A game of strategy and intrigue set in 11th Century Byzantium. As a powerful noble you build up your political faction in Constantinople, capital of the ailing Empire. Then, with the Emperor on his deathbed and the Turks harassing the frontier, you must launch your bid for the throne and defeat your rivals on the battlefield to become EMPEROR.
Emperor! has a unique two-phase feature. In phase one players move around a map of the city collecting money, military units and characters to build up their faction. Then, in phase two, the board flips over to the battle phase. Players cash in their cards and sets to build their armies. These are deployed face-down on the battle map. Players then select tactical cards (outflank, charge! etc) for their army and combat is resolved.
Emperor! is card-based with no dice.
—description from the designer