Mille Bornes - Play

Play

The deck is shuffled and 6 cards are dealt to each player; the remainder becomes a draw pile and a discard pile forms next to it. Each player's turn begins with a draw of one card and a play of one card, so that each player always holds 6 cards at the end of his turn. If a player cannot play that player must discard. Discarded cards are dead and cannot be taken for any reason.

Each player (or team) builds a tableau. The tableau is divided into battle, speed, distance, and safety areas; cards in the battle and speed areas are stacked so that only the top card shows. The example shows a typical tableau midway through a game.

Hazards and remedies (with the exception of Speed Limit and End of Limit) are played in the battle area, where a Roll card is shown in the example. Speed Limit and End of Limit cards are played in their own area. Distance cards are played according to value; it is common to play the 200-km cards distinctly, rather than fanned. Safety cards are played along the top of the tableau; note that the horizontal placement of the Extra Tank card in the example has a special significance.

In turn, a player may choose to play one of the following:

• A distance card on his own tableau if a Roll card is showing in his battle area.
• A remedy on top of the corresponding hazard if one is showing in his battle area.
• An End of Limit on top of a Speed Limit if one is showing in his speed area.
• A hazard on top of his opponent's Roll if one is showing and his opponent has not already played the corresponding Safety.
• A safety in his own safety area (at any time).
• A Roll card in his own battle area if a Stop or remedy is showing, or if his battle area is empty. Note that a hazard cannot be played unless one's opponent is moving, except for the Speed Limit.

Once an Accident, Out of Gas, or Flat Tire hazard has been played, and the appropriate remedy card played as a counter, the player must next play a Roll card in order to get moving again.

Playing a safety corrects the corresponding hazard and also protects against future hazards of this type. However, when the safety is played normally, a Roll must still be played before any distance cards. Whenever the safety is played, the same player draws another card immediately and plays again. It is possible to play another safety and another, each time drawing a card before playing again.

A player whose speed is limited (as shown in the example) may only play 25 and 50 km cards. No more than two 200 km cards may be played by any player or team in a single hand.

The Right of Way card both remedies and protects against Stop and Speed Limit hazards; if a player (or team) has played this card then that player (or they) need not display a Roll card in order to move; any Stop or Speed Limit showing is removed to the discard pile at the time the Right of Way card is played. However, the player is still vulnerable to other hazards.

Players may always discard, even if they have a legal play available. A player who cannot play in any other way must discard.

Under no circumstances may a distance card be played that would put the player's total over the race goal of 700 or 1000 km.

Play continues until either:

• one player (or team) reaches exactly 1000 km in total distance cards, or
• all players have played or discarded all their cards.

Note that play continues after the draw pile is exhausted, each player playing or discarding one card per turn. Once both players run out of cards in their hand with a depleted draw pile, play ends.