Great Western Trail: Second Edition – Rails To The North

2022 · Expansion for Base-game

Great Western Trail: Second Edition – Rails To The North

An expanded rail network pushes delivery options northward, letting players route cattle drives to new cities, including locations beyond the original map. Players build branch lines, manage cattle composition, and choose delivery destinations to optimize rewards while navigating revised rail paths on an added board extension. The expansion introduces dual-layer player boards, altered medium town tiles, a reworked building tile, new objective cards, solo-mode components, and a new cattle breed, all of which change strategic choices and delivery opportunities.

Players
1–4 best 3
Playing time
75–150 min
Age
12+
Complexity
3.8 / 5
8.2 on Ludoyafrom $44.31AnimalsAmerican WestPoint to Point MovementSet CollectionTrack Movement

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Full stats in Ludoya
6
Plays logged
11
Players
1h 59m
Average play
67
In collections
6
On wishlists
1
Pre-ordered

8.2/10

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Rules questions

Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.

What exactly do I do on my turn, and are the actions mandatory?

Move your Herder at least 1 space, use the action(s) at the location where you stop, then draw up to your hand limit. Actions are optional; on another player’s Building or a Hazard/Outlaw Tile, you may instead perform only 1 single Auxiliary Action (p. 1).

Do I pay when I pass over another player’s Building or a Hazard/Outlaw Tile?

Yes. Pay the amount shown on your Player Board for each green or black hand you pass: pay the bank for Hazard/Outlaw Tiles, or the owner for another player’s Building. If you can’t afford the full amount, pay what you can (p. 1).

How do I work out my Breeding Value in Kansas City?

Reveal your hand and add the values of each different type of Cattle Card; duplicate types don’t add to the total. You may increase it with Permanent Certificates from Station Master Tiles or by spending temporary Certificates, then gain that amount in dollars (p. 1).

Can I deliver to any city, and what happens if I can’t afford the railroad cost?

Move a Disc to an available City Crest whose value is no higher than your Breeding Value, then pay $1 for each cross between your Engine and the matching value on the Railroad Track. You may deliver to each City only once, except Kansas City and New York; if you need to place a Disc but can’t, remove one of your Discs from a Train Station of your choice (p. 1).

When does the game end after the Job Market Token moves?

If the Job Market Token moves off the bottom of the Game Board, the game end is triggered: collect the token, then each other player takes 1 final turn before final scoring (p. 1).

Can I place a Branchlet in any Town Square?

No. The Town Square must be accessible via a Rail Track connected directly to the Kansas City Office, a City Crest where you have a Disc, or another Town Square where you have a Branchlet. Each player may place only once in each Town Square (p. 1).

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Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.