Ethnos

2017 · Fantasy

Ethnos

Players summon the aid of fantasy tribes—giants, merfolk, halflings, minotaurs and others—to vie for control of regions and earn glory. A custom deck is built from six chosen tribes and dealt into a shared market and draw pile. On a turn a player either recruits a card from the market or deck to their hand, or plays a band of allies from their hand that match by tribe or by color, then discards remaining hand cards. Playing places a token in the region corresponding to the top card’s color and triggers that card’s tribal power. After each age regions award glory to players with the most tokens (more positions open up in later ages); after the final age the player with the most glory wins.

Players
2–6 best 4
Playing time
45–60 min
Age
14+
Complexity
2.1 / 5
7.1 on Ludoyafrom $31.99Set CollectionHand ManagementOpen Drafting

On Ludoya's tables

Full stats in Ludoya
500
Plays logged
751
Players
59m 45s
Average play
110
In collections
22
On wishlists

7.1/10

from 84 Ludoya reviews

  • Garfield3.0

    #AreaControl #SetCollection #PressYourLuck I wanted to like this game. I like area control, I like fantasy. But what I don't like is too much luck. And this game is 80-90% luck. For example, the centaur card lets you play another card, it's like you get another turn. If you're not lucky, you never get one and have several turns less than others. This game is just about drawing cards, luck, luck, luck, yuck! There's no interaction, you can't kick someone out of an area. [c] Theme: ☆☆☆☆☆ <!-- size 7]Abstract --> Gameplay: ★☆☆☆☆ <!-- size 7]Drawing cards, drawing more cards, drawing another card --> Interaction: ★☆☆☆☆ <!-- size 7]You can't harm others --> Artwork: ★★☆☆☆ <!-- size 7]Really not my taste of fantasy artwork --> Luck: ★★★★★ <!-- size 7]Luck is your best friend in this game --> Strategy: ★☆☆☆☆ <!-- size 7]Depends on your card drawing luck --> Components: ★★★☆☆ <!-- size 7]ok, nothing special --> Play duration: ★★☆☆☆ <!-- size 7]Would be ok if half of the time --> Easy to teach: ★★★☆☆ <!-- size 7]Easy, but you have to teach every faction --> Setup time: ★★★★☆ <!-- size 7]Fast --> No downtime: ★★★★☆ <!-- size 7]Plays very fast --> Replay value: ★★★☆☆ <!-- size 7]Different factions --> [/c]

    No plays logged

  • SrCornelius8.0

    Local-(243)

    Played it 8 times

  • Benjamín Amorín7.5

    Interesting majority/area control/set collector game, very streamlined, and up to 6 players. It's not going to blow your mind, because it's not innovative on anyway, but it works really well.

    No plays logged

Read the reviews and rate it

Rules questions

Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.

If I play a Band, do I have to discard the rest of my hand?

Yes — after you play a Band, if you have any cards left in your hand you must discard all of them face up next to the board (these discarded cards can later be recruited). (page 7)

How many cards do I need in a Band to place a Control marker in a Kingdom?

You may place a Control marker in the Kingdom that matches your Leader only if the number of cards in the Band is greater than the number of your control markers already in that Kingdom (so 1 card for your first marker there, 2 for your second, etc.). (page 7; example page 8)

What happens when a Dragon card is drawn?

Reveal any Dragon you draw immediately and then draw another card; the first two Dragons have no effect, but when the third Dragon is drawn the Age ends immediately and the third Dragon stays with the player who drew it to help break future first-player ties. (page 7)

When the Age ends, do we keep our hands or discard them?

When the third Dragon is revealed the Age ends immediately and all players must discard all cards left in their hands (Allies Scatter) before scoring. (page 9)

How is Glory for each Kingdom awarded, and what about ties?

At each Age you award Glory from each Kingdom according to that Age’s I/II/III token positions (first Age: only the I token; second: I and II for first/second; third: I/II/III for first/second/third), and if players tie for most Control markers their combined Glory is added and divided equally (rounded down). (page 9)

How much Glory do my Bands score at the end of the Age?

Each Band scores based on its size: 1 card = 0 Glory, 2 = 1, 3 = 3, 4 = 6, 5 = 10, and 6 or more = 15 Glory. (page 10)

Opens Ludoya's rules assistant, which reads this game's rulebook.

Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.