Follow us:
Battle for Byzantium: The Board Game
Seize the Empire. Rule the World.
Relive the excitement of a 1000 year old empire! Action, adventure, history and strategy come together in a new and exciting game that will deliver countless hours of fun for the whole family.
Learn how to play Battle for Byzantium in this vdeo.
The Story
The Byzantine Empire in 1025 CE is reeling from the death of the great emperor Basil II. In the leadership crisis that follows, commanders from within and beyond the empire's frontiers race to capture the great cities of Byzantium and its grand capital, Constantinople. Will you be the victorious commander?
Game Contents:
-
1 Board
-
1 Game Manual
-
1 Dice
-
4 Character Tokens
-
4 Character Cards
-
18 City Cards
-
50 Action Cards
-
72 Conquest Tokens
Age 10+
Players: 2-4
Game Duration: 1-2 hrs.
How to Play and Win!
Choose Your Conqueror: Varangian, Norman, Arab, or Byzantine commander and seize the world's most long-lived empire in this entertaining and educational game of strategy and chance.
How to Start?
Pick a commander: Norman, Varangian, Arab or Byzantine, and race across the map to conquer as many cities as possible with the roll of the dice and the draw of cards.
What to Expect?
Land on the special porphyry tiles and draw a card to either advance, retreat, win or lose a city, or be exiled.
How to Win?
After the last city on the map is taken, the commander with the most number of captured cities conquers the empire and wins the game.
Meet the Warriors
Choose who you want to be. They are fictional but belong to certain civilizations during the time period of the 11th century. Each have their own backstory and special advantages.
Battle for Byzantium Images- Map and City Cards
Battle for Byzantium Images- The Game in Action and the Action Cards
The game has a total of 50 action cards which have 7 different functions. Each time a player lands on a red porphyry tile, he or she gets to pick a card. The cards determine the players' actions. Additionally, some of the images here show how the board game looks like in action.
Is the Game Historically Accurate?
It is set in a historical time period being the 11th century and it is based on a real historical locations and people from the Byzantine Empire. However, it involves fictional characters and a fictional what if scenario plot-line on what would happen if 4 ambitious warriors would fight for control of the Byzantine Empire following Emperor Basil II's death in 1025.
Is it a Strategy Game?
Although the game involves some strategy and strategic thinking, it is mostly a game of luck and chance. Strategies in this game for example include choosing your own path in order to gain advantages and avoid setbacks. In this game, players are free to chart their own path instead of following one linear path.
Do You Need to Know Byzantine History to Play the Game?
Not necessarily. Although in order to fully appreciate some elements in the game such as Greek Fire, porphyry, and other design elements seen on the map, one must have to know a bit about Byzantine history. The game is true enough easy to understand and play that one does not really need to know about Byzantium's history to know how to play it.
Battle for Byzantium- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How Long Does it Take to Play the Game?
As this game is a rather simple one, it can be over in less than 2 hours if you choose to play the complete version of the game. However, you can also choose to play the short version of the game which takes just about 30-45 minutes to complete. In the shorter version, when all action cards have been used, the game is over and the player with the most number of cities wins.
What Happens When All the Game's Action Cards Are Used?
Since the game only includes 50 action cards, it is highly possible that they will run out at the middle of the game. If this happens, all action cards that have been surrendered to the pile must be reshuffled in order to be reused. However, if players choose to play the short version of the game, it is over when all action cards have been used, hence the winner will be the one with the most cities.
Are You Supposed to Conquer All Cities?
The objective of the game is to conquer the most number of cities on the map and the game is over when all 18 cities are conquered, NOT when a player conquers all cities on the map. However, there could be a rare chance that one player could end up conquering all 18 cities on the map. In the game, players too cannot steal cities already owned by other players unless using the "Sack a City" card or the "Gain a Navy" function.
Does the Game Have an Age Limit?
Yes, in order to play the game, it is suggested that one must be 10-years-old and above in order to fully understand its gameplay and appreciate it. However, those younger than 10-years-old can still play, though under supervision of an adult or at least someone 10-years-old and up. The game is actually easy enough for children to understand its gameplay.
How Often Can a Characters' Special Ability be Used?
In the entirety of the game, each character's special ability can only be used ONCE. If a character's said ability is already used, it can no longer be used again. Additionally, each of the game's 2 "Gain a Navy" functions can also be used only ONCE. If one "Gain a Navy" is used, it can no longer be reused and thus players have to use the other one.
What Does it Mean When a Player Owns Constantinople?
As it is the Byzantine Empire's capital, owning Constantinople gives a player certain privileges. For one, the player who owns it is immune to the "Rebellion" card and thus he or she can no longer lose a city. However, gaining Constantinople requires 2 "Gain an Army" cards, a "Sack a City" card, or going all the way to the "Gain a Navy" function. Additionally, one can also lose Constantinople if another player uses the "Sack a City" or "Gain a Navy". Constantinople too at the end is worth 2 cities when players total the number of cities at the end of each game.
Meet the Team of the Board Game
Help us continue our projects
by donating to our Patreon:
.png)
Follow us:
.png)
.png)