Giganten Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Components
• Board Overview
• Setup
• Game Flow
  • Action Cards
• Action 1 — Change Market Prices
• Action 2 — Reveal and Take Action Cards
• Action 3 — Distribute Sales Licenses
• Action 4 — Split Movement Points Between Locomotive and Truck, Move, and Carry Out Special Action
  • a) Moving Trucks
  • b) Examining Oil Deposits
  • c) Moving Your Own Locomotive
  • d) Special Actions
• Action 5 — Build a Derrick
• Action 6 — Produce and Transport Oil
• Action 7 — Sell Oil
  • a) Auctioning
  • b) Selling
• Action 8 — Resolve Overfilling
• Action 9 — Pass the Die
• End of Game
• Tactical Tips
• Credits

Game Components

• 1 game board
• 60 oil chips (all black; each represents one unit of produced oil)
• 42 action cards (30 with a beige back, 12 with a red back)
• 4 trucks (1 per player color)
• 78 sales license cards (green back; 39 each of values 1 and 2)
• 20 derricks (5 per player color)
• 4 info boards, with a game overview on the back
• 5 locomotives (1 per player color, plus 1 in black)
• 1 price die
• 1 rulebook
• 3 black oil barrels as price markers
• Play money in $ currency (in denominations of 500, 1,000, 2,000, 10,000, and 50,000)
• 36 production tiles:
  • 12 with one derrick (oil amounts 2, 3, or 4 units; four of each)
  • 12 with two derricks (in red) (oil amounts 2 or 5 units; six of each)
  • 12 with three derricks (oil amounts 4, 5, or 6 units; four of each)

Board Overview

• Hudson Oil Industries, Jet Oil Inc., and US Standard Oil Trust — the three oil companies, each with storage for all 4 players and its own price table.
• Spaces for action cards — along the top edge of the landscape.
• Spaces for sales licenses — also along the top edge.
• Space with an oil deposit — a landscape space bearing a (face-down) production tile.
• Hill space — costs 2 movement points to enter.
• Mountain space — costs 3 movement points to enter.
• Oil harbor — at the far end of the rail line; the game ends when the black locomotive reaches it.
• Landscape — the central area where trucks move and derricks are built.
• Starting space for players' trucks — off to the side of the landscape.
• Starting space for players' locomotives — at the start of the rail line.
• Movement costs for players' locomotives — printed beside the rail spaces: 1 movement point per space along the first half of the line, then 2, then 3 near the end.
• Starting space for the black locomotive — at the start of the rail line.
• Rail line for the black locomotive — runs the length of the board to the oil harbor.
• End-of-game space — the final space of the rail line.

Setup

1. Place the game board in the middle of the table. It contains three different action areas:

   • In the middle is the landscape, where oil has been found. Trucks move here, and derricks are built here.
   • Along the bottom edge of the board lie the rails, along which the locomotives haul away the produced oil.
   • Along the left edge of the board are the storage areas of the three oil companies, each with an accompanying price table showing the current purchase prices for stored oil.
   • Above the landscape are the spaces for the various kinds of playing cards.

2. Before the very first game, punch the pre-cut pieces out of the frame. Then spread the 36 production tiles out on the table, derrick-side up.

   • Place the tiles showing 1 derrick on the spaces marked with 1 derrick.
   • Place the tiles showing 2 derricks on the spaces marked with 2 derricks, and
   • the tiles showing 3 derricks on the spaces marked with 3 derricks.
   • In a three-player game, the spaces marked with 3 derricks are not filled! Six tiles will be left over — return them unseen to the box.

3. The oil barrels marking the current purchase price of oil are placed on the three price tables — each on the middle space ($5,000).

4. All 60 black oil chips (each representing one unit of produced oil) form a supply next to the board.

5. Sort all the cards apart — there are three kinds:

   • The action cards are separated by back color (12 red, 30 beige); each stack is shuffled face down and placed as a face-down pile on its space on the board.
   • The 60 sales licenses (green back) are likewise shuffled and placed as a face-down pile on their space on the board.

6. One player is chosen as banker. They sort the play money and give each player $15,000. Since the banker also plays, they must always keep their own money strictly separate from the bank's.

7. Each player chooses a color and receives:

   • 1 truck
   • 5 derricks
   • 1 locomotive
   • Each player sets their derricks and their truck down in front of themselves for now.
   • Each player places their locomotive on one of the 4 starting spaces on the rail track.

8. The black locomotive is placed on its own marked starting space on the rail track.

9. Each player also receives an info board. On it you'll find a short-form summary of the game's flow; on the other side are notes on the symbols and costs.

10. Now determine a starting player. They take the die and begin the game.

Game Flow

The starting player works through nine actions together with the other players. As their marker, the current starting player keeps the die in front of them. Afterward, their left-hand neighbor becomes the new starting player and also works through the nine actions, and so on.

The actions must be carried out in the order given, 1 through 9. The starting player is always first, and the other players follow in clockwise order (for actions 2c, 4, 5, 6, and 7).

Action Cards

Symbols with different meanings appear on the action cards. The player holding the card may carry out the following standard actions:

• Take the stated number of sales license cards.
• The stated number of movement points may be used for your own truck and your own locomotive.

In addition, there are special actions that appear only on some cards, from case to case:

• Change any one purchase price.
• Take one oil chip from the supply.
• Move all opposing locomotives back.

Details on these appear under Action 4 (Special Actions).

Action 1 — Change Market Prices

The starting player rolls to determine the current market prices for each of the three oil companies. They begin with "Hudson Oil Industries," then follow with "Jet Oil Inc.," and finally "US Standard Oil Trust." One roll is made for each company, and afterward the oil barrel (the price marker) on that company's price table is changed accordingly.

• The price marker is standing in the white zone (as at the start of the game):
  • Rolled a blue number? The price marker is moved up by the number rolled.
  • Rolled a red number? The price marker moves down.
• The price marker is standing in the blue zone of the table: the price marker is moved down by the rolled result, regardless of which color the rolled number has.
• The price marker is standing in the red zone: it is moved up by the number rolled, regardless of which color the rolled number has.

Action 2 — Reveal and Take Action Cards

a) The starting player first reveals a red action card: they advance the black locomotive by as many spaces as shown on the card. Then they place this action card face up next to the game board.

b) Now the starting player reveals as many cards from the beige action card pile as there are players (3 cards for three players, 4 for four players). The cards are laid out in a row next to the red action card, so that everyone can see them.

c) Then each player takes one of the face-up action cards on display (this may also be the red one) and places it face up in front of themselves — the starting player first, the others following in clockwise order. The action card left over is placed on its corresponding discard pile.

As soon as the actions given on a card have been completed, it is placed face up on its discard pile. If an action card pile is used up during the game, the discard pile is shuffled and then serves as the new action card pile.

Action 3 — Distribute Sales Licenses

• The starting player distributes the sales licenses: in turn, each player receives as many "Sales License" cards from the face-down pile as shown on their action card. Cards come in the values "1" or "2".
• Each player keeps their sales licenses secret from the view of the other players. They can, for instance, keep them tucked under their bills.

Action 4 — Split Movement Points Between Locomotive and Truck, Move, and Carry Out Special Action

• All players now split the movement points shown on their action cards between their own truck and/or their own locomotive.
• The starting player goes first, and also carries out their movements and any special actions right away.
• Then the other players follow in clockwise order: split points, and move.

a) Moving Trucks

• Trucks begin their journey in the first row of spaces.
• The first time a player takes a turn, they first place their truck on any space of the first row of spaces.
• From that space, the player then moves their truck vertically or horizontally across the board. Turning corners and moving backward are allowed — only diagonal movement is forbidden.
• Moving onto a normal (flat) space costs 1 movement point, onto a hill space 2 movement points, and onto a mountain space 3 points. This applies even when production tiles lie on flat spaces.
• Spaces with production tiles or opposing trucks may be crossed, but you may not stop on them.
• Spaces on which a derrick stands may not be crossed.
• The journey may be interrupted to examine oil deposits. See the next paragraph.
• A player may also forgo moving their truck entirely, or let movement points go unused.

b) Examining Oil Deposits

If a player's truck passes by one or more (face-down) production tiles during its movement, the player may stop and look at the face-down side of this tile or these tiles.

• The player may only look at production tiles if their truck is on a horizontally or vertically adjacent space.
• Special case: this does not apply to the red production tiles with 2 derricks — they may not be examined while passing by. You only learn the oil amount once you build a derrick on them (Action 5)!
• Every tile a player looks at must be placed back, face down, in its place.
• Afterward, the player may continue their truck's movement.

c) Moving Your Own Locomotive

Each player may spend any number of their movement points to move their locomotive along its track toward the oil harbor. This is necessary in order to be able to transport the produced oil (Action 6).

If they have already moved their truck, only the remaining movement points are available for the locomotive.

• The movement points a player's locomotive needs to move to the next space of the rail line are shown to the right of the track.
• Along the first half of the route, each space costs 1 movement point; then each space costs 2, and toward the end even 3 movement points.
• Movement points may also be allowed to go unused.

d) Special Actions

If a special action is noted on the action card, the player carries it out now.

• Change price: The player moves the oil barrel of a price table of their choice by up to the stated number of spaces, up or down. The colors on the price tables play no role here.
• Plus 1 oil chip: The player takes an oil chip from the supply and places it in any storage area — on the space of their color.
• Move locomotives back: The player moves all opposing locomotives back by the stated number of spaces. The black locomotive is never moved back. Caution: when moving opposing locomotives back, be sure the locomotives are moved back by the stated number of spaces, regardless of what number is printed beside those spaces. When moving forward, however, one may have to spend many movement points to advance a single space.

Action 5 — Build a Derrick

If a player's truck stands directly next to a production tile (horizontally or vertically), the player may build a derrick. If two production tiles are adjacent, the player must choose one of them.

• The starting player goes first, then the others follow in clockwise order.
• Building a derrick costs:
  • on spaces with one derrick: $4,000 (oil supply 2, 3, or 4 oil chips).
  • on spaces with two derricks (red): $6,000 (oil supply 2 or 5 oil chips).
  • on spaces with three derricks: $8,000 (oil supply 4, 5, or 6 oil chips).

The player pays the amount to the bank and then reveals the tile. They receive the amount of oil chips shown from the supply, take one of the derricks from their own supply, and tuck the oil chips under the derrick (the chips clip into place).

The derrick is then placed on the space where the production tile previously lay. The tile is placed back in the game box.

While with the tiles showing one or three derricks you already know how much oil is available, with the tiles showing two derricks (red) you only now find out whether the oil deposit is gushing plentifully (5 chips) or runs dry early (2 chips)!

Important: should a player not have enough money, they may not build a derrick. No credit is granted!

Action 6 — Produce and Transport Oil

Now the oil must be produced and then transported away. The starting player goes first, the others follow in clockwise order.

Whoever's turn it is must produce one oil chip from each of their derricks standing on the board. They take one oil chip from each derrick. If the last oil chip is taken from a derrick, the derrick is returned to its owner's own supply.

What happens to the oil chip depends on how far the player's own locomotive has advanced toward the oil harbor (see below).

If the produced oil (the oil chip taken) can be transported, the oil chip is placed into a storage area of the player's own color. Every player has a storage area in their color at each of the three companies. The produced units of oil may all be placed into one storage area, or split across several. At this point, any number of oil chips may still lie in one storage area (for the limit, see Action 8).

No Transport by the Red Locomotive

• If a player's own locomotive is at the same level as (or further ahead than) the derrick the oil chip came from, the locomotive transports the oil chip immediately and free of charge into one of that player's own storage areas. That is, the player places the oil chip immediately into one of their storage areas.

Free Transport by the Red Locomotive

• If a player's own locomotive is behind one of their own derricks, the following possibilities apply:

1. The black locomotive takes over the transport; the player pays $3,000 per oil chip to the bank for this. This is only possible if the black locomotive is at least at the same level as this derrick.
2. If the black locomotive is not far enough along, but a fellow player's locomotive is, that player must take over the transport. The $3,000 per oil chip is then paid to them. If several fellow players' locomotives are far enough along, the player who receives the payment is whichever fellow player's locomotive is furthest ahead. If several locomotives are equally far ahead, their owners split the proceeds from the transport.
3. If the black locomotive is at least at the same level as the derrick, it may also be paid even when a fellow player's locomotive stands further ahead.
4. If neither the black locomotive nor a fellow player's locomotive is far enough ahead, the produced oil chip is lost and must be returned to the supply.
5. To save money, the owner of a derrick may forgo the transport of the oil chip by the black locomotive or a fellow player's locomotive. Even then, they must let the produced oil chip go and return it to the supply.

It can happen that your own locomotive can handle the oil transport for some of your own derricks without any trouble, but not for others of your own derricks (that stand further ahead). That's what the described options are for.

Action 7 — Sell Oil

The stored oil is sold in three auctions. An auction takes place at each refinery. Whoever bids the most sales licenses receives the right to sell their oil chips in that storage area to the oil company at the current price. So in a given round, only one player may sell their oil at each refinery.

a) Auctioning

• The first auction takes place at "Hudson Oil Industries," then at "Jet Oil Inc.," and last at "US Standard Oil Trust."
• The starting player goes first. They make the first offer. Since only players who have stored oil at that company may take part in an auction, the first offer may also come from another player (the starting player's left-hand neighbor, and so on).
• Whoever makes an offer calls out loud the added-up sum of the sales licenses (i.e. all 1s and 2s added together) that they wish to bid now.
• The other players follow in turn. Each following offer must be higher than the one just made. Whoever cannot or does not want to make an offer passes and drops out of this auction.
• As soon as all players but one have passed, the player with the highest bid wins. They pay the number of sales licenses they bid, i.e. a corresponding sum of values (not cards). The other players keep their sales licenses.
• Whoever wins the bid but cannot pay the sales licenses bid is penalized. They must give up half (rounded up) of their sales license cards — receiving nothing for them. The cards to be given up are drawn by the left-hand neighbor from the face-down hand of cards and placed on the discard pile. Then the auction is repeated.
• All players may also pass right at the start. Then no sale takes place at that oil company this round!

b) Selling

• Now the winner of the auction may sell as many oil chips from their storage area as they wish. If they judge it tactically sensible, they don't have to sell anything either. For every oil chip sold, they are paid the value shown on the price table by the bank. The sold oil chips are returned to the supply.
• Whoever holds only 2-value licenses and must submit an "odd" sales license offer receives no "change." They have overpaid a sales license!

The next auction then takes place.

All surrendered sales licenses are collected on a face-up pile. When the pile of sales licenses is used up, this face-up pile is shuffled and then serves as the new face-down pile for distributing sales licenses.

Action 8 — Resolve Overfilling

After the auctions, all storage areas are checked for overfilling. If a player has more than two oil chips lying in one of their storage areas, they must return all excess chips there to the supply. For every returned oil chip, the player receives only the amount of $1,000 as compensation.

Action 9 — Pass the Die

The starting player passes the die to their left-hand neighbor. That player now begins a new round with their nine actions.

End of Game

As soon as the black locomotive has reached the last space of the rail line, the overseas harbor is connected to the oil fields and the game ends immediately. No further actions are carried out.

Now the final accounting takes place. Every player is paid out the value of their derricks and oil chips still on the board.

• The player whose locomotive stands in first place receives $5,000 per derrick.
• The player whose locomotive stands in second place receives $4,000 per derrick.
• The player with the locomotive in third place receives $3,000 per derrick.
• The player with the locomotive in fourth place receives $2,000 per derrick.

Should several locomotives stand on one space, this tie is resolved as follows: the player with more sales licenses moves into the better position. Should there still be a tie, the order of the last round (starting with that round's starting player) decides — since that round was, after all, not played out to completion!

• Every oil chip still stuck on a derrick or lying in a storage area is worth $1,000.

The players add up their money; the player with the highest sum wins — they are the "Giant" of this game!

Tactical Tips

1. Whoever prefers to take risks should head deliberately for the production tiles with two derricks (red). You're not allowed to look at these before buying the derrick. The surprise is always great — will you get two oil chips or five!
2. Whoever plays it safer concentrates on the production tiles with one or three derricks. When searching for suitable production spaces, you can certainly drive past a tile, look at it, then drive on, look at a second tile, and then drive back to the first one after all because it's more productive. The truck stays next to that tile, in order to build a derrick there later.
3. Advancing your own locomotive is enormously important. Only a player who always keeps their own locomotive at the same level as their frontmost derrick can transport oil into storage free of charge. The special action "move opposing locomotives back" is a very strong action card, one you shouldn't leave to others!
4. The locomotive's position also carries great weight at the end of the game, since it decides, in the final accounting, the size of the end-game bonus for the derricks still on the board.
5. When selling oil chips, pay attention to how important a sale to that oil company is to your fellow players. Things always get tough when prices are high and/or when your fellow players' storage areas are overfilled with oil chips. In such cases, don't let those players get their turn too cheaply. But be careful about driving up the bid; whoever wins the bid but cannot pay must pay a stiff penalty.
6. Whoever has sold at a high oil price usually then has hardly any sales licenses left. It takes a few rounds before you have licenses again. Then it makes sense to keep oil prices low. With certain action cards you can push an oil price down. Conversely, though, whoever is most likely to sell due to accumulated sales licenses should raise the oil companies' prices with appropriate action cards.

Credits

The Author

Wilko Manz, born 1972, lives with his partner in southern Germany. The graduate engineer loves party and board games in every form, especially ones with plenty of tactical subtlety. He favors games that "are allowed to run a little longer," just like his big game adventure "Giganten," which is his first published game.

Editorial: TM-Spiele

Illustration: Franz Vohwinkel

Photo: Dirk Hoffmann

Author and publisher thank the many playtesters and rules readers.

The author especially thanks Alexandre, Bernhard, Daniela, Joachim, Lisa, and Steffi.

Art. No.: 681616

© 1999 KOSMOS Verlag, Pfizerstr. 5-7, D-70184 Stuttgart

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. MADE IN GERMANY.