Rules - [EBP Help Contents]

A summary of standard Empire Builder rules is given below. For specific details and special notes pertaining to individual maps, please consult the rules that come with copies of the board games.

Tip: To learn how to start playing on the computer, see the Introduction. Other tips about computer game features are shown in italics below.

OVERVIEW

This is a strategy game of building railroad networks. Upon the game's map, players attempt to connect mileposts into an efficient network of track to facilitate swift deliveries of demanded goods, called "loads". Players earn cash by picking up loads from a city at which they are supplied, using their train to transport the loads along track, and delivering the loads to where demanded to collect a payment. The winner is the first player who can accumulate $250 million or more in cash while interconnecting the required minimum number of big (hexagonal) cities with his track network. Commonly, this required minimum is one less than number of big cities present on the map.

START

Each player starts the match with a certain amount of cash, usually $40 to $60 million depending on the map, three load demand contracts, a Freight engine that has room to carry 2 loads, and no track. Tip: EBP shows your cash level in the box at the lower-left corner of the map. Each of the three contracts lists three different cities, each of which demands a particular type of load and offers a particular cash payoff amount. The player may choose to satisfy (deliver the demanded load) any one, and only one, of the three demands on a contract. Players observe which loads are demanded by their contracts, and where load supplying cities are on the map. Most game maps depict loads via small, representative icons. Tip: click or hover your mouse over a contract's load name and EBP will blink the cities that supply it, plus list their names above the map.

In order to deliver a load and collect the payoff, players need railroad track that connects the supply and demand cities; during the build phase of a turn a player can build this track. In many cases, it is best to build track to connect the demand city with the closest supply city. When a player satisfies a contract by delivering to one of the three listed cities the load that city demands, he collects a payment, and discards that contract for a new one.

BUILDING TRACK

Play begins with two "build-only" rounds during each of which each player may build up to $20 million worth of track. The cost of track varies with the terrain: building to clear mileposts (plain dots) costs $1 million, to mountains (triangles) $2m, across rivers an additional $2m, into small (red circle) or medium (red square) cities an additional $2m, etc. Players may only build track from either their existing track, or from big cities (red hexagons). Note that building into a big city costs $5m but building out from it (to a normal milepost) costs only $1m. Such inexpensive build outs are limited to 2 per turn. Tip: to draw track, zoom into the map, point to a milepost, click and hold the left mouse button, and drag the mouse to adjacent milepost(s). EBP will display the total build cost. Undo by pressing Backspace or sliding the Swipe bar (found near the top-right of the map) to the right. When satisfied, click the OK (done) button.

MOVEMENT

After the initial build-only rounds, during his turn, the player starts his train at any city on the map, picks up loads, and then moves. Typically this movement proceeds from the supply cities to the demand cities. He may travel (move his train milepost-to-milepost along previously constructed track on the map) from one location to another up to the maximum amount allowed by the speed of his engine. A Freight engine moves 9 mileposts per turn. A player does not need to consume his entire allowed distance: he may stop early.

For travel, a player may use any track desired, provided that he does not reverse direction of movement except at a city or ferry port. If during a turn the player rides upon any track of an opponent, he must pay that opponent $4 million, and must have that money available prior to moving. There is no fee for moving upon one's own track.

Tip: to move your train its maximum distance, click one of the vertically shaded ovals.

PICKING UP LOADS

When his train is at a city, a player may pick up at no charge one or more loads supplied by that city, up to the carrying capacity of his train (2 or 3). If he no longer wants to carry a particular load, he may toss it at any time. The total quantity of each type of load in the game is limited (usually 3 or 4), and if all available are already aboard trains, the player may not pick up another of that type. Though any player can pick up any type of load, generally players pick up loads that are listed on their contracts and then travel to the delivery city to collect the payoff indicated. Tip: EBP automatically opens the Loads window when you move to a city that supplies a load you need, or you can open it manually via the Turn, Loads pull-down menu.

Each train is limited as to the maximum number of loads it can carry. The train with which each player begins can carry two loads. Certain upgraded trains can carry three loads.

BUILDING/UPGRADING

After a player has moved, he may construct up to $20m more track if he has sufficient money. His track establishes a "right-of-way" between the mileposts the segment connects, and no other player may build parallel track directly between the same two mileposts.

Instead of building, a player may exchange his Freight engine for a Fast Freight ($20m) which moves 12, or a Heavy Freight ($20m) which moves 9 but has room to carry 3 loads. From either of those engines, a player may later exchange for a Super Freight (moves 12, carries 3) for $20m. Tip: to upgrade your engine, use the Turn, Upgrade Engine pull-down menu.

DELIVERING LOADS

When a player moves to a city that, according to a player's own contracts, demands a load type aboard the player's train, the player can pause movement, make the delivery (removing the load from his train in the process and discarding that contract) and collect the payoff indicated. He then obtains a new contract, can pick up loads, and can move any of his allowed distance remaining. Payoffs are fixed amounts, and are generally proportional to the length plus build cost of the shortest possible route between the closest load supply city and delivery city. Tip: details of how to make a delivery are in the Loads topic.

EVENTS

The deck of contracts also contains events. When a player gets a fresh contract upon delivery, it may instead turn out to be an event. Events include storms, derailments, labor strikes, etc. that temporarily impact play and track in various ways. Follow the instructions of the event. If an event is drawn, keep drawing until the player gets a contract to replace the one discarded as part of the delivery he just made. Tip: EBP handles this process for you, and on the map displays event areas in an amber color; events can be turned off (prevented from occurring) via EBP's Game Options window.

DISCARDING CONTRACTS

Instead of taking his turn, a player may choose to discard all of the contracts in his hand and draw new ones. This is typically done when the set of contracts does not offer lucrative payoffs or efficient trips; experienced players discard about 1 to 4 times per match. A player may not selectively discard just one contract unless a variant rule permitting it is in effect.

USE FEES

Typically, most train movement is done on the player's own track, but players can choose to move their trains along the track of an opponent. After doing so, and before building, the player pays that opponent a $4m rental fee. Sometimes an opponent's track goes where the player needs or offers a sufficient shortcut to be worth riding despite the rental fee. Many people reduce that fee to $2m to create more player interaction. Tip: EBP automatically tracks and processes rental fees. You can customize the rental fee via Game Options.

FERRIES

Some maps have ferries. To access a ferry, a player builds track to one of its ports, and then out from its opposite port. The cost of building to the ferry is displayed within the circle along the ferry's route. To use a ferry, the player moves his train to the port, and loses the remainder of his movement. On his next turn, he "jumps" his train to the connected port, where he begins counting his movement, but only moves half the normal amount (rounding up). Each ferry can be built to by up to two players.

BUILD LIMITS

A maximum of two players can build into a small (circular) city. A maximum of three players can build into a medium (square) city. All players must be able to build into big (hexagon) cities and interconnect them with all other big cities. No track may be built that would prevent another player from building into a big city, or other city to which he is otherwise entitled.

WINNING

Play continues until completion of the round in which a player reaches $250 million or more in cash, and has connected via his track the required number of big cities (usually one less than the total number of big cities on the map). That player is the winner. If more than one player reaches these goals during the same round, the one with the most cash wins. If there is a tie for cash, the game continues with the new winning cash requirement increased by $50m.

STRATEGY

Efficiency is the key to crayon rails. You want to maximize your payoffs by moving via direct, short routes while not overbuilding track. Try to make long distance trips (i.e. one map edge to the opposite) while carrying multiple loads you can deliver either along way or near other delivery cities. On many maps, routes that directly connect the big cities are helpful because they are often the most frequently traveled rail corridors.

VARIANTS

Perhaps more than with most games, this game lends itself to special house rules or variants. Please consult the Crayon Rail Fanatics Web site for even more information about fun variants.