Kontor: 3 & 4 Player Expansion
Kontor: 3 & 4 Player Expansion Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 44 dock cards (each in 22 green and purple circles).
- 28 warehouse keepers (coats of arms) in black, red, green and purple circles, and a further 14 warehouse keepers in black and red, which are not needed.
- 18 goods chits in the 3 goods types (brown/wine, beige/tea, green/spice).
- 1 copy of the rules.
Play Preparation
The usual preparations apply to the 2-player game with the following additions.
Each player receives at the beginning:
- only 4 coins;
- the 7 warehouse keepers (coats of arms) of a color. The original warehouse keepers are not needed;
- the dock cards of a color of their choice.
Remark: Since the houses in play with a third and fourth player are very scarce, it would be better to play without the port cards with 3 goods on them (the number "3" and the "4" cards). However, if one has handy a second copy of Kontor, you can use its additional houses.
The special cards are mixed and placed in a face-down pile.
The goods chits are placed readily available.
Play Process
Play with the normal rules for the 2-player game with the following additions.
Extent of the Game Board
- With 3 players the game board is an 8 x 8 field.
- With 4 players it is a 9 x 9 field.
Dock Cards
Two players always have dock cards with the same numbers. All cards of the extension have a bar over or under the number. If two players play cards with the same number, the bar decides which player will play their card before the other. The player whose card has the bar over the number plays first. The player with the bar under the number plays their card last.
Pay Taxes
Cards with a coin symbol always affect the player to the right. The coins are paid into the treasury.
Special Cards
One may buy special cards only if one puts the patrol ship on the harbor center card. If it is already there, one may not buy a special card. Special cards cost 2 coins. Payment goes into the treasury.
Goods Export
If a player puts a dock card into an area, he can:
- place commodities in the distribution center in the same area, or
- instead of taking a commodity for one of the goods pictured, take a goods chit of the corresponding type and openly place it before himself. If there are no more goods chits of the given type, one cannot take this action.
If several goods are shown on the port card, the remaining commodities are placed in the distribution center of the area concerned.
Patrol Ship
"The ship may not be moved more than twice per round. When a dock card is removed by the patrol ship, and the player concerned does not have a warehouse for the appropriate commodity in the area, then he must return the goods chit (same sort). It goes back into the supply."
The meaning is of course that you can never have goods from cards no longer on the board. So when you take a chit instead of placing a warehouse on a card, you will lose that chit should the card be removed.
Restriction of Material
The play material is limited.
If a player has already set all warehouse keepers and if control of a further area is attained, then he cannot play a warehouse keeper there and the area is not considered for playing.
Since the houses with a third and fourth player are very scarce, one should clear the houses immediately after the area valuation. If there are not enough, they cannot be played.
Area Valuation
First, one compares the number of commodities of the individual players for each type of good separately.
Remove surplus commodities for each type of good. Each player gradually removes a commodity of this type of good, until only one player has any commodities of this type of good. Then move to the next type of good, etc.
Do not credit two or more players with most commodities after clearing a commodity.
Example: In a valuation area, Andreas has 4 brown houses, Bernd has 2 brown commodities, Claudia 1 brown commodity and Dieter 1 brown commodity. First, from each player a brown commodity is taken off. Now Andreas's 3 and Bernd's 1 are the only brown houses. Again from each player one is taken off. Now only Andreas has 2 brown houses. In the same area Andreas and Claudia each have 2 green houses. After clearing both, no one has more houses (because they each have an equal amount). In beige no player played anything into the area. Andreas, with 2 brown houses, gets the victory points.
Translator's note: in this example and the rules above, "houses" is used where the sheet means warehouses; it is reproduced as printed.
After all types of goods are compared in this way, the normal area valuation takes place.
End Game Valuation
The game ends immediately if the playing field is completely laid out.
In addition, the play ends immediately if a player can only place water cards.
Areas which are not enclosed at this time yet are not scored.
- With 3 players the 7 largest areas are scored.
- With 4 players the 9 largest areas are scored.
Now the goods chits for all players for each type of good are compared. For each majority in a type of good, the respective player receives 1 victory point. If several players tie for majority of chits, then no one receives the victory point for this type of good.
A player with no goods chit at all has 1 victory point taken off.
The player with the most money gets 1 victory point. If several players tie for most money, no one receives the victory point.
One wins the game with the most victory points.
With a tie, the most areas decides. Still tied, the highest port card in the hand decides.
Variant: Restriction of Camp
The rules of this extension apply with the following differences.
The area valuation rules for the 2-player game apply, not as described under End Game Valuation above.
In an area, players may store only up to two of the same type of good. Areas may not grow together. By this rule, blocked fields may be occupied only with water cards.