History of the World (2025 Edition) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• General Rules
  • People Pieces
  • Area Tokens
  • Honors
  • Gold
• The Epoch
  • Epoch Organization
  • Player Turns
  • A. Reveal the Event
  • B. Establish the Empire
  • C. Expand the Empire
    • Resolving invasions: with dice
    • Using the Leader (with dice)
    • Resolving invasions: without dice
    • Using the Leader (without dice)
    • Building reduction
    • Forts
    • Plundering (barbarians only)
• Endgame
• Winning
• More About Events
• More About Empires
• More About Fleets, Seas and Oceans
• More About Honors
  • Awarding Honors
  • Using the Honor Track
  • Playing Honors
  • The Fleet Honors
  • The Buildings Bonus Honor
  • The Lands Bonus Honor
  • The Catastrophe Honor
• More About Buildings
• Optional Rules
  • Option 1: Event Card Selection
  • Option 2: Hidden Empire Cards
  • Option 3: Invasion and Conquest
    • Resolving invasions: with dice
  • Option 4: Paired Area Tokens

Components

The game-board shows a map that is divided into sixty-two lands, four dark blue oceans, seven light blue seas and eight grey impassable wastelands. There is an Arctic space where shared pieces are stored.

Other game-board features include five Endgame spaces and a Gold track.

There are twelve color-coded areas, each of which has its own area icon. Each land in an area contains a smaller version of the icon (for those with colour-recognition difficulties).

Note: The area icon in Australia shows that it belongs to the Southern Lands area.

Thirty-six Area tokens (twelve sets of three) correspond to the twelve areas.

The game includes two sets of cards:

• Empire cards, which are used to play the Empires.
• Event cards, which provide benefits.

Each player has a set of components:

• 1 Array
• 30 People pieces
• 10 Honor tokens
• 1 Leader
• 1 Gold chest
• 1 Player aid

The pieces shown below are all shared:

• 15 capitals
• 20 cities
• 25 monuments
• 15 forts
• 3 Great Wall of China forts
• 4 fleets

Note: Capitals, cities, monuments and forts are known collectively as buildings.

Also included in the game:

• six dice
• a cloth bag
• the Invasion modifier counter (for use with Option 3 rules)
• six Paired Area tokens (for use with Option 4 rules)
• this rules booklet

Setup

1. Place the game-board in the center of the table.
2. Decide whether the game is to be played with or without dice. If with dice, place three red dice and two white dice ready beside the game-board.
3. Store the buildings and fleets in the Arctic space.
4. Sort the Area tokens into sets by area. Stack each set face-up on the map on the matching area icon.
5. Sort the Empire cards by epoch and shuffle each set. Count out cards from each set equal to the number of players, and place them face-down beside the game-board (see box bottom). Sort the Event cards in the same way and place them on the opposite side of the game-board. The remaining Empire and Event cards are removed from the game (unseen).
6. Each player:
   • Takes a set of components (an array, thirty people pieces, ten Honor tokens, a Leader, a Gold chest and a player aid).
   • Places the people pieces beside the array to form a supply.
   • Shuffles the Honor tokens to create a face-down stack which is then placed on the Honor stack space on the array. The topmost token is flipped and placed face-up on space 1 of the Honor track.
   • Places their Leader on the Leader space on the array. The Leader should be placed showing the appropriate face ("With dice" or "Without dice").
7. Collect the Gold chest from each of the players and randomly select one. Place this on space 1 of the Gold track. Repeat this, placing the next chest on space 2, and so on.

General Rules

People Pieces

Humanity is extraordinarily creative, but struggles to live in harmony. In History of the World, that "creativity" is evidenced in buildings and through the collecting of gold. The game simplifies the "struggle" to the control of lands using people pieces.

A people piece can be either an army or a garrison.

When a player wants to take control of a land, a people piece is taken from the Empire pool and placed "standing up" on the map. It is an army throughout the current player turn. At the end of the player turn, all armies are "laid down" to become garrisons.

• A land that contains an army belonging to the current player is known as an Empire land.
• A land that contains a garrison belonging to the current player is known as a Friendly land.
• A land that contains a garrison belonging to a different player is known as an Enemy land.
• A land that does not contain an army or garrison is uncontrolled.

When a rule says to remove an army or garrison, simply return it to the appropriate supply.

Area Tokens

During the course of the game, Area tokens are taken from the map and shuffled into the cloth bag. An area whose tokens have been added to the bag is active. This is important because gold may only be collected for lands in active areas.

In each epoch, a number of Area tokens are drawn from the bag. Each player in turn selects one of these tokens, which is then stored on their array and can be played later in the game to collect gold.

Honors

Honors are awarded in various ways during the course of the game. They may only be played by the current player and at certain times. Each Honor has a printed effect and some also show coins.

An Honor may be played if it is on the Honor track or in the Empire pool (on the array). After it has been played, it is flipped face-down and placed at the bottom of the Honor stack. It is possible for the same Honor to be awarded several times during the course of the game.

Reference will be made to Honors throughout the rules; they are explained in greater detail in More about Honors.

Gold

Whenever gold is collected, a player will move their Gold chest that number of spaces along the Gold track.

• If a chest is moved onto the same space as another player's chest, place it on top.
• If several chests occupy the same space, the owner of the topmost chest is considered to have the most gold.
• When a chest reaches the 100-space, begin a second circuit of the track.

The Epoch

The game is played over five epochs. Each epoch is made up of two parts:

• Epoch Organization - This is a sequence of four steps carried out by all players together, in which areas are made active, Area tokens selected, Event cards received and Empire cards chosen.
• Player turns - In the chronological order of Empires, each player takes a turn. That player will bring an Event card into play, establish and expand their Empire, build monuments, raise revenue and then conclude their turn. This is the current player's "moment of history"; other players can only hope to frustrate it.

Epoch Organization

1. Make areas active. Beneath each area name is a Roman numeral: this is the epoch when that area becomes active. Collect the three Area tokens from each area that becomes active in this new epoch, and shuffle them into the cloth bag.

E.g., In Epoch I, shuffle the tokens for Southern Europe, North Africa, Middle East, India and China into the bag.

2. Select Area tokens. In Epoch I, each player draws one token from the bag, examines it and stores it FACE-DOWN in the Area tokens box on their array. One further token is then drawn and shown to all players. This is then placed FACE-UP on the Epoch I Endgame space.

In Epochs II to V, the player who has MOST gold draws tokens equal to the number of players PLUS ONE (so in a four-player game, five tokens are drawn). That player examines the tokens, selects one and passes the remainder to the player who has the next most gold. This second player then examines these tokens, selects one and passes the remainder to the player who has the next most gold. This is repeated until every player has an Area token. Each player stores their token on their array (face-down). One token will be left over. This is placed FACE-DOWN on the Endgame space for that epoch.

The areas shown on the tokens are kept secret at all times. It is likely that only the player with least gold will know which area is shown on that epoch's Endgame Area token.

3. Receive Event cards. Take the Event cards for the current epoch and deal one to each player. After examining their card, each player stores it FACE-DOWN on their array.

4. Choose Empire cards. Take the Empire cards for the current epoch and place each one face-up ON THE MAP close to that Empire's start-land. The player who has LEAST gold chooses an Empire card first, followed by the player who has the next least gold, and so on, until all Empire cards have been chosen. Each player stores their Empire card FACE-UP on their array.

Player Turns

Determining the order of play. In the top left-hand corner of each Empire card is a number showing that Empire's chronological position in the epoch. Player turns are carried out following this numeric order. Empires that are not in play are simply skipped over.

E.g., If Sumeria and Egypt are both in play, then Sumeria would be played first, followed by Egypt. However, if Sumeria is NOT in play, then Egypt would be the first Empire to be played.

After all Empires have been played (or skipped over), the epoch ends.

The six phases. There are six phases to each player's turn:

• A. Reveal the Event
• B. Establish the Empire
• C. Expand the Empire
• D. Build monuments
• E. Raise revenue
• F. Conclude the turn

Note: The term "the Empire" refers to the Empire currently in play. Those opposing the Empire are "Enemy".

When completed, the next player takes their turn.

A. Reveal the Event

(in which the player brings an Event card into play)

Event cards can be one of two types:

First, Event cards with text instructions. Play these Events by following the text shown. These cards show the Honor icon (see below) or the Later Event icon, the name of the Event, the Event instructions and Event pieces.

Second, Event cards without text instructions. These show the Honor icon, the name of the Event, a start-land, starting pieces and Event pieces. Play these Events as if they were Empires (as detailed in the Player turn rules).

The player begins by flipping the Event card face-up.

If the Event card shows the Honor icon, an Honor is immediately awarded. See More about Honors.

Important: Honors may NOT be played during the Reveal the Event phase, but Honors may be awarded.

Most Event cards are played during the Reveal the Event phase. Cards that show the Later Event icon are played in the phase shown.

Reference will be made to Events throughout the rules; they are explained in greater detail in More about Events.

B. Establish the Empire

(in which the Empire makes its appearance on the map)

Each Empire card shows a chronological position, a power icon (or barbarian icon), the name of the Empire, a start-land, starting pieces and Empire pieces.

1. Place the Empire pieces in the Empire pool (on the array). Starting pieces are taken from this pool.
2. Locate the Empire's start-land and remove any buildings. Then:
   • If the land is uncontrolled, simply place the starting army in the land.
   • If the land is a Friendly land or an Enemy land, remove the garrison and place the starting army in the land. The owner of the garrison is awarded an Honor.
3. Place any starting buildings in the start-land.

Note: The Empire pieces for the Han, T'ang, Ming and Qing Dynasties each include two Great Wall of China forts. These are placed during the Expand the Empire phase. See More about Empires.

C. Expand the Empire

(in which armies and fleets can be placed, forts built, and Honors played)

• To place an army, take a people piece from the Empire pool and place it in a land. That land must be adjacent to either an army or a fleet.
• To place a fleet, take a fleet from the Empire pool and place it in a sea or ocean. Likewise, that sea or ocean must be adjacent to an army or a fleet.

Fleets, seas and oceans. A fleet functions as a sort of "stepping stone"; it allows armies to be placed in the lands adjacent to whichever sea or ocean the fleet occupies.

• Empire and Event cards in Epochs I, II and III may show a sea fleet.
• Empire and Event cards in Epochs IV and V may show one or two ocean fleets.

Sea fleets are placed in seas, and ocean fleets are placed in oceans.

Note: The same fleet piece is used for both types of fleet.

Fleets, seas and oceans are explained in greater detail in More about fleets, seas and oceans.

An army may never be placed in a wasteland.

Some lands are connected by a double-headed red arrow (straits). These lands are considered to be adjacent.

Once placed on the map, an army may never be moved to a different land, and a fleet may never be moved to a different sea or ocean.

Army placement outcomes. There are three possible outcomes to the placing of an army:

1. When placed in an uncontrolled land, the army simply takes control of the land. If there are buildings in that land, then on this occasion building reduction is NOT carried out. Building reduction causes buildings to be removed or replaced. See Building reduction.
2. When placed in a Friendly land, the player must surrender the garrison. The army takes control of the land, and the garrison is removed. If there are buildings in the land, building reduction is carried out. An Honor is NOT awarded on this occasion.
3. When placed in an Enemy land, an invasion occurs which must be resolved immediately.

Resolving invasions: with dice

The Empire rolls TWO red dice. The highest single die rolled is the Empire's score.

The Enemy rolls ONE white die (TWO dice if a fort is in the land). The highest single die rolled is the Enemy's score.

E.g., This dice roll gives the Empire a score of 4. This dice roll gives the Enemy a score of 2. (The dice faces are shown in the printed rulebook.)

• If the Empire scores the highest, the invasion succeeds, in which case the garrison is removed and the Empire's army takes control of the land.
• If the Enemy scores the highest, the invasion is frustrated, in which case both the army AND the garrison are removed. The Enemy is awarded an Honor.
• If the scores are tied, then it is the terrain in the land that determines the result: CLEAR TERRAIN means the invasion succeeds, DIFFICULT TERRAIN means the invasion is frustrated.

If the land contains buildings, building reduction is now carried out. See Building reduction.

Using the Leader (with dice)

At any point in the Expand the Empire phase, the player may declare that the Leader is being used. This allows the Empire to roll a third die in this and every other invasion for the rest of the phase. At the end of the phase, the Leader is removed from the game.

Play example 1. The red army invades Tigris which is controlled by the blue garrison.

• Red rolls two dice.
• Blue rolls one die.
• Red has scored the highest so the invasion succeeds. The blue garrison is removed, and the red army takes control of the land.

Play example 2. The red army invades Zagros, which is controlled by the blue garrison. The land also contains a capital and a fort.

• Red rolls two dice.
• Blue rolls two dice (the second die is rolled because the land contains a fort).

The scores are tied, so the terrain in Zagros determines the result. It is DIFFICULT TERRAIN (mountains), so the invasion is frustrated. Both the red army AND the blue garrison are removed, and building reduction is carried out. Blue is awarded an Honor.

Reminder: Red would have rolled three dice if the Leader was being used.

Resolving invasions: without dice

If the Empire's army is placed in CLEAR TERRAIN and there is NO FORT, the invasion succeeds, in which case the garrison is removed and the Empire's army takes control of the land.

If the Empire's army is placed in a land containing either DIFFICULT TERRAIN or A FORT (or both), the invasion is frustrated, in which case both the army AND the garrison are removed. The Enemy is awarded an Honor.

If the land contains buildings, building reduction is now carried out.

Using the Leader (without dice)

At any point in the Expand the Empire phase, the player may declare that the Leader is being used and what effect it will have. The Leader allows EITHER difficult terrain OR forts to be ignored in this and every other invasion for the rest of the phase. At the end of the phase, the Leader is removed from the game.

Play example 3. The red army invades Tigris, which is controlled by the blue garrison. Tigris is CLEAR TERRAIN and there is NO FORT, so the invasion succeeds. The blue garrison is removed, and the red army takes control of the land.

Play example 4. The red army invades Zagros, which is controlled by the blue garrison. Because Zagros contains DIFFICULT TERRAIN, the invasion is frustrated. Both the army AND the garrison are removed, and building reduction is carried out. Blue is awarded an Honor.

If red had declared that the Leader was to be used and that difficult terrain was to be ignored, then the invasion would have succeeded. There again, had there been a fort in the land, the Leader could not have prevented the invasion from being frustrated.

Building reduction

Building reduction affects lands that contain buildings. It is carried out:

• When an invasion results in the garrison being removed.
• When the player surrenders a garrison.

To carry out building reduction, first:

• Remove any fort from the land.

Then, if there is another building in the land, do ONE of the following:

• Replace a capital with a city.
• Remove a city.
• If there is no capital or city, remove a monument.

E.g., In Play Example 2, the invasion results in the blue garrison being removed and so building reduction is carried out. First the fort would be removed, and then the capital would be replaced by a city.

It is possible that a land which contains buildings may become uncontrolled. This might be the result of an invasion (as in Play Examples 2 and 4) or because of an Event (e.g., Black Death). The Empire (or any subsequent Empire) may take control of the land by simply placing an army there. No building reduction is carried out.

Armies placed during the Reveal the Event phase may also take control of uncontrolled lands in the same way.

Forts

The sole purpose of a fort is to help frustrate an invasion. When playing the game with dice, a fort will allow the Enemy to roll an extra die. When playing without dice, a fort (or difficult terrain) can frustrate an invasion.

A fort can be placed on the map from the Empire pool or by playing a Fortify Honor or the Crusades Event card.

A land may never contain more than one fort.

In addition, during the Expand the Empire phase, the Empire may build a fort by removing a people piece from the Empire pool and then building a fort in an Empire land. Any number of forts can be built in this way.

A fort may not be built in the Reveal the Event phase.

Plundering (barbarians only)

Some Empire cards show the barbarian icon in the start-land. This means the Empire is barbarian.

When a barbarian Empire invasion causes an Enemy garrison to be removed, the buildings are plundered prior to building reduction being carried out. Total the value of the buildings (TWO gold per capital, ONE gold per city, ONE gold per monument) and collect that amount of gold. Building reduction is then carried out.

E.g., If red is a barbarian Empire in Play Example 2, then the capital building is plundered prior to building reduction being carried out. Red collects TWO gold.

Some Event cards show the barbarian icon. These Events may also cause buildings to be plundered.

Note: Plundering does not take place when a land surrenders or when a barbarian Empire or the armies of a barbarian Event take control of an uncontrolled land.

Playing Honors (Expand the Empire)

At any time during the Expand the Empire phase, the seven Honors that SHOW COINS may be played to realize their effect.

E.g., Recruit 1 may be played to add one people piece to the Empire pool.

The three Honors that DO NOT SHOW COINS may not be played in this phase.

End of Expand the Empire

The phase ends when:

• There are no people pieces remaining in the Empire pool, and
• The player chooses to play no more Honors nor place any other pieces remaining in the Empire pool (which must be removed).

D. Build Monuments

(in which the Empire builds monuments through the control of power icons)

Each non-barbarian Empire is allocated one of four power icons. This power icon encourages the Empire to expand so that it controls other lands containing the same icon. For each pair of these icons (including the one in the start-land), the Empire builds a monument.

Each monument must be built in an Empire land: in the start-land if possible, then in a land containing a city, otherwise in any other Empire land.

A land may never contain more than one monument.

Play example 5. Red is playing Vedic States, which takes control of Hindu Kush, Ganges Valley and Ganges Delta. The Empire card shows the Crown power icon and, because Vedic States controls a pair of these icons, it may build a monument. The monument is built in the start-land (Hindu Kush).

E. Raise Revenue

(in which gold is collected and added to the Gold track, and Honors may be played)

The player collects gold for the Empire's control of buildings in ANY area and for its control of lands in ACTIVE areas (an area which has had its tokens placed in the bag).

Gold for buildings

Total the value of all capitals, cities and monuments in every Empire land (NOT Friendly lands). Collect:

• TWO gold for each capital
• ONE gold for each city
• ONE gold for each monument

Gold for lands

For each active area, examine the Empire lands (NOT Friendly lands). For each such area, there are three possible levels of control: presence, dominance and mastery.

Presence means the player collects TWO gold. To have presence, the player must have at least one Empire land in the area.

Play example 6. The South East Asia area is active and red has one Empire land there. Red therefore has presence and so collects TWO gold.

Dominance means that the player collects FOUR gold. To have dominance, the player must have at least two Empire lands in the area. In addition, the player must have more Empire lands than any other player has Enemy lands AND have more Empire lands than Friendly lands.

Play example 7. The South East Asia area is active and red has two armies there. Red has more Empire lands than blue Enemy lands and more Empire lands than Friendly lands. Red therefore has dominance and so collects FOUR gold.

Mastery means that the player collects SIX gold. To have mastery, the player must have at least three Empire lands in the area. In addition, there can be no Enemy lands or Friendly lands in the area.

Play example 8. The South East Asia area is active and red has three Empire lands there. No Enemy lands or Friendly lands are in the area. Red therefore has mastery and so collects SIX gold.

Playing Honors (Raise Revenue)

At any time during the Raise revenue phase, the three Honors that DO NOT SHOW COINS may be played to realize their effect. See More about Honors.

The other seven Honors may be played to collect one gold for each coin shown.

E.g., Recruit 1 may be played to collect one gold.

Important: All Honors in the Empire pool must be played by the end of the Raise revenue phase. Honors that are on the Honor track may be retained for use in a future epoch.

F. Conclude the Turn

(in which the player turn is completed and Area tokens may be played)

The following actions are carried out:

1. All armies are laid down to become garrisons.
2. Any fleets on the map are removed.
3. Gold for Area tokens. The player may collect extra gold by playing any number of Area tokens. Each token allows the player to collect gold in that named area. The gold is collected for buildings and lands (as in the Raise revenue phase), but during this phase it is now collected from Friendly lands (there are no Empire lands because all armies have become garrisons). Remove each Area token from the game after use.

Play example 9. Red plays a South America Area token and there are three Friendly lands. Red collects TWO gold for the capital, ONE gold for the monument and SIX gold for mastery, giving a total of NINE gold.

4. Honor for most gold. An Honor is awarded if the player now has the most gold. If all three spaces on the Honor track are occupied at this time, then an Honor is not awarded and the player collects ONE gold instead.

Note: At the end of the phase, Empire cards and Event cards are left in place on the array; new cards are simply stacked on top.

Endgame

The Endgame takes place after all players have completed their Epoch V turn.

1. Each player collects ONE gold for each Area token or Leader still on their array.

2. Each player plays any Honors which are on their Honor track or in their Empire pool.

   • Honors that SHOW COINS may be played to collect ONE gold for each coin shown.
   • Honors that DO NOT SHOW COINS may be played to realize their effect.

   Note: During the Endgame, gold is collected from Friendly lands. See More about Honors.

3. The Area token on the Epoch I Endgame space is used to collect gold. Each player with Friendly lands in that named area collects gold for buildings and lands. Continue by flipping each of the other Area tokens to collect gold in the same way.

Winning

The player with the most gold wins the game.

If several players have the same amount of gold (i.e. their Gold chests are on the same space), then each of the tied players totals the number of people pieces shown on their Empire cards. The player with the LOWEST total wins the tie.

If there is still a tie, then the player with the MOST Honor icons on their Event cards wins the tie.

If there is still a tie, then the result is an actual tie.

More About Events

The pieces to be used with an Event card are taken from the supply and placed in the Event pool (on the array).

Events without text do not show a power icon and can never result in a monument being built.

If armies are placed to gain control of lands, then revenue is raised in the usual way.

Armies placed as the result of an Event must be laid down to become garrisons before the Establish the Empire phase begins. Likewise, all fleets are removed from the map and any pieces remaining in the Event pool are removed to the supply.

Some reminders:

• Buildings can be plundered if the Event shows the barbarian icon.
• Honors may not be played during the Reveal the Event phase, but may be awarded to the current player and/or to other players as a consequence of the Event being played.
• The Leader may not be used during the Reveal the Event phase.
• Forts may not be built during the Reveal the Event phase.

Ancients. This Event has been included to give representation to other early civilisations, e.g., Babylon, Jiahu or possibly even Atlantis!

More About Empires

Barbarian Empires. A barbarian Empire:

• Never has buildings as starting pieces.
• Never has a power icon on its Empire card (and so can never build monuments).
• Always plunders buildings prior to building reduction being carried out.

Han, T'ang, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Empire pieces of these empires include two Great Wall of China forts. One fort may be placed in Yellow River and one in Wei River after the Empire takes control of each of those lands. The reverse of each counter shows the names of the two lands.

Note: If either fort is not placed, it is removed from the Empire pool at the end of the Expand the Empire phase.

Huns. When playing the Huns Empire card, the Empire must be established in TWO start-lands (Volga and Turanian Plain).

Incas & Aztecs. This Empire card shows two Empires, each of which is played separately. The Inca Empire is played first, then the Aztec Empire.

Note: If the Ocean trade Event is in play, then the player collects the extra gold separately, during each Empire's Raise revenue phase.

More About Fleets, Seas and Oceans

• In Epochs I, II and III, a fleet in the Empire pool or Event pool may only be placed in a sea.
• In Epochs IV and V, a fleet in the Empire pool or Event pool may only be placed in an ocean.

Note: Rules for using a Fleet Honor to place a fleet are slightly different. See More about Honors.

An ocean is made up of the ocean itself and all adjacent seas.

E.g., In Epochs IV and V, the Mediterranean Sea and the North Sea form part of the Atlantic Ocean. All lands adjacent to those two seas are therefore treated as being adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean.

Notes:

1. The Mediterranean Sea is extensive; adjacent lands include Western Iberia, Danubia, Volga and Caucasus.
2. Volga is adjacent to both the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
3. The Bay of Bengal is NOT adjacent to the South China Sea nor the Arabian Sea.

All fleets are removed during the Empire's Conclude the turn phase.

More About Honors

Awarding Honors

An Honor may be awarded:

• If the Event card shows an Honor icon (in the Reveal the Event phase).
• To the owner of a removed garrison (in the Reveal the Event phase or the Establish the Empire phase).
• To an Enemy that frustrates an invasion (in the Reveal the Event phase or the Expand the Empire phase).
• If the player has the most gold (in the Conclude the turn phase).

Using the Honor Track

When an Honor is awarded, flip the top token of the Honor stack face-up and place it on space 1 of the Honor track. An Honor already on space 1 would move to space 2, and if there was also an Honor on space 2, then that would move to space 3. If all three spaces on the track are already occupied, then the Honor on space 3 is moved into the Empire pool.

If there are no Honors in the Honor stack and the player is awarded an Honor, then the player collects ONE gold instead.

Playing Honors

• An Honor may only be played if it is on the Honor track or in the Empire pool.
• Honors are played in the Expand the Empire or Raise revenue phases.
• Honors may not be played during the turn of another player.
• All Honors in the Empire pool must be played by the end of the Raise revenue phase.
• An Honor on the Honor track may be retained and played in a later epoch.
• During the Endgame, each player must play any face-up Honors (on the Honor track or in the Empire pool).
• After an Honor has been played, it is flipped face-down and placed at the bottom of the Honor stack.

The Fleet Honors

In Epochs I, II and III, a fleet is placed in a sea.

In Epochs IV and V, a fleet is placed in an ocean, but ONLY if the Empire card shows a fleet. If the Empire card does NOT show a fleet, then a fleet may still be placed, but only in a sea.

E.g., the Mughals could not place a fleet in the Indian Ocean, but would be able to place one in the Bay of Bengal.

The Buildings Bonus Honor

The player selects one area and collects gold for each Empire land that contains buildings in the area (TWO gold per capital, ONE gold per city, ONE gold per monument).

When used in the Endgame, gold is collected from Friendly lands that contain buildings in a selected area.

The Lands Bonus Honor

The player selects one ACTIVE area and collects ONE gold for each Empire land in the area.

When used in the Endgame, gold is collected from Friendly lands in a selected area.

The Catastrophe Honor

The player removes a monument from an Enemy land. That Enemy's Gold chest is then moved ONE space backwards on the Gold track.

More About Buildings

A building can be brought into play in a number of ways:

• It can be a starting piece for an Empire or an Event.
• It can be a monument built by the Empire.
• It can be a fort built by the Empire or placed by a Fortify Honor or Crusades Event.
• It can be a city placed by an Urbanize Honor or Establish cities Event.
• It can be a city that has replaced a capital.

Though there may be multiple buildings in a land, there may never be more than one of each type of building.

When a rule says to remove a building, simply return it to the supply.

If all buildings of a type are placed and another such building is required, then the player must remove one from an Enemy land. If a capital has to be removed, then it is replaced with a city.

Note: There are only three Great Wall of China forts in the game components. If two of these are already on the map when a later Dynasty comes into play, then one of the forts must be removed, thus making it easier for the new Dynasty to gain control of China.

Optional Rules

Experienced players may like to introduce some of the optional rules below.

Option 1: Event Card Selection

(to make Event card distribution less random)

Event cards are no longer dealt out to the players. Instead, the player with MOST gold takes the Event cards and secretly chooses one. The remaining cards are then passed to the player with the next most gold and that player secretly chooses one. This is repeated until every player has an Event card.

Event cards should be kept secret from other players until brought into play.

Option 2: Hidden Empire Cards

(to disguise the appearance of Empires)

Empire cards are no longer placed on the map. Instead, the player with LEAST gold takes the Empire cards and secretly chooses one. The remaining cards are then passed to the player with the next least gold and that player secretly chooses one. This is repeated until every player has an Empire card.

Empire cards should be kept secret from other players until brought into play.

Option 3: Invasion and Conquest

(to make invasions more tactical and dynamic)

Resolving invasions: with dice

The third white die and the Invasion modifier counter may now be needed.

The Empire rolls TWO dice (or THREE dice if the Leader is being used). The Enemy rolls ONE die in clear terrain and TWO dice in difficult terrain, plus an ADDITIONAL die if a fort is in the land.

If the Enemy's score is higher, the invasion is frustrated. If the Empire's score is higher or the scores are tied, the invasion succeeds.

If the invasion is frustrated:

• Remove the Empire's army. The Enemy is awarded an Honor.
• To continue the invasion, the process is repeated, but this time the Empire adds the +2 modifier to its score.
• If the next invasion is frustrated, the process is repeated again, but this time the Empire adds the +4 modifier to its score.
• If that invasion is also frustrated, continue adding the +4 modifier to the score for any further invasions of that land.
• Use the Invasion modifier counter to show the modifier.
• Remove the Invasion modifier counter when the invasion succeeds or if the player chooses not to continue the invasion.
• The Enemy is awarded an Honor each time the invasion is frustrated.

If the invasion succeeds:

• The Enemy garrison is removed.
• If the land contains buildings, building reduction is carried out.
• The Empire is awarded a number of conquest points equal to the difference between the Empire's score and the Enemy's score. Conquest points may be used to conquer extra lands.

Each conquest is carried out in the same way as any other invasion, but no dice are rolled and the invasion always succeeds. The Empire needs to spend ONE conquest point to conquer clear terrain and TWO conquest points to conquer difficult terrain. It costs ONE additional conquest point if the land contains a fort.

• All lands conquered must be controlled by the current Enemy.
• Each land must be adjacent to either the land originally invaded or to a newly conquered land.
• If there are buildings in any lands conquered, then building reduction is carried out.

Note: Fleets may not be used when conquering lands.

Play example 10. The red army invades Tigris, which is controlled by the blue garrison. Red rolls and blue rolls (dice faces are shown in the printed rulebook). Blue has scored the highest, so the invasion is frustrated and the red army is removed. Blue is awarded an Honor.

Another red army now invades Tigris, but this time adds the +2 modifier to its score. Red rolls and blue rolls again. Red has scored the highest (a total of 7 after the +2 modifier is added) so the invasion succeeds. The blue garrison is removed and the red army takes control of the land.

Red is awarded THREE conquest points (equal to the difference between red's score and blue's score). These points may be used to conquer extra lands without rolling any dice. Here, red could use ONE conquest point to conquer Euphrates, but could not then conquer Zagros (difficult terrain AND a fort) because that would require a further THREE conquest points. A better option might be to conquer Zagros and not Euphrates, in which case building reduction would then be carried out.

Option 4: Paired Area Tokens

(to provide greater strategic depth)

After Step 7 of Setting up, place the six Paired Area tokens face down and shuffle. Each player takes one token and, after examining it, stores it face-down in their Area tokens box. The remaining tokens are removed from the game (unseen).

A player may choose to play the Paired Area token during the Conclude the turn phase of any epoch. BOTH areas shown are used to collect gold in the usual way (for the control of buildings and lands in the areas).