Thebai

Dark times loom over the kingdom of Thebes. The blind, old king Oedipus left the throne in disgrace and asked Polynices and Eteocles, his own sons, to rule the city together. But power corrupts and ancient feuds call for new blood to be spilled. Soon, Polynices finds himself leading an army from the rival city of Argos against his own brother. The Theban nobles support Eteocles as he maintains precarious rule over Thebes. The young king calls for defenders to man the seven gates of the city, while the invaders' seven champions lead the attack on the gates. Meanwhile, the famous citadel of Thebes, the Cadmea, lies in disarray. It is as if the Fates themselves have lined everything up against the current rulers of Thebes!

While the common folks prepare for war, the noble families whisper among themselves that the time for new leadership has come, and the time to rebuild the Cadmea is now!

In Thebai, players assume the role of influential leaders from noble families during the tumultuous late Bronze Age. Throughout the game, players are tasked with rebuilding the Cadmea, the citadel of Thebes, while restoring the city's exports, praying to the gods of the city, and protecting the lives of the citizens as grand heroes spill each other's blood outside the gates.

The game lasts 10 rounds, each divided into an Action phase and a Fate phase. During the Action phase, players use one Citizen die, and then move their Archon on the Cadmea. During the Fate phase, players may get additional scoring opportunities, depending on their accomplishments and for protecting the city gates. After final scoring the player with the most Victory Points is the winner.

Contents:
1 City Board
1 Council Board
1 Devotion Board
4 Estate Boards
14 Neutral Cadmea Tiles
8 Commander Cards
8 Commander Standees
8 Invader Cards
1 Battle Marker
7 Gate Tiles
44 Contract Cards
14 Fate Tiles
24 Blessing Tiles
24 Metic Tiles
9 Disruption Cards
5 Disruption Markers
1 Four-player Council Tile
24 Drachma Tokens
18 Grape Tokens
18 Bronze Tokens
18 Pottery Tokens
12 Herald Cards
10 Plaza Markers
28 Citizen Dice
16 Hoplite Dice
12 Councilor Tiles
16 Strategos Tiles
4 Archon Meeples
3 Player Cadmea Tiles
8 Devotion Markers
4 Turn Order Markers
4 Scoring Markers
4 VP Tiles (100/200+)
8 Player Aids
37 Solo Cards

Ages: 14+
Players: 1-4
Game Length: 90-150 minutes