by GeckoTH
My explanation will pretty much mirror what it says on pg 16 of the rulebook (since their explanation is pretty good).Here's what happens as I understand it:
-Place your Field Researcher (pawn) on the Swap Country Token space, but do not collect the bean there.
-Pick up your pawn and the Swap Country Token, and move it to another spot on the map, taking the existing Country Token and pawn (if any) and putting it in the empty spot where you came from.
-Then take the bean (if any) from your new Country Crop space.
I have only been able to play the game once so far, but there were two instances where using the Swap Country Token was really helpful:
1) Let's say there is a bean you really want, but it sits below a negative Country Token (such as -2pp). Choose to land on the Country Swap Token instead, then move yourself to the desired Country. You will get to take your desired bean, but you've now side-stepped the negative effect!
2) Perhaps there's a person you want to Blend with, but there are no more spots available in his region of the map. Land on the Country Swap Token, then butt your way into his region, moving one of his teammates out of there. This same tactic can also be used to sabotage potential teams, or force a team to research, etc.