# Colt Express: Horses & Stagecoach ## General Info - **Year Published**: 2015 - **BGG Rating**: 7.4 - **BGG Rank**: — - **Players**: 2-6 (Best with: 5) - **Duration**: 30-60 min - **Weight**: 2.19 / 5 - **Designers**: Christophe Raimbault - **Artists**: Jordi Valbuena - **Publishers**: Ludonaute, asmodee, Asterion Press, GoKids 玩樂小子, Hobby Japan, Lifestyle Boardgames Ltd, Rebel Sp. z o.o. - **Categories**: American West, Expansion for Base-game, Fighting, Trains - **Mechanics**: Action Queue, Hand Management, Memory, Modular Board, Open Drafting, Take That, Variable Player Powers ## Verdict If you love Colt Express' mayhem, you’ll love the horse speed and stagecoach excitement.Fast horse movementNew 3D stagecoachMore loot optionsFresh cards and events3D component assemblyNegative hostage effectsHIGHLY RECOMMENDED ## Description Colt Express: Horses & Stagecoach is the first expansion for the Spiel des Jahres‑winning Colt Express (2015) and introduces two game‑changing elements: horses and a 3‑dimensional stagecoach that rides alongside the train. Each player receives a horse that can be used to move faster between cars or to jump straight onto the stagecoach, opening new escape routes and attack possibilities. The stagecoach is guarded by a shotgun‑wielding guard; a well‑placed punch sends him to the train roof, where he continues to annoy anyone up there. Once the guard is eliminated, the stagecoach becomes lootable. Inside, players can claim an extra strongbox and rescue hostages, which provide end‑game ransom points but also impose negative effects that bother the bandit for the rest of the game. The expansion adds new round cards, fresh events, and whiskey flasks scattered throughout the train that give temporary boosts to the bandits. Classic Colt Express mechanics—action queue, hand management, memory, and modular board—remain, but now must contend with new movement options and an extra enemy. The result is an even more chaotic experience, with richer tactical choices and more chances to swing the outcome in the final turns. If you already love the train‑heist mayhem, you’ll enjoy the extra adrenaline horses and the stagecoach bring, without steepening the learning curve. The expansion supports 2‑6 players, 30‑60 minutes, and keeps the rules light despite the added 3‑D components that require a bit of assembly. In short, Horses & Stagecoach boosts replayability and fun while preserving the wild West spirit that made the base game a hit. ## How to Play Objective of the Game In Colt Express: Horses & Stagecoach, you're a bandit crossing the plains, with the railroad running alongside the track that links Des Moines to Bismarck. Stagecoaches are running alongside the Iron Horse in great clouds of dust. Passengers of the Wells, Fargo & Company line are dozing, unaware that a robbery is underway in the train. Six unscrupulous bandits are riding between the railroad and the track, and the passengers will soon learn of their misdeeds. The game ends when order is re-established on board the train. Bandits remaining in the train (either inside a Car, the Locomotive, or on the roof) will get caught and won't be able to win the game. To win, bandits must escape the train by playing a Ride card during the final round to permanently leave the train, or by standing on the Stagecoach (inside it or on the roof) at the end of the game. The richest team wins the game. Preparation (Setup) Place the Stagecoach at the right of the Locomotive. On the roof of the Stagecoach, place the Strongbox token. On this token, put the Shotgun pawn. In each Car, except in the Locomotive, place a Flask of Whiskey. These tokens are taken at random and placed face-down. The remaining Flask tokens are put back into the game box. Draw as many Hostage cards as there are players minus one. Display them at the left of the Locomotive. The remaining Hostage cards are put back into the game box. Shuffle the Round cards with the ones from the base game. Do the same with the Train Station cards. Then randomly draw 4 Round cards and 1 Train Station card, as in the base game. Add the 3 Neutral Bullet cards to the 13 Neutral Bullet cards from the base game. Each player adds the Ride card of his color to his Action cards deck. Each player takes a Horse pawn. The Bandit pawns are not placed at the beginning of the game like they usually are. You have to follow the set-up rule for Horse Attack. Horse Attack Setup Before the game starts, the Bandits arrive on horseback. They can choose the Car where they will start the game. Nobody can start in the Locomotive or in the Stagecoach. Each player holds out his closed fist over the table with either his Bandit pawn or his Horse pawn inside. (If playing with special rules for 2 players, hide 2 pawns instead of 1: one for each of your Bandits.) Then the players reveal the contents of their hand(s) simultaneously. The players who have their Bandit in their hand place it in the Caboose. They must place their Horse at the right of the train, next to the Caboose. The other players thus choose to go on riding. They are invited to shout, "Clip clop, clip clop, Yee Hawwww!" all together. Then they hold out their fist again, with their Bandit or their Horse inside, choosing to enter the Car next to the Caboose or not. This process continues. If there is only one player left, he can directly choose his starting Car among the remaining ones. You can start the game in any Car except the Locomotive. Once the Horse Attack is over, the Horses do not belong to a particular Bandit. Any Bandit can ride any Horse. The First Player is randomly chosen among the Bandits who are in the furthest Car from the Locomotive. Fluxo do Jogo Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção. Ações e Como Jogar Ride Action This new Action card can be played during the Schemin' phase like any other Action card. If there is at least one Horse at the level of the Car where your Bandit is when the Actions are resolved, he rides this Horse. He can jump on a Horse either from inside the Train or from the Roof. If no Horse is adjacent to your Car, this Action has no effect. Then move your Bandit, and the Horse the player is riding, by 0, 1, 2 or 3 Cars (your choice) to the front or the back of the train. At the end of this movement, place your Bandit inside the train, in the Car next to the Horse. If your Bandit is next to the Stagecoach, you can choose to place your Bandit inside the Stagecoach instead of the train. At the end of the Ride action, there must be no Bandit on Horseback; all the Bandits must be in the train or the Stagecoach. It is allowed to use the Horse as an intermediary between the Stagecoach and the Car in front of it. In this case, the Horse doesn't move. The Stagecoach Inside the Stagecoach The inside of the Stagecoach can be reached by going down from the Stagecoach's roof with a Floor Change Action or by riding with a Ride Action card. The inside of this Car is considered adjacent to the Stagecoach regarding the Fire and the Punch actions. The Marshall never goes inside the Stagecoach. He must stay inside the train to protect the passengers. When a Bandit enters the Stagecoach, if he has not taken a Hostage yet, he MUST take the Hostage of his choice from among the available ones (if there is one remaining). Place the chosen Hostage card next to your Character card or profile. A Hostage gives you money at the end of the game. A Bandit can have only one Hostage. Once you have taken a Hostage, nobody can take him from you. You cannot get rid of him, either. If you play with the special rules for 2 players, each of your Bandits is allowed to take one Hostage. The roof of the Stagecoach You can go on the roof of the Stagecoach from the inside of the Stagecoach with a Floor Change Action or from the roof of the Car next to it. You can move from the Car's roof to the Stagecoach's roof and vice versa using one of the movements of a Move action. The roof of the Car and the roof of the Stagecoach are considered adjacent regarding the Move, the Fire and the Punch actions. A Bandit on the Stagecoach's roof can shoot any Bandit who is on the train's roof. Conversely, you can shoot a Bandit on the Stagecoach's roof from any position on the train's roof. Beware! In these two cases, Django's ability does not apply. Angry Shotgun The Shotgun doesn't act until somebody tries to steal from him the Strongbox that he is protecting. To release the Strongbox, a Bandit must play a Punch action and hits the Shotgun. If you can punch either Belle or the Shotgun, you must punch the Shotgun. When he is punched, the Shotgun leaves his Strongbox. He is ejected to the roof of the Car next to the Stagecoach. He will stay on the train's roof until the end of the game. A Bandit cannot stay on the same position as the Shotgun on the train's roof. If a Bandit ends his movement on the Shotgun's position, he immediately gets a Neutral Bullet card and must run to the adjacent car's roof of his choice (even if he has just come from there). He can't run to the Stagecoach. A Bandit can move across the Shotgun's position. In this case, his move goes on normally but he immediately gets a Neutral Bullet card. You cannot shoot at the Shotgun. The Shotgun blocks the line of sight when firing on the train's roof (but not when firing from or to the Stagecoach's roof). At the end of each round, after applying the possible event, move the Stagecoach one Car towards the Caboose (except if the Stagecoach is already next to the Caboose). If the Shotgun is on the train's roof, then move him one Car to keep him next to the Stagecoach. The Hostages A Hostage's effect applies as soon as you take their card. The ransom is obtained at the end of the game, during the points' count. The Zealot: You cannot use the Ride Action anymore. Ransom: $700. The Minister: Draw one card less than you are allowed to at the beginning of each Round. Ransom: $900. The Old Lady: You can move only one Car on the roof (instead of 3). Ransom: $500 per Jewel token you have. The Teacher: You cannot Punch anymore. This Action card becomes useless for you. Ransom: $800. The Banker: This Hostage doesn't bring any negative effect. Ransom: $1000 if you have at least one Strongbox. The Lady's poodle: Add a Neutral Bullet card to your deck at the beginning of each Round. Ransom: $1000. The Photographer: You cannot play your Action cards face down anymore, even if you are Ghost. Ransom: $200 per Bullet card of another Bandit (not allied if you are playing with the team variant) in your deck. The Poker Player: You lose the special ability of your Bandit until the end of the game. Ransom: $250 per Purse token you have. The Whiskey Flasks The Whiskey Flasks are a new kind of loot you can get by playing a Robbery action. Each Whiskey Flask can be used twice in a game. After the first use, flip the Flask token on its side showing a half-drunk Flask. After the second use, discard the token once and for all. During the Schemin' phase, on your turn, you can use a Flask instead of playing an Action card or drawing 3 cards. A Whiskey Flask can be used only during a normal turn (with no special rule). Normal Whiskey Flask: Draw 3 cards, then play an Action card from your hand. You cannot draw 3 other cards instead of playing your Action card. Old Whiskey Flask: You play two Action cards in a row. You cannot draw 3 cards instead of playing one of the two cards. If a half-drunk Whiskey is dropped on the floor after being punched, it stays on its "half-drunk" side. The Round cards Special turn: Turmoil During this turn, the players choose which card they are going to play and reveal them all at the same time. The Action cards are then placed on the common pile in the normal order. It is still possible to skip your own turn in order to draw 3 more cards. It has to be done before the other cards are revealed. End of Round bonus On the Round cards of this expansion, a new icon appears. For each icon of this kind you can see on the Round card, you are allowed, if you wish, to keep one of the cards you have in hand for the next Round. This effect is applied between the Schemin' phase and the Stealin' phase. At the beginning of the next Round, the cards you have set aside are not shuffled with your deck. You draw cards to get a hand of 6 cards (or 7 for Doc). The Events Panting horses: In a 5-6 player-game, remove from the game the 3 Horses closest to the Caboose. In a 2-4 player-game, remove from the game the 2 Horses closest to the Caboose. A shot of Whiskey for the Marshall: If there is a Whiskey Flask on the Marshall's position, remove this token from the game. If it is a classic Whiskey Flask, the Marshall moves to the adjacent Car, toward the back of the train. If it is an Old Whiskey Flask, the Marshall moves on as many Cars as necessary to reach the Caboose. Each time the Marshall meets a Bandit during this movement, the latter must flee on the roof and gets a Neutral Bullet card as a free gift as usual. If there is no Whiskey Flask on the Marshall's position, nothing happens. Higher speed: Move all Bandits who are on the roof of the train one Car towards the back of the train. Moreover, move all Horses, the Stagecoach and the Shotgun one Car towards the back of the train. The Shotgun's rage: All the Bandits who are standing in the Stagecoach or on its roof or in the Car in front of the Stagecoach or on its roof receive a Neutral Bullet. Fim de Jogo e Pontuação The game ends when order is re-established on board the train. All the Bandits remaining in the Train (either inside a Car, the Locomotive or on the roof) will get caught. They won't be able to win the game. In order to avoid being caught, the Bandits have to leave the train by either of these means: Playing a Ride card during this Round and permanently leaving the train. The game is over for those players but they are in the race for the victory. Standing on the Stagecoach at the end of the game (inside it or on the roof). Sharing the loot At the end of the game, if several Bandits are on the same Car and at the same level, and one of them owns a Strongbox, the value of this one is shared between all the present Bandits. If needed, the result is rounded down. Mortal Bullet Each player loses $150 for each Bullet received during this Round. This includes the Neutral Bullets and those from all the Bandits. In order to facilitate the count of those Bullets, it is advised to play them apart during this Round. The points are calculated the same way as usual from the base game. However, the Hostage's ransoms have to be added. Team Play Scoring The two players of the team add up their scores to obtain the final score of the team. The richest team wins the game. The Gunslinger prize is awarded to the team who shot the most Bullets ## FAQ ### How many players can play? 2 to 6 players, the same range as the base game. ### How long does a game take? Typically 30–60 minutes, depending on player count and familiarity. ### Do I need the base game? Yes, Horses & Stagecoach is an expansion and cannot be played standalone. ### What new components are included? Plastic horses, a 3D stagecoach with a guard, new strongboxes, hostages, round cards, event cards, and whiskey flasks. ### Does the expansion make the game more complex? Not significantly; the extra rules are straightforward and fit the existing mechanics. ### Is it suitable for kids? Recommended for ages 10+, as it requires reading cards and some strategic thinking. ### Can I ignore the guard in the stagecoach? No, the guard is integral; defeating him is required to access the strongbox and hostages. ## Price Comparison ### Best International Offers - **BoardGamePrices.com**: $ 21.84 (https://boardgameprices.com/item/go?source=A&storeitemid=6719714&utm_source=boardgamesbot.com) - See all on BoardGamePrices: https://boardgameprices.com/item/show/15844/colt-express-horses-stagecoach?utm_source=boardgamesbot.com