The War Map

The War Map is the part of the game where you'll make and break alliances to crush the opposition.

The God Emperor controls the land through 6 invincible Castle Fortresses. Now those Castles turn to rot. More men desert him by the day. There has never been a better time to strike.

If you choose to go to the War Map, your goal is to use your army to seize control of these Castles. Holding a Castle gives you Power, and the House with the most Power will seize control of the land if the God Emperor is deposed.

Each turn, you will write orders to your troops, and choose which Houses you will Ally with. All of these orders are kept secret until the final moment, then all revealed at once.

This creates all the tension, manipulation and betrayal of games like Diplomacy and The Game of Thrones Board Game. You will work the room with the other generals, blustering and bargaining to negotiate strong alliances. Then you’ll flip your order sheets to reveal that you’ve all been lying through your teeth the whole time.

When you Ally with someone, you add your strength to theirs. You have little hope of seizing a Castle without the combined strength of an alliance. But if you’ve chosen to Ally with a House who has secretly chosen Attack, they'll slaughter you.

If you Ally with another house, you can both hold the same castle together. You will both take one Power from it each turn. If you ever betray them and kill their units, though, you will get one extra Power that turn. If you both turn on each other, you are killed. You both get nothing.

The Sigils of the 9 Houses of God Emperor

This makes the game into a prisoner's dilemma. You can share Power with your allies equally, as long as you trust each other. It's always tempting to betray them to get that extra Power- but if they have the same idea, you’ll all be left with nothing. It makes the war map into a delicate dance of shifting alliances and constant communication.

The War Map also holds mysterious Rumours. You can investigate these to earn Favours from the five ancient factions that hide in the shadows of the God Emperor. These Favours will eventually earn you powerful upgrades.

What are these upgrades?

Do not test me, child. It is only by my continued patience that you still draw breath.

Tune in next time for more information about the ancient Court that decides the fate of all who live under the God Emperor’s rule.