8.0
rating
Ludopedia
8.1
rating
BGG
Our Verdict
If you love Cthulhu Wars and want a faction that forces you to play differently, the Ancients are for you! Get ready for lots of negotiation and a unique playstyle.
Highlights
- Essential diplomacy and negotiation
- Unique movement ability
- Cost-benefit economic strategy
- Challenge for game veterans
Keep in mind
- Requires heavy player interaction
- Lower initial power
FOR GENRE FANS
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Meet the Ancients in Cthulhu Wars! This human faction breaks the mold as they don't have their own Great Old One. To win, you'll need to be a master of diplomacy and negotiation, which is quite rare in this game. Your mission is to spread Cathedrals across the world, marking areas with symbols, but you also need to build one in an unmarked location. It's a game of patience and strategy, as you lack the brute force of other factions, like the undead army of Yellow Sign. Luckily, other players often don't mind having a Cathedral nearby, but don't always count on it! Each of your creatures has a spellbook, and the most bizarre thing is that they seem to make the creature worse... but wait! They make everything much cheaper, allowing you to build a competitive army for the battles ahead. And a crucial detail: without all six spellbooks, victory won't come! Your special ability, Dematerialization, is a showstopper for movement. Each Doom phase, you can move your units anywhere on the map. This helps with surprise attacks as well as building your Cathedrals. Prepare for a tense experience full of negotiations!
GALLERY
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Mechanics
Categories
Families
Publisher
Petersen Games
Designer
Lincoln Petersen, Sandy Petersen
Artist
(Uncredited)
Do I need the base game Cthulhu Wars to play with the Ancients?
Yes, absolutely! The Ancients are an expansion faction and require the base game Cthulhu Wars to be used.
How many players does this expansion support?
The Ancients expansion, like the base game, is for 2 to 5 players. It adds a new faction to vary the experience.
Is Cthulhu Wars: Ancients much harder than the base factions?
The Ancients have a very different playstyle and might seem more challenging at first due to their reliance on diplomacy and strategy over brute force. But with practice, they prove very powerful!
Is the Dematerialization ability complicated to use?
The mechanic is simple: you choose an area with your units and move them to any other area on the map, once per Doom phase. The challenge lies in using this mobility strategically.
Are the components good quality like in the base game?
Yes! The quality of the components, including the Ancients' miniatures, is usually excellent, following Cthulhu Wars' high-quality standard.
Does this expansion add many new rules?
It adds the specific rules for the Ancients faction, including their units, abilities, and victory conditions. It's not an overwhelming ruleset, but focuses on a distinct playstyle.
Is it worth it for someone who already owns several Cthulhu Wars factions?
If you enjoy trying different strategies and challenges, yes! The Ancients offer a unique approach to the game that can renew your interest and surprise even experienced players.