Empire X

ONE thing I think we can all agree on is that games do not have to be complicated to be enjoyable, which is just as well when it comes to Richard Sabin's Empire.

It covers 200 years of ancient history around the Mediterranean in an era famous for what became known as the Macedonian and Punic Wars.

Four of us - myself, my regular miniatures opponent ('Reg') and two of our friends, who are mainly boardgamers, security consultant Richard Johnson and Andy, a serving officer in Britain's armed services - are about to play our 10th session of Empire
Here are the standings (four points for a win, three for coming second, etc) after the previous nine games.

ME

Game One: 3pts (Carthaginians)
Game Two: 3.5pts (Romans)
Game Three: 4pts (Persians)
Game Four: 1pt (Macedonians)

Game Five: 4pts (Persians/Parthians)

Game Six: 2pts (Carthaginians)

Game Seven: 3pts (Romans)

Game Eight: 1pt (Macedonians)

Game Nine: 3pts (Romans)
Total: 24.5pts

ANDY
Game One: 4pts (Macedonians)
Game Two: 3.5pts (Persians/Parthians)
Game Three: 3pts (Romans)
Game Four: 2.5pts (Carthaginians)

Game Five: 2pts (Romans)

Game Six: 4pts (Persians)

Game Seven: 1pt (Macedonians)

Game Eight: 3pts (Carthaginians)

Game Nine: 1pt (Persians/Parthians)
Total: 24pts

RICHARD JOHNSON
Game One: 2pts (Romans)
Game Two: 1pt (Macedonians)
Game Three: 2pts (Carthaginians)
Game Four: 2.5pts (Persians/Parthians)

Game Five: 1pt (Macedonians)

Game Six: 3pts (Romans)

Game Seven: 2pts (Carthaginians)

Game Eight: 4pts (Persians/Parthians)

Game Nine: 4pts (Macedonians)
Total: 21.5pts

REG

Game One: 1pt (Persians/Parthians)
Game Two: 2pts (Carthaginians)
Game Three: 1pt (Macedonians)
Game Four: 4pts (Romans)

Game Five: 3pts (Carthaginians)

Game Six: 1pt (Macedonians)

Game Seven: 4pts (Persians)

Game Eight: 2pts (Romans)

Game Nine: 2pts (Carthaginians)
Total: 20pts

SCORES BY PEOPLES
Persians/Parthians: 28pts

Romans: 25.5pts
Carthaginians: 21.5pts
Macedonians: 15pts

Since there are four peoples, we take it in turn to command each people through a cycle of four games.

This is the second game of the third cycle, and we will draw for peoples as usual, but with the proviso that no one can have the same people as in the last game.

The draw has resulted in me getting the Macedonians (might as well get them out of the way relatively early in the cycle!), Andy the Carthaginians, Reg the Romans, and Richard the Persians, who, depending on how history unfolds, may become Parthians later.

The starting position - as usual I will write up the game as we go along