(from the back of the box - Avalon Hill edition:)
"Empires in Arms" is a board-wargame covering the major elements of diplomacy and warfare during the Napoleonic Wars of 1805-1815.
YOU, as a player, are the absolute monarch of a major European power (Austria, France. Great Britain. Prussia. Russia, Spain or Turkey) and guide that nation through the maze of conflicting interests and ambitions that characterized Napoleonic Europe.
Each major power has its own individual economic; military and geographic advantages and disadvantages.
Players negotiate alliances. dictate peace treaties. administer conquests and conduct warfare on land and sea by maneuvering corps and fleets in the constant struggle for survival and prestige.
• Numerous Scenarios : These vary in size and length from the four-Turn. two-player 1805 Scenario to the 132 Turn, seven-player Grand Campaign Game (1805-1815).
• Great Military Leaders : Napoleon of France. Nelson of Great Britain. Blucher of Prussia. Prince Charles of Austria and many, many more
• Uncontrolled Major Powers : Rules that allow the realistic use of extra major powers in campaign games when less than seven players are available
• Unique Combat Systems : Land combat takes into account the effects of leadership, grand-tactics and the numbers, morale and types of troops present. Sieges include stormings and sorties. Sea commanders try to hold the "wind-gauge". Massed shore batteries protect harbors from blockading enemy fleets.
• Economic System : Money and manpower availability from home provinces and conquests determine recruiting and national strength.
CONTENTS:
1008 Die-Cut Counters
Two 25" by 35" mapboard
1 Rulebook
2 Dice
1 Double sided Display Charts/Forms
2 Identical Double sided Charts/tables reference page
7 National Cards
(BGG description :)
A board-game covering the major elements of diplomacy and warfare during the Napoleonic Wars of 1805-1815. Each player is absolute monarch of one of the major powers(England, France, Austria, Russia, Prussia, Spain and Turkey). The full game lasts 132 turns 1 for each month approx playing time is 100-150 hours. Each month is split into 4 phases:
The Diplomatic phase where players negotiate deals, forge alliances etc.
The Reinforcement phase where each player in sequence adds reinforcements due.
The Naval phase each player conducts naval moves in sequence.
The Land phase where each player moves and fights with his armies in sequence.
And then every third month an additional phase is added:
The Economic phase, which is where players collect resources and purchase future reinforcements.
To win the game each nation needs to amass victory points these are scored in the economic phase and are based on your nations political status. As status always gravitates to a central position players must continually "politik" to reach their goal.
- war game
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I consider myself a board game media junkie anytime I have spare time I'm usually watching a video review or a walkth through or I am listening to a podcast
- he does such a wonderful job of presenting how a game works in his video he couples that with excellent video work and then all the editing that goes into that I just it's it takes a lot of time and effort he does them so well it just I always walk away understanding how the game works
- there's nothing pushy about it I always walk away knowing exactly what he thinks about the game and I never feel like um he's closed the door on on what I should think about the game either
- basically on the board game geek forums there is a a section that's that's dedicated to the geek of the week and they give a thread each week to a new board game geek member well not not necessar a new member but to a different one each week
- the first serious game that I remember playing oddly enough was a war game actually which surprises me because I don't really have war games in my collection today
- I think I must have somewhere along the line Associated what I perceived to be all this incredible fun tied into these very thick complex rules
- the Box said something like um you know would take you 2 hours to 2 months to play depending on what you played
- I came to realize that I'm not going to be able to teach this game anyone who's going to want to play it with me
- I wonder if that's part of why I get so much meaningful satisfaction out of making these videos I do about teaching games some of them complex and feeling um connected to the other people that I'm you know through online teaching these games too
- This was it for me um when I saw this game on Board Game Geek I got excited because there was the complexity yes there was the complexity there but all of these components and were really goodlooking and and dripping with theme
- I mean this is this is what I was looking for if you will this was the The Thing I needed to get me back and interested in this hobby really full force
- I didn't really realize that games like this existed and that got me going to board game geek all the time
- I really enjoyed watching his videos and it was very inspiring to me it made me think this this is what I would want to do
- I have this I I say it's almost an irrational aversion to giving my opinion about games over the Internet because I never mind it when anyone else does it like that's that's great I don't always agree with all the opinions I hear but I enjoy hearing other Gamers opinions about games but I think on a personal level so I'm not critiquing anyone else who does this but just on a personal level I struggle with the idea if I tell someone A Game's really great and they go and buy it and they hate it I'm going to feel like I cause them to waste money
- This was it I was now getting to play games outside the four walls of my own home with other people they were continuing to play with me and they seem to be enjoying it and I was really enjoying it
- what surprised me believe me it was a surprise was that other people seemed to enjoy watching along with us
- I think that's one of the one of the things that really got on to me early was instead of having just inviting a few people to join us invite everyone to join in people can leave their comments and vote for what ideas they want best that way everyone can feel like they're contributing to the gameplay
- really we just wanted to complement the other great review videos that we were enjoying ourselves
- it's really helped shape me as a gamer it's helped me evolve and and it's certainly made my enjoyment of this hobby all all the more meaningful
- that's really the big part of this hobby that I enjoy the most is that interaction
- thanks Joel thanks for this opportunity to be the geek of the week it's just another extension of being able to reach out to more Gamers and and meet them and and share that passion for this hobby