One king to rule us all

If a blue moon can be defined as the second full moon in a calendar month, then this Saturday saw an even rarer phenomena: a blue Time of Crisis. We had met only a few weeks earlier but a sudden window in Martin’s schedule gave us a chance for a quick return. Too quick for Joe, however, and with Sam unable to stand in, Adam T stepped up to the plate. He had some experience with the base game, so it was only a matter of explaining the rules regarding the expansion before we were on our way.

We started the game with Martin in Gallia, Ian in Pannonia, me in Africa and Adam in Macedonia.

Just like last time, the first crisis roll sent a sassanid into Galatia. We chuckled at the curious coincidence. Little did we know that the sassanids were by no means finished with us. Anyway, things get convoluted early on, so I'm adding a little formatting to make things more readable.

Meanwhile Martin (3B 2R) took Hispania. Ian (3B 2R) rolled a new sassanid and took Thracia. I (2Y 3B) rolled a second Sassanid and took Syria and boosted its support. Adam rolled a third Sassanid and sent them all onto the board: two into Galatia and one more to Asia. He then took Egypt. “The Sassanids are winning,” observed Ian.

In round two, Martin (3Y 2R) hired a general and built a basilica in Hispania. Ian (3Y 3R) built and army in Thracia and a basilica in Pannonia. I (3Y 3R) built an army in Syria and a basilica in Africa. Adam (3R 3Y) built an a Limes in Egypt and a second army there. “Right,” said Martin, “that’s the set-up done with.”

So, round three went like this. Martin (3B 1R 2Y) took Britannia and put an army in there and boosted Gallia before buying a very important Foederati card. Ian (3B 2R) sent a goth into Galatia to join the three sassanids already there and then moved his army from Thracia into Asia to attack the lone sassanid there, but could only draw 0-0. Deprived of the chance of taking it over, he consoled himself by buying a 3 governor instead. I (3R 2Y) boosted support in Africa and then bought a governor. Adam (3B 2R) sent three Allamani into Ian’s Pannonia and then he reinforced his second army in Egypt. He also did something else I didn’t note. Bought a governor?

Anyway, round four began with Martin becoming Emperor. He (4B 3R 2Y) bought a new army in Gaul, feoderatied a Frank into it and them moved it into Italia. With his blue points, a basilica and an Ambitus card he had enough to become Emperor of a handsome four-province empire. We had to attack. Ian (3B 4Y) got himself voted into Martin’s Hispania. I had 3R and 3B so I sent my African army up to Britannia to attack him there, but lost. Still needing to weaken him, I tried to get voted in their too, but lost again. A poor move. Adam sent an Alammani into Thracia and then revealed his cards - 6R 2B. “I’ve gone a bit fighty,” he admitted. But he didn’t fight Martin, preferring to reinforce his 2nd Egyptian legion and sent it into Galatia, defeated the Goth there, tributed the sassanids and got himself voted in.

Martin 20, Adam 15, Ian 13, Andrew 11

In round five Emperor Martin found himself in a lucky situation. He had a weak hand (2R 2Y 1B) but thanks to the Sassanids making Galatia and Asia difficult to rule, the usual situation of having one or two rivals with three healthy regions didn’t apply here. In his turn, he got voted back into Hispania and boosted support and then reinforced his legion in Britannia. Ian triggered an event: Bad Augeries: A dire situation with his Pannonia full of Alammani. He reinforced his legion in Thracia and pluckily took on the three Alammani. He lost, 0-3, so had to boost support there. He then beat the lone alammani in Thracia. I (2B 2R 3Y) sent three sassanids into my own Syria and then got voted into Asia and boosted support there, and then reinforced my army in Syria, tributing the barbarians there. Adam (2Y 2B 2R) beat the sassanids in Galatia, 2-1.

Martin 29, Adam 23, Ian 19, Andrew 15

Martin noted he had been untouched in the previous round despite his weak hand. Ominously, he then said “Now I get the chance to be a bastard.” He (4R 5B 5Y) used a Demagogue to force us all to discard a card and if we chose to lose a level 1 card, he could hit us with a mob. In the end, only Adam did that, so a mob went into Macedonia. He then hired a governor, sent his army from HIspania into Egypt where it lost to Adam. He attacked me in Britannia but again those two armies drew. He then failed to get voted into my Asia, so he boosted support in Britannia and in an audacious move, a thematically accurate insult to the rest of us, he built a useless amphitheatre in Italia.

Ian (4R 2Y) sent a sassanid into Egypt. He took his Pannonian army into Gallia to kill of Martin’s remaining Militia there, and then boosted support in Pannonia. I ask for an event before I rolled my crisis roll and I got one! Bad Auguries was gone, much to my relief. Instead, Postumus joined us. A rival emperor who would hopefully stop Martin better than any of us were doing. My hand was 2R 3B 2Y which allowed me to foederati a Sassanid into my Syrian army, and then battled them. Thanks to my cavalry I won, despite only drawing 1-1. I then hired a new governor and boosted support in Asia. Adam (4B 4R) Foederatied a nomad into his Egyptian army and beat Martin 2-1. With no yellow points, Macedonia was bound to fall to the mob that Martin had put there, so he sent his Macedonian army across the map into Hispania and got voted in there instead.

Martin 37, Adam 32, Ian 24, Andrew 24

Round seven began with Martin (7R 2Y 3B) in an unassailable position. He was voted into neutral Macedonia and my Asia to boost his support in Rome to five! He built a new army in Gallia and Feoderatied a Frank into it, and then killed Postumus with a spiculum. Finally he built an army in Macedonia. Ian (3B 4Y) was voted back into Gallia and boosted support there, and also boosted support in Pannonia which was still troubled by Alammani. I (2R 4B) should have gone after Martin somehow but by this time it would have only hurt myself. So instead I turned against my nearest rival and got myself voted into Ian’s Pannonia and tributed the barbarians there. And I built an army in Africa. Adam (1R 6Y) boosted Egypt and Hispania, put a militia in Egypt and sent a mob into Martin’s Macedonia. Finally, he killed the Sassanids in Egypt.

Martin 54 Adam 40 Andrew 29 Ian 28

Round eight and obviously the final round saw Martin play another weak hand (2R 2Y 1B) but by then it barely mattered. He sent more barbarians onto the board, though: 3 Franks into my Pannonia and one kept going into Italia. Martin killed that Frank, and then dispersed the mob in Macedonia. He drew against my wounded legion in Britannia as we both rolled ones. He passed sixty points and the game end was triggered.

Ian (1Y 6R) sent the Priest King into Syria with his crisis roll and then he reinforced his army in Gallia, sent it into Pannonia to attack the Franks. He lost 2-3. His Asian army attacked the sassanids and at least killed them. I (1B 3Y 3R) rolled Good Auguries for my event, which was nice. I killed the Priest King, win a battle in Egypt (only displacing Adam’s army, not wiping them out) but then I failed to get voted in there. I boosted Pannonia, just to hang onto it for one last round. Adam sent sassanids into Galatia and Asia again, meaning they pretty much ended as they began. Meanwhile he (2R 4B) Fought and beat the Sassanids in Galatia, although thanks to Ian suddenly rolling high numbers, they did a lot of damage as they died. Then he fought my wounded legion in Egypt - a 0-0 draw and I must say I was grateful for the points I gained this game by drawing battles with wounded legions. A new strategy perhaps? Finally Adam was voted into Gallia.

The score track of Emperor turns.

Martin 74, Adam 51, Andrew 40, Ian 33

We were finished in barely two hours. Ian was disconsolate, believing it to be his lowest ever score (I checked - it was). I was keen to set off early to try and beat the crowds of a nearby festival that was happening this evening. Ian came along with me, leaving Adam and Martin to play out the evening with some two-player options. Sorry to dash, but the traffic was already appalling and I think we made the right choice. Thanks for hosting, Martin and thanks for the beef jerky.