Introduction: Those familiar with Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea’s (ACIS) Playbook example of a turn may observe similarities between that piece and this exposition. However, although both games share the same basic system, there are differences. For details, and links to material which explain game term references (for this article’s limitations can only allude to rulebook details); see an associated InsideGMT article: Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East Design Background and Differences from Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea.

Let’s again join Sue and Bob of the ACIS Playbook as they enjoy ACME’s excitement and uncertain arena of chaos while competing against one another for advantage towards earning an Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East triumph.

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This example is of a two player Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East (ACME) game between Sue and Bob who, as they make themselves comfortable at the table, agree to play for two Epochs. At the end of the 2nd Epoch, whomever has the most Victory Points shall be declared victor! As explained in ACME’s Rulebook, they will use the Abbreviated Western Map portion of the board. This is accomplished by placing a white disk into each of the following 9 areas: North Caucasus, Colchis, Armenia, Jarwan, Ninevah, Assur, Akkad, Dur Kur and Agrae.

Sue chooses the sky blue disks and Bob the burnt orange disks for this game. Two of each colored disk goes into the zero box of the board’s Victory Point Track (not shown in the currently GMT posted play test map, but be assured it will be present in the game’s final art) with two more disks placed into a coffee cup to select which player goes first. Bob’s disk is first randomly selected from the cup.

Consequently, Bob’s burnt orange disk is placed in the “1” Box of the Civilization Turn Order Track and Sue’s sky blue disk in the Track’s “2” Box.

Civilizations – The first color disk drawn from the cup, Bob’s, means he selects either Egypt or the Hittites for this game. Bob chooses to play the Hittites and takes its associated Civilization Display and places it on the table before him. We will henceforth refer to Bob as the “Hittite Player” or identify his game decisions as that of the Hittites. The second player, Sue, takes the other civilization’s Display: Egypt. Consequently, Sue will henceforth be referred to as the “Egyptian Player” or the Egyptians.

Hittite Deployment – the Hittite player takes the large stickered block corresponding to his chosen color and places it in the Hittite Homeland (Hattusha). The Hittite Player then takes 12 disks from supply and distributes them onto the map as follows: A Settlement in each of Hattusha, Kaska, Kumannis, Karahuyuk, Arzawa and Pala.

Egyptian Deployment – the Egyptian Player takes the large stickered block corresponding to her chosen color and places it in one of the two Egyptian Homelands: in this case, Thebes. The Egyptian Player then takes 12 disks from supply and distributes them onto the map as follows: A Settlement in each of Thebes, Abydos and Amarna. A Camp in each of Memphis, Nile Delta, Eastern Desert, Western Desert, Red Sea and Reed Sea.

Card Draw – As noted in the basic setup, in Turn Order each civilization draws five Fate cards. The Event cards, which were set aside for this game start’s card dealing, are then thoroughly shuffled into the remaining Card Deck and placed face down.

The Hittites’ Fate card hand comprises:

Egypt’s Fate card hand comprises:

With the stage set; this game’s Growth Phase is ready to commence. The Hittites go first.

Stronghold Step: To begin the Growth Phase, the Hittite player places a grey Stronghold cube in Hattusha (a Mountain area). Stronghold cubes are placed in any Mountain areas which fell under a Faction’s Control during the previous turn or, in this case, begin the game in Control of.

Hittite Retirement Step: The Hittite Player now proceeds through the remaining steps of his Growth Phase. Since the game is but beginning; there’s no need to retire any disks back into Supply. Later during play, as disks get committed to the board and/or Investment cards, this may not be the case.

Hittite Acquisition Step: The Hittites have six Settlements, but since one of them is in their Mountain Homeland of Hattusa, they get five burnt orange disks. It takes two Settlements in different Mountain areas to earn one disk of Growth and the Hittites have but one. 

Hittite Resettlement Step: There are no Hittite Cities, so this Step is ignored.

Hittite Deployment Step: From Kumannis, the Hittite Player expands into the Fertile Crescent by placing one disk each, sequentially, in Carchemish, Mittani, Emar, and then Caucasus Sea. The fifth disk is placed in Hattusa to create a City. If this placement is left undisturbed for turn two, and the Hittites get to place the three Sea area disks Trade Fleet allows, they will have 10 disks of turn two Growth. Planning for the future, eh?

Now it’s Egypt’s opportunity to execute its Growth Phase.

Egypt has no action to take for the Stronghold, Retirement and Resettlement Steps, so the Egyptian Player directly proceeds to the next Step.

Egyptian Acquisition Step: With three Settlements and two Camps in Fertile Areas, as well as Camps in two Sea areas: six disks are generated. Note that no disks are earned for the two Desert areas Egypt Controls with one disk each. Egypt is not adjacent to any Hittite disk, so, as with the Hittites, no disk is received for Commerce.

Egyptian Deployment Step: From the Nile Delta, Egypt places one burnt orange disk in Sinai Sea and then creates a Camp in Tyre, a Settlement in Judah, and then a Camp in Aleppo. This places Egypt adjacent to the Hittite Fertile Crescent presence and provides a block to direct Hittite land expansion towards Egypt (as well as threatening their recent Fertile Crescent acquisitions). The sixth disk is placed in Thebes to create a City.

Play now proceeds to the Card Phase with the players, in Civilization Turn Order, playing a Fate card, Building a Deity, or Passing. The Hittite Player is first to go. This shall commence in the next installment of this article. 

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