All Aboard the Keystone State: Your Guide to Ticket to Ride Pennsylvania (Without Getting Sidetracked by Pretzels)
Ah, Pennsylvania. Land of liberty bells, cheesesteaks, and enough winding railroad tracks to make your head spin. And that's exactly where Ticket to Ride: Pennsylvania takes you, on a train-hopping adventure across the "Coal State." But unlike navigating rush hour traffic in Philly, this ride is pure fun (and thankfully involves zero road rage).
This ain't your grandma's Ticket to Ride, though. Pennsylvania throws in a few twists and turns, like stock shares and those pesky ferry routes across Lake Ontario (because apparently trains can't swim). So, grab your conductor's hat (pretzel not included), and let's get this choo-choo chugging!
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| How To Play Ticket To Ride Pennsylvania |
Gearing Up for Departure (Setting Up the Game)
First things first, you'll need the Pennsylvania expansion, which works with the base Ticket to Ride game. Dust off those train cars (all 45 of them!), unfold the map (try not to drool over all those potential routes), and sort the stock shares by railroad.
Here's the Fun Part (Dealing Cards and Tickets):
- Each player gets a pile of colored trains (don't fight over the red ones, they're all pretty snazzy).
- Deal out four train cards to each player - your trusty tools for claiming those sweet routes.
- Now comes the important bit: destination tickets. These are your goals, the cities you gotta connect by train to score big points. Deal five to each player, but here's the twist - you can only ditch two! Muahahaha! This is where the real strategy begins.
Choo-Choo-Choosing Your Route (Claiming Those Tracks)
Just like the original Ticket to Ride, Pennsylvania is all about playing the right number of colored train cards to claim routes on the map. But here's the Pennsylvania twist: some routes have little railroad symbols. When you claim one of these routes, you get to snag a stock share from that specific railroad (just the top one, mind you).
QuickTip: Stop scrolling if you find value.
Stockpiling Stock (The Shareholding Showdown):
These stock shares are your ticket (pun intended) to bonus points at the end of the game. The more shares you have in a particular railroad, the more points you score for that railroad. So, gotta plan your routes strategically to collect those sweet, sweet shares.
Those Pesky Ferries (Lake Ontario Shenanigans):
Ah yes, the ferries. There are only two ferry routes on the map, and they both require locomotive cards (the wild cards of the game) to claim. Just remember, these watery shortcuts can be a real game-changer, so use them wisely, captain!
QuickTip: Revisit posts more than once.
Tooting Your Own Horn (Scoring Points and Winning the Game)
When the last train car hits the tracks, it's time to tally those points! Here's how you win:
- Completing Destination Tickets: Each completed ticket scores points based on its difficulty. The longer the route, the more points you get for connecting those cities by train - whoop whoop!
- Stock Share Showdown: Remember those shares you collected? Now's the time to see who's the railroad tycoon. The player with the most shares in a railroad scores the most points for that company, followed by the player with the second most, and so on.
The player with the most points at the end is the ultimate train conductor (and probably gets bragging rights for life).
Bonus Round: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for the Aspiring Pennsylvanian Train Conductor
How to win a lot of points in Ticket to Ride Pennsylvania?
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Focus on completing your destination tickets while strategically collecting stock shares in a few key railroads.
Tip: Highlight what feels important.
How do the ferry routes work?
You can only claim a ferry route by playing the exact number of locomotive cards shown on the route.
What happens if I can't complete all my destination tickets?
There's a penalty for uncompleted tickets, so plan your routes carefully!
Tip: Remember, the small details add value.
How many players can play Ticket to Ride Pennsylvania?
The game works for 2-5 players. For a 2-player game, there are some special rules involving a dummy player.
What's the difference between Ticket to Ride Pennsylvania and the original Ticket to Ride?
Pennsylvania adds stock shares, ferry routes, and requires players to keep at least three destination tickets throughout the game.
So there you have it, folks! With these tips and a little bit of railroad wrangling, you'll be a Pennsylvania train baron in no time. Now get out there, grab your tickets, and choo-choo-choose your route to victory!
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