Traders of Genoa

• Setup
• Turn Sequence
• Taking Actions
• Legal Trades
• Game End
• Buildings
• Ownership Markers
• Game Cards
• Special Cards
  

Back to Game Rules Index

Setup

1. Place the colored ware markers, 1:1 cards, game cards and colored ownership markers on the unnamed buildings on the sides of the board.
2. The colored cubes (wares) are placed in the four production buildings:
1. yellow (wheat)
2. beige (rice)
3. gray (silver)
4. brown (copper)
5. turquoise (silk)
6. pink (linen)
7. white (salt)
8. black (pepper)
3. Sort the remaining special cards by type and place them next to the board.
4. Each player takes 4 game cards, 1 from each stack (Privilege, Small Order, Large Order, Message) - all kept secret from other players.
5. Each player takes 130 ducats: 2 x $5, 2 x $10, 2 x 50. Players keep the amount of money they have secret for the entire game.
6. Each player claims one color (from the colors of the ownership markers)
   
7. The starting player takes:
1. All 5 discs of the trade tower
2. The 2 8-sided dice
3. The Round marker: place it on the space with the arrow on the round track.
4. The Starting Player card: keep in front of same player for the entire game.

Turn Sequence

1. Play clockwise, starting with the Starting player
2. The starting player is the first "tower player" - they will place and move the tower first.
3. When the starting player’s turn is done, they pass the trade tower to their left (the starting player marker stays in the same place).
4. When the trade tower returns to the starting player, one round is completed: move the round marker on the round track down one space. The last round occurs when the marker is moved to the space indicating the number of players.
   
5. A round is made up of several turns. Each turn proceeds as follows:
1. The tower player rolls the dice and places the trade tower on the board.
2. The tower player moves the trade tower up to 4 spaces from its starting point.  During movement of the tower, players are able to take “actions”.
3. Players place ownership markers (if possible).
4. The tower player passes the trade tower and dice to the player on their left to start the next turn.

Placing the Trade Tower

• The tower player may use the special card “Any Start Space” instead of rolling the dice.
• If not using “Any Start Space”, roll both d8 and place the trade tower by cross referencing the results of each colored die to the matching coordinates on the board.
• If the tower starts in the market (a roll of 4/4, 4/5, 5/4, 5/5) the round marker is automatically moved down one. Play continues normally.

Moving the Trade Tower

• The tower player may move the trade tower up to 4 spaces (= street space, market or building, including Harbor and Park). Not required to move all 4 spaces.
• When the tower is moved, the tower player leaves the bottom disk on the space or building they were just on. When the final disk is moved, movement is complete.
• The trade tower can not be moved diagonally, nor through a building or space that was already visited this turn

Taking Actions

• When the tower player moves the trade tower, they should entertain legal propositions from the other players regarding where to move it.
• No more than 1 action per turn per player (unless using the “1 building action” special card)
• Actions vary by building.
• Small orders are delivered as part of the action taken at the appropriate building.
• Messages are delivered at the end of each round if the trading tower discs include both specified buildings.
• When delivering orders or messages, the used cards are placed face-up under the appropriate stack (reshuffled when all cards in the stack are face up).
  

The Laws of Trading

• Deals must be made only with the tower player
  
• Deals may include any combination of the below, to/from the tower player
  
• Money (5 ducat increments)
• Goods
  
• Special Cards
• Game Cards
• Wares
• Ownership Markers
• If agreement is reached, the deal is bound by a handshake (or something). For building actions, deals are binding only when made with the tower adjacent to the relevant building. Once a deal is completed it MUST be carried out.
• When the trade tower is on a building that no one has paid the tower player to visit, the tower player should entertain offers from the other players to take the action (or take the action himself). If no other player makes an offer, the action is not taken. If one player makes an offer  that player may take the action.

Game End

• The last round occurs when the round marker is moved onto the space with the number equaling the number of players in the game.
• On the last round, the game ends after each player has been the tower player.
• Privilege cards are scored and earnings collected.
• Ownership markers are scored and earnings collected.
• Winning the Game: The player with the most ducats wins: in case of a tie, the player with the most unused goods wins.

Buildings

• Guild Hall: take the top “Larger Order” card from the stack. 
• City Hall: take the top two “Small Order” cards from the stack.
• Post Office: take the top two “Message” cards from the stack.
• Cathedral: take two owner markers of their color from the supply.
• Palace: take a “1 building Action” special card from the supply.
• Park: take a “1 further Action” special card from the supply.
• Coach House: take a “Any Start Space” special card from the supply.
• Harbor: take a “One of Any Ware” special card from the supply.
• Tavern: take a “One to One Trade” special card from the supply.
• Restaurant: take a “One to One Trade” special card from the supply.
• Warehouses (4): take one of each of the two wares shown on the warehouse.
• Villas (4): Either fill a larger order OR take the top privilege card from the stack.

Ownership Markers

• Acquired by taking the action at the Cathedral.
• Placing ownership markers (on buildings only):
• At the end of each turn, the tower player starts; placement continues in order once around the table.
• Only players with ownership markers may opt to place them (not required)
  
• The placing player selects a street space that was visited by the trade tower, and may place one of their markers in buildings adjacent to that space.
  
• Only one ownership marker can occupy a building at any given time. If another player's marker is already there, the placing player may discard a marker to remove it.
• After the player has placed their ownership marker, they remove the tower disc that was on the selected space.
  
• Benefits of ownership:
  
• A player may play the “1 building action” special card on any of the buildings they have an owner marker on.
• Each time an action is taken on a building where a player has an owner marker, the player with the owner marker takes 10 ducats from the bank.
• At the end of the game, each player takes 10 ducats from the bank for each owner marker they have on the board.

Game Cards

• Larger Order Card: Filling a larger order at a villa counts as the player’s action. They receive $100 AND a special card of their choice. 
• Small Order Card: The player may fill a small order AND take the action associated with the destination building of the small order. Receive $40.
• Message Card: To deliver the message, the trade tower must visit each of the locations listed on the card in either order (does not require an action). The message card may be played as soon as the tower has completed the route. Receive $30.
• Privilege Card: When at a Villa a player may take the topmost Privilege card.  At the end of the game they are worth 10 ducats each, plus any bonus for having adjacent buildings on any or all of the privilege cards.
  

Special Cards

• Special cards can be played in any order, in any number and combination.
  
• Any Start Space: Only the tower player may play this card. Play before the dice are rolled: instead, pick any location on the board. Acquired at the Coach House.
• 1 Further Action: Any player can play this card, and more than one may be played in a single turn. Take 1 additional action for each card played (but cannot take an action at the same building twice). Acquired at the Park. 
• 1 of Any Ware: Any player may play this card during their action. Take any one ware from any one warehouse on the board. Acquired at the Harbor.
• 1:1 Trade: Any player may play this card during their action. The player trades any one good of theirs for any other good available in the game. Acquired at the Tavern or Restaurant.
• 1 Building Action: Any player may play this card during their action of that turn, if they have an ownership marker on the board. The player may take the action for any one building that he has an ownership marker on. This does not count has his normal turn action. Acquired at the Palace.