Taschkent Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Set Up
• Course of the Game
  • Action Round
  • Actions
    • Placing Trading Posts
    • Placing a Hut
    • Moving the Cameleer
    • Take 1 Tugrik
  • Caravan
    • The Kalmyk
  • Trade Connections
  • Next Round
• Trading Round
  • End of the Trading Round
• End of Game and Winner
• 2-Player Variant
  • Setup
  • Game Play
  • End of the Game
• Action Cards

Components

• 1 game board
• 1 die
• 1 black octagon (starting player)
• 1 black camel (lap counter)
• 1 caravan guide (black figure)
• 12 goods (glass nuggets) each in red, green and blue
• 12 action cards
• 30 trading cards (10 each of silk, china and spices)
• 7 neutral huts
• 3 trade connections (wooden sticks in red, green and blue)
• Play money (cardboard coins)

In each of the 4 player's colours:

• 1 cameleer
• 1 hut
• 10 trading posts (wooden cubes)
• 1 screen

Set Up

Off we go!

• The board is placed in the middle. Each player receives 3 trading posts, his cameleer, his huts and a screen.
• The remaining trading posts are placed on the cart (A).
• One of each good (iron, jade, indigo) is placed on any hut on the board. It is recommended to have at least one hut in region number 4 (B) that receives one of the goods. (First game: two goods on a hut in region 4, the third on a hut in region 7.)
• The remaining iron is placed on the red camel (C).
• The remaining jade is placed on the yellow camel (D).
• 6 indigo goods are placed on the first blue camel (E).
• 5 indigo on the second camel (F).
• All 12 action cards are shuffled and placed face down on the first yellow camel (G).
• The black camel is placed on the first field of the round track. A neutral hut is placed on the second and the fourth field (I).
• The black start player token (octagon) is placed on the two horses.
• The three trade connections are placed on the hut.
• When playing with four players, a neutral hut is placed in one of the regions (in the first game: region 3 (H)).
• The trading cards are shuffled and 10 cards are placed face up on the marked spots on the board (when playing with three players: 8 cards).

A start player is determined. He receives 3 Tugrik. Clockwise each player receives 1 Tugrik more. Tugrik coins are hidden behind the screens. The starting player receives the cameleer. The first round can begin!

Printer's note: the set-up text says the starting player receives "the cameleer", while the black figure (the caravan guide) is listed in the components. The printed text is kept as written.

General note: Tugrik, acquired action cards and trading cards are hidden behind the screens during the game. Everything else (goods, trading posts, huts) is not allowed to be behind the screens.

Course of the Game

There are always 2-4 action rounds followed by a trading round. After that, action rounds follow again and so on.

Action Round

An action round runs as follows:

Clockwise (beginning with the starting player), the players complete one action and then one move with the cameleer.

If all players have finished their turn, the lap counter is moved ahead by one field. In case a neutral hut is on the field reached (I), it is placed on the big hut above (also if there already is a neutral hut).

The transition from the first to the second round is automatic. From the second to the third round (and possibly from the third to the fourth round), the change depends on the throw of the die:

• The third round only takes place if the die shows a 3, 4, 5 or 6.
• The fourth round only takes place if the die shows a 5 or 6.

If the result is lower, a trading round follows. After four action rounds, a trading round follows anyway (at the end of the lap counter).

Actions

In an action round, the players can choose one of the following actions:

• Place a trading post
• Place a hut
• Move the cameleer
• Take 1 Tugrik

Additionally, the players after that action can move the cameleer. So it is possible to move the cameleer twice per action round!

Values of Tugrik:

• 1 Tugrik
• 3 Tugrik
• 5 Tugrik
• 10 Tugrik
• 20 Tugrik

Placing Trading Posts

The player places one of his trading posts in a region of his choice. The price for placing it depends on the number of huts and trading posts there.

For each trading post (whoever is the owner) and for each opponent or neutral hut the player has to pay 1 Tugrik.

• Example 1: In region 4 are 3 neutral huts. Placing a trading post there costs thus 3 Tugrik. In region 6 the placement is free of charge: the area is empty.
• Example 2: In region 4 there are 3 trading posts and 3 huts. Whoever is the owner of the trading posts, a player has to pay 3+3 = 6 Tugrik to place a trading post there.
• Example 3: In region 1 there is a neutral hut. The orange player already has placed a hut and a trading post there. To build a second trading post costs 1 (neutral hut) + 1 (orange trading post) = 2 Tugrik. A different player would have to pay also for the orange hut, thus 3 Tugrik.

Placing a Hut

The player places one of his huts in an area of his choice. He does not have to have a trading post there. The placement of a hut is free of charge.

Moving the Cameleer

The player moves the cameleer free of charge for up to 3 steps (in direction to the end or in direction to the head of the caravan). If he wants to move further, he needs to pay for each additional step 1 Tugrik (the carriage is a step). If other cameleers are on the field the cameleer ends his move on, the player has to pay for each other cameleer 1 Tugrik to the bank.

The Kalmyk can be reached from any position within the caravan. From the Kalmyk, each other place in the caravan can be moved to. However, the Kalmyk cannot be used as a shortcut: the move must end on the Kalmyk before playing on.

The player then commits the action indicated on the field (see Caravan, pages 6 and 7). The action can only be performed if the cameleer has been moved. It is not allowed to remain on the previous spot and perform the action there again. Also, moving back and forth is prohibited.

At the beginning, the cameleers stay outside the caravan. From here, they can be moved to any of the caravan fields. The cameleers do not leave the caravan anymore.

Example: The orange player starts on the first field (the two horses). The first three steps to the blue camel are free of charge. The fourth step to the yellow camel costs 1 Tugrik. One more Tugrik the orange player has to pay, because the red cameleer is already on the yellow camel.

Note: Also in the second part of the action round (moving the cameleer), only the first three steps are free of charge. The first and the seventh camel are not neighbouring fields. It is prohibited to use the action available on the field the move began (neither standing still, nor moving back and forth).

Take 1 Tugrik

The player takes 1 Tugrik from the overall storage.

Caravan

The caravan fields are:

• First field (the two equestrians on the horses): The player takes the black marker for the starting player (octagon) from the field and one of the trading post cubes from the overall storage (at the carriage). In case the black marker has been taken by another player before in that round, the marker remains there. Before a trading round, the starting player can only change once.
• Second field (the yellow camel with the carpet): The player takes the topmost action card from the pile. Action cards can be played during a player's move. They can be used directly when drawn. Cards are explained on page 12 in detail.
• Third field (the red camel): The player takes 1 iron (red good).
• Fourth field (the 1st blue camel): The player takes 1 indigo (blue good).
• Fifth field (the yellow camel with the green cloth): The player takes 1 jade (green good).
• Sixth field (the green carriage): The player may take 3 of his trading posts from the overall storage.
• Seventh field (the 2nd blue camel): The player takes 1 indigo (blue good).

Note: If one of the blue camels is out of goods, it is not available anymore, since no action can be performed there. The players have to get indigo from the other blue camel.

The Kalmyk

This field can be reached from each other field in the caravan, and from the Kalmyk each other field can be reached. If there is a neutral hut on the Kalmyk field, the player can place it on any region on the board. Placing a neutral hut costs, for each neutral or opponent hut in the area chosen, 1 Tugrik. Accordingly, placement in an empty area is free of charge. Huts of the players or trading posts of any kind do not count in this case.

Example: In an area with a neutral hut, a yellow hut and a trading post, the yellow player pays 1 Tugrik (not paying for his own hut) and all other players pay 2 Tugrik.

Trade Connections

The field with the trade connections (sticks) does not belong to the caravan, thus cannot be entered. Rather, a player on the first or second field can pass on his action and instead can place or relocate a trade connection by paying 2 Tugrik.

A trade connection is placed between two areas (on their border). The marker is placed parallel to the borderline to show it has not yet been used. Instead of using a new trade connection, the player can also relocate an existing one. Relocation of an existing trade connection is only allowed if the connection has been used (is not parallel to the borderline anymore). When relocating a trade connection, it again is placed parallel to the borderline (until it is used).

Next Round

When all players have finished their turn, the black camel is moved onward. If applicable, the die has to be thrown (see illustration).

If a player has taken the black marker for the starting player, he receives the caravan guide. The starting player thus changes.

In case the result of the die is lower than the number on the field with the black camel, the action round ends and a trading round follows. Otherwise the black camel is moved forward and a new action round begins. The new starting player begins.

Remember:

• The third round only takes place if the die shows a 3, 4, 5 or 6.
• The fourth round only takes place if the die shows a 5 or 6.

Trading Round

In the trading round, the players can use their trading posts to exchange their goods into Tugrik or trading cards.

The areas are evaluated in numerical order. Inside an area, all players with a trading post can sell goods:

• The starting player always sells first. Clockwise each player can sell 1 good. If he does so, he removes one trading post and places it back in the overall storage. He can sell several goods if he has more than one trading post, however, not all at once: each player clockwise sells only one good at a time (until all possible goods are traded).
• A sold good must be placed on a hut in the area it has been sold. On that hut may not be another good of the same kind. Pre-printed huts as well as any other hut can be used.
• As earnings, the player alternatively receives 1 trading card per each hut that does not feature that good, or 3 Tugrik per hut in the area that does not feature that good (see example below).
• The player has to decide if he takes trading cards or Tugrik. He may not mix. Thus, for each trading post, the player has to decide on cards or Tugrik. He can decide for each trading post separately, though.
• The trading cards are always taken from the left hand side. The player cannot choose. If all cards have been taken, only Tugrik can be chosen. The supply of cards per round is limited.
• The player selling a good must put back one trading post into the overall storage. He can prevent that by placing two trading posts from his to the overall storage. However, with the residing trading posts the player can sell only in the next trading round.
• A trade connection allows to sell a good with the same colour as the trade connection in the neighbouring area (with a red trade connection, thus only iron can be sold).

Example: White sells indigo in area (8) where two huts are present. If there is no indigo on the huts, he receives 2 cards or 6 Tugrik. If there is one indigo, he receives 1 card or 3 Tugrik. If there are two indigo already present, he cannot sell his indigo.

End of the Trading Round

The sale works as usual (removing trading posts, restriction of sales and determination of prices etc.), however it improves the possibilities of the player. After the sale, a trade connection is turned from parallel to crossing position. With this, it is obvious that this trade connection has been used and can be replaced with the appropriate action.

Important! A trade connection can be used to sell into a neighbouring area also, if it has been used before (crossing position).

When all areas are evaluated, the black marker (starting player) is placed back on the first field of the caravan.

The black camel is moved again to the first field of the lap counter. On the second and fourth field a neutral hut is placed (if there is already a hut on the fourth field, no hut is placed there).

If so, trading cards not taken are moved to the left. Then as many new trading cards are added as appropriate: 8 (3 players) respectively 10 (4 players). Then a new action round begins.

End of Game and Winner

When a player takes the last good of a kind or the last action card, the round at hand will be finished. Then a last trading round takes place, after which the game ends. The second action round takes place definitely.

In the rare case that the last trading card is taken, the game ends as soon as the current trading round is finished, thus no more action round.

Don't forget: A 3/5 card at the end of the game is worth 5 Tugrik (see action cards).

Now, the players count their Tugrik (watch out for action card 3/5). The player with the least Tugrik has lost the game and is suspended from the following evaluation. If more than one player has the lowest amount of Tugrik, all those players have lost.

The remaining players lay open their trading cards:

• Every three different cards (china, spices, silk) are worth 6 points.
• A set of two equal cards counts as 3 points.
• A single card is worth 1 point.

Naturally, the cards only count once. The player with the most points wins. In case of a tie, the player with the most Tugrik wins.

Example: Benedict has a set of three different cards, two pairs (spices and silk) and one more card. The total is 13 points (6 + 3 + 3 + 1).

To remember: The value of the different combinations is shown on the back of the rulebook.

2-Player Variant

Changes and amendments to the regular game.

Setup

In addition to the regular setup, one unused cameleer is placed on the first field of the caravan and another unused cameleer on the area with number 1.

Game Play

Each time the players have made their turn, the virtual player makes his move.

The die is cast and the neutral cameleer is moved accordingly, moving left to right, never using the Kalmyk. When reaching the end of the caravan, he starts again on the first field, thus moving differently than the players.

If the neutral cameleer reaches the first or sixth field, nothing happens. On the second field, one action card is removed from the game. If he reaches a field with goods, he immediately places one good in the area the second cameleer is present.

If there is no suitable hut, the cameleer moves on to the following area according to the numbers of the areas until he reaches a suitable hut. He then sells the good and receives a trading card (always one card, whatever number of huts are present). After that, he moves to the area with the next number. If there is no suitable area, the good is removed from the game.

End of the Game

The richest player draws two cards from the poorer one. They are not exposed, so the player does not know what he has received. The poorer player is not removed from the game, naturally.

The virtual player cannot win the game.

Action Cards

In general, action cards can only be used during an action round. "Cameleers" and "Activity" are used at the end of a player's turn; the other cards can be used anytime during a player's turn (not during the turn of another player or during a trading round). The number of cards to play is not limited. Played cards are removed from the game.

• Activity: An additional trading post can be placed. The regular rules and prices remain.
• Removal: One of the own trading posts can be moved into a neighbouring area.
• Cameleer: One additional move can be made with the cameleer. The move is free of charge; movements with more than 3 steps do not have to be paid. Trade connections and the placement of huts have to be paid.
• Caravan moves on: An own or neutral hut can be moved to a neighbouring area.
• Shortage: The player can take a good from one of the camels and remove one of the same camel, or remove a good from a hut and another good from a camel. The goods are removed from the game.
• 3/5: This card can be exchanged into 3 Tugrik each time. If the card has not been used until the end of the game, the card counts as 5 Tugrik.