How To Play: AuZtralia

Overview

So you think you’re ready to conquer the wild and slightly weird lands of AuZtralia, eh? Well, after several nights of battling monsters and yelling at my friends over railways, I’ve cooked up this handy guide for you. Here, you will find a simple outline of the game rules and—more importantly—the best tips and tricks for winning. Yes, even if your cows get eaten. Let’s get started with How To Play auztralia!

What’s in the box

• 1 Main game board
• 4 Player boards
• 4 Scoring markers
• 52 Farm cubes (13 per player)
• 36 Railroad track pieces (9 per player)
• 4 Player time markers
• 4 Player pawns
• 84 Resource cubes (28 coal, 28 iron, 28 gold)
• 40 Personality cards
• 18 Event cards
• 41 Revelation and Old One cards
• 19 Port tiles
• 30 Survey tiles
• 74 Old One tokens
• 4 Player summary cards
• 1 Combat marker
• 1 Rulebook

How To Play AuZtralia: Rules Summary

Setup

1. Lay out the board in the center. Choose a side: solo or group map.
2. Each player picks a color, a port, and grabs matching pieces and player board.
3. Place starting resources, farms, trains, and cubes on your player board. Spread Cthulhu’s minions on the map as shown in the rulebook (or as I call it, the sanity destroyer).
4. Shuffle event and personality cards. Lay out the personalities for hiring.

Gameplay

1. Players take turns. On your turn, pick an action (build, recruit, move, attack, farm, or mine). Pay time costs and move your time marker forward.
2. When a player or Old One reaches the end of the time track, the Old One starts taking turns!
3. Fight Old Ones by moving units into their hex and rolling dice. Hope you don’t get squashed by a Shoggoth.
4. Keep an eye on resources and hire some awesome personalities to help you out!

Winning

1. When all player and Old One time tokens hit the end, the game ends.
2. Count up your victory points: you score for farms, killing Old Ones, and leftover resources.
3. If the Old Ones trash too many farms or take over ports, all players can lose. True story: we all lost once and just stared at the board in silence for five minutes.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. If a player’s port is destroyed, they’re out of the game. Start crying or help your friends for revenge points.
2. Special event cards can pop up and make things wild. Read them carefully and don’t panic—well, maybe panic a little.
3. Don’t forget: certain personalities and train combos give unique bonuses. Try to use them before the world ends in tentacles.

That’s your quick and easy rules guide on how to play auztralia. It’s got rules, strategy, and a dash of chaos. Good luck, and remember: try not to get eaten!

Best AuZtralia Strategies

Gold, Coal, and Cows: Mastering Resource Management in AuZtralia

Plan Every Move

How To Play auztralia well means you always need a plan for your resources. Looking at your board, you should always ask: what do I need right now versus what will I need next round?

1. Make sure you grab coal before anyone else. Trains run out fast!
2. Always leave enough gold so you can hire good help. Broke players lose friends and games, trust me.

Diversify Your Stock

Don’t focus on just one type of good. I ignored sheep once and the zombies ate my crops.

1. Buy a mix of farm animals, not just cows—they score more, but variety is safer.
2. Spread your resources to prevent any nasty surprises when Cthulhu wakes up.

React to Threats

Enemies come out of nowhere. Don’t be that person who saves all their coal and then loses it in one terrible turn.

1. Keep some spare resources ready for emergencies, especially when things look calm.
2. If you see a monster near your farms, spend gold fast to move your workers to safety.

Mastering Combat in AuZtralia

Know Your Enemies

First, you must observe the Old Ones closely. Some creatures are weak to certain troops. Recognize patterns and act fast!

1. Scout enemy types before attacking.
2. Choose units with matching strengths.

Team Up For Big Fights

Next, call your friends for backup. Don’t fight Cthulhu alone unless you want an early retirement.

1. Coordinate multiple players for hard battles.
2. Share resources and actions when needed.

Use Your Trains

Then, move troops with your trains to strike where needed. Mobility wins fights in AuZtralia.

1. Relocate units quickly across the map.
2. Block enemy paths using trains.

Adapt On The Fly

Finally, always adjust your plans! If a plan fails, don’t sit there looking shocked—change things up. Learning How To Play auztralia combat is all about reacting before you lose your hat (or your farm).

1. Switch targets as needed.
2. Pick new tactics when the board changes.

Mastering Time and Event Planning in AuZtralia

Tick-Tock, Watch the Clock

1. Keep an eye on the time track every turn. If you forget, the Old Ones will teach you a lesson… with tentacles.
2. Use actions that cost less time early in the game. Later, unleash heavy hitters when you really need them.

Prepare for Unwanted Guests

1. Always read the next event card. Surprises are fun at birthdays, not in AuZtralia.
2. Plan routes to avoid sudden monster spawns. Trains help, but panic running also works (sometimes).

Adapt or Get Squished

1. When the Old Ones wake up, change your action plan fast. Don’t be stubborn like Bob, who ignored Cthulhu and got eaten.
2. Adjust your strategy based on where threats appear, because the board won’t wait for you.

Winning means thinking one step ahead. For more, search ‘How To Play auztralia’ and stop the ancient baddies before lunch!

Final Thoughts: Wrangling Cthulhu, Sheep, and Victory!

Well, there you go, cobber! That’s my guide to surviving the Outback with a train, a shovel, and the ever-looming threat of an Elder God tantrum. Every game of AuZtralia throws new curveballs, whether you’re panicking about coal or sheep getting eaten by tentacles. Remember the golden rule: when in doubt, blame your mate for waking up the Great Old Ones (worked for me). Keep tinkering with your moves, keep your resources handy, and don’t forget to yell ‘How To Play auztralia’ at least once per session—just for luck. Good luck, and may your shrimps stay on the barbie!

Want to know what we think of AuZtralia? Read our detailed review of AuZtralia here