Ticket to Ride: Märklin

2006

Experience a unique blend of strategy and adventure with Ticket to Ride: Märklin. This game introduces exciting new mechanics with passengers and merchandise tokens, based on a map of Germany. Explore the Märklin model trains universe in a race to secure victory points!

60
minutes

2 - 5
player(s)

Medium

About the game

Ticket to Ride: Märklin is a captivating board game that transports players into the heart of Germany, where they embark on a thrilling journey through the world of railroads. This game is set in the early 20th century, during the golden age of rail travel, bringing to life the historic and iconic German railroad company, Märklin.

In Ticket to Ride: Märklin, players collect cards of various types of train cars they then use to claim railway routes on the map. The longer the routes, the more points they earn. Additional points come to those who can fulfill their Destination Tickets by connecting two distant cities, and to the player who builds the longest continuous railway. This strategic balance between building long routes and completing tickets is one of the main aspects that keeps players engaged and the game exciting.

Game components Unboxing the fun!

Ticket to Ride: Märklin is a board game that includes a variety of components, each with a unique purpose. These components work together to create an engaging gaming experience. Here is a detailed list of each component and their role in the game:

1. Game Board:
The primary component of Ticket to Ride: Märklin is the game board. This board is a map of Germany, with various cities and rail routes marked. Players place their train cars on these routes to claim them and score points.

2. Train Car Cards:
These are a set of 110 cards that players use to claim rail routes. They come in eight types, each corresponding to a different color of route on the board. There are also locomotive cards which can be used as a wild card for any color.

3. Destination Ticket Cards:
There are 46 of these cards in the game. Each card features two cities on the map and a point value. Players draw these cards and try to connect the cities on them with a continuous path of their train cars. Successfully connecting the cities scores the player points equal to the value on the card.

4. Märklin Cards:
These are a unique feature of the Märklin edition of Ticket to Ride. There are 15 of these cards in the game, and they allow players to perform special actions, such as drawing additional destination tickets or placing extra train cars.

5. Train Car Pieces:
Each player has a set of 45 train car pieces in their color. Players use these pieces to claim routes on the board. Each route requires a certain number of train car pieces, depending on its length.

6. Scoring Markers:
These are small pieces in each player’s color that are used to track scores on the scoring track around the edge of the board. As players score points by claiming routes and completing destination tickets, they move their scoring marker forward on the track.

7. Passenger Meeples:
Each player has three passenger meeples in their color. These meeples can be placed on the board in any city the player has connected to their rail network. At the end of their turn, the player can move a meeple along their rails to collect merchandise tokens and score additional points.

8. Merchandise Tokens:
These are a set of 54 tokens that are placed in cities on the board at the start of the game. When a player moves a passenger meeple, they collect merchandise tokens from the cities they pass through, scoring points for each one.

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

Setting up ‘Ticket to Ride: Märklin’ is a fun and engaging process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started:

Step 1: Player Roles

There aren’t specific roles in ‘Ticket to Ride: Märklin’. Every player is a train tycoon, trying to build the best rail network. The goal of the game is to score the highest number of points by claiming routes, fulfilling destination tickets, and creating the longest continuous rail line.

Step 2: Board Placement

Place the game board in the center of the table where all players can easily reach it. The game board represents a map of Germany, with various cities connected by coloured routes. The board also features a scoring track along its edges for keeping track of players’ points.

Step 3: Initial Resources

Each player selects a set of coloured train pieces. Each player receives 45 of these pieces at the start of the game.
Shuffle the train car cards and deal 4 to each player. Place the rest of the deck next to the board, and reveal the top 5 cards. These form the train card draw pile.
Shuffle the destination ticket cards and deal 3 to each player. Each player must keep at least 2 of these cards and may return 1 to the bottom of the pile.
Shuffle the merchandise bonus cards and place them in a deck next to the board.

Step 4: Random Elements

At the start of the game, the placement of the train cards and destination tickets are random. The draw of these cards introduces an element of unpredictability to each game. Players must also draw new destination tickets and train cards throughout the game, which can alter strategies and change the game’s outcome.

After all these steps, you’re ready to start playing. Remember, the aim is to build the longest and most valuable routes, while also completing your destination tickets. Have fun playing ‘Ticket to Ride: Märklin’!

Game flow Round and round we go

Ticket to Ride: Märklin is a train-themed board game where players collect cards of various types of train cars that enable them to claim railway routes connecting cities in Germany. The game is made up of multiple rounds, each with specific actions for players to take.

Each player’s turn in a round of Ticket to Ride: Märklin consists of one of three possible actions:

Drawing Train Car Cards: The player can opt to draw two Train Car cards. They can draw cards from the five face-up cards or from the top of the deck. If they draw a face-up locomotive card (which acts as a wildcard), they can’t draw another card in the same turn. However, if they draw a locomotive card from the deck, they can draw another card.
Claiming a Route: To claim a route, the player must present the required number and color of Train Car cards from their hand and place their plastic trains on the route on the board. The player then scores points based on the length of the route.
Drawing Destination Tickets: The player can choose to draw additional destination tickets. They draw three tickets from the top of the deck and must keep at least one.

Players continue taking turns, performing one of these three actions on each turn, until one player has two or fewer trains left at the end of their turn. This triggers the game’s final round. Each player, including the one who triggered the final round, gets one more turn. After this, the game ends.

At the end of the game, players reveal their Destination Tickets and add (or subtract) points based on whether they successfully connected the cities on their tickets. The player with the most points, taking into account their completed and incomplete Destination Tickets and the Longest Continuous Path bonus (if applicable), is declared the winner.

Players'turn One turn to rule them all

Ticket to Ride: Märklin is a popular board game that emphasizes strategic thinking, planning, and execution. The game revolves around railway routes and each player’s turn is vital to their overall success. Below is a detailed explanation of the actions a player can take during their turn and the strategic choices they may encounter.

1. Drawing Train Cards:

A player can choose to draw two train cards from the deck or the display. If a locomotive (wildcard) is drawn from the face up cards, it ends the player’s turn. The strategic choice here lies in whether to draw from the face-up cards or the deck, with the latter providing a chance to draw a wildcard without ending the turn.

2. Claiming a Route:

A player may choose to claim a route by playing a set of train cards that match the color and length of the route, and then placing their plastic trains on the route. This provides the player with points, with longer routes being worth more points. The strategic decision here lies in whether to claim shorter routes for quick points, or to save cards for longer, more valuable routes.

3. Drawing Destination Tickets:

Players can draw three destination tickets from the deck and must keep at least one. These tickets provide goals for the player to connect specific cities. Completing these tickets provides additional points at the end of the game, but any uncompleted tickets result in negative points. The strategic choice lies in whether to draw more tickets, potentially gaining more points but also risking more penalties.

4. Playing a Märklin Card:

A player may play a Märklin card to use one of its special abilities. These abilities provide powerful bonuses, such as drawing additional train cards or claiming routes without needing to match the color. The strategic choice lies in when to use these powerful abilities, as they can drastically alter the course of the game.

In conclusion, Ticket to Ride: Märklin is a game of strategy and risk management. Every action a player takes during their turn can have a significant impact on the outcome of the game, making every decision a critical one.

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

The game of ‘Ticket to Ride: Märklin’ ends when one player’s stock of colored trains gets down to two, one, or zero trains at the end of their turn. Once this happens, each player, including the one who triggered the end of the game, gets one final turn. After these final turns are taken, the game officially ends and scoring begins.

Victory Conditions:

The player with the highest score at the end of the game is declared the winner. Points are scored during the game by claiming routes between two cities on the map with your trains, and by successfully completing destination tickets (which involve connecting specific cities on your ticket).

However, if you fail to complete a destination ticket, you lose points equal to the ticket’s value. So it’s important to plan carefully and ensure you can fulfill your tickets.

Additionally, the player who has the Longest Continuous Path of trains at the end of the game receives a 10-point bonus.

Actions Before Final Scoring:

Before final scoring begins, each player should:

Check their destination tickets: See if the cities on their tickets are connected by their own trains. If they are, the player scores the points indicated on the ticket. If they aren’t, the player loses that many points.
Count their continuous train path: Identify their longest continuous path of trains. This includes branching paths, but a specific train cannot be used more than once in this calculation.

Once these actions are taken by all players, final scoring can begin. Each player adds the points they scored during the game to the points they scored from their destination tickets and subtracts any points from uncompleted tickets. The player with the longest continuous train path then adds the 10-point bonus to their score. The player with the highest final score is the winner.

Scoring Did you outsmart your rivals?

Ticket to Ride: Märklin is a popular board game where players collect cards of various types of trains and use them to claim railway routes on the map. The ultimate goal is to score the highest number of total points. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the scoring system:

1. Claiming Routes:

When a player claims a route, they score points according to the length of the route. The points are awarded as follows:

1 space route: 1 point
2 space route: 2 points
3 space route: 4 points
4 space route: 7 points
5 space route: 10 points
6 space route: 15 points

2. Completing Destination Tickets:

The players also score points by successfully completing their Destination Tickets. The points for each ticket are specified on the ticket itself. However, if the player is unable to complete a Destination Ticket by the end of the game, the points of that ticket are subtracted from their total score.

3. Longest Continuous Path:

The player with the longest continuous path of routes at the end of the game receives an extra 10 points.

After all the players have exhausted all their trains and the final round is completed, the player with the highest total score is declared the winner.

Tie-Breaking Rules:

In the event of a tie, the following rules apply:

The player who has completed the most Destination Tickets wins.
If there is still a tie, the player who has the longest continuous path of routes wins.

If there is still a tie after applying these rules, the players share the victory.

Particular Cases and Exceptions Wait… is that legal?

Ticket to Ride: Märklin has some unique rules and exceptions compared to other versions of Ticket to Ride. Below, you will find important information about these special rules and clarifications:

1. Passengers: In this version, players can place passengers on the cities they claim. Later, these passengers can be used to collect merchandise tokens from the cities on the passenger’s route. This feature is unique to Märklin.

Placement: A passenger is placed on a city when a player claims a route into that city.
Travel: Players can choose to move a passenger along their routes during their turn instead of drawing cards or claiming a route.
Collection: When a passenger is moved, they collect one merchandise token from each city they pass through or end in. The token’s value is added to the player’s score at the end of the game.
One-time use: Each passenger can only be used once and is removed from the board after it completes its journey.

2. Märklin Locomotives: Unlike other versions, Märklin features two types of locomotive cards.

Regular Locomotives: These can be used as wild cards to claim any route. They are drawn like normal train cards.
+4 Locomotives: These can only be used to claim routes of length 4 or more. They are drawn from the face-up card display or as a blind draw from the deck.

3. Route Restrictions: Some routes on the Märklin map are marked with a locomotive symbol. These routes can only be claimed using locomotive cards.

4. Scoring: Märklin has a slightly different scoring system, taking into account the merchandise tokens collected by passengers.

Routes: As usual, players score points for claiming routes, with the points corresponding to the length of the route.
Destinations: Players score points for successfully connecting the cities on their destination tickets, but lose points for any uncompleted tickets.
Merchandise Tokens: At the end of the game, players add up the value of their merchandise tokens and add it to their score.

5. End of the Game: The game ends when one player has two or fewer trains left in their supply. Each player, including the one who triggered the endgame, gets one final turn. After that, players reveal their destination tickets and add or subtract points accordingly, add their merchandise points, and the player with the highest total score wins.

Tips and tricks Play smarter, not harder!

Advanced Strategies for ‘Ticket to Ride: Märklin’

Plan long routes: Always aim for the longer routes as they earn more points. The longer the route, the more points you will earn.
Block opponents: Try to anticipate your opponents’ routes and block them if possible. This could set back their plans and give you an advantage.
Use passengers wisely: In ‘Ticket to Ride: Märklin’, the passenger mechanic is important. Use passengers to collect merchandise tokens from cities, but do it wisely. Collecting too early might mean fewer points, while waiting too long might mean no points at all.
Balance between completing tickets and building routes: Don’t focus too much on one aspect. A balance between building routes and completing tickets can lead to a winning strategy.

Beginner Tips for ‘Ticket to Ride: Märklin’

Understand the rules: The first step to becoming good at ‘Ticket to Ride: Märklin’ is to understand the rules thoroughly. It is not just about laying tracks and reaching destinations; there are other elements like passenger movement, merchandise collection etc.
Start with short routes: As a beginner, it might be beneficial to start with shorter routes. This will help in understanding the game dynamics while keeping the game less complicated.
Keep an eye on your opponents: It’s not just your game, what others are doing also matters. Keep an eye on their routes and tickets.
Don’t forget about the passengers: The passenger mechanic is unique to ‘Ticket to Ride: Märklin’. Utilize it to earn extra points.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in ‘Ticket to Ride: Märklin’

Ignoring longer routes: While they might seem intimidating, longer routes yield more points. Ignoring them could lead to a loss.
Not blocking opponents: If you see an opportunity to block an opponent’s route, take it. It can set back their strategy and give you an advantage.
Collecting merchandise tokens too early or too late: Timing is crucial when it comes to collecting merchandise tokens. Doing it too early or too late could mean lost points.

Ways to Optimize Gameplay in ‘Ticket to Ride: Märklin’

Plan ahead: Always have a plan for your routes. Aim for the optimal route that gives you the most points.
Balance your strategies: Don’t just focus on one thing. Balance between completing tickets, building routes, and using passengers.
Use your opponents’ moves to your advantage: Keep an eye on your opponents’ moves and use them to your advantage. Their moves can give you an idea about their strategies.