Cthulhu Wars is a strategy boardgame in which the players take the part of alien races and gods taken from the Cthulhu mythos created by H. P. Lovecraft. The game is physically large, and includes sixty-four figurines of the cultists, monsters, aliens, and Great Old Ones that range in height from approximately 20 mm to nearly 180 mm.

The game takes place on a map of Earth. Each player takes the part of one of four factions included in the base game. At the start of a turn, players Gather Power, then, during a series of Action Rounds, they spend this Power to accomplish various tasks, such as recruiting Cultists, moving units, engaging in battle, summoning monsters, building Gates, casting spells, and Awakening their Great Old One. When all players run out of Power, the Action phase ends and the next turn begins. Victory is determined by accumulating points on the Doom Track. The first player to 30 is the lone victor *if* he has unlocked all six of spell books.

The Ancients Faction are a human-oriented faction, and are particularly unusual, because they don’t have their own Great Old One. They have to be extremely sensitive to the other players, and must engage in diplomacy and negotiations to an extent previously unknown in Cthulhu Wars.

Like Yellow Sign, you need to travel across the world. In your case, this is to build Cathedrals in the same areas marked with Symbols as Yellow Sign (though you also have to build one Cathedral in an unmarked area). Fortunately, you have an ace up your sleeve – other factions often rather like to share their areas with a Cathedral. But you can’t always rely on this, and you lack the punch of Yellow Sign’s undead army.

Like most factions, each of your creatures has a spellbook dedicated to it. Unlike every other faction, these spellbooks actually make your creature inferior in some way! However, they’re still worth getting for two reasons. First, they make the creature MUCH less expensive, and thus let you have a good combat punch (which you’ll need). Second, you can’t win the game without all six spellbooks!

Your special faction ability is Dematerialization, and is useful in movement. Each Doom phase, select one area in which you have units. Move any or all of those units to one other selected area, anywhere on the map. In play, you’ll find this useful not only for planned attacks, but also for building your Cathedrals.

Number of Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 90-120 Minutes
Recommended Ages: 14+

CTHULHU WARS - ANCIENTS (ENGLISH) is categorised BOARDGAMES / ADVANCED GAMES / TERRITORY MANAGEMENT GAMES and sold by l'Imaginaire, a store and specialised website.