Conquest of the Empire.

26 czerwca 2025

Conquest of the Empire.

We took a little break from our miniature games to play a board game. Mike brought back his copy of Conquest of the Empire, which simulates the civil war in the Roman Empire. This time, we had six players: I represented Italy, Mike played as Spain, Tim took on Macedonia, Jimmy was in Asia, Alasdair controlled Egypt, and Andy managed West Africa. Meanwhile, David kept watch over the bank.

As always, during the first few turns, players expanded their territories. Some reached their maximum peaceful expansion sooner than others. Most players focused on strengthening their forces, but two players deviated from this pattern. Mike concentrated on expanding his fleet, while Tim focused on building cities and developing infrastructure.

The first wars soon broke out. The initial conflict was between Alasdair and Jimm over control of Palestine and Syria, while another battle occurred between Andy and Alasdair for Libya. In the case of Libya, Alasdair successfully repelled Andy's attack. However, in the Middle East, the war continued until the game's conclusion.

Peace reigned in the European part of the empire until Andi launched an attack on Sicily and then southern Italy. I was able to retake the provinces, but concentrating my forces in the south left my northern borders vulnerable. I thought I had an agreement with Tim, but it turned out I had only imagined it. Tim attacked my territories and defeated my forces in several battles, ultimately eliminating me from the game. After that, he emerged as the leader, but he also became a target for other players, particularly Mike, who began his attack.

Mike launched attacks against Tim both on land and at sea. The advantage lay with Mike, as he had the resources to sustain his efforts. In the south, Andy was weakened from fighting, while Alasdair and Jimmy were preoccupied with each other. Soon, Alasdair and Jimmy realised that they could also become targets for Mike's attacks, prompting them to gather their forces in their respective capitals. Ultimately, we didn't complete the game, but it was evident that only a significant upheaval could prevent Mike from securing victory. It was another interesting game, and we will revisit it at a later time.