March of the Ants (2015) Board Game

March of the Ants is a strategic board game that was released in in 2015. Designed by Tim Eisner and Ryan Swisher, the game allows players to take on the role of an ant colony and compete for dominance in a changing ecosystem. With its unique theme and engaging gameplay mechanics, March of the Ants quickly gained a following among board game enthusiasts.

Game Components of March of the Ants

Board: The game features a shared Meadow board created by players through tile placement.

Tiles: Two dozen unique hex tiles are revealed and strategically placed during the game.

Ants: Represented by tokens or cubes, these are the primary game pieces.

Cards: A 66-card deck containing events, evolutions, and scoring goals.

Resources: Food, cards, and larvae cubes, each with dual uses.

Art and Design: The initial edition had basic cardboard components and artwork partly done by the designers, while the new deluxe edition includes improved art, wooden animal tokens, and other enhanced components.

How To Setup March of the Ants

To set up the game, players begin by creating the Meadow board, placing the starting tiles and their initial ants. Each player selects a starting hex and begins with a set of basic resources. The deck of cards is shuffled, and each player draws a starting hand. The game is ready to play once all players have their resources and the board is initialized.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Actions: Players can choose from four actions: march (move or add ants), explore (add a new hex to the board), forage (draw two cards), or sacrifice ants and larvae to play events and evolve their insects.

Reactions: Other players can react to the current player’s action, similar to the mechanics in *Puerto Rico*.

Combat: Deterministic combat where players discard a card and add its ferocity value to the number of ants they have.

Evolution: Ants can be evolved with unique abilities such as flying, becoming suicide bombers, or scoring points by occupying hexes with other players.

Objective: The goal is to score points by controlling hexes, achieving colony goals, and leveraging events and evolutions effectively.

Player Experience

**March of the Ants** offers a deeply engaging experience with meaningful actions and continuous player interaction. The reaction mechanic ensures players are always involved, even during other players’ turns. The game balances exploration, resource management, and combat, making it appealing to fans of 4X games. While it can be played competitively, there is also enough PvE content to allow players to avoid conflict if preferred.

Pros

Engaging Mechanics: The game features meaningful actions and reactions, keeping players engaged throughout.

Balanced Resource Management: Resources have dual uses, adding depth to the game.

Variety in Evolutions: Unique ant evolutions offer diverse strategies.

Improved Deluxe Edition: Enhanced components and artwork in the new edition.

Cons

Initial Edition Flaws: The first edition had some unbalanced cards and less refined artwork.

Two-Player Issues: The game suffers at two players due to reduced reactions and interactions.

Complexity: While less complex than some 4X games, it still requires strategic thinking and planning.

Personal Thoughts on March of the Ants

**March of the Ants** is ideal for fans of 4X games who appreciate strategic depth without the overwhelming complexity of larger games like *Twilight Imperium*. It is particularly suited for players who enjoy eurogame mechanics, tile placement, and resource management. The new deluxe edition addresses many of the initial flaws, making it a compelling choice for both new and experienced gamers looking for a well-rounded and engaging board game experience.

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