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Argent: The Consortium (2015) Board Game

ByMichail

Argent: The Consortium is a fantasy board game that was designed by Trey Chambers and released in 2015 by Level 99 Games. The game takes place in a magical university where players take on the roles of candidates vying for the position of Chancellor. Players must gather resources, recruit allies, and manipulate the board to outwit their opponents and secure victory.

Game Components of Argent: The Consortium

  • Player boards and tokens**
  • Mage tokens**, each with unique abilities based on their color-coded schools of magic
  • Room tiles** representing different areas of the university
  • Bell Tower cards** that provide various benefits
  • Resource tokens** including gold, assets, and artifacts
  • Voter cards**, each with secret criteria for voting
  • Artifacts, spells, and treasures**
  • Expansion components** such as new rooms, spells, and supporters from expansions like Argent: Mancers of the University, Festival of Masks, and Summer Break.

    How To Setup Argent: The Consortium

    To set up the game, each player selects a candidate and drafts a set of Mage tokens, ensuring they have two Mages of their candidate’s color and three of any other colors. The room tiles are laid out, and each player places their Mages on their player board. The Bell Tower cards and voter cards are shuffled and placed within reach. The game board is assembled with the available room tiles, and each player receives their starting resources. The secret voter cards are distributed, and players are ready to begin their campaign to become the chancellor.

    Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

    Mechanics

  • Worker Placement: Players place their Mages in various rooms to gain resources and benefits.
  • Resource Management: Managing gold, assets, and artifacts to meet the secret criteria of the voters.
  • Area Control: Influencing the placement of other players’ Mages through special abilities.
  • Card Drafting: Drafting Bell Tower cards for benefits and using voter cards to discover their criteria.

    Game Objective

  • Each player aims to gain the most votes from the twelve secret voters by meeting their individual criteria, such as having the most gold, specific types of magic assets, or artifacts. The player with the most votes wins the game.

    Player Experience

    Playing Argent: The Consortium can be an overwhelming yet rewarding experience. The game is complex and long, with a steep learning curve, but once players acclimate to the mechanics, it reveals a deeply crafted and engaging game. The narrative logic ties the mechanics closely to the game’s theme, making actions feel meaningful and connected to the story. Players must balance resource management, strategic planning, and social interaction to sway the voters and outmaneuver their opponents.

    Pros

  • Deep Strategic Depth: Offers complex gameplay with multiple paths to victory.
  • Thematic Integration: Mechanics and actions are closely tied to the game’s narrative.
  • High Replayability: Modular setup and secret voter criteria ensure different experiences each game.
  • Engaging Theme: A rich, magical university setting that immerses players in the world of Argent.

    Cons

  • Steep Learning Curve: The game is difficult to learn due to its complexity and the detailed rulebook.
  • Long Playtime: Games can be quite long, especially for new players.
  • Overwhelming Components: The game includes many components, which can be daunting to manage.
  • Illustration Style: The anime-influenced art style may not appeal to everyone.

    Personal Thoughts on Argent: The Consortium

    Argent: The Consortium is a game best suited for experienced gamers who enjoy complex, strategic games. It is ideal for players who appreciate deep worker placement mechanics and are willing to invest time in learning the game. While it may not be the best fit for casual gamers due to its complexity and length, it offers a rich and rewarding experience for those who dive in. The game’s thematic depth and narrative logic make it a standout in the worker placement genre, appealing to fans of games like Agricola or Caverna.

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    • Michail, a seasoned tabletop enthusiast, dives headfirst into worlds of fantasy and strategy. Whether commanding a party of adventurers through perilous dungeons or engaging in tactical showdowns on the board, Michail is the maestro of the tabletop realm. Michail's gaming table is a realm where the clatter of dice and the shuffle of cards create a symphony of strategic chaos.

    Hobby: Miniature painting guru, turning pewter into masterpieces
    Preferred Game: Dungeons & Dragons, but always up for a board game brawl

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