Tips ridetherails

Some (very basic) tips for Ride the Rails

Share selection

In Round One

• With 3 players, it's probably (but not necessarily) best for all three to choose the same color (red or blue, makes no difference). Reasoning: If two choose one color and one chooses the other, the singleton will find themselves at somewhat of a scoring disadvantage after Round One. When all three players choose the same color, the first round will end with everyone achieving a decent score. However, note that three players taking one share and building all 8 tracks will deplete the stock of that color. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just something to be aware of.
• With 4 players, it's best if two choose red and two choose blue. Reasoning: If three choose one color and one chooses the other, the singleton will find themselves at a deep scoring disadvantage after Round One. It's not insurmountable, but it makes for a less fun experience.
• With 5 players, it's best if two choose one color and one chooses the other. Reasoning: Four against one is no fun at all!

In all succeeding rounds

At all player counts, the game is more interesting if players start to diversify from each other after the first round. A copycat game, where two or more players choose in lockstep, gets boring fast.

City placement/building track

Remember these two rules about the six East Coast starting cities (blue/red/orange/black):

• A single color (railroad company) may occupy a maximum of two of the East Coast starting cities (New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Wilmington, Charleston, Jacksonville). So, the red railroad cannot occupy three of those cities, even if placed by different players.
• Each of those cities may hold only one railroad. No sharing!

All other cities may hold a maximum of two railroads (of different colors), except Chicago, which can hold any number of railroads (again, of different colors). All plain and mountain hexes may also hold a maximum of two railroads (of different colors).

Easily forgotten rules

A link consists of an unbroken chain of railroads between two cities, including both cities. If you've built in Charleston and the two hexes due west of Charleston, you don't have a link. You must build in Atlanta as well to complete the link.

Whether you've built on one mountain hex or five, the cost is the same: you place one fewer railroad.

Rearrange turn order after Phase C (riding the rails) and before moving on to the next round--the player with the least money/VPs is first, and tied players reverse their previous turn order. Phase A (selecting stock) proceeds in reverse turn order (most $ to least $).

The count of the white marker will always be 1 more than the sum of the colored markers. This is because the colored markers count the links, and the white one counts the cities. (A connection between two cities is one link; three cities are connected by two links; and so forth.)