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Empire Builder (EPB) Links   Last updated May 23, 2018.
Class B: Beginning Players Welcome You may play if you have read the rules, played previously, or participated in a scheduled demo. Be on time for the scheduled demonstration. The GM will remain for only 15 minutes if no one is present.
Schedule  GM: Bob Stribula (9th Year)
Round Day Start Time Duration Location
Demo 1 Mo 11 4 Exhibit Annex Table 3
Heat 1/3 Mo 13 4 Foggy Goggle Front
Heat 2/3 Tu 18 4 Foggy Goggle Front
Heat 3/3 We 12 4 First Tracks Center
Semifinal Th 9 4 Alpine
Final Th 14 4 Alpine
2018 Tournament Format HMWG

The Empire Builder Series tournament offers competition in Mayfair's "Crayon Rails" games. While Empire Builder and Eurorails will be offered in each of the three Round 1 heats, players may choose to play variants if their choice is shared by at least three other players. Variants include: original Empire Builder [without Mexico], North American Rails [with Mexico], Australian Rails, British Rails, China Rails, India Rails, Iron Dragon, Hibernian Rails, Lunar Rails, Martian Rails, Möbius Rails, Nippon Rails, and Russian Rails. If you would like to play one of the variants, it is strongly recommended that you bring your own copy and appear early to set it up and recruit players.

Before starting any game, participants must discuss and agree on the interpretation of disputable rules.

This year we all will use Area of Effect for half-rate and prohibited movement. Remember that this affects movement TO and FROM the area. A universal interpretation for ferry movement will also be explained and implemented. Iron Dragon 2 has many new rules that need to be discussed before starting this title.

Once a player declares meeting the victory conditions, play continues until all players have had an equal number of turns. Events will continue to affect all players. When the last player has taken his turn, all turn- limited events are canceled. Then starting with the first player, each player may REBUILD any track connection destroyed by events. Only previously drawn track connections may be rebuilt. This may require that the track be rerouted if a permanent event prevents the previous alignment. The usual limit of 20 M track per building turn applies. After this Rebuilding Turn is complete, determine the winner per the Scoring Sheet instructions. Please fill out the score sheet completely; the winner must sign and return it to the GM.

The Semifinal games will feature Empire Builder with Mexico. The Final will be contested on the newest edition of Eurorails [3rd edition; © 2009]. Expect the possibility of an optional rule in play with this title.

The Final will begin shortly after the slowest Semifinal game is complete. Note: A 9-hour combined block is requested to minimize the need to adjudicate these games.

If there are 50 or more total entrants, we will advance 25 players to five 5-player Semifinal games. If there are between 40 and 49 entrants (inclusive), we will advance 20 players to five 4-player Semifinals. If there are between 32 and 39 entrants (inclusive), we will advance 16 players to four 4-player Semifinals. With fewer than 32 entrants, we will advance no more than half the entrants to four or five Semifinals of approximately equal numbers of participants. Semifinal finishing order (tiebreaker: final cash) will be used to seed Semifinalists to the Final.

REMEMBER: If we have more individual Heat winners than Semifinal slots, a single Round 1 win will NOT in itself guarantee advancement. (For the previous few years, if we did not have no-shows for the Semifinal, a winner would not have advanced!) We will be using the following tie breakers for advancement and seeding:

1. Most Wins (e.g., total in all heats entered)
2. Win in first Heat entered
3. Win in second Heat entered
4. Win in third Heat entered
5. Repeat Rules 1-4 substituting Second Place finishes for Win(s)
6. Player's highest score
7. High dice roll

Additional Prizes:

The Train Gamers Memorial Medal "in memory of our lost friends" will be awarded to the player with the highest cumulative cash total in three different Round 1 games (not to include Empire Builder or Eurorails).

The Mobius Medal will be awarded to the player with the single highest final cash (and the required number of cities) in any Round 1 Mobius Rails game. The game's designer is disqualified from winning this medal.

The Hibernian Medal will be awarded to the player with the single highest final cash (and the required number of cities) in any Round 1 Hibernian Rails game. The game's designer is disqualified from winning this medal.

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