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Lorrein
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Fujian Trader
2016
Rules assistance for Fujian Trader
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 90–180 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for Fujian Trader
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Fujian Trader is a board game released in 2016 for 3–5 players, 90–180 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Sari Gilbert and Robert Batchelor and its main mechanics are Trading, Area Majority / Influence, and Network and Route Building.
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About the game
Fujian Trader is a victory-point based, gateway game. The theme and mechanics are based upon the re-discovered Selden Map which depicts trading routes in China and had been lost for nearly 300 years. In Fujian Trader, players assume the role of Ming-era merchant families following trading routes in the East China Sea. Victory-points are gained by trading (or raiding) the goods of iron, silk, and rice for silver and influence. To win, players must accrue the most victory-points in order to successfully endure the Manchu invasion and subsequent Ming Empire collapse at the end of the game. The game board is divided up into six different regions separated into six different colors. Each region has several ports. Players start out with a number of ports (dependent on the number of players) and may receive goods based off of which ports they control. When ports produce goods depends on the roll of a colored die. The color the die lands on coincides with the six colored regions and determines which produces goods for that round. Players may purchase additional ports with money gained from trading or incite rebellions in already controlled ports to wrestle them from an opponent. The game ends after the Manchu first invade the Ming Empire. The invasion starts once the last of three Manchu Move cards is drawn from the Event deck. Players then have a three rounds to trade goods and two rounds to store silver, thus accruing victory-points. After the third round of the invasion the game ends, and players tally up victory points to determine who wins.
Designers
Publishers
- Thinking Past
Questions and answers
Fujian Trader supports 3–5 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 Fujian Trader is 90–180 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 Fujian Trader 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.
Fujian Trader has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light 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.
Fujian Trader belongs to these categories: Economic, Territory Building, and Medieval. Its main mechanics are Trading, Area Majority / Influence, and Network and Route Building. 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 Fujian Trader are: Sari Gilbert and Robert Batchelor. 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 Fujian Trader 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.