Power Grid Deluxe: Europe/North America
Power Grid Deluxe: Europe/North America Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Contents
- The two maps – North America and Europe
- Power Grid deluxe for 2 players: “Against the Trust”
- Preparation
- The Power Plants
- Playing the game
- Phase 1: Determine Player Order
- Phase 2: Auction Power Plants
- Phase 3: Buy Resources
- Phase 4: Build Generators
- Phase 5: Bureaucracy
- The 3 Steps of the Game
- End of the Game and Winning the Game
- Power Grid deluxe for 2 players: “Against the Trust”
- Credits
- Overview: “The phases of a round” / “The 3 Steps of the game”
Contents
- 1 huge double-sided game board: Europe / North America with power plant market, scoring track, player order track and resource market
- 132 generators in 6 colors: 22 per player
- 83 resource tokens: 27 coal tokens, 24 natural gas tokens, 20 oil tokens, 12 uranium tokens
- 1 auction hammer, 1 discount token, 1 Step 2 barrier, 1 Game End barrier
- 120 coins, in “Elektro”: 40 “1”, 15 “5”, 40 “10”, 25 “50”
- 54 playing cards:
- 43 power plant cards: 42 power plants with numbers “03” – “40”, “42”, “44”, “46” and “50”, 1 Step 3 card
- 5 resource refill summary cards
- 6 payment summary cards
- this rules sheet
The two maps – North America and Europe
The rules for both the North America and Europe maps are similar.
When there are differences between the maps or if special rules are used for just one of the maps, the corresponding paragraphs start with the picture and name of the respective map.
Power Grid deluxe for 2 players: “Against the Trust”
Power Grid deluxe uses new rules for 2 players. While challenging the opponent, you must incorporate the schemes of a competing Trust in your plans and use these schemes against your opponent.
Below we describe all rules for 2 to 6 players, including all rules for the two new maps. At the end of the rules booklet you will find additional rules for 2-player games.
Preparation
- Place the board in the middle of the table. For the first game we suggest choosing North America. The map is separated into 7 areas, each with 7 cities. In each game, players choose a contiguous playing zone of connected areas depending on the number of players. This is the whole playing zone for ALL players. The color-coded separation of the areas only matters for choosing the playing zone.
| number of players | number of areas |
|---|---|
| 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 4 | 4 |
| 5 | 5 |
| 6 | 5 |
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Each player takes 50 Elektro, a payment summary card, and all generators of one color.
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Each player places one of his generators on space 0 of the scoring track for connected cities.
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Take one generator from each player and randomly determine the player order by placing one generator after the other on the left column of the player order track.
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At the beginning of the game, players have access to a number of different resources for varying prices. To determine these prices, use the table at the right and fill the spaces of the resource market (along the bottom edge of the board). The numbers on the bottom left of each space show the matching prices for each resource token.
| Europe | North America | |
|---|---|---|
| coal | spaces 2-9 | spaces 2-9 |
| gas | spaces 3-8 | spaces 3-8 |
| oil | spaces 3-9 | spaces 4-9 |
| uranium | spaces 8-9 | space 9 |
Example for North America: At the start of the game, the cheapest coal tokens cost 2 Elektro each and the cheapest natural gas tokens cost 3 Elektro each.
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Place the remaining resource tokens as a supply near the resource market. Place the coins separated by value next to the game board.
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Place the appropriate resource refill summary card on the space next to the resource market. Each card shows the resource refill values for both maps matching a certain number of players.
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The large spaces on the top of the game board represent the power plant market. In North America, the market consists of 8 spaces, in Europe, the market has 9 spaces. Take the power plant cards with a dark backside (numbered 03 to 15) and shuffle this pile. Afterwards, place power plants on the power plant market as follows:
North America: draw the top 8 cards and place them face up. Sort them in ascending order by their numbers. Place those with the smallest numbers in the top row of the market (the current market) in ascending order, left to right. Then place the remaining four in the bottom row (the future market) in ascending order, left to right. Finally take one more power plant card face down and set it aside.
Europe: draw the top 9 cards and place them face up. Sort them in ascending order by their numbers. Place those with the smallest numbers in the top row of the market (the current market) in ascending order, left to right. Then place the remaining five larger power plants in the bottom row (the future market) in ascending order, left to right.
When adding new power plants to the power plant market during the game, always rearrange all power plants in the power plant market in ascending order with the 4 cheapest plants in the current market.
- Set aside the Step 3 card, then shuffle the power plant cards with a light backside. Randomly remove some power plant cards as shown in the table to the right. Set these cards face-down in the box, without looking at them.
| power plant with dark backside | power plant with light backside | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 players | 1 | 5 |
| 3 players | 2 | 6 |
| 4 players | 1 | 3 |
| 5-6 players | none | none |
Shuffle all remaining power plant cards together and place them as a stack face-down next to the power plant market. The color-coding tells players whether the power plant on top of the stack is a stronger plant (light backside) or a weaker one (dark backside).
- Finish the preparations as follows:
North America: place the Step 3 card face-down under the supply stack and take the starting power plant that had been set aside (from 8) and set it face-down on top of the supply stack.
Europe: place the Step 3 card face-down under the supply stack.
This completes the game preparation. We hope you enjoy playing the game!
The Power Plants
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Each power plant has a number. This number is the minimum acceptable bid when the plant is auctioned. Players use that number to sort the power plants by size in the power plant market. Players also use the numbers to determine the player order when several players have the same number of cities in their networks. When the rules mention large or small power plants, the rules refer to the power plants with the low or high numbers in the power plant market.
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The picture in the middle is an illustration of the power plant and has no role in the game.
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The color of the power plant and the symbols in the lower left corner show the resource type(s) and the number of resource tokens required to produce electricity (brown: coal, blue: natural gas, black: oil, red: uranium). Players may never use more or fewer resource tokens to produce power with a power plant than the number shown on the card. Each power plant may only store the resource type needed for production and at most may store twice as many resource tokens as it has resource symbols.
Hybrid power plants have a blue/black color and have two resource symbols. Players may choose to buy and use any combination of natural gas and/or oil. Usually, players will choose to buy the cheaper resource. Players need the stated number of resources (of either or both in any combination) to produce electricity and may store a total of twice as many resource tokens of both (not each) types.
Ecological power plants have a green color. They do not require any resources and cannot store them.
- The number in front of the generator indicates how many cities this power plant can supply with electricity. For example, players cannot choose to use only half of the necessary resource tokens to supply only half of the cities. Although a power plant may store twice as many resources as needed, it cannot produce power for twice as many cities in a round.
Ecological power plants always supply up to the indicated number of cities!
Example: the number 20 power plant has a minimum bid of 20 Elektro. It needs exactly 3 coal tokens to produce electricity and supplies 4 cities. Players may store up to 6 coal tokens on this power plant.
The number 22 hybrid power plant may use any combination of 3 natural gas and oil tokens (3 natural gas tokens, 3 oil tokens, 1 oil token and 2 natural gas tokens, etc.) to produce electricity for 5 cities. Players may store up to 6 resource tokens of the two types (e.g. 3 each of oil and natural gas, 6 oil, or any other combination adding to 6 tokens or less).
The number 36 ecological power plant does not need any resources and cannot store them. It supplies 5 cities.
Playing the game
The game is played over several rounds. Each round of the game has five phases. In each phase, all players take their actions in the order specified for the phase before the game continues to the next phase. The five phases are:
- Determine Player Order
- Auction Power Plants
- Buy Resources
- Build Generators
- Bureaucracy
Additionally, the game is played through three Steps. The steps are explained after the description of the phases of each round.
Phase 1: Determine Player Order
Players determine the player order for the round. The first player is the player with the most cities in his network (the generator on highest numbered space of the scoring track for connected cities). If two or more players are tied for the most cities, the first player is the player among them with the biggest power plant. Place this player‘s generator on the first space of the left column of the player order. Determine the remaining player positions using the same rules.
Remember: at the beginning of the game, players determine the player order randomly.
Example: Anna has connected 6 cities, Greg and Al 5 each, and Natalie 4. Anna is first player and places her generator on the first position of the player order track. Greg and Al are tied and check their power plants. Greg’s largest power plant is the number 17 power plant and Al’s largest power plant is the number 15 power plant. So Greg is in second position and Al is in third. Natalie finally places her generator in fourth position of the player order track.
Phase 2: Auction Power Plants
In this phase, each player may buy at most 1 power plant. This phase is played in player order, beginning with the first player (the first generator on the player order track).
The player chooses between the following two actions:
a. Choose a power plant for auction
The player chooses one of the four power plants in the current market to start the auction. He places the auction hammer on that power plant. The player may not choose one of the power plants in the future market!
Example: the player chooses the number 05 power plant in the current market.
Then, he makes a bid to purchase the power plant (he must bid at least the minimum bid matching the number of the power plant), but may start with a higher bid. Continuing in clockwise order, the other players may make higher bids or pass. When a player passes, he may not reenter this auction. Players keep bidding or passing in clockwise order until one player remains. He pays his highest bid to the bank and takes the power plant. To show that he has bought a power plant, he moves his generator on the player order track to the right column.
Immediately, draw a new power plant from the power plant stack to replace the one bought and place it in the power plant market. Rearrange the power plants in ascending order of numbers: the four lowest in the current market, and the higher power plants in the future market.
Important rules to follow:
- Once a player has purchased a power plant in a round, he cannot bid in another auction in the same round, nor can he offer a plant at auction. The player’s generator is in the right column of the player order track.
- When the auctioning player wins the auction and buys the power plant, the next player in turn order takes his turn, if he has not already purchased a power plant this round (his generator is still in the left column of the player order track). Now, this player offers a power plant from the current market for auction. If a player other than the player who started the auction wins the auction, the auctioning player may choose to auction a different power plant from the current market or pass.
- During the game each player may own only 3 power plants at any time. When a player buys a fourth plant, he must scrap one of his other power plants and remove it from the game. He may not choose to scrap the just bought power plant. The player may move resources from the scrapped power plant to his remaining three power plants if one or more of them can store these resources. If there is no capacity left or no matching power plant for the resources from the scrapped power plant, the player returns the resources to the supply, not to the resource market (see “The power plant cards”).
- If, at any time during the game, there is a power plant in the current market with a number equal to or lower than the number of cities any player has, immediately remove it from the game and replace it with a new power plant from the power plant stack. It is also possible that newly drawn power plants must be immediately discarded and a new card drawn. As usual, rearrange the power plants in ascending order. This rule does not affect power plants owned by players.
- The last player to start an auction in a round pays the minimum bid to buy the power plant he chooses.
North America: at the beginning of Phase 2, place the discount token on the smallest power plant in the current market. The minimum bid for this power plant is reduced to 1 Elektro, independent of the actual number of the power plant.
During Phase 2, if an even smaller power plant is drawn and added to the power plant market (but not if the power plant drawn is too low for the market) remove the discount token and follow the printed minimum bid on the card.
If nobody buys the discounted power plant, remove it from the game at the end of Phase 2. Replace it by drawing a new power plant from the power plant stack.
During all other phases of a round, there are no discounted power plants. Place the discount token next to the power plant market.
b. Pass the auction
If the player does not want to offer a power plant for auction, he must opt out of this phase. When he does so, he cannot bid in later auctions during this phase and, thus, will not get a new power plant this round. To show this, he moves his generator on the player order track to the right column. The next player in turn order takes his turn, if he has not already purchased a power plant this phase (his generator is still in the left column of the player order track).
Exception for the first round of the game: each player must buy a power plant and cannot opt out of this phase.
Europe: If all players opt out and no power plant is sold in a round, remove the lowest numbered power plant in the current market from the game, and replace it by drawing a new power plant from the power plant stack. Then rearrange the market according to the rules.
Exception for the first round: because the player order was determined randomly at the beginning of the game, FOR ONE TIME ONLY players determine the player order again at the end of this phase. As all players will have bought one power plant, use the tied rule to determine player order for the next phases of this round (see phase 1: Determine player order).
After all players finish this phase, move all generators on the player order track back to the left column.
Phase 3: Buy Resources
In this phase, the players may buy resources for their power plants from the resource market. This phase is played in reverse player order, beginning with the last player (the last generator on the player order track), continuing with the second-to-last player and so on until the first player takes his turn, finishing this phase.
As explained in the section “The Power Plants”, each power plant needs the number of resource tokens matching the number of symbols on the card to produce electricity and may only store twice this number of tokens. As long as there is still storage space, players may buy matching resources for their power plants. Players may not buy resources that their current power plants cannot use.
Example: the number 4 coal power plant may store up to 4 coal tokens, the number 35 hybrid power plant may store up to 4 natural gas and/or oil tokens in any combination. The number 31 ecological power plant does not need any resources and, therefore, cannot store any resource tokens.
The player purchases the resource tokens from the spaces of the resource market. The printed number on the bottom left of each resource space shows the price for one resource token. The player pays this amount to the bank for each token. He moves his token to the right column on the player order track and the next player takes his turn.
If one resource type is depleted in the current round, no more resource tokens of this type may be purchased until next round when the resource market is refilled.
The two cheapest coal tokens each cost 2 Elektro.
At any time during the game, a player may rearrange the resource tokens among his power plants if the power plants have space for the resources being placed on them.
After all players finish this phase, move all generators on the player order track back to the left column.
Phase 4: Build Generators
In this phase, the players may increase their electricity networks by connecting new cities. Like phase 3, this phase is played in reverse player order beginning with the last player (the last generator on the player order). The phase ends after the first player finishes his turn.
At the start of the game, players have no cities and, thus, no network. To build the first generator in his network, a player chooses any empty city (not already chosen by another player) anywhere in the contiguous playing zone on the map. He places one of his generator tokens on the number 10 space in this city and pays 10 Elektro to the bank for the starting city.
All subsequent cities a player adds to his network must connect to at least one city already in his network (with one of his generators). When connecting to a new city, the player chooses the cheapest connection(s) between one of the cities in his network and the new city and pays the total of connecting costs and cheapest building cost available (each city has spaces for three generators, valued 10, 15, and 20) to the bank.
A player may connect to any number of new cities during his turn in this phase, as long as he pays all the building and connecting costs. After connecting all the desired cities, the player moves his generator on the player order track to the right column and the next player follows with his turn to connect new cities.
The space numbered 10 is available from the start; the space numbered 15 becomes available in Step 2; the space numbered 20 becomes available in Step 3.
Important rules to follow:
- In Step 1 of the game, each city can only be connected by one player. In Step 2, each city can be connected by two players and finally in Step 3, each city can be connected by three players. The total costs are 10, 15 and 20 Elektro for the first, second, and third generator built in a city plus the connection costs between the cities.
- So long as there is an empty space in the city during the current Step of the game, a player may add any city inside the playing zone to his network. He may use any number of connections and may pass through a city without placing a generator there.
- Players may never use any cities or connections that lie outside of the selected playing zone during the game.
North America: the metropolises of New York and Mexico City each consist of 2 cities with a connection cost of zero Elektro. A player may have a maximum of 1 generator in each of the two cities of a metropolis.
- A player may never connect to the same city twice. This allows up to three players to connect to each city during Step 3.
- After connecting a city, the player places one of his generators in the new city on the lowest empty space (10, 15 or 20 Elektro). For example, if a city is still empty in Step 2 of the game, a player may connect that city for 10 Elektro.
- All connected cities of a player are in his network. The player may only expand his network from his own connected cities. If the player connects to multiple cities this turn, he may use cities added this turn to further connect to other cities. He always pays all connecting and building costs from one of his connected cities to each new city, even if he already paid for a connection earlier the game (e.g. he may have bypassed a city to reach another and now wants to connect to the bypassed city).
Example: during Step 1, Anna (blue) may expand her network for 10 Elektro in the metropolis of New York (A), because there are no connecting costs between northern and southern New York. To add Toronto, she pays 21 Elektro (10+11) using the direct connection from Pittsburgh to Toronto (B). To connect to Charlotte the complete costs for Anna are 29 Elektro (10+7+12), because Bob was first to connect to Washington (C). Anna is forced to skip that city, as a second player is not allowed to connect to a city during Step 1.
If the game is already in Step 2 and second generators are allowed in cities, Anna may connect Philadelphia (D) for 18 Elektro (15+3) or Washington (E) for 22 Elektro (15+7). If Anna adds both cities in the same phase, she pays 38 Elektro. First, she connects Philadelphia for 18 Elektro and from there, she connects Washington for an additional 20 Elektro.
- The players do not have to choose their starting cities in the first round. They may start their networks in later rounds, possibly to tactically influence their positions on the player order track.
- If a player connects several cities at once, we suggest placing the new generators on their sides for the moment. Thus, he can easily check all costs and connections. Only after paying all costs, he places the generators in the normal position.
- When a player adds a new city to his network, he immediately updates his position on the scoring track for connected cities, so every player can see how many cities each player has.
- If, at any time during the game, there is a power plant in the current market with a number equal to or lower than the number of cities any player has, immediately remove it from the game and replace it with a new power plant from the power plant stack. It is also possible that newly drawn power plants must be immediately discarded and a new card drawn. As usual, rearrange the power plants in ascending order. This rule does not affect power plants owned by players.
Example: Anna adds a sixth city to her network. The number 6 power plant is in the current power plant market, so she removes it from the game and draws a replacement. If players own the numbered 3-5 power plants, they keep these power plants.
After all players finish this phase, move all generators on the player order track back to the left column.
Phase 5: Bureaucracy
In this phase, the players produce electricity to supply their networks in order to earn cash. Then, you resupply the resource market and finally update the power plant market.
1. Earning cash
Starting with the first player, every player indicates how many cities in his network he wishes (and is able) to supply with electricity. He earns cash based on the number of cities he powers as shown on the payment summary card.
A player who does not supply any city gets 10 Elektro (the guaranteed minimum). The players remove the required resources from the power plants that produced electricity this round and place the used resources in the resource supply next to the resource market (not on the spaces of the resource market!).
A player may choose (or only be able) to supply fewer cities than he has in his network. The player is paid only for the supplied cities. If a player produces more electricity than he has cities in his network, the surplus is wasted. Each player may choose how many and which of his power plants he uses. He does not have to supply all of his cities, even if he has enough power plants.
| cities powered | Elektro | cities powered | Elektro | cities powered | Elektro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 10 | 7 | 82 | 14 | 129 |
| 1 | 22 | 8 | 90 | 15 | 134 |
| 2 | 33 | 9 | 98 | 16 | 138 |
| 3 | 44 | 10 | 105 | 17 | 142 |
| 4 | 54 | 11 | 112 | 18 | 145 |
| 5 | 64 | 12 | 118 | 19 | 148 |
| 6 | 73 | 13 | 124 | 20 | 150 |
Example: Anna owns 6 cities and the power plants 10, 14 and 21, all of them store the maximum number of resource tokens. She removes 2 oil, 1 natural gas and 1 uranium token from her power plants and places them back in the supply to produce electricity for 7 cities (2+2+3). She earns 73 Elektro for 6 supplied cities. The surplus electricity is wasted.
2. Resupply the resource market
Based on the number of players and the current Step of the game, resupply the resource market with resource tokens from the supply. The resource refill summary card next to the resource market shows the respective values for each resource type. Starting with the highest (most expensive) space, place resource tokens on the empty symbols, until you placed the stated amount for each resource type.
The resource tokens in the game are limited. If there are not enough resource tokens of a resource type left in the supply, that resource type is not fully resupplied. This can happen when players store large numbers of tokens on their power plants.
Example: in a game with 5 players on the North America map, 10 coal tokens, 2 natural gas tokens, and 1 oil token were bought in the first round. According to the resource refill summary card for 5 players and Step 1, the following resources are to be resupplied: 4 coal tokens, 3 natural gas tokens, 4 oil tokens and 3 uranium tokens. There are enough resource tokens in the resource supply, so players place two coal tokens on space 4 and two on space 3 (always start on the most expensive, empty spaces). Place two natural gas tokens on space 3 and one on space 2. Place one oil token on space 4, 2 oil tokens on space 3 and the last one on space 2. Finally, place two uranium tokens on space 8 and one on space 7. The resource market looks like this:
Compared to the start of the game the price for coal is higher at the end of the first round, the cheapest coal token now costs 3 Elektro. However, natural gas, oil, and uranium now are cheaper.
3. Update the power plant market
During Step 1 and Step 2, place the highest numbered power plant from the future market face down below the power plant stack and draw a new power plant to replace it. Rearrange the power plant market appropriately. By doing this, the highest numbered power plants are collected below the Step 3 card in the power plant stack and become available during Step 3 of the game.
During Step 3, remove the smallest numbered power plant in the current market from the game and draw a replacement from the power plant stack instead. During the last rounds of the game, it is possible that the power plant stack becomes exhausted and players cannot replace power plants anymore. The game continues and in each phase 5, remove the smallest numbered power plant from the power plant market.
Phase 5 and the whole round are now complete. A new round starts with phase 1.
The 3 Steps of the Game
The game runs through three Steps and begins with Step 1. Step 2 begins when the first player has connected a certain number of cities to his network. Step 3 begins after the Step 3 card is drawn from the power plant stack. The game usually ends in Step 3, but in some cases may end in Step 2.
This section describes the different rules changes and special situations for the three steps during the game.
Step 1
The game starts with Step 1. Every city can only be part of the network of a single player (only one generator may stand in each city). The building cost for the first generator is 10 Elektro. The resupply for resources during Step 1 follows the left column on the resource refill summary card.
Step 2
Step 2 starts at the beginning of Phase 5 (Bureaucracy) after at least one player connected a certain number of cities to his network, as determined by the number of players. Several players may connect the necessary number of cities (or more) in the same round.
| number of players | Connected cities |
|---|---|
| 2-5 | 7 |
| 6 | 6 |
As a reminder, we supply an oblong Step 2 barrier which players place on the border in front of the matching space of the scoring track for connected cities.
North America: at the start of Step 2 (and just this once) remove the lowest numbered power plant from the current market from the game and replace it with a new one from the power plant stack.
Europe: at the start of Step 2 (and just this once) remove the lowest numbered power plant from the current market from the game. Do not replace it, so the future market is reduced to the 4 power plants with bigger numbers.
In Step 2, every city can be part of the networks of two players (two different generators may stand in each city). The building cost for the second generator is 15 Elektro. In Step 2, players may still place the first generator for 10 Elektro in an empty city. The resupply for resources during Step 2 follows the center column on the resource refill summary card.
Starting in Step 2, do not use this space anymore.
Step 3
When you draw the Step 3 card from the power plant stack, Step 3 begins at the beginning of the next phase of the game!
Extremely rarely, Step 3 may begin before Step 2. In this case, first perform all changes for Step 2 before directly continuing with the changes for Step 3.
This can happen in one of three ways:
- When the Step 3 card is drawn in Phase 2 (Auction Power Plants), treat the card as the highest power plant for the remainder of this phase and place it at the end of the future market. Immediately shuffle the power plant stack that has the power plants that were placed under it and place it again face down. Continue the auction of power plants and draw replacements as necessary until all players have their chance to buy a new power plant or opt out. After finishing Phase 2, remove the lowest numbered power plant in the current market and the Step 3 card from the game. Do not draw replacements! Step 3 starts at the beginning of Phase 3 (Buy resources).
- If you draw the Step 3 card in Phase 4 (Build Generators) for replacements of too small power plants, remove this card and the smallest numbered power plant in the current market from the game. Do not draw replacements. Shuffle the power plant stack as described above and place it again face down. Step 3 starts at the beginning of Phase 5 (Bureaucracy).
- If you draw the Step 3 card in Phase 5 (Bureaucracy), remove this card and the lowest numbered power plant in the current market from the game. Do not draw replacements. Shuffle the power plant stack as described above and place it again face down. The resupply of resources follows the values for Step 2 (center column of the resource refill summary card) a final time. Step 3 starts at the beginning of Phase 1 of the next turn (Determine Player Order).
During Step 3, there are only 6 power plants in the power plant market. Beginning with the next phase 2 (Auction power plants) players can bid on all 6 power plants. There is no future market in Step 3.
Starting in Step 3, do not use this space anymore.
In Step 3, every city can be part of the networks of three players (three different generators may stand in each city). The building cost for the third generator is 20 Elektro. In Step 3, players may still place the first generator for 10 Elektro in an empty city (or the second generator when the space is available for 15 Elektro). The resupply for resources during Step 3 follows the right column on the resource refill summary card.
End of the Game and Winning the Game
The game ends immediately after Phase 4 (Build Generators) when at least one player has connected the indicated number of cities (or more) in his network, depending on the number of players.
| number of players | Connected cities |
|---|---|
| 2 | 18 |
| 3-4 | 17 |
| 5 | 15 |
| 6 | 14 |
Players may use the oblong Game End barrier to place on the border in front of the matching space of the scoring track for connected cities. As soon as one player passes this barrier with his generator, the game ends at the end of this phase (all players finish the phase). Players may connect additional cities beyond the number needed to win.
In the following Phase 5 (Bureaucracy) players do not earn money for powering cities. Instead, they check to see which player supplies electricity to the most cities in his network using the resources and power plants he has. This is the number of cities he normally earns cash from during this phase. This player that can power the most cities wins the game! If there is a tie, the player with the most remaining money wins. In rare cases, a player may win the game with more cities in his network than necessary to end the game.
Important: sometimes a player other than the one ending the game (by connecting the appropriate number of cities) will win because the latter cannot supply electricity to all his cities, either because his power plants are not large enough to run all his cities or because he does not have sufficient resources to run the power plants he has.
Power Grid deluxe for 2 players: “Against the Trust”
Introduction
While challenging the single opponent, players are confronted with the schemes of an old-established Trust. This Trust blocks cities and snags the most attractive power plants, while consuming the matching resources.
All rules of the base game are in effect. Below you find all ADDITIONAL rules that let the Trust interfere in your games.
Preparation
- The Trust needs his own space next to the game board, where it places its own power plants. The Trust gets 16 generators of its own color, plus one additional generator for player order (the Trust does not place a generator on the scoring track for connected cities). The Trust does not get any money.
- Randomly determine the first player (one of the two players) and place one of his generators on space 1 of the player order. During the whole game, the Trust is ALWAYS second in player order. Place the generator of the other player on space 3.
- After choosing the contiguous playing zone of 3 adjacent areas, place 6 generators of the Trust on the number 10 spaces of 6 adjacent cities. To place these generators, the starting player places one Trust generator on any one city of his choice. The other player places 2 generators adjacent to already placed Trust generators. Then the starting player places the next 2 Trust generators, using the same rules. The other player places the last generator, using the same rules. The players place the remaining 10 generators of the Trust as a supply next to the game board.
Playing the game
General rules
The Trust does not use money; it takes power plants and resources for free. Its generators are placed in cities without any costs.
The Trust does not trigger Step 2. Its generators only block the first or second spaces of the cities.
Phase 1: Determine player order
The Trust is always second in player order!
Phase 2: Auction power plants
The first player chooses a power plant in the current market to start the auction or he opts out. Only the two players bid for the power plants, the Trust never participates in the auctions.
After one of the two players has bought a power plant, or after the first player opted out, the Trust takes the biggest (fourth) power plant in the current market and places it next to its supply of generators. There is no auction for this power plant!
If the Trust owns 3 power plants, it takes a new power plant from the market only if the power plant in the market has a bigger number than the smallest power plant owned by the Trust. The Trust always takes a higher numbered power plant when it is available. In this case the Trust scraps its smallest power plant and removes it from play.
Europe: if both players opt out of the phase and the Trust does not take a new power plant, remove the smallest power plant in the current market from the game, and replace it by drawing a new power plant from the power plant stack. Then rearrange the market according to the rules.
Phase 3: Buy resources
The Trust always takes all the necessary resource tokens for all of its power plants for a normal production, so it supplies electricity with all of its power plants during phase 5 (Bureaucracy). It never stores resources in its power plants. If there are not enough resource tokens in the market, the Trust takes as many as possible. If the Trust owns a hybrid power plant, it alternately takes 1 natural gas and 1 oil, as long as both resource types are available (it always starts with natural gas).
Phase 4: Build Generators
During Step 1 of the game, players cannot connect to the six cities, where the players placed the Trust’s generators on the spaces numbered 10 during the preparation. These cities are only available when Step 2 of the game starts.
As long as the Trust has generators in its supply, each time a player connects a new (empty) city, he must always place a generator of the Trust on the space numbered 15 of that city. Thus, the first 10 cities connected by the players are blocked during Step 2 and can only be connected by the other player during Step 3 of the game.
Phase 5: Bureaucracy
The Trust places all resource tokens from its power plants back into the supply next to the resource market.
End of the Game
The game ends immediately after phase 4 (Build Generators) when at least one player has connected 18 or more cities in his network. The Trust cannot win – it only offers many possibilities to place obstacles in the way of the players.
Credits
© 2014 2F-Spiele
Author: Friedemann Friese
Graphics & Design: Harald Lieske
Editing of English rules: Nikki Pontius, Jay Tummelson, and Heydon Hensley
Development: Henning Kröpke
Rio Grande Games, PO Box 1033, Placitas, NM 87043, USA — [email protected] — www.riograndegames.com
Overview: “The phases of a round” / “The 3 Steps of the game”
Phase 1: Determine Player Order
Rearrange the order of the generators in the left column of the player order.
- First player: the player with the most cities in his network.
- In case of a tie: the player with the bigger power plant.
Phase 2: Auction Power Plants
This phase is played in player order beginning with the first player.
a) Choose a power plant for auction
- The player chooses one of the four power plants in the current market.
- The players bid in clockwise order. The minimum bid matches the number of the power plant.
- Per round, each player may buy at most one power plant. Each player can own only 3 power plants at any time.
North America: the smallest power plant in the current market gets the discount token. The minimum bid on this power plant is reduced to 1 Elektro.
b) Pass the auction
- If a player opts out of this phase, he cannot bid on any auction and does not get any power plant in this round.
- During the first round each player must buy a power plant and may not opt out of this phase!
Europe: if all players opt to pass the auction, remove the smallest power plant in the current market from the game.
Phase 3: Buy Resources
This phase is played in reverse player order beginning with the last player.
- The player buys the resource tokens he wants, as long as he can pay for them and store them on his power plants.
- Each power plant may only store up to twice as many resources as needed for production.
Phase 4: Build Generators
This phase is played in reverse player order beginning with the last player.
- Each player may choose his starting city anywhere in the contiguous playing zone!
- The player connects to any desired number of new cities during his turn, as long as he can pay for them.
- Costs: building costs in the city plus connecting costs between the cities.
- If there is a power plant in the current market with a number equal to or lower than the number of cities any player has, immediately remove it from the game.
Phase 5: Bureaucracy
- Earning cash
- Each player earns cash from the bank based on the number of cities he powers as shown on the payment summary card.
- Resupply the resource market
- Based on the number of players and the current Step of the game, resupply the resource market with resource tokens from the supply, using the resource refill summary card.
- Update the power plant market
- a) During Step 1 and Step 2: place the biggest power plant in the future market below the power plant stack.
- b) During Step 3: remove the smallest power plant in the current market from the game.
Step 1
- The game starts with Step 1.
- Every city can only be part of the network of a single player. The building cost for the first generator is 10 Elektro.
- The resupply for resources follows the left column on the resource refill summary card.
Step 2
- Step 2 starts at the beginning of Phase 5 (Bureaucracy) after at least one player connected a certain number of cities to his network in phase 4.
North America: at the start of Step 2 (and just this once) remove the lowest numbered power plant from the current market from the game, and replace it with a new one from the power plant stack.
Europe: at the start of Step 2 (and just this once) remove the lowest numbered power plant from the current market from the game. Do not replace it so the future market is reduced to the 4 power plants with the bigger numbers.
- Every city can be part of the networks of two players. The building cost for the second generator is 15 Elektro.
- The resupply for resources follows the center column on the resource refill summary card.
Step 3
- When the Step 3 card is drawn from the power plant stack, Step 3 begins at the beginning of the next phase of the game.
- At the start of Step 3, remove the card Step 3 and the smallest power plant in the current market from the game. During Step 3, there are only 6 power plants in the power plant market. Players can bid on all 6 of these power plants.
- Every city can be part of the networks of three players. The building cost for the third generator is 20 Elektro.
- The resupply for resources follows the right column on the resource refill summary card.