an Historical Railroading Game CONFEDERATE RAILS RAILROADING IN THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR a Richard H. Berg Game Design Successor 1 RHB 96

Transcription

1 an Historical Railroading Game CONFEDERATE RAILS RAILROADING IN THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR a Richard H. Berg Game Design Successor 1 RHB 96

2 INTRODUCTION Confederate Rails is a game that allows the players to operate the historical railways of the Confederate States of America (CSA) during the American Civil War. Not only do they have to deliver goods, supplies and military loads during a difficult time, but they have to adjust to a dwindling rail network. The winner will be the player with the most money. Number of Players. The game plays best with 3 to 5 players. It is playable with only 2, but some of the flavor of the era is lost. Game Length: The War game should take from 3 to 4 hours; much depends on how the effects of war develop. The Extended Game scenario adds about 1 and 1/2 hours to play time. A Note to Rail Game Old-Timers. CR is an unusual rail game in that you don t build a rail network; the one in place (which is the historical one) shrinks, rather than grows. The system also contains far more outside events than most rail games thanks to the war. There are two games herein: THE SCENARIOS The War Game begins when the Civil War starts. It takes about 3 to 4 hours to play, depending on whether or not you are familiar with the system, as well as how quickly (or slowly) the Union defeats the Confederacy. The Extended Game starts in the years before the war, and mostly consists of a bidding mechanic to represent the acquisition of railroads (by the players). It adds about 1 and 1/2 hours to playing time. We recommend it mostly to players who enjoy bidding games; it gets quite lively. At certain points, the rules for one scenario vary from the other especially for the set-up and distribution of cards. These are so noted, below. Confederate Rails contains: 1 game-map 40 Train pieces 1 Sheet of counters (140) GAME PARTS Successor 2 RHB 96

3 78 Loads 20 Blue Union Occupation markers 10 Gray Confederate Troop markers 10 Yellow Civilian Passengers 6 Green Congestion markers 3 Red New Depot markers 10 Black Disruption markers 3 Ripped-Up Rail markers 4 decks of (165) cards: 24 Railroad Companies 12 Specials 33 Events 96 Freight Contracts Lots of Confederate Money 1 Rules Booklet (what you re reading now) 2 six-sided dice The Playing Board The board is a map covering the CSA, mostly east of the Mississippi. See the visual example, above, for a complete symbol legend. The Railroad Companies (RRC): The railines are each one of four different colors. The colors have no purpose other than to differentiate between the individual lines; together with the Line #, they allow players to see where a given line starts, goes and ends. Example: Line #23 - the Mississippi Central - runs from Jackson (Tennessee) south, through Jackson, Mississippi, all the way into New Orleans, and slightly beyond. Several lines are interrupted by major rivers (where the actual track does not cross the river). Such interruption indicates there was no bridge across that river, and that the freight had to be hauled across by ferry, if a Ferry crossing is indicated as available. If not, trains may not cross at that point. Example: A train may cross the Tennessee River from Dover to Paris (and vice versa), but not from Johnsonville. Minor rivers are always crossable, as indicated by the rail line visually crossing such river. These are treated as Bridged. There are no bridges across Major Rivers; all such crossings are by Ferry. Places where there is a Ferry are indicated by an (X) on the river. Example: Mobile to Tensas. Successor 3 RHB 96

4 Play Note: The stretches of the Wilmington and Manchester (RRC #7) that run from Lumberton to Wilmington and from Whitesville to Wilmington do not connect south of the river. A train moving from Lumberton to Whitesville must move into Wilmington to do so. There are four Overland Transfers on the map, usable by the players to move to/from areas for which rail was not built until the war s end. Montgomery, AL and Selma (RRCs 16 and 22) Little Rock, AK, and DeValls Bluff AK (RRC 21) Morgonton NC and Statesville NC (RRC 6) Rutherford NC and Charlotte NC (RRC 6) See the rules on these, below. Historical Note. The CSA Rail Network was comprised of 113 different companies, none of which were especially cooperative. We have eliminated several of these - mostly those in Texas plus a few spurs of 5 or 6 miles length - and combined the rest into a gameworkable 24 Lines. In addition, certain sections of line were built during the war, and, for game purposes, we have opted to make most of them in effect at the start of the game. See the Historical Rail Lines note, below. Unfinished Line: These two sections of line, outlined in hyphenated red, are not usable until play of the appropriate Rail Construction Event card. Stations Stations. All cities and towns on the map are stations. Stations are used to regulate movement. A station where two or more rail lines join is considered to be part of all of those lines. Example: Corinth, MS, is part of RRC #17 as well as RRC #18. Depot Stations are used to locate where Troops are to be picked up for Troops Movement purposes. (All Depots are stations; only some stations are depots.). Depots also double as Load Stations. Victory Stations are Depots that are used to determine the level of Union advance and, eventually, the end of the game (which occurs when the Union wins the war). There are eight (8) Victory Stations: Atlanta, Richmond, Charleston, New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, Mobile, and Vicksburg. Load stations. These are stations in which loads start or finish. Union Army Deployment Boxes. Used to note where most Union troops staged before entering the Confederacy. Raleigh Repair Box. Where disabled trains are repaired. It is considered part of Raleigh, but never contributes to Congestion. Successor 4 RHB 96

5 The Playing Cards There are four decks of cards: Railroad Companies, Specials, Contracts, and Events; the last two spend most of the game together. Railroad Companies (RRC) There are 24 RRC Cards. Each RRC card represents one of the rail lines on the map. Also listed on the card are the states through which that line travels the number of Stations on that line the number of Load Stations, and their names, on that line the number of Depots, and their names, on that line the number of Victory Depots, and their names, on that line the names of Stations they share with other lines. Specials There are 12 Special Cards, the use of which is discussed below. These are dealt out to the players at the beginning of the game, and they may be played/used at any time. Contracts The 96 Contract cards contain a variety of loads, from Passengers to Cannon, that the players must carry, from one Load Station to another, for which they are paid. Each card contains several pieces of information: The general type of load, corresponding to the Load Markers The actual type of goods, solely for historical flavor. The Station where those goods are to be picked up (and the line it is on) The Station(s) where they are to be delivered (and the lines they are on) How much money - the Fee - the player receives for completing the contract by delivering the listed goods. Two types of Contracts - Troop Movement and the cards with a BR, for Blockade Runner) on them - are used only in the War Game, or after the War starts in the Extended game. Cards with the initial s WM are war materials, not subject to Train Seizure. Events Successor 5 RHB 96

6 There are 33 Event Cards. (When playing the Extended game, these are not used until the War starts.) Events are shuffled in with the Contracts. See the Events rules, below. Trains The Playing Pieces Each plastic, pawn-like piece represents the locomotives - the ubiquitous s with the huge bell smokestacks - and the freight and passenger cars needed to carry the goods and personnel on the Contracts. Each Train piece is capable of carrying one Contract Load at any one time. No Trains may carry more than one Load. Players are restricted to the number of Trains with which they start the game; there is no new construction of Trains during play. (The number of Trains pieces in the game is a strict limitation.) Play Note: Excess (and available) Train pieces may be used when a Train Seizure card is played. In a two-player game, players may use two colors worth of Train pieces. Historical Note: Throughout the war, the South had a horrendous shortage of both locomotives and freight cars, compounded by an equally debilitating shortage of iron. Load Markers When a Contract card is drawn, place the corresponding Load counter in the designated Load Station, indicating that load is available to be picked up. When a player is transporting a Load, he places it under his Train as he moves it. Play Note: Both the Confederate Troop counters and the Civilians are considered Loads. Union Occupation Counters These represent Union presence and control of Stations/Cities. Trains may not enter a Unionoccupied station. Disruption Chips These are used to denote a break in service in a line, usually because of a Raid, bridge collapse, or other similar event. Successor 6 RHB 96

7 Congestion Markers These indicate that that station is congested, beyond the usual heavy traffic, warehousing snafus, high-level mismanagement, and much employee incompetence. A Congestion marker adds two (+2) to any movement into that station. Depot Markers These are used for building new depots, as per the Events cards. Money The game uses Confederate money in denominations of $500 and $100. There should be plenty for play. If there isn t, you can provide your own. Game Terms The following words/terms, when used, apply as follows: DR: Acronym for dieroll. Somtimes one die (1d6) is rolled; other times two dice (2d12) are used. These are noted on the charts. All modifiers to a dieroll (DRM) are applied before the die is rolled. Draw: A player blindly takes the top (face down) card from a deck. Fee: What a player collects after he delivers a load. It also (possibly) applies to a Line Usage Tariff; see the Movement rules. Selects: A player specifically chooses a face-up card that has already been drawn. Tariff: What a player pays to move his trains. It also (possibly) applies to a Line Usage Tariff; see the Movement rules. PREPARATION FOR PLAY: THE WAR GAME Players should sit around the playing board, although they are free to get up and move around, to be sure. Select one player to be banker don t worry about his honesty; after all, it s Confederate money. The players then distribute the following,in the order listed. Successor 7 RHB 96

8 1. Money. Each player starts with $ Who Goes First? Each player rolls one die (1d6). High roll goes first. Ties? Tied players roll again. That player is the Initiative Player. 3. Railroad Companies (RRC) and Trains. Depending on how many players, distribute the RRC cards, and receive Trains, as follows: 2 Players. Each player gets to Select (choose) 2 RRC. The Initiative Player chooses one RRC first, the other player the next two, and the Initiative Player the last. After that, shuffle the RRC deck and deal each player (randomly) 10 RRC. Each player receives 7 Trains. (Use two colors, if needed) 3 Players. Each player gets to Select (choose) 1 RRC, starting with the Initaitve player, and going clockwise. After that, shuffle the RRC deck and deal each player (randomly) 7 RRC. Each player receives 5 Trains. 4 Players. Each player gets to Select (choose) 1 RRC, starting with the Initaitve player, and going clockwise. After that, shuffle the RRC deck and deal each player (randomly) 5 RRC. Each player receives 4 Trains. 5 Players. Each player gets to Select (choose) 1 RRC, starting with the Initaitve player, and going clockwise. After that, shuffle the RRC deck and deal each player (randomly) 4 RRC. Exception: the Initiative Player gets only 3 RRC cards. Each player receives 3 Trains. Play Note #1: The 5 player distribution is not as unfair as it appears on its face. For one, the effects of line ownership are tangential, and not of major effect. All players still have trhe same number of trains. Play Note #2: All RRC cards are revealed immediately and placed, info-side up, on the table. 4. Train Placement. Players place their trains on any station on one of their lines, so that each line has at least one Train. As two players may place trains in the same station, this may be done simultaneously. 5. The Special Cards are now shuffled and dealt out as follows: 2 Players: 6 cards each 3 Players: 4 cards each 4 Players: 3 cards each 5 Players: 2 cards each; and remove the Foreign Intervention and Through- Freight cards. They are not used. Successor 8 RHB 96

9 These cards are kept secret by the players until actually played. 6. The Contract Deck.Shuffle all the Contracts cards (but not the Events cards). Take the first 12 cards and place them on the table, face up, in view of all the players. Place the Load markers in the corresponding stations. These 8 contracts are available now. 7. The Event Cards. After the 12 starting Contract cards are placed on the table, take all of the Event Cards, add to the Contract cards, and then shuffle that (huge) deck thoroughly. Place it in the Contract/Events Available box. You are now ready to start playing. PREPARATION FOR PLAY: THE EXTENDED GAME The players then distribute the following, in the order listed. 1. Money. Each player starts with $ Who Goes First? Each player rolls one die (1d6). High roll goes first. Ties? Tied players roll again. That player is the Initiative Player. 3. Railroad Companies (RRC) and Trains. Shuffle the RRC Deck. Depending on how many players, distribute the RRC cards, and receive Trains, as follows: 2 Players. Each player is dealt 6 RRC. Each player receives 7 Trains. (Use two colors, if needed) 3 Players. Each player is dealt 4 RRC. Each player receives 5 Trains. 4 Players. Each player is dealt 3 RRC. Each player receives 4 Trains. 5 Players. Each player is dealt 2 RRC. Each player receives 3 Trains. Play Note: All RRC cards are revealed immediately and placed, info-side up, on the table. 4. Train Placement. Players place their trains on any station on one of their lines, so that each line has at least one Train. As two players may place trains in the same station, this may be done simultaneously. 5. The Special Cards are now shuffled and dealt out as follows: 2 Players: 6 cards each 3 Players: 4 cards each Successor 9 RHB 96

10 4 Players: 3 cards each 5 Players: 2 cards each; and remove the Foreign Intervention and Through- Freight cards. They are not used. These cards are kept secret by the players until actually played. 6. The Contract Deck. Remove all the Event, Troop Movement and Blockade Runner (BR) cards, setting them aside (temporarily). Shuffle the remaining Contract cards and deal out (to the board ) a number of cards equal to the number of trains on the map, placing them face-up on the table. Place Load markers for each contract in the indicated Load Stations. These will be the Available Contracts at the start of The Extended Game. Place the remainder of that Contract deck in the Contract/Events Box. 7. Unused Cards. The Events, Troop Movement and BR cards are set aside; they will be used when the War starts.. You are now ready to start playing. OBJECT OF THE GAME The object of the game is to be the Player with the most money when the game ends. To earn money, the players will undertake Contracts for delivery of goods and passengers from one place to another, for which they are paid a Fee. They will spend their hard-earned money as the game progresses on a variety of necessities: Paying for Train operation Possibly paying for (efficient) use of opponents lines Repairing broken down Trains Repairing rail Disruptions Paying other players not to do things (fully allowed), and whatever else the cards or rules say to do along these lines While this is happening, the war is going on. For the most part, this will mean that the network - and the ability to deliver goods - will gradually shrink. The trick is, when you have the chance, to make sure that it s your opponent s network that shrinks, not yours.. HOW TO PLAY The player who gets to go first does so, and play then proceeds clockwise around the table. Each player undertakes a Player Turn, the sequence of which must be followed in the order given, below: Successor 10 RHB 96

11 The Player Turn When it is a player s turn he will do the following: A. The Railroad Company Phase. [This Phase applies only to the Extended Game.] The player whose turn it is draws (randomly/blindly) the top card from the RRC Deck and turns it over. Players may now Bid to purchase this RRC. B. The Contract Phase: Before the War Starts (Extended Game Only): The player whose turn it is draws one card from the Contract Deck, placing that card face-up on the table. He places the appropriate Load marker. This Contract is now available. After the War Starts/War Game: The player whose turn it is draws two (2) cards from the mixed/complete Contract and Events Deck. 1. If a card is a Contract, it goes to the Available Pool. 2.If it is an Event: If the card has a (W), roll on the War Table If the card has a (C), roll on the Congestion Table Each Event is then undertaken before doing anything else. Play Note: There are 4 cards that have both (W) and (C) indicators. When one is drawn, both are rolled for. C. The Freight Phase. 1. The player pays $100 for each of his Trains he wishes to move that turn. 2. The player may now move all of his paid-for Trains up to ten (10) Movement Points each. In the process he may Undertake a Contract by picking up a Load at a Station, as per a Contract; and/or Deliver Freight to its designated Station. When he has done so he may collect the Fee (from the Bank) and discard the contract (into the Discard pile) and the load marker.?. The Special Phase. At any time during his turn, a player may interrupt the normal sequence and play one, or more, of his Special Cards. The game stops, the card s instructions are completed/resolved, the card then discarded (permanently), and play continues where it left off. BUYING RAILROAD COMPANIES (EXTENDED GAME ONLY) In the RRC Phase (A), the player whose turn it is draws the top RRC card from the deck and turns it face-up. Players may now bid to buy this company, starting with the player to the left of Successor 11 RHB 96

12 the drawer. Bidding continues around the table. If you pass, you are out of the bidding for that company. High bid gets the company; the winner pays the bank. The minimum bid, whether starting or upping the ante, is $100. If no one bids for a RRC, it goes to the player who drew it for $0. HAULING FREIGHT A player earns money - Fees - by carrying a load on his Trains from a designated Load station to the Load station(s) designated on the Contract for delivery. In some instances, the latter (destination) may be a multiple choice, with the player stating upon picking up the freight, where it will go. Once he has made that decision, it may not be changed even if it means his losing the contract for failure to be able to deliver. Play Note: Given the nature of the war, that may be a very distinct possibility, so choice delivery destinations should be made carefully. Trains may be moved to different stations only by Movement. You may not pick them up and place them elsewhere. (Exception: disabled Trains may be so removed to Raleigh; see below.) A Train piece must always be in a station. Undertaking Contracts When a Contract is drawn and placed face-up on the table, place a Load marker corresponding to the General Type of Load in the designated station. However, if the designated Pick-up or Delivery Station is either occupied by the Union, or unreachable because of Union occupation, discard the Contract (as unusable). It is still counted as drawn for that turn. A player undertakes a contract by moving one of his Trains to the designated Pick-up station, or starting its turn in that station, and placing the Load makrer under his train (which costs 1 MP). The Load marker remains under the Train until it is delivered to the designated stastion, or abandoned (see below). When it is delivered, the player Collects his Fee (from the Bank) Places the Contract in the Discard pile Returns Load marker to that pikle Continues his turn, if he has more trains to move, or that train has more MP to expend. Picking up and delivering a load is considered part of movement; however, it costs 1 MP to do either, in addition to the cost for moving into the station. If there is a load in a station which contains more than one Train, the player whose turn it is has priority. Successor 12 RHB 96

13 When undertaking a contract, place it in front of you. When finished, or abandoned, place it in the Discard Pile. A player nay voluntarily abandon a load he is carrying at any station along the line. If he does this, two things happen, regardless of the reason therefor: Place the Load marker in the station in which it is abandoned. It may be picked up by any player as if it were a Pick-up station. The Player pays a $300 Penalty Tariff to the bank Play Note: As the Train is delivering - dropping off - the abandoned Load, he must still pay the +1MP. If because of the progress of the War, a player finds he cannot deliver a Load (involuntary) he has undertaken, he has two choices: Abandon it, as above (including Tariff); ir Drop it at any Depot (not just a station). He gets no Fee for this, but he also does not pay any Tariff. Non-designated Delivery Stations: Some Contracts state, for delivery, Any station within 3 stations of a Union-occupied Station or Deployment Box. The distance is counted from the Union-held station/box. However, such delivery destination cannot be on the same RRC as the Pick-up station, unless no other station is available. Play Note: When counting stations, as above, you can count across a Ferry crossing of a major river.. Troop Movement Contracts Play Note: This rule applies only to the War game, or, for the Extended game, only after the war has started. Troop Movement Contracts are unusual in that: The player who draws this type of contract must undertake it; he must do so in an expeditious way (use of MP and direction) as possible. They have no designated Pick-up or Delivery Station; Their Line Usage Tarriff (see below) is $100, not the usual $200, unless, of course, they opt for the extra MP cost that comes with the decision to not pay the Tariff. (Again, see below.) Pick-Up Station: When a Troop Movement Contract is drawn, the player drawing that card must designate a Depot where these troops are to be picked up by placing the Troop marker in that Depot. That Depot must be at least six (6) stations (not MP) distant from the nearest Union Successor 13 RHB 96

14 Occupation marker or Deployment Box. If that is not possible, select the Depot farthest from the nearest Union Occupation marker. Delivery Station: To fulfill the contract, the player must deliver the troops to any station (e.g., Humboldt TN would fulfill delivery) that is withinb three (3) stations of either a Union Occupation marker or a Union Deployment Box. The Delivery Station must be designated, and announced, when the Troops are picked up. The Delivery Station may not be the same station as the Pick-up station. It may be on the same line. Rail Movement When it is the Freight Phase of his turn, a player move move his Trains. How Many Trains? How many Trains a player may move in a Turn is dependent on how much of his money he wants to spend. It costs $100 per train to move that train in a given turn. How Far? Each Train eligible to move may move up to ten (10) Movement Points (MP) per turn. It does not have to use all its available MP. Movement Points are expended as follows: It costs one (1) MP to move to the next station on the line, except as noted below. Shared Stations are treated as yours for MP purposes. It costs 1 additional MP To Change Lines, regardless of whether you have paid Line Usage or not. A line ios changed when you enter a station owned totally by a RRC different from the one you were just on. This is cumulative (for that station only) with the next +MP. Enter a Station not on one of your lines if you have not paid the Line Use Tariff. Cross an unbridged Major River (the cost is for the Ferry). For Congestion; see below for actual MP costs. Enter a station on a line with Bad Rail Design Note: The Line Change MP cost represents the differences in gauges prevalent throughout the rail net, as well as the predilection to not have rail line run through a city. It costs two (2) additional MP to use a Land Transfer, for the Transfers listed above. Example: A Train moving from Wilmington (RRC #5) to Lumberton (RRC #7), in which there is already one Train, would pay 5 MP to do so: 2 to cross the river by Ferry, 1 to enter Successor 14 RHB 96

15 Lumberton (it would be 2 MP if the Line Usage Tariff was not paid), plus 1 for the Congestion, and +1 to actually change lines. Note that Wilmington is not part of RRC #7 s line. Trains may not move to the next station down the line unless they have the required MP. The player must complete the movement of one Train before moving any other. Historical Note: There was no through-freight system; the owners of the individual RRC treated their lines like feudal fiefdoms, screaming individual/states rights every time the government tried to change the system. Such a system created massive log-jams as goods changed lines and, usually, cars. We also note that the average speed during the war was about 15 MPH (often less), mostly because of the poor track. Congestion Congestion adds cost to entering a station. There are two types of Congestion: 1. Train Congestion. The moving player spends one additional MP for each Train in a station. Thus, a Train seeking to move into Charleston, which already has 2 trains in it, would pay 3 MP to do so: 1 to move to Charleston, plus 2 for the two-train Congestion. 2. Snafu Congestion. When an Event card with a (C) is drawn, the player must immediately check to see which Stations have Snafu Congestion. Consult the Snafu Congestion Table and roll two dice (2d12). The result are the stations with Snafu Congestion. Place a Congestion +2 marker in those stations, after removing any such markers previously placed. A Congestion +2 marker adds two (+2) to the cost of entering that Station. It can be combined with Train Congestion. Play Note: Snafu Congestion stations last until the next diceroll for such is required. The old ones are removed before placing the new ones. If two (C) Event cards are drawn in one turn, roll only once. The maximum number of Trains that may end movement in a Station is: 2, for any non-depot Station 3, for any Depot. Play Note: The 3 limit for Depots does not apply to the Raleigh Repair Box; it does apply to Raleigh itself, which is where repaired Trains must start out. Line Usage Tariff Successor 15 RHB 96

16 It will most assuredly happen that, to reach a destination, a player will have to use portions of an opponent s line. To do this, the moving player must make a choice: He may choose not to pay for Line Usage. If this happens, he now pays 2 MP to enter each station along that line (plus any applicable additional costs); or He pays the owner of the line $200; he then may use the 1MP movement cost. If no one owns the line (Extended game only), the money goes to the Bank. There are two exceptions to the above; 1. Trains travelling Light (without any Load) do not have to pay a Line Usage Tariff; they may still use the 1 MP cost. However, see the Train Seizure Event Card. 2. Trains carrying Troops must pay only $100. Payment of a Line Usage Tariff entitles that Train to move to any station on that line, until it leaves that line. If it returns after leaving, the Player has to choose, as above, again. If the Train ends its turn mid-line, it does not pay again next turn for continuing its movement. Play Note: Many stations are part of two lines. (Example: Atlanta is a Depot on both lines #s 11 and 12.) Atlanta is thus a station for movement on both 11 and 12; a train moving from East Front to Atlanta is not changing lines. Unfinished Rail Lines There are two stretches of unfinished rail line: the Danville to Goldsboro (NC) track on RRC #6, and the Merdian (MS) to McDowell s Bluff (AL) section on RRC #24. At the start of the game these stretches of line do not exist. (They are indicated with a dotted line box around them.) When the applicable Railroad Construction Event card is played, the listed line may be finished, putting it into play. Blockade Running Certain Contracts have a (BR) on them; this stands for Blockade Runner. These are goods that are being shipped in by CSA Blockade Runners; their actual availability is dependent on the ability of Confederate Raiders to slip through the Union blockade. Play Note: BR cards are not used in play until the War starts (Extended game). Successor 16 RHB 96

17 When a player with a BR Contract reaches the designated Pick-Up Station, he rolls one die (1d6) to see if those goods have run the blockade and are there to pick up. Add to that dieroll the number of Union Blockade Event cards in play. If the adjusted DR is 6 or more, the shipment is not there. It has been seized by Union warships, If the adjusted DR is 5 or less, the goods are available. In cases where the Blockade has kept the shipment from arriving, that Contract is now null and void, although there is no penalty for the Player, other than a wasted trip. Train Repair Trains sometimes break down and cannot be used, although they are still in the game. This usually occurs by play of an Event Card. When that happens, place the Trains in the Raleigh Repair Box. There is no movement cost to do so; just place them in that Box. Exception: To move a disabled Train to the Raleigh Repair Box that train must be able to trace a path (of rail) from where it was disabled to Raleigh (the Station). Such path may be blocked only by Union Occupation markers. If such a path cannot be traced, the Train is permanently eliminated. In any succeeding turn in which the player pays $300 (to the bank), he is now free to use/move that Trains again.(the $300 includes the usual $100 Activation Fee). While it does not cost any MP to place the Train in Raleigh, it is subject to Congestion. Trains destroyed by war, or other events, may not be re-used; they are out of the game permanently. THE WAR The War Game starts with War in effect. When playing the Extended Game, War starts the turn immediately following the play of the last RRC card. Before that, the Deck does not include Troop Movement or Blockade Runner contracts, or Events. As soon as the War starts, all of the latter are shuffled into the deck. Whenever an Event card with a (W) on it is drawn in the Contract Phase, the player must consult the War Table before undertaking the Event. (If both drawn cards have a (W) the table is used only once.) The player rolls two dice (2d12), adding them. He cross-references the total with the number of Victory Stations occupied by the Union. The results include: Successor 17 RHB 96

18 A specific Station (e.g., New Orleans ). Place a Union Occupation marker in that station. If the station is already Union held, roll again. PC (Player s Choice). The player must place a Union Occupation marker in any Station, his choice. However, that Station must be within 2 Stations (not MP) of either another Union Occupation marker or a Union Deployment Box. Such station may not be a Victory Station. PCV. Same as PC, but the player may select a Victory Station. X. No station has been taken. Play Note: Players may use Special Cards to attempt to cancel any Occupation; see the rules for Specials. Trains may not enter a Union occupied Station. In addition, any trains in a station that becomes Union occupied are permanently eliminated. Discarded Cards Discarded cards are removed from play, permanently unless specifically stated otherwise, above. (Example: the Railroad Construction cards). Cards are never re-used. END OF THE GAME and WHO WINS The game ends when, either: All cards from the Contracts/Event Deck have been played. Or The Union Army wins the war by occuping all eight (8) of the Union Victory Objective Cities: Richmond, Charleston, Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis, Vicksburg, Mobile and New Orleans. The instant either occurs, stop play. Each player now counts up his money. Play Note: The player who plays the last card gets to complete his turn. Then play ends. This does not apply to Union winning of the war. The player with the most money wins. Then again, its all Confederate money, so, in one sense, everyone loses. EVENTS There are 33 Events Cards, all of which are intermixed with the Contracts as one Deck: the Contract/Events Deck, at the start of War. A player drawing an Event card must (or may, as Successor 18 RHB 96

19 indicated) undertake or apply the event described. Event cards may not be saved; they must be played when drawn. In addition, each time an Event Card is drawn, and before applying the Event, the Player will have to roll on The War Progress Table or the Congestion Table (or, in some cases, both). Bad Rail [4]: Without iron to replace worn rails, one of the major plagues of the CSA rail system was worn out track which forced trains to slow to a crawl. When the card is drawn, the player rolls four dice, totalling them. The resultant number (from 4-24) is the number of the RRC affected. All travel along that line now costs 2 MP from one station to the next. The only way it can be repaired is with the Iron Treasure Hunt Special Card. Example, a 4, 2, 5, and 1 = 12; RRC #12 now has Bad Rail. If the line already has Bad Rail, roll again. To indicate the line has Bad Rail, place the Event Card atop the RRC card. This card is put into effect only if the Union occupies at least 2 Victory Cities. If not, ignore the event. Bridge Collapses [3]: Confederate bridges were remarkably ricketty wooden structures; they collapsed with depressing regularity. The player must place a Disrupted marker on any one place where a railine crosses a river; his choice. The bridge has collapsed, and it costs +2 MP to cross that river. It costs $300 to repair a bridge, payment made by the owner of the line to the bank. Building Depots [2]: These allow that Player to build a new Depot. He does this by placing a Depot marker on any non-depot station on the map. There is no cost to do so, and that new Depot is treated like any other Depot. This is voluntary, not mandatory. Collisions [3]: When a Collision Event card is drawn, the next Train that passes through (not just into) a station occupied by another Train(s) in one turn, regardless of whose it is, may have had a head-on collision. Each player whose Train it is rolls one die. If both DR are the same (e.g., each player rolls a 3 ) their trains have collided and both Trains are disabled and removed from play to the Raleigh Repair Box; any loads are lost (and they pay the $300 Abandonment penalty). Collision applies regardless who owns the Trains; if there is more than one Train in a station, roll once for each Train, with the DR for the moving Train being the one of comparison. Cotton Embargo [1]: Because most cotton was fairly useless to the South during the war - although they did sell contracts for delivery after the war - to stop the railroads from carrying it, and to reduce the wasted storage space at railyards, the government tried, with only partial success, to stop them from carrying it. When this card turns up, all Fees for Cotton are halved, rounding up to the nearest $100 until a Railroad Convention card is played. Divert Iron Shipment [1]: The Player may repair any one of his RRC that has Bad Rail by using a bit of ironic serendipity. He may do this in one of two ways: Successor 19 RHB 96

20 There is an Iron Load waiting to be picked up (contract available, face-up on table) and he undertakes that contract. Once he picks it up, instead of delivering it to the listed city, he takes it to any city along his Bad Rail line. When that happens, the Bad Rail is repaired, and he pays $300 penalty for failure to deliver even if the delivery city is on that line! There is a Train carrying iron presently on one of his lines. He may seize that shipment by down-loading it at that station - no payment to the unfortunate player (although the latter does not have to pay an Abandonment fee). He may then pick it up at his lesiure, as no other player may do so, and deliver it as above. Engine Wear & Tear [2]: Again, lack of iron, as well as a dearth of facilities, engine parts and, often, manpower, meant that the number of available locomotives and rolling stock was constantly dwindling. When one of these cards is picked, all players must pay $300 to the Bank for each Train they have in play. Any Train unpaid for is removed frtom the game, permanently. This card is put into effect only if the Union occupies at least 2 Victory Cities. If not, ignore the event. Increased Union Blockade [3]: The Union increases the naval pressure on all Confederate ports. Add one (+1) to all Blockade Runner shipment dierolls; place card in Blockade Box. The dieroll effects are cumulative. Partisan Sabotage [1]: The player must do one of the following, but only on RRC lines 20, 19 (east on Nashville only), 18 (east of Decatur only), and/or 11 (north of Kingston only) Rail lines: Place two Disrupted markers across any two (2), contiguous sections (between stations) of track he wishes to cut. It costs 2 MP to traverse a Disrupted marker (in addition to the MP costs to reach the next station). The player whose line it is, when it is his turn, may repair each stretch at a cost of $100. Bridge. Place a Disrupted marker on any place where a railine crosses a river; his choice. The bridge has been blown. The two separate sections are now treated as Ferry crossings until repaired. It costs $300 to repair a bridge, payment made by the owner of the line to the bank. Historical Note: The above two events represent such events as Grierson s Raid, which cut up a fairly large portion of the Mississippi rail system, prior to Vickburg (1863), and the machinations of the Tennessee Union sympathizer/guerrilla, Parson William Brownlee. Rail Construction: RRC #6 [1]: The Danville-Greensboro stretch is now usable. There is no payment required; construction was government subsidized. Rail Construction: RRC #24 [1]: The Meridian-McDowell s Bluff stretch is now usable. There is no payment required; construction was government subsidized Railroad Convention [2]: The government called these seemingly every season to solve all of the problems you can see they had, but mostly in an effort to get some cooperation. They never Successor 20 RHB 96

21 did get any; what they did get was raised rates. When this card is drawn increase all printed rates by $100, and cancel any Cotton Embargo. The effects of these cards are cumulative. Most RRC owners were quite rich at the end of the war; then again, it was all in useless money and government bonds. And see the Through-Freight Law Special card. Trains Break Down [3]: One of your locomotives has simply broken down from overuse. You must place (no actual movement is required) any one of your Trains in the Raleigh Repair Box, which repair is completed upon payment of $300 to the bank. If all of your Trains are carrying freight, you must abandon the load of one (and pay the penalty). Trains Seizure [4]: It was a constant hassle for companies to obtain needed locomotives and rolling astock. Often, they simply took whatever they could find. When this card is drawn, the player may seize any one Train from another player that is on one of his lines, at the time the card is drawn, and not carrying War materiel (Contract Cards with a WM). Stations connecting lines are considered to belong to both owners, so are treated as Safe Havens. Replace his Train piece with one of yours (that is not in play ). Remove the Load; it is considered out of the game, but not Abandoned. No, it s not nice but most of the RRC owners weren t very patriotic-minded either. Union Cavalry Raids [2]: These cards allow a player to either cut a rail line or disable one Trains (of any player) that is within 4 MP of a Union Occupation marker or Deployment Box; he must do one or the other. Rail lines: Place a Disrupted marker across the track he wishes to cut. It costs 2 MP to traverse a Disrupted marker (in addition to the MP costs to reach the next station). When it is his turn, the player whose line it is may repair that line at a cost of $100. Trains. Remove the disabled Trains from play; place it in the Raleigh Repair Box. Any lost Load incurs a $300 Abandonment penalty. See Train Repair. SPECIAL CARDS Each player starts the game with a number of Special Cards, which he keeps hidden until he wishes to play them. A player does not have to play any of his Specials; not playing one or more may be to his advantage. Special Cards may be played at any time during a Player s Turn any time. Each player may play only one card during a given turn. Exception: a player may combine a Major Offensive with a Leader card. Most cards use is obviously meant for specific times (such as the use of Leader cards), but, hey, that s up to you folks. Cards that will affect a Dieroll must be played before the die is rolled. Leaders [6] Successor 21 RHB 96

22 When a Lee card [3] is played, the player may either: Cancel a War Progress Table result by rolling a 1-3 on a single die. Combine the card with a CSA-Counteroffensive (card) and add one (+1) to the counteroffensive dieroll. When a Jackson card [2] is played, the player may either: Cancel a War Progress Table result by rolling a 1-2 on a single die. Combine the card with a CSA-Counteroffensive (card) and add one (+1) to the counteroffensive dieroll. When the McCellan card [1] is played, the player may cancel any War Progress Table result by rolling a 1-4 on the die. CSA Counter-Offensive [3] When played, that player designates any one Union-occupied station and rolls one die (1d6). He may adjust the DR by playing a Leader Special card along with this card, or have another player do so (which is allowable). However, only one Leader card per Counter-Offensive. If the adjusted DR is 6 or higher, the Confederates have retaken that Station. Remove the Union marker. (And see the Foreign Intervention card.) The Through-Freight Law [1] Several times during the war, the CSA government sought - in vain - to establish a throughfreight system, where trains could travel on and through all (or some) lines without having to change cars and pay passage. However, the Confederate belief in individual rights - and a healthy dose of Not in My Backyard type of greed - outweighed any sense of reason and patriotic fervor. We give you the chance to change this. When played, the player rolls one die (1d6). Each player may have one added (+1) to that DR for each $3000 he (or his fellow railroad owners; owners may not combine funds, although they may all contribute) donates to the Bank. If the adjusted DR is 7 or higher, the Through-Freight Law has passed. If passed, players may move their Trains at normal rates on and through any opponent s lines without paying any Line Usage fee. They still have to pay the extra MP when leaving a station to enter a new line (different gauges being the problem). After this card is played, all Railroad Convention cards are treated as Train Seizures!!. The Great Iron Treasure Hunt [1] Successor 22 RHB 96

23 This card is used to cancel a Bad Rail result for any one line. However, to do so, three (3) stretches of track - a stretch is the line between any two stations - must be ripped up and made permanently unusable (and noted with the Ripped Up Rail markers). The Ripped-up stretches are chosen by the other players - not the one playing the card - one stretch at a time, going round the table starting to the left of he who played the card. A Player may not rip up any stretch of track within two (2) stations of either a Depot or Load Station, unless the stretch leads to a Dead-end station (such as Proctorville (LA) or Spring Hill (AL) A Player may not rip up any stretch of track unreachable because of Union occupation. There is no cost to do this; another rare government-sponsored event. Play Note: Be careful what you select. Virtually every player uses every other line sometime in the game. Some lines, though, obviously invite little traffic. Foreign Intervention [1] Now this never happened, but some form of intervention, probably of a naval nature, by England and/or France was possible, if not probable. This card may be played immediately after any CSA combat victory in which the CSA retakes a Union-held Victory city. When played, remove all Union Blockade cards presently in play. The event has no effect on play of additional Blockade cards. Successor 23 RHB 96

24 CHARTS AND TABLES MOVEMENT COSTS It costs one (1) MP to move to the next station on the line, except as noted below. Shared Stations are treated as yours for MP purposes. It costs 1 additional MP Enter Station not yours/shared if you have not paid Line Use Tariff. Cross an unbridged Major River (the cost is for the Ferry). For Congestion; see below for actual MP costs. Enter a station on a line with Bad Rail To Pick Up a Load To Deliver a Load. It costs 2 additional MP to use a Land Transfer: Madison AK to DeVall s Bluff AK; or from Selma to Montgomery (AL). TARIFFS Cost Reason Cost Reason $100 Activate Train (per train) $300 Abandon Load Penalty Remove Disrupted Marker Repair Train (in Raleigh) Line Usage for Troop Movement Repair Bridge $200 Line Usage for Load Movement THE CONGESTION CHART Diceroll Congested Stations 2 Humboldt (TN) 3 New Orleans (LA), Greensboro (NC) 4 Meridian (MS), Columbus (GA), Savannah (GA) 5 Memphis (TN), Selma (AL), Gordonsville (VA), Charlotte (NC) 6 Decatur (AL, Montgmoery (AL), Augusta (GA), Petersburg (VA), Wilmington (NC) 7 Cornith (MS), Jackson (MS), Nashville (TN), Atlanta (GA), Richmond (VA), Charleston (SC) 8 Chattanooga (TN), Dalton (GA), Macon (GA), Raleigh (NC), Columbia (SC) 9 Huntsville (AL), Manassas (VA), Lynchburg (VA), Goldsboro (NC) 10 Mobile (AL), Charlottesville (VA), Weldon (NC) 11 Knoxville (TN), Suffolk (VA) 12 Florence (SC) Successor 24 RHB 96

25 UNION WAR PROGRESS TABLE Victory Stations Occupied DR Charleston Charleston Jacksonville Jacksonville X 3 X X New Bern Atlanta X 4 New Orleans X PC Memphis PC 5 PC PC New Orleans Vicksburg [a] PCV 6 Memphis New Orleans Memphis Mobile PCV 7 PC Memphis PC PC Atlanta 8 Nashville Nashville Nashville Charleston Richmond 9 X PC New Orleans Nashville PCV 10 New Orleans New Orleans Charleston New Orleans PC 11 PC PC Vicksburg [a] Richmond X 12 Mobile Mobile Mobile New Bern X a = Union occupies if it holds either Memphis or New Orleans; if not, roll again X = No Station Taken PC = Player s Choice; see rules. PCV: Player s Choice; may be a Victory Station Named Station: Place Union Occupation marker therein; if already occupied, roll again. Successor 25 RHB 96

26 CREDITS Game Designed by : Richard H. Berg Game Development: Pete Busch Playtesters: Ted Raicer, Gary Presser, Lee Presser, John Quarto, Boomer Bakalchuck, Ed Connery, Michael Welker, Gerry Germond, Kaarsten Engellman, Pete Stein, Scott Baron, Mike Lochtofel, +? SOURCES While Confederate Rails is a game into which much imagination has been, if not poured, at least drizzled, much of the information used to fuel that muse came from specific sources. Not included, below, are the hundreds of books the designer has read about the war itself: Black, Robert C., III, The Railroads of the Confederacy (Broadfoot Publishing, Wilmington NC, 1987) Well written and detailed, the real treasure is the marvelously detailed map of the Confederate rail system. If you want some idea of how totally chaotic and depressing the Confederate rail network was - and it was SO inefficient and ineffective it almost defies belief - just flip through this book. Goff, Richard Confederate Supply (Duke U. Press, Durham NC, 1969) Top source for what the Confederacy needed, how it met - or didn t meet - those needs, where the stuff came from, and where it went or was supposed to go. Hilliard, Sam Bowers, Atlas of Antebellum Southern Agriculture (LSU Press, Baton LA 1984) Excellent maps which pinpoint key locations of many goods. Rouge, Successor 26 RHB 96

27 THE RAIL LINES REFERENCE CHART Additional/Historical RRC Name Color Lines Terminals 1 Baltimore & Winchester & PotomacParkersburg, WV Ohio Alexandria, Loudon & Wheeling WV Hampshire Harper s Ferry, VA Orange & Alexandria Manassas Gap Winchester VA Leesburg, VA Alexandria, VA Warrenton, VA Gordonsville, VA Mt Jackson, VA Baltimore, MD Washington, DC 2 Virginia Central Richmond, Fredericksburg Gordonsville, VA & Potomac Covington, VA Lynchburg, VA [a] Acquia Creek, VA Richmond, VA 3. Richmond & Danville Richmond & York West Point, VA Richmond & Petersburg Danville, VA Petersburg Gaston, NC Weldon, NC Portsmouth, VA 4. Virginia & Tennesse SouthSide Norfolk, VA Norfolk & Petersburg Saltville, VA Seaboard & Roanoke Weldon, NC City Point, VA Bristol, VA 5. Wilmington Raleigh & Gaston Clarksville, VA & Weldon Roanoke Valley Raleigh, NC Wilmington, NC 6. Atlantic & N.C. Piedmont RR [b] Danville, VA North Carolina Charlotte, NC Atlantic, Tenn. & Ohio Morgonton, NC [c] Rutherford, NC [c] Successor 27 RHB 96

28 Morehead City, NC 7. Wilmington & Wilmington, Charlotte Wilmington, NC Manchester & Rutherford Old Hundred, NC Manchester Jctn, SC 8. South Carolina Camden, SC Columbia, SC Charleston, SC Augusta, GA 9. Greenville & Spartanburg & Union Greenville, SC Columbia Laurens Anderson, SC Blue Ridge Abbeville, SC Charlotte & SC Laurens, SC King s Mountain Columbia, SC Pendleton, SC Yorkville, SC Charlotte, NC 10. Charleston & Cheraw & Darlington Cheraw, SC Savannah Northeastern Charleston, SC Savannah, GA 11. Georgia [d] Augusta & Milledgeville [e] Rome, GA Etowah Etowah Iron Works, Rome GA Augusta & Savannah Athens, GA Western & Atlantic [o] Washington, GA Dalton, GA Warrenton, GA [e] Augusta, GA Millen, GA 12. Central RR of Macon & Western Savannah, GA Georgia Upson County Eatonton, GA Atlanta & West Point Atlanta, GA Thomaston, GA West Point, GA 13. Southwestern Muscogee Macon, GA Macon & Brunswick Hawkinsville, GA Columbus, GA Successor 28 RHB 96