Solo: Automa (Beer Boom)

Solo Beer Pioneers against Automa, from the Beer Boom expansion: setup, the turn order rule with blocking tokens, how Automa blocks spaces, game end, difficulty and card clarifications.

The base game has no solo mode; the Beer Boom expansion adds one against a virtual opponent, Automa. You play the normal rules; Automa only blocks you. Base game only — no Beer Boom modules.

Setup for you

• Sort the 16 Automa cards (8 blue, 8 red, each A or B) and the 6 solo setup cards by back; choose 1 solo setup card (setup).
• Set up as for 2 players, with a 2-player setup card covering spaces.
• Only 1 extension tile of each type; only the type marked on your solo setup card gives the first-builder VP.
• Follow your solo setup card: the components it shows (ignore those on your random starting card), the 2 blocking tokens it places on turn order spaces, your special starting bonus, and start at −1 .
• Two solo setup cards give random regular action cards instead of starting cards: draw them before the display is laid out.
• Choose normal or increased difficulty (normal for the first game).
• You may use all base cards and the 13 new general cards except Mathilde Schneider and the Funny Leicht promo.

Setup for Automa

Automa has no brewery board and no turn order worker: only 2 untagged workers, 2 small bonus workers and a truck, in a colour you don’t use. Take 3 A and 3 B cards of each colour at random; per colour shuffle the B cards into a face-down stack and put the shuffled A cards on top.

Your changes to the rules

• Blocking tokens you remove go to your personal supply instead of the box.
• Turn order action: once per round, do a turn order action and cover that space with one of your blocking tokens (red “!” up) — it is blocked for the rest of the game. No token to place this round: you lose at once.
• Once per game you may also use your untagged worker for a second turn order action on a space already blocked: take that blocking token back to your supply and leave the worker there for good.
• After the round end, flip that round’s token to its side without “!”.

A round

1. Automa first: reveal the top blue card (“Before 1st action”) and resolve it: it places a worker on the area shown, and may first remove a display card or put a bonus worker on an objective.
2. You play until you have taken your first action on the game board with a worker or your truck (a turn order action doesn’t count).
3. Reveal the top red card (“After 1st action on game board”): Automa places its second worker on the area shown (or the next higher/lower free one, as the card says) and its truck on the first free option of three, preferably blocking a first-player truck bonus.
4. You take all your remaining actions, then the round end as usual.

Automa never takes coins, beer, dials or barrels, and never does an action or bonus action.

Game end

• You lose at once if you can’t place a blocking token for your turn order action.
• Reach 20 during a round: finish it, score if you like — you have won.
• Otherwise the game ends after the round in which you revealed the last red card.
  • Normal: final scoring as usual; 20 or more wins.
  • Increased: no final scoring; 20 or more wins.

Card clarifications

• Bar room (promo): Automa always has money. Johann Schlegel (promo): Automa is not a player — or remove these cards.
• Funny Leicht (promo) and Mathilde Schneider: remove before the game.
• Refreshment kiosk: you must already have used your untagged worker for a turn order action, and a turn order action must be free.
• Solo setup card 2: pick your brewmaster before the display is laid out. Card 3: keep one of your 8 blocking tokens in your supply after taking your 3 starting cards. Card 5: take any display card, ignoring your brewing level, then refill.