51st State: Master Set

2016

Immerse yourself in a post-apocalyptic world with 51st State. Employ strategy, gather resources, and build a new order in this engaging card game.

90
minutes

1 - 4
player(s)

14+

Medium

About the game

’51st State: Master Set’ is an immersive and thrilling board game that transports players into a post-apocalyptic world, where they have to strategically build and manage their own state in the ruins of a devastated civilization. The game is set in a dystopian future where resources are limited, competition is fierce, and survival is paramount.

The theme of the game is heavily inspired by the dystopian aesthetics of popular franchises like Mad Max and Fallout. The game’s setting immerses players in a desolate landscape, where they have to negotiate, trade, or fight to acquire resources, build structures, and establish dominance over other factions.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

51st State: Master Set includes a variety of components that interact together to enable gameplay. Below is a detailed list of the components and their role in the game:

1. 200 Cards: These cards are a central component of the game. They represent new locations and are divided into four factions – New York, Appalachian Federation, Merchants Guild, and Mutants Union. These cards can be used for building, making deals, or razing. Each card contains information about its cost, rewards, and other special abilities.

2. 84 Tokens: These tokens represent different resources in the game. They include 20 workers, 20 gears, 30 guns, and 14 iron tokens. Players use these tokens to build new locations and interact with other players.

3. 50 Contact Tokens: These are double-sided tokens, with one side for making deals and the other side for razing. They are used to interact with the cards and other players in the game.

4. 4 Headquarters Tiles: Each player starts the game with a headquarters tile that represents the starting point of their faction. These tiles indicate the faction’s special ability and the initial number of workers, gears, and guns.

5. 30 Distance Tiles: These tiles are used to determine the distance between different locations. They are used in conjunction with the cards and tokens to decide the outcome of various actions.

6. 1 Score Board: This board is used to keep track of each player’s score. It helps in monitoring the progress of the game and determining the winner.

7. 1 First Player Token: This token determines the player who starts the game. The first player changes every round.

8. 4 Player Aids: These are reference cards that help players understand the game rules and symbols. They are especially useful for new players.

9. Pad of Score Sheets: These sheets are used to note down the scores of each player after every round. They help in tallying the final scores at the end of the game.

10. Rulebook: The rulebook contains detailed instructions on how to play the game. It explains the purpose of each component, the game setup, and the gameplay.

These components work together to create a dynamic and engaging board game experience. Players must strategically use these components to build, make deals, and raze their way to victory in the post-apocalyptic world of ’51st State: Master Set’.

Game setup Lay it out, line it up, let’s go

’51st State: Master Set’ is an engaging post-apocalyptic card game that requires strategic planning and resource management skills. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up the game:

1. Prepare the Game Components:

Shuffle the 88 cards and place them face down in a draw pile.
Separate the scoring tokens into piles by color and keep them within reach of all players.

2. Player Roles:

Each player chooses a faction to represent: Appalachian Federation, New York, Merchant’s Guild, or Mutants’ Union. They receive the corresponding player board.
Each player’s faction determines their starting resources and abilities, which are outlined on their player board.

3. Initial Resources:

Each player receives the starting resources indicated on their player board. This usually includes workers, fuel, bricks, guns, and iron.
Players place these resources in the appropriate slots on their player board.

4. Initial Card Draw:

Each player draws four cards from the draw pile to form their initial hand.

5. Placement of the Board:

Each player places their player board in front of them with the production buildings’ side up.
Players will build structures and hire leaders throughout the game, which will be placed in the respective zones on their player board.

6. Random Elements:

The game introduces random elements through the draw pile. Each round, players will draw new cards from this pile, introducing new possibilities and challenges.

7. Determining the First Player:

Choose a player to go first in any way you prefer. This player gets the starting player token.

Now, you are all set to start playing ’51st State: Master Set’. Remember, the goal of the game is to build and expand your faction to become the dominant force in the post-apocalyptic landscape.

Game flow Round and round we go

51st State: Master Set is an engaging board game that is played in a series of rounds until a player reaches 25 points. Each round is divided into four phases: Lookout Phase, Production Phase, Action Phase, and Clean-up Phase.

In the Lookout Phase, players draw 4 cards from any of the three decks, and then select one card to keep, passing the rest to the player on their left. This process is repeated until each player has four new cards. This phase is important because it allows players to plan their strategies for the upcoming round.

The Production Phase follows, where players gather resources based on the buildings in their state. There are three types of buildings: grey, red, and blue. Grey buildings generate workers, red buildings generate raze tokens, and blue buildings generate goods. Each building produces resources once per round during this phase.

Next is the Action Phase, where players take turns performing one action at a time until they all pass. The available actions include:

Building a location
Making a deal
Razing a location
Exchanging goods

Players can perform these actions in any order, and they can perform the same action multiple times in the same phase. They can also pass and re-enter the phase later. The Action Phase ends when all players have passed.

Finally, the Clean-up Phase takes place. Players discard excess resources and tokens down to their storage limits, and the first player token moves to the next player in clockwise order. Additionally, all players prepare for the next round by resetting their buildings and workers.

The game ends at the conclusion of the round in which at least one player has scored 25 points or more. The player with the most points is then declared the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

In ’51st State: Master Set’, each player’s turn is broken down into various actions that they can take to advance their position in the game. These actions are crucial for players to build their engines, acquire resources, and score victory points.

1. Production:

The first phase of a player’s turn is the Production Phase. In this phase, players gain resources from their Production Buildings. This is a crucial part of the game as resources are needed to perform many of the other actions in the game.

2. Actions:

After the Production Phase, players move onto the Action Phase. During this phase, players may perform as many actions as they can or wish to, from the following options:

Make a Deal: Players can choose to make a deal by discarding a card from their hand and placing a contact token on it. This card will then produce a specific resource during each Production Phase.
Build a Location: Players can also choose to build a location by discarding cards equal to the building cost of the location they wish to build. This location will then provide certain benefits to the player.
Raze: Players may choose to raze, either a card from their hand or a location from another player’s tableau, to gain the resources listed on the razed card.
Develop: To develop, players discard a card from their hand and pay the cost in gears to replace a location in their tableau with a card from their hand.

Strategically choosing which actions to take, when to take them, and in what order can greatly affect the outcome of the game. Balancing resource management, tableau building, and timing is key to mastering ’51st State: Master Set’.

3. Cleanup:

After all players have taken their actions, the Cleanup Phase begins. In this phase, players prepare for the next round by discarding down to their hand limit, refreshing their contact tokens, and advancing the round marker.

The game ends after a set number of rounds, or when a player reaches a certain score. The player with the highest score at the end of the game is declared the winner.

End of the game All good games must come to an end

The game of ’51st State: Master Set’ ends when one of the players reaches or surpasses a threshold of 25 points at the end of a round. The game doesn’t end immediately when someone reaches 25 points during a round. Instead, the game continues until the round is over, giving all players an equal number of turns.

Once a player triggers the end of the game, the current round is completed and then final scoring takes place. During final scoring, there are several factors that players must consider:

Unspent resources: Players convert their unspent resources into victory points. For every two resources, they receive one victory point. However, any leftover single resource that can’t be paired does not count towards the final score.
Connection Tokens: Players score points for their Connection tokens. Each Connection token scores points based on the number on the token.
Building Cards: Players score points for their Building cards. The points are equal to the number shown on the top right corner of the card.

After all points are tallied, the player with the most points is declared the winner of the game. In the case of a tie, the player with the most leftover resources wins the game. If there is still a tie, the player who triggered the end of the game wins.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

In ’51st State: Master Set’, points are awarded to players based on the various actions they take during the game and the developments they make to their state. The detailed breakdown of the point scoring system is as follows:

Building Cards:

Each building card in a player’s state contributes to their overall score. The number of points a card is worth is indicated on the card itself.

Contact Cards:

Contact cards can also earn players points. Each contact card is worth one point.

Distance Cards:

Distance cards earn players points based on the distance they have covered. Each distance card is worth the number of points indicated on the card.

Advancement on Scoring Tracks:

Players also earn points for their advancement on the scoring tracks. The further along the track a player is, the more points they earn. The exact number of points is indicated next to each position on the track.

End Game Bonuses:

At the end of the game, players can earn bonus points based on certain criteria. These criteria can include things like having the most of a certain type of card, having the fewest of a certain type of card, or having the most of a certain resource. The exact bonuses vary from game to game.

In the event of a tie, the following tie-breaker rules are applied:

The player with the most building cards in their state is the winner.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most contact cards is the winner.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most distance cards is the winner.
If there is still a tie, the player who is furthest along on the scoring track is the winner.
If there is still a tie, the player with the most resources is the winner.
If there is still a tie, the winner is determined by a dice roll.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

The ’51st State: Master Set’ is a dynamic card game with a variety of strategic options. While its rules are generally straightforward, there are some special conditions, exceptions, and clarifications that players should remember:

1. The Razing Rule:

Each player can only raze one location in each round. However, if a player has a card that specifically allows him to raze more than one location, he can do so.

2. The Production Rule:

A location that has been built or conquered in the current round cannot produce goods in the same round. The production goods are placed on the locations only in the Production phase of the following rounds.

3. The Open Production Rule:

If a player has an open production location card, they can use it to produce goods during their action phase. However, it’s important to note that each location can only produce once per round, regardless of whether it’s an open production or a regular production.

4. The Scoring Rule:

Players score victory points at the end of each round, not at the end of the game. This includes points from built locations, bonus points from specific location cards, and points from distance cards.

5. The Distance Card Rule:

Distance cards are drawn at the end of each round. These cards are scored immediately and then discarded.

6. The Card Limit Rule:

There is no hand limit in the game. Players can have as many cards in their hand as they want.

7. The Connection Rule:

When a player builds a location, it does not have to be connected to their other locations. The only requirement is that the player pays the construction cost.

8. The Worker Rule:

Workers are not returned to the supply at the end of the round. They stay on the player’s board until they are used or replaced.

In addition to these clarifications, it’s also worth mentioning a couple of exceptions:

1. The ‘no duplicate locations’ rule:

Players cannot have two identical locations in their state. However, there is one exception: if a player has a location in their state and then acquires a ruined version of that same location, they can keep both.

2. The ‘no goods carryover’ rule:

In general, unused goods do not carry over to the next round. But there are cards that allow players to store goods for future rounds.

3. The ‘one action per turn’ rule:

Normally, players can only perform one action per turn. But if they have a leader card on their board, they can perform two actions in one turn.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies:

Focus on Fuel: One advanced strategy in ’51st State: Master Set’ is to focus on fuel production. Fuel is a versatile resource that can be used in various ways, be it for dealing with threats or constructing new buildings. Having plenty of it can give a player a significant advantage.
Upgrade Buildings: Upgrading buildings is another advanced strategy to consider. Upgraded buildings offer better rewards and can be critical to a player’s success. Make sure to plan ahead and save enough resources for upgrades.
Adapt Your Strategy: Finally, adapting your strategy based on the available deals and the state of the board is crucial. The game state can change quickly, and so should your strategy.

Beginner Tips:

Learn the Cards: The first tip for beginners is to familiarize themselves with the cards. Knowing what each card does and how they interact with each other is key to formulating a good strategy.
Don’t Ignore Defense: ’51st State: Master Set’ has a significant focus on interaction between players. Ignoring defense can leave a player vulnerable to attacks, so make sure to invest in defensive cards.
Use Your Workers Wisely: Workers are a valuable resource. Use them wisely and try to maximize their utility each turn. Remember, unused workers can be converted into other resources at the end of the round.

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Spreading Too Thin: One common mistake is trying to do everything at once. It’s better to focus on a few strategies and execute them well rather than spreading resources too thin.
Ignoring Interaction: Ignoring the interaction aspect of the game can be a downfall. Remember, other players can and will affect your game state. Plan for it and be prepared to adapt.
Underestimating the Value of Deals: Deals can be a valuable source of resources. Underestimating their value and not making enough deals can lead to resource shortages.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay:

Plan Ahead: Planning ahead is key to optimizing gameplay. Think a few turns ahead and plan accordingly. This can help ensure you have enough resources when you need them and can make the most out of each turn.
Balance Resource Generation: Balancing resource generation is another important factor. Make sure to have a good mix of different resources and not to rely too heavily on one type.
Keep Track of Score: Keep track of your score and the scores of your opponents. This can help you make decisions based on the current standings and help you focus on what’s important to win.