Isle of Trains Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Setup
• Game Play
• Building
• Loading
• Deliveries
• Running out of Cards
• Anatomy of a Train Card
• Ending the Game
• Scoring
  • Scoring Example
• Card Reference Sheet
• Reference Sheet
  • Actions
  • Building Rules
  • Loading Rules
  • Delivery Contracts

Setup

1. Randomly give each player a Level 1 engine and 5 cards. Player with the Green-shaded engine card goes first.
2. The 6 Contract Delivery Cards are placed in the middle of the table, front side up, forming the Isle of Trains.
3. Place the remaining cards into a draw pile in the middle of the table (including any unused Level 1 Engines).

Game Play

Starting with the first player and moving clockwise, each player takes 2 Actions on their turn from the following:

1. Take the top card from the draw pile.
2. Build 1 card from your hand into your playing area by paying its cost in cards to the discard pile.
3. Load 1 card from your hand onto any player's train car that has available capacity for the type of cargo shown on the right side of that card.
4. Deliver cargo from your train to fulfill Delivery Contracts and receive cards.

Players can use their 2 actions to perform the same action twice, or two different actions.

Players cannot choose an action that can't be performed. (ex. You can't choose a Deliver action if you have no cargo loaded to be delivered.)

After completing their actions, players discard cards until they reach their hand size limit (default is 5 cards).

Play then rotates to the next player sitting clockwise.

Building

NOTE: Always check first if the Engine Power would be enough to pull all train cars after the new car has been built.

• A train car can't be built if the engine power (ex. +4 Power) is less than the combined weight of the train cars (ex. -2 Weight).
• One (non-engine) train car can be discarded from the train before building a new car.
• Train cars can be upgraded (replaced) by a train car of the same type (ie. Upgrade a Tanker card to a Supertanker, or a Level 1 Engine to a Level 2 Engine).
• When upgrading an existing card, pay the difference between the values of the two cards, and discard the one being replaced.
• A Build action can also be used to remove any number of train cars from a player's train (excluding the Engine.) Any cargo loaded on those cars should be discarded as well.
• Trains can have more than one Caboose.
• Each train can only have one Engine.
• Players can only have one Building in their playing area.
• Buildings cannot be upgraded. They can be replaced by discarding the old building, then paying the full cost of the new building.

Loading

• When loading, a card from the player's hand is placed behind the train car that accepts the matching type of cargo (ex. coal must be used when loading a Hopper car). Note that some cards are wild (coal / oil / boxes) and can be loaded as any type of cargo.
• Cargo can't be loaded if it will exceed the car's available capacity.
• If loading on another player's train car, the loading player receives the benefit shown (ex. draw +2 cards, +1 Build action allows the loading player to draw 2 cards, then perform an additional Build).
• After loading the cargo, first draw cards, then take the additional action. If the additional action is not taken immediately, it is lost.
• Cards loaded with bonus actions must go on the player's own train. (for example, a +1 Load action must be done on the player's own train.)
• When loading a card onto one of their own train cars, players do not receive the benefit shown on that car.

NOTE: When loading, a player may discard one card to load another card (placed face down) as ANY type of cargo.

Deliveries

• When taking the Deliver action, any number of goods from a player's train can be delivered.
• Goods can be delivered to complete a Delivery Contract, or can be turned in to draw 2 cards for each delivered good.
• The player MAY claim one Contract with some cargo, and draw cards with other cargo in the same Deliver action.
• When claiming a Delivery Contract, players must be able to fulfill the whole contract with the cargo currently loaded on their train. Discard the cargo cards and claim the Delivery Contract card by placing it in the player's area.
• There are 2 secondary contracts available on the back side of each Contract card. Only 1 of these 2 can be completed. When that secondary contract is complete, slide the card under your Engine with the completed contract side facing up.
• New Contract cards cannot be claimed until one of the secondary contracts have been completed.

Running out of Cards

• Any time the draw pile is emptied, shuffle the discard pile and then use them to create a new draw deck.
• When a player needs to draw cards and the entire deck (both draw and discard piles) is exhausted, they can draw "phantom cards" that can be used that turn only to pay for a Build action or as the discarded card when loading a good as any type.
• If the entire deck is exhausted at the end of a player's turn, that player has triggered the game end (see Ending the Game).

Anatomy of a Train Card

Each train card shows: Card Title, Cargo Needed For Loading, Cost to Build, Cargo Capacity, Benefit from Loading, Train Points, Cargo Type, and Weight Modifier.

Ending the Game

• The end of the game is triggered when the entire deck is exhausted, or when a certain number of Delivery Contract cards have been claimed:
  • 2 players > 4 Contract cards
  • 3 players > 5 Contract Cards
  • 4 players > 6 Contract Cards
• When the game end is triggered, the player whose turn it is finishes their turn, then all players including that player get one final turn.

Scoring

After all turns are completed, each player counts up their points. The player with the most points wins. Points can be gained by:

• Train cars: each train car that has been built in your playing area has a point value.
• Completed Deliveries: add the points for all completed Delivery Contract cards in your area. (both the front and back contract points are totaled on the back of the card)
• Buildings: Buildings played into your playing area will grant you a variable number of points at the end of the game. (For example, the Customs House awards 2 points per Box delivered on completed contract cards.)
• Loaded Cargo: Each cargo still loaded on your train is worth 1 point.

All players total up their points at the end of the game, and the most points wins! If players tie for the most points, then the player with the most points from their train wins.

Scoring Example

Train Points	23
Delivery Contracts	27
Building Points	12
Loaded Cargo	3
Total	65

Card Reference Sheet

Level 1 Engine (4) — Ability: +4 Power

Level 2 Engine (4) — Ability: +6 Power

Level 3 Engine (3) — Ability: +8 Power

Hopper Car (4) — Draw 3 cards into hand, then discard 1 from hand

Hopper-2 Car (3) — Draw 2 cards, then +1 Build action

MegaHopper (2) — Draw 2, perform a bonus action of any type

Tanker Car (4) — Draw 3 cards

Tanker 201 (3) — Draw 3 cards, then +1 Deliver action

Supertanker (2) — Draw 3, then +1 Load action or +1 Deliver action

Boxcar (4) — Draw 4 cards

Bigger Boxcar (3) — Draw 4 cards, then +1 Load action

R3-D Boxcar (2) — Draw 5 cards into hand, then discard 1 from hand, +1 Load action

Caboose 1 (1) — +1 Card after any Delivery for cards or for a contract

Caboose 2 (1) — +1 Card when loading coal (including own train)

Caboose 3 (1) — Owner can store 1 good of any type here with a Load action.

Caboose 4 (1) — May have 2 buildings built while Cab 4 is on your train

Caboose 5 (1) — All train cars cost 1 less (engines, freight cars, & cabooses)

Caboose 6 (1) — Engine power is increased by +2.

Coal Factory (1) — 2 pts per Coal delivered on completed contracts

Oil Refinery (1) — 2 pts per Oil delivered on completed contracts

Customs House (1) — 2 pts per Box delivered on completed contracts

Grand Central (1) — 8 points

Bank (1) — +2 pts for each cargo loaded on your train at game end

Rail Yard (1) — 2 pts for each card in your train, excluding engines

(Numbers in parentheses indicate the quantity of each card in the deck.)

Reference Sheet

Actions

• Build: Build a card from your hand by paying its cost in cards to the discard pile.
• Take: Take a card into your hand from the supply.
• Load: Load cargo onto a train car in play by playing 1 card from your hand and taking the action.
• Deliver: Deliver cargo from your train in exchange for a Delivery Contract or cards.

Building Rules

• Check if the Engine Power will be enough to pull all train cars after the new car has been built.
• Can discard 1 (non-Engine) car before building.
• Can upgrade "like" train cars by paying the difference in cost.
• Can have only 1 Engine and Building, but having multiple cabooses is allowed.
• Buildings cannot be upgraded, but can be discarded and then replaced.

Loading Rules

• Cargo Type being loaded must match the cargo type needed by the freight car.
• Check that capacity is available.
• When benefit gives bonus actions, draw the cards, then must take the bonus action immediately or lose it
• Bonus Load actions must be performed on your own train.
• When loading on your own train, you don't receive the benefit.
• Can discard 1 card to load any other card as any type of good.

Delivery Contracts

The Isle of Trains is formed from 6 named island locations, each printed on a Delivery Contract card showing a primary contract (front) and two secondary contracts (back), with a points/cargo requirement for each:

• Cork
• Iverness
• Dublin
• Donegal
• Ennis Wharf
• Loch Haven