Cards & Components
Every Mombasa component with a picture: the board, all eight company tracks, the player board, every action, starting, expansion and share card, all 72 book tiles, the starting and bonus tiles, the pieces and the icons.
Every distinct face, grouped by type, with what it does and a link to the rule that uses it. The board, tracks, player board, cards, books and tiles are pictured from the Mombasa Tabletop Simulator mod, whose faces match the 2015 English rulebook; the setup and action-area pictures and the reward icons come from eggertspiele’s rulebook. Effects are in our own words. On cards, the crate is the red number at the bottom right (part of the card’s price), and a banner at the bottom left is 1 extra share of that company.
Boards
Game board
The map of 24 regions, the four company bases, the card display, the round track, the book display and the bonus spaces — see the numbered board legend.
| Picture | Area |
|---|---|
 | Bonus spaces — first player, buy a card with money, remove a card; the four MAX majority spaces; the four bonus tile spaces (bonus spaces). A tie at zero qualifies for MAX; you gain nothing but can block it. Costs are paid when you place a marker; the first-player space gives 1 bookkeeping point which you spend immediately. FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ |
 | Round track and book display — rounds 2–7 with their coins; above each book space its cost: 1 bookkeeping point for A and B, 2 for C (books). A flipped book can be entered without a requirement, but has no reward; any book can cover A, while only B/C cover B/C. FAQ FAQ FAQ |
Company tracks
Four double-sided tracks of two jigsaw pieces: A1/A2, B1/B2, C1/C2 and D1/D2. Every space of every side is listed on Company Tracks. Rewards from one action may be taken in any order; money from one track can pay a capital call on the next. You may decline or shorten track movement, and special-space money can be used only after reaching the space. FAQ FAQ FAQ
| Picture | Track |
|---|---|
 | A1 — permanent bonus: expansion value +1 / +2 |
 | A2 — permanent bonus: 1 / 2 extra bonus markers. Those extra markers start working on your next turn, not in the action that unlocked them. FAQ |
 | B1 — permanent bonus: cheaper cards with bananas / with any goods, mixed. Only B1’s second bonus allows a card purchase with mixed goods; all other goods actions use one type. FAQ |
 | B2 — permanent bonus: cheaper cards with cotton / cotton cards +1 |
 | C1 — extra bonus spaces: bookkeeping points and diamond steps. A special-space pound is paid once on reaching it; extra bonus spaces let each player use only one of that track’s two special bonuses per round. FAQ FAQ FAQ |
 | C2 — extra bonus spaces: buy a card with money and diamond steps |
 | D1 — extra bonus spaces: remove a card from your hand for money |
 | D2 — extra bonus spaces: 2 spaces on two / on three other tracks |
Player board
Four boards, one per colour (blue, yellow, green, purple), identical but for the colour: diamond track, bookkeeping track, starting tile space, and the resting and action slots on its top and bottom edges (legend). Every extra action slot adds a resting slot; slots may be empty. Resting decks show their top card; ask before looking through another player’s deck. At the end of round 7, every card counts wherever it is. FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ
Cards
Action, starting and “1”-expansion cards share this back:
| Picture | Card |
|---|---|
 | Back of every action, starting and “1”-expansion card |
Action cards: A (9)
| Picture | Card |
|---|---|
 | 2 coffee (×2) — crate 2 (goods) FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ |
 | 2 cotton (×2) — crate 2 |
 | 2 bananas (×2) — crate 2 FAQ |
 | Diamond merchant —  1 step and  2 pounds; crate 1 (merchant) |
 | Bookkeeper —  2 points; crate 1 (bookkeeper). For a book’s extra-bookkeeper condition, count another face-up bookkeeper besides the one being used. FAQ FAQ FAQ |
 | Bookkeeper — 3 points; crate 2 |
Every bookkeeper also shows the optional flip (pay 2 pounds to turn a book down) and the ink jar move. For goods, use the large center number as units; the red crate is price/removal value. A goods action uses one type, buys at most one card, pays its price before using leftovers to move, or spends all units on track movement. Expansion and bookkeeper cards are not goods. FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ
Action cards: B (16)
| Picture | Card |
|---|---|
 | 3 coffee — crate 3 |
 | 2 coffee — crate 1 |
 | 3 cotton — crate 3 |
 | 2 cotton — crate 1 |
 | 3 bananas — crate 3 |
 | 2 bananas — crate 1 |
 | Bookkeeper (×2) — 3 points; crate 2 |
 | Expansion 2 + 1 Mombasa share — crate 2 (expansion) FAQ |
 | Expansion 2 + 1 Cape Town share — crate 2 |
 | Expansion 2 + 1 Saint-Louis share — crate 2 |
 | Expansion 2 + 1 Cairo share — crate 2 |
 | Mombasa diamond merchant + 1 Mombasa share — 2 and 1, then +1 step per 2 mines in regions with Mombasa posts; crate 2 (merchant) |
 | Cape Town diamond merchant + 1 Cape Town share — the same, counting Cape Town’s mines |
 | Saint-Louis diamond merchant + 1 Saint-Louis share — the same, counting Saint-Louis’s mines |
 | Cairo diamond merchant + 1 Cairo share — the same, counting Cairo’s mines |
Action cards: C (11)
| Picture | Card |
|---|---|
 | 4 coffee — crate 3 |
 | 3 coffee — crate 2 |
 | 4 cotton — crate 3 |
 | 3 cotton — crate 2 |
 | 4 bananas — crate 3 |
 | 3 bananas — crate 2 |
 | Expansion 3 + 1 Mombasa share — crate 2 |
 | Expansion 3 + 1 Cape Town share — crate 2 |
 | Expansion 3 + 1 Saint-Louis share — crate 2 |
 | Expansion 3 + 1 Cairo share — crate 2 |
 | Bookkeeper — 3 points; crate 1 |
Share cards: D and E
The last 8 cards of the stack. Each is only 1 share of its company: it stays in your hand until the final scoring and can never be played into an action slot. D cards have crate 0, E cards crate 2.
| Picture | Card |
|---|---|
 | D — 1 Mombasa share, crate 0 |
 | D — 1 Cape Town share, crate 0 |
 | D — 1 Saint-Louis share, crate 0 |
 | D — 1 Cairo share, crate 0 |
 | E — 1 Mombasa share, crate 2 |
 | E — 1 Cape Town share, crate 2 |
 | E — 1 Saint-Louis share, crate 2 |
 | E — 1 Cairo share, crate 2 |
Starting cards (9 per colour)
Each colour has the same nine cards, marked with its colour symbol at the top right and bottom left. The blue set:
| Picture | Card |
|---|---|
 | 2 coffee — crate 2 |
 | 1 coffee — crate 1 |
 | 2 cotton — crate 2 |
 | 1 cotton — crate 1 |
 | 2 bananas — crate 2 |
 | 1 banana — crate 1 |
 | Expansion 2 (×2) — crate 2 |
 | Bookkeeper — 2 points; crate 2 |
The other colours, shown by their 2-coffee card:
| Picture | Card |
|---|---|
 | Yellow set |
 | Green set |
 | Purple set |
“1”-expansion cards
One per seat, added to the starting hand (setup). Each is an expansion card worth 1; the later your seat, the higher its crate value.
| Picture | Card |
|---|---|
 | Seat 1 — expansion 1, crate 0 |
 | Seat 2 — expansion 1, crate 1 |
 | Seat 3 — expansion 1, crate 2 |
 | Seat 4 — expansion 1, crate 3 |
Track cards
Used from the second game to deal the company tracks (setup): the half pointing at a board edge names the track and side placed there.
| Picture | Card |
|---|---|
 | A1 / A2 FAQ |
 | B1 / B2 |
 | C1 / C2 |
 | D1 / D2 |
 | Back — the arrows show which half points at the edge |
Tiles
Book tiles
72 books, 24 per letter, bought from the book display and placed on your bookkeeping track. The top is the entry need; the lower right is the reward for stopping there. You may flip any book for 2 pounds even if your jar cannot reach it this turn; the flipped side has no need or reward. Any book may cover A, but only B/C may cover B/C. “1 diamond merchant or 1 extra bookkeeper” means one in addition to the bookkeeper being used. FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ
| Picture | Back |
|---|---|
 | A — red, 1 bookkeeping point |
 | B — red with gold corners, 1 bookkeeping point |
 | C — grey, 2 bookkeeping points |
A-books
| Picture | Book |
|---|---|
 | A1. Needs 1 diamond merchant or 1 extra bookkeeper + 1  bananas. Reward: 1 diamond step |
 | A2. Needs 1 diamond merchant or 1 extra bookkeeper + 1  cotton. Reward: 1 diamond step |
 | A3. Needs 1 diamond merchant or 1 extra bookkeeper + 1  coffee. Reward: 1 diamond step |
 | A4. Needs expansion value 2 + 1 bananas. Reward: 1 diamond step |
 | A5. Needs expansion value 2 + 1 cotton. Reward: 1 diamond step |
 | A6. Needs expansion value 2 + 1 coffee. Reward: 1 diamond step |
 | A7. Needs expansion value 2 + 2 bananas. Reward: 2 pounds |
 | A8. Needs expansion value 2 + 2 cotton. Reward: 2 pounds |
 | A9. Needs expansion value 2 + 2 coffee. Reward: 2 pounds |
 | A10 (×2). Needs 2 cotton + 2 bananas. Reward: 2 pounds |
 | A11 (×2). Needs 2 bananas + 2 coffee. Reward: 2 pounds |
 | A12 (×2). Needs 2 cotton + 2 coffee. Reward: 2 pounds |
 | A13. Needs 1 cotton + 2 bananas. Reward: 1 pound |
 | A14. Needs 2 bananas + 1 coffee. Reward: 1 pound |
 | A15. Needs 2 cotton + 1 bananas. Reward: 1 pound |
 | A16. Needs 2 cotton + 1 coffee. Reward: 1 pound |
 | A17. Needs 1 bananas + 2 coffee. Reward: 1 pound |
 | A18. Needs 1 cotton + 2 coffee. Reward: 1 pound |
 | A19. Needs 3 bananas. Reward: 1 pound |
 | A20. Needs 3 cotton. Reward: 1 pound |
 | A21. Needs 3 coffee. Reward: 1 pound |
24 A-books in all.
B-books
| Picture | Book |
|---|---|
 | B1 (×2). Needs 3 bananas + 3 further units of one good. Reward: 4 pounds |
 | B2 (×2). Needs 3 cotton + 3 further units of one good. Reward: 4 pounds |
 | B3 (×2). Needs 3 coffee + 3 further units of one good. Reward: 4 pounds |
 | B4. Needs 4 bananas + 1 cotton. Reward: 4 pounds |
 | B5. Needs 4 bananas + 1 coffee. Reward: 4 pounds |
 | B6. Needs 4 cotton + 1 coffee. Reward: 4 pounds |
 | B7. Needs 4 cotton + 1 bananas. Reward: 4 pounds |
 | B8. Needs 4 coffee + 1 bananas. Reward: 4 pounds |
 | B9. Needs 4 coffee + 1 cotton. Reward: 4 pounds |
 | B10. Needs 1 diamond merchant or 1 extra bookkeeper + 3 bananas. Reward: 3 pounds |
 | B11. Needs 1 diamond merchant or 1 extra bookkeeper + 3 cotton. Reward: 3 pounds |
 | B12. Needs 1 diamond merchant or 1 extra bookkeeper + 3 coffee. Reward: 3 pounds |
 | B13 (×3). Needs 1 diamond merchant or 1 extra bookkeeper + 4 units of one good. Reward: 3 pounds |
 | B14. Needs expansion value 2 + 3 bananas. Reward: 3 pounds |
 | B15. Needs expansion value 2 + 3 cotton. Reward: 3 pounds |
 | B16. Needs expansion value 2 + 3 coffee. Reward: 3 pounds |
 | B17 (×3). Needs expansion value 2 + 4 units of one good. Reward: 3 pounds |
24 B-books in all.
C-books
| Picture | Book |
|---|---|
 | C1 (×2). Needs 1 diamond merchant or 1 extra bookkeeper + expansion value 2. Reward: 3 diamond steps |
 | C2 (×2). Needs 1 diamond merchant or 1 extra bookkeeper. Reward: 2 diamond steps |
 | C3 (×2). Needs expansion value 2. Reward: 2 diamond steps |
 | C4 (×2). Needs 4 units of one good. Reward: remove 2 trading posts |
 | C5. Needs 2 bananas. Reward: 2 bookkeeping points |
 | C6. Needs 2 cotton. Reward: 2 bookkeeping points |
 | C7. Needs 2 coffee. Reward: 2 bookkeeping points |
 | C8. Needs 1 diamond merchant or 1 extra bookkeeper + expansion value 2. Reward: 5 pounds |
 | C9 (×2). Needs 4 units of one good. Reward: remove 1 trading post and 2 pounds |
 | C10 (×2). Needs 1 diamond merchant or 1 extra bookkeeper. Reward: 2 pounds |
 | C11 (×2). Needs expansion value 2. Reward: 2 pounds |
 | C12 (×2). Needs at least 1 cotton. Reward: pounds = your cotton units − 1 |
 | C13 (×2). Needs at least 1 bananas. Reward: pounds = your bananas units − 1 |
 | C14 (×2). Needs at least 1 coffee. Reward: pounds = your coffee units − 1 |
24 C-books in all.
Starting tiles
Ten tiles; each player gets one (setup). Its three card icons identify the cards for your resting slots; first-game tiles are assigned by seat. The back is a blank book: pay 2 pounds to flip it, but keep its starting bonus. FAQ FAQ
| Picture | Tile |
|---|---|
 | Cairo 1 + 2 diamonds. Cards: 2 coffee, 1 cotton, expansion 2. Book: expansion 1 + 1 banana → 1. Bonus: 1 space on the Cairo track and 2 |
 | Cairo 2. Cards: 2 bananas, 1 banana, expansion 2. Book: 2 cotton → 1. Bonus: 2 spaces on Cairo |
 | Cairo 3 (first game, 4th player). Cards: 2 coffee, 2 cotton, “1”-expansion. Book: 1 cotton + 1 banana → 1. Bonus: 3 spaces on Cairo FAQ |
 | Cape Town 2 (first game, 2nd player). Cards: 2 cotton, 1 cotton, expansion 2. Book: 2 bananas → 1. Bonus: 2 spaces on Cape Town FAQ |
 | Cape Town 3. Cards: 2 bananas, 2 coffee, “1”-expansion. Book: expansion 1 + 1 cotton → 1. Bonus: 3 spaces on Cape Town |
 | Saint-Louis 1 + 1 diamond (first game, 3rd player). Cards: 2 coffee, 1 coffee, expansion 2. Book: expansion 2 → 1. Bonus: 1 space on Saint-Louis and 1 FAQ |
 | Saint-Louis 2. Cards: 2 bananas, 2 coffee, “1”-expansion. Book: expansion 2 → 1. Bonus: 2 spaces on Saint-Louis |
 | Saint-Louis 3. Cards: 2 cotton, 1 cotton, expansion 2. Book: 1 banana + 1 coffee → 1. Bonus: 3 spaces on Saint-Louis |
 | Mombasa 2. Cards: 2 bananas, 2 cotton, “1”-expansion. Book: 2 coffee → 1. Bonus: 2 spaces on Mombasa |
 | Mombasa 3 (first game, 1st player). Cards: 2 bananas, expansion 2, “1”-expansion. Book: 1 cotton + 1 coffee → 1. Bonus: 3 spaces on Mombasa FAQ |
 | Back — a blank book with the ink jar. Flipping preserves the setup bonus. FAQ |
Bonus tiles
Reserved on the board’s bonus tile spaces for the next round (bonus tiles). Reservation uses your whole turn; collect the tile in Preparation, use it next round, and return it at that round’s end. FAQ FAQ
| Picture | Tile |
|---|---|
 | “+1” goods — one goods card gets 1 more unit |
 | Bookkeeper — a bookkeeper worth 1 bookkeeping point |
 | Diamond merchant — 2 steps, +1 per other face-up merchant |
 | Expansion — an expansion card worth 2. It counts as an expansion card for rules that refer to using expansion cards and may also be used by itself. FAQ |
Cooked Books promo
[Cooked] Six books and a bookkeeper tile — see Cooked Books.
| Picture | Tile |
|---|---|
 | A-book (×3) — pay 3 pounds to enter; 5 pounds at the end. Flipping costs 2 pounds and removes the 5-pound end reward; all reached or passed, unflipped A-books score. FAQ FAQ |
 | B-book (×3) — pay 6 pounds to enter; 10 pounds at the end. Flipping costs 2 pounds and removes the 10-pound end reward; all reached or passed, unflipped B-books score. FAQ FAQ |
 | Bookkeeper majority space — 1 / 2 / 3+ bookkeepers: 2 / 5 / 9 pounds |
Tokens & pieces
| Picture | Piece |
|---|---|
 | 1 pound (40) — the bank is unlimited |
 | 5 pounds (20) |
 | First player marker — changes hands only through the first player space |
Wooden pieces (pictured in the setup): 60 trading posts, 15 each in black (Mombasa), red (Cape Town), white (Saint-Louis) and orange (Cairo); per player colour 4 track markers, 5 bonus markers, 1 ink jar marker and 1 diamond marker. There are also a scoring pad and 4 overview sheets.
Icons
| Icon | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Coffee — goods type |
| Bananas — goods type |
| Cotton — goods type |
| Take that many pounds from the bank |
 | Pay that many pounds to the bank |
| Move your diamond marker that many spaces (diamond track) |
| Bookkeeping points to spend at once (books) |