The Last Spike
The Last Spike Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Equipment
Gameboard – Shows 9 cities and the 12 routes that link them. Each route has 4 track spaces.
Railway Track – 48 wooden tiles represent railway track sections. Four tiles fit between each two cities. Each tile has a unique letter code and number to match a gameboard space.
Cards – Deck of 45 land cards, 5 each of 9 cities. Sort the land cards into 9 piles of five (one per city), "Land Ø" on top, then cheapest to most expensive ranked below.
Game Money – Currency chips: $1,000 (White), $5,000 (Red), $10,000 (Blue).
Pregame
One player is chosen as banker. The banker gives each player, including himself, a sum of money that varies with the number of players:
- 2 Players, $60,000 each
- 3 Players, $50,000 each
- 4 Players, $40,000 each
- 5 Players, $35,000 each
- 6 Players, $30,000 each
Place the 48 railway tiles face-down and mix together. Each player draws one tile. The tile closest to A1 has the first turn (A3 is closer to A1 than B1). Replace the tiles in the pool and remix. Then each player draws four tiles, standing them upright to hide their identity from the other players.
2-Player Game: At the start of play, draw one tile sight unseen from the mix and place aside.
Game Turns
The game starts with the first player and proceeds clockwise around the table. Each turn:
- Lay a track tile on the map; all players collect Payouts if any.
- Buy one land card (optional)
- Draw one new track tile
Laying Track
The track tiles contain a unique letter and number, one for each space on the mapboard. The tile "A3" (cost $3000) is played in the St. Louis – Omaha route.
Each turn begins by playing one track tile next to a city, or next to any existing tile. Otherwise, you must lay track where possible at double cost.
Track cost varies to reflect terrain such as bridges and tunnels. The bank must be paid this cost to play that tile. If you cannot afford to play a track tile you must raise cash by selling land (see Selling Land).
Free Land Grants
Each city has one Free land grant, noted as Land Ø. The first player to play track next to a city gets this free land. That is, to get the Free land for Omaha, play A4, D1, or C1.
Players cannot buy land for a city until its free land has been claimed.
Players getting free land may NOT also buy another land card that turn.
Payouts
When all four (4) track sections between two cities have been built, every owner of the two connected cities collects a payout from the bank. That is, if the Dodge City – Denver route is completed, all players owning land for these two cities are paid.
The amount paid to each player depends on the number of land cards held for the two cities. If you own two land cards of the same city, collect the amount indicated by the number "2".
EXAMPLE: if you own 2 Denver and 1 Dodge City, collect $10,000 for Denver and $7,000 for Dodge City.
Denver land payouts (per land card held for Denver):
| Land cards held | Payout |
|---|---|
| 1 | $5,000 |
| 2 | $10,000 |
| 3 | $15,000 |
| 4 | $20,000 |
| 5 | $25,000 |
Dodge City land payouts (per land card held for Dodge City):
| Land cards held | Payout |
|---|---|
| 1 | $7,000 |
| 2 | $14,000 |
| 3 | $21,000 |
| 4 | $28,000 |
| 5 | $35,000 |
(Land price to buy Denver land is $2,000; Land price to buy Dodge City land is $4,000. Each city's payout scale is fixed, but its buy-in "Land" price and payout schedule are printed on that city's own land cards — see Buying Land.)
Buying Land
Playing a track tile allows you to buy any ONE Land, provided that city has had its free land claimed. Choose the city, pay the "Land" price noted ($7,000 for St. Louis shown) and place it face-up in front of you.
St. Louis land payouts (per land card held for St. Louis):
| Land cards held | Payout |
|---|---|
| 1 | $10,000 |
| 2 | $20,000 |
| 3 | $30,000 |
| 4 | $40,000 |
| 5 | $50,000 |
IMPORTANT: Ownership of land is public knowledge. Land cards must remain face-up on the table. Money can be hidden.
End your turn by drawing a track tile.
Selling Land
You may not sell or trade land to other players, or borrow money from other players. If you cannot pay for laying a track tile, you must sell land to the bank for half cost (round-up). Hence, land costing $5,000 is sold to the bank for $3000. Two or more land cards may have to be sold to raise sufficient cash to play. If you cannot raise enough cash to play you are bankrupt. Give any unplayed tiles, monies, and land to the bank for reuse, except bankrupt Free land is removed from play.
IMPORTANT: The bank will only buy land to allow a railway tile to be played. The bank will not buy a Free Land property, nor buy any city that has made all its possible payouts. Players selling land get a normal turn.
The Last Spike
The game ends when the last spike is played. This is the track tile that forms a continuous railway from St. Louis to Sacramento. Playing the last spike earns you a bonus of $20,000 from the bank.
Winning the Game
After the last spike is played, the payout for the two connected cities is collected. The player with the most cash then wins the game. Land value is not counted, just cash.
If required, break a tie with the highest total cost of land cards held.
Game Hints
- Land Values: Although the payouts for a city are the same, the cost of buying land for that city varies. Players get the cheapest land by buying early.
- Cooperation: The payout system encourages you to cooperate in track laying. Buying 4 or 5 land cards of the same city is rarely a good plan. It's better to let other players also own some land so they will help build the railway where you want it.
- Multiple Payouts: Cities have the potential for multiple payouts. Denver can pay 4 times if all four routes get built. Yuma can pay 3 times; St. Louis can pay only twice.
- Cash Flow: Players must manage their cash with care. Running out of money to pay for track forces you to sell land to the bank, making it available for other players.
Example of Play: A Last Spike Ending
The diagram shows one Last Spike ending. Tile V3 played in the Ogden – Denver route makes a continuous railway from St. Louis to Sacramento (via Dodge City, Denver, and Ogden).
This game had 7 payouts:
- Sacramento – Ogden
- Yuma – El Paso
- El Paso – Dodge City
- Denver – Dodge City
- Dodge City – St. Louis
- St. Louis – Omaha
- Ogden – Denver
Laramie had no payouts.
Comment: The player of the last spike did not own Ogden or Denver land, but wished to collect the $20,000 bonus before someone else did. This tile cost $3,000 to play (paid before collecting the bonus). Tile Z3 could also have been the last spike.
A city might not earn every possible payout before the game ends. With the exception of St. Louis and Sacramento (which must be connected at least once) a city might never earn a payout.
Credits
Based on a game first published by Gamma Two in 1976.
- Game Design: Tom Dalgliesh
- Developer: Grant Dalgliesh
- Art/Graphics: Karim Chakroun
Thanks to all of our playtesters!