UK Cynical Edition (fan expansion for Ticket to Ride)
UK Cynical Edition (fan expansion for Ticket to Ride) Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
What You Need
A Copy of Ticket To Ride, preferably Ticket To Ride: Europe, available from all fine game retailers. We all got ours from Plan 9 in Aberdeen who do mail order.
A copy of Dave Millard's UK Map.
These rather simple rules.
A print out of the event cards shown below (click on the image, each file is around 1MB in size).
Do the Blue Peter thing and get busy with the paper & scissors (remember to ask a parent to help you).
Updating the Map
This needs a little modification. Don't worry, you can still use the map for the normal game afterwards so no real damage done.
We have 3 new symbols that are placed on the map. 2 of these are straight out of Ticket to Ride: Europe but Bridges are all our idea. So familiarity with Ticket to Ride: Europe is useful. Where these symbols are placed and their meanings are described below.
Ferries
As per Europe version these have a number of locomotive symbols on the route. A locomotive must be played instead of the normal coloured card for each locomotive symbol.
1 locomotive ferry routes:
- Stornoway to Wick
- Londonderry to Glasgow
- Belfast to Stranraer
- Stranraer to Douglas
- Douglas to Liverpool
- Dublin to Holyhead
- Dublin to Douglas
2 locomotives ferry routes:
- Fort William to Stornoway
- Dublin to Liverpool
Tunnels
As per Europe rules. After completing these routes turn over three cards. Each of these cards that have the same colour as the completed route (locomotive cards will automatically be the same colour as the route) require the player to play an additional card of the same colour (locomotives can be used).
E.g. complete red route. Turn over three cards one of which is red and one is a locomotive, player must play two further red/locomotive cards to complete. If player can't do this he takes all his cards back into his hand and his turn ends.
Tunnel Routes:
- Cardiff to Aberystwyth
- Aberystwyth to Birmingham
- Aberystwyth to Liverpool
The London Underground
The inner four spaces of the four London station double routes are also tunnels. Leave the outer routes as they are – they represent the over-ground network.
Bridges
These routes require an additional card of the same colour (locomotives can be used) only score as the route length however not the number of cards expended. We marked these by placing a ____/ symbol either side of the bridge sections (i.e. over the water bits).
Routes with a Bridge:
- Newcastle upon Tyne to Aberdeen
- Holyhead to Liverpool
- Newquay to Swansea
Playing the Game
This is the easy bit, honest.
At the beginning of the game deal out 3 of the event cards to each player where they are kept in hand. Less cards at the beginning of the game may be preferable.
Cards can only be played when stated on the card:
- Play In Turn: These cards must ONLY be played when it is your turn. They can be played IN ADDITION to anything else you do in your turn.
- Play Out Of Turn: These cards can ONLY be played during someone else's and cannot be played in your own.
- Play Any Time: These cards can be played at any time. Cards that are being played on other players must be played during their turn as they are carrying out the action that the card influences. You may play them on yourself or as a counter to another player playing a card on you.
- Play As Turn: These cards are played instead of you having a turn. i.e. To play one of these cards you must play it in your turn as your ONLY action, effectively skipping a turn.
- Play End Game: These cards are kept in hand until the end of the game and final scoring commences. A player must show the card to finalise their score.
Cards that affect the actions of another player must be played during their turn as they are carrying out the action that the card influences.
Some cards may need to be laid out in front of the player to take effect – this is indicated clearly in the card text.
Players may draw one additional card as their turn. Allowing players to draw 2 cards and discarding one, or keeping both are options to use if you wish to encourage more card use.
General Card Usage Notes
- Cards can be discarded freely.
- There is no hand limit.
- Imposing a hand limit of 3 or 5 cards may be worthwhile if you find people are hoarding to the end of the game – this limit may or may not include cards laid out in front of the player.
- To discourage similar gamesmanship you may want to ban card use after one player only has 10 train pieces left, except for Play End Game cards which can still be played.
Countering Cards
Cards that cancel other players' cards must be played immediately.
Any player can cancel a card being played if they have the appropriate counter card – not just the target of the card.
Ministerial or Government cards are indicated by the words Minister, Gov., Government or Ministerial in the TITLE BAR. For Example: The New Transport Minister counter card can itself be cancelled by a card that affects Ministerial or Government cards, thereby allowing the original card to remain in play.
The Pending General Election card cannot be countered using a Ministerial or Government card as it does not contain the necessary wording in the title.
Extensions
A few people have suggested new cards to me. You may like to add these to your pack:
- Influence with Civil Servants: When you play this card you can steal another randomly from another player. Play in turn.
- Vandalism is Rife: Lose one train car from your unused stock. Play in turn.
- Grant from EU: Add one extra train car to your stock. Play in turn.
- Compulsory Purchase: An extra grey route can be built parallel to any fully occupied route. Play in turn.
- Stock Market Crash: The second line of all grey double routes is closed if unoccupied. Play in turn provided there is a ring of occupied routes around London.
- New Rail Company: An unbuilt route is changed to whatever colour you like. Play in turn when you build the route.
- Sleaze: Honours For Cash: 4 identical train cards can be traded for 4 victory points. Play as turn.
- Cabinet Reshuffle: Any number of train cards can be exchanged for the same number of cards from the stack. Play as turn.
Event Cards
The event cards are shown on two card sheets, 16 cards each, 32 in total. The card title is in the title bar and the play timing is shown in the circle at the bottom right of each card. Card text is transcribed as printed, including the parenthetical notes on the cards.
Sheet 1
Electrification (Play In Turn) Route costs one less Train Card (Any length route).
Ministerial Intervention (Play Out Of Turn) Play as an opponent is currently placing a route. Force the route to be repositioned on any valid route of your choice.
Stuck in a Quango (Play Any Time) This card has the effect of cancelling any ministerial or government card currently being played.
Wrong Type of Snow (Play Any Time) Treat Route as a tunnel (Can be used to counter "Heatwave: Buckling Rails" instead).
Heatwave: Buckling Rails (Play Any Time) Treat Route as a tunnel (Can be used to counter "Wrong Type Of Snow" instead).
Government Privatisation (Play In Turn) Government privatises route. Every card to create route must be a different colour (Ignore actual route colour).
New Transport Minister (Play Any Time) This card has the effect of cancelling any ministerial or government card currently being played.
Competent Contractors (Play Any Time) Ignore the extra cost of any bridge or tunnel (Can be used to counter "Incompetent Contractors" instead).
Government Mandate (Play As Turn) Force a player to take the top destination ticket. This ticket must be displayed face up.
Ministerial Mandate (Play In Turn) Force a player to take the top destination ticket.
Incompetent Contractors (tunnel version) (Play Any Time) Tunnel built where not needed. Treat Route as having 1 Tunnel (Can be used to counter "Competent Contractors" instead).
Incompetent Contractors (bridge version) (Play Any Time) Bridge built where not needed. Treat Route as having 1 Bridge (Can be used to counter "Competent Contractors" instead).
Pending General Election (Play Any Time) Suddenly money can be found to counter ANY problem. Cancel any other card played on you.
Sofa on the Lines (Play Any Time) Play one extra train card (any colour) to complete route.
Leaves on the Tracks (Play Any Time) Play one extra train card (any colour) to complete route.
Immigrant Workers (Play Any Time) Ignore the extra cost of any bridge or tunnel.
Sheet 2
High Speed Tilting Train (Play In Turn) Reduce the cost of a route by 1 Train Card. Route must be longer than 3 spaces.
Government White Paper (Play As Turn) Route Abandoned. Any one route is out of game. Any Train Cars on route are returned to players hand. (Use a marker to show closed route.)
EU Directive (Play Any Time) This card has the effect of cancelling any ministerial or government card currently being played.
Not in My Back Yard! (Play As Turn) Unused route is out of game. (Use a marker to indicate this.)
New Historical Railway (Play Any Time) Rail enthusiasts re-open any previously closed route. (Remove marker showing closed route.)
Busing (Play End Game) Use any one route to complete a ticket – whether or not there are any Train Cars on the route.
Gov. Punctuality Targets (Play Any Time) Government punctuality targets means that the route is cancelled this turn. Player currently building route must take back train cars and cards.
Non-Tilting Tilting Train (Play Any Time) Increase the cost of a route by 1 Train Card. Route must be longer than 3 spaces.
Government Meddling (Play As Turn) Remove a route placed by an opponent and replace route with your own (you MUST have the cards to build route).
"Son of Brunel" (Play In Turn) Gifted contractor allows you to build all bridges at no cost as long as you display this card.
Tunnel to Victory (Play In Turn) Hiring the Great Escape crew allows you to build all tunnels at no cost as long as you display this card.
Transport Monopoly (Play In Turn) Hostile corporate aquisition allows you to use all ferries at no cost as long as you display this card.
Public Outrage (Play Any Time) No Effect.
Transport Minister Lied (Play Any Time) This card has the effect of cancelling any ministerial or government card currently being played.
Shareholder Anger (Play In Turn) Railway re-nationalised on the cheap. Loose any one route but gain a number of cards equal to route length in compensation. (Must Play On Self.)
Win Compensation (Play In Turn) Pick up any card and add to your hand. This is in addition to any other cards picked up this turn. You may not take a card from a discard deck.