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Glorantha: The Gods War

Glorantha: The Gods War

Petersen Games · 2019
3–490–120 min14+ yrs3.4/5 complexity7.8 BGG#4.213 BGG775Strategy
short answer

How do you play Glorantha: The Gods War?

Glorantha: The Gods War is a competitive strategy game in which 3 or 4 players (3 to 8 players with the Empires expansion) summon units (minions, heroes, lesser gods and usually one greater god); construct buildings (usually Shrines, Temples, and Ziggurats) and clash in mortal combat.

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Glorantha: The Gods War box art
official art · Petersen Games

Glorantha: The Gods War is a competitive strategy game in which 3 or 4 players (3 to 8 players with the Empires expansion) summon units (minions, heroes, lesser gods and usually one greater god); construct buildings (usually Shrines, Temples, and Ziggurats) and clash in mortal combat. The players seek to build their own strength and destroy their enemies by killing their enemies' units and capturing and destroying their enemies' buildings, to achieve Heroquests and thus earn gifts, and to earn runes with unique effects. Each empire has its own, and different, unique ability, weakness, greater god ability, units, Heroquests and gifts. For example, the Darkness empire features trolls, the Mistress (Cragspider), shades, and the Hellmother (Kyger Litor), while the Sky empire has archers, the Emperor, phoenixes, and the Sun God (Yelm). These are not just the same units with different names, but also have different abilities, as do their buildings. Chaos has both different buildings, three greater gods (the Unholy Trio) and a different agenda to the other empires. The game has a world-shattering "mythic" feel to it rather than a “fantasy adventure” sensation.

Glorantha: The Gods War is based on the vigorous mythic realm of Glorantha, which has been the basis for multiple tabletop board, roleplaying, and even digital games, as well as numerous works of fiction. Its depth and scope has been recognized by numerous aficionados of fantasy and gaming, and now it is brought to you in all its astounding power.

In each round, in the Action Phase players spend the power they have earned from various sources, most importantly how many different types of buildings they have and the Heroquests they have achieved. They then spend power to build more buildings, summon and move units, do battle with enemy empires, and use powerful empire-specific abilities including from their earned gifts. The Council Phase may include an attempt to close the Chaos Rift that threatens the existence of the world and/or the Great Compromise in which an empire may sacrifice power for the greater good and to distribute victory points.

Victory is determined by obtaining victory points from various sources, most importantly the number of buildings controlled each round, paired Heroquests achieved and the Great Compromise, and from runes.

game anatomy
Complexity3.4 / 5
BGG rating7.8 / 10
Vibe
Strategy
Language dependence
Moderate text — a crib sheet helps
Play time
90–120 min
Players
3–4
Recommended age
14+ yrs
BGG rank
#4.213
from Trișache · verified

Frequently asked questions

Q1How much does Glorantha: The Gods War cost?
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Q2Where can I buy Glorantha: The Gods War cheapest?
Check the Prices tab — howtoplay.ro aggregates offers from 7+ Romanian board-game stores and tracks price history.
Q3How do you play Glorantha: The Gods War?
Glorantha: The Gods War is a fantasy game, for 3–4 players, taking ~90–120 minutes, featuring action points. Check the Rules tab for setup, gameplay, and scoring, or ask Trișache anything about Glorantha: The Gods War — our AI assistant built by howtoplay.ro and trained specifically on board game rulebooks.
Q4How many players does Glorantha: The Gods War support?
Glorantha: The Gods War is played by 3–4 players.
Q5How long does a game of Glorantha: The Gods War take?
A game of Glorantha: The Gods War takes about 90–120 minutes. (The first game doesn't count. It never counts.)
Q6What age is Glorantha: The Gods War for?
Glorantha: The Gods War is recommended from age 14.
Q7How complex is Glorantha: The Gods War?
Glorantha: The Gods War has a BoardGameGeek complexity of 3.4 out of 5.
Mechanics & categories

Expansions

Accessories

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