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Conquistador: Fur Traders and Buccaneers
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- Complexity 3.0/5
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- BGG rank
- BGG #6,033
- BGG rating
- 6.5
Conquistador: The Age of Exploration – 1495-1600
1976
Rules assistance for Conquistador: The Age of Exploration – 1495-1600
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–5 players
- 360–420 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.2/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Conquistador: The Age of Exploration – 1495-1600
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Conquistador: The Age of Exploration – 1495-1600 is a board game released in 1976 for 1–5 players, 360–420 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Richard H. Berg and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Variable Set-up, and Grid Movement.
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About the game
Conquistador recreates the 16th Century exploration and conquest of the New World (North and South America) by the major powers of Europe. —description from the back of the box (AH version) The game is quasi-historical in nature, providing the atmosphere and mechanics of the 16th Century world, along with historical personages. The object of the game is for one Country to accumulate as much wealth, land, and prestige (in the form of actual discoveries) as he [sic] can; the Country with the greatest total of all three is the victor." (from SPI game rules introduction) —description from the rulebook (SPI version) Originally published in 1976 by SPI in Strategy & Tactics magazine #58, and later sold as a boxed edition in a plastic tray, the SPI version is a one to three player game, featuring the Spanish (green counters), French (blue counters), and English (beige counters). Rules for Portugal or the German bankers as a fourth player are included, but no counters are provided in the game. The Avalon Hill edition is a one to four player game, featuring the Spanish (green counters), French (blue counters), English (pink counters) and Portuguese (yellow counters). This edition of the game was published in 1982 with a mounted map in a bookcase box. The "Fur Traders & Buccaneers" variant in The GENERAL Vol.21 No.5 added counters and rules for Dutch, Danish, and slave units. —user summary
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- The Avalon Hill Game Co
- SPI (Simulations Publications, Inc.)
Questions and answers
Conquistador: The Age of Exploration – 1495-1600 supports 1–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Conquistador: The Age of Exploration – 1495-1600 is 360–420 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Conquistador: The Age of Exploration – 1495-1600 for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Conquistador: The Age of Exploration – 1495-1600 has a complexity rating of 3.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Conquistador: The Age of Exploration – 1495-1600 belongs to these categories: Economic, Wargame, and Territory Building. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Variable Set-up, and Grid Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Conquistador: The Age of Exploration – 1495-1600 are: Richard H. Berg. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Conquistador: The Age of Exploration – 1495-1600 as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.