RULES 1.Introduction - Mesaboardgames
RULES 1.Introduction This game draws its inspiration from an extraordinary feat undertaken by a people living in far western Europe at the end of the 15th century. At a time when people believed the world was flat and navigation methods were rudimentary, the Portuguese set out to sea to discover new lands, meet new peoples and introduce the world to new ones.
The monument is now a World Heritage site. It has also become a timeless symbol of a period when the Portuguese, truly believing in their abilities, outdid themselves both historically and globally. This game is meant as a humble dedication to this time. Today, in the same spirit, we challenge you: are you afraid to round the Cape of Good Hope?
At the time, all ships entering the Port of Lisbon were required to pay a special tax: the “Vintena da Pimenta” or “Pepper Tax” upon return from their long voyages. The profits were used to build the monastery of St. Mary of Belém otherwise known as the Jerónimos Monastery.
As you read the rules of the game do not worry about memorizing them after reading them only once. Set up the board on a table within reach of all players. Read the rules carefully from beginning to end and look at the diagrams shown in this book. Afterwards, all you need to do is start playing with a sense of adventure - referring to this book whenever you need to clarify a situation. Happy sailing!
A game by Gil d’Orey For 2 to 4 players › 60 to 90 minutes › 8 years and up
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2 › Game Objectives The player who earns the most VICTORY POINTS (called VP from now on) wins. There are 3 ways of earning VP: By making discoveries, trading or contributing to construction of Jerónimos Monastery. The game ends on the round when the last JERÓNIMOS BUILDING CARD is purchased (all players still have a chance to take their turn during this round).
3 › Game pieces INDIVIDUAL PIECES:
CARAVELS/NAUS (square-rigged ships) Players sail these ships to move on the board. Each one represents a fleet. To simplify things, we call these pieces “ships” in the rules.
NAVIGATION MARKERS (identical to POINTS MARKERS) There are 12 markers in 4 different colours. These markers are used on the PLAYERS’ CARDS. GENERAL PIECES:
NATURAL RESOURCE CUBES There are 4 pieces Chili peppers in 8 different colours. Each piece represents a different natural resource or spice. Cinnamon
Brazil wood
Silk
Ivory
Pepper
Silver
Nutmeg
PLAYERS’ CARDS There are 4 cards. Each player has one card. DISCOVERY MONUMENTS There are 80 monuments, 20 of each color. PLAYER TOKENS There are 4 tokens in 4 different colours. They define in what order the players will take turns during each round. POINTS MARKERS There are 4 markers in 4 different colours. These are used to register how many VP each player has earned on the points counter running along the top and bottom of the board.
DESTINATION CARDS There are 32 of these cards
EVENT cards There are 86 of these cards.
SHIPWRECK MARKERS There are 8 markers. These indicate which ships on your players’ card have sunk. JERÓNIMOS TILES This set of 5 cards represents the Jerónimos Monastery under construction. DICE There is one dice.
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4 › Preparing to play At the beginning of the game each player chooses a color and places their ship on the space for LISBOA (with the yellow outline). Each player gets a PLAYERS’ CARD representing their fleet. This card shows the condition of the fleet and how many ships it has. On this card, 9 NAVIGATION MARKERS should be placed on the shields marked with the cross of the Order of Christ and 1 marker should be placed on the 4th ship to show it is not in use. Regardless of how many are playing, always deal 8 DESTINATION cards to each player. Split the DESTINATION cards into 2 piles of 16 cards each. The first pile should contain all of the DESTINATION cards pertaining to the western half of the map (to the left of the line Example of a PLAYERS’ CARD at the start of the game, ready for play.
Place the POINTS MARKERS on zero VP. IMPORTANT: as players earn points, register them immediately on the points counter.
At the beginning of the game place ships here, in the space representing Lisbon. Unused EVENTS CARDS are placed here, face down.
dividing the ocean into two parts) as well as those for Cabo da Boa Esperança and Moçambique; the second pile should contain the remaining DESTINATION cards from the eastern part of the map (to the right of the line dividing the ocean into two parts). Shuffle both piles thoroughly and deal 4 DESTINATION cards from each of these piles to every player. In games with 2 or 3 players, put the remaining DESTINATION cards face down in the game box, out of sight of all players.
5 ›Sequence of play The game is played in rounds. A round consists of every player taking a turn. A turn may include: navigation, trade and discoveries. Place the Jerónimos Monastery building tiles here. Use the following number of cards depending on how many players are in the game: 2 players: Put down cards: 1, 2 and 3. 3 players: Put down cards: 1, 2, 3 and 4. 4 players: Put down all of the cards: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Before deciding the turn order (see Chap. 6), place the PLAYER TOKENS here in random order.
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6 › Determining turn order At the beginning of each round, players can change the turn order by spending the navigation markers on their card. This consists simply of sliding up the markers on their players’ card (see figures 4 and 5), so that they are considered spent for that round. In other words, these markers cannot be spent during this round, unless they are won back using an EVENT card. The first player can spend one or more navigation markers. Afterwards, the second player does the same and so on until nobody wants to risk any more. To bet, a player must always spend more navigation markers than the highest bet already made. Players who choose not to spend a marker in one round can always choose to do so in subsequent rounds. In other words, they can always participate in this “game” of risk. Players are not obliged to spend any NAVIGATION MARKERS to remain in the game. If no one decides to spend any markers the turn order remains the same. Players can spend as many NAVIGATION MARKERS as they want. The player who has spent the MOST navigation markers can put their token where they want (normally in first place, but could be in any other position). Next, the second player puts their token in the second available position. And so on until all of the players have done so. The EVENT cards are distributed in the following way (only after deciding the turn order for the 1st round):
1st player_ receives 4 cards 2nd player_ receives 5 cards 3rd player_ receives 6 cards 4th player_ receives 7 cards
ATTENTION: CARD DISTRIBUTION DURING 1ST ROUND ONLY. As of the 2nd and subsequent rounds, at the end of their turn, each player receives the number of cards required to make a total of 5 EVENT cards. These are for use in the following round.
These illustrations show an example of how turn order may change during a round. At the beginning of the game (before any players take their turn) the green player gets to be fi rst to say whether he wants to bet any markers. (Fig. 1). But he does not want to spend any NAVIGATION MARKERS. Nor does the yellow player. But the red player wants to be the fi rst to play. To do this he spends one NAVIGATION MARKER. The blue player also wants to be fi rst so he spends two markers. The green and yellow players remain uninterested. The red player insists on being fi rst and spends two more markers. The blue player gives up and maintains his bet (Fig. 4 and 5). The green and yellow players remain uninterested. In a fi nal round none of the players decide to change their mind. The players now get in position (Fig. 2) according to the new turn order decided by their bets and begin the round in the new turn order (Fig. 3).
Fig.1 – At the beginning of the round place the PLAYER TOKENS down in random order.
Fig. 2 – After defi ning the turn order, the respective PLAYER TOKENS are repositioned.
Fig. 3 – The players can now begin the round. The red player has 3 less NAVIGATION MARKERS to spend during this round. And the blue player has two less. Fig.4 and 5 The players’ cards after spending their NAVIGATION MARKERS.
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7 › Explanation of the board On the board, the ocean is divided up into a web of mostly hexagonal spaces. Players cross the ocean with their ships along these spaces.
This table shows how many VP each resource cube is worth.
There are 8 ports where players can pick up goods. These ports have a distinct color and a cube symbol indicating the color of the cube they can pick up. In this case, this is the port of Tanegashima, Japan where players can pick up silver (blue color). (Chap.11) It costs extra to cross the spaces marked with a pirate symbol. (Chap.8) This lighter colored area indicates a wind/ current. The arrows indicate the direction of the wind/current. A small dot indicates the end point of the wind/current. (Chap.11).
Place unused EVENT cards (face down) and used ones (face up) on these two rectangles. (Chap.11)
This compass indicates the direction a ship takes when subject to a storm EVENT card. (Chap.10)
Red EVENT card symbol indicating the dice must rolled. (Chap.8)
Line dividing the two parts of the ocean. (Chap.10)
The ports WITHOUT any resources all have the same neutral colour and list only the name and date of their discovery. Players CANNOT pick up goods here.
Spaces with a blue wind symbol mean that an EVENT card must be played.
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8 › How to navigate/EVENTS/pirates The ocean is divided up into a web of irregular spaces on the board. These are bordered on all sides by white lines and/or land. Some spaces may contain symbols. A circular shield marked with a number indicates the correct space for a port and NOT its place name. Players begin the game here, in Lisbon, on the space containing a shield marked with the cross of the Order of Christ.
In this group of spaces we see a wind/current and arrows indicating the wind’s direction.
If a player wants to move his ship in a direction different from that of the arrows (or over spaces without arrows), he must “spend” a NAVIGATION MARKER for each space / move (see pg. 7). Players do this by sliding the MARKER on their players’ card up to the empty circle. Markers are always spent from left to right.
The red outlines show examples of spaces belonging to ports.
Ships always move between contiguous spaces. Ships may not move between two spaces separated by land only. SHIPS ON THE SAME SPACE There is no limit to the number of ships allowed on the same space. While sailing, a player may cross various spaces marked with different symbols.
The red arrows indicate moves that are NOT allowed. The green ones indicate moves that are allowed.
Moves that follow the wind and the direction of the arrows cost nothing and players can move as many spaces as they like.
PIRATE Players must spend an extra NAVIGATION MARKER every time they cross a space marked with a “Pirate” symbol. EVENTS (blue) Here the player must choose one of his EVENT cards and play accordingly. (see chapter on EVENT cards).
7 EVENTS (red) Here players do NOT use EVENT cards. Instead they ONLY roll the red dice. If it lands with a red side up, the ships escape the storm unharmed. If it lands on 1, one of the fleet’s caravels is shipwrecked. Put one black marker on the ship chosen to be shipwrecked to show the two types of goods the caravel can no longer carry. If it already had any of this cargo, it loses it.
The yellow ship does not spend a single NAVIGATION MARKER on the move shown in the illustration since it is following the same wind/current and arrow direction. As for the red ship, it must spend 2 NAVIGATION MARKERS to travel between the spaces marked with a red circle.
This CARD, belonging to the red player, shows the result of his fleet passing the Cape of Good Hope. When crossing a space with a red EVENT symbol the player rolled the dice and it landed on ONE, sinking one of his ships. The player chose to sink ship no.1, sacrificing his cargo. He places a SHIPWRECK MARKER (black) on the corresponding ship. When he returns to LISBON, he automatically gets back the sunken ships.
The yellow ships moved 2 spaces. It spent 3 NAVIGATION MARKERS since it sailed across two spaces without a favorable wind, one of which has a pirate symbol costing an additional marker.
The red player also moved 2 spaces. But it ONLY spent one NAVIGATION MARKER. This is because it moved in the same direction as the arrows in the wind/current requiring no markers. But since it crossed a space with a pirate symbol it had to spend one marker.
8 › when a player stops in Lisbon (see also pag. 13) after completing the actions intended he CANNOT sail any more. His turn ends.
HOW A TURN ENDS: A player’s turn ends when any ONE of the following situations takes place: › the player chooses not to move his ship anymore. › all NAVIGATION MARKERS have been spent and there is no chance of getting them back. When a player spends his last MARKER, his turn ends immediately. The ship remains in the same space, even if it is in an area with a favorable current /wind. › when a player plays a Dead Calm “STOP” EVENT card, (see pg.11).
9 › Discoveries There are approximately 32 port locations shown on the map. For a player to reach these places their ship must land on the space with the respective shield. The first player to reach a port space can put down a DISCOVERY MONUMENT in his colour, earning the amount of VP shown on the space. The other players may land on this space on following turns but they will not earn any VP.
When players complete their turn they get back the NAVIGATION MARKERS they spent (in other words, they can place the markers on the shields marked with the Order of Christ cross again) and receive enough new EVENT cards to total 5 cards for use during the following turn.
On this turn, the player spends 4 NAVIGATION MARKERS (moves marked with a red circle). No one has visited the ports of Malacca and Ceylon yet. So he has placed DISCOVERY MONUMENTS in his colour on each of these places, earning a total of 4 VP (2VP from Malacca and 2VP from Ceylon). He must immediately register these points using his POINTS MARKER. Also, since he travelled to Ceylon he can load up with cinnamon (brown cube).
10 › Explanation of cards When a player crosses a space with a blue EVENT symbol with his ship, he must stop in this space. He must ALWAYS play one of the EVENT cards he holds. These cards have consequences for him and for the other players (see BONUS MOVES FOR OTHER PLAYERS). First he must apply the consequences to the other players and then play himself. Afterwards, if it is possible, he can continue sailing. If the player does not have an EVENT card, he CANNOT cross spaces with the EVENT symbol. There are 4 types of EVENT cards.
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For consequences of these cards on other players, see the box on page 10 – BONUS MOVE. › EVENT CARD – Storm marked with a red symbol When player plays this card he must spend the number of NAVIGATION MARKERS indicated on the card (upper right hand corner). He can only do so if he has at least as many NAVIGATION MARKERS as he needs to spend. For example, if a player only has 3 NAVIGATION MARKERS, he can never use an EVENT CARD that says -4. Either he must use another card or he cannot land on the EVENT space. › EVENT CARD – Storm marked with a compass symbol This card simulates a storm that pushes the fleet off course. When playing this EVENT card the player must move his ship 2 spaces in the direction indicated by the card. If this means moving onto land or off the map, or if this direction does not exist from the space, he does not need to move his ship two spaces. The compass on the board indicates the correct direction. All spaces are bordered either by land or white lines with a precise direction. Therefore players can always tell if they can move or not in a certain direction . The player ignore the effects of the EVENT (blue and red) spaces, PIRATES and wind / currents spaces. The player may make DISCOVERIES and TRADE if the places they travel to/through so allow.
› EVENT CARD – Good wind This card can be used in two ways: EITHER as a good wind on a blue EVENT space OR as defense against pirates on a space with a pirate symbol. When a player uses this card on an EVENT space, he can win back 2 NAVIGATION MARKERS spent during this turn. For example, if a player uses this card and hasn’t spent any NAVIGATION MARKERS, he does not reap the benefit of winning back any markers. OR A player can use this card when crossing a space with a pirate symbol, thus avoiding spending an extra NAVIGATION MARKER. In this case, the player is using the card’s feature that saves him from pirates, and not the Good wind feature, so the other players do not get a BONUS.
› EVENT CARD – Dead calm When a player uses this card, his turn ends immediately, even if he has not spent all of his NAVIGATION CARDS. This card does not affect the other players.
The red player uses a GOOD WIND card on an EVENT space. He wins back the two NAVIGATION MARKER he had spent. The player can now use them on his current turn.
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BONUS MOVES FOR THE OTHER PLAYERS The EVENT cards may also have consequences for the other players. BEFORE the player continues his turn, ALL of the other players with ships in the same area of the ocean may move, even if they are stopped at ANY port. This BONUS MOVE, ONLY for other players and following the turn order, is NOT compulsory. But various rules apply. › Only those players with ships in the same area of the ocean may benefit. The line by the Cape of Good Hope separates the ocean into two parts. › Players can move UP TO the number of spaces indicated on the card, in any direction, except when using the EVENT card with the compass symbol. In this case, the ships MUST move in the direction indicated on the compass. It is not necessary to use NAVIGATION MARKERS. For example, if it is a -4 storm, the player can move UP TO 4 spaces.
The red ship lands on an EVENT space and plays the storm card with a compass pointing northwest. It only moves in this direction AFTER the other two players, who may benefit from the BONUS MOVE, decide if they want to move or not. The white arrows indicate the MOVES the other opponents may make. The yellow ship can only move one space because it hits land, the same reason why the green ship cannot move at all.
› Players CANNOT take advantage of the wind/current. Even if they are on a space with wind, they can only move the number of spaces allowed by the card’s bonus. › Players ignore the effects of the EVENT spaces (blue or reds) and PIRATES. In other words, the player does not use an EVENT card, or throw the red dice or spent extra markers on the PIRATE spaces. › They may make DISCOVERIES and TRADE if the places they travel to/through so allow (see chapter 11).
The yellow ship arrives at an EVENT space. He uses the storm card indicating northwest. Since the red ship is located in the same area of the ocean, it can move in the same direction and up to 2 spaces ignoring the EVENT symbols. The green ship is not able to benefit from this BONUS MOVE because it cannot move in that direction from his space. Only after the other ships have opted to benefit or not from the BONUS MOVE does the yellow ship move two spaces in the northwest direction. It ignores the two EVENTS (red and blue). This is a good way of getting around the Cape of Good Hope without risking losing a ship from the fleet.
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11 › Goods
The two areas of the ocean.
In the two illustrations on the right we see a yellow player reaching an EVENT space. He uses a -4 storm card. Being in the same area of the ocean, the green ship immediately benefits by getting a BONUS MOVE, moving 4 spaces and ignoring all EVENTS. Although it crosses the line dividing up the ocean it can still move 4 spaces since it departs from the same half of the ocean. It plants a DISCOVERY MONUMENT (earns 1 VP) and moves the remaining spaces. It CANNOT take advantage of the wind in its space. The yellow player continues to play.
› DESTINATION CARDS Players can earn extra VP with these cards. At the end of the game ONLY, each player earns an EXTRA 5 VP for each place they were the first to reach (obvious from the colour of the monument) and have the respective DESTINATION card for. In a game where a player has received 8 cards, he can earn up to 40 bonus VP.
There are 8 ports where it is possible to pick up goods. These places are marked with the symbol of a colored cube indicating the type of goods that can be found there. To do so, a ship must simply land on the space with a port and pick up the appropriate colored cube. It is then placed on the players’ card in the space indicated. Only one cube can be picked up in each port and only if there space available for the goods, i.e., it has not already been picked up on this trip and the appropriate ship is available (not covered by a SHIPWRECK or NAVIGATION MARKER). For example, at the beginning of the game, players cannot collect nutmeg (yellow cube) and silver (blue cube). To do so they must upgrade their fleet and have the fourth ship available. After a player sells his goods in Lisbon emptying space on his players’ card, he can return to this place and pick up this good again. On the same turn and MOVE, the player can plant a DISCOVERY MONUMENT (if he was the first to arrive there), earning the respective VP as well as pick up the natural resource cube.
The 8 spaces with ports where goods can be picked up are edged in red.
12 On this page we see the end of the red ship’s turn. To reach this point, the player has spent 7 NAVIGATION MARKERS. The DISCOVERY MONUMENTS in various locations show that various players have visited/discovered them.
Fig.1 – The red ship moves to the EVENT space. It does not spend any markers since the spaces have a wind/current and the ship is moving in the direction of the arrows. It reaches the space with an EVENT and stops.
Fig. 1
Fig. 2 - The player opts to play the -2 Storm EVENT card, costing 2 NAVIGATION MARKERS. Since he is in the same area of the ocean, the yellow player, immediately earns a BONUS MOVE. He takes advantage of the space with Porto Seguro. Since it was a BONUS MOVE he ignores the EVENT and can trade. He puts a black cube on his players’ card.
Fig. 3 – After the EVENT the red ship continues to take advantage of the current, travelling to GUINEA without spending any NAVIGATION MARKERS. Here he can trade. By putting a red cube on his players’ card he fi lls his fleet. Finally he moves 3 more spaces, but without a favorable wind/current he must spent his last 3 NAVIGATION MARKERS. His turn ends.
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
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12 › LISBON – selling goods /constructing Jerónimos / upgrading the fleet LISBON: A player may travel through the Lisbon space without stopping and continue his turn. But then he cannot carry out any activities (for example sell goods, upgrade fleet, etc). If a player does decides to stop in Lisbon he must follow the rules below
› The fleet is restored – all of the ships that had sunk become active once more. The player simply has to remove the SHIPWRECK MARKERS. Attention– Remove these from the 4th ship only if it had been obtained earlier. › When a player stops in Lisbon after carrying out his intended activities, he CANNOT sail anymore. The turn ends.
› He must sell ALL of his goods.
The yellow player arrives in Lisbon with his fleet full of goods, having spent 5 NAVIGATION MARKERS. Since he had not upgraded his fleet, he cannot bring back silver (blue) or nutmeg (yellow).
› He can contribute to building =10 PV the Jerónimos Monastery by buying the numbered tiles on the board. These can only be bought with pepper cubes (green), in numerical order, earning the player 10 VP. Do not forget that when these tiles are gone the game ends. › Earn VP with goods. The player receives 5 or 10 VP for each cube, depending on the type of good. Each cube sold returns to the game’s general stock. [NOTE- the green cube is only worth 5PV if it is NOT exchanged for a Jerónimos “card”]
› Improve fleet. If a player turns in 3 different cubes of goods at the same time, instead of earning 15VP he can choose to upgrade his fleet. The 4th ship becomes available (remove the marker covering it) and the player receives 3 more NAVIGATION MARKERS. All 12 markers become available, regardless of the number of ships in the fleet.
=10 PV =10 PV =5 PV =5 PV =5 PV =5 PV =5 PV =5 PV
› The player receives as many EVENT cards as necessary to make the total of 5 allowed. Or he can turn in ALL of his cards and receive 5 new EVENT cards. › The player gets back the NAVIGATION MARKERS spent during the turn after playing. The player may merely slide them back to the shield with the cross of the Order of Christ.
In LISBON, the player chooses to do the following: Use 3 different goods to upgrade his fleet. The player gets a 4th ship and 3 more NAVIGATION MARKERS. Use a green cube (pepper) to build Jerónimos. Exchange this cube for a Jerónimos building tile and earn 10 VP. He immediately registers this on the board. The remaining cubes are worth 5 VP each, making a total of 10 VP. He immediately registers this on the game board. On this turn, the player earned a total of 20 VP and upgraded his fleet. He obtained access to his 4th ship and got as 3 more NAVIGATION MARKERS.
The card is ready for the following turn.
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13 › End of the game and tie breaks The game ends on the round when the last Jerónimos tile is purchased. When this happens, the players who have not yet played in this round may still do so. The points players earned with DESTINATION CARDS are now counted. 5 VP for each card they hold if they were the first to reach this port. If a player has more than 100 total points, register them starting again from zero, with zero representing 100. In the event of a tie, the player with the most Jerónimos tiles wins. If the game is still tied, the player with the lowest number Jerónimos tile, wins (all of them are numbered).
14 › Important rules not to forget and strategies for playing more skillfully › Do not forget that when the NAVIGATION MARKERS have all been spent and it is impossible to get them back, your turn ends, even if you are in a space with favourable wind. › Upgrading the fleet is meant to simulate how ships evolved at the time, from caravels to naus which had superior navigability and increased cargo space. If you want to use this strategy, do so as early on as possible. By the end of the game this investment does not pay off.
› The DESTINATION CARDS can earn you many points at the end of the game if you are the first to reach places. Do not lose sight of these places and try to get there first. At the end of the game these points can make the difference between winning and losing. › The BONUS MOVES that players earn can be very useful and decisive in winning the game. Try to predict the other players moves and take advantage of them. › It is difficult to round the Cape of Good Hope. Try to approach this area and then benefit from a BONUS MOVE to get across the red EVENT zones. The game rules end here. 15 › SIMPLIFIED VERSION To play a simpler version of the game we suggest two variations: 1 › For a quick introduction to the game, instead of dealing 5 EVENT cards to each player, shuffle all of the cards and place them face down on the board. Every time a ship crosses an EVENT space, the players simply pick ONE card and follow the consequences. In this variation we advise using only half of the STOP cards. 2 › Instead of using NAVIGATION MARKERS have players move using two dice numbered from 1 to 6 (not included in the game). Do not use EVENT cards or DESTINATION cards. Ignore the EVENT spaces. When crossing a Pirate space players spend one extra MOVE (as if it were an additional space).
16 › QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GAME › What does “the discoveries” mean? The discoveries were an exploration of new geographic areas with precise knowledge about their location, making it possible to later return to the same places and let the international scientific community know about them. Before the Portuguese discoveries, this phenomenon had not occurred. They were not “discoveries”, they were “accidents”. › How long did it really take to reach India? Vasco da Gama took about 18 months round trip, departing from Lisbon. › Were the ships caravels or naus? At the beginning of the Era of the Discoveries the ships used were latin caravels that had triangular sails (the ships are illustrated on the game box). They quickly evolved into the round caravel (with a rectangular sail at the front) and later naus that were larger ships. The silhouette of the ships on the PLAYERS’ CARDS are clearly naus. › Why is it called a latin caravel? Because they used triangular sails called “trilatinas” meaning three-sided. › Why don’t slaves appear in the game? Slavery existed during this period, but it did not motivate the Portuguese to depart on this adventure. In addition to religious, political and scientific motives there was an enormous economic motive: the gigantic profits the spice trade could bring the navigators and the Portuguese crown. › Did the Portuguese only discover/reach those places featured in the game? Of course not. But to simplify the game we reduced the number of places. › Was the Jerónimos Monastery always like this? No. Parts of the building’s construction were modified and added on to during its many centuries of existence. But if you would like to know more about this monument you can visit the following website: www.mosteirojeronimos.pt › Didn’t the caravels carry missionaries with the intention of converting the indigenous peoples? Religious expansion was one motivating factor for the Portuguese. But including the missionaries in this game would make it very complex and lengthy. So it was decided that the missionaries would be included in a future expansion of the game. › Did other countries have ships? At the beginning of the Era of the Discoveries only the Spanish offered some competition to the Portuguese ships. In the mid 16th century other countries took part in navigation and the discoveries, such as the English, Dutch and French.
15 17 › DESTINATION cards
ter route, for both going to and returning from India.
18 › FINAL NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
These texts do not influence the rules of the game.
Maldives – 1518. This archipelago, found southwest of India, was
The author takes all responsibility for the references and historical
Labrador - 1500 – The Vikings reached this area in the year 1000.
known of since 1518 and a Portuguese trading post between 1558
summaries used in the game. Therefore, any errors, omissions and
Its discovery is attributed to the brothers, Gaspar and
and 1573.
inaccuracies should be directed to the author. However, I would
Miguel Corte Real.
Muscat- 1507 - Afonso de Albuquerque reached this port on
like to thank a few people who assisted me with the subject. For
Terra Nova - 1498 – The Vikings reached this area in the year 1000.
September 2nd. Fearing the military strength of the Portuguese,
their knowledge: thank you to historian Manuel Amaral for his
Its discovery is attributed to the brothers, Gaspar and Miguel
the locals welcomed them.
generous help and revision of the history. For their pertinent com-
Corte Real.
Mogadishu – 1499 – Under Portuguese possession during the 16th
ments: Eng. Joaquim Ferreira do Amaral.
Florida – 1487 – Voyage by Fernão Dulmo, João Afonso do
century, the city was important for control of the Red Sea.
Education on caravels: Bruno Gonçalves Neves - 2TEN TSN and
Estreito and cartographer Martim da Boémia. The latter made a
Bahrain - 1510 – From 1521 to 1602, the country was occupied by
Catarina MARTINS - 2TEN TSN of the Portuguese Maritime
terrestrial globe with Florida, the Antilles and the Gulf of Mexico.
the Portuguese as part of Afonso de Albuquerque’s plan to control
Museum.
Azores - 1427 –Portuguese archipelago consisting of 9 islands,
trade in the Persian Gulf.
To all of the players who generously offered to play and test the
officially discovered by Diogo de Silves in 1427.
Diu – 1513 – A strategic island situated off the northwest coast of
game. To everyone, thank you for your comments and assistance:
Madeira - 1419 – Known of since the 14th century, the archipelago
India, it was given to the Portuguese by Bahadur Shah the Sultan
From Spiel Portugal - Paulo Soledade, Carlos Ferreira, Paulo
was officially discovered byJoão Gonçalves Zarco.
of Gujarat in 1531. It was a Portuguese territory up until 1961.
Inácio and Nuno Sentieiro;
Ceuta - 1415 – Conquered by the Portuguese during the reign of
Calcutta -- 1498 –Vasco da Gama’s final destination on his voyage
From Cascais and Lisboa - Vasco Morais David. Maria João, Ter-
King João I, becoming the first Portuguese outpost in Africa.
to discover a maritime route to India.
esa and Bernardo Texeira de Abreu. Susana Dagot. Francisco Melo
Cape Bojador - 1434 – After fifteen attempts, Gil Eanes finally
Ceylon – 1505. Lourenço de Almeida arrived here on this date.
Rêgo. Mário Ramirez and Pedro Teixeira de Abreu. João, Teresa,
managed to round the cape, opening up the possibility of sailing
In 1517, the city of Colombo was founded increasing Portuguese
Manuel and Vasco Peleteiro. Diogo, Rodrigo, Mónica and Maria
along the west coast of Africa.
control of the coastline.
do Mar Albuquerque d’Orey. Francisco, João Gabriel and João
Guinea - 1444 – After reaching the Senegal River, Nuno Tristão
Malacca – 1509. Conquered in 1511 by Afonso de Albuquerque.
Ferreira do Amaral. Paulo Gomes, Carlota Vieira, Nuno Viegas
began discovery and exploration of the Guinea Coast.
It was a key location for controlling the spice trade.
and João Martins.
Cape Verde - 1458 – It is thought that Diogo Gomes and António
Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) – 1511. Afonso de Albuquerque
From LeiriaCon 2010 - Paulo Inácio, Hélio Andrade, Ricardo
Noli were the first navigators to reach Santiago, an island in this
sent a diplomatic envoy to the King of Siam, Ayutthaya, after con-
Gama, Luís Evangelista; Zé Pedro Carvalho, Celeste Morais,
archipelago.
quering Malacca. In 1518, King. Manuel I sent a diplomatic envoy
Mafalda Paiva, Marta Morais.
Porto Seguro - 1500 –Pedro Álvares Cabral reached the Island of
here with an alliance proposal.
From Galiza - José Gama, Miguel Ucha, Firmino Martínez
Vera Cruz, now known as Porto Seguro, in Brazil.
Mombasa – 1498. Vasco de Gama originally came upon this deep
From Encontros de Quartas de Lisboa - João Rodrigues, Jorge
S. Tomé and Príncipe – 1471. João de Santarém, Pêro Escobar and
water port on his voyage to discover a maritime route to India. It
Napoleão, Miguel Barreiro and João Leal.
João de Paiva reached the islands in 1471.
was occupied by the Portuguese.
Da Ludothèque de Boulogne-Billancourt: Bernardo d’Orey, Jean-
Mina - 1482 – Under the command of Diogo da Azambuja, con-
Moluccas – 1512. Known as the Spice Islands, they were the only
François Arnaud, Gwendal and Chantal.
struction of the first Portuguese fort on the African coast began.
producers of nutmeg and cloves. They caused a dispute between
Finally, thank you to GURU, for being my friend.
Luanda – 1485. The Portuguese explorers reached the N’gola coast
Portugal and Spain since it was uncertain whether they belonged to
In Portugal, there are several groups of board game enthusiasts
in 1485, but the city was only founded in 1575 by Paulo Dias de
the western part of the Tordesillas anti-meridian line.
which hold regular gatherings open to all. Two of these are:
Novais.
Timor – 1512. Probable date of discovery, since it was first men-
www.spielPortugal.blogspot.com
Congo River - 1482 – When the navigator Diogo Cão reached this
tioned in a letter to King Manuel I in January 1514.
www.abreojogo.com
place he thought that he had almost reached India.
Macau – 1515. The Portuguese settled in Macau beginning in
NOTE: These two organizations are completely independent and
Cape of Good Hope - 1487 – Discovered by Bartolomeu Dias (un-
1553, receiving permission to stay permanently in 1557.
lack any relation to MESAboardgames. They are entirely responsi-
der King João II). As he rounded the cape, the navigator realized
Tanegashima – 1542. The location where the Portuguese landed
ble for the contents of their websites.
he had reached the east coast of the African continent. This was
in Japan. It is also famous for being the place where the Japanese
Translations: Eva Graburn (English), Isabel Teixeira de Queiroz
decisive in the discovery of the maritime route to India.
were first introduced to firearms.
(German) Daniel Danze (Editing German version), Dimitri
Mozambique - 1498 - Pêro da Covilhã reached the Island of Mo-
Dagot (French), Lali Talaya (Castillian). Editing by Filipa Oliveira.
zambique via land. Vasco de Gama reached it on his way to India.
Graphics and illustrations by Gil d’Orey. João Menezes was
S. Lourenço - 1498 - The Portuguese were the first Europeans to
responsible for the illustrations of caravels on the box cover as well
reach the island, with the Navigator Diogo Dias baptizing the
as the EVENT and Jerónimos cards. To discuss anything regarding
island São Lourenço.
this game, please contact the designer via e-mail or website:
Mauritius – 1505. A stopover for loading supplies off of the route
[email protected]
to India. Although not part of the normal route, it was in fact a bet-
www.mesaboardgames.pt
16
19 › Summary of the rules 1st ROUND Each player chooses a colour and receives their respective pieces. Deal the DESTINATION cards. (Chap.4) Choose the turn order. (Chap.6) Distribute the EVENT cards 1st player_ receives 4 cards 2nd player_ receives 5 cards 3rd player_ receives 6 cards 4rd player_ receives 7 cards
2nd AND SUBSEQUENT ROUNDS
Players play one at a time: they may sail, make discoveries and pick up goods. At the end of each turn players get back their NAVIGATION MARKERS and receive as many EVENT cards as necessary to make a total of 5 for use in the following round.
TURN ENDS: (Chap.8) › When a player chooses to do so. › When all NAVIGATION MARKERS have been spent. › When a player uses a Dead Calm “STOP” EVENT card. › When a player stops in Lisbon. NAVIGATION/EVENTS/PIRATES (Chap.8) If players move in the direction of the winds and following the arrows, the move costs nothing. If players wants to move their ship in a direction different from the arrows (or over spaces without arrows) players must “spend” 1 NAVIGATION MARKER per space / move. EVENTS (blue) – players choose one of their EVENT cards and apply the consequences. PIRATES: cost 1 extra NAVIGATION MARKER. EVENTS (red) – ONLY roll the red dice.
END OF THE GAME (Chap. 13) The game ends on the round when the last JERÓNIMOS tile is purchased. All players have the right to play during this round. Each player earns 5 VP for each place they were the first to reach and have the respective DISTINATION card for.
Choose the turn order. (Chap.6) Begin playing. Players play one at a time: they may sail, make discoveries and pick up goods. At the end of each turn players get back their NAVIGATION MARKERS and receive as many EVENT cards as necessary to make a total of 5 for use in the following round.
BONUS MOVES (Chap.10) › Are NOT compulsory. › Apply only to ships in the same part of the ocean. › Players may move UP TO the total number of spaces indicated on the card. › Players may NOT benefit from the wind/currents. › Players may ignore both the effects of the EVENT symbols (blue and red) and PIRATES. › Players may carry out DISCOVERIES and TRADE. SHIPS THAT STOP IN LISBON: (Chap. 12) › Must sell ALL of their goods. › May contribute to building the Jerónimos Monastery. › May earn VP from goods. › May upgrade their fleet and obtain a 4th ship. › Receive EVENT cards to make a total of 5 cards. Or turn in ALL of their cards and receive 5 new EVENT cards. › Get back their NAVIGATION MARKERS. › Restore the fleet. Any sunken ships become available once more. › May NOT sail any more during that round.
The monument is now a World Heritage site. It has also become a timeless symbol of a period when the Portuguese, truly believing in their abilities, outdid themselves both historically and globally. This game is meant as a humble dedication to this time. Today, in the same spirit, we challenge you: are you afraid to round the Cape of Good Hope?
At the time, all ships entering the Port of Lisbon were required to pay a special tax: the “Vintena da Pimenta” or “Pepper Tax” upon return from their long voyages. The profits were used to build the monastery of St. Mary of Belém otherwise known as the Jerónimos Monastery.
As you read the rules of the game do not worry about memorizing them after reading them only once. Set up the board on a table within reach of all players. Read the rules carefully from beginning to end and look at the diagrams shown in this book. Afterwards, all you need to do is start playing with a sense of adventure - referring to this book whenever you need to clarify a situation. Happy sailing!
A game by Gil d’Orey For 2 to 4 players › 60 to 90 minutes › 8 years and up
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2 › Game Objectives The player who earns the most VICTORY POINTS (called VP from now on) wins. There are 3 ways of earning VP: By making discoveries, trading or contributing to construction of Jerónimos Monastery. The game ends on the round when the last JERÓNIMOS BUILDING CARD is purchased (all players still have a chance to take their turn during this round).
3 › Game pieces INDIVIDUAL PIECES:
CARAVELS/NAUS (square-rigged ships) Players sail these ships to move on the board. Each one represents a fleet. To simplify things, we call these pieces “ships” in the rules.
NAVIGATION MARKERS (identical to POINTS MARKERS) There are 12 markers in 4 different colours. These markers are used on the PLAYERS’ CARDS. GENERAL PIECES:
NATURAL RESOURCE CUBES There are 4 pieces Chili peppers in 8 different colours. Each piece represents a different natural resource or spice. Cinnamon
Brazil wood
Silk
Ivory
Pepper
Silver
Nutmeg
PLAYERS’ CARDS There are 4 cards. Each player has one card. DISCOVERY MONUMENTS There are 80 monuments, 20 of each color. PLAYER TOKENS There are 4 tokens in 4 different colours. They define in what order the players will take turns during each round. POINTS MARKERS There are 4 markers in 4 different colours. These are used to register how many VP each player has earned on the points counter running along the top and bottom of the board.
DESTINATION CARDS There are 32 of these cards
EVENT cards There are 86 of these cards.
SHIPWRECK MARKERS There are 8 markers. These indicate which ships on your players’ card have sunk. JERÓNIMOS TILES This set of 5 cards represents the Jerónimos Monastery under construction. DICE There is one dice.
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4 › Preparing to play At the beginning of the game each player chooses a color and places their ship on the space for LISBOA (with the yellow outline). Each player gets a PLAYERS’ CARD representing their fleet. This card shows the condition of the fleet and how many ships it has. On this card, 9 NAVIGATION MARKERS should be placed on the shields marked with the cross of the Order of Christ and 1 marker should be placed on the 4th ship to show it is not in use. Regardless of how many are playing, always deal 8 DESTINATION cards to each player. Split the DESTINATION cards into 2 piles of 16 cards each. The first pile should contain all of the DESTINATION cards pertaining to the western half of the map (to the left of the line Example of a PLAYERS’ CARD at the start of the game, ready for play.
Place the POINTS MARKERS on zero VP. IMPORTANT: as players earn points, register them immediately on the points counter.
At the beginning of the game place ships here, in the space representing Lisbon. Unused EVENTS CARDS are placed here, face down.
dividing the ocean into two parts) as well as those for Cabo da Boa Esperança and Moçambique; the second pile should contain the remaining DESTINATION cards from the eastern part of the map (to the right of the line dividing the ocean into two parts). Shuffle both piles thoroughly and deal 4 DESTINATION cards from each of these piles to every player. In games with 2 or 3 players, put the remaining DESTINATION cards face down in the game box, out of sight of all players.
5 ›Sequence of play The game is played in rounds. A round consists of every player taking a turn. A turn may include: navigation, trade and discoveries. Place the Jerónimos Monastery building tiles here. Use the following number of cards depending on how many players are in the game: 2 players: Put down cards: 1, 2 and 3. 3 players: Put down cards: 1, 2, 3 and 4. 4 players: Put down all of the cards: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Before deciding the turn order (see Chap. 6), place the PLAYER TOKENS here in random order.
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6 › Determining turn order At the beginning of each round, players can change the turn order by spending the navigation markers on their card. This consists simply of sliding up the markers on their players’ card (see figures 4 and 5), so that they are considered spent for that round. In other words, these markers cannot be spent during this round, unless they are won back using an EVENT card. The first player can spend one or more navigation markers. Afterwards, the second player does the same and so on until nobody wants to risk any more. To bet, a player must always spend more navigation markers than the highest bet already made. Players who choose not to spend a marker in one round can always choose to do so in subsequent rounds. In other words, they can always participate in this “game” of risk. Players are not obliged to spend any NAVIGATION MARKERS to remain in the game. If no one decides to spend any markers the turn order remains the same. Players can spend as many NAVIGATION MARKERS as they want. The player who has spent the MOST navigation markers can put their token where they want (normally in first place, but could be in any other position). Next, the second player puts their token in the second available position. And so on until all of the players have done so. The EVENT cards are distributed in the following way (only after deciding the turn order for the 1st round):
1st player_ receives 4 cards 2nd player_ receives 5 cards 3rd player_ receives 6 cards 4th player_ receives 7 cards
ATTENTION: CARD DISTRIBUTION DURING 1ST ROUND ONLY. As of the 2nd and subsequent rounds, at the end of their turn, each player receives the number of cards required to make a total of 5 EVENT cards. These are for use in the following round.
These illustrations show an example of how turn order may change during a round. At the beginning of the game (before any players take their turn) the green player gets to be fi rst to say whether he wants to bet any markers. (Fig. 1). But he does not want to spend any NAVIGATION MARKERS. Nor does the yellow player. But the red player wants to be the fi rst to play. To do this he spends one NAVIGATION MARKER. The blue player also wants to be fi rst so he spends two markers. The green and yellow players remain uninterested. The red player insists on being fi rst and spends two more markers. The blue player gives up and maintains his bet (Fig. 4 and 5). The green and yellow players remain uninterested. In a fi nal round none of the players decide to change their mind. The players now get in position (Fig. 2) according to the new turn order decided by their bets and begin the round in the new turn order (Fig. 3).
Fig.1 – At the beginning of the round place the PLAYER TOKENS down in random order.
Fig. 2 – After defi ning the turn order, the respective PLAYER TOKENS are repositioned.
Fig. 3 – The players can now begin the round. The red player has 3 less NAVIGATION MARKERS to spend during this round. And the blue player has two less. Fig.4 and 5 The players’ cards after spending their NAVIGATION MARKERS.
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7 › Explanation of the board On the board, the ocean is divided up into a web of mostly hexagonal spaces. Players cross the ocean with their ships along these spaces.
This table shows how many VP each resource cube is worth.
There are 8 ports where players can pick up goods. These ports have a distinct color and a cube symbol indicating the color of the cube they can pick up. In this case, this is the port of Tanegashima, Japan where players can pick up silver (blue color). (Chap.11) It costs extra to cross the spaces marked with a pirate symbol. (Chap.8) This lighter colored area indicates a wind/ current. The arrows indicate the direction of the wind/current. A small dot indicates the end point of the wind/current. (Chap.11).
Place unused EVENT cards (face down) and used ones (face up) on these two rectangles. (Chap.11)
This compass indicates the direction a ship takes when subject to a storm EVENT card. (Chap.10)
Red EVENT card symbol indicating the dice must rolled. (Chap.8)
Line dividing the two parts of the ocean. (Chap.10)
The ports WITHOUT any resources all have the same neutral colour and list only the name and date of their discovery. Players CANNOT pick up goods here.
Spaces with a blue wind symbol mean that an EVENT card must be played.
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8 › How to navigate/EVENTS/pirates The ocean is divided up into a web of irregular spaces on the board. These are bordered on all sides by white lines and/or land. Some spaces may contain symbols. A circular shield marked with a number indicates the correct space for a port and NOT its place name. Players begin the game here, in Lisbon, on the space containing a shield marked with the cross of the Order of Christ.
In this group of spaces we see a wind/current and arrows indicating the wind’s direction.
If a player wants to move his ship in a direction different from that of the arrows (or over spaces without arrows), he must “spend” a NAVIGATION MARKER for each space / move (see pg. 7). Players do this by sliding the MARKER on their players’ card up to the empty circle. Markers are always spent from left to right.
The red outlines show examples of spaces belonging to ports.
Ships always move between contiguous spaces. Ships may not move between two spaces separated by land only. SHIPS ON THE SAME SPACE There is no limit to the number of ships allowed on the same space. While sailing, a player may cross various spaces marked with different symbols.
The red arrows indicate moves that are NOT allowed. The green ones indicate moves that are allowed.
Moves that follow the wind and the direction of the arrows cost nothing and players can move as many spaces as they like.
PIRATE Players must spend an extra NAVIGATION MARKER every time they cross a space marked with a “Pirate” symbol. EVENTS (blue) Here the player must choose one of his EVENT cards and play accordingly. (see chapter on EVENT cards).
7 EVENTS (red) Here players do NOT use EVENT cards. Instead they ONLY roll the red dice. If it lands with a red side up, the ships escape the storm unharmed. If it lands on 1, one of the fleet’s caravels is shipwrecked. Put one black marker on the ship chosen to be shipwrecked to show the two types of goods the caravel can no longer carry. If it already had any of this cargo, it loses it.
The yellow ship does not spend a single NAVIGATION MARKER on the move shown in the illustration since it is following the same wind/current and arrow direction. As for the red ship, it must spend 2 NAVIGATION MARKERS to travel between the spaces marked with a red circle.
This CARD, belonging to the red player, shows the result of his fleet passing the Cape of Good Hope. When crossing a space with a red EVENT symbol the player rolled the dice and it landed on ONE, sinking one of his ships. The player chose to sink ship no.1, sacrificing his cargo. He places a SHIPWRECK MARKER (black) on the corresponding ship. When he returns to LISBON, he automatically gets back the sunken ships.
The yellow ships moved 2 spaces. It spent 3 NAVIGATION MARKERS since it sailed across two spaces without a favorable wind, one of which has a pirate symbol costing an additional marker.
The red player also moved 2 spaces. But it ONLY spent one NAVIGATION MARKER. This is because it moved in the same direction as the arrows in the wind/current requiring no markers. But since it crossed a space with a pirate symbol it had to spend one marker.
8 › when a player stops in Lisbon (see also pag. 13) after completing the actions intended he CANNOT sail any more. His turn ends.
HOW A TURN ENDS: A player’s turn ends when any ONE of the following situations takes place: › the player chooses not to move his ship anymore. › all NAVIGATION MARKERS have been spent and there is no chance of getting them back. When a player spends his last MARKER, his turn ends immediately. The ship remains in the same space, even if it is in an area with a favorable current /wind. › when a player plays a Dead Calm “STOP” EVENT card, (see pg.11).
9 › Discoveries There are approximately 32 port locations shown on the map. For a player to reach these places their ship must land on the space with the respective shield. The first player to reach a port space can put down a DISCOVERY MONUMENT in his colour, earning the amount of VP shown on the space. The other players may land on this space on following turns but they will not earn any VP.
When players complete their turn they get back the NAVIGATION MARKERS they spent (in other words, they can place the markers on the shields marked with the Order of Christ cross again) and receive enough new EVENT cards to total 5 cards for use during the following turn.
On this turn, the player spends 4 NAVIGATION MARKERS (moves marked with a red circle). No one has visited the ports of Malacca and Ceylon yet. So he has placed DISCOVERY MONUMENTS in his colour on each of these places, earning a total of 4 VP (2VP from Malacca and 2VP from Ceylon). He must immediately register these points using his POINTS MARKER. Also, since he travelled to Ceylon he can load up with cinnamon (brown cube).
10 › Explanation of cards When a player crosses a space with a blue EVENT symbol with his ship, he must stop in this space. He must ALWAYS play one of the EVENT cards he holds. These cards have consequences for him and for the other players (see BONUS MOVES FOR OTHER PLAYERS). First he must apply the consequences to the other players and then play himself. Afterwards, if it is possible, he can continue sailing. If the player does not have an EVENT card, he CANNOT cross spaces with the EVENT symbol. There are 4 types of EVENT cards.
9
For consequences of these cards on other players, see the box on page 10 – BONUS MOVE. › EVENT CARD – Storm marked with a red symbol When player plays this card he must spend the number of NAVIGATION MARKERS indicated on the card (upper right hand corner). He can only do so if he has at least as many NAVIGATION MARKERS as he needs to spend. For example, if a player only has 3 NAVIGATION MARKERS, he can never use an EVENT CARD that says -4. Either he must use another card or he cannot land on the EVENT space. › EVENT CARD – Storm marked with a compass symbol This card simulates a storm that pushes the fleet off course. When playing this EVENT card the player must move his ship 2 spaces in the direction indicated by the card. If this means moving onto land or off the map, or if this direction does not exist from the space, he does not need to move his ship two spaces. The compass on the board indicates the correct direction. All spaces are bordered either by land or white lines with a precise direction. Therefore players can always tell if they can move or not in a certain direction . The player ignore the effects of the EVENT (blue and red) spaces, PIRATES and wind / currents spaces. The player may make DISCOVERIES and TRADE if the places they travel to/through so allow.
› EVENT CARD – Good wind This card can be used in two ways: EITHER as a good wind on a blue EVENT space OR as defense against pirates on a space with a pirate symbol. When a player uses this card on an EVENT space, he can win back 2 NAVIGATION MARKERS spent during this turn. For example, if a player uses this card and hasn’t spent any NAVIGATION MARKERS, he does not reap the benefit of winning back any markers. OR A player can use this card when crossing a space with a pirate symbol, thus avoiding spending an extra NAVIGATION MARKER. In this case, the player is using the card’s feature that saves him from pirates, and not the Good wind feature, so the other players do not get a BONUS.
› EVENT CARD – Dead calm When a player uses this card, his turn ends immediately, even if he has not spent all of his NAVIGATION CARDS. This card does not affect the other players.
The red player uses a GOOD WIND card on an EVENT space. He wins back the two NAVIGATION MARKER he had spent. The player can now use them on his current turn.
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BONUS MOVES FOR THE OTHER PLAYERS The EVENT cards may also have consequences for the other players. BEFORE the player continues his turn, ALL of the other players with ships in the same area of the ocean may move, even if they are stopped at ANY port. This BONUS MOVE, ONLY for other players and following the turn order, is NOT compulsory. But various rules apply. › Only those players with ships in the same area of the ocean may benefit. The line by the Cape of Good Hope separates the ocean into two parts. › Players can move UP TO the number of spaces indicated on the card, in any direction, except when using the EVENT card with the compass symbol. In this case, the ships MUST move in the direction indicated on the compass. It is not necessary to use NAVIGATION MARKERS. For example, if it is a -4 storm, the player can move UP TO 4 spaces.
The red ship lands on an EVENT space and plays the storm card with a compass pointing northwest. It only moves in this direction AFTER the other two players, who may benefit from the BONUS MOVE, decide if they want to move or not. The white arrows indicate the MOVES the other opponents may make. The yellow ship can only move one space because it hits land, the same reason why the green ship cannot move at all.
› Players CANNOT take advantage of the wind/current. Even if they are on a space with wind, they can only move the number of spaces allowed by the card’s bonus. › Players ignore the effects of the EVENT spaces (blue or reds) and PIRATES. In other words, the player does not use an EVENT card, or throw the red dice or spent extra markers on the PIRATE spaces. › They may make DISCOVERIES and TRADE if the places they travel to/through so allow (see chapter 11).
The yellow ship arrives at an EVENT space. He uses the storm card indicating northwest. Since the red ship is located in the same area of the ocean, it can move in the same direction and up to 2 spaces ignoring the EVENT symbols. The green ship is not able to benefit from this BONUS MOVE because it cannot move in that direction from his space. Only after the other ships have opted to benefit or not from the BONUS MOVE does the yellow ship move two spaces in the northwest direction. It ignores the two EVENTS (red and blue). This is a good way of getting around the Cape of Good Hope without risking losing a ship from the fleet.
11
11 › Goods
The two areas of the ocean.
In the two illustrations on the right we see a yellow player reaching an EVENT space. He uses a -4 storm card. Being in the same area of the ocean, the green ship immediately benefits by getting a BONUS MOVE, moving 4 spaces and ignoring all EVENTS. Although it crosses the line dividing up the ocean it can still move 4 spaces since it departs from the same half of the ocean. It plants a DISCOVERY MONUMENT (earns 1 VP) and moves the remaining spaces. It CANNOT take advantage of the wind in its space. The yellow player continues to play.
› DESTINATION CARDS Players can earn extra VP with these cards. At the end of the game ONLY, each player earns an EXTRA 5 VP for each place they were the first to reach (obvious from the colour of the monument) and have the respective DESTINATION card for. In a game where a player has received 8 cards, he can earn up to 40 bonus VP.
There are 8 ports where it is possible to pick up goods. These places are marked with the symbol of a colored cube indicating the type of goods that can be found there. To do so, a ship must simply land on the space with a port and pick up the appropriate colored cube. It is then placed on the players’ card in the space indicated. Only one cube can be picked up in each port and only if there space available for the goods, i.e., it has not already been picked up on this trip and the appropriate ship is available (not covered by a SHIPWRECK or NAVIGATION MARKER). For example, at the beginning of the game, players cannot collect nutmeg (yellow cube) and silver (blue cube). To do so they must upgrade their fleet and have the fourth ship available. After a player sells his goods in Lisbon emptying space on his players’ card, he can return to this place and pick up this good again. On the same turn and MOVE, the player can plant a DISCOVERY MONUMENT (if he was the first to arrive there), earning the respective VP as well as pick up the natural resource cube.
The 8 spaces with ports where goods can be picked up are edged in red.
12 On this page we see the end of the red ship’s turn. To reach this point, the player has spent 7 NAVIGATION MARKERS. The DISCOVERY MONUMENTS in various locations show that various players have visited/discovered them.
Fig.1 – The red ship moves to the EVENT space. It does not spend any markers since the spaces have a wind/current and the ship is moving in the direction of the arrows. It reaches the space with an EVENT and stops.
Fig. 1
Fig. 2 - The player opts to play the -2 Storm EVENT card, costing 2 NAVIGATION MARKERS. Since he is in the same area of the ocean, the yellow player, immediately earns a BONUS MOVE. He takes advantage of the space with Porto Seguro. Since it was a BONUS MOVE he ignores the EVENT and can trade. He puts a black cube on his players’ card.
Fig. 3 – After the EVENT the red ship continues to take advantage of the current, travelling to GUINEA without spending any NAVIGATION MARKERS. Here he can trade. By putting a red cube on his players’ card he fi lls his fleet. Finally he moves 3 more spaces, but without a favorable wind/current he must spent his last 3 NAVIGATION MARKERS. His turn ends.
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
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12 › LISBON – selling goods /constructing Jerónimos / upgrading the fleet LISBON: A player may travel through the Lisbon space without stopping and continue his turn. But then he cannot carry out any activities (for example sell goods, upgrade fleet, etc). If a player does decides to stop in Lisbon he must follow the rules below
› The fleet is restored – all of the ships that had sunk become active once more. The player simply has to remove the SHIPWRECK MARKERS. Attention– Remove these from the 4th ship only if it had been obtained earlier. › When a player stops in Lisbon after carrying out his intended activities, he CANNOT sail anymore. The turn ends.
› He must sell ALL of his goods.
The yellow player arrives in Lisbon with his fleet full of goods, having spent 5 NAVIGATION MARKERS. Since he had not upgraded his fleet, he cannot bring back silver (blue) or nutmeg (yellow).
› He can contribute to building =10 PV the Jerónimos Monastery by buying the numbered tiles on the board. These can only be bought with pepper cubes (green), in numerical order, earning the player 10 VP. Do not forget that when these tiles are gone the game ends. › Earn VP with goods. The player receives 5 or 10 VP for each cube, depending on the type of good. Each cube sold returns to the game’s general stock. [NOTE- the green cube is only worth 5PV if it is NOT exchanged for a Jerónimos “card”]
› Improve fleet. If a player turns in 3 different cubes of goods at the same time, instead of earning 15VP he can choose to upgrade his fleet. The 4th ship becomes available (remove the marker covering it) and the player receives 3 more NAVIGATION MARKERS. All 12 markers become available, regardless of the number of ships in the fleet.
=10 PV =10 PV =5 PV =5 PV =5 PV =5 PV =5 PV =5 PV
› The player receives as many EVENT cards as necessary to make the total of 5 allowed. Or he can turn in ALL of his cards and receive 5 new EVENT cards. › The player gets back the NAVIGATION MARKERS spent during the turn after playing. The player may merely slide them back to the shield with the cross of the Order of Christ.
In LISBON, the player chooses to do the following: Use 3 different goods to upgrade his fleet. The player gets a 4th ship and 3 more NAVIGATION MARKERS. Use a green cube (pepper) to build Jerónimos. Exchange this cube for a Jerónimos building tile and earn 10 VP. He immediately registers this on the board. The remaining cubes are worth 5 VP each, making a total of 10 VP. He immediately registers this on the game board. On this turn, the player earned a total of 20 VP and upgraded his fleet. He obtained access to his 4th ship and got as 3 more NAVIGATION MARKERS.
The card is ready for the following turn.
14
13 › End of the game and tie breaks The game ends on the round when the last Jerónimos tile is purchased. When this happens, the players who have not yet played in this round may still do so. The points players earned with DESTINATION CARDS are now counted. 5 VP for each card they hold if they were the first to reach this port. If a player has more than 100 total points, register them starting again from zero, with zero representing 100. In the event of a tie, the player with the most Jerónimos tiles wins. If the game is still tied, the player with the lowest number Jerónimos tile, wins (all of them are numbered).
14 › Important rules not to forget and strategies for playing more skillfully › Do not forget that when the NAVIGATION MARKERS have all been spent and it is impossible to get them back, your turn ends, even if you are in a space with favourable wind. › Upgrading the fleet is meant to simulate how ships evolved at the time, from caravels to naus which had superior navigability and increased cargo space. If you want to use this strategy, do so as early on as possible. By the end of the game this investment does not pay off.
› The DESTINATION CARDS can earn you many points at the end of the game if you are the first to reach places. Do not lose sight of these places and try to get there first. At the end of the game these points can make the difference between winning and losing. › The BONUS MOVES that players earn can be very useful and decisive in winning the game. Try to predict the other players moves and take advantage of them. › It is difficult to round the Cape of Good Hope. Try to approach this area and then benefit from a BONUS MOVE to get across the red EVENT zones. The game rules end here. 15 › SIMPLIFIED VERSION To play a simpler version of the game we suggest two variations: 1 › For a quick introduction to the game, instead of dealing 5 EVENT cards to each player, shuffle all of the cards and place them face down on the board. Every time a ship crosses an EVENT space, the players simply pick ONE card and follow the consequences. In this variation we advise using only half of the STOP cards. 2 › Instead of using NAVIGATION MARKERS have players move using two dice numbered from 1 to 6 (not included in the game). Do not use EVENT cards or DESTINATION cards. Ignore the EVENT spaces. When crossing a Pirate space players spend one extra MOVE (as if it were an additional space).
16 › QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GAME › What does “the discoveries” mean? The discoveries were an exploration of new geographic areas with precise knowledge about their location, making it possible to later return to the same places and let the international scientific community know about them. Before the Portuguese discoveries, this phenomenon had not occurred. They were not “discoveries”, they were “accidents”. › How long did it really take to reach India? Vasco da Gama took about 18 months round trip, departing from Lisbon. › Were the ships caravels or naus? At the beginning of the Era of the Discoveries the ships used were latin caravels that had triangular sails (the ships are illustrated on the game box). They quickly evolved into the round caravel (with a rectangular sail at the front) and later naus that were larger ships. The silhouette of the ships on the PLAYERS’ CARDS are clearly naus. › Why is it called a latin caravel? Because they used triangular sails called “trilatinas” meaning three-sided. › Why don’t slaves appear in the game? Slavery existed during this period, but it did not motivate the Portuguese to depart on this adventure. In addition to religious, political and scientific motives there was an enormous economic motive: the gigantic profits the spice trade could bring the navigators and the Portuguese crown. › Did the Portuguese only discover/reach those places featured in the game? Of course not. But to simplify the game we reduced the number of places. › Was the Jerónimos Monastery always like this? No. Parts of the building’s construction were modified and added on to during its many centuries of existence. But if you would like to know more about this monument you can visit the following website: www.mosteirojeronimos.pt › Didn’t the caravels carry missionaries with the intention of converting the indigenous peoples? Religious expansion was one motivating factor for the Portuguese. But including the missionaries in this game would make it very complex and lengthy. So it was decided that the missionaries would be included in a future expansion of the game. › Did other countries have ships? At the beginning of the Era of the Discoveries only the Spanish offered some competition to the Portuguese ships. In the mid 16th century other countries took part in navigation and the discoveries, such as the English, Dutch and French.
15 17 › DESTINATION cards
ter route, for both going to and returning from India.
18 › FINAL NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
These texts do not influence the rules of the game.
Maldives – 1518. This archipelago, found southwest of India, was
The author takes all responsibility for the references and historical
Labrador - 1500 – The Vikings reached this area in the year 1000.
known of since 1518 and a Portuguese trading post between 1558
summaries used in the game. Therefore, any errors, omissions and
Its discovery is attributed to the brothers, Gaspar and
and 1573.
inaccuracies should be directed to the author. However, I would
Miguel Corte Real.
Muscat- 1507 - Afonso de Albuquerque reached this port on
like to thank a few people who assisted me with the subject. For
Terra Nova - 1498 – The Vikings reached this area in the year 1000.
September 2nd. Fearing the military strength of the Portuguese,
their knowledge: thank you to historian Manuel Amaral for his
Its discovery is attributed to the brothers, Gaspar and Miguel
the locals welcomed them.
generous help and revision of the history. For their pertinent com-
Corte Real.
Mogadishu – 1499 – Under Portuguese possession during the 16th
ments: Eng. Joaquim Ferreira do Amaral.
Florida – 1487 – Voyage by Fernão Dulmo, João Afonso do
century, the city was important for control of the Red Sea.
Education on caravels: Bruno Gonçalves Neves - 2TEN TSN and
Estreito and cartographer Martim da Boémia. The latter made a
Bahrain - 1510 – From 1521 to 1602, the country was occupied by
Catarina MARTINS - 2TEN TSN of the Portuguese Maritime
terrestrial globe with Florida, the Antilles and the Gulf of Mexico.
the Portuguese as part of Afonso de Albuquerque’s plan to control
Museum.
Azores - 1427 –Portuguese archipelago consisting of 9 islands,
trade in the Persian Gulf.
To all of the players who generously offered to play and test the
officially discovered by Diogo de Silves in 1427.
Diu – 1513 – A strategic island situated off the northwest coast of
game. To everyone, thank you for your comments and assistance:
Madeira - 1419 – Known of since the 14th century, the archipelago
India, it was given to the Portuguese by Bahadur Shah the Sultan
From Spiel Portugal - Paulo Soledade, Carlos Ferreira, Paulo
was officially discovered byJoão Gonçalves Zarco.
of Gujarat in 1531. It was a Portuguese territory up until 1961.
Inácio and Nuno Sentieiro;
Ceuta - 1415 – Conquered by the Portuguese during the reign of
Calcutta -- 1498 –Vasco da Gama’s final destination on his voyage
From Cascais and Lisboa - Vasco Morais David. Maria João, Ter-
King João I, becoming the first Portuguese outpost in Africa.
to discover a maritime route to India.
esa and Bernardo Texeira de Abreu. Susana Dagot. Francisco Melo
Cape Bojador - 1434 – After fifteen attempts, Gil Eanes finally
Ceylon – 1505. Lourenço de Almeida arrived here on this date.
Rêgo. Mário Ramirez and Pedro Teixeira de Abreu. João, Teresa,
managed to round the cape, opening up the possibility of sailing
In 1517, the city of Colombo was founded increasing Portuguese
Manuel and Vasco Peleteiro. Diogo, Rodrigo, Mónica and Maria
along the west coast of Africa.
control of the coastline.
do Mar Albuquerque d’Orey. Francisco, João Gabriel and João
Guinea - 1444 – After reaching the Senegal River, Nuno Tristão
Malacca – 1509. Conquered in 1511 by Afonso de Albuquerque.
Ferreira do Amaral. Paulo Gomes, Carlota Vieira, Nuno Viegas
began discovery and exploration of the Guinea Coast.
It was a key location for controlling the spice trade.
and João Martins.
Cape Verde - 1458 – It is thought that Diogo Gomes and António
Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) – 1511. Afonso de Albuquerque
From LeiriaCon 2010 - Paulo Inácio, Hélio Andrade, Ricardo
Noli were the first navigators to reach Santiago, an island in this
sent a diplomatic envoy to the King of Siam, Ayutthaya, after con-
Gama, Luís Evangelista; Zé Pedro Carvalho, Celeste Morais,
archipelago.
quering Malacca. In 1518, King. Manuel I sent a diplomatic envoy
Mafalda Paiva, Marta Morais.
Porto Seguro - 1500 –Pedro Álvares Cabral reached the Island of
here with an alliance proposal.
From Galiza - José Gama, Miguel Ucha, Firmino Martínez
Vera Cruz, now known as Porto Seguro, in Brazil.
Mombasa – 1498. Vasco de Gama originally came upon this deep
From Encontros de Quartas de Lisboa - João Rodrigues, Jorge
S. Tomé and Príncipe – 1471. João de Santarém, Pêro Escobar and
water port on his voyage to discover a maritime route to India. It
Napoleão, Miguel Barreiro and João Leal.
João de Paiva reached the islands in 1471.
was occupied by the Portuguese.
Da Ludothèque de Boulogne-Billancourt: Bernardo d’Orey, Jean-
Mina - 1482 – Under the command of Diogo da Azambuja, con-
Moluccas – 1512. Known as the Spice Islands, they were the only
François Arnaud, Gwendal and Chantal.
struction of the first Portuguese fort on the African coast began.
producers of nutmeg and cloves. They caused a dispute between
Finally, thank you to GURU, for being my friend.
Luanda – 1485. The Portuguese explorers reached the N’gola coast
Portugal and Spain since it was uncertain whether they belonged to
In Portugal, there are several groups of board game enthusiasts
in 1485, but the city was only founded in 1575 by Paulo Dias de
the western part of the Tordesillas anti-meridian line.
which hold regular gatherings open to all. Two of these are:
Novais.
Timor – 1512. Probable date of discovery, since it was first men-
www.spielPortugal.blogspot.com
Congo River - 1482 – When the navigator Diogo Cão reached this
tioned in a letter to King Manuel I in January 1514.
www.abreojogo.com
place he thought that he had almost reached India.
Macau – 1515. The Portuguese settled in Macau beginning in
NOTE: These two organizations are completely independent and
Cape of Good Hope - 1487 – Discovered by Bartolomeu Dias (un-
1553, receiving permission to stay permanently in 1557.
lack any relation to MESAboardgames. They are entirely responsi-
der King João II). As he rounded the cape, the navigator realized
Tanegashima – 1542. The location where the Portuguese landed
ble for the contents of their websites.
he had reached the east coast of the African continent. This was
in Japan. It is also famous for being the place where the Japanese
Translations: Eva Graburn (English), Isabel Teixeira de Queiroz
decisive in the discovery of the maritime route to India.
were first introduced to firearms.
(German) Daniel Danze (Editing German version), Dimitri
Mozambique - 1498 - Pêro da Covilhã reached the Island of Mo-
Dagot (French), Lali Talaya (Castillian). Editing by Filipa Oliveira.
zambique via land. Vasco de Gama reached it on his way to India.
Graphics and illustrations by Gil d’Orey. João Menezes was
S. Lourenço - 1498 - The Portuguese were the first Europeans to
responsible for the illustrations of caravels on the box cover as well
reach the island, with the Navigator Diogo Dias baptizing the
as the EVENT and Jerónimos cards. To discuss anything regarding
island São Lourenço.
this game, please contact the designer via e-mail or website:
Mauritius – 1505. A stopover for loading supplies off of the route
[email protected]
to India. Although not part of the normal route, it was in fact a bet-
www.mesaboardgames.pt
16
19 › Summary of the rules 1st ROUND Each player chooses a colour and receives their respective pieces. Deal the DESTINATION cards. (Chap.4) Choose the turn order. (Chap.6) Distribute the EVENT cards 1st player_ receives 4 cards 2nd player_ receives 5 cards 3rd player_ receives 6 cards 4rd player_ receives 7 cards
2nd AND SUBSEQUENT ROUNDS
Players play one at a time: they may sail, make discoveries and pick up goods. At the end of each turn players get back their NAVIGATION MARKERS and receive as many EVENT cards as necessary to make a total of 5 for use in the following round.
TURN ENDS: (Chap.8) › When a player chooses to do so. › When all NAVIGATION MARKERS have been spent. › When a player uses a Dead Calm “STOP” EVENT card. › When a player stops in Lisbon. NAVIGATION/EVENTS/PIRATES (Chap.8) If players move in the direction of the winds and following the arrows, the move costs nothing. If players wants to move their ship in a direction different from the arrows (or over spaces without arrows) players must “spend” 1 NAVIGATION MARKER per space / move. EVENTS (blue) – players choose one of their EVENT cards and apply the consequences. PIRATES: cost 1 extra NAVIGATION MARKER. EVENTS (red) – ONLY roll the red dice.
END OF THE GAME (Chap. 13) The game ends on the round when the last JERÓNIMOS tile is purchased. All players have the right to play during this round. Each player earns 5 VP for each place they were the first to reach and have the respective DISTINATION card for.
Choose the turn order. (Chap.6) Begin playing. Players play one at a time: they may sail, make discoveries and pick up goods. At the end of each turn players get back their NAVIGATION MARKERS and receive as many EVENT cards as necessary to make a total of 5 for use in the following round.
BONUS MOVES (Chap.10) › Are NOT compulsory. › Apply only to ships in the same part of the ocean. › Players may move UP TO the total number of spaces indicated on the card. › Players may NOT benefit from the wind/currents. › Players may ignore both the effects of the EVENT symbols (blue and red) and PIRATES. › Players may carry out DISCOVERIES and TRADE. SHIPS THAT STOP IN LISBON: (Chap. 12) › Must sell ALL of their goods. › May contribute to building the Jerónimos Monastery. › May earn VP from goods. › May upgrade their fleet and obtain a 4th ship. › Receive EVENT cards to make a total of 5 cards. Or turn in ALL of their cards and receive 5 new EVENT cards. › Get back their NAVIGATION MARKERS. › Restore the fleet. Any sunken ships become available once more. › May NOT sail any more during that round.
