Each game includes:
Box
Hard Mounted Game Board
2 sets of troop markers (one set per army)
2 sets of solitaire cards (one set per army) *Only 1 set of solitaire cards in 414BC Syracuse
Command Decision Cards
2 Field Order Books (one per army)
Rule Book
Custom plastic storage tray
Dice
Complexity: 3 of 10
Solitaire Suitability: 10 of 10
Playing Time: 30 to 60 minutes
Players: 1-2
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Two cards |
The components are as follows. The map is not a hex or area movement one. There are places where you can put your walls, troops, and ships. Worthington has released a few of these games. They include the other Great Sieges games and Freman's Farm etc. The map is stylized because of just having the placement areas. However, the map is colorful and incredibly easy to read all of the different things on it. It is also mounted, which seems to be a feature of all of Worthington Publishing's games. You get pieces that represent either troops, ships, or walls. These are just rectangles etc. that are color coded for each side. The Rulebook is full color and is only 12 pages long. The solitaire rules take up the first nine pages and then there is about two pages of the two-player rules followed by Historical Notes. The Rulebook is easy to read and very simple to understand. The Field Order Books are made of card stock and fold out to be 11"x17" in size. These are also in full color and are easy to read. They also come with a small version of the map in the center. The different card decks are the real artwork that comes with the game. Most of the cards come with a nice piece of artwork dealing with ancient battles. The information on them for play is very easy to read. As you can see, the components pass muster easily.
The sequence of play is very easy for the single player game. It follows the Worthington Publishing KISS thoughts on game rules. It is as follows:
Select one order to play.
Reveal the solitaire counter order card.
Resolve the action portion of the solitaire counter order card first.
Apply the results of your order using the solitaire counter order card portion.
Repeat the above.
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Two more cards |
The game might seem a bit strange to some people because it does not have the usual siege tactics we are used to. There are no rams or other siege engines at play. One has to remember that this is 414 BC. The only siege techniques that are known are to surround a city and starve them out. This is why it is crucial to the Athenian player to complete his walls around Syracuse. This is also why it is imperative for the Syracusans to build their counter walls. The Athenian must also have a ship unit blockading Syracuse. There is no real turn length to the game. If the solitaire cards run out so has the Athenian time to win. These are the victory conditions:
The Athenian player wins if:
You complete all eight segments of your wall and have a ship in a blockade space.
You reduce the Syracusan morale to zero.
The Athenian player loses if:
You run out of cards in the solitaire deck.
You also lose if your morale reaches zero.
I did not have the ability to play the two-player version, but the solitaire game is a blast. Because of the rules, it plays quickly and easily from one phase to the next. Worthington Publishing has the game length as 30 to 60 minutes and that seems right on the money. The way the game is structured some things have to be simple and a real ancient nut like yours truly, might want more meat on its bones. However, there is enough history and plausibility built into the game to keep even me really happy when playing. Thank you, Worthington Publishing, for allowing me to review this very well thought out game on one of my favorite parts of history. With this game and 1565 Siege of Malta, (my review is linked below), my siege gaming appetite is definitely assuaged for now.
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