Cooper Island: Solo Against Cooper

Cooper Island: Solo Against Cooper Rulebook

Card 1

Following the usual rules, set the game up (for 1 player), but leave free table space directly in front of you for COOPER'S play area (approx. 8''/20 cm in height, 24''/60 cm in width). Also make these adjustments:

Assemble the island board with a single peninsula, using all 5 puzzle pieces and 1 bay tile.
Place these 7 royal order cards ready for later: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Return the 8th card to the box.
Return the Cooper token to the box. Place the cartographer marker onto space 3 of your cartographer track.

Card 2

Afterwards, carry out the following additional set up steps:

Take cards 5 to 10 of this deck and place them face up directly in front of you in an ascending row from left to right to form COOPER'S play area.
Choose a player color for COOPER.
- Place the 4 normal workers and the 2 special workers of his color onto card 10 of his play area.
- Place his ship with one sail onto your harbor space (he only needs one ship).
- Add his 4 milestone tokens face down to the general supply.
- Then add the 4 normal workers and the 2 special workers of a third color to the general supply.
Choose 1 strategy card (cards 11-14) and return the other 3 to the box. Carry out all set up steps stated on it. Then place it partially underneath card 5 so that only its bottom half is still visible (while its set up half is covered).

Card 3

Choose a difficulty level from one of the halves of cards 23 or 24 and return the other card to the box. Carry out all set up steps stated on the chosen half. Then place the card partially underneath card 10 so that only the point value at its bottom is still visible.

You can start playing the game now. To do so, follow the round sequence described on the cards in COOPER'S play area (phases a, b, c).

End of the game and final scoring: After the fifth round, carry out the final scoring for yourself as usual. For COOPER, however, only carry out steps 1A and 1B of the final scoring (log books + ship steps) and then add the points of the difficulty level to his score. Did you manage to score more points than he did?

Additional rules:

When COOPER gains helm points, his ship moves clockwise as usual. Any islets that it passes over are ignored.
When he reaches the bay water space or your harbor again, place 1 log book token (without performing its action) from the general supply next to his play area. He pays no harbor fee.

Card 4

When COOPER gains anchor tokens, place them under his ship as usual and remove them again according to the usual rules when he gains helm points.
The royal order cards in COOPER'S royal order display never receive any workers.
You can place a worker onto a royal order card in your royal order display as usual by gaining a special worker after reaching the goal of a milestone token.

VARIANT "Random islets" (increased difficulty level): During set up, shuffle your islet tiles and place them as a face-down stack in your personal reserve. In each income phase, draw 1 islet tile from that stack and place it onto your peninsula as usual. Once in the game, you may return the tile you just drew to the box to draw another one. However, you must then use that other tile (if possible).

Card 5

COOPER'S ROYAL ORDER DISPLAY

a. Carry out your income phase as usual. COOPER does not carry out the income phase.

YOUR STRATEGY CARD (Gives you a bonus when you perform certain actions)

Card 6

b. COOPER and you take alternating turns. COOPER is always the starting player and takes 1 more turn than you in each worker phase.

On COOPER'S turn, draw 1 card from the top of his action deck, carry out all instructions stated on it from top to bottom and then place it face up onto COOPER'S discard pile.

Further rules:

WHEN you place a worker on top of one of COOPER'S workers or on top of a worker of the third color, COOPER gains: 1 helm point.
Also, you must pay the usual fee (1 coin or 1 resource cube) to the general supply. If you cannot or do not want to pay the fee, you gain: 1 anchor token.

COOPER'S ACTION DECK (FACE DOWN)

Card 7

If you place a normal worker onto the free round worker space of action section A, you do not gain the Cooper token as usual. Instead COOPER gains: 1 anchor token.
When you gain a new worker (by moving one of your fulfilled milestone tokens to a corresponding hire space), take any 1 of COOPER'S milestone tokens from the general supply and place it here face down (see also step 2 on card 8).

COOPER'S DISCARD PILE (FACE UP)

Card 8

c. First, carry out COOPER'S clean-up phase as follows:

Return COOPER'S workers from the central island board to card 10 and return any workers of the third color to the general supply. (Don't take back your own workers yet.)
If there are any milestone tokens on card 7, move each to one of the following free spaces (of your choice) and carry out that space's action as you cover it:
- Choose 1 action card from the discard pile and place it face down at the bottom of COOPER'S action deck.
- Choose 1 action card from the discard pile. This card is not shuffled with the rest in the upcoming step 3, but stays below card 7. (So the chosen card will not be in play during the next round.)
- Choose 1 action card from the discard pile and place it face down on top of COOPER'S action deck.

Card 9

Finally, shuffle the discard pile and place it face down on top of COOPER'S action deck.

Afterwards, carry out your clean-up phase as usual. However, note the following rule when you return your workers in step 5: Onto each worker space in action sections A, C, E and G on which you have a worker, place the same type worker of the third color from the general supply before you return yours to your worker board.

DEPOT

Card 10

COOPER'S WORKERS

(Picture card. Printed labels: "COOPER'S WORKERS", "YOUR ROYAL ORDER DISPLAY", "DIFFICULTY LEVEL". No rules text.)

Card 11 (STRATEGY CARD 1)

Set up: Take COOPER'S action cards (cards 15-22) and determine 2 of them as start cards:

1 random card of the cards B1 and B2 and
1 random card of the cards D1 and D2.

Shuffle the remaining 6 action cards and place them as COOPER'S face-down action deck below card 6 of his play area. Then shuffle the 2 start cards and place them face down on top of that action deck.

In COOPER'S royal order display (next to card 5), place the royal order cards: 1 and 2.

In your royal order display (next to card 10), place the royal order cards: 3 and 4.

Whenever you perform the action "Build 1 income boat," you gain: 1 helm point.

Whenever you perform the action "Erect 1 building," COOPER gains: 1 anchor token.

Card 12 (STRATEGY CARD 2)

Set up: Take COOPER'S action cards (cards 15-22) and determine 2 of them as start cards:

1 random card of the cards B1 and B2 and
1 random card of the cards F1 and F2.

Shuffle the remaining 6 action cards and place them as COOPER'S face-down action deck below card 6 of his play area. Then shuffle the 2 start cards and place them face down on top of that action deck.

In COOPER'S royal order display (next to card 5), place the royal order cards: 1 and 3.

In your royal order display (next to card 10), place the royal order cards: 2 and 4.

Whenever you perform the action "Build 1 statue," you gain: 1 helm point.

Whenever you perform the action "Build 1 income boat," COOPER gains: 1 anchor token.

Card 13 (STRATEGY CARD 3)

Set up: Take COOPER'S action cards (cards 15-22) and determine 2 of them as start cards:

1 random card of the cards D1 and D2 and
1 random card of the cards H1 and H2.

Shuffle the remaining 6 action cards and place them as COOPER'S face-down action deck below card 6 of his play area. Then shuffle the 2 start cards and place them face down on top of that action deck.

In COOPER'S royal order display (next to card 5), place the royal order cards: 2 and 4.

In your royal order display (next to card 10), place the royal order cards: 1 and 3.

Whenever you perform the action "Erect 1 building," you gain: 1 helm point.

Whenever you perform the action "Supply 1 cargo ship," COOPER gains: 1 anchor token.

Card 14 (STRATEGY CARD 4)

Set up: Take COOPER'S action cards (cards 15-22) and determine 2 of them as start cards:

1 random card of the cards F1 and F2 and
1 random card of the cards H1 and H2.

Shuffle the remaining 6 action cards and place them as COOPER'S face-down action deck below card 6 of his play area. Then shuffle the 2 start cards and place them face down on top of that action deck.

In COOPER'S royal order display (next to card 5), place the royal order cards: 3 and 4.

In your royal order display (next to card 10), place the royal order cards: 1 and 2.

Whenever you perform the action "Supply 1 cargo ship," you gain: 1 helm point.

Whenever you perform the action "Build 1 statue," COOPER gains: 1 anchor token.

Card 15 (COOPER'S ACTION CARD B1)

COOPER places 1 normal worker onto the round worker space of action section B. (If this space is already occupied by his worker or if he has no normal worker left, he places 1 special worker onto the square worker space instead.)

If COOPER thereby places his worker on top of one of yours, you may take 1 resource cube of your choice (if there are any) from the depot (card 9) and place it onto your marketplace.

Remove all anchor tokens from COOPER'S sail ship.

Also, if COOPER has royal order card 1 in his royal order display, he gains: 1 helm point.

Card 16 (COOPER'S ACTION CARD B2)

If you have unlocked at least one of your special workers, COOPER places 1 special worker onto the square worker space of action section B. (If you have not yet unlocked a special worker or if the square worker space is already occupied by COOPER, he places 1 normal worker onto the round worker space instead.)