Furnace: Interbellum
Furnace: Interbellum Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Expansion Components
- 24 double-sided Company cards
- 4 Agent cards
- 4 single-sided Start-up cards
- 5 Capitalist cards (including an updated one)
- 14 Manager tokens
- 1 Personal Manager token
- 3 Business School cards
- 4 teal Capital discs
- 1 teal Player's Color token
- 5 variable Capital discs (black, white, red, yellow, teal)
- 15 Coal cubes
- 10 Iron bars
- 5 Oil drums
- 10 Money tokens
- Expansion Rules
Assemble the variable Capital discs before your first game.
New Components
The basic rules for the new Start-up and Capitalist cards stay the same. You may choose which cards to use: only the ones from the base game, the ones from the expansion, or you can mix them together.
Exception: There is one Capitalist card (shown with a variable Capital disc icon marked 2) replacing the corresponding Capitalist from the base game.
The source shows two versions of this Capitalist. The first reads: "You have an additional [variable Capital disc icon] (it is considered a disc of your color)." The updated one reads: "You have an additional [variable Capital disc icon] (it is considered a disc of your color). During the Auction Phase, you must simultaneously bid on two different cards with your [variable Capital disc icon] and any one of your other discs."
New double-sided Company cards are shuffled into the main deck according to the rules explained below. You'll also see new effects there (also described below).
The Expansion Components page illustrates one of these cards (a Company card with a city-factory picture) with this printed text: "Each time your currently winning bid on a card is outbid by an opponent, place [iron] on this card from the supply. Take all [iron] on this card." An upgrade token symbol is printed at the foot of the card.
Each player will now have a variable Capital disc — the "?" disc. Its value depends on the number of Coal cubes its owner spends when placing their bid.
Manager tokens are distributed during the Auction Phase—just like the Company cards. During the Production Phase, the players assign their Managers to their Companies to make those more efficient. Business School cards are placed at the end of the Auction row, and the Manager tokens available in this round are placed on them.
All additional Coal cubes, Iron bars, Oil drums, Money tokens, as well as Capital discs, and the teal Player's Color token are used according to the base game rules.
Agent cards are used in a two-player game. With these cards, the dummy player will have a certain strategy and even a chance to win. You can also now play solo against two Agents.
To distinguish the expansion cards from the base game cards, pay attention to their frames. The source shows one example of each side by side: a base game card labelled "Base Game" (two coal shown above an effect of iron and oil, ×2, for 7 money) and an Interbellum card labelled "Interbellum" (two coal shown above a ×1 conversion into an upgrade token, and the text "Gain iron for each of your cards that let you convert iron").
New Effects and Terms
This expansion introduces several new types of effects.
Deliveries allow you to resolve an extraction or processing effect listed in the line once. If the active (fully colored) delivery effect is on the basic side of the card, you resolve it as soon as you receive the card in the auction (without waiting for the next card in the row to be resolved). If the active delivery effect is on the upgraded side of the card, you resolve it as soon as you upgrade the card (even if you've already resolved the card in that round).
Delivery effects are marked with a lightning bolt. The source shows three examples: a lightning bolt followed by 2 upgrade tokens; a lightning bolt followed by iron, ×8, for 2 money; and a lightning bolt followed by 6 coal. (In the third example the coal symbol is drawn as an outline, the way inactive effects are drawn.) The Manager Reference calls the same lightning-bolt effect the "Instant Effect" of a card.
Text effects are listed in text without additional highlighting. They are resolved when you resolve the cards with them according to the listed order. While text effects are used similarly to extraction and processing effects, they count as neither. Text effects come in both basic and upgraded card sides.
Two examples are shown: "Gain iron for each of your cards that let you sell iron." and "Take all oil on this card."
Permanent effects are also listed in text, but highlighted by a blue background. These effects are not resolved when you resolve the card, but they become active from the moment you receive the card (including the Auction Phase). Like text effects, they come in both basic and upgraded sides and don't count as either extraction or processing ones.
Two examples are shown: "When resolving cards that let you sell a resource of a single type, +1 to the transaction limit" and "When gaining an upgrade token, you may [upgrade token] [coal] ∞→ [upgrade symbol]."
Conversion and Selling are two subtypes of processing effects. Conversion is an effect that has at least one resource to the right of the arrow. Selling is an effect that has money to the right of the arrow. Some effects count as both conversion and selling.
Three examples are shown: two coal "from here", ×2, to an upgrade token (conversion); oil, ×1, to 4 money (selling); and iron, ×2, to two coal and money (both conversion and selling).
Resources are coal, iron, oil, and Upgrade tokens. Money and upgrade symbols do not count as resources.
Upgrading does not count as either extracting or processing.
Setup
These instructions supplement the base game setup steps.
- Assemble the Company deck. Sort the double-sided Company cards from the base game into 12 piles according to their illustrations and take two random cards from each pile. Mix them with the 24 Company cards from this expansion and add promo cards if you have any. To reduce setup time, you can take 24 random cards from the base game, but then the deck will be less balanced. Put all unused Company cards from the base game in the box.
- When distributing Start-up and Capitalist cards, use the ones from the expansion as well. You may agree on which Start-ups and Capitalists to use. In addition to a player's color token and the normal set of discs of their color, each player also receives a variable Capital disc of their color (set to "0"). If a Capitalist card instructs a player to receive a disc or token, the player does so.
- Each player receives a Coal cube in addition to the resources listed at the top of their Start-up card.
- Shuffle all Manager tokens. On the opposite side of the table, farthest from the deck, place several Business School cards (facing any side up) so that they are at the very end of the row of Companies in the auction:
- 1, 2, or 3 players — two Business School cards (put the third one back in the box);
- 4 or 5 players — all three Business School cards.
Place a face-down stack of Manager tokens next to the Business School cards.
(As printed in the source, the setup list numbers its steps 0, 1, 2 and 5; there are no steps 3 or 4 in this document. Transcribed as printed.)
Game Round
Below are additional rules for the Auction and Production Phases that come into play with the expansion.
Auction Phase
When you have laid out a row of cards for the auction, place one Manager token from the stack on each Business School card, face up. The Business School cards are at the very end of the card row, to the right of the available Companies. For example, if three players are playing, the Business School cards are at the eighth and ninth positions in the row. You can bid on these cards according to the normal rules.
On their turn, the player can bid with the variable Capital disc. Initially, its value is zero. When bidding with this disc, the player may spend as much coal as they want to increase its value by 1 for each coal spent. After the bet is made, the value of the disc cannot be changed.
The variable Capital disc shows values from 0 to 9, but the player can raise its value even higher. To indicate a 10+ bid, put as many additional Coal cubes on the disc as its value is higher than nine. A zero bet is also allowed.
A variable Capital disc is placed according to the normal rules: on a card where there is neither a disc of the same player nor a disc of the same value. However, text effects that mention a disc with a specific value do not affect a variable Capital disc, even if the same value is assigned to it.
When retrieving your variable Capital disc at the end of the Auction Phase, reset its value back to zero.
When resolving the auction results, the Business School cards are the last to be resolved in the order they lie in the row. The owner of the disc with the highest value on such a card takes the Manager token from it (the card itself remains in place). There are two compensation options on each Business School card. When getting compensated for such a card, the player may divide their compensation transactions between these options as they wish. For example, when getting compensated for a "3", you can either resolve one compensation option three times or two times one and once the other. If there are no discs on a Business School card, its Manager token is discarded.
Production Phase
At the beginning of each Production Phase, before resolving cards, the players may place their Manager tokens on their Companies or Start-ups, one per card. For a given Production Phase, each Manager is considered to be an additional effect of the card on which it is placed. A Manager effect may be resolved at any time when the card is resolved. Manager effects are not mandatory.
At the end of the round, the player removes all Manager tokens from their cards. The tokens remain with the player and can be used again in the next round (for the same or different cards).
Important: Manager tokens cannot be resolved during the Auction Phase.
Game Variants
Production Chain
The rules of this game variant do not change but note that deliveries and permanent effects operate outside the normal chain.
Capital Growth
This is a simplified version of the game with variable Capital discs. We do not recommend it for experienced players.
In this variant, players do not need to spend coal to change the value of their variable Capital disc. Instead, it equals the number of the current round (1 in the first, 2 in the second, etc.). The Capitalist with +2 to the value of [variable Capital disc icon] is not used in this variant.
Individual Modules
If you wish, you may use certain elements of this expansion individually or in various combinations. Note the following restrictions:
- When playing without new Company cards, put two Manager tokens allowing you to resolve the delivery once more back in the box.
- When playing without Manager tokens, do not use the Capitalist with the Personal Manager.
- When playing without Manager tokens, but with variable Capital discs, place an additional Company card for each auction.
- When playing without variable Capital discs, do not use the Capitalist with +2 to [variable Capital disc icon].
2-Player Game
Choose one Agent card, either by agreement or at random. Set aside their set of discs (including the variable one, if you are playing with them) and allocate space on the table for their cards and tokens. The value of the Agent's variable Capital disc is always constant and is listed in the top right corner of their card.
After rolling the die, determine if the Agent can place at least one of their discs on that card. If not, move to the next Company card and so on, as described in the rules of the base game. The first Company card the Agent can bid on is considered the target card. Refer to the Agent's card to find out where and which disc must be placed.
When resolving the results of an auction, give the Agent those Company cards and Manager tokens where they have the highest bid and money for each compensation transaction they are entitled to (as indicated on their card). In the Production Phase, give the Agent money according to their card.
If at the end of the game the Agent has more money than either of the players, none of the players is considered the winner.
Agent Card: Steel Magnate
The source reproduces one Agent card, Steel Magnate, on page 2. Its text as printed:
- When determining the target card, they consider only Company cards with [iron bar] / [iron bar, drawn as an outline]. Place their highest possible bid on the target card. If there are no such cards, place their highest possible bid on the rightmost suitable card.
- Gains 1 [money] instead of each compensation transaction.
- In the Production Phase gains 2 [money] for each [iron bar] / [iron bar, drawn as an outline] on their Company cards and 4 [money] for each of their Manager tokens.
The card's top right corner shows a black Capital disc marked 3, the Agent's constant variable Capital disc value.
Note: the source files reproduce only this one Agent card. The other three Agent cards are not printed in this document, so their text is not transcribed here; the physical cards are the reference for them.
Solo Game
Use the rules for the two-player game, with the following exceptions. Choose two Agent cards, place one to your left and one to your right. Each Agent has their own set of discs and their own place for the cards. After you make a bid during an auction, first roll the die and bid for the Agent on your left, then roll the die and bid for the Agent on your right. Both Agents get money, cards, and tokens separately. Your goal is to get more money than each Agent.
5-Player Game
When setting up, determine the first player before distributing Start-up and Capitalist cards. The player who goes fifth in the first round receives two Start-up cards and two Capitalist cards and chooses one of each. In each round, auction off 9 Company cards and 3 Manager tokens.
Note: A five-player game can take a long time, so we do not recommend that beginners play with this player count.
If you are using the playmat and do not want the ninth card outside of it, flip the top card of the deck. This card will be the first card in the row, and eight more cards will continue the row in the slots.
Text Effects Clarifications
"For each of your cards that let you" do something — Do not count the cards where you have such an effect, but it is not yet active (fully colored).
"Convert/sell" a resource — It does not matter whether the resource is processed on its own or in combination with others.
"Sell resources of a single type" — Applicable to all selling effects with a single resource type listed to the left of the arrow.
"To resolve a Company (not a Start-up) card of the player to your right" — The Manager tokens placed on the chosen card are resolved too, but its permanent effects do not apply. In a two-player game, resolve an opponent's (not an Agent's) Company. If you are playing alone, resolve any Company of the Agent to your right.
"Each transaction" within a conversion/selling effect — Each individual conversion/sale operation is counted, not the effect as a whole.
"+1 to the transaction limit" — increases the number of times you may process a transaction.
"A fully resolved effect" — Is one that has been resolved at least as many times as indicated above the arrow.
"Gain for each transaction" — Activates after each individual conversion/sale operation (not after resolving the whole effect).
"Resolve the effect of this card once more" — Doesn't allow resolving an inactive effect (indicated by transparent symbols).
"Discard this card" — the discarded card is put back in the box, and the Managers from it are returned to the owner.
Appendix A: Manager Reference
This appendix transcribes the Furnace Interbellum Manager Reference (2 pages, published by Arcane Wonders). It explains the Manager tokens. Read it alongside the rules above.
Manager Tokens
The reference sheet shows the following tokens. Each token's printed heading is given first, followed by the explanatory text printed beneath it on the sheet.
Token: When spending resources by this card, you may consider either coal, iron, or oil spent already. Place on a card that has one or more SELLING or CONVERSION effects. This Manager provides you with either 1 Coal AND 1 Iron OR 1 Oil one time this round when completing transactions on this card WITHOUT discarding the resources from your personal supply.
Token: Resolve the lightning-bolt effect of this card once more. Gains the benefit of the Instant Effect of the card again.
Token: If this card's selling effects are fully resolved, gain 3 money. Place on a card that has one or more SELLING effect. If you fully resolve any of these on the card to the full transaction limit, you gain 2 money. You do not have to fully resolve non Selling Effects of the card.
(The heading of this token reads 3 money; its explanatory text reads 2 money. Both are transcribed as printed.)
Token: You may resolve one conversion transaction of this card's effect without spending any resources. Place on a card that has one or more CONVERSION effect (turning resources into other resources). You may complete one of the transactions (not-all of them) without spending any resources.
Token: Spend iron to upgrade this card. Spend 1 Iron and upgrade the card.
Token: When spending resources by this card, you may consider 4 coal spent already. Place on a card that has one or more SELLING or CONVERSION effect that requires coal. This Manager provides you with 4 coal one time this round when completing transactions on this card WITHOUT discarding the coal from your personal supply.
Token: When resolving any of this card's conversion effects, gain 1 money for each transaction. For CONVERSION (turning resources to other resources) on this card you will gain 1 money per transaction you complete.
Token: You may resolve each conversion effect of this card once more. For each CONVERSION effect (turning resources to other resources) on this card you may repeat the entire effect an additional time.
Token: When resolving any of this card's selling effects, gain 1 money for each transaction. Place on a card that has one or more SELLING effect (turning resources into money). For each transaction you complete you gain 1 additional money.
Token: Discard this card to gain 4 money. You may discard the Production Card to gain 4 money. Note that you may run the card's effects BEFORE discarding the card to gain its benefits first.
Token: When resolving this card's selling effect, gain 1 coal for each transaction. Place on a card that has one or more SELLING effect (turning resources into money). For each transaction you complete you gain 1 coal.
Token: If this card's selling effects are fully resolved, gain 1 oil. Place on a card that has one or more SELLING effect (turning resources into money). If you fully resolve ALL of the Selling transactions on the card you gain 1 Oil. You do not have to complete any non Selling effects on the card.
Note: the sheet shows twelve token designs. The component list in the Expansion Components section counts 14 Manager tokens and 1 Personal Manager token; the sheet is transcribed as printed.
Manager Examples
Example 1. The player places this Manager on this Production Card. The card can convert Iron into Oil as one effect and sell Iron as the other effect. (The source's example text reads "sell Iron"; the card shown in the example sells coal, three coal for 4 money, and the rest of the example refers to coal, so this is most likely a typo in the source.) Since the card does not require Oil to be spent they choose to take the 1 Coal and 1 Iron from the manager to use on this card's production.
For the first effect, they resolve it once without spending an Iron from their personal supply and gain 1 Oil.
For the second effect they run the first of the three transactions only spending two coal instead of three. If they choose to run the additional transactions they will spend 3 Coal per transaction.
Example 2. Sticking with the same Production Card next round they choose to place this Manager on it. This card only has one Conversion effect. They currently only have 1 Iron available in their personal supply. They resolve the first effect by converting the Iron into 1 Oil. They gain 1 money for this transaction. They do not have anymore Iron so they cannot complete the second available transaction in this effect, but if they had they could have spent it to gain another Oil and another money. The second effect of the card is a Selling effect so it is not affected by this Manager.
Example 3. Continuing with the same Production Card next round they choose to place this Manager on it. This card only has one Selling effect. The player has planned incorrectly and currently only has 6 Coal in their personal supply. They run two of the three available transactions for this effect, but do not gain 3 money since there is still one available selling transaction left they could not complete. If they had 3 more coal while resolving this effect they could have fully resolved the Selling effects of the card and received the 3 money.
Example 4. Finally with the same Production Card in the final round they choose to place this Manager on it. This card only has one Conversion effect. The first time they process the effect for transaction converting Iron into Oil they do not spend an Iron from their personal supply and receive the Oil. The second time they will need to spend the Iron to receive the Oil.