History of the Ancient Seas II: DIES IRAE (2024)

Overview

The gods are angry! Which gods you may ask? The Mediterranean Sea in ancient times. The Persian Empire, the Greek city states and the mighty Pharaonic Empire of Egypt fought for dominance in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. The people from all of these empires see the gods as their allies and trust them as supporters for their cause!

The game series “History of the Ancient Seas” is the ultimate journey through these exciting times. Build new fleets in your city to explore unknown lands, conquer islands and build a great empire.

DIES IRAE is a three player game. The challenge in a three player game is that gamers face a constant two versus one constellation. All three players have to fight on at least two fronts at the same time and have to keep a close eye on both opponents. The worst case is they are in an armistice which means they could both focus on you. Each player should avoid this situation at all costs. Which god will help their people the most in the struggle of dominance in the Eastern Mediterranean Seas?

Your goal is to become the leading empire in the known world. To achieve this, you will need to build armies and fleets to increase your military might, expand trade routes, conquer islands and provinces, develop your military skills, economic efficiency and culture, while always keeping an eye on the wealth, happiness and stability of your people. The game is played in highly interactive micro-impulses. The heart of the game system is the action cycle: The players choose one of the eight possible actions. Actions chosen by a player can’t be chosen subsequently by the next player. The number of possible actions is limited each turn.

War or peace: That is your decision! You can expand your empire by leading your people to war! But war is costly and the outcome is uncertain. You can lead your empire to the golden age of civilization by keeping the peace and bringing stability and wealth to your people without following the path of war. Offer terms to aggressive enemies to distract or delay them, but always be prepared to defend your empire.

You will move your 3D wooden playing pieces (representing fleets and legions) across the beautifully illustrated map from the Hellenistic main land and islands to the shores of Persia in the east and the northern part of the mighty empire of the Pharaons to expand your trade network and increase your trading status.

Expansions

History of the Ancient Seas: Expansion I – New Markets

History of the Ancient Seas: Expansion II – Pirates and Barbarians

History of the Ancient Seas: Expansion III – New Armies