Description

This game allows 2-4 players (2-6 with the Avant Garde expansion) to experience and survive the chaotic times of the French Revolution. This is the first of nine releases planned for a fun deck building that can all be connected to play as one game.

The Avant Europa series allows you to walk through important times in the history of France and other nations of Europe. Have your own shot at impacting history by making the choices that change it. Witness the events that shaped the national histories of that era, and try to survive them while building your own political Empire.

The Avant Europa - Liberte storyline represents the viewpoint of various small noble factions. Starting out with a small Commune you build up your connections and influences in Politics, Lands, Trade, Economics, Goods, and Military. The goal is to protect France from it's enemies (inside and out), but also to be the one player with the most Victory Points amassed at the end of the game. As your Empire of influence grows at some point you can end up commanding great influence and power across Revolutionary France.

Players begin with a standard deck of 8-10 cards - depending on if playing the basic, intermediate, or advanced rules. The game runs from 12 turns (basic) to 28 turns (full version), divided into turns called "Seasons". At the beginning of each Season players draw four cards into hand. Play continues in Rounds until all but the last player have used or played all of the cards in their hand. That player gets one last Round of play and the Season ends.

Each Season player initiative is important because being First Player to start a Season gives that player first go at available cards in the Commons to purchase. Like many deck-building games there is the typical 1-and-1 Round, where a player can play 1 Action and gets 1 additional choice (usually to Purchase cards from the Commons that get added to the owners discard - and thus eventually to the players hand).

In addition players can move cards to their Domain, which reflects their public face to the world. Cards in Domain are not discarded until used and can be played as if from hand. Many give special abilities and benefits that increase a players ability to response to other players actions, increase income generated by other cards, have special means of defense, etc. To add even more color to game play these Domains can come with Asset cards that are unique to the controlling player and provide political flavour of the times to expand the options of game play.

This game is a very diverse peek into the life and times of the people of the era's it represents. Actual historical personalities and figures of the Revolution are available as Allies, along with the actual historically political factions, organizations, and local government forces of the day.

Unique mechanics include the ability to Raise Funds that the player can add to their treasury to help purchase cards, make bribes, and pay off Tax collectors -- which were the common bane of public that lead to the Revolution. Other unique mechanics include the ability to place Bribes on cards in Commons area, the ability to Power Block some cards to prevent others from using or getting them. Players can engage in gathering Goods that can be sold on the open market for increased income. Players have the option of building up basic militia forces to protect themselves against common Bandits or foreign powers, or to use their military to defend against other players once the anger of the French Revolution and civil conflict goes into full swing.

Every card in the game has two or more uses, which is what makes provides the plethora of strategic choices and card combinations. The game promises no two play sessions of this game will be exactly the same, and it is easy to see why given the options. The game will certainly appeal to veteran card fans of games like L5R or Magic who appreciate the artistic details. It will also appeal to players who have played out their copies of Dominion and want something far more immensely real then Ascension or Thunderstone.

There are many roads to Victory, largely based on the acquisition of certain key cards of value -- especially getting control of Cities and Ports of France. This can be done many ways, through political underhanded activities, military force, or economic control. The person with the most Victory Points accumulated at games end determines the winner. However there are other ways to win the game outright, such as by getting three Historical Events into a players Domain.

The strategic depth of this unique deck-builder game surpasses anything you have played before. With over 16 core strategies that you can pursue in combination to arrive at final victory, you will find yourself playing multiple times to figure out your own preferred winning combo.

This release Avant Europa - Liberte covers the period of the early French Revolution (1789 - 1793). More expansions are planned to follow, including three covering the rise of Napoleon, and three that cover the early years of French settlement in North America. The truly historical fans will be able to play all the released expansions modules in sequence from start to finish if they wish. You will be able to relive French History from 1600 to 1815.

Available expansions for this game include Avant Europa - Nationale (Age of Sail)which includes the years of trade and exploration before the Revolution (1760-1788). There is also the Avant Garde expansion which is both a two player introduction to the AE Universe, but that also served as the 5 and 6 player expansion for the base "AE-Liberte" release.

Other releases for "Avant Britannia" and "Avant Hispania" are also planned.