2012 · Economic

Wallenstein (Second Edition)

Players take the roles of military leaders during the Thirty Years' War, maneuvering armies, collecting taxes and grain, and building palaces and churches to score control of land over two simulated “years.” Each action season (spring, summer, fall) uses a mix of face-up and face-down action cards; players assign county cards secretly to the ten action slots on their personal board and bid for turn order and bonus tiles before actions resolve. Conflict and revolts are resolved using a dice tower: wooden army and peasant cubes are dropped in and those that emerge determine combat strength while others may become stuck for later. Resource management (money and grain) affects recruitment, construction, and revolt risk. Two optional modules add an imperial court of courtiers competing for favors and a stacked bonus-card mechanic that rewards regional control; intended play is for three to five players.

groupPlayers

3–5 best 5

schedulePlaying time

90–120 min

cakeAge

12+

psychologyComplexity

3.2 / 5