Wealth of Nations
Wealth of Nations Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Equipment
Playing Board
144 Share certificates, six each of 24 products
48 Royalty cards, two each of 24 products
18 Telex message cards
9 Jokers
2 Card racks
Play money in denominations of £100,000x35, £500,000x35, £1,000,000x50, £5,000,000x25, £10,000,000x20
2 Dice (one white, one red)
6 Playing pieces
Preparation
Share cards
- Detach the share certificates and place them in the trays under country/region of origin.
- Each card names one product and the percentage of the world's output the shareholding represents.
- This information is colour-coded by continent
- The card also gives the country/region of origin and the price of the shareholding (both in red) and lists royalties payable/receivable according to percentage of world product controlled.
- For example, if you held 30% of aluminium production, the royalties due would be £900,000 (see diagram below).
- The production percentage is repeated in the slot such that when cards of the same product are stacked, the total holding can be readily checked.
Royalty cards
Shuffle these and deal them face up at random, one each on the 48 country and bonus squares.
Telex message cards
Shuffle and stack face down on the board in the marked space.
Joker cards
Stack and place in the marked space
Play money
One person is chosen as banker, in addition tp his/her role as a player. Distribute all of the banknotes evenly between the players and the bank, with any surplus banknotes also going to the bank:
| Players/Bank | 100k | 500k | 1m | 5m | 10m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 11/13 | 11/13 | 16/18 | 8/9 | 6/8 |
| 3 | 8/11 | 8/11 | 12/14 | 6/7 | 5/5 |
| 4 | 7/7 | 7/7 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 4/4 |
| 5 | 5/10 | 5/10 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 3/6 |
| 6 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 7/8 | 3/7 | 2/8 |
Play
NOTE: you ahould read all of the rules before starting to play.
- Players role both dice.
- Highest total starts, thereafter the turn moves clockwise. The first player chooses a playing piece, places it on the START square and again rolls both dice.
- The piece is then moved the sum of the two dice. The board consists of two linked circuits of squares, as indicated by the arrows. After completing both circuits, a player has toured the world an re-enters the first circuit.
- Players continue to circle the board in this way throughout the game.
- The action now taken by the player depends on the dice roll and the square landed on.
Dice Roll
If a double is thrown, the player is penalised £1,000,000 for each spot on one of the dice.
For example, a roll of double-5 means the player must pay £5,000.000 to the bank, and a roll of double-2 means the player must pay £2,000,000 to the bank.
Squares
There are seven types of square. These, and the action to be taken on each, are:
Country/Region
- The player must first pay any royalties due to other players with shareholdings in the product named on the royalty card, regardless of the player's own shareholding. The onus is on the shareholders to claim their entitlement.
Notice that a minimum shareholding of 30% is necessary before any royalties are payable.
A player who fails to claim before the turn passes forfeits the right to do so.
- The player may then buy up to a maximum of 6 shares of the country/region from the bank.
The share cards can be taken from the tray and examined and the resource lists (contained at the back of these rules) consulted before a decision is made.
The total cost of the shares selected must be paid in full to the bank.
Share cards held must be exposed on the table with shares of the same product stacked. Cash holdings may be concealed.
Continental Choice
The player, after first paying any royalties due, may opt to buy up to six shares of the designated continent (but notice the exclusion of the USA from the Americas and the USSR from Europe).
However, shares must be of products in which the player already owns at least one share.
The share cards in the trays may be examined and the resources list consulted before making a decision.
Important: The Continental choice option only applies if the player has made at least one complete tour of the world otherwise the square is treated as a stopping place.
World Choice
The player may buy up to six shares from any country or region, world-wide, but only in products in which shares are already owned by the player.
Important: The World Choice option only takes effect when the player has made at least one complete tour of the world, otherwise the square is treated as a stopping place.
Notice that no royalties are payable on a World Choice square.
Auction
A player landing on an Auction square must put up a number of shares for auction. The number of shares is determined by the score of the RED die.
However, this requirement is effective only if the player has made one complete tour of the world, otherwise the square is treated as a stopping place.
The shares are auctioned separately by the vendor in £100,000 steps and must be offered to start with at half the market purchase price.
The auction is conducted in the normal way, concluding with "Going, going, gone".
Ownership then passes to the highest bidder. In offering shares for auction, a player may not break up a trust of four or more shares in the same product.
Thus if a player rolls a 3 and holds five shares in one product and two individual shares, the block of five must be offered as a whole at a reserve equal to half the total value of the shares.
Any unsold shares put up for auction must be sold to the bank at half the marked purchase price (rounded up) and the cards returned to the trays.
In all auctions players must if asked, declare what shares they own but do not have to say how much money they have.
When the game is reduced to two players (or in a two-player game) auctions are suspended and the squares are stopping spaces only.
Telex Messages
The player takes the top Telex Message card, reads it aloud and collects/pays as instructed.
The card is then returned face-down to the bottom of the pack.
Bonus
The player first draws from the bank a sum equal to the total dice roll multiplied by £500,000, even if the roll is a double.
Example: roll a total of 9, draw £4,500,000
The player then pays any royalties/penalties due.
Thus any player rolling a double to arrive at a bonus square receives a sum exactly equal to the penalty he must pay.
Joker
A player landing on a Joker square may buy one joker card for £3,000,000.
On any subsequent turn that the player's piece stops on an auction space, the auction requirement can be waived on surrender of the joker.
A player may hold more than one joker.
In a two-player game, joker cards held are valueless and a joker square becomes a stopping place only.
Transactions
During a game if a player finds that his holding of cash is decreasing and there is a risk of him becoming bankrupt, he is free to sell shares or trusts to anyone he wishes to.
However, monopoly trusts (holdings of six shares in the same product) may under no circumstances be broken up.
Syndicates
At any time during the game players are free to form syndicates.
A syndicate is formed by two or more players pooling their entire resources and paying to the bank a sum equal to the face value of half their shareholdings.
The syndicate then plays with the piece of the player who contributed the most shares in terms of value, other member pieces being removed from the board.
Decisions by the syndicate are taken jointly.
It is to the advantage of players facing bankruptcy to form a syndicate.
Bankruptcy
A player or syndicate is bankrupt if unable to meet any financial obligation.
The bank takes over the player's holdings and settles any debt.
Cards are returned to the trays.
A bankrupt player or syndicate is out of the game.
Winning
The winner is the player or syndicate who succeeds in eliminating all the others.
Definitions
Trust
A holding of four or five shares in a product. A trust may not be broken up when selling in a compulsory auction but may be broken for disposal in any other transaction. (but see "Monopoly Trust", below).
Royalty
The sum paid or due on a shareholding.
Royalties are only payable on shareholdings of at least 30% in a product.
Shareholding
Ownership, expressed as a percentage, of world production of a product. The share card is title of this ownership.
Syndicate
A group of two or more players playing as one.
Transaction
Any private deal between players.
Monopoly Trust
A holding of all six shares in one product. A monopoly trust may not be split up under any circumstances.
Countries/Regions of the World
Europe
FRANCE
SCANDANAVIA, SWEDEN, FINLAND
WEST GERMANY
SOUTHERN EUROPE: ITALY-SPAIN-PORTUGAL
UNITED KINGDOM
BALKAN STATES: GREECE-TURKEY
EASTERN EUROPE: POLAND-HUNGARY
USSR
Americas
CANADA
ARGENTINA: URUGUAY
BRAZIL
VENEZUELA: GUYANA-SURINAM
MEXICO
ANDES: PERU-COLOMBIA-CHILE-BOLIVIA-ECUADOR
CARIBBEAN: CUBA-JAMAICA
USA
Africa
CENTRAL AFRICA: ZAIRE-GABON
SOUTH AFRICA
EAST AFRICA: ZAMBIA-KENYA
WEST AFRICA: NIGERIA-GHANA-CAMEROON-IVORY COAST-GUINEA-NIGER
ETHIOPIA
MOROCCO
Asia
CHINA
INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT: INDIA-PAKISTAN-SRI LANKA
MIDDLE EAST: IRAN-SAUDI ARABIA-IRAQ
JAPAN: KOREA
INDOCHINA: THAILAND-MALAYSIA-BURMA-INDONESIA
Oceania
AUSTRALIA-FIJI-NEW GUINEA-NEW ZEALAND-NEW CALEDONIA
Resources List
Aluminium
Maximum royalty: £14,000,000
- OCEANIA: AUSTRALIA — 35%
- WEST AFRICA: GUINEA — 20%
- CARIBBEAN: JAMAICA — 20%
- VENEZUELA: SURINAM — 10%
- VENEZUELA: GUYANA — 5%
- EASTERN EUROPE: HUNGARY — 5%
Automobile Construction
Maximum royalty: £16,000,000
- USA — 30%
- JAPAN — 20%
- WEST GERMANY — 15%
- FRANCE — 10%
- SOUTHERN EUROPE: ITALY — 10%
- UNITED KINGDOM — 5%
Coal
Maximum royalty: £22,000,000
- USA — 25%
- USSR — 20%
- CHINA — 20%
- EASTERN EUROPE: POLAND — 15%
- UNITED KINGDOM — 10%
- INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT: INDIA — 5%
Cobalt
Maximum royalty: £12,000,000
- CENTRAL AFRICA: ZAIRE — 40%
- EAST AFRICA: ZAMBIA — 20%
- CANADA — 15%
- MOROCCO — 10%
- SCANDINAVIA: FINLAND — 5%
- FRANCE — 5%
Cocoa
Maximum Royalty: £8,000,000
- WEST AFRICA: GHANA — 20%
- WEST AFRICA: IVORY COAST — 20%
- BRAZIL — 20%
- WEST AFRICA: NIGERIA — 15%
- WEST AFRICA: CAMEROON — 10%
- ANDES: ECUADOR — 5%
Coffee
Maximum Royalty: £8,000,000
- BRAZIL — 35%
- MEXICO — 15%
- ANDES: COLOMBIA — 15%
- ETHIOPIA — 10%
- WEST AFRICA: IVORY COAST — 10%
- INDONESIA — 10%
Copper
Maximum Royalty: £18,000,000
- USA — 25%
- USSR — 20%
- ANDES: CHILE — 20%
- CANADA — 15%
- EAST AFRICA: ZAMBIA — 10%
- CENTRAL AFRICA: ZAIRE — 5%
Gold
Maximum Royalty: £20,000,000
- SOUTH AFRICA — 40%
- USSR — 30%
- CANADA — 10%
- USA — 5%
- JAPAN — 5%
- OCEANIA: AUSTRALIA-FIJI-NEW GUINEA — 5%
Iron
Maximum royalty £20,000,000
- USSR — 30%
- OCANIA: AUSTRALIA — 20%
- USA — 15%
- BRAZIL — 15%
- CHINA — 10%
- INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT: INDIA — 5%
Lead
Maximum royalty £12,000,000
- USA — 20%
- USSR — 20%
- CANADA — 15%
- MEXICO — 15%
- OCEANIA: AUSTRALIA — 10%
- ANDES: PERU — 10%
Natural Rubber
Maximum royalty £8,000,000
- INDOCHINA: MALAYSIA — 35%
- INDONESIA — 25%
- INDOCHINA: THAILAND — 15%
- INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT: INDIA — 10%
- INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT: SRI LANKA — 5%
- WEST-AFRICA: NIGERIA — 5%
Naval Construction
Maximum royalty £14,000,000
- JAPAN — 40%
- SCANDINAVIA: SWEDEN — 20%
- USA — 15%
- UNITED KINGDOM — 10%
- FRANCE — 5%
- BRAZIL — 5%
Nickel
Maximum royalty £16,000,000
- CANADA — 25%
- USSR — 25%
- OCEANIA: NEW CALEDONIA — 15%
- CARIBBEAN: CUBA — 10%
- SOUTH AFRICA — 10%
- BALKAN STATES: GREECE — 5%
Oil
Maximum royalty £24,000,000
- USSR — 30%
- USA — 25%
- MIDDLE EAST: SAUDI ARABIA — 20%
- MIDDLE EAST: IRAN — 10%
- MIDDLE EAST: IRAQ — 5%
- VENEZUELA — 5%
Raw Cotton
Maximum royalty £10,000,000
- USA — 25%
- USSR — 25%
- CHINA — 20%
- INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT: INDIA — 15%
- INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT: PAKISTAN — 5%
- BLAKAN STATES: TURKEY — 5%
Raw Wool
Maximum royalty £10,000,000
- OCEANIA: AUSTRALIA — 35%
- USSR — 20%
- OCEANIA: NEW ZEALAND — 15%
- ARGENTINA — 10%
- SOUTH AFRICA — 5%
- ARGENTINA: URUGUAY — 5%
Rice
Maximum royalty £14,000,000
- CHINA — 35%
- INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT: INDIA — 20%
- INDONESIA — 10%
- INDOCHINA: BURMA — 10%
- INDOCHINA: THAILAND — 10%
- JAPAN — 10%
Silver
Maximum royalty £14,000,000
- MEXICO — 20%
- ANDES: PERU — 15%
- CANADA — 15%
- USA — 15%
- OCEANIA: AUSTRALIA — 15%
- JAPAN — 10%
Steel
Maximum royalty £22,000,000
- USA — 25%
- USSR — 25%
- JAPAN — 20%
- WEST GERMANY — 10%
- CHINA — 5%
- SOUTHERN EUROPE: ITALY — 5%
Sugar
Maximum royalty £18,000,000
- USSR — 20%
- BRAZIL — 20%
- CARIBBEAN: CUBA — 15%
- INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT: INDIA — 15%
- CHINA — 10%
- USA — 10%
Tea
Maximum royalty £10,000,000
- INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT: INDIA — 35%
- CHINA — 25%
- INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT: SRI LANKA — 15%
- JAPAN — 10%
- EAST AFRICA: KENYA — 5%
- USSR — 5%
Tungsten
Maximum royalty £12,000,000
- CHINA — 45%
- USA — 20%
- ANDES: BOLIVIA — 10%
- SOUTHERN EUROPE: PORTUGAL — 10%
- SOUTHERN EUROPE: SPAIN — 5%
- JAPAN: KOREA — 5%
Uranium
Maximum royalty £16,000,000
- USA — 40%
- CANADA — 20%
- SOUTH AFRICA — 15%
- FRANCE — 10%
- CENTRAL AFRICA: GABON — 5%
- WEST AFRICA: NIGER — 5%
Wheat
Maximum royalty £20,000,000
- USSR — 30%
- USA — 15%
- CHINA — 15%
- INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT: INDIA — 15%
- FRANCE — 10%
- CANADA — 10%