John Company: Second Edition

To set up John Company: Second Edition using the 1710 scenario, place the main game board, position company standing and debt markers, and set up treasury funds. Prepare the India map with starting towers, empire flags, closed orders, and the elephant marker. Distribute starting setup cards to each family to determine initial wealth, ships, blacklist cards, and office placements. Finally, shuffle the blackmail and prestige decks to set up the London Season display, and assign a Prime Minister with the starting dial.

Players act as influential families in 18th and 19th-century Britain, jockeying for control of the British East India Company. Your primary goal is not necessarily to see the company thrive, but to enrich your family, secure lucrative offices, marry well, and retire comfortably. Victory points are accumulated through retirement homes, power awards, workshops, company shares, and successful political maneuvers.

Each round follows a structured sequence. It begins with the Family Phase, where players use their opportunity markers to enlist writers, buy shipyards, luxuries, workshops, or seek shares. Next comes Company Operations, where offices take turns funding actions, trading, and managing military affairs in India. Following this are Upkeep and Refresh phases, Parliament meetings where laws are voted on, and finally, Events in India, which dictate weather, crises, and military conflicts.

End-game scoring awards points based on total power accumulated from power markers, the Prime Minister position, passed laws, blackmail cards, and trophies. Additional points are scored for company shares and workshops owned, provided the company survives. If the company succeeds, final retirements are scored; if it fails, shareholders lose points and company failure rules apply.

The game naturally concludes after five full rounds of play. However, it can end prematurely if the company's standing drops below the threshold into total failure, or if company debt reaches its maximum limit, forcing an immediate end and triggering final scoring.