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Annotated Games: Version 1.98, 4 playersThis game was played during the game testing of Politeia. The players pursued different paths towards the victory.
The action board is coded with black numbers for the number of neutral action discs with colored numbers if any of them is a player action disc. The player table shows talents, citizens, talents in stock, citizens removed and hand (resources and buildings). Actions are written with parantheses around actions not taken (i.e. the actions from which action discs are taken and any actions where action discs are dropped without any action taken). 
Round 1
Athens starts with Build and builds the Revolt building for 1 metal. Her idea is to build the Levy and Produce buildings as well and use those actions to dominate Hellas. Sparta starts with Produce and receives 1 grain and 1 talent. Her idea is to prepare for battles by building a 2nd citizen in a city. Thebes starts with Colonize and places 1 citizen in Emporion. Her idea is to use the triangle Colonize-Trade-Import to build a colonial economy. Korinth starts with Levy and places 1 citizen in Thebes. Her idea is to take advantage of the empty actions left by Athens and/or Sparta next turn for cheaper actions. Round 2
Athens immediately takes advantage of her building with Sacrifice-Revolt. First she Revolts in Ephesos for free thanks to her building, removes the Persian there to Hades, and receives 1 talent. Then Athens Sacrifices her 2 talents to place 1 citizen in Elysion. Finally, she exchanges her used Revolt building for a Produce building. Sparta is annoyed by this, since all place actions are now occupied, so she retaliates with Trade-Tax to get even more talents and makes Athens' strong Tax action more expensive. She takes 1 grain for free and Taxes 1 talent from Miletos. Thebes would like to Import to take advantage of her 2nd colony but decides to do Produce-Trade first. The empty Produce action gives her 1 talent and the Produce action another 1 talent and 1 grain. Then she pays 1 talent for the Trade action to take 1 oil for 1 talent and return 1 wine for 1 talent (2 talents minus the additional action cost). Not a very good deal but she does get 3 action discs next turn. Korinth finds a good opportunity with Build-Intrigue. She receives 1 talent for the empty Build action and returns her Marble card for the Intrigue building. Then she Intrigues in Thebes, replacing the Thebian with a Persian and receiving another 1 talent. She decides to keep her Intrigue building and flip it to a monument. Round 3 (pre-war)
Athens proceeds as planned with Colonize-Produce-Sacrifice. Colonize gives her 1 talent for the empty action, which she uses to Colonize Cyrene. Produce gives her another 1 talent thanks to her building and 1 grain and 1 talent from Athens. Finally she Sacrifices her 2 talents for 1 citizen in Elysion. She decides to exchange her Produce building for the Levy building. Sparta goes for Battle-Support. Support lets her pay 1 grain and 1 talent to support Miletos and Salamis. This removes 2 Persians to Hades and almost causes a Greco-Persian War to break out. But first Sparta pays 1 talent to Battle from Miletos to Salamis. 1 Argonaut is removed and replaced by 1 Spartan and now the Greco-Persian War breaks out. Round 3 (post-war)
The Persians attack Korinth (skipping the already occupied Trapezos), Massalia (skipping both Byzantion and Thebes), Ephesos, Miletos, and Salamis. 1 Korinthian, 1 Thebian, 1 Athenian, and 2 Spartans are removed to Elysion. This means that Athens has the most citizens in Elysion and receives 1 talent while Korinth has the least and pays 1 talent. 1 Argonaut returns to Salamis so Persia loses the majority there. Thebes has lost all her leaders but strikes back with Colonize-Revolt-Build. She starts by Building the Colonize building for 1 oil. Then she gets 1 talent for the empty Revolt action and Revolts in Emporion and Byzantion, removing 1 Athenian and 1 Persian and earning another 2 talents. Finally and thanks to her Colonize building, she receives 1 talent for the action and pays 1 grain and 2 talents to Colonize Emporion, Massalia, and Cyrene. She plans to Colonize more and flip the Colonize building to a monument. Korinth is also worried about presence on the map but focuses to raise talents and resources first with Tax-Import-Battle. Tax earns her 1 talent for the empty action and 1 talent for Trapezos. Import earns her 1 marble for Neapolis. Battle costs her the talents she earned but lets her Battle Korinth from Neapolis and Thebes, replacing the Persian there with an own citizen.
Round 4
Athens needs resources and chooses Produce-Trade-Import. She pays 1 talent to Produce 1 grain and 1 talent in Athens, receives 1 talent to Trade her grain for 2 talents, and pays 1 talent to Import pottery from Cyrene. Sparta Taxes 3 talents from Salamis and Miletos and pays 2 talents to Produce 1 grain and 1 talent in Sparta.
Thebes Revolts in Massalia and receives 1 talent for removing the Persian to Hades. Then she receives 2 talents for the Colonize action thanks to her Colonize monument and pays 1 grain and 3 talents to Colonize Massalia, Neapolis, Syracuse, and Cyrene. She decides to exchange her monument for the Sacrifice and Trade buildings. Korinth uses her 4 actions to Support-Levy-Intrigue-Tax. She receives 1 talent for the empty Support action and pays 2 talents to Support, receives another 1 talent for the empty Intrigue action and replaces Thebian in Byzantion with a Persian, earning 1 talent. She proceeds to pay 1 talent to Tax 1 talent from each of her 3 Ionian cities. Finally she receives 1 talent for her 3rd empty action when she Levies in Athens and Argos. Her Intrigue monument didn't pay off this turn but she can exchange it for 2 buildings; Revolt and Produce. Round 5 (pre-war)
Athens decides that the time is ripe for some action with Battle-Support-Levy. She receives 1 talent for the Levy action thanks to her building and spends 1 grain and 2 talents to Levy in Athens, Sparta, and Thebes. In the latter city, Persia loses her majority. Then she pays 1 talent to Support Ephesos, removing another 1 Persian. Finally she sends the Athenian leader to Battle the new Korinthian leader in Ephesos and gets to place a new citizen there. Aware that this triggers the second Greco-Persian War of the game, Athens decides to let they leader stay there and stand up against the Persians. Round 5 (post-war)
Persia attacks Korinth (skipping Trapezos), Thebes (skipping Byzantion), Ephesos, Sparta (skipping Miletos), and Salamis. This removes 2 Korinthians, 1 Athenian, and 2 Spartans. 1 Argonaut returns to Salamis and removes the Persian there. Again, Athens has the most citizens in Elysion and receives 1 talent while Thebes has to pay 1 talent. Finally Athens decides to exchange her Levy building for the Battle building. Round 5 (post-war cont.)
Sparta decides to rebuild her army with Trade-Import-Battle-Support. Import gives her a second pottery in addition to the 1 talent for the empty action. Trade gives her 4 talents for this pottery and she decides to invest 2 of them in 1 metal (1 for the cost, 1 for the additional action cost). She is now ready to Support Miletos, Byzantion, and Salamis for 1 grain and 2 talents plus 1 talent for the full action. With those citizens, she Battles from Miletos to Byzantion and replaces the Korinthian there with a Spartan. Thebes follows in the Spartan footsteps with Trade-Import-Battle. Import gives her wine, metal, pottery, and oil for her many cities in Megale Hellas. Trade is free thanks to her building and another 4 talents for pottery as well as 1 grain for 1 talent (free but 1 for the additional action cost). Finally she pays 1 talent to Battle. She sends the Massalia leader to Neapolis and the Emporion leader to Athens. The former replaces the Korinthian leader with a Thebian leader. Thebes decides to flip her Trade building to a monument. Korinth decides to claim the leadership in some Hellas cities with Intrigue-Sacrifice-Revolt. She Intrigues in Argos and removes the top Argonaut to Elysion, although Persia can't get a majority there. Then she Revolts in Argos and Trapezos for free thanks to her building and removes the Argonaut and the Persian there. This earns her 2 talents. Finally she earns 1 talent for the empty Sacrifice action and Sacrifices 1 marble and 2 talents plus 1 talent for the additional action cost to place 2 citizens in Elysion. This gives her a lead in Elysion. She also exchanges her Revolt building for the Levy building. Round 6 (pre-war)
Athens decides to improve her economy with Sacrifice-Produce, although this will only give her 1 action the next turn. She Produces 1 grain and 3 talents in her Hellas cities plus 1 talent for the empty action. Then she Sacrifices 1 pottery and 2 talents plus 1 talent for the additional action for 2 citizens in Elysion. Sparta does likewise with Tax-Intrigue-Sacrifice. She Taxes 5 talents from her Ioinan cities plus 1 talent for the empty action. The she pays 1 talent to Intrigue in Cyrene and Salamis to get rid of 1 Thebian and 1 Argonaut there, although the Persians don't get majority. Finally she Sacrifices 1 metal and 1 pottery plus 1 talent for the additional action. Thebes decides to increase her presence with Support-Levy-Intrigue. She receives 1 talent for the empty action and spends that and 3 of her 4 talents together with 1 grain to Levy in Thebes, Athens, and Sparta. This gives her majority in Athens but also removes Persians from Thebes and Sparta, triggering the 3rd Greco-Persian War of the game. Round 6 (post-war)
Persia attacks Trapezios, Byzantion, Athens (skipping Ephesos), Miletos, and Salamis. 2 Spartans, 1 Korinthian, 1 Athenian, and 1 Argonaut are removed. This time Korinth has the most citizens in Elysion and receives 1 talent while Thebes again has to pay 1 talent. Persians are removed again from Athens and, when Argos returns, from Salamis. Thebes claims the majority in Athens. Thebes then resumes her turn and pays 2 talents to Intrigues in Cyrene (removing 1 Spartan) and Thebes (removing 1 Athenian). The Persian in Thebes manages to stay and Thebes receives 1 talent, which together with the 1 talent for the empty Support action is enough to Support Byzantion and Ephesos, removing another 1 Persian from the latter. Korinth also takes the opportunity to increase her presence with Build-Levy-Support. She receives 1 talent for the empty Build action and adds 1 talent to build the Support building. Thanks to the Levy building she receives 1 talent for the Levy action and Levies in Korinth and Sparta. Finally she receives 1 talent thanks to the Support building and Supports Trapezos and Miletos, removing 1 Persian from the latter. Korinth decides to flip both the Levy and the Support building. Round 7 (pre-war)
Athens takes another cheap action and pays 1 grain and 2 talents to Colonize Emporion, Cyrene, and Syracuse. She also receives 1 talent for the empty action but will again have to make do with 1 action next turn. Sparta would like to Battle but her leaders aren't placed well enough. Instead, she tries Build-Levy-Support. Both Levy and Support costs her 1 talent but lets her Levy and Support citizens in Miletos, Trapezos, Thebes, and Korinth. This removes 3 Persians from the latter cities and triggers a new Greco-Persian War. Round 7 (post-war)
Persia attacks only in Ionia this time, removing 3 Spartans, 1 Korinthian, and 1 Athenian. This means that Sparta has the most citizens in Elysion this time and receives 1 talent while Thebes again has to pay 1 talent (but is excused this time, since she has none). Argos returns to Argos and Salamis and claims the majority in both those cities, removing a Persian in the latter. Sparta is unable to use her Build action and the question is if she pushed too early and too much. Round 7 (post-war cont.)
Thebes is now in a hurry to capitalize on her many citizens but how? She decides to do a big move with Sacrifice-Produce-Tax-Import. First she Produces 2 grain and 3 talents for Thebes, Athens and Sparta plus 1 talent for the empty action. Then she Taxes 2 talents for Byzantion and Ephesos. Then she Imports wine, metal, marble, and pottery from her Megale Hellas cities. Then she Sacrifices and receives her 7th and last talent from the supply and pays 3 of those to Sacrifice 3 resources and move 3 citizens to Elysion. She decides to keep her Sacrifice building and flip it to a monument. A big move indeed but will it be enough? Korinth needs talents and finds no better option than Tax-Produce. Produce gives her 1 talent thanks to her monument and 1 grain and 3 talents for Korinth, Argos, and Athens. Then she pays 1 talent to Tax 2 talents in Miletos. Finally she exchanges her Produce building for the Revolt building. Round 8
Athens seems to have reached a dead-end and finds no better action than Revolt. She Revolts in Emporion and Athens, removing the Thebian and receiving 1 talent in the former and moving up 1 step in the latter. She also earns 1 talent for the empty action. Sparta Taxes, although she has to pay for this action with her 1 talent and 1 citizen in Korinth, and receives 2 talents from Trapezos and Miletos. For her, it's more important to get many actions next turn. However, it's too late to stop Thebes' victory. Produce-Sacrifice-Intrigue gives her 1 talent thanks to her monument when she Sacrifices 3 resources and 3 talents for 3 citizens to Elysion. The Intrigue action would give her another 1 talent but since her supply is empty, the game ends.
Thebes managed to turn her strong economy into a victory but it was tight. Her last 6 Elysion citizens (=12 VP) were placed in the 2 last turns. Sparta almost made it in spite of not having any building at all. Perhaps a Tax action would have been better in the second to last turn to give her more actions and talents to work with in the last turn. |
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