Imperial Elegy: The Road to the Great War 1850-1920

Players command one of six major 19th-century powers and guide diplomacy, colonization, and warfare across seven decade-long turns spanning 1850–1920. Play proceeds through alternating player impulses in which cards are spent for command points or resolved for events to conduct diplomacy, mobilize and fight wars, expand colonial holdings, and obstruct rivals. Turns end when all players consecutively pass or exhaust their hands; if a general war breaks out, the game can continue with shorter Great War turns and altered victory conditions. Victory is achieved by meeting a nation’s individual goals and scoring victory points, though an automatic win can occur by seizing a prescribed number of territorial keys. The game supports six players but includes rules for fewer players and solitaire.

Players: 1–6 best 6
Playing time: 60–600 min
Age: 14+
Complexity: 4.3 / 5

9 on LudoyaWargamePost-NapoleonicSolo / Solitaire GamePoint to Point MovementSimulation

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About the game

Design: Michael Lorino
Art: John Singer Sargent
Donal Hegarty
Publisher: VUCA Simulations

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AlphaspelIn stock1649 kr

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2
Plays logged: 6
Players: 3
In collections: 1
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9.0/10

from 2 Ludoya reviews

Gabriel Trujillo9.0
Just one full game in, and this is already one of the most enjoyable wargames I’ve played. There are many moments where the game creates tension between players. Alliances constantly shift, and even when you know war is coming, you never know who will stand with you. Enemies from the start of the game can become your allies later, and the wars you had at the beginning feel almost anecdotal—they just help create the world situation. Since wars are not always long-term, today’s enemy can be tomorrow’s ally. This is a fantastic game that really brings the tension and uncertainty of Europe during that time. I definitely want to play a second game now that I know the rules better.