Submitted by Ray D. Smith
If you were ever in the mood to play an 18xx game and didn't have the usual six to eight hours of play time to invest, you went looking for your iron horse fix elsewhere. Well, now you can sate your railroading appetite in under five hours. The latest release by Federico Vellani, 1849 (The Game of Sicilian Railways from 1849 to 1922), aptly validates the saying, less is more.
This game kit, produced by Chris Lawson, comes in three varieties of component quality selection -- bronze (economy), silver (midrange), and gold (deluxe). Within the gold edition I purchased, the wooden markers and station tokens, and the laminated stock certificates and corporation charters, enhance the aesthetics with durability. Since the map and market price table are only on coated cardstock, I laminated them also to complete the ensemble. All parts are very colorful, and are graphically equal to any non-kit 18xx. The map shows the entire island of Sicily containing ten major cities, with all but two of them situated on the coast. The usual kit detriment of cutting out all of the components is a major two hour undertaking which causes instant arthritis. However, the rewards are substantial and lasting.
Vellani and Lawson have meticulously provided a wealth of player aids printed on the map, the charters, and even on the backs of the private companies where their special effects are described. These astute fellows have really assessed the shortcomings of the previous 18xx's and made the game as user friendly as possible. However, the brevity of the rules, though complete, would be quite daunting to anyone uninitiated to the 18xx system. Old "rail-heads" won't have any problems. The usual Stock Round and Operating Round sequence have the following changes from the norm (if there is such a thing):
The actual play of the game is very intense. Scenarios are provided for three to five players, and play begins with phase four (trains moving 4 hexes, etc.) and continues on until phase 16. For all scenarios, investment in corporations belonging to all players is crucial to advancement. Since there are only five or six (depending upon the scenario) corporations to purchase, the chances for manipulation of monies is minimal.
The only detriments to 1849 that our group found are: if you fall too far behind the other players, it's very difficult to catch up; you'll need to ignore how trains are running on the wrong gauge track(!?), even at double cost; the predestined arrival of the Messina earthquake. This last problem we easily changed to our satisfaction by producing a random earthquake chart which can spice up the endgame a bit:
| Messina Earthquake Occurs | Die Roll |
| Phase 10 | 1-2 |
| Phase 12 | 1-4 |
| Phase 16 | 1-5 |
Overall, anyone with any interest in the system cannot miss with this little gem. Not only has the time been shaved, but its quality and playability enhanced. 1849 will be our 18xx game of choice for a long time.
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