Age of Mythology - a game of development and conquest based on the PC game of the same name, for 2 to 4 players (extendable to 8 players with additional pieces), ages 14 and up.
The objective of the game is to collect more victory point cubes than your opponents. This is achieved during the game through military conquest and at the end of the game by the largest armies, most buildings and the Wonder Building card.
Components
6 Player boards (2 each for Egyptian, Greek and Norse). These are separated into 3 areas, the top of the board is the Holding Area, bottom left is the Production Area and bottom right is the City Area.
2 sets of Armies comprising Mortals, Mythic Creatures and Heroes for each civilisation (Egyptian, Greek and Norse).
3 sets of Permanent action cards, 2 for each of the cultures.
3 sets of Random action cards, 2 for each of the cultures.
3 sets of Battle cards, 1 for each culture, highlighting the abilities of each of the Mortals, Mythic Creatures and Heroes.
4 Victory Cards (Won the Last Battle, Largest Army, Most Buildings, The Wonder).
150 wooden cubes (30 x Green representing Food, 30 x Brown representing Wood, 30 x Yellow representing Gold, 30 x Blue representing Favour from the Gods and 30 x Red for Victory points).
Building Tiles (House, Wall, Tower, Storehouse, Market, Armory, Quarry, Monument, Granary, Gold Mint, Wood Workshop, Siege Engine Workshop, Great Temple and The Wonder).
Resource Tiles (show Terrain on which they can be played and the Resource and Quantity they produce).
8 six-sided dice.
1 rules manual.
1 reference card.
Setting Up
Determine the culture for each player, each player then receives a board for that culture. Each player for each culture then receives a deck of 7 permanent action cards and a full set of military units representing their culture.
Starting resources are then placed into the bank:
- 2 players - 20 cubes of each colour (green, brown, yellow, blue)
- 3 players - 25 cubes of each colour (green, brown, yellow, blue)
- 4 players - 30 cubes of each colour (green, brown, yellow, blue)
- 5 players - 40 cubes of each colour (green, brown, yellow, blue)
- 6 players - 50 cubes of each colour (green, brown, yellow, blue)
- 7 players - 55 cubes of each colour (green, brown, yellow, blue)
- 8 players - 60 cubes of each colour (green, brown, yellow, blue)
30 victory point cubes (red).
Each player then receives 4 resource cubes of each colour (green=food, brown=wood, yellow=gold, blue=favour).
Each player then takes 2 of each type of mortal unit for their culture except the villager and these are placed in the Holding Area of their board (the top section).
The starting player turns 6 resource tiles per player face up and each player then selects one, once all players have selected one then the last player to select a tile chooses another one and then selection continues anti-clockwise until you reach the starting player. This occurs 3 times until each player has had 6 chances to select a tile. They place the tile in one of their Production areas, matching the terrain shown on the tile. Each player should try to ensure they have the capacity to generate each type of resource and hopefully each type of terrain.
Game Play
Players take turn clockwise with the starting player moving on at the end of each turn. Within each turn there are 3 player phases where each player gets to play one of their selected cards.
Turn Actions - Start
Allocate Victory Point cubes, 3 each round, these are allocated by the starting player and the next two players to their left, to one of the 4 Victory Cards (Won the Last Battle, Largest Army, Most Buildings, The Wonder).
Select action cards from the Permanent and Random decks for your culture. The number of cards you may select for the round depends on the 'Age' of your civilization. At the starting age, Archaic you choose 4, in the Classical Age choose 5, Heroic 6 cards and at Mythic Age choose 7. These are the cards you will play during the 3 playing phases. The more advanced the age the more choice and flexibility you have during your turn.
Phase Actions
Each player now plays a card in turn, 3 times within the turn to complete the players phases. In each of their goes a player may only play one card. The types of actions are:
- Explore - this card turns over more tiles and each player may choose an additional tile and play it into their Resource area provided they can play it on the correct terrain type.
- Gather - allows the player to reposition their villagers and any other troops from their Holding Area to the Production Area and then select the Resource Type or Terrain Type. They then produce resources from the tiles they have, with an additional resource for each villager appropriate to their selection. Note that all players gain resources that way whilst those resources are available from the bank.
- Build - enables the player to construct a choice of buildings, each of which has a different cost. Each player may only have one of each type of building except the house, each player may have 10 of these.
- Recruit - allows the player to deploy additional military units, up to the maximum shown on the card. Each unit has different military capabilities and each has a different cost.
- Trade - this card enables the player to swap one or more resource type for others through the bank at a cost as shown on the card.
- Next Age - this card promotes your culture from one age to the next, each advance in age allows the player to hold an additional card in hand which gives them more choice and flexibility during the turn.
- Attack - enables the player to select a combat opponent from either the player to their left or right. They also choose which area of their opponents board to attack which can result in buildings being destroyed, terrain tiles being taken or resource blocks being stolen. The winner of the combat claims any Victory Point cubes on the Won Last Victory Card.
Turn Actions - End
Resource spoilage then takes place. Each player may only retain 5 resource blocks of each colour, unless they have the Storehouse Building in which case 8 of each type may be retained.
Discarding allows each player to retain cards in their hand, this is only relevant with Random cards as the Permanent Cards may be reselected each turn in any case.
The starting player now rotates.
The End of the Game occurs when one of two situations occurs:
- At the end of the turn in which the last Victory cubes are placed on the Victory Cards. There is no Resource spoilage action when this has occurred.
- Immediately The Wonder building has been constructed.
The Victory Cubes which have been placed on the Most Buildings, Largest Army and The Wonder card are distributed as appropriate and the winner is the player with the most Victory Cubes.
The Hooks
Collecting the right resources to improve your game board with buildings, resource tiles and ensuring you keep up with or exceed the arms race with your neighbours will keep you absorbed.
There is a large gamble going on throughout the game, as you add Victory cubes to the 4 Victory Cards you need to be considering which you believe you can win but there is also an element of keeping balance so that you can switch to an alternate strategy later in the game.
Your Tactics
Action Cards ?
- In the earliest rounds of the game you are picking 4 cards and playing 3 and so will probably stick to perhaps only 1 random card as you will have some key objectives each round. As you advance through the ages you will probably select more random action cards, these are often more powerful but you can't be sure which you will get. You need to have your own plan but need the flexibility to change depending what others have done before you.
Attacking ?
- One way to slow your opponents is to attack them but this risks your own resources as well. You may do this to pick up the Won the Last Battle victory cubes, to damage their buildings or to steal needed resources. But what happens if you lose, can you still defend against your other neighbour.
Conclusion
I found this game absorbing and nearly missed the End. Our group had gambled most of our Victory Cubes on the Buildings and Army card and so the last turn could have been full of battles as winning the Building and Army race would decide the winner.
The game plays quickly once you have worked out what to do but you might be frustrated by a fastidious player who doesn't plan ahead. We found that most of the time we were able to do what we planned but you have to be prepared to be flexible.
As is Eagle Games style the pieces are elegantly sculpted, the boards are clear and the game is relatively simple to understand. I'm looking forward to trying this game in additional formats, played as a team particularly if we could arrange 4 teams of 2 with the additional pieces.
Additional Reviews
Details from Boardgamegeek
