Coal Baron: The Great Card Game
Coal Baron: The Great Card Game Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 4 player boards
- 40 worker cards (10 of each player color)
- 28 order cards (7 each of the 4 destinations: barracks, furnaces, factories, steamboats)
- 24 share cards (6 of each destination)
- 40 lorry cards (10 each of the 4 crests, with 1 or 2 lorries)
- 40 wagon cards (6 each of the 4 crests, 16 wild wagons)
- 28 engine cards (7 each of 4 types)
- 18 objective cards
- 16 innovation cards
- 7 shift tokens
- 1 scoring note pad
- 5 action cards:
- 3 mining action cards
- 1 delivery action card
- 1 wild action card
Each player board has room for your mining row, three loading docks (loading dock 1, loading dock 2, loading dock 3), room for your lorry storage, and room for your "delivered" stack. You can dispose of the card with the red cross.
Setup
Sort all cards by type. Then set up the general card display in the center of the table. The display comprises a top row and a bottom row.
Top row:
- A Shuffle the lorry cards. Cut them into two stacks of about the same height and put them face up next to each other.
- B Shuffle the wagon cards. Cut them into two stacks of about the same height and put them face up to the right of the lorry card stacks.
- C Shuffle the engine cards and put them as a face-up stack to the right of the wagon card stacks.
- D Shuffle the order cards and put them as a face-up stack to the right of the engine card stack.
Bottom row (from right to left):
- E Shuffle the share cards and put them as a face-up stack below the order card stack.
- F Shuffle the innovation cards and put them as a face-up stack to the left of the share card stack.
- G Shuffle the objective cards and put them as a face-up stack to the left of the innovation card stack.
- H Place the 5 action cards face up next to each other to the left of the objective card stack as shown.
Attention: In a 2-player game, the mining action card "1/2" is not used and must be returned to the box.
Each player receives a player board, which she places in front of her.
Then each player receives the 10 worker cards of the color of her choice and puts them into her hand.
If you are playing with fewer than 4 players the following worker cards must be removed and returned to the box:
- In a 2-player game, each player must remove her 4-worker and 5-worker card.
- In a 3-player game, each player must remove her 5-worker card.
If you play with more than 2 players, remove the following shift tokens and return them to the box:
- In a 3-player game, remove the "7th shift" token.
- In a 4-player game, remove the "6th shift" and the "7th shift" token.
Then form a stack of the remaining shift tokens, putting them in ascending order from top to bottom (with the "1st shift" token on top and the highest shift token on the bottom). Finally place this shift token stack onto its space on the mining action card "0/1".
Playing the Game
Depending on the number of shift tokens, the game is played over 5, 6 or 7 rounds (called shifts). For the first shift, choose any player as the starting player. In all subsequent shifts, the player who received the most recent shift token is the starting player of that shift (see "End of a Shift" for details).
Each shift begins with the turn of the current starting player and then proceeds in a clockwise direction. On her turn, a player assigns workers from her hand to one action card or card stack in the general card display and performs the corresponding worker action. If she cannot or does not want to assign workers, she drops out of the shift. As soon as all players have dropped out, they return their worker cards from the display to their hands and a new shift begins.
Taking Your Turn
When it is your turn, choose one card stack or action card in the general card display and perform its worker action by placing the required number of workers from your hand into its worker zone. (For a description of the different worker actions see "The Worker Actions".)
Each action card and stack in the display has its own worker zone either above it (top row) or below it (bottom row).
The number of workers required for the chosen worker zone depends on the number of workers that have already been placed in that zone during the current shift: You must always place exactly 1 worker more than the player who used that worker zone's action before you. (That player may have been you.)
- So if the worker zone of your chosen stack or action card is empty, you must place exactly 1 worker from your hand in that zone.
- If the worker zone has been used once (and thus there is 1 worker there), you must place exactly 2 workers by covering most of the previous worker, but keeping its number still visible.
- If the zone has already been used twice, you must place exactly 3 workers, covering up the 2 previous workers (still keeping all numbers visible), and so on.
Important: As each worker card in your hand represents a specific number of workers (1 to 5), you are allowed to combine several of your cards to match a higher worker count. For example, if 3 workers are required, you may place either:
- a 3-worker card, or
- a 1-worker and a 2-worker card, or
- three 1-worker cards.
If you do use more than one worker card, however, place them onto the previous workers slightly fanned out, so that your total worker count is visible.
Attention: You must always place the needed number of workers exactly. You are never allowed to place a higher worker count than currently required, even if you want to.
When placing workers in a worker zone, you must perform the corresponding action. If you cannot, you may not place workers there.
Before and after placing your workers and performing the corresponding worker action, you may play as many action innovation cards from your hand as you like. (See "Overview of the Innovation Cards" on how to get innovation cards.) Then it is the next player's turn.
If, on your turn, you cannot or do not want to place workers in any worker zone, you must pass instead and thus drop out of the shift. (You are not allowed to play any action innovation cards on that turn.) For the rest of the shift, your turn is skipped.
The Worker Actions
Take the top lorry card
If you place your worker(s) in the worker zone of a lorry card stack, take the top card of that stack. Then place it face up on the left side of your player board in the mining row.
If there are already one or more lorry cards in your mining row, place the card on the left end of the mining row.
There is no limit to the number of lorry cards allowed in your mining row.
Take the top wagon card
If you place your worker(s) in the worker zone of a wagon card stack, take the top card of that stack. Then place it in one of the three loading docks on the right side of your player board.
The crest(s) on each wagon indicates in which loading dock it can be placed:
-
Wagons with the wheel crest can be placed either in loading dock 1 or 2.
-
Wagons with the clover crest can be placed either in loading dock 1 or 3.
-
Wagons with the tower crest can only be placed in loading dock 2.
-
Wagons with the fox crest can only be placed in loading dock 3.
-
A wild wagon (with all 4 crests) can be placed in any loading dock.
-
If there are already wagon cards in the loading dock, place the new wagon to their right.
-
If there is already an engine card in the loading dock, slide it to the right and place the wagon to its left.
-
There is no limit to the number of wagon cards allowed in each loading dock. Once placed, a wagon cannot be moved to another loading dock.
Take the top engine card
If you place your worker(s) in the worker zone of the engine card stack, take the top card of that stack. Then place it in any of your loading docks that does not yet have an engine (each dock can only have one).
- If there are any wagons in that loading dock, place the engine to their right.
- Once placed, an engine cannot be moved to another loading dock nor can it be exchanged for another engine. Therefore, you cannot choose this action if you already have an engine in each of your three loading docks.
Take the top order card
If you place your worker(s) in the worker zone of the order card stack, take the top card of that stack and put it into your hand. Order cards are needed for the delivery action (see "Use the delivery action card"). Each order card shows the minimum number of lorries it requires and one of four destinations: barracks, furnaces, factories or steamboats. It also shows the victory points you gain at the end of the game if you have fulfilled that order. There is no limit to the number of order cards you may have in your hand.
Take the top share card
If you place your worker(s) in the worker zone of the share card stack, take the top card of that stack and place it face up in front of you. At the end of the game, you can assign this share card to one of your fulfilled order cards with the same destination (see "End of the Game"). There is no limit to the number of share cards you may have in front of you.
Take the top innovation card
If you place your worker(s) in the worker zone of the innovation card stack, take the top card of that stack and put it into your hand.
There are 2 types of innovation cards: action innovation cards and worker innovation cards. Action innovation cards let you access actions in the display without using workers and can be played during your turn in addition to your usual worker action (see "Taking Your Turn"). Worker innovation cards can be played into a worker zone like regular workers. (See "Overview of the Innovation Cards" for a detailed overview of all innovation cards.)
There is no limit to the number of innovation cards you may have in your hand.
Take the top objective card
If you place your worker(s) in the worker zone of the objective card stack, take the top card of that stack and place it face up in front of you. Each objective card is unique and gives victory points at the end of the game based on how well you fulfilled its task (see "Overview of the Objective Cards"). There is no limit to the number of objective cards you may have in front of you.
Use one of the mining action cards
If you place your worker(s) in the worker zone of one of the mining action cards, you must immediately spend the number of mining steps stated on that action card (0 or 1 | 1 or 2 | 2 or 3). This allows you to move one or more lorries from your mining row to wagons in your loading docks.
Bear the following rules in mind:
- The lorry cards of your mining row can only be moved in the order they were placed. So you can only move a card if it is currently the rightmost card of your mining row.
- If the card shows 1 lorry, you must spend 1 mining step to move it; if it shows 2 lorries, you must spend 2 mining steps. (Therefore, with only 1 mining step, you cannot move a 2-lorry card.)
- You must place each lorry card that you move into an empty wagon that: a) shows the same crest as the lorry card AND b) is located in a loading dock that also shows that crest. Place the lorry card into the wagon by sliding it under it with the coal heap(s) still visible. In each wagon there can only be 1 lorry card. Once placed, a lorry card cannot be moved again.
Example: Mary chooses the mining action card "2/3" and places one worker in its worker zone (since she is the first player to use it this shift).
- The rightmost lorry card of her mining row is a 1-lorry card with a tower crest. Therefore, Mary must spend 1 mining action to move it to the wagon in loading dock 2 that also shows a tower crest. (This is the only wagon to which she could move the lorry. Even though there is a wild wagon in loading dock 1, lorries with a tower crest cannot be placed in loading dock 1.)
- Now, the rightmost lorry card is a 1-lorry card with a clover crest. So she spends another mining step to move it to the wagon in loading dock 1 that also shows a clover crest.
- Afterwards, she has only 1 mining step left, which is not enough to move the now rightmost 2-lorry card out of her mining row. Therefore, she finishes her turn.
- If you cannot or do not want to place your rightmost card in an appropriate wagon, spend the usual number of mining steps to move it to your lorry storage instead. There is no limit to the number of cards allowed in your lorry storage.
- After moving the allowed number of lorries, slide your entire mining row rightwards to close the space between it and your player board.
- Instead of moving the rightmost card of your mining row, you may move any card from your lorry storage to a matching empty wagon by spending the usual number of mining steps.
Use the delivery action card
If you place your worker(s) in the worker zone of the delivery action card, you must clear at least one of your loading docks by having its entire train depart.
However, a train can only depart if it has an engine and if you immediately assign one order from your hand to it. You are allowed to assign it if the train has loaded at least as many lorries as the order states (1, 2, 3 or 4). If this is the case, place the order face up next to the train.
Attention: You are allowed to clear more than one loading dock with this action, but only if the affected trains have the same type of engine as each other and are assigned one order each.
Finally, remove each departing train entirely from its loading dock (including any empty wagons and excess lorries) and place all cards along with the fulfilled order card onto your "delivered" stack beneath your player board. You can look at the cards in your own "delivered" stack whenever you like. You score them at the end of the game.
Example: Mary uses the delivery action. She assigns an order from her hand to the train in loading dock 1 and another order to the train in loading dock 2. She is allowed to do so, because both trains have the same type of engine. Then Mary removes all cards from loading dock 1 and loading dock 2 and places them beneath her player board in her "delivered" stack.
Use the wild action card
If you place your workers in the worker zone of the wild action card, choose any one of the stacks in the general card display and look at its top 4 cards (or fewer if necessary). You must then choose one of these cards and, according to the regular rules of its respective stack, place it in your possession. (If it is an order card or innovation card, you may even put it into your hand without showing it to the other players.) Finally return the unchosen cards in any order to the bottom of their stack.
Attention: The first player to use the wild action card in a shift must place 2 workers in its worker zone, since there is 1 worker printed on the card itself.
General notes: If a stack should run out, you cannot place workers in its worker zone any more. If one of the two lorry card stacks or wagon card stacks should run out, cut the other stack of that type in half and put one half in place of the empty stack.
End of a Shift
The shift ends as soon as all players have passed and thus dropped out of the shift.
Now, award the top shift marker from the stack on the mining action card "0/1" to the player who was the last to place workers in that worker zone. If no player placed cards there, the top shift marker is given to the player who owns the shift marker of the previous shift (i.e. the previous starting player).
If the stack of shift markers is empty afterwards, the game ends. Otherwise, all players gather their worker cards from all worker zones and put them back into their hands.
Then, a new shift starts with the player who received the most recent shift marker.
End of the Game
The game ends after the last shift.
Now each player prepares for the final scoring by carrying out the following steps:
- Remove all leftover lorry, wagon and engine cards from left and right of your player board and return them to the top of their respective stacks in the general card display.
- Discard any order cards that you still have in hand by returning them to the top of the order cards stack.
- Pick up your "delivered" stack and lay its cards out in front of you. Sort them by type and discard all wagon cards and 2-lorry cards (not the 1-lorry cards) by returning them to the top of their respective stacks in the general card display.
- Pick up your share cards and assign them — as far as possible — to your fulfilled order cards: To each order card a maximum of one share card can be assigned, and it must match its destination. Discard any share cards that you were unable to assign by returning them to the top of the share cards stack in the general card display.
Once all players have carried out these steps, take the scoring note pad and note the victory points (VP) for each player in the following 5 categories:
- A) Note for each player the total VP printed above her 1-lorry cards (1 or 2 VP per 1-lorry card).
- B) Note for each player the total VP printed on her fulfilled order cards (3, 5, 7 or 10 VP per order card).
- C) Note for each player the total VP printed on her assigned share cards (3 VP per share card).
- D) Note for each player the total VP printed on her shift tokens (1 VP per shift token).
- E) Finally, note the total VP each player gains for her objective cards (see "Overview of the Objective Cards").
For each player, sum her VP in the 5 categories. The player with the most VP wins the game. In the case of a tie, the tied player who received the last shift token (the token with the highest shift number) wins.
Example: In the 5 categories, Mary scores the following victory points, which add up to a total score of 59 VP: A) 6 VP, B) 30 VP, C) 9 VP, D) 2 VP, E) 12 VP. 6 VP + 30 VP + 9 VP + 2 VP + 12 VP = 59 VP.
Overview of the Objective Cards
- Gain 3 VP for every 2 of your shift tokens.
- Gain 1 VP for each of your objective cards (including this one and irrespective of whether they generate any victory points themselves).
- Gain 2 VP for each of your engine cards that matches the type of engine depicted.
- Gain 2 VP for each share card of the depicted destination that you have assigned to a fulfilled order.
- Gain 2 victory points for each order card of the depicted destination that you have fulfilled.
- Sum up the number of lorries shown on your fulfilled order cards of the depicted destination. Gain 4 victory points if that number is at least 5.
Overview of the Innovation Cards
Worker innovation cards: Worker innovation cards are played like any regular worker card into a worker zone to perform one regular worker action. However, worker innovation cards are more flexible because they can be used as any number of workers within the range shown on them (1, 2 or 3 | 1, 2, 3 or 4 | 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5).
Worker innovation cards do not change the way the number of workers in a zone is determined. (For example, if a worker innovation card is placed as a 3-worker card, the next worker count required for that zone is 4 as usual.)
At the end of a shift, when picking up workers, remove any worker innovation cards that were played during that round from the game and return them to the box.
Action innovation cards: On your turn, you can play as many action innovation cards from your hand as you like in addition to your regular worker action. Once played, they are removed from the game and returned to the box.
- Take the top card from one of the lorry card stacks and place it according to the usual rules.
- Take the top card from one of the wagon card stacks and place it according to the usual rules.
- If you have fewer than 3 engines in your loading docks, take the top card from the engine card stack and place it according to the usual rules.
- Take the top card from the order card stack and take it into your hand.
- Take the top card from the share card stack and place it in front of you.
- Perform the mining action once according to the usual rules. You may, however, spend up to 4 mining steps.
- Perform the delivery action once according to the usual rules.
Credits
Authors: Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling
Illustrations: Dennis Lohausen
Development, rule book and layout: Viktor Kobilke
Rule book draft: Matthias Nagy | Rule book revision: Neil Crowley
Copyright: © 2016 eggertspiele GmbH & Co. KG, Friedhofstr. 17, 21073 Hamburg, Germany | www.eggertspiele.de | All rights reserved.
Distribution: Pegasus Spiele GmbH, Am Straßbach 3, 61169 Friedberg, Germany | www.pegasus.de