Montgolfière
Montgolfière Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
The MONTGOLFIÈRE box contains:
- a game board divided into 15 spaces, numbered 1 to 15.
- 6 Montgolfière (balloon) pawns in six different colours, one per player.
- 6 decks of 24 cards matching the colours of the pawns. Each deck contains 15 ballast sandbags (from 1 to 15 kg), 4 grappling hooks, 2 sleeping gas, 2 storms and 1 Super Engine.
- 1 rulebook.
Goal of the Game
The first player to reach the Moon wins the game. If nobody reaches the Moon, the game continues until all the cards have been played. The player who is highest is then declared the winner.
Playing several games: before starting, the players decide on the number of points to reach to be declared the winner (count about 50 points for roughly one hour of play). At the end of each game, each player scores a number of points equal to the number of the space they occupy. If a player reaches the Moon, the game stops immediately. That player receives 5 extra points (i.e. 15+5=20 points in total). The other players score normally. The points scored by the players in each game are added up in this way. The first to reach the number of points decided at the start wins the match.
Setup
Each player chooses a Montgolfière pawn and places it on space 5. This is the starting space. They then take the deck of cards matching their colour. After shuffling the cards well, they place the pile in front of them and take the top 7 cards, without showing them to the other players.
Course of Play
Each player chooses one card from the 7 cards in their hand and places it face down on the table. All the placed cards are then turned over at the same time. The balloons are moved (see Playing the Cards).
The played cards are set aside and each player draws a new card from their draw pile. A new round begins.
When the draw piles are exhausted, play continues until the players have no more cards in hand.
Playing the Cards
To determine the effect of the cards placed each round, the cards must be taken into account in a precise order. Always start with the Sleeping Gas cards, from highest to lowest, then the Storm cards, then the Ballast cards, then the Super Engine cards and finally the Grappling Hook cards.
Note that a player may play a card that is of no use to them (for example, a Sleeping Gas card when there is nobody below them). This amounts to a discard.
Card Explanations
Sleeping Gas
This card cancels all the cards* played on the space immediately below that of the player who released the gas. The other players, whether they are lower, at the same height or above them, are not affected. The cancelled cards are set aside and are not taken into account during the round. Note that a Sleeping Gas card can cancel another Sleeping Gas card located immediately below. In that case, only the first one is taken into account.
* except the Super Engine card, which is never affected by sleeping gas.
Storm
If an odd number* (1, 3, 5) of players play the Storm card, the movement of the balloons during the round is one space downward. In other words, the player or players who were to climb go down instead. If this card is played by an even number* of players, the Storm cards cancel each other out and the direction of play does not change.
* Storm cards cancelled by sleeping gas are not counted in this calculation.
Ballast
The player or players (in case of a tie) who placed the strongest ballast card (possibly increased by the squadron bonus, see below) climb one space. If a Storm card has been played, they go down one space instead of climbing (see Storm). The other players do not move. It may happen that several players advance or that no balloon is moved.
Super Engine
This card lets you climb 2 spaces, regardless of the result of the ballast cards. In a storm, this card lets you climb only one space because of the headwinds. A Sleeping Gas card never cancels a Super Engine card — once you have started the engine you can sleep peacefully!
Grappling Hook
The player who plays this card moves at the same rate as the player or players located on the space immediately above them. The other players, whether they are further above, at the same height or below them, are not affected. Watch out! In a storm, if the player they are hooked onto goes down, the player who threw the grappling hook goes down too. Grappling hooks played by several players can have a chain effect: if a player is hooked to another player who is himself hooked to a player who climbs (or goes down), everyone moves at the same time. Grappling Hook cards apply to Ballast cards as well as to Super Engine cards, at the choice of the player who threw the grappling hook.
Squadron Play
When several players are at the same altitude (on the same space), they form a squadron. They may then show each other the 7 cards in their hand without the other players seeing them. Players in the same squadron may discuss among themselves the cards they intend to play. There is no obligation to show one's cards or to play the card promised to the other players of the squadron.
N.B. At the start of the game, all players are in a squadron and may therefore show each other their cards.
Special squadron rule: when players located at the same altitude play the same ballast card, it is increased by a number of points equal to the number of players involved. Example: three players located at the same altitude each play a 7 kg ballast card. This card will be counted as a card of value 10 (7 + 3 players).
N.B. Squadron play has no influence on the Grappling Hook, Sleeping Gas, Storm or Super Engine cards.
The Black Baron
With fewer than 6 players, an extra player can be simulated: the Black Baron, well known for his ballooning exploits! Choose an unused draw pile. Each round, at the moment the players turn over their cards, reveal the top card of his pile: this is the card the Baron plays this round. The usual rules apply to him. If he is part of a squadron, for example, the players located on the same space as him may look at the top card of his pile before it is turned over. You will be astonished by the Baron's results!