
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,354
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Pax Hispanica
- 1–5 players
- 60–150 min
- Complexity 4.3/5
- 2025

1995
Rules assistance for Lords of the Sierra Madre (Second Edition)
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Lords of the Sierra Madre (Second Edition) is a board game released in 1995 for 2–8 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Phil Eklund and its main mechanics are Trading, Auction / Bidding, and Area Movement.
The setting is northern Mexico starting in 1898 where an economic boom, a dictator who welcomes foreign investment and wide-open land set the stage for one of the greatest capitalist free-for-alls in history. Each player is an hacendado. These entrepreneurs vie to build the largest empire of railroads, mines, ranches and other businesses. They may employ banditos, strikers and other sneaky maneuvers to tax, bribe, raid and destroy their opponents, often employing police, federal troops, even the US Army. They may even get themselves elected to the governor's office or the presidency itself (a crime in Mexico).
Lords of the Sierra Madre (Second Edition) supports 2–8 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 Lords of the Sierra Madre (Second Edition) is 240 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 Lords of the Sierra Madre (Second Edition) for ages 14 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.
Lords of the Sierra Madre (Second Edition) has a complexity rating of 3.6 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.
Lords of the Sierra Madre (Second Edition) belongs to these categories: Economic, Wargame, and American West. Its main mechanics are Trading, Auction / Bidding, and Area 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 Lords of the Sierra Madre (Second Edition) are: Phil Eklund. 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 Lords of the Sierra Madre (Second Edition) 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.