Gameplay

How cards, actions, rounds, and the Turn Order Track structure an era.

Two eras

The game has two eras: Canal (1770–1830) and Rail (1830–1870). Each era ends after the round in which the Draw Deck and all players’ Hands are exhausted. A 2-player game has 10 rounds per era, a 3-player game 9, and a 4-player game 8 (rulebook, pp. 6–7).

Canals are used only in the first era; rail links only in the second. At the Canal-to-Rail transition, level 1 Industry tiles leave the board and each player receives a fresh eight-card Hand. See end-of-era scoring and maintenance.

Cards and the Draw Deck

The normal cards are Location cards and Industry cards. A Location card lets you build an Industry tile at its named location, even outside your network. An Industry card lets you build its matching industry where your network reaches. Wild Location and Wild Industry cards can stand in for those respective card types; a Wild Location cannot build in either Farm Brewery.

After setup, each player begins with eight cards in Hand and one card face down in their Discard Pile. Keep your Hand hidden. Every action—including passing—costs a discarded card. Wild cards return to their face-up Card Draw Area instead of going into a Discard Pile. Build is the only action that requires a particular card.

After taking all actions on your turn, draw back up to eight if cards remain in the Draw Deck. When it is exhausted, Hands shrink as cards are spent; do not draw from a Discard Pile during an era.

Your turn

Take two actions in the order of your choice. You may repeat an action. In the first round of the Canal Era, each player takes one action instead. Choose from Build, Network, Develop, Sell, Loan, and Scout. You may pass, but still discard one card.

Pay money onto your Character tile on the Turn Order Track rather than into the Bank. When all players have acted, sort those tiles from least money spent to most: the least-spending player acts first next round. Players tied on spending keep their relative order. Return all money on the tiles to the Bank before the next round.

Scout and Wild cards

Scout is an action that discards a card for the action plus two additional cards. Take one face-up Wild Location and one Wild Industry card. You cannot Scout if you already hold any Wild card. When used or discarded, each Wild card returns to its own face-up card area.

Game materials

The current retail rulebook lists four Player Mats, four Character tiles, 56 Link tiles, 180 Industry tiles, nine Merchant tiles, 64 Location and Industry cards, eight Wild cards, four Player Aids, 30 coal cubes, 18 iron cubes, 15 beer barrels, four VP markers, four Income markers, and 77 cardboard money tokens. The Deluxe Edition substitutes 78 Iron Clays for the cardboard money tokens. Cards & Components covers the base set.