Terracotta Army (2022) Board Game

Terracotta Army is a board game that takes inspiration from the famous Terracotta Army in China, which consists of thousands of life-sized clay soldiers and horses that were buried with the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. The game allows players to take on the role of leaders of rival factions vying for control over ancient China.

Game Components of Terracotta Army

Miniatures: Highly detailed warrior and specialist statues, including 4 unique sculpts of warriors and 4 unique specialist statues.

Resource Tokens: Wet clay, coins, and weapon tokens.

Worker Tokens: Craftsmen and Artisans.

Board: A grid representing the emperor’s tomb, divided into 4 quadrants.

Action Wheels: A triple-stacked wheel for action selection.

Priority Markers: For determining turn order.

Inspector Pawns: For scoring and tracking.

How To Setup Terracotta Army

To set up the game, players first organize the miniatures in their allotted spaces on the board or in the Warrior Organizer box. Each player chooses a color and takes the corresponding worker tokens, weapon tokens, and coins. The action wheels are affixed to the board, and scoring tiles are randomized onto the round track. Inspector pawns are placed on the first space of their tracks. Starting order is randomized, and players receive clay and coins based on their starting position.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Worker Placement: Players place their craftsmen and artisans on action spaces around the wheel to trigger actions such as gathering resources, building statues, and achieving mastery in disciplines.

Action Selection: Actions are taken in order from the inner to the outer ring of the wheel. Players can rotate the inner or middle ring by paying two coins to adjust available actions.

Area Majority: Players score points for having the most or presence of specific resources or statues in rows or columns of the mausoleum.

Objective: The goal is to accumulate the most victory points by building and strategically placing statues, achieving domination or presence, and fulfilling end-round and end-game objectives.

Player Experience

Players experience a deep and thematic game that combines strategic planning with immediate rewards. The game requires careful resource management and action chaining to maximize points. Each turn is engaging, with multiple paths to victory, making it feel rewarding and intellectually stimulating. However, the game can be lengthy, and some scoring mechanics may feel fiddly.

Pros

Engaging Turns: Each turn offers interesting and meaningful decisions without feeling overly complex.

Multiple Paths to Victory: Players can pursue various strategies to score points, keeping the game dynamic and replayable.

Beautiful Production: The game features highly detailed miniatures and a well-designed board.

Solid Rulebook: The rulebook clearly explains the game mechanics, making it easy to learn and understand.

Cons

Lengthy Gameplay: The game can take around 90-120 minutes, which may be too long for some players.

Analysis Paralysis: The adjustable action wheels and numerous options can lead to moments of analysis paralysis, especially early in the game.

Fiddly Scoring: Some end-game scoring mechanics can be cumbersome and time-consuming.

Personal Thoughts on Terracotta Army

Terracotta Army is ideal for fans of medium to medium-heavy weight eurogames who enjoy strategic planning and worker placement mechanics. The game’s theme, deeply rooted in ancient Chinese history, adds an engaging layer of authenticity. While it may not be the best fit for those looking for quick games, it offers a satisfying and intellectually stimulating experience for those willing to invest the time. If you enjoy games like Origins: First Builders or other strategic eurogames, Terracotta Army is definitely worth considering.

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