Invented by Klaus Teuber.
Published by Goldsieber.
Translated by M. Schloth.
Copyright 1995, Klaus Teuber.
For 3 - 6 Players.
Before the first game, carefully remove the sedan chairs, the Arc de Triumph and the coins from their frames. Attach plastic stands to the bottoms of the sedan chairs and the Arc de Triomphe.
The game is divided into two phases:
After the auction of the start teams, six Sedan Chair races occur.
After each race but the last, there will be a bearer exchange (where each player will lose a bearer from his or her team and receive a new one) and two substitute teams will be auctioned from the bearer card deck.
After the 6th race, the game is over. The player with the most gold wins.
The bearers with the positive numbers 1,2,3 and 5 will advance your sedan chair that far around the race course.
The bearer with the negative 2 rating is a Goof. If his number comes up too often you'll find yourself in the Shell Pond and out of the current race.
The bearer with the +2/-2 rating is a crafty devil. If you roll his position on the sedan chair then you will be able to advance yourself two spaces and send another player's sedan chair back two spaces. Or you might prefer to move two other sedan chairs back one space each. He is a good man to have on your team!
EXCEPTION: The crafty bearer may not back another player's sedan chair into the Shell Pond. However, you may move yourself backwards as it can be an advantage to finish last (see bearer exchanges). If you do move yourself back, then another sedan chair must move forward two spaces or two sedan chairs must each move forward one space.
(See below for 5 or 6 players).
Before the first race, teams of bearers are auctioned in different ways depending on the number of players that still need to receive a team:
IF FOUR PLAYERS NEED TEAMS then each player takes a bearer card from the stack and looks at it while keeping it concealed from the other players.
IF THREE PLAYERS NEED TEAMS then just like above each player draws a bearer card. The FOURTH card is drawn and placed face up for all to see next to the game board.
If there are now only three players without a team, then each of them takes a bearer card and a fourth is placed face up for all to see.
If there are now only two players without a team, then each of them takes two bearer cards from the deck.
The last player without a team pays 10 gold and draws the first four bearer cards from the deck.
Once a team has been auctioned, the winner places his or her team openly onto their sedan chair display. Which card takes goes where is unimportant.
EXAMPLE: Hans, Werner, Pia and Claudia are playing. The first team is auctioned. Each player draws a bearer card from the deck, looks at it and keeps it concealed. Hans starts the bidding at 1 coin. Pia, to his left, increases the bid to 2 coins. Continuing clockwise: Werner offers 3, Claudia jumps to 5 and Hans passes. Hans places his bearer card face down before himself. Pia advances the bid to 6. Werner passes. Now Claudia bids 7 and Pia comes back with 9. Claudia passes. Pia pays 9 coins to the bank and takes the bearer cards from the other players. She places her team on her sedan chair display. Pia sits out the next auctions. Hans, Werner and Claudia now each draw another bearer card from the deck. A fourth is drawn and placed face up next to the game board. Hans eventually wins the team. Now only Werner and Claudia are without starting teams. Each draws two bearer cards. Claudia wins the team with a bid of 8 gold coins. Finally, Werner pays 10 gold coins and takes the top four bearer cards in the deck for his team.
WITH 5 PLAYERS: Each player takes a bearer card. The first player to pass discards his or her bearer card. That card will not be a part of the team.
WITH 6 PLAYERS: Each player takes a card, the first two players to pass discard their bearer cards. Neither of these cards will be a part of the team.
The smallest player begins the first race. He or she rolls the four sided die.
Each number on the four-sided die corresponds to a position on the sedan chairs. The player rolls the die and refers to that positions on his or her sedan chair. The bearer card at that position tells the player how far (and in what direction) to move his or her sedan chair. When a player is finished moving his or her sedan chair. The next player follows clockwise.
EXAMPLE: A player rolls a two. The bearer in that position has a value of 5. The player moves his sedan chair 5 spaces forward. If he had rolled a 3, then he could move himself forward 2 spaces and another player back 2 spaces or two other players back one space each (or move himself back and another player(s) forward).
More than one sedan chair may be on the same space during a race.
The first player to move his or her sedan chair onto the space with the Arc de Triomphe moves his or her sedan chair to the space with the Roman numeral one (I). When the second and third places have been determined the sedan chairs are placed on "II" and "III" respectively.
The prize money is paid out according to what is inscribed on the stone in the space with the Arc de Triomphe. For instance, after the first race the first place finisher receives 20 gold coins, second place receives 10 and third place receives 5. Only the first three places receive prize money.
The last place player has an advantage in the next race (see bearer exchanges) so it is important to have a clear last place player. With more than three players in the game, the non-placing players will have to continue the race to see who will be last.
A player who moves backward into the shell pond is out of the race. The first player to back into the shell pond is automatically last. In a three player game, the first player into the shell pond still receives the third place prize. If a second player in a three player race backed into the shell pond, that player would still receive the second place prize.
The Arc de Triomphe is moved to the next further space. For instance, in the second race the players will be competing for prize money worth 25/12/6 in gold coins.
All players place their sedan chairs on the START space again.
The next race is begun by the player who finished last in the previous race.
After the 6th race, the game is over. All players count up their gold coins.
The player with the greatest total wins. If there is a tie, then there are multiple winners.