Lords of the Sierra Madre (Second Edition)
Lords of the Sierra Madre (Second Edition) Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- 1.0 Description of Play
- 2.0 Components
- 3.0 Mapsheet
- 4.0 The Calendar
- 5.0 The Cards
- 6.0 Counters
- 7.0 Game Set Up
- 8.0 Administration & Economics
- 9.0 Mordida
- 10.0 Tactical Rounds
- 11.0 Combat
- 12.0 Rebasing & Refurbishment
- 13.0 Politics and War
- 14.0 Victory Conditions
- 15.0 Game Tips & Designer's Notes
- 16.0 The Faces Behind the Counters
- Ten Dirty Deeds to Do to Your Neighbor
- 17.0 Historical Commentary
- The Good, the Devious, and the Nasty: A Closer Examination of the Lords of the Sierra Madre Card Deck
- Not Transcribed
1.0 Description of Play
1.1 Introduction
Lords of the Sierra Madre is a game for two to eight players. Players assume the role of an entrepreneur in proto-revolutionary Mexico around the turn of the century as they build empires of lumber, banks, mines, ranches, and casinos. Players may start revolutions and wars or go into politics or espionage. The winner is the player accumulating the most gold.
1.2 Rules Organization
The rules are organized into three broad sections. The first is a description of the components and their use (sections 2.0-6.9). The second section is the detailed sequence of play (7.0-14.4). The third consists of game tips, designer's notes, historical commentary, and an index (15.0-18.0).
1.3 Sequence of Play
Each Lords of the Sierra Madre game turn is one quarter year (one season) long. The game begins in the Winter Quarter of 1898. Each Quarterly turn is subdivided into ten segments.
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REVEAL CARD. Turn over one quarterly card on the time track.
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INVESTORS' CAPITAL. Each hacendado is given the amount of investor's gold pieces (also described in shorthand fashion as "Au" for the chemical symbol for gold) shown in the lower right corner of the card turned over. EXCEPTIONS: See 8.21 and 8.24.
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PROFITS. Any C cards on the bottom (profit) track of their calendar net a profit per 8.3.
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CAPITALIZATION. One Au is paid for each immature card on the hacendado's calendar timeline per 8.41.
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CARD AUCTION. Except for Event ("E") cards, the overturned card is bid on by the players per 8.5. If no player puts any money on it, the card goes into the discard pile. Once players agree to roll-off a tie, no further bids are accepted. Overturned E cards are applied at this time in the place of the auction.
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COMMON CARD AUCTION. Players may now put Common Cards (troops, police, rifles, railroads, subornation) up for auction. They may also sell or trade any of their cards with other players. Players may purchase Rifles at a cost of 2 Au each (6.5.2). Haciendas at profit of zero may be raised one by spending one Au (8.31).
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MATURATION. Any cards that have matured on the calendar time line are placed into the bottom track (Profit Track) of the calendar per 8.7. Roll for assay profit if the card is a mine (see the mine assay profit table on the mapsheet). Place enterprise counters on the map. If any W, B, O, or R cards are purchased, the associated counters are placed on the map per 5.3.
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MORDIDA. Players announce if playing an M card or a strike card (see 9.0) by discarding it.
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TACTICAL ROUNDS. If any players wish to move any of their counters or conduct combat, determine player order per 10.1 and commence Tactical Rounds. No tactical rounds are allowed in winter.
2.0 Components
Components List
- 1 24 page Rulebook
- 1 22" X 34" Mapsheet
- 8 11" X 17" Hacendado Calendars
- 145 Quarterly Cards
- 55 Common Cards
- 352 Counters
- 1 Registration Card
- 2 Six-Sided Dice
The cards are numbered as follows: W1-9, O1-11, B1-9, R1-21, E1-7,9-24, M1-37,43, C1-61, RR1-28.
Players may prefer to use pennies and dimes for gold in place of the provided counters. A treasury of 300 to 600 Au is recommended.
3.0 Mapsheet
3.1 Territories
These include (in America) Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Texas, plus (in Mexico) Baja, Sonora, and Chihuahua. Three of the Territories have Capitals, Tucson in Arizona, Hermosillo in Sonora, and Ciudad Chihuahua in Chihuahua. Territories are subdivided into Districts.
3.2 Districts
Areas defined by a black border, an International/Territorial Boundary, or a river are considered Districts. Districts are named after the principal settlement within, if any. There are three types of Districts: Prairie, Desert, and Montane. Prairie Districts have no special rules.
3.21 Desert Districts represent Sonoran and Chihuahuan Desert regions. All Combat counters, including rifles, moving into a desert (not using rail movement) are depleted, which is shown by inverting the counters to their depleted side. Counters that are already depleted are destroyed. Aeroplanes, trucks, gunboats/ferries, and leaders/hacendados are unaffected by deserts.
3.22 Montane Districts represent Sierra Madre forested mountains over 2000 meters high. They may not be entered or exited except through district boundaries that do not contain mountain symbols (3.7) or via rail movement. Artillery may not enter Montane Districts except on rails.
3.3 Railroads
The routes where these may be built are shown on the map, with dead end terminations denoted with a dot and terminations leading to a junction with the next rail (if it exists) denoted with an arrow. At the game's start, only three rail lines exist (the trunk railroads per 3.4); the rest of the railroads aren't there until built. Rail lines connect where they cross and where they enter police blocks.
3.4 Trunk Railroads
Rail lines existing at the start of the game are RR 1 (the Southern Pacific line through Yuma, Tucson, and El Paso), RR 2 (between Nogales and Guaymas), and RR3 (from El Paso and Parral through Ciudad Chihuahua). These lines are shown in blue or orange. None of the other railroads shown on the map exist until built.
3.5 Police Blocks
Within some Districts is a town or city surrounded by a square, called a police block, which represents the town or city. Counters within a District decide whether to occupy the block, or the District outside the block. Players deciding to occupy the block place their counters within the block unless the block is already occupied by combat counters of a different color (other than Police or Strikers). It costs no movement points to move into or out of a police block or coastal block to/from the surrounding district.
3.6 Bridges
There are six bridges, each indicated by bridge symbols: the Rio Yaqui bridge, three over the Rio Colorado, and two over the Rio Grande. Rivers can only be crossed at bridges or by boats/ferries. Bridges may be burned per 11.76. Bridge crossings into the districts of Yuma, Ciudad Juarez, or El Paso must be made into the police block. [MAP ERRATA: Movement from Texas to Dona Ana County cannot occur except by crossing the bridge over the Rio Grande. The capitalization of RR 18 as listed on its card should read [8], not [9], to agree with the map. There is no card for the store in Nogales, Sonora. Ignore it.]
3.7 Passes
These are indicated by Montane District boundaries with no mountain pattern. Entry into or exit from Montane Districts may occur only where passes are so indicated. The construction of a lumber railroad also creates a pass into a Montane district.
3.8 Coastal Blocks
There is a row of 13 lettered squares starting in Yuma and continuing south along the Rio Colorado, along the coast, and up the Rio Yaqui, terminating at the plantation at La Europa, Bacatete. These are coastal blocks, which can be occupied by either land or sea counters. They do not contain Police except for the ones at Yuma, Guaymas, and Puerto Isabel. Ships (Gunboats/Caloneros or Ferries) may move from one coastal block to an adjacent lettered one, at a rate of four blocks per round. Coastal blocks may be treated by land units exactly as police blocks, see 3.5.
4.0 The Calendar
Each player is given a calendar to keep track of his financial and military acquisitions. A player's calendar and the money he possesses can be examined at any time by other players.
4.1 Quarterly Blocks
The top two rows on the calendar list the Quarters, beginning with Winter and ending with Fall. The year that these seasons are part of depends on the year block on the map from which Quarterly cards are currently being drawn from.
4.2 Profit & Leadership Blocks
The bottom two rows of the calendar have blocks to place matured cards according to their leadership (one through four) or their profit (zero through seven).
5.0 The Cards
5.1 Card Types
Each card in the game is marked with a letter or letters designating the card's type and principal function.
- E = Event Card
- W = White Counter Card (Leaders, Mercenaries, Equipment)
- B = Blue Counter Card (U.S. Troops)
- O = Orange Counter Card (Mexican Troops)
- R = Red Counter Card (Rebel, Indian, or Bandit Troops)
- M = Mordida Card (Mordida = bribes)
- C = Construction (Building of an enterprise)
- RR = Railroad Card (Building of a rail line)
5.11 COMMON CARDS. Some cards have the word "common" on their backs. These are called "Common" Cards as they are available every game from the start and are thus common to every game.
5.12 CAPITALIZATION PERIOD. Every card (except E cards) has a number signifying its capitalization period in the upper right hand corner. This number is the time, in quarters, from the time the card is purchased until it matures or its troop counters become available.
5.13 LEADERSHIP. Certain cards have a leadership medallion containing a number. For instance, the Arizona Ranger card (B3) has a leadership of two. Cards with no leadership shown are at leadership zero. Leadership affects elections, proxy fights, and combat.
5.2 E Cards
These cards represent some event. They are the only cards not auctioned; all other cards are auctioned per 8.5 to the highest bidder (if any). Effects of E cards are permanent unless otherwise noted.
5.3 W, B, O, R Cards
The player winning a W, B, O, or R card places it in the block of his calendar's bottom track equal to the card's initial leadership (from one to four) unless the card requires capitalization. W, B, O, or R cards requiring capitalization are treated like other immature cards. When mature the White, Blue, Orange, or Red counter shown on the card is placed in the District listed on the card. Along with the counter are placed any rifle, artillery, etc. counters shown on the card. Counters may be placed in the district or within an existing police block, if the block is not already occupied by counters of a different color.
5.4 M Cards
These cards represent privileges obtained by mordida (bribery, etc.) and include lawsuits, revolts, warrants, spies, and elections. Most can be used once by discarding the card; some may be reused. Some M cards specify a leadership without a leader counter. Such individuals have no mapsheet location and are not subject to arrest, thus precluding the spectacle of lawyers using their high leadership to lead troops, etc.
5.5 C or RR Cards
A player winning a C or RR card (also some M and W cards) must first build it. Until the number of quarters shown in the card's upper right hand corner have passed, it is under construction (immature) and can't be used (see 5.12). When built, the card is moved onto its initial profit block on the bottom calendar track.
6.0 Counters
(Note: Enterprise counters are discussed in 8.72b.)
6.1 Hacendado/Leader Counters
The hacendado counter represents the player's identity; if lost, the player is out of the game (see 7.7). During each tactical round, the hacendado counter is allowed to:
a. Move up to two districts, carrying either a rifle counter or two Au in gold.
b. Move 6 districts by rail carrying an unlimited amount of gold and rifles.
c. Move 4 coastal blocks by gunboat or ferry, carrying up to 12 Au of Gold or 6 rifles (2 Au may be substituted for each rifle counter).
d. Travel with troops. The Hacendado can lead those troops if his leadership is equal to or greater than the leader of the troop card.
e. A Hacendado cannot burn property, assassinate other leaders, or commit thefts of gold or rifles, etc. He may lead troops who do commit these crimes, but is then subject to arrest (see 11.6).
6.2 Combat Counters
Combat counters are all counters except leader/hacendado counters and enterprise counters. (Even the steam ferry and trucks are combat counters, albeit unarmed ones). Combat counters are either Blue (American), Orange (Mexican), Red (Rebel, Bandit and Indian) or White (mercenary).
6.21 DEPLETED COUNTERS. All Combat counters have a full strength side and a depleted side. Depleted counters are treated the same as full strength counters in all respects (movement, combat, Night Raids, etc.). Any depletion suffered on a depleted counter destroys it.
6.22 INFLUENCE. Players holding troop cards have influence, through bribery, over these cards. They do NOT have absolute control. For instance, troops collecting taxes, or robbing banks, etc. do NOT give the cash over to the controlling player, UNLESS that hacendado is actually leading them (stacked with them with a leadership greater than or equal to the card's leader). Instead, the troops will keep the cash, which is stored on their mapsheet location. See 10.85 for the use of this gold. As another example, Blue and Orange counters cannot burn, pillage, start wars, free prisoners, arrest innocent hacendados or commit any other crimes (unless war is declared). Troops cannot "take over" an enterprise. They can only tax it (if Orange) or burn it down (if Red).
6.3 Orange or Blue Counters
O or B cards have Orange or Blue counters associated with them. These may spend only a single round per quarter outside their territory. (US Cavalry is allowed to travel freely between territories within the U.S.). During peacetime, they may only attack Red counters. Orange counters may tax once per quarter. During the Refurbishment segment, all Blue or Orange counters are moved into any District with a Fort (Cavalry or federales) or HQ (Rangers or rurales) that is in their territory.
6.4 Indian Counters
Indians are Red counters that are restricted to entering the starting District specified on their card, or into Districts adjacent to this starting District. This restriction is lifted if they are led by a Leader of rank 2 or more. This restriction is also lifted for counters going to jail or sprung from jail. The Tarahumara and Seri Indians have special abilities listed on their cards.
6.5 White Counters
These include leaders, hacendados, rifles, and mercenaries. They start tactical rounds either as Blue or Orange, at the designation of the controlling player. Exception: German mercenaries cannot be blue. The controlling player may declare White counters to be Red during any round. They must then remain Red for the remainder of the quarter. The controlling player is allowed to burn, smuggle, rob, or commit other crimes per 10.7 with the newly Red counters.
6.51 MERCENARIES. Mercenaries start at stores (or at store locations, if no stores are built.) They turn Red the moment they enter Mexico or exit Guaymas due to violation of U.S. Neutrality laws. They remain Red for the rest of that quarter, but on subsequent quarters they may assume any color they wish. Upon committing a crime, they turn Red for the rest of that quarter. Likewise, they turn Red if they allow criminals or Red counters (going into or through their district) to go unmolested.
6.5.2 RIFLES. Rifles are White Combat counters. They are arms only, incapable of attacking or moving independently (except rail movement) and subject to search and seizure if unescorted. Each troop counter (police, Indians, bandidos, cavalry, rangers, federales, rurales, or strikers) can carry a single rifle counter. The rifle is considered to be the color of the troop counter carrying it. Gunboats and leaders/hacendados can carry rifle counters as baggage only. Artillery and machine guns can never carry rifles. Like all Combat counters, rifles have a full strength and a depleted side. Two depleted rifles in a stack may be combined to form a single full strength rifle counter. Rifles are purchased during the Common Card Auction segment at a cost of 2 Au each.
6.53 REVOLUTIONARY LEADERS. Some M cards show a leader counter starting at a specific mapsheet location. These are Revolutionary leaders. Discarding the M card activates the leader and players place the appropriate leader on the mapsheet. It is considered a Red counter. Most have special instructions to follow printed on the card.
Example: Carranza (Card M17) is a historical hacendado who successfully directed a revolution from his Nogales Hotel room. Since this is a crime, Carranza's counter would be subject to arrest by any troops or Police. An arrest would cancel the Revolution, sending all the Red cards acquired by the M card into rebidding.
6.54 ARTILLERY/MACHINE GUNS. Artillery and Machine guns move and attack as troops. Artillery cannot double move or enter Montane Districts except by rail. Artillery cannot fire into a foreign police block except during war. Artillery receives an extra die when attacking; machine guns receive an extra one when defending.
6.55 AEROPLANES. Aeroplane counters may move up to three districts. They may not double move or night raid. They cannot force other counters to surrender, and they may not enter Montane Districts except as rail freight. They may transport a hacendado, one rifle, or one Au. Aeroplanes have a single die in combat.
6.56 TRUCKS. Trucks are white counters which may move up to two districts per tactical round. They have no attack or defense value, but may be used to absorb combat losses. They negate depletion in desert districts and may carry four counters plus a hacendado and an unlimited amount of gold.
6.6 Police
Every police block is assumed to be occupied by a police counter and one rifle counter; city and capital police blocks contain two police counters, each with rifles. These counters are not placed upon the map unless activated.
6.61 Police activation occurs in the following circumstances:
a. If Police are not player controlled. Police are activated only if a criminal enters the police block or attempts to pass through it. A criminal is any counter that committed a crime that quarter. Police so activated automatically interdict (per 10.4), and automatically counterattack the interdicted counters during the interdicted counters' combat phase.
b. If Police are player controlled. Players holding Cards B4, O7, or O8 are able to activate the Police within the territory specified whenever a counter not of the Police color enters the block. They may only assault Red counters; other colors may only be interdicted. Criminal leaders, hacendados, or illegal rifles entering the block may be searched for and seized per the night raid procedure (see 11.51); if they fail, these units are not interdicted. They may also confiscate any rifles or gold within their block if the player owning those items does anything criminal, again per the night raid procedure (11.51). Gold or rifles seized or taxed by the Police is lost.
6.62 Police cannot move and never surrender. Their leadership is always one. They are eligible for the die modifier under 11.32a. During tactical rounds, the Player controlling the Police is allowed to order them to surrender their rifle counters to Government troops which have had theirs removed through depletion.
6.63 Players holding a Police card (B4, O7, O8) who allow criminal troops or leaders to pass through a police block without attempting to attack or arrest them are forced to relinquish the Police card for rebidding next quarter.
6.7 Strikers
Strikers are Red counters which do not exist until activated by the controlling player during the Mordida segment (see 9.4 for effects of a strike). Strikers may not commit a crime until attacked in that quarter. If strikers are attacked, they may burn the enterprise they are striking per 11.7. If the enterprise is a railroad, see 11.76 for burning bridges.
6.71 Strikers who have been attacked can disband in their round in place of attacking or burning, thus avoiding a counterattack. A disbanded striker counter is returned to the controlling player, in either a full strength or depleted condition, without rifles (if any).
6.72 The owning player may reuse the card and the counter on subsequent quarters. Strikers, like Police, never surrender.
6.73 Artillery, Gunboats, and Aeroplanes cannot attack Strikers.
6.8 Gunboats & the Steam Ferry
6.81 Gunboats are treated as artillery. Gunboats (caloneros in Spanish) may only be damaged by artillery, including other gunboats, or aeroplanes. They may move up to four coastal blocks per tactical round and can't double move. They may transport up to 6 combat counters, plus any amount of cash or leaders/hacendados. All counters and leaders on board a gunboat or steam ferry are lost if the ship is depleted twice (sinks).
Ships may only attack and be attacked by units within the coastal block (see 3.8) they occupy. The owner of a gunboat or steam ferry may charge a fee or other compensation for transportation services.
6.82 The Steam Ferry (RR12) is treated as a Gunboat in all respects, except that it is unarmed. When RR 12 completes capitalization, place the Steam Ferry counter in Guaymas or Yuma. If it is destroyed, rail card RR12 is considered disabled, and can no longer improve profits of plantations, etc., until such time as it has been recapitalized. The owner can charge any fees for the use of his ship. Ferry owners receive 1 Au (same as rail fees, 8.33, 8.37) for each plantation, ranch, or mine used in a link to Guaymas. The ferry counter must not be depleted, but does not have to be in any particular coastal block for this link to exist.
6.9 Counter Availability
If players run out of any counter during the game, tokens or spare counters can be used to substitute. However, if players run out of gold counters during the course of the game, only enough tokens should be substituted to finish that turn, since the game then ends per 14.2b.
7.0 Game Set Up
7.1 Hacendado Cards
These are the nine Common Cards (C1-C9) with portraits. Hacendados are powerful landowners. Each player chooses one at random and selects a set of colored markers. The card specifies the location of the hacienda (a ranch/farm over 10,000 hectares in area) that each hacendado owns at the start of the game. Hacendados not picked at the start of the game are not available for purchase at any time during the game (Exception: see 7.6 Late Arrivals).
7.2 Quarterly Cards
Shuffle the Quarterly Cards and place four, face down, on each year on the mapsheet track. The Common Cards are separated by type and put into piles face up next to the treasury.
7.3 Hacendado Counters
Place an Enterprise counter on the mapsheet at the location corresponding to the Hacendado drawn by each player. Place a "0" leader counter at each location.
7.4 Calendar Setup
Give one Hacendado Calendar to each player. Place the Hacendado Card on the bottom track in the number 1 box symbolizing both the size and yearly income of the hacienda. An Enterprise marker of the player's color is placed in the first "Winter" box, to serve as a turn marker.
7.5 Treasury
One player is delegated the responsibility of running the treasury. He gives each player 0, 1, or 2 Au's as a starting stake as mutually agreed by the players.
7.6 Late Arrivals
A player entering the game late is asked to draw an unused Hacendado Card, which is placed upon a calendar at a profit equal to the number of years that have passed. For instance, if a player enters in 1901 after four years of game time have passed, his hacienda is placed in Profit Block four on the bottom row of his calendar. He is paid 1 Au for each year of the game he missed. Except for M cards, he may use this money to buy any cards in the discard pile at a cost of 1 Au each. M cards may not be purchased.
7.7 Early Departures
If a player is killed or leaves the game, he may do one of three things: either leave the game, reenter per 7.6, or reenter as the hacendado's heir.
7.71 LEAVING THE GAME. If a player chooses to stand on his score and leave the game, all of his W, C, R, and RR cards go up for auction. Chauvinistically, rich widows (Card C56) also go up for "auction." Gold raised here is added to any gold on hand and becomes the player's final score. All B and O cards are lost and return to the Common Card area.
7.72 HEIRS. A player who dies may reenter the game as the hacendado's heir. In this case, he starts at leadership zero, with the family gold, and C and RR Cards. All other cards are discarded. A card that is discarded by a dead player (or any card that is abandoned unwanted by everyone) goes into the discard pile. If it is a common card instead of a quarterly card, it goes back into the common card deck, so as to be available on subsequent turns. IOUs transfer to one's heirs, just like the family gold.
8.0 Administration & Economics
8.1 Reveal Card
Turn over the next Quarterly Card on the mapsheet.
8.2 Investors' Capital
Each hacendado is given the amount of investors' gold pieces shown in the lower right corner of the card turned over.
8.21 INVESTORS' CONFIDENCE. A hacendado who does not reside at one of his C card enterprise locations (instead being in jail or in hiding) does not inspire the confidence of investors. He does not get investors' capital, nor can he bid in Card auctions or move troops under his control. He is still able to do everything else (receive profits, play M cards, reinvest hacienda profits, etc.)
8.22 KIDNAPPED/OFF AT WAR. Hacendados who are kidnapped or off at war (Cards E6, E9, E19) STILL receive investors' capital, but are otherwise restricted by 8.21. Hacendados going off to war can take their cash with them, or deposit it in New York per 12.4. Hacendados leave for war and return during the rebasing segment, see 12.5.
8.23 HOMELESS HACENDADOS. Homeless hacendados (those having no C Cards built) may live at any Capital (Tucson, Hermosillo, Ciudad Chihuahua) instead. This allows them to receive investors' capital, etc.
8.24 DEFAULT. Hacendados who have defaulted on enterprises or bank loans within the last year cannot receive any investors' capital. Use of four inverted enterprise counters placed on the calendar for the next four quarters indicates this.
8.25 BANKS. Banks earn profits each quarter like other enterprises, however, their profit is determined by the investor capital the bank owner actually receives each quarter. Profits for each bank are determined by consulting the Bank Profits Table. (Note: "banks owned" means total number of banks owned by each player separately, not the total in operation by all players.) Therefore, a player with one or more banks will receive investor capital during the Investors' Capital segment at his hacendado's location and will receive bank profits during the Profit segment distributed to each bank location. Also, a player will not receive bank profits following forfeiture (see 8.41a) or if the player Goes To War per cards E6, E9, or E19.
Bank Profits Table (profit per bank; numbers in parentheses indicate total bank profits received)
| Banks Owned | Investors' Capital 2 Au | Investors' Capital 1 Au | Investors' Capital 0 Au |
|---|---|---|---|
| One | 2 Au (2) | 1 Au (1) | 0 |
| Two | 4 (8) | 2 (4) | 0 |
| Three | 6 (18) | 3 (9) | 0 |
| Four | 8 (32) | 4 (16) | 0 |
| Five | 10 (50) | 5 (25) | 0 |
Example: If a player owned three banks, and a quarterly card indicated one Au of Investors' Capital, the player would receive 1 Au during the Investors' Capital segment at his hacendado's location (presuming he resides at one of his C cards) and 3 Au at each bank enterprise location during the Profits segment.
8.26 MARKET DISTURBANCES. No investor's capital or bank profits are paid if a revolution, boycott, or stock crash is continuing. Also, as long as any police counters are depleted or eliminated, no investor capital is paid.
8.3 Profits
Every quarter, mature enterprises (C cards) (Exception: see 8.31) generate income for the owning player according to the profit block the card occupies on the owning player's calendar. The profit block each C card is placed in is determined by the profit the enterprise earns. Railroads generate income in a number of ways (see 8.33). The profit position can vary due to event cards. The highest profit position is six for mines and smelters, and seven for haciendas, ranches and plantations. The initial profit is found in the lower left corner of the C card.
For example, a mine assay results in a profit of "4", so the mine card would be placed on the "4" block. Later, it connects to a smelter and is moved to the "6" block (per 8.37c). Then, an Event card causes a decline of "3" resulting in the mine being moved to the "3" block. Banks are placed on the block reflecting the number of banks owned by the player.
Note: Dams (C16 and C17) and Trowbridge (C56) do not have location on the map, and they are immune to disasters, striking, taxes, or burning.
8.31 HACIENDAS/SLAVE PLANTATIONS. Each hacienda/ranch starts in profit block one in the bottom track of the Hacendado Calendar. Each summer the cattle are driven to market, and the hacendado receives the Au shown in the profit block. Any summer that the total ranch profit is immediately reinvested into the treasury raises its C card one to the right. Haciendas at profit zero may be raised one by spending 1 Au during the Common Card auction segment.
a. SLAVE PLANTATIONS. La Europa (Bacatete), Cumuripa (Tonichi), Navajoa (Alamos), and San German (Guaymas) are Slave Plantations. Any captured Yaqui or Mayo counters may be sent to a plantation, increasing its profit by one (See 11.45). Conversely, each successful Night Raid (11.5) by a Red counter can liberate Yaquis or Mayo counters, lowering the profit one. Slave Plantations are increased by two if either a rail is built from the plantation to Guaymas or (San German or La Europa only) the Ferry (RR 12) is built. The ferry counter must not be lost or depleted. In all other respects, treat these as normal Haciendas.
b. HORSE/SLAVE LIQUIDATION. Once per quarter, during any segment, an owning player may move any hacienda, ranch, or plantation C card one block to the left and thus receive one Au from the treasury. This represents the selling of horses or slaves to generate immediate cash.
8.32 MINES. Once a mine reaches maturity, roll on the mine assay profit table to determine the initial income value of that mine. Place the C card in the appropriate block on the owning player's calendar. Placing the card so the text is right side up indicates a gold/silver mine, while upside down text indicates a copper mine. Mines pay profit every quarter per their assay value. Cities and mature smelters may increase a mine's profit. See 8.35 and 8.37b.
8.33 RAILROADS. Although railroad cards go into the "profit zero" block, they can still earn money. Every rail owner is paid by the using player 1 Au if it is part of a link (per 8.37) from an operating mine, hacienda, or plantation that made at least one gold in profit that quarter. For example, the rail lines from a hacienda to a city are paid one Au each summer that the hacienda takes a profit. If the linkage includes an unowned trunk railroad (10.32), that rail can be used as a linkage with the rail fee paid to the treasury. When a mine is linked to a smelter, the rail fee comes from the Treasury (8.37b).
8.34 LUMBER RAILROADS. Any rail into or through a Montane area (see 3.22) is a lumber railroad. The owner of these lumber railroads receive 1 Au per quarter from the treasury for each mine that obtains lumber from it (however, a mine may only obtain lumber from one lumber railroad per quarter). To obtain lumber, the lumber railroad must be mature, and the mine must be linked by mature railroads to the lumber railroad. Each quarter, mine owners must determine which lumber railroad they will obtain lumber from (unless no mature lumber railroads exist or none are linked to mines). No rail fees are paid for moving the lumber.
8.35 SMELTERS. Once built, smelters return a quarterly profit, paid from the treasury, equal to the total profit of the mines they serve (limited to 6 Au per quarter, see 8.3). Each quarter, mine owners must determine which smelter they will send their ore to and by what route unless no mature smelters exist or none can trace rail links to any mines. Each railroad in the route receives 1 Au from the treasury (this route can be of any length but may not use any railroad twice).
a. A smelter may service more than one mine (even exceeding its profit limit), however a mine may only link to one smelter. A mine may link to a different smelter each quarter at the mine owner's discretion.
b. If any rail link exists for a mine to trace to a smelter, then that mine must be linked or suffer an emergency shareholder's meeting (see 8.61). A mine owner may not voluntarily forgo the mine-smelter link increase.
c. Mines and smelters that are colocated in a police block are considered linked regardless of railroad status.
8.36 CASINO/BULL FIGHTS. These rich border gambling establishments receive 1 Au from the treasury every quarter.
8.37 RAIL LINKS. Completing a rail link from certain enterprises to a city or from a mine to a smelter brings a corresponding increase in profits. The enterprise must be listed on at least one element of the railroads comprising the link. Increased profits are awarded for the first rail linkage only; subsequent linkages do not further increase the profit of enterprises. Completion of the ferry (RR12) counts as a railroad linkage between all coastal blocks.
a. HACIENDA/PLANTATION TO CITY. Connecting a hacienda, ranch, or plantation to a city raises the profit level of the C card two blocks. If such a rail exists when the C card is built, the enterprise starts at a profit two higher.
b. MINE TO CITY. If no mature smelter exists, a mine may connect to a city to receive the two Au profit increase using the same procedure as in 8.35. Each railroad in a mine-to-city route receives 1 Au from the mine owner. (Note: When a mine is linked to a smelter the rail fee comes from the treasury.) If a mine is connected to more than one city, its owner may choose which one (8.35).
c. MINE TO SMELTER. For mines, a smelter (8.35) must be used instead of a city if a mature smelter exists and is linked by mature railroads.
Examples for 8.35 and 8.37:
Early in a game, three mines come up and are capitalized, each generating 3 Au's of profit. As the game progresses, the mines are linked to cities, increasing the profits to 5 Au's (with the mine owner paying 1 Au to each RR owner in the mine-to-city link).
Later two of the mines are able to link to one smelter generating 5 Au's of profit to each mine, 6 Au's of profit to the smelter (5 Au from each mine for a total of 10 Au, reduced to 6 Au due to the smelter profit limit), and 1 Au from the treasury for each RR owner in each link (if a particular RR were used in two different mine-to-smelter links, then the RR owner would receive 2 Au).
After another year, the third mine and a second smelter are now able to link. At this point, one smelter is servicing two mines (same as above), and one smelter is servicing one mine (5 Au's to the mine, 5 Au's to the smelter).
The next year, another smelter capitalizes, and events have reduced all mine profits by 1 Au (making the base mine profit 2 Au, plus 2 Au for linking to a smelter equals 4 Au). The new smelter operator offers a 1 Au kick-back to two of the mine owners, gaining their business. These mine owners each receive 4 Au's for their mines during the Profits segment, and an additional 1 Au from the smelter owner during the Refurbishment segment (possibly sooner, if the smelter owner provided the 1 Au during an Auction towards a mine owner's winning bid, or during Tactical Rounds by direct transfer). The smelter owner receives 6 Au during the Profits segment (4 Au from each mine for a total of 8 Au, reduced to 6 Au due to the smelter profit limit), and provides his 2 Au's of kick-backs later in the turn, leaving him with 4 Au's total from his smelter operation.
8.38 PROFIT LOCATION. Profits from each C card enterprise are considered to be at that mapsheet location for that quarter. Players may move their gold during Tactical Rounds (10.6) or Rebasing (12.1) to other locations. Note: This is an important aspect of the game in that profits are present at the enterprise locations until they are moved, thus taxing, robbing, night raids, and other events might transpire to spread the wealth (so to speak). Players will have to consider the safety of their profits, and may want to spend those profits during the auction rather than risk having them taxed or seized. Optional method: If all players agree, players may place their profits on their enterprise cards; investor capital and gold held over from last Quarter is placed on the card where the hacendado is currently located.
Important: Money exchanged among players during the tactical rounds should not actually change hands until the Rebasing segment. This is to prevent players who are about to be robbed or taxed from transferring their wealth to allies.
8.39 CHANGE IN PROFIT. The profit of ranches and mines is shown by the position of the card on the calendar. This may be changed by event cards, horse liquidation, or by burning. It can go as low as zero, or as high as six (seven per summer for haciendas or slave plantations).
a. ABANDONMENT. Cards going down to zero level are abandoned, with the counter removed from the mapsheet. It earns no profits, nor do any smelters or lumber railroads associated with it. Ranches and plantations at level zero may be raised to profit one by paying one Au during the Common Card Auction Segment.
b. RECAPITALIZATION. Any Store, Casino, Plantation, or Hacienda which is forced to go below zero profit due to E cards or burning is destroyed and must be rebuilt, using the original capitalization, to be reestablished. The card is retained by its owner, but is turned over and placed to one side of the calendar to show that it doesn't exist (but the property does). During the next capitalization segment, this card may be placed (right side up) on the calendar a number of quarters into the future equal to its capitalization, per 8.4. If the owning player chooses not to rebuild during the next capitalization segment, the card goes up for rebidding. The winner of this auction gets the card, but must begin capitalization immediately. A hacienda or slave plantation starts at its initial profit if rebuilt.
c. PURCHASING UNCLAIMED LANDS. A player selling or losing all his enterprises may purchase (for 1 Au plus capitalization) any unclaimed hacienda, plantation, or unused hacendado card as a new home base. This includes cards in the discard pile.
d. MINES. Mines cannot be rebuilt. If they go below zero profit, their card is discarded.
8.4 Capitalization
When an enterprise card is purchased, place it a number of spaces on the owning player's calendar into the future equal to the capitalization period. Place cards with a capitalization period of zero immediately on the bottom track of the calendar.
EXAMPLE: A player buys a casino in the spring of 1902. The card has a capitalization of 2 quarters, so it is placed on the calendar two quarters ahead, on the Fall block. In the summer and fall of 1902, the player must pay 1 Au per 8.41. Then, the card is placed into the second block of the bottom track (labeled profit 1) because its initial profit is 1 per quarter. Beginning in 1903, the player receives 1 Au every quarter in casino income per 8.36.
8.41 PAYMENTS. Every quarter, players must pay 1 Au to the treasury for every immature project (those cards on the player's calendar not in the bottom track).
a. FORFEITURE. Players who fail to capitalize a C, W, or RR card discard it for auction and forfeit investors' capital for a year. For this reason, players may prefer to sell an immature card to any player willing to take over capitalization. The buyer then becomes the owner and must complete the capitalization (i.e. does not have to start over). Other abandoned cards are either discarded or sold to other players (retaining remaining capitalization).
8.42 BANK LOANS. A player who has a payment due for an immature W, C, or RR card may take out a loan from any bank. If no banks are established, the treasury is used as a neutral bank. Even immature banks can make a loan. The bank gives the player the gold piece required to pay for the card that quarter, using treasury funds. This loan of one Au is repaid as three Au, paid on the first, second, and third turn after the immature card matures. To indicate a loan, use one IOUx1 and one IOUx2. After the first Au has been repaid, flip the second counter to its x1 side and move both markers one season into the future. Repayments on loans go to the bank owner making the loan. Players may pay off an IOU earlier than due. Loans are paid during the capitalization segment.
a. PENALTIES. Failure to repay a loan results in confiscation of the enterprise card by the bank who may then auction it. The treasury always auctions repossessed properties.
b. LIMITS ON LOANS. Bank loans may not be taken out for purposes other than 8.42. Players are limited to having no more than 6 I.O.U.'s on their calendar at one time.
c. OWNERSHIP LIMITS. A bank owner may not borrow from his own bank. Owners are free to negotiate with borrowers for any interest rate.
8.5 Quarterly Card Auction
Except for E cards, which are applied immediately, the overturned card is bid on by the players. Each player who wishes to bid on the card puts one Au next to the card. Once money is bid, it may not be removed until a higher bid is placed. Next, the bidding is increased by one Au, and each player who wishes to remain in the bidding must increase his bid to match the current level, or drop out, returning his bid to the location or locations it came from. This continues until only one player remains, with that player paying his bid to the treasury and receiving the card. Alternately, if more than one player remains, and no one wants to increase the bidding, those remaining players roll two dice with the high roller paying his bid to the treasury and receiving the card. Losing bids are returned to the location they came from. Bids may be combined between players in a cooperative bid (see 8.52). If no player puts any money on it, the card goes into a discard pile.
8.51 LAISSEZ-FAIRE. Players may freely buy, sell, loan, exchange, or donate their cards or money to other players. Any loans other than per 8.42 must be for the duration of the quarter, and the player the card was loaned to has absolute control of that card, including its return.
8.52 COOPERATING ON A BID. Players may cooperate on bidding on an enterprise, or capitalizing an enterprise. They may agree, for example, to split the costs and split the profits. All such agreements must include payment times and must specify who will actually hold the card on their calendar. All agreements are nonbinding, and the player actually holding the card can confiscate it at any time or refuse to hand over profits, etc.
8.53 BORDER STORES. Any gold spent on W cards (either bidding or maturing) goes to the owner of any store of the buyer's choice, or to the treasury if no store is open or if the purchaser owns the only store. Items purchased from a store arrive at that store's location. If purchased from the treasury, they arrive at any police block containing a store symbol. Players cannot buy from their own store using the hacendado's funds. However, a player's puppets, using the puppet's cash, can patronize the store. See 8.62 for rifle purchases.
8.6 Common Card Auction
Players may now put Common Cards (troops, police, railroads, smelters, subornation, U.S. press) up for bidding. They may purchase rifles. They may also sell or trade any of their cards to another player. They may pay to raise their haciendas from zero to one profit. There is no set sequence to this auction. Any player may open the bidding for an auction of any Common Card, however only one auction may occur at one time. Any disputes as to what card goes up for auction next can be resolved with a dice roll. If players need to, they can roll for high dice to determine who goes first in this segment, with high dice going first and taking any one action, putting any one card for bid, or passing. When all players have passed once around, this segment ends.
8.61 EMERGENCY SHAREHOLDERS' MEETING. In the following instances, cardholders must give up their cards for rebidding due to a meeting of the shareholders:
a. If a crime is committed in a police block or criminals enter the police block and the Police do not attempt to attack the criminals, the Police Chief is fired and his card is given up for rebidding.
b. If a railroad owner wishes to deny usage of his rail line to paying customers, he must shut down the whole line. This prevents anyone from using the rail. For instance, if hostile bandidos attempt to use the rail, the line may be shut down. This shut down is permanent until the card goes up for bidding next quarter.
c. If a hacendado shuts down an enterprise or railroad that makes money, thus denying dividends for his shareholders (presumably because he wanted to deny lumber, smelting, or rail profits to an opponent), then the card must be relinquished for rebidding next quarter. Enterprises that make zero profit, for instance a mine whose profits are eaten by rail fees, may be freely shut down by turning over the card until such time as it becomes profitable.
d. If the hospital (M7) refuses to tend to troops willing to pay 1 Au for each undepletion, the owner relinquishes it for rebidding.
8.62 PURCHASING RIFLES. Rifles are purchased for 2 Au during the Common Card Auction Segment from any store (or the treasury if no store has been established). Store owners, since they can get rifles wholesale, pay only 1 Au per rifle counter to the treasury. Store owners must pay 1 Au to the treasury for each rifle counter they sell or give away (or is stolen, see 11.65).
a. Unescorted rifles, like gold, may move only by rail or ship movement, or one counter may be carried by a hacendado or leader counter (as baggage only). Unescorted rifles are considered Blue in America, Orange in Guaymas and Red in the rest of Mexico. Once Red, they remain so for the duration of the quarter and may be searched for per 11.6. This is a consequence of arms caches being legal in America, but illegal as soon as they are imported into Mexico.
b. Players are allowed to use any store location as a starting point for their W cards if no stores have been built. If the store in Guaymas, Sonora (the German store) is used, weapons starting there are legal until moved outside the police block.
EXAMPLE: Rifles in a town in America are assumed to be sitting in a warehouse, perfectly legal and protected by police. Blue or Orange counters cannot seize them (except in war). Only Red can attempt to Night Raid them per 11.5. If the rifles move into Mexico, they become Red, and Blue, Orange, or Red counters can search for them per the search and seizure procedure (see 11.6).
8.7 Maturation
Any cards that have matured on the calendar time line are placed on the bottom track (Profit Track) of the calendar according to their initial profit. Roll for assay profit if the card is a mine, referring to the table on the mapsheet.
8.71 VOLUNTARY SHUTDOWN. Occasionally a mine or railroad may be voluntarily shut down because it is not economically viable or it is heavily taxed. This is shown by placing its card face down on the profit track. Shutting down a rail or enterprise may subject the owner to an emergency shareholder's meeting per 8.61.
8.72 COUNTER PLACEMENT. If any W, B, O, or R cards are purchased, the associated counters are placed on the board when the card is mature. The counters are placed in the District specified on the card. They may be put in or out of the police block, if any.
a. INITIAL PLACEMENT. Counters in the district can stack either in the police block, with a hacendado, with others of their own color, or start a new stack. Counters in the police block must stack together.
b. ENTERPRISES. An enterprise counter of the player's color is placed on the map for each C or RR card he matures. The counter is placed over the mapsheet icon location. For rails, the counter is placed over the square that states the rail's designated number. In addition, the enterprise markers are generic and may suffice to mark any type of C location regardless of the counter illustration. If players run out of enterprise markers of their color, they may use others of an unused color or whatever markers the players see fit.
9.0 Mordida
Mordida means "the little bite," an euphemism for bribery in Mexico. An M card may be held on a player's calendar until he is ready to play it, by discarding the card. Some M cards, labeled "Can be Reused," can be played without having to discard them.
9.1 Lawsuits & Proxy Fights
Any lawsuit M card played on property puts it up for rebidding. This auction is called a Proxy Fight, and is different from normal auctions in two ways. First, all gold in a Proxy Fight is forfeited to the treasury. Second, after all gold is down (on the C or RR card), a die roll is made for campaign contributions. Campaign contributions (13.15) are extra gold, paid from the treasury, added to the gold that is on the table in a Proxy Fight; each contestant must have at least 1 Au of his own money. Each contestant rolls a number of dice equal to the leadership of his hacendado, with the number rolled being the number of extra gold pieces he puts towards his bid. The player who discarded the Lawsuit M card may use the leadership of his lawyer (as listed on the lawsuit card) instead of his own leadership, if he wishes. The side with the highest gold wins and seizes the property, and its C or RR Card.
9.2 Red Flag Rebellion
Sonora and Chihuahua are among the Territories most remote from Mexico City and are thus prone to acting independently, even seceding from Mexico. The governor of one of these territories, or a player with a "Red Flag" card, can declare, during the Mordida segment, a Red-Flag Rebellion. This replaces the Orange federales and policia counters with Red "Red-Flag" counters, which go to the player initiating the Red Flag. Federales and policia of that territory can act without restrictions, just as any Red counter. Eliminated Red-Flag counters go to the common deck (per 11.35) as red units until the rebellion ends. The Governor is considered a criminal any quarter that he presided over a Red-Flag territory.
9.21 Unless the conditions in either 9.22 or 9.23 are met, a Red Flag rebellion may be ended only by the Governor's death, arrest, or kidnapping (which probably includes occupation of the capital by non-Red Flag forces), or the Governor's absence from the capital. If the Governor is not in the capital at the end of the Tactical rounds, the Red-Flag is over. The province returns to normal. Orange counters return to being considered Orange. The Governor is deposed, and a new election is held the following quarter per 13.13.
9.22 If the Governor of a Red Flag province calls for an end to the Red Flag Rebellion (perhaps in exchange for a bribe if he's doing well or for clemency if he's doing poorly!), the province returns to normal and the Orange counters return to being considered Orange. The Governor may stay in power (unless he agreed to step down).
9.23 Halley's Comet (Card E2) also ends the Red Flag as per 9.22.
9.3 Spies
Spy cards can be played if any player plays (discards) an M card or R strike card. For instance, if a player tries to issue a warrant, revolution, lawsuit, strike, or spy card, that card is nullified if his opponent counterplays a spy card. Reusable M cards can be suppressed for only one quarter by discarding a spy card. Unplayed spy cards count as ten cards when determining who goes first in a quarter (see 10.1). Presidential edicts and election M cards are immune from spies.
9.4 Strikes
Unlike other R cards, strike cards can be saved like M cards until the owner decides to discard it on any mature C or RR card. No profits or use may be derived from it from the point the strike is played until it is removed. Enterprises that are capitalizing (i.e. immature) may not be the target of a strike. See 9.42 and 6.7 for more on Strike counters.
9.41 FOMENTING A STRIKE. When a strike card is played, flip over the enterprise counter of the C or RR card affected. Strikes on Railroads cause the strike marker to be moved to any police block on the line, striking player's choice.
9.42 STRIKE COUNTERS. The strike counter may be reinverted through combat or by discarding a Spy Card. Strikers have a depleted side, which is represented by replacing the full strength striker with a depleted one found on the reverse of some Enterprise counters. In the case of Government owned rail lines, use the generic red striker found in the countermix. Like Police, Strikers (also called huelgistas) cannot move and can interdict only in the police block they occupy.
9.5 Yellow Journalism
The player holding a newspaper card has the leadership of his hacendado raised by one. If he sells the paper, the leadership is lowered one. Newspapers can be discarded to enhance the leadership of any counter (other than a hacendado's) for one quarter. This discards the newspaper for rebidding.
Example: Hearst uses his paper to enhance the leadership of his candidate for Governor, Strike Boss Big Bill Haywood. Haywood's leadership goes from one to two that quarter and he can either run for Governor or put an enterprise on strike at this higher leadership. Public outrage, however, forces Hearst to discard the paper for rebidding. He may try to buy it back.
9.6 Subornation
The M4 Card should make all players nervous about having puppets with greater leadership and charisma than they themselves have. Using M4 throws the allegiance of one puppet into the card auction of the next quarter. This auction is NOT an election, the puppet and whatever gold and office he holds is simply up for bribing. Puppets must have a leadership higher than the player holding his card to be eligible to be suborned. After being used, M4 is returned to the Common card area and is available to be bid upon again during the next Common card auction phase.
10.0 Tactical Rounds
The Tactical Movement Segment is divided into Rounds, each of which is about two days. The first Round consists of the first player movement, first player combat, the second player movement, second player combat, etc. There are 45 Tactical Rounds per quarter, however if all Players pass twice consecutively, Tactical rounds are over.
10.1 First Player Determination
The first player is the player with the most cards on his calendar, including mature and immature cards. Radio and spy cards count as ten cards each in this determination. He has the option of initiating tactical rounds. If he declines, the option goes to the player with the second most cards, etc. Once a player has declined, he may not move during that round, but resumes his place in the sequence during the second round. Roll-off if tied.
10.2 Movement
All counters or leaders/hacendados may, in their round, move into an adjacent District. They may be stacked within that District anywhere per 8.72. Police, strikers, and jailed or enslaved counters cannot move. Indians are limited in their movement per 6.4.
10.21 DOUBLE MOVING. Counters may move two Districts instead of one by double moving. This will deplete all Combat counters in the stack, including rifles. Counters may not double move if using rail movement (10.3). Leaders/hacendados or motorized troops (6.56) may double move without penalty. Double moving may be interdicted (10.4) by hostile counters (of another color). Artillery, aeroplanes, and boats cannot double move.
10.22 STACKING. Any number of counters can be in a district or police block. Counters are allowed to move into or out of Districts occupied by allies or enemies freely (see Interdiction, 10.4). Counters in the same police block must be the same color and must stack together. Counters of different colors may not stack together anywhere.
EXCEPTION: White counters, surrendered counters, counters in jail, Police, and Strikers may stack with any color.
10.3 Rail Movement
All counters may move up to six Districts per round along an interconnected rail line. "Interconnected" means a continuous completed line with no gaps. Rails entering the same police block are interconnected; so are rails that cross each other. Counters must pay rail fees to use rail movement. Paying one gold piece to the railroad owner will give players unlimited use of that rail line during tactical rounds of that quarter. Players refusing the use of railroads to paying customers face an emergency shareholder's meeting (8.61).
10.31 RAIL PASSES. Hacendados with a leadership above zero are issued a rail pass in accordance with railroad practices of the time. They and their gold are transported free over any rail line, as an exception to 10.3.
10.32 TRUNK LINES. Rail fees for the use of the trunk lines RR 1, RR2, & RR3 are paid to the treasury unless they are player owned.
10.4 Interdiction
Counters entering (via rail, ferry or double move) a District or police block that is occupied by Combat counters of another color must stop if the player controlling those counters specifies that they are interdicting. Otherwise, they pass through. Interdicted forces may then use their combat round to attack, night raid, or burn, which may be counterattacked by the interdicting forces.
10.41 BY COMBAT COUNTERS. Combat counters in a district may only interdict counters of a different color from entering the police block.
10.42 IN POLICE BLOCKS. Counters in the police block cannot interdict counters not going through the police block.
10.43 AEROPLANES/GUNBOATS. Aeroplanes and gunboats cannot interdict or be interdicted.
10.44 POLICE ACTIVATION. Police may be activated to interdict (see 6.61).
10.5 Winter
During winter, no movement, rail movement, combat, night raids, crimes, or taxing are allowed due to lack of forage for horses.
10.6 Cash Transport
During tactical rounds, an unlimited amount of cash can be transported by ferry, trucks or rail. If not on rails or ships, each counter (not rifles) can carry a number of gold pieces equal to its leadership. Leaders/hacendados can carry 2 Au of cash. This rule has more to do with troop discipline than the actual gold carrying capacity of the troops. If unescorted, cash (like rifles) can be rail transported only. Cash is considered Blue in America and Orange in Mexico, unless the controlling player performs a criminal act with his personal hacendado, in which case his cash turns Red and thus subject to seizure. Any tax money collected is accumulated at the fort or HQ of the tax-collecting troops (10.8). Bandits can store their cash in any montane district if it becomes too great to carry around. This booty is vulnerable to seizure unless "buried." (Red counters can bury cash in montane as an exception to 11.53. This frees them to go rob some more on subsequent quarters). Buried treasure is not available for bidding in auctions per 10.85.
10.7 Crimes
Red counters and White Mercenary counters may commit crimes. In the case of White counters, this turns the counter Red for the remainder of the quarter. Crimes include kidnapping, stealing cash or rifles, jail-breaking, burning, attacking Government troops or Police, escorting rifles into Mexico, or being a Governor of a Red Flag territory. No crimes allowed in winter. Hacendados or Leaders become permanently Red if they are Revolutionary Leaders or lead troops that attack Government troops or Police (see also 11.5 for Night Raids).
10.71 SMUGGLING. Any white rifles, machine guns, or artillery, other than that which is normally carried by Government troops, which moves across the international border (either into America, or into Mexico) or into Mexico from the German store in Guaymas, is considered Red for the remainder of that quarter. Orange or Blue counters will not escort rifles or mercenaries across the border or out of Guaymas (that would be a crime). Furthermore, if rifles are moved unescorted across the border and are seized (10.72), the controlling hacendado counter (wherever he is) personally becomes Red for that quarter. Unescorted rifles are allowed to move by rail only.
10.72 UNESCORTED RIFLES. Unescorted rifles may be subject to search and seizure. When moving by rail, these counters must stop at each police block or district containing troops and be searched for as if a night raid had occurred (see 11.6). If successful, the rifles are found and 10.71 is applicable. If not, the rifles may continue moving normally.
10.73 THE HOT CHASE. Under the Treaty of Guadalupe, Article XI (The Hot Chase), "Armed groups of Americans are allowed to cross into Mexican territory only to follow renegades (Red counters). The same for Porfiristas [Orange counters] going into the U.S. They may spend two nights [one tactical round] only per quarter on foreign soil." Blue or Orange counters may only spend one round per quarter out of their starting territory. The Guadalupe treaty may be broken only by special cards or orders from a Presidential player.
EXAMPLE: Federales in Juarez, Chihuahua can move by rail from RR 3 through El Paso to RR 11 to Douglas, Arizona. Next round they must march out of the U.S. This actually happened in 1915 to defeat Pancho Villa in Agua Prieta.
10.8 Taxation
During tactical turns, Orange counters are allowed to move within their territory onto any C (not RR) enterprise counter owned by a player and demand 1 Au in taxes. The taxed enterprise must have made a profit that quarter or have stored gold, and its player must have a gold piece to give.
10.81 Each Orange counter may tax once per quarter.
10.82 Each location may be taxed only once per quarter. Players may abandon a heavily taxed enterprise by shutting it down and declining profits, thus avoiding taxation.
10.83 No taxation is allowed in winter.
10.84 BLOCKING TAXATION. Any Combat counter in a District or police block, including Policia, may block taxation there, if the controlling player so designates. Counters in a District may not block taxation within a police block, and vice versa.
10.85 USING ACQUIRED FUNDS. Any counters acquiring gold (for instance, through taxation) do not relinquish it to their controlling player (if a hacendado is along when the gold is taken, he may keep 50%, rounded down). Instead the gold is stored on the mapsheet stacked with the counter that obtained it. This gold may only be used four ways:
a. To pay hospital or rail fees for the owning counter or stack.
b. To buy rifles for that stack.
c. To bid (as an independent bidder) for W cards (only) during card auctions. For example, Bandidos or Federales can obtain mercenaries or equipment, which must remain stacked with them.
d. To bid (as an independent bidder) in elections, voting only for the leader listed on the counter's card.
10.86 Players must spend the gold acquired by the counters in that stack's best interest.
11.0 Combat
After a player has moved all his counters, his counters in a District may attack other counters within that District or within the District's police block, if any. Counters may not attack other counters of the same color, except that Red may attack Red. Orange cannot attack Blue and vice versa unless war has been declared (13.5). White counters assume the color of their choice (Orange, Blue, or Red), but turn Red if they commit a crime per 10.7.
11.1 General Combat Rule
The combat procedure uses a number of dice equal to the number of attacking combat counters, including rifles. All counters within the stack (troop, rifle, artillery, machine gun, gunboat, or aeroplane) are used for this determination. Each roll equal to or less than the leadership of the attacking counter(s) scores a hit. The defender simultaneously rolls for a counterattack, using the same procedure.
11.2 Leadership
The leader with the highest rank takes command of the entire District's battles (all of the counters of the same color). His leadership rank (1 through 4) is used for all combat rolls. Hacendados start as leaders of rank zero, which may increase through the course of the game. Leaders are not considered Combat counters. They are affected only by Night Raids (11.5) if unescorted, or by the surrender or death of escorting Combat counters if escorted. If the escorting counters are killed or captured, roll one die. On a 1 the leader escapes, a 2-4 he is captured, and a 5-6 he is killed.
11.3 Combat Procedure
11.31 TALLYING DICE. The Attacker and defender each use a number of dice in their roll equal to the total number of Combat counters present (all of the same color, all of the same District, either in or out of the police block) in the attack.
a. Police and Strikers may only attack and be attacked by other counters within the police block.
b. Artillery gets an extra die when attacking. Machine guns get an extra die when defending.
c. The attacker (only) can forfeit his combat roll to perform a Night Raid, taxation, or burning. If he does this inside a police block, he may be counterattacked by Enemy counters inside that police block (only). If he does this outside a police block, there is no counterattack.
11.32 ROLLING DICE. The Attacker and Defender roll at the same time.
a. The defender subtracts one from each die roll for that round if he is in a police block. The defender subtracts one from each die roll if all of the attackers entered the defender's district through a pass or over a bridge that round.
b. The defender subtracts one from each die roll if he has not moved or attacked yet this quarter, and he is not a police or striker unit.
11.33 DEPLETING COUNTERS. Each die roll result that is equal to or less than the leadership rank of the commanding leader scores one depletion.
11.34 LOSSES. Losses are applied simultaneously. If any losses are inflicted, the player controlling the highest leadership leader of the affected troops determines which counters the losses are removed from. Losses may be taken from any participating Combat counter, including rifles. Each loss either depletes (inverts) a full strength counter, or eliminates a depleted counter. However, troop counters only take losses after all rifle counters are eliminated first.
11.35 ELIMINATION. If all counters of a Card are eliminated, that card is discarded. The leader is checked per 11.2. If the leader surrenders, he is placed into the penitentiary of the victor's choice unless Ley de Fuga (see 11.46) is applied. Discarded Common cards are returned to the common card deck. If bought, the purchaser must rebuild each counter listed on the card per 12.24 that he wants to place on the starting location.
EXAMPLE: U.S. Cavalry under General Miles in Nogales, Arizona does a tactical rail move as part of a punitive expedition against Bandits outside Hermosillo. Rail travel along trunk line RR2 allows transit south to Hermosillo District. Note that the cavalry must have concurrence of the Sonoran Police in Nogales and the rurales in Magdalena (if any) to avoid having to stop at those orange-occupied police blocks. They must pay one Au to the owner of RR2 or to the Treasury if there is no owner. The cavalry are permitted one round (combat segment) in Mexico, this is spent in an assault at Hermosillo. The cavalry has 4 counters (troops, rifles, artillery, machine guns), so it rolls four dice, plus one since artillery get two dice in attack. At the same time, the counter of bandits, with a counter of rifles, rolls two dice. The cavalry rolls are a 1, 2, 3, and two 6's, representing two hits for their leadership of 2. The Bandits choose to deplete both their counters. The bandits, with a leadership of 1, roll two 3's and miss. On their round, they decide to ride away rather than to attack. The Cavalry must return to the U.S. on their next round.
11.4 Limitations, Surrenders & Incarceration
11.41 LIMITS. Counters may not attack other counters of the same color, except that Red can attack Red. Attacks occur in any order. Each counter may attack only once per round, but counters may counterattack as many times as they are attacked. Attacks must be made against, and be counterattacked by, every Combat counter in a stack. Attacks may be made from a police block into the surrounding district, and vice versa. Exception: Counters not in a police block cannot attack police or strikers within the block, nor interfere with taxing within the block.
11.42 MANDATORY COMBAT. Combat is always optional. If combat is initiated, only counters that are the same color may participate. If a player has more than one color in a District, they must attack (and be counterattacked) separately. Players may "lend" their counters to another player with like colored troops during a quarter or round for purposes of a combined attack.
11.43 SURRENDER. If the defending force has no rifle or gunboat counters present and has taken at least one loss in the immediately preceding combat, and the attacking counters are Blue or Orange, then the entire defending force surrenders with the following exceptions:
a. Attackers never surrender (though if they have lost their rifles, etc., they are prime targets).
b. Defending counters never surrender to Red forces, since Red is always assumed to have declared Ley de Fuga. Also, counters don't surrender to Orange or Blue forces that have previously exercised Ley de Fuga (see 11.46 for additional details).
c. Rifles never surrender but may be seized if no troops are present in the same location per 11.46.
d. Surrendering artillery, truck, aeroplane, and machine gun counters and their corresponding cards become the property of the victorious counter (not the player controlling the victorious counters). Surrendering troops are moved to the penitentiary (see 11.44) during the rebasing segment.
e. Gunboats and the troop counters aboard them, and Police never surrender.
f. Artillery, trucks, and aeroplanes can be seized if no troops are present in the same location by a Night Raid (see 11.5). Also, they surrender along with any troops they accompany (The owner may wish to use them to satisfy losses rather than surrender them. Note that trucks contribute no firepower but may be used to satisfy losses.).
g. Counters may never surrender voluntarily (however, the owner may take all of his losses in rifles and gunboats first, thereby subjecting the force to surrender).
11.44 INCARCERATION. Penitentiaries are located in Yuma, Hermosillo, and Ciudad Chihuahua. Counters jailed may not move or fight unless released by a Night Raid (11.5). Their card continues to be held by the original player, but he cannot do anything with them unless they are pardoned (by the Territorial Governor, Supreme Court, or President) or break out of prison. The card holder of depleted prisoners must pay for their hospital bills to undeplete them, otherwise see 12.3. Cards which are acquired by a different player while incarcerated must still be pardoned or broken out to be used by the new owner.
11.45 ENSLAVEMENT. Slave plantations are located in southern Sonora (Tonichi, Guaymas, Bacatete, or Alamos). Only surrendered Yaqui or Mayo Indians may be enslaved, and only at a Sonoran slave plantation. Each counter so enslaved raises the profit of the plantation by one. Enslaved counters are treated the same as incarcerated counters per 11.44.
11.46 LEY DE FUGA. This means "Law of Flight", or in other words, shot while attempting to escape. Any captured Combat counter or leader can be executed by Orange counters by applying "Ley de Fuga." If Orange counters exercise Ley de Fuga, thereafter no counters will surrender to any Orange counters from that territory again. Blue counters can apply Ley de Fuga at the direction of the Governor or President only. No counters will ever surrender to Red.
11.47 CAPTURED HACENDADOS. Captured hacendados may be ransomed or executed by Red counters only. Orange or Blue counters may not execute a captured Hacendado, even in wartime; they may only send their captive to prison without exercising Ley de Fuga.
11.5 Night Raids
11.51 NIGHT RAID PROCEDURE. Instead of offensive combat, any Red counter may execute a Night Raid to do one of the following:
a. Any enterprise on the map (i.e. excluding C16, 17, and 56) may be robbed of any rifle counters or gold present, limited to the carrying capacity of the raiders. (see 6.52 and 10.6 for capacities).
b. Arrest (kidnap) an unescorted leader or hacendado (see 11.55).
c. Free prisoners from a penitentiary or slave plantation, or rescue kidnapped or arrested leaders/hacendados.
Counters performing a Night Raid roll one die. A roll of 1 or 2 results in a successful night raid while a roll of 3-6 results in a foiled raid. A foiled raid has no effect and is not considered a crime while a successful raid is considered a crime (see 10.7). All night raiders must be stacked with the counters or in the police block they are raiding. Notice that this means that Red counters may not night raid banks, rifles, hacendados, etc. that are stacked with Orange or Blue counters since unlike colors cannot stack together. Only one Night Raid per target per round is allowed, regardless of the number of counters performing the Night Raid.
11.52 RAIDS BY ORANGE & BLUE COUNTERS. Orange and Blue counters may Night Raid only in the following two instances:
a. Arrests of leaders or hacendados may only be performed if the counter has committed a crime that quarter, is a known rebel leader, the troops have a warrant, or at the order of the President or Governor.
b. War is declared.
11.53 BURIED GOODS. Hacendados (only) who have been unsuccessfully Night Raided that quarter are allowed to spend one round burying their gold or rifles. Such buried treasure is safe from Night Raids, but not available to the owning player until "unearthed" during tactical rounds of a subsequent quarter.
11.54 RECOVERY OF PROPERTY OR SPOILS. Picking up cash or rifles takes a combat segment, whether night raiding or picking up one's own property.
11.55 KIDNAPPING. This is performed as a Night Raid by red troops. Kidnapped leaders are treated as incarcerated for all purposes per 11.44. Ransom demands may only be posed in terms of gold, rifles, or W cards. These are given to the kidnapping counters and fall under 10.85.
11.6 Arrests & Arms Seizures
11.61 PROCEDURE. A player may use any of his Combat counters (including police) to attempt seizure of any Leader or Hacendado, or illegally-obtained gold or rifles. If the target of an arrest is not a revolutionary leader or has not committed a crime that quarter, a warrant or order from the governor is required. Arrested Leaders go to the penitentiary of the arresting counter's choice during the rebasing segment. Arrests or seizures are attempted per 11.5 (Night Raids).
11.62 ARRESTING REVOLUTIONARY LEADERS. Some conspiracy M cards come with leaders. Arrest of these Leaders causes all cards of that conspiracy (except the M card itself) to be relinquished for rebidding next turn. The M card is reapplied if the leader is freed. The M Card is discarded if the leader is killed.
11.63 BODYGUARDS. Leaders and hacendados may not be arrested if escorted by combat counters other than Police or Strikers.
11.64 RECOVERY OF STOLEN PROPERTY. Stolen gold and rifles recaptured by Blue or Orange counters from criminals must be returned to the rightful owner only if the crime occurred that quarter. Otherwise, the "law" counter keeps it. Rewards may be offered by the rightful owner for the return of his property.
EXAMPLE: Suppose enraged Yaquis raid La Europa, kidnapping Rafael Ysabel and stealing his gold. If the Yaqui are attacked and surrender, the hostage and booty are returned home, less any reward money negotiated by the Ysabel player to the player controlling the rescue party as a condition for the rescuers to intervene in the first place.
11.65 ARMS SEIZURES. One counter of rifles is assumed to exist at each established store. This may be robbed per 11.5 or seized by government troops who have no rifles. In either case, one gold piece must be paid for a new wholesale rifle counter to reestablish the store, otherwise it is shut down. This gold is owed by the player controlling the Government troops in the case of arms seizures.
11.7 Burning
Instead of offensive combat, any Red counter or stack of Red counters may execute a burn of any enterprise counter (C card) or bridge. The enterprise is lowered one in profit for each round burned regardless of the number of counters burning. Enterprises at profit level zero are destroyed if burned. When destroyed, the counter is removed. Its card is removed from the calendar, but remains in the possession of the hacendado (see 8.39b).
11.71 Orange and blue may only burn during a time of war. Strikers may only burn per 6.7.
11.72 STORES, MINES, HACIENDAS, & PLANTATIONS. These are reduced one in profit for every round burned. Once destroyed, a mine may not be rebuilt per 11.78; its card is discarded.
11.73 SMELTERS. Smelters that are burned lower their maximum profit by one for each round burned, starting with six. A "burned police block" counter is placed on the calendar profit block to indicate the reduced maximum profit of burned smelters. This counter does not reflect the actual profit, which is indicated by the position of the smelter card itself. A partially-burned smelter may be rebuilt one step per quarter by spending 2 Au's during the capitalization segment. Alternatively, the smelter may be recapitalized to regain its full capacity.
11.74 BANKS. Banks cannot be burned, only robbed.
11.75 DAMS. Dams cannot be burned.
11.76 RAILROADS & BRIDGES. Railroads cannot be burned, but rail bridges can. Bridges burned prevent travel over the river until the bridge is repaired (done during the rebasing/refurbishment segment at a cost of 1 Au). Money spent rebuilding bridges goes to a store owner of the builder's choice, if any stores are mature. However, store owners cannot use their own store; they must use a rival store (or the treasury if there is no rival).
11.77 POLICE BLOCKS. The police assigned to a police block must be eliminated before the block may be burned. Enterprises in the town are not affected; they must be burned separately (see 12.26).
11.78 REBUILDING BURNED ENTERPRISES. All destroyed enterprises (those burned beyond profit level zero) except mines must be rebuilt beginning the very next quarter using the capitalization period listed on the card (see 8.39b). If not recapitalized, the C card goes up for rebidding per the emergency shareholders rule (8.61).
11.79 CASINOS. Casinos burned to profit zero must be re-capitalized by the owner to bring them back to profit one.
11.8 Leadership Raised in Battle
Each quarter in which a counter or counters surrender, the leadership of the victorious leader is raised by one rank. His card (which may be a troop card or a leader card) is shifted one higher on the calendar. If a hacendado is leading the troops, his card is not shifted, but his counter is replaced by one with the higher rank.
11.81 Units that have declared Ley de Fuga (which includes all Red Units), never increase their leadership in battle since no one will surrender to them. Instead, these troops increase in leadership for every successful night raid (for rifles, gold, or leaders/hacendados).
11.82 MAXIMUM LEADERSHIP VALUE. The highest leadership attainable is four. The leadership value for any leader may only be increased by combat/night raid once per quarter.
11.83 ATTACKING FRIENDLY COUNTERS. A player may want to enhance his troop's leadership, enslave friendly Indians, provoke Strikers into burning, or collect a bounty per Event Card E16 by attacking other counters that he owns. Whatever the reason, the defending card, which has been "double-crossed," goes up for rebidding immediately following the attack (and does not counterattack due to surprise). Remember Orange counters cannot attack other Orange, and Blue can never attack Blue. Troops that go up for rebidding, whether because they have been double-crossed, or because of the superstition of Halley's comet, have their counters removed from the map if no one buys them. Their cards are discarded (if quarterly) or returned to the common card deck (if common).
11.9 Extended Example of Tactical Rounds
FIRST TURN: The Terrazas player controls a bandido counter in the Sierra Madre, so the other players are a bit fretful when he announces at the start of tactical turns that he intends to move. A check is made to see if any other players with more cards than Terrazas wish to move. None do. So Terrazas moves his bandidos from Pa Gotzin Kay to the adjacent Nacozari district, volunteering the soothing information that his guerrillas are just going to "pick up rifles in Bisbee, that's all".
The Greene player has fewer cards than Terrazas, and he moves next. He nervously evacuates his hacendado from San Rafael to Tucson, using rails. Furthermore, he double moves an echelon of federales two districts (from Arizpe to Nacozari) attacking the bandidos. The double move depletes the Federal counter plus its rifle counter; the Federal artillery cannot double move and lags behind.
Greene rolls two dice (one for each counter attacking). He hopes for at least one "one", which would deplete the unarmed bandits and force them to surrender, raising his federales leadership by one. However, both dice roll two or higher, and miss totally. The single counter of bandits rolls a "two" in counterattack and misses as well.
SECOND TURN: The other players move their forces defensively. Then Terrazas moves his bandits to Cananea, into the police block, and spends his combat round burning Greene's smelter (lowering its capacity from 6 to 5). The non-player controlled policia plus rifle counter are activated, and counterattack the bandidos, but miss with both dice. Greene moves his Federals, plus artillery, in for a revenge strike. He rolls four dice (three counters plus one for the artillery bonus) but all four roll higher than a one, and the bandits also miss their counterattack. Note that the counterattack for both the policia and the bandidos subtract one from each roll because they are defending a police block.
THIRD TURN: The Fall player moves his Arizona Rangers to Cananea district to attack the bandits, but he misses. Terrazas doesn't move his bandits, and spends their combat round (rather than attacking either the Federals, policia, or the Rangers) burning the smelter again (now its capacity is 4). This burning is counterattacked by the policia, but they miss again. Greene's federales don't move, and attack again, but they too miss. The bandits (leadership of one), on the other hand, are quite lucky and roll a "2" for each of their two counterattacks (one is subtracted for defending a police block). The federales choose to deplete their artillery, and the Rangers deplete their rifles. (At this point, the orange policia with its rifle and the bandido counter occupy the Cananea police block, and the Rangers and the federales occupy two separate stacks outside the police block).
FOURTH TURN: The Rangers are forced (by treaty) to walk back across the border. The bandidos move one closer to Bisbee (to Cananea). The federales follow and again attack (again with four dice), and again both the attack and counterattack are indecisive.
FIFTH TURN: The Terrazas bandits enter Bisbee and its police block and spend their combat round picking up the rifles. Terrazas offers the player controlling the U.S. police in Bisbee three gold not to attack these criminals. Although picking up legally-owned rifles is not a crime, the bandits have committed several other crimes this quarter, such as burning. Thus this player, in accepting the bribe, will be forced to surrender his U.S. police card for rebidding during the next common card auction segment.
On his turn, Greene thinks that perhaps he should not move his battered federales into America and attack the now-armed bandits again. He offers to end tactical moves if everyone else agrees, hoping to stop the rampage by this goodwill gesture. Everyone agrees. The federales return to a fort (Moctezuma), and Greene returns to San Rafael during rebasing. Bandits don't rebase; they loiter in Bisbee.
12.0 Rebasing & Refurbishment
12.1 Rebasing
After all players agree that Tactical Rounds are over, Orange and Blue counters (including white counters that have been declared Orange or Blue) are placed in a district of their choice within their home territory that contains a fort or HQ. Multiple military forces of a territory may rebase to the same fort or HQ. Hacendados move to the enterprise marker of their choice, along with all their gold.
12.2 Refurbishment
Following Rebasing, depleted and eliminated Combat counters may be restored to full strength.
12.21 DISCARDS. O, B, W, or R Cards which have had all their Combat counters eliminated are discarded. Common Cards thus discarded in this manner are available for auctioning next quarter.
12.22 RESTORING DEPLETED TROOP COUNTERS. Depleted troop counters may be made full strength by paying 1 Au. This payment goes to the Hospital Concession, if Card M7 is held, otherwise, it goes to the treasury.
12.23 RESTORING DEPLETED RIFLES, TRUCKS, MACHINE GUNS, ARTILLERY, & AEROPLANES. Depleted rifle, machine gun, aeroplane, truck, or artillery counters may be made full strength by paying 1 Au. These payments are made to a Store owner and the counters appear at that store's mapsheet location (for Red or White troops) or at the HQ or fort (for Blue or Orange troops). Mexican troops must pay the German Store (Card C21), if it is built. American troops must pay an American Store if one is built. Otherwise, they must use whatever store is built. If no stores are built, or if the controlling player owns the only store, then the treasury is paid instead.
12.24 RESTORING ELIMINATED TROOP COUNTERS. Eliminated Combat counters from a card a player holds may be restored to full strength by paying 2 Au to the store (for equipment) or hospital (for troops). The hospital owner can restore troops for free, or demand a fee. See 11.35 if all counters on a card are eliminated.
EXAMPLE: The Cavalry at Fort Bliss may be down to one depleted cavalry counter after an enervating conquest of Mexico. The controlling player would pay 3 Au to bring back (as depleted counters) the machine gun, artillery, and rifles called for on his card. He may then pay 1 Au for each of them to undeplete his four counters. This makes 7 Au total, of which 6 Au is paid to a store and the seventh goes to the Hospital (if any, treasury otherwise).
12.25 REBUILDING BURNED BRIDGES. Burned bridges are rebuilt by paying 1 Au per 11.76.
12.26 REBUILDING BURNED CITIES. Towns are rebuilt by replacing the Police counter and its rifle counter (2 Au for each counter). Cities and Capitals must replace two Police counters and their rifles (a total of 8 Au). Police or their rifles that are depleted by earthquakes may also be rebuilt. Any player or players may pay for this rebuild, but until it is done, investors' capital is withheld from all players.
12.27 GUNBOATS. Gunboats cannot be rebuilt or undepleted.
12.28 CAPTURED TROOP COUNTERS. Players controlling counters that have surrendered do NOT relinquish the cards; those counters languish in jail per 11.44.
12.3 Failure to Refurbish
Any cardholder who chooses not to refurbish his Combat counter to its full strength, as listed on its card, must relinquish that card for rebidding if any player is willing to pay for this refurbishment. This auction occurs during the Refurbishment segment.
12.4 New York Bank
Players may transfer gold to a New York bank for safekeeping. Transfers to and from this bank occur during the Rebasing segment. Cash in the New York bank is unavailable for all purposes (bidding, bribes, elections, etc.) until transferred back. Funds transferred to New York avoid taxation.
12.5 Enlistment
Certain event cards (E6, E9, E19) announce foreign wars. This declaration of a foreign war gives some players an opportunity to enlist in the armed services of their country. If they volunteer, the player removes the hacendado counter from the mapsheet during the Rebasing segment and places it on the calendar four quarters into the future. The hacendado still receives investor's capital, but may not bid on any cards while away at war. During the Rebasing segment of that quarter, roll one die; a 1 will kill that player. If he dies, see 7.7. If he survives, his counter is replaced by a counter with leadership two higher, as befitting a war hero.
13.0 Politics and War
13.1 Gubernatorial Races
Any player may bid for the M card representing the governorship by selecting his hacendado or any of his higher leadership puppets per 13.17 as a candidate. Other players may bid on him, their own candidate, or the incumbent. Puppets with tax money may vote for themselves. All candidates must have at least 1 Au on the card to run. Candidates cannot run if jailed. This election takes place during the quarter that the card is turned up (during the Quarterly card auction). If no player bids, the incumbent wins and the card is discarded.
13.11 After all gold is down, roll for campaign contributions per 13.15 below. A non-player-controlled incumbent (Governor Kibbey of Arizona, Governor Colquitt of Texas, the "Santa Fe Ring" of New Mexico, Governor Corral of Sonora, Governor Creel of Chihuahua) is automatically in the race at leadership two.
13.12 The candidate with the most gold down becomes Governor. Any ties go to the incumbent (in which case, the office remains non-player controlled).
13.13 Leaders must quit any office they already hold to run for a new office. Positions left vacant, whether through quitting to run for another office, death, arrest, kidnapping, fleeing the capital, etc., go up for rebidding during the next Common card auction with no incumbent.
13.14 Any gold spent in the voting, whether backing winners or losers, is donated to the treasury.
13.15 Players (or puppets, see 13.17 below) running for office in any election roll a number of dice equal to the leadership value of that player or puppet. This roll is the number of gold pieces (Au) representing the campaign contributions donated by the treasury which must be used only toward purchase of that nomination card.
13.16 These were chauvinistic times. Therefore, Germans, Jews, Catholics, Marxists, Chinese, Negroes, Indians, Women, and Hispanics (all of whom are in the game!) are ineligible to hold public office in America. All persons eligible to hold office in America and ineligible in Mexico are marked with a U.S. flag on their card. Any name without a flag is eligible to hold office only in Mexico.
13.17 PUPPETS. Most cards have the name of a historical character listed in small print on their second line and are referred to throughout the rules as "puppets" (see 9.6). These cards, whether they be bankers or terrorists, can be designated to run for office. Unless specified otherwise, the leadership is zero. Any number of candidates can run for office. Lawyers, spies, strike bosses, rebel leaders, and other M cards who are elected into office lose their office if their card is ever played (discarded). That is, if they start lawsuits, strikes, revolutions, etc. they are booted out of office. The player assumes the power of the office through his puppet if his puppet is elected, but will lose these powers if that puppet's card is lost for any reason.
a. Military leaders or regional puppets of one territory may run for election in the other territories. If they win, a nameless leader may assume the command they vacate, or the owning player may choose to assume the command at his current leadership.
13.18 Players keep their puppet's taxes and war booty separate from their stash.
Example: Suppose the Chihuahua Gubernatorial Election Card turns up. Albert Fall, an American hacendado and therefore ineligible to personally run, puts an Au on the card and announces that Jose Ives Limantour (a lawyer puppet of his on the Mexican Supreme Court) is running, at leadership two. The hacendado Ysabel decides to personally run and puts down six gold for himself. After all the gold is down, each candidate rolls for campaign contributions. Ysabel has a leadership of zero and therefore receives no contributions, so his final bid is the 6 Au he spent. Someone rolls for the contributions of the incumbent, Creel, and suppose a "10" is rolled on two dice (Creel is leadership 2). In order to beat Creel in this election, Limantour's roll (using two dice) plus the 1 Au spent on him by Fall, must be greater than 10.
13.19 Players winning a gubernatorial election should either move their counter to the appropriate capital (if the Hacendado himself ran), or place a leader of the appropriate value on the map at the capital (in the case of New Mexico or Texas, the Governor is placed off-map). On-map Governors are vulnerable to night raids. They lose their gubernatorial powers if they begin any quarter outside their territorial Capital (or are on-map in the case of New Mexico or Texas). Governors of New Mexico or Texas may enter the map during Tactical Rounds by entering an area in their respective state.
13.2 Gubernatorial Powers
A leader or hacendado elected Governor raises his leadership by one and acquires a number of special powers.
13.21 MEXICAN GOVERNORS. A puppet or hacendado elected governor of a Mexican territory collects any orange cards, including policia, within his territory from discards, other players, or the Common Card stack, with the exception of the Rurales. Any Orange cards of the corresponding territory that turn up in the Quarterly card auction go to the player controlling the Governor with no cost or auction (except Rurales). He may use these forces to collect taxes without the 1 Au limit of 10.8, however taxation is limited by the capacity of the stack per 10.6. The collected taxes are split evenly between the tax collecting counter's commander and the Governor with any odd amount going to the commander. The Governor's share is stored at the Governor's mansion in his capital. A Mexican Governor may announce a Red-flag Rebellion, which changes all his territorial forces to Red.
NOTE: Despite their name, federal control of the federales was weak during this period. The rurales were established by President Diaz to counterbalance the state's control of the federales.
13.22 AMERICAN GOVERNORS. A puppet or hacendado elected Governor of an American territory gets control of one counter of rangers. The Arizona governor acquires the Arizona Ranger card (Card B3) from wherever it is. American governors also have control of all the police within their territory, although they do not automatically acquire the police card, which remains wherever it is.
13.23 RAILROAD SUBSIDIES. Both American and Mexican governors may subsidize the construction of one RR card within their territory using treasury funding, although they must still bid for it out of their own pockets. Railroads with most of their districts within a territory are considered rails of that territory.
13.24 LAWSUITS & WARRANTS. A Governor may nullify any lawsuits or warrants within his territory, or pardon prisoners. He may issue warrants for the arrest of any White or Red counter in his Territory, even Leaders, mercenaries, and hacendados who have committed no crime.
13.25 PARDONS. Governors may pardon prisoners confined to penitentiaries under their control. Pardoned prisoners are immune from being arrested that quarter until they commit a crime.
13.3 Presidential Elections
13.31 MEXICAN PRESIDENCY. Any hacendado or military commander with a leadership of at least 3 may run for the Presidency of Mexico by bidding for the M2 Common Card. The incumbent (Diaz) also bids for it automatically with his leadership of four. Other hacendados may bid, backing monetarily either the hacendado challenger, the incumbent, or themselves if qualified. All gold spent is lost to the treasury whether one wins or loses.
a. MEXICAN CHALLENGERS. If the challenger is a troop leader puppet or governor, then his counter(s) of troops turns Red (as red-flaggers, 9.2) as a result of entering the Mexican presidential election. Running against the incumbent president of Mexico is a crime.
b. CAPITALIZING THE M2 CARD. Unlike the Gubernatorial cards, the M2 card must be capitalized. After the M2 card is matured in four quarters, the winner assumes power only when the police of a city in both Sonora and Chihuahua are eliminated or Red and under his control. This ousts the incumbent dictator (Diaz).
13.32 AMERICAN PRESIDENCY. Candidates for the U.S. Presidency must be American and have a leadership of four. They must win the M1 card (Democratic Primary) during the Common Card auction of an election year. The M1 card is not available for bidding except in U.S. election years, which are 1900 (Republican contender is McKinley), 1904 (Roosevelt), 1908 (Taft), 1912 and 1916 (Wilson).
a. U.S. CHALLENGERS. McKinley has a leadership of four, the other U.S. candidates have leadership of five.
b. 1912 ELECTION. During the 1912 election, Teddy Roosevelt runs with a leadership of four as his own Progressive ("Bull Moose") party candidate, in addition to Wilson.
c. FOUR MORE YEARS. Once elected President, the position is held until the Winter of the next election year at which time the M1 card may be bid on once again. If the President was the player's hacendado, he may run as the incumbent against another player who holds the M1 card. If he was a puppet, the player may also bid on the M1 card and nominate himself or another puppet. In this case, he would be running against the puppet already in office. If no one bids on the M1 card, then a contender of leadership 5 runs against the incumbent puppet or hacendado.
13.33 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. In both cases, Presidential elections are conducted exactly like Gubernatorial election (see 13.1), except where noted.
13.4 Presidential Powers & Limits
The hacendado or puppet elected President gets an immediate increase of two to his leadership, to a maximum of five (this is an exception to 11.82). The President collects all his country's troop cards (except for red-flaggers), including discards and any future B or O cards turned up. He has all the Gubernatorial Powers of 13.2. He must assign a player or puppet to be the Governor of each of his territories during the Rebasing segment. He may subsidize any enterprise for all or part of its maturation using unlimited treasury funding. He must still bid for RR and C cards and for forces outside his country or Red forces using private funds. He may change any of his Red forces to the color of his country. He may declare war (during the mordida phase) and direct wartime invasions.
13.41 PRESIDENTIAL RESIDENCE. The Presidential player or puppet lives with his gold off-board in Washington D.C. or Mexico City. Presidents cannot personally lead troops; in times of war or peace they must remain at their residence.
13.42 VETO POWERS. A President may nullify certain E and M cards marked "Veto" over the flag of his country.
13.43 TAXATION & SEIZURES. The President may levy any tax (tariff) on, or seize (expropriate) any enterprise within his country using federal forces. Each seizure entails an assassination risk; a roll of 1 kills the President (unless 10 Au is paid from the treasury to the card's owner for each seized card). Note that seized enterprises belong to the government, not the Presidential player.
13.44 BOYCOTTS. The President may also enact a boycott against the copper, gold/silver, beef (haciendas), lumber, or store goods of the other country. This lowers the profit of the affected commodities by one, and it suppresses investors' capital to all players while the boycott is in force.
13.45 ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS. Any spy can make an assassination attempt by being discarded. A single die is rolled; a "1" means the President is killed, putting the Presidential Election card up for bidding with an incumbent that is one less than what would normally be in that election. Only Presidents may be assassinated in this manner.
13.5 War
War is declared if a war M card is played, if card B7 (the Zimmerman telegram) is purchased, or if a Presidential Player or puppet declares war during the mordida phase. Investors' capital continues normally during war (but see 8.26).
13.51 CARD REDISTRIBUTION. In case of war, all Blue and Orange cards, either held by players or in the discard pile, are relinquished and redistributed as follows: All Orange Cards are distributed randomly among the German, British, or Mexican hacendados, if any. All Blue Cards are distributed randomly among the American hacendados, if any. These cards are free. The Mexican presidency card M2 is relinquished if held by an American hacendado. It may be bid upon by the Mexican and European hacendados, if any.
Important: Governors and Presidents retain control of their troops during a war.
13.52 ACTS OF WAR. Artillery can't be fired into a foreign settlement except in the case of war.
13.53 O OR B TROOPS NOT CONTROLLED BY PLAYERS. If there are no players able to control the B or O troops of the U.S. or Mexico, the player with the most enterprises in that country (U.S. or Mexico) assumes control of that country's troops. Players holding or controlling an office of one country may not control forces of another; in this case, control falls to the next most qualified player.
13.54 DOGS OF WAR. In war, all Blue and Orange troops are freed from any color restrictions. They can attack whoever they want (but not of the same color) or may burn or rob just as Red counters, even in their own country (however, see 13.58). They may move wherever they wish. They can burn down any enterprise, even those of their own citizens, in the name of "national security." They can also arrest anyone, although Ley de Fuga cannot be applied upon White counters without Presidential orders if no crime has been committed. Strikers are now freed from all attack and burn restrictions.
13.55 COMMAND. During war, all counters in the same district are under the command of the counter with the highest leadership. In case of ties (two counters with the same leadership but controlled by different players), the higher ranking officer (general, colonel, major, etc. as printed on the card) determines who is in command. If still tied, then the commander is determined by dice roll. Subordinate counters are not allowed to tax, burn, arrest, or leave the stack against the wishes of the commander stacked with them (unless those subordinates have a warrant or Presidential Order).
13.56 ANNEXATION. Any town or city that has its police destroyed in battle becomes an annexed District if any player pays two Au to put a Police counter of the victorious color in that Block. This is done during the Refurbishment Segment.
a. NEW FORTS. As new Districts are annexed during wars, new forts must be established to defend them. Recall that all Blue or Orange troops must return to a Fort or HQ at the end of tactical rounds. Any police block that has a rail line going back to a friendly City (not town) can be made into a fort. This rail link must be free of enemy Combat counters or Police. The presence of a fort is indicated by the police garrison counter of the victorious color.
b. TERRITORIAL ANNEXATION. If a fort is established in an enemy capital, all non-Red troops based within that territory surrender, and the territory is annexed. All surviving police turn into the color of the victor (although the police card does not change hands). For example, Mexico regains the Gadsden purchase by establishing a fort in Tucson.
13.57 EXECUTING COWARDS. Any card not attacking or interdicting an invading wartime enemy has its leader shot during Rebasing, thus relinquishing the card for rebidding among eligible players next quarter.
13.58 ENDING HOSTILITIES. If the player holding the highest leadership card of the American forces and his counterpart commanding the Mexican forces come to an agreement, then a new international boundary may be determined, and war rules end. Leaders and hacendados arrested during war remain in jail until they can bribe the Governor or President to release them. Combat counters that committed war crimes against their own citizens go up for court martial at the end of the war, which puts their card up for rebidding. Even so, those counters keep all the war booty and gold they stole during the war.
14.0 Victory Conditions
14.1 The Mexican Revolution
Beginning in 1907, players will roll two dice during each Refurbishment Phase. On a modified roll of "13" or more, the game ends as a general Revolution has occurred in Mexico. Certain E cards (E1, E2, E4, E10, E12) modify the die roll by adding one to the roll. Once each of these events has occurred, set the card to the side as a reminder to add +1. The effect of these cards is cumulative (i.e. once two are drawn add +2 to the die roll).
14.2 End of the Game
The end of the game comes when one of the following occurs:
a. All players agree to halt.
b. The treasury runs out of funds.
c. The Mexican Revolution occurs (see 14.1).
d. Players are also free to set a time limit on the game, but this will lead to a stilted game near the end.
14.3 Monetary Victory
The winner is the player with the most gold at the end of the game. The gold must be stored or moved to the player's counter location C card or bank. At the game's end, all players receive 1 Au for every C and RR card on their calendar, both mature and immature. This payment is made even if the treasury is out of funds. All other property is assumed nationalized or lost to the Revolution. IOUs deduct from a player's ending victory total.
14.4 Saturnalian Victory
A Saturnalian victory goes to the player becoming the next Mexican dictator who gets to live in a fabulous palace and have power beyond imagining before dying violently within a few months.
15.0 Game Tips & Designer's Notes
15.1 Railroads
It is not a good idea to acquire railroads on speculation (hoping they will prove useful), except for the trunk rails (RR1, RR2, RR3). Many players build rails to their ranch as their first big purchase. This is because there may not be much else for them to do in the initial year. Rails increase the value of your ranch and possibly provide an escape route. But remember, it may be cheaper to increase the value of your hacienda by simply reinvesting its summer profits. It's best to build rails only if your opponent has no military forces along the rail to avoid facilitating taxing or invasion of your own property. (Historically, President Diaz subsidized the trunk railroads connecting Guaymas and Ciudad Chihuahua to the U.S. His critics charged he was building a U.S. invasion route.) If an opponent bids on a rail to his ranch, consider bidding against him, particularly if it services more than one ranch or has a large number of possible enterprises listed on the bottom of the RR card.
15.2 Haciendas
Always reinvest (in the Summer of '98) from 1 to 2; you can always liquidate this investment immediately into a gold piece. Due to the high inflation, it is hard to judge when to reinvest your ranch, but profit level four seems to be a good plateau. However, if you are taxable, you should reinvest every summer until it reaches the maximum value of 7. If loans are coming due or if the card for that summer looks interesting, do not reinvest.
15.3 Slave Plantations
These are more volatile than haciendas. Note that Yaqui counters under your control will not peacefully enslave themselves at your plantation; you must fight them with other troops. Also note that plantations along the coast are vulnerable to gunboats.
15.4 Mines
There is a 12% chance each quarter of a mine appearing; by 1907 about five mines will have come up. Early in the game, a single player should not attempt a mine unless he has about enough gold in his hand to last until summer, when hacienda profits come in. Many winners have full or part ownership of mines, but remember that smelters and lumber railroads can be just as profitable. Even if you lose an auction for a mine, you should ask yourself "If that mine turns out to be profitable, who will tax it? Who will protect it? How stable is the government? What is the cheapest rail line to it? Who will provide the lumber and smelting? How protected is it against lawsuits or strikes?" Copper mines are more volatile than gold/silver ones, tending to skyrocket during wars or plummet during depressions.
15.5 Border Stores
A neat trick to profit from tax money collected by your federales if you are a store owner is to have your Orange counters buy rifles, etc. from your store, whether or not they need them.
15.6 Banks
Be sure to have the control of the local police (at least in Mexico) before starting a bank or casino, this will prevent taxation. If another bank comes up, do everything you can to hold on to your monopoly.
15.7 Investing
If you are a player that likes to live on the edge and invest to the maximum, remember that 63% of the cards have investment capital of one, and 5% have investment capital of two. You can bank on summer profits from your ranch if the area is stable. Do not buy everything, money is very tight! If you run into trouble, try liquidating horses from your ranch or asking for loans from other players before acquiescing to the bank's usurious rates. Because of the loss of your stake and future investors' capital, abandon capitalization of an enterprise only as a last resort; instead, sell it if possible for cash to the mortgage or offer players 50% of the profit if they will help with the capitalization. Swap enterprise cards to consolidate your empire and make it more defensible. If another player is dominant, go into a partnership with someone else and pool your cash to outbid the dominant player for enterprises. (Per 8.52, it must be agreed with your partner who will hold the card and who will capitalize the venture. Use spare counters to signify which quarters on the calendar are to be capitalized by a partner). Don't let your opponent have cards cheap; bid him up on them if you are sure he is willing to pay more for it. Make lots of deals. There are a lot of win/win situations provided, for instance, building rails or smelters to a mine will benefit both players.
15.8 Integrity
Even though deals aren't binding, it is best to honor all deals faithfully. Experience shows that cooperation is often required to win, and players won't deal with those they suspect. Strangely, it is my experience that players tend to support even clearly winning players as long as it profits them as well. While quite common in reality, this is a little mysterious in a game in which there is only one "winner," but perhaps each player has their own victory conditions. This does not preclude the possibility of a totally uncivilized game, as the game is whatever the players make of it. I have playtested over 100 games (over 50 of them logged in a detailed logbook) at conventions, games clubs, etc. and each game is vastly different. Many players like dealing and negotiating, many like the economic game, some like the political game, some love the tactical game, some like double-crossing, and some (maybe all) are power mongers. When you have different gamer types in the same game, there is bound to be friction, but the confrontations can be most interesting and instructive. It is amusing to see how an economic player deals with a belligerent one. Each game is a little experiment in the morality of unregulated capitalism.
15.9 Stock Crash
If this happens early, expect to see years flying by with little action other than perhaps a few bandidos battling in a desolate wasteland over possession of a single gold piece. Fortify your haciendas, as these may be the last source of income you will ever see. Abandon uncapitalized railroads and banks, even mines, if there is more than a year or two of capitalization to run without funds for it. There is a 8% chance of the crash ending each quarter.
15.10 Porfirista Forces
If you are based in Mexico, it makes sense to buy the closest O card to you (taking rail movement into account) early. If you don't or can't, move as soon as you have a C enterprise somewhere else. The most popular O cards are the rurales, due to their immunity to red-flagger revolts and their high leadership, which makes the commanders Barron and Kosterlitzky common candidates for governor. Kosterlitzky's historical career was colorful. A deserter from the Czar's Navy, he gained favor with President Diaz for valor during the Yaqui wars and was appointed chief of the elite and ruthless 3rd Rural Corps in Magdalena, Sonora. He cooperated with the Arizona Rangers and maintained an efficient spy network. Overwhelmed by Obregon in the 1913 battle for Nogales, he escaped to Arizona where he joined U.S. intelligence, running counterespionage operations against German spy rings.
15.11 Other Forces
B cards (U.S. forces) are less valuable than O cards because of all the restrictions on them, but if they are not bought, eventually lawless elements will disrupt the enterprises in the U.S. territories. Try to consolidate a "sphere of influence." Controlling both the good and bad guys in a region permits the police or cavalry to look the other way while the bank is being robbed, etc.
15.12 Spies
Spy cards are worth more than machine guns. Much more. If you don't have a spy card and wish to keep the status quo, expect to bid on M cards you don't need (such as lawsuit, strike, conspiracy, war, and revolution cards) just to keep them out of the hands of your opponents. Or else expect to heavily bribe those players that hold such M cards.
15.13 War Heroes
This is a tough call, but most players do well to join the army and hope to become a war hero if the occasion arises (Cards E6, E9, E19). You can lead armies and may do well in politics. Buy all the newspapers you can.
15.14 The Tactical Game
A common beginner's blunder is to launch forces as soon as you get them, early in the game. Do not start wars until there is something worth fighting for! Military campaigns need a clear and beneficial objective. Merely taking an opponent out is not beneficial, unless he is clearly ahead or the last or only opponent. Military actions need an objective, a good leader, and rifles (in that order).
15.15 Smuggling
The chief factor limiting the tactical campaign is ammunition supply. Historically, the success of Mexican Revolutions (what is called the "1910 Mexican Revolution" is actually a series of overlapping Revolutions) was largely a function of how much ammunition could be channeled across the border. This is why the Revolutions, and Revolutionary Presidents, tended to come from the North. An exception was Zapata, and his resurrected movement is still around in the 1994 zapatista Revolution of the South. How much ammunition could be smuggled in depended largely upon U.S. policy and the effectiveness of the border espionage network. For instance, the 1911 Madero Revolution was aided by U.S. forces "surplusing" weapons left in the desert along the border. But the Orozco Revolution of the following year, funded by Hearst money, failed due to an effective maderista spy network which throttled the ammunition flow to a trickle. Against equal numbers of maderista federales, orozcistas only expended 20% of the ammunition.
15.16 Leadership
Don't overlook leadership in the tactical game; each leadership step doubles your combat value. Many players go to great lengths to smuggle rifles in for their bandit squads only to discover they still aren't effective unless a decent leader is available. If possible, buy a newspaper and have the hacendado himself lead the bandits. The reason that leadership is so overpowering is based upon the patterns of conscription and desertion in Mexico, whereby the charisma of the leader had a great deal to do with the size of his force. Pancho Villa is a good example, launching his 1911 invasion "commanding 12 free men" and at times, depending on his popularity, leading squads, platoons, battalions, or divisions.
15.17 Bandidos
Bandidos are often used in a "kamikaze" fashion by double-moving them in the very first round with the intention of a surprise strike against an opponent's hacienda or enterprise before the authorities can react. While this can be effective and can kill a pesky opponent, it usually dooms the bandidos to extinction that quarter. Experienced players find it more profitable to never move their bandidos unless the federales head in their direction. Instead, they arrange for an annual bribe from each enterprise in the area. Remember that if the bandidos tax or loot, they keep the money, while a bribe to keep the bandidos quiet goes right into the player's pocket. (Historically, most of Pancho Villa's funds came from this kind of arrangement with U.S. firms in Mexico). Federales find attacking bandidos in the mountains a risky exercise, particularly since they cannot take their artillery with them. Even rurales have only a two out of three chance against bandits or Indians in the mountains. Bandido mountain strongholds can be made less defensible by building rails through them.
16.0 The Faces Behind the Counters
16.1 Los Hacendados
Hacendados were similar to medieval lords. They lived in fortress-like haciendas where they could protect their serfs from marauding Apaches or Yaquis. After Geronimo surrendered in 1886, the railroads moved in and so did American, British, and German entrepreneurs, the new capitalistic hacendados. Public lands, worthless before the railroads, were appropriated. Diaz granted the hacendados unlimited control over their "state," including the banks, surveying companies, appointment of judges and mayors, and the military (except for the rurales).
C1 Colonel Bill Greene. Copper king, cattle baron, and promoter extraordinary of Mexico. Once a humble miner he had his thoroughbred shot out from under him by Geronimo (in 1883) and killed his bitter enemy in the O.K. Corral (Tombstone, 1897). He purchased practically all of the Sierra Madre from Cananea to Jesus Maria, a region 600 miles long and 400 wide. Wiped out by a takeover ploy and the Panic of 1907. San Rafael de la Zanja Land Grant on the Arizona-Sonora border.
C2 John Slaughter. Rancher, sheriff of Cochise county, Confederate veteran, ex-Texas ranger and wanted in New Mexico. Had a reputation for dragging in riddled desperadoes without revealing any details. Developer of the city of Douglas and Director of the International Land and Improvement Company. Stood up to Pancho Villa in 1915 when his starving bandidos crossed the Sierra Madre into Sonora and descended upon his hacienda at San Bernadino Land Grant on the Arizona-Sonora border near Douglas, Arizona.
C3 Judge Albert Bacon Fall. Lawyer and judge involved in extradition cases. A specialist in Mexican law and old Spanish codes, he made a fortune in New Mexico and Chihuahua as Colonel Greene's top legal advisor. He became second in command of Greene's Mexican enterprises and Vice President of the Rio Grande, Sierra Madre, and Pacific Railroad. Fall was a legal gun of the Creel and the Terrazas clans in Chihuahua and a member of the notorious "Santa Fe Ring," the Law Firm of Elkins and Catron, which secretly controlled all the Land Grants and Law Forces in the Territory of New Mexico. He bought the great Tres Ritos Ranch of New Mexico near Alamogordo. He was elected a New Mexico Senator upon its statehood in 1912, but was ruined and imprisoned in the wake of the Teapot Dome oil kickback scandal of 1922.
C4 Rafael Ysabel. A wealthy Diaz loyalist who became the governor of Sonora early this century. He was responsible for ruthless terrorism campaigns to exterminate the Yaqui Indians, including offering bounties on the severed hands of Yaqui "broncos" (guerillas). He was thus at odds with those hacendados who valued the Yaqui as slaves. He fell from favor politically after inviting the Arizona Rangers into Sonora to smash the big 1906 strike in Cananea. A cruel Caudillo who maintained a dungeon with torture devices for Yaqui "broncos" in his slave plantation of La Europa, Bacatete.
C5 Hauptman Franz von Rintelen. German naval officer and representative of the Deutsche Bank in Sonora. His secret mission was to provoke war between Mexico and America to divert munitions from going to the Allies. Towards this end, he fostered strikes and sabotage, possibly including the 1916 villista raid into Columbus, New Mexico. He attempted to bring the exiled revolutionaries Huerta and Orozco back into Mexico, but they were arrested on the New Mexican border, as was von Rintelen himself soon afterwards. Navajoa Slave Plantation in Alamos District, Sonora.
C6 Sir Weetman Pearson (Lord Cowdray). British lumber baron who also controlled one fourth of the world's fuel (Mexican Eagle Oil). Built the enormous complex at Mata Ortiz and Pearson. Perished on the Titanic. Hacienda Santa Anita in Janos District, Chihuahua.
C7 Don Luis Terrazas. Shrewd businessman who carved an empire in Chihuahua. His thirteen haciendas were tax exempt, his railroads were heavily state-subsidized, and his banks managed the bulk of the state's funds. After Diaz fell, he financed Orozco's red-flaggers, but was wiped out by Pancho Villa. San Diego Hacienda in Casas Grandes District, Chihuahua.
C8 William Randolph Hearst. Press Mogul and Democratic Presidential contender who owned vast Chihuahuan holdings. Bought out Orozco's traitorous red-flaggers and thus retained his haciendas until 1952. His great hacienda, the San Jose de Babicora Latifundium in Temosachic, Chihuahua was 350,000 hectares with 20,000 cattle, 20,000 sheep, and 500 horses.
C9 Alexander Shepherd. His remote outpost in Batopilas delivered $80,000 of smelted silver monthly to Terrazas' banks, and was the first hacienda in Chihuahua with electric generators. San Miguel Hacienda in the Barranca Cobre, Chihuahua.
16.2 Los Jefes Politicos
Caudillos y Cientificos (political leaders)
- Presidente Porfirio Diaz. Ancient and decadent emperor of Mexico since 1877; surrounded himself with the trappings of royalty. Controlled the populace with an iron hand through the Church and the army. Also established the elite rurales to counterbalance the army's power. Granted huge concessions to foreign speculators. Fled to Paris in 1911.
- Vice President/Sonora Governor Ramon Corral. Former Governor of Sonora who masterminded the Yaqui slave empire; the most hated man in Mexico. Terminally ill.
- Chihuahua Governor and U.S. Ambassador Enrique Creel. Half American who was friendly with cattle barons such as Terrazas and Greene, also Minister of Foreign Affairs. A brilliant financier.
- U.S. President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt. First western President. Traveled and hunted extensively in the Sierra Madre. Appointed Rough Rider cronies to important positions including head of the Arizona Rangers.
- Territorial Governor Joseph Kibbey of Arizona. Champion of labor and the underdog.
- Governor Oscar Colquitt of Texas. Used the Texas rangers to suppress the Madero revolution, then to support the Reyes invasion of Mexico from Texas, all to further his political ends.
16.3 Los Indigenos
The Indian Tribes.
- Seri. Fierce and handsome hunter-gatherers of the barren Altar desert. Very fleet of foot and equally at home in ocean-going balsas or in shifting sand dunes. Stronghold on the island of Tiburon. The sole use they have for horses is to eat them. Use poison arrows. Mud, wattle, sponge, and turtle-shell huts. Speak Hokan (Seri).
- Chiricahua Apache. Fierce nomadic mountain warriors, able to get 70 miles a day out of a horse. Responsible for savage plundering prior to the Civil War. Prohibited by law from entering Arizona after mass deportations to Florida prison camps. Brush wicki-ups. Speak Athapaskan (1).
- Pima/Papago (Hiat-ab-O'otam "River People" and Tohono O'odham "Desert People"). Hunters and farmers of the Sonoran desert. Outposts from the Gila River to Tutuaca, Chihuahua. Arrow-weed wicki-ups. Speak Uto-Aztecan (2).
- Tarahumara. Large and diverse primitive group, 25,000 strong. They are the world's greatest marathon runners; foot races can be 100 miles/day for 7 days, kicking a ball all the way. Very handy with the sling or axe. Live in caves in the tremendous Chihuahuan barrancas. Speak Tara-Cahitan (Uto-Aztecan) (2).
- Yaqui/Mayo. Hard working campesinos (farmers), prized as laborers. Like their traditional enemies, the Apache, the Yaqui had a raiding tradition. From their mountain strongholds in Sierra del Bacatete, they sacked plantations occupying their traditional homelands in the fertile valley of the Rio Yaqui. The porfirista government responded by ruthless campaigns and mass deportations to the great Yucatan dungeons and slave henequen fields. This culminated in a 1908 mass suicide incident when 400 Yaqui slaves leaped off the steamer "Corral" outside of Guaymas. Adobe/carrizo cane camps. Speak Yaqui-Cahitan (2).
(1) Part of the Na-Dene Language family (2nd American immigration wave). (2) Part of the Cahitan Language family (1st American immigration wave).
Ten Dirty Deeds to Do to Your Neighbor
Reprinted from MOVES #87 with permission by Decision Games, Inc.
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Kill your neighbor. If in the hands of a Red counter, the neighbor may be shot "trying to escape" per 11.46. Alternatively, defeat him in combat and the neighbor runs the risk of being killed per 11.2. If you defeat your neighbor using Blue or Orange troops and he survives the defeat, you can always send him to prison per 11.47...
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Issue a warrant for the arrest of your neighbor (M15) and have your troops arrest him. Per 8.21, the neighbor cannot collect investor capital, bid in card auctions, or move any of troops while confined to prison.
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Have bandits or mercenaries you control kidnap your neighbor and hold him for ransom. Per 8.21, taking a kidnapped neighbor to a location other than his enterprises or a capitol denies that neighbor investor capital, prevents him from bidding in card auctions, and prevents him from moving any of the troops he controls. Alternatively, use troops you control to "rescue" your neighbor from such a situation, being sure to collect a "reward."
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Suborn the allegiance of one of your neighbor's puppets using the M4 card. You can use M4 to force any leader whose leadership is higher than the holding player into the card auction next quarter, thus forcing a neighbor to spend money to regain control or lose that leader and any gold controlled by that leader.
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Use strikers to disrupt enterprises or RR's belonging to your neighbor per 9.4. If possible, rail in some rifles to make the strikers more hardy, then attack them with your own troops to free them to burn per 6.7.
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Using a lawsuit (M23-M26), put your neighbor's most valuable piece of property (RR or C enterprise) up for rebidding. He'll either be forced to buy it back at an exorbitant cost, squandering his own money, or you or another player might acquire it.
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Buy up white mercenaries, which are far more robust and untouchable than red troops. The chameleon-like mercenaries can move with impunity, and suddenly turn color and burn or rob or demand "protection money."
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Burn your neighbor's C enterprises (ranches, haciendas, slave plantations, casinos, stores, mines, or smelters) to the ground per 11.7. Burning reduces profit levels and may force recapitalization if the enterprise is destroyed.
Perhaps the dirtiest deed you can do to your neighbor is to win. This means doing more dealing than dirty deeds. Never antagonize a potential ally, or be seen as unreliable in your deals. Contrary to popular myth, the successful "robber barons" of this period prevailed by being more efficient, and having the vision to see what could be done, rather than being ruthless or cutthroat.
17.0 Historical Commentary
The Mexican Revolution was the first of the world's great twentieth-century revolutions. "The Mexican Revolution" is, however, something of a misnomer, for what is involved is not one revolution but a series of competing and overlapping movements. The rebellion that erupted in the fall of 1910 to end the authoritarian rule of General Porfirio Diaz began as a crusade for political reform but soon broadened into demands for significant social and economic change as well. Mexico plunged into a decade of unrelenting factional warfare which by 1920 had devastated the economy and had cost an estimated one million Mexicans their lives.
General Porfirio Diaz remains a controversial figure in Mexico even today. Seizing power in 1876, he accomplished the monumental task of imposing order on a country that had been wracked by political unrest, civil war and foreign invasion. Moreover, he transformed Mexico's image from that of a giant banana republic into a model for developing nations. The instrument he used was foreign capital, primarily from the United States. Diaz was determined to develop Mexico by creating a favorable climate for investment. Beyond any question he succeeded. By throwing the country open to foreign capital, he not only stimulated industrialization, he also changed the very axis on which Mexico turned. Historically, the country had revolved around an east-west axis running from Guadalajara through Mexico City to the port of Veracruz. This had maintained the orientation toward Europe that had existed since the sixteenth century. Diaz, however, subsidized the construction of a national railroad network whose principal components were three trunk lines, built with foreign capital, linking Mexico City to the United States border at Nogales, Arizona, and El Paso and Laredo, Texas. This new north-south axis effectively facilitated the infusion of American investment and the export of Mexican products to the United States. The border region, which had languished for over a century, now began to boom. But there was an enormous price attached to the stability and economic development that characterized the Diaz regime, or the Porfiriato as it has become known.
Diaz ruled as a dictator behind a facade of constitutional government. He simply had the constitution amended whenever it suited his purposes, as illustrated by the amendment which provided for his indefinite reelection as president. Elections were held but Diaz permitted little genuine political dissent. Mexico was a federal republic on paper but a highly centralized republic in fact, with Diaz making all the important decisions in Mexico City. In the countryside, Diaz's feared mounted constabulary, the rurales, could be relied on to keep the largely landless peasantry in their place. The rurales did so by the liberal application of the ley fuga, the practice of shooting prisoners while they were allegedly attempting to escape. Order was maintained, but the hunger for land increased with each passing year. Rural Mexico was dominated by the hacienda, the large landed estate, and by 1910 a few thousand individuals and companies owned most of the desirable land in the country. The policies of the Diaz regime encouraged the concentration of land ownership, often at the expense of villages which were losing their ejido, the parcel of communal land they had enjoyed since the Spanish conquest. Foreigners were making significant inroads in terms of land ownership, especially in the Northern tier of states. The remainder of the economy was by 1910 already dominated by foreign capital - whether it be the petroleum industry, mining, the textile industry or utilities. The government itself depended on a continuing infusion of capital from abroad in order to function. In retrospect, Diaz's great error was not in attracting foreign investment - the United States was similarly engaged - but rather in permitting such investment to get out of control. By the turn of the century Mexicans were feeling like second-class citizens in their own country. Thus, when the Revolution broke out it was fueled by an intense nationalism, expressed in the phrase, "Mexico for the Mexicans."
Spearheading the opposition to Diaz and what he represented was Ricardo Flores Magón. From his beginnings as a student activist, by 1900 Flores Magón had emerged as a vocal critic of the regime, founding the opposition newspaper Regeneración. Not surprisingly, Diaz suppressed the newspaper, and by 1905 Flores Magón was operating from exile in the United States. Becoming even more radical in his views, Flores Magón organized the Partido Liberal Mexicano and worked not merely to overthrow Diaz but to abolish capitalism itself in Mexico. The efforts of his followers, the magonistas, to incite a nationwide uprising against the Diaz failed miserably, but they had greater success as labor agitators. They were perhaps most successful in attracting the attention of both the United States and Mexican governments, who cooperated in trying to suppress magonista activities. But despite his decade-long struggle, Flores Magón was not to be the leader of the Revolution.
That role would be reserved for a most unlikely revolutionist, Francisco I. Madero. Scion of one of the wealthiest landowning families in all of Mexico, Madero was the product of a privileged upbringing. Unlike most of his contemporaries, however, Madero had developed a social conscience. When he began managing some of the family's properties in the northern state of Coahuila, he demonstrated concern for the welfare of his peons. Beyond that, he became involved in efforts to improve education, and these activities gradually drew him into politics. In 1908 he became a celebrity by writing a turgid little book, The Presidential Succession of 1910, criticizing the regime. And in 1910, when Diaz ran for his eighth term as president, Madero showed enormous political courage by stepping forth as the opposition candidate.
Whereas Diaz initially viewed Madero's candidacy as a joke, the dictator soon had to take his opponent seriously. Madero's campaign slogan of "No reelection, effective suffrage" struck a responsive chord among the Mexicans. The political novice became the catalyst for change, and he attracted a large and enthusiastic following. Faced with this crisis, Diaz neutralized Madero. Prior to the election Madero was arrested on a trumped-up charge, and when the government announced the official election returns, Diaz was proclaimed the winner by a landslide. With the election having been stolen, Madero reluctantly concluded that the only honorable course was armed rebellion. On October 5, 1910, he escaped from the city of San Luis Potosi, fled to the United States, and from San Antonio, Texas, organized the Mexican Revolution.
Madero set himself the herculean task of organizing a nationwide rebellion in an impossibly short period of time. Moreover, he faced the problem of the United States neutrality laws, which prohibited the use of American territory for the purpose of overthrowing a friendly government. Accordingly, when Madero wrote his revolutionary manifesto in San Antonio, entitling it the Plan de San Luis Potosi, the manifesto was backdated to October 5, the last day he had physically been in that city. The Plan de San Luis Potosi called for the uprising to begin at 6 P.M. on November 20, 1910. The document focused on political revolution; after the overthrow of Diaz there would be free elections, and the actions of Diaz's officials would be reviewed in the courts. The Plan de San Luis Potosi had little to say about socioeconomic reform, such as the redistribution of land. In short, it reflected Madero's view that the first priority was to install an honest government, and then these other issues could be addressed.
Having issued his call to arms, Madero waited anxiously in San Antonio to see whether anyone would respond. Initially, it appeared that the rebellion was a fiasco, for nothing much happened on November 20. But within a few weeks there were reports of growing rebel activity, particularly in the northern state of Chihuahua. Here Madero's principal organizer, Abraham Gonzalez, had succeeded in enlisting several guerrilla chieftains, two of whom, Pascual Orozco and Francisco "Pancho" Villa, were destined to play major roles in the Revolution. By March of 1911 these irregular commanders had gained control of much of the state. More importantly, they were shattering the mystique of Diaz's invincibility - rebellion was spreading rapidly through much of the country. For example, in the state of Morelos adjoining the Federal District, Emiliano Zapata launched what amounted to an independent insurrection whose objective was the restoration of the village ejidos. Nevertheless, it was the triumph of the Revolution in the North that broke Diaz. The turning point came on May 10, 1911, when the forces of Orozco and Villa, with Madero in nominal command, stormed Ciudad Juarez, across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas. The loss of Ciudad Juarez, the largest town on the border, was a stunning military defeat for Diaz, but the real significance of the event was political - it convinced Diaz that rebel victory was inevitable. Within two weeks - on May 25, 1911 - he resigned and left for exile in Europe. Although Diaz was gone, most of the Diaz structure was still in place.
Madero was now the popular idol to whom his countrymen looked for the immediate solution of problems, some of which had developed over centuries. With expectations soaring, Madero proved incapable of meeting them. His was the dilemma of the moderate revolutionary leader under increasing attack both from supporters of the old regime and from more radical revolutionaries who felt that he was not moving fast enough to implement fundamental change. By the time he was elected president in the fall of 1911, rebellion had become a way of life in Mexico. Emiliano Zapata refused to lay down his arms until immediate and widespread land reform had taken place. When Madero refused to accede to Zapata's demands, the Southern chieftain issued his own revolutionary manifesto, the Plan de Ayala, in November, 1911. Madero found himself in the awkward position of having to employ the old Diaz federal army to try to crush Zapata. The magonistas likewise continued to oppose Madero, on the ground that he was not a real revolutionist. Other challengers appeared in rapid succession. In December, 1911, General Bernardo Reyes, who had been Diaz's minister of war, led an abortive rebellion in Northeastern Mexico, but he was quickly defeated, captured, and imprisoned in Mexico City. More serious was the disaffection of General Pascual Orozco, who had been Madero's principal field commander in the struggle against Diaz. Not unnaturally, Orozco had expected a position of importance in Madero's administration. Instead he was appointed commander of rurales in the state of Chihuahua. By March, 1912, he rebelled. Orozco quickly gained control of Chihuahua and began advancing southward toward Mexico City, inflicting embarrassing defeats on the government's forces. To meet this emergency Madero once again had to avail himself of the old Diaz army. He appointed a ranking career officer, General Victoriano Huerta, to lead the campaign against Orozco. Huerta was no admirer of Madero but he was a competent general. By August, 1912, he had smashed the uprising and Orozco was a fugitive in the United States. Even as the Orozco rebellion was coming to an end, a new focus of unrest erupted. In October, 1912, Porfirio Diaz's nephew, General Felix Diaz, seized the vital port of Veracruz, making a forlorn bid to reestablish the old regime. He soon surrendered, however, and was imprisoned in Mexico City.
Ironically, it was from prison in Mexico City that Madero's enemies organized the military coup that would topple him from power. From their respective prison cells Generals Bernardo Reyes and Felix Diaz openly directed the activities of their followers, the reyistas and felicistas. They also suborned some disaffected generals in the regular army. On February 9, 1913, mutinous army units liberated Reyes and Diaz, and the rebel column marched on downtown Mexico City to seize the presidential palace. Loyalist troops repulsed the attack, killing Reyes in the process. Felix Diaz and the surviving rebels barricaded themselves in a military strong point. To finish them off, Madero reluctantly appointed General Victoriano Huerta as commander of the loyalist forces. Huerta, however, saw the opportunity to seize power for himself. For the next ten days, known as the decena tragica, he engaged in a bloody charade with the rebels; the heart of Mexico City was devastated, and civilian casualties ran into the hundreds. The carnage ended on February 18 when, under the auspices of the American ambassador, Henry Lane Wilson, Generals Huerta and Diaz cut a deal for the sharing of power. Huerta then arrested Madero and his cabinet, and became provisional president. On February 22, as Madero was being transferred to prison, he was murdered by Huerta's followers. Huerta soon rid himself of Felix Diaz by appointing him as special ambassador to Japan.
General Victoriano Huerta's tenure as the new strongman of Mexico was brief and unhappy. Although he had the support of most of the army, and of his recent foe Pascual Orozco, Huerta soon faced formidable opposition. For one thing, the newly-inaugurated American president, Woodrow Wilson, despised Huerta and refused to accord him diplomatic recognition. Emiliano Zapata continued to fight Huerta as he had fought Madero and Porfirio Diaz. And in northern Mexico, a new revolutionary movement appeared - the Constitutionalists. This broadly-based faction was a manifestation of popular outrage at Madero's murder and Huerta's seizure of power. Its self-proclaimed leader was the governor of Coahuila, Venustiano Carranza. In March, 1913, Carranza issued the Plan de Guadalupe. This revolutionary manifesto called for avenging the martyred Madero by overthrowing Huerta. It also stipulated that upon Huerta's downfall the country would enter a "pre-constitutional" period, during which time Carranza, as First Chief of the Constitutionalist army, would rule by decree. At some point in the indefinite future a new constitution would be written which presumably would incorporate the goals of the Revolution.
With Carranza as the political leader to the movement, Constitutionalist armies quickly came into being, reflecting once again the inherent advantage that northern revolutionaries enjoyed - access to the American border. The Constitutionalist strategy was to have an army advance southward along each of the three rail lines to Mexico City. From Sonora, the Army Corps of the Northwest under General Alvaro Obregon would fight its way down the west coast. From Chihuahua, the Division of the North under General Francisco Villa would advance along the central rail line. From Nuevo Leon, the Army Corps of the Northeast under General Pablo Gonzalez would operate down the Gulf coast. But the military campaign against Huerta was also a race to Mexico City, for the commander of whichever Constitutionalist army occupied the capital would be in a powerful position to influence events. For a time it appeared that this person would be Francisco Villa. His Division of the North not only developed into the best of the Constitutionalist armies - at its height numbering some 40,000 men - but it also won the most spectacular victories against the flower of Huerta's army. Villa became a figure of international renown. Precisely because of this, his relations with Carranza steadily deteriorated, and Villa became increasingly independent of the First Chief's authority. By June, 1914, Villa smashed a federal army at Zacatecas, and his road to Mexico City was open. Carranza was determined that under no circumstances would Villa be permitted to win the race to the capital. He therefore cut off Villa's supply of ammunition and of coal for his locomotives. An enraged Villa found himself stranded in Zacatecas.
Carranza's halting of Villa's advance represented only a brief reprieve for Huerta, whose rule was crumbling by the summer of 1914. He was now cut off from European sources of munitions because in April the United States had seized the port of Veracruz, establishing a military government in that city. Not until November would the Americans withdraw. To add to Huerta's problems, the forces of Emiliano Zapata were now raiding the very outskirts of Mexico City. And Alvaro Obregon was accelerating his rate of advance down the west coast, capturing Guadalajara in July. Bowing to the inevitable, Huerta resigned and fled into European exile. Obregon marched triumphantly into Mexico City, and Carranza quickly followed and began ruling as First Chief. Once again the Revolution had succeeded - not only had Huerta been deposed, but in the course of the struggle against Huerta much of the old Diaz regime had been destroyed.
But the manner in which Carranza had made himself the new strongman now led to the bloodiest phase of the entire Revolution. At issue was not only his determination to rule by decree as First Chief, but also what direction the Revolution would take in terms of reform. These matters were heatedly debated in the fall of 1914 at the Convention of Aguascalientes where the major revolutionary factions were unable to reach any meaningful compromise. In November, 1914, full scale warfare broke out between Carranza, supported by Obregon, on the one hand, and Villa and Zapata, who had been outmaneuvered by Carranza, on the other. Villa and Zapata gained the initial military advantage, driving Carranza and Obregon out of Mexico City all the way to Veracruz, where Carranza established his temporary capital. Leaving to Zapata the mission of keeping Carranza contained in Veracruz, Villa turned his attention to combating Carranza's supporters in northern Mexico. This proved to be a fatal strategic blunder.
By holding Veracruz, Carranza could bring in enormous amounts of war materiel, and General Obregon's forces were soon reorganized and reequipped. Early in 1915, Obregon broke through the zapatistas, reoccupied Mexico City, and wheeled north to take on the Division of the North. Villa rushed southward to meet him. In a series of savagely fought battles, Obregon shattered the Division of the North and with it Villa's image of invincibility. Advancing methodically up the central rail line, Obregon drove Villa back into Chihuahua, reducing him to the status of a regional chieftain, like Zapata. Capping Carranza's emergence as the clear victor in this round of civil war, the United States on October 19, 1915, accorded him diplomatic recognition as the de facto president of Mexico.
Villa was infuriated by the American decision to support Carranza, his mortal enemy. Heretofore Villa had been perhaps the least anti-American of the major revolutionary figures, but all this now changed. Not only had the United States recognized Carranza diplomatically, but the Wilson administration had also permitted Carranza to use American railroads to shift thousands of troops from the Texas border to the state of Sonora, where Villa in late October, 1915, launched a new offensive. Villa took the remnants of the Division of the North from Chihuahua across the Sierra Madre into Sonora in what proved a forlorn attempt to regain some military initiative. The arrival of the massive carrancista reinforcements disrupted his plan of campaign, and the northern chieftain suffered a humiliating defeat at Agua Prieta, having to withdraw once again into Chihuahua at the head of what was now only a large guerrilla band. He seethed with rage against both Carranza and the United States.
Villa avenged himself by raiding the small New Mexico border town of Columbus on March 9, 1916. The Columbus raid plunged the United States and Mexico into a deepening crisis. In response to the Columbus raid, President Wilson dispatched into Chihuahua after Villa a punitive expedition commanded by General John J. Pershing. Contrary to popular myth, the punitive expedition had relatively little difficulty in dispersing Villa's forces; its real problems were with the Carranza regime. Carranza, a staunch nationalist, denounced the punitive expedition as a violation of Mexican sovereignty and took what steps he could to force the American troops out of Mexico. Minor clashes between the two armies in June, 1916 brought the two countries literally to the verge of war. But since neither nation really wanted war, diplomacy prevailed. Relations improved even further when on February 5, 1917, the last units of the punitive expedition were withdrawn.
By coincidence, on February 5, 1917, there was promulgated in the city of Queretaro a new Mexican constitution, one which embodied the goals of the Revolution. This charter was produced by the dominant Carranza faction, which nevertheless borrowed heavily from the ideology of the defeated rivals. For example, Emiliano Zapata's approach to land reform was incorporated, as were Flores Magón's views on the rights of labor. In addition, the constitution was strongly anticlerical in nature. Reacting to foreign domination of the economy, the constitution declared that the Mexican nation owned the country's subsoil deposits. In short, the constitution manifested the fervent nationalism that characterized the Mexican Revolution.
Although the constitution was much more radical than Carranza would have liked and necessarily constrained his political power, he made the best of things. He was promptly elected constitutional president, with a term to expire in 1920. During this term the Revolution continued to wind down in a military sense. Villa's last gasp was an unsuccessful assault on Ciudad Juarez in June, 1919, an attack that was crushed when the United States forces crossed the Rio Grande at El Paso and scattered Villa's forces. As for Zapata, he was assassinated by the Carranza government in April of that year. Carranza himself sought to retain control beyond the end of his term by imposing Ignacio Bonillas as his successor. General Obregon, however, had other ideas. He announced his candidacy for the presidency in 1920. Ironically, Carranza tried to do to Obregon what Diaz had done to Madero in the 1910 presidential campaign - arrest him on a trumped-up charge. Obregon not only managed to elude arrest, he and his supporters rose in rebellion. Obregon's associates in Sonora issued the Plan de Agua Prieta in April, 1920, calling for the overthrow of Carranza. The latter's erstwhile followers defected in their thousands - by the end of May, Carranza had been overthrown and assassinated. Obregon was duly elected president. His advent to power substantially marked the end of the military phase of the Mexican Revolution.
[Reprinted with permission from: The Border and the Revolution by Charles H. Harris III and Louis R. Sadler, published by High-Lonesome Books, Silver City, NM.]
Selected Bibliography: omitted from this transcription (the source PDF's text layer for this page is unreadable).
The Good, the Devious, and the Nasty: A Closer Examination of the Lords of the Sierra Madre Card Deck
Pancho Villa is riding throughout the land. His men are hungry and he is willing and capable of robbing you to feed them. If you wish to survive in the hostile land of opportunity that is Mexico, you had better be alert and also wise enough to know what to go for and what to avoid.
In my experience as a gamer I have yet to see a board game with as much variation as this one. Every time you sit down to play Lords of the Sierra Madre you will be playing a different game than the one before. There are enough cards provided in the deck to guarantee that no two will be alike. Therefore, it is with great pleasure, and difficulty alike, that I present you with this list of the cards that have the most impact upon the course of a game if they should turn up.
Keep your eyes peeled for them and keep a little extra gold stashed away just in case one of them shows up and you need to buy, block, or recover from it!
The Good
This is the category that addresses the six best cards that one could purchase during the course of the game. Having them will not win the game for you, but they will certainly make winning easier, if you know how to use them. They are presented in order from most to least valuable.
#1: M30 Tax Exemption. This card is most valuable if you are one of the hacendados living in Mexico, but even if you aren't it is still mighty handy since many of the major investment opportunities pop up in Mexico. Even if you do live in the States, the simple possession of this card denies it to hacendados that live there. This card prevents any Orange force from taxing your possessions. It is immune to spies which makes it even more valuable. It will not protect you from bandidos though. To do that you need firepower. Once purchased, it cannot be traded, sold, or given away.
#2: Any Bank available. There are many enterprise cards that could have been chosen for this spot, but my personal favorite, because they are so economically powerful are the banks. While mines may make more in the short run, they are much more vulnerable to the random events generated by the cards. In addition, a mine can be damaged permanently by bandido burning, but a bank is easily repaired. In my experience the largest number of banks I have seen come up is three. The odds against all five appearing are astronomical, but not impossible. If one comes up, I say buy it even if you have to go in with a partner. [Ed., as with casinos (next category), one should be certain of taxation before one buys any Mexican banks!]
#3: C53 or C54 The Casinos. The beauty of these cards is that they provide one A.U. (gold) per quarter, rain, sleet, snow, or shine. If they are burnt down, they only cost one A.U. to rebuild (per errata and 2nd edition rules). These cards won't make you an instant millionaire, but they will provide enough steady income to pay the bills during the dry spells without the huge investment found in the mine cards, which may come up busto anyway. Be sure you can protect them from taxation though, or else your investment will be for naught.
#4: W7 Radios. This is an exceptional card to hold. It is a must for anyone who wants to traverse the Mexican countryside or put your troops on the march. This card acts like a spy card, in that it counts as ten cards when determining who moves first. The difference is that you won't be tempted to throw this one out blocking a M card, thus you will have it around the next time you are ready to move. [Ed., Nevertheless, if in the end game you are winning, you will likely need lots of those spy cards, not radios, to thwart any of the "devious" cards and maintain the status quo!]
#5: W6 Transport. So you're chasing the Indians that torched your mine all over Sonora. Those sorry Seri SOB's are about to slip away into the desert. What to do? Well, if you've had the foresight to purchase the trucks, now you don't have to fear the depletion that would result from that and region. While this card is not one that will make or break a player, it can still save you some money on hospital stays or help deter thievery. This card is a wise buy.
#6: Any Newspaper. If you have political ambitions, then these are the cards for you. Card M3 is a particularly good buy since it is available from the beginning of the game, straight out of the common card deck. Since they are immune from spies, you won't have them trumped. Each one raises the owner's leadership by one, so multiple papers can really do a hacendado's image good! As an added bonus, a player may use a paper for "Yellow Journalism". This boosts one leader by two for one election, at the cost of having to put the paper up for rebid.
The Devious
I refer to these as the devious cards since they are for people who have a little bit of a mean streak in their playing style. These cards are, in my opinion, the five meanest, nastiest, low-down, double-dealing, back-stabbing cards to bring into play. If you can get your grubby paws on them, you'll have an edge. If you don't, you could be in for a rough ride later. If you don't believe in playing dirty pool then you should let them pass on by and hope the other players feel the same or you should buy them just to sit on so they can't be used against you.
If you chose to tread down that dark path, then the best use for many of these cards is not in their use, but rather the threat of their use. Extortion is what the possessors of these cards should excel at. You should keep your requests reasonable and low key, as many overambitious extortionists have been the target of cooperative military ventures, political bullying, and reciprocal ill will.
They are presented in order from most vile to least (which is still plenty devious).
#1: M37 Master Assassin. This card is the ultimate in meanness. The Master Assassin can make all of another hacendado's empire building and maneuvering come to naught. The Butcher has a 50% chance of killing any one opponent's hacendado and forcing his heir to begin the game anew during which time you and everybody else is looting the heck out of his belongings.
#2: M16 or M17 Revolution. This is a choice based on the sheer despicableness of a tactic that can be used in conjunction with either one of these cards to deprive any or all of your opponents of any enterprises that are currently under capitalization. How you ask? Simple. Wait until your opponents have something under capitalization (to be safe, make sure that you don't have anything on the track, or you chance losing it too!) and they have little or no money in hand. Play the card during a winter turn (no tactical rounds) and watch the panic ensue. Since these cards rob the players of investor's capital until the revolutionary leader is jailed, any players without cash will be scrambling to find a way to pay for their capitalization fees. You can really extend the hurt if you can finagle it so that the only troops able to respond are under your control (remember, police in a police block have to respond) and they conveniently look the other way. At the least play of this card will drain available cash from your opponents or cause them to take out loans, at the worst you'll force them to give up something they truly want or is valuable to pickup during rebidding. If you've socked away some cash, you may pick up a mine for a lark! If no one else can respond to the revolution, wait until the other hacendados are suitably broken and then sweep in with your own troops and bust revolutionary leader. If all works well, you may even gain a leadership level for your troops to boot! Remember though a spy card will trump these cards, thereby reducing the revolution cards to nothing more than a tool to flush an opponent's spy card.
#3: M15 The Warrant. This card is a worthwhile addition to any hacendado's hand. With it, you can hold a one year prison term over the head of any other player, whether they reside in Mexico or the U.S. The simple threat of it is enough to get many obstinate hacendados to become more amenable to your suggestions. Just make sure that you've got the troops to back it up with, or this card is worthless. The Warrant is immune to spies. Remember though, that beating the other players over the head with this stick will not make you the most liked hacendado in the Sierra Madres.
#4: M14 U.S. Big Stick. The flexibility provided by this card is its greatest attraction. With it you can ignore the restrictions on U.S. troops moving into Mexico. When those nasty bandits keep stealing your hard earned cash, you can now go after them with Black Jack and the boys. The devious side of this card is the ability to get a war going between the U.S. and Mexico by simply discarding it. This can cause major havoc as all restrictions on troop behavior are suspended. Once this happens, Katie bar the door, since it is a grand opportunity to pillage and burn the enterprises of all your enemy hacendados.
#5: M26 Lawsuit. While there are several lawsuits and all are good to acquire, this one is particularly useful since it covers all of Mexico rather than one state. You can make enemies real fast with this one, as it can force any one immature C or RR card to go up for rebidding. To rub salt into the wound, wait until such time as the card is only one quarter away from full capitalization and then play the lawsuit. If you've got enough gold, or better yet, the only one with gold, you can take the enterprise with little fight. Imagine getting a mine or dam nearly fully completed for one or two A.U.'s. A spy can cancel the lawsuit, so keep that in mind.
The Nasty
This final category is composed of five cards that the players should hope never appear in the game. For lack of a better moniker, I'll call them the Nasty. They are presented in order from most nasty to least.
#1: E1 Stock Market Crash. What could be worse than complete financial ruin accompanied by general chaos? Not much. If this card appears early in a game, the effects are potentially devastating. Not only does it reduce all mines by two in profit, but it also blocks all investors capital until a two A.U. quarterly card is revealed. There is less than a 20% chance of this occurring on any given quarter, so it may be a long dry spell before any more money becomes available. If the card is revealed later in the game, it may be even harder to recover from since some of the two A.U. cards would certainly have appeared and more mines will usually be in place. To top it off the crash adds one to the revolution roll to end the game!
#2: E12 Famine. This card is another that hits the players where it counts - in the pocketbook. When the crops fail, everybody suffers. Livestock and workers starve or move away. The famine reduces the profits of both haciendas and plantations down by three. The assay value for all mines is reduced by two. Finally, the famine adds one to the roll to end the game.
#3: E11 Mine Flooding/Apthous Fever. Another hit to both mines and haciendas, this one spares slave plantations and provides an A.U. from investors capital, thus making it marginally less devastating than the previous card. Nor does it add one to the end of game roll.
#4: E10 Huelgistas. Over taxation that causes widespread riots, that's what this one is all about. Talk about really ruining someone's day. Every C or RR card in Mexico stands a 33.3% chance of incurring a striker counter. When played at the right time it could be enough to bankrupt another player or two. It's just about guaranteed to cost someone some money, either to buy or replace troops, or simply lost revenues. Beware though, the card is not choosy and no one's Mexican possessions are safe. Adds one to the game ending die roll.
#5: E2 Halley's Comet. The appearance of this card can have major repercussions late in the game. Not only do copper mines decline one in assay value, but all Blue, Red, and Orange cards held by the players go up for rebidding. It can cause a nice protected position to become vulnerable to taxation, or burning. If you are low on cash it could cause you to lose that puppet you've worked so hard to maneuver into position for an election.
Keep in mind that this is just a sampling of the cards in Lords and there are plenty of other good cards out there from mines to haciendas to dynamite concessions to a wealthy wife. There are also plenty more nasty and devious cards too, so you will have to learn on your own what cards provide the best means to the ends of your game winning strategies. Just keep in mind the guidelines listed above when putting together your strategy and you should have a leg up in the forbidding territory of the Sierra Madres. Oh, and if you see some fool tooling around in the desert out there on a motorcycle sidecar, tell Lieutenant Patton to get a good driver during the final days of World War II.
Not Transcribed
The page-28 Index (a topic-to-section cross-reference list) and the Selected Bibliography are omitted; the credits and customer-service address block are omitted per house convention. The pages 22-26 historical material (16.0 and 17.0) is included as printed.