THE ATHENIANS
INTRODUCTION
Card game for 2-4 players.
Theme: Players are Athenian generals in the 5th century accumulating influence and prestige.
VICTORY
At the end of the game, the player with the most prestige points wins.
GAME END
The game ends when there are no cards left in the Deck.
DICE
Six sided dice are used.
COMMON DECK
Players share a common set of Cards.
There are 8 Card Types:
Proposal (Gain Prestige one time)
Events (Multiple Effects)
Associates (Gain Prestige every turn)
Prosecutions (Remove Associates & Strategoi)
Popularity (Temporary Influence Gain)
Reaction (Multiple Effects)
Victory (Gain Influence)
Defeat (Lose Influence)
PRESTIGE
Use Tokens to keep track of Prestige earned by Associates.
STRATEGOI
Each player starts the game controlling one Leader.
The Leader is a General (Greek: Strategos).
The available Strategoi (and Special ability) include:
1. Pericles (+2 to Initiative Rolls)
2. Nicias (At end of Availability Phase you may flip over an extra card)
3. Theramenes (At end of Availability Phase you may discard one card)
4. Myronides (Victories give +1 Influence)
5. Thucydides (+5 Influence for Prosecutions)
6. Cleon (Gain 1 Prestige Point per turn)
7. Alcibiades (Victories are worth 1 Prestige each)
8. Adeimantus (+1 Influence per Associate)
9. Anytus (Ignores Defeat Penalties)
10. Aristeides (Ignores Prosecutions against himself)
11. Callias, Son of Hipponicus (Hand Size +2)
12. Cimon (+5 Influence when Persians are the enemy)
13. Ephialtes (Popularity cards have +1 Influence)
14. Hagnon (+5 Influence for Proposals)
15. Hyperbolus (+2 Influence)
16. Lamachus (Starts with 10 Extra Prestige Points)
DEATH OF A STRATEGOS
If your Strategos is ever killed or removed from play, you must start over:
Keep your Prestige, but discard all Victories, Defeats, and Associates.
Pick one of the un-played named Strategos to continue with.
If none are left you get an unnamed general with no special ability.
DEFINITIONS
Strategos: Military General (Leaders). Plural: Strategoi
Associates: Followers, Supporters, and Friends of a Leader
Persona: Leaders and Associates
SETUP
Each player selects one Strategos.
Roll high on 1D6 to determine who selects first.
Each player starts with 10 Influence and 10 Prestige.
ROUND SEQUENCE
Each round has 6 Phases:
1. Enemy Phase
2. Availability Phase
3. Turn Order Phase
4. Action Phase
5. Prestige Phase
6. End Phase
ENEMY PHASE
Roll 1D6: If Even Persia is the Enemy; If odd Sparta is the Enemy this round.
AVAILABILTY PHASE
Flip over the top 5 + X cards of the deck where X is the number of players.
These are placed face up in the middle of the table.
These cards are known as the Available cards.
TURN ORDER PHASE
Players roll high 1D6 to determine turn order this round. Reroll ties.
This is known as the Initiative Roll.
ACTION PHASE
Players take turns (in Turn order) selecting one Available card.
This continues until all Available cards have been selected.
--- If a player selects a Popularity or Reaction card, they put that card in their hand.
--- If a player selects an Associate, that associate becomes theirs and is placed
Face up in front of them.
--- If a player picks a Proposal or a Prosecution then a Vote is conducted
Immediately to see which player wins it.
--- If a player picks an Event card resolve it immediately.
--- If a player selects a Victory or Defeat, it becomes theirs and is placed
Face up in front of them.
PRESTIGE PHASE
Associates earn prestige for their Leaders.
END PHASE
Max hand size is 4 cards discard excess cards.
RESOLVING VOTES
This applies to Proposals and Prosecutions.
The player with the most Influence wins the vote.
Each player derives their individual Influence Total from several sources:
1. Base Influence (10)
2. Victories (positive) and Defeats (negative)
3. Additional 1D6 Points for current vote (rolled separately for each player)
4. Any Popularity cards played by the player
Note: A player does not have to play Popularity cards if he has them.
Popularity cards are played face down before Influence rolls (1D6) are made.
Players reveal their Popularity cards simultaneously.
PROPOSALS
If a player wins a proposal vote, he keeps the proposal card face up next to him.
It is worth prestige points for final scoring.
Some proposals may give other additional benefits.
PROSECUTIONS
If a player wins a proposal vote, he causes the Leader or one associate of one
opponent to be discarded (executed or exiled)
Discard the Prosecution card once the vote is over.
Some Prosecutions are very specific. If there are no matching targets then no one is discarded.
Instead of being exiled/killed a Leader may choose to discard 2D6 Prestige Counters instead.
ASSOCIATES
These individuals provide their leader with a steady stream of prestige points.
Some give additional benefits.
All have one or more descriptors including:
Citizen (of Athens)
Greek (but not Athenian)
Foreigner (Diplomats and such)
Aristocrat (Rich Land owner)
Philosopher, Mathematician, Historian, Sophist, etc.
EVENTS
These often result in the death of one or more associates or leaders.
They are discarded after being resolved.
REACTIONS
These are held in the hand and played when appropriate.
They might negate a vote or event.
Some manipulate turn order, Available cards, the deck, or player’s hands.
They are discarded when played.
POPULARITY
Fleeting alliances, oratories, and circumstances that give the
Strategoi advantages during votes. They are discarded when played.
VICTORIES AND DEFEATS
Many of these are military but they can also represent political and economic efforts
That provide the Strategoi with permanent influence.
MASS DEATH RULES
Activated by certain Events.
Roll 1D6 for each and every Persona in play.
On a roll of 1 that persona is killed.
CARD LIST NOTATION
P = Proposal (Gain Prestige one time)
E = Events (Multiple Effects)
A = Associates (Gain Prestige every turn)
X = Prosecutions (Remove Associates & Strategoi)
U = Popularity (Temporary Influence Gain)
R = Reaction (Multiple Effects)
V = Victory (Gain Influence)
D = Defeat (Lose Influence)
COMMON DECK CARD LIST
Name: Type: Points Notes:
Declare War P 15 -
Murder E - Kill target Persona
Assassination E - Kill target Persona
Scandal D 4 -
Build Temple V 3 -
Bribery Charges X - -
Old Age E - discard a random persona of yours
Illness E - Discard a random persona of yours
Hoplite Reform P 15 -
Suppress Revolt in Euboea V 4 -
Defeat at Tanagra D 5 -
Lost Egyptian Expedition D 4 -
Command Flotilla V 1 -
Peace of Callias P 13 -
Shrine Reconstruction P 8 -
Military Failure X - Versus Leader only
Ostracized X - -
Persuade Spartans V 4 -
Bribe Spartans V 1 -
Suppress Revolt in Samos V 4 -
Suppress Revolt in Byzantium V 3 -
Found Colony at Thurii P 14 -
Alliance with Segesta V 2 -
Alliance with Corcyra V 2 -
Embezzlement Charges X - -
Fund the Navy P 10 -
Plague E - Mass Death Rules
Investigation U 9 For Prosecution only
Oratory U 7 -
Avoid Battle with the Spartans D 2 -
Impiety X - -
Treachery X - Versus Citizen Only
Rumors U 6 -
Bodyguards R - Negate Murder or Assassination
Spared R - Negate a Prosecution
Vetoed R - Negate a Proposal
Acquitted R - Negate a Prosecution
General Amnesty R - Negate a Prosecution
Heroic Death in Battle E - -
Revealing Secret Rites X - -
Archons U 6 -
The Mob U 5 -
Olympics V 2 -
Discover Silver Deposits V 4 -
Control Boeotia V 3 -
Demagogue U 7 -
Control Aegina V 3 -
Magistrates U 8 -
Discredited D 4 -
Adroit Political Maneuvering U 10 -
Delian League Treasury V 5 -
Battle of Mantinea D 4 -
Democratic Reforms P 14 -
Public Address U 5 -
Ecclesia U 7 -
Delegation U 6 -
Embassy P 6 -
Oppose Motion U 6 -
Cut off Prisoners Hands P 7 -
Election P 12 -
Accusations U 7 For Prosecution only
Profaning the Eleusinian Mysteries X - -
Decision at Eurymedon V 3 -
Demos U 5 -
Anti-Democratic Activities X - -
Defeat Persians at Salamis V 5 -
Oath Taking U 7 -
Policy of Restraint P 9 -
Medizing X - Versus Greek Only
Public Policy P 8 -
Trierarchs U 5 -
Siege of Thasos V 2 -
Athenian Coinage P 13 -
Areopagus U 6 -
Enforce Tribute P 8 -
Hermocopids E - Discard Remaining Available cards
Conservatives U 8 -
Treason X - -
Radicals U 7 -
Colonization of Scyros V 4 -
Pre-eminence U 6 -
Corruption X - -
Build Walls and Fortifications P 9 -
Expedition against Naxos V 3 -
Alienate the People D 4 -
Thirty Tyrants E - Mass Death Rules
Thirty Years Peace V 5 -
Defeat at Sea D 4 -
Found Amphipolis V 3 -
Peace of Nicias V 3 -
Logic U 7 -
Sicilian Expedition D 5 -
Grant Citizenship P 10 -
Achaeus of Eretria A 1 Tragedian Greek
Aeschylus A 3 Tragedian Citizen
Agatharchus A 1 Painter Greek
Agathon A 1 Tragedian Citizen
Agoracritus A 1 Sculptor Citizen
Alcamenes A 1 Sculptor Citizen
Alcidamas A 1 Rhetorician Greek (1 Influence)
Anaxagoras A 2 Philosopher Greek
Andocides A 1 Orator Citizen
Antisthenes A 1 Cynic Citizen
Archelaus A 1 Philosopher Citizen
Aristphanes A 3 Comic Poet Citizen
Aspasia A 1 Wife Greek (1 Influence)
Calamis A 1 Sculptor Citizen
Callias, Son of Calliades A 1 Politician Citizen (1 Influence)
Clenias A 0 Aristocrat Citizen (1 Influence
Cleophon A 0 Politician Citizen (1 Influence)
Cratinus A 1 Comic Poet Citizen
Cratylus A 1 Skeptic Citizen
Damon A 1 Musical Theorist Citizen
Democritus A 2 Philosopher Greek
Diopeithes A 0 Soothsayer Citizen (1 Influence)
Euripides A 2 Tragedian Citizen
Gorgias A 1 Rhetorician Sophist Greek
Hellanicus A 1 Logographer Citizen
Heracleitus A 1 Philosopher Greek
Herodotus A 3 Historian Greek
Hippodamus A 1 City Planner Citizen
Ictinus A 1 Architect Greek
Isocrates A 2 Rhetorician Citizen (2 Influence)
Lampon A 1 Soothsayer Citizen (1 Influence)
Meton A 1 Astronomer Citizen
Myron A 2 Sculptor Greek
Pheidias A 2 Sculptor Citizen
Polygnotus A 2 Painter Citizen
Protagoras A 1 Sophist Philosopher Citizen
Socrates A 3 Philosopher Citizen
Sophocles A 3 Tragedian Citizen
LINKS
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