The Conquerors: Alexander the Great

Description

The Conquerors: Alexander the Great uses an interesting new system that gives the players a feel for the era and the problems of campaigning therein. For one, there are no turns. Play keeps going until the Macedonian Player wins or Alexander dies. And winning, for the Macedonian Player, is no mean feat. Yes, his armies are mighty, but Alexander is a game in which the player must not just win battles, but also overcome the logistics of campaigning … building armies, getting them to where they’re needed, understanding battle fatigue and weariness, dealing with personalities, and adapting to the society you are trying to seize.

The player’s goals, as Alexander, are multiple and difficult. To win, he must maintain his hegemony of Greece, become Great King and establish his Deity. The latter two require him to achieve eight separate, often difficult objectives, including controlling key provinces, building Alexandria, gaining control of the Royal Family, and invoking proskynesis (homage by prostration). A clever Persian player has many ways to stop the Macedonian from earning these, and the money and manpower to help him. Given Alexander’s “greatness,” play testers found the game to be remarkably balanced.

The Conquerors: Alexander the Great uses cards, but it is not a game “driven” by cards – this is not a Paths of Glory system game. Rather, it uses them to provide the players with the historical opportunities and outside events that shaped Alexander’s campaigns. The cards cover such events as Alexander’s drinking problems, the shadowy figure of Bagoas, the friendly presence of Black Cleitus, and possibilities of assassination, mass marriages, Spartan revolts … even a Honeymoon for the weary Macedonians!