Hellas Review, courtesy of Chris Walkley.

Introduction

Hellas is a game of exploration and conquest set in Ancient Greece. Published by Rio Grande Games under their Kosmos imprint, it is one in their series of 2-player-only games, designed to be played in around an hour.

Components

The game map is made up of hexagons, which are about 2 inches across, reasonably thick and attractively drawn. The cards are brightly coloured, depicting their relevant god on the back and with clearly written text on the front. Although the ship pieces may be a little plain, the soldiers are nicely detailed and both are made of durable, hard plastic. All in all, a nicely presented package.

Game Play

Players begin the game by creating a map from 9 of the 24 available map tiles, each of which depicts an area of sea, an area of land, a city and possibly a temple. The cities are used to determine victory, with the first player to conquer 10 winning. On each of his/her starting hexes, the player places one each of the nicely modelled soldier and ship markers. During the game, soldier pieces determine military might, whereas ships are mainly used for exploring new hexes of the map.

Taking it in turns, players may choose one of three actions. These are: Attack, Voyage and 'Burst of Strength'. Attack actions are used to capture neighbouring enemy cities, needing an equal number of soldiers for a successful attack over land, or one greater for an attack over water. Voyage actions allow a player to remove one of his ship markers and place a new tile from the stack. Should this tile fit against the hex next to the ship, the player may place it and put a new soldier on the city. The 'Burst of Strength' action replenishes soldiers and ships.

In essence, Hellas is a simple strategy game, easy to learn and play. But what makes it stand out above the average is the clever addition of 'God cards'. Each player begins the game with a hand of three of these cards, although more can be gained when using a 'Burst of Strength' action. These cards fall into three categories and each has its own deck. Poseidon, the God of the Sea, can assist with voyages. Ares, the God of War, helps in battles. The Father of Gods, Zeus, provides a general all-purpose deck, with cards usable in a variety of circumstances.

Most of these cards can only be played in a player's own turn, for example allowing extra voyages, attacks, or the exchange of ships for soldiers. Some can be played in the opponent's turn, allowing such actions as retreat from a lost conflict, nullification of cards, or the gaining of extra soldiers in battle.

And this is the beauty of the game. Adding a random element through the cards means players are never quite certain what to expect each turn. It adds a needed layer of depth, as players bluff and counter bluff, while trying to build up a strong hand for crucial moments.

Ironically it is exactly this that causes some people to criticise the game, disliking a German-style game (commonly held to be pure strategy) for leaving any aspect to the hand of fate. With these people, I disagree. After the nature of the cards has been learnt, new options start to evolve and, when you know what can be available to your opponent, you can start to defend against it. As such, the cards balance themselves out and skilled players can readily take into account the possible variations, while experiencing the thrill of not knowing exactly what might happen in any given turn. It says a lot for the game balance that, once I have taught it to a new player, each game proves to be tense and exciting, always remaining close until the end. If victory was too reliant on the draw of cards, this would not be the case.

That said, there are a few points to bear in mind. Firstly, unless both players know the cards well, games can be brutally short and one sided. Fortunately I have found that new players learn quickly, especially if given the chance to examine the cards after their first game, when they have grasped the basic concepts. Unfortunately this is still enough to put some players off. Secondly, there are a few timing issues as to when certain cards may be used, and in what combination, and this could potentially cause arguments. Fortunately, these can usually be resolved using good judgement or reference to online FAQs. Lastly, it is still a fairly simple and straightforward game, there aren't vast arrays of tactics to use and, as such, Hellas is best used as an intelligent 'filler' game, to occupy a spare half hour or before moving on to something more meaty. As a filler, however, it serves its purpose admirably.

Conclusion

Hellas is an interesting game, easy to learn, quick to play and always exciting. The theme is implemented well and the whole package is attractively presented. Although on one level the strategy is clear, the random map and cards allow for variation to keep things interesting. I have found it to be always well received by people I introduce it to and believe it to rank amongst the best 2-player-only board games available. Highly recommended.

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