Shipbuilding for tactician

On the whole, it comes at NAUTICUS build ships, ships loaded and sell boatloads. May sound relatively simple, the gameplay itself shows, however, if you want to win the game, you have to develop sophisticated tactics to bring the largest and most ships and / or most shiploads to the man at the end.

But let's start at the beginning: As a relatively avid board game player I was very surprised of how many individual parts of this game. In addition to playing pieces that represent workers, coins in sizes 1 and 5 dollars and commodity cards in 4 genera salt, cereals, coffee and fish dominate especially the Schiffsrumpf- and sailing platelets this game. Essence of this game is eventually to build ships. A ship always consists of the hull, which may consist of 1-4 parts, as well as a mast and a sail. Therefore a correspondingly large contingent of platelets There are a total of 5 mast and sail types 5 (4 per banner and a Kronbanner) is required for up to 4 players.

Once you have the now stamped more or less laboriously all tiles out of the mold, you can start already. It is recommended that before the game to read the game instructions very closely to at least begin to grasp the playmaking and procedure. In practice, however, one will ever again have to resort to the manual.

There is a small, but about looking slop Board, at its edge along pulls the scoring track. At the center of the board, a hub is placed at the 8 available action cards are created. At the edge of the turntable can be seen on a total of 8 fields either an anchor or 1-3 blue workers. These workers are virtual workers "that you can use for the corresponding actions with or not, and supplement the ranks of their own workers.

4 to be applied action cards are paid cards, in addition to the use of (and thus also the loss) of a worker also costs a certain number of coins: Buy Hulk, buy mast, sail and buy buy goods. Each action will cost between 0-3 thalers, perform an action double costs 4 dollars and who performs four different actions (read: 4 different sails or masts or hulls or purchases goods) gets a tile choice given. Very important here is the Golden Rule, the attacks throughout the game: Free actions always end up in the camp. The object, which can be purchased for 0 dollars, and the gift of the subject for the acquisition of all objects 1 each have the camp, while the paid with money items can be installed or loaded directly under the application of a worker (virtual workers or ordinary workers).

The other 4 battle cards require only the use of workers: withdraw money (which really means working to sell), sell goods, evaluate crowns and shipped goods. When loaded goods Action "you can see the objects from the camp that has been obtained for free, or simply has not been able to use to transport the ship and so ships fertigbauen and / or vessels loaded. Rate this action crowns" means that for all visible crowns (crown mast, sails crown, crowns for the fit) multiplied by the workers employed the appropriate prestige points (max. 15) must go on the scoring track. It is advantageous here if in this field the maximum number of 3 virtual workers can be used, because you can einheimsen so having to burn with no real "workers a lot of points.

The actions on the action cards can always be carried out by all the players.

- Special rules
Bonus: For every action card has a bonus. This appears between the hub and the action card. Only the player who triggers the action, gets this bonus, which can be a sail or mast or raw material choice, coins, prestige points or additional workers. Again, the golden rule applies: donated goods (. Mast, sail and raw materials) must first camp!

Beware: It is possible to fit in an action, ie the action is not carried out, for example, if you have no workers to withdraw money, or want to buy any goods. This can be done then the Passe-platelets. Each player gets 3 pieces of the values ​​-3, -2 and -1. It fits in an action, we must turn over the tiles with the highest negative value. On the back of these plates a crown is depicted, which, like the crown sail and the crown mast in action crowns rate "goes into the calculation of points. At the end of each round are not inverted Passe flakes are added and subtracted from the fame points achieved so far.

Extra action: Each player receives an additional cards Extra Action ", the pre during the game 1x or allowed by the own train within a round, in addition to perform an action of the board of your choice For this you get extra 2 workers asked..

* Gameplay *

Each player started off with a match color and takes the associated bearing plate and sets the corresponding marker on the field 10 "of the scoring track. A player is designated as the first player, and may call out the first action, pocket the associated bonus and decide whether he would like to perform the action or not. He can turn the most own Passeplättche Failure to execute and is ready. When executing it must long to perform the action, as he is ready money and / or employ workers. When it is finished, the next player until all the player's turn, once could execute or adjust the action. Then the second player's turn, selects an action and may take the bonus. This is repeated until a total of 7 of the 8 action cards were raised and everyone has had an opportunity to carry out the action or suit. Then (4 at 3 o. players) is the first of a total of 4 (with 2 players) or 5 rounds over and the action cards are shuffled and redistributed, the hub with the anchor position on the place of the round played first action performed is rotated. Thus, the opportunity to be enlarged so that other bonuses are up for promotions.

The essence of the game is as I said the construction of vessels and delivery of goods. About the various actions of the turntable all players try as soon as possible ships of various sizes consisting of hull, mast and sail to assemble and ship as many goods as possible. Completed ships bring rewards that bring a further construction and transport per mast. At the end of the game you get points for completed ships and goods sold.

* Game Review *

As the title suggests, requires NAUTICUS a high level of tactics, when and what action to take, which brings a person farthest without also bring about a lot of points to players. To rate this game, we have this game played 3 times a threesome. None of the games took the assumed 90 minutes but at least three quarters of an hour to a little over 1 hour more. Each player has different tactics tried: First fast small boats finish to shipping goods, and then only the big ships that bring the points at the end, build. Or first tackle the big ships because the funds required for fuselage pieces are limited and sell out quickly. In all three rounds but the same scenario took place: in the first 3-4 rounds, all players have focused on building ships and fill the warehouse of raw materials. Chance of raw materials were already loaded on ships. The delivery of the goods took place almost exclusively in the final round, as here mostly to have been wanting to sell the workers.

* Suggestions *

There should be the possibility of workers to buy: workers are consistently in the game scarce and particularly towards the end of the sale of goods they are sorely missed. If you have a lot of money, you should have the option to buy additional workers.

Increasing points for smaller ships: Small ships bring little dots, big ships bring a lot of points. Logically. But while there are 35 points of the big four-master, there are only 2 points for the mast. Here you would have the smaller vessels can enter some more points, even if the finish faster, but they need 4 rounds to deliver the goods, which can deliver a four-master in one round.

To safely store the many plates and accessories, a role was settled with small clear plastic bags, in the end of the match the tiles and coins can be stored. In a game of this size and price order a corresponding inlay for filing and storage of platelets would have been desirable.

* Conclusion *

Through the increased level of tactics, which is required of each individual, you have at any time of the game feel like playing the game with others. Sit back and let the game run simply does not work and will be punished promptly. Due to the variety of options it is however quite complicated to develop a working strategy, especially with the ever-changing bonuses for Action and the continuous change of the starting player of the luck factor also plays a considerable role. Who wants to face the many tactical options of the game, will have quite a joy to NAUTICUS.