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Book of Dragons
- 1–8 players
- 15–60 min
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- 2018
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- BGG rating
- 6.6
Empires of the Ancient World
2000
Rules assistance for Empires of the Ancient World
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 120–180 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.0/5
Rules assistant for Empires of the Ancient World
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Empires of the Ancient World is a board game released in 2000 for 3–5 players, 120–180 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Martin Wallace and its main mechanics are Trading, Area Majority / Influence, and Rock-Paper-Scissors.
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About the game
Going back to the age of Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, you control the destiny of your empire--building armies, annexing neutral provinces, trading across the Mediterranean, and fighting battles. The heart of the game is its innovative card combat system. The full-color cards allow the use of pikes, swords, war bands, elephants, heavy cavalry, foot skirmishers, light horse, siege towers, artillery, and galleys. Special cards allow you to develop better military leaders, diplomats, traders, and engineers. However, winning the game is not just about having the largest empire. The player with the largest army will also lose the most victory points, so he had better use his forces well. If warfare is not to your taste then you can trade your way to victory, by having the largest trading empire.
Editions
- Empires of the Ancient WorldenWarfrog Games1998
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Warfrog Games
Questions and answers
Empires of the Ancient World 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 Empires of the Ancient World is 120–180 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 Empires of the Ancient World 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.
Empires of the Ancient World has a complexity rating of 3.0 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.
Empires of the Ancient World belongs to these categories: Ancient. Its main mechanics are Trading, Area Majority / Influence, and Rock-Paper-Scissors. 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 Empires of the Ancient World are: Martin Wallace. 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 Empires of the Ancient World 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.