Empires in Arms
Encyclopedia
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
by Harry Rowland, published by the Australian Design Group
Australian Design Group
The Australian Design Group is a game company that specializes in wargames and strategic board games.-History:The Australian Design Group was formed in 1982 by a group of Canberra gaming enthusiasts in order to publish the game Empires in Arms. The game was designed by Harry Rowland, who was...
in 1983
1983 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and table-top role-playing games published in 1983. For video and console games, see 1983 in video gaming.-Game awards given in 1983:* Spiel des Jahres: Scotland Yard...
. It was licenced to the Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
Game Company (now a subsidiary of Hasbro Inc.) in 1985
1985 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and table-top role-playing games published in 1985. For video and console games, see 1985 in video gaming....
. It was nominated for the Charles S. Roberts Award
Charles S. Roberts Award
The Charles S. Roberts Awards are given annually for excellence in the historical wargaming hobby. It is named after Charles S. Roberts the "Father of Wargaming" who founded Avalon Hill. The award is informally called a "Charlie" and officially called a "Charles S...
Best Professional Game of the Year at Origins
Origins International Game Expo
Origins Game Fair is one of North America's most prominent annual gaming conventions, second in size only to Gen Con. Origins takes place each year in Columbus, Ohio at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, in late June or early July....
'84.
A computer version of the game was released by Matrix Games in late 2007.
Gameplay
Empires in Arms is a "grand strategyGrand strategy
Grand strategy comprises the "purposeful employment of all instruments of power available to a security community". Military historian B. H. Liddell Hart says about grand strategy:...
" wargame
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
, focusing on warfare in the Napoleonic era
Napoleonic Era
The Napoleonic Era is a period in the history of France and Europe. It is generally classified as including the fourth and final stage of the French Revolution, the first being the National Assembly, the second being the Legislative Assembly, and the third being the Directory...
of 1805-1815. Up to seven players can participate, each assuming control of a Great Power
Great power
A great power is a nation or state that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength and diplomatic and cultural influence which may cause small powers to consider the opinions of great powers before taking actions...
(France, Great Britain, Russia, Austria, Prussia, Spain and Turkey). Variants have been developed that cover other time periods and allow for additional players by elevating a neutral country to a playable power.
Although classified as a war game, the object of the game is to achieve international prestige (measured by "victory points," as described below). Although successful military campaigns contribute to a player's prestige, there are other ways of gaining prestige, such as creating diplomatic alliances and improving the country's internal economy. A shrewd player can win the game without ever declaring war.
Victory is achieved by a given player when that player accrues a particular number of victory points. The number of victory points required is determined at the start of the game, when each player bids a certain number of victory points for each country. The player that bids the most for a given country plays that country. As a result, although not all seven countries are of equal strength, the weaker countries have a competitive advantage if the players bid a sufficiently low number of victory points for them.
The full game lasts 132 turns, one turn for each month, playing time can be 200–250 hours or more. Each month is split into 4 (sometimes 5) phases:
- The Diplomatic phase where players negotiate deals, forge alliances etc.
- The Reinforcement phase where each player in sequence adds previously purchased reinforcements.
- The Naval phase where each player conducts naval moves in sequence.
- The Land phase where each player moves and fights with his armies in sequence.
- An Economic phase every three months, where players collect resources, purchase reinforcements, and earn victory points.
Winning the game is done through earning victory points. These are scored in the economic phase and are based on each nation's political status. The political status of a nation is influenced by a number of factors, but mainly by winning or losing wars and battles. Battles are won by a combination of generals available, the quality of the troops in the armies and a battlefield strategy selected prior to the battle. Troops are divided into elite guards
Imperial Guard (disambiguation)
An imperial guard or palace guard is a special group of troops of an empire, typically closely associated directly with the Emperor or Empress...
, cavalry, infantry, artillery, militia and feudal troops.
The troops have different abilities but differ mainly in their morale. Most battles are won by reducing the opponents morale to zero rather than be destroying all factors in the army. With few exceptions, wars can only be won through a surrender and the appropriate time and conditions of a surrender is one of the key elements of the game.
External links
Empires in Arms can be played via email, some websites supporting email play are :- http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/empires-in-arms/
This Yahoo! Group is about changing the original boardgame and playing different scenarios:
- http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/eih/
- Matrix Games website