In this article we continue to explore the event cards of Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea (ACIS). To read the previous five articles in this series, follow the links here, here, here, here, and here. We hope you’ve enjoyed this InsideGMT series thus far. 

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In this last article on the event cards used in Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea (ACIS), we address cards related to competition, or as some gamers insist, conflict or “battle”.

Competition Cards

Competition Cards may only be played during the competition phase. Many represent new weapons. Almost all are discarded when played. Some readers may wonder why the discovery of a better weapon (Iron blades, chariots, bows, etc.) have such a limited effect. Given that each turn of the game (other than the scenarios) represents hundreds of years, it can be seen that such breakthroughs rarely remained the exclusive property of one Civilization for longer than a generation or two. There is no limit as to how many competition cards may be played to resolve a single competition. Playing competition cards in combination can be particularly effective in the world of Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea.

Strategos (Card 6): This GREAT PERSON card allows the Civilization to place one White Tile (competition bonus Tiles) each in up to four different competitions on Land or Sea or combination of both. While competitions are done in sequence (usually East to West and North to South), when the first of these White Tiles is placed, the other three must immediately be placed on other competitions or are lost if not used. Note: to use the Tiles, a competition must already exist in an Area.  A Civilization cannot normally initiate competition during the competition phase by adding a White Tile. This card represents the advantage a Civilization would have with a genius strategist making decisions about where to expand and challenge neighboring, or distant, enemies. Think Pericles of Greece, Hannibal of Carthage, Alexander, Caesar, or other great strategists. By the way, remember this card is a Great Person and may be subject to assassination or bribery.

*Metal Forge: Armor (Card 26) allows a Civilization to add up to FIVE White Tiles, one each in LAND Areas only. Again, all five must be placed once the first is placed. This card represents the transient effect of a Civilization discovering a better way of turning out metal weapons. Yes, during play-testing we have seen it combined with “Strategos” to inflict most devastating woe upon the wielding Civilization’s foe(s).

The following competition cards can only affect a single competition each:

*Chariots (Card 69): The Civilization using this card adds one Tile of its own color and removes one Tile of every other color (including Barbarians) present. There is debate among scholars about how chariots were actually used in combat, which probably varied from Civilization to Civilization. In any case, the chariot was a game changer, until Civilizations learned how to counter them with tactics and other weapons.

Composite Bow (Card 70): For every other color Tile present other than that of the Civilization playing this card, two Tiles are removed. The markedly improved lethal effective distance of this weapon accounts for the significant losses it could inflict before enemy armies came to grips with lesser ranged or melee weapons.

*Armored Infantry (Card 71): The Civilization playing this card does not remove any Tiles during the first two rounds of competition in the selected Land Area. This represents the protection afforded by extensive body armor, whether the early Kendra type or the later hoplite or even the intricate articulated armor of the medieval period.

*Unreliable Mercenaries (72) is somewhat unique in that it does not require that the Civilization playing the card to be involved in the competition originally. It replaces one Tile of another color (including Barbarians) with a Tile of its own. Now, normally, it would make little sense to insert a single Tile of one’s own color into another Civilization’s competition, but it could happen (if only to deprive the victim of a Tile). It is a bad day on the field of battle when those tough burly mercenaries you hired decide that maybe you did not pay them enough when they stand aside as your opponent approaches your now diminished forces.

*War Machines (73): The Civilization playing this card may remove two Tiles of that Civilization’s choice. This card reflects a variety of engines of war that we might call field artillery in the modern age. The longer reach and heavier payload of such torsion weapons accounts for the upfront losses to the opponent. As of the game’s fourth Epoch, gunpowder artillery begins to make initial appearances.

*Obsidian Quarry (Card 79): When played, one Tile of every color other than the Civilization playing the card is removed. Some of mankind’s earliest weapons were made from or produced by obsidian, which can be flaked to a sharp edge. In later periods beyond Epoch I, for example, just assume this is an improved weapon production technique.

*Iron Mine (Card 80): One Tile of every color other than the Civilization playing the card is removed and the Civilization playing this card gains two of its own Tiles out of supply. Iron proved to be a dramatic improvement over bronze as a weapon due to its durable hardness. This gave armies equipped with iron weapons a marked edge in melee combat until the advent of steel. As an ACIS game progresses through the Epochs, players should presume material used other than that initial described in this and the Obsidian Quarry card.

*Siege Engines (Card 89): Each color other than the playing Civilization removes two Tiles. Note that in some of the game’s scenarios there are Gold Cities that by rule cannot lose more than one Tile per card played. Siege engines have been around for as long as walls were built to protect cities, although not all Civilizations were equally Talented in this Area. In addition to the artillery type engines noted above, these include undermining techniques, borers and other types of weapons designed to knock down, pull down, or undermine a fortified city’s walls.

Now for competition cards exclusively used on the waters:

*Ramming Speed (74) is an unusual nautical competition card. For each naval competition in a Sea Area (duh), the Civilization playing this card puts one Black and one White Tile in a cup or box top and blindly pulls one out. If a White Tile is pulled out, remove one Tile of the Civilization’s choice from the Sea Area. If the Black Tile is pulled, one Tile of the Civilization’s choice is removed but one of the Civilization’s is also removed (the “rammer” is sunk along with the “rammee”. Just imagine yourself in the movie Ben Hur, chained to a bench in the bowels of a war galley with oar in hands.  Row well, and live; or in this case draw a White Tile or die.

*Triremes (Card 75) applies to up to three Sea Area competitions during a single competition phase. The Civilization adds one Tile of its own color for each of the three competitions and does not remove a Tile during its first round. This card represents an improved oared war vessel. We could have called it a Quinquereme, but you get the idea.

Finally, there are these three special competition cards:

*Blockade (Card 85): Place a White cylinder on one Land or Sea Area. No other Civilization may discard Talents or cards in lieu of sustaining Tile loss. This card is particularly valuable when competing in an Area of grave importance to an opponent or defending one of your own. For example, a Land Area with a Wonder built in it.

*Siege (Card 86): Place a White cylinder in one Land Area. No other Civilization may discard any Talents or cards in lieu of Tile loss during the designated competition. Same as the above in terms of importance and yes, we have seen opposing players inflict Blockade and Siege upon one another so neither can cancel a Tile loss for a Talent or card.

*Command of the Seas (Card 87):  Place a White cylinder on one Sea Area. Same restrictions as the two cards described above.

Wonders

Although these cards do not get placed into the draw desk, for during a turn’s card play phase, each Civilization has the option to build a Wonder each turn, subject to availability, leaving them out of this piece would not complete descriptions of the game’s 110 cards:  103 event cards for the draw deck, as previously described, and these seven Wonder cards.

As noted in the description of “The Architect” card, it usually takes a combination of five (5) to build a Wonder… at least two of which must be Tiles from the Civilization’s on map placements. The other three could be additional Tiles, Talents, cards from hand or any combination thereof.

When a Wonder is built, its card is placed near the owner’s Civilization Display Card with five Tiles of that Civilization placed upon it. Each time the Wonder’s benefit is used, one of those Tiles is removed.

Besides the use benefit, a Wonder generates the original owner one victory point each turn, even after the five Tiles for benefits are expended… a very nice thing to have: for on a cumulative game long basis, the victory points one or more Wonders generates can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

A Wonder may only be used and generate its victory point each turn if the Land Area it occupies contains at least one Tile of the Civilization which built the Wonder. Capturing a Land Area containing another Civilization’s Wonder denies the original builder/owner the Wonder’s use and victory point(s).

Ah, but what are the seven Wonders of Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea?  They consist of:

WONDERS WHICH BEAR BENEFIT DURING A TURN’S GROWTH PHASE:

*Great Lighthouse: The owning Civilization may place two of its Tiles in any Land or Sea Area which is already adjacent to an Area where one or more of its Tiles are already present. Not only that, but the owner of this Wonder gets a Talent as well. Many ACIS play testers contend this is one of the game’s best Wonders to possess.

*Stairway to God: Don’t think we didn’t consider another famous “Stairway to…” title for this: but there could have been issues best avoided (hum a few bars of the song, eh?). This Wonder entitles the owner to place a Tile in any Area already containing a Tile of its color AND gain one Talent.

*Grand Gardens: When a Tile is removed from this Wonder card, it is combined with another Tile from the owning Civilization’s supply to enable two Tiles being placed in any Area already containing one or more Tiles of that Civilization. Although play testers did not get overly excited about this Wonder, it still generates that ever so valuable victory point each turn.

WONDERS WHICH BEAR BENEFIT DURING A TURN’S CARD PHASE:

*Great Library: When a Tile is removed from this Wonder card, it entitles the owning Civilization to take three cards off the draw deck, examine them, and then select one to keep in hand… subject to the six card hand limit, of course (if over, the player chooses which card to discard from the Civilization’s hand).

*Mausoleum: When a Tile is removed from this Wonder, it entitles the owning Civilization to take three cards off the discard pile (the “dead pile… how fitting for a card entitled “Mausoleum”), examine them, and then select one to keep in hand… again subject to the six card hand size limit.

For both Library and Mausoleum, should one or more of the cards drawn be MUST PLAY, the MUST PLAY card gets immediately resolved and another card is selected to replace it.

A WONDER WHOSE BENEFIT HELPS DURING A TURN’S COMPETITION PHASE:

*Grand Temple: When the owning Civilization removes a Tile from this Wonder. That Tile, along with one White Tile, are placed in any one Land Area about to have its competition resolved. Furthermore, a Tile of another Civilization, or a Black Tile, is also removed from the selected Land Area.

A WONDER WHICH ALTERS A CIVILIZATION’S NEXT TURN CIVILIZATION PLAY SEQUENCE:

*Great Pyramid: When a turn’s “Adjust Turn Order Phase” occurs, the owning Civilization removes a Tile from this Wonder, receives one Talent, and then, if desired, can switch positions on the Turn Order Track with another Civilization. Therefore, “the first can indeed be the last”.  This can be a powerful advantage under the right circumstances.

Concluding Thoughts (by Fred Schachter, Game Developer): You’ve hopefully enjoyed this tour through Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea’s 110 cards. Please forgive the allusions to rules whose effects are conceptually incomplete based solely on this piece’s content. Be assured all falls into place with the cards, the rules, and the play book’s examples accessible.

For now, feel free to direct any questions to the Q&A feature following this piece. The ACIS Team would be delighted to respond.  Thanks for your interest in the game!

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It’s All in the Cards: The Cards of Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea (Part 1)

It’s All in the Cards: The Cards of Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea (Part 2)

It’s All in the Cards: The Cards of Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea (Part 3)

It’s All in the Cards: The Cards of Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea (Part 4)

It’s All in the Cards: The Cards of Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea (Part 5)