Variant Rules for Through the Ages

In the world of gaming, there are numerous board games that offer unique and engaging experiences. Through the Ages is one such game that has captured the attention of players all around the globe. In this article, I will share with you some variant rules that you can incorporate into your game to enhance the overall enjoyment and challenge.

Variant 1: Leaders

Leaders play a crucial role in Through the Ages, as they provide special abilities that can greatly influence the course of the game. In this variant, instead of randomly assigning leaders to players at the beginning, the players take turns drafting them. This adds an element of strategy and depth to the game, as you can carefully choose the leader that best suits your playstyle and objectives. It also encourages interaction and negotiation among the players as you trade leaders or try to block your opponents from getting their desired choices.

Variant 2: Wonders

Wonders are a key aspect of Through the Ages, representing iconic structures that shape the world. In this variant, the construction of wonders becomes even more challenging and rewarding. Each wonder now requires additional resources and has special conditions that must be met. For example, to build the Pyramids, you must have a certain number of stone resources and have reached a specific level of culture. These additional requirements add an extra layer of strategy, as you must carefully plan and manage your resources to build the wonders that align with your goals.

Variant 3: Events Deck

The event cards in Through the Ages can greatly influence the game, presenting both opportunities and challenges. In this variant, an additional deck of events is introduced. This deck contains more powerful and impactful events that can drastically change the course of the game. When playing with this variant, you have the option to draw from the regular events deck or the advanced events deck. This adds an element of unpredictability and excitement to the game, as you never know what challenges or opportunities the events will bring.

Variant 4: Military Strategy Cards

Military conflicts are an integral part of Through the Ages, as you vie for dominance and protection. In this variant, military strategy cards are introduced, allowing you to plan your military actions more strategically. These cards provide different bonuses and abilities that can give you an edge in battles. For example, one card may grant additional strength to your units while another allows you to retreat without penalty. By using these cards wisely, you can craft and execute a military strategy that best suits your goals and playstyle.

By incorporating these variant rules into your Through the Ages game, you can add a new level of complexity and enjoyment. Whether you prefer a more strategic approach or enjoy the thrill of unpredictable events, these variants offer something for everyone. So gather your friends, shuffle the decks, and embark on an epic journey through the ages!

If you find the full game too long or intense for your group, why not try one of these alternative versions? They’re designed to keep the game engaging while offering a different experience. Keep in mind that since the cards are balanced for the full game, some combinations might be stronger or weaker than usual.

Here’s a suggestion for a shorter game: play only two ages, but keep all the rules intact, including aggressions, wars, and pacts.

To set up the game, follow the same steps as for the full version. Additionally, do the following:

– Take all events from the Age III military deck and create an end-of-game events deck.

– Shuffle the deck and distribute two events to each player. Place them face down next to their player boards. Remember, players can’t look at them until the end of Age I.

• To start the Age III, reveal three more Age III events.
• Place the events where everyone can read them.
• Add one War over Culture card from the Age III deck to the table next to the three events.
• You won’t use the remaining Age III military and civil cards.

Let’s Talk about Wars

When you want to declare a war, you should play a war card from your hand, as usual. However, you get to choose whether you’re declaring the war indicated on your card, or the war mentioned on the War over Culture card. If you decide to declare the Age III war, you need to pay its military action cost instead. After the war is resolved,

your card gets discarded. You always have the option to replace a war with the Age III war, even if it’s already being used in an ongoing war.

The End of Age I

When Age I comes to a close, each of us takes a peek at our Age III event cards. We have to make a tough decision and pick one to keep while discarding the other, hiding it away from prying eyes. We can’t sneak a glance at what the others have chosen, though.

Your Final Score

Once the game reaches its end, it’s time for the big reveal. Here’s how we calculate our scores:

• If I complete an Age II wonder, I score 6 points.
• Let’s score the three publicly revealed Age III events.
• We’ll choose the Age III events ourselves, shuffle them, and evaluate them one by one.

Let’s Play Peacefully

If you want to enjoy a game without any wars or aggressions, try playing a peaceful variant.

To play peacefully, all you have to do is remove all aggressions, wars, and pacts from the military decks. If you really enjoy the pacts, you can keep the four that don’t involve attacks.

The military part of the game is still important for colonization and strength-based events. If you want it to be even more important, try the following:

Global Conflicts Variant

When I reach the end of Age I, Age II, or Age III, a massive conflict erupts. Each civilization calculates its culture score by subtracting the strength of the weakest civilization from its own strength. The civilization with the lowest strength will not score any culture points.

Different Options

The rulebook for the original game included various alternate versions, and players have come up with additional variants over the years. However, these alternate rules were rarely used. For this edition, we focused on balancing and playtesting the full game without any modifications.

Of course, if there’s a variant that you particularly enjoyed, you can still incorporate it into this version of the game.