Ticket to Ride: Rails & Sails is a strategy board game that combines the classic gameplay of Ticket to Ride with the addition of ships and a world map. This game is part of the best-selling Ticket to Ride Train adventure series, designed for two to four players, where they build both railway and shipping routes to connect cities and earn points.
Ticket to Ride Rails and Sails Rules
The game Ticket to Ride: Rails & Sails is ideally suited for players aged 10 and up and requires a duration of 90 to 120 minutes to complete. The focus of the game is to earn the most points by claiming routes, completing routes on their tickets, and building harbors.
Game Components
The game comes with a double-sided board featuring a world map on one side and a map of the Great Lakes region on the other, as well as easily distinguishable plastic pieces for trains, boats, and harbors. There are a total of 340 pieces, including:
- 165 colored train cars (33 each in blue, red, green, yellow, and black)
- 250 colored ships (50 each in blue, red, green, yellow, and black)
- 15 harbors (3 each in blue, red, green, yellow, and black)
- 140 travel cards (80 train cards and 60 ship cards)
- 120 destination ticket cards (65 for the world and 55 for the Great Lakes)
- 5 wooden scoring markers (1 each in blue, red, green, yellow, and black)
- 2 rule books.
How to Play Ticket to Ride Rails and Sails
To play the game, set up the game board at the center of the table. There are two sides to the board: the World Map and the Great Lakes Map, and players can decide which side to play on. In this game, each person will get a set of colored train and ship tokens and a matching player board.
Starting the Round
To start playing, shuffle the train and ship cards separately, then place them face-down as two separate draw piles. Also, place the scoring track and the harbors next to it.
Playing the Game
The game is played over a series of turns, with each player taking one action per turn by starting with 4 train cards and 4 ship cards. The player who goes first is determined randomly, and the turn order proceeds clockwise from that player.
Taking Turns
While taking turns in this game, each person can choose one of the following actions to perform:
- Draw Train Cards: The players can draw two train cards from the train card draw pile, and decide whether to draw face-up cards or draw blindly from the top of the pile.
- Draw Ship Cards: They can draw two ship cards from the ship card draw pile, and they can also select from the face-up cards or pick blindly from the top of the pile.
- Claim a Route: To claim a route in the Rails and Sails edition, players can play train cards or ship cards on the board. In the game, each route requires a specific combination of cards of the same corresponding color. However, players must place their tokens on the route to indicate their ownership.
- Get New Tickets: The players can draw three new ticket cards and keep at least one of them, and they can also choose to keep all three or discard any number of them.
Building Routes
To claim a route in the game, play the required train cards by matching the route’s length and color, and place the train tokens on the route. To claim a shipping route, play the required number and color of ship cards matching the route’s length and color, and place the ship tokens on the route. Some routes require both trains and ships. In this case, play the required cards of both types and place tokens accordingly.
Scoring
To score in the game, players earn points for each route they claim, and they get more points if they build the route longer. The players also earn points for completing their ticket cards. These ticket cards show specific routes between cities, and if players connect those cities with their routes, they score the points indicated on the card.
Harbor Points
The harbors can be built in coastal cities, and if you have a completed ticket that includes the city name, your harbor will be worth 20 points. Multiple tickets with the same city name will increase the harbor value by 30 or 40 points, and empty harbors will result in a penalty of -4 points each.
Game End and Winning
The game ends when a player has fewer than six tokens remaining between their trains, ships, and harbors. Finally, when the game ends, each player gets one final turn to take action. Afterward, once each player completes their final turn, they tally their scores, and the person with the majority of points wins. In case of a tie, the player with the most completed tickets wins, and if there is another tie, the players share the victory.
FAQs
How do you play Ticket to Ride step by step?
To play Ticket to Ride, start by setting up the board and giving each player their pieces and train cards. On each turn, players can either draw train cards, claim routes by playing the appropriate cards or draw new destination tickets. The game continues until a player has two or fewer train pieces left, at which point everyone gets one last turn. After that, players calculate their points depending on routes offered and completed destination tickets.
What are the rules for the harbor in Rails & Sails?
In Rails & Sails, harbors are special locations where you can connect your train routes to ship routes. To claim a harbor, you must use both train and ship tokens to establish a link. Finally, connecting harbors to your routes can earn you bonus points, especially if they align with your destination tickets. It adds a financial layer to the game because you need to manage both land and sea routes.
How to calculate points in Ticket to Ride?
Points in Ticket to Ride are calculated based on the routes claimed and the destination tickets completed. Each route’s length rewards different points, with longer routes yielding higher scores. Finally, points from completed destination tickets are added, while points are deducted for any uncompleted tickets. After that, a bonus of 10 points is awarded for the longest train, making scoring dynamic and competitive.
