Zankapfel
Zankapfel Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
Each player picks apples, trying to get the best apples each turn. Apples earn points which are recorded by moving the apple farmers round the outer track.
The game ends either when a player reaches the starting square, having travelled round the board, or when there are no more harvest chips on the board.
The winner is either the first player to finish the course, or, if all the apples are already picked, is the player who has advanced the furthest.
How to Play
Red starts, and is the first player to be the 'Game Leader'. And is given the big apple; the big apple is the Game Leader marker.
At the start of play one red wooden block or 'harvest chip' is placed on each square in the orchard. Starting with the Game Leader, each player takes away one harvest chip (e.g. a four player game starts with four spaces in the orchard, a five player starts with five spaces, and so on). If there are only three players, each player removes a second harvest chip.
The Game Leader places the wooden mayor on any square in the orchard.
Place the coloured apple farmers (one for each player) on the apple square on the outer track. Give each player a set of ten numbered cards in their colour. The numbered cards are one of each number from one to ten.
Shuffle the apple cards and deal four to each player.
Place the remaining apple cards face-down on the house. Turn up the top card.
Apple Cards
There are five types of apple cards; Red, Blue, Yellow, Green and the Multi-coloured apple.
The game is played in rounds. A round consists of everyone either playing an Apple Card face down or buying Apple Cards. The Mayor is moved one space by the Game Leader. The cards which were placed face down are revealed simultaneously and apples are picked or fought over. At the end of the round scores are recorded depending on which apples were successfully picked.
Points
Apples score points depending on where the Mayor is left standing after being moved one space by the Game Leader. Look along the row to see what the corresponding number is for the coloured apple picked. In the illustration in the German rules (page 5), the Mayor is standing in square BM. A Red apple picked there scores 5 points, a Green 7 points, a Yellow 3 points and a Blue 2 points.
Note: the scoring grid itself is not printed in this document; only the worked example above is given.
The Game
- The Game Leader decides what he will do. He has two choices. a. He can play an Apple Card from his hand face down, which shows the apple colour he wants to pick, or, b. He can buy the face up card on the top of the undealt Apple Cards. This costs half (rounded down) of the current point value of that apple. Payment is made by moving his scoring piece on the outer track back by 1, 2 or 3 spaces. He can go beyond the start square (if he bought an apple on the first turn, for example). A Multi-coloured apple always costs 3 points to buy. c. If a card is bought, the next card is turned up immediately.
- The next player now has the same choice, and so on round the table until everyone has had the chance to pick or buy.
- The Game Leader now moves the Mayor one square in any direction (up/down, across, or diagonally), but he must move it to a square which has a harvest chip on it. The harvest chip is then removed from play. As the board empties of harvest chips, it is easier to see where the Mayor will be moving. If there is not a harvest chip on any adjacent square, then the Mayor can be moved to any square in the orchard with a harvest chip still on it. The Game Leader has a big advantage. He knows where the Mayor is going, whereas the others don't (unless there is only one legal square for the Mayor to move to). The other players need more guess-work if they are going to pick a high scoring apple.
- All those hoping to pick apples now turn over their Apple Cards. a. If there is no clashing of the same colours, each player successfully picks their apple, and scores the points accordingly. They then move their counters round the outer track that number of spaces. The Apple Cards are placed face down in the discard pile (the Barn). b. If there is a clash of colour, 'Contention' occurs. This Contention might be between two or more players. If two different Contentions occur in the same round, resolve each in order, start with the Game Leader and move round clockwise (see Contention). c. If a player plays a Multi-coloured Apple Card, he can decide what colour it is after looking at everyone else's Apple Card played that turn. He might go for Contention, or might not; the choice is up to him. If two or more Multi-coloured Apple Cards are played, the choice of apple colour will be done in turn order; i.e. starting with the Game Leader and moving round to the left. d. After resolving the apple picking, pass the Game Leader marker (the big apple) to the person on the left of the current Game Leader, and a new round begins.
Contention
Each player simultaneously plays one of their numbered cards face down.
Starting with the player nearest to the Game Leader (going round from the left), each player decides to take a die or dice to supplement his card total. This is done in Poker fashion; i.e. if a player decides a die after the other one has refused to, the player who refused a die can now take one (or more) and then the other one can increase his dice as well.
Each die taken (a maximum of three) costs two points. Immediately deduct this total by moving the apple farmer back two spaces or more as appropriate. Once a die has been taken, it cannot be 'handed back' that round, it must be used.
When both contenders are happy with their cards and/or dice situation, the cards are revealed. If a die or dice were taken, it or they are rolled and the total added to the card. The apple with the highest score is picked, and all the Apple Cards are stacked face down on the discard pile (the Barn).
The numbered cards are placed to the side, out of the game.
Each numbered card can be used once only.
If a Contention results in a draw, the numbered cards are placed out of the game, and all tied players in the Contention must pick another card and again decide about dice. The new Contention is again resolved, and if another tie, this continues until someone wins.
If you have no Contention Card to play, you must resort to 1, 2 or 3 dice and hope you roll a high enough total to beat the opposition. Note that you must play a card if you can.
End of the Game
If a player reaches the start square again (having gone round the board), he wins. If two people reach it in the same turn, the one who went furthest past, wins. If both still the same, it is a joint win.
When the Mayor has nowhere else to move (i.e. all the harvest chips have been removed from play), the game ends immediately and player furthest ahead on the outer track, wins. If the two leading players are on the same square, it is a joint win.
Notes
Remember that the Mayor must be moved before the Apple Cards are revealed.
If you do not have any Apple Cards, you cannot pick apples, you must buy the face up Apple Card.
In Contention, you must play a Contention Card if you have one, and you cannot take more than three dice; normally, one die is the most you will want to take.
Contention Cards go out of the game once used.
Reshuffle the Apple Cards if the pack is exhausted. Keep the used cards face down, it is less confusing. The only face up card is the one that is for sale.
Variation
Corruption
If a player prefers to move the Mayor in a different direction than that chosen by the Game Leader, he can try to corrupt the Game Leader with one or two points. If the Game Leader accepts this, the Mayor will be moved to whichever square the other player decides. The Game Leader moves his farmer that number of points forward and the other player moves his farmer backwards by the same number of points.
Tactical Hints
Contentions are expensive. Try to avoid them.
Contentions can be avoided by being modest in your ambition. Try to harvest 'only' a three or four and you minimize the danger of Contention.
The players on the right side of the Game Leader can notice how many players try to harvest. If many players try to harvest, it is perhaps better to buy a new Apple Card.
Multi-coloured apples are important. Even if many players try to harvest, these cards have great value.