How to Play Haspelknecht: The Ruhr Valley

Objective of the Game

In Haspelknecht: The Ruhr Valley, an expansion for Haspelknecht: The Story of Early Coal Mining, players delve deeper into the lucrative business of coal mining in the Ruhr Valley. Industrialization is beginning, requiring deeper tunnels, the use of iron, and water channels to drain pit water. Players aim to successfully mine and deliver "black gold" to peddlers and coal barges. The expansion introduces new challenges through two modules and thirteen new developments. The ultimate goal is to earn the most victory points by the end of the game.

Preparation (Setup)

First, follow the setup instructions of the base game. Then, depending on which modules you are playing with, add the following new components:

General Expansion Components

• 21 Development tiles
• 26 Various markers
• 4 Workshop tiles
• 1 Assist tile for the fifth level
• 1 Thanksgiving tile
• 1 Winter payment tile
• 1 Extended year track tile for 4 game rounds
• 4 Farmer's Wife tiles (double-sided)
• 4 Enhanced Tunnel boards (double-sided)
• 4 Water channel markers
• 4 Victory point tokens
• 20 Grey iron props (wooden)

13 New Developments (for levels 1 to 4)

• These new development tiles can be mixed with the development tiles from the base game for levels 1 to 4.
• Each development must be placed on the level matching its color.
• These 13 developments are marked with a specific icon to distinguish them from the base game.

Module 1 – Black Developments Setup

• The development board is expanded by a fifth level of developments of a new color.
• If playing with less than 4 players, players may agree which of these new developments they want to use.
• The black development tiles are placed in random order at the bottom row (fifth level from top) of the development board.
• Return any unused black development tiles to the game box.
• All 6 markers for final scoring are always in play, regardless of the number of black development tiles used.
• Place the black assist tile to the right of the black development tiles, just below the brown assist tile.
• Players use their victory point markers to indicate their score on the victory points track instead of their wooden disks. This means each player has 10 wooden disks available for acquiring developments.

Module 2 – Iron Setup

• Cover the year track on the central year wheel board with the extended year track tile for 4 game rounds.
• Each player places an Enhanced Tunnel board on their player board, leaving only the first two sections of the original board visible. Players should agree before the game which side (A or B) of the Enhanced Tunnel boards they want to use.
• Place the winter payment tile on the central board, covering the winter payment chart.
• Keep as many workshop tiles in the common supply as the number of players.
• Add the 20 (wooden) iron props to the general supply of food, wood, Thalers, and various markers.
• Each player places their Workshop tile on the top right corner of their player board, just below the two cart spaces for the selected action disks, so it fits the landscape.
• Optional: The Peddler, Village Smithy, and Abandoned Farm developments and their corresponding markers may be used. In a 2-player game, only one of these should be used.
• When setting up the development board, ensure there are enough developments to generate at least 4 Thalers to pay the demands of the nobility.
• Players use their victory point marker to indicate their score on the victory points track instead of their wooden disks. This means each player has 10 wooden disks available for acquiring developments.

Flow of the Game

The game flow follows the pattern of the base game, with the following modifications:

• The game is played over 4 game rounds (instead of 3), meaning each player performs a total of 12 action phases (compared to 9).
• Final scoring is done after the 4th game round.
• Implemented iron props will add additional victory points during final scoring.

Actions and How to Play

Consulte o manual para detalhes sobre esta seção.

New Development Tiles (Levels 1-4)

• 16 - Wicker Basket: The player immediately gains the corresponding action marker. They may use it once during a future action phase. When using this marker, the player may assign any number of different action disks to the same worker to receive different resources. After use, the action marker must be returned to the general supply. A synergy bonus is not granted when using this marker.
• 17 - Pick & Shovel: The player immediately receives 1 coal cube and 1 Thaler from the general supply. However, the player must add 1 pit water token to their current mining area.
• 18 - Water Channel: The player gains the Water Channel marker and places it next to their player board. From now on, when removing any pit water tokens from their pinge and/or tunnel, the pit water is placed on this tile. When 3 pit water tokens are added to this marker, they are returned to the general supply, gaining the player 1 victory point. This marker is used by the player for the rest of the game. If the player has acquired the Bucket development from the base game, they take 1 pit water token during the spring and autumn pit water phases and place it on this marker.
• 19 - Farmer’s Wife: The player immediately takes the additional Farmer's Wife worker tile, and gains an additional facility for placing their action disks during the planning phase. The player places the Farmer's Wife tile on their player board just below the farmer, with the 1 black disk side face up. To activate the farmer's wife, the player needs to assign exactly one black disk to this tile. The farmer's wife can mine 1 coal cube, or haul up 1 coal cube from the pit, or remove up to 2 pit water tokens, both from the pinge as well as from the tunnel. If the player has acquired the Ladder development from the base game, or acquires it later, they flip the Farmer's Wife tile immediately. Placing a yellow disk on the Farmer's Wife produces one food from the general supply.
• 26 - Cottage: The player immediately gains the corresponding action marker. They may use it once during a future action phase. The player may use this marker only when acquiring new developments. The marker is a substitute for the requirement of any 2 disks. Subsequently, the action marker must be returned to the general supply.
• 27 - Towpath Horse: When totaling the value of their action discs to determine the player order, the player may now choose to evaluate the disks in their cart on space 1 or space 2.
• 28 - Kiepenkerl: During game setup, place 1 wood on this development. The first player to acquire this development takes that wood, and one more resource of any kind (that may be wood as well) from the general supply. Additionally, they take the action marker. In exchange, they must place any 1 different resource from their farmyard than those two taken on this development. All other players to subsequently acquire this tile must place one different resource from their farmyard on the Kiepenkerl than the current resource. If playing with Module 2 - Iron, you may take or place iron as well. The action marker may be used once during any future action phase. This action marker counts as any action disk of the player’s choice. After use, the action marker is returned to the general supply. The resource taken from the general supply must always be different than the one put back onto the Kiepenkerl.
• 29 - Thanksgiving: The player immediately gains 1 food. During the autumn pit water phase, the player may give 1 food to any player who has not acquired this development. In return, the player gains 3 victory points and decides whether or not to take a pit water. If all players own this development, the players pay 1 food to the general supply instead (if they want to do so). To remind players, cover the autumn pit water phase space of the year wheel board with the Thanksgiving tile.
• 36 - Weekly Farmers’ Market: You need 3 different action disks for the Weekly Farmers’ Market. This means you need at least 1 marker as a substitute for one action disk. The player immediately gains the corresponding action marker. The action marker may be used once during a future action phase. The marker shows a barter: If the player returns 1 food, 1 wood, and 1 coal to the general supply, they receive 2 Thalers and 5 victory points in return. Once used, the action marker must be returned to the general supply. If the Weekly Farmers’ Market is featured in a game, you must use at least 1 of the following: the Wheelbarrow, Ladder, or Hammer and Pick developments from the base game, and/or the Kiepenkerl from this expansion.
• 37 - Village Church of Stiepel: This development offers two options:
  1. The player gives 1 coal cube from their farmyard to any other player of their choice. As compensation, the player gains 3 of the 4 depicted resources from the general supply (respectively receives 1 victory point); or
  2. The player gives 1 coal cube from their current mining area to any player of their choice (this coal must not be mined and/or hauled up for this purpose). As compensation, the player gains 2 of the 4 depicted resources from the general supply (respectively receives 1 victory point).
  In either case, if the player chooses to take the Thaler, they must take 1 pit water as well and place it on their current mining area.
• 38 - Community Tunnel: During setup, place 2 coal cubes per player on the community tunnel, from left to right. When mining this coal later during the game, it is done from left to right as well. A player acquiring this development must place 1 wood from their farmyard on the leftmost empty wood prop, and then take the 2 coal cubes above the empty space to the right of that wood. Next, the player must place one of these cubes on the farmyard of another player of their choice, and the second one on their own farmyard. Additionally, the player receives 1 Thaler and 1 food from the general supply or 1 Thaler, and they may return one debit chit. If playing with Module 2, players may use iron instead of wood (these two materials may be intermixed here).
• 46 - Schultheiss: The player now ignores the usual payments to the nobility during winter. Instead, they now must pay exactly 1 coal, 1 wood, and 1 food during this phase. Still, the player must take one debit chit for each commodity they cannot pay. At the end of the game, debit chits are worth negative victory points. Payment is mandatory; a player may not voluntarily refrain from payment and take a debit chit instead.
• 47 - Pit Car Tipple: The player immediately receives 1 Thaler from the common supply. Furthermore, the player gains 1 additional victory point for each future development they acquire, provided they gain at least 1 victory point at all for that acquirement.

Module 1 – Black Developments (Fifth Level)

• Each player is limited to acquiring only one black development.
• A player's disk on a black development tile blocks this development for all other players.
• Victory points for black developments: The first player acquiring a black development immediately scores 5 victory points; the second player scores 4 victory points; the third player scores 3 victory points, and the fourth player scores 2 victory points.
• Immediate effects and bonus markers for final scoring: Each player acquiring a black development immediately benefits from one of the two depicted, once-only immediate effects. The player also chooses one of the 6 bonus markers for final scoring (i.e., one of those still available), and keeps it face down in front of them.
• 51 - Coal Barge: The player receives 1 Thaler from the common supply, and may remove 1 pit water token, or the player receives 1 food from the common supply and returns 1 debt chit to the common supply (if they have any).
• 52 - Mine Surveyor: The player receives 1 Thaler from the common supply, and may remove 1 pit water token, or the player takes any one marker of their choice corresponding to a development from the base game that must have been acquired already by at least 1 player.
• 53 - New Tunnel: The player receives 3 coal cubes from the common supply, placing them on their farmyard, and may remove 1 pit water token, or the player may remove up to 5 pit water tokens.
• 54 - Horse Mill: The player receives 2 food from the common supply, or the player may remove up to 5 pit water tokens.
• 55 - Haul Track: The player may return 1 debt chit to the common supply and remove 1 pit water token, or the player takes any one marker of their choice corresponding to a development from the base game that must have been acquired already by at least 1 player.

Module 2 – Iron

• The winter payment tile of the 4th year demands the payment of 1 food, 1 Thaler, and 1 iron by each player to the nobility. Payment is mandatory if the player owns the required resource. A player may not voluntarily refrain from payment and take a debt chit instead. A player must take one debt chit for each commodity they cannot pay.
• By using the workshop and the new particular iron-developments, players can produce iron.
• Iron serves the same purpose as wood, but can only be used as props in the tunnel. Iron may not be used in the pinge.
• Each iron prop implemented in the tunnel is worth 1 victory point during final scoring, provided the section to the right of the prop is mined completely.
• Once a player clears their pinge, the player now receives their Workshop tile in addition to their “Coal Miner and Haspelknecht” tile.
• During the planning phase, a player may assign exactly 1 yellow action disk to their workshop to produce 1 iron.
• During the winter storage phase, a player may store 1 iron in their workshop, immediately earning 1 victory point if doing so. The workshop is not counted as a building.
• Each “Enhanced Tunnel” requires the installation of two iron props where shown. Any other prop, shown as wood on the player board, may be iron or wood, by player's choice. Each tunnel requires a total of 9 props to be mined completely, at least 2 of which must be iron props.