either the 12th Round or the first round in which one Mobster has accumulated at least $100G, whichever occurs first. The Mobster with the most dough at the end of the game wins. Ties are broken in favor of the Mobster with the higher Muscle card visible this turn.

Optional (Advanced) Influence Placement Rules

If you want to have a more chaotic and mob-ridden game, you can eliminate Phase 2 and instead place Influence markers on Speakeasies at any time when Muscle cards are displayed face up in front of all Mobsters. If two Mobsters wish to place Influence markers in the same place at the same time, the Mobster with more Muscle has priority. Note that this allows a Mobster with more Muscle (and available Influence markers in his Back Room) to pre-empt the Influence placement of a Mobster with less Muscle. A preemption cannot be "taken back", however. If a Mobster preempts and is not preempted themselves, they are obligated to place at least one Influence marker.

This means you can place Influence markers throughout the Round, but be prepared for arguments when two Mobsters want to make their placements based on what the other is going to do. When these arguments occur, the Mobster with the most Muscle (Muscle card plus Big City Boys Thug card if applicable) gets to place his Influence markers first.

Optional Shorter Game Rules

If you want a faster game, you can play for eight Rounds rather than 12. If you are going to play an eight-Round game, deal out only eight Muscle cards (2 from each quarter of the Muscle Card deck) to each Mobster at the beginning of the game. This works best with three or four players.

Detailed Description of Game Components

1 Main Board with Offer Spaces and Speakeasies

There is one Offer Space labeled with a Truck icon and six additional Offer Spaces. There is also a spot for the Men of Action deck.

The Main Board also depicts six Speakeasies of varied sizes.

All Speakeasies, with the exception of the one owned by the Chief of Police, have circles for Mobster Influence markers and squares for Speakeasy Improvement markers. Circles will be shaded or clear indicating the amount of Influence required for opening the Speakeasy. Additionally each Speakeasy has a small description indicating Consumption, Wholesale Purchase Price, and Profit Margin. The six Speakeasies are:

O'Malley's Dry Goods

Influence circles: none (no Mobster can muscle in on the Police Chief's turf!)
Improvement squares: none
Consumption: unlimited
Wholesale Purchase Price: $1G per Crate of whiskey
Profit Margin: none

Texas Lil's Diner

Influence circles: 5 (3 shaded, 2 clear)
Improvement squares: 1
Consumption: 1 die
Wholesale Purchase Price: $2G per Crate of whiskey
Profit Margin: $1G per Crate of whiskey

Mother's Groceries

Influence circles: 9 (4 shaded, 5 clear)
Improvement squares: 2
Consumption: 2 dice
Wholesale Purchase Price: $2G per Crate of whiskey
Profit Margin: $1G per Crate of whiskey

Barleycorn's Feed & Grain

Influence circles: 11 (4 shaded, 7 clear)
Improvement squares: 3
Consumption: 3 dice
Wholesale Purchase Price: $2G per Crate of whiskey
Profit Margin: $1G per Crate of whiskey

The Real McCoy Antiques

Influence circles: 15 (8 shaded, 7 clear)
Improvement squares: 4
Consumption: 4 dice
Wholesale Purchase Price: $2G per Crate of whiskey ($3G in 3-to 5 Mobster games)
Profit Margin: $1G per Crate of whiskey ($2G in 3-to 5 Mobster games)

Volstead Imports (only used in 6-Mobster games)

Influence circles: 17 (11 shaded, 6 clear)
Improvement squares: 5
Consumption: 5 dice
Wholesale Purchase Price: $3G per Crate of whiskey
Profit Margin: $2G per Crate of whiskey

6 Family Still mini-boards

Family Still mini-boards show a nifty picture of a still, one square for the initial Production die, three squares for Improvement dice, a Back Room to hold all Influence markers which are waiting to be assigned to a Speakeasy, and a summary of the five phases. Dice icons indicate Improvement squares. Each Family Still starts with one die. Family Stills cannot be stolen or destroyed by other Mobsters. They are, however, susceptible to a visit from the police and the occasional "turf war".

6 Remote Still location mini-boards

Remote Still location mini-boards are similar to the Family Stills. They do not have the Back Room or phase summary. Each new Remote Still starts with one die. They can, however, be sabotaged, destroyed, or even muscled in on by other Mobsters via card play.

1 Stand-up "Copper" figure

The Copper is a policeman miniature figurine for placing in front of the Mobster who had the highest liquor production at the Family Still last Round (ties are resolved in favor of the Mobster with the most Muscle, that is, least Muscle gets the Copper). The Copper is used during the Distillery Phase to indicate a potential disruption in production. Only the Family Still can be affected by the Copper, not the Remote Stills.

12 Speakeasy Improvement markers

Improvement markers increase Consumption at a particular Speakeasy by +1 to each die rolled. They may be placed whenever Muscle cards are visible.

20 Influence markers in each of six Mobster colors

Influence markers are used to indicate Mobster Influence (get it?) in Speakeasies. They are also used to indicate Truck ownership. Influence markers are miniature plastic Mobster figurines with round bases, in the six Mobster colors.

22 Truck miniatures

A Truck miniature has a number on the roof of the cab to indicate how many Crates it may carry, and a space for holding Crates of whiskey being shipped by the owner (or operator in the case of a rented Truck). There are three different types of Trucks:

12 Small Trucks (black) (can carry 4 Crates)
5 Medium Trucks (silver) (can carry 6 Crates)
3 Large Trucks (gold) (can carry 9 Crates)

140 Crates of whiskey

Miniature wooden cubes representing crates of whiskey. (20 of each players color, and 20 natural cubes to be used as x5 Crates by all players.)

Play money in denominations of $1000s

Denominations are $1G, $5G, $10G and $50G

36 Dice

Dice (normal 6-sided dice), to support consumption and production rolls. The dice do not represent a limit to resources, so if for any reason you should need MORE than 25, feel free to use some of the dice for dual purposes or add dice temporarily.

82 Men of Action Cards

20 Single Influence cards

Each Single Influence card must be redeemed immediately for an Influence marker which the Mobster may then allocate to a Speakeasy. Influence represents the amount of "persuasiveness" that you have at a given Speakeasy. Increasing the Influence represents your ability to "cause accidents", "help move employees out of town … for good", and "control the amount of bottle breakage". The more persuasive you are, the more control you have over decisions, see? Having Controlling Influence allows you to take a cut off the top. Note: Influence cards must be redeemed for Influence markers immediately; however, the Influence markers may be saved in the Back Room for later use.

2 Double Influence cards

Double Influence cards are identical to Single Influence cards, except that they are redeemed for two Influence markers.

9 Single Still Improvement cards

Each Single Still Improvement card must be redeemed immediately for a Still Improvement die, which the Mobster may then allocate to either a Family Still or Remote Still. Each Still Improvement die increases the Still production by one die. Note: Still Improvement cards must be redeemed for Still Improvement dice immediately. The Improvement dice may be saved for later use. They may be placed whenever Muscle cards are visible. Once they are placed they may not be moved and can only be destroyed through use of a Thug Card.

6 Double Still Improvement/Start New Remote Still cards

Double Still Improvement cards are identical to single Still Improvement cards except that they are redeemed for two Still Improvement dice or one Remote Still. If the cards are redeemed for a Remote Still, the Remote Still comes with one Production Die.

8 Speakeasy Improvement cards

Each Speakeasy Improvement card must be redeemed immediately for one Speakeasy Improvement.

37 Thug cards

Thug cards are either helpful to you or damaging to an opposing Mobster.
Priority conflicts between Thug cards (i.e., timing resolution when two Mobsters wish to play conflicting Thug cards simultaneously) are always resolved in favor of the Mobster wielding the highest Muscle.
Thug cards need not be played immediately.
All Thug cards are described in the section Detailed Description of Thug Cards.

14 Truck cards

Each Truck card [plus the specified amount of money] must be redeemed immediately for the corresponding Truck. Truck cards show the capacity, sale price, and Driver Graft of the Truck. Mobsters cannot save Truck cards for later use, nor can they purchase Trucks if they have no money [if a Mobster takes a Truck card but cannot afford to buy it, the Truck card is discarded]. The Truck deck is composed of the following cards:

6 Small Truck (black) [4 Crates, $1G sale price, $1G Driver Graft]
5 Medium Truck (silver) [6 Crates, $1G sale price, $1G Driver Graft]
3 Large Truck (gold) [9 Crates, $3G sale price, $2G Driver Graft]

72 Muscle (Bidding) cards, numbered sequentially from 1 to 72

Muscle cards are used for bidding for Truck and Men of Action cards during the Muscle phase and also for resolving priority conflicts in all other phases. Prices vary based on the number: for example, cards numbered 1-12 cost $0 to play, 13-27 cost $1G, 28-45 cost $2G, etc. Cards are divided into 4 subdecks [1-18, 19-36, 37-54, 55-72] with unique faces per subdeck, but identical backs.

Detailed Listing of Thug Cards

Muscling In: Play on a Remote Still. Steal one die from that Still and place it on one of your Stills (or in the Back Room of your Family Still). That Remote Still is not destroyed, even if you steal the last die.
Word of Mouth: Play on an open Speakeasy. Profit at that Speakeasy increases by $1G/Crate for one Round only. Cannot be played on O'Malley's.
Copper in the House: Play on an open Speakeasy. No Influence, no Profit, consumption unlimited, Wholesale Price $1G/Crate for one Round only. Effectively makes this Speakeasy the same as O'Malley's for a single round. Cannot be played on O'Malley's.
Hey, Free Truck: Play on an empty Truck. Steal that Truck. Only play during the Whiskey Running phase, after all Mobsters have loaded all Crates on Trucks. Cannot be played during the Truck rental/sale and Crate sale negotiations.
G-Men Investigation: Play on a Thug card that has just been played (or on visible Friendly Union Boss). That Thug card is nullified.
G-Men-Bust a Speakeasy: Play on an open Speakeasy. That Speakeasy is closed for one Round only. CAN be played on O'Malley's.
Windfall: Blind draw of a Men of Action card. The Windfall card can be played either when drawn or during the Muscle phase of a future Round. The card drawn is played according to its usual rules.
City Politics: Buy one or two Influence markers for $4G each.
State Politics: Buy one, two, or three Influence markers for $5G each.
(2x) G-men–Bust a Shipment: Play on a Truck during the Shipping Phase. That Truck's cargo is confiscated [it does not arrive at a Speakeasy]. The empty Truck is returned to its owner.
A Little Vigorish: Play on a Still. That Still's owner must pay you $3G per production die or that Still does not produce for one Round only.
Warehouse: Temporary storage. You may save unshipped Crates until the next Round (one Round only). You cannot use this card to save shipped but unsold Crates.
Safe-house: Take back up to three of your Influence markers from Speakeasies. Place them in the Back Room of your Family Still. Can be used to move Influence between Speakeasies. You may not re-place them on Speakeasies until the next Round.
Thirsty: Play on an open Speakeasy. Consumption at that Speakeasy increases by one die for one Round only. Cannot be played on O'Malley's.
Big Payoff: Play on an open Speakeasy. Pay $5G to the Bank to gain Controlling Influence in that Speakeasy for one Round only. You get the Profit from that Speakeasy. Cannot be played on O'Malley's.
(2x) Hit: Play on a Speakeasy. Destroy one Influence marker (your choice) from that Speakeasy.
Mob War: Play on a Speakeasy. Destroy two Influence markers (your choice) from that Speakeasy.
Call in a Big Favor: Free use of a Large Truck (gold) for one Round only at no cost. The Truck comes from Truck supply, not from another Mobster.
Call in a Little Favor: Free use of a Medium Truck (silver) for one Round only at no cost. The Truck comes from Truck supply, not from another Mobster.
Move Over, Pigeon: Play on a Truck lined up at a Speakeasy. You "borrow" that Truck and steal its cargo. Return the empty Truck to its owner after the whiskey is sold. The Truck does not move and is unloaded according to its owner's priority, not yours.
Hijack: Play on a loaded Truck during the Shipping phase. You take the Crates from that Truck and load them on one of your empty Trucks. Ship them as if you produced them. You must have an empty Truck available.
Turf War: Play on a Still. Destroy a whole Remote Still (including its Improvement dice) or one Family Still Improvement die. You may not destroy the last die on a Family Still.
Big City Boys: Play on a Muscle card. Add 5 1/2 to that Muscle card for one Round only.
Packing Heat: Play on an open Speakeasy. Wholesale Price for everyone but you is $1G/Crate for one Round only. You'll take it and like it! Cannot be played on O'Malley's.
Moll: She's pretty … pretty distracting! Choose another Mobster and roll one die. Your moll spends that much of that Mobster's money (roll of 1 = $1G, etc.). Spent money goes to the Bank, not to you.
Opportunity Knocks: Move a Speakeasy Improvement marker from one Speakeasy to another. The destination Speakeasy must be open.
(2x) Recruiting: Roll one die. That many Influence markers become available. You get the first one, then each Mobster in Muscle order (including you) gets one until they are gone. So if you have the most Muscle, you get the first two markers, see?
Friendly Union Boss: Place face up in front of you. All your Driver Graft is waived for as long as this card is displayed. Do not discard unless Investigation is played on this card.
You Dirty Rat: Play on a Speakeasy. Replace one Influence marker of another Mobster in that Speakeasy with one of your own (a "free" one from the supply). The removed marker is not returned to the other Mobster's Back Room.
Double Cross: Play on a Speakeasy. Either destroy one Influence marker from that Speakeasy, or add an Influence marker of your own (a "free" one from the supply) to that Speakeasy.
(4x) Blanks: Write your own Thug card!

FAQ/Rule Clarifications

Hey, Free Truck Thug card can be played on a Truck that has just lost its cargo due to the Hijack or G-Men-Bust a Shipment Thug cards to deliver a brutal double-whammy. It can also be played on a rented Truck that is empty for any reason.

Playing the Move Over, Pigeon Thug card on a Truck does not change its unloading priority. It is still unloaded according to its position in line and actual ownership (e.g., if Red plays this card on a Yellow Truck, the Truck is unloaded as a Yellow Truck) but pays the Wholesale Price to Red.

You may play the Hijack Thug card on a Truck that you rented to another Mobster (ya lousy two-timer!).

You may not play Hijack if you do not have an empty Truck of sufficient capacity to carry the hijacked Crates. You may not split the hijacked Crates between multiple Trucks. If you hijack a Truck when it is already lined up for unloading, that Truck does not move (it remains in line, empty) but goes to the appropriate Dock behind all Trucks that are already lined up (the other Mobsters will not move their Trucks for you!).

Big Payoff Thug card changes the Controlling Influence in the Speakeasy for a single Round. If another Mobster had Controlling or Majority Influence, he now has Minority Influence instead. You get Controlling Influence even if no Mobster had Controlling Influence before you played the card. If you play this card after Trucks are lined up, the Trucks do not move.

If you do not play the Windfall Thug card immediately, it does not replace your normal Men of Action choice when you do play it (i.e., you will get an extra Men of Action card in the Round you play the Windfall Thug card). You do not have to show the blindly drawn card to other Mobsters as you draw it.

Destroyed Influence markers (Mob War, Double Cross, You Dirty Rat, or Hit Thug cards) are not returned to the Mobster's Back Room, but instead returned to his supply.

Payment for Big Payoff, City Politics, and State Politics Thug cards is made to the Bank.

If the target of your Moll Thug card does not have enough dough to pay you all, he pays what he can and gets a "free pass" on the rest.

Friendly Union Boss remains in effect until the end of the game unless Investigation is played on it.

Double Still Improvements redeemed for two dice may be placed both on Family Still, both on Remote Still, or one on each.

If Influence in a Speakeasy changes after Trucks have lined up, the Trucks do not move, but are unloaded in Dock and Muscle order. Payouts follow the revised Influence however.

Credits

Game Design: Don Beyer, Ray Eifler, Steve Gross, Mike Morgenstein (SDR Games)

Artwork: Paul Niemeyer (Niemeyer Illustration)

Graphic Design: Jacoby O'Connor, Pennie Barbel (Fast Forward Design), Max Holliday (Mayday Games)

Playtesting: Chris Beyer, Terry Carr, Jennifer Eifler, Stephen Hale, Suzanne Schimanski-Gross, Dave Vander Ark, Sam Vander Ark, Glenn Drover, Jack Provenzale, Ted Kuhn, Paul Niemeyer

Special Thanks: Lisa, Jen, Suzanne and Kristine for tolerating our obsessions.

I would like to dedicate my artwork for "Bootleggers" to the memory of my grandfather. His tales of driving a "rumrunner" car during Prohibition for a Southside Chicago bootlegger kept my brother and me on the edge of our seats many a time as children.

This one's for you, Grandpa!

Paul E. Niemeyer