-by Stephen Landis
Currently on Gamefound they is a new kick starter based on the world-renowned video game, Total War: ROME. This board game allows you and up to four players to play as the leaders of Rome, Carthage, Greece and Gall-Germania. Each Player will conquer new lands, develop their faction, claim territories, recruit epic armies, fight enemies in intense battles, build barracks, markets and walls, raise taxes, spy, riot, trade, and so much more!
If you’re a fan of the Total War Series on computer this game might be right up your alley. As stated above you can have up to 4 players and each game can take upwards of 150 minutes plus!
The game itself plays by in a series of rounds and during the rounds each player will take their turn in 5 phases. The phase are as follows:
1st phase is Initiative, where the players will get dealt a card that they will use in combination with gold to make a one-time bid. The highest bidder will get to go first. If you go high, you guarantee first, but if you bid low, you can strategically observe what your opponents do first. In the 2nd phase, Agent, you will use multi-use action cards and send your agents across the maps. Some of the agent actions are, forming treaties, Spying, creating Disruption, trading with allies and Assassinating Enemy leaders!
In the 3rd phase you get to collect your Taxes (players will do this simultaneously). Each territory has a wealth value. You can also instigate Super Taxes by trashing action cards from our hand. The 4th phase is Campaigning. During this phase take turn moving armies and navies. Take control of neutral lands but suffer the consequences from indigenous tribes! Or attack enemy homelands, or enemy armies.
The last phase, the 5th, is Spending. Players simultaneously spend their hard-earned gold. You can purchase a variety of items to include recruiting new units into armies of your choice, unlocking Developments via the technology tree, training new generals, agents or building regional improvements such as markets, barracks, and walls!
To add an extra element to the game they are offering a Battle Play expansion that adds a skirmish game element to the core game. You can even use it as a stand-alone game to fight battles and tournaments. You can even refight some of famous battles of history with Battle Play!