Precious Cargo
Precious Cargo Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
About the Game
Precious Cargo is a 2-player game in which players compete to make their fortunes on the high seas. Build a merchant fleet and set sail to buy and sell precious cargo!
Object of the Game
To be the first player to accumulate 25 points (in coins) by transporting and selling cargo.
Game Components
- Heavy Duty Quad Fold Gameboard
- 6 Wood Ships (Hulls)
- 18 Masts (3 sizes)
- 18 Sails (9 each of Red and Yellow)
- 20 Wood Cargo Crates (Multiple colors)
- 16 Commodity Chips (8 Red, 8 Yellow)
- 6 Wood Governor Pieces (Red and Yellow)
- 20 Cardboard Coins (5 silver coins worth 1 each and 15 gold coins worth 3 each)
- 2 Shipping Guide Sheets
- 1 Supply Card
- Illustrated Instructions
The Gameboard
The gameboard is divided into two countries. The first is Koruna, represented by a sun on a field of red; the other is Talonas, represented by an eagle on a field of yellow.
Each country has four seaside settlements. They are shown as a small patch of that country's color, and each one has a rectangular space for a Governor, as well as a circular space for a commodity chip that will indicate the commodity that is currently in demand there.
Each settlement also has two square port spaces next to it. A ship sitting in one of the port spaces is docked at that settlement.
Lines shown in the sea between the two countries indicate trade routes between settlements.
Types of Cargo
Cargo comes in seven different types. Three types of cargo can only be bought in Talonas and three types can only be bought in Koruna. The seventh type of cargo, food, can be bought in either country.
Other than food, all cargo types bought in one country must be sold in the opposite country. Food can be sold at any settlement other than the one where it was bought, even in the same country — but never at the same settlement it was bought from.
Cargo that is in demand at a settlement has a much higher value there than other types do.
| Koruna | Talonas | Cargo Value: In Demand | Cargo Value: Not In Demand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food (green), value 2 | Food (green), value 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Textiles (purple), value 3 | Sugar (white), value 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Livestock (brown), value 3 | Furs (blue), value 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Spice (orange-red), value 4 | Ore (grey), value 4 | 4 | 1 |
Ships
Each ship has a hull with four places to put either sails or cargo. To move anywhere, a ship must have at least one sail, and at most it can have three sails. The number of sails on a ship determines how many spaces the ship can move at the beginning of each turn. The remaining places can be filled with cargo crates.
Set Up
One player is the leader of Talonas (Yellow) and the other is the leader of Koruna (Red). Once both players have chosen their country, each player should do the following:
- Choose one of the settlements in your country to serve as your home settlement.
- Place one of your Governors in the rectangular space of your home settlement.
- Make a ship with one sail, and dock it at one of the two dock spaces next to your home settlement.
- Take the commodity chips for your country and spread them out facedown so that your country emblem — not the commodity — is showing.
- Mix the chips up and randomly choose one chip for each of the four settlements in your country.
- Place each settlement's chip face up in the circular space of that settlement. The chip indicates which commodity that settlement wants to buy from the other country.
- Place the four remaining commodity chips for your country facedown next to the board.
- Place all of the cargo crates on the corresponding spaces on the supply card. One side holds one country's stockpile of cargo and the other side holds the other country's. Place the supply card beside the gameboard where both players can easily reach it.
- Take two silver coins and one gold coin (total value of five) as your starting funds. Set the rest next to the board.
- Choose a player to go first.
How to Play
You begin your turn by moving your ships. When ships move, they must follow one of the lines on the board from their current spot to the next intersection marked by a dot. Only one ship at a time can occupy a dot. Ships cannot pass through a dot on the board that is already occupied by another ship.
Each of your ships can move a number of spaces up to its sail count. For example, if a ship has three sails, you can choose to move it zero, one, two, or three spaces. You can choose to move some ships but not others, or you can choose not to move any ships at all. Once you have made all the ship movements that you want to do this turn, you can also do up to two of the six actions below. You cannot do any of these actions more than once per turn.
Build a New Hull (Governor required)
You can pay three to place a new hull piece at an empty dock space of any settlement where you have a Governor. Your new hull doesn't come with any sails, so you will have to add them as a separate action. You cannot build a new hull if you already have three ships in play.
Add Sails to a Ship (Governor required)
You can add up to three sails to a single ship docked at a settlement where you have a Governor. Each sail costs one, and you cannot put more than three sails on a ship. You cannot remove sails from ships.
Install a Governor
You can install one of your remaining Governors at any settlement where you have a ship docked, as long as it doesn't already have a Governor. You can even put a Governor in your opponent's country! However, you can only install a Governor if your opponent is not also docked at the settlement.
Governors are helpful for two main reasons: They let you build hulls or add sails at their settlements, and you earn one silver coin for every crate sold in a settlement with one of your Governors (regardless of who is selling the cargo)!
Take On Cargo
If you have a ship docked at a settlement, you can take one or more crates from that country's stockpile and put them on your ship. There is no cost to take on cargo. However, you may not take the last crate of any type of cargo if you already have one of that type on board that ship.
You may not load more than four objects (sails/cargo) on any ship. For example, if a ship has three sails, you may not carry more than one cargo crate on it.
Sell Cargo
If you have a ship docked at a settlement and are carrying cargo from the opposite country, you may sell any or all of that cargo. Determine the value of the cargo as follows:
- All cargo that is in demand at that settlement (meaning it matches the type shown on the settlement's commodity chip) is worth the value marked on the commodity chip.
- All cargo that is not in demand is worth one.
- In addition, if the settlement has a Governor, the player who placed the Governor earns one silver coin for each cargo crate sold (even if it is the same player selling the cargo).
Example of Selling Cargo: The red player wants to sell one crate each of textiles and food at a settlement with a yellow Governor. The commodity chip for that settlement indicates that textiles are in demand.
The red player earns four. The textiles are worth three (the value on the commodity chip) because they are in demand, and the food is only worth one because it is not in demand.
The yellow player earns two. The Governor earns one for each crate sold.
Once you have sold all the cargo you wish to sell this turn, return the cargo crates you sold to the supply card. Randomly draw a new commodity chip for the settlement where you are docked, from the extras next to the board. Then, return the chip for the commodity you just sold face down to the pile of unused chips and mix them up.
Move One Ship Again
You may choose to move one of your ships one additional space. Even if a ship has already moved its maximum distance (equal to its sail count) this turn, you can still use this action to move it one more space.
Winning the Game
The first player to have coins worth 25 wins.
Gameplay Questions
- Can a player form a blockade by leaving a ship on a dotted space? Yes, blockades are an integral part of gameplay. Ships (yours or your opponent's) cannot pass through a dot on the board that is already occupied by another ship.
- Can you "dump" cargo (remove it from your ship without selling it)? No, you need to find a home for cargo once you buy it, even if a better opportunity comes along.
- Is it possible for a Governor to be relocated during the game? No, once you install a Governor, they must stay there. You need to decide how long to wait to deploy a Governor to get the most beneficial result.
- Can I remove or sell a sail from my ship to allow it to carry more cargo? No, once a sail is installed, it is permanent.