Pantheon (2011) Board Game – Board Game Guys

Pantheon is a board game released in 2011 and designed by Bernd Brunnhofer. It is published by 999 Games and falls under the categories of Ancient and Mythology. The game is designed for 2-4 players with a runtime of 60-90 minutes and is suitable for players aged 10 and above.

Game Components of Pantheon

Civilization cards

Wooden temple

Booty tiles

God tiles

Feet and column tokens

Sacrifice cards (gifts, priest, dancer, temple)

Movement cards

Coins

Cloth drawstring bag for storing components

How To Setup Pantheon

To set up Pantheon, start by placing the wooden temple at the starting location of the first civilization on the board. Draw and place the booty tiles in marked locations around the temple. Randomly draw god tiles based on the number of players and place them across the top of the board. Each player receives four feet tokens, three column tokens, and five starting cards. The cards can contain sacrifice suits, movement cards, or coins.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Game Objective: Gain the most victory points by acquiring the favor of the gods across six different epochs centered around six civilizations.

Player Actions:
– Movement: Use movement cards and feet/column tokens to reach booty tokens.
– Buy: Spend coins to gain extra feet, columns, sacrifice tiles, or movement points.
– Gain God Tile: Discard the right amount of cards or use tiles to acquire a god tile.
– Draw Cards: Draw three new cards.

Epochs: Each epoch ends when a player grabs the last booty tile or the last available god tile. After the third and sixth epochs, score points for columns and minor god tokens.

Player Experience

Pantheon offers a deep and complex gameplay experience that is nonetheless clear once you start playing. The game encourages different strategies based on the bonuses you receive, the cards you draw, the civilizations that come up, and the gods you manage to acquire. The rules can be daunting at first, but they become clearer as you play through the game.

Pros

High replayability due to varying strategies and random elements.

Excellent quality components and artwork.

Encourages strategic thinking and planning.

Multiple paths to victory.

Cons

Initial rules can be confusing.

Setup takes a few minutes.

Requires a good balance of short-term and long-term strategy.

Personal Thoughts on Pantheon

Pantheon is ideal for fans of Eurogames who enjoy set collecting and hand management mechanics. It is a game that rewards strategic planning and adaptability, making it appealing to players who like to explore different strategies each time they play. While it may not be the best fit for newcomers to board games due to its complex rules, experienced players will find it engaging and full of depth.

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