1882: Assiniboia

1882 Assiniboia — Summary

Capitalization type

• Full capitalization: upon floating (60% sold), the company receives its entire capital (par price × 10) into the treasury at once, just like in 1830.

Starting cash by player count

• 2 players: $900 starting cash
• 3 players: $600 starting cash
• 4 players: $450 starting cash
• 5 players: $360 starting cash
• 6 players: $300 starting cash
• The bank always starts with $9,000, regardless of player count

End game triggers

• A company goes bankrupt: immediate end
• A share reaches the top of the market grid: the current round is finished
• The bank runs out of money: the current full operating round set is finished

Number of phases

• 6 phases (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, D), triggered by the purchase of the first train of each type

Train list and prices

• 2 train — $80 (6 units; rusts with the first 4-train)
• 3 train — $180 (5 units; rusts with the first 6-train)
• 4 train — $300 (4 units; rusts with the first Diesel)
• 5 train — $450 (3 units; buying it closes the private companies)
• 6 train — $630 (3 units)
• Diesel (D) — $1,100, unlimited, available from the first 6-train; allows trading in an old train for a $300 discount

List of private companies

• Hudson Bay (HB) — $20, revenue $5 — blocks hex C11 (Flin Flon); closes at the start of Phase 5
• Saskatchewan Central (SC) — $50, revenue $10 — blocks hex H4; the owner may exchange it to found the SC corporation; closes at the start of Phase 6
• North West Rebellion (NWR) — $80, revenue $15 — allows a free station token move into a hex in the NWR zone; closes at the start of Phase 5
• Trestle Bridge (TB) — $140, no revenue — earns $10 every time any company crosses a river; comes with a 10% share of a randomly chosen corporation; closes at the start of Phase 5
• Canadian Pacific (CP) — $180, revenue $25 — the buyer immediately takes the CPR's president's certificate (20%); closes at Phase 5 or when the CPR buys a train; cannot be bought by a corporation

List of corporations

• Canadian National (CN) — no home and no tokens of its own; operates using other companies' neutral tokens
• Canadian Northern (CNR) — home at D8
• Hudson Bay Railway (HBR) — home at G11
• Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) — home at I5
• Grand Trunk Pacific (GT) — home at L8
• Saskatchewan Central Railroad (SC) — no fixed home; only founded by exchanging the SC private
• Qu'Appelle, Long Lake Railroad Co. (QLL) — home at J10

Game-specific mechanics

• Every company has one extra free neutral token, which occupies a slot but lets every company (including rivals) run through it
• The Canadian National has no tokens of its own: it cannot float until someone else places a neutral token, after which it uses those as route points
• North-West Rebellion (NWR) zone: +$20 per yellow tile laid, but a random event (triggered when a phase 3, 4, 5, or 6 train is bought) removes all the yellow track in that zone
• $100 bonus if a route simultaneously connects Hudson Bay with a western exit on the map
• Fishing exit: an extra route stop that doesn't count toward train length
• A very scarce and restrictive tile roster (only 4 yellow city tiles, all straight), which forces aggressive blocking and upgrades

Comparison with 1830

1. Setting and context: the wild western Canada
1830 covers the northeastern USA, a zone dense with cities and connections. 1882 takes place in Assiniboia, a region of western Canada with little infrastructure, rivers cutting across the map, an armed rebellion zone in the northwest, and special sea exits (Hudson Bay and the west coast) that offer unique bonuses. The game lasts between 1 and 3 hours for experienced players, significantly less than 1830.

2. Less starting cash and a more brutal train rush
In 1830 players receive $2,400 total between them. In 1882 only $1,800, which means that often only one or two companies will float in the first stock round and players need to collaborate to get things started. On top of that, there is one fewer train of each type 3, 4, and 5 compared to 1830, so when phase 3 trains arrive the rush takes off quickly and bankruptcies are common even among experienced players.

3. Neutral tokens: a completely new strategic layer
Most companies in 1882 have a free neutral token they can place on the map in addition to their normal tokens. Neutral tokens occupy a slot on the tile, but all companies (including rivals) can run through them, unlike normal tokens which block passage. In 1830 no equivalent concept exists.

4. The Canadian National: the company that lives off others' tokens
One of the 7 companies, the Canadian National (CN), has no tokens of its own. It cannot float until someone else has placed at least one neutral token on the map, and when it operates it uses the neutral tokens placed by the other companies as route points. It is a parasite company by design, totally absent from 1830.

5. The Saskatchewan Central (SC): tied to a private, controls the game's pace
The Saskatchewan Central is the only company in 1882 that cannot be floated by just any player: only the owner of the "Saskatchewan Central Company" private can start it. If the private is sold to another company or removed from the game before the SC floats, that company will never be able to exist. In addition, when the SC pars, an extra train of whatever type is available is automatically added, giving its owner direct control over accelerating the train rush. In 1830 no company has a similar link to a private.

6. The North-West Rebellion (NWR) zone: risk and reward with a random trigger
Companies that lay yellow track in the NWR zone receive $20 per tile laid, an attractive incentive. But during setup an NWR card is randomly hidden in the train deck, which can trigger when a phase 3, 4, 5, or 6 train is bought. When it appears, all the yellow track in the NWR zone is removed from the map immediately. Nothing equivalent exists in 1830: there are no track-destruction events.

7. A very limited tile roster: blocking and forced creativity
1882 has an intentionally scarce tile roster: there are only 4 yellow city tiles and all of them are straight, which makes it very difficult to create curved paths. It's common to found a company and discover that no tiles remain available for its starting hex. In 1830 the roster is limited but not as restrictive; here the scarcity is a conscious design tool that allows very aggressive route blocking.

8. Hudson Bay–West Coast route bonus and the fishing exit
The 1882 map has two revenue mechanics that don't exist in 1830: a fishing exit that doesn't count toward train length, and a $100 bonus if a route simultaneously connects Hudson Bay with one of the western exits on the map. These two mechanics push companies toward cross-map expansions, very different from the dense, local route optimization typical of 1830.