Overview

51st State: Ultimate Edition is the definitive collection of the 51st State card game, including the base game and six expansions (New Era, Winter, Scavengers, Allies, Moloch, and No Man’s Land). Players build post-apocalyptic States by interacting with Location cards through Building, Razing, or making Deals. The game ends when any player reaches 25 Victory Points. The core rules are identical to the Master Set.

Components

• 200+ cards including base set and all expansions
• 4 Faction boards
• 1 Victory Point board with 4 VP markers
• 1 First Player token
• Resource pieces: Brick, Fuel, Gun, Iron (min. 30 each), Workers (min. 38)
• Tokens: Ammo (13), Red/Blue/Grey/Universal Contact tokens, Development tokens (9), Shield tokens (10), Multiplier tokens (4)

Setup

1. Each player takes a Faction board and VP marker (on “0”).
2. Assign First Player token.
3. Separate Connection cards into piles.
4. Shuffle Location cards (base + chosen expansions) into one deck.
5. Place resource tokens in general supply.

Turn Structure

Each round has 4 phases:

1. Lookout Phase (Draft)

• Reveal top card of each Connection pile.
• Draw (players + 1) cards face-up. Draft clockwise from First Player (1 each). Discard remainder.
• Draw (players + 1) again. Draft counter-clockwise from last player (1 each). Discard remainder.
• No hand limit.

2. Production Phase

Collect Goods simultaneously from: Faction board, Deals, Production Locations.

3. Action Phase

Starting with First Player clockwise, take 1 Action at a time until all players Pass.

4. Cleanup Phase

Store Goods on storage cards; return all others to supply. Discard untaken Connection cards. Pass First Player left.

Actions

Action	Cost	Effect
Build (Construct)	Grey Contact tokens = Distance	Place card in State row
Build (Develop)	1 Brick (or Development token)	Replace existing Location sharing a Type; gain 1 VP
Make a Deal	Blue Contact tokens = Distance	Tuck under Faction board; gain Deal Goods
Raze from Hand	Red Contact tokens = Distance	Discard card; gain Spoils
Raze Opponent	Red Contact tokens = Defense value	Gain Spoils; opponent gets Deal Goods; card becomes Ruins
Use Action	Spend required Goods	Activate Location or Faction board Action (once/round unless noted)
Send Worker	1 Worker	Use opponent’s Open Production; they gain 1 Worker
Take Connection	2 Workers	Take face-up Connection card
Play Connection	Free	Play from hand; gain Goods (pay any cost)
Place Shield	Free action	Put 1 Shield on your Location (max 1; +1 Defense)
Pass	–	Done for round; Locations become immune

Defense Values

| Category | Defense | Row | |———-|———|—–| | Production | 3 | Top | | Feature | 4 | Middle | | Action | 5 | Bottom |

Scoring / Victory Conditions

• End trigger: Any player reaches 25 VP.
• Complete the Action Phase, skip Cleanup.
• Add 1 VP per Location in each player’s State.
• Highest score wins. Tie: most Goods, then most Locations, then shared victory.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Card-specific rules override the rulebook.
• Production Locations produce immediately when Built.
• Ruins count as any Type for Developing.
• Ammo is wild (replaces any basic Resource).
• Universal Contact tokens replace any Contact type.
• Cannot Raze your own Locations or use your own Open Production.
• Once you Pass, you are immune to all interaction.
• Resources are unlimited; use substitutes if needed.
• All possessions are open information.

Player Reference

Phase	Summary
1. Lookout	Draft 2 cards per player per round
2. Production	Faction + Deals + Production Locations
3. Action	Take 1 Action at a time; pass when done
4. Cleanup	Store or lose Goods; pass First Player left
End Game	25 VP trigger + 1 VP per Location