# Imperial Settlers: Atlanteans

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2015
- **BGG Rating**: 7.3
- **BGG Rank**: —
- **Players**: 1-5 (Best with: 2)
- **Duration**: 45-90 min
- **Weight**: 2.88 / 5
- **Designers**: Ignacy Trzewiczek
- **Artists**: Denis Martynets, Grzegorz Bobrowski, Rafał Szyma, Tomasz Jedruszek
- **Publishers**: Portal Games, Edge Entertainment, Pegasus Spiele, Pendragon Game Studio, Rexhry, White Goblin Games, Zvezda
- **Categories**: Ancient, Card Game, City Building, Civilization, Expansion for Base-game
- **Mechanics**: Hand Management, Open Drafting, Variable Player Powers

## Verdict
Perfect for those who own the base game and want more strategic depth and more players at the table.Unique gameplay with the new factionIntriguing technology mechanicIncreases player count to 5New cards for all original factionsRequires base game to playModerate language dependenceRECOMMENDED

## Description
If you're already a fan of Imperial Settlers, the Atlanteans expansion provides the perfect upgrade for your empire. First off, it solves the 'more players' dilemma, increasing the player count to up to five. But the real star of the show is the new faction: the Atlanteans. They don't play by the usual rules; while everyone else is stacking buildings to score, the Atlanteans face the irony that their constructions sink at the end of the game. That means: zero points for buildings at the finish line! This forces players to find creative and alternative ways to score, making the gameplay much more dynamic.

Beyond the new faction, the expansion introduces the Technology concept. These technology tokens act as keys that unlock special abilities on faction cards, transforming ordinary buildings into powerful allies. And don't think this is just for the Atlanteans; the expansion includes new cards for all original factions, allowing them to also benefit from some of this technological knowledge, albeit in a more limited way. It's as if the other civilizations are trying to 'hack' Atlantean tech to improve their own settlements.

Ultimately, Atlanteans isn't just 'more cards,' but a layer of strategic complexity that shifts the game's economy and how you plan your victory. If you enjoy varying your strategy every game and want to see how ancient technology can change the course of war, this expansion is the way to go. Just remember that, as with any expansion, you'll need the base game to set up the table and start ruling.

## How to Play
Game Objective
The theme of Imperial Settlers: Atlanteans brings the new Atlantean faction to the Imperial Settlers universe. Players compete to expand their empires by building Locations, managing Goods, and using Technology tokens. The victory condition depends on the chosen faction:

For the Atlantean faction in multiplayer games, victory is achieved when the player has more Common Locations in their empire than the number of cards in the Virtual Player's Collection deck (solo mode only). If this condition is met, the player receives victory points according to the standard scoring rules.
For other factions or in multiplayer games without solo mode, the victory condition follows the general rules of Imperial Settlers, which are not described in this excerpt. Consult the rulebook for details on this section.


Setup
The rulebook does not describe the board setup or initial piece distribution in detail. Consult the rulebook for details on this section.

Game Flow
The game flow is not specified in this excerpt. Consult the rulebook for details on this section.

Actions and How to Play
The actions available to the player are the same as in Imperial Settlers, but with the additions of the Atlantean faction and new types of Technology tokens. Below are the specific mechanics that appear in the rulebook:
Basic Technology Tokens

When placed on a Production Location, a Basic Technology token doubles production.
When placed on a Feature Location, a Basic Technology token doubles the effect.
When placed on an Action Location, a Basic Technology token allows the player to perform the action one additional time.
A Location can have a maximum of one Basic Technology token of each type (Basic, Advanced Scoring, Advanced Defense).
When a Location with a Basic Technology token is razed, removed, or discarded as a building cost, the token returns to the player's supply and can be used again.

Advanced Technology Tokens

Upon gaining an Advanced Technology token, the player chooses between Defense or Scoring.
Advanced Scoring Technology grants 1 VP each time the Location it is placed on is used (production, feature, or action).
Advanced Defense Technology protects the Location in the same way as a regular Defense token.
A Location can have a maximum of 1 regular Defense token or 1 Advanced Defense Technology token.
When a Location with Advanced Technology tokens is razed or removed, the tokens return to the general supply, and the owner receives 1 VP for each lost token.
If the Location is discarded as part of a building cost, the tokens return to the general supply, but the player does not receive VPs.

Events

When an Event card is revealed during the Lookout phase, its effect is resolved immediately, then the card is discarded and replaced by another.
When an Event card is drawn in any other phase, the player reveals the card, resolves its effect, discards it, and then draws a new Common card.

Locations with Two Abilities

Some Production Locations also have Features. They are placed in the empire's Production queue.
The Technology Ark does not provide initial production when built; its production depends on the Goods stored in it. During the Cleanup phase, the player can store Goods in the card for use in the next round.
The Thingumebob Trader is an Open Production card that also has a Feature for storing Goods during the Cleanup phase.

Open Production Locations

They function as normal Production Locations, providing benefits immediately upon being built and again during the Production phase of subsequent rounds.
They allow the action Send a Worker to an enemy Open Production Location during the Action phase:

The player takes a Worker from their own supply and places it on the enemy Open Production Location.
The player receives the Good that the Location provides from the general supply.
The owner of the Location receives a Worker from the general supply.


An Open Production Location can be used a maximum of 2 times per round. When 2 Workers are placed on the card, it becomes exhausted until the next round.
Sent Workers are discarded during the Cleanup phase according to standard rules.

Atlantean Faction

During the Production phase, the player receives Defense tokens equal to the number of players.
At the end of the game, Atlantean faction Locations are worth 0 VP.
The Atlanteans use the new Good: Technology tokens.
During the Action phase, before or after performing their action, the player can place any number of Technology tokens (Basic or Advanced) on Common Locations in their empire.
Technology tokens placed on Common Locations are not discarded during the Cleanup phase.
Technology tokens placed on Common Locations cannot be moved to another Location.

Other Factions (Summary)

The Barbarians, Japanese, Egyptians, and Romans factions have specific cards and abilities described in the rulebook, but they are not detailed in this excerpt. Consult the rulebook for details on this section.


End of Game and Scoring
The rulebook does not explicitly describe the end-game trigger or the standard scoring criteria for Imperial Settlers. For the Atlantean faction in solo mode, victory depends on having more Common Locations than cards in the Virtual Player's Collection deck. If this condition is met, the player receives victory points according to the standard scoring rules. Consult the rulebook for details on this section.

Tips for Winning

Place Basic Technology tokens on Production Locations to double production and speed up Goods collection.
Use Advanced Scoring Technology tokens on Locations that are used frequently (production, feature, or action) to accumulate additional victory points.
When playing against the Virtual Player, protect your Common Locations with Defense tokens or Advanced Defense Technology tokens to prevent them from being razed and ensure you maintain more Locations at the end of the game.

## FAQ
### Do I need the base game to play?
Yes, absolutely. This is an expansion, meaning it adds content to the original game and cannot be played standalone.

### How many people can play now?
With this expansion, the player limit increases to up to 5 players.

### What makes the Atlantean faction different?
They use technology for special abilities and don't score points from buildings at the end of the game because they 'sink'.

### Do the other factions get anything?
Yes! There are new cards for the original factions that allow them to utilize some of the Atlantean technology.

### Is it hard to learn?
If you know the base game, it's quite simple. If you're new, I recommend learning the base game first as the expansion adds extra layers.

### Is there a language barrier?
Yes, there is moderate language dependence. If it's not in your language, you might need translation sheets.

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